Mike Conway and Pat Flannery came to the virtual Park Hills council meeting Monday night to talk about installing American flags along Dixie Highway.
“Our overall objective and thought is to help spur economic development along Dixie Highway,” Conway said.
Conway is the chair of the Tree Board, but he came to this meeting as a citizen who had a good idea.
“Of course, there are a number of things we could do to do that, but all of them would take a longer term plan to be put in place,” Conway said. “But there is something that could help in the interim, something I experienced on a trip to Madison, Indiana. They had just completed a new entry to the city, and they had lined the streets with American flags, both down the initial entry from the bridge to Madison, and along Main street through the business district. It makes a statement, when you see them. The colors are brilliant, and they stand out.”
Conway said he thought since they were cleaning up the Dixie Highway strip, and a new liquor store was coming on that strip, he thought putting up these flags would add another element, and it would support the veterans, and make a statement at the beginning of the city.
He told councilmembers that he and Flannery identified 40 poles that can be utilized, as long as they get permission from Duke Energy, which owns the poles.
Conway said they could work with Flags USA, who gave them a price for 40 three by five flags on black poles which are rotating so they don’t tangle for $2,800. The company also has a boom truck that installs the flags, and they can install the 40 flags for $1200, which would make the entire cost about $4,000.
“The timeline is, if you approve the project tonight, we could have them up during April, it’s a two week project, and it would be in time for the Memorial Day, or the beginning of May,” Conway said. “We could put them up every year in April, and have them taken down in November.”
He said flags deteriorate especially over the winter months, and he thought the flags could stay up through Veterans’ day.
Conway also suggested the city could also put the flags on Amsterdam, from the police station down the street. He thought they would not put the flags on the poles that already have banners on them.
Council discussed the idea, and wanted Conway to ask the company if they would store the flags.
“I like it, I think it would define the city,” said Mayor Kathy Zembrodt.
However, it would be a recurring cost to put up and take down the flags, and then replace them on a regular basis.
Engineer Jay Bayer asked if they could be put on poles with lights since the American flag is supposed to be lighted at night.
Councilmember Pam Spoor thought they could come up with a number council would be comfortable with, and approve it initially for a two-year period, and then not be obligated to continue.
But councilmember Joe Shields said it wasn’t really a plan, and he wanted to understand what he was voting on. There is currently no money in the Economic Development budget, and Shields said if there was money, then it would be a matter of priority of what they should spend it on.
When all was said and done, council agreed to have Conway find out a little more information, and since the city is having a caucus meeting in March, they would have a special meeting ahead of the caucus to decide whether to put flags up or not.
Aaron Schwarber, a resident who lives on Audubon, came to the meeting to reiterate his concern about the speeding on Audubon Road, saying it has passed being a safety hazard and is now a life hazard. Cars apparently are not stopping at the stop signs and are speeding down the street.
Police Chief Cody Stanley said if he puts a car there the motorists behave themselves, but go back to speeding when the car isn’t there. Stanley said he thinks the only alternative to slow the cars down is to put up speed humps.
Council agreed and VonHandorf said he could put the humps in the street the next day. He agreed with the move, because he has seen the problem with speeding cars too.
Council listened to the first reading of an ordinance amending the zoning in all the residential zones to include child care. The ordinance also defines the child care.
A municipal order passed which declared a 1990 Ford/Sutphen pumper surplus property. Mayor Zembrodt said the fire department has not decided whether to donate it or sell it yet.
Dan VonHandorf told councilmembers that they are still looking for volunteers for the Memorial day parade, and they are looking for suggestions of who could be the Grand Marshall.
Clean up day in the city will be April 23. Details are on the website.
