# Council Work Session - November 28, 2023 > Auto-transcribed civic record · November 28, 2023 - **Permalink**: https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/5969 - **Source video**: https://lfucg.granicus.com/player/clip/5969?view_id=14&redirect=true - **Date**: 2023-11-28 - **Last revised**: November 28, 2023 - **Length**: 12,854 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 November 28, 2023, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber at the Urban County Government Center in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Linda Gorton presiding. The meeting focused primarily on informational presentations and recognition, with three main agenda items covering a retirement recognition, a community initiative update, and a committee report. The council conducted seven motions and votes during the session and heard from two members of the public during the comment period. All three agenda items were informational in nature, including the retirement recognition of Dewey Crow, an update on the One Lexington 2023 initiative, and a report from the Budget, Finance & Economic Development Committee. ## Attendance The meeting on November 28, 2023, had strong attendance from city leadership. **Present:** - Mayor Linda Gorton - Vice Mayor Dan Wu - Councilmember J. Brown - Ellinger - Fogle - Lynch - LeGris - Monarrez - Sheehan - Gray - F. Brown - Baxter - Sevigny - Reynolds - Plomin **Absent:** - Councilmember Worley **Late:** - None Fifteen members were present for the meeting, with only one absence recorded. No members arrived late to the proceedings. ## Votes and Decisions The council conducted seven votes during the November 28, 2023 meeting, all of which passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition. **Agenda Modifications and Approvals** Vice Mayor Wu motioned to add a presentation relating to the retirement recognition of the director of building inspection, seconded by Ellinger. The motion passed by voice vote [timestamp: 00:10]. Gray motioned to approve the table of motions from November 14, 2023, with Sheehan providing the second. This procedural item passed by voice vote [timestamp: 01:30]. Ellinger motioned to approve new business items, seconded by Gray. The motion carried by voice vote [timestamp: 02:00]. **Funding Approvals** The council approved several funding-related items. Fogle motioned to approve Neighborhood Development Funds, with Reynolds seconding the motion. This passed by voice vote [timestamp: 10:00]. Vice Mayor Wu motioned to approve Council Capital Projects, seconded by Plomin. The motion passed by voice vote [timestamp: 11:00]. Sheehan motioned to approve an ordinance amending funding for the Innovative and Sustainable Solutions to Homelessness fund, with Wu providing the second. This funding amendment passed by voice vote [timestamp: 12:00]. **Meeting Adjournment** Vice Mayor Wu motioned to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Fogle. The adjournment motion passed by voice vote [timestamp: 180:00]. All votes were conducted by voice vote rather than roll call, with no recorded individual vote tallies, opposition votes, or abstentions for any of the seven motions considered during the meeting. ## Budget and Financial Actions The council addressed eleven financial items totaling over $1 million in expenditures and contract authorizations during the November 28, 2023 meeting. **Major Contracts and Services:** • **L1191-23**: Authorization to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Tetra Tech, Inc. for a Leachate Treatment System Improvement Project at Haley Pike Landfill - $859,000 • **L1189-23**: Authorization to execute an agreement with KFI Engineers for design services associated with HVAC replacement at Police Headquarters - $103,500 • **L1157-23**: Authorization to establish ProCare Services Stryker as a sole source provider for maintenance services contract renewal for all Stryker EMS stretchers and loading systems - $54,537.19 **Community Investment Projects:** • **L1160-23**: Authorization to execute a Memorandum of Agreement with Seedleaf Incorporated for a community garden fencing project using Council Capital Project Expenditure funds - $13,000 • **L1158-23**: Authorization to execute a Memorandum of Agreement with Community Inspired Lexington, Inc. for a freezer for their community pantry using Council Capital Project Expenditure funds - $2,000 **Personnel and Administrative Actions:** • **L1159-23**: Authorization to amend the Unclassified Civil Service authorized strength by abolishing two positions and creating two Police and Fire Pension Benefit Specialist positions - $8,151.99 • **L1185-23**: Authorization to accept an additional $3,675 in federal funds while reducing state funds by $6,081 from Amendment No. 2 grant agreement with the Bluegrass Area Development District **Additional Agreements:** The council also authorized agreements with no specified dollar amounts, including contracts with Ravens Youth Football Organization (L1174-23), Anthem Health Plans of Kentucky, Inc. for administrative services renewal (L1181-23), Commonwealth of Kentucky Department of Military Affairs Division of Emergency Management (L1186-23), and the United States Secret Service (L1190-23). ## Public Comment Two community members addressed the council during the public comment period. **Dotty Bean** spoke about short-term rental regulations [timestamp: 175:00]. Bean emphasized the critical importance of thoroughly communicating the new short-term rental regulations to the public before they take effect on January 11th. She stressed that proper public outreach and education would be essential for successful implementation of the new rules. **Rick Day** addressed the council's oversight responsibilities [timestamp: 177:00]. Day criticized the council for not adequately questioning administrative recommendations, particularly regarding compensation issues. He urged council members to take a more active role in representing the public interest rather than simply accepting staff recommendations without thorough scrutiny. Both speakers focused on governance and communication issues, with Bean highlighting the need for better public outreach regarding upcoming regulatory changes, while Day called for increased council oversight of administrative decisions. ## Retirement Recognition of Dewey Crow [timestamp: 05:00] The meeting included a special recognition ceremony honoring Dewey Crow for his distinguished 36-year career in public service. Mayor Linda Gorton presented a proclamation officially declaring November 28th, 2023 as "Dewey Crow Day" in recognition of his dedicated service to the community. Crow served as Director of Building Inspection during his tenure, playing a key role in ensuring construction safety and code compliance throughout the jurisdiction. His 36 years of service represents more than three decades of commitment to public safety and municipal operations. The recognition took the form of a formal proclamation, which serves as an official acknowledgment of Crow's contributions to the community. Mayor Gorton presented the proclamation during the meeting, with Dewey Crow in attendance to receive the honor. This agenda item was informational in nature, serving as a ceremonial recognition rather than requiring any formal action or vote by the governing body. The proclamation represents the community's appreciation for Crow's long-standing service in building inspection and his role in maintaining public safety standards through proper code enforcement and inspection procedures. The retirement recognition reflects the standard practice of honoring long-serving public employees who have made significant contributions to municipal operations and community welfare throughout their careers. ## One Lexington 2023 Update [timestamp: 20:00] The One Lexington team presented updates on their community initiatives during the November 28, 2023 meeting. Key speakers included Davyne and Kenneth Payne, who outlined several ongoing programs and partnerships. The presentation covered three main areas of focus for One Lexington's 2023 efforts: • **Trauma-informed care support** - The organization has been working to provide specialized assistance to community members dealing with trauma-related issues • **Crisis response adjustments** - One Lexington has made modifications to their crisis response protocols and procedures to better serve the community's needs • **Faith-based partnerships** - The team highlighted new collaborations with religious organizations specifically aimed at supporting victims of gun violence Kenneth Payne and Davyne provided details on how these initiatives have been implemented throughout 2023 and their impact on the community. The faith-based partnerships represent a significant expansion of One Lexington's support network, leveraging existing community relationships to reach those affected by gun violence. The trauma-informed care component reflects the organization's commitment to addressing the underlying psychological impacts of violence and crisis situations in the community. Meanwhile, the crisis response adjustments demonstrate One Lexington's adaptive approach to meeting evolving community needs. This was an informational presentation with no formal action items or decisions required from the meeting participants. The update served to keep stakeholders informed about One Lexington's progress and current programming as they continue their community-focused work. ## Budget, Finance & Economic Development Committee Report [timestamp: 12:00] Councilmember James Brown presented the Budget, Finance & Economic Development Committee report to the council. Brown reported on the committee's recent meeting activities and decisions. The primary item discussed was the committee's approval of an ordinance to increase funding for homelessness prevention programs. Brown provided details on this funding increase, though the specific dollar amount and funding source were not detailed in the available materials. The committee report was presented for informational purposes, with no action required from the full council at this time. The approved ordinance regarding homelessness prevention funding will presumably move forward through the legislative process