Union City Commission October 6

Congratulations to the City of Union for being named by Northern Kentucky Magazine as one of the “Best Places To Work” in Northern Kentucky!

Mayor Solomon called the meeting to order at 6 p.m. and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Present were Mayor Solomon and commissioners Doug Bine, George Eldridge, Kim Tuyn, City Administrator Amy Safron, Public Works Director Paul Kremer, City Attorney Greg Voss and City Clerk Tammy Wilhoite. Commissioner John Mefford, just returning from Germany and apparently suffering from jet lag, was not present.

Minutes were approved for the September 3 Commission and the September 15 Caucus meetings.

GUEST PRESENTATIONS
Bob Schroeder and Jill Arlinghaus from Arlinghaus Builders gave an update on the West Ridge Development. Originally it was planned to be part of the Westbrook subdivision, but they decided to make a completely separate development. The Westbrook development has 118 higher priced, upscale homes and a pool. Because of the need for more affordable housing, the Westridge will be priced lower with more modest housing and smaller lots. There will not be a pool. There are 240 houses planned. The sample houses they showed were very nice and in line with other developments in the area.

Steve Harper gave an update from the Boone County Planning Commission. They are working on a car and semi-truck parking lot for overnight parking from I-75. They are trying to keep the truck stops, I-75 ramps and rest stops open and uncluttered. Safety is a huge issue with the expressway ramps lined with trucks. There is a new Wawa going in on Mount Zion Road across from the UDF. There is a new school planned for Beaver Road, apparently for special needs children. 

FINANCIAL REPORT by Amy Safron
The monthly bills were paid along with two Rumpke bills. A discrepancy was found on one of the Rumpke bills, i.e., billed for more residents than served, and Rumpke will credit on their next bill. Kudos to whomever caught this error! City tax bills have been mailed and the 2% discount is good only until October 30. So far 348 residents have paid.

ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT by Amy Safron
Three business applications were received: one from Drees requesting permission to build a retaining wall and two sign requests for restaurants in the Promenade. Approval was given to forward to the Planning Commission.

Fairway Room and Lounge plans to open November 1. The liquor license is currently July 1 to November 30. They requested it be prorated so they will pay for one month instead of six. After discussion by the commissioners, it was decided this was fair and they will look into amending the current legal guidelines.

Playground equipment plans were shown for the Union Town Center and possible ground surfaces were discussed but not decided.

The handbook for city employees is being updated.

UNION TOWN CENTER UPDATE
After the frustration expressed by Scott Noel at the September 3 Commission Meeting about the lack of communication between the contractor and Summit, it was decided commissioners would discuss it further at the Caucus Meeting. Scott Noel, President/CEO of Summit Architects & Engineers, and Mark Spaulding, President of Spaulding Construction Company, were both present at the Caucus Meeting September 15. A subsequent meeting occurred on September 16 with attendees from the City of Union, Summit and Spaulding Construction as well as attorney Ben Hyden to discuss the construction contract, direct purchase orders and the changes of Change Order Request 001 as well as any necessary future changes.  It was decided that anything over $50,000 must be commission-approved by Amy Safron and Doug Bine and they must start providing weekly updates of progress and any anticipated changes.

PUBLIC WORKS by Paul Kremer
Part of the beautiful landscaping completed in the Old Union/Hathaway Road roundabout had to be removed per the Kentucky Department of Transportation. It was too tall and hindered visibility for the drivers. A plan is set for the larger Mount Zion roundabout and will be planted soon. A change order was approved for $90,000 for tree removal, stump and root removal for the Union Town Square. An additional change order was approved to deduct $4.7 million from the contractor amount and pay the subcontractors and suppliers directly to avoid paying sales tax. The salt depot on Old School Road paving is completed. Hopefully it will be operational and stocked in November.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT by Kimbery Tuyn
A meeting was held with Kevin Costello from Boone County Planning Commission to discuss the long-range plan regarding land use classifications and what has changed since 2020. In five years, some changes have been made and some need to be made to stay current. They discussed what was needed going forward regarding walking paths, wayfinding signage and land use. They are going to put together a survey for residents with specific questions to determine the residents’ needs and wants list. Also, a Health and Wellness event is being planned for the spring.

COMMUNICATIONS REPORT by George Eldridge
Bourbon in the Bluegrass October 4 was a huge success this year. Plans for next year are to be even bigger. Save the date: October 30, 2026. It was lots of family fun and an informal survey was very positive.  Breakfast with Santa at the Union Fire Department is December 6 from 8 to 10 a.m. You may want to start on that Christmas list now!

ATTORNEY REPORT by Greg Voss. There is no new business.

VISITORS
Brian, a resident on Braxton Drive, complained of excessive noise coming from the Braxton Brewery on Friday and Saturday nights. He states he hears every word and lyric because the music is way too loud. He is unable to sit outside and even inside is too loud. He can’t escape it.  He said friends on Shannon Court and Picket Run have the same complaints. He said if the residents are not allowed to play their music loud enough to disturb the peace, then why should businesses be allowed to?  Mayor Soloman said he would speak to the people at Braxton Brewery about this problem.

Carol and Jill, both residents, complained about the lack of green space and benches missing around the Promenade. They said the original plans had lots of little areas where people could just sit and relax and talk. Thus far they are not seeing that happening. Mayor Soloman agreed and did not have any real solutions for that. Carol was also concerned that the Blaze Cigar Bourbon Lounge was too close to existing schools and the preschool at the old Kroger store but was assured that it is not.

Erin, a resident residing on Whispering Trail, is upset that SD-1 is not maintaining a culvert that is causing sink holes on her property. There are two SD-1 pipes in it and one that is private for the residents. She said it is a mess. Mayor Soloman asked her if she had contacted SD-1 about the matter and she replied no. She thinks they will not listen to her concerns and that a city official would carry more weight. Mayor Soloman said he would call SD-1 and relay the problem to them and set up a phone call for resolution.

The meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m. The next Commission Meeting is November 3, 2025, at 6 p.m. and the next Caucus meeting is October 20 at 6 p.m.

Reporters’ note: come and learn what is happening in Union!  Thank you for all who came and those who expressed their concerns. It is great to hear what is going on and where you might want to get involved. You can’t make a difference if you don’t know what is happening!