Charter changes adopted, added to November ballot

An ordinance proposing amendments to the Covington Home Rule Charter was passed at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting and will now be placed on the ballot for November’s election.

Changes to the charter include submission of ordinances to the mayor; the creation of a separate legal department; the creation of a separate planning department; the process of amending the city’s operating budget; municipal indebtedness; the ability of the City Council to adopt a code of ethics; the process of public petitioning of the City Council and initiating referendums to repeal or pass ordinances; the judicial branch and mayor’s court; service contracts; and council referendums.

Each section of the ordinance will be considered separately on the ballot and renumbered to avoid confusion.

This will allow voters to decide which of the changes to vote for or against rather than vote for all or none of the recommendations.

In another matter, city attorney Deborah Foshee swore in three new members of the Covington Police Department: Anthony Adams, Christopher Lowe and Kenneth Stevens.

Also at the meeting:

• An ordinance allowing the mayor to determine all aspects of a parade, festivals and special event with the council having the power to override the mayor, passed unanimously.

• Roll back and roll forward ordinances for the purpose of setting the millage rates for the coming year were introduced and made as part of the consent calendar to be considered at the next meeting.

Also being considered for the consent calendar is an ordinance to annex the property known as Barcley Place Phase II.

• The council learned the Covington Elementary library addition and the removal of fill on the site is now complete.

“Everything that should come out has come out,” Mayor Candace Watkins said, adding written confirmation and a report by the city engineer is forthcoming and will confirm this.

• The 2007 audit report issued by Laporte, Sehrt, Romig, and Hand was reviewed and accepted. A resolution accepting the report was unanimously adopted.