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Covington commissioners approve redevelopment loans, housing agreements, equipment purchases and ordinances
Summary
At its Nov. 18 meeting, the Covington Board of Commissioners unanimously approved multiple orders and second-reading ordinances including a TIF loan for 608 Madison Ave., two HOME-funded single-family units with Neighborhood Investment Partners, a 123-set turnout gear purchase, FEMA grant application DR4864, a Goebel Park master plan contract and amendments to the city code and budget. A separate motion directing departmental review of the 'CCA Initiative' passed 2–1 with one recusal.
The Covington Board of Commissioners on Nov. 18 approved a slate of orders and two ordinances covering redevelopment incentives, housing, equipment purchases and budget and code changes.
In a consent-style sequence of motions read by City Clerk Susan Ellis, the body approved Commissioners’ Orders ORD-291-2025 through ORD-305-2025 and later ORD-306-2025 by roll call or voice vote. The approvals included: acceptance of the CCR Public Art Committee recommendation for public art at the Covington Central Riverfront (ORD-291-2025); a tax-increment financing (TIF) redevelopment loan agreement for 608 Madison, LLC (ORD-292-2025); an entrepreneurship support grant agreement with Blue North KY, Inc. (ORD-293-2025); procurement of 123 sets of Globe turnout gear for the fire department (ORD-294-2025); authorization to apply for FEMA Public Assistance grant DR4864 and execute required agreements with the Commonwealth (ORD-295-2025); and an agreement with KZF for a Goebel Park master plan (ORD-296-2025).
The commission also approved two HOME-program actions and a disposition and development agreement with Neighborhood Investment Partners, Inc. for 304–308 Pleasant Street, collectively authorized in ORD-297-2025 and ORD-298-2025. The minutes record the not-to-exceed amount for the two single-family units as $741,836, payable from Program Year 2025 HOME Affordable Housing Development Project funds; the minutes do not provide further project-level detail.
Contract peace officer agreements for Wesley Cook (ORD-299-2025), David Finan Jr. (ORD-300-2025) and Robert Rose (ORD-301-2025) were approved, as were appointments to boards and commissions (ORD-302 through ORD-305, naming Paul Kaiser, Pamela Mullins, Shawn Masters and Amy Kummler to various bodies). Director Elizabeth Wetzel presented ORD-306-2025 — an agreement with VS Engineering to serve as the city’s technical liaison on the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project — which passed by roll call vote.
On second reading the commission approved O-17-2025, which amends the Covington Neighborhood Development Code (Chapter 158 of the Covington Code of Ordinances) to allow the use labeled "Recovery Residence" in specified zoning districts and to remove earlier references to "sober living home" or "sober living facility". The commission also approved O-18-2025, a budget amendment/re-appropriation ordinance for the 2025–26 fiscal year, and a related O-18-2025 entry authorizing issuance of general obligation refunding bonds, Series 2025A, in an approximate aggregate principal amount of $29,395,000 (the ordinance text in the minutes states the amount may be increased by up to $2,940,000 or decreased by any amount).
Votes at a glance: the listed orders and ordinances were approved by unanimous vote of present commissioners unless otherwise noted in the minutes. Specific recorded roll calls accompanying individual items are recorded in the meeting minutes.
The meeting then moved to other business and adjourned to a closed session per KRS 61.810(1)(f) to discuss personnel matters; the closed session was approved by unanimous vote and reconvened at 7:23 p.m. with no public action reported.
Why it matters: The approvals advance several downtown redevelopment and housing initiatives, authorize grant-seeking for disaster recovery, and commit city funds or procurement for public safety equipment and parks planning. The TIF loan and bond authorization pertain to larger capital and redevelopment financing for the CCR site.
