Music Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. It is absolutely 6.01, so we'll go ahead and get started. I do need to tell you that if you don't have a seat, please sit down. The fire rules don't let people stand. So we have plenty of seats, I think. We need to clear the... Thank you so much. There are seats up here in the front and I appreciate it. We have overflow outside in the mezzanine. I'd like to go ahead and call to order the council meeting, Lexington Fayette Council meeting of December 7th, 2023. And we do have overflow seating for people who don't have a place to sit and there's some seats over here on the side. And the first item on our docket is the roll call. Council member Menoros? Council member Ploman? Here. Council member Reynolds? Here. Council member Sevigny? Here. Council member Sheehan? Here. Council member Worley? Yes, ma'am. Vice Mayor Wu? Yes. Councilmember Fred Brown? Here. Councilmember James Brown? Here. Councilmember Ellinger? Yes, ma'am. Councilmember Elliott Baxter? Yes. Councilmember Fogle? Yes, ma'am. Councilmember Gray? Present. Councilmember Legree? Yes. And Councilmember Lynch? Present. Thank you. Thank you, we have a quorum. And so at this time I'd like to welcome Pastor Charlotte Cox Thompson, who is the Open Door House Ministries who will offer an invocation. Welcome. Thank you. Yeah, you can stand. Bow your heads. Father, in the name of Jesus, God. Lord, we want to take the time to say thank you, God. Thank you before we ask you for anything, God. Thank you for being God and being God all by yourself. Thank you, God, for knowing all about us. Thank you, God, for being everywhere all the time and at the same time, God. Lord, we thank you for not holding our yesterday's faults against us, God, and seeing us fit to wake us up another day, God. Lord, I thank you that you love us so much, God, that we didn't deserve to be here today. We didn't deserve to wake up today, God, but it's because of your grace and your mercy, God. And I thank you for that, God, that you saw us fit to blow your breath into us one more time, God. Lord, I want to thank you for the mayor and the council and all the leaders, God, of every level, God, that are here today, God, and all the people that are here today, God. Lord, I want to thank the council and the mayor, God. I want to thank them for the work that they've done, God. I want to thank them for their hard work, God. I want to thank you for all the time that they've given to us, God. I want to thank you, God, for all the sacrifices that they've made throughout the year, God. I want to thank you for that, God. Lord, they may not hear it from us or they may not hear it from the people here, but let them know that you see it, God. You see everything, every good deed, God. And, Lord, I thank you right now. And, Lord, I pray, God, that as we go into the new year, God. Father, I pray, Father, that anything that is too high, God, anything that any walls that are up, God, any division, God, any strongholds, God, that you pull them down before we get there, God, in the name of Jesus, God. Lord, we pray for this meeting today, God, that it will be productive, God. Lord, I pray that you give your members, these members, Lord, wisdom, God, a heart of wisdom, God, that they will be able to rule with justice. And, Lord, they will rule with order, God, and they will draw in, Lord God, the more finances, more products, God, more wealth, God, into the city, God. We thank you, God. Lord, we pray, God, that you strengthen them. Lord, we pray that you hold them, Father, to a certain standard, God, that they live up to what you've called them to do, God. Let them know, God, that you've handpicked each and every one of them to be seated where they are, God. They're not here because of the vote. They're here because you chose them to be here, God. And, Lord, let them live up to what they've been called to do, God. And Lord, let them serve the people, God. Let them serve the people, God. Let them be fair. Father, let them hear the cries of all your people, God. Let them serve the needs of your people, God. Let them hear the cries of the big and the little, the white and the black. And Father, let them hear the cries of the sheltered and the homeless, God. Let them hear the cries of all, God. And let them serve your people, God. And Lord, while we pray for their work without, we also pray for them within this building, Lord God. Father, anything within this council, God, that's not like you, God, we ask you to expose it, Lord God. Lord, we pray for unity within God. Lord, we pray, Father, that they be on one accord, God. Lord, we pray, Father, that there be no big eyes and little yous within this little group, Lord God, in the name of Jesus, God. Let them know, remind them of what their purpose is, Lord God. And Lord, let them remember that they're here to serve the people, Lord God, in the name of Jesus. Let them know there's going to be times when there's disagreements, God. But let them know, God, that it's okay to disagree as long as we can come to some happy medium, God. And I ask you to help them find that, God, so that they can lead the people in the best way that they know how, God. Lord, I thank you for this opportunity. Lord, I pray that you bless them all. Lord, anything that they stand in need of, God. Lord, I pray that you provide for them, God, as they provide for us, God. Lord, I thank you. I give you all the glory. And before we go on over, God, I pray that you just allow this meeting, calmness, any emotions, Father, that rise up, Lord God, that are not like you, God. I pray that you call every emotion under your voice right now, God. In the name of Jesus, amen. Amen. Thank you very much. At this time, we have some recognitions. All right, Harding, do you want to come up and join me at the podium? He's on the ready. Harding Dowell is joining us from Lex Tran, and I believe you have some of your board members here. I do, yes. And our leadership. Yes, and leadership. Welcome. He serves as the organization's chair of the board of directors. We are also joined by members of the Lex Tran management team. And we want to thank all of you for being here tonight. For over 50 years, Lex Tran has been serving our community with public transportation services and mobility solutions. Lex Tran has grown over the years. Lex Tran now employs over 200 people and operates 25 routes and a paratransit service. Lex Tran is critical to the quality of life in our community. The organization has provided our neighbors with access to jobs, health care, and so much more. And Harding, I thank you and I thank the entire Lex Tran team for your commitment to our community. And at this time, it is my pleasure to present this proclamation. Whereas Lex Tran has been providing our community with mobility solutions for over 50 years. And whereas by providing access to jobs, health care, and quality of life activities, Lex Tran is vital to the quality of life in our community. And whereas the organization employs over 200 people and operates a fleet of over 65 vehicles, and whereas Lex Tran operates 25 fixed routes and a door-to-door paratransit service, and whereas the organization's operation is based on three pillars, including delivering a high-quality product and service, demonstrating value to the community, and managing and sustaining resources. And whereas the City of Lexington thanks Lex Tran for its many years of service to our community, now therefore I, Linda Gorton, Mayor of Lexington, do hereby declare December 7th, 2023 Lex Tran Day in Lexington. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor Gorton and the council for joining us and celebrating this. And thank you especially to Mayor Gorton for listening to my years of begging to get on this board. I'm nothing if not a transit junkie, and it's been really incredible to learn as a member of this board how vital Lex Tran and its services are to so many in our community. We are here, as Mayor Gorton said, to celebrate 50 years of serving our community with mobility solutions since December of 1973. which I think actually predates this government by one year. So in that time, having served more than 80 million miles of service, 110 million trips, not just the commutes that we all think about, but the quality of life services, the medical services that access to so much of our city is provided by LexTran. Over the last 15 years, we've invested in modernizing our fleet with battery electric, compressed natural gas, and hybrid vehicles. and just in the last five years have invested more than a half a million dollars in improvements in accessibility to our stops and stations around the city. We look forward to another 50 years of never stopping, not for wind, snow, rain, or ice, and now we can add global pandemic to that list, hopefully just once. But we are looking forward to another 50 years of service, and we are thankful to this council and the mayor for helping us celebrate. Thank you. Thank you. We'll get a picture. Let's get a photo with the council and if you're like strand come on up. I'm done. Thank you. Bye. Okay, at this time, I'd like to invite Coach Chris Grimm. I think he's out in the hall and his Lafayette's boys soccer team and Councilmember Dave Savigny to join me. I'm going to put you right up here. Okay. Congratulations. Thank you. Yeah. just fill in everybody yeah yeah I know the best high school you just make sure you tell them that I already told him I'm sorry. All right. Do we have everybody? So Chris is the head coach of the Lafayette High School boys soccer team, and the team is joining us here today. The team has just finished a great season. They are the Kentucky High School Athletic Association boys soccer state runners-up and the District 43 soccer champions, champions, as well as the Region XI soccer champions. What a season, right? It was good, wasn't it? Throughout the season, they had a 17-game winning streak, which is the longest winning streak in the history of Lafayette's soccer program. Three players have been recognized with all state honors, and team member Sawyer Trowell was named the Lexington Herald Leader, City Player of the Year. Where are you, Sawyer? In the back. Okay, he's all the way back there. Coach Grimm was recently named Kentucky's Large School Division Boys Coach of the Year. Coach Grimm, we congratulate you and your team on so many achievements. We can't wait for next season, right? He says neither can we. Now it's my pleasure to present this proclamation. Whereas the Lafayette High School boys soccer team is the 2023 KHSAA boys soccer state runners-up, and whereas the team is also the District 43 champions, as well as the Region 11 champions, and whereas the team had a 17-game winning streak, the longest winning streak in the history of the soccer program, and whereas over the course of the season, the team had 20 wins with only four losses, and whereas three team members earned all-state honors, and whereas team member Sawyer Trowell was named the Lexington Herald Leader City Player of the Year, as well as the Region 11 and the Kentucky Defensive Player of the Year. And whereas head coach Chris Grimm was named Kentucky's large school division's Boys Soccer Coach of the Year, the Region 11 Coach of the Year, as well as the Central Kentucky Soccer Officials Boys Soccer Coach of the Year. You're going to need a big wall, right? And whereas the city of Lexington congratulates the Lafayette High School boys soccer team. Now, therefore, I, Linda Gorton, mayor of Lexington, do hereby declare December 7, 2023, Lafayette High School boys soccer team day in Lexington. Congratulations. Yeah. Do you want to say a few words? Yeah. Something brief. Coach Grimm. I'll keep it brief. I just want to say thank you to the council and to Mayor Gordon for having us here tonight. This season was historic for our soccer program and for our school. But I think, you know, we're also really, really proud of the way this group represented the city of Lexington. So they did such a great job throughout the whole season. So thank you again. Thank you so much. That's wonderful. Now, I want to invite Councilmember Sevigny to say a few words, and then we'll get a picture of the team, the coaches, everybody with the council. Okay? Yeah, and I just wanted to thank you for once again bringing District 10. We have rivalries here on council, and Lafayette seems to always make the top, and it's always kind of fun to pick on the Frederick Douglass's and Bryan Stations of the world. So thank you for bringing this home for us and congratulations and I would say that anyone who can coach this large group of teenage boys, I'm very, very proud of you for doing that and guys, if you're driving on any of the streets around Lafayette, just be good to the neighbors there because they know that you're there. All right? Thank you so much. Okay, let's go get a picture. Come on. Come on. Yeah! Congrats, guys. Congrats. Good job. Thank you, sir. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Since there's 11 out there on time, good job. How many of you? I think seven of us. Seven of us. Good job. . Thank you. Thank you. All right, this is an exciting night. Is Mike Nugent here? Mike? Aha! . You're one? They were. Yes. Okay. Mike, as you all know, is our director of computer services. And after serving our city for 32 years, Mike is retiring. During his time here, Mike has been instrumental in many initiatives that have led to many shifts in technology. Gosh, you were here before there were cell phones, before there was email, before the internet. So imagine, that is experience. So just imagine the kinds of things he's had to work through and the new technologies that he has led us in. He was responsible for Lexington's internet presence in the mid to late 90s and he oversaw the implementation of the city's first email system. What year was that? 98? Yes. Around 98? Aha. So his hard work and dedication are on display when it comes to each digital interaction between the city and our community. Mike, we want to thank you for your service to our city. We wish you a long and happy retirement and now I am pleased to present this proclamation. Whereas Mike Nugent has been a dedicated public servant in Lexington for 32 years. And whereas for the last 23 years, Mike has served as the city's director of computer services. And whereas during his time here, Mike has been integral in overseeing many important initiatives and shifts in technology. And whereas Mike led the transformation of computer services from a very small mainframe data processing shop into the modern network in use today. And whereas he was responsible for Lexington's original internet presence in the 1990s, and he established our city's first email system. And whereas Mike helped organizations acquire mission-critical software for use on-premise and in the cloud, and successfully navigated the technical complexities of many projects and programs. and whereas each digital interaction between the city and our residents carries Mike's fingerprints I think that's a good thing yes and whereas we thank Mike for his many years of service and wish him a very happy retirement now therefore I Linda Gorton Mayor of Lexington do hereby declare December 7th 2023 Mike Nugent Day in Lexington congratulations Thank you. Thank you. Do you want to go over. No. Okay. Do you want to get a picture of. Okay. We're just going to do a picture with Council. You can email us. Thank you. All right, thank you very much. And now I'll ask our clerk to give second reading to ordinances. Yes, ma'am. Readiness number one, an ordinance meting the unclassified civil service authorized by abolishing two unclassified positions of administrative specialist senior grade 518 in and creating two unclassified positions of police and fire pension benefit specialist grade Z75 establishing a salary range for grade C75. With a grade minimum of 27.536 hourly and a grade maximum of 41.303 hourly and reallocating the incumbents in the department of finance effective October 23, 2023 item two. An ordinance amending the ordinance number 72, 2023 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% of each fiscal year, item three. An ordinance amending certain of the budget of the Lake-Saint-Fair-Urban county government to reflect current requirements for funds in the amount of $17,500 to provide funds for council capital projects in the division of streets and roads and appropriating and repairing funds schedule number 28, item four. An ordinance changes the zone from a neighborhood business B1 zone to a plain neighborhood residential R3 zone for 0.56 net, 0.79 gross acres for property located at 220, 224, 226, and 228. East 7th Street and 628 Maple Street, Lexington Habitat for Humanity, Council District 1, Item 5. An ordinance amending articles 111, 312, 313, 81C, 8, 82C8, 83C8, and 85C2 of the zoning ordinance to update the definitions and restrictions regarding second kitchens, accessory living quarters, and accessory dwelling units, ADUs, Urban County Planning Commission. Item six, an ordinance changing the zone from a wholesale warehouse business before zone to a Lexington Center business B2B zone for 0.1338 net, 0.1911 gross acres for property located at 416 and 418 West Maxwell Street, 214 Waller Avenue, LLC Council District 11, item seven. An ordinance changing the zone from an expansion area residential to EAR2 zone to community center CC zone for 5.64 net and acres for property located at 3320 Feliciana Lane, a portion of, and 6810 Manowar Boulevard, a portion of Meadow Oaks Farm, LLC, Council District 12, Item 8. An ordinance change the zone from a single family residential R1B zone to a plain neighborhood residential R3 zone to a minimum density or residential R4 zone for 7.556 net, 8.197 gross acres for property located at 2156, 2176, and 2184 Liberty Road, Red Draw Development, LLC, Council District 6, Item 9. An ordinance expanding and extending the full urban service district number one for the urban county government for the provision of street lighting, street cleaning, and garbage and refuse collection to include the area defined as certain properties on the following streets. Agnes Trail, Ash Rapids, Barley's Pass, Bay Sholes Drive, Butterfield Way, Buttermilk Road, Calendula Road, Cravat Pass, Dockside Park, Eden Cove, Flying Ebony Drive, Harrison Trace, Haywood Cove, Hollyhock Drive, Huntley Place, Meadowlark Road, Night Heron Way, Peak Mills Drive, Squirrel Nest Lane, Stolen Horse Trace, Twilight Shadow Drive, Loading Creek Trail, White Oak Trace, Wildflower Way, Versailles Road, and Windham Hills Drive, Item 10. An ordinance expanding and extending partial urban services district three for the urban county government for the provision of garbage and refuse collection to include the area as defined as certain properties located on Liberty Road, Item 11. An ordinance expanding and extending partial urban service district number five for the urban county government for the provision of street lighting and garbage and refuse collection to include area defined as certain properties on the following streets. Clemens Drive, Longhorn Drive, Neal Drive, Quebec Way, Retrack Road, Sawyer Court, and Shirley Drive, Item 12. In ordinance, the budget is at the Lix and Fay Urban County Government for funds in the amount of $40,000 for funds for council capital projects in the divisions of Parks and Recreation and Environmental Services and appropriating refunds, schedule number 29, AM 13. In ordinance, abolishing seven classified civil service positions of heavy equipment technician, grade 519 and abolishing three classified civil service positions of vehicle and equipment technician, grade 517 and abolishing one unclassified civil service position of project manager, Grade 520 in all in the division of facilities and fleet management effective upon passage of council. Item 14. In order spending the authorized strength by abolishing two classified civil service positions of computer analyst. Grade 521E and creating two classified civil service positions of system analyst. Grade 523E, all in the division of computer services effective upon passage of council. Item 15. In order spending the unclassified civil service authorized strength by extending one unclassified position of accountant. Grade 518N from June 30, 2024 to June 30, 2025 in the division of grants and special programs effective upon passative council. Item 16, in order demanding the authorized strength by abolishing one unclassified civil service position of administrative officer senior grade 526E and creating one classified civil service position of software developer senior grade 523E all in the division of computer services effective upon passative council. In item 17, in order submitting certain of the budgets of the Lixin-Fayre urban county government to flip current requirements for municipal expenditures and appropriating re-appropriating funds FY 2024 schedule number 27. Thank you. Thank you. Is there a motion to approve? All right, I heard, did I hear you? I heard several. Council Member Ellinger moved and Council Member Sheehan seconded. When you're ready, if you'll take a roll call vote, please. Council Member Menares? Yes. Council Member Plowman? Yes. Council Member Reynolds? Yes. Council Member Savigny? Yes. Council Member Sheehan? Yes. Council Member Worley? Yes, ma'am. Vice Mayor Wu? No. Council Member Fred Brown? Yes. Council Member James Brown? Yes. Council Member Ellinger? Yes, ma'am. Council Member Elliott Baxter? Yes, ma'am. Council Member Fogle? Yes. Council Member Gray? Yes. Council Member Legree? Yes. Council Member Lynch? Recuse from item four, yes to the rest. Thank you. All right, thank you. Those all pass and when you're ready, if you'll give second reading to resolutions, please. Item one, a resolution authorized in the Division of Fire and Emergency Services to purchase maintenance services from ProCare Services Striker, a sole source provider and authorized in the Mirror on behalf of the Mechanic Government to execute any necessary agreement with ProCare Care Services Striker related to the to work and rent at a cost to receive $54,537.19, item two. A resolution authorizing directly on behalf of every kind of government to execute an agreement related to council capital projects expenditure funds with the community inspired, Lexington incorporated $2,000 for the office of the Urban County Council to cost not to receive the sum stated, item three. A resolution authorizing directly on behalf of every kind of government to execute an agreement related to council capital projects expenditure funds with the seed leaf incorporated $13,000 for the office of the Urban County Council to cost not to receive the sum stated, item four. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of every kind of government to execute facility usage agreement with the Lexington Ravens Youth Football Organization Corporation, granting the lead the right to use the Constitution football field for the regular season games and practice times in accordance with the terms of the agreement. Item five. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the county government to execute a renewal agreement with Anthem Health Plans of Kentucky Incorporated for administrative services, rates and fees within the agreement with a period beginning January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024. Item six. A resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the county government to accept additional federal funds in the amount of $3,675 and To reduce state funds in the amount of $6,081 for the operation of the Lake Seen Senior Center for FY 2024. The exception which obligates the urban county government to the expenditure of $5,433.02 as a local match. And authorizing the mayor to execute any additional agreements or documents related to this matter and to transfer out of cover funds within the grant budget. Item seven. A resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of urban county government to execute modification number one to the agreement with the Commonwealth and the second Department of Military Affairs Division of Emergency Management for the Emergency Generator Project of the Lake Seen Animal Care and Control, LFACC extending the period of performance to June 30, 2034 and include additional language to the agency terms and conditions item eight. A resolution authorizing director mayor on behalf of the government to execute a memorandum of understanding with the United States Secret Service for reimbursement of costs item nine. A resolution authorizing director mayor on behalf of the government to execute a professional service agreement will pursue into RFP number 44, 2023 with Tetra Tech Incorporated for services related to the Leachet treatment system for Improvement Project at Haley, Pike, Lee, and Phil Etacostner, received $743,000 in FY 2024, item 10. A resolution authorizing, Director Mayer on behalf of Urban County Government, to get an agreement related to the neighborhood development funds with sister and supporters working against gun violence incorporated, 1650. Southern Elementary PTA incorporated, 450. United Way of the Bluegrass incorporated, 1450. A Caring Place incorporated, 1250. Project Kids First, LLC, 2550. Bryan Station Neighborhood Community incorporated, 1000. And Wiseguys Urban Uplift Foundation, LLC, $750. Under the office of the Urban County Council, I'd have to ask not to see the same stated. Item 11, a resolution expressing the intent to accept Maddox Lane as public street, such acceptance being subject to the completion of street improvements to bring Maddox Lane to an acceptable standard. And subject to sufficient funds being appropriated for this purpose and contingent upon recording an amended final record plat to dedicate Maddox Lane as a public right of way. Item 12, a resolution designated the speed limit on East Tiverton Way as 25 miles an hour and designated speed limit on Camelot Drive between Wilson and Bellowwood Drive as 25 miles per hour. And authorizing directing the division of traffic engineering to install proper and appropriate signs in accordance with these designations. Item 13, a resolution accepting the bid of Conhurst LLC in the amount of $2,179,875 for East Third and Ohio Stormwater and Sanitary Improvements for the division of water quality. And authorizing on behalf of the government to execute an agreement with Conhurst LLC related to the bid. Item 14, a resolution accepting the bid of HydroMax USA LLC in the amount of $172,618 for Capacity assurance, temporary flow monitoring for the division of water quality and authorizing me on behalf of the government to execute an agreement with HydroMex USA LLC related to the bid. Item 15. A resolution accepting a bid of Chambers Painting Contracting LLC in the amount of $83,170 for painting a family care center for the Department of Social Services and authorizing me on behalf of the government to execute an agreement with Chambers Painting Contracting LLC. Item 16. A resolution of Buchanan Contracting Incorporated in the amount of $899,608.45 for annual sanitary sewer cleaning and inspection for the division of water quality authorizing the mayor on behalf of the Buchanan government to execute an agreement with Buchanan Contracting Incorporated related to the bid, I am 17. A resolution ratifying the permanent classified civil service appointments of Kaylee Schofield, accountants payable assistant, 17.213 hourly in the division of accounting, effective November 22, 2023. Isaiah Smith, public service worker senior, grade 510N, 19.754 hourly in the division of streets and roads, effective November 5, 2023. Judith Cox, assistant records