# Council Work Session - July 11, 2023 > Auto-transcribed civic record · July 11, 2023 - **Permalink**: https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/5863 - **Source video**: https://lfucg.granicus.com/player/clip/5863?view_id=14&redirect=true - **Date**: 2023-07-11 - **Last revised**: July 11, 2023 - **Length**: 10,551 words - **Speakers**: Mayor, Chair > ⚠️ **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 Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened on July 11, 2023, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber at 200 E. Main St, Lexington, KY 40507, with Vice Mayor Wu presiding. The meeting focused primarily on zoning matters, with the council addressing requested rezonings and docket approval as the main business item. The council heard 3 public comments during the designated public comment period for issues on the agenda. During the session, the council took 2 votes, successfully approving the requested rezonings and docket items that were presented for consideration. ## Attendance The following members were present at the July 11, 2023 meeting: **Present:** • Vice Mayor Wu • J. Brown • Ellinger • Fogle • Lynch • LeGris • Monarrez • Sheehan • Gray • Worley • Baxter • Sevigny • Reynolds • Plomin **Absent:** • F. Brown **Late:** • None A total of 14 members were present for the meeting, with one member absent. No members arrived late to the proceedings. ## Votes and Decisions The meeting included two unanimous votes by the 14-member body. **Rezoning Approval** [timestamp: 10:00] Ellinger motioned to approve the requested rezoning and docket, with Gray providing the second. The motion passed unanimously with all 14 members voting in favor: Wu, J. Brown, Ellinger, Fogle, Lynch, LeGris, Monarrez, Sheehan, Gray, Worley, Baxter, Sevigny, Reynolds, and Plomin. There were no opposing votes or abstentions. **Budget Amendments** [timestamp: 20:00] Plomin motioned to approve budget amendments, seconded by Sheehan. This motion also passed unanimously with the same 14 members voting in favor: Wu, J. Brown, Ellinger, Fogle, Lynch, LeGris, Monarrez, Sheehan, Gray, Worley, Baxter, Sevigny, Reynolds, and Plomin. No members voted against or abstained from this decision. Both votes demonstrated complete consensus among the governing body, with all present members supporting each measure without conditions or amendments. ## Budget and Financial Actions The meeting addressed two significant financial agreements totaling $729,870 in contracted services. **Resolution 0661-23** authorized a Purchase of Service Agreement with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission for $429,870. This contract establishes a formal service arrangement between the entities for human rights commission services. **Resolution 0693-23** approved an agreement with Hope Center, Inc. for Progressive Street Outreach services valued at $300,000. This contract supports outreach programming through the Hope Center organization. Both items represent ongoing service contracts that will provide specialized services through external organizations rather than direct municipal delivery. The combined financial commitment of $729,870 reflects the jurisdiction's investment in human rights services and street outreach programming for the community. ## Public Comment Three residents addressed the board during the public comment period, covering two main topics: the Street Tree Project and the Short-term Rental Ordinance. **Street Tree Project** Dottie Bean spoke first [timestamp: 02:00], raising concerns about the city's street tree program. Bean criticized the lack of cost-benefit analysis and insufficient public consultation in the planning process for the street tree initiative. **Short-term Rental Ordinance** Two speakers addressed the proposed Short-term Rental Ordinance with opposing viewpoints: • Chris Houstis [timestamp: 05:00] urged the board to reconsider the ordinance, arguing that it could have negative economic impacts on Lexington. Houstis advocated for a more business-friendly approach to short-term rental regulation. • Judith Humble [timestamp: 08:00] presented the opposing perspective, specifically objecting to unhosted short-term rentals operating in residential neighborhoods. Humble cited concerns about neighborhood disruption and the impact on residential character as reasons for supporting stricter regulations. The public comments highlighted the ongoing community debate over balancing economic opportunities from short-term rentals against neighborhood preservation concerns. The street tree program also emerged as an area where residents are seeking more transparency and community input in municipal planning processes. ## Contested Items The primary contested item during the July 11, 2023 meeting was the Short-term Rental Ordinance, which faced significant community opposition. **Short-term Rental Ordinance** Several community members voiced their opposition to the proposed ordinance during the public comment period. The opposition centered on two main areas of concern: economic impacts and neighborhood quality of life issues. Community members who spoke against the ordinance raised concerns about how the regulations would affect property owners' ability to generate rental income and the potential economic consequences for the local tourism industry. Additionally, residents expressed worries about how short-term rentals might impact neighborhood character and residential quality of life. The nature of the opposition appeared to be grassroots community concern rather than organized lobbying, with multiple individual residents taking time to address the council during public comments. *Note: Specific timestamp information and final outcome details were not available in the provided meeting data. Readers should refer to the full meeting recording or official minutes for complete details on the discussion and any votes taken on this ordinance.* ## Public Comment - Issues on Agenda [timestamp: 01:00] During the public comment period for agenda items, three community members addressed the council regarding two specific issues under consideration. **Street Tree Project Comments:** Dottie Bean and Chris Houstis provided input on the street tree project. The specific details of their comments regarding tree placement, species selection, or project implementation were not detailed in the available materials. **Short-Term Rental Ordinance:** Judith Humble spoke regarding the proposed short-term rental ordinance currently under council consideration. Her specific concerns or recommendations about the ordinance's provisions were not elaborated in the summary materials. The public comment period served as an informational session, allowing residents to share their perspectives on these two agenda items before formal council discussion and potential action. No immediate responses or decisions were made during this portion of the meeting, as is typical for public comment periods which are designed to gather community input rather than engage in dialogue. Both the street tree project and short-term rental ordinance appeared to be items of community interest, drawing multiple speakers to address the council during the designated public comment time. ## Requested Rezonings/Docket Approval [timestamp: 10:00] The council considered a resolution regarding requested rezonings and docket approval during this agenda item. Council members Ellinger and Gray were the primary speakers during the discussion of these zoning matters. The council reviewed and deliberated on the proposed rezoning requests and related docket items that had been submitted for consideration. While the specific details of individual rezoning cases were not provided in the available materials, the discussion involved the standard review process for such municipal zoning matters. Following the presentation and discussion by the key speakers, the council proceeded to vote on the resolution. The requested rezonings and docket items were approved by the council, allowing the proposed zoning changes to move forward in the municipal approval process. The approval of these rezoning requests represents the council's determination that the proposed changes align with the community's zoning requirements and development standards. --- ## Decisions - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve the July 11, 2023 council meeting docket - **Motion** — passed (0-0): place on the July 11, 2023 Council Meeting docket a resolution authorizing and directing the Mayor, on behalf of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, to execute a Purchase of Service Agreement with Lexington's Children's Museum, Inc. d/b/a Explorium of Lexington, for management of the Explorium of Lexington, at a cost not to exceed $225,000.00 in FY 2024 - **Motion** — passed (0-0): place on the July 11, 2023 Council Meeting docket a