Florence City Council February 3

Caucus Meeting 
Presiding officer: Mayor Julie Metzger-Aubuchon. Council members present: Ms. Patricia Wingo, Mr. Gary Winn, Ms. Lesley Chambers, Ms. Diane Whalen, Ms. Angie Cable, and Mr, David Schneider. Video available

Numbers below do not correspond to a numbered agenda as this is a caucus meeting focused on informational presentations, resolutions for recommendation, discussions, and reports.

1. RESOLUTION R2507027A – CHANGE IN APPROVED CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR JAGGER’S RESTAURANT

Discussion – Todd Morgan, Director of Community Development –

• Todd Morgan presented a resolution recommending approval with conditions for a change in the concept development plan for a 1.55-acre commercial site in a C-2/PD/HDO district at 4999 Houston Road, Florence, Kentucky, to permit a Jagger’s restaurant.
• Site located between Texas Roadhouse and Family Allergy & Asthma, and is aligned with the 2040 Future Land Use Map for commercial use.
• Proposed features: approximately 3,500 square foot restaurant with 93 indoor seats, outdoor seating, two drive-thru lanes, 54 parking spaces, and sidewalk connections.
• Building elevations upgraded to exceed 50% masonry requirement (53-62% compliance). Detached drive-thru canopy designed similarly to Chick-fil-A, with sightline studies confirming shielded roof mechanicals.
• Enhanced landscaping included large trees, shrubs, and street frontage buffering. Access via existing strip center driveway; grade differences between Houston Road and site addressed.
• Boone County Planning Commission approved unanimously with 16 conditions, some revised by the Florence Planning and Zoning Committee (e.g., drive-thru canopy restrictions, no front yard placement, brick-wrapped supports, one-way eastbound driveway, potential suspension for traffic issues).
• Additional conditions covered landscaping specifics, screened utilities, matching light poles, no freestanding sign on outlot, lit/handicapped-accessible crosswalks, shared parking agreement, barriers for drive-thru access, roof mechanical screening, and fenced outdoor seating with coordinated amenities.
• Council discussion addressed drive-thru enforcement (applicant agreement to conditions) and traffic flow concerns; no objections raised by council, but resident input (attached) was cutoff by mayoral adjournment.
• Planning and Zoning Committee recommended approval with revised conditions; no formal council vote required at caucus stage; no public comments on this item.

• RESOLUTION R25028A – ZONING TEXT AMENDMENTS FOR MOTOR FREIGHT TERMINALS (Semi Truck Parking)

Discussion – Todd Morgan, Director of Community Development

• Todd Morgan presented recommendations to Boone County Fiscal Court and participating cities (including Florence) for zoning text amendments defining and regulating motor freight terminals, commercial parking, and related uses in Boone County Zoning Regulations.
• Amendments address the lack of clear definitions for truck parking (previously classified under warehousing/distribution in I-1/I-2 zones without standards).
• New definitions introduced for “motor freight terminal” (temporary truck/trailer parking with loading/unloading) and “freight container.”
• Changes target relevant articles (e.g., Article 40, Section 4000; Articles 5, 10, 11, 13). Motor freight terminals are prohibited in agricultural, residential, and most commercial zones (e.g., C-3 in Florence) due to aesthetic and compatibility concerns.
• Permitted as principal use in I-1/I-2 zones; conditional use in airport zones (Board of Adjustment approval).
• Use standards include no adjacency to residential/agricultural zones, street frontage buffers with specific plantings and fencing, access limited to arterial/sub- collector streets, operable trucks only, no prolonged idling, inactive refrigerated units except during entry/exit, freight container setbacks (100 ft from streets), maximum stacking height, and limits (e.g., 2 containers high in Florence vs. higher in county).
• Historical context: Requested by the Fiscal Court in December 2024 to address truck parking issues.
• Planning and Zoning Committee recommended approval with conditions; no additional public hearing required.
• Council discussion clarified permitting distinctions, grandfathering of non-conforming uses (none in Florence city limits), and stricter local standards for aesthetics. No formal vote at caucus.

• INSURANCE PREMIUM TAX RATE

Discussion – Joshua J. Hunt, Director of Administration / City Administrator Jason Lewis, Financial Director

• Jason Lewis presented data on the current 5% insurance premium tax rate and potential reduction to 4%.
• Historical collections (2019-2025) consistently exceeded budget (e.g., 2024-25: $5M actual vs. $4M budgeted); represents 7-9% of general fund revenue in a balanced $55M budget.
• A reduction to 4% would forgo approximately $1M annually; no immediate deficit projected, but further reductions pose risks.
• Revenue driven by premium increases (e.g., from natural disasters, property value inflation); Florence’s business district generates significant collections.
• Comparison to other cities (e.g., higher rates in Newport/Covington).
• No formal vote; discussion recommended annual review during budget process, with potential 1% reduction aligned to surpluses. Ordinance changes require two readings and publication 100 days before 1 July. (IE. Deadline – 23 March)
• Councilwoman Diane Whalen pointed out the city would be one million dollars over its planned expenditures. Therefore, it would not be unreasonable to give the residents of Florence a tax break on their insurance taxes. Ms. Whalen noted that insurance companies were charging a fee for collecting Florence taxes. 

