# Council Work Session - August 29, 2023 > Auto-transcribed civic record · August 29, 2023 - **Permalink**: https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/5898 - **Source video**: https://lfucg.granicus.com/player/clip/5898?view_id=14&redirect=true - **Date**: 2023-08-29 - **Last revised**: August 29, 2023 - **Length**: 5,360 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 Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened on August 29, 2023, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The council addressed 10 agenda items during the session, covering a range of municipal business including zoning matters, budget issues, and administrative approvals. The council took 11 votes throughout the meeting, approving several key items including requested rezonings and docket approval, budget amendments, new business items, continuing business and presentations, and the mayor's report. No public comments were received during either of the designated public comment periods - one for issues on the agenda and another for issues not on the agenda. The meeting followed a structured format with both informational items and action items requiring council approval. Budget-related matters featured prominently on the agenda, with both budget amendments requiring approval and budget adjustments presented for informational purposes only. The session concluded with council reports and the mayor's report, providing updates on ongoing municipal activities and initiatives. ## Attendance All council members were present for the August 29, 2023 meeting. **Present:** • Mayor Gorton • Vice Mayor Wu • Councilmember Baxter • Councilmember Ellinger • Councilmember Gray • Councilmember Lynch • Councilmember Sevigny • Councilmember Sheehan • Councilmember James Brown • Councilmember Fred Brown • Councilmember Chuck Ellinger • Councilmember Jennifer Reynolds • Councilmember Kathy Plomin • Councilmember Reynolds • Councilmember Plomin **Absent:** None **Late:** None The meeting achieved full attendance with no absences or late arrivals recorded. ## Votes and Decisions The council conducted eleven voice votes during the August 29, 2023 meeting, with all motions passing unanimously. **Meeting Procedures** • [00:30] Councilmember Ellinger moved to approve the meeting docket, seconded by Councilmember Gray - **Passed** • [06:00] Councilmember Gray moved to approve the August 22 council work session motions, seconded by Councilmember Sheehan - **Passed** • [31:00] Councilmember Fogle moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Councilmember Gray - **Passed** **Financial and Budget Items** • [07:00] Councilmember Ellinger moved to approve budget amendments, seconded by Vice Mayor Wu - **Passed** • [12:00] Councilmember Sheehan moved to approve neighborhood development funds, seconded by Councilmember Reynolds - **Passed** • [14:00] Councilmember Plomin moved to approve council capital projects, seconded by Councilmember Sheehan - **Passed** • [29:00] Councilmember Plomin moved to approve price contract bid recommendations, seconded by Vice Mayor Wu - **Passed** **Administrative Actions** • [02:00] Councilmember Sevigny moved to place on the August 31, 2023 council meeting docket a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an order form with Go Goff Inc., seconded by Vice Mayor Wu - **Passed** • [09:00] Councilmember Ellinger moved to approve new business items, seconded by Councilmember Baxter - **Passed** • [28:00] Councilmember Sevigny moved to approve the mayor's report, seconded by Councilmember Reynolds - **Passed** **Future Planning** • [18:00] Councilmember Reynolds moved to place the Woodward Heights Residential Parking Program on the September 19th work session packet for public comment, seconded by Councilmember Sheehan - **Passed** All votes were conducted by voice vote with no recorded individual vote counts or dissenting votes. ## Budget and Financial Actions The council approved multiple contracts, grants, and financial agreements totaling over $2.8 million in expenditures and revenue. **Infrastructure and Transportation** - **L0823-23**: Authorized installation of three speed tables on Dallas Avenue for $13,500 - **L0827-23**: Approved a participating agreement with Ceragon Networks, Inc for radio equipment totaling $420,000 - **L0851-23**: Contracted Crawford, Murphy & Tilly for $172,836 to verify and recalibrate traffic signal clearance intervals - **L0859-23**: Authorized W-T Group, LLC to conduct a comprehensive update of the LFUCG ADA Transition Plan for $200,000 **Emergency Services and Public Safety** - **L0846-23**: Approved purchase of two used Ferno iNX stretchers for $73,242.60 - **L0857-23**: Established O2X Human Performance as a sole source provider under a $336,000 contract - **L0858-23**: Accepted $217,000 in federal funds from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's Office of Highway Safety **Community Services and Grants** - **L0852-23**: Approved Amendment No. 2 to the grant agreement with the Bluegrass Area Development District for $46,675.34 - **L0855-23**: Renewed a Purchase of Service Agreement with the Children's Advocacy Center of the Bluegrass for $50,000 - **L0856-23**: Continued the Home Network Project at the Family Care Center with $711,152 in grant funding to the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department **Property and Legal Services** - **L0861-23**: Authorized the sale of 1565 McGrathiana Parkway to Metro Employees Credit Union for $578,250 - **L0862-23**: Contracted Thomson Reuters for online legal research services at $25,924.64 - **L0837-23** and **L0853-23**: Approved agreements with no budgetary impact for a utility easement release and an amendment with Lexington Children's Museum, respectively ## Public Comment - Issues on Agenda [timestamp: 00:00] During the public