# Urban County Council - April 25, 2019 > Auto-transcribed civic record · April 25, 2019 - **Permalink**: https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/4743 - **Source video**: https://lfucg.granicus.com/player/clip/4743?view_id=14&redirect=true - **Date**: 2019-04-25 - **Last revised**: April 25, 2019 - **Length**: 14,577 words > ⚠️ **Auto-generated content.** Audio from the official Granicus video was auto-transcribed with OpenAI's open-source Whisper large-v3-turbo model, run locally by The Lexington Times. Structured facts were extracted with GPT-4o; the narrative summary was written by Anthropic Claude. Verbatim wording may contain errors. See [methodology](https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/about/methodology) or [report a correction](mailto:editor@lexingtonky.news). --- ## Meeting Overview The Urban County Council met on April 25, 2019, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting focused primarily on recognizing community achievements, with two informational agenda items honoring local accomplishments. The council heard 2 public comments from citizens and conducted 2 votes during the session. The meeting featured recognitions for Rose Lucas and the University of Kentucky Debate Team, highlighting their contributions to the community. ## Attendance The following members were present at the April 25, 2019 meeting: **Present:** • Mayor Gorton • Bledsoe • F. Brown • J. Brown • Ellinger • Evans • Gibbs • Lamb • McCurn • Moloney • Mossotti • Plomin • Reynolds • Worley **Absent:** • Farmer • Kay No members arrived late to the meeting. A total of 14 members were present and 2 members were absent. ## Votes and Decisions The council took action on two items during the April 25, 2019 meeting, with both measures passing unanimously. **Ordinance 0362-19** [timestamp: 01:30] Council member Ellinger motioned to approve an ordinance changing the zoning from Agricultural Urban (A-U) to Single Family Residential (R-1A) for property located at 2200 Old Higbee Mill Rd. The motion was seconded by Plomin. The ordinance passed by roll call vote with 13 ayes and 0 nays. All council members voted in favor: Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Evans, Gibbs, Lamb, McCurn, Moloney, Mossotti, Plomin, Reynolds, and Worley. **Resolution 0351-19** [timestamp: 02:45] Council member J. Brown motioned to approve a resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a multi-year Professional Services Agreement with Frost Brown Todd, LLC for collective bargaining negotiations. Ellinger seconded the motion. The resolution passed unanimously by roll call vote with 13 ayes and 0 nays. The same 13 council members voted in favor: Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Evans, Gibbs, Lamb, McCurn, Moloney, Mossotti, Plomin, Reynolds, and Worley. Both votes demonstrated unanimous support from all present council members, with no abstentions recorded for either measure. ## Budget and Financial Actions The meeting addressed two significant infrastructure contracts totaling approximately $4.5 million in public expenditures. **Old Frankfort Pike Scenic Viewing Area Contract** The council considered Resolution 0335-19, authorizing a contract with Meadowbrook Concrete, LLC for $496,750 to develop the Old Frankfort Pike Scenic Viewing Area. This project represents a substantial investment in recreational infrastructure and public amenities. **Lansdowne South Trunk Sewer Replacement** A major sewer infrastructure project was addressed through Resolution 0361-19, awarding a contract to Cleary Construction, Inc. for $3,994,754 for the Lansdowne South Trunk Sewer Replacement. This represents the largest financial commitment discussed during the meeting and reflects ongoing efforts to maintain and upgrade critical utility infrastructure. The combined value of these two contracts totals $4,491,504, representing significant capital investments in both recreational facilities and essential infrastructure systems. Both resolutions involved competitive contracting processes with established construction companies serving as the selected vendors. ## Public Comment Two community members addressed the council during the public comment period, both focusing on police accountability issues. **Sara Williams** [timestamp: 03:30] spoke about police accountability and collective bargaining concerns. Williams expressed concerns about the current state of police accountability and urged the council to reconsider the collective bargaining agreement. She specifically called for the inclusion of more public input in the collective bargaining process. **April Taylor** [timestamp: 04:45] also addressed police accountability matters. Taylor emphasized the need for greater police accountability and shared the names of individuals who have been affected by police actions, though the specific names were not detailed in the available summary. Both speakers focused their comments on the theme of police accountability, with Williams specifically connecting this issue to the collective bargaining process and the need for enhanced public participation in police oversight matters. ## Appointments The meeting included two appointments to municipal boards and commissions. **Board of Health** • Dr. Mathew Zimmerman was appointed to the Board of Health **Commission on Veterans' Affairs** • Brig. General Benjamin Adams was appointed to the Commission on Veterans' Affairs Both appointments were approved during the April 25, 2019 meeting. ## Contested Items The primary contested item during this meeting was the police collective bargaining agreement, which faced significant community opposition. **Police Collective Bargaining Agreement** Community members raised concerns about the police collective bargaining agreement process, specifically criticizing the lack of public input in negotiations. Multiple residents spoke during public comment to express their opposition to the proposed agreement and urged the city council to delay the scheduled vote. The nature of the disagreement centered on transparency and community involvement in the bargaining process. Community members argued that decisions affecting police operations and accountability should include meaningful public participation, which they felt had been absent from the current negotiations. The outcome of this contested item was not specified in the available meeting materials, though the community's request for a delayed vote indicates there was substantial pressure on the council to reconsider the timing of their decision on the police collective bargaining agreement. ## Recognition of Rose Lucas [timestamp: 00:45] The council presented agenda item 0402-19, a recognition of the late Rose Lucas for her significant contributions to the city, with particular emphasis on her work in downtown revitalization efforts. Mayor Gorton and J. Brown served as the key speakers during this presentation, highlighting Lucas's impact on the community and her dedication to improving the downtown area. This was an informational item presented to honor Lucas's memory and acknowledge her civic contributions. No formal action was required or taken by the council, as this was a ceremonial recognition of her service to the city. The presentation focused specifically on Lucas's role in downtown revitalization, though the specific details of her contributions and the timeline of her involvement were not detailed in the available materials. ## Recognition of UK Debate Team [timestamp: 01:00] The council recognized the University of Kentucky Debate Team for their outstanding achievement in winning the national debate tournament. Mayor Gorton and council member Gibbs participated in presenting this recognition to the team. As part of the recognition, April 25, 2019, was officially declared UK Debate Team Day to honor the team's national championship victory. The presentation served as an informational item to celebrate the academic and competitive excellence demonstrated by the university's debate program. The recognition highlighted the team's success in representing both the University of Kentucky and the broader community at the national level through their tournament victory. This agenda item was purely ceremonial in nature, with no formal action required beyond the proclamation of the special day designation. --- ## Decisions - **Ordinance 0362-19** — passed (13-0): An Ordinance changing the zone from an Agricultural Urban (A-U) zone to a Single Family Residential (R-1A) zone for property located at 2200 Old Higbee Mill Rd. - **Resolution 0351-19** — passed (13-0): A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a multi-year Professional Services Agreement with Frost Brown Todd, LLC for collective bargaining negotiations. --- ## Full transcript Keep holding on, I'll keep holding on It's six o'clock folks And today is April 25th, 2019, and this is the meeting of the Urban County Council. And I would like to ask the clerk first to call the roll. Ms. Bledsoe? Mr. Fred Brown? Here. Mr. James Brown? Here. Mr. Ellinger? Yes, ma'am. Ms. Evans? Here. Mr. Farmer? Mr. Gibbs? Here. Vice Mayor Kay? Ms. Lamb? Here. Mr. McCurring? Yes, ma'am. Mr. Maloney? Ms. Massadi? Here. Ms. Plowman? Here. Ms. Reynolds? Here. And Mr. Worley? Thank you very much. At this time, I would like to welcome Elder Adrian Wallace to the podium from New Birth Church of Christ to give our invocation. Welcome. Good evening, thank you. If you guys would just bear with me, about 30 minutes, we'll be done. If you would pray with me. Heavenly Father, God, we come to you humbly tonight just to thank you. We thank you so much, God, for our city. We know that Lexington is a great city, but like many, God, it's flawed. And so we thank you for our leaders, those who have been elected to steward the resources of this city. we thank you for mayor gordon for vice mayor k and all the council members god we pray for each and every individual throughout our 12 districts throughout our city and county pray that you would just bless them and pray heaven father this council that our leaders would do everything through a lens of equity that we realize that many people have struggles that the opioid epidemic impacts so many of us that poverty plagues so many corners of our community. God, we pray that you would just bless those places. We know that every breath is a blessing. And so for that, we give you thanks. We give you thanks for this, this assembly, for this evening. Bless our time. We pray that everything will be done decently and in order. It's in your son's name that I pray. Amen. Thank you so much, Elder Wallace. And at this time, I will move to the podium for two recognitions. Thank you. I would ask council member James Brown to please join me. And it is my pleasure to welcome several family members of Rose Lucas to our council chamber. And I'd like to ask them to join me at the podium, please. Thank you. Council Chamber. Tonight we are honoring the late Rose Marie Maloney Lucas and remembering her many contributions to our city. During her lifetime, particularly during her many years as Executive Director of what was then the Downtown Lexington Corporation, Rose was no stranger to this Council Chamber. She was often here, right? Encouraging, pushing, prodding council to make improvements to our downtown. Today, throughout downtown, you can see evidence of Rose's