Thursday, March 11, 1999
Ludlow police, city battle over check
Federal grant for school safety
BY JANE PRENDERGAST
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LUDLOW — A dispute over a $91,000 check has this city's police department wondering: Where's our money?
The money has already been spent and was the first installment of a federal grant awarded last year to the police department for a study of school violence with Ludlow schools and Northern Kentucky University.
The U.S. Treasury mailed the check a month ago.
But police officials now say they don't know its whereabouts. The city confiscated it, said grant administrator Randall Chalk, and won't tell him where it is. He reported the flap to both the Kentucky attorney general and the U.S. Department of Justice — steps he said he took to protect the depart ment's reputation and hopes of getting future grants.
The department also notified the FBI, which said the check deal may be OK as long as the city doesn't spend the money on something else.
The city wouldn't do that, said Mayor Tom Stacy. He said the problem is simply an accounting one. The council wants to put the money in its budget, then appropriate it back out. Mr. Chalk said that's not necessary for this type of grant because it does not involve city funds.
The money spat comes in the midst of a host of other problems the city of 4,700 is grappling with, including an investigation of the city administrator. Mike Moehlman has been on paid leave since last month while a special audit is analyzing the city's spending patterns. That was prompted
largely by an $18,000 check city officials said was authorized by Mr. Moehlman and written to the fire department.
The limbo status of Mr. Moehlman also concerns Mr. Chalk and Chief Tom Collins because of another federal grant — this one for $150,000. Already approved, it's supposed to pay for two additional police officers, one to spend some of his time in the schools and the other for regular patrol. That also needs a council vote because it requires some city matching money. It, too, was approved by last year's council.
Ludlow Schools Superintendent Elizabeth Grause remains a staunch supporter of the school violence project.
“I'm sure they'll be able to work it out,” she said. “Reasonable people can reason together.”
Students are enthusiastic about working on something they think will have a positive impact on their school, she said. They already have spent hours with NKU students to put together a survey. The school also has a new laptop computer that will be used to keep track of incidents and crunch numbers.
“It has some far-reaching consequences,” Ms. Grause said of the study. “That's why I think it won't die.”
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