Kenton Police Ceremony, RCAP Discussion at Council Meeting

Kenton City Council’s regular session Monday night saw its greatest public attendance in months–if only for a few minutes.

Community members gathered in council chambers after receiving the wave-in from Kenton Police Department Chief Dennis Musser around 7:15 Monday night, just minutes after Kenton City Council approved the minutes of its January 8 meeting.

Once inside council chambers, newly-promoted Sergeant Skyler Newfer received a “military-style pinning” from his mentor, erstwhile Sergeant Ed McNamara. Following the ceremony for Sgt. Newfer, Sgt. McNamara was presented with a pine box containing his service pistol by Chief Musser.

While most of the attendees left council chambers following these presentations, the bulk of the one-hour, 25-minute session remained, as Nathan Davis of the Great Lakes Rural Community Assistance Program presented the results of his agency’s analysis of Kenton’s water and sewer rates.

RCAP found that, after no changes to either water or sewer rates for the past eight years, the most feasible course of action would be to implement three-percent annual increases thereto for the next five years.

Other orders of business included the unanimous passing of Ordinance Number 20-043, allowing the lease of space on the West Kohler Street water tower for telecommunications use, and the introduction of Ordinance Number 21-001.

Ordinance Number 21-001 would implement a protection plan for the seven wellheads on the south side of Kenton, a measure which Law Director John Schwemer, Councilman David Beazley, and others in attendance urged to be passed by the end of February so as to satisfy Environmental Protection Agency requirements ahead of the beginning of Downtown Phase II construction.

Kenton City Council is next scheduled to meet in council chambers Monday, February 8, at seven p.m., preceded by a six-p.m. meeting of the Finance Committee.