following the committee's recommendation. No other committee business or agenda items were mentioned in Brown's report to the council. --- ## Decisions - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve the November 14, 2023, Work Session summary - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve New Business - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve Neighborhood Development Funds, November 28, 2023 - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve Council Capital Projects, November 28, 2023 - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve an ordinance amending ordinance no. 072-2023 to change the designated funding for the Innovative and Sustainable Solutions to Homelessness Fund from an amount of “at least $750,000.00” to an amount of “at least .3%” each fiscal year - **Motion** — passed (0-0): place on the docket for the December 5 Council meeting, a resolution expressing intent to accept Maddox Lane as a public street, such acceptance being contingent upon completion of street improvements; subject to sufficient funds being appropriated for this purpose; and contingent upon the recording of a plat to dedicate Maddox Lane as public right-of-way - **Motion** — passed (0-0): place on the docket for the December 5 Council Meeting, a resolution designating the speed limit on East Tiverton Way as 25 miles per hour, designating the speed limit on Camelot Drive between Wilson Downing Road and Belleau Wood Drive as 25 miles per hour, and authorizing and directing the Division of Traffic Engineering to install proper and appropriate signs in accordance with the designation - **Motion** — passed (0-0): adjourn at 4:30 p.m --- ## Full transcript Music Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Well, it's three o'clock, so I'll go ahead and welcome everyone and call this council work session to order on November 28th, 2023. And the first item is a motion from the vice mayor. Thank you, Mayor. At the request of administration, I move to add the presentation to today's work session under continuing business and presentations relating to the retirement recognition of Dewey Crow, director of building inspection, so moved. Second. Council member Ellinger seconds. I wonder if Vice Mayor and Council Members, we might put that first in the presentations, Since there's a fairly significant list there, I know he'll want to go back to work, right? Yeah, I'm okay with that as a friendly amendment. Okay, very good. Any questions? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes, thank you very much. And the first, the next item is public comment for issues on the agenda, and we do not have anyone signed up for issues on the agenda. So there is no docket and no rezonings, and we do have a table of motions from November 14th, 2023, if I could have a motion to approve. Thank you, Council Member Gray, second by Council Member Sheehan. Are there any questions? Comments, changes? All right. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. That motion passes. We have no budget amendments. We have no budget adjustments. We do have new business. Motion approved. Thank you. Second. Council Member Ellinger and Council Member Gray seconds. If you have questions, please log in. And first up is Council Member Ellinger. Thank you, Mayor. Number C, please. Okay, that is Director Walters. Hi, Director. You sent out an email kind of explaining this, but if you would, just for the audience and everybody here, just because we had this discussion a while back, and it looks like you all have come to a resolve that everybody can be good with. And if you could explain to us, please. Yes, sure. So the Police and Fire Retirement Fund Board has two LFUCG employees that serve as their administrative staff. And the board wanted to provide those two employees with an increase earlier this year. And the amount of the increase was prohibited because of the maximum of the pay grade that one of the employees would have been up against. So the board had an organizational subcommittee that took this item to the full board for approval, and basically what they've asked is to change the classifications for those two employees and update their pay grade to a grade that would be outside of the unified pay plan, and then that would provide them a range that would be appropriate in their mind for these positions. and then allow for that pay increase. And the pension board, they were all on board with this, and everybody was happy? Yes. Okay, thank you. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Everybody's happy. Any other? Okay, we have Council Member Plumman. Thank you, Mayor. And this is for Kay, for Kathy. And Ms. Carey, there you are. I just had a quick question because obviously the Haley Pike Landfill is in the 12th district and we have a nearby neighborhood that's very interested in everything that goes on out there. Can you explain what this is so I can answer questions at best? Sure. We're under an agreed order with the state for some violations related to some of the pollutants that are in our discharge permit out there. And as part of that corrective action plan that accompanies the agreed order, we have to, we've done a series of tasks, and we're sort of getting to the end of that group of tasks, which is to design remedies to fix the leachate management system so that we can bring those parameters back into compliance with the permit. And this covers the design of those, the design remedy, and then we will proceed to construction after that. And it should all be wrapped up by the end of 2025. That's great, there's no expansion at all. No, no, no, no, no, it's just fixing the existing leachate management system. Okay, I'll know the answer when asked. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Councilmember Gray? Thank you, Mayor. letter K. Okay, there you go again. So you mentioned it was the items here are in regards to remedying violations from the past. What were those violations? I believe it was ammonia and nitrogen, I think, that we were out of compliance with. And was that the EPA that gave those violations? With the state. For the state. The state issues our permit for that facility. And then once this project ends, will that cease? Will that be the end of it? Will everything be remedied? It should be. I mean, we anticipate that the options we've selected to implement will take care of those permit violations. Over time, though, the permit changes, and so if permit limits become more stringent or they add parameters that we aren't currently monitoring for, there is always that chance that we may be out of compliance with future permits. But once this is implemented, we do feel like we will be in compliance with the current permit. Thank you. You're welcome. Letter A. It says, this is Chief Wells. Thank you, Chief. This item states that it's to purchase or stretchers and loading systems. How many or So we currently have about 20 of the stretchers and the power load systems. They're like little self-contained vehicles. They're pretty complex. And this just extends the warranty for several years. We've got a number of them that are starting to age out. We're working on a replacement plan. But as sort of a stopgap, we need to make sure we've got that warranty coverage for a few more years. Excellent. And is it 20 stretchers and 20 loading systems or just 20 total? I believe it is a set, so it would be 20 total. Thank you, sir. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Are there any other questions about new business? All right. All those in favor of approval, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. Thank you. Those items pass, and now we'll go to the recognition. All right. Will Dewey Crow please join me at the podium as he's coming forward? I'll remind everybody he is our director of building inspection. I'm sure no one forgot that, right? Come join me. Hi. How are you? Good. Good. After 36 years of service, I think I've known you for 25 of those. At least. Well, at least. We've worked together quite a bit over my 36 years. He is retiring. And in November of 1987, Dewey was hired as a code enforcement officer. And after working his way up the ranks, he was officially named Director of Building Inspection in August of 2005. Dewey has been critical in the development of many initiatives that are very important to our community. He oversaw the paper to digital conversion for the planning review and permitting process, the implementation of our contractor registration program, and the re-implementation of the zoning enforcement program. And that's just to name a few. Dewey, we want to thank you for your dedication and many years of service. Over 36 years, you have helped make Lexington a safer place to live for our residents, and that is outstanding accomplishment. A funny story, I met Dewey and Doug Doolin, some of you will remember Doug Doolin, the same time on the elevator, and I never could keep you straight for about three years. But Doug rode a motorcycle, remember? Yes, he did. I don't ride a motorcycle. No. So anyway, I want to thank you for such wonderful work. and wish you a happy retirement, and I want to issue this proclamation for you. Whereas Dewey Crowe has been a dedicated public servant in Lexington for 36 years, and whereas Dewey began working for the city in November of 1987 when he was hired as a code enforcement officer, but was that really 2000? No, that was really that date? Okay, got to check it. Code enforcement officer one, now more commonly known as a building inspector, that name changed. And whereas from 2002 to 2004, he served as deputy director of the division of building inspection and was named acting director of building inspection in August of 2004. And whereas Dewey was named the permanent director of building inspection in August 2005, and whereas during his tenure as director he designed and oversaw the implementation of the city's contractor registration program, the HVAC permitting and inspection program, as well as the zoning enforcement program. And whereas we thank Dewey for making our community safer for our residents during his many years of service and we wish him a very long and happy retirement. Now therefore, I Linda Gorton, Mayor of Lexington, do hereby declare November 28, 2023, Dewey Crow Day in Lexington. Thank you so much. Really appreciate it. Thank you. If that's for you, would you like to say a few words? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I will just say that when I started 36 years ago, I had no idea that I would be here 36 years. I was looking for a position that would make use of my education and my construction background. and when the building inspector job come up I thought well I'll try that out I can probably but I can probably meet and make some contacts there and move on to something else but a few months in there with building inspection I realized this I like it here I like doing this job I like working with the folks I'm working with I like the fact that it's it's a public safety job and we're helping people have better homes, property, and it really appealed to me. So there's kind of an old, there's an old adage that used to say, if you enjoy what you do, then you'll never work a day in your life. It's not quite true, but there were days that made up for the good days somewhat, but it was more good than anything. And it's been a wonderful career. And I want to thank the council, many of whom I've worked with, several new faces on there that I haven't had the opportunity to work with. But I've worked with quite a few council members over the years, and you all have always been supportive of building inspection. I've always felt that you understood generally what we did and wanted to support and were given it. and i appreciate that and i appreciate uh uh mayor's support and their administration and all the the commissioners that i've worked with over the years but i thank you all and um it's been a good career i can't imagine it worked anyplace else thank you do you want to get a picture council here you go take this with you Yes, sir. Thank you. Thank you. All right, thank you so much. And next, I'll entertain a motion to approve the neighborhood development funds. Councilmember Fogle moves, Councilmember Reynolds seconds. Are there any questions? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. I'll also entertain a motion to approve the capital projects for council. So moved. Vice mayor moves, and I heard a second. Council member Plowman. Any questions? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All right, is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. Now I'll turn it over to Council Member James Brown for his Budget Finance and Economic Development Report. Thank you, Mayor. The Budget Finance and Economic Development Committee, September 26, 2023, Summary and Motions. The meeting began at 1.04 p.m. The first item was the approval of the August 29, 2023 Committee Summary. First, the committee unanimously approved of the August 29, 2023 committee summary the Office of Homelessness Prevention and Intervention Ordinance Update. Council Member Sheehan introduced the Office of Homelessness Prevention and Intervention Ordinance Update. The funding increase is needed because community needs are greater than current funding. The amendment would increase designated funding to the Innovative and Sustainable Solutions to Homelessness Fund to at least .3% of revenue each fiscal year. A motion by Councilmember Sheehan to approve an ordinance amending ordinance number 072-02023 to change the designated funding for the Innovative and Sustainable Solutions to Homelessness Fund from an amount of at least $750,000 to an amount of at least .3% each fiscal year. On behalf of the committee, I so move. Second. Council Member Sheehan seconds. Are there any questions? All right. All those in favor, say aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. That motion passes. Items referred to committee, cryptocurrency, percent for art fund, and the Office of Homelessness Prevention and Intervention ordinance updates were removed from items referred, and the committee adjourned at 1.35 p.m. That concludes my report out. Mayor. Thank you very much. Are there any questions, Council Member Brown? All right. We'll move right along then. Next is our One Lexington 2023 update by Divine Karama. And Council Member Jennifer Reynolds wanted to say something first. Thank you, Mayor. I wanted to introduce Mr. Karama. This item is an item in the Social Services and Public Safety Committee, and we have Mr. Payne here as well. And they requested an update a little sooner than usual, and so they will be presenting to all of council today about just some things that they have been working on and changes from their last update. So welcome and thank you for your work and everything you do in our community. No problem. Thank you, Council Member Reynolds. I appreciate the opportunity. we've been doing a lot of really good work this year with our community partners and we just felt we wanted the opportunity to come and just kind of update you on some of the new stuff I think you all are well aware of the work that we do our mission statement and I've been told by multiple people that I have to keep this to 15 minutes so I'm gonna go ahead and and get started So when we first started back in the summer of 2021 with our youth engagement, we kind of jumped right in to building relationships with a lot of young people who were in the cycle of violence at the time. But I think one thing that we kind of, in hindsight, misstepped on was we really needed to invest in trauma support. A lot of the young people that we were working with, building this relationship with, had a lot of untreated trauma. And that is something we really didn't fully recognize until about a year into our work. And so obviously the way the funding cycle goes and kind of once you get the ball rolling, you are kind of stuck to that mission and to that path. But we are learning that supporting families and young people who have been impacted by gun violence is going to be huge moving forward. So one thing that we did this past summer, our It Takes a Village summer program, We usually do some skill building on Tuesdays. On Thursdays, we usually do something fun. This summer, we switched up just a little bit, and we added a new component on Tuesdays. We collaborated with Andrews Brothers Counseling, which is a counseling service. Three brothers from Charlotte, North Carolina, but they now reside in Lexington, Kentucky. And they focus on youth engagement. And so they came in with our summer group every Tuesday to do kind of a trauma-informed care support group. They talked about mindfulness. They kind of created a space for them to open up. And we just realized kind of our shortcomings as a staff, but then even our crisis response advocates, that what these kids needed from a trauma standpoint, we just couldn't provide. So bringing them in during the summer really, really helped in regards to our young people who were dealing with trauma. The other thing is it created an opportunity for parents to get more extensive counseling for their children if they requested it. And so we're looking forward to bringing them back in the summer. but I think what we've seen now that our in-school mentoring program has started is that we also need that same support for our in-school mentoring program, specifically for that population who's been directly impacted by gun violence. In our schools, we've got a great partnership with Fayette County. They do a really good job, but we're talking about a very small amount of students who need some extra support, and we feel that we can make an investment to provide that. So these kids are getting it all year long, not just during the summer. And so obviously some trauma-informed care training for our staff, our crisis response team, as well as our community partners. We got to sit in with the Lexington Police Department surviving onward sessions this year, which was super impactful. It's kind of a safe space for families who've been impacted by gun violence to come and just kind of talk about what they're going through, get updates on cases. but just a safe space for them to just share. I think moving forward as we talk internally about the budget for next year, we want to make more investments in spaces for mothers and families who've been impacted by gun violence. And, Kenneth, you want to do a crisis response? So, let me go. Hold on to all one minute. So initially, our crisis response was just to have some type of response to incident, gun violent incidents that would happen in our city and our community. So we would respond directly to the family that was impacted. Then we transitioned to responding to the communities. And this was just, you know, just want to give some type of response, show that we care. But as we was going out, we realized that we were starting to have more conversations with family around trauma that they were experiencing. And so we decided to be a little more strategic in going out. We would have people that would come out with us. And so when we first start, we would let them know, you know, if you see a family or if you see an individual who you think might need a little extra services or feel like something might be a little off, come find us. Give us a heads up and we'll go. So in particular, and actually I think it was from this picture we see here where we had Councilwoman Gray out with us. One of the individuals, the volunteers went to a house, gave a food bag, gave resources, and then came back to us and was like, one of the individuals in the home over there, I think they might need a little more help. And so we was able, me and Devine, walked up to the home, had conversations with the young man, come to find out that he had been shot in a different neighborhood maybe a month or so ago and hadn't been receiving any services. Didn't really know where to look, where to go. so we was able to have more in-depth conversations with him. So with our crisis response, we're just trying to be a little more efficient in ways that we can help and open up resources for people in our community. And along with that, several months ago, we had some churches reach out to us to see how they can help and be a part of the work. So several of them collaborated. We had a couple of meetings with them. And from that, some of the members, leaders in their churches came out with us to do some of our