work. She helped plant the seeds of downtown's revitalization. after I read after I present the proclamation I'd like to ask council member James Brown to make some remarks and you know this is council member Richard Maloney's family Rose was your aunt and so I do want to say to the Maloney Lucas family that we are so sorry for your loss it is also a loss to our community Thank you. Yes, now. And I'm not sure who's going to take this home, but you all can decide. Rose Marie Maloney Lucas. Whereas Rose Marie Maloney Lucas, 79, died March 28, 2019, and whereas Mrs. Lucas was the former longtime executive director of the downtown Lexington Corporation, where she helped spark the revitalization of downtown, and whereas she served as president and executive director of the Northside Neighborhood Association, a neighborhood that includes her cherished family home on Ellesmere Park and the Maloney and Lucas family home since 1938, and whereas Mrs. Lucas also served as a valued member of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Planning Commission and as the mayor of Oxford, Ohio, and whereas as the owner of college and school planning services, Mrs. Lucas helped more than 2,500 students make a successful transition from high school to college. And whereas Mrs. Lucas was an active member of the Newman Center, where she had headed the Liturgy Committee and served as president of the Newman Foundation, and whereas she was a graduate of Lexington Catholic and Transylvania University, where she met her late husband of 52 years, Jack Griffith Lucas, and whereas she is survived by her five beloved children, Jack G. Lucas Jr., Elizabeth Lucas, Patrick Lee Lucas, Michael Lucas, and Roseanne Lucas Downs, and nine grandchildren. Now, therefore, I, Linda Gorton, Mayor of Lexington, commemorate the many accomplishments, civic impact, and commitment to a lifetime of public service of Rose Marie Maloney Lucas. Thank you for being here. Thank you, Mayor. I think this recognition of Ms. Lucas is more than appropriate. Ms. Lucas was a very accomplished woman. She was a very engaged constituent. I often got phone calls from Mama Rose, and she would call me. She wouldn't just call with an issue, but she would call with the possible solution to the issue. And a lot of times she would tell me who I should call to help address the issue. So as a young council member, I appreciated that because, you know, a lot of times, you know, people come to you with issues, with problems, but she actually came with the problem in a way to try to help me address it. And I thought that was very helpful and was always looking forward to her phone call, her advice, her mentorship, and her leadership. up. Our city is better for having Sister Rose as a resident. Ellesmere Park is better for having the Lucas and the Maloney family as long-time residents. And I think our whole city could be better if everyone had the same heart and compassion and the will to serve that Rose Lucas did so thank y'all for being here today and and and we're gonna miss us the rose thank you thank you councilmember Brown and Mayor Gordon and the council for this wonderful recognition for my mom she truly did love this city to answer your question it's going to her house All right. Two things. We're going to have a photo with the council and the commemoration. And I just wanted to recognize Penny Ebel is in the audience. And Penny worked with Rose for how many years? Ten years at the downtown Lexington. Yes, downtown Lexington. So thank you for being here. So we'll all go right up there. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Thank you. Would Councilmember Gibbs please join me at the podium? We are so pleased tonight to welcome members of the University of Kentucky debate team to our council chamber. Can you please come join us at the podium? Hi. Here's the coach. Congratulations. Welcome. Don't be shy. Don't be shy. All right. So tonight we have some real superstars with us. Members of the University of Kentucky debate team and their coach, David Arnett. The UK debate team is the best debate team in the nation. Yay is right. We may put them up on the horseshoe and test them out, right, and debating. Partners, Dan Bannister, and Anthony Trufanoff recently won the national debate tournament. I want to congratulate you and tell you what an honor it is to be able to present you this proclamation. Whereas the University of Kentucky debate team is ranked top in the nation, And whereas this is Kentucky's second national championship, the first coming in 1986. And whereas the debate team is led by one of the best partnerships in the country, Dan Bannister and Anthony Trufanoff, both juniors. So you'll be back, right? And whereas Bannister and Trufanoff recently won the 73rd annual National Debate Tournament, a competition featuring the top 78 debate teams in the nation. And whereas David Arnett has been directing the U.K. debate team for nine years, Now, therefore, I, Linda Gorton, Mayor of Lexington, do hereby declare April 25, 2019, UK Debate Team Day in Lexington in celebration of the team's top national ranking. Congratulations. Thank you. And, Jake, do you want to say a few words? And then do you all want to say a few words? I'm going to say a few words. You're okay? All right. I just want to say thank you to these guys it's such an honor and I spent most my professional life as an academic and so an academic victory like this brings me such joy and they brought honor to the to the city and to the third district in particular and I just thank him very much and I admire him tremendously None of them want to talk. Imagine that. Would you be in a picture? Okay, let's go have a photo with the council. Their topic was executive authority Thank you. Thank you all very much. And we learned at the end that UK debate team was number one and Harvard was number two. So, I'd like to ask the clerk to go ahead and give second reading to ordinances. Number one, an ordinance changing the zone from an agricultural AU zone to a single family residential R1A zone for 1.135 net, 1.246 gross acres for property located at 2200 Old Higmewell road a portion of Raymond Allen Waits council district number 10. Number two an ordinance amending certain of the budgets the Lake City Fair Urban County government to reflect current requirements from municipal expenditures and appropriating re-approping funds schedule number 23. And item 3 an ordinance amending section 529 3A of the code of ordinances related to additional fees to delete the $500 minimum deleting section 529 3B of the code of ordinances related to additional fees. Thank you. Thank you. Do I hear a motion and a second. Move to approve. Second. Council Member Ellinger moved to approve and Council Member Plowman seconded. Will you please call the roll? Pardon me, sorry. Sorry. Sorry, we're having technical difficulties. Hold on. Okay, it disappeared. Ms. Bledsoe? Yes, ma'am. Mr. Fred Brown? Yes. Mr. James Brown? Yes. Mr. Ellinger? Yes, ma'am. Ms. Evans? Mr. Gibbs? Vice Markay? Ms. Lamb? Mr. McCurran? Yes, ma'am. Mr. Maloney? Ms. Massadi? Ms. Plowman? Yes. Ms. Reynolds? Yes. Mr. Worley? Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Thank you. Let's go back up and if I could have a motion to approve the minutes of April 11th. Councilmember Plowman moved and Councilmember Bledsoe seconded. Are there any questions? All right. All those in favor, please say aye. Is anyone opposed? That motion passes. Now, thank you. If I could have the clerk please give first reading of ordinances. Item four, an ordinance meeting certain of the budgets of the license fair urban county government to reflect current requirements for funds in the amount of $1,250 for the Division of Aging and Disability Services for the Neighborhood Development Funds for Senior Intern Program, Schedule No. 25. And item No. 5, an ordinance admitting certain of the budget to the Lexington Fair Urban County Government to reflect current requirements for municipal expenditures and appropriating reappropriating funds, Schedule No. 24. Thank you. Thank you. Are there any motions for walk-ons? I see none. Are there any motions for suspensions of the rules to give second reading? No? All right. Let's move on then to second reading of resolutions. Item number one, a resolution accepting the bid of Meadowbrook Concrete LLC in the amount of $496,750 for Old Frankfurt Pite Scenic Viewing Area for the Division of Grants and Special Programments and authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute an agreement with meadowbrook concrete llc related to the bid item two a resolution accepting the bid of robert heavy duty towing incorporated establishing price contract for towing services for the division of police and division of code enforcement in the lexington and fayette county parking authority item number three a resolution authorizing the bid of cleary construction incorporated in the amount of three million nine hundred ninety four thousand seven hundred fifty four dollars for the land sound south trunk sewer replacement for the division of water quality and authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute an agreement with cleary construction Incorporated related to the bid. Item number four, resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute an agreement awarding a class B education incentive grant to the University of Kentucky Research Foundation for stormwater quality projects at a cost to exceed $35,000. Item five, a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute a clinical education agreement with the University of Kentucky for the participation of students in the healthcare related studies at the Lexington Senior Center at no cost to the urban county government. Item number six, a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute contract modification number two to the engineering service agreement with Strain Associates Incorporated for the Legacy Trail Phase 3 project, increasing the cost of the contract price by the sum of $5,800 from $364,315 to $370,150. Item number seven, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute change order number one to the contract with simplex criminal LP for the for the mounted police barn sprinkler installation project increasing the contract price by the sum of $4,100 from $48,500 to $52,600. Item number eight. A resolution authorized the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute a multi-year professional services agreement effective April 1, 2019 with a law firm of Frost Brown Todd LLC acting by and through W. Joseph Scholar for the collective bargaining negotiations with the division of corrections, fire, and emergency services and police for FY 2019 at a cost not to atage $40,500 plus expenses. Item number six, or sorry, number nine, a resolution authorizing and directing mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute revised professional services agreement with Kristen Beers, Sarah Charles, and Tracy Haynes as sexual assault nurse examiners to provide on-call forensic examinations and services under sexual assault nurse examiner program. At a cost not to exceed $56 for each scheduled on-call period, $230 for each completed forensic examination, $50 per case for professional testimony in court, and the reasonable cost of medical liability insurance. item number two