comment period for issues on the agenda, no members of the public came forward to address the governing body. The meeting proceeded without any public input on the items scheduled for discussion and consideration during the session. This portion of the meeting was designated for community members to provide comments, questions, or concerns specifically related to the agenda items that would be addressed later in the meeting. However, no speakers utilized this opportunity to engage with the board or council on any of the scheduled business items. The absence of public comment allowed the meeting to move forward directly to the regular agenda items without additional input or concerns from community members. ## Requested Rezonings/Docket Approval [timestamp: 01:00] The council considered and approved the docket for requested rezonings during this agenda item. The discussion involved multiple council members reviewing zone change proposals. Key participants in the discussion included: - Councilmember Sevigny - Councilmember Gray - Councilmember Plomin The council members engaged in deliberations regarding the various rezoning requests included in the docket. While specific details of individual rezoning cases were not provided in the available materials, the discussion centered on the formal approval process for zone changes within the jurisdiction. Following the discussion among the council members, the docket was approved, allowing the rezoning requests to move forward in the municipal review process. The approval represents the council's formal endorsement of the proposed zone changes as presented in the docket. **Outcome:** Approved ## Approval of Summary [timestamp: 06:00] The council considered approval of the summary from the August 22 council work session. Councilmember Gray and Councilmember Sheehan participated in the discussion of this agenda item. The council voted to approve the summary of the August 22 council work session without recorded debate or concerns raised during the meeting. **Outcome:** Approved ## Budget Amendments [timestamp: 07:00] The council considered budget amendments during the meeting, with discussion led by Councilmember Ellinger and Vice Mayor Wu. The amendments were presented to the council for approval as part of the regular budget management process. The council approved the budget amendments as presented without recorded opposition or significant debate. No specific details about the nature, scope, or dollar amounts of the amendments were captured in the available meeting materials. **Outcome:** The budget amendments were approved by the council. ## Budget Adjustments - For Information Only [timestamp: 08:00] Budget adjustments were presented to the meeting participants for informational purposes only. This agenda item did not require any formal action or voting by the governing body. The presentation provided an overview of necessary budget modifications, though specific details about the nature, scope, or dollar amounts of these adjustments were not captured in the available meeting documentation. As an informational item, the adjustments likely represented routine administrative changes to the budget that fall within the authority of staff or had already been approved through other processes. No formal discussion, debate, or concerns were recorded regarding these budget adjustments. The informational nature of the presentation suggests these were standard budgetary modifications that the governing body needed to be aware of but did not require their approval or input. Since this was presented for information only, no formal outcome or action was taken on this agenda item. The budget adjustments stand as presented, serving to keep the governing body informed of current budgetary status and modifications. ## New Business [timestamp: 09:00] The council addressed several new business items during this portion of the meeting, with the agenda item classified as a resolution that ultimately received approval. Councilmember Ellinger and Councilmember Baxter served as the primary speakers for the new business discussion. The session focused on multiple financial authorizations that required council approval, though specific details about the individual items and their monetary amounts were not detailed in the available materials. The discussion proceeded through the various financial matters requiring authorization, with both Councilmember Ellinger and Councilmember Baxter participating in the presentation and deliberation of the items. The nature of their specific contributions to the discussion, including any particular concerns raised or support expressed, was not captured in the available summary materials. The council ultimately approved the new business items presented during this session. The approval encompassed the financial authorizations that were brought forward, indicating that the council found the proposed expenditures or financial commitments to be appropriate and necessary. The new business segment represents a routine but important function of the council's work, addressing financial matters that require formal authorization to proceed. The successful approval of these items allows the relevant departments or initiatives to move forward with their planned activities or expenditures. ## Continuing Business/Presentations [timestamp: 12:00] The council addressed continuing business items related to neighborhood development funding and capital projects during this portion of the meeting. Councilmember Sheehan and Councilmember Reynolds served as the key speakers for this agenda item, presenting information about proposed neighborhood development funds and council capital projects to their colleagues. The discussion focused on the approval of funding allocations for various neighborhood development initiatives and capital