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More than 75 percent of Boone County’s population has responded to the U.S. Census, according to Erin Peabody, who represented the Census Bureau during last week’s Boone County Fiscal Court meeting. 

The 75.5 percent this year surpasses the 74.6 percent self-response rate from the last census in 2010.

Peabody noted that Oldham County is higher at 80 percent, but Boone’s rate is well above the state average of 65.4 percent. The state currently ranks fourteenth in the nation, though, in terms of response rate.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the self-response deadline was moved from the end of July to October 31.

Peabody stressed that the census count is important in the planning and construction of highways, federal transit grants, business and industry loans, federal grants, rural rental assistance payments, and more.

The county’s lowest response rate is coming from part of Florence, which is at 56.6 self-response. A piece of western Boone is also comparatively low at 67.6 percent, she said.

“Our representatives in Congress are at stake,” said Judge/Executive Gary Moore, noting that Kentucky once had a larger Congressional delegation. The state lost a seat after the 1990 census. “If the count is low, and other states do well, we could lose more. And the (county) commissioners’ districts are reset every ten years.”

During discussion over a proposed zoning change, Judge Moore criticized a project that he said did not turn out the way it was promised to.

The Harper Company is seeking a change in concept development plan and dimensional variances, with conditions, inside the county’s “industrial 1 zone” on a 5.39-acre site at 1648 Petersburg Road.

“The property is nowhere close to what it was supposed to be,” said Moore. “We did not approve what is there today.”

Plans approved in 2008 called for two buildings that were ultimately never built, so technically, members of the fiscal court stated, the company is in violation of the original plan.

“When you do wrong, you should be able to say, Make it better,” said Commissioner Cathy Flaig. “It keeps me up at night. It’s nasty.”

Moore asked the County Attorney Robert Neace for his opinion on the company’s alleged lack of follow[-up on the original plan, and the alleged encroachment of property without permission.

“It’s a classic case of asking forgiveness rather than permission,” Neace said.

Commissioner Jesse Brewer asked if this would be setting a precedent for other companies if the county allows the violation to stand, and Neace said it is always a concern to make sure the county is treating all the companies fairly.

“In my mind, if we can  work with the owner, it would be a better option to resolve the matter,” said Moore. 

He said his greatest concern is trying to make the fence across Petersburg Road (KY 20) less visible. The fence is a 6-ft. chain link with two strands of barbed wire, which is not permitted in the zoning.

County Administrator Jeff Earlywine said he didn’t remember a storm water detention on the property either, and the company didn’t get a certificate of approval from the Army Corps of Engineers.

Judge Moore said planning and zoning recommended for the changes, and the company has to have an answer by August 11.

The fiscal court also saw a presentation from Chris Reis and Anthony Griggs of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) on the Rural Secondary Road program.

The county received $695,531 through the program to provide general maintenance along more than 56 miles of rural roads.

Part of the upcoming plans is to re-pave Hathaway Road from Gunpowder Creek to Camp Ernst Road. That 3.78-mile section will cost an estimated $331,050.

-Written by Patricia A. Scheyer, RCN contributor