# Urban County Council - February 1, 2024 > Auto-transcribed civic record · February 1, 2024 - **Permalink**: https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/6033 - **Source video**: https://lfucg.granicus.com/player/clip/6033?view_id=14&redirect=true - **Date**: 2024-02-01 - **Last revised**: February 1, 2024 - **Length**: 11,509 words - **Speakers**: Mayor, Misor, Mthor > ⚠️ **Auto-generated content.** Audio from the official Granicus video was auto-transcribed with OpenAI's open-source Whisper large-v3-turbo model, run locally by The Lexington Times. Structured facts were extracted with GPT-4o; the narrative summary was written by Anthropic Claude. Verbatim wording may contain errors. See [methodology](https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/about/methodology) or [report a correction](mailto:editor@lexingtonky.news). --- ## Meeting Overview The Urban County Council convened on February 1, 2024, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gorton presiding over the session. The council addressed three agenda items during the meeting, all of which were approved by the body. The meeting included formal recognition of community members and causes, with the council approving proclamations for "Evan Jayson Smith Day" and "Wear Red Day & American Heart Month." Additionally, the council passed an ordinance amending the name of the Racial Justice and Equality Commission. Throughout the session, the council took three votes and heard from three members of the public during the public comment period. ## Attendance The following members were present at the February 1, 2024 meeting: • Sevigny • Wu • F. Brown • J. Brown • Ellinger • Fogle • Gray • LeGris • Lynch • Monarrez • Reynolds • Worley (arrived late) **Absent:** • Sheehan • Elliott Baxter • Plomin **Late Arrival:** • Worley A total of 12 members were present for the meeting, with 3 members absent and 1 member arriving late. ## Votes and Decisions The council took action on three items during the February 1, 2024 meeting, with all measures passing unanimously. **Ordinance 0051-24** [timestamp: 02:00] was approved by roll call vote with 12 ayes and 0 nays. The ordinance amends Sections 2-519 and 2-526 of the Code of Ordinances to change the name of the Racial Justice and Equality Commission to "Racial Justice and Equity Commission." Council member Ellinger made the motion, seconded by LeGris. All twelve council members voted in favor: Sevigny, Worley, Wu, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Fogle, Gray, LeGris, Lynch, Monarrez, and Reynolds. **Resolution 0093-24** [timestamp: 04:00] passed by roll call vote with 12 ayes and 0 nays. The resolution ratifies the permanent classified civil service appointment of Patrick Jorgensen as Municipal Engineer Sr. Reynolds made the motion, with Wu providing the second. The same twelve council members voted unanimously in favor. **Resolution 0107-24** [timestamp: 05:00] was approved unanimously with 12 ayes and 0 nays. This resolution accepts the bid of Marrillia Design and Construction for construction of the Douglass Park Pool Aquatic Center. Fogle made the motion, seconded by Reynolds. All council members present voted to approve the resolution. No council members voted against any of the three measures, and there were no abstentions recorded for any vote. The unanimous support across all items demonstrates broad council consensus on these administrative and infrastructure matters. ## Budget and Financial Actions The meeting addressed three financial items totaling $222,790.50 across various municipal services and projects. **Resolution 0011-24** authorized a $5,800 contract with Hyatt Regency Lexington for catering services for the Senior Intern Alumni Luncheon. This contract covers food and beverage services for the event recognizing former municipal interns. **Resolution 0044-24** approved a $40,000 grant to Bluegrass Greensource, Inc. for a Stormwater Quality Project. This grant funding supports environmental infrastructure improvements to enhance local water quality management systems. **Resolution 0049-24** authorized the largest expenditure of $176,990.50 for the purchase of cardiac monitors, upgrades, and batteries from ZOLL. This equipment purchase represents a significant investment in emergency medical services capabilities, ensuring first responders have access to current cardiac monitoring technology and necessary replacement components. The three resolutions collectively demonstrate municipal spending priorities spanning community events, environmental projects, and emergency services equipment. The cardiac monitor purchase represents approximately 79% of the total financial commitments addressed during this meeting. ## Public Comment Three speakers addressed the Council during the public comment period, all focusing on the same topic regarding the conflict in Gaza. **Maissa Abdallah** [timestamp: 07:00] spoke about the conflict and devastation in Gaza, asking the Council to issue a resolution supporting a cease-fire. **Saria Santiago** [timestamp: 08:00] shared stories and experiences from those currently living in Gaza, imploring the Council to issue a resolution supporting a cease-fire. **Ala Hassan** [timestamp: 09:00] represented Lexington for Palestine and urged the Council to pass a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. All three speakers requested that the Council take action by issuing or passing a resolution in support of a cease-fire in the ongoing conflict in Gaza. ## Appointments The council made three appointments to various city boards and commissions during the meeting. Two new members were appointed to the Access Lexington Commission: • Jason Jones was appointed to the Access Lexington Commission • Christina Espinoza was appointed to the Access Lexington Commission Additionally, Christina Dudek was appointed to the Affordable Housing Governing Board. All three appointments were approved by the council during the February 1, 2024 meeting. ## Contested Items The meeting featured significant community engagement around a cease-fire resolution for Gaza, which emerged as the primary contested item during the public comment period. **Gaza Cease-fire Resolution** Several community members spoke passionately during public comments advocating for the City Council to pass a resolution supporting a cease-fire in Gaza. The speakers expressed strong views about the need for local government action on this international issue, generating notable community opposition and debate. The nature of the contention centered on whether the local council should take a position on international conflicts and foreign policy matters. Community members who spoke in favor argued for the importance of local government bodies taking moral stands on humanitarian issues, while the disagreement appeared to stem from questions about the appropriateness and scope of municipal government involvement in international affairs. The extracted data does not indicate the specific outcome of this contested item or whether the Council took any formal action in response to the community input. No transcript timestamps were provided in the source materials to reference specific portions of the discussion. This item represents a common type of municipal government tension where community members seek to have their local representatives take positions on broader national or international issues, creating debate about the proper role and jurisdiction of city councils in addressing matters beyond their direct governmental responsibilities. ## Evan Jayson Smith Day [timestamp: 01:00] The Lexington government issued Proclamation 0122-24 declaring February 1, 2024, as "Evan Jayson Smith Day" in recognition of heroic actions taken to stop a gunman. Mayor Gorton presented the proclamation honoring Evan Jayson Smith for his courageous intervention in a dangerous situation involving an armed individual. The proclamation formally recognizes Smith's heroic actions that helped protect others from harm. During the presentation, both Evan Jayson Smith and Kurt Smith were present to receive the recognition. The proclamation was approved without opposition, acknowledging the significance of Smith's brave actions in the community. The designation of February 1, 2024, as Evan Jayson Smith Day serves as an official recognition of extraordinary citizenship and heroism displayed during a critical public safety incident. The proclamation was unanimously approved by the governing body. ## Wear Red Day & American Heart Month [timestamp: 02:00] The Lexington city government issued proclamations recognizing both Wear Red Day and American Heart Month during the February 1, 2024 meeting. Mayor Gorton and Andrea Eden were the key speakers for this agenda item, which was designated as proclamation 0091-24. The proclamations officially declared February 2, 2024, as Wear Red Day in Lexington and designated the entire month of February 2024 as American Heart Month. These proclamations align with national awareness campaigns aimed at raising consciousness about heart disease and promoting cardiovascular health in the community. Wear Red Day is an annual observance that encourages people to wear red clothing to show support for women's heart health awareness. American Heart Month is a broader initiative that focuses on educating the public about heart disease prevention and the importance of maintaining cardiovascular wellness throughout the month of February. The proclamations were approved without recorded opposition or debate during the meeting. This type of ceremonial proclamation is typically used by local governments to show support for important health awareness initiatives and to encourage community participation in national health