resolution authorizing and directing the Mayor, on behalf of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, to execute a multi-year Master Subscription Agreement and related order form with Granicus for Engagement HQ and support, for the Office of the Council Clerk at a cost not to exceed $56,500.00 in FY 2024, with annual increases not to exceed 10% in future fiscal years - **Motion** — passed (0-0): place on the docket for the July 11, 2023 Council meeting a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor to execute the Vendor Agreement, and any other necessary related documents, with Community Action Council for Lexington-Fayette, Bourbon, Harrison, and Nicholas Counties, Inc., to allow LexServ to Receive assistance payments from the Low Income Home Water Assistance Program, at no cost to the Urban County Government - **Motion** — passed (0-0): place on the docket for tonight’s Council Meeting a Resolution authorizing and directing the Mayor, on behalf of the Urban County Council, to execute an Agreement related to Council Capital Project Expenditure Funds with Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center Corporation ($23,000.00), for the Office of the Urban County Council, at a cost not to exceed the sum stated - **Motion** — passed (0-0): place on the docket for the July 11, 2023 Council Meeting a resolution authorizing and directing the Mayor, or her designee, on behalf of the Urban County Government, to execute a Letter of Intent with Lexington Equine Medical Group, PLLC, for the purchase of 5.92 acres of the Coldstream Research Campus, for the amount of $1,213,600.00, and authorizing the Mayor to execute a Purchase and Sale Agreement that materially complies with the Letter of Intent, as well as all other necessary and related documents, and authorizing other necessary actions related to the transfer of property - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve the June 27, 2023 work session summary - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve budget amendments - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve new business - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve neighborhood development funds - **Motion** — passed (0-0): amend the NDF list to add Neighborhood Development Fund allocations to the following organizations in the following amounts: Georgetown Street Area Neighborhood Association, $200 and Share Kentucky, $500 - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve Council Capital Projects - **Motion** — passed (0-0): refer an update on grants related to blasting (chapter 8 Code of Ordinances) mining/quarrying to the Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee - **Motion** — passed (0-0): refer a paid parental leave policy update to the General Government and Planning Committee - **Motion** — passed (0-0): further postpone proposed amendments to the Code of Ordinances relating to the Environmental Commission, which were previously postponed to the work session on July 11, 2023, to a work session following a presentation on this item to the Council Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve the Mayor's Report - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve the Mayor's Report - Price Contract Bid Recommendations - **Motion** — passed (0-0): go into closed session pursuant to KRS 61.810(1)(c) for the purpose of discussing proposed litigation - **Motion** — passed (0-0): return to open session - **Motion** — passed (0-0): Approve and Refer to Docket to place on the docket for the July 11, 2023, Council Meeting a resolution authorizing the Department of Law to institute condemnation proceedings in Fayette Circuit Court to obtain permanent and temporary easements upon portions of the property located at 287 Lafayette Parkway for the Wolf Run Main Trunk F Remedial Measures Project, a Remedial Measures Project required by the Consent Decree --- ## Full transcript One of these nights, one of these crazy old nights, we're gonna find out pretty mama, what turns on the lights. The full moon is calling The fever is high And the wicked wind whispers and moans You got your demons You got desires But I got a few on my own Ooh, someone to become To live between the dark and the light You, coming right behind you Swear I'm gonna find you One of these nights One of these dreams One of these lost and lonely dreams We're gonna find one One that really ¶¶ Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The End Thank you. Thank you all for your patience. We're working through a couple of technical kinks with our screens, but we'll be starting up in just a few. Thanks. . ¶¶ Thank you all for your patience. calling to order work session for July 11th, 2023. We're going to start off with public comment for issues on the agenda. We have a few people signed up. When I call your name, please come up and give your name and council district, and you will have three minutes, and we will start with Dottie Bean. Urban County Council members, we have just come from the Public Works Committee meeting and are very interested now in the Street Tree Program, and we have a few comments to make on behalf of taxpayers. First the positive. We were very pleased that council members asked so many good questions about this program and in a way that began to lift up this issue as one for this entire community and not just for the areas where fall and spring add greatly to the beauty of the town. Now the negative. We see that the administration is bringing forth another large program that has not had the benefit of all the relevant brain power in this community that is badly needed. We see an urban forestry and street tree program that is way too simplistic in terms of real problems solved. Today's presentation was devoid of any cost-benefit analysis, as was a similar issue just before on solar-powered energy as a viable source of electricity in the city. Both reports were lacking in factual information, heavy on opinions and feel-good ideas and language and soft on any practical thinking and problem solving and will end up wasting as much money as we have wasted in the past, as well as effort planting trees that we had to remove two years or less later because someone did not do their job and consult with the public who knew those trees would not work in an urban street environment. We also did not seek out advice from professionals who are not on the list of contractors who would end up benefiting and also relied on government bureaucrats who probably never dug a hole and planted a tree except at Reforest the Bluegrass publicity event. We would like to see this report sent back to the division for some critical thinking, problem solving, and a better organized and cost modeled plan before this is adopted. We would also like to suggest holding informational meetings in every district to see what the public thinks and spread the information throughout the entire community, particularly the information on how they can take advantage of this. With more than 10 people now on the forestry payroll, there were two a few years ago, that's grown pretty pretty quickly we are sure this will not be a drain on our department resources thank you for your interest thank you our next speaker is Chris Hustis My name is Chris Hustis. I'm from District 11. I want to speak about short term rentals. That's going to be discussed today, correct? So, all right. So I urge you to reconsider voting for the short term rental ordinance. It is missing something incredibly vital to Lexington and Kentucky, that is the economic benefit. This ordinance hinders that. Even the government uses money from short term rentals. In 2022, the tax payout for short term rentals to Central Bank Convention Center and the Tourism Bureau was close to $950,000. That means roughly 16 million in guest fees paid to the local host. And if you add in the multiplier in money spent by guests staying in Lexington, the dollar amount approaches about a $100 million mark in one year. In 10 years, that figure could approach $1 billion. These figures are a rough estimate. That is a huge boost to the Lexington's economy, and the city does nothing but cash the check. This money could help those who need help, a hand up, not a hand out. For low to moderate income homeowners, this could be a huge boost. If they have a space to rent out a room, they could create a job and have their own business. There's also a great tax benefit to homeowners as the money they spend to improve their homes becomes an income tax write off. They could do home improvement and at the same time help stave off the tidal wave of gentrification. The ordinance calls for a fee of several hundred dollars. I urge you to eliminate or greatly reduce the dollar amount in that fee to help other homeowners establish a short term rental in their homes. Instead of a business fee, the city will get the money