custodian, grade 514N, 22.241 hourly in the department of public safety, effective October 10, 2023. Ryan Combs, grant compliance officer senior, grade 519N, 28.698 hourly in the division of grants and special programs, effective November 2, 2023. Ursula Killens, Administrative Specialist Principal, Grade 520 in 29.997 hour in the Division of Grants and Special Programs, effective November 8, 2023, item 18. At resolution and authorizing, Director Mayor on behalf of the County Government to execute a community project agreement, RFP number 37, 2023, to be paid with grant funds awarded under the non-profit capital grant program facilities improvement with Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning, $40,000 Central Music Academy, $41,750 Food Chain Incorporated, $55,000 Gleanings Housing Incorporated, $34,954. Lexington Housing for the Handicap $55,000, Living Arts and Science Center $16,500, Mission Lexington $11,885, New Life Day Center $47,861, and Shepherd's House $45,280, an authorizing mayor or her designee to execute any necessary amendments, addenda, or other documents with these entities related to these funds, item 19. A resolution authorizing director of the mayor on behalf of the county government to execute six community project agreements, RFP number 37, 2023, to be paid with grant funds awarded under the nonprofit capital grant program operational investments with food chain incorporated $25,000. Gleanings Housing Incorporated $16,514, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky $25,000, Lexington Hearing and Speech Center $25,000, Mission Health Lexington $15,556, and YMCA of Central Kentucky $24,000, and authorizing mayor or her designee to execute any other necessary amendments, agenda or other documents with these entities related to these funds, item 20. A resolution authorizing and directly on behalf of the governor to accept the donation of $33,139.70 from Friends of Raven Run for the grant match for the Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant. Item 21. A resolution authorizing and directly on behalf of the governor to execute engineering services agreement or pursuant to RFP number 4123 with GRW Engineers Incorporated for services related to the town branch wastewater treatment plant dewatering pump station improvement project for the division of water quality to cost $347,700. Item 22. A resolution and authorizing directly on behalf of the government to execute an agreement or to pursue it to RFP number 302023 with Davis H. Elliott Construction Company Incorporated for underground utility locating services for the division of traffic engineering and it costs not to exceed $110,000 item 23. A resolution and authorizing directly on behalf of the government to execute contract modification number two to an agreement with Gresham Smith for the completion of phase two archaeological site study for the legacy business park project. Increasing the contract price by the sum of $282,528 to be paid with funds awarded under the American Rescue Plan Act ARPA. Enraising the total contract price from $2,265,682 to $2,548,210, item 24. A resolution authorizing the division of police to purchase software license renewal with Celebrite, incorporated a sole search provider and authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute an necessary agreement with Celebrite, incorporated to the procurement and the cost to exceed $13,170, item 25. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute an agreement with liturgical publication, LPI for design, layout, and printing of Lexington Senior Center monthly newsletter at no cost to their Mechanic Government, Item 26. A resolution authorizing and direct the mayor on behalf for Mechanic Government, Item 26. A resolution authorizing and direct the mayor on behalf for Mechanic Government, Item 27. A resolution authorizing and direct the mayor on behalf for Town Vision Plan at a cost of $20,000, item 28. A resolution authorizing the Division of Water Quality to purchase maintenance service from BL Anderson and Company, incorporated a sole source provider for repairs of the West Hickman Wastewater Treatment Plant, and authorizing the mayor on behalf of the government to execute any necessary agreement with BL Anderson and Company, incorporated related to the procurement, at a cost of $44,372, item 29. A resolution authorizing the payment in the amount of $49,500 to the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Kentucky State Treasurer, and $49,500 to the United States Department of Justice, as stipulated penalties under the consent decree, and authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute any necessary documents related to the payment item 30. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute an agreement with the kentucky board of emergency medical services for continuation of the community paramedicine program item 31. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute an agreement related to the council capital project expenditure funds with united way of the bluegrass $40,500 for the office of the urban county council to cost another seat this sum stated item 32. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute a multi-year agreement the international frequency pursuant to RP number 3623 for services related to the redesign and the provision of a new content management system and hosting platform for the urban county government public website at a cost amount to see $399,708 in fiscal year 2021, 2024. Item 33, a resolution authorizing director mayor on behalf of the county government to execute volunteer site information sheet and any related documents for the provision of 2024 volunteer income tax assistance program at the Charles Young Center at no cost to the urban county government. Item 34, a resolution authorizing and directing mayor on behalf of the governor to execute purchase a service agreement with Career Edge LLC allocating $100,000 of federal grant funds awarded pursuant to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ARPA for a cloud-based online career service learning management system for residents and authorizing mayor to execute any other necessary agreements or amendments with Career Edge LLC related to the use of these funds. Item 35. A resolution authorizing mayor on behalf of every county government to execute change number two to the agreement with Bluegrass Contracting Corporation for the Rosemount Garden Sidewalk Project, increasing the contract price by $88,193.15 and was in total contract price to $652,193.15, item 36. A resolution authorizing mayor on behalf of every county government to execute change number nine to the agreement with ATS Construction for the Town Branch Trail Phase 6, increasing the contract price by $451,896.42, and the total contract price to $6,144,424.79, item 37. A resolution establishing emergent as a sole source provider for nasal Narcan for the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, FY 2022 First Responders Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Support Services at Grant for year two continuation of the expanded First Responders and Community Partners Overdice Prevention Project for the Department of Social Services, an authorizing mayor or her designee on behalf of the urban county government to execute in a necessary agreement with emergent related to the procurement of these goods at a cost not to exceed $66,880, item 38. A resolution establishing emergent as a solstice provider of nasal Narcan for the comprehensive opioid stimulant and substance use program for year one of the community paramedicine overdose outreach Lexington project for the division of fire and emergency services, an authorizing mayor or her designee on behalf of the urban county government to execute in a necessary agreement with emergent related to the procurement of these goods at a cost not to exceed $71,250, Item 39, a resolution authorizing and directing mayor on behalf of the county government to accept a donation from DNA Labs International of two forensic DNA case reviewers for use at the Division of Police. Item 40, a resolution authorizing and directing mayor on behalf of the county government to execute an agreement with Hope Center Incorporated, the final form of which shall be subject to the approval of the Department of Law in order to provide an additional $693,657 for temporary winter warming shelters located on property owned by the Young Men's Christian Association of Central Kentucky Incorporated, YMCA and to execute any necessary amendments or addenda to any agreement with the YMCA and or Hope Center incorporated related to this project item 41. A resolution establishing Sandoval custom creations incorporated as a sole source provider for the purchase of a multi-use platform system equipment for the division of police and authorizing mayor or her designee on behalf of the every kind of government to execute any necessary agreement with Sandoval custom creation incorporated related to the use of to the procurement of these goods at a cost market received $46,705 item 42. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the governor to execute an administrative services agreement with Anthem Health Plans of Kentucky Incorporated for administrative services rates and fees within the agreement for the 2023 plan year, item 43. A resolution authorizing the division of police to purchase maintenance and support for an automated fingerprint identification system from Ademia Identity and Security USA LLC, a social provider, and authorizing the mayor on behalf of the governor to execute any necessary agreement with Ademia Identity and Security USA LLC related to the procurement at a cost to receive $10,302, and item 44. A resolution authorizing directly on behalf of Urban County Government to execute an agreement related to neighborhood development funds with sisters and supporters working against gun violence incorporated 800 and greater garden site association LLC $750 for the office of the Urban County Council at a cost not to exceed the sum stated. Thank you. Thank you very much. Is there a motion to approve? Council Member Fogle moves. Council Member Gray seconds. And as soon as you're ready, if you'll take a roll call vote, please. Council Member Menares? Yes. Council member Plumman? Yes. Council member Reynolds? Yes. Council member Savigny? Yes. Council member Sheehan? Yes. Council member Worley? Yes, ma'am. Vice Mayor Wu? Yes. Council member Fred Brown? Yes. Council member James Brown? Yes. Council member Ellinger? Yes, ma'am. Council member Elliott Baxter? Yes, ma'am. Council member Fogle? Yes. Council member Gray? Yes. Council member Legree? Yes. And council member Lynch? The queues from items 18 and 19, yes to the rest. Thank you, those all pass. Now Vice Mayor Wu has a motion. Thank you, Mayor. I move to place on the docket under communications from the mayor appointments. A mayor's report recommending the appointment of Jonathan Davis to the planning commission with term expiring July 1, 2025, so moved. All right, Council Member Worley seconds. Are there any questions? Thank you for your confirmation hearing. And all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that passes. Next up, we have, well, there are no police or fire disciplines. We need to approve the mayor's report. We just put it on. Oh, I'm so sorry. We did. You just did put it on there. Yes. We need a motion to approve it. So moved. Second. Thank you. Councilmember Gray and Councilmember Sheehan. Any questions? All those in favor of approving please say aye. Aye. Thank you very much. Any no votes? That motion passes. Thank you. No disciplines tonight so it's time for council announcements. Vice Mayor Wu. Thank you, Mayor. This, as most of you know, is our last meeting of the year. And for six of us on this council, the official end of our first year on council, it has been a ride, to say the least. but I have felt very welcomed by the reelected council members here and along with this new class of six. Yeah, I have a lot of feelings about it, but I'm glad we got through year one. And then this year I also had the privilege and fun to do district tours with a lot of my district colleagues, And I was actually able to hit 10 out of 12 districts in the city of Lexington. Basically a little ride along. We should have some photos here. Did a little ride along throughout the year with some of my district colleagues and we really got to see just different parts of the city in a way led by the people who do them best. This was District 8 with Councilmember Fred Brown and his brother James Brown joined us on it as well. We got to visit the now defunct East Sector Roll Call Center. Councilmember Baxter from District 9 and visiting. We visited a bunch of fire stations as well. Councilmember Lynch from District 2. We started things off at a coffee shop in Medlethorpe and got to drive. That was a lot of driving in District 2. It's a very big district with a lot of stuff going on there. This is District 7 with Councilmember Worley. We got to visit another fire station and the, tell me the name of this community center, Councilmember? Woodhill Community Center. Woodhill Community Center. So that was really great seeing all the different community work happening around the city. Councilmember Reynolds with District 11. We had a great lunch at Everest, thank you. Nepali restaurant on Alexandria Drive, a very thriving part of town. And as per Councilmember Le Green District 3, we did a walking tour instead of a driving tour. And we got to walk around downtown and campus and all the different cool things happening right here in the heart of the city. We got to then venture out into the edges of town with Councilmember Plowman, District 12. 