campaigns. The timing of these proclamations coincides with the American Heart Association's annual "Go Red for Women" campaign, which specifically targets heart disease awareness among women, as cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death for women in the United States. ## Ordinance amending Racial Justice and Equality Commission name [timestamp: 02:00] The council considered Ordinance 0051-24, which proposed changing the name of the Racial Justice and Equality Commission to the Racial Justice and Equity Commission. The ordinance focused on updating the commission's name to better reflect its mission and purpose. Key speakers during the discussion included Ellinger and LeGris, who addressed the proposed name change. The discussion centered on the distinction between "equality" and "equity" in the commission's title, with the proposed change emphasizing equity as a more appropriate term for the commission's work. The ordinance was approved by the council, officially changing the commission's name from the Racial Justice and Equality Commission to the Racial Justice and Equity Commission. This name change represents a shift in terminology to better align with the commission's goals and contemporary understanding of racial justice work. --- ## Decisions - **Ordinance 0051-24** — passed (12-0): An Ordinance amending Sections 2-519 and 2-526 of the Code of Ordinances, changing the name of the Racial Justice and Equality Commission to 'Racial Justice and Equity Commission.' - **Resolution 0093-24** — passed (12-0): A Resolution ratifying the Permanent Classified Civil Service Appointment of Patrick Jorgensen, Municipal Engineer Sr. - **Resolution 0107-24** — passed (12-0): A Resolution accepting the bid of Marrillia Design and Construction for construction of the Douglass Park Pool Aquatic Center. --- ## Full transcript Music Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I will call to order the meeting of February 1st, 2024, of the Lexington Fayette Urban County Council. And the first item is the roll call. Council Member Savigny. Here. Councilmember Sheehan? Councilmember Worley? Vice Mayor Wu? Here. Councilmember Fred Brown? Here. Councilmember James Brown? Here. Councilmember Ellinger? Yes, ma'am. Councilmember Elliott Baxter? Councilmember Fogle? Here. Councilmember Gray? Present. Councilmember Legree? Here. Councilmember Lynch? Present. Councilmember Menares? Here. Councilmember Plowman? and Councilmember Reynolds. Thank you. Thank you. We have a quorum. So at this time, I would like to invite Pastor Shane Maples from Southern Heights Baptist Church to give our invocation. Welcome. Pray with me. Our Father God, we love you. We are thankful for this opportunity to gather as citizens, as leaders, as elected officials here in this room. Father, I pray that over the next few hours tonight that you would bless this room with your leadership and with your guidance and with your wisdom. Lord, that any decisions that are reached for the people of this county and this city, that they would be blessed as a result of said decision. Father, thank you for these men and women who lead us. We understand that you have ordained them to these positions and it is by no accident that they are here. Help us to honor them and to love them and even to cherish them as they lead us here. Father, go with us, lead, guide, and direct us. And we thank you for Jesus. And it's in his wonderful name that we pray. Amen. Thank you, Pastor Maples. At this time, we will have special presentations. Thank you. invite Councilmember Hannah Legree to join me at the podium. So we are joined tonight by two very special guests, Evan Jason Smith and his father, Kurt This past fall, while working security at a local downtown Lexington bar, Jason disarmed a gunman, preventing many others from being seriously injured or worse. During the incident, Jason suffered a very serious injury, which led to a month-long hospital stay. going through this traumatic experience, he is hopeful that a full recovery is in his future. Jason, we know that your actions were brave and heroic. Thank you for your dedication to our community and to doing your job. At this time, it's my privilege to present this proclamation. Now, would you both like to join me at the podium? Or, yes? I think it's fair to say that for quite some time, Jason couldn't walk. This is He's a Miracle. So. So, here we go. Whereas on October 1st, 2023, Evan Jason Smith disarmed a gunman, preventing many others from being injured or worse. And whereas during the altercation, Evan suffered a critical injury, which led to hospitalization at the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital, and then the spinal cord unit at Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital. And whereas, despite the experience, Evan remains hopeful that a full recovery is ahead. And whereas Evan is continuing his studies at Western Governors University, where he's working on a bachelor's degree in cybersecurity and information assurance, and whereas the City of Lexington commends Evan for his bravery and dedication to our community. Now, therefore, I, Linda Gorton, Mayor of Lexington, do hereby declare February 1, 2024, Evan Jason Smith Day in Lexington. I'm going to give this to you. Thank you. Do you want to say a couple words? Just thank you, Linda. Okay, all right. His dad... His dad is going to say a few words. Welcome. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thanks to everybody. This is... It's amazing. It's absolutely amazing. It's certainly not something Jason asked for or it's just, it's what he does. It's the day he got shot, he had a little auto mechanics business on the side and they were working on a guy who was ridden with cancer's car and he fell off the porch. And Jason was the first one to him and helped him make sure. Then they didn't charge him because he was dying of cancer. It's the kind of, earlier in the summer, a lady was walking, or a little white fluffy dog passed my house. And also you hear this just blood-curdling scream. Jason didn't think twice. Ran out the door, and this 80-pound German shepherd's got the little white thing in its mouth thrown around. Jason got it away. He didn't ask for anything. A lady walked by my house the other day. He goes, oh, that was your son? That's the kind of stuff he does all the time. And I just can't thank you all enough. Thank you. Thank you. I'd like to ask Councilmember Legree to say a few words. I want to say thank you, Jason, for your bravery and for stepping into a dangerous situation and for acting with extraordinary heroism. You showed up for your community in a way that had real consequences for yourself and for the safety of everyone around you. And I think that most of us could only hope to be as courageous. You're clearly thoughtful, determined, and a very resilient person. And all of us are thinking of you and rooting for you, not only on your road to recovery, but as you pursue all of your goals. Thank you so much. Thank you, Mayor. We'll do a photo now. Where do we do that? I'm coming out of here. You want me in it? Yeah, you should be in it. Thank you. Thank you. any of your fellow dear board members and board members supporters come on crowd the circle so andrea is joining us today from the american heart association of kentucky where she serves as the organization's executive director We're also joined by American Heart Association board members and volunteers. Thank you all for being here this evening. February 2nd is recognized as Wear Red Day, a time set aside to wear red to raise awareness surrounding cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease remains the number one cause of death in women and in new mothers across the United States. While so much progress has been made, we still have a long way to go. This year is a big year for the American Heart Association. They're celebrating their 100th anniversary. Since its founding, the organization has been a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Andrea, we thank you and your entire team for spreading awareness and for educating our communities. Now, at this time, it's my pleasure to present two proclamations, declaring tomorrow Wear Red Day, some of us are in red tonight, and declaring the month of February American Heart Month in Lexington. So first off, we'll do Wear Red Day. Whereas great progress has been made in reducing the death rate from the cardiovascular disease, however, it remains the number one cause of death in women. And whereas cardiovascular disease is also the leading cause of death in new mothers in the United States. And whereas most cardiac and stroke events can be prevented through education and lifestyle changes, such as moving more, eating smart, and managing blood pressure, and whereas since 2004, the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women campaign has raised awareness concerning women's greatest health threat, and whereas the American Heart Association continues to make bold moves to save lives and pioneer scientific discoveries, And whereas National Wear Red Day is February 2nd, a day to wear red to raise awareness concerning cardiovascular disease, and whereas the American Heart Association in Kentucky is urging all women to join the fight against cardiovascular disease. Now, therefore, I, Linda Gorton, Mayor of Lexington, do hereby declare February 2nd, 2024 Wear Red Day in Lexington. Thank you so much. Now this is American Heart Month. Whereas more than 350,000 people experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year in the United States, and only about one in ten of them survive. And whereas more than 23,000 children under the age of 18 experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year