Covington commissioners discuss short-term rental regulations

Simply put, caucus meetings are for discussion and legislative meetings are for voting.

One of the biggest differences is that the public cannot comment during club meetings. Rather, meetings are a time for officials to discuss proposed legislation to be adopted during legislative sessions.

“There are no votes and the committee simply listens to employees’ presentations on the issues we would like to present to them… this is just an introduction, this is what is happening, this is what will be our priority in the next term of the meeting,” the director said about the club’s meetings Covington Communications Officer Dan Hassert.

Hassert said that after reviewing these presentations, the committee will consider whether to put these issues on the legislative agenda.

Various activities take place during a legislative meeting, including voting and the adoption of ordinances and resolutions. There may also be a first reading of the regulation, which is not a vote but a public announcement of what will be voted on at the next legislative session. The public will then have time to respond to the regulation before the second reading and subsequent vote.

Who organizes club meetings?

Holding separate club and legislative/business meetings is typically reserved for larger municipalities. Places like Florence, Newport, Covington and Fort Wright host these separate meetings, while smaller cities like Alexandria and Bromley do not.

The idea is that these larger cities have more issues to deal with and discussing them in one meeting with votes and public comments would be too much.

However, this is not a hard and fast rule; some smaller towns, such as Ludlow, hold both caucus and legislative meetings, and some larger towns, such as Fort Thomas, meet only once a month.

OK, so how do citizens know when/where to go?

Due to the variety of processes, it can be difficult to know how to communicate your thoughts to elected officials.

It would be best to check your city’s website. Schedules for future meetings will be posted there, indicating what types of meetings are taking place and when. Public notices for special meetings and public hearings can be found on the LINK nky website and will also be physically posted somewhere in the city government building.

Public comment rules, i.e. the length of the comment period, how long individuals can talk, and more, should also be available online.

If you are unable to make an appointment or feel your case should be addressed individually, contact information for commissioners and council members will often be available online.

“Local government is the most accessible government. This is where the proverbial rubber meets the road and they are always happy to talk to locals. They see them at bars, they see them at lunch, at coffee shops, at parties, at ribbon cuttings, everywhere, and they’re always talking to people,” Hassert said.