CITY OF UNION, KENTUCKY

COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES

October 9, 2000

 

CALL TO ORDER

Mayor Warren S. Moore called the regular business meeting to order at 7:50p.m. after the scheduled public hearing on the property tax rate. The Union City Commission met in the Auditorium of the Union City Building.

Commissioners in attendance were Jonathan Jennings, Gary McCormick and Wayne McClellan. Commissioner Eddie Johnson was absent due to his wife having surgery.

Also in attendance were City Attorney David W. Martin, City Clerk Kathy Porter and City Engineer Willard H. Rusk. There were 8 citizens present at this meeting.

 

MINUTES

Mr. Jennings moved to approve the Regular Meeting Minutes of September 11, 2000. Seconded by Mr. McCormick. Mayor Moore called for a vote. Motion passed unanimously.

 

TREASURER'S REPORT

Mayor Moore read the Treasurer’s Report and called for a vote to accept the Treasurer’s Report as presented. Mr. Jennings made a motion to accept the treasurer's report as presented. Mr. McCormick seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.

 

BILLS FOR PAYMENT

The bills for payment were reviewed. Mr. Jennings made a motion to pay the bills as presented. Mr. McCormick seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

 

AUDIT REPORT Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2000:

Copies of the audit had been given to the Commission members. Mayor Moore commented that being a city of the fifth class we are required to have an audit conducted every year. He read the Independent Auditor’s Report from Teresa Franklin Hudson, CPA, Inc. Mrs. Hudson was in the audience and commented that in her opinion the audit is a clean opinion. After review motion was made by Commissioner McClellan seconded by Commissioner Jennings to accept the audit report financial statements provided by Teresa Franklin Hudson, CPA Inc. Motion carried unanimously.

 

CORRESPONDENCE

Received a letter from Insight Communications that they are going to do more channels changing to get ready to provide their new service, Insight Digital.

Mayor Moore read a letter from United States Census 2000 dated 09/26/00 regarding the Census 2000 final response rate. Boone County had the best response rate in Northern Kentucky and finished second in the Cincinnati Metropolitan Area.

Mayor Moore read a letter from resident Linda Layne dated 09/20/00 requesting without delay an ordinance to be passed similar to the one in place in Walton, Kentucky forbidding pit bulls in the City. Copies of Ordinances from the City of Cincinnati and City of Walton were included in her letter. After much discussion the Commission decided that more information needed to be obtained. Mayor Moore asked the City Clerk to contact the Boone County Animal Control or the Boone County Police to find out how an investigation could be started to see if they are raising them to fight and report back to Mayor Moore.

 

CITIZENS WISHING TO BE HEARD

Mr. Don Hardin resident of Union Village Subdivision requested that speed limit and stop signs be installed throughout the Union Village Subdivision. He also commented that there has been cars speeding excessively in their subdivision and would like to see possibly speed bumps installed to help slow down the speeding problem. The Mayor asked Willard Rusk, City Engineer to inspect and have the county do a study. Mr. Rusk reported that the Boone County sign department is in the process of marking where the stop signs will be placed at in the Union Village Subdivision.

 

DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS

  1. City Engineer Mr. Rusk reported that several letters have been mailed out regarding weeds, mowing, mud on the streets. Several contractors have left mud on the street.

  2. There has been no response directly from the certified letter that was sent to the property owners of the abandoned house on U. S. 42 that is a safety hazard. However they have mowed the grass at least three times. The shrubs around the house remain to be pruned. There is a concern and a safety issue. The door is open, which was stated in the letter. Mayor Moore asked the City Attorney to send the owners a letter.

  3. The Union Garden Club has beautified the entrance to the Cemetery and put up a holiday display in front of the Union City Building. The display and story about the new Garden Club made the front page of the Boone County Recorder October 5th publication.

  4. Reported that Mrs. Brown of Whispering Trail had requested children at play sign installed on Whispering Trail. Mr. Rusk commented that the county doesn’t want to do this because the state had said it encourages children to play in the street. After discussion with the Department of Transportation District 6 Traffic Engineer and the Boone County Public Works Mr. Rusk believes that a sign that shows a man walking with the advisory of 15-mile speed below the sign would be more appropriate.

  5. The weathered stop signs in Hempsteade have been replaced. If someone knows of a stop sign that needs replaced please call the city building and we will see that it will be replaced.

    Commented that he has been involved in traffic for many years and in his personal opinion the street is not wide enough to make it a permanent parking space for anybody and believes that such action could create a safety hazard. The plateaus in Hempsteade Subdivision are fading and needing repainted. Due to Boone County not striping streets in house anymore he will contact someone to get the plateaus re-striped.

  6. Len Reigler Blacktop Inc. has completed the three repairs on Wetherington Blvd. The mowing of the lot in front of the Webster’s property is in better shape today than it has been since being sold for development.