a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute an agreement awarding a class B infrastructure incentive grant to North Lexington holding to LLC for stormwater quarterly quality project at a cost not to exceed twenty two thousand four hundred fifty dollars and seven cents item 11 a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute a memorandum of agreement with Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for turf mowing and vegetation management services by the Division of Emergency or Environmental services on state owned right of way for which the urban county government shall be compensated at a rate of $35 per acre for areas along Citation Boulevard and $58 per acre for all other areas. Item 12 resolution authorizing direct to mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute agreements with State Bridge Suites Lexington for hosting explosive ordinance training at a cost not to exceed $9,540.08. Item 13 a resolution accepting the bid of S&S truck tire accept center establishing a price contract for Michelin tires for the Division of Facilities and Fleet Management. Item 14, a resolution accepting the bid of Blown Mechanical Incorporated in the amount of $172,000 for domestic hot water main replacement with the Division of Community Corrections and authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the American government to execute any necessary agreement with Blown Mechanical Incorporated related to the bid. Item 15, a resolution ratifying the probationary classified civil service appointments of John Angel, resource recovery operator, grade 13 and 17.913 hourly in division waste management, effective April 29, 2019. Rebecca Carpenter, paralegal, grade 517 and 21.506 hourly in division in the Department of Law, effective April 29, 2019, and Jill Ballard, early childcare teacher, grade 512E, 1342.32 biweekly in the division of family services, effective April 29, 2019, ratifying the permanent classified civil service appointments of chancellard, Public Service Worker Senior, Grade 509N, 14.495 Hourly, Division of Streets and Roads, effective March 17, 2019. Donna Jones, Public Service Worker Senior, Grade 509N, 14.845 Hourly, Division of Streets and Roads, effective March 17, 2019. Joseph Smith, Public Service Worker Senior, Grade 509N, 14.214 Hourly, Division of Streets and Roads, effective March 17, 2019. Joseph Markey, Electronic Supervisor, Grade 519E, 2703.20, biweekly in the Division of Traffic Engineering, effective March 17, 2019. Thelma Hargis, telecommunicator grade 514N, 19.394 hourly in the Division of Emergency Management, 9-1-1, effective April 1, 2019. Antron Mazden, telecommunicator senior grade 517N, 21.069 hourly in the Division of Emergency Management, 9-1-1, effective April 1, 2019. And Paul Overby, telecommunicator senior grade 517N, 21.933 hourly in the Division of Emergency Management, 9-1-1, effective April 1, 2019. and ratifying the unclassified civil service pay increase to the office of the urban county council eve wallingford aid to council agree 518e from 1950 bi-weekly to 2106 bi-weekly effective march 11 2019 okay item 16 a resolution authorizing directly on behalf of the urban county government to execute an agreement with the university of kentucky research foundation for the provision of evaluation services for the first responders communication partners overdose prevention project at a cost not exceed $198,000 $198,638 item 17 a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the government to execute a consultant services agreement with no be incorporated for architectural engineering services for the design of renovation to Dunbar community center at a cost not just what $16,800 and item 18 a resolution authorizing the mayor on authorizing direct the mayor on behalf of urban kind of government to execute and submit a grant application as a collaborative applicant and on behalf of the Lexington Fayette County Continuum of Care to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and to provide any additional information requested in connection with this grant application, which grant funds are in the amount of 15 million federal funds and are for the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project. Thank you. Thank you. Council Member James Brown. Thank you, Mayor. I'd like to make a motion to allow public comment on items before we vote on them. So moved. On items? Yeah, on the items that was just read for second reading. On all of them? I think there's folks here that want to speak on item 8. Okay. So moved. And Council Member Ellinger seconded that motion. Is there any discussion? All right. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? That motion passes. Is there anyone who wishes to speak on item 8? If you wish to speak on item 8, just please come to the podium and state your name and address for the record, and you'll have three minutes. I'm sorry, pardon me? So we have other people here willing to donate their time. Is that allowed or is it not? Do we only have three minutes or are we allowed to have more if other people are present willing to donate? I guess we can do that like you do. The council does on everything. If you have two other people who want to donate their time to you, could you please tell me your name? My name is Tiffany Duncan and I donate my time to Sarah Williams. Okay. And who is the other person? My name is Gail Kohler and I'm donating my time to Sarah Williams. Gail Kohler? Yes. Okay, thank you very much. All right. My name is Faith Evans and I donate my time to Sarah Williams. or whoever wants to speak on this topic. Thank you. Okay. So, Council, is your rule nine minutes, or is your rule 12 minutes, or is your rule 15 minutes? We have 12 minutes signed up for right now. I think everyone's looking to the Parliamentarian. Sorry. Sorry, Mayor. I think we've always said you could go have four people donate their time to you to go up to a total of 15, I believe, is how we've always been before. before and and i guess i guess i would entertain since this is kind of you know unusual uh and i guess i feel like we're making an exception to do it now uh and not to limit anybody's comments do you think you need 15 minutes or nine minutes more like 12 and i might not even go that long i mean there's a lot of communication that has occurred before now right okay yeah i think 12 minutes be sufficient. Council, it's your say. Is that good for everyone? Fine with me. If the public comment says it's all she needs, I think she's got up to the time, but if that's all she needs, we think that's appropriate. Very good. You have 12 minutes. Okay. Thank you. I'm the infamous Sarah Williams. I apologize for breaking rules I wasn't aware of. I'll try not to do that again. Thank you, James Brown, for allowing us to speak. Before you all vote on agenda number eight. There's been several communications sent to you all regarding this collective bargaining agreement. I have previously quoted Cornel West when he said that justice is what love looks like in public and deep democracy is justice in action. And currently the way we're going, we do not have deep democracy in action, nor do we have justice going on at the current moment. Considering that use of force incidents are up drastically by the Lexington Police Department, last year for the entire year they had 11 use of force incidents. Just for this year, for January alone, they've had 11. And that doesn't include Chaplain Donovan Stewart mercilessly assaulting and beating an autistic teenager. I tagged you all in video clips that show that this man closed fist punched this child after he was already restrained on the ground. That a bystander not only attempted to remove his hands once but twice during that incident because they were so disturbed by what they saw. And over two months after this incident occurring because LPD disciplinary policy is currently set up the way that it is, which is determined by the collective bargaining agreement, Chaplain Donovan Stewart has faced no consequences whatsoever, is still working for LPD as their spiritual leader. And somebody who's a spiritual leader, whether you're Christian or identify as something else, the major tenant of any major religion is love. That was not love. That was hate. That was rage. That was anger. And now we sit at a point where we have the opportunity to shift and to change police disciplinary action when it comes to the collective bargaining agreement. Previously, it's been stated that there needed to be a change made in Kentucky state law. Well, when me and another investigative reporter got together and started looking at documents that were sent from LRC regarding KRS laws and this supposed law that's out there that exists that says only the mayor or somebody she appoints, he or she appoints, can sit in on collective bargaining agreement negotiations, we're not finding that. The only place that we're finding it written that it's either the mayor or somebody the mayor appoints is in the collective bargaining agreement and LPD policy. There's already been a precedent set where Mayor Gray issued an executive order to make changes to the collective bargaining agreement. So we have a precedent for that, Mayor Gordon, if that's what we need to do. But also, you all and Lexington Fayette, Urban County Government are given the power to promulgate, if I'm saying that right, the policy for LPD, right? So you also have an opportunity to change it there. I'm asking that you all give pause to going ahead and making this second vote to elect Frost, Brown, and Todd, and Joseph Shuler, I think that's his name, as the representative at the table, because we need some other people at the table, okay? There has been national research done on the fact that the largest way that police departments across the country escape accountability, which if you watch the news, you recognize that this is like a national continued problem. We don't have strange fruit hanging from trees. We have strange fruit laying in the street dead by police killings, extraditional killings, right, and not even guilty of a crime. Like you can be in the backyard talking on your cell phone, walking down the street with a hoodie with a bag of Skittles, you know? So we really, and we had a Mike Brown, we had Tony Sullivan who was killed a little over 20 years ago here with his hands up by an officer that did not receive any disciplinary action and was allowed to resign and go work at another police department in Florida. Okay, so we also have a history of LPD acting in ways that somebody needs to have a say in it. You all, the community, they are paid from the tax base. We should have a say in that. The Lexington Police Department has completed East End raids where elderly have had military style weapons pulled on them for no good reason. That would have been Chief Bastian who was running against you, Mayor Gordon. That is why you got my vote and the former police chief did not. That's why a lot of black people in this community voted for you because we didn't want the former police chief who completed the East End raids to be sitting in your position right now. Right? Because right now the only checks and balances that we do have for police disciplinary action, the way this collective bargaining agreement is written is that the chief gets to make all the calls, the chief of police pretty much, and