in the United States, and about 40% of them are sports related. And whereas it is critical to educate and provide cardiac emergency response plans, CPR education and automated external defibrillator training and accessibility, and whereas CPR is a life-saving skill that most people, including children as young as age 9, can learn, and whereas the American Heart Association has set a goal of doubling the survival from cardiac arrest by 2030 by turning bystanders into lifesavers so that everyone, everywhere, is prepared and empowered to become a vital link in the chain of survival. And whereas in celebration of American Heart Month and the American Heart Association's 100th birthday, we encourage our community to practice good health, good heart health, learn CPR. Now therefore, I'm Linda Gorton, Mayor of Lexington, to hereby declare February of 2024 American Heart Month in Lexington. Thank you. Would you like to say a few of this, if that's okay? Andrea? Well, I will keep this brief because I know that was a lot, but thank you so much, Mayor and Councilmembers. And I want to say thank you to so many of you who helped also with building CPR awareness earlier this year with our Lex Save Lives. I really appreciate all of the support that you all have given to us. We're really proud of the community that we live in here in Lexington and the many steps that we all take together to make this a healthier community. So really just appreciate all of your support and look forward to seeing everybody in the red tomorrow. Thank you. Thank you. Shall we get a photo? Shall we get a photo? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Now it's time for a second reading of ordinances, please. Ordinance number one, in ordinance meeting section 2519 and 2526 of the code of ordinances, Continue the name from the Racial Justice and Equality Commission to the Racial Justice and Equity Commission. In item two, in ordinance amending certain of the budgets of the Lexington Fair-Irban County Government to reflect current requirements, free municipal expenditures and appropriate new report refunds, FY2024, Schedule number 34. Thank you. Thank you. Is there a motion to approve? Second. Thank you. Council Member Ellinger, second by Council Member Legree. And when you're ready, if you'll take a roll call vote, please. Council Member Sevigny. Yes. Councilmember Worley? Yes, ma'am. Vice Mayor Wu? Yes. Councilmember Fred Brown? Yes. Councilmember James Brown? Yes. Councilmember Ellinger? Yes, ma'am. Councilmember Fogle? Yes. Thank you. Councilmember Gray? Yes. Councilmember Legree? Yes. Councilmember Lynch? Yes. Councilmember Minaris? Yes. And Councilmember Reynolds? Yes. Thank you. Thank you very much. Those all pass. And next we're ready for first reading of ordinances, please. Item 1. In ordinance meeting certain of the budgets, elixating for urban county government to reflect current requirements for municipal expenditures and appropriating repubing funds, FY 2024, Schedule number 35. Item 4. In ordinance admitting the authorized strength by abolishing one classified position of social worker senior, grade 5, 18e, and creating one classified position of social services worker, grade 5, 16e, in the division of community and resident services effective upon passage of counsel, item 5. In ordinance amending the authorized strength by creating one classified position of Human Resources Manager, Grade 527E, in the Division of Human Resources to be located at the Division of Community Corrections, effective upon passage of counsel. Item 6. In ordinance admitting the authorized strength by creating one unclassified position of senior special projects administrator, grade 530E, in the office of the chief administrative officer, effective upon passage of council. Item 7, an ordinance metting Section 1 of the Ordinance No. 134-2023, which adopted a schedule of meetings for the Lexington Fair Urban County Council for calendar year 2024 to change the time of the Budget Committee of the whole scheduled for May 28, 2024 at 1 p.m. to May 28, 2024 at 10 a.m. and to add a budget committee of the whole meeting on May 30, 2024 at 1 p.m. And item 8, an ordinance creating section 231.2 of the Lexington-Urban County Government Code Ordinances to prohibit discrimination in housing on the basis of lawful source of income or payment, all effective March 1, 2024. Thank you. Thank you. Before we move forward, I've noted on the electronic record, there are only nine votes on what we're looking at. Yes, we seem to be having some. So unusual. I'm sorry. We're having some technical issues over here. They were recorded. I'm sure we had enough to pass those. It's just they weren't registered. Yes. My computer's freezing. There we go. Yes. There we go. Okay. There we go. But we do not have 15 people here, right? 12. okay yeah sure there's a little bit of a glitch in this one i guess but there's a there's a an unusual lag but i do have paper so if this freezes i'll make sure that we note it all right thank you very much for that absolutely now are there any walk-ons council members are there any motions to suspend the rules and give second reading council member fogel Oh, no? Okay. All right. We're having a few glitches up here. Just everybody be patient. Are there any suspensions, motions to suspend the rules? All right. Seeing none, that brings us to second reading of resolutions. Item one. A resolution ratifying the permanent classified civil service appointment of Patrick Jorgensen, municipal engineer senior, grade 528E, 3460.24 biweekly in the division of engineering, effective February 7, 2024. Item two, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of every county government to execute an agreement with the Hyatt Regency Lexington for catering services for the senior intern alumni luncheon at a cost not to receive $5,800. Item three, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of every county government to execute an agreement awarding a Class B infrastructure incentive grant to Bluegrass Green Source Incorporated for a Stormwater Quality Project at a cost not to exceed $40,000. Item 4. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of our mechanic government to execute an agreement awarding a class A neighborhood incentive grant to a Beaumont Residential Association Incorporated for a Stormwater Quality Project at a cost not to exceed $6,000. Item 5. A resolution authorizing the Division of Fire and Emergency Services to purchase cardiac and monitors, upgrade, and batteries from ZOL, a source provider, and authorizing the mayor on behalf of our mechanic government to execute any necessary agreement with ZOL related to the procurement at a cost not to exceed $176,909.50. Item 6. A resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the Becany government to execute an agreement of affiliation with the Bluegrass Crime Stoppers Incorporated for funding of a $1 fee added to court costs at no cost to the government. Item 7. A resolution authorizing and directing the Division of Traffic Engineering to install four speed tables on Kentucky Avenue between East Main Street and East High Street per guidelines in the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program once the neighborhood matches are received at a cost not to exceed $20,000. Item 8. A resolution authorizing and direct the mayor on behalf of the county government to execute a modification to the agreement with Kentucky Office of Homeland Security under the FY 2022 State Homeland Security Grant Program to extend the period of performance through July 31, 2025 and further authorize the mayor to execute any other necessary amendments related to the agreement. Item 9, a resolution authorizing and direct the mayor on behalf of the county government to accept an additional award of $22,308.12 in federal funds, ARPA, from the Kentucky Cabinet of Health and Family Services, Department of Community-Based Services, to support child care expenses for the extended school program in the Division of Parks and Recreation, which does not obligate the urban county government to the expenditure of funds and authorizing the mayor to transfer out-of-cumber funds in the grant budget. Item 10, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of Irby County Government to execute an agreement awarded a class-a neighborhood incentive grant to the Rotary Club of Lexington, Kentucky, Incorporated for the Stormwater Quality Project at a cost not to cede $3,000. Item 11, a resolution authorizing and direct the mayor on behalf of Irby County Government to accept an additional award of $104,028 in federal funds, ARPA, from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Department of Community-Based Services, to support child care expenses at the Family Care Center, the exception of which does not obligate the Irby County Government to the expenditure of funds and authorizing mayor to transfer adequate funds in the grant budget. And item 12, a resolution authorizing the Division of Police to purchase magnet forensic software from Grayshift LLC, a sole source provider and authorizing the mayor on behalf of the Air Mechanic Government to execute any necessary agreement with Grayshift LLC related to procurement at a cost to exceed $50,595. Thank you. Thank you very much. Is there a motion to approve? I'm so sorry. Who gave the motion? Council Member Reynolds and Vice Mayor Wu seconded. So when you are ready, if you'll take a roll call vote, please. Councilmember Sevigny? Yes. Councilmember Worley? Yes, ma'am. Vice Mayor Wu? Yes. Councilmember Fred Brown? Yes. Councilmember James Brown? Yes. Councilmember Ellinger? Yes, ma'am. Councilmember Fogle? Yes. Councilmember Gray? Yes. Councilmember Legree? Yes. Councilmember