Musical parking spaces

When a chunk of concrete fell in the Urban County Government Center parking garage three weeks ago, several Urban County Council aides were temporarily re-assigned parking spaces in the Phoenix Building garage.

But the walk from the Phoenix Building garage, which fronts Vine Street but is located less than 100 feet behind the government center, apparently proved to be too far.

To eliminate the aides’ walk from the uncovered, second floor of the Phoenix garage, three high-ranking members of Mayor Jim Newberry’s administration have temporarily given up their parking spaces so that members of the council staff can park in the protected shelter of the government center garage.

Since Aug. 24, Shaye Rabold, Newberry’s chief of staff, Kimra Cole, the city’s general services commissioner and Charlie Boland, an aide in the mayor’s office, have been making the walk from the Phoenix garage to the government center.

Meanwhile, five council aides — Georgetta Gill, aide to Councilman Tom Blues;  Lori Henry, aide to Councilman Jay McChord; Melynda Milburn, aide to Councilwoman Linda Gorton; Joe Schuler, aide to Councilman George Myers; and Scott Seymour, aide to Councilman Ed Lane — have been moved from the Phoenix garage to the third floor of the government center garage.

Rabold, Cole and Boland voluntarily vacated their parking spaces after Gorton asked if a rotation could be set up so that every member of the council staff could have a turn parking in the government center garage while repairs are being made.

Since it was unclear how long sections of the parking garage would remain closed, the decision to voluntarily give up the parking spaces made the most sense, Rabold said. “It was the easiest, quickest solution and least confusing for those that had to be in the rotation.”

When the chunk of concrete fell, the city cordoned off a section of the garage on both the second and third floors. In all, about 30 parking spaces were affected.

Five council aides and three council staffers who parked on the second floor, were among those that were temporarily re-assigned spaces.

The city plans to replace the entire block of concrete where the hole is located. The block on the second floor of the government center garage is 24 feet by 11 feet.

It’s unclear when work to replace the block will begin.

The majority of city employees who work at the government center park at the Transit Center garage, which is located across Vine Street.

- Michelle Ku

Comments

Nice. special treatment for some people who think they're special. guess they will be asking for bigger offices with private bathrooms next.

Jeez. This is news? Is Michelle Ku hanging out at the water cooler now to get stories?

How about an in-depth piece on the council aide who wore the same outfit two days in one week? Or the muckraking expose on which councilman is grumpy in the morning before his coffee?

Seriously. This is like a high-school slam book.

Why is this news? Why waste newsprint or server space on such miniutiae that matters not a whit in the scheme of things? And why waste time reporting on such when there are lots of legitimate news stories that the H-L could be reporting, such as:

Why did Steve Beshear, as Attorney General, refuse to enforce the merit system laws against JY Brown and FJ Mills?

Why did Doug Doerting tell KYTC officials that their hiring decisions were legal and proper, then turn them in to Stumbo for improper hiring?

Why were grand jury members with fiduciary conflicts of interest allowed to hear the case against the governor and members of his administration?