• ELECTED OFFICIALS’ COMPENSATION

Discussion: Joshua J. Hunt, Director of Administration / City Administrator

• Review of proposed salary increases for council members and mayor, following 18 years without adjustment and recent public concerns.
• Presentation compared Florence to selected non-local cities based on population, households, and businesses.
• Rubber dollar COLAs (e.g., 2.7%) apply post-term but are adjustable via ordinance; legal review needed for refusal or offsets.
• No vote; council requested new salary survey incorporating local comparisons and cost-of-living factors, aligned with employee compensation practices. Further discussion anticipated.
• Council concerns: Lack of local Northern Kentucky peer comparisons (unlike employee surveys), non-mandatory nature, emphasis on public service rather than income, differing mayor role (20-30 hours/week, health insurance considerations).
• Councilwoman Diane Whalen stated the comparisons were not reasonable due to the fact that the City Employees were only compared to neighboring cities in Northern Kentucky.  Elected Representatives cannot give their two weeks’ notice and simply move on to a similar position in a neighboring city.  So comparing representational positions to cities across the state was not a reasonable comparison.
• Councilwoman Chambers stated that if people thought an elected position was underpaid than they should simply resign or not run for an office.  After all, Elected Representatives are supposed to be there for community service and not for the money.
• A Florence City Council member receives approximately $18,596 a year for a part-time position.
• A Florence City Mayor will be $86,937 for a part-time position as of 1 January, 2027.
• Please note that the most a person can make in addition to receiving Social Security Disability is $1690 a month.  Florence will not lower the income of any paid position upon the recipient’s request.  According to Mr. Hunt, such actions would give people a financial gain.
  
  MAYOR’S REPORT
  
• Hoxworth Blood Center blood drive on February 5, 2026 (registration online or 513-451-0910; donor incentive: crew neck shirt).
• President’s Day display in Florence Government Center lobby, 16-20 February, 2026 (9 AM-4 PM).
• Books and Bottles literacy festival: Evening event 27 February, 2026 (6-8:30 PM, Florence Nature Park); children’s programming 28 February, 2026 (10 AM-12 PM, Event Center, including story time, puppet show, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library). Contact Tina Benjamin (859-647-5425) or city website.

• Other
  A. POLICE CHIEF’S REPORT

• Chief Mallery addressed concerns regarding illegal parking enforcement.
• In 2025: Hundreds of complaints handled; 55 citations issued. Low citation rate due to education-first approach, vehicle absence, or non-violations.

• Hazardous or repeated violations result in citations/towing. Police prioritize broader duties (57,000 calls, 4,187 traffic citations, 198 DUIs in 2025).
• Reporting options: City app, non-emergency line (859-371-1234), or police office.
• Resident input (attached) was cut off by mayoral adjournment

B.  PUBLIC COMMENTS

• Mr. Roger Burger:
  • Opposed council/mayor salary increases (public service ethos)
  • Suggested alternatives to insurance tax reduction, but did not say what those alternatives could be.
  • Recommended avoiding acronyms and clearer departmental references. (i.e., Rubber Dollar)

• Mr. Dan Woody: Praised police parking enforcement approach (education-focused); suggested similar community-oriented practices for code enforcement (courtesy notices, extended deadlines, collaboration with volunteers).  NOTE: Director Eric Hall stated the notices are not citations. 
  
• Mayor Metzger-Aubuchon adjourned the meeting when Mr. Jim Leach was getting up to speak.

Mayoral candidate David Rose was present at the meeting. City Council candidates Shari Kilmer and Jim Leach were present as well.

Denied Resident Input Addendum

Jaggers Restaurant Traffic
This restaurant will add more traffic to an already strained traffic grid. Residents will have frequent issues entering and exiting the parking lot. The lines need to be repainted. The right turn at Spiral Drive needs to be closed off to prevent U-turns from it to reach the light at Houston Rd. Driving through the Sam’s Club parking lot is already difficult due to Sam’s Club traffic and signs in that area. The right turn by Texas Roadhouse is right in front of an already busy intersection. Please note the attached map with arrows illustrating these issues.

Comparative Parking Ticket Rate
The attached spreadsheet noting Florence’s and other municipalities’ performance regarding parking tickets issued. Code Enforcement issues more tickets for parking on personal property than the city does for illegally parking on public streets. (1,717 code notices vs 58 parking tickets) 

TICKETS ISSUED
City	TOTAL	Manpower	Population	Tickets per 1000 Residents	Tickets per Officer
Dayton PD	428	12	5666	75.53	35.66
Covington PD	2824	111	41611	67.86	25,44
Fort Thomas	1126	23+2	17438	64.57	48.95
Bellevue PD	162	12	5548	29	13.5
Lakeview Park-Crestview Hills PD	124	11	5727	21.65	11.27
Park Hills PD	65	7+2(SRO)	3160	20.56	9.28
Southgate PD	59	X	3648	16.17	X
Elsmere PD	102	11	9159	11.13	9.27
Edgewood PD	55	19	8435	6.52	2.89
Cold Springs PD	17	11	6216	2.73	1.54
Erlanger PD	61	44	19,611	2.24	1.38
Highland Heights PD	27	12	6292	1.9	2.25
Wilder PD	6	11	3176	1.88	0.54
Florence PD	46	71	31985	1.43	0.64
Taylor Mill PD	9	11	6873	1.3	0.81
Independence PD	24	X	28676	0.83	X
Florence is #14
16 Cities