then if it happens to make it to you all, it's read to you all with minimal details as to whether or not you accept that disciplinary action. We can change that. There's a national database that has been made of collective bargaining agreements. Lexington, Kentucky is included in that. DeRay McKesson is at the top of that. We have contact with him. He is willing to come here and do some teaching. If you all don't understand what needs to change, he's willing to come help you understand that. The documents that I provided you all have a website on there that give ten examples of, and this was previously when I came on Tuesday with another community member that we passed this out to you all. So I don't think, Susan Lamb, I don't think we got you because you look like maybe you didn't get one. I can get that to you, right? There's a website that exists that has, and Mayor Gordon, I didn't get to speak to you for the community meeting that I came to for the Meadowthorpe Neighborhood Association, but that was why I was there, right? So I can follow up for those of you who didn't receive it, but on this website are 10 examples of contracts that lead to greater police accountability, okay? So we have the opportunity to do something different here. Your first opportunity to listen to the constituents in the community who elected you is to not go ahead and go through and vote this same law firm that Jim Gray used that I'm sure is gonna go right along with what's already there, right? Collective bargaining agreements have previously been delayed up to a year. So you all delaying this process, even just a couple of weeks to educate yourself further about what the options are and how you can go about doing this differently, there's been precedent set. In two weeks is nothing when it comes to like literally our lives, right? Our livelihoods, our humanity, not experiencing trauma that affects us for the rest of our lives. As I've mentioned before when I've been here, I guarantee you this teenager that Donovan Stewart mercilessly beat, not only is he dealing with the fact that somebody did this to him, he's having to deal with the fact that nothing's been done about it. And unless you have a black child that has encountered that, I don't know that any of you all can understand how that feels. If you have children, put yourselves in that mother's shoes of an autistic child who everybody's getting out the car and he's so traumatized by what has happened. He's just sitting there with a blank stare. and doesn't even like get out the car because he's so lost in his thoughts. I'm going to cry about that. I'm begging you to please, for the sake of a black woman who has six children in this city, to do something different. Mayor Gordon, I don't know if you remember April and I. You were a band mom, Lafayette Band, Prada of Bluegrass. You fit me for one of my first band uniforms. You also worked as an RN. I spent six years working as an RN. Part of that at Big UK, part of that at Good Sam. If you're aware of the type of patient population that comes into Good Sam, it's what's considered the disposable population of Lexington. For all of the patients that I have encountered that might be detoxing from a substance or be in some state of psychosis that might be violent with me. While I was pregnant, at no point could I have ever responded in the way that Donovan Stewart did to this child. And we need something in place where we can hold this man accountable. So I'm asking you all as elected officials to please do something different at this point. Yes, you do have future points of intervention. Once the collective bargaining agreement is done, you all will vote on it as to whether or not you approve it. But these collective bargaining agreement negotiations are closed to the public. Once you elect this man to sit at this table, you all are not going to know anything else until the collective bargaining agreement is finished. The chief of police, Chief Weathers let it out the bag. let's see, Monday at the NAACP meeting that they had at the library, that there are in fact other people at the table. That there are budget people from the mayor's office because it might affect them. Other management level people in the police department. So this rule that supposedly exists that I and other people have not been able to find at the Kentucky state level that says only the mayor and a representative, it's arbitrary. The police chief is going to sit there and say to me in Monday's meeting that somehow policy and procedure is subjective, I'm sorry, in six years in working as a nurse, either you did something or you didn't do it, and there are consequences for what you did not do appropriately according to that. And so for the chief of police who is in charge of, he pretty much has the ultimate control of police disciplinary action at the moment to think that what policies are in place are somehow subjective, I mean, I think you all understand that that's a problem, right? So I would ask that on agenda item number eight, you all delay that. I'm like begging you. I don't know what else to do. We have offered you all lots of documentation. There are other things that you all can do to educate yourselves about what the options are. But I do not feel that somebody with the law department of Frost, Brown, and Todd, who was there for the previous negotiations four years ago, be the same man to complete these negotiations when it dictates police disciplinary policy. And I think that wraps it up now that I've had my emotional breakdown. Thank you all. Please give that consideration. Thank you very much. Councilmember, I apologize. Please state your name and address, and you'll have three minutes. April Taylor, 709 Bel Air Avenue. And there are more than 200 people that have been killed just this year alone by police. So for three minutes, I'm just going to honor those people and read their names out loud. David Flores Ramos, Michael St. Clair, Anthony Jose Vega Cruz, Carlton Steve Brooks, Antonio Majarad, Luis Lazado, Michael Allen Felch. Ma'am, I am sorry to interrupt you. Did you want to speak to number eight? I'm reading these names out loud because you all need to have a way to hold officers responsible for what they do. During the same meeting that she just referenced that I attended with the chief, where one of the people who's here tonight asked him questions about why we are not given statistics that show racial breakdowns of stops made in Lexington, I advised the citizen that asked the question that even if those statistics were made available, that our race is a subjective thing left up to the officer to determine. And then I spoke to my personal experience with being threatened by the director of criminal prosecution over at the Fayette County Courthouse to have my seatbelt ticket put in front of Judge Thornton, Judge Megan Lake Thornton, somebody who is so crooked in the way that she deals with people and violates their rights that she's had a fellow judge hold her in contempt of court for how she's acted towards somebody. Just trying to get my race corrected on that ticket. I got threatened with having my ticket put in front of her, a seatbelt ticket that's not even a felony. So I wanted the citizen to understand that even when we try to get those statistics to accurately reflect our race, we get treated like that. And the chief of police's response to me telling her that was to completely discount that experience. A police chief who repeatedly in public conversations discounts the experiences that we have, that we tell him, that we go through, does not need to be the sole person in charge of hearing these complaints. Number eight is about collective bargaining. It is about collective bargaining. And right now the way the collective bargaining agreement is set up does not allow for public input. And it's not okay to just continue to go on as business as usual because as we can see, going on with business as usual has only caused the use of force complaints against officers to increase, and that's a problem. I mean, I don't really appreciate the fact that you discount these people's lives so much that you interrupt me like the number of people who experience violence from the police is irrelevant to the collective bargaining agreement. If police don't feel like they're going to be held accountable, then they're going to do a lot of things, including intimidating us and harassing us because they know that when we make complaints, it's their chief who says that it is his responsibility to protect and serve his officers before the public. He stated that in a public hearing. I cannot believe you interrupted me. Thank you for your comments. Is there anyone else? I know. Yeah. If I might add for everyone in the chamber, at the end of our meeting, we have a place for people to speak to any issue, public comment. And so just to remind folks, is there anyone else who wishes to speak to number eight? All right. Do we have a motion already? Could I have a motion? Okay, just to remind everybody where we are, second reading of resolutions. I need a motion and a second to approve. Motion to approve. Second. All right. Council Member Ellinger moved and Council Member Masati seconded. And I'd like to ask the clerk to call the roll, please. Miss Bledsoe? Yes, ma'am. Mr. Fred Brown? Yes. Mr. James Brown? Yes. Mr. Ellinger? Yes, ma'am. Ms. Evans? Yes. Mr. Gibbs? Ms. Lamb? Yes. Mr. McCurrent? Yes, ma'am. Mr. Maloney? Yes. Ms. Massadi? Yes. Ms. Plowman? Yes. Ms. Reynolds? Yes. And Mr. Worley? Yes, ma'am. Thank you very much. Those pass unanimously. If you will go ahead, please, and have first reading of resolutions. Item 19, a resolution on authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute an agreement with International Public Safety Data Institute for data analytical software and services at no cost for FY19. Item 20, a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to accept additional federal funds in the amount of $14,500 from the Kentucky Department of Military Affairs Division of Emergency Management under FY2018 Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program for the purchase of supplies for the support of continued emergency preparedness activities in Fayette County, the acceptance of which does not obligate the urban county government for the expenditure of funds. Item 21, a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute an agreement with TALX, Corporation Equifax Verification Services, to provide pre-employment verification information for potential employees of LFUCGA to cost not to exceed $9,100. Item 22, resolution authorizing directly to the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute a resolution for the adoption of the Alexa and Fayette urban county chemical stockpile emergency preparedness program incident specific plan for compliance with the requirements of KRS 39B.030 and title six of the civil rights act of 1964. Item 23, resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute an agreement awarding a class b infrastructure incentive grant to ashwood townhouses of the radio association incorporated for stormwater quality projects at a cost not to exceed 22 458 dollars and six cents item 24 a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute an amended summary plan description with charge snyder and associates incorporated for