LEBANON — The city's plan to team up with Cincinnati Bell to provide local phone service on city-owned fiber-optic lines could get a vote tonight.

        Only a few other cities across the United States have offered such service.

IF YOU GO

• What: Lebanon City Council meeting.   • When: 7:30 tonight.   • Where: 50 S. Broadway.

        The deal would extend the local calling area east to Clermont County, west to Indiana, north to Dayton and south to Northern Kentucky. Basic residential service would cost $28 a month, and the city would keep 40 percent of that, according to the proposed contract.

        The plan appeals to residents who now must pay long-distance charges for their frequent calls to Dayton and Cincinnati. Current local provider Sprint also is considering expanding service — although not as extensively — for about the same basic monthly cost.

        City officials are eager to get additional income for their $13 million telecommunications network, which is not quite breaking even after more than two years of selling cable TV service, according to Councilman Mark Flick, finance committee chairman.

        Council could vote on the contract tonight or wait for a future meeting.

        Also tonight, council will hold a public hearing on temporarily restricting multi-family construction in Lebanon. A three-month moratorium on such construction was passed two months ago; the new proposal would last longer but also allow council to make exceptions on a case-by-case basis.

        Lebanon has more rental properties than most other Warren County communities; just 42 percent of residents own their home, according to the 2000 census.

        “This is going to at least give us time to look at our current land-use plan and see if that's still what we want to do,” Planning Director Marty Kohler said.

Cincinnati mayoral primary today
Court gives Byrd six more days, little hope
New parks cater to skateboarders
Tristate skating facilities
Missing woman's body found
Ballpark auditor should be on job soon
Cranley proposes budget cuts, more cops
Mason teachers reject contract offer
PULFER: Dads don't 'baby-sit' their kids
Video short course in police dealings
5-alarm fire guts Northside business
Boy, 11, fit for trial in sister's death
Gun-battle veteran to be police trainer
Local Digest
Bank fund set up for girl
Congrats
Fake drugs, disabled guns stolen from cop trailer
Lebanon ready to vote on phone service
Pub name was a sign from above
Warren County fights landfill proposal
Busy I-275 ramps close for repaving
Newport OKs sale of water works
VP meets governors, raises cash in Ky. visit
Man wounded in shootout
Year-round school back on agenda
Kentucky Digest
MainStrasse Oktoberfest aids non-profits
Few problems confront Oktoberfest organizers
Bettors win in Keeneland allocation
Building's restoration pondered
Commandments still up
Court urges changes in school rebuilding
Egg farm weighs options after $19.7M jury verdict
Former rock star now sings praise of God
Principals needn't live in district
University officials fear tuition waivers too costly