improvement projects under the council's purview. While specific project details and funding amounts were not detailed in the available materials, the presentations covered multiple initiatives designed to benefit local neighborhoods and infrastructure. The council ultimately approved the neighborhood development funds and council capital projects as presented. The resolution passed without significant recorded opposition or extended debate, suggesting general consensus among council members regarding the proposed funding allocations. This agenda item represents part of the council's ongoing work to allocate resources for community development and infrastructure improvements, with the approved funds and projects moving forward for implementation. ## Council Reports [timestamp: 16:00] Councilmembers provided updates on various community and council activities during the council reports segment. **Key Speakers:** • Councilmember James Brown • Councilmember Gray • Councilmember Reynolds The council reports served as an informational presentation where councilmembers shared updates on their recent activities and community engagement efforts. This agenda item provided an opportunity for elected officials to inform the public and fellow council members about ongoing initiatives, meetings attended, and other matters relevant to their council duties. The reports were presented in a standard format, with each participating councilmember taking time to share their updates with the council and public attendees. This type of agenda item is typically used to maintain transparency about councilmember activities and keep the community informed about various projects and initiatives being pursued by individual council members. No formal action was taken during this segment, as council reports are informational in nature and designed to facilitate communication between councilmembers and with the public about ongoing council-related activities and community engagement efforts. ## Mayor's Report [timestamp: 28:00] The council reviewed and approved the Mayor's Report during the August 29, 2023 meeting. The report included price contract bid recommendations that required council approval. Councilmember Sevigny and Councilmember Reynolds were the key participants in the discussion of this agenda item. The report was presented as a resolution requiring formal council action. The specific details of the price contract bids and the nature of the recommendations were not detailed in the available materials, but the item was categorized as part of the mayor's regular reporting to the council on municipal business matters. The council ultimately approved the Mayor's Report, including the price contract bid recommendations contained within it. No significant concerns or opposition were noted during the discussion of this item. The approval allows the recommended price contracts to move forward as proposed by the mayor's office. ## Public Comment - Issues Not on Agenda [timestamp: 30:00] During the public comment period for issues not on the agenda, no members of the public came forward to address the board. The meeting proceeded without any public input on matters outside of the scheduled agenda items. This portion of the meeting was informational only, as it provided an opportunity for community members to bring forward concerns or topics not specifically listed on the day's agenda. However, no speakers utilized this time to present comments or raise issues for the board's consideration. --- ## Decisions - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve the Thursday, August 31, 2023 Council Meeting docket - **Motion** — passed (0-0): place on the Thursday, August 31, 2023 Council Meeting docket, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute an order form with GoGov, Inc. for Citizen Request Management software system subscription at a cost not to exceed $14,400 in FY24 with annual increases not to exceed 7% in future years and further authorize the Mayor to execute any documents related to any future renewals of such order form subject to sufficient funds being appropriated in future years - **Motion** — passed (0-0): place on the Thursday, August 31, 2023 Council Meeting docket without a public hearing, an Ordinance changing the zone from a Professional Office (P-1) zone to a Commercial Center (B-6P) zone, for 1.04 net (1.04 gross) acres, for property located at 2717 Flora Fina St - **Motion** — passed (0-0): place on the Thursday, August 31, 2023 Council Meeting docket without a public hearing, an Ordinance changing the zone from an agricultural Rural (A-R) zone to an Agricultural Buffer (A-B) zone, for 50.10 net (50.68 gross) acres, for property located at 300 Canebrake Dr - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve the August 22, 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, August 29, 2023 - **Motion** — passed (0-0): amend Neighborhood Development Funds, August 29, 2023, to add an allocation of $350 to the Garden Meadows Neighborhood Association - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve Council Capital Projects, August 29, 2023 - **Motion** — passed (0-0): place on the Tuesday, September 19, 2023 Work Session docket, a resolution authorizing the Woodward Heights Residential Parking Permit Program - **Motion** — passed (0-0): amend committee item to evaluate the innovative and sustainable solutions portion of the affordable housing fund ordinance, moving the item from Social Services & Public Safety Committee to Budget, Finance, and Economic Development 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): adjourn at 3:38pm --- ## Full transcript All the riches, baby, one man can claim Well, I guess you'll say What can make me feel this way? My girl, my girl Talking about my girl My girl, talking about my girl I've got sunshine on a cloudy