the lfucg flexible spending benefits plan for the purpose of allowing lfucg employees to elect various benefits options on a pre-tax basis pursuant to section 125 of the internal revenue code effective upon passage of council item 25 a resolution author is in the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute an extension agreement with employment solution to corporate extending the lease for the police east sector roll call at 1165 center parkway through the period through the period ending uh june 30th 2019 item 26 resolution authors in the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute an extension agreement with lex arts incorporated extending the lease for 161 north Mill Street on a month-to-month basis for an additional three months beginning March 16, 2019 and ending June 30, 2019. Item 27, a resolution authorized on the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute change order number four to the agreement with Banks Engineering Incorporated for the Southlands Area Stormwater Improvement Project increasing the contract price by the sum of $154,000 from $488,415 to $642,415. Item 28, a resolution authorized on the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute a partial release of easements, released in portions of utility and stormwater sewer Sewer easements on the property located at 156 Venture Court. Item 29, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute a partial release of easements, releasing portions of utility and storm sewer easements on the property located at 140 Venture Court. Item 30, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute an agreement with the Madison County Emergency Medical Service, granting access and use to the 800 megahertz public safety radio communication system at no cost to the Urban County Government. Item 31, a resolution changing the property addresses of 666 Elm Tree Lane to 670 Elm Tree Lane, 1218 Embry Avenue to 1214 Embry Avenue, 163 to 167 North Limestone to 163 North Limestone, 169 to 171 North Limestone to 169 North Limestone, 177 to 177.5 North Limestone to 177 North Limestone, 367 to 369 East Main Street to 369 East Main Street, 412 Severn Way to 413 Severn Way, 2250 Spur Road to 2208 Spur Road to changing the street names and property addresses dress numbers of 532 sun drop path to 3824 horse mint trail all effective 30 days from passage item 32 resolution authorize in the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute agreements with Lex art $1200 Highland neighborhood association incorporated $500 Northern Cal Ripken and incorporated $200 through in Wall equestrian estates association incorporated $500 Windham Meadow HOA $500 and Wellington PTA $500 for the office of the urban county council at a cost not just seen the sum stated item 33 a resolution accepting the bids of charm techs incorporated victory supply incorporated in ICS jail supplies incorporated establishing price contracts for mattresses for the division of community corrections item 34 resolution accepting the bids of bluegrass recreational sales and installation LLC county line companies DBA play pros play and park structures and David Williams and associates incorporated establishing price contracts for outdoor playground equipment for the division of parks and recreation item 35 a resolution accepting the bid of L&W Emergency Equipment establishing a price contract for mobile docking stations for the Division of Police. Item 36, a resolution accepting the bid of Central Equipment Company, Century Equipment Incorporated, and Diesel Power Systems Incorporated for the tractor and mower parts for the Division of Facilities and Fleet Management. Item 37, a resolution accepting the bid of Innovative Demolition Service, LLC, in the amount of $23,475 for demolition of the existing lime silo at the Town Branch Waste Water Treatment Plant for the Division of Water Quality and authorizing the mayor on behalf of the American Government to execute an agreement with Innovative Demolition Services, LLC, related to the bid. Item 38, a resolution accepting the bids of asset lighting and electric services and public safety store, LLC, establishing a price contract for smoke alarms for the Division of Fire and Emergency Services. Yes. Council Member James Brown, did you have an amendment for number 39? Yes, Mayor. I move to amend number 39 on the docket under first reading in resolution change in Robert Peterson Construction Manager grade 531E, $4,084.56 biweekly in the Division of Water Quality, effective April 29, 2019, from a probationary classified civil service appointment to unclassified civil service appointment. So moved. Second. I have a motion by Council Member James Brown, second by Council Member Plowman, to amend number 39 as stated. Is there any discussion? All those in favor, please say aye. Anyone opposed? Thank you very much. Item 39 as amended, a resolution ratifying the probationary classified civil service appointments of Kelly Brewer, Staff Assistant Cedar, Grade 510N, 13.317 hourly in the Division of Police, effective April 29, 2019, and Michelle Diaz, Staff Assistant Senior, Grade 510N, 16.410 Hourly in the Division of Police, effective April 29, 2019. Ratifying the permanent civil service appointments of Fay Clark, Accountant Senior, Grade 520E, 2083.52 Biweekly in the Division of Accounting, effective April 15, 2019. Larry Grubbs, Equipment Operator Senior, Grade 512N, 17.387 Hourly in the Division of Streets and Roads, effective April 1, 2019. Joshua Ives, Administrative Officer Senior, Grade 526E, 2961.54, hourly and biweekly in the Department of General Services, effective April 15, 2019. William Burgess, Mailroom Clerk, Grade 508N, $14 hourly in the Department of General Services, effective April 15, 2019. Lisa Grober, Administrative Officer, Grade 523E, 2469.24, biweekly in the Department of General Services, effective April 15, 2019. and Christopher Tuton, Public Service Manager, grade 521E, $2,500 biweekly in the Division of Parks and Recreation, effective April 1st, 2019, and ratifying the unclassified civil service appointment of Robert Peterson, Construction Manager, grade 531E, 4084.56 biweekly in the Division of Water Quality, effective April 29th, 2019. Item 40, a resolution authorizing the Division of Human Resources to make a conditional offer to the following probationary classified civil service appointments. Rommel Earl, Maintenance Mechanic, Grade 5, 15N, 19.408, hourly in the Division of Water Quality, effective May 20, 2019, and Charles Washington, Resource Recovery Operator, 513N, 17.603, hourly in the Division of Waste Management, effective upon passage of council and authorizing the Division of Human Resources to make a conditional offer to the following unclassified civil service appointments. Hunter Pace, Environmental Inspector, Grade 5, 16N, 19.951, hourly in the Division of Water Quality, effective May 13, 2019. Item 41, a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute a memorandum of agreement with Kentucky Sheep and Wool Producer Association regarding their coordination and production of the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival at no cost to the government. 42, an item of resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government pursuant to the jobs fund program to execute an incentive grant and related documents with Space Tango Incorporated in an amount not to exceed $100,000 for the creation and retention of at least seven new jobs with an average hourly wage of at least $34.07 exclusive of benefits. Item 43, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute an agreement with Windstream Communications, designated Windstream Communications as a sole source vendor for existing fiber connectivity, and establishing one new fiber connection between 911 Dispatch Center and the 800 MHz radio system tower site at a cost mark to exceed $168,000. Item 44, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute a right-of-way agreement with the Columbia Gas of Kentucky, incorporated to permit a permanent easement for the relocation of natural gas regulation equipment for the property located in Woodland Park. Item 45, a resolution authorizing the Division of Fire and Emergency Services on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute an agreement to purchase an AeroFlex radio test set from Test Force, a sole source provider. It costs not to exceed $27,087.25. sense. 46, a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute an expansion area development extraction agreement with north 40 properties LLC pursuant to article 23 of the zoning ordinance and providing a payment for payment for non-sewer exaction credits for the construction of a storm water facility system improvement and expansion area 2b. Item 47, a resolution accepting the collective bargaining agreement by and between the Lexington Fair urban county government and Lexington professional firefighters, IAFF Local 526 on behalf of the fire majors in the Division of Fire and Emergency Services. Item 48, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute an agreement awarding a Class A Neighborhood Incentive Grant to Opera House Square Townhouses Corporation for stormwater quality projects at a cost not to exceed $100,000. Item 49, a resolution authorizing the director of the mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to accept a quote with Axon Enterprise Incorporated for 10 new docking stations and Taser Assurance Plan at a cost not to exceed $16,630. item 50 a resolution authorizing directing mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute and submit a grant application to the kentucky division of waste management 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 four thousand dollars commonwealth of kentucky funds and are for the waste of tire disposal and recycling for fiscal year 2020 the acceptance of which does not obligate the urban county government for the expenditure funds and authorizing the mayor to transfer unencumbered funds within the grant budget item 51 a resolution authorizing directing mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute an agreement with the Georgetown-Scott County Emergency Medical Service granting access and use to the 800 megahertz public safety radio communication system at no cost to the urban county government. Item 52, a resolution authorizes the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute agreements with the Amateur Athletic Union Incorporated, $150, Cardinal Valley Neighborhood Association, $1,200, Nerd Squad, $950, Lexington Leadership Foundation Incorporated, $850, Child Care Development Center of the Bluegrass, $650, Lyric Theater and Cultural Arts Center $1,050 and Fayette County Neighborhood Council $1,250 for the office of the Urban County Council at a cost not to exceed the sum stated. And finally, 53, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute and submit one or more grant applications and to provide any additional information requested in connection with those grant applications for grant funds in the amount not to exceed $500,000 for the support of the Empower Lexington program. Thank you. Thank you. Are there any motions for walk-ons? Council Member Worley. It's not a walk-on, ma'am. Sorry, I've chimed in too soon. Okay. All right. Hold that thought. Council Member Fred Brown, do you have a walk-on? No. Council