This week in NKY government meetings, the Union City Commission will vote on a zone change that would allow single-family development across 135 acres near the Westbrook Estates subdivision.
Keep reading to find out what happened in local government over the past week and what you need to know for this week.
What you missed in NKY over the holidays
Carmelo’s voted #2 best new restaurant in the U.S.
USA Today readers have voted Carmelo’s in Covington the second-best new restaurant in the United States, ranking it just behind Koast in Waialea, Hawaii. Located in an 1850s office building downtown, Carmelo’s offers an intimate, stylish take on Italian American comfort cuisine and is the first collaboration between longtime friends and former coworkers Mitch Arens and Billy Grise, who named the restaurant after Grise’s Sicilian-born great-grandfather. Ahead of its November 2024 opening, the pair told LINK nky how Grise’s upbringing in his family’s Italian restaurant and their shared years at Nada in Cincinnati shaped the vision for Carmelo’s, which represents the culmination of ideas they traded for more than a decade.
Read more about the ranking here.
Sarah Thompson files to run for Ludlow mayor
Sarah Thompson, who was appointed in September to fill the Ludlow mayoral seat after former Mayor Chris Wright resigned in August, officially filed on Dec. 19 to run for a full term as mayor in 2026. A former city council member first elected in 2024, Thompson said she is seeking the office to continue serving Ludlow with dedication, accountability, and a focus on strong services, responsive leadership, and tangible results for residents and businesses. Her appointment marked the first time a woman has served as Ludlow’s mayor. She currently faces one filed challenger, Paul Hallinan Miller of Bircus and Circus Mojo, whose idea of potentially dissolving the city Thompson dismissed as not reflective of Ludlow’s future.
Read more about the filing here.
Erlanger will not challenge Wawa zoning denial
The city of Erlanger announced it will not challenge the Kenton County Planning Commission’s recommendation against a zoning change for a property at Stevenson and Turkeyfoot Roads, effectively halting a proposed Wawa convenience store at the site of the Bright Future Child Enrichment Center. City officials said the Erlanger City Council will take no legislative action, allowing the commission’s recommendation to stand and preventing the zoning map amendment from moving forward. Developer Sierra Development had requested to rezone the property from a residential compact subdivision to a neighborhood commercial zone, which would allow uses such as gas stations, retail and restaurants, but those uses are currently prohibited under existing zoning. As a result, the developer would need to pursue a different zoning request or propose a different type of development to move forward in the future.
Read more about the zoning denial here.
Gary Moore files for reelection to Boone judge/executive
Incumbent Boone County Judge/Executive Gary Moore filed for reelection on Dec. 30, according to the Kentucky Secretary of State’s office, citing his lifelong ties to Northern Kentucky and a record focused on public safety, infrastructure investment, low property tax rates, and protection of rural land and green spaces. Judges/executive serve as the chief executives of county governments, chairing and voting on the fiscal court while overseeing county budgets, personnel, and partnerships, and they serve four-year terms with no term limits. Moore will face fellow Republican Chet Hand, a Boone County Commissioner, in the primary, with the race highlighting a contrast between Moore’s more commercially oriented leadership and Hand’s socially conservative, grassroots approach.
Read more about the filing here.
4th Street Bridge closure set to begin week of Jan. 12
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced that the 4th Street Bridge, also known as the KY 8 Bridge, will close sometime during the week of Jan. 12 for construction of a new bridge and will remain closed to all vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists until at least the summer of 2028. The bridge connects Covington and Newport across the Licking River, and while an exact closure date has not yet been released, additional details are expected in the coming weeks. During the closure, traffic will be detoured to nearby bridges, including the Girl Scout, Brent Spence, Clay Wade Bailey, and Taylor Southgate bridges, and TANK will operate a free shuttle service for regular bridge users.
Read more about the closure here. Â
Fort Mitchell appoints Pohlgeers as new mayor
Following the formal resignation of longtime Mayor Jude Hehman, who stepped down after 11 years in the role to take a position as Kenton County Sheriff, the Fort Mitchell City Council unanimously appointed Councilmember Greg Pohlgeers as the city’s new mayor during a special meeting. Pohlgeers, who has served on council since 2017 and represents Fort Mitchell on the Kenton County Planning and Development Services Council, said he is honored by the council’s confidence and committed to building on Hehman’s legacy. Hehman, who has served Fort Mitchell for more than two decades after first being elected to council at age 21 and becoming mayor in 2014, described his departure as an emotional decision and reflected on his pride in the city’s progress during his tenure.
Read more about the appointment here.
What’s happening this week in NKY government
Kenton County Board of Education meeting: Monday, Jan. 5
The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at 2044 Tuscanyview Dr. in Covington.
The agenda can be found here.
Edgewood City Council meeting: Monday, Jan. 5
The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at 385 Dudley Road.
The agenda can be found here.
Independence City Council meeting: Monday, Jan. 5
The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at 5409 Madison Pike.
What you need to know: The council plans to discuss street parking.
The agenda can be found here.
Union City Commission meeting: Monday, Jan. 5
The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at 1843 Bristow Drive.
What you need to know: The commission will discuss a second reading and vote on a zone map amendment for a prospective suburban development near the Westbrook Estates subdivision in Union.
Edgewood-based homebuilder, Arlinghaus Builders, has requested a complex zoning map amendment and concept development plan change for five adjoining zoning tracts within the city of Union and Boone County. If approved, single-family lots will be developed across 135 acres of the project site.
Read more about that development here.
The agenda can be found here.
Highland Heights City Council meeting: Tuesday, Jan. 6
The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at 176 Johns Hill Road.
Covington Commission caucus meeting: Tuesday, Jan. 6
The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at 20 West Pike St.
The agenda can be found here.
Elsmere City Council Caucus meeting: Tuesday, Jan. 6
The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at 3921 Dixie Highway.
The agenda can be found here.
Erlanger City Council meeting: Tuesday, Jan. 6
The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at 505 Commonwealth Ave.
The agenda can be found here.
Florence City Council caucus meeting: Tuesday, Jan. 6
The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at 8100 Ewing Blvd.
Kenton County Planning and Development special public hearing: Tuesday, Jan. 6
The meeting starts at 6:15 p.m. at 1840 Simon Kenton Way, Covington.
The agenda can be found here.
Campbell County Fiscal Court meeting: Wednesday, Jan. 7
The meeting starts at 9 a.m. at 8352 E Main St. in Alexandria.
The agenda can be found here.
Fort Wright City Council meeting: Wednesday, Jan. 7
The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at409 Kyles Lane.
The agenda can be found here.
Newport Board of Education organization meeting & joint meeting with Superintendent Applicant Screening Committee: Wednesday, Jan. 7
The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at 30 w. 8th St.
What you need to know: There will be superintendent search committee introductions, roles and responsibilities of the board and the search committee, etc. discussed during the meeting.