12 got to visit the bluegrass stackyards very interesting place that i've never been to and that i would never really chance upon because it's so far out there so that was a great opportunity as well uh council member sheen from district five i don't know what we were doing here we were sneaking around uh behind some neighborhood yeah and uh looking at uh different interesting stuff lakeside thank you uh i didn't get a picture with council members of vigny but we did visit district 10 which is also my home district the music capital of lexington as i've heard and i believe this is the last one i did this year with councilmember fogel in district one we started off with some snacks at martin's and got to drive around some very very bumpy roads in the first and really got to see it up close with the people who knew it the best so i'm very grateful to you all for showing me parts of Lexington that I've lived here for a long time and parts of Lexington that I've never seen. And issues and concerns and beautiful places that I've never gotten to see. So thank you all so much and it really has been an honor serving with you all this year. Thank you Mayor. Thank you. Councilmember Lynch. Thank you Mayor. I just would like to share with my Lexington neighbors that we have been receiving your emails regarding the housing stabilization program and that funding. Please know that it is currently in committee in the Social Services and Public Safety Committee with a scheduled report out with the first committee meeting in January. So know that we hear you, we see you, we are working on the issue and we'll have a report out January 23rd. So please come out and continue to email us and share your opinions and voices with the council through the winter break because we look forward to those emails and your opinions. Also, I would just like to encourage my council members. I have had a pleasure working with Councilwoman Gray as we work with Director Steele in our division of code enforcement. I had a great meeting with the team yesterday to talk specifically about condemnations going on here in our city and learned quite a bit and learned that I can do a condemnation ride along. So we all can do condemnation ride alongs as well as code enforcement ride alongs, which I want to highly encourage every council member to do that if you have not done that. Director Steele told me that Councilwoman Grant are the first council members to ever do a code enforcement ride along. It's very, very beneficial and we learned quite a bit about my district and the city. So I just want to encourage you all to do that, maybe on your winter recess as you have some extra time with your family. And just would like to echo Vice Mayor Wu's gratitude and share that with my colleagues. This has been a really fun first year. I have enjoyed every single minute of this year. I thank you all for your sage wisdom and advice. I know I ask a lot of questions, and you all have never shied away from my questions, and I appreciate that. It's been a really, really great year. And to my colleagues who we all came on at the same time, I think we're all doing very stellar. And I just want to say congratulations to you all, because we've all had a really good year. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. In the old days, some of us rode with code enforcement, and my most memorable was when I was a council member, we found a car buried in the backyard. They're very interesting ride-alongs. Council member Reynolds. Thank you, Mayor. I just very quickly wanted to take this time, since I will not get to for weeks, to wish all of my constituents and everyone in Lexington a very happy holiday. And I also wanted to thank our city employees for all that they do to keep Lexington safe and clean and keep it running. I'm especially thankful to public safety for all the hours that they put in and all the overtime they put in and for working over the holidays. So I just want to say thank you. And then it's really been an honor as I reflect over the past few years. It's just been an honor to serve Lexington. I think we have an amazing city and we have a lot of potential to make it even better. And so this wraps up my fifth year on council. I don't know how I got here, but I'm incredibly humbled and just grateful. And I really want to wish everyone a happy holiday, however you celebrate it and my prayer for the new year is for peace. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Fogel. Thank you, Mayor. Merry Christmas to everybody going forward. Is Chief Weathers here? No. Someone from law enforcement that may have some answers? And as you come up, I just wanted to know, and you might not even have the answer, But I've been receiving many calls that says that folks are being arrested. There is a new procedure that the officers do not field test anything for fentanyl. Is that true? Or do you know anything about that? We have not field tested any substances since 2015 when heroin and fentanyl came on the scene. So, no, we do not field test any narcotics. We send those off to the state lab for formal testing. So it's just based on the officers observing if they see a baggie or something in the car. It's the totality of whatever circumstance in front of them. I can't speak specifically on what you're probably talking about, maybe one arrest or so. We'd have to review those, but they are based on the totality of the circumstance in front of them. Okay, thank you. And the only reason why I'm calling is because one constituent and family members have called. They had some tied in a bag, but because you guys don't field test, they were still arrested because it looked like a substance and a couple of them lost their jobs. It was a few people in the car. And that's the only reason why I'm bringing this question forward. And so thank you. It's good to know that you haven't field tested since, did you say 2015? I believe 2015, yes. Okay, thank you and have a Merry Christmas. You too. Okay, is one Lex here? Anybody from one Lex? No. Well, I'm just going into the New Year's, I'll just keep it popping, I'll hold on to it. So- I'm here tomorrow. I won't be here tomorrow to ask the missed question. Okay. Yes, ma'am. Anyway, but it really was, Mayor, concerning the report that they gave and they said after hours there was 12 and 13 year olds downtown. And I know that there's an ordinance that you can't be out past a certain time without adults and family members. So I didn't know what happened with that situation and who would have been called. So I'll table that one. And so please remember Hope Village located on Loudon right next to the YMCA as we retire and go home for winter break. If you have any old shoes, jackets, feminine products, ladies, for the women and the men that will be staying in a warming center, could you please, please just box them up? We had a meeting with the Street Voice Council today, and most of them had shoes that had holes in them, and I asked what was their greatest need. One was a clock, because they don't have a clock on the wall to tell time and to get to their meetings. And the other one was just simple coats and feminine products and shoes. And so a lot of 10, 11, 12s, and 13s for you athletes back there, officers. And so if you'll just remember Hope Village and those of the least of these, I would greatly appreciate it. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and it has been a delight serving on this council. Thank you community, thank you for trusting me to be a servant for you. And I will keep fighting for you. And so, Mayor, it has been a delight being in the presence. Parks and Recreation, you guys rock. If you're in the room, I can't see all the way back here, but you guys rock. And so do you, I'm not going to forget you, Commissioner Albright, thank you. You don't have as many roads that you lose axles, and I know at the first of the year, we'll get the rest of them. So, when the temperatures change. This is Councilmember Fogle of the 1st District. Happy New Year, you all. Everybody that's watching. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Councilmember Gray? Thank you, Mayor. I was not planning on speaking, but Councilmember Lynch reminded me of something. Or as many of you all should be aware, Council Member Lynch and I are working on code enforcement. Through our surveys, I've sent my survey out to my colleagues, and I'm hopeful that you've shared it. But we need more tenants to complete the survey. We have many property owners who've completed the survey, but we need to hear from the tenants. because your voice matters and we want to hear from you. So please complete the survey. You can go to my 6th District Facebook page or even to my colleagues. I'm hopeful that it's on your page as well, that your constituents can also take the survey. And it's also now available in Spanish, Arabic, and Swahili. So I want to make sure we speak to all or as many residents in Lexington as possible, even those who do not speak English as their first language. Secondly, I would like to say thank you to, first, the residents of 6th District for allowing me to represent you this year. It has been a dream come true to serve here on council. and it's been a dream come true to serve amongst you, my colleagues, and even you, the mayor. I'm joking. The mayor as well. And as all of the staff of LFECG, I dreamt of this moment as a child to be able to speak up on behalf of others who don't necessarily have a voice and to be that voice. And I'm blessed every single day that I'm able to sit here on this horseshoe amongst great leaders in Lexington of different walks of life, from different faiths to different ways that we love and different ways that we worship. And it is represented in the policies and the laws that we do pass. I am blessed to work amongst people who think of other people who are different from ourselves. and it shows in the policies that we do work on, right? And I'm blessed to be sitting next here to my colleague. He and I are as different as night and day, but we work very well, and even you. Thank you. Thank you, Council Member Savigny. Thank you, Mayor. Today I had the pleasure of, I went to the street council with council member Fogle. And I would encourage if you guys get an opportunity, they do a lunch thing. And there's a whole group of homeless folks who come into that. And it's on the first Thursday of the month. And it's a moving experience. It's powerful. And you get to see how a group of people seem to manage to survive. And some of the things that they want are so simple and so easily taken care of. So I appreciate Council Member Fogel exposing me to that. And it was a great experience, so I thank you for that. Speaking of lunch, tomorrow is the employee free lunch. It does happen every now and. It's the employee holiday lunch. The holiday lunch. This is not free. It's just they don't have to pay. They don't have to pay. Well, I want to tell you, I've worked here now for a year, and I could tell you that the employees here are, I am really in shock sometimes at how good they are. We have great people here. We have great employees. And I really have not, it's just amazing the amount of work that they do. And I really do firmly appreciate their level of effort. So come join us at that lunch maybe. Holiday. Yeah, the holiday lunch. Okay. Thank you. And then this is the, yes, this is our last meeting of this year. I always love this time of the year. because you can rest and you can refresh. So I would just say rest, refresh, and let's come back ready to kill the bears, to slay the dragons. And I want to thank the people of the 10th district for allowing me the opportunity to serve this year, and I look forward to doing it again next year. Thank you. Very good. Thank you. I hope you all enjoy your break. Now, we have quite a large number of people who want to speak tonight, and so a lot of you are going to yield your time to someone else so I'm going to try to go through this so that it makes sense the way it will work is that when I call your name you'll come to the podium and you'll need to restate your name and your council district and then I'll ask if someone wants to yield their time to you, I'll need to confirm that they're here. And I know there are about 40 people outside, so we may have a few pauses to be sure everybody gets in to speak. So first up is Andrea Strasberg, who will be followed by Rabbi Litvin. Andrea? Welcome. Andrea Strasburg, District 4. Get a little closer. Andrea Strasburg, District 4. I just wanted to say thank you for seeing the value of ADUs to the city of Lexington and all that they can be to the city of Lexington. I was not able to be here because I was working the other day, so I just wanted to say thank you and happy holidays. Thank you. Rabbi Litvin and he will be followed by Viroqua Moore. I'm sorry if I mangled your name. Rabbi Litvin are you here? I don't know if he's outside in the next room. Is, and I apologize, Verroqua Moore here? We'll go right ahead with you. Welcome. Thank you. My name is Verroqua Moore and I represent District 7. And what I wanted to talk to you about today was not only my area, but I also do consult for Urban League as well as for myself, Stephan's Way Out at LLC. see and I was going to ask that you continue to help financially with rental assistance because I've seen several families in my area as well as in my job that are without housing or without food or without clothing and things they need because they're not able to afford the things they need so I'm asking today that you all keep continuing to help with housing to help with food and I'm also asking that you help with literacy for some people because sometimes the elderly don't understand why they're getting evicted and I've worked with at least two people that could not read or write and when they could not read or write they didn't understand their rights and why they were getting evicted and I served as a scribe for