Member James Brown. Yes, ma'am. I do have a walk-on. All right. I moved a place on the docket under resolutions, first reading a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor to execute and submit a grant application to the William R. Keenan Jr. Charitable Trust and to provide an additional information requested in connection with this grant application, which grant funds are in the amount of $300,000 and are for the development and implementation of a substance use disorder prevention and education smartphone app targeting youth. So move. Do I? Okay. Council Member Bledsoe seconds. Is there any discussion? Seeing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. Are there any other walk-on motions? Okay. Will you please give that first reading? Item 54, a resolution authorizing directing the mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute and submit a grant application to the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust and to provide any additional information requested in connection with its grant application with Grinch Funds are in the amount of $300,000. and offer the development and implementation of substance use disorder prevention and education smartphone app targeting youth. Thank you very much. Now, are there motions to suspend the rules and give second reading? Council Member Worley. Thank you, Mayor. I move to suspend the rules and give second reading to items number 32 and 52. These are neighborhood development funds, so moved. Second. All right. Council Member Worley moved and Council Member Massadi seconded. number 32 and number 52. Is there any discussion? All those in favor, please say aye. Any opposed? All right, that motion passes. Are there any others? Council Member Fred Brown. Thank you, Mayor. Yes, I move to suspend the rules for item 25 to give it a second reading. So moved. Is there a second? Council Member Plowman seconded is there any discussion all those in favor say aye anyone opposed all right that motion passes council member James Brown thank you mayor I make a motion to spin the rules and give second reading to number 40 those those are conditional offers so move do I hear a second council member Bledsoe seconded. All right, is there any discussion? All those in favor, please say aye. Is anyone opposed? That motion passed. Councilmember Plowman. I move to suspend the rules and ask for a second reading of item number 46-0423-19 that has to do with expediting the construction of a stormwater facility system improvement. So moved. Do I hear a second? Council Member Massadi seconded. Number 46, is there any discussion? All those in favor please say aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, we have are there any other motions to suspend the rules? We We have number 25, number 32, number 40, number 46, and number 52. Alright. Item 25, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute an extension agreement with Employment Solutions Incorporated extending the lease for the Police East Sector Roll Call at 1165 Center Parkway through the period ending June 30th, 2019. Item 32, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute agreements with LexArt $1,200, Highland Neighborhood Association Incorporated $500, Northern Cal Ripken Incorporated $200, Stonewall Equestrian Estates Association Incorporated $500, Wyndham Meadows HOA $500, and Wellington PTA $500 for the office of the urban county government at a cost not to exceed the sum stated. Item 40. 16 and 19.951 hourly in the division of water quality effective May 13th 2019 item 46 a resolution authorizing directing there on behalf of the urban county government to execute an expansion area development exaction agreement with north 40 property properties LLC pursuant to article 23 in of the zoning ordinance providing for payment of non sewer exaction credits for the construction of stormwater facility system improvement in the Expansion Area 2B. And item 52, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute agreements with amateur athletic union incorporated $150. Cardinal Valley Neighborhood Association $1200. Neared Squad $950. Lexington Leadership Foundation Incorporated $850. Child Care Development Center of the Bluegrass Center and $50. Lyric Theater and Cultural Arts Center $1,050. And Fayette County Neighborhood Council $1,250 for the office of the urban county council at a cost not to see this unstated. All right, thank you. Thank you very much. Do I hear a motion to approve? So moved. Do I hear a second? Second. All right, Council Member Fred Brown moved and Council Member Worley seconded. Will you please call the roll? Ms. Bledsoe? Yes, ma'am. Mr. Fred Brown? Yes. Mr. James Brown? Yes. Mr. Ellinger? Yes, ma'am. Ms. Evans? Yes. Yes. Mr. Gibbs? Yes. Ms. Lamb? Mr. McCurran? Yes, ma'am. Mr. Maloney? Yes. Ms. Massadi? Yes. Ms. Plowman? Yes. Ms. Reynolds? Yes. And Mr. Worley? Yes, ma'am. Thank you very much. Those pass unanimously. Council members, next is communications from the mayor. Could I have a motion, please? Motion approved. Second. Council Member Ellinger moved and Council Member Plumman seconded. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? That motion passes. You have communications from the mayor for your information only, and there's no police or fire discipline hearing or item. And so next up is announcements from council members. Will you log in, please, if you have an announcement? Council Member Reynolds. Thank you, Mayor. I just, first of all, wanted to say that I heard the comments that were made earlier and that I've had concerns as well. And so I would just like to ask some questions about the process and was wondering if someone could come up and talk about the investigation, the police investigation process, and if there's any comments to the current police investigation as well. Welcome. Yes, ma'am. Yes. Can you explain a little bit the process of a police investigation? Thank you. In regards to a complaint? In regards to a complaint and a formal complaint. Okay. So anytime anyone contacts our office to make a complaint or an allegation of misconduct or something of that nature, we take that complaint. We'll have a short conversation with the complainant to get the nature of the complaint. will ask them you know what they want done or how serious they think the complaint is do they want to talk to the officer supervisor if they say we'd like to talk to the supervisor and just let them know about it we refer that complaint to the officer supervisor and they make contact with the complainant that's commonly referred to as an informal complaint the complainant and the supervisor come to some sort of agreement based on what the allegation was or what they think is fair you know it can be we're going to talk to the officer we will ask the officer to do that whatever they're comfortable with and they're satisfied with that that's an informal complaint if they can't come to a resolution or they're not satisfied with the outcome of that informal investigation they then refer them back to the public integrity unit and then we speak to that person if we feel based on what they've told us and you know when looking at body or on camera or witness statements or whatever we can collect about the conduct that can turn into a formal complaint which is when the public integrity unit investigates that complaint it then becomes formal they don't have to do that at all if they want to come straight into our office and say we want to file the formal complaint it can start as a formal complaint based on what they tell us and we will conduct that investigation as well at any point in time does a council or a mayor have any say in that investigation no are we allowed to intervene at all no and the reason for that is because at the end of these investigations whatever the discipline is going to be and before anything's decided the chief of police can make a recommendation based on what he believes would be appropriate and he sits down with the officer and they have conversation about this is what you've been this is what you've done this is the behavior that isn't appropriate and here's what one recommendation is going to be if the officer and him agree to that they then will sign a letter of conformity and then it comes here to the council and read in front of you all with very little detail because if it doesn't if it's not agreed upon by the council then you'll have a hearing and you all are that body that hears the hearing so you can't be involved in that process early on because you're going to be the one to hear it in the end to make a decision based on that. Does that make sense? That makes a lot of sense. Thank you very much. No further comments. Thank you. Okay, thank you. Councilmember Plowman. Thank you, Mayor. I was just going to share that we started off the morning with what I thought was a very moving tribute to our veterans in that we are the first city in the state of Kentucky to effectively end veteran homelessness. And as the mayor said this morning, Fayette-Urban County has created a system and infrastructure to make veteran homelessness rare, brief, and non-reoccurring. And we had a speaker this morning that really touched my heart and this person was a veteran and had been homeless and he was talking about his recovery and what it felt like and and very grateful to everyone that had helped him along the way, and there he was today. And it was very, very moving. And LFUCG did not do it by ourselves. We had a lot of collaborative partners, but when it was all said and done, we have our homeless taken care of in terms of immediate housing, and that's a good thing to be able to boast about. Thank you, Mayor. You're welcome. Council Member Maloney. Thank you, Mayor. I wasn't here last Tuesday. I wanted to bring up something that's been brought to my attention is that a lot of these lawsuits, the opioid lawsuits are being settled and being winned. And I know four years ago, three years ago, this body, the council, had hired an outside law firm to come in to look at this to represent us. And I have not heard anything yet. If you can give us an update on this council, because, as you know, if you watch the news every night there's been a lot of settled and a lot of CEOs are getting in deep trouble so I'm got arrested and all that so I just hopefully we can see where we are on this because this has been a very big impact to this community and I think once we start going after the big folks and start hitting them hard and I'm hoping we do it pretty quick so if you can give us a follow-up and let the council know where we're on that I would appreciate it thank you okay I I think Commissioner Speckert will do that, give an update. Okay, thank you. Council Member James Brown. Thank you, Mayor. I'd like to take this opportunity to wish my son a happy 16th birthday today. I know y'all have probably seen my son Trey over the last couple years, and he went from here to here in like three months, and he has really matured as a young man, and so I just want to wish him a happy birthday. And then I'd also like to mention that last night in the Wimber neighborhood, One Lexington coordinated with other community partners and neighborhood folks, Wimber and Bash kind of leading into the weekend. They're having a cleanup day scheduled for Saturday at 9 o'clock. Laura Hatfield has really been