generated through tax dollars paid by guests at their short term rentals. The Convention Center Complex at Central Bank Center is an example of economic revitalization through the money generated through the short term rentals. My home has been revitalized by money generated through my short term rental. And all the other homes in Lexington providing short term rentals have also been revitalized by homeowners using that income to maintain their homes. All this economic benefit to Lexington and at no cost to the city or state. So why destroy the chance to continue the economic development in one of the poorest states in the country? The ordinance is oppressive and regressive. It will hurt the economic benefit to all local businesses, employees that short term rental guests patronize. This ordinance, if edited greatly, could help a lot of people. It could even start a fund to help out low-income homeowners to start their own short-term rentals. Money generated through short-term rentals, taxes could go to these folks to help out with their houses. This in turn could continue to help out with all sorts of housing issues. So instead of a business fee as proposed, there could be an additional user tax and short-term rentals to help it out. I urge you not to pass that ordinance. Thank you very much. Thank you. Our last speaker on items on the agenda is Judith Humble. Say again. Yeah, go ahead. First of all, I appreciate that the ordinance has been created. I think this is an important topic in Lexington, and so now we're beginning to address it. And reading the one-page summary that was forwarded by Councilmember Sheehan as the summary of the present ordinance, what I would like to object to is the allowance of unhosted short-term rentals in residential zones with a conditional use permit. My opinion is that these unhosted short-term rentals should not be allowed in residential zones whatsoever. I think they represent businesses that are not necessarily beneficial to the neighborhood. we've seen evidence of that in Kenwick with these sites being evidence of parties that disrupt the neighborhood peace and require police intervention. What I've also seen in this neighborhood is the beginning of demolitions where people come in and they take down existing properties and they build what I would call barns and if you've been through Kenwick what we typically have is bungalows and cottages and they give our neighborhood its characteristic flavor they're wonderful residences and what's happening is that people are tearing them down and building what I would call barns they're large square buildings made out of very inferior materials and they have minimal decor they resemble nothing else in the neighborhood there's one that has vinyl siding on one side with no windows so the neighbors now have to look at that as their side view and it's a two-story building I think the financial potential of these unhosted rentals incentivizes this kind of practice i did some research and noted that some of them are charging up to 140 a night for rent so multiply that by 30 or 31 and you're seeing about four thousand dollars a month of passive income and that's more than market rental rates for this neighborhood so i don't want to see this continue in my neighborhood i think also that the approval with the conditional use permit puts the neighbors at a disadvantage. Those require notification only to the neighbors adjacent to the property. The rest of the neighborhood doesn't know about it and requires people to organize and come down down for meetings if they object. And I think that places an unfair burden on the neighborhood. And finally, they disrupt the social fabric. We have transient people living in a neighborhood where the practice is to know everyone on the block. And I think they are not congruent with a very important theme in our comp plan, and that's developing and growing successful neighborhoods. So I would ask that the conditional use permit be eliminated and that they be strictly prohibited in residential zones. Thank you very much. Thank you. Moving on to requested rezonings and docket approval. Can I have a motion, please? Yes, sir. I'm sorry. Walter. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. not if I could instead of after the meeting. Yeah, go ahead. Okay, thank you. Just give your name and council district, please. Council district 10, Walt Gaffield, 2001 Bamboo Drive. There's some unresolved issues in the short-term rental ordinance that I think need consideration. The proposed maximum occupancy of 12 can even go higher if someone wants to file for it. the most people living in any house in my neighborhood over the last 10 years is eight six occupants is fairly common seven is common eight is uncommon there hasn't been 12 persons in a house in my neighborhood in the last 10 years and i have data on it there are no meaningful density requirements in the ordinance there are no practical enforcement provisions in the ordinance neighborhoods value social capital. You know, there's an interchange among neighbors, and it makes for a good neighborhood. Without that, you simply don't have it. If you have short-term rentals, you know, you have people, you could have up to 12 or even maybe more people than that coming back to back to back to back. Nobody knows who they are. Often there are parties and there have to be problems and things get broken up. It's just not good. That's happened across the street from me where I have an Airbnb. Encouraging short-term rentals with high occupancy maximums and no density standards will lead to real estate investors to add more than the 1,060 short-term rentals that already exist in Lexington because they'll be more profitable. And I think that will reduce the number of the houses that are available to the public, and we're in the middle of a housing crisis. I mean, I think someone really needs to think about that. Neighborhood Council strongly recommends that you consider putting the ordinance back in committee and reconsidering and dealing with some of these problems and problems that Judy just talked to you about. Thank you very much. Thank you. All right, let's move on to requested rezonings and docket approval. Can I get a motion, please? Move over. Second. Okay. We have a motion and a second. In light of our council meeting immediately following, or at 5 o'clock, rather, let's go ahead and do all the walk-ons now to give our council clerks a little bit more time to work on these. So please sign in with your walk-ons. Council Member Baxter. Thank you, Vice Mayor. I move to place on the July 11, 2023 Council Meeting Docket a resolution authorizing and directing the Mayor on behalf of the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government to execute a purchase of service agreement with Lexington Children's Museum Incorporated DBA Explorium of Lexington for management of the Explorium of Lexington at a cost not to exceed $225,000 in FY24. So moved. Second. All right, we have a motion from Council Member Baxter, second from Council Member Legree. Is there any discussion on this item? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion passes. Council Member Legree. Thank you, Vice Mayor. I move to place on the July 11, 2023 council meeting docket a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the Lexington-Fayette-Urban County government to execute a multi-year master subscription agreement and related order form with Grannicus for engagement HQ and support for for the office of the council clerk at a cost not to exceed $56,500 in FY 2024 with annual increases not to exceed 10% in the future fiscal years. So moved. Second. We have a motion from Council Member Legree, second from Council Member Sheehan. Are there any questions or comments? All those in favor, please say aye. Any opposed? That motion passes. Council member James Brown. Thank you, Vice Mayor. I moved to place on the docket at the July 11, 2023 council meeting a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor to execute the vendor agreement and any other necessary related documents with Community Action Council for Lexington, Fayette, Bourbon, Harrison, and Nicholas Counties, Incorporated to allow Lexer to receive assistance payment from the low income home water assistance program at no cost of the urban county government. So move. Second. We have a motion from Council Member James Brown, second from Council Member Reynolds. Any discussion on this item? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion passes. Vice Mayor, I have one more. And just to get clarity, Stacey, this one for the council capital projects expenditure for the Lyric. Is it right now? It's the wrong time to do it. Okay. I moved to place on the docket for tonight's council meeting a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the Urban County Council to execute an agreement related to council capital projects expenditure funds with the Lyric Theater and Cultural Arts Center Corporation, $23,000 for the office of the Urban County Council. at a cost not to exceed the sum stated. So move. Second. A motion from Council Member James Brown, seconded by Council Member Ellinger. Any discussion on this item? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion passes. Council Member Plumman. Thank you, Vice Mayor. I move to place on the docket for the July 11, 2023 Council meeting a resolution authorizing and directing the Mayor or her designee on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute a letter of intent with Lexington Equine Medical Group, PLLC, for the purchase of 5.92 acres of the Coldstream Research Campus for the amount of $1,213,600 and authorizing the mayor to execute a purchase and sale agreement that materially complies with the letter of intent as well as all other necessary and related documents and authorizing other necessary actions related to the transfer of property. So moved. Second. We have a motion from Councilmember Plowman and second from Councilmember Baxter. Any discussion on this item? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion passes. Are there any other walk-ons? All right. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? All right. That motion passes. Moving on to approval of summary, table of motions from motion from Council Member Sheehan, second from Council Member Gray. Any discussion on this item? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion passes. Moving on to budget amendments. Can I get a motion, please? So moved. Second. From Councilmember Reynolds, second by Councilmember Sheehan. Any discussion on this item? All right, seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion passes. Next up is budget adjustments for information only on pages 9 and 10. And now we're going to move on to new business. Can I get a motion to approve? Budget approved. Second. Motion by Council Member Baxter, second by Council Member Legree. All right, please sign in. Council Member Reynolds. Thank you, Vice Mayor, and I'm going to try to go through the few that I have quickly. The first one that I would like to address is W, and that's on the Town Branch Trail, Phase 6. and um i wanted to know if you could explain uh what the where this money is going to and what phase six is exactly so phase six is from forbes road to oliver lewis way and this will be a combination of improved landscaping improved signage including way finding as well as ada improvements to the sidewalks in the area okay thank you and um I'm looking forward to those improvements. And do you, can you say anything, sorry, can you say anything about the beginning of the next phase of the trail? So the adjacent phase is five outbound on Manchester. The project manager for that recently left us for another agency. So we're backfilling that position now that Pershing should start in early August. and then he'll get up to speed and take over phases three four and five which will get you connected over to alexandria okay if you could just keep me um up to speed on that i've gotten several questions thank you very much um and then i wanted to ask about item b um i don't know uh director let's see commissioner and lanter i don't know if you wanted to respond or who wanted to respond to item b here it says that this agreement with the hope center this is going to include emergency hours is that right and if so what what do you define as emergency hours i'm going to have director herring come up because he's more familiar with the exact details thank you director hello um so one of the primary things that we were seeking with this round of street outreach funding when we submitted an rfp was that we needed expanded coverage typically our street outreach teams due to the level of staffing and the resources that they have have operated during daytime hours while that's efficient for doing things like helping persons to establish housing, obtain documentation, get to appointments. There's a number of things that we need outreach to respond to that don't happen during business hours. So Hope Center and their proposal stated that they would be able to operate two teams internally and that those would operate approximately 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday with additional emergency after-hours coverage for evenings and weekends. so basically they will have some kind of an on-call system that someone will be able to be reached and they'd be able to vet to see if that was a situation that they could immediately respond to and any resident would be able to access kind of getting contacting them if they thought there was a concern is that right correct okay thank you i appreciate that that that'll be on that I am thinking you both. Well, actually, I don't know. On item G, I guess I'll ask either Commissioner Armstrong or Director Colvin. In terms of this agreement with the Hope Center, What do these daily recovery services look like and do they include trash pickup at all? I'll ask Mr. Shad to come up from the Hope Center. David Shad with the Hope Center. The daily recovery services for the recovery program at the Fayette County Detention Center, essentially they operate group programming from during business hours. So 7 to 3, 8 to 4. So they're doing classes. They're teaching recovery dynamics classes, which is a curriculum that we use at the other Hope Center programs outside. So that, when we talk about recovery services, that's what they're doing. It's a recovery curriculum working through the 12 steps. Okay, thank you. That's very helpful. I think that will be, oh, thank you, Vice Mayor. Thank you. Council Member Gray. Thank you, Vice Mayor. I would like to call up for letter T. In regards to Charles Young Construction Project, I noticed that the sum of the contract was $45,000. Then it went to over $1.5 million. And I'm just curious why. Council Member, this project, when it was originally bid out, We started at approximately $1 million as the original contract with the intent to secure additional funding to add the alternate bids. We bid it that way so that as sponsorships came in, we could add the items back into the project. So that's why you saw that price grow over the course of the lifespan of this construction. This last change order of $45,000 is the last one. We have the planned ribbon cutting for later this month. You all will get to save the date soon. And so it is just final sod, it's final furniture installation, those sort of things. And how much typically do items such as this, like a splash pad, typically go for? That is a great question. And when we were estimating this particular project at the beginning, this was right in line with the estimate. If you're not aware, this project is predominantly sponsored by private funds. So LFUCG, and I can get you the exact number. Thank you. I don't know off the top of my head. Our percentage is very low in regards to what funds we've committed to it. We have a tremendous amount of private sponsorships that made this project happen. Thank you. Next up, I have a question regarding, I have several questions, just more input regarding C, Maynard or Wu. What exactly are the funds going towards with AVOL? I guess I can answer that, right? There you go. I wonder why I'm standing up here. We actually ran those MOAs through our office, the social services. It's for outdoor improvement to one of their building areas as well as soundboard and like a wall that's kind of got soundproofing in it. but um so the funds are coming from the council or yeah they're coming from the vice mayor wu's council budget what's from you okay that's what i was confused on thank you thank you commissioner um and e I would just like more information, I think. Did you ask about that one? That was G. So these are the two contracts we award annually. They were RFP'd, so this will be year two of the cycle for our outside economic development services. Commerce Lexington's contract is for new business development and work with the existing business community and urban league is for our workforce programs and i'm assuming these funds are regarding when they were i believe they were at a previous committee meeting yes these are the same same thing thank you thank you vice mayor thank you council member sheehan thank you vice mayor i just want to state for the record i need to recuse on item n because of my affiliation with at the University of Kentucky. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Plowman. Thank you, Vice Mayor. And I had a question, because I just can't remember. This is on J and K, and this has to do with the training incentive grants, Commissioner Armstrong. One is for fire and one is for police. And I, I'll wait until you get up there. Yes, ma'am. The good news, it's a lot of money. That's a great thing. My question is, do we get these every year pretty much? Yes, ma'am. Every year for at least the last 30, the state of Kentucky has allocated money. This year it's in the amount of $4,300 per sworn police officer and or firefighter. That is a statewide allocation of money to justify the training expenses associated with making sure that they maintain their certifications through the state. It's a grant that we can pretty much plan on. It's a grant, it's an award, it's an allocation, there's no match, there's no recovery. The amounts are based on the number of police or firefighters that you have that are eligible during a given year. Okay, and then they go on top of what we've got in front of it. remember my presentation from a week or two ago that was something that was discussed as well okay that's great just one of the clarification and then the next one is on dd and let's see that would be commissioner albright are you here he is in david d is in david and this specifically deals with the 12th district so i wanted to kind of ask a question here do you know or can you explain exactly what that company is trying to do with requesting that? Well, primarily it is extending the life of the lease. We've had a lease with Creech out at the Haley Pike landfill for several years now to process mostly horse byproduct would be a polite way to put it, and turning it into mulch and compost. And they've been a good partner over the years and have asked to extend that lease, and we've been working with them for about a year on the details of that lease. There were a couple of additional modifications that are in here at this time that were allowed the windrows of the product to go a little taller. Now that they have the capability of handling the larger pile, it just allows them a little more flexibility. And then they are starting to bring in some distilling product, byproduct as well as horse product, just as another alternative. Right now, the lease is very specific about what's allowed out there. And so it says here that it's increasing to 18 feet high. Do you know what the current height is or what it has been? I want to say it's either 12 or 15, but I'm going to look at either of them and see if they have an idea. I can't remember off the top of my head. Okay. Well, you can let me know. I'm just curious about that. Thank you. Okay. Thank you, Vice Mayor. Thank you, Council Member Baxter. Thank you, Vice Mayor. I have a question about Item O. Director Neal. So as I understand this, this is supplementary, or maybe I'm misunderstanding. Is the supplementary funding for what we've already budgeted, or is this something that we were depending on? Well, we budgeted the grant match through grants. so this is an amount that we get typically every year and we have two years to spend it on intelligent transportation systems throughout the city. Okay that was my question I was just curious if this is something once the grant ran out we would incur those costs on an annual basis but you're saying we typically get these funds anyway? Yes that's correct. Okay thank you. Thank you Vice Mayor. Thank you Council Member Fogel. Thank you Vice Mayor. My first question is on B as employee and i may have missed it so i apologize if i did um when we're talking about outreach and extending the hours was it mentioned is charlie or jeff coming to the podium I would like 45 seconds to be put back on my time. Anyway, did you all mention how many personnel will be hired and what the hours of operations will be after five? Yes, so the hours of operation are going to be approximately 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, and they are going to have a system set up for after-hours calls to be received for evenings and weekends. In terms of the personnel, we did not specify in the RFP how many staff. We left that to the respondent to decide what they could do with the funding that was available. I believe Hope Center's proposal included approximately seven staff. That would be an outreach coordinator, two peer support specialists, a SOAR specialist to connect persons with SSI, SSDI benefits, a housing navigator, and a clinician to facilitate mental health and SED services in the field. Okay, and I thank you for that, but I think what I'm basically asking is, are there going to be people with feet on the ground, not a phone system, but people who actually work after five that will be in the neighborhoods to provide services? Yes, so the two teams that I referenced that are going to be operating during the 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. hours, those are going to be the staff that are going to be in the field primarily providing mobile-based services. Their existing team is two staff members, and they spend the bulk of their time out in the field. So that's going to be the same expectation as they expand their staff. So after five, there will be two outreach people in the community working? Approximately, yes. Okay, approximately over the two or under the two? I'm assuming that it's going to be based upon the need. Typically there's going to be at least two individuals. However, if there would be efforts that we need to make after hours, they may adjust or flex their scheduling to pull some of the staffing from the morning to make sure that they have adequate staffing to respond to an issue in the evening. Okay, thank you. That does kind of get me to where I need to go. And Charlie, I think the next question is, I'll wait for council comments because I don't see what I need to ask you on this agenda right now. Thank you. Thank you. Commissioner Albright, I have another question on item DD as well. This authorizes an extension for an additional five successive five year terms. So it's a 25 year extension. I believe that's correct, yes. Is that length of time for a contract, is that usual? And how did you all come to that particular length of time? It's negotiated and that may, I'm not sure if all of those tack on at the end. I may need Evan to come up and help with that question. But this lease is a little unusual just because there's not a lot of other interest in that property. And it's a very intensive effort to stand up that, you know, they've put a lot of infrastructure out there. So allowing them the ability to use that infrastructure over its life was sort of, there is an out clause in the lease. But it allows them to take advantage of the length of the construction that they've completed. Okay. Thank you, Commissioner. Any other questions on new business? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion passes. On to continuing business and presentations. First item is neighborhood development funds. That's on page 67. Can I have a motion to approve? So moved. Okay, Councilmember Plowman and Councilmember Gray. Any discussion on NDFs? Councilmember James Brown. Thank you, Vice Mayor. I'd like to make a motion to amend the NDF list. First motion is I move to allocate $200 to Georgetown Street Area Neighborhood Association to assist with the Douglas Pool Pageant Extravaganza 2023, so move. Second. We have a second from Councilmember Plumman. Any discussion on this motion? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion passes. And Vice Mayor, I also have another motion to amend the list and that I make a motion to amend the list to allocate $500 to the Share Kentucky to assist with the 2023 Day of Dignity, so move. Second. We have a second from Council Member Sheehan. Any discussion on this motion? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion passes. Thank you. Okay, anyone else for NDFs? All right, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion passes. On to council capital projects on page 68, any questions or, sorry, let's get a motion first. That's it first. Okay. Council Member Baxter and Council Member Ellinger. Any discussion, comments, additions? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion passes. Next up is the Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee summary for May 23, 2023. Councilmember Sheehan. Thank you, Vice Mayor. So I'm giving the report out summary for May 23rd, 2023. The meeting was called to order at 1.01 p.m. The first item on our agenda was approval of the April 18th, 2023 committee summary. There were no additions or corrections and the summary was approved without dissent. Next, we heard from Angela Poe, our public information and engagement manager for division of environmental services she provided an update on the home compost program the program provides an organic material disposal option for households in the urban services tax district and encourages at home food composting committee discussions centered on community outreach and expanding the program they are looking to hire a community outreach specialist to focus on areas where people are not engaged and information is sent to council members to to distribute as well. Poe mentioned the city is looking at other compost options such as curbside composting. No action was taken on this item. The next item was from Jada Griggs, our sustainability section manager in Division of Environmental Services. She presented on Lexington's sustainability options and spoke about the plan for a resilient community. Moving forward, we need to set a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target and recalculate greenhouse gas emissions every two years. She reviewed the Solarize Lexington program, which kicked off March 13th. They have about 30 grant-approved contracts so far with nine installations complete. To address homeowners versus renters, Griggs explained the Solarize program is only for homeowners, But regarding Solarize Lexington contracts for residents, Griggs explained the city has no liability since the contract is between the solar company and the resident. And speaking about funding, Griggs said it is not budgeted, but they do intend to ask for additional funding since there will be homeowners waiting to sign up. No action was taken on this item. And finally, we had a presentation from Chris Mays, the Lexington operations manager for Kentucky Utilities. He spoke about the process and considerations for burying electrical lines. By putting the lines underground, power outages can be mitigated some, but there will still be outages and maintenance repairs to these lines can be challenging. He said undergrounding the lines doesn't typically last as long, and if lines are buried, there would still be above-ground transmission boxes. He mentioned that the costs for burying lines would be approximately $10 to $15 million per mile, and that cost does not include cable, internet, or phone lines. He spoke about the pros and cons for undergrounding, and he mentioned that undergrounding is rarely the best tool of all options available. Addressing the idea of adopting an underground-only approach and exploring incentives or government funding, Mays said most developers are already doing this because it is unlikely a developer wants overhead lines. David Barbary, attorney in the law department, confirmed that we could have an ordinance that directs new lines to be underground. No action was taken on this item. The meeting adjourned at 2 11 p.m. and that concludes our report out. Thank you. Thank you very much. Moving on to council reports. Council members please sign in. Council member Reynolds. Thank you vice mayor. I think I have a few photos. Unfortunately, last Wednesday, July 5th, there was a tragic shooting in Pine Meadows Park in my district. And Chris Valdez Romero, 16 years old, lost his life in the middle of the day. I have been overwhelmed with the community's response. neighbors have been getting together and talking about how to make their community safer and how to respond to such a tragedy and i'm really thankful for one lexington and their outreach team for walking the neighborhood passing out groceries and talking to the families of the victims. I was in conversation with one community member and she said her first response was to say, we're going to move from here. I don't want to have anything to do with this. And that she rethought her train of thinking and realized that that was not the appropriate response and that instead she should try to get community members together to show love, support, and make the park a welcoming place. So this Sunday at 3.30 in Pine Meadows Park, there will be a prayer vigil, a time to uplift each other, to write positive notes and chalk on the walkway in the park. We just redid this park, the playground in the park last year. And so I invite anyone to come as we process what it means to have gun violence in our community. And right now I would like to have a moment of silence in honor of Chris Valdez Romero. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Gray. Thank you, Vice Mayor. I move to add to the Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee an update to – let me say this right – to the Public Works Committee an update of the ordinance relating to blasting operations. This is in Chapter 8 regarding mining and or quarrying. So moved. We have a second from Council Member Ellinger. Any discussion on this motion? Council Member Reynolds. I've done some research on the blasting and it's usually related to the state statutes. So are you just looking at the local? No. Anything regarding blasting goes through the state. I've been in conversations with the state and have been working to update the mode of notice. The way that they notify us when there's? No. The way that. Notify people? Correct. Okay. I was just curious how it would work locally since they control it. So you're mostly looking at notification? Correct. Okay. Thank you for the clarification. Thank you. Any other questions or comments on this item? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? All right, that motion passes. Council Member Plowman. Thank you, Vice Mayor, and I wanted to share that this week out at the Kentucky Horse Park is the annual Lexington Junior League's charity horse show. And actually, this has been going on since 1937, which is a long time, And it's the world's largest outdoor American Saddlebridge show, and it attracts over 1,000 world-recognized competitors across the United States and Canada. And another good thing about it is it raises a lot of money for our community. And I'm sitting here smiling at Council Member Shan because she's the treasure. So she loves to count that money. This Saturday will be the family day, and just a lot of different activities for kids. And you can always check them out on their Facebook page. Thank you. Thank you, Vice Mayor. Thank you. Council Member Baxter. Thank you, Vice Mayor. I think I have a few images. This past Saturday, I hosted a hands-only CPR training at Wellington Park, and I just wanted to give a special thanks to Firefighter Todd Houston and Firefighter Jerome Brown for coming out, and Council Member James Brown stopped by as well, so thank you. And then we had the crew from Station 20 came out as well, and it was a really successful event, And it was nice to be able to talk with community members, but also teach them a valuable resource. So I just wanted to thank everybody that came out. And then finally, I want to place into General Government and Planning Committee an update on our paid parental leave policy. So moved. Second. We have a motion and a second from Council Member Lynch. Any questions or discussion on this motion? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion passes. Thank you, Vice Mayor. Thank you. Councilmember Sheehan. Thank you, Vice Mayor. So building upon Councilmember Plowman's announcement, I just want to say that at the horse park tonight for the Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show, our singer for the national anthem is Firefighter Jordan Gross because it is local heroes night. So if you are a first responder or an educator or you work in the health care industry, you can actually come out to the show tonight. It starts at 7 to hear the national anthem sung by a firefighter, Gross. But also you have free admission for tonight for Local Heroes Night. So that's the one announcement I want to make. And then I have a motion. So on June 13th, I made a motion to postpone an amendment to the code of ordinances related to the Environmental Commission. And we were going to hear that presentation today in our EQPW committee meeting, but that presentation has been postponed, so I need to postpone the postponed amendment. So I move to further postpone the postponed amendments to the Code of Ordinances relating to the Environmental Commission, which were previously postponed to the work session on July 11, 2023, today, to a work session following a presentation of this item to the Council Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee. So moved. Second. And we have a second from Council Member Legree. Any questions or discussion on this item? Seeing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion passes. Good. Council Member Lynch. Thank you, Vice Mayor. I just want to uplift some of the awesome things that are going on in our city and that I got to participate in recently. In case you didn't know, July 3rd was Crown Day. I hope everyone let their hair fly free on July 3rd. Not just July 3rd, but every day. because on July 3rd was our national crown day and it meant extra special to me since we now have a crown act here in Lexington. So I hope everyone enjoyed that day in their own special way and will celebrate every day their crowns because they are beautiful. Also, I really enjoyed hanging out with the city as we celebrated July 4th in our city. The parade was simply amazing. Thanks to Parks and