them as well as I'm a peer support and I went to talk to the people for them I was able to get them a little bit of extension but also because sometimes they're not able to pay because they have to make a choice between feeding their family or housing their family i think that every day that people should be treated fairly and sometimes they're not and sometimes they don't know to go to fair housing and if they go to fair housing they might not still be treated fairly so i think today that that I'm asking you to extend finances for our district as well as for the whole city because there are people out there that have lost their jobs and they're in financial bind and they do need the assistance that is being offered and they also need extra help with literacy, especially the elderly and sometimes the younger children. I've also talked to young adults that have tried to get housing stabilization program and they said they were treated like they just didn't matter. And I want that to stop because the young adults are our future and they need to be taught what they need to do in order to be sufficient on their feet. So if they're getting treated like they're nobody, how will they ever begin to be somebody? So this is what I'm asking. Would you please try to help with more literacy programs for the elderly and the young adults and people that need maybe get a scribe if they have to read a lease or an attorney to go with them and put out more information on how they can get help so that they can know the steps to get help in order to be successful in going forward to get the assistance and for offenders as well sometimes when we come out i've been an offender before as an offender you're treated like you're just an offender your your three minutes has ended i appreciate your comments thank you very much so just please take a look at it please thank you now is katrine flores here okay and you've yielded your time to Sophia Shalash. Okay, Sophia? So you'll have six minutes. Welcome. Thank you. My name is Sophia Shalash and I'm from District 4. All day I thought about what I wanted to share with you when I got up here tonight. What story I could share that might move you into action. I want you to think about that for a moment. Me, your Palestinian constituent, spent her day thinking about what words to carefully put together to get you to care, to unlock your brain and unlock your heart to what's right in front of you. I thought of so many stories to share with you today, each one worthy of telling. So many people in Gaza who I wish I could tell you about, but I only have six minutes. So I'm going to do what people from Gaza have been asking us to do for the past two months. Amplify their voices and make sure the world knows about them so that no one can say they didn't know. In order to do that, I will share a few quotes from Palestinians. These are all from the past week. Bissan says, I no longer have any hope of survival like I had at the beginning of the genocide. I am certain I will die in the next few weeks or maybe days. I suffer from nightmares that so closely resemble reality that I no longer differentiate between reality and dream. Hind says, people don't know where to evacuate. Everything is being targeted. People are evacuating from death to death. Laura says, just talk to my brother-in-law. His seven-month pregnant sister is sleeping outside on the ground in Rafah. She hasn't found food in three days. Airstrikes all around, nowhere to hide. And lastly, no one in Gaza is afraid of our own death. We are more afraid of our loved ones staying behind and suffering. Everyone is more afraid of their family slowly starving to death, but nobody is afraid to die. Death is the easiest option. I want you to sit with that for a moment. Death is the easiest option. Two of the voices I quoted, Hind and Bissan, are journalists. Since October 7th, more than 70 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza. That's more than the total number of journalists killed worldwide in 2022. Israel has refused to guarantee protection for foreign press, so journalists in Gaza are telling the world the story of their own genocide, often reporting on the death of their own colleagues, family, and loved ones. Other people in Gaza have also been compelled to document this time in history. Mataz, who was a photographer, he's 24 years old. He went from sharing stunning photos of Gaza to documenting the horrors of the past two months. He, along with many others, are sharing raw footage to millions of people on social media, giving us the ability to observe these atrocities firsthand. They feel compelled to risk their lives and share the truth with the world. document what is happening to their people, my people. More than 80% of Gaza citizens have been displaced. 80%. That's 1.8 million people seeking refuge in overflowing schools or hospitals, in makeshift tents or on the street, like Laura's sister who's seven months pregnant. All while being denied food, water and electricity. It does not matter who you are or how much money you have no one and nowhere is safe in Gaza on November 19th the front page of the New York Times featured a headline smoldering Gaza becomes a graveyard for children next to it a photo of a nine-year-old boy mourning the death of his eight-month-old sister this story is all too common and it has as Gazan's children continue to bury each other the The average age of those being killed is five years old. Five years old. Tuesday a journalist Ismail posted a video saying, honestly, we don't know what more we can document for you to stop this war. No place in Gaza is safe. As long as you live in Gaza, you are a target. All these massacres happened and you did nothing. more do you want to happen to us for you to stop this war? In my heart of hearts, I believe that each and every one of you knows that what is happening in Gaza is wrong and that slaughtering children and innocent civilians can never, with intellectual honesty, be called self-defense. Your constituents are asking you to use your voices. We elected you to elevate our voices. Words matter, and speaking clearly and with conviction matters. Even if you can't agree as a council, there's nothing stopping you from making a personal statement like Councilmember Reynolds did on Tuesday, and we thank you for that. I want to end with one more voice from Gaza. Dr. Mustafa Al-Masri is a psychiatrist in Gaza, and he is waiting on his death. As you head into your winter recess, I really want you to think about the words that he said. A few days ago, he said, Genocide isn't a battle to be won or lost. It's a stain on humanity that shames all. the perpetrators, enablers, and bystanders. History teaches us. Genocides only cease when the world rises to defend its conscience. Inaction is not an option. I know you can all do more than be bystanders. Thank you. Thank you very much. in the future i must ask you to abide by the council rules which say no clapping no booing no disruption with noise please thank you um now is alissa rig rigney here okay and you have yielded your time to wafa suleiman all right wafa you'll have six minutes welcome good evening my name is wafat suleiman and i reside in district 7. i was born and raised in Lexington and attended UK for both my bachelor's and master's degrees in speech-language pathology. Among many things I am most proud of my role as a mother to my children and as a practicing speech-language pathologist. I have five children, two Palestinian boys ages 12 and 9 and three black bonus children ages 18 16 and 14. As a speech therapist I spent 15 years working with children of all ages all types of needs and disabilities and their families. I advocated for my clients to get the services they needed while also helping them develop communication. You've heard in previous speeches about our heartache as we watch our people being killed every single day. Today as As a mother, I want to share what is happening to the grieving mothers in Gaza. A mother holding her young daughter in her burial shroud told the people around her, please don't take her away from me. My daughter doesn't belong in a fridge. She never liked the cold. Another mother holds her dead young child in her arms and is screaming at the top of her lungs. What is she screaming, you may ask? She is not cursing at the ones who dropped a bomb on her family. She is screaming for God to throw patience on her broken heart. She asks that God reward her in this calamity and to replace her brokenness with something better. Another young mother holds her dead son in her arms and says, I took over 500 injections and shots to finally get pregnant with him. While my mother's heart grieves so strongly with these mothers, the advocate part of me that cares for people with special needs is aching just as much. I think of the autistic children who struggle to communicate, stuck under the rubble and unable to call for help. I think about the nonverbal boy who sits next to her mother in a burial shroud and and only say mama while he points to her dead body. I think of the little girl with Down syndrome, covered in dust from her demolished home, sitting in the back of an ambulance. She's lost every single member of her family. I think of the teenage girl who is deaf and doesn't have a hearing aid. She uses sign language to tell others. I don't have a hearing device, so I don't know when they are bombing. I can feel the vibrations under my feet and I see people running without knowing what is happening. I think of the generation of children who will grow up with disabling injuries with no access to proper health care and rehabilitation. Children who have lost arms, legs, their vision, their hearing, and who have sustained life changing brain injuries. I'd like to end with a powerful message by Natasha Khan. The mothers of Gaza should be counting down the minutes to bedtime so they can finally put their feet up and catch up on their shows. The mothers of Gaza should be curled up on their couches, breathing in the scent of their beautiful little newborns. The mothers of Gaza should be preparing lunch boxes and sighing as their toddlers ask for the 20th snack of the day. The mothers of Gaza should not be collecting pieces of their children blown apart by bombs. They shouldn't be begging their dead babies to come back to life and writing family names on their little arms and legs in case they're blown up in the middle of the night. Are the mothers of Gaza not mothers just like you and me? As you take your winter recess, I hope that you reflect on these words. I urge you as a mother and an advocate for the most vulnerable to use your voices and stand with our community as we say no more. Thank you. Thank you. Next will be Claire Hilbrecht and following that will be Hunter Hewlett. Claire, are you here? Welcome. Hi, my name is Claire Hillbrecht and I'm a resident in the 4th District. I've lived in Kentucky my whole life and though I've only lived in Lexington for the past six and a half years, I very much call Lexington my home. I found an unparalleled support system in the Lexington community and the people who I've met in my first years here have made me who I am today and continue to guide me by giving me ways to get involved in this amazing community. Something that I find so special about Lexington is how easy it has felt to make a difference. We have an active government with whose members make themselves available to hear our concerns and a passionate community who's willing to make our voices heard and advocate for the Lexington that we want to see. I appreciate the time and attention that you all have afforded us over the last few weeks to speak on an issue that transcends Lexington's physical borders but does not transcend our hearts nor this government's responsibility to act. Protests in cities all over the world are happening for a reason. Please to local officials like you and cities just like this one to speak out against the genocide and apartheid in Gaza are happening for a reason. We aren't just up here to make a show. The resolution for a ceasefire is not just talk. We are up here because we can make a difference. This government can make a difference. And your Palestinian and Muslim constituents need your support now. The Palestinians in Gaza, who have been enduring endless bombing and cutoffs from food, water, and electricity for the past two months, need your support now. If it does not feel like it is your place to speak out, it is. It is your place to speak out, and it is your place to educate yourselves. I want to continue to be proud of this city, and I want everyone who calls Lexington home to feel supported by its leaders. Please stand up, speak out, and call for a ceasefire on Gaza now. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Hunter Hewlett. Is Hunter here? Okay. And then following Hunter will be Saria Santiago, and we'll talk about who yielded their time there. Welcome. Good evening. My name is Hunter Hewlett. I am from District 3. And I am a person who has no familial connection to Palestine, nor specifically Gaza, nor the West Bank, nor East Jerusalem, nor the rest of the Levant. And yet, I am a person who is deeply appalled, disgusted, and ashamed to be living in the country who propagates and benefits from the most this genocide that's occurring, that they are perpetrating against the Palestinians, the U.S. supplying Israel, benefiting and enabling it to happen. And I am ashamed that I live here and that I indirectly benefit from that. I am also appalled and shocked that it takes all of us to come to two whole city council meetings to get y'all to do the bare minimum and condemn this genocide and call for a ceasefire. Truly, the United States is a country that has traded 20,000 lives and has displaced several millions more for a few billion dollars. And that's only a drop in the vast ocean of death and displacement that it has enabled since 1948. So when you all finally get around to doing the bare minimum and condemning this genocide and calling for a ceasefire, go further than that, because there's more that we can do. The United States almost solely provides all of Israel's weapons for mass murder. Companies like Lockheed Martin have a presence in Lexington, and in Louisville, there's BAE and Raytheon. All these companies manufacture weapons, missiles, aircraft that are used to kill Palestinians and countless other people victimized by Israel. And around the world, especially in countries like Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Italy, there are numerous dock workers who refuse to load these weapons on their ships going to Israel. They will not let the blood of Palestinians be on their hands. And the City Council of Lexington needs to do similar measures. We need to stop arms manufacturers in Lexington from producing and exporting arms to Israel, no matter how politically or financially uncomfortable that may be, because it's the right thing to do. And if normal people like me can at least condemn what Israel is doing, and if other normal people like me can do even more and frustrate the efforts on the docks of Barcelona and Lisbon to not give the weapons of war to Israel, then certainly the people of power legitimated by the United States can do even more and stop the shipment of weapons of Israel. Thank you. Now, is Karim Hassan here? Yes, you are. And you've yielded your time. And then is Laila Abutaha here? You've yielded your time. Okay, so Sariah, you will have nine minutes. And if you'll state your name and council district, please welcome. Hello, my name is Seiria Santiago and I'm from District 3. First and foremost, if you are with Palestine and you are able to, please stand up. Thank you. When I wake up in the morning, my first thoughts are, how is Bisan? How is Motaz? How is Plastia? And if you don't know these names, shame on you. They have risked their lives and the lives of their family to bring us on the ground, unadulterated footage of what is happening in Gaza. When I'm brushing my teeth, my first thoughts are how many Palestinians don't have water today? How many don't have food today? How many Palestinians are still trapped under the rubble? When I'm walking outside to get to my car, my first thoughts are, how cold is it in Gaza right now? Are there enough blankets? Are the tents many are living in holding up well under all the rain? When I'm clocking into work and people are asking me, how are you? My first thoughts are, how can you ask me that? people that I call friends, people who I feel closer to than my own family are hurting because Israel is decimating Gaza while the entire world watches. While the U.S. gladly sends billions and billions of dollars of our money to commit a genocide and ethnic cleansing. How do you just sit there and act as if everything is normal. How do you not feel enraged every single day? I have to ask, what is wrong with you? Are you devoid of a soul? Of empathy? Or are Palestinians so dehumanized to you that you can't feel empathy for their suffering? Plastia, sweet Plastia, was forced to leave Gaza because her life was threatened. Her family's life was threatened. Bisan, strong Bisan, has been sick for days because not only is Israel bombing Gaza constantly, but they're withholding substantial aid, food, water, electricity for dealing with waste and sewage. many people are sick from various illnesses. Bisan doesn't think she will survive the next few weeks, let alone the next few days. She has given up hope that the people who can do something will do something. Motaz, brave Motaz, has said goodbye on his Instagram. He is no longer documenting to show the world what is happening in Gaza, to beg for you all to see Palestinians as humans. He is now just trying to survive as Israel bombs every inch of Gaza, even the places that it said were safe. And this is three of many journalists in Gaza who have spent time showing us, who have died showing us this massacre. Because 61 journalists have been killed since October 7th. 7th. This has been the deadliest for journalists within the last 30 years. And that's certainly not all. Premature babies were found decomposing at Al Nasser Hospital after the Israeli occupation forces forced everyone to evacuate and refused to transport the babies to a safer hospital. safer hospital. 73% of those killed have been women, children, and the elderly. More than 9,000 of the 20,000 plus killed have been children. As many as 900 children have had a limb or limbs amputated without pain medication, without anesthesia, on the floors of hospitals by the light of phones. 60% of the houses in Gaza, updated as of yesterday, mind you, are destroyed. 100 liters of water are roughly required per person to do the bare minimum that is needed, like bathing, cooking, laundry, brushing your teeth, all the things we take for granted. It's been estimated that people in Gaza only have three liters of water per person. All the people in Al Shifa's ICU died as a result of Israel not allowing fuel into Gaza. Per Israeli media, the IDF arrested displaced Palestinian citizens from shelter schools in northern Gaza, abused, stripped them of their clothes, and conducted field executions, much like Germany in 1945. A child is killed every 10 minutes in Gaza, which means by the end of our time here today, at least five children will have been killed. I remember seeing tweets from Israelis and Zionists saying they wanted to make the 1948 Nakba seem small in comparison to this retaliation after October 7th. Imagine how devoid of empathy you have to be to be able to say something like that. But hey, they've reached their goals. During the 1948 Nakba, 750,000 Palestinians were displaced and 15,000 were murdered. As of updated figures, since October 7th, 20,000 plus people have been murdered and nearly two million people have been displaced. And when history asks, what did you do to help the Palestinians, you will probably lie and tell your grandchildren you were pro-Palestine and went to protest, you signed some petitions and you called your representatives. You will lie just like the people did with the civil rights movement and slavery and segregation because we know that history will be on the side of Palestinians just like it was on the side of enslaved people and indigenous people and women's rights. But in reality, you will have sat here and done nothing. Some of the last wishes of Palestinians who were killed are that we bare minimum, bear witness to their suffering. So the least you can do is pass a damn resolution. Thank you. Thank you. Next up is Najwa Abutata. I'm so sorry. Welcome. You have three minutes. Hi, my name is Najwa Abutata and I live in District 11. Dr. Rifat Al-Rir in Gaza is a prominent writer and poet and co-founder of We Are Not Numbers, a youth-led non-profit project which platforms stories to humanize Palestinians who are often reduced statistics in the news. In his memory, please read this poem, I'll read this poem, shared on November 1st by Dr. Rifat. If I must die, you must live, to tell my story, to sell my things, to buy a piece of cloth, sticks, and some strings, make it white with a long tail, so that a child, somewhere in Gaza, while looking heaven in the eye, awaiting his dad, who left in a blaze, and bid no one farewell, not even to his flesh, not even to himself, sees the kite, my kite, you made. flying up above. And thinks for a moment an angel is there bringing back love. If I must die let it bring hope, let it be a tale. Today the Israeli occupation forces murdered Dr. Rifat in Gaza. In Dr. Rifat's memory do not lose hope. In his memory we must live to tell his story. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Christopher Oliphant and following Christopher will be Thomas Priest and will identify the people who yielded time. Welcome. Thank you. My name is Christopher Oliphant. I'm from District 10 and I want to reiterate I can't say any better than anyone else has. Please do the bare minimum and call for a ceasefire. Your voices do matter and I know just like many people in this country I'm losing complete hope in politicians, as it seems when they run they say exactly what we want to hear, but then when they get in office they're silent. Something that is really bothering me is about how much misreporting news is happening and acting like it's not even happening here. I work for the University of Kentucky in residence life and local news reported that pro-Hamas students took down posters of Israeli hostages in JSB Science Center and other places over things. It is the policy of the University of Kentucky and every single department that any poster that is not approved beforehand is taken down before it is approved. That is a bold-faced lie that has been spread to try to excrement discontent with students who are pro-Palestinian. I am a proud, proud member of people from Ireland. We spent years fighting for our freedoms and were called terrorists and worse and were slaughtered by the British with support from the U.S. Just like Nelson Mandela, just like everyone, this will be taught in a class one day. When this is taught in a class, do you want to really sit back and say the lives of 20,000 people were acceptable in retaliation? If there is a school shooter hiding in a building holding our children hostages, do we drop bombs on the school? If there is a splinter that needs to be removed, do you use a hammer? This is not how war is conducted, and this is genocide. There are such things as precision airstrikes. I've seen the footage of governments that have used them. They are dropping bombs. These are not airstrikes, and they are being used to wipe out families. If someone has a cousin that may have been a member of Hamas, that is direct reason. They could be five years old for Israel to kill them. And I do not understand why it is so hard for each and every single one of you here to say, cease fire. That does not mean you're pro-Hamas. Does that not mean anything? It means you want to stop seeing children killed. And I want to wake up in a country where it is less controversial to say that you don't want to see a children killed. That is the most controversial thing apparently right now, to be able to say cease fire, than to do something as simple as boycotting Starbucks and these products that are contributing to killing people. The last thing I want to leave with you is that it wasn't just Rafat Aliars that was killed. Him, his sister, her two nieces, his two nieces, and her husband. That is a whole family, slaughtered, and all in the name and with our weapons. Please just say the words, cease fire. Thank you. Thank you. Is Ethan Derossett here? Okay. And are you yielding your time to Thomas Priest? Thank you. Okay. Thomas is next. And following Thomas will be Najma Amarkal. Welcome. Good evening, City Council. My name is Thomas. We'll have three minutes. I'm sorry. Can you reset the, oh, you have six minutes. I apologize. I apologize. No worries. Can I get a restart? Thank you. Good evening, City Council. My name is Thomas Priest and I live in District 3. I've been fortunate to grow up in the comfort of the middle class of this city. I'm a product of FCPS, BCTC, and UK. I've learned, eaten, grown, made friends, found myself spiritually, been heartbroken, and paid taxes here. I got Lexington in me and I'm proud. And I'm proud of it. I'm proud that our city has made strides in its inclusion and protection of some of our most vulnerable, migrants, refugees, and the LGBTQ plus community specifically. And now it's time to step up again. Because how can we say we welcome migrants and refugees if we don't stand with them when their families, friends, and communities are being slaughtered? We need to take community seriously because our fellow Palestinians are under attack here at home, as well as a general increase in Muslim bigotry and anti-Semitism. As Kentuckians, and more importantly, human beings, our community must mean an attack on one is an attack on all. Since October 7th, it means something different to be a citizen of this country, state, and city. To be a part of a system that enables genocide, it makes me sick, and it terrifies me for the days to come. I want Lexington to be a community that protects everyone, and calling for a ceasefire on this issue is step one. To drive this point home, I would like to emphasize three things. Number one, the unique barbaric savagery of the Israeli government. Number two, the hell that these colonizers have released onto the people of Gaza. And three, your power in all of this. I want you to hear the genocidal language from current high-ranking Israeli officials. Yoav Galant, the current defense minister, said, I am ordering the complete siege of Gaza. We are dealing with human animals. Isaac Hezerov, current Israeli president, denied the idea of innocent Palestinians. It's an entire nation out there that is responsible. We will break their backbone. An IDF spokesperson said when discussing the tons of bobs dropped on Gaza. The emphasis is on damage, not on accuracy. The bombs, they bombed North Gaza, excuse me, sorry, Benjamin Netanyahu, I'm sure a name you've heard, a current Israeli prime minister. We are the people of light, they are the people of darkness, as well as calling Palestinians human beasts. When you hear their language, their actions are easier to believe, and I'm now going to detail you some of their crimes. Their vicious bombing campaign. According to the IDF, they dropped 6,000 bombs in their first week, and as reporting continues to come out, each bombing campaign is worse than the last. They bomb North Gaza, tell people to go to South Gaza, then they bomb South Gaza. Al Jazeera reports as of today, 61 days, more than 17,000 Palestinians and at least 6,150 children have been slaughtered. Food, water, medicine, fuel, and electricity have been blocked. At least 41,000 are injured with a non-functioning healthcare system. More than 70 journalists slaughtered. As early as November, more than 100 UN employees have been slaughtered, making it the deadliest conflict ever in UN in such a short period of time. Over half of Gaza's homes, 300,000 residential units have been destroyed or damaged. 