day with my girl. I've even got the month of May with my girl. Talking about, talking about, talking about my girl. Ooh, my girl. That's all I can talk about is my girl. At first I was afraid, I was petrified, kept thinking I could never live without you by my side. But then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong, and I grew strong, and I learned how to get along. and saw your back from outer space. I just walked in to find you here with that sad look upon your face. I should have changed that stupid lock. I should have made you leave your key. If I'd have known for just one second you'd be back to bother me. Oh, now go. Walk out the door. Just turn around now. Because you're not welcome anymore. Weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye? You think I crumbled You think I lay down and died Oh no, not I I will survive Oh, as long as I know how to love I know Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We'll be right back. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Welcome everyone, it's three o'clock. So we're going to go ahead and get started and I'll call the meeting to order. This is the August 29th, 2023 Lexington Fayette Urban County Council work session. We have a quorum. And so the first item, we do not have anyone signed up for public comment. So we do have a docket, if I could have a motion to approve. So moved. Second. Council Member Ellinger moved. Council Member Gray seconded. Are there any motions for the docket or any changes? I think we have a couple zone changes that may need motions, huh? Or not. Okay. All right. Who's logging in here? We've got under ordinances. Council Member Savigny? Thank you, Mayor. I move to place on the August 31st, 2023 council meeting docket a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute an order form with GoGov, Inc. for citizen request management software subscription at a cost not to exceed $14,400 in fiscal year 2024 with annual increases not to exceed 7% in future years and further authorize the mayor to execute any documents related to any future renewals of such order form subject to sufficient funds being appropriated in future years. So moved. Thank you. Is there Vice Mayor Wu seconds? Are there questions? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? All right. Thank you for that. Are there any other, does anybody have anything for these zone changes? Usually we do. There are two on ordinances. Council Member Gray? Yes. I moved to place on the docket item 9 an ordinance changing the zone from professional office P1 zone to commercial center B64 zone for 1.4 acres for property located at 2717 Flora Fina Street, a portion of, without a public hearing. Okay. Second. Thank you. Council Member Ellinger seconds. Are there any questions, comments, or anything about the motion? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. that passes councilman did you have anything else okay councilmember plowman thank you mayor um i had lost my sheet here but i think i can just say i i moved to place number 10 this is the pln m 23 0008 and this is the sarah college it's a zone amendment from ar to agriculture buffer Bay Abie zone for 50.10 net, 50.68 gross acres for property located at 300 Canebury Drive. Without a hearing, so moved. Second. Thank you. Council Member Baxter seconds. Any questions about that? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. Are there any other items for the docket? Okay. All those in favor of approving it as amended, please say aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? All right. That motion passes. Thank you very much. Could I have a motion, please, to approve the August 22nd Council Work Session motions? So moved. Council Member Gray and second by Council Member Sheehan. Any questions about those motions? They're in your packet. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, those pass. Budget amendments, could I have a motion to approve? Second. Second. All right, Council Member Plowman moved. Vice Mayor Wu seconded. If you have questions about budget amendments, please log in. Council Member Gray. I, thank you, Mayor. I have a question regarding Jay. This is budget amendments. Oh. They're pages three through five. Okay. Anyone else, anybody have a question on budget amendments? All right. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. That motion passes. Then we have the budget adjustments for your information only. And then we come to new business. Council Member. Second. Thank you. Council Member Ellinger and second by Council Member Baxter. now council member gray did you have a question on jay okay no thank you mayor um i have a question regarding jay um chief wells thank you for your time i just wanted to just get some more information about this program thank you very much for the the question so this is a really really neat opportunity for us and and for those of you who have spent much time with me you know that one of my three tenets is the holistic wellness and health of our firefighters so we were fortunate enough to receive a grant just under a half million dollars from the federal government and that was directly written to allow us to bring in a company that specializes in in holistic health and wellness so these seminars and there's going to be approximately seven of them throughout the next year year and a half are not only focused on physical health and there is a fair amount of flexibility and job-related functionality and things like that but we're also introducing our firefighters to things like mindfulness nutrition yoga some of the non-traditional ways that we can take care of each other it should be noted that it's not going to be limited to fire we're also reaching out to some of our public safety partners and corrections and police and allowing some spots in there for