10 | 2020 KENTUCKY general ELECTION VOTER GUIDE – northern kentucky
www.kftc.org | September 2020
Newport City Commission There are seven candidates vying for a seat on the Newport City Commission. The top four vote getters in the nonpartisan race win two-year terms. Voters may vote for up to four of the candidates. Thanks to all seven for responding to KFTC’s survey. Their answers follow. Note: website and social media addresses listed when provided by the candidate
Beth Fennell
Gordon Henry
www.facebook.com/ VOTE.FENNELL
Photo not provided
Frank Peluso www.facebook.com/ votefrankpeluso
QUESTION:
Jerry Rex Peluso
Ken Rechtin www.facebook.com/ ken.rechtin
John Santini
Jason Walter www.facebook.com/ jasonwalternewportky
We’ve seen a lot of focus on making biking and walking safer in northern Kentucky through projects like Vision Zero NKY and community groups like Ride The Cov (with paths in Newport). Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 and budget issues, we are at the same time seeing a decrease in bus routes. What steps can the commission take to promote safe, alternative transportation in northern Kentucky that will lessen traffic issues and provide cost efficient alternatives to driving?
Beth Fennell: It is my honor to be Newport’s OKI Board and Executive Committee representative. All federal transportation dollars for our region go through OKI for project selection and funding. In my time with OKI, millions of federal dollars have flowed to Newport for bike paths, Red Bike installation, improvement or creation of safe sidewalks and other road projects that promote exercise, improve walkability and create safer traffic patterns in all parts of town. Community activists and the City of Newport insisted bike lanes were added to the reconstructed Route 9 project. With funding from
OKI, Newport recently opened a pedestrian bridge connecting the floodwall path to Newport on the Levee at the Taylor Southgate Bridge. Although streetcar in Cincinnati is politically hot, an extension to Newport has been considered a logical next step. I’ve been working with OKI and the citizen driven Northern Kentucky Streetcar Committee, to pursue federal funding for preliminary engineering and other first steps. All of the above promote safe, alternative transportation that lessen traffic issues and provide alternatives to driving. … answers continued on next page