Lynch? Yes. Councilmember Minares? Yes. Councilmember Reynolds? Yes. Thank you. Thank you. Are you able to show there? There we go. There's the votes. Thank you. All of those passed. Now we're ready for first reading of resolutions. Item 13. A resolution accepting a bid of Morillia design and construction in the amount of $5,153,000 for construction of the Douglas Park Pool Aquatic Center for the Division of Parks and Recreation and authorizing the mayor on behalf of the Virginia government to execute an agreement with Morillia design and construction related to the bid. Item 14, a resolution accepting the bid of Natar Corporation in the amount of $128,833 for Woodland Pool Liner Project for the Division of Parks and Recreation. And authorizing Mayor on behalf of the Mechanic Up and Dex, you get an agreement with Natar Corporation related to the bid. Item 15, a resolution ratifying the permanent classified civil service appointment of Tamar Tompkins, Revenue Compliance Analyst, Grade 5, 18, and 25.352 hourly in the dividend revenue effective January 24, 2024. Item 16, a resolution authorizing the payment in the amount of $11,750 to the Kentucky Natural Land Trust as mitigation for the potential removal of wildlife habitat on the Legacy Business Park Project site. And authorizing the mayor on behalf of the Lexington Fair Urban County Government to execute any necessary documents related to the payment. Item 17, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the county government to execute a memorandum of understanding with voices of hope for placement of recovery coaches with the community paramedicine program. Item 18, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the county government to execute an agreement awarded a class B infrastructure incentive grant to media. The Occhre Creative LLC for feasibility study for the stormwater quality project. At a cost not to see $12,500. Item 19. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of our county government to execute an agreement awarding Class B infrastructure incentive grant to Bread and Roses LLC for feasibility study for a stormwater quality project. At a cost not to see $31,850. Item 20. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of our county government to execute a partial release of easement releasing a portion of detention easement on the property located at 2350 Norman Lane. Item 21. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of our county government to execute an agreement the Kentucky State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division in order to accept $30,000 in federal funds awarded under the Interstate Emphasis Grant for the purpose of improving commercial motor vehicle safety and compliance, the extent to which does not obligate the urban county government to the expenditure of funds and authorizing the way to transfer adequate funds within the grant budget. Item 22, a resolution of authorizing and directing mayor on behalf of the American Government to execute an agreement with the University of Kentucky Research Foundation for the provision of evaluation services for the Community Paramedicine Overdose Outreach Lexington for the Division of Fire and Emergency Services under the Comprehensive Opioid Stimulant and Substance Use Program from the Division of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance Grant Program at a cost not to receive $83,619 and further authorizing the mayor to execute any documents related to the future renewal of such agreement subject of sufficient funds being appropriated in future fiscal years, Item 23. A resolution authorizing on the Mayor on behalf of the beginning of the government to accept an award of $10,000 from the Jesmond County Fiscal Court for the support of planning activities and operating costs related to the office of the Lexington Area Metropolitan Planning Organization for Jasmine County located within the Division of Planning, the exception which does not obligate the urban county government to the expenditure funds and authorizing the mayor to execute any necessary agreement related to this grant and authorizing the mayor to transfer any funds in the grant budget. And, okay, there we go. Item 24. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the mechanic government to execute an agreement awarded a class A neighborhood incentive grant to Waterford II Home Owners Association for stormwater quality projects that the cost that received $120,000, item 25. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the mechanic government to execute a statement of work with industrial and organizational solutions incorporated I.O. solution for police sergeants and police lieutenants promotional testing cycle under the terms and conditions of the contract of 4RFP 47 2019 for the division for the license division of police at a cost to exceed $106,065 effective upon passage of council item 26 a resolution authorizing and directing mayor on behalf of the county government to execute an agreement related to the neighborhood development funds with black male working academy 4700 nab vets 1850 broke spoke 2850 kentucky lions i foundation 1275 lexprom project incorporated 2100 and ziva project incorporated 2000 for the office of the urban county council to cost not to exceed the sum stated item 27 a resolution authorizing and and Director Mayor on behalf of the county government to execute Supplemental Agreement number three of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for the acceptance of additional federal funds in the amount of $300,000 for the construction phase of Squires Road Sidewalk Project, which obligates the urban county government to the expenditure of $75,000 as a local match, which is conditioned upon approval of the necessary budget amendments and further authorizing the mayor to transfer undergarment funds within the grant budget, item 28. A resolution authorizing and Director Mayor on behalf of the county government to execute Supplemental Agreement number five with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for the acceptance of additional federal funds in the amount of $700,000 for the construction phase of the Wilson-Downing sidewalk project, the exception of which obligates the Irving County government to put the expenditure of $175,000 as a local match, which is conditioned upon approval of necessary budget amendments and further authorizing the mayor to transfer out of government funding in the grant budget. In item 29, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of Irving County government to execute an agreement, RFP number 110-2023 with Hinkle Construction Services, LLC, for construction costs related to the Squires Road and Wilson-Downing sidewalk projects and a cost to receive $1,764,435.25 pending approval of the necessary budget amendments. Thank you. Thank you very much. Are there walk-ons? Council Member Menoros? No. Council Member James Brown? Thank you, Mayor. I move to place on tonight's docket a resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute a service agreement with the Keeneland Association, Inc. related to the resurfacing of the Mounted Police indoor riding and training area at no cost to the government. So move. Thank you. Is there Vice Mayor Wu seconds? Are there questions? All right. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. That motion passes. Council Member Fogle, do you have a walk-on? No, ma'am. No. Okay. All right. If you will please give that first reading. Yes, ma'am. Item 30, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute a services agreement with Keeneland Association Incorporated related to the resurfacing of the Mount of Police indoor riding and training area at no cost to the government. Thank you. Thank you. Are there any motions to suspend the rules and give second reading? Now, Council Member Menoros. Thank you, Mayor. I move to suspend the rules and give second reading to three different ones, but first, 27. So moved. Second. All right, Council Member Ellinger seconds. Are there questions? That is the Transportation Cabinet Sidewalk Project. Any questions? All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that passes. I make a motion to suspend the rules and get second reading to item number 28. So moved. Second. Thank you. Council Member Lynch seconded. I'm seconded. And that is Wilson Downing sidewalks. Thank you. Any questions? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. In the last one, I move to suspend the rules and give second reading to item number 29, so move. All right, that Council Member Lynch seconds, and that is also Wilson Downing's side box. So are there any questions for that one? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. Thank you. Council Member Fogle. Thank you, Mayor. I have two items. First being number 13. On behalf of administration, I move to give a second reading for the work to be done at Douglas Park on the aquatic swimming pool. So moved. Second. Council Member Reynolds seconds. Any questions? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. Also, Mayor, on behalf of the administration, number 26 for the NDF Neighborhood Development Funds, so moved. Suspend the rules to give a second reading. All right. Heard two seconds, but I think the loudest was Council Member Sevigny, who really belted it out. he did he seconded um okay are there any questions all those in favor say aye aye is anyone opposed all right that motion passes all right um council member reynolds thank you mayor um on behalf of the administration i move to suspend the rules and give second rating to item 21, receiving a $30,000 federal grant for public safety. Second. Second by council member Ellinger. Oh my goodness. Okay. Are there any questions? All those in favor say aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. That motion passes. Council Member Legree. Thank you, Mayor. At the request of the administration, I move to suspend the rules and give second reading to item number 14. This is for the Woodland Pool Liner Project. So moved. Second. Thank you. Council Member Reynolds seconds. Any questions? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. That motion passes. Council Member James Brown. Thank you, Mayor. I make a motion to suspend the rules and give second reading to item 30. This is the service agreement with Kingland. So moved. Second. Thank you. Second by who seconded? Councilmember Legree. All right. Are there any questions? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? No. All right. We have one no vote. Councilmember Fred Brown. That motion passes. Any other motions to suspend the rules and give second reading? All right. If we can check with each other, I think that we have 13, 14, 21, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30. Is that correct? All right. When you're ready, if you'll give those second reading, please. Item 13. A resolution accepting the bid of Moralia Design and Construction in the amount of $5,153,000 for the construction of the Douglas Park Pool Aquatic Center for the Division of Parks and Recreation and authorizing the mayor on behalf of every county government to extend an agreement with Moralia Design and Construction related to the bid. item 14 a resolution set in a bid of NATAR corporation in the amount of $128,833 for the woodland pool liner project for the division of parks and recreation and authorizing the mayor on behalf of every county government to execute an agreement with NATAR corporation related to the bid item 21 a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of every government to execute an agreement with kentucky state police commercial vehicle enforcement division in order to accept $30,000 in federal funds awarded under the Interstate Emphasis Grant for the purpose of improving motor vehicle safety and compliance, the acceptance of which does not obligate the urban county government to the expenditure of funds and authorizing the mayor to transfer out-of-cruper funds in the grant budget. Item 26. A resolution authorizing and directly mayor on behalf of urban county government to take an agreement related to the neighborhood development funds with black male working academy, 4,700, NAVVETS, 1850, Brooks Folk, 2850, Kentucky Lions. I Foundation, 1,275, Licks Prom Project Incorporated, 2,100, and Ziva Project Incorporated, $2,000 for the Office of the Urban County Council to cost them to exceed the sum stated. Item 27. A resolution authorizing and directing the mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute supplemental agreement number three with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for the acceptance of additional federal funds in the amount of $300,000 for the construction phase of the Squires Road Sidewalk Project, the acceptance of which obligates the Urban County Government for the expenditure of $75,000 as a local match, which is conditioned upon approval of the necessary budget amendments and further authorizing the mayor to transfer undercover funds within the grant budget. Item 28. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the County Government to execute supplemental agreement number five with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for the acceptance of additional federal funds in the amount of $700,000 for the construction phase of the Wilson-Downing sidewalk project, the acceptance of which obligates the urban county government for the expenditure of $175,000 as a local match, which is conditioned upon approval of the necessary budget amendments and further authorizing the mayor to transfer adequate funds within the grant budget. Item 29. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute an agreement, RFP number 110-2023, with Hinkle Construction Services, LLC, for construction costs related to the Squires Road and Wilson Downing sidewalk projects. at a cost of $1,764,435.25, pending approval of the necessary budget amendments. And item 30, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of every county government to execute a services agreement with Kewan Association corporately to the resurfacing of the Manapolese indoor riding and training area at no cost to the government. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. When you're ready, if you'll give, take a roll call vote, please. Council Member Sevigny? 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 Fogle? Yes. Council Member Gray? Yes. Council Member Legree? Yes. Council Member Lynch? Yes. Councilmember Menares? Yes. And Councilmember Reynolds? Yes. Thank you. Thank you very much. Those all passed. Now, at this time, I'll entertain a motion to approve communications from the mayor. Second. Okay. This side over here is interesting tonight. Who made the motion, please? Councilmember Gray? Councilmember Fogel seconded. Thank you. Are there any questions? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. Now, I'll entertain a motion to approve the price contracts, please. Vice Mayor Wu moves. Council Member Gray seconds. Are there any questions? Are there any questions? All right, all those in favor say aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. Council members, you have communications from the mayor for your information only. We have no fire or police discipline tonight, and so it's time for your council announcements. Council member Fogel. So, fingers kind of fast tonight. First of all, welcome to Black History Month. It's February 1st. And Mayor, I need to ask a question. Councilmember Brenda gave me five minutes. I've been trying to show this LTMS video and so. Okay, you yielded your time to Council Member Fogel, so you will have nine minutes and 32 seconds. Let her rip. I see you East End with your historic homes and Dewey Street pride, strutting from Brewstown to Brick City, from Guntown to Goodlow Town. Your stained glass churches and neighborhood schools all jock in for position with your mean streets reputation and your sometimes racy past. Beneath the fresh baked aroma of pastries and donuts, I smell your peanuts roasting. Your tire marks from the burning rubber of king cobras nesting a gear change away from where Isaac Murphy once slept. I hear the trains hustling through, commuter traffic in silence racing by. The occasional searching copter overhead. You are our mid-land. You are the body, but not the waste. Between the feet of downtown and the big round head of New Circle Road, always a park full of family reunions, forever a beacon for the children you birthed. A refuge for those this town would reject. You are downtown Lexington's whole left ventricle. If the last shotgun house is gone, you will still be her heart. When I think about the East End Lexington community, what comes to my mind is always community, children, play, safety. I think about my moments right here in this school. I am a graduate of Lexington Junior Black Cats, which is now Lexington Traditional School here in the East Side. And I am so excited to be back in this school. I know when the new administration came into the school a couple of years ago, they had their staff, the first staff meeting at the Lyric. So I think that blended a lot of elements. I think it blended. It got outside of the school building, went into the community, into one of the historic art facilities that we have in the East End. And I think it helped to bridge the gap between the community and the school. What I love most about LTMS is the students, the community partners, the dedicated parents, staff, administration. These students are talented, goal-oriented, bright. And I know that we're supposed to be teaching them, but they teach us. We're all growing together. Every day, people stop me in the community and talk about their connection and relationships to our school. Some of the stories that those folks share date all the way back to Lexington Junior High days. And I'm amazed by just how much pride East End Lexington has in our school. One of the things that's wonderful about the East End is their connection to the arts in our community. It really is the cultural center of Lexington, Kentucky. And within walking distance of our school, we have community partners like Trans University, the Lyric Theater, the Lexington Living Arts and Science Center, the Lexington Children's Theater, the Opera House. So many resources that work with us to support our students and just enrich the experiences that our students get in this building every single day. We also think it's really, really important that we create avenues and opportunities for expression. that allows students to organize, to express themselves emotionally, that allow themselves to process information in the world around them. And what better vehicle to do that than through the arts? The arts are critical for students. It doesn't matter where you are. It's just a foundation of education. There are so many studies that show learning an instrument not only increases your brain size, but it does so much for your schooling and the other core subjects. that it's critical that students learn these basic foundations and it's part of our culture, it's part of being human, that it is essential to a kid's education. VAPA, that is visual performing arts. So that is all-inclusive. Visual arts is, you know, the art you can make with your hands, drawing, painting, play, whatever it is. The performing arts is dance and choir and orchestra, band. And it is all encompassing all those different kinds of arts, and it's just