florence-massey

The Kentucky League of Cities presented one of its Friends of Kentucky Cities awards to State Rep. Ed Massey (R-Hebron) at the Florence city council meeting on Tuesday night.

KLC Executive Director J.D. Chaney cited Massey’s legislation that was pushed through the General Assembly’s judicial committee, which Massey chairs. Chaney said that Massey was instrumental in supporting bills related to COVID exposure and the separation of the CERS pension system from other systems.

“He has been a consistent friend of the cities,” Chaney said.

Massey said that he wanted to receive the award in Florence since he grew up just outside of town and was a substitute teacher at Ockerman Middle School, and spent 22 years on the Boon County board of education.

Massey told council that he had practiced law for 30 years, and that he enjoys chairing the judicial committee. However, he explained that in this year’s 30-day session, lawmakers had 489 bills go through, and in January, when the new session starts, he has heard that there have been more than a thousand bills proposed for the session. 

“It is very nice to be recognized, when you get a lot of criticism, “he said. “I enjoy what I do.”

In other council business, the city authorized Mayor Diane Whalen to transfer real estate located at 8275 Ewing Blvd. to AEGIS Holdings.

Joshua Hunt, the city’s director of business and community development, said that AEGIS is owned by Dr. Susan Bushelman, and that she was seeking a medical office building, but the city had to make a few changes, including zoning. 

The sale can close within two weeks, it was noted.

Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Brent Cooper also spoke at the meeting to present Shared Strategic Imperatives for the region.

He said that Covington is a large city with about 40,000 people, but they only have 900 businesses, whereas Florence has about 33,000 people and 1,900 businesses.   

Mayor Whalen asked him about the giant federal infrastructure bill, and how likely it would be for the Brent Spence Bridge to be replaced or fixed.

Cooper said that he thought the bill was written so that the Ohio-Kentucky bridge fits nicely, and he thought it had an 80 to 90 percent chance of being funded.

He said it could be as low as 60 to 70 percent, but he told council that several Ohio congressmen are behind the effort.  

-Patricia A. Scheyer, RCN contributor