Carol Franzen, who currently serves as an Independence city council member, announced Thursday she would run for the city’s mayoral seat in 2026. Franzen has served on the council since 2002. “It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent the diverse voices of Independence on city council,” Franzen wrote in a statement. “I […]
Tag: Independence
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Independence accessory dwelling unit regulations finalized
The Independence City Council issued final approval of restrictions on accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, in the city Monday night with a 5-1 vote. Council Member Carol Franzen was the only member to cast a no vote, she said, because she was “against these things altogether.” ADUs are small housing structures, such as guesthouses, built […]
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Independence mulls increasing fees for door-to-door salespeople
Independence is considering increasing licensing fees for door-to-door solicitors. City Administrator Chris Moriconi and City Clerk Gina Rawe brought the issue before the City Council this week, arguing their current fee structure is structured in such a way that it costs the city money as the licensing process requires background checks and other paperwork that’s […]
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Independence to consider enforcement methods for nuisance parking
What you need to know Following the testimony of an Independence resident Monday night, Independence City Council agreed to work with police to consider enforcement of parking issues throughout the city. The resident, Dan Burgey, is a volunteer with the Independence Citizens’ Police Academy alumni association and a member of the homeowners association maintenance committee […]
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Independence financial audit comes back clean
The city of Independence’s annual financial audit has come back clean. John Chamberlin, an accountant from Chamberlin Owen, the firm that performed the audit, presented the audit’s results to the Independence City Council on Monday. His audit findings came back with an “unmodified” opinion of the city’s financials, meaning they didn’t find any problems. “We […]
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Independence officers recognized for investigation into ‘designer Xanax’
What you need to know Sam Collins and Cole O’Brien, two Independence police officers, were honored by the Independence City Council Monday night for their work in investigating black markets for a substance called bromazolam, sometimes called designer Xanax. Their initial investigation eventually led to the substance being marked as a Schedule 1 controlled substance […]
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Fort Wright fire/police training facility proposal, more in NKY government
This week in NKY government meetings, the Kenton County Planning Commission will consider a new fire and police training facility in Fort Wright, while Newport will discuss a short-term rental agreement for Purple People Bridge repairs. Keep reading to find out what happened in local government over the past week and what you need to […]
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Independence officers, first responders honored for saving life
A group of Independence Police and first responders were honored this week for saving the life of a resident. One of the officers, Nathan Beikman, was even granted a lifesaving medal from the American Police Hall of Fame. The City Council honored the first responders with a proclamation Monday night. The first responders were honored […]
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UPDATE: Independence considers final approval of Freedom Park expansion
What you need to know Update: The Independence City Council approved the zoning for the development at their meeting on Nov. 3, 2025 in a 5-1 vote. Council Member Greg Steffen was the only council member to vote against the change. –LINK nky editorial, Nov. 5, 2025. The Independence City Council is considering final approval […]
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Kenton County considers Piner school renovation, police reorganization in busy week of government meetings
This week in NKY government meetings, the Kenton County School Board is considering construction bids for the Piner Elementary renovation, and Kenton County will discuss reorganizing the structure of its police department. Keep reading to find out what happened in local government over the past week and what you need to know for this week. […]