them as well oh that sounds like a wonderful program thank you for that information that is all thank you thank you chief councilmember Reynolds thank you mayor I have a question for item H yes I just wondered if either Commissioner Armstrong or chief weathers could explain to the public a little bit more about about this program and what the money is going to. Or Commander Brother, welcome. Welcome. Yes, so on item H, I was just curious if you could explain to the public a little bit more about where the money is going to and what program work as children's advocacy this is this will be doing a little more so several years ago the children's advocacy center actually when i was the lieutenant over special victims and we handed all physical and sexual abuse investigations to children in fayette county they reached out to us and we supported them in their work of doing comprehensive services for victims of child sexual assault so are there advocates for children that have experienced sexual assault? Physical and sexual abuse of children and so they are a comprehensive center that can deal with medical investigations, forensic interviews, and also family therapy. Okay and it's all at no cost to any of the victims. That sounds wonderful. So this is a partnership? Correct. It is us supporting the work that they do and supporting our investigations. Okay that That sounds great. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Thank you. Council Member Sheehan. Thank you, Mayor. I just would like to state for the record that I need to recuse on item N due to my affiliation with University of Kentucky. All right. Thank you. Council Members, are there any other questions about new business? Council Member Sevigny. Thank you, Mayor. I just wanted to ask about the credit union, which I think is item N. And, yeah, and I'm just kind of, I'm just curious as to, this is using the land out at CoalStream, I think, for a credit union for, and I didn't know we had a city employee credit union. Oh, well, you need an orientation. no i do i do um but i'm just wondering if um if there's a like if there was truly a need for them to be located out there they did a a market study to see where they needed to be especially since they have a lot of employees that live in that general area so they'll be moving from our facility over on versailles road that they're in today and to their new building when this is done so they've been looking for a while they actually had another site picked out close by and that for reasons did not work out and so they came to see us and so this site's next by next to a and w site and it the size matches up really well. Thank you. Very helpful. Appreciate it. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Any other questions about new business? All right. All those in favor of approval say aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? All right. That motion passes. We'll move right on to continuing business, and I'll entertain a motion to approve neighborhood development funds. Thank you. Council Member Sheehan, second by Council Member Reynolds. Are there any questions? Council Member Lynch, did you have a question? I have an amendment to the NDF list. Perfect. Can I make that now? Your timing is perfect. Okay, great. I move to amend the NDF list to add on an allocation for Garden Meadows Neighborhood Association in the amount of $350. Thank you. Is there, Council Member Baxter, seconds. Any questions about that amendment? Okay, all those in favor say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that passes. Anything else for the motion on neighborhood development funds? All right, all those in favor of approval with the amendment, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. Next, I'll entertain a motion to approve the Council Capital Projects. Those are on page 30. Second. Thank you. Council Member Plowman, Council Member Sheehan seconds. Are there questions or comments or anything at all? All right. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. That motion passes. And now I'll turn it over to Councilmember James Brown for his committee report. Thank you, Mayor. Budget and Finance and Economic Development Committee, June 27, 2023, summary motions. Report out summary of motions. The meeting started at 1.02 p.m., approval of March 21, 2023, committee summary. The committee unanimously approved the March 21, 21, 2023 committee summary. Commissioner Hensley presented on this item budgeting for personnel and explained the challenges of budgeting for 3,289 full-time employees positions. Personnel costs account for half of our total expenditures across all funds. the general fund budget breaks down to 60% for $305,415,926. Let me say that again. $305,450,926 in costs spent on personnel in FY24. In summary, personnel is the largest cost to the government and LFUCG. Does not budget for staffing at 100%. Benefits are a significant portion of personnel costs. No action was taken on this item. The next item was Avalorium Taxes. Avalorium Tax is a tax based on the assessed value of an item such as real estate or personal property. The LFUCG Council has 45 days from the date of certification to set property taxes mandated by KRS. LFUCG can collect up to 4% over the statutory defined compensating rate without a voter recall or reconsideration. LFUCG taxing districts insist of general services and urban services. Special taxing districts are soil and water conservation districts, agriculture, extension services, and health department. LFUCG only receives 20% of the collected tax revenue, while the rest is allocated to the state, Fayette County Public Schools, and LexTran. and LexTran. Council will be tasked with the tax rate decision made at the August 15th work session. No action was taken on this item. The next item was Economic Development Partnership Update. Director of Business Engagement Amy Glasscock introduced the two economic development partners, Commerce Lexington and Urban League of Lexington. Commerce Lexington's primary role is to promote economic development, new business, recruitment, job creation, entrepreneurial development, minority business development, existing business retention and expansion, chief executive roundtables to maintain a database of available properties and overall business development in Lexington Fayette County and surrounding counties. The primary role of Urban League of Lexington is to serve the primary coordination and point of contact for work Lexington. FY24 funding for economic development partners is budgeted at $450,000. No action was taken on this item. The meeting adjourned at 2 p.m. