Hello, hello. It's 6.02 and 58 seconds. It's 6.03. We'll, in the process of calling the meeting to order, as soon as we get counsel, as soon as our council members are able to take their seats. Thank you. Greetings, Council Member Martin. Council Member Farmer, all the way down. Greetings. Just hello. Hello. So, okay, we have a quorum now, so we'll call the meeting to order. And I'll ask the clerk if she will call the roll, please. Mr. Stinnett? Yes, ma'am. Mr. Beard? Aye. Mr. Blues? Here. Ms. Crosby? Here. Mr. Ellinger? Here. Mr. Farmer? Yes, ma'am. Mr. Ford? Here. Ms. Gorton? Here. Ms. Henson? Here. Mr. Kay? Here. Mr. Lane? Here. Ms. Lawless, Mr. Martin, Mr. McCord, and Mr. Myers. Here. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Tonight we will have, for our devotional, for our invocation, we will have a moment of silent prayer and stand for that. And before we do that, I will say that we will give this moment to share and to represent the distress and the tension and the anxiety that we've experienced in the city in the last few days through the violent acts of shootings that have occurred and death that has occurred and fatality that has occurred and the healing that needs to occur in our city. We'll talk about that later on in the council meeting. We'll share with the council members the press conference today, which Council Member Ford was here as well. So first we'll conduct business, but at this time if we can rise just in a moment of silent prayer. All right. Thank you all. Sometimes those moments of silence do an adequate job and an effective job of illustrating the concerns that we share and that we are all trying to address and deal with as we do our jobs. So thank you all. All right. First, next on our agenda are ordinances and the second reading of ordinances. Madam Clerk, would you give us a second reading, please? Ordinance No. 1, an ordinance amending Section 14-10F6 of the Code of Ordinances relating to citation authority to provide that Chapter 17B of the Code of Ordinances may be enforced by the Urban Forester, Arbor's Technician and Environmental Enforcement Specialist employed in the Division of Environmental Policy. Number two, an ordinance amending certain of the budgets of the Lexington-Payden County Government to reflect current requirements for municipal expenditures in appropriating and reappropriating funds, Schedule number 38. And number three, an ordinance amending Section 21-52 of the Code of Ordinances abolishing one position of administrative specialist senior grade 112N. Amending Section 22-52 of the Code of Ordinances extending the term of the temporary position of Program Manager Senior Grade 120E from July 1, 2012 to July 1, 2015, all in the Department of Environmental Quality and Public Works and appropriating funds pursuant to Schedule No. 39. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Is there a motion to approve ordinance? Second. Motion by Council Member Blue, second by Council Member Beard. Is there discussion? Hearing no discussion, I'll ask the clerk if she will call the roll, please. Mr. Stennett? Yes, ma'am. Mr. Beard? Aye. Mr. Blues? Yes. Ms. Crosby? Yes. Mr. Ellinger? Yes. Mr. Farmer? Yes, ma'am. Mr. Ford? Yes. Ms. Gorton? Aye. Ms. Henson? Yes. Mr. Kay? Yes. Mr. Lane? Yes. Ms. Lawless? Yes, I'm 1 and 2. No, I'm 3. I will denote that in the record. Mr. Martin? Yes. Mr. McCord? Yes. Mr. Myers? Yes. Thank you. Thank you. The vote reflects passage of the ordinances. Okay, next on our agenda is the first reading of ordinances. Madam Clerk, would you give us the first reading, please? Ordinances numbers 4 through 8, 4 through 6. Ordinance number 4, an ordinance admitting certain of the budgets of the Lexington-Fade Arbor County Government to reflect current requirements for municipal expenditures and appropriating and reappropriating funds. Schedule number 40. Number 5, an ordinance redistricting the districts of the members of the Lexington Fayette Urban County Council. Number 6, an ordinance submitting Section 22-5, two of the Code of Ordinances, abolishing one position of Citizens Advocate, Grade 118E, and creating one position of Citizens Advocate, Part-Time, Grade 115E, in the Office of the Citizens Advocate. Thank you. All right, are there any motions? No motions. All right. If not, we can move on to resolutions requiring or resolutions needing a second read. When you're ready, Madam Clerk. Resolution number one, a resolution accepting the bids of Hallmark Trophies Incorporated and Profora Bluegrass Advertising Specialties establishing price contracts for trophies, plaques, and silver for the Division of Parks and Recreation. Number two, a resolution accepting the bid of Gulf States Distributors establishing a price contract for patrol rifles for the Division of Police. Number three, a resolution accepting the bids of Big Beaver Tree Service, Inc., Lexington Tree Service, Inc., and Swartz Mowing, Inc., establishing price contracts for tree removal for the Division of Streets and Roads. Number four, a resolution accepting the bid of Graybar in the amount of $43,704 for a variable frequency drive for the lower Cane Run pump station for the Division of Water Quality. Number five, a resolution accepting the bid of Red Zone Robotics, Inc., establishing a price contract for rental of autonomous inspection equipment for small diameter pipe for the Division of Water Quality. Number six, a resolution establishing a residential parking permit program for the 600 block of Berry Lane from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday from August 1 through May 15 of each year, and waiving the provisions relating to the mechanics of designating residential parking permit areas adopted by Resolution No. 168-90 and amended by Resolution No. 450-91 and 433-2006. Number 7, a resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Irvin County Government to execute an agreement with the Lexington Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association, $2,000, Clemens Heights Neighborhood Association, $1,050, and CKHHI Incorporated, $750 for the Office of the Irvin County Council at a cost not to exceed the sums stated. Number eight, a resolution authorizing the Division of Emergency Management 911 to obtain 911 software maintenance support services from 911 Data Master Incorporated, a sole source provider at a cost not to exceed $87,000, and authorizing the mayor to execute any necessary documents. Number nine, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to accept the Home Depot's donation of landscaping material and supplies valued at $1,000 in honor of the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001 for use by fire station number 16 at no cost to the urban county government. Number 10, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to accept Fayette Heating and Air's donation of an air conditioning unit and its installation for use by fire station number 2 at no cost to the urban county government. Number 11, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute a new case document amendment to plan management agreement and amendment to group stop-loss policy extension with Humana Insurance Company for the administration of health care claims for the period of January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011. Number 12, a resolution declaring a surplus and authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute deeds and any other necessary documents for the sale and transfer of .079 acres of the 2.3-acre tract known as 365 White Oak Trace. Number 13, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute change order number three to the contract with H.W. Lochner, Inc. for right-of-way services for Newtown Pike Extension project mitigation area, increasing the contract price by the sum of $7,600 from $215,731.25 to $223,331.25. And I believe there's someone that... Council Member Ford. Yep. Thank you, Mayor. Mayor, I have a question on Resolution No. 14 in regards to the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program. As such, I would ask to invite Commissioner Mason and Director Gooding forward, if they would. And lastly, Mayor, when they come for the benefit of the Council to give us an overview of this grant, I would ask that we suspend the rules and allow for public comment on this resolution before the second read. Thank you, Mayor. All right, sir. Commissioner Mason? This grant is in the amount of $77,639 to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky. It's then disbursed amongst a number of organizations and agencies to include the Lexington Fayette Urban County government. The portion that comes to the government here for police is used for overtime for clear officers. Some of the other sharing agencies are several other Commonwealth attorney districts, as well as some juvenile services within the Fayette County Schools at the Martin Luther King Academy. The overall mission of the Project Safe Neighborhood Program is to reduce gun crime and gang issues. Thank you, Commissioner Mason. Mayor, as such, I would move that we suspend the rules and allow for public comment before a second read. So moved. It's a motion by Council Member Ford, seconded by Council Member Farmer, to suspend the rules and allow for public comment. All right. Is there a discussion? All right. We can take a vote then. What we're doing is voting to allow for public comment at this time related to this resolution. Okay. All right. All in favor, please indicate by saying aye. All opposed, no. Okay. Motion carries. So the floor is available for public comment. have have core corey all right sir why don't you uh just corey if you'll just introduce yourself does anybody else wish to speak to this resolution all right sir then uh just if you will just come right over here and uh when y'all do speak the the protocol the way that we usually do this is uh just give your name corey and then we'll be able to record it and and address and then there's I have this unpopular role of being the timekeeper, so you probably know we've got about three minutes for comments. Thanks very much. Thanks, Corey. All right. My name is Corey Dunn, and as he spoke about the grant, my thing is that we do need police officers, police in the streets. I don't question that at all. But I don't think enough of that money is being used for prevention. it's very possible to prevent a lot of the crimes that are going on in our city today. If we have mentors that are in place, people who are from the neighborhood, who the people in the community know and recognize and they accept totally, then if we can mentor, well, we're in a position to mentor the children. I think it's very important because a lot of the crimes that's going on in the city is taking place with the young people. So if we can have more money for mentoring, that will in turn help us to reach more of the children and prevent them from committing the crimes as opposed to using it for prosecution and apprehension. I know last year the grant was $90,000. This year it's considerably less. Of that grant, a lot of the money, some of it went to the Department of Justice to make a public service announcement, which I personally took part in. I just think the money could be used if you want to help people. I believe we just need to go to the community because the police officer, their presence deters