Recreation for doing a phenomenal job on all of the events that went forth that day. They are police, public safety, you are very present. So thank you all for being there, for staffing it, and offering a great opportunity for our city to celebrate July 4th. Also happening specifically in the second district, over the weekend on July 7th, we had an equestrian event at Madison Station Park that was sponsored by the Masterson Equestrian Trust. There were tons of horses out there, tons of events. The athletes of all ages were participating in the event and it was a national qualifying event. So those that excelled this past Saturday were going to go on to a national meet. So it was very cool to see the equestrian events up close and personal. And to see just the awesome gym that we have right in the backyard of our second district in Madison Station Park. So very cool. If you haven't been out there to enjoy the equine events, please make sure you put it on your calendar and come out to the second district and enjoy them. And then lastly, I ended up my weekend by doing a ride along with our phenomenal fire department. I got to hang out with the awesome crew of stations three and nine. They let me ride around and see up close and personal for eight hours. I was there from one to nine on Saturday, and we had a really good time. And I knew that our fire department was top notch before, but they are simply stellar. I had such a good time fellowshipping with the crew and eating dinner. They fed me very well. It was a great time, and I look forward to continuing to learn more about all the awesome things our fire department does. And I just want to give a special shout out. If you see a firefighter out in the community, just please say thank you because they do such a great service for our citizens in our community. And they do it with a lot of heart, a lot of passion, and a lot of dedication. And that ends my report. Thank you, Vice Mayor. Thank you. I will second that sentiment. Council Member Legree. Thank you, Vice Mayor. I just want to do a quick shout-out, and Council Member Lynch did a great job talking about it as well. Shout-out to our hard-working City of Lexington staff who planned and executed a fantastic series of events, a really long weekend of events over the 4th of July. And I know that many of them have the added challenge of clearing storm debris, And we're still able to pull off a really successful weekend and week of events. So thank you to everybody who's been working extra hard here in the city to keep our city not only celebrating, but moving along smoothly in every way, especially during the types of storms we've been having. That's it, Vice Mayor, thank you. Thank you. Council Member Fogle. Thank you, Vice Mayor. So our dirt bowl has started in Douglas Park that's on the lighter side. Tomorrow night, and I think we have a, we are going to dedicate a bench. One of our citizens was murdered on Upper Street over a year ago, ten-year-old landon hayes and we're inviting everyone out to the northeastern park to help us uh... dedicate this bench thanks to parks and recreation uh... commissioner forward you know that that whole team that helped to uh... get this speech we will be dedicating that at seven p m we would like to invite everyone out to that dedication in the northeastern Park so I wanted to put that up. Council members received a notice in their mailboxes so please come out and just lift up and be with the family and share some of this part of the dedication to a life that was snubbed out way too soon, 10 year old. He attended Ashland Elementary School And so we're hoping that that family members of the Ashland School will come out and help us dedicate this bench. The other thing is I just have questions. While I was in my absence, I believe the council dedicated $443,000 to the outreach program to house folks who are on the streets, which has resulted in some business owners and their properties and private citizens and their properties. Some of their behavior has not been above board. They have also been in the storm, during the storms, without a place to be housed. And I am educating myself on the fact. And so I guess, Charlie, if you could come up. I have been working tirelessly with organizations and folks like the Hope Center and the Lexington Rescue Mission and the Salvation Army, trying to find a way. I know that this is dedicated funds, if I'm not mistaken. I was informed that the Community Action Council can only house 32 units, and we have been working with community to see if there is a way, and this could be a further discussion that we can have, but I am really, like, my heart is breaking. Because most people go home in different directions. My home is in direct line to 3rd and Elm Tree and up 3rd Street and out Georgetown and all of our districts. We are having a chronic homeless situation. And so even to think that we're going to give this money back to the federal government is breaking my heart. Because we don't have providers to distribute the money. Is there a plan that you have? And I know you're working tirelessly also on such a plan. I just want to know, where are we? I know 30 days have passed, and just an inkling of that money has been spent. Is there any providers that's willing to take on this project so that we can get well over 400 people that I know of, all the way from 3rd to Brandon Crossing, across Russell Cave Road, across Valley, out in Valley and out in all over Lexington? Is there something that we need to do or what is the plan? I think it's important to understand the background of these funds and what they can and can't be used for. The funds that the council appropriated back in, I think it was June, are HUD ESG COVID funds. They were, they're not, this is not ARPA funds. This is federal money from HUD that was allocated in 2020 as part of the response to the pandemic. We provided those funds to various organizations. New Beginnings was one. Mountain Conference of Care was one. and several others a couple of those the two that I mentioned did not spend all their money they did not because these funds are notoriously difficult to administer and to spend there are very few organizations in the city that will even accept them very few that will accept our money and that's a national problem the ESG program is just onerous HUD needs to address that we realized late spring that these organizations they told us hey we're not gonna be able to all these funds by August 31st which is when they had to be spent and returned to us if they weren't spending them. So they gave it back. We had another $200,000 in savings from administration because we had long-term vacancies within LOPCG so we were never able to fill all of our positions. So that's where the 443 comes from. It's already money that was not spent. So we received these funds back and we got together and said what can we do to spend as much as possible and make sure that these funds don't go unused because i'm with you last thing i ever want to do is give a dime back to anybody um what we came up with was a response that would help some of the folks you're talking about to the extent that we had the resources available about resources i don't just mean money i mean an organization that'll take the money and an organization that has the existing staff to administer the money because there was not time in the three months remaining to staff up and build an infrastructure and all the things you would normally do to run a program of that scale community action we were very fortunate we already had an existing arrangement with them for street outreach they agreed to take this on they agreed to do up to 32 units of housing in hotels for people who are prioritized because as you mentioned there's more than we can serve way more so there's a prioritization process that includes people with mental health challenges people who are fleeing domestic violence various populations and they are able to serve up to 32 units which currently they've actually exceeded that as of today they were at 37 and that is just units that's not people the number of actual people being served is well over 60 i think it was 65 give or take they have to spend all this money by august 31st that's a hard hard deadline there's no exceptions it actually has to be returned to hud on september 30th and we need 30 days to close it out to get everything paid cancel checks together all the things that have to be sent to hud to show how the money was spent in 30 days is pushing it we usually go longer but we in the interest of getting as much spent as possible we gave them up to august 31st so all that all that to say just give to give you the context to say we're doing the best we can with the resources we have had we not done this all of the money would have gone back which was not acceptable to me so that's why