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The Covington City Commission will meet Tuesday night for a legislative session. Here are some of the items up for votes with descriptions provided by the City of Covington (followed by the items up for first readings with no votes to be taken yet):

  • The City to transfer ownership of streets in City Heights to the Housing Authority of Covington The Board of Commissioners of the Housing Authority of Covington has agreed to the closure and privatization of the streets within the City Heights development that are bordered exclusively by realty owned by the Housing Authority of Covington.  
  • Reduction of police captain positions from four to three The elimination of the positions shall be achieved by attrition; the position that has been eliminated will no longer exist and will not be filled.October 19, 2012
  •  Rental property owners could face new charges if crime happens on their property The  Criminal Activity as a Public Nuisance ordinance has been in effect since 2003. It applies to owners of residential, commercial or vacant property. Property shall not be allowed to be used as a site for criminal activity after receiving notice that criminal activity has occurred on the property. This amended ordinance adds alcohol intoxication, menacing, assault, terroristic threatening and resisting arrest to the crimes of prostitution, crimes involving controlled substances, disorderly conduct and  outdoor gambling to the crime in the nuisance code that will allow the City to take further action to abate the nuisance created by the criminal activity.
  • Hiring of an urban housing specialist The Section 8 program requires a part-time inspector and Mr. (Jerry) Heist has been fulfilling this role as a contract employee through the Housing Authority of Covington. Mr. Heist has been employed as a Section 8 Inspector for  30 years and is certified in HUD Housing Quality standards.
  • Establishment of fees for building and electrical permits and related fines The City finds that there is a need to update and modify the fees necessary for the provision of building code administration within it corporate limits. In 2006, the City and NKAPC agreed to a standard form fee schedule and increases periodically thereafter to offset the costs of administration of said code program. 
  • Elimination of city departments after the adoption of newly created departments The reorganization of City government necessitates amending this section of the code, eliminating the Community Development Department, Neighborhoods, Parks and Recreation Department, and Code Enforcement Department and adding the Development Department.
  • $35,000 grant to the Center for Great Neighborhoods In May 2012, the City’s Annual Action Plan was approved by City Commission, including the allocation of CDBG funds in the amount of $35,000 to the Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington, Inc. (CGN). The funds were allocated as a part of the Place Matters initiative, an on-going partnership between the United Way, LISC, the City of Covington, and CGN.​ 
  • City to enter agreement with Mike Fink owners and American Legion Post for Licking River Blueway The Licking River Blueway Master Plan is the water trails portion of the Licking River Greenway Master Plan. These MOUs outline the usage agreement with each property owner to provide access points for local paddlers which will be free and open to the public. The Mike Fink location provides an easy ongrade access near the confluence of the Ohio River with the Licking River and the VFW location provides an access to confluence of the Banklick Creek with the Licking River.
First reading of ordinances, no votes to be taken:
  • Citizens may soon be allowed to keep chickens and other non-crowing fowl at their residences This ordinance will allow residents to harbor fowl at their residences for non-commercial purposes. Non-crowing fowl will be allowed with restrictions. This is an effort to allow more flexibility for citizens who want to keep non-crowing fowl for urban farming purposes.
  • Establishment of inspection program for rental units The ordinance will replace the City’s Residential Rental Property Ordinance. The language in the new ordinance will require owners of rental property to obtain a rental  dwelling unit license and allow the City’s designated building inspectors to inspect the interior rental properties when one of more of the rental inspection “triggers” occur. These “triggers” include broken windows,  a damaged roof, damaged or missing gutters, damaged or rotted stairs or porches/ balconies, grass or weeds over 10 inches in height, damaged exterior walls, and prohibited garbage set-outs. Once inside the property, the building inspectors have the authority to cite the owner for any violations of the current building code. There will be a $100 fee to cover the costs associated with the inspection, but no cost for the rental dwelling unit licenses. The section of the current chapter 110 dealing with occupational license fees remains largely unchanged. The section dealing with carbon monoxide detectors has not been changed. City staff met with a variety of local  stakeholders and much of the feedback that was received was incorporated into the language included in this ordinance.

Other notes: Finance Director Bob Due will present a recap of the first quarter’s budget; Officer Jason Gray will make a presentation on the Covington Police Department’s new mascot; Recently retired dispatcher Jom Gardner will be appointed to the Alcoholic Beverage Control board, replacing Bill Dorsey; City Manager Larry Klein will be reappointed to the Northern Kentucky Convention Center board.

PHOTO: Flags outside Covington City Hall/RCN file