neighborhood engagement walks. And also, they have offered some of their services here recently. We had a mother and a family, three kids, who were looking to move somewhere else, didn't meet deadlines. So they had to move back into the home that they were in, which was rat infested. So they lost literally everything, clothes, furniture, everything was lost. So we were able to reach out to Southland through this partnership, and they have a warehouse where we was able to go free, no cost to us, be able to get all the furniture she needed in her home. Bed sets, dressers, tables, kitchen tables, everything she needed, and she was truly grateful for that. So through these partnerships, we're able to give help with resources, other families, along with the resources that we financially give. But these partnerships have opened it up a little bit more where the community can play a part. And we're looking to add more faith-based organizations to this alliance as well. And one thing I'll add to that is one of the churches has actually created a survivor fund for families who've been affected by gun violence. I know that's a huge part of our budget. But also there's some red tape around government funding and certain things that we can fund and that we can't. For example, maybe a funeral cost or legal cost. And so when some of these other community partners step up, like a couple of these churches have, an offer to cover costs for things that we can't, it just extends the help, the umbrella of help and support that we can give to some of these families. And so we're seeing more and more churches step up. And I think as we've kind of been in this longer, we're able to find places for them to come. Because I think a lot of churches want to help. They just don't know how. And so we've done a better job of being able to put them in certain places to where they can be beneficial to our strategic plan. And so the next thing I wanted to talk briefly about is our downtown peacekeepers initiative. This is something that we talked to our crisis outreach advocates about for months before we kind of decided to go ahead and do a pilot and kind of see how it worked. we were getting more and more calls from parents, from bar owners, about the number of juveniles who've been hanging out downtown from midnight to 3 o'clock, as young as 12 or 13, riding scooters, brandishing firearms, engaging in conflict, stoking conflict, hanging out in bars that are around bars that serve alcohol. And so we were trying to figure out the best way that we could engage, And so we came up with the downtown Peacekeepers Initiative where one Lexington staff is crisis response team. Some mental health specialists would go down from midnight to three in the morning and just kind of engage young people. Obviously, we are not deputized in any way. We're not down there to enforce. We're not down there to bother anybody. We just want to go down there and engage juveniles. And we kind of wanted to see how this first time went to see if this is something moving forward that we wanted to do. And I got to be honest, I think it's a need. When we went out there that night and Council Member Sheen was present with us, we had young people coming to us in tears, begging for mental health services. We had young people saying, hey, can you help me to get home? We broke up fights. There was actually gunshots the night that we were down there, and we had to help police with crowd control. There were several groups of young people who were trying to fight the police that night, and we were able to get in between and stop those altercations from happening. So I definitely feel there's a space. As long as we got that many juveniles downtown, I feel that there's a space. But I think we got to go back to the drawing board. We've had conversations with LPD to figure out how can we support them? How can we stay out of their way? We've talked internally as a team. Who needs to be present when we do these downtown peacekeeper initiatives? We engaged one young lady before I move on. She was a college student in the U.K. She had never experienced gun violence before. And she was intoxicated, and the shooting had just happened, and she was just kind of wandering around. and we asked her if she needed help and she specifically said I don't she's like please don't touch me I don't want to talk to anybody unless you are a licensed mental health specialist and you know ironically enough Leonard a licensed mental health professional was with us and so he immediately went to her was able to talk to her calm her down and provide services for her moving forward and so i really feel like this is something that we could do moving forward i just think we need to go back to the drawing board and make sure we're doing it safely and in a way that is in collaboration with with other entities that are downtown the next thing and i'm not going to spend too much time on this but one thing that we've kind of noticed in our work now that we're about two and a half years in is in in the medical field they use a term called continuum of care, which is kind of this comprehensive, layered support system for patients in a hospital. And we are starting to see this in many of the families that we work with. So many of our initiatives are running into each other. And I'll use one quick example. Most recently in our in-school mentoring program, we had a young man. And he actually texted me probably 2 o'clock in the morning and said, hey, Mr. Devon, I've been shooting it out with this guy for about two, three years. Every time we see each other, it's on site. Last year, I got locked up because of possession and this, that, and the third. And me and him been beefing, and I just wanted to end. My friend got shot and killed. I don't want to hurt anybody. I don't want to die. I don't trust anybody but you. my only relationship with this young man was in our summer program which then turned into our in-school mentoring program which turned into an opportunity for me to mediate a beef between him and another young man and it possibly could have saved their life but that's just because of the relationship that was built through the programming and we see that so much where all these programs are starting to run into each other but one thing that we are trying to move from is from continuum of care and services to continuum of opportunity. And that's where we've been working a lot. We're starting to talk a little bit more with Tiffany Brown in our office because a lot of her work really speaks to some of the root causes of gun violence. And so how can we connect these vulnerable young people to more opportunity as opposed to just continuing to mediate and provide services? services. A quick update on our no cap program which stands for nurturing or creating alternative pathways and this is free programming for youth that have been directly impacted by gun violence or have parents that have been incarcerated and so right now we're serving 30 youth we partner with four different organizations this is also a pilot it's been highly successful we look to incorporate more programs into this initiative because every kid doesn't want to play basketball or box or make a rap song. We want to get some computer coding, agriculture, and some other things into this program to expose these young people to something different. We recently did a survey for all of the survivors of gun violence that we've worked with since the summer of 2021. I think about 38 families have responded to the survey or 38 individuals when we created this presentation. And you can see some of the things up there. 40% of them had lost a family member to gun violence. The one that sticks out to me is 70% of the survivors that we work with. Other family members have been directly impacted by gun violence. And one thing I want to highlight because we're running out of time. But these three things, and this is from the words of survivors, these are the three things that they need most. Consistent communication. How do I turn that off? Okay. Yo, I got a headache. There's your 15 minutes. 15 minutes, okay. Just if I could be allowed. Consistent communication. More mental health resources and financial support are the three things that that's not out of our mouth. That is straight from the survivors that we work with. But consistent communication is number one. They just want somebody to know that we care about them and that they're valued. Thank you all. Yes, are you willing to take questions if there are questions? No, ma'am. Yes. Yes. Does anyone have a question? Council Member Gray. You all right? I am great to see you. Thank you for all that One Lexington does in Lexington. You know, last time you were here, I grilled you. But I've been out on the streets with you. For one of your new, which we were walking in on Anniston, which was where a shooting did take place. And we went door to door. And I just want to commend you for the work that you and your team and your volunteers are doing. It's a mighty work for people who feel lost, unseen, and unheard. And that's where it begins. because you're putting a light and giving hope to so many who have been hopeless, who have been in the midst of gun violence in a life that for us is not normal. So I'm grateful for you. Appreciate that. Now on to the questions. Yes. So I noticed that of the three churches, Are there more than three churches that are involved? Not right now. Those are the three. We've had a lot that have responded and said they want to help. But then when we get to that kind of the action part of that, tend to lose contact or hasn't been much follow-up. But I kind of put that on us. I think we just got to get better at creating a flow chart where, you know, churches are doing a lot. They're doing a lot in their community. They have a spiritual mandate that they are meeting. And so I think we're just trying to get better as a team in creating a flow chart to where they can just kind of step in. And so we're getting better at that. So I wouldn't necessarily say it's on the churches. I think that's on us as a team. But we're trying to get more involved. But we've got to create a little bit better structure for them as we learn how they like to serve because