doing a good job with mobilizing interested parties that are involved in working with the community, the neighbors, and the other organizations in that community to curb violent crime. So she's been doing a good job, and it was a great event with a great turnout last night. Also, there are so many events, and I hope some other council members may chime in and mention them this coming weekend, this Saturday. Just to name a few, the Northside Art Festival is taking place at Castlewood Park at 10 o'clock this Saturday. the Diverse City Festival. I know it's taking place downtown at the courthouse at 3 o'clock. And then also, I think Councilmember McCurn, are you going to mention something about it? I think he's got an update. And then let me also make mention of the comments that we heard tonight. And I appreciate the questions that were asked because I think what a lot of us take for granted is you know we get briefed and can always ask about the process when it comes to complaints and formal complaints and I think we are trusting of our police department to go through the process and do their investigation and we have been advised not to speak on it just to keep our integrity to the process as it unfolds but I think from the comments that have been shared over the last few weeks, I think we have all been made aware of there are certain entry points that we can enter the process with collective bargaining, with getting updates and getting more information, and making sure that we're educated as council members about what our role and responsibilities are as representatives for the community. So I appreciate the clarification to the public as to what we can and cannot do. in the timeline as it persists with the current investigation of the incident that gets referenced. Thank you, Mayor. That's all I have. You're welcome. Council Member Lamb. Thank you, Mayor. I wanted to officially announce, and those of you that have followed this, Wilson-Downing Bridge near Tates Creek Center is finally open again. Yay! And I want to give a shout-out to Darren Wallingford, who's the Project Manager in Engineering and Director Burton of Division of Engineering, for their continued diligence to finalize this project. About three years ago, the bridge was deemed to be shut down within a very short period of time on one side of it. So my constituents and everybody in Lexington that drives in that area has been very patient, and I am just thrilled. And once you drive over it, it looks nice. We're going to be adding more sidewalks on Wilson Downing to make it more safe for pedestrian traffic. And we'll be able to put back the Lex Tran bus stop where it was, and we're actually going to add a book bench to that bus stop. So I'm just really thrilled that we finally get to move forward with this, and you can actually travel from one side of Tate's Creek on Wilson Downing to Nicholasville Road. And it's a small thing, but it's meant a lot. So thank you very much, Mayor. Thank you. Council Member Evans. Thank you, Mayor. Oh, that's loud tonight. Well, I came fully prepared to talk about one thing tonight, but I'm going to talk about something else. For those of you that have been serving with me the whole time on council, I think you all know that rules and regulations have been something that are very important to me. And I saw a couple of things tonight that I guess reiterated and were perfect examples of why we need to have our rules clearly stated to the public and why we need to be so transparent. We had two incidences that had we provided clear rules of our rules to the public, which I think we previously done, someone wouldn't have felt like they were disrespected because they would have known that that wasn't proper decorum. Someone wouldn't have been stopped by trying to approach counsel. council member or council staff so again we it's our duty it's our role to share what our rules are we expect the public to abide by them so once again I know there has been a previous request I don't know if I made it I don't know if another council member made it but again we need to provide those rules back at that table at the sign-in table we need to put it on our website to let people know in layman's terms I know they are in our ordinances but and we we made them then mints and you know we can read them but we need to have it in plain language for anyone that comes through those doors so that they know because when they come through those doors they are ready to speak on whatever topic they want to speak on that they're not they're not ready to think about rules That's not what they're here for. So it is incumbent upon us to share what those rules are. So, again, I know our council administrator isn't here tonight and our vice mayor isn't here tonight, so I would enlist the help of our at-large council members to help me make sure that that happens. It is something that needs to be happening every meeting that we are here because those are rules that we request the public to buy by every time they walk through those doors. So it's going to be a paper cost. That's fine. I will get recycled paper. Paper is apparently not something, you know, it's very valuable. We can reuse paper. But, again, we can avoid people feeling like they've been disrespected, and it is so easy to do. It's an easy fix. So once again, I apologize for those that felt that that was a disrespect for them. It wasn't, but it is a rule. And Mayor, you were just divided by the rules, so it's no slight on you. There's something else that I've seen tonight that I don't always see. We need to be consistent when we talk about security. because, again, it's something else that happened. I don't know if we have this rope all the time, but that rope, if we're going to have it, we need to have it all the time. And it doesn't need to come out on special occasions. We have discussions about security all the time, and it always comes down to it needs to be consistent, whatever it is. we cannot again treat people differently so whatever we're going to do it needs to be done consistently we've had people on different days and i'm just going to say it of different colors stand right there and talk to people so we need to finally decide are we going to keep that or we not. I don't know if you want to have that conversation right now. I'm happy to say we can keep it. We can leave it. You all know my position. Either way, it has not been an issue for me. I go through a courtroom, not every day, but either way, I'm fine if we have it. We have it. We need to have it every day. If we don't have it, then we don't have it. But to put it up on certain days with certain people is not right, and we finally need to make that decision. So if it's going to stay there, it needs to stay there every day. Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate your comments. As the chair of the meeting, I'm the one who has to enforce the rules. And you're right. when people don't know the rules, then I'm the only one who can say the rules. And so I think it would be a wonderful idea. It's a great opportunity for council to determine the rules and for us to let everybody know what the rules are. It might make my job easier. So I especially appreciate that. All right. Councilmember McCurran. Thank you, Mayor. This Saturday, Councilmember Brown was actually bringing this up. We're sorry to, but on Saturday at American Red Cross, we'll be sounding the alarm. That starts at 845 a.m. It'll go until about 3 p.m. in the afternoon. We are looking for some volunteers to go through the St. Martin Village neighborhood and Georgetown Street area. This is an opportunity to go and check alarms, smoke alarms, and hopefully prevent some future problems from happening if an alarm is not working. So please, if you have an opportunity, please come out and see us at 845 a.m. and donate as much time as you can possible. Also, to piggyback off of what Council Member Brown was also saying, Diversity Festival will be downtown. This is an opportunity where you can come, you can educate, embrace, and celebrate. This will be on the Courthouse Plaza from 3 to 10 p.m. And I hope to see everyone there. So thank you, Mayor. Welcome. Duke, does anyone else have an announcement? I just wanted to say two things. At 7.30 on Saturday morning, if you're interested, there's an honor flight leaving Bluegrass Airport. And I know that we have a contingency of people wishing them well as we see them off, if you're up and at them and want to come out. I also wanted to thank Councilmember Reynolds. I think that clarifying with our police what the exact process of discipline is really helps the public understand why the council and the mayor can't comment along the way because we may be ending up judge and jury. And so I appreciated you bringing that up. Thank you. All right. Let's move on to public comment. We have several people signed up. And first up, and if you'll each come to the podium and state your name and address for the record, and you'll have three minutes, is Robin Osgood. There she is. Good evening, Madam Mayor and Council members. I'm too short, aren't I? Anyway, what brings me here tonight is I was surprised when KU started to do the construction on Rose Street. um they were going 24 7 until a couple of us called council and they got told they got to stop by 11 but then they got a variance and hey guess what they don't show up at 7 a.m anymore they show up at 4 to 6 in the afternoon and go till 4 till last night she they actually stopped 11 p.m i don't know why um but what really amazed me that there was no set rules to tell companies whether it's ku and i've never had this happen in the neighborhood with the water company or the gas company that they come out and they do work 24 7 near residences and I'm asking tonight that you do a referendum to put guidelines for companies. I realize work has to be done, but during the regular school year, 7 a.m., they've got to be ended by 9 p.m. because people's got, I mean, if you're where there are a lot of children in the neighborhood, those kids have got to get to sleep. You can't be keeping them up 24 hours a day. You can't do that to the parents either. Right now it's being done out in front of a building. It has a lot of seniors. Some seniors, like me, have medical problems. We had 11 people go to the hospital in ambulances within 36 hours after they started that 24-7. Now that should tell you. And Mayor Gordon, I appreciate the fact that you're a nurse, because you probably more than anybody else understands the importance of a circadian cycle, keeping good sleep. Young people can get sick if they're not getting it. And if you do not have this established, like KU, they went and got a free variance and started working until 4 in the morning. That's usually the time I wake up and I'm not getting to sleep until I normally wake up. I ended up going to the hospital last week. And I had gotten my blood pressure and my pulse. Well, I started having problems with my pulse after they did that. Because it was like my pulse was going to the rate of the jackhammer. 