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you very much. Does anyone have any questions for Council Member Brown? All right. We'll move right along then to Council Reports. So please log in. Council Member Gray. Thank you, Mayor. Yesterday in the city of Lexington, it was Steve Hamilton Day. You ask who Steve Hamilton is? He's the gentleman right there in the center. He has worked at Northern Elementary School for 38 years. He has served as the lead custodian since I was a student there at Northern Elementary. He was my custodian. And he has showed up every single day, taking only four sick days in 38 years. You know you're doing something great when the students, you can keep going, when those students right there, and that's Steve right there, those students in there are yelling, Mr. Steve, Mr. Steve, you know that you are changing lives. and I just wanted to make sure that we saw Steve. You can keep going. Steve, and just to say thank you, Steve Hamilton, who happens to be a graduate of Bryan Station High School. Just want to throw that there. And he has kept the students safe and the educators safe throughout the pandemic. He showed up at night on the weekends just to make sure their school was clean and up to standards, even above standards. So thank you, Steve Hamilton, for being of service to young people, to educators throughout Fiat County Public Schools. Thank you for being of service to me and my fellow classmates at Northern Elementary back in the 1980s. next oh yes the students were when I let them know that I was also a student at Northern Elementary School they were excited because they saw someone who was sitting in that same gym who gave their first speech on that stage you saw me standing on they saw that they too can be a city council member or a leader here in Lexington and I looked like them so they loved it And that's my little cousin. Moving on. And we're going to do a do-over in the 6th District. Previously, earlier this month, we had planned to do our first ever movie night in the 6th District. However, due to potential severe weather, we were forced to cancel or, excuse me, postpone. Well, postpone no more. This upcoming Sunday during Labor Day weekend, we are showing Super Mario Brothers and the Dixie area, which is in Eastland. Everybody is welcome. We will have food trucks. We will have fun. We will have free popcorn. So please bring your own chair. Bring a positive attitude and come enjoy the 6th District in the Eastland Parkway neighborhood. And lastly, I would like to say toodles. And thank you to our own council administrator, Stacey Maynard. As many of you all in this room may know, this is essentially this week right here is Stacey's last council meetings here in Lexington. Stacey has dealt with so much over these 12 years. and it hasn't always been great. She has not always been treated with respect that she was due because many people believe when you have a title, you can treat other people certain ways, and that should never be the case. But Stacey, I see you. You have been a help to not only myself but to the aides and to us, even though you didn't get the thanks that you deserved. You did not. But I see you today, and I'm so thankful for you, and you will do the city of Harrisburg a mighty service. The little bit that you did here in this short time that I've been here, my goodness, Harrisburg is going to be on fire. Well, not literally. Not on fire. We hope. But my kind of fire, because my kind of fire, which means it's going to be like no other. and you will do a great job because you had a great teacher over here as CAO. You're going to be the Sally for Harrisburg, and we're cheering you on, and I will be praying for you. Thank you. Thank you. Council Member Reynolds. Thank you, Mayor, and I want to echo my colleagues' shout-outs. I kind of feel like I don't know what we're going to do without you, Stacey, because you've been here for so long and you have brought so much wisdom and experience to everything that you do and been professional along the way, dealing with a lot of different personalities, but not just that, a pandemic. And you led us through that during a crazy time of Zoom meetings and working from all over the place and having to adapt. So I just also want to thank you and wish you the best. I know that you will exceed in whatever you do, and thank you for just guiding us through a lot of really difficult times. And I am excited to say that the Gulfview Neighborhood Association is being resurrected, and they will have their first big meeting tomorrow from 7 to 8 p.m. at Open Door Church. That's at 749 Addison Avenue. So if you live in the Gulfview Estates area, please join us tomorrow evening. I will be there as well. And then I have a motion to make. And I sent out an email about this just before the meeting. But I move to place on the September 19th work session packet for public comment, the Woodward Heights Residential Permit Parking Program. Is there a second? Second. Second. Council Member Sheehan seconds. Are there questions? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. Thank you. Thank you. Council Member James Brown. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Mayor. I have an item. I had a meeting with Council Member Savigny, Kevin Atkins, and some other folks in city government talking about tech recruitment and other things that we can do to encourage tech businesses and companies and remote workers to relocate to Lexington. So I want to put that item in the Budget, Finance, and Economic Development Committee. And Council Member Savigny, who is not on the committee, will probably do most of the work on that item. No, we'll work together on that. And then I also want to, you know, this weekend I had the honor of attending a pastoral installation at the church that I grew up in, East 2nd Street Christian Church. Somebody recently asked me what was one of the things that was most influential to me and my upbringing that helped, you know, to help craft who I am as a person. And my response was the church youth group at East 2nd Street Christian Church. and a fellow teenager at the time, now she's a full-grown woman, Reverend Dikea Ellery, was in that youth group, and I remember all the things that we did together to help make us the people that we are. So it was an honor and a pleasure to see her get installed into the church that we both were raised in and her to reach the height of being the first senior female pastor of that church. So it was a great honor to be there that day, and kudos to her and wish her all the success of that new role. The other thing I'll bring up is last night I was loosely watching TV and caught a snippet of the news about our division of E911 and kind of what was going on out there. And I see Director Patton, and I just want her, if she could speak to what the news reported about and the ability of the department to still meet the needs of our community while they're addressing some of the issues out there. Welcome, Director. Hello, good afternoon, everyone. So the news basically brought to light that we've had now 10 E911 employees test positive for COVID. It was a really quick uptick. Friday it started with four, and as today it is 10. and we've had two employees from last week actually return to work. So we have activated our backup center, which is at 150 East Main Street, and we're using that dually with our main location. So employees, for instance, who did not work at all last week or could be immune compromised or expecting things of that nature, We're sending them down there for really for the long haul until we see how this is going to affect everyone. Primarily, it's been everybody that works day shift that has been affected. But we have seen some people with second and third shift also test positive. But the 16 people that we hired last year that we still have this year are working and happy to do so. And the public has not seen an impact. And we're prepared to handle the situation. We've basically put all of our precautionary measures back into place. The thermometer station, the hand sanitizer, the wiping down of the workstations, and just encouraging employees. Well, thank you for that, Director. I think it's just a good opportunity to reassure the public that we're not going to miss a beat and that you all got it covered out there at E911. Yes. The funny thing about that is right after they showed that story, the very next thing that came on was a commercial recruiting for E911. Oops. So, yeah, so now thank you for that and thank you for all you do for our community. Thank you. Thank you, Director Patton. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Mayor. And the council and the council aides already know this, but I wanted to let everybody know that Sean Denny, it's kind of bittersweet here, Sean Denny is taking a new position. He is going to be the administrative office senior officer, senior to the commissioner, new commissioner of planning. And Commissioner Horn, I'm not mad at you. But Sean has just done such an excellent job, not just for me, but for the fourth floor and assisting in so many ways. Been really excited about him, about his getting a great opportunity to grow with LFUCG and a great operation and more of a senior position. So, Sean, thank you for everything. I knew you weren't going to be here Thursday night. He will be, his last day here will be on Friday, at least on the fifth floor. And I'm sure I'll be persuading him to come down on the fifth floor a few times. And then also, gosh, I'm going to say double whammy, Stacy, big news. And I'm sure we'll celebrate you a little bit later, probably this weekend next. So thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Council Member Sheehan. Thank you, Mayor. First, I want to say I had a great time attending a bingo fundraiser for the Henry Clay Marching Band. this weekend. It was a lot of fun and I want to encourage the community to look for opportunities to support your local marching bands for our high schools because they definitely have a lot of costs associated with all of the things that they do and they could use our support now when they're going into their big seasons. And then on Sunday it is Jazz on the Lawn at Ashland Estate so I'll be attending and I hope to see other folks there in the evening for that event. And then I have one item in committee that I need to make a little adjustment to. So you all know that we had our presentation from the Homelessness Prevention Intervention Office last week and I have an item in the Social Services and Public Safety Committee to evaluate the innovative and sustainable solutions portion of the Affordable Housing Fund ordinance. In consultation with the chairs of the BFED committee and SSPS, I'm going to make a motion to move that item from SSPS to our Budget, Finance, and Economic Development committee so that we can discuss it there a little sooner. So moved. Vice Mayor Wu seconds. Any questions or comments? All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. And then I also want to say thank you to Stacey. I appreciate all that you have done for me personally in this position, but then also for everyone else. You will certainly be missed, but I wish you well in your new position. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Council Member Savigny. Thank you, Mayor. And I'll jump on the Stacy bandwagon. And I want to thank you, Stacy. You were the first person who called me after I won and said, don't worry, we're going to help you all the way. And you did a great job. And I just want you to know I own property in Harrodsburg, and I look forward to calling you as a constituent. And there'll be potholes to be fixed on my street. I can guarantee it. Okay. I wanted to also talk a little bit about the ad valorem taxes because I don't know when I'll have an opportunity to kind of say some of this. But I haven't made up my mind on the ad valorem taxes yet. It's unbelievable how it's weightier on me than I thought it would be. On one hand, I think we should actually charge for the cost of service and not supplement from the general fund for different services we offer, like street lights and refuse collection and street sweeping. But I understand it could cause an unreasonable burden on property owners. So I also understand, like every other company owner I know, LFUCG has had to compete to retain our employees by offering strong compensation packages and increases over the last two or three years. And so our employee costs are rising just like everybody else's. I don't like the concept of having anything we approve subject to a recall, though, because property owners could very well get another bill. just like they did last year after the election. So I'm going to be thinking it over the next few days as we approach the second reading of this. I do appreciate the people in the administration that have really helped me understand some of the nuances of dealing with ad valorem taxes, especially as a new person. And if any of you have ideas that you're willing to share or want to share with me, my door is open. I would be delighted to have a conversation about ad valorem taxes. Thank you so much. Thank you. Any other council reports? All right. We do have a mayor's report. If I could have a motion to approve. Second. Second. Thank you. Council Member Sevigny, Council Member Reynolds seconds. Are there any questions? All right. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? All right, that passes. We have the price contract bid recommendations. If I could have a motion. Second. Thank you. Council Member Plumman, second by Vice Mayor Wu. Are there questions? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that passes. And then I want to just say a word about Stacey Maynard. So Councilmember Fred Brown and Councilmember Chuck Ellinger will remember when I started in 1999 until 2011, we had at least four council administrators. member Ellen Kershaw, we had Bill McKinney, we had Sean Gillen, we had Rebecca Langston, and I'm maybe forgetting someone, all in that short period of time. And it's a very, very difficult job to do with 15 bosses. and so in 2011 when I was vice mayor I found myself in charge of a search. You will remember this, Stacy. And so we did the search for the next council administrator and Stacy was hired. And so to be in that position for 12 years is extraordinary. It simply is because it's a tough job. And Stacey was able to handle it. And I say that very generously because, as you know, Stacey, how many council members do you suppose you've worked with in 12 years? and everyone has a different personality, and everyone expects you to do things that may not be what the others expect. And Stacy and I had a wonderful, very close working relationship. Vice mayor, council administrator, in general, things just went very smoothly. and I attribute a lot of that to you and your hard work and your willingness to get over the bumps and ignore the negative and go on. So I too will miss you very much and you are going to rock. I'm not going to say you're going to set things on fire in Harrisburg, but you will be wonderful i know it's new territory and some of it's probably i mean it could be a little scary but you've got everything it takes to do that job and so we're very proud of you and your longevity here and look forward to hearing all the good things and how you handle those civignies with their complaints. Right? So I wish you the very best of luck, and I know you will do well. You'll make us proud. Congratulations. With that, we still have no one signed up for public comments, so it's time for a motion to adjourn. All right, all those in favor say aye. We are adjourned. Thank you everyone. I just made a friend A friend is someone you need But now that he had to go away I still feel the words that he might say Turn on your hot light Let it shine wherever you go Let it make a happy glow For all the world to see Turn on your hot light In the middle of a young boy's dream Don't wake me up too soon Gonna take a ride across the moon You and me He's looking for a home Cause everyone needs a place Home's the most excellent place of all And I'll be right here if you should call me Turn on your hotline Let it shine wherever you go Let it make a happy glow For all the world to see Turn on your hot light In the middle of a young boy's dream Don't wake me up too soon Gonna take a ride across the moon You and me And home's the most excellent place of all And I'll be right here if you should call me Turn on your hot light Let it shine wherever you go Let it make a happy glow For all the world to see Turn on your hot light