it's different. Indeed. I agree. I believe that it is a team effort, that it takes all a village in order to come together, the churches, the nonprofits, the for-profits, and government, in order to make a positive difference in our community. And it also takes our schools, which is a nonprofit. How many of our schools is one Lexington involved with? So we're currently, we have 17 groups in 11 different schools, and we are in Taste Creek Elementary School in Winburn, or excuse me, Taste Creek and William Wells Brown Elementary School. We are talking internally about possibly lowering our age purview. That's something we've been thinking about. And so we got a survey out there for parents. We've been talking to a lot of teachers. But we also got these two mentoring groups to kind of get a feel for that age group that we're thinking about lowering to. We're also serving alternative schools like the Learning Center, MLK. We have both boy and girl programs there. We're at Southern Middle School, Winburn Middle School, so we're kind of all over the city. We've extended our services to all schools, but we're just serving the ones that have reached out. And to be honest, we've had more community partners in the school building this year than ever before, and I think that that's a blessing. And so I think we actually have one or two less schools that we are serving this year because so many community partners have stepped up. And we try not to, there's no reason for us to go to Henry Clay if Urban Impact is at Henry Clay. And so we're seeing a lot of people around the city step up. A lot of partnership. I agree. You mentioned Henry Clay. I would like to also thank Kenneth Payne for going with me to Henry Clay High School last week. It was an opportunity for One Lexington to be within the public school system there. Since we're not, Urban Impact is there, not necessarily One Lexington. Of the young people that we are missing, such as the young men I went looking for, what do you foresee there being an umbrella for those that we're missing? I mean, we're not going to get them all. I wish we could, but I think the more that we continue to communicate and partner, I think we'll just keep grabbing more. That's really all I can say. Because there are going to be some that fall through the cracks, but we just got to keep communicating and working together. And thank you for, like I said before, thank you for all that you do. And we as council members are here to be a support for you as well. Thank you. Council Member Lynch. Thank you, Mayor. Devine, thank you so much for your presentation. You always give a thorough presentation, so I appreciate that. Just know that I know that you and Kenneth and Larry are Davids fighting a Goliath every day. So just know that we hear that and see that. And as Councilwoman Grace said, we're here to support you in that. And I just have a question about your slide here. Survivors said they need it the most with consistent communication and financial support. Can you get some more clarity to that, consistent communication from who, how, when, where, what, and then what kind of financial support? This is one of the things that stood out to me most, just to answer your question. 75% of the survivors that we work with were working full time before being affected by gun violence. Only 40% were working full time after being affected. As somebody who's lost a family member to gun violence, losing a trap, it just affects you emotionally, mentally in a different way. And so many have struggled to get back to work, but the bills don't stop just because you're struggling emotionally and mentally. And so sometimes it looks like helping with bills, maybe helping with rent or mortgage. Sometimes it is losing a loved one in your home and wanting to relocate because you don't want to walk past that place every day where your loved one passed away. And so sometimes it looks like that. So there's definitely a financial burden on those that have been impacted by gun violence. But the communication piece is something that we get from everybody all across the board. From the time that their loved one dies or that they've been impacted by gun violence in the years to follow. And so we have heard multiple complaints about nobody's checking up on them, seeing how they're doing. They want opportunities to come in spaces like this and speak and say how they feel. they just want somebody to to care about them yeah I mean I you know that's the main thing we get and I'll say this she hasn't said it publicly so hopefully I'm not putting her on blast but the mayor has been meeting with mothers who have lost children to gun violence privately now nobody knows that sorry sorry my bad but but the reason I bring it up is because that was something that was come number one thing that was coming out of those meetings When we did the survey, it was the number one thing. Going to the Surviving Onward sessions, they're just like, nobody cares. Nobody follows up with us. What's the update on the case? Does anybody even care? Like, everybody's life moves on. And so we are finding spaces for them to come and be heard, but we also want to create safe spaces for them to come and support each other. Because, you know, I know what it's like when everybody's life just keeps moving. and so yeah. Awesome and thank you so much. Thank you Mayor. Thank you and to the meetings they've almost become a friend group. Yeah. We saw that kind of coalesce the last mothers meeting that we had almost like a support group which is just naturally forming so it's a good thing. Yeah. Council Member Legree. Thank you Mayor. and thank you all for your presentation I think this is really informative and I think it's really remarkable the energy and the intentionality and sincerity that you all and your team and your connected volunteers bring to this work it really stands out and you know I was thinking a little bit about what you're sharing about the downtown peacekeepers I guess pilot program in a way and I know that you're in a period of uh... reflection and thinking about what works best and what partnerships are connected to this work but do you all have a sense of uh... that timeline for uh... restarting this uh... initiative or starting in a new form and then maybe a little bit more about training offered are you are you in a space to share that yet uh... so what uh... com That's why I deal with this ineptitude. No, we're thinking summer when it warms up. That seems to be once school is out and the weather warms up where more juveniles are down there. We want it to be intentional. It's not something we're doing every weekend all year long. We already have offered a series of trainings for our crisis response advocates. So, you know, conflict resolution, trauma-informed care, mental health first aid. which obviously doesn't make you a mental health practitioner, but it teaches you to kind of be aware of certain things. And so we do have some trainings in line, but I think it's also more about the intentionality of who joins us. So I think having somebody from social services with us who's equipped to respond to a domestic incident, I think the importance of having mental health advocates with us is important, as well as our crisis response team. And so I think we just need to be a little bit more intentional about who's there, making sure there's more of a focus at the beginning of each night, and choosing the nights on which we go down there. Because, again, I don't think it's sustainable for us to do it every weekend. I know my wife's not letting me. You know what I mean? But, you know, picking and choosing certain nights throughout the summer where we feel there's going to be a lot of juveniles downtown. And like I said, when we talked to the police department, there was so much that we learned from their perspective. So I think we'll be much more prepared when we do decide to launch it in 2024. Thank you. That was really helpful. Additional context. And I know from our downtown safety work group and some of the conversations we have with business owners and stakeholders in downtown of all different types, this type of additional effort and engagement is really appreciated. And anything that we can do to help get you more connected to more volunteers or other individuals who you think would really round out that group, my office is glad to help with that. Definitely. So thank you. Yeah, thanks. Thank you. Councilmember Fogle. Thank you, Mayor. And thank you, Mr. Karama. First, I'm startled by the 12-year-old that was down there after hours. It just has me to think, where were the parents or is this child raising itself? So that was startling. I also would like to let you know, inform you that Thursday nights at 530, Shiloh offers healing and trauma. Thank you for all your efforts. One thing I'd like to ask, and I know you said it's a pallet program. I know that 80% of gun violence and deaths is in the north end of town, mainly the 1st District. So it's good to hear that the pallet program, the peacekeepers, are downtown protecting downtown. But if the gunshots are in like the first district, maybe if we can fund or help you, some of that effort can move over into the neighborhoods of where the gun violence is actually occurring and where you all show up all the time and you're doing an excellent job at that. I hear parents talk about that all the time. And, Mayor, thank you for meeting with the mothers. They were meeting with detectives wanting answers about unsolved murders at Dunbar on Wednesday nights. And so I'm so glad that they were in touch with you and that has expanded. That's something really wonderful. Now, the question, how can we be supportive of you? One Lex, it takes a village, for that 17 to 29-year-old group. And we have the part of that Councilmember Lynch and Councilmember Reynolds and I are part of the task force team. And we have a meeting, as a matter of fact, on the 30th, if one of your folks can come down and be with us at the public library at 6 o'clock. We have a community group that meets that we would love for you all to be a part of. So how can we be supportive of that 17? I know you're doing prevention, but the actual folks that has the guns between the age of 17 and 29, I