Union City Commission June 1

Regular meeting called to order at 6 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

PRESENT: Mayor Larry Solomon, Commissioners John Mefford, Doug Bine, George Eldridge, and Kimberly Tuyn; City Administrator Amy Safran; Public Works director Paul Kremer; City Clerk Tammy Wilhoite; City Attorney Greg Voss.

Note: Paul Kremer will be replacing Amy Safran as City Administrator in the near future as she is retiring.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES for the May 4 Regular Meeting, May 13 Special Meeting and the May 18 caucus meeting.

GUESTS

• Karen O’Sullivan, Board of Adjustment appointment, was sworn in for a new term. She has served on the board the past 4 years.
• Matt Mains of Drees Homes gave a presentation on the Union Acres Development. The development would require a zone change. The proposal is 29 townhomes and 106 condos. An HOA would take care of all exterior maintenance. The townhomes would be 1400 to 2600 square feet and one floor. Condos would be 1500 to 1700 square feet and two stories. A left turn lane is proposed for Hathaway to help with traffic. The HOA would maintain the fencing and landscaping. The proposal includes a small park and sidewalks.
• Steve Harper, Boone County Planning Commission, gave an update on all pending projects currently on the table in Boone County and the status of whether they are denied, approved, pending or withdrawn.

MAYOR’S COMMENTS: A local resident, Mr. Mellon, sent a letter to the city to thank them for taking care of a flooding problem on Old Union Road. He was very happy with the work, speed of response and professionalism of the workers.

FINANCIAL REPORT by John Mefford: the 2025-2026 report was given and the new budget 2026-2027 budget was proposed. Monthly bills have been paid. The fiscal year is July 1 to June 30.

UNION TOWN SQUARE REPORT: the project is moving on as planned with some minor weather delays.

PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE REPORT by Paul Kremer: a bid will be posted for paving in the Union Rice Cemetery. Also, appreciation expressed for the faithful volunteers who have been working hard with landscaping and weeding to help keep the cemetery and Union beautiful.

ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT by Amy Safran: personnel training has taken place to educate staff on the new Handbook/Policy. The City of Union will have a booth at the Boone County Celebrates America Event at the Fairgrounds June 20, 4-10 p.m.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE by Kimberly Tuyn: unfortunately, the Union Health Fair at Storybrook was cancelled due to inclement weather. After discussing rescheduling in the fall, the commission voted instead to refund registration fees to the 40 vendors who had signed up and schedule it next year. Kroger had donated $4,000 of food, which was donated to area shelters and food pantries. 

COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE REPORT by George Eldridge: the Union Celebrates America Event will take place June 26, 6:30 p.m. to dusk. A family friendly event for all ages. Live music, food trucks, booths, games, face painting, balloon artists, and a huge inflatable maze. A drone show and a huge fireworks display at dusk.

MUNICIPAL ORDERS by Greg Voss

Municipal Order No. 2026-13: appoint Karen O’Sullivan to serve on the Board of Adjustment on behalf of the Citizens of the City of Union Ky. Approved 5-0.

Municipal Order No. 2026-07: adopt the annual budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, by estimating revenues and resources and appropriating funds for the operation of city government for the City of Union, Ky. Doug Bine voted against the proposed budget because it contained a raise in pay for city commissioners he had opposed earlier in 2026. Approved 4-1

VISITORS SPEAKING

• Larry K. is concerned that the turn lane into the Drees project is a must and suggested a policy of no overnight street parking be implemented.
• Ralph S. is upset that the stop signs have not all been placed in the Promenade area.  Also, the vinyl signs on the apartments are way too tacky. He noted the commission has been very picky about signage being attractive and not too big and the vinyl signs look terrible.
• Patrina H. suggested that the current building trend going on has way too many attached products and that we need more single-family houses in the area. She is also concerned about the lack of upscale restaurants in the Promenade, noting that already they have lost two fast food restaurants, By Golly’s and The Works Pizza. She is hoping they can attract more upscale businesses to the area.

Next Regular Commission Meeting is July 6, 2026, at 6 p.m.