339 educational facilities, damaged. 26 out of 35 hospitals, not functioning. 87 ambulances, damaged. 167 places of worship, damaged. Remember, damage over accuracy. I would also like to describe the size of Gaza. The size of Gaza is 25 miles in length and five miles wide. It has a total of 141 square miles, and Lexington is literally double the size with 283 square miles. Half of 2.3 million people in Gaza are under 18, which is seven years younger than me. This is a slaughterhouse, and the UN has officially declared there is no safe place in Gaza. In passing this resolution, you'll be in good company. The good company of 61% of Americans, Akron, Ohio City Council, Atlanta, Georgia City Council, Detroit, Michigan City Council, 36 members of US Congress, United Auto Workers, Head of the United Nations, Head of the World Health Organization, Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders, Pope Francis, Spain, Columbia, Brazil, South Africa, and many more heads of state, nonprofits, faith leaders, unions, and people of conscience. Also, you have more power than you know. The US is the most powerful military to ever exist. We have 754 military bases. Our top competitors, Russia has 21 and China has one. Around the world, the U.S. is the kingmaker. You are an active city council, council members, and the U.S.'s 60th most populated city. When you see the millions of people around the world protesting for a ceasefire, they are protesting you and me because U.S. citizens are the only ones who have a chance to force Joe Biden to call for a ceasefire, and we must do what is in our power to do that. The experience in Gaza cannot be lost in the numbers, so I have some examples. Journalist Motaz Azaz said five days ago, it's about life or death now. I did what I could. We are surrounded by Israeli tanks. A boy after his brother is killed in an Israeli bomb. Where can I get another brother like you? Please bury me with you. I also saw a video of a surgeon bawling after he had to do surgery on his own child without anesthesia, who later died to the pain. Families trapped under rubble, doctors bond with their patients, it's genocide. Why does it always get complicated in this country when violence is done to someone who is black or brown? As a citizen of this city, I'm not asking you to give me hope, I'm asking you to be hope. I am scared for my fellow Palestinians and allies because they want us dead. American fascism and its cloak of Christian nationalism is sweeping our country. They are allied with Israel fascism, and they secured most of our politics. And I will leave you with the words of Dr. Balal Albedor, a doctor in Gaza. Soon, the last sliver of electricity and connection will be exhausted. If I die, remember that I, we, were individuals. Humans, we had dreams, names, and achievements. And our only fault is that we were classified as inferior. Thank you. Next is Najma Amarkel. Welcome. Hello, my name is Najma Amarkel, and I'm from District 12. Hello again, and assalamu alaikum, which directly translates to, may peace be with you. My name is Reem, and my grandfather calls me the soul of his soul. My name is Nasreen Jarada. I'm preparing to defend my master's thesis in mental health, and I'm actually getting ready for my wedding ceremony. My name is Afaf al-Najjar. I'm a Palestinian student studying English literature and also a bride-to-be. My engagement party was supposed to be this past Thursday, a day before my family and I had to evacuate from the hotel. I had everything prepared, but I'm a fool for blinking, for everything shattered before my eyes. I don't know whether I am alive or dead. These are three, three, which also happens to be the age of young Reem, who was murdered. Three stories out of the now almost 20,000 stories of innocent Palestinian civilians who were murdered by Israel. on October 7th and beyond. My real name is Najma. I'm a 22-year-old Afghan-American who could have been three-year-old Palestinian Reem or 20-something-year-old Nasreen and Afaf with hopes and dreams like mine. Only I am more blessed in this life. I do not know what I did to deserve the life I live, but hear me loud and clear when I say this. Reem, Nasreen, and Afaf, along with every life murdered, will live through me. My voice is their voice, and I will never be silenced. I don't know what language to speak for you to understand me. How many times should we remind you that you serve us? Fine, you feel powerless, as you say, in your positions. But facts don't care about your feelings. You can do something. I refuse to believe that in your leadership positions, you can't lead with your humanity. I stand here shaking in frustration because I am speaking, but I'm not heard. Your voice matters until I actually use it, right? Is that what you mean to tell me? Vice Mayor, you are a child of immigrants. Please sympathize with us. We are not asking you to single-handedly go to Gaza and stand up for your small-town Lexington constituents, but be the stepping stone. Tell me that Palestinian lives matter to you. This is all we are asking of you. This is all we've ever asked of you. This is beyond politics. It is about your humanity. I'm a 22-year-old who has yet to graduate college, telling you to stand up for what is right. It's not complicated. It's rather simple. Think of me as your daughter asking you. Please don't disappoint me. Thank you. is, let's see, is Khadija Ahmad here. Okay. And you're yielding your time to Najla Amakal. Okay. Najla, welcome. You'll have six minutes. Hello. I have a poem here tonight that I wrote a couple weeks ago, and the question that I ask in it is yet to be answered. We attend our classes, we clock in at work, we eat dinner with our families, but our minds are elsewhere and our hearts are broken. With the ongoing calamities, we speak up for those that are silenced. We speak up for those that are breathing their last. They say to leave everything in the past and move on from the 6,000 bomb blasts on Gaza in just six days. Stay silent on this genocide because it doesn't concern us, right? Yet our brothers and sisters are fighting for their lives whether they are the age of 80, 50, 10 or even 5. Children are being intentionally targeted in a place most densely populated. Their crime? Being Muslim. Their crime? Being Christian. their crime being simply Palestinian. They ask who started it and if we condemn the group they speak of but I say you will have the right to ask such a question when you stand up and condemn this genocide. Only by the people in their right minds this statement is emphasized do not become desensitized. So, do you condemn this genocide? If you don't understand where these words are coming from, I ask you to look past CNN and BBC and open your heart to see clearly the ethnic cleansing and the continuous killing of innocent Palestinian civilians. An innocent life is valuable no matter where they come from. I ask you, Israel, haven't you had enough aiming your big tanks at a little boy whose only weapon is a small rock? On your hearts there is a lock. But make no mistake, on the grounds of Palestine will Palestinians still walk. Whose home is it when the ones that own it were the keys to the locks of their doors around their necks, knowing full well they will make their glorious return? Muslim brothers and sisters do not fear you. A Palestinian child once said, the rockets may be above us but they have forgotten that Allah is above them. You know what happened in Chicago. You have seen the six-year-old Muslim Palestinian child named Mwadi' stabbed to death 26 times. Stabbed to death 26 times. Since it's hidden closer to home, I ask you, what will you do this time? As my dear Muslim Palestinian friend Iman Hassan said, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. We ask you again, what will you do this time? Thank you. Is Sadia Qureshi here? I'm sorry. Where are you? And you're yielding three minutes to, let's see, Mohammed, correct? And then is Hera Qureshi here? Okay. And you're yielding your three minutes. Okay, so, Muhammad, you will have nine minutes. Welcome. Yeah, thank you very much. My name is Salim Qureshi from District 10, emergency physician. Have been living in Lexington for almost 33 years. I heard all these speakers, they are from Palestine mostly. I want to share some historical facts with the council members. And all these authors are not Palestinians, not Muslims, not from the Middle East. I chose all of them, Western and mostly Jewish. The first book is The Terror Out of Zion. It gives the history between 1929 and 1948. And he describes two prime ministers of Israel, Menachem Begin and Yerkshar Shamir. They were the commanders of the terrorist group Irgun and Stern. They were involved in the murdering UNO diplomats and also British diplomats. British government banned them to enter the UK. However, Menachem Begin was able to come visit America. Jewish people wrote big letters to ban him and the top signature was nobody but Albert Einstein who said this man who belonged to the terrorist group should not be allowed. Then there's another book, let's come down 20 years from the history, from 48. That is another, this is written by son of a journal, son of Israeli journal. The journal name was Pellet, P-E-L-E-D. His son is Michael Pellet. He wrote the book and he said, what I heard from my father during his meetings, nothing but atrocities, especially in Gaza. And he's the peace activist now, Michael Pallad, Israeli Jewish. And the third book, again 20 years down, Jimmy Carter. Jimmy Carter wrote the book, Peace or Apartheid. Now we are witnessing that. When he wrote the book, he became anti-Semite, supporter of the terrorists, and denier of Holocaust. Not only that, he was probably the first one who used the word apartheid. Herod, the biggest newspaper of Jerusalem, wrote down, it is apartheid. Ex-foreign minister, ex-education minister, ex-attorney general of Israel used the word apartheid. The word would use American journalism, press would never use. It's a crime to use here. And the true crime is because apartheid is a war crime. That's why they would not choose. Then come down, apartheid, the UNO established a commission headed by John Dugard, D-U-G-A-R-D. He is the professor of the law from South Africa, he submitted the report that is apartheid. Case went to the International Court of Justice, 15 members. Out of 15 members, 14 said Israel is practicing apartheid. Then is another Jewish writer. His name is Aylan Pape, Jewish historian. He wrote two books, Ethnic Cleansing and The Biggest Prison in the World. He said not only There is ethnic cleansing going on after 2006. They have been committing genocide there. Historian, Israeli professor, not Palestinian. Then there is another book. Another, this is also Israeli professor. This one also served the Israeli army. And he wrote the book Gaza. His name is Norman Finkelstein. He says, not only that, both of his parents was imprisoned in concentration camp in Germany. And he says, it is worse than the concentration camp. camp. It is worse than the Holocaust. This is the Israeli professor who served in the Israeli army. He's writing his name again, Normal Finkelstein. Then there is a book, Dangerous Lays On, Dangerous Lays On. Author is Andrew Cockburn. He says, implicitly and explicitly, the government of America is responsible for whatever is going on in Israel since its inception. Having said that, because I'm talking about the history, The forefathers of Palestinians ruled Spain for 700 years. 