crime. However, there are people in the community who don't really respect it. The ones who are committing the crimes don't respect that authority, but they do respect other individuals in the community. So whereas I can go and say, hey, I've made mistakes, I've done this and I've been shot and this is the bad thing, then we can deter people from a life of crime. We can stop them from selling drugs. We can tell them the consequences of what happens when you go into prison and how your little girl cries every time she has to leave. So if we can just appropriate or just send more funds towards prevention, I think it would be in the best interest of the community. And if it's a Project Safe Neighborhood grant, then I say why not use some of that money. I say use it all, but I know that's not realistic. just use the money for the people who can actually reach the youth, the ones that the youth see on a daily basis. Because we need the police, but we also need to police our own neighborhoods. And this money, if we have it for mentoring programs, like we can be out in the community talking to the people who are potentially the ones who are going to commit murder number 14, 15, and 16. Well, whatever, you know what I mean? So that's just what I'm here for. And as far as the school part, I was the posse program, but it hasn't started yet. As a result, some of the kids that we had last year veering off to the wrong direction. They started to get in trouble again. When we was there, the grades got better every grading period, but we just don't have enough money to do what we need to do. We don't have enough people to man the program so that we can be, instead of just four middle schools, why not go to the five high schools where those kids are more likely to commit the serious crimes? So we just need help with personnel, basically. And I appreciate you guys hearing my comments. Thanks, Mr. Dunn. Thanks, Corey. Thanks very much. Yes, sir. If you just introduced yourself and your address, that would be great. Oh, yes. My name is Emmanuel Shanks, and I'm here to speak on the resolution with the Project Safety Neighborhood. Okay, well, I'm going to start by saying back in 2002, You know, U.S. District Attorney Mark Roland, he approached me about this program. He told me basically all the good things we were supposed to do for the community. You know what I'm saying? He said basically he'd been working with the law enforcement and the feds for somewhat close to 30 years, and he was basically saying he was getting tired of what's going on with the federal guidelines and the systems, and they wanted to implement a program called Project Safety Neighborhood to help deter crime, crime is prevention of crime and things like getting people that's been in situations such as myself to speak on, you know, to try to help others. And so I did a public service announcement. This was back in 2002. So years went bad and I pretty much thought the program fell by the wayside. I never heard anything else mentioned about it until recently. And not only that, I'm realizing and they're providing a lot of money, you know what I'm saying, to this program. And basically with how he explained it to me then, it was going to help felons or whatever, with job training, school and nature of that. And I haven't seen it touch my community. You know what I'm saying? And I just heard a resolution of what he was just using it for police overtime and things of that nature. But I'm realizing that in the communities where all the crime is going on is we have the highest police presence. We have the highest police state. So I was thinking, like, I mean, I know the police needs to do their job and they need to be paid, but I think a lot of the other money needs to be allocated to after-school programs to help people that need help in these communities. You know, so that's how you're going to prevent crime. You know, by flooding the East End community with police and the crimes still going on does not seem like a plausible solution to me. You know what I mean? I think it's time that maybe you may want to go a different avenue. And that's all I have to say. Thank you. Thank you, sir. All right. Does anyone else wish to speak to this resolution? Council Member Ford, is that? Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, sir. All right. All right. Madam Clerk, you may resume the readings. Council Member Lawless. Could we hear from, didn't you ask to hear from Commissioner Mason? We're going to do that later in the business meeting. Related to today's. About resolution 14. Oh, okay. I'm sorry. He had introduced it, so. Yep. All right. So we're ready to resume then. Madam Clerk. Resolution number 14, a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the Irvin County Government to accept a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, which grant funds are in the amount of $77,639. Federal funds offer the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky, the acceptance of which does not obligate the urban county government for the expenditure of funds and authorizing the mayor to transfer unencumbered funds within the grant budget. Number 15, a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute and submit a grant application to the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet to provide any additional information requested in connection with this grant application and to accept this grant if the application is approved, which grant funds are in the amount of $50,000 federal funds and are for continuation of the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program, the acceptance of which does not obligate the Irving County Government for the expenditure of $28,150 as a local match and authorizing the mayor to transfer unencumbered funds within the grant budget. Number 16, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to accept a donation from the Universal Circus of 100 complimentary tickets for the community center youth at no cost to the urban county government. Number 17, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute an outgoing loan receipt with William S. Webb Museum of Anthropology for the loan of artifacts to the Raven Run Nature Sanctuary. Number 18, a resolution pursuant to Code of Ordinances Section 18-66 designated the speed limit on Pepper Hill Road between Monta Vesta Road to Shinaway Road as 25 miles per hour and authorizing and directing the Division of Traffic Engineering to install proper and appropriate signs in accordance with the designation. Number 19, a resolution change in the street names and property address numbers of 137 Cox Street to 126 Buchanan Street. of 142 Cox Street to 809 Manchester Street, of 585 East 2nd Street to 245 Delmar Avenue, of 2645 Kearney Creek Lane to 3000 Locust Blossom Cove, of 305 Northland Drive Units A, G, H, B, E, C, F, and D to 305 Ballpark Drive Units 102, 103, 104, 101, 102, 103, 104, 201, 202, 203, and 204, Of 309 Northland Drive Units AGHBECFND to 309 Ballpark Drive Units 101, 102, 103, 104, 201, 202, 203, and 204. Of 313 Northland Drive Units AGHBECFND to 313 Ballpark Drive Units 101, 102, 103, 104, 201, 202, 203, and 204. Of 315 Northland Drive Units FGHJKLMNO, G1, G2, G3, ACBD, and E2, 315 Ballpark Drive Units 106, 107, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 123, 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105. of 3741 Sleepy Hollow Lane to 1973 Deer Meadow Trace of 1477 North Broadway Units A, G, H, B, C, E, F, and D to 301 Ballpark Drive Units 101, 102, 103, 104, 201, 202, 203, and 204. Changing the property address numbers of 631 Bel Air Avenue to 633 Bel Air Avenue of 239 Shady Lane to 241 Shady Lane of 425 West 2nd Street to 429 West 2nd Street, of 121 Church Street to 125 Church Street, of 180 North Broadway to 182 North Broadway, of 2120 Deauville Drive to 2168 Deauville Drive, and of 621 Burbank Court to 619 Burbank Court. and changing the street name of 836, 837, 840, 841, 844, 845, 848, 849, 852, 853, 856, 857, 860, and 861 Cedarwood Drive to 836, 837, 840, 841, 844, 845, 848, 849, 852, 853, 856, 857, 860, and 861 Sugar Cane Way of 111 and 137 Cox Street to 111 and 137 Oliver Lewis Way and of 949, 952, 954, 955, 960, 962, and 964 Pine Street to 949, 952, 954, 955, 960, 962, and 964 Tar Trace, all effective 30 days from passage. Number 20. A resolution specifying the intention of the Urban County Council to expand and extend the full urban services district number one to provide street lighting, street cleaning, and garbage and refuse collection. Finding a need for these services in the area included finding the ability of the urban county government to provide these services in this area, which area is defined as certain properties on the following streets, Calypso, Breeze Drive, Cardushi Street, Carino Lane, Falling Leaves Lane, Firethorn Place, Forest Spring Court, Golden Bell Place, Greenville Terrace, Gray Leg Way, Hardwood Road, Kiowa Drive, Magnolia Gardens Place, Polo Club Boulevard, Sandhurst Cove, Seneca Park, Sir Barton Way, Sperling Drive, Sunflower Street, T. Olive Way, and Town Square Park. Number 21. A resolution specifying the intention of the Urban County Council to expand and extend partial urban services district. Number 3. To provide garbage and refuse collection. Finding a need for the service in the area included. Finding the ability of the Urban County Government to provide this service in this area, which area is defined as certain properties on the following streets, Blue Bonnet Court, Blue Bonnet Drive, Golden Trophy Trail, Waveland Museum Lane, and Winthrop Drive. Number 22, a resolution specifying the intention of the Urban County Council to expand and extend Partial Urban Services District Number 5 to provide street lighting and garbage and refuse collection. Finding a need for these services in the area included finding the ability of the Urban County Government to provide these services in this area, which area is defined as certain properties on the following streets, Albany Road, Abramall Road, Halifax Court, and Rosemont Garden. Number 23, a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute and submit a grant application to the Kentucky American Water Company and to provide any additional information requested in connection with this grant application, which grant funds are in the amount of $500 under the Kentucky American Water Firefighting Support Grant and are for the purchase of 25 personal protective equipment hoods for the Division of Fire and Emergency Services. Number 24, a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the Irvin County Government to execute two partial releases of easements, releasing portions of sanitary sewer easements on property located at 1000 Jewett Creek Drive and 1105 Jewett Creek Drive. Number 25, a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the Irvin County Government to execute a partial release of sanitary sewer easement, releasing a portion of a sanitary sewer easement on property located at 122 Summersley Place. 26, a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the Irvin County Government to execute a partial release of easement, releasing a portion of a sanitary sewer easement on property located at 4161 Victoria Court. 