know that's a heavy load, and that's what we're here to help bridge that gap. How can we be more supportive of that age group with you? Okay, so I'm going to try to get to all of them. So really quick, the Wednesday nights over at Dunbar, that's actually the SOS. So that's the Surviving Onward sessions that I spoke of. Yeah, and that's over. Yeah, so that is something that's those six-week cohorts. Definitely send us information about Shiloh. We had no clue that they were doing support groups over there, so send us info on that. As far as the downtown peacekeepers, and I think this is an important learning moment, respectfully. Downtown is where a lot of the conflicts are being stoked. so it may not be where the shootings happen but it can be where the conflict starts that leads to a shooting later so we're not going there trying to put our hands in front of bullets like superman no we're trying to stop them from beefing so later on they're not in windburn or east end shooting it out also every week those neighborhoods that you mentioned were there every week we've been out with Shayla excuse me council member I've known you for a while Councilmember Gray right they've been out there so East End to Gainesway to Winburn we're in the neighborhoods every week so we're there as well but I think we got to go to the places where the conflict starts which oftentimes is in school oftentimes is downtown oftentimes is on social media and so I don't want those to get conflated because what you're saying is real but i don't want you to think we're going to save downtown no we're seeing a bunch of young people down there and a lot of conflicts happening we got video like it's a lot of conflict um ages 17 to 29 that is where we work with our partnerships we recently just got um had a meeting with parole and probation and a couple of judges want to work with us to support that very age group because it's misdemeanor court but a lot of those misdemeanors were felonies that got amended down and a lot of them is gun possession and so now those individuals will be reverted to us and now we can place them in different programs also the goodwill ignite program has been wonderful for us they do a lot of training they do job placements and there's a couple other places who are doing second chance hiring as well and so re-entry is definitely something that we want to step up but i think prevention is where ultimately we're going to make the biggest difference but partnerships is how we work with that older age group partnerships thank you thank you i'll come back council member shian thank you mayor um thank Thank you for this presentation and to all of your team for the work that you do. And I want to highlight a couple things. So first, the increasing amount of mental health care that you are connecting people with. That professional mental health care is especially important for those who have experienced trauma. So I appreciate that being incorporated to a higher and higher degree. Because I think that starts to get at the root causes that we talk about. really helping people heal like I know when we were downtown one of the things one of the young ladies that you were talking with I heard you recommend to her hey when you're ready maybe you should think about talking to somebody you know and so I appreciate those touch points that you're giving to people in the and the programmatic efforts that you have there I also want to thank you for the crisis response and community resources that door-to-door service that y'all are working on because I know that in some of the shootings that have happened in my district I have heard directly from residents that they appreciated that work I think it's meaningful and and so I want to thank you for that and then I just kind of want to say that I feel like you know you have been in this position for a few years but I think relationship building is the heart of your work yeah and it takes time to build relationships but I think think we are really seeing now the payoffs of the years even before you were in the position that you have been putting in and your team has been putting into building those relationships so we're seeing it in the growing number of community partnerships that you have in the grants that are coming through your office in these church partnerships in the increasing partnership that you have with the police department I see that those relationships really building and when I had the opportunity to see your team you and your team in action downtown, I saw the trust that you have earned from so much of the youth in our community. So, people recognized who you were and who your team was. They talk to you. They share their successes and their struggles. And you are there and your team. So, I say you, but I mean everyone that you're working with. those relationships are really going to have long-term impacts for the individuals that you're working with, but they are already having impact for our community as a whole. So I thank you for that work. I know it's hard sometimes for people to recognize what it takes to build those relationships, but I personally see it, and I thank you for that. I appreciate that. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. I'm going to jump to Council Member James Brown, and then I'll come back for your second go-round. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor, and thanks for the update, Vine. I think what you, Kenneth, and Larry are doing in the community, along with all your volunteers, is noticeable. I think we all see a change. And I appreciate the fact that you pointed out the need for trauma. After circling back and doing the work and knowing that there's a need that needed to be addressed, it just shows that you're continuing to improve on a regular basis your program and services so i just wanted to reiterate my support i think this council through their actions have shown their support and we appreciate everything that you're doing to make our community safer so thank you thank you mayor thank you and i'll skip to council member reynolds who hasn't spoken yet thank you mayor um i just really want to say how impressed i am with your whole team similar to what council member shian said about compared to where you started and where this program was when it started to where it is now is a huge difference and i think in the beginning it was hard to know you all have always been doing so many different things with so many different initiatives it's hard to piece it all together but this year in particular i've seen it all come together and how it's impacting our constituents. And I saw that firsthand this year with instances in my district and you all coming to meetings, walking door-to-door, and just what a big impact it's making. When we talk about gun violence, it's a really hard subject, and it's hard to figure out what the best response is. And I've just been really impressed, and I want to thank the mayor as well for her work on this and your participation in the gun violence task force that I formed. I think that your all's voices at those meetings have really helped guide some of the recommendations that are going to come out of that, and I'm hoping that they will help support your work and then community partners' work as well. Also seeing how I feel like you all have gotten into a rhythm of how to work with the community partners, And that's very impressive, those relationships, once again, being built. So I wanted to thank you and just echo my support for everything that you all are doing. And I know you're trying to grow and have more Latino representation as well and reach out to that community, which I really appreciate and want to help in any way that I can. And so I hope that as we move forward and as the recommendations of the Gun Violence Task Force come about in the next few months, that we will be able to put more resources towards preventing and then dealing with gun violence. Thank you. And if I could, just to briefly respond, I think the biggest thing for us is how do we continue to amplify our community partners, because I think that's been the biggest difference this year, to be honest. Like, our community partners have bought all the way in. And I always say this, that, you know, councils change and mayors change, but the community is always there. And so everything can't be wrapped up in what One Lexington is doing because it could change. And so we're seeing the community really, really rise up. But I think the thing that we've got to be careful with is this continuum of care and services that has to go into continuum of opportunity, which, again, I know I brought her name up before, but the work that Tiffany is doing is really shining light on some things for us. And I think when we get to the root causes of what we're dealing with, there has to be more opportunity for some of these young people, for some of these communities. And so that is where we're pivoting towards next. But they have to be prepared to receive that opportunity, which is why trauma support is so important. But we as a city have to create that opportunity or remove those barriers to opportunity for some of these communities. Or in another 10, 15 years, I promise we'll be right back here again. That's a really good word. I appreciate that. Yeah, I think as we look forward, we need to look closer at what opportunities we can be providing as a city. And I just wanted to state how important I think it is for our residents who are dealing with gun violence to know that their city cares about them. And I think we're on the right path to communicate that, and you all have been doing a good job of communicating that. So thanks again, and once again, for your work with the partners. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you. Council Member Gray. Thank you, Mayor. Mr. Devine. Yes. I just wanted to come back and say I've noticed since the last time you and I, we were both here and I was speaking with you, I asked you some questions and you did the work. I was excited to go to your website and see that the nonprofits, those that you're working with, are now on the page. I just want to say thank you yet again to know that you are doing the hard work. You and your team are doing the hard work, as well as our community partners who are out there in the schools, in the community. and going along with you in the walks and being downtown, showing up even when it's cold. It's a partnership. It's a teamwork effort. It's team effort on all scales. So thank you. Appreciate that. Thank you. That finishes all the questions. So Devine and Kenny, thank you so much. I thank Larry, who's not here, because I know you work as such a great team together. Appreciate you. All right. Now it's time for council reports. Council Member Gray. Thank you, Mayor. Chris. first of all last time we were here I mentioned that we the great sixth district had two schools that were going to regionals I want to say congratulations to the Frederick Douglass high school football team for your efforts. Unfortunately, they did not come on top. However, I've spoken to several football team footballers who said, hey, it's nothing. We're going to come back stronger next year. And that's attitude that we all need to hear because we're all going to fall down sometimes and but we got to get back up. That's a lesson learned. And come on now. I just got to say, and congratulations to the Bryan Station High School defenders, the kingdom of the north side. Let's see, what else can I say about that great school? It's that we win at Bryan Station. And what happened is the Bryan Station football team won regionals and is now going to be going to state. We'll be playing this weekend at, it's not Commonwealth Stadium anymore. What is it now? Poker Field. Whatever. That other school's stadium. And it's going to be basically a high school reunion for all defenders who will be there to support the Bryan Station football team. We're so proud of you. I'm so proud of you. It's a generational thing. We're looking at J.T. Haskins, who is the gentleman wearing three. I went to school with his father, who in 1999 won the last state title, I think, for Broad Station High School. So this is in whose JT is also coaching. His dad is coaching them right now. So it's a generational, it's a family thing. So congratulations to the Defenders. Pride of the North Side. Defender Kingdom. Or in some people's call, Station Nation. Moving on, last week I was back at Henry Clay High School. This time I took not only Kenneth Pate of One Lexington, who is an alumni of the Kentucky State University, I took Dr. Acapa with me and his leadership because students voiced to me that they were interested in attending Kentucky State University, But they didn't know how to get there. And I said, that's nothing but a phone call for me. So we made it happen. Everyone went there and gave the students a lot of great info on what to do for the next steps and how to receive a free education. We all love free and a valuable education. And thank you to the students at Henry Clay for inviting me to your Friendsgiving. And the buffalo chicken dip was amazing. then I was also I was all up in Fayette County Public Schools I had the pleasure of reading to the second graders at Yates Elementary School it's a pleasure to be in the sixth district and speaking with our young people they were very inquisitive and asked awesome questions it's always a pleasure for me to be in a classroom and to be around students. And just earlier today, I had the pleasure of being invited to the Dixie Magnet Elementary's Etiquette class. At Dixie, they do a lot of out-of-the-box training and learning. the students traveled to Malone's for their final on etiquette where we were they instructed me basically how to behave properly at a dinner table in a formal setting a great conversation it's always great to be with the students at Dixie Magnet Elementary because they do things that are out of the box at no school in Fayette County Public Schools is doing. But thank you, and I hope to see all of you all in your green and gold, ready to cheer on, including Glenn Brown, at that stadium downtown, rooting on Bryan Station High School. Thank you, Council Member Plowman. Thank you, Mayor. Council Members, this morning I sent out an email telling you that I was bringing forward And this is going to be a resolution that's going to be on Thursday, docket. And it's about Maddox Road that we talked about when we were in our fund balance and how we want to fix this road and we need to make it public. So I'm going to go ahead and make a motion now. I will move to place on the docket for the December 5th council meeting, a resolution expressing intent to accept Maddox Lane as a public street. Such acceptance being contingent upon completion of street improvements, subject to sufficient funds being appropriated for this purpose, and contingent upon the recording of a plot to dedicate Maddox Lane is public right of way. So moved. Second. Council member Fogle seconded. Are there questions? All right, all those in favor say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? That motion passes. One other thing, today kicked off the Good Giving Campaign, and I know the mayor was there, unfortunately. And some of the council members, I had a conflict and I couldn't get there. But I think that's one of the coolest things that we do in our community. And I commend Bluegrass Community Foundation and Smiley Pete. This is now in its 13th year. It's raised over, I believe, and Mayor, you probably know this, I believe it's getting close to 20 million. And when I checked the scoreboard, it's about half an hour ago. It's going over a million right now. And so it's kicked off this morning at 9. It goes till, I think it's Friday. But what time? Do you remember if it's 1130 at night? I think it's almost midnight. Yeah, I think it is almost midnight. So as a community, we all come together and we support 195 agencies. Go through them. I'm sure there's some that you're passionate about, or at least their causes, and donate. This is a great collective effort that just shows our caring capacity as a community. So I wanted to bring everybody's attention to that. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Councilmember Fogle. Thank you, Mayor. And thank you, Councilmember Gray, for bringing up Bryan Station. I share her enthusiasm and congratulations to Bryan Station. And you are certainly true about rich athletes and dedicated athletes. J.T. Haskins and J.T. Haskins Jr. happens to be my nephew, my brother's children, and my grandson also, DeJure, is on that team. So we were a bit cold in Bardstown at Ballard, but we stuck it out. And they truly, truly came back in a fashion that I was so excited about. So I wanted to say thank you with that as I shared that enthusiasm. Also, I don't have photos, but if you all have not driven up Loudoun Avenue to see Hope Village, please do so. It is the housing, the winter housing for the unhoused folks. I just received a text message about 40 minutes ago that said 30 more beds are needed. And that means that the capacity for men at 120 and the capacity for women at 120 have already been met. And they are putting 30 extra beds in the warming shelter. So thank you, Commissioner Lanter. Thank you. I don't see Jeff. I wanted to say that. Ms. Sally, Mayor, Council, for acknowledging that there is a crisis in Lexington. And those are some folks that we won't be reading about that has frozen on our streets because of lack of housing. So I'm so excited about that. If you haven't read it or seen it, just put in Hope Village on any television news channel and the Hurl Leader and folks who report out, and you will see how so many lives are being changed. So I wanted to raise that up. And on Thursday, I know you're sitting on the edge of your seat because you want to see the rest of LTMS. we will show the rest of that video that we saw prior before we ran out of town. But I hope everybody enjoyed their Thanksgiving. And just in case some of you are going on early vacation, Merry Christmas to you. That's my report, Mayor. Okay, thank you. Council Member Menoros. Thank you, Mayor. I have a motion. I move to place on the docket for the December 5th council meeting a resolution designating the speed limit on East Hiverton Way as 25 miles per hour and designating the speed limit on Camelot Drive between Wilson Downing Road and Billowood Drive as 25 miles per hour and authorizing and directing the Division of Traffic Engineering to install proper and appropriate signs in accordance with the designation. So moved. Thank you. Is there a second? Second. And this is an area that is... Member Worley seconded. This is an area that is exclusively residential. The residents of this area have been asking in both roads to designate this as 25 miles an hour. On Camelot Drive, for example, it is only this small stretch of road that is 35 miles an hour currently. The rest of it is already 25 miles an hour. And unfortunately, it is this section that is mostly multi-family housing. There is an assisted living facility on the corner of Bellawood and Camelot Drive, which is Sayer Christian Village. And there's dozens of kids that walk to school from Camelot onto Southern Elementary and Southern Middle School. Q, is there any other discussion? Vice Mayor Wu. Thank you, Mayor. Council member, I saw your email come through right before our meeting started and I didn't get a chance to really look through it. So I'm actually kind of curious about this subject in general just in terms of like the process of it. When we change speed limits, are there particular triggers that come from either studies or anything like that from either traffic engineering or anybody else? Or is that just discretionary from a council member where we can change the speed limit based on public input or other measures? It could be either or or a combination of. I've been meeting with constituents since I took office back in January, and I've been meeting with traffic engineering since June on this. There are different levels that need to be passed with our NTMP process, for example, that could warrant it. Or if warrants aren't met, this is another way of going about making these changes. So in my meetings with traffic engineering since June, this is an area where specifically Camelot where it may not necessarily meet warrants. But Director Neal had comments where this is an area where he would not be opposed to making this type of change. because of the density in population there, because it is exclusively residential, because there is the assisted living facility, for example, and because of the high number of pedestrians in that area and more than not the children that go to school in that area. Okay, so- And this is a way of kind of fast forwarding this process in order for this change to take place in a timely manner. Okay, so it didn't meet particular sort of like their internal measures, but considering other factors, it's a way to do it. Is that correct? Okay, cool, thank you. And it sounds like it connects pieces that are already 25 miles per hour. Is that what I heard you say? That is accurate. On both sides of Camelot, it's already 25 miles an hour. It is just this small stretch that is 35. It seems like it's a little bit of an unusual situation. If I recall most situations, there's a petition process and a traffic engineering study if it isn't a situation like this. Has there been a study? I'm sorry? Has there been a study? I believe the last time it was over two years ago, so that hasn't been updated. But with the current... But what was the finding of that study, though? I don't know the specifics of then, but right now with especially the understaffing that we have in traffic engineering and the wait times with even moving forward with something like that, I decided to move forward with it in this manner. Are there other questions? All right. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. That motion passes. Councilmember Reynolds thank you first I wanted to mention that Sunday evening several of us were downtown for the tree lighting and the festivities and even though it was a little bit rainy it wasn't too too cold and so it was a nice time. I talked to several constituents and they were having a really fun time. We were even taking selfies. And I enjoyed the singers and the mayor. And I think there's a picture that I really love with Santa. I always love the part where they turn the lights on. See, that's one of my favorite photos. I love it. It's so great because it captures the excitement of the beginning kind of of the holiday season and so I really appreciate the just everybody that was involved. The downtown Lexington partnership and Baird and LG and EKU that helped sponsor it. The DLP really did a fantastic job so i just wanted to mention that um first off and thank everybody that was able to come out and um second of all um i am placing in the social services and public safety committee an ordinance that is prohibiting the sale of dogs and cats by retail pet stores i know that there are several of you that are interested in working on that as well so we can And if you are interested on it, I don't think it will be a lot of work behind it. There's a lot of things already ready, but we'll look at that in the new year. And just let me know, let my office know if you're interested in that. And that's all I have. Thank you. Council Member LeGree. Thank you, Mayor. Yeah, this past weekend's tree lighting was very festive and a lot of people turned out despite the rain. So that was heartening. heartening and I just wanted to remind everybody in terms of downtown festivities that I hope that you'll join us on December 2nd so that's Saturday at 11 a.m. for the downtown Lexington Christmas Parade. I know that some of my colleagues have gotten emails about it from the downtown Lexington partnership and they do a wonderful job putting it on but the parade will feature a variety of different organizations and bands and floats and of course Santa. Santa's been so busy he was at the good giving guide challenge this morning even so he'll be there and the parade will be on main street starting at midland avenue and ending at mill and i just wanted to say one other thing i know that we're about to go into a long night this evening so i want to proactively thank my colleagues for joining us those of you who are able to at the the zone change hearing i know that's a huge commitment um and i really really appreciate you so thank you thank you mayor thank you council member civigny thank you mayor um i had uh just a few things we uh at station 20 um that's the station that has the all the lights and the and the music council member baxter and i had the pleasure of partnering partnering with the fraternal the final order of firefighters in station 20 to kick off their annual light show. I want to thank the human being for donating tons of coffee and hot chocolate for the event. We even had a Grinch, yes, even though the weather wasn't the best. We did have tons of people to come check it out and I wanted to thank Vice Mayor Wu and Vice Mayor Wu's wife for joining us. So swing by 20, station 20 at 3001 Arrowhead and with a new unwrapped gift and tune your radio to 91.1 and enjoy that show. Next up, we have station 12, just a reminder. Station 12, another fire station in the 10th. This Friday starting at 530, we're having a big event with hot cider and chocolate from good food, donuts and cookies from Donut States. And we gather to see the lights at 630. Lafayette strings and choir will be there on hand for some entertainment starting around 530. And afterwards, the Bluegrass Youth Ballet will hold a sneak preview of the Nutcracker at their studio across the street from station 12. And then lastly, if you're unable to attend any of these events or I just want to give to the Fraternal Order of Firefighters Toy Program. Do you have the QR code there? Scan the QR code on the screen, it will eventually show up. And it's the easiest way to buy directly from Amazon, and it will be shipped directly to the North Pole. You can also visit lfdf, I'm going, there you are. to learn more about the program and shop online. And also the chief was with us, I forgot to mention him. He was with us at station 20 with the Grinch. So a huge thank you to the Fraternal Order of Firefighters for their continued work on this toy program and all the annual events that they do to support it. Thank you so much. Thank you. That concludes the council reports, and there's no mayor's report or price contract bids. So that brings us to public comment for issues not on the agenda. And the way this works is I'll call your name, and if you'll come to the podium, please. And you'll need to restate your name and your council district, and you'll have three minutes. And we have first, Dottie Bean, and second, Rick Day. So, welcome. Dottie Beam, I'm in the 8th District. Council members, at the preceding committee meeting, we were glad to hear you reminding the administration of how important getting the word out to the public will be between now and January 11th when the new law goes into effect on short-term rentals, commonly known as Airbnbs. We wholeheartedly add our voice to yours in asking that this is thoroughly communicated, not just to stakeholders such as owners, operators, rental companies, neighborhoods, but to the entire community, including those who do not use any kind of electronic media. We need this oversight in this community, and the more we know about how this is being handled from the ground up, the more we can make sure this new business provides a service to the community and is not a drain on law enforcement and other services, as has happened in other communities. We're glad to see that it will be funded, that there will be sufficient funds to enforce its... I'm sorry, my writing is terrible. To enforce it without taking taxpayer funds to do it. We ask the city to use its entire system of communications, information, and not just let this be on the website, but really and truly try to get this information out and also to people on how to complain if the Airbnb ends up being a problem for their neighborhood. Once again, the relevant date is January 11th, and we hope to be hearing a lot more about this then. Thank you. Thank you very much Rick Day. Welcome. My name is Rick Day and I live in the third district. Soon after the urban county council unanimously unanimously approved the reallocations of a group of engineers I sent an email to every council member. I questioned not only why they were done, but how they were done. Then Vice Mayor Steve Kaye was the only one to respond. He acknowledged that these decisions are always controversial and that while Council has to sign off on these changes, except in extreme situations, we rely on the recommendations from the administration. I would think that a compensation issue that gives substantial benefits to a select group of employees adds over $229,000 of reoccurring debt to the residents of Fayette County and was recommended with no explanation, though maybe not extreme, would warrant a little more discussion. Obviously not. To this day, I still have not been told why they were done. Have you? Have you asked? So what happens when the administration knows that council will sign off on just about anything they recommend, especially compensation issues? well obviously you get wrecked they obviously the administration recommends unexplained reallocations then they recommend a study by the management advisory group the mag study that's generated so many questions that they had to bring the consultant back into attempt to try and explain it. You still sign off. It created so many negative comments that they had to immediately set up an appeal process. Then I think there was a second appeals process. I guess they were trying to get it right. They need to keep trying. Then you get to second part of the mag study nobody understands it because apparently nobody can explain it maybe we should bring the consultants back in I'm still not sure if an answer to question or race ethnicity or gender factors and employee salaries but I'm sure the administration expects council to accept it why wouldn't they you were not elected to represent the administration if you are here to just sign off on whatever the administration recommends you probably don't need to be here if you are here to just sign off on whatever the administration recommends you should not be here thank you thank you that brings us to adjournment do I have a motion thank you vice mayor councilmember Fogle all those in favor say aye thank you very much we are adjourned Thank you.