CITY OF CRESTVIEW HILLS

MINUTES - REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING

AUGUST 8, 2002

 

CALL TO ORDER - With the Pledge of Allegiance and a silent prayer, Mayor Paul W. Meier called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM.

ROLL CALL - Present was Messrs. David Kramer, Ralph Laird, Frank Sommerkamp, Harold Ries, and Mrs. Terri Jameson.  Mr. Joe Maloney was in absentia.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA  -    Mayor Meier wished to add Terry Conner, Athletic Director from Thomas More College under Citizens and Guests.  Ayes carried.

Motion: Mr. Ries                                       Second: Mr. Kramer

APPROVAL OF MINUTES -  Accepted as submitted.  Ayes carried.

Motion: Mr. Kramer                                            Second: Mr. Laird

CITIZENS AND GUESTS

Colonel Paul Herbst, Chief of Lakeside Park/Crestview Hills Police Authority and Kathleen Corneil, representing the Lookout Farm Homeowners Association, were present. 

Mayor Meier introduced Ron Epling, City Finance Director from Florence and the State of Kentucky representative of the Government Finance Officers Association.  Mr. Epling stated many hours of research and hard work went into the preparation of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, which should contain detailed financial reports and information helpful to council in making decisions and planning for the future.  GFOA considers the report to be a very important document and has prepared a list of standards to which a CAFR must conform to be considered worthy of the award.  For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001, the City of Crestview Hills and C.R. Wirthlin, met those standards and for that effort was awarded the Award of Financial Reporting Achievement from the Government Finance Officers Association.  Ms. Wirthlin accepted the award and thanked Mayor, Council, and the City Administrator for their patience and Linda Chapman, Crestview Hills’ auditor with Rankin and Rankin, for her assistance and guidance.

Mayor Meier introduced Terry Conner from Thomas More College, who wished to petition council for an exception to the conditions under which the football field was originally constructed.  Mr. Conner sought permission for the college to play host to a day featuring Northern Kentucky high school football.  The date would be Saturday, September 14, 2002, with game times at Noon and 3PM.  Events such as this bolster publicity for Thomas More College and introduce more people to its campus. 

Mayor Meier noted that in the original motion for the approval of the football field, one of the exceptions noted was the inability of the college to rent the field for any purpose other than a Thomas More College football game.  Approval of the games would constitute a one-time exemption of that particular original exception.

Mr. Sommerkamp made the motion that council approve the addition of a high school event to be held September 14 between four local high schools.  Mrs. Jameson seconded.  Ayes carried.  Mr. Kramer abstained from voting.

CITY ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

Mr. Groth reported on the following:

1.      The Board of Adjustment meeting scheduled for August 27 has been postponed until September.  A firm date will be set and agendas mailed.

2.      Dates to remember:

Ø      August 26 – Chamber of Commerce golf and dinner outing at Summit Hills Country Club.

Ø      September 13 – Government Forum at the Metropolitan Club in Covington.  Guest speaker will be Greg Stumbo, House Majority Leader.

Ø      September 26 – Chamber annual dinner at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center featuring guest speaker Elaine Chao, U.S. Secretary of Labor.

Ø      Mr. Groth has been accepted into the Leadership Northern Kentucky program and will begin in the latter part of September.

MAYOR’S REPORT

Mayor Meier reported on the following:

The Kenton County transportation task force has completed the final report.  The report will be available for viewing on August 27 from 5 to 7PM at the Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission at 2332 Royal Drive in Ft. Mitchell, August 28 from 5 to 7PM at the Covington Branch of the Kenton County library, and August 29 at Summit View Middle School, 5002 Madison Pike in Independence.

OLD BUSINESS

A.     Public Works

Mr. Sommerkamp introduced discussion (not on the agenda) regarding the possibility of the construction of an earthen berm behind homes abutting right of way on I-275. 

Mr. Berling drew a topographical map of the area from the Dixie Hwy. Ramp exiting I-275 to the end of Woodspoint Drive showing the possible dimensions for construction.  At a public hearing held at the City Building on July 23, residents on Woodspoint Drive were in favor of looking into the construction at a reasonable cost.  Several issues must gain state approval before designs can begin.  It is uncertain how long the process will take, or what the cost will be as these will be determined in part by what KDOT will and will not allow the City to do.

Mayor Meier informed council on the details of a proposal submitted by Riley Kinman, a solid waste environmentalist who helped with the Cinergy suit.  It was quite costly.  Even though readings were conducted a few years ago, they were taken when the truck ban was in effect on I-75 and all trucks were diverted onto I-275.  It is possible that readings would be substantially different now. 

Mr. Sommerkamp mused as to whether the berm would decrease noise significantly or just a few decibels.  If the noise levels decreased just slightly, there would be very few benefits of construction.

NEW BUSINESS

A.   none to report

 

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Public Works   Mr. Sommerkamp reported on the following:

Ø      The turn lane on Horsebranch Road at Orphanage Road is under construction.  The contractor put in rolling modules and will lay another coat of blacktop, then stripe it.  The State will take care of the signalization.  The project should be completed by month’s end.

Ø      Crack sealing and repairs have begun on Thomas More Parkway and should be completed by August 15, 2002.

Ø      The Kenton County Board of Education, the Kentucky Department of Transportation, and the City of Crestview Hills are working together to improve the storm water drainage near Dixie Heights High School, Caywood Elementary, and the homes on the southwest side of Summit Drive.  The project should be underway this winter.

Ø      The City is investigating improvement and landscaping of the median in Turkeyfoot Road between Crestview Hills Mall Rd. and I-275.  A report was presented at the last public works committee meeting and options are being gathered at this time.

Ø      We have asked the Highway Dept. to consider the possibility of allowing left turns from Turkeyfoot Rd. onto Thomas More Parkway on red arrows when the intersection is clear of northbound traffic.  The turning traffic would be required to yield to oncoming traffic.  The City and Mr. Berling has been informed that state policy allows for dual left turn lanes to move only on green arrows. 

Finance -  Mr. Laird noted that since councilmembers had calculations for the property tax in front of them, that this meeting could be considered first reading of the ordinance to set property tax rates.  However, since it was not on the agenda, it cannot be done.  First reading will occur at the September meeting.

Police Authority -  Mrs. Jameson wished to thank Chief Herbst, the Police Authority, and Ft. Mitchell Fire Dept. for the bike rodeo. 

RecreationMrs. Jameson noted there are a few tickets available for the August 15 Reds game.  Summit Hills golf outing and picnic August 13.  The cost is $50 to play golf, $10 picnic dinner for adults and $5 for children.  Activities include a DJ during dinner, games, bingo, card games, tennis, and swimming.  136 registered for dinner and 81 golfers currently signed up.

Personnel – Mayor Meier stated a brief meeting will be arranged before next council meeting.

 

Mayor Meier noticed the website has a new design and some new features.  The next newsletter should be sent the second or third week in September.

 

After general discussion, motion to adjourn made by Mr. Laird, seconded by Mr. Ries at 8:10PM.

 

 

 

____________________________                     ______________________________

Mayor Paul W. Meier                                     City Clerk C.R. Wirthlin