27. A resolution revoking Resolution No. 262-2010 and approving the granting of an inducement to SIS Holding Company, Inc., and its affiliates, SIS LLC and BBS LLC, pursuant to the Kentucky Business Investment Act created by House Bill 3 of the 2009 Extraordinary Legislative Session, whereby Lexington-Faylor County Government agrees to forego the collection of 1% of the occupational license fee that would otherwise be due to it, which shall instead be retained by the company and its affiliates for a term of not longer than 10 years from the activation date established by the Kentucky Business Investment Program, subject to the limitations contained in the Kentucky Business Investment Act and any agreement the company and or its affiliates have with the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority related to the project and taking other related action. 28. A resolution of the Lexington-Fayton County Council relating to the issuance by the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority of Revenue Bonds to Finance. Among other things, costs incurred by a Baptist Health Care System incorporated in constructing and acquiring certain hospital facilities in the urban county and waiving review by the Industrial Revenue Review Board. And 29, a resolution adopting the 2011 update of the floodplain management plan. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Is there a motion to approve resolutions? Motion by Vice Mayor Gordon, second by Council Member Blues. Is there any discussion? Council Member Stennett, are you up for discussion on this one? All right, sir. Just have a question, number 22. Here we are. Our streetlight fund is bankrupt, and we're bringing people back onto our streetlight fund. I'm trying to figure out why this is a good move now. I don't want to hold this one up because we've included garbage and other things in this resolution, But I need a good answer is why we keep bringing people on if we can't afford the people we have. I thought we had agreed to freeze everything and not do anything. We have someone who can speak to this. All right, Commissioner Taylor. We have been working for several months on different options. We have frozen installation of lights, but we haven't frozen the tax district system as yet. And what we have planned to do was use that same process through the end of this calendar year. That gives us time to decide whether we want to continue to take that forward or not. But those bills have already been generated most of the summer. So do these streets already have street lights then? I don't think they do, but I'm not positive about that. So we'll find out about it, but you're going to vote on it. So that's what you're trying to say. So they're going to start paying the streetlight tax if we pass this tonight? But they won't have streetlights? They will when they move into that tax district, yes. And I guess we're going to refund them their tax if we don't provide installation of them, if they don't have them? Currently the policy is we do provide refunds. That's a policy call and a policy decision, and that's what we've done to date. We are still researching what options we want to take forward. We probably have three pages of ideas on spreadsheets, and we don't know quite yet what the best solution is. There's a number of different operational strategies. There are some legal and financial strategies, and then there's some government service strategies that we can use in conjunction with the Department of Transportation. So the combination of some of those ideas will be the best fit in order to address the problem. In the meantime, we didn't freeze that system in midstream. We decided to let that go through December. But you're right. It is a concern, and we do at this point plan to start those services. Usually if someone goes into that tax district, they're anywhere from two to five years before they get their lights in the past. So I don't know that that's that unusual, but we will resolve that one way or the other before the next billing cycle. So we're going to continue with the refunds then? At this point, we are. We've just refunded the last group that I'm aware of. Now, at this point, people that receive tax bills for this year, wouldn't be eligible for a refund until a year from now. So between now and then, we will certainly have this resolved. OK. Thank you. All right. Council Member Ford. Thank you, Mayor Gray. Again, I want to thank the Council for allowing public comment. I want to dedicate my support for Resolution 14 and ask Council's consideration of. I'm thankful for the opportunity to introduce my constituent with Commissioner Mason and Director Gooding. I ask that they work together to find the best use of these funds, but I'll be voting in support of Resolution 14. Thank you. Thank you, Council Member Ford. Council Member Lane. I'd like to thank Commissioner Taylor for taking some action on the light issue because many of these streets are in some of the neighborhoods in my district, and if people are paying and not getting services, that's probably not so good. and so I want to thank you for taking action on that. Thank you, Council Member Lane. Anybody else wish to comment? All right, then we can ask the clerk for a roll call when you're ready. Susan, thank you. Mr. Stenet? Yes and all and no on 20, 21, and 22. 20, 21, and 22. I will make sure that's correct in the system. Mr. Beard? All right. Mr. Blues? Ms. Crosby? Yes. Mr. Ellinger? Yes. Mr. Farmer? Yes, ma'am. Mr. Ford? Yes. Ms. Gorton? Aye. Ms. Henson? Yes. Mr. Kay? Yes. Mr. Lane? Yes. Ms. Lawless? Yes. Mr. Martin? Yes. Mr. McCord? Yes. And Mr. Myers? Yes. Thank you, Madam Clerk. The vote reflects passage of the resolutions, with exceptions noted. Okay. We can move on now to Roman numeral 6 on our agenda. Resolutions needing a first reading. When you're ready, Madam Clerk. Resolution number 30, a resolution accepting the bid of Detroit Salt Company establishing a price contract for treated rock salt for the Division of Streets and Roads. 31, a resolution accepting the bid of Old Castle Precast Incorporated establishing a price contract for concrete items for the Division of Water Quality. Number 32, a resolution ratifying the probationary civil service appointment of Tamara McMullen, Program Coordinator, Grade 109N, 15.605, hourly in the Division of Family Services, effective October 24, 2011. Number 33, a resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute an agreement with the Southland Association, $100, LexArts, $1,900, Bluegrass Green Works Incorporated, $300, Police Activities League, $575, for the Office of the Urban County Council at a cost not to exceed the sums stated. 34. A resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute a line extension and facility use agreement with Columbia Gas of Kentucky, Inc. to install limited facilities for the Division of Fire and Emergency Services related to fire training simulators at no cost to the Urban County Government in return for the limited use of such training simulators by Columbia Gas of Kentucky, Inc. 35. A resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to accept a grant from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, in which grant funds are in the amount of $52,000 federal funds, are for development of the old Frankfort Pike Corridor Management Plan, the acceptance of which obligates the urban county government for the expenditure of $13,000 as a local match to be provided by Lexington-Frankfort Scenic Corridor Incorporated, authorizing the mayor to transfer unencumbered funds within the grant budget and directing the mayor on behalf of the county government. of the urban county government to execute an agreement with the lexington frankfort senate corridor incorporated for management of the project at a cost not to exceed fifty two thousand dollars thirty six a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute an agreement with the fayette county commonwealth attorney's office a for a fast track prosecutor for the street sales drug enforcement project at a cost not to exceed fifty six thousand two hundred dollars number thirty seven a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to accept a grant from from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services, with which grant funds are in the amount of $3,942,925 federal funds for the employment of 25 entry-level police officers for a period of three years, the acceptance of which does not obligate the Irvin County Government to provide a local cash match and authorizing the Mayor to transfer unencumbered funds within the grant budget. Number 38, a resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Irvin County Government to execute an agreement with Information Station Specialists, Incorporated, a sole source provider for an AM alert station at a cost not to exceed $44,975. Number 39, a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to accept a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Violence Against Women, which grant funds are in the amount of $400,000 federal funds, from the grants to encourage arrest policies and enforcement of protection orders program and are for continuation of a project designed to hold offenders of domestic violence accountable for their actions through investigation, arrest, and prosecution, the acceptance of which does not obligate the Irvin County Government for the extension of funds, authorizing the mayor to transfer unencumbered funds within the grant budget, and authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the Irvin County Government to execute subrecipient agreements with Bluegrass Domestic Violence Program, $52,000, Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center, $8,000, Legal Aid of the Bluegrass, $5,000, Fayette County Sheriff's Office, $8,000, Fayette County Commonwealth Attorney's Office, $42,000, and American Probation and Parole Association, $5,000, for services for their projects. Number 40, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute a contract with Kroger Limited Partnership 1 to supply influenza vaccine and administer vaccinations to Lexington-Faylor-Urban County Government employees at a cost of $18 per employee for 1,000 or more employees and at a cost not to exceed $24,000. 41, a resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute a release of easement, releasing a streetlight easement on property located at 2387 Merluna Drive. Number 42, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the Irvin County Government to execute a quit-claim deed and release of easement, releasing a utility easement on property located at 2010 Harrodsburg Road. Number 43, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the Irvin County Government to execute a purchase of service agreement with Bluegrass State Games Incorporated for operation of the Bluegrass State Games at a cost not to exceed $47,250. Number 44, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the Irvin County Government to execute a concession donation agreement with Fayette County Cooperative Extension District Board for acceptance of an agricultural building and concession agreement. Forty-five. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the Irvin County Government to execute a facility-users contract with Fayette County Board of Education for Katie Capers at Northsworthy Auditorium at a cost not to exceed $1,299. And number forty-six. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the Irvin County Government to execute change order number one to the contract with Gouge Construction for the Dixie Pump Station and Force Main upgrade, increasing the contract price by the sum of $99,443 from $258,000 to $357,443. All right. Thank you, Susan. Thanks very much. Are there any walk-ons? Vice Mayor Gordon? Thank you, Mayor. I moved to place on the docket a resolution appointing an ad hoc citizens committee to recommend candidates for the position of citizens advocate. And, Mayor, if I could give some brief background before the vote. This, Council Members, this list that you received is the committee which former Vice Mayor Jim Gray appointed. and because we changed the job from full-time to part-time and made other changes, it took this long to bring it back. We have contacted every one of these people and they're still willing to serve. All right. Thank you, Vice Mayor. So we have a motion by Vice Mayor Gordon, seconded by Council Member Blues. Is there any discussion on the motion? All right. Hearing none. We can ask for a vote. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. All opposed, no. Okay, motion carries. And I can ask Madam Clerk, would you give a first reading to the ordinance, to the resolution? Resolution number 47, a resolution appointing an ad hoc citizens committee to recommend candidates for the position of citizens advocate. Thank you. All right. Richard, so we need two readings? Yes, Mayor. We have a couple for second readings, and I'm asking folks to come up and go ahead and ask for the second readings. Oh, not on that. No. Right. So, all right. I'm not exactly following. Mr. Mayor. No, yeah, we're going to suspend the rules. I was coming to that. I mean, I'm going to ask for suspension. Are there any motions to suspend the rules for a second reading? All right. Do we have one? Who's got it? I'm going to say a number. Yeah. If the council is willing, number 40 needs two readings because the first vaccinations will take place prior to when the council meets again. Thank you, Mr. Horne. Thank you, sir. Mr. Farmer? Thank you, Mayor. I'd like to suspend the rules and give second reading to resolution number 34. This is for kind of an upgrade and a different use out at the fire training center to let Columbia Gas come in and let both their folks and our folks train with that upgrade there. So I'd like to give a second reading on that. All right, sir. So that's number 34. Is there a second by Council Member Martin? I guess we'll do these in combo. The only other one I might do, if we could, would be number 37, Mayor, the one that is the grant. We'll pull them all together. So that's number 34 and number 37. Yes, Mayor. Thank you. Thank you. Is anybody else? Any other? Keith, I don't think we got. Which one? You need number 40. There'd be number. Number 40. So 34. You want another motion for that? Yeah, can I get a motion on that one? Vice Mayor Gordon. I move to suspend the rules and give second reading to number 40. Yes, sir. Motion by the Vice Mayor, second by Council Member Ellinger for number 40. Council Member Stennett. Thank you, Mayor. I'd like to add number 46 to that. This project has been on hold for about six months, and this allowed to continue on based on the redesign and new order. Thank you. All right. Got a second on that? Second. Second by Council Member Kay. All right. Council Member Blues. Mayor, the Vice Mayor asked for 47. I heard 40 and then 46. She was not going to do that tonight. I'm going to wait on that one. All right. Do you have another one, Councilman Blues? No. All right. All right. I have 34, 40, 46. Did I miss one? I believe Councilman Farmer, you had a second. Was it 37? 37. 37. 37. Okay. Is that it then? All right. Is there any discussion on these? All right. Then I'll ask for a vote. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. All opposed, no. Motion carries. Madam Clerk, are you going to read the second on you got them all? Yes, sir. All right. Thank you. Number 34. Number 34, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute a line extension and facility use agreement with Columbia Gas of Kentucky, Incorporated, to install limited facilities for the Division of Fire and Emergency Services related to fire training simulators at no cost to the urban county government in return for the limited use of such training simulators by Columbia Gas of Kentucky, Incorporated. Number 37, a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to accept a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services, which grants funds are in the amount of $3,942,925 federal funds are for the employment of 25 entry-level police officers for a period of three years, the acceptance of which does not obligate the urban county government to provide a local cash match in authorizing the mayor to transfer unencumbered funds within the grant budget. Number 40. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute a contract with Kroger Limited Partnership 1 to supply influenza vaccine and administer vaccinations to Lexington and Fayette-Urban County Government employees at a cost of $18 per employee for 1,000 or more employees and at a cost not to exceed $24,000. And number 46. A resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Oakland County Government to execute change order number one to the contract with Gooch Construction for the Dixie Pump Station and Force Main upgrade, increasing the contract price by the sum of $99,443 from $258,000 to $357,443. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Okay, is there a motion? Move approval. Motion by Vice Mayor Gordon, second by Council Member Farmer. Is there any discussion? Yes, sir. Council Member Beard. I'd like to ask Commissioner Mason to come up, if he would, please. Commissioner Mason. On number 37, it's my understanding, I think I heard this properly anyway, that this replaces the 25-person class that we had anticipated and put in the budget? Jeff, do you want to come? Mr. Reed. Thank you, sir. That's becoming an increasingly complicated question. Good for me. Yes. I've been working with Commander Pape on that question, and we are communicating with the COPS office. It gets into an issue about supplanting and whether we are supplanting general fund dollars with federal COPS grants dollars. It also gets into a level of authorized positions, authorized funded positions versus vacancies. And my position still is that we will probably have in the neighborhood of 25 more. but how we deal with this issue, how we explain it to the COPS office. The complicating factor in this is when you put in your $700,000 for the second class. Now, how the COPS office reacts to that money, if we didn't have that money, it wouldn't be a question. It would be the $25,000 came in. How that office interprets that $700,000 and how we present it, was that for training? Was that a full class? Was it totally envisioned that we would fund the 25 in the next fiscal year? What about budget reductions? If we have further budget reductions, how does that play into the equation? I'm still of the opinion that we can explain it in a way that we will have 25 additional officers. officers, then if we have greater vacancies, we can still have a training class. But it is, the more I talk about it, the more complicated it becomes. So I'd like to talk to the cop's office. Well, I just, I think it's a shame. I understand that it looks like found money to a certain extent as relates to the budget. But I was going to suggest maybe we. The worst-case scenario is we have money for more officers in addition to what you have now, and we're anticipating between 25 and 40 retirements later in the year from police. We're already down to a filled level in the neighborhood of 525, but it involves how we present this, how we deal with the budget in the next couple of months. And I've already talked to Councilman, talked to Kevin about it, and I don't think that that money in any event is going to be available to spend that you placed in the general fund for anything other than a class or toward a shortfall. I think it's going to be very difficult to reallocate those dollars because then it is going to become a supplanting issue. I understand. I was just going to suggest that we add 10 to the class and use this money to... That is a real possibility. We could have 35, we could have 45 based upon the vacancies. And when I was answering the question before, I was coming from the position, we're not going to have 50 additional to the 539 that are budgeted. We're going to have a number of 25 additional, and then there's going to be attrition, and where we get in the final analysis is going to be somewhere 539 or below. but it could mushroom and then go back down. But again, it's all in the presentation. I understand. And the dollars and the number of people, it all depends on when things happen and such. I understand. Yes. I just wanted to bring that out so that everybody else is on the same page with you. Well, my page has turned a couple of times on this, but I think I'm there. And we want to be on the same page with you again. Very good. But, you know, it's a great thing to have this money regardless. And worst case scenario, you know, we have to deal with putting more on in the short term and then backing down. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor. Yes, sir. Council Member Farmer. I just wanted to say I asked for a second reading on this merely just to get it done. I thought the quicker we had two readings on it and voted on it, the quicker the wheels could start turning on it. With respect to Council Member Beard's question, I had one answer before Jeff spoke, and I have kind of another one now. I still think that what can happen with those dollars lies within the purview of the Council and what the Council decides, but I don't think we'd want to do anything to upset the opportunity that's been presented to us. So I just think we should kind of take a wait-and-see attitude personally. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Council Member Farmer. Council Member Lane. Mr. Reed, can I ask you another question? My question is my concern that if we add 50 more police officers and they go into our pension fund and we haven't resolved the issue of modifying that fund to make it more economically viable in the future, then that will be a major cost that will go into the pension fund. It will be a long-term liability we incur by adding those people. It's a legitimate concern, and that's something that you all will have to deal with. either of these classes, by the time they are eligible to be put into the pension fund, will be through the next session and through what we've done. So hopefully if we can get some changes made to our current retirement system, then we would be dealing with 25 or however many that come through attrition. we'd be dealing with them in the new system, which would, in essence, I think, prove to be a great benefit in the short run because, in fact, new hires that are paying 11 percent of the money plus what the employer is paying helps the fund in the short run. So it can be viewed as a benefit in the short run if, in fact, the system changes. But no question, any new person that's hired in at any time into police or fire exacerbates the pension deficit in the long term. That's why the mayor's made it such a high priority to get pension reform done as quickly as possible, especially as how it impacts new hires. And see, they would be grandfathered in on the current plan. Even though we've made a change, they would be grandfathered. No, these people would not. If they are brought on tomorrow into a training class until they become sworn officers, which would take roughly nine months or however long, it would be past July 15th to be past the time this legislature meets and acts, then they would come in under the new system. Well, I understand that, but that assumes that we could get the plan changed in a nine-month period. But we are optimistic. All right. Well, would it be possible that you could get an estimate of what the financial impact on those additional 50 officers would be on our pension fund liability, assuming that they did go into the program? So we just have a handle on that? I can do that. But again, we're going to have 25 or up to 40 people retire. We're at 525 now. If we get down in the 500 level, we have considerable issues with public safety, which have to be weighed against the increase in what the liability that you're putting onto the pension system. And that's for you all to decide, not me. I don't want you to misinterpret my concern about the liability, because I strongly advocate that we have strong and adequate police force, and particularly with some of the issues we're having in our community this time. But I think we need to look at the financial liability and at least be cognizant of what it is. But I don't think we can cut corners to save money when we're talking about public safety. I don't think we should ever cut corners for public safety. And again, we're in a unique time right now when there's going to be a large number. We're anticipating a large number of retirees in the police department and positions that are going to have to be filled anyway. So, again, the timing of this grant couldn't have been better. All right. Thank you very much. Council Member Lawless. Thank you. Mr. Reed, I just want to see you run back and forth. Thank you. I brought this up, I think, on Tuesday about the issue of supplanting with federal grants. Yes. And I think this is an incredible gift to the city. My understanding, until the law changes, the day that they start training, they're considered an employee, and they will be entitled to the current benefits until that is changed by state statute. Question. My understanding is that with police, they don't enter the hazardous retirement system until after the training and after they're sworn. But they are employees. They are employees. So by day one of training, they're hired and they are entitled to. But I think like if somebody, and this, again, we haven't researched this completely, but I believe like if somebody doesn't make it through the training, they don't go into the hazardous retirement system. They have to make it through the training, get sworn, and at that point they start the hazardous duty payments into the system. But hazardous or non-hazardous, they're still in the retirement system. Now, if they flunk out of the training and aren't hired, But if they are hired, it starts with the day they are hired. And I would ask that you research that. Keith Horner was just telling me, and I'll find out the answer for you for sure, but he was telling me while somebody is on their probationary period here in the regular civil service system, You don't start making those contributions until after your probation period is over with. So we'll find out if it's the same way for a hazardous duty police trainee to do that. And I'll get you that answer. Okay. And I do know that like a regular civil service person does not, their first six months don't count toward their retirement. But their eligibility to have those benefits starts with day one is my understanding. And I think Kentucky is one of the few states that has that. So I think it's real important to find out very clearly. And it may mean that we start our class a little bit later. But I'm completely supportive of this grant. But I think all these issues need to be crystal clear as we move forward. And it may affect how we time our classes, et cetera. Thank you so much. Let me make up one other point. You're absolutely right, and we have been exploring that. We've also been in discussions with the police about this issue. They're looking into it as well. We are examining all options as to potentially one is delaying the classes like you suggest until there's legislative action. The other is some type of waiver that these employees could enter into. Don't know the legality has never been done before, but we are existing in unusual times, and we will get back to you with a definite answer on that, but you're absolutely right. Okay, Council Member Martin, you may want to hang up there, Mr. Reed. I'm just suggesting that. Thank you, Mr. Reed. Last year I asked then Commissioner of Finance, Linda Rumpke, how much one public safety employee, what our contribution for the pension would have to be on day one when we hire a public safety employee. And her answer was that it's about $300,000 that we would invest. If we put it in, I realize we do this over the course of their term, but that's basically what the cost is. So for a class of 25, for example, we're basically committing to $7.5 million of pension benefits. That's just the pension, not the medical benefits. And that increases because that money essentially, I guess, would go up by 8% a year. We'd be looking at an additional $600,000 increase after the first year and $650,000 after the second year and $700,000 after the next year. and it goes up from, you know, it's almost $10 million after a couple of years of what we would have to put in to pay for their pension. So the fact that we're looking at now not one class, which I didn't support during the budget process, but now two classes in which we would have pension obligations, you're essentially, if we hire two classes now, we're basically looking at $15 million of pension obligations on day one, which increases at 8% for every year that we don't put the money in. So it is an expense that we have to consider. I applaud the thought process of trying to delay the class until we get through the General Assembly as long as we can, because if we could bring them in under a new pension mechanism, that would help reduce these long-term costs related to that. We obviously need new officers, and I'm very sensitive to the tragedies that have happened in the last week. But I appreciate your continuing work on that. And again, I go back to the point that we are facing a time where there is going to be a large number of retirees that are ultimately going to have to be replaced. and if we don't get change done in this legislative session, then you're going to be forced to deal with the issue of waiting two years before you fill these and what number you fill them and where you balance it. And again, that's a decision that the mayor and the council has to grapple with. Well, and it's a hard one because as our costs continue to go up, we're inching closer to that tipping point. And so when do we approach that tipping point? But that's a conversation for another day. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Martin. Councilmember Crosby. Thank you, Mayor. I just had a question. Is there a deadline on this as to why we'd be doing a second reading tonight, or is this something that we could wait? Because a lot of my colleagues have raised some good questions that I think I would appreciate having clarified if it's not urgent. We have 90 days to sign the contract with COPS from the date that we received the letter, which is roughly two weeks ago. So we have roughly 75 days, 70 days to accept the grant. I don't see a scenario where we don't accept the grant. I think the money's there. It's available. The worst that's going to happen is a potential spike that will go down. I say there's no, obviously there's a scenario on this, and if you want to deal with the pension issue, but in light of the number of folks that are going to be retiring and leaving, and that the strength of the force is already down to 525, and even if we accept the grant, it doesn't mean that we implement the grant. But, again, that's a decision for you folks to make. Thank you. All right. Any other? Nobody else has signed up. Okay. Council Member Lawless. I fully support us accepting this grant, and I would fully support a second reading and moving forward. I just want to make sure that every single rock is turned and every single detail before we start spending it or implementing it. Thank you. All right. I see no one else signed up to speak or comment. So hearing none, then we can move to a roll call. Madam Clerk. Mr. Stinnett. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Beard. Aye. Mr. Blues. Aye. Ms. Crosby. Yes. Mr. Ellinger. Yes. Mr. Farmer. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Ford. Yes. Ms. Gorton. Aye. Ms. Henson. Yes. Mr. Kaye. Yes. Mr. Lane. Yes. Ms. Lawless. Yes. Mr. McCord. Excuse me, Mr. Martin. All right. Mr. Martin. Mr. Martin. Oh. Did you? Yes. Thank you. All right. Mr. McCord and Mr. Myers. Yes. All right. The vote reflects passage. next on our next on the agenda are communications from from the mayor second it's a motion to approve and a motion to approve by council member crosby second by vice mayor gorton is there any discussion all right hearing none then we can take a vote all in favor please say aye aye all opposed no The motion carries. Thank you. All right. Next on our agenda, communications from the mayor, FYI, for information only. Next, and announcements. Is Chief Jordan here? Oh, okay. I'm sorry. We'll take a next. Chief Jordan here for the disciplinary. Okay, Chief, yeah. Then I'll ask for announcements for Councilmembers. Agreement of conformity. Allegation made on Firefighter Stephen Profitt, employee number 46817, Committee Offensive AWOL, on 2nd of October 2011. Per Chief Jackson's office, written reprimand was issued, accepted, and filed in employee's personal folder. Moved. Second. Motion by Council Member Ellinger. Second by Vice Mayor Gordon to approve. Is there any discussion? Hearing none, we can take a vote. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. All opposed, no. Motion passes. Thanks, Chief. Thank you. All right. I'll open the floor for council announcements. Vice Mayor Gordon. Thank you, Mayor. This announcement is about ways that citizens can view the new redistricting map. We've worked with our IT and GIS folks to place the council district map with the new districts and the precincts that are being moved on the home page of our website, which is www.lexingtonky.gov. and citizens can click on there and see if their precinct has been moved and where it's going. And we also have posted a copy of the redistricting map in the lobby of our urban county government building at 200 East Main. So citizens can simply walk in and look at the map and it's very clear as to where the precincts are moving. And then finally, based on our conversation on Tuesday, Mayor, you'll remember that we have four times when citizens can give public comment on the redistricting map, the new map. And that's tonight with our public comment, October 18th at 3 o'clock, October 25th at 3 o'clock, and October 27th at our 6 o'clock meeting. Thank you. Thank you, Vice Mayor. Council Member Lane. Thank you, Mayor. The Celadine Company out of Costa Mesa, California, received a $125 million contract for ceramic body armor plates that will be produced at its Advanced Ceramic Operations in Lexington, Kentucky. So that's a huge order, and hopefully it will be creating more new jobs for our community. And I wanted to congratulate Celadon on this big contract. Thank you. Thank you, Council Member Lane. Heard about that. That's good news for those guys, that's for sure. Council Member Lawless. Thank you. Just real quickly, there are a lot of things, as always, going on. in the downtown and 3rd District. I wanted to remind people that this Friday is a free dump of household electronics, etc. You can go to lexingtonky.gov slash recycle to find out where you take your truckload of stuff if you want to dump free and the parameters of that. So that's a huge benefit for people who have big, heavy items to dump. And remind everybody that this Saturday and Sunday, there is a planting of 1,700 perennials at the Goodrich Park, which is at the end of Goodrich Avenue. So if you feel like digging, head on out. And thank you very much. Thank you, Council Member Lawless. Any other announcements? I don't see anybody having signed up. All right. Before we go to public comment, And I do have Mr. Don, Corey Dunn, and Corey signed up for public comment for this as well. I thought we might take this opportunity to bring counsel up to date on the press conference that we held today regarding the shooting incidents. And, in fact, Commander Pape from Central District is here. Commissioner Mason, why don't you introduce Commander Pape and then share with the Council, if you will, just the context for the press conference that we had this morning, the inquiries that initiated that, and the response that we are undertaking as a city and as a police force. And I know that Council Member Ford also joined in that, and we'd both like to comment on that after you guys share with the council. Thank you. The police department has put in place a plan to deal with this recent kind of rash of shootings here in the community, and Commander Pape from the central sector will lay out some of the details for you on that and kind of get you up to speed on some of those occurrences. Hi, I'm Commander Pape. I know most of you, and most of you know me. I wish I was here giving you better news, but since we've been sitting in this room, we've already had another shooting. It happened on Dinsmore just a short time ago. A male subject shot in the head. We do have one person in custody right now, but I'm not really prepared to say that he is the shooter, but we definitely have one person in custody. Which brings our total to somewhere in the area of 13 instances where someone has been shot, over 15 victims. There's 13 separate instances with 15 victims, one of which was a homicide. In response to that, we've gotten together and pulled together as much as we could get together. The remaining response units from our clear unit have come together and are putting some concentrated effort in investigating some of these cases. They're putting a concentrated effort in some of our primary areas where we're seeing the instances. the majority of these have been between mustang and whitney and probably third to sixth so right now my goal is to make sure you can't go through the city and not trip over police officer in that area it is not the only area we're seeing these instances for instance densmore second time this in eight days we've been on densmore we had the camelot west just just the other day same thing so We are taking a multifaceted approach. We're calling it the Violent Crime Task Force. We will have officers from my sector using some overtime dollars to be very, very present downtown. We will be using some of those same overtime dollars to put toward the investigative effort in the cases that have already existing. At the same time, we're meeting weekly with all of our partners, to include Commonwealth County attorneys and some federal prosecutors as well, to see if we can use any of their resources to help us combat what's going on. If you have any questions for me, I'll stick around after. That's the basic overview of what's happening. We've already had great success. We started this actually two days ago. We've already made one arrest in one of the instances. We have good suspects in the homicide, and we also have this one that's already happened. So we're already seeing results quickly. All right. I think as was mentioned today in the press conference, there seems to be some relationship in some of the shootings, and there seems to be an indication of prescription drug sales and things just like what a lot of the eastern Kentucky counties have experienced that are surrounding some of these shooting events. So as quick as they can, they're trying to dig down into these individual events and try and see what commonalities and what similarities and what connections there are. All right. I know there are some questions that are going to be coming from some of the council members that you all have some comments or questions. I would like to give a chance for Council Member Ford to comment. And the reason for that clearly is that many of these shooting events have occurred in his district. and he was with me today when we met following the press conference. We met with eight pastors whose congregations, whose churches are within the neighborhoods and the areas most affected. I would characterize the meeting. It was a healthy discussion within an environment where there's a lot of tension clearly and a lot of anxiety. And there were ideas shared, suggestions shared, a sense of with the purpose of the meeting really being to do all that we can to understand the issues to address the immediate and the present to a clear response to share our response the pastors said with their congregations that in the immediate And then to take these issues deeper or to take this moment in time to address the deeper root causes, some of the things that Mr. Dunn, Corey, was talking about earlier. and not to stop but to continue and to deal with these issues intentionally and deliberately. So, Council Member Ford, would you want to comment? Yes, thank you. Thank you, Mayor and members of the Council. I'll be pretty brief. I want to start my comments by applauding the Division of Police, Chief Bass, Commissioner Mason, Commander Pate, and offering encouragement to our police officers because what we're doing is we're asking them, and we heard about how thinly they are stretched. We're asking them to do more with less, and they are responding to help keep our streets safe and our neighborhoods safe places. So it's going to be some long days ahead, and I applaud you guys and appreciate, as all of us do, the work that you do. I think where we are as a council, if I can say, is that, as I shared with the pastors today, is that the immediate issue is to do the one thing the government is supposed to do, which is to protect and serve, to have safety amongst those in our community. But I believe that there are some things that we as a council will have to soon closely reflect on to ensure that Lexington is the Lexington that we know. So, and I think that's, the mayor characterized it quite well earlier. He says that we should respond but not overreact. But I think we're at that medium that this is very, very serious. Shootings every day in Lexington, Kentucky, that may happen in other cities, and I won't call any names, but that's not our hometown. So we are really at a point of defending the quality of life for Lexington and Fayette County. there are things that we're going to have to focus on that will help police. Police is front and center right now. We need them so very much. We need the community to also strengthen the partnership, and we can help strengthen that partnership between police and the community. But it's not just a public safety issue. Our community is hurting. Our nation is hurting. I believe this recession has us, everybody, at a state of kind of a tipping point. And so I say that all those dim remarks with confidence that we're going to pull out of this, but we're going to have to do it together. And so, Mayor, I appreciate your leadership. I appreciate the police, and I look forward to counsel. And it's not just a District 1 issue. This is a small town. Lexington is a small town. And the violence that escalates in certain parts of town impacts the quality of life all across town. So, again, Mayor, I look forward to us getting past this, and we will. We'll stand strong. Thank you. Thank you, Council Member Ford. Before I call on Council Member Farmer and Henson, with the news that you shared with us, Commander Pate, I think all of the council members would understand if you need to leave us and get on duty back at Central. Okay. However, are there any questions for Commander Pate? Bill? Okay. Yeah. All right. Okay. You were signed up. I'm sorry. I didn't understand. I was preoccupied. Dinsmore is basically a court that has about four or five apartment buildings on it right off of Fontaine, a block down from Henry Clay High School. And I appreciate the geography that he told us about where most of these shootings have been. but to have two on the same court in the same week is like the eye of the hurricane or the bullseye in the center or something. And I know that they've increased their re-racked their units, and they're having more patrols there. But I would just have to join in some of the comments of Council Member Ford. We're in a very tough time where desperate people do desperate things or they seek desperate outcomes. And this gravely concerns me, not only for the city, but especially for that part of the 5th District, which, you know, it's just really very unsettling, Mayor. And I appreciate your all's efforts. And sorry I wasn't part of the press conference earlier, but this is something that is – it brings into focus the work we just did tonight to pass that grant, giving it a second reading so that we can have more opportunity for protection for folks. But thank you. I'm concerned for my district and for our city, like we all are, like Council Member Ford gave voice to. Council Member Henson. Thank you, Mayor, and thank you for your comments. Very much appreciated. I wanted to say that since I have been serving on the Charles Young Community Center Task Force, I've had the opportunity to meet some of the folks in that area, and I have a great deal of admiration for them and respect. They're great, great people. It's unfortunate that this is going on in their area because I think we all have areas where this could happen. And it just really, really saddens me that this has happened. Our police, I think, goes way above and beyond what they need to do. And other than bringing back the clear unit coordinators, I think that they do the best they can do with what they have. But I do think bringing those coordinators back would certainly help. And what the mayor mentioned about what Corey Dunn has spoke about, and he's one of the young men that I had the pleasure of meeting at the Charles Young Community Center Task Force. To me, he's a fine young man, and he knows what he's talking about. He knows the area. and I hope that you all would take