critical to being human and part of education. They do nine weeks of drama, nine weeks of dance, nine weeks of general music, and nine weeks of visual arts. Particularly middle school feels like the most untapped, the most sometimes neglected in terms of getting the arts exposure, unless they've already had it as a child. But if that's not something that your family can afford, it's not available. And we want to make arts accessible to everyone. because benefits are huge, of course. So VAPA means to me, of course, visual and performing arts, but it's more than that. At this school, we are really focusing hard on making that an importance in your everyday classes, even into your core classes. So you're getting VAPA, in a sense, in your electives, but you're also getting them in the way that you learn social studies, in the way that you learn math and science and English. And that is something that is different that not other schools are doing. I think that they are going to benefit me when I grow older by expanding my knowledge and knowing more stuff that can help me in my daily life. I want to show my dramatic side in dance, and drama helps me do that, and dance does too. And choir, I take choir because I like to sing. Singing makes me feel better. and it's like a little therapy that I have and that I do when I'm like mad or sad. If I can have my students express acclaim through an art piece or through some type of dance or through something, visual, performing arts, then I'm more excited than reading an essay because they're actually, I feel like it takes more thought into creating something like that than pulling artifacts from a document and putting them together. They can take what I'm teaching them, which is U.S. history, and connect it to something they can build themselves or perform themselves, then they really know it. Not every kid is geared towards a math. Not every kid has a math brain. Not every kid has a science brain. Not every kid, and I'm speaking in the traditional sense, I believe that every student can learn any subject. But I think that they all have to be approached from a way that a student understands. And for some of us, a creative avenue or being able to approach things from an artistic perspective is what allows us to learn. And so if we're given the toolkit to be in a dance class or to be in a music class or be in a visual art class and to allow our mind to open in that way, then we're able to also continue to succeed and excel in those core subjects like, you know, math and reading and science and comprehension and all of that. Because we're understanding things from a way that we are able to understand them. It's a good opportunity for those that are like, oh, school isn't, you know, that fun. But here, it is fun because, well, if you have these big opportunities, you can, like, it just works and you can take away some of your time to do things that you love. When you go to school in the morning, it's, you know, that feeling when you don't want to go to school. I mean, there are some days where you don't want to go to school, but at least you have stuff to look forward to. I think it's going to help me get, like, a good job. Like, I'm, like, to write. Like, it'll help me improve my writing skills, my drama skills. yeah, I think it's going to really impact my future a little bit. It makes it more fun to be at school because I know that at the end of the day, I can come somewhere that I can do things that will make me happy. I went to school here. I'm a former black cat. I take pride in what it means to be a LTMS student and now teacher. But I love Easton. I love the community that we're in. and just the passion that our students have for, one, growing as individuals, but, two, taking care of themselves and their community. Just always remember that LTMS is a special place. People come back here for a reason. People come back here because the hallways, they don't change, but there's great people in this building who are going to invest in students every single day. You are downtown Lexington's whole left ventricle. When the last shotgun house is gone, you will still be her heart. Ode to the East End by Frank X. Walker. So, Mayor, thank you. Thank you, Council. I am so proud of the East End and the First District. and what a bright spot. Our goal this year, LTMS said, is to work Mr. Karama out of a job and his staff by reducing gun balance and lifting up arts and finding a new way. So we'll find somewhere else for him to plug into. We'll reduce that gun balance, though. Thank you very much. Council Member Lynch. Thank you, Mayor. I just want to give a thank you to my second district neighbors that came out to the first business collaborative event last evening. A lot of really good information went forward. A lot of good connections were made. And that's just the first installment. We will continue to have those business collaborative meetings to continue to generate interest and to hopefully form a business collaborative for the Georgetown Road area. A special thank you to Council Member James Brown, Council Member Tana Fogle for coming last night for their support. Thank you to my legislative aide, LaShawn Barber, who did a lot of great work to help you put it together. Again, thank you to Amy Glasscock, who came and spoke about the many resources that her office is providing to the community. And a special thank you to Tanya Parsons, Stuart Arnold, and Devin Joyner from the Small Business Development Corporation for coming and bringing a lot of good information for our small businesses. I really appreciate you all. coming out last evening and look forward to more coming to the second district regarding small businesses and how we can support you all better. Additionally, I would like to thank all of the supporters that came out this evening for the support of the Source of Income Ordinance. I hope you continue to come out and as this issue is before council, continue to email us, call us, set meetings with us, because we are moving forward and we thank you all for your support. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Council Member Gray? Thank you, Mayor. First of all, I'm stalling. I'm stalling. And scene. Okay. Okay. So this weekend, the United Way is offering free tax assistance for individuals who make under $62,000 and under. Me. so if you have time please make sure you join us to get your taxes done free of charge and next I would like to say thank you to the Mary Todd Elementary Lincoln ladies for inviting me to speak with them about what it means to be a council member and how I got here I attended Mary Todd along with a number of other schools in the 6th district So it was great to give back to one of the many schools that I attended and to get insight from them. The young ladies made valentines for residents at the Willows of Hamburg, which is a seniors living facility. So they're giving back and they're giving back to our community. And they're also learning about what it means to be a leader in our community. And they asked really great questions. bless it um and i will be back so love you all and keep on dreaming big next um earlier to well look at those pictures beautiful young ladies very smart and today i had the pleasure of meeting um with the fayette county public schools face which stands for family and community engagement team We talked about ways to better serve not only the Fayette County Public Schools, but our community as a whole. I look forward to working with them as we serve our entire city. And to my colleagues, they said they're looking forward to meeting with each of you as well, since they serve individuals in your district as well. So kudos to those ladies, and I look forward to working alongside you. Thank you. Thank you. Council Member Savigny. Thank you, Mayor. I wanted to tag on to what Councilmember Shayla Lynch said. I am appreciative of the source of income people being here. This is an extremely important issue to us, and we just want to make sure we did not give it a second reading tonight because we think it's important that the whole council weighs in, and the whole council wasn't here, and I would like them to weigh in. And keep your letters coming because we're getting tons of them. And we're excited in two weeks we'll be making a final decision on this. So thank you for your patience. I really do appreciate it. I wanted to mention a few things. Those of you, Grace Foley, first of all, I'll come back to that one. But Grace Foley, who's our traffic engineer senior, she has helped so many of us in so many ways. She's helped a lot of neighbors with speed bumps and all sorts of traffic. mitigation. She is leaving her post and she's moving on. But the good news is she is a constituent of the 10th district and I already know the neighborhood she's in and I'm so excited because they need some great leadership there. And she grew up in the sixth. So I wish her good luck on her next thing. I want to recognize Liam O'Sullivan. Liam if you want to stand up. You're right right In front there, he's a nine-year-old from the 10th district. He is a resident of the Rosemill Neighborhood Association, and his mom Beth is here in attendance with him. Liam wrote me a letter several months ago about traffic and cyclist safety on Claysmill Road. And we all know how important this issue is, and for Liam to show this kind of interest, it was great. But his action is commendable. He proposed a bike bridge over Clay's Mill Road to allow pedestrians and cyclists to safely cross the street. And it's a great idea. While it's not cheap to do it, Liam, this type of thinking is what's needed. Thank you for writing to me, accepting my visit, accepting to come here to City Hall, and for caring for your neighbors. Thank you, Liam. Thank you, Liam. All right, next up is Council Member. No, no, I'm not done. Oh, well, now, you know, clapping is not allowed in here. I know. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. But we love you, Liam. Yeah, Liam, thank you. All right. So on Tuesday morning, we were at the Lafayette Expo. Vice Mayor Wu and I attended, and Council Member Brown joined us as well at the Lexington Civic Expo at Lafayette High School as part of their work to strengthen local engagement in public schools. And we appreciate Civic Lex for hosting that. Next up. Oh, this is on the board at Dunbar. I was teaching today. And Council Member Ellinger and I have an ongoing issues all the time. So I basically told the kids at ninth grade to complain to Council Member Ellinger and give me all the positive comments. They were a great class. I appreciate Mrs. Crovo's class on government. And we talked all about actually the source of income issues and what's going on at both the state level and the federal level. So it was actually an exciting class. And then lastly, that flag flew over on the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. And the next picture is me. And this gentleman is 105 years old. and he is my oldest constituent. I think he's probably one of the oldest constituents in Lexington. He was at Pearl Harbor and we were, he's at the Thomas J. Hood home and the guy is as sharp as a tack. He's a great fella. His name is Vaughn Drake and he used to work for the telephone company here in Lexington for 40 years and is a great constituent also in the 10th. So we've got young ones, we've got old ones, we've got them all in the tent. Got them in between. Thank you very much. Thank you. Yes. All right. Next up, uh-oh. Council Member Ellinger. Thank you, Mayor. Since I was brought up, I normally get a lot of complaints from the 10th District, but I've got more than usual today, so now I know why. Thank you. Council Member Legree. Thank you, Mayor. I too want to say a big thank you to Grace Foley for all of her hard work for LFUCG. I don't expect Grace to be watching right now because this is her last day. But Grace, I just want to say thank you for making our community safer and for investing your time and talent into our neighborhoods and for your advocacy when it comes to slower and safer neighborhoods for people of all ages and all modalities. And Liam, thank you for your advocacy. We need more young people and people of all ages writing in with ideas about how to slow down traffic and keep people safe in Lexington. And that makes a big difference for us because hearing from people who are walking and biking and moving around in our city and hearing their ideas lets us be a little bit more creative. So thanks for sharing that story, Council Member Civigni, and thank you again to Grace. Best of luck, Grace, with your next steps, and Mayor, that's it. Okay, thank you very much. Now, it's time for public comment, and we have several people signed up, And the way this will work is, first, I will confirm if you are here to yield your time. There are a few of those folks. And so when you come to the podium, you will restate your name and your council district for the record. And you'll have the amount of time that you have based on whether somebody's yielded your time. and we do not, the council rules specify there is no clapping, booing, or otherwise responding to speakers or other things. So, if, okay, oh no, okay, we have lost our quorum, so we are not, we have 10, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, we have lost our quorum. So we are not permitted to continue our meeting until we gain a quorum. Is she coming back? Please do. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. We will just rest a minute and be patient that she will come back. Our quorum is 10 for the council meeting, so we're not permitted to conduct any business. That's why I was saying when he left, I had to leave at 714. All right, thank you. We have regained our quorum, and we will go ahead with our public comment. And so first, I would like to know if Adala Hanian Abdallah is here. And are you yielding your time to Mesa? Okay. Very good. Mesa, where are you? Okay. And so you will have six minutes, and I apologize if I say any names incorrectly. Welcome. Good evening. My name is Mesa Abdallah. I'm District 9. For over 100 days and 75 years, we have borne witness to continuous suffering marked by the highest rate of civilian casualties in the 21st century. Israel has claimed the lives of more than 10,000 innocent minors, transforming Gaza into what UNICEF has described as a graveyard of children. For over 100 days, the skies have rained down 2,000-pound bombs with chilling frequency targeting spaces where families sought refuge, snuffing out innocent lives in an assault of sheer cruelty. For over 100 days, we have endured unspeakable horror as illegal white phosphorus burns through children's flesh to the bone, leaving behind unimaginable devastation and despair. For over 100 days, we have witnessed the deliberate bombing of 320 schools, depriving Gaza's children of their right to education and ensuring the creation of lost generations. It is an intentionally strategy to erase hope and continue suffering, leaving scars that will haunt generations to come. Today I stand before you not only as a mother and a wife, but also as a proud Palestinian Kentuckian. Since the onset of this tragedy, my community and I have consistently advocated to the City Council two fundamental principles I instill in my children, education and accountability. We have constantly attended and educated you in every session since the start of this genocide, bravely sharing our collective traumas to enlighten and ensure you make the right decision. Throughout these last few months, my hope has been that each of you would deeply reflect and hold yourselves to account on the urgent need for a resolution. We must showcase that we stand against the senseless bombing of innocent lives. I implore you to heed the collective pain of our community and take the honorable step forward by calling for a ceasefire to halt the genocide in Gaza. As mothers, as fathers, partners, husbands, wives, we are all human beings with a soul. Please stand in solidarity with those who have lost their loved ones and their lives, and help put an end to this crisis together. Together we have the power to pave the way for a future of peace and justice. Thank you. Thank you very much. Now is Najwa Abutaha here? And you're yielding your time to Sariya? Okay. And then is Layla here, and you're yielding your time. So, Saria Santiago will have nine minutes. Welcome. Thank you. My name is Saria Santiago, and I'm of District 3. So, I sat at work today and debated what I wanted to say to you all. I debated talking at all. First, I thought about just sitting in silence for ten minutes, and at the end of the ten minutes saying, while you have sat comfortably for 10 minutes, a child in Gaza has been killed. Because it's no secret that six children are killed an hour, one every 10 minutes. I thought about the other stats that I could tell you, about how 30,500 Palestinians have been killed, not dead, but killed, how 13,000 of those killed have been children, about how 60% of residential buildings in Gaza have been completely destroyed. There are no universities left, and there are no hospitals left in northern Gaza. Two mothers are killed a day by Israel, and miscarriages are up by 500% since October 7th. Every single person in Gaza is starving to some degree. A quarter of the population are considered to be at phase five of starvation. This is famine levels of starvation. I wonder, can you understand that? Can you conceptualize what that means? I thought about talking about the intersectionality of black liberation and Palestinian liberation. It is Black History Month. How Nelson Mandela said, we know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians. How Malcolm X said, the Zionist argument to justify Israel's present occupation of Arab Palestine has no intelligent or legal basis in history. How Angela Davis said the important issue in the Palestinian struggle for freedom and self-determination are minimized and rendered invisible by those who try to equate Palestinian resistance to Israeli apartheid with terrorism. The three prominent black leaders that I quoted were all called terrorists at some point or another by the same people who call Palestinians and Arabs in general terrorists. And finally, I thought about talking about a statement that one of you all posted and many of you signed. I could touch on how that statement didn't include any of the people who have begged you all to pass the ceasefire resolution. How of the people you did include, there was a Palestinian who signed it, but it was clear that it was someone who was tokenized. You just wanted to say, well, hey, a Palestinian agrees with us. I could talk about how it did not meet the expectations of the people in this room who are here for Palestine. Because you did not involve us. You didn't even send it to one of us beforehand so we could at least look at it. But while I did want to touch on those things much more in detail than I did, I decided to tell you the stories of Palestinians who are suffering. Hopefully, I want to humanize them for you so that you can see beyond your own biases and see Palestinians for who they are, human beings like you and me. And if these stories don't move you well, maybe you just aren't the people I hoped you were, and I really and truly want you to be the people that I hope you are. So you should have been given some type of papers that were given out to you, and I want to tell you the stories, and on page one is where we're going to start. Firstly, I want to tell you about Hind. Hind is a seven-year-old Palestinian who is living in Gaza. Her and her family were trapped in their cars on an empty road. And they were trapped because Israeli tanks were completely surrounding them. The family reached out to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society for help. I listened to the recorded phone call myself, and it was horrific. It went something like this, and it's been translated from Arabic. One of Hinn's family members says, hello, to which the Palestinian Red Crescent Society says, hello. And then Hinn's family member says, they are shooting at us. And then the Palestinian Red Crescent Society says, hello, to which the family member again replies, they are shooting at us. The tank is right next to me. The family is asked, are you hiding? And they say, yes, we're in the car. We're right next to the tank. And then the Palestinian Red Crescent Society says, are you inside the car? And that's it. Everyone starts screaming. You can hear bullets absolutely decimating this car. And then the line goes dead. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society calls back and Hind answers the phone. She's seven years old. She is trapped in the car with the dead bodies of six of her family members. Palestinian Red Crescent Society has been trying to rescue the little girl for almost 24 hours. But as far as we know, there's no update and there's no communication with the team that was sent to rescue her. No communication. On the page after that, you're going to see the story of Amina Ghanin, a 13-year-old Palestinian who was literally run over by Israeli tanks three or four times while sleeping. Her house was made of metal panels, and the Israeli tanks approached this house without any warning, and they ran over all of the metal panels. They crushed the panels, and the panels wrapped up her family as they were crushed. And if you look at that photo, her eyes are so dark that you can't even see the whites of them. She lost her father and her sister. The final story I want to tell you about is on page three. And it's about a head. She's a 16-year-old Palestinian girl who was sheltering with her grandfather when Israeli tanks targeted her house. Her legs ended up being severely wounded, but there was no one around who could help her. They couldn't reach any hospitals. They couldn't reach any ambulances. Communications were cut. And so her uncle was an orthopedic surgeon at Al-Shifa. And he was trapped. in the house with her. And so her uncle, Dr. Hany Besiso, decided to perform an amputation with no medical equipment, no sanitation, no anesthesia, and no medical supplies. He laid a head on a table used for kneading on the lower floor of the house. He gathered up what supplies they had, which was an ordinary kitchen knife, a needle, some threads, some makeshift sterilization tools and then he amputated her right leg. A head story is not a unique one, despite how horrific it is. One thousand children in Gaza have lost one or both legs, with most of the amputations performed without anesthesia. Of these three stories, there are thousands more like it. Recently, Chicago became the biggest city to pass the resolution for a ceasefire with their literal mayor breaking the tie. This is a huge win nationally, along with the 48 other cities who have also passed ceasefire resolutions. And internationally, thankfully, South Africa has the courage to bring up a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, to not only clarify that Israel does not have the right to defend itself under international law because it's an occupying force, but to also be a country who is heroic. heroic enough to tell it how it is, that Israel is absolutely, under the framework of the 1948 genocide conventions, committing a genocide against the Palestinian people. And I feel like if they can do something as courageous as that, y'all, a city that, you know, prides itself on diversity, can do the bare minimum and pass a resolution for a ceasefire. Because I want to be proud of my city. I want to be able to say my city passed a resolution for a ceasefire because they care about Palestinian suffering, because they care about humanity. So please grant me that privilege. Enough is enough. Pass a ceasefire resolution. Thank you. Thank you very much. Now, is Adam Hassan here? Okay. And are you yielding your time to Allah Hassan? All right. Thank you. And is Yosef Hamad here? Are you yielding your time to Allah? All right. So we have Alaa Hassan, who will have nine minutes. Welcome. Thank you. My name is Alaa Hassan, and I'm from District 12. I stand before you today compelled to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Sayria spoke right before me, and she had a lot of the same stats that I'm about to repeat. Before I start, I want you guys to know where I came from to be here right now. Today is February 1st, and that also started the first day of practice at the local high school where I coach at. Our practice ran from 4.30 to 6.30, and I had to leave an hour early of my first practice to be here because I knew that my civic duty mattered, was at a higher priority than being a coach in that moment because of the dire situation that's happening in Gaza. I had to leave my children to be here in front of you all today. I've been here before, you guys might remember me from last City Council on January 23rd. That day I spoke on behalf of myself. Today I will be representing Lexington for Palestine, or as you guys may know it as Lex for Palestine. The reports emerging from the region in Gaza are deeply distressing, depicting a situation that demands our immediate attention and urgent action. Innocent lives are being lost, families torn apart, and communities decimated. More than 30,500 civilians have been killed by Israeli occupation forces since October 7th. This number includes more than 13,000 children, 122 journalists and media workers, and at least 339 medical staff and 154 UN staff. On average, one child is killed every 10 minutes. There has been a 500% increase in miscarriages among pregnant people. Per the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification , the entire population is facing famine brought on by Israel's utilization of starvation of a weapon of war. That is collective punishment. The UN has documented attacks on at least 336 educational facilities, 379 places of worship, 136 ambulances, and more than 199 Gaza heritage sites. Over 90% of school buildings in Gaza have sustained significant damage. Only seven of Gaza's 36 hospitals are partially functioning. Seven of them in the south and zero, I repeat, zero hospitals are functioning in the north. The partially functioning hospitals in the south are currently operating at over three times their capacity. And I want to tell you guys a story of a video that I watched recently within the last week on Saleh's Instagram. It was a video inside one of the partially functioning hospitals in the south where it was clearly, clearly over overwhelming, overwhelmed with people. So much so that most of the people injured were on the floor because there were not enough beds for any of them. One of the people on the floor was a child, couldn't have been more than eight years old. Sitting there, his head was wrapped and there was food in his mouth because he was in the middle of eating what little food he had when a bomb went off right next to him, right next to all of those people. And so he was brought to the hospital, and there wasn't a bed for him, so they put him on the floor. And the doctor was standing over him saying, may God rest his soul, may God have mercy on his soul. The child was alive with a head injury on the floor. And if this was in America, the child almost definitely could have been saved. But the doctor knew that in his capacity, he was not able to save the child. So while the child was sitting on the floor, alive, the doctor was saying, may God have mercy on your soul. Essentially saying, you are going to die, and there is nothing, absolutely nothing I can do about it. I draw your attention to the recent ruling by the International Court of Justice, the ICJ, which acknowledges the potential for genocide in Gaza. This is not a mere acknowledgement, but a call to action, a stark reminder that our collective responsibility to prevent and halt genocide cannot be ignored. The people of Gaza are not mere statistics. They are mothers, fathers, children, elders, whose lives are being irrevocably altered by the violence and suffering that continues unabated. Our shared humanity should guide our actions, and the people of Gaza are looking to you for support and solidarity. 48 U.S. cities have called for a ceasefire in Gaza. Among them includes San Francisco, Atlanta, Detroit, Providence, Akron, Madison, Wisconsin, and several others. The most recent, as of yesterday, includes Chicago, which is a huge win, as Sayria mentioned before. These are 48 cities which have shown us their humanity. These cities that called for a ceasefire understand the moral imperative of our times, and it is time for us to join them as a Lexington City Council in calling for a ceasefire. We need to join them and show our commitment for peace. Use your positions as Lexington City Council members to champion the cause of peace and to call for an end to the violence in Gaza. Stand on the right side of history. Call for a ceasefire now. Thank you. Thank you very much. And I appreciate everyone who came tonight to speak and listen. At this time, I'll entertain a motion to adjourn. Thank you. Is there a second? Second. All those in favor, please say aye. We are adjourned. Thank you very much.