Thursday, February 17, 2000
Mayor's city jail talk raises fuss
Site disclosures upset county leaders
BY CINDY SCHROEDER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON — Kenton County officials were upset Wednesday at Covington Mayor Denny Bowman's public disclosure of potential downtown jail sites.
“The issue is not the release of the information, but the manner in which it was released,” said Scott Kimmich, Kenton County deputy judge-executive. “Mayor Bowman is one of five members of the (Covington City) Commission. Our negotiations will take place with the five members of the Covington commission, not one individual.”
Mr. Bowman said he had no problem discussing potential jail sites in downtown Covington because two sites in and near the suburbs were discussed publicly before county officials rejected them last year.
“The people of Covington deserve the same opportunities to discuss (potential) jail sites as people in other areas,” Mr. Bowman said.
Last Friday, Kenton County Judge-executive Dick Murgatroyd wrote Mr. Bowman, accusing him of “political grandstanding” and breaching a confidence, after learning that Mr. Bowman had discussed a potential specific jail site with the press.
The two officials had met Feb. 7 to discuss Mr. Bowman's proposal to build a jail, county offices and a 700- to 800-car parking garage on Fifth Street between Madison Avenue and Scott Boulevard.
Mr. Bowman said the site is just south of the present jail and offers a chance to improve the appearance of one of Covington's main entrances.
By building a jail at Fifth and Scott, officials “could save the historic Odd Fellows building, rehab it into offices, and evict all the bars and liquor stores there,” Mr. Bowman said.
As part of the package, Mr. Bowman suggested moving pupils from First District elementary to another school, and locating the proposed community college for Northern Kentucky in the former elementary.
Mr. Bowman said other possible jail sites that have been mentioned include:
• The block just south of the county building where the jail is now. That block includes the Sly Fox bar at Park and Sixth Streets, lawyers' offices and the popular Irish restaurant-bar Jack Quinn's, often cited by city officials as a prime example of Covington's redevelopment efforts.
• The 400 to 500 block of Scott Boulevard that includes the Mertack Antiques building.
• A privately owned parking lot on Eighth Street between Greenup Street and Scott Boulevard.
• The old Donaldson Art Sign property near Covington police headquarters. The narrow site is on Donaldson Avenue in the Wallace Woods neighborhood.
Mr. Kimmich declined to comment “on any information or misinformation” from Mr. Bowman.
“I'm disappointed that the mayor's releasing information regarding our search for a jail site,” said Kenton County Commissioner Dan Humpert.
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