him up on an offer to help mentor. We've got to save our children, and some preventative measures are certainly in order as well as enforcement. So thank you. Thank you, Council Member Henson. I will share with you all that in the meeting with the pastors that really it came together pretty quickly. And I had about three pages of handwritten notes from that meeting. And if I could characterize in a short few sentences what was rewarding about a meeting that occurred in really disturbing times was something very American, and that was a sense of commitment to pulling together, to dealing with adversity, to dealing with these issues and these problems from everybody sitting around the table, led by Chief Bastin. Commander Henderson was there. The pastors were there. and there was a recognition and an acknowledgement that these are really challenging times. I think people are not just distressed about these times, but how society has, we have a sense that a lot of things just aren't right right now. and trying to get our arms around that. But what was inspiring about that was that everyone sitting there believes that we can work to solve the problems and that we may have to think about doing it differently. And some of it, yes, our government and our police can contribute to, But there was clearly also an acknowledgment and a belief that we've got to deal with a lot of our problems and our challenges ourselves. These are not easy issues, not easy times. But there was a sense in that room of encouragement. I'll just finish it with that. So does anyone else wish to speak? to this. Commander, thank you for being here. Thanks very much, sir. All right. We are now at public comment, and I know that Mr. Dunn, Corey, you wanted to speak again to us. Yes, sir. I think it's a fitting time for you right now. Chris, did you want to... Councilman Ford, while Corey's coming up, you want to speak? Yes, Mayor. Yes, sir. Simply put, we're going to need resources for the challenges we're facing. We're going to need resources to match the strategies and the policies that we're going to pass. I think we're just going to have, I'm not certain where we're going to get those resources from, Mayor and Council members, but to match the commitment and strategies, we're going to have to examine some resources. We're going to have to fight. Yep, and I think I heard that putting those resources, and that means funds, clearly that's the translation, but strategically placing these investments can have a more meaningful return to us than we might have imagined before. So we're going to have to be open to those sort of commitments. Mr. Dunn. Yes, sir. Please do not take this the wrong way because you ain't out there doing it. But the community feels like you as a council, the police department, the government as a whole, the people of the East End area feel like y'all not doing anything for us. I mean, it was upsetting, and I was one of the people that got upset until later I calmed down and, you know, Aaron Mosley talked to me about it. Seeing your face, you personally, I'm not attacking you, please don't think so. But when we as a community see people getting shot every day, people that we know and that we love and that we grew up with. On a regular, I mean, half the people that got shot, I know them and they're friends. and seeing that stuff happening, it upsets us. And then when we see our mayor at the sedentary parade, now I do know that you did not do it. I mean, you didn't set it up. You was just invited, and I understand that now. But at first I see, wait a minute. People are dying in the streets. People are shooting in the streets, and the mayor is on the couch being lazy. I was peeved. I mean, I understand now, so please do not take offense to that statement. But the people need to know that you are doing more. Like when you have a meeting with the police department and it's a closed meeting and the public is not allowed, people get upset. Mr. K, unfortunately, and Mr. Ford, last night we were at the Charles Young meeting and it got a little heat. People are emotional because there's so much going on in our neighborhood. And they caught it. But they have to deal with this. This is the 13th meeting. They've been catching it from the first meeting. But people in the community, I mean, is it a way to have a town hall meeting to where everyone in the community can come and basically yell at the mayor? I'm just going to put it. If you have a town hall meeting, a public town hall meeting to address the issues, you will catch it, I promise. But at the same time, these murders ain't going to stop. It's going to get worse. And I'll tell you simply, I promise you it's going to get worse. The shootings are going to get worse because it's going to get cold. When it gets cold, you can't sell dope on the corner all day no more because it's too cold. You're freezing. Well, if you can't sell dope, then Chris is selling dope. I'll just go ride him. So the home invasions and stuff, it's on the way, I promise you. I was out there in the streetlight for a long time. Another thing that I don't think is being considered as Chris is talking about resources, one of the biggest resources we have is our people. I don't believe that the voice of the community is actually being heard. I mean, you have police officers who say, you know, we need to patrol, and that's true. But all the shootings are happening in the highly patrolled areas anyway. And you think, well, how come it happens over here? You know what? I'll tell you what. Dope dealers got money. When I sold crack, I had money. I could live anywhere I want to. I mean, it's people on the streets making more money than all of y'all put together. So, yes, they can afford a house out at Masterson Station or Heartland or wherever. So when crazy stuff happens and it's a murder at Polo Club, you're like, oh, my God. They can afford to live there. because they don't want to sell dope out here in East End and between Whitney and the streets that he named. I mean, they don't want to live in that environment because drug dealers do bad things, but they're not necessarily all the way bad. So they don't want to raise their children in the community where they're destroying it. I mean, I'm looking at this where so much money is going to police, police, police. Because police equals bad guys in the urban neighborhood. In a city, we, and I'm going to say we because I'm a member of the community, don't respect the police. I do personally. I mean, I actually work with the program with some. But they're not respected. They look at it as the police are patrolling. They harass us because they're sitting there looking at us. They're being mean. They're doing this. They're doing that. And it's frustrating to the people to see that you just keep giving money to the police. They talk about a grant that they just got for like $308,000. This is a grant for $4 million. Another grant for this. Another grant for that. If we focus on prevention, I think that would be the key. And if you could address the community, I mean, I promise they're going to give you heck. I promise they will because it's a lot of angry people. But at the same time, it's not that I know one of the people getting shot. I know all of them. I knew about the shooting before the commander had a chance to talk about it. Because people, oh my God, somebody else got shot. People in the community can stop it, but we need resources and we need help from the government. I mean, I'm begging y'all, like, please just, if you can have a parade or some type of event to let people know that you care, that'll make a difference. Because then they'll say, well, you know, maybe the mayor's not so bad. Maybe he does care about what's going on. Maybe he does care that there's little people getting shot and that, you know, that Cory Dunn's daughter has to walk past the street where people get shot at. or that he lives in a community and he doesn't have the money to get his kids out of that community. If you can put the, if we put $4 million in the East End area, they keep talking about the East End plan and the East End redevelopment, this and that, and East End, East End. As long as there's no money out East End, like I said at the last press conference that I was at, I promise you, they are going to keep shooting. Because people are selling drugs and that's all part of it. So, I mean, we just, I'm asking, please just come in the community. These guys are already there. I mean, because he lives there, that's his district. Come and just let the people know that you do care. I mean, have a parade, a rally. We had a rally at Charles Young. It had over 800 signatures for people who wanted to get into Charles Young, who wanted to support the Charles Young Center. 800 people showed up. We did that out of pocket. If the city could just give us funds and have a rally, then, you know, a lot of the people are not going to come to East End if we have a rally. But we can't go nowhere else. So if we could have a rally downtown, then maybe people would support it and say people from other neighborhoods who don't know about East End, the ones who are afraid to go, they will come and support the cause, and we can come together as a community and stop these kids from killing each other, man, because it's always just frustrating. You've done a good job of expressing yourself. I know I share what the council, I believe every member of the council would share in thanking you and acknowledging that you've come here. I remember the first time I got up at that podium, I was like, it was a little hard and tough. And you've done a really good job of sharing your heart and your head with us, and that's very valuable and meaningful for us. So thank you very much. And we're listening. Yes, sir. Anybody else? Council, Council. Oh, sorry. Yeah, we are in public comment, right? Mr. McCarthy. We're in public comment. Yeah. Your Honor and members of the Council, I think you really need to quit subsidizing growth and start taxing it. You should not be giving businesses tax breaks to get them to move here. It's really unfair that the new arrivals are taxed at a lower rate than those who have been here all along for 10 years, and that's causing a large portion of your budget problems. When you entice a business to come here by offering them lower taxes than those of their competition who are already here, well, you think you're bringing jobs to put these unemployed people to work, But in reality, the people come in from wherever the business is enticed to come here from. The existing employees have to migrate here to get back the jobs they had. So our overall unemployment rate doesn't get fixed. We just have more people needing services from this government without the revenue to provide those services. and the normal tax rates seem to just cover the operating costs of this government. They don't cover the infrastructure that's needed. So when you give somebody a tax break to get them to come here, you're letting him get by without even paying the increased operating costs his presence inflicts on this government, and you're not even coming close to covering the additional infrastructure that's needed. Instead of handing out tax breaks to new businesses, you should actually be charging them higher taxes. You should be charging traffic impact fees on every