Boone County taxpayers will cover $75,017 of a $300,067 dock on the Ohio River after the Fiscal Court awarded the construction contract Wednesday, July 29, to Cincinnati-based Washington Marine, Link NKY reported.

The dock is the first piece of a new riverfront water rescue complex on the north side of the county, and FEMA's Port Security Grant picks up the remaining $225,050. As we reported July 27, the contract was on the Fiscal Court's agenda; the vote made it official.

Washington Marine was the sole bidder. The Cincinnati company specializes in marine fabrication and infrastructure. Emergency Management Director Kevin Vogelpohl coordinated the resolution. Boone County Water Rescue received the FEMA grant in September 2025.

"The boat dock there is going to be very beneficial, having a boat dock on the north side of the county and on this parcel specifically," Judge/Executive Gary Moore said. "Well done."

The dock will give emergency response boats better access to the Ohio River. It is the first phase of a broader complex that includes a 62-by-144-foot rescue station to house equipment, boats, dive gear, and vehicles. Vogelpohl said the full project is expected to be completed by March 2027.

Boone County Water Rescue is a volunteer organization serving Boone, Kenton, and Campbell counties. The finished property will also include a public boat ramp and trailer parking.

Mobile command vehicle grant

In a second action at the same meeting, the Fiscal Court approved an application for a Kentucky Office of Homeland Security grant to buy a mobile command and communications vehicle.

Vogelpohl told commissioners the vehicle would serve as a command center during large-scale emergencies and as a backup if the county's primary Public Safety Communications Center went offline. He cited an increasing number of large-scale incidents in Boone County as justification.

The grant is structured as fully reimbursable: the county would pay upfront, then recoup the full cost from the state. No vehicle price was disclosed at the meeting.

The county has been steadily upgrading its water rescue and emergency capabilities through federal grants. In February 2026, the Fiscal Court approved the purchase of a remotely operated underwater vehicle using a 2024 Homeland Security Grant, according to county meeting minutes.

The next Fiscal Court meeting is Tuesday, August 11, at 8:30 a.m. at the Boone County Administration Building in Burlington.