Fort Thomas Council Discusses Boost for Business, City Building Updates and Gun Safety

Fort Thomas Economic Development Director Chanda Calentine presents the Lost Revenue Grant Program to help local businesses with some immediate funds.

by Robin Gee

The first meeting of Fort Thomas City Council for 2022 included updates on projects and plans for the future.

Concerned about the toll the pandemic continues to take on small businesses within the city, council approved a new business grant program, dubbed the Lost Revenue Grant, based on an assistance grant program developed in 2020 designed to support area businesses.

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In the previous grant, 66 area businesses were granted $2,500 each, funded by the city’s Grow Grant program normally used to help businesses with small aesthetic and repair projects. The money for the original grant, about $60,000, came from telecommunications companies that leased the use of the city-owned cell tower.

Assistant City Administrator and Finance Director Joe Ewald and Economic Development Director Chanda Calentine proposed a new assistance grant program the would include more funding from the city’s general fund.

Ewald said he expected the total cost to be between $120,00 to $125,000 to allow more businesses to receive the help. Any funds not used would be returned to the general fund. As before, businesses can apply for the grants through the city.

“I think most of you have seen the help wanted signs,” Calentine said. She went on to list some of the local restaurants that are struggling to keep open with staff shortages and other issues related to the pandemic. Many restaurants have had to close down or shift their hours to open later or close earlier to adjust to the situation, she said.

Ewald noted that because the city has presented similar business support programs in the past, those experiences will enable the city to get the new grant program up and running quickly.

As with the prior grant, the Lost Revenue Grant would provide each eligible business with $2,500 to help with expenses. The timeline would include expenses incurred between October 1, 2021, and the date of the application.

City Administrator Ron Dill said the city has notified eligible businesses of the opportunity. He noted the grant is not the “end all” and that support for businesses will continue in other ways, but the program could help address immediate needs and have a positive impact for businesses in the community overall.

For more information on the Lost Revenue Program, contact Calentine at 859-441-1055 or ccalentine@ftthomas.org. For the application, go to the Fort Thomas Lost Revenue Grant on the city’s website. 

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City building and project updates

Dill said the city building project is on track despite some weather-induced delays. Brick work is continuing and workers will soon turn their attention to work inside the building, he said.

City officials met with the Fort Thomas School Board to discuss ways to work together this year. Dill said he hoped to cooperate with the schools for some projects in Tower Park, including a new soccer facility. In particular, he said, the city is working to acquire the former stable building that could be used both for city and school district storage. 

Another project, just at the beginning stages, is a plan for a restaurant for the former BB&T building site at 25 North Fort Thomas Avenue. Known as the Quarter One Development, he said some preliminary discussion with the developers has happened and he expects to hear from them with a plan for the site in the next few months.

The city is looking for a partner for a rebranding project and has put out a request for proposals, said Dill. “With the advent of our DORA ordinance and the revitalization work for our business district, it’s time to start thinking about branding, to take a step back and look at how we market ourselves…” He said he looks forward to working with local businesses on the project.

Dill also announced that the federal government has clarified and reworked its requirements and guidelines for the American Rescue Plan Act funds. The changes, he said, open up more opportunities and allows for more local input in how the funds are used.

Council looks at gun safety

At the invitation of council members Ken Bowman and Connie Grubbs, Lexington-based pediatrician Dr. Rhea Vidrine gave a presentation to council on gun safety. She began with some startling statistics:

• Every year in the US, nearly 350 children 17 and under gain access to a firearm and unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else.
• Nearly 700 more children in this age group die by suicide with a gun each year.

She presented the Be SMART program, developed by Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, which uses the SMART acronym to provide a plan of action to help keep guns out of the hands of children.

Basically, she said, the plan is not “anti-gun” but, instead a plan for safe gun ownership. Each of us, she said, has a personal right to decide whether or not to have guns in the home, and she believes all people can agree we want to keep children safe.

The acronym outlines the plan:

• S = Secure all guns in your home and vehicles.
• M = Model responsible behavior around guns.
• A = Ask about the presence of guns in other homes.
• R = Recognize the role of guns in suicide.
• T= Tell your peers to be SMART.

She advises keeping guns unloaded and locked away safely. To help in this effort, Police Chief Casey Kilgore said the Fort Thomas Police Department provides free cable locks upon request.

For more information, go to BeSMARTforKids.org. A video of the BeSMART presentation is also available online.