building permit issued in this carry so that any business that comes and puts up a new building should actually be paying more. Now, if an existing business puts up a new building and moves to it, okay, then they should pay impact fees. And then perhaps a new business that migrates into an old building could perhaps come here and pay only the same taxes as those who have been here all along. But I do think it's high time to make growth pay its own way. Oh, thank you, Mr. McCarthy. Thank you. If we put $4 million into the East End, that would change things. My question is, when you say you need resources and you need money to do things, can you give us a little bit of an idea of what you're talking about would change things? Because you're saying that the police presence is there, there's crime where more police, more crime. It's kind of what you said, I think, to kind of paraphrase you. So if you want resources, what would those resources be and what would they do to change the environment? Thank you. Money? It would be just strictly money. We need jobs because the problem is most of the fathers are not in the household. I mean, if you just look at the statistics in black households around the United States, it's not just the Lexington problem, but the black males are not in the home. So they don't have a role model to look up to. So you've got people looking up to Gucci Man and Lil Wayne who both say, yeah, we gangsta bloods and we sell more drugs than anybody and we rich. That's great. The problem is the only, so these are the role models instead of Michael Jordan. Now you've got Gucci Man. And he's bragging about how much drugs he sells and how much drugs he uses and all this and that. Daddy's not home. Mom may or may not have an education. She may or may not be using drugs. I mean, it's an issue. So the kids look up to the first person that they see that's close to Lil Wayne and Gucci Man, which is the drug dealer. He's the one with the pretty car, the big rims, all the girls liking, all the jewelry, all the nice clothes. So why wouldn't a kid look up to him? He's living the American dream, you know what I mean? He's paying a heck of a price to get it, but that's all they see. So some kids, man, do not leave East End unless they are going to school or something like that. That's the only time they're out of their neighborhood. it. If we could just find a way to just provide jobs for people, like Community Ventures has the East End Community Farmers Market. They pay kids to sell food. Right there, they're teaching these kids, if you work, you make money. Otherwise, it's going to be me, the dope man, talking about, oh, little man, you got an A, you got straight A's here, here's a couple dollars. He's thinking, not about the A's. He's thinking, if I keep getting A's right now, I'm going to get a couple dollars when I grow up, I'm going to be him. So without jobs, everybody's hopeless. That's why everybody is shooting and robbing and selling dope in the first place. The drug dealers don't start selling drugs at 31 years old. I was 25 when I got arrested for trafficking. 25. I didn't start selling when I was 25. That's just when I got caught. I started when I was 16 years old and the kids at school was laughing at me because I didn't have name brand clothes and I ain't brand shoes. You know what I mean? So it's like, my mom and dad worked hard, but there was no lower middle class. They couldn't provide Jordans for four boys. So if we can just get jobs and then stimulate the economy of East End, if we can put businesses inside East End that stays inside East End, instead of everybody coming to East End, it's a liquor store on every corner, it's a little corner store on every corner, everybody's making money out East End, but none of that money is staying in East End. So we out there selling dope and I'll be willing to kill you for it. Yes, I would. You gonna run off of my $20, I will shoot you first. Because $20 means a lot more to somebody who doesn't have anything than it does to somebody who's making $20, $30, $40, $50,000. The average household income out of East End, I think, is like $19,000. Most of the people, 4,000 people out of East End are in poverty. So we got food stamps, you have to eat. You got a bunch of people in a small area, everybody's competing over the same drug sale, so it's not surprising that people are shooting each other over the money. It's all about money. It's all about survival in the beginning. So if we can just get jobs, you know what I mean, because kids out in the neighborhood, they don't look up to you. I don't know what you do, you know, besides the council. They don't look up to you. They'll look up to me because I can tell them I got shot and I've been sent to federal prison. So we got to change the whole mentality, and it starts with jobs because these kids are out here prostituting at 15 and 16 years old, and I've seen it myself regularly this summer. High school, you know, freshmen in high school are out here prostituting because they don't have no money. Because their mama's smoking up all the money. Their mama's getting food stamps, and she's doing who knows what with them, everything but feeding the kids in the house. They got to buy their own school clothes And you got 15 year old kids Taking care of 6 and 7 year old kids The 15 year old Can I work or do I go to this dope boy And sleep with him He's going to give me $200 right now Because he got it, he throws it They do it in the videos And they emulate the music And if we can get them jobs and teach them This is what happens when you make an honest day living Mayor don't have to worry about catching no bullet He don't have to worry about getting shot Because he ain't doing nothing wrong He don't get scared when he sees this man coming because it's like, oh, hey, how's it going? He ain't doing nothing wrong. But they think, most of the people in our neighborhood thinks that crack is the way, crack is the answer. Crack is our savior. Crack is our savior. So, I mean, we get jobs. We have less people selling drugs. Less people selling drugs is less people getting shot over the drugs that they sell. Thank you for, I think, the last five minutes or so when you talk, I think you really educated us on really what the issue is. And I want to talk to you after the meeting because I've got some ideas, but I think that what you just said is reality. That's the truth. The jobs are what we need, and the reason that people do what they do are exactly what you described. And so this may not sound right, but I think we have something we can work with now by you explaining things the way that you have. So I look forward to talking to you after the meeting. Yep. Thank you. Corey, thanks again. Council Member Ford. Thank you, Mayor Gray. Thank you so much, Corey. Corey is a constituent of mine who, as the mayor has mentioned, has the courage to come and speak the truth to us in positions of power. Cory articulates himself very well but I would, Mr. Myers, if you could I would be remiss if I wouldn't take this opportunity just to piggyback on Cory's comments to combat some of the things that he mentioned just to give the council some things to ponder where resources could go in the East End it could bring the Charles Young Center back online it could bring the needed resources to the Williams Brown Community School to start a legacy of education in that area. We can create an affordable housing trust fund to address some of the dilapidated housing that some of the kids in our district have. We can petition the state government for our own Workforce Investment Act area so we won't be relying upon the Bluegrass ad, and we can help spear job growth right here. A lot of things I mentioned could serve benefit all across the city. But those are just some of the examples of, and we would hope those policies and those resources will trickle down to have a positive impact on some of the lives and realities that Corey mentioned. But that's where our resources could be. That's what we as a council need to think on that area to have benefit there. So thank you for allowing me to speak in concert with my constituents. Thanks so much, Mayor. Thanks, Chris. Yeah, I think is it. Sometimes I admit that when we have a conversation like this in a setting like this, sometimes we learn more from it than we ever imagined. And sometimes I feel like to sum it up really doesn't do it justice. But for me, I do recognize that we've got a lot of work to do, And I feel like we probably all recognize that. Okay. I'm going to call on Vice Mayor Gorton for a motion now regarding redistricting. Oh, okay. First, Vice Mayor had asked me to inquire if there are any comments by council members regarding redistricting or for the public. Yeah. No. All right. All right, then. Vice Mayor Gordon. Okay. And before I read the motion to go into closed session, just for our GTV3 folks, there could be a motion after closed session. I move that we go into closed session pursuant to KRS 61.8101F for a discussion that may lead to the appointment of an employee. There's a motion on a second. to go into closed session. Is there any discussion? All right. Hearing none, all in favor, please say aye. Aye. All opposed, no. All right. The motion carries. Do you want to hear a motion to come into open session? So moved. Councilmember Kay moved. Councilmember Myers seconded. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Anybody opposed? All right. Councilmember Ellinger has a motion. Thank you, Vice Mayor. I move to place on the docket a resolution approving the unclassified civil service appointment to Stacey Maynard as Council Administrator. So moved. A second from Council Member Blues. Is there any discussion? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? Will you give this first reading, please? Resolution number 48, if I recall correctly. A resolution approving the unclassified civil service appointment of Stacey Maynard, Council Administrator, Grade 121 East, 2007-69-23 biweekly in the Office of the Urban County Council, effective November 14, 2011. Thank you. Are there any other motions? Council Member Blues? I move to suspend the rules so we can give second reading to number 48. Second. Okay. Council Member Blues moved and Council Member Ellinger seconded to suspend the rules and give number 48 second reading. Any questions? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? Okay, that motion passed. Will you give it second reading, please? Second reading of Resolution No. 48, a resolution approving the unclassified civil service appointment of Stacey Maynard, Council Administrator, Grade 121E, 2007-69-23, bi-weekly, in the Office of the Urban County Council, effective November 14, 2011. Do I hear a motion? Move approval. Second. Or second. Council Member Jordan. Council Member Julian Beard moved and Council Member Kay seconded. Will you take the roll call vote, please? Mr. Stennett. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Beard. Aye. Mr. Blues. Aye. Ms. Crosby. Mr. Ellinger? Yes. Mr. Farmer? Yes. Mr. Ford? Yes. Ms. Gorton? Aye. Ms. Henson? Yes. Mr. Kay? Yes. Mr. Lane? Yes. Ms. Lawless? Yes. Mr. Martin? Yes. Mr. McCord? And Mr. Myers? Yes. Thank you. Thank you. That passes 13-0. Are there any other business? Okay, move to adjourn. All those in favor, say aye. Anyone opposed? We are adjourned.