By Stephenie Steitzer
Enquirer contributor

FORT WRIGHT - Judge-executives from Kenton, Campbell and Boone counties took the first step this week to change the way Northern Kentucky's regional sewer authority does business.

Prompted by recent public criticisms of Sanitation District No.1 of Northern Kentucky, Judge-executives Gary Moore of Boone County, Dick Murgatroyd of Kenton County and Steve Pendery of Campbell County adopted the first bylaws for the district's board of directors.

"It pretty much mirrors what the judges felt needed to be addressed," Mr. Murgatroyd said.

During a bitter election battle between Mr. Murgatroyd, a Republican, and his opponent, lawyer Patrick Hughes, Democrats complained that the sanitation district had no bylaws, had no written policy for procuring professional services and often hires engineers who were political contributors to Mr. Murgatroyd's campaign.

An Enquirer investigation in September showed that the district awarded $10 million-$12 million in no-bid contracts to out-of-state firms whose employees had donated $23,000 to the campaign of Mr. Murgatroyd, who appoints a number of the board members.

Democrats said this smacked of "pay-to-play" contract awards.

The sanitation district's board, with its first bylaws adopted, is now working on policies for hiring professional services - those provided by engineers, lawyers and banks.

Sanitation district attorney William Robinson III said he expects the draft of procurement policies, which will closely resemble those of two other regional agencies, to be ready by the board's Dec. 19 meeting.

Mr. Robinson said the board of directors already had been following most of the articles in the four-page bylaws.

The most notable change in the bylaws allows officers to serve two one-year terms.

Board President Rick Kennedy, of Kenton County, who has served as president for the past nine years, said he pushed for the term limit because he believes other board members should have a formal opportunity to hold the office.

When the district's new fiscal year begins in August, Mr. Kennedy will be eligible to serve one more year. And, because the bylaws state the office must rotate among the three counties every two years, only board members from Boone and Campbell counties will be eligible.

"I've been doing it for so long and I've been in the line of fire," Mr. Kennedy said. "I think there's some things I want to get done as president and that allows me to do that."

The bylaws also separate the office of secretary-treasurer and mandate that each of the three counties has at least one representative as one of the officers.