  7. Attorney Voss had contacted Mr. Rusk regarding the section in Hempsteade known as the Martin area, which was annexed in 1992. The PVA office did not show this particular area being in the city limits of Union. After checking with the PVA they needed a clarification to show that this area is in the city limits.

  8. In the punch list of items that Tom Jones of Lassing Green Subdivision agreed to do, there were some paving items of the last section as well as some repairs that needed to be done. One of the items that were considered a safety hazard was the walkway paving. There was about $5,000.00 dollars of repairs and $3,000.00 for paving the walkway. Mr. Jones wanted the city to pay for the walkway paving. Mr. Rusk recommended that we pay for the paving repairs under $5,000.00. After Mr. Rusk asked for approval Mayor Moore commented that it was appropriate to do the repairs if within budget guidelines.
  9. Mrs. Carol Harvey that lives at 10686 Aspen Place on a hill in Lassing Green Subdivision. The regulations now say that they will bring the downspouts drains out toward the streets and stop about 20 feet away from the street. Mr. & Mrs. Harvey still have about three months left on their warranty from the builder and the water runs from these drains across the sidewalk and gets mossy and slippery and has been that way since she has moved in. She would like to get this corrected and the only feasible way that Mr. Rusk can see to correct it is to run a drain from lot 66 to the nearest catch basin which is three lots away. Tie the lot 66 drain into an 8" storm drain that will be run on the house side of the sidewalk and within the R.O.W. The builder will pay for that part of the connection on lot 66. This will prevent a safety and maintenance problem in the future. Mayor Moore told Mr. Rusk to get it fixed.
  10. Commissioner McCormick asked about a large storm drain on Indian Hill Drive and is concerned on the safety of small children getting into the drainpipes. Mr. Rusk was advised to take a look at the storm drain.

 

OLD BUSINESS

Mayor Moore continued the discussion of the possible replacement of Ordinance No. 85-012. He discussed with Attorney David W. Martin before the meeting tonight about the replacement of Ordinance No. 85-012 and some of the language in the new draft that Mayor Moore had prepared for discussion at last month meeting. Attorney Martin made a recommendation and advised that the old parking ordinance should be repealed; it is fifteen years old and things are vastly different than they were back then. He advised that there should be a more in depth look at each street and come up with some type of study on whether each street could handle on street parking. Mayor Moore asked the City Engineer if this would be something he is comfortable doing himself or is this something that he could ask someone at the roads department to do. Mr. Rusk answered that he does not feel uncomfortable doing this because this is something he has been involved in. Mayor Moore asked if he could get this done by the next meeting. Mr. Rusk answered he thinks so. Mr. Rusk and Attorney Martin will draft a new parking ordinance with new language once a study of the city streets is completed. Mayor Moore commented that a new parking ordinance might possibly be ready for first reading at the November 13, 2000 meeting.

Mr. Weslee Nelson of 10264 Hempsteade Drive commented that there are times when they would like to be able to park on the street.

 

 

NEW BUSINESS

First reading ORDINANCE NO. 2000-008 - AN ORDINANCE LEVYING AND FIXING THE TAX RATES OF THE CITY OF UNION, KENTUCKY, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR OF 2000-2001, LEVYING SAID TAX UPON REAL, AND TANGIBLE PROPERTY; FIXING THE DATE OF PAYMENT, DISCOUNT PAYMENT, DELINQUENCY AND INTEREST CHARGES; FIXING THE PURPOSE THEREFORE; AND SETTING FORTH THE PROCEDURE FOR COLLECTION OF TAXES. A motion to pass on first reading of Ordinance No. 2000-008 was made by Mr. Jennings with a second by Mr. McClellan. Motion passed unanimously.

Mayor Moore asked when was Florence having their trick –or-treat hours. The City Clerk answered that Florence and Unincorporated Boone County will be on Tuesday, October 31, 2000 from 6:00p.m. – 8:00p.m. Upon motion made by Commissioner McClellan, seconded by Commissioner McCormick to set the City of Union Trick-or-Treat hours on October 31, 2000 from 6:00p.m. - 8:00p.m.

Mayor Moore asked the City Commissioners if they would be available on Monday, October 16, 2000 at 7:30p.m. to hold a special meeting to have second reading of the property tax rate Ordinance. Upon motion by Commissioner McClellan to hold a special meeting on Monday, October 16, 2000 at 7:30p.m. for the second reading of Ordinance No. 2000-008 seconded by Mr. Jennings. Motion passed unanimously.

ADJOURNMENT

No further business to discuss Mr. Jennings adjourned the meeting at 9:05 p.m. Mr. McCormick second the motion. Motion passed unanimously.

 

APPROVED: ATTEST:

 

___________________________ ___________________________

Warren S. Moore, Mayor Kathy Porter, City Clerk

 

Date: November 13, 2000