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Vol. 13 Issue 13 © 2009 The Community Recorder ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Fourth of July
Check out our round up of patriotic celebrations happening in Kenton County and where the best places are to celebrate with community and fireworks. This year’s events are promising to be as big, if not bigger, than last year. LIFE, B1
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Dispatch centers discussing merger By Regan Coomer rcoomer@nky.com
Jason Brubaker jbrubaker@nky.com
Kenton County hopes to decrease 911 dispatch systems by one during fiscal year 2010-2011. The county has been in talks with the city of Erlanger for the past year on the feasibility of merging their dispatch systems. Judge Ralph Drees hopes to bring this to “fruition” as soon as possible, said Deputy Judge Scott Kimmich at the June 23 fiscal court caucus meeting. Kimmich estimated an agreement could be resolved by the end of 2009 with the merger actually starting July 1, 2010. At the moment Erlanger is interested in taking on the county as a customer, but whether or not that will be the case is not “carved in stone,” Kimmich said, adding the only thing for sure is the commitment to look into possible merging options. “We’ve had some real positive discussions, and I think we’re on the same wavelength with what we’re looking for,” confirmed Erlanger Mayor Tom Rouse. Commissioner Kris Knochelmann said if a merger occurs, the county will likely place a representative on Erlanger’s dispatch oversight committee, which is comprised of representatives from other member cities. Currently, Erlanger handles emergency dispatch for 12 cities. “We don’t look at our dispatch center as a hierarchy, but rather a business that serves customers,” said Rouse. “We try to address problems as efficiently and quickly as possible, and we’ve been really pleased with how our center has been working.” Currently the county is charging members $2.76 a month (Erlanger charges $4.25) per line. This amounts to about $800,000 in revenue for the county, which then puts in another $700,000 from the general fund to run 911 dispatch. If the 911 dispatches are merged, Kimmich said, that would free up a lot of money in the county general fund for other needs. Rouse also pointed out that if the dispatch centers merged, it would help when working with the state on future legislation. Since the number of land lines are decreasing, Rouse said the state may have to look at alternate ways of funding dispatch centers in the future. “If we were all under one roof, that would make it much easier down the road,” he said. The county is waiting to take action for a feasibility report by the county and Erlanger’s police chiefs who will speak with Drees July 8.
JASON BRUBAKER/STAFF
Job Fair
Chris and Chelsea Coyne talk with Clifford Millard, a recruiting coordinator with Averitt, during a job fair at the Erlanger Library. The library partnered with One Stop Northern Kentucky for the fair.
Erlanger approves road aid By Jason Brubaker jbrubaker@nky.com
The city council voted unanimously at a June 23 special meeting on a resolution that will allow them to receive just over $180,000 in municipal road aid money. The money comes from a fund that is collected by the state as part of the gasoline usage tax, and is distributed to cities annually.
Each city must sign a contract to formally accept the money, and state that the money will only be applied to roads, including maintenance, repairs and new or ongoing projects. Erlanger will receive $183,972. “We’re certainly glad to accept this,” said Mayor Tom Rouse. The council also heard a presentation at the meeting from Property Advisors, a real estate con-
sulting company the city has been partnering with for nearly two years. The company has completed a number of demographic studies in order to help the city plan for future retail and development. The next regularly scheduled council meeting will be July 7 at 7 p.m. in the council chambers. For more information, contact the city at 727-2525.
Resident asks what to do about strays By Jason Brubaker jbrubaker@nky.com
Q: A reader wrote: What can I do about cats running all over the neighborhood and leaving messes in my yard? Is there a leash law for cats? A: According to Police Chief Marc Fields, residents have a few tools at their disposal to deal with cats running around their neighborhood. “This is a complaint we get frequently from some areas where all kinds of neighborhood cats may be using residents’ flowers and yards as their litter box,” he said. Although Fields said the city does not have a leash law for cats, they do have a nuisance ordinance that would cover many instances where cats are allowed to roam free through neighborhoods and cause damage. If the cats are owned by a neighbor, residents can file a complaint with
the police department, who will then take the proper steps to remedy the situation. A copy of the ordinance can be obtained at the city building. “We recommend that the resident just call our department, and our officers will take it from there, depending on what needs to be done,” said Fields. However, even if the cats are stray, Fields said residents can take safe steps to solve the problem. He said the Kenton County Animal Control, a service run by the county, will respond to capture the animals without harming them, occasionally even setting traps if the animal or animals are deemed to be a large problem. “They’ll do it in a way so as not to hurt the animal, but they will get it off the streets,” said Fields. Residents can also take any
stray cats to the Kenton County Animal Shelter, located just on Mary Laidley Drive across from Pioneer Park.
“This is a problem in some areas, so it’s good to let our residents know how to take care of it,” said Fields. For more information, contact the Erlanger Police Department at 727-2424 or the Kenton County Dispatch for Animal Control at 356-3191.
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