COVINGTON — The year 2022 was a banner year for Covington, with large scale projects being completed on schedule and within budget, higher revenues and lower expenses than projected and a new and fresh brand for our community, said Covington Village Administrator Kyle Hinkelman.

His report on the progress of the village of Covington continues:

This year the village has invested in its infrastructure and maintenance programs more than it has in the past. The village now has programs and policies in place for the replacement of meters and water and sewer infrastructure. They are consistently flushing hydrants and exercising the valves and are being proactive in the improvements to our underground utilities and the water and sewer facilities. These investments will, over time, help the village reduce the annual maintenance costs and allow the village to keep debt lower.

Year 2022 was also a strong year for the village in terms of branding and marketing to the greater Miami Valley. The village updated the brand logo and seal to have a consistent message going out to the world about Covington. They also updated the village website and social media to provide more information to the public and to make accessing information about the village easier. The new COVINGTON sign has also been a hit with residents and those who are just driving by. The village was also extremely fortunate to receive A LOT of great press this year about the village and its projects.

The High Street project phase two started in May and was substantially completed by October. Covington now has a brand-new street section going through our downtown, with new curbs, sidewalks and street surface. They also have new benches, new trash cans and new planters.

Covington also moved forward on the Schoolhouse Park project and saw the support for its development continue to be very strong. This project will be transformational for the village and once it is complete, many will watch their kids and grandkids play in the splash pad, listen to music in the amphitheater, and enjoy the open space. This project has been financially supported by 95 different donors, a total of almost $850,000. From $5 to $450,000, each donation has allowed the village to make this unique space a reality for our community.

The most amazing figure to discuss for 2022 is the amount of grant money received. The village received $4,190,500 in grants to defray the cost of projects in the village. Covington received roughly its annual budget in grants in 2022. That means that the village funds that we are so careful with, go much further.

Just to break those figures down a little bit, the village received $2,665,500 from the Ohio Department of Transportation and $500,000 from the Ohio Public Works Commission for the construction of the High Street project. They received $500,000 from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, $250,000 from the State Capital Budget, $275,000 from the Ohio Department of Development Brownfield Grant to create Schoolhouse Park. Those are all different State and Federal programs that have seen all the great things we are doing in Covington and have prioritized the changes being made in the community.

Year 2023 will see what a great testament to the effort of Covington residents, elected officials and village staff to continue to make Covington better.

2023 will continue to build on a strong foundation with Schoolhouse Park being completed, the Wastewater Treatment Plant project started and continued investment in Covington facilities and parks. The village is going to begin work to open up the Stillwater River to fishing and water sports and create the first housing development in Covington in almost 20 years. Come visit the village of Covington to see the change in person!