SURPRISES FEW FOR PARK HILLS' FIRST YEAR

PARK HILLS -- Leaders have had few surprises since four small cities were combined into Park Hills.

Park Hills began as a city Jan. 1, formed from the merger of Flat River, Elvins, Esther and Rivermines.

"Park Hills created a new form of government," its city administrator, Larry Hughes, said. "We completely wiped out four towns and started one new one."

The new community has an official population of 7,866.

Before the merger, Flat River's population was about 4,800, Elvins' about 1,500, Esther's about 1,100 and Rivermines' about 475.

"We knew it was going to be a lot of work," Hughes said, adding that working on ordinances has been a major undertaking this year.

Council members have worked together for the good of the city in looking at areas with the greatest need, Hughes said.

Only one of the four wards consists of an area that used to be in Flat River. The other three wards include parts of two or three areas of the former towns.

The process of starting a new city has gone "better than expected," Mayor Leonard Henson said. Henson was Flat River's mayor and had won election to his new post.

Outside business interests have been impressed with Park Hills.

Park Hills economic development coordinator Anna Kleiner said people have been fascinated by the merger.

"It shows we're progressive and working towards a better quality of life," she said.

The local community betterment committee shares the goal of making the city a better place to live.

Having more people involved in promoting the city is easier and will benefit the area economically, Kleiner said.

With the larger city, the community can pool its resources and better market the area to potential developers, she said.

"It's a help in putting projects together to spur development," she said.

But Park Hills has had some growing problems during the first nine months.

"There are some things that we still need to get to, like a comprehensive plan," Henson said.

And, he added, "we need to consolidate our fire departments," saying there hasn't been much progress in that matter.

He would like to see a new firehouse built.

But area residents are "pulling together," Henson said, citing the example of the Park Hills Community Betterment Committee, which has more than 50 local residents participating.

Hughes said the council has just passed a major portion of the city's ordinances.

The city's comprehensive plan -- covering housing, streets, fire, police protection and other departments -- must be completed before the council can pass ordinances relating to zoning and subdivisions.

And, the city has initiated a study for a water system.

One struggle has been where to put the new city hall, Hughes said.

Before consolidation, Flat River had a new city hall in the planning stages.

The land was bought and the site cleared, and about $35,000 was spent on the project, which included the development of some building plans.

But a survey of residents showed they wanted the city hall at a central site.

The council eventually agreed that Flat River's planned location just one block off Main Street was suitable, and bids are expected to be let within 30 days.

Park Hills has about 65 full-time employees, Hughes said. That number swelled to about 100 with part-time help last summer.

Before the consolidation vote in November 1992, employees of the four towns were promised they would have jobs, but not necessarily their same positions.

At the time, Rivermines had no employees, Esther had one and Elvins had six.

Merging the work forces has gone well, Hughes said. Employees have been put on a new pay scale, some at a higher wage.

Park Hills has provided better services, particularly in police and fire protection, Hughes said.

In some areas, sewers are being installed and streets are being repaved and surfaced.

Consolidation has brought savings, and Hughes expects more savings from consolidating the fire departments.

There have been complaints about service, but Henson thinks the police department is serving areas of the city equally well.

He said the number of employees isn't much more than what Flat River had before, but the area served is three times larger.

"We need to get through this first fiscal year to see where we're at," Henson said. The fiscal year ends March 30.