162 beats. That's no good. Finally kept my blood pressure up stable. Not high, folks. Low. But as the council lady said, rules. So I propose that a referendum be written and passed that during the year when schools end session, that they go from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the summer because I know it can get hot and they can't be out there working in the heat like that. That they can start at 6 a.m. and go to 10 p.m. and do a split shift and come back at 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. and go to 11 p.m. when kids aren't in school and that it be written not in residential neighborhoods but near residences because downtown has a lot of residents my building has 168 i'm not sure how many units are in uh 333 east main you've got wonderful park plaza and plus you've done a lot to bring high-end hotels to downtown. Imagine a convention having that going on 24-7 out the hotel. Do you think that group would want to bring another convention back to Lexington? Or if they were going to be involved in another one, say, hey, Lexington's a great place. No, they'll be going, we couldn't get any sleep while we were there. This isn't an economic issue. It impacts how many runs they get. It impacts kids. It impacts everybody. And it just amazed me that there was nothing set in stone for guidelines and it may be because this never used to be an issue and mayor gordon you know when i bring something it's not just about me i see this as a potential problem because the newer neighborhoods have their wires running underground plus we're going to have to have a lot of roads repaired so this is something as a preventative measure and can i just make a comment on what the ladies were saying i felt bad that young lady left because i know her issue with apples and oranges but i understood what she was asking you all with the collective bargaining to put some things in there so there are premises that people know what will happen and hopefully we'll finally get a citizens review board for the police department thank you very much and i know council members were listening and there may be some action in the future to look in committee if council members are interested in your issue it may not help those at rose towers now i hope they'll stop at 11 o'clock and if they're saying well we need the extra hours because we need more time well then they can show up at 7 a.m and say thank you afternoon and they can work five to six days a week instead of three thank you so much. All right next up is Tiffany Duncan. Is she still here? Okay Sarah Williams. Sarah Williams 551 West 6th Street. Just a couple more things right. Sorry again for breaking the rules. I think Angela Evans did really well. I've broken the rules multiple times now in the past several times I've been here and a lot of it has been because I didn't know. So I think letting us know would be good. To further address your question, though, there are several community members who filed formal complaints against Donovan Stewart for all of the many rules he broke, even though the chief of police has said, oh, it's subjective. No, it's not. Obviously, he broke several. When we filed a formal complaint, here's the thing. There's a 60-day time limit that's written into the collective bargaining agreement and LPD policy that is suspended when the officer involved files charges. So that was one thing we mentioned in the press release that we put out that nobody published is that there's an incentive for the officer to press charges whether they're true or not because it suspends that investigation indefinitely until that criminal the the criminal charges that are against that civilian involved are totally done in court so there is no timeline for this investigation there is no timeline for accountability like we're just sitting ducks waiting right you all can't do anything you can't say anything we can say something y'all can't respond like the chief said in the meeting on Monday, well I can't talk about it, you can't talk about it, but I can make these comments to you even though you can't respond. Right? And one way that we can change that is the collective bargaining agreement that dictates policy and police disciplinary action. And your all's next point of intervention, since everybody unanimously voted to still let Frostbriand and Todd represent, is when the collective bargaining agreement is brought before you all. Sometime between like July and October has been an approximate timeframe of when that's going to come before you all to whether or not you accept it. So I would ask that you all don't just go and accept it, suspend second vote and be like, oh, here we go. It's another one. You know, we're gonna, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Let's do something different, right? Ask appropriate questions. I will go ahead and re-email you all that link to the website that has collective bargaining agreements listed on there, what keeps police being from being held accountable in those collective bargaining agreements, and what can be done differently. So you will have a better idea of what can be asked for when you all have a point of intervention because we do need a civilian review board that's been a goal for like quite some time as we were going to get the body cams on police right so thank you all have a good night thank you april taylor is she still here okay gail kohler thank you do you need my address again pardon me do you need Can I change my address again? Yes, you need to state your name and address for the record. So Gail Kohler, 3424 Pinus Bay Drive. Thank you. So, in three minutes. I know I've been having conversations with a lot of my friends who look more like me than some of the people that I've been donating my time to. And a lot of them mention, when I start to talk about the police bargaining agreement, that they feel like I'm saying that the police are bad. And I think it's really important that that's not at all what we're saying. What we are saying is that there's a huge difference between intention and impact, and we understand that the policies have been gone over a lot. But this issue of no matter what your intention is, when you start seeing where the rubber hits the road, when those police officers are in the community and how the community experiences the policing, it does feel like there does need to be some way to be able to be getting feedback and discipline and things like that. the number of people I know who drive the same places I do and get stopped regularly by police officers for no reason when I don't. When you hear people's lived experiences like that, and probably there was a reason, but I was concerned when I looked at the ACLU. There was an op-ed piece in the Herald-Leader. Amber Duke wrote it about the Louisville Police Department. She was analyzing that data, and they were reporting the traffic stops broke down by race. At the meeting on Monday, at the NAACP meeting, I mentioned to the chief that when I go online and I see all of the police reports, I don't see anything broken down by race. He said, oh, we have that data. Just fill out a Freedom of Information Act request. And it doesn't feel like, as a citizen, I should have to do that. It feels like we should be having that public because it's something that the public are watching and because we want to assure people that we are doing what we can to make sure that everyone receives good policing and that all of our good intentions really meet with top quality stuff. So I will make a couple calls next week, but I'm just going to raise that up right now. I'm wondering if there isn't a way that we can be getting some of the data that he says we have just a little bit more accessible to people, rather than each individual having to fill out a Freedom of Information Act in order to just find out this data that apparently the police does collect. Thank you. Thank you very much. Faith Evans, did Faith leave? Okay. Daryl Heckman? Good evening, Darrell Heckman, 2519 Aristocracy Circle. Just moved to Lexington January 1st. Very happy with being here as a retiree. Very pleased with this council and my first time meeting here. I do some issues with traffic. Never lived in a city that didn't have any north-south streets before, but there's nothing we can do about that. But I have three problems that can be fixed. Let's get the signs on the streets. We went to our apartment. We're going down to Liberty. Our GPS says turn left on Starshoot. There's a sign that says Liberty. Doesn't say Starshoot. Been there four months. There's still no sign that says Starshoot at the corner of Liberty and Starshoot. And that's not alone. There's lots of intersections that only have one of the two streets on them, but I can top that. Old Todd's and Maple Leaf, they don't have any sign. And there's a theater on Maple Leaf. We were going down Old Todd's, wanted to turn left on Maple Leaf to go to the theater. Had to guess that that was Maple Leaf. I knew it was Old Todd's because I was already on it. Come on, folks, let's get the street signs on the streets. I mean, I understand they can fall off, but I've been here four months, and none of those have been replaced. Another thing that I observed just as a newcomer, there's an incredible number of streets that are one street on the right and another street on the left. Now, you can't stop what we've got, but let's put a moratorium on that. If a new street comes in, it's got to be the same street as it is on the other side. I mean, I'll give you another perfect example. I'm going down Manowar. By the way, I learned to never go on Manowar. New Circle, Great Street. Thank God for New Circle. But I went down Manowar, and I wanted to turn left on Liberty. I looked to the right, and it said it was the corner of Manowar and Todd's. On the left, it was Liberty, but I couldn't see the sign that said Liberty because it changed names. And there's at least one spot in Lexington where the street changes twice in one mile. Avenue of Champions it's one street on the left and another street on the right and it's Avenue of Champions in the middle please put a moratorium on new streets when it extends an old street and then the last thing I was going to say about traffic we've got a lot of four way stops that I mean I know it's a lot cheaper than a traffic light but when it's multiple lanes you're not dealing with four people you're dealing with six or eight people And Starshoot, another example, I went down, there's at least, well, one's a three-way stop, another's a four-way stop on Starshoot. I got the one-finger salute from somebody. We need traffic circles. Don't have a six-lane four-way stop. So, Mr. Heckman, just so you know, our Commissioner of Environmental and Public Works has been madly taking notes back there. and I have a feeling some of those streets were written down by her and since you're new in Lexington we have something called 311 you can call 311 and say for example there's a problem at X Street and that's how citizens give input so that we can fix things so thank you very much I'll be back Well, Mary, if I might, I can't speak for Council Member Evans, but I'm sure she'll take a look for that sign on Liberty and Starshoot, and I'll promise to Old Todd's and Maple Leaf to take a look at that. Very good. We've emailed, yes. I've explained the naming. Yeah, it's an issue. Very good. And the commissioner's shaking her head yes. She's got it. All right. Was there anyone else who didn't get to sign up for public comment? Okay. Do I hear a motion to adjourn? Did I hear a second? All those in favor say aye. We are adjourned.