700 years. And there's a wonderful book. The name of the book is Ornament of the World. Ornament of the World. From the Columbia. She was professor of the Columbia. Maria Rosa Menocal, she said in the history that there was no equal diversity and tolerance what the forefathers of Palestinians showed for 700 years. What was the tolerance? people were prime ministers, Jewish people were chief justices in that period. And now they are so grateful. Not only that, very surprisingly, 50% of the population of Israel can trace back their origin from Spain. And look what's happening. This is the payback time Palestinians so he's not this is very short history and ask your conscience from the history and from these stories what your answer is it may It may be sick or it may be worse. The conscience might be dead. Thank you. Thank you. Is Alaa Hassan here? Okay, and you're yielding your time to Chester Grundy. Okay, Chester Grundy? Chester, you're up. Welcome. And you'll have six minutes. Good evening. My name is Chester Grundy and I'm a resident of District 11. I'm a retiree and a long time citizen of Lexington. I have also served for 50 years on Lexington's Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Planning Committee, which I co-chair with my dear friend, comrade Councilman James Brown. Next month, on Monday, January 15th, we will come together to observe the birth of this great American for the 51st consecutive time here in Lexington, making it one of the longest running MLK celebrations in the entire country. One of the gifts that I have received from working with the MLK committee for so long is that the experience has given me the opportunity to take a deeper dive into the life, speeches, and the writings of Dr. King. As a result, I've come to really appreciate what a profound voice of clarity Dr. King can be in times of crisis. Last night as I thought about this meeting I chose to listen to him again. This time I decided I would listen to one of his most powerful and for some one of his most controversial speeches. Beyond Vietnam, a time to break the silence. If you've never heard this speech, I would really encourage you to find it. It's easily accessible on YouTube. Dr. King would deliver this speech to an overflow audience at Riverside Church in New York City on April 3rd, 1967. That's exactly one year and one day before he would be tragically assassinated in April, April 4th, 1968. But on that April 3rd night, as he stepped into the podium to begin his address to the overflow audience at Riverside, he said these words, I come to this magnificent house of worship because my conscience leaves me no other choice. A time comes when silence is betrayal, and that time has come to us in relation to Vietnam. Dr. King went on to acknowledge how difficult it often is for people to speak out against their own government, especially in times of war when the pressures of conformity may lead us to apathy or paralysis. He acknowledged that the issues that surrounded Vietnam were indeed complex with long history, that there were ambiguities. But he said that he was morally obligated to speak for the suffering, the helpless, and the outcast children of Vietnam. He condemned the Vietnam War in harsh, unsparing terms. He spoke of the moral bankruptcy of a nation that does not hesitate to invest in bombs, missiles, and warfare around the world, but cannot seem to find the dollars to eradicate the poverty at home. He called for a radical revolution of our values. Dr. King was condemned by virtually every major media outlet in America for taking this stand. Even his comrades in the civil rights movement accused him of being a traitor to the cause. Over the ensuing months until the time of his tragic assassination, he would become one of the most unpopular public figures of his day. And yet, we know now, deep within us, we know that he was right. He is as right today as he was back then. And he was right that our conscience must leave us no other choice when the oppressed, the poor, the weak, and the children are under attack. When their homes are stolen or demolished. When they are forced to migrate and to live in inhumane conditions. In the squalor of open-air prisons or concentration camps as refugees under endless occupation. We must speak. We must speak when Jewish children are brutally killed in the name of liberation. When anti-Semitism and Islamophobia rear their ugly heads. When Palestinian children in refugee camps are bombed and killed. When schools and hospitals and entire neighborhoods are obliterated and laid waste, we must speak. When international law is treated with a... I'm so sorry. Your time is up. Thank you very much. Next up is Helloway. hello way let's say one thing i do support the resolution for ceasefire in gaza thank you thank you and then after that will be eric sanat welcome thank you let me go notes before you start my i'm thank you my name is heli i'm from district 12. um i was hoping to show a video today that i worked on for the last couple of days compiling some of the videos that Motaz and Bassem and all the different journalists have been putting together raw footage I cried for about six hours while I worked on it and I just have a rhetorical question for y'all I bet you cried during the Titanic some of you aren't even listening some of you are looking away I mean it's part of being at councilman like not having a soul or a heart because it's it's heartbreaking i've seen these videos over and over i've heard these speeches over and over and i can't help but tear up every single time so i was told that i was not permitted to show the video because it was going to be on usb so i was told i could email it i emailed it in then i was told that no videos are allowed i read the bylaws i don't see that so i would appreciate my con my councilwoman to please send me the information on that because i don't have that evidently the email went in and vice Mayor Wu and Mayor Gordon looked at it or decided that it was not permitted to show. So I don't have any way of showing the video, which is so impactful, but I can tell you a few of the clips are on there, and each and every one of you should have it in your email boxes by now, because I've emailed it to you. There's an ice cream truck that are being used for morgues, and a young lady speaking out saying, imagine how these children, if they ever come out of this situation could look and enjoy ice cream again when their brothers and sisters are being put in there there's a boy that's lost his brother sitting with a broken arm in a wheelchair just wailing that talking about how his brother in arabic with all the different um subtitles uh talking about his brother was yelling out for him and saying and then he couldn't hear him any longer because the rocks were in his mouth. They took him to see his brother at the hospital where he begged and begged his dad to let him kiss him. His brother was about four years old and he was about six. Father was looking under rubble for hours, yelling out all his kids' names, saying, please, I ask you to take care of your sister. He lost four kids during that time. Palestinian teenager was shot in Hebron not too long ago, not Gaza, on video recorded by a teenager from their apartment window. Then there's children that go on and on. At the very end, there's a part where it says, what do you want to be when you grow up? And he says, when I grow up, us in Palestine, we do not grow up. At any moment, we will be killed. We might die at any moment. When we are walking, we might find ourselves attacked. This is how our lives are in Palestine. I sent an email to Congressman Andy Barr, and his response was absolutely disgusting, so I will not talk about that. But shortly, somebody sent me, don't forget, during this Christmas season, that Jesus was a Palestinian, and all your Christian fellowships in Palestine are not celebrating Christmas because of what's going on in Gaza. Thank you very much. Next is Eric Sinnott, followed by David Ward. Welcome. Hello, my name is Eric Sennett. I'm from Louisville, Kentucky. I was invited here because of my presence at multiple gatherings in Louisville, Frankfurt, and I've been here in Lexington before. I am here on behalf of my Muslim brothers and sisters via Abraham Ishmael, son of Abraham. I'm a Christian. I'm guided by scripture. What I have to share here tonight has been laid upon my heart and mind by my Lord, my master, Jesus Christ. Jesus, my Lord, spoke out. Therefore, I am compelled in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ to speak out also. My Lord Jesus spoke out against hypocrisy. My Lord Jesus spoke out about accountability. My Lord Jesus spoke out about injustices. My Lord Jesus Christ spoke out about truth. Jesus is a revered prophet of Islam. It is the hypocrisy, and now I move on to my next point. It is the hypocrisy of my people and manipulation of my people that is the root cause of much chaos, suffering, and death. The essence of my people is perverse and has been morally corrupt. Do not the Palestinians have a right to defend themselves? The same people who label Palestinians as terrorists are the same type of people who labeled Native Americans as savage and terrorists as they fought against from being murdered and pushed off their homelands. The same type of people who label Palestinians terrorists are the same type of people who label African Americans as agitators and terrorists as they strive for equal rights and equal justice. a nation of christian values question mark america was built upon and is of christian values question mark that is what my people say if so tell me where did jesus ever say murder native americans to push them off their homelands where did jesus say ever condone genocide where did jesus ever say murder someone because they are different from us enslave africans and steal from than labor, denied people equal rights and justice, the hypocrisy of my people. All my life I've heard my fellow Christians vilify German people for murdering Jewish people during the Holocaust, yet turned blind eyes to the genocide that is occurring by Israel against the Palestinians. The same people who vilify Germans for what they did to the Jews sit and condone what the Israelis are doing to the Palestinians. I'm running short on time. Scripture. Tobit. Thank you very much. Next is David Ward, followed by Hamza Qureshi. David. I don't know if David is outside, but we'll go on. And if he is, he can hear me. If we'll go on with Hamsa Qureshi. Oh, David Ward, thank you. Okay, you're up next. Welcome. Thank you. It was hard to hear my name with all the clapping outside. Okay, okay. My name is David Ward. I go by Brock. I'm a business owner in the 1st District. I was born here in Lexington. I attended Catholic school here in Lexington, and I also attended the University of Kentucky until 2009 as a student in the Arabic and Islamic Studies program, among others. Earlier this week, a town hall was held at Masjid Bilal, where we were told hesitation to act on the issue of Gaza was because leaders at your level don't have the ability to enact real change. And that was from the three of you who attended. But I think the real reason you don't act is because it is out of fear. Fear of saying the wrong thing, of which I will give you the benefit of the doubt because Gaza is portrayed as a complicated issue that nobody who is not directly affected by it can understand. That's not true, and I'm proof of that. We are not asking for much, just that you officially and publicly recognize this situation for what it is. There are 2.3 million people in Gaza, all who are displaced now. 40% of that population is under the age of 15. That's just over 900,000 children. More if you count all the way up to 18. 60 days into this war, nearly 20,000 Palestinians have been killed, and Israel actually claims that 5,000 of those were Hamas operatives. Let that be true. At that rate, in order to decimate Hamas, which is the objective of this war, we would see the loss of over 160,000 innocent lives in Gaza to achieve that end. Many of those would be children, as we all already know. How many more between now and then have to suffer for you to act? How many more before you call it genocide? Let's think about the world that our silence enables for those children. If you are 15 years old today in Gaza, you have grown up under apartheid, and you have witnessed thousands of your family and neighbors murdered in 2008, 2012, 2014, and many other conflicts. You all have witnessed homes, buildings, and infrastructure destroyed. Well, if you're close to the border, you can look into Israel and imagine what freedom looks like. While again, it seems easy for some to throw up our shoulders, make excuses, and say that we can't understand, it's not that difficult. So on that note, I'd just like to share some quotes from Palestinian children in Gaza that I read this morning, and all of these are from 2021, before this conflict started. They start with, and chocolate. I urge you, as our local leaders, to see past any differences in personal conflicts to consider the privilege of your hesitation to lead. Appeal to your humanity and set an example through choosing to stand amongst the growing number of other cities across our United States who call for an end to this onslaught on future generations' right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Next is Hamza Qureshi. My name is Dr. Mohammad Hamza Qureshi. I'm a practicing physician resident of District 6. I'm here to speak on behalf of the patients, the physicians, the hospitals, and the dead of Gaza. As a physician born and raised in Lexington, I tell people I did everything at UK. I was born at UK. I did college at UK. I went to residency at UK, I'm Kentucky through and through. So I carry on a very proud legacy of my family of serving this city and serving this beautiful state of ours, whether that's here in Lexington, in Hazard, in Winchester, or any number of rural areas myself and my family of physicians serve. So I come to you in that context. The bombing, the targeting of healthcare facilities, of physicians in Gaza by the Israeli military is wrong, it is unthinkable, and it is unprecedented from an international standpoint. And as many of our speakers have spoken today, they shared personal anecdotes and that's needed. But I also want to provide some quote unquote neutral perspective from different organizations. The World Health Organization says that a fraction of Gaza's hospitals are functioning And that fraction is being overwhelmed by the new wounded and dead that are arriving daily. That same WHO has a database that shows 427 attacks on health care facilities in Gaza and the Palestinian territories. So I'm here to echo the recent letter from Doctors Without Borders, another neutral organization that is calling for the ceasefire and calling for the end of intentional, this is their wording, intentional restriction of humanitarian aid. As an anesthesiologist, it is unthinkable that we could do even a small procedure without some sort of numbing, some sort of anesthesia. Unfortunately, the norm is in Gaza, people's limbs are amputated without anesthesia. People's surgeries are done under the light of a cell phone without anesthesia. This is a basic human right, and we all have a role to speak up, to educate ourselves about what's going on, and to do what we can, and we are all capable of doing something in this conflict. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. That ends our public comment. So we are at the end of our meeting. Thank you all for being here. And I'll entertain a motion to adjourn. Thank you. All those in favor, say aye. All right. We are adjourned. Thank you for coming. I'm sorry.