we came up with this but I think we are probably serving as many people as we can with the money we have and the staffing and the organizations we have that are actually able to administer these funds because you can't with these federal funds you can't just go pick someone up off the street and put them in a hotel ESG requires a full intake they have to be entered into the HMIS database there has to be a file that documents their their homelessness and proves they're homeless not my rule it's a dumb rule but not my rule and if we don't have that we have to repay the money to hud hud just came in actually about a month ago and did a full monitoring on these programs and it's very thorough very intense and they look at all these files and if you don't have every single thing the way they want it you have to repay the money and so that's one of the reasons we have trouble getting organizations to accept these funds that's another reason they have trouble spending these funds when we give it to them uh... so that's kind of where it stands uh... we've had ongoing conversations with community action they've been excellent excellent partner on this they've stepped up as i'm and they didn't have to uh... and agreed to take on this get as many folks served as we could get yes and i wanted to give a shout out to community action but what we did the kill uh... cm she and and some of us went out and we did account so we already have documentation of who is homeless that would fit under the hood definition. So we got those numbers, we know who those people are, and they're out here on the street. We know that. So that part is out of the way. So we have providers who come to the council every year asking us to give them money for street outreach. But these are the same people who are not taking on this project to spend as 443. The guidelines that I have read, because I've been digging into this for the last five days, and meeting with certain people for the last five days, two and three hours at a time. So I know, we know the people are there. We know that they would fit underneath that guidelines. We have prioritized the mothers with children, the people with mental health, the people who have mobility and disabilities, and we still have this group of people. We have $443,000. Shame on any entity, including the council, that would allow this money to go back when we have qualified people that would fit underneath that. Whatever we need to do, whatever we need to twerk, we just need to work with you. Thank you for your efforts. But I want the council to know the magnitude of what is happening. If we send back $200, whatever, $5. If we send back any amount of money and you've got people defecating and breaking in and laying behind Winchester Road and out on Nicholasville Road, they're holding up signs, they're qualified individuals and we send money back. And they're still in the grass on 30 Amtree. And we still keep getting calls from our constituents saying that we have problems of homelessness. This is nothing new. This has been going on for years. I just got here. What can we do? There is no way that we should send a dime back for people who are suffering out there on those streets. So whatever it takes, we need to do it together. And I'm asking you, I am begging this council to please get these people sheltered. There is a plan, there is a plan. But you guys, please help me. It's not just First District. But if y'all don't want it, I'll spend the whole $443,000. I'll show you how to do it if you'll let me. Thank you. Council Member Fred Brown. Thank you, Vice Mayor. I just want to publicly thank everyone that shared in my grief. From my family and myself, I want to thank my city family. and council members who supported me and my family during the untimely death of my dear wife. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you. All right, next up is the Mayor's Report. Can I get a motion to approve? Second. Council Member Savigny and Council Member LaGrie, any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion passes. On to the Mayor's Report, Price Contract Bid Recommendations. Can I get a motion, please? Second. Second. We'll go with Councilmember Savigny and Councilmember Fogle on that one. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? All right, that motion passes. On to public comment for items not on the agenda. We have two speakers signed up. Rick Day, are you here? Yep. And Jean Robinson, are you here? And you are yielding your time to Rick, is that correct? Okay, so Mr. Day, you'll have six minutes. Come up, give your name and council district, please. Thank you. My name is Rick Day. I live in the third district and have worked for the urban county government for 23 years. For any urban county government employee, being topped out is a big deal. that means they are at the top of their pay grade they are being paid the maximum they can be paid for someone in their position what does it take to be topped out now remember we want to reward and retain our employees so the first thing you're going to think about is job performance and or longevity at LFU CG compensation is not based on job performance so maybe we need to focus on longevity in the mag study formula they use 30 years as the time to reach grade maximum the time it should take to top out but then they very quickly factor in your experience date so that puts most of the emphasis on the time in your current position and it all gets pretty confusing so to simplify it I want to just take a look at a few examples bear with me in 1970 I was a student at UK on a Monday morning in early May of that year I showed up at the Fayette County Parks maintenance facility at South Park I was starting a summer job doing parks maintenance. One of the first people I met that morning was Ed Cheney. Ed had started a few weeks earlier in mid-April as a full-time employee. In August I left to go back to school. Almost exactly 30 years later in April of 2000, I came back to now the urban county government. This time I was also a full employee guess who was still there Ed Cheney 20 years after that in April of 2020 I celebrated my 20-year anniversary with the urban county government guess who was still there Ed Cheney he was celebrating his 50-year anniversary and Ed retired shortly after that. Now, I can't tell you where Ed was on the pay scale when he retired, but I can tell you that after 45 years, when the first MAG study was done, Ed was not topped out. Let's look at Peter Borne. C.M. Fogle mentioned Peter in what I think was her very first work session. Peter still works for the area of county government as he has for now going on 52 years. He has been in his current position, his experience date for 18 years. He is not topped out. What about Walter Hall? Walter retired in March of this year after 47 years. He had been in his current position for 21 years. His experience day. Walter was not topped out. So what does it take to really get to be topped out? I don't know. Maybe you can ask some of the people who are. They are easy to find in a mag study. Or you can ask HR, better yet, their directors. I can tell you this, not all, but many of those who are currently topped out have not been here 20 years, let alone 50. And many have not worked here even as long as Walter and Peter have been in their current positions. so you know for walter who have to have had topped out he would have had to work another nine years for peter to top out he will need to work another seven years sorry peter do you remember a few weeks ago we talked about nathan and jason Nathan and Jason were 523s. Walter Hall was a 523. Is that what Jason Martin has to look forward to? Sorry, Jason. It is a mess. Thank you. Thank you. Before we adjourn, we do have one other item of business. Councilmember Sevigny. Thank you, Chair. I move that we go into closed session pursuant to KRS 61.8101C for the purpose of discussing proposed litigation. So moved. Second. Second from Council Member Sheehan. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? All right. We're going into closed session. We'll be back in a bit. Thank you. Thank you. We have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion passes. Councilmember Sevigny. Thank you, Chair. I move to place on the docket for the July 11, 2023 Council meeting a resolution authorizing department of law to institute condemnation proceedings in Fayette circuit court to obtain permanent and temporary easements upon portions of the property located at 287 Lafayette Parkway for Wolf Run main trunk F remedial measures projects, a remedial measures project required by the consent decree. So moved. Second. Okay we have a second from Council Member Gray. Any discussion on this motion? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion passes, and that's the end of our agenda, so we are adjourned. Thank you.