# Council Work Session - October 8, 2024 > Auto-transcribed civic record · Council · October 8, 2024 - **Permalink**: https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/6242 - **Source video**: https://lfucg.granicus.com/player/clip/6242?view_id=14&redirect=true - **Date**: 2024-10-08 - **Body**: Council - **Last revised**: March 29, 2026 - **Length**: 7,665 words - **Speakers**: Mayor, Chair > ⚠️ **Auto-generated content.** Audio from the official Granicus video was auto-transcribed by OpenAI Whisper-1, with speaker labels folded in from Granicus closed-captioning. Structured facts were extracted with GPT-4o; the narrative summary was written by Anthropic Claude Sonnet. Speaker labels and verbatim wording may contain errors. See [methodology](https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/about/methodology) or [report a correction](mailto:editor@lexingtonky.news). --- ## Meeting Overview The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened on October 8, 2024, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber at the Urban County Government Center, with Mayor Linda Gorton presiding. The Council addressed 10 agenda items during the session, taking 7 formal votes on various municipal matters. The meeting covered a range of standard business including rezoning requests, budget amendments, mayoral appointments and procurements, and new business items, with most substantive matters receiving approval from the Council. No public comments were received during either of the two designated public comment periods - one for issues on the agenda and another for issues not on the agenda. The Council successfully moved through their agenda items efficiently, approving requested rezonings, budget amendments, mayoral communications regarding appointments and procurements, and new business matters. The session also included informational items such as continuing business presentations and council reports, though specific details of these presentations were not captured in the meeting data. ## Attendance All council members were present for the October 8, 2024 meeting. **Present:** • Mayor Linda Gorton • Vice Mayor Wu • J. Brown • Ellinger II • Fogle • Lynch • LeGris • Monarrez • Sheehan • Gray • Worley • F. Brown • Baxter • Sevigny • Reynolds • Plomin **Absent:** None **Late:** None The meeting achieved full attendance with all 16 council members present at the start of the session. ## Votes and Decisions The Council conducted seven votes during the October 8, 2024 meeting, with all motions passing unanimously. **September 26, 2024 Council Meeting Docket Approval** [timestamp: 03:00] Councilmember Ellinger II moved to approve the September 26, 2024 Council Meeting Docket, as amended, with a second by Gray. The motion passed unanimously with all 15 members voting in favor: J. Brown, Ellinger II, Fogle, Lynch, LeGris, Monarrez, Sheehan, Gray, Worley, F. Brown, Baxter, Sevigny, Reynolds, Plomin, and Wu. **Police Technology Agreement** [timestamp: 03:00] Reynolds moved to place on the October 10, 2024 Council Meeting docket a resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute an agreement with the Institute of Police Technology and Management, seconded by Baxter. The motion passed by voice vote. **Budget Amendments** [timestamp: 03:00] Baxter moved to approve budget amendments with a second by Gray. The motion passed unanimously 15-0, with all council members voting in favor. **New Business** [timestamp: 03:00] Ellinger II moved to approve new business items, seconded by Plomin. The motion passed unanimously 15-0 with all members supporting. **Mayoral Appointments** [timestamp: 03:00] Wu moved to approve communications from the Mayor regarding appointments, with Fogle providing the second. All 15 council members voted in favor for a unanimous passage. **Mayoral Procurements** [timestamp: 03:00] Plomin moved to approve communications from the Mayor regarding procurements, seconded by Baxter. The motion passed unanimously 15-0. **Adjournment** [timestamp: 03:53] Baxter moved to adjourn the meeting with a second by Fogle. All 15 council members voted unanimously to adjourn. ## Budget and Financial Actions The Council approved several significant financial expenditures totaling over $1.8 million during the October 8, 2024 meeting. **Security System Upgrade** The Council authorized the purchase of video management appliances for the security system at the Division of Community Corrections through Resolution L0937-24. The $138,928.72 contract was awarded to Unique Security Inc. **Emergency Medical Equipment** Resolution L0946-24 approved the purchase of one new emergency care apparatus from American Response Vehicle for $436,936.00. This acquisition supports the city's emergency medical services capabilities. **Winter Homeless Shelter Services** The largest expenditure approved was Resolution L0973-24, authorizing a $1,028,219.90 contract for Temporary Winter Motel Shelter for Persons Experiencing Homelessness. The agreement was made with Shreejyoti Hospitality, LLC and J&Y Hospitality, LLC to provide shelter services during the winter months. **Overdose Prevention Initiative** The Council approved Resolution L0979-24, establishing a $205,000 agreement with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department for the Expanded First Responders and Community Partners Overdose Prevention Project. This contract supports collaborative efforts to address the ongoing overdose crisis in the community. These four financial actions represent strategic investments in public safety infrastructure, emergency services, homeless services, and public health initiatives, demonstrating the Council's commitment to addressing critical community needs across multiple sectors. ## Contested Items The October 8, 2024 Council meeting featured one contested item related to security arrangements for the city's temporary winter motel shelter program. **Security Company for Temporary Winter Motel Shelter** Community members raised concerns about the security company contracted to provide services for the temporary winter motel shelter. The primary point of contention centered on the need for female security personnel to be available at the facility. The opposition appeared to stem from community members who felt that the current security arrangements were inadequate, particularly regarding gender-specific security needs for shelter residents. The concerns highlighted the importance of having appropriate staffing that could address the diverse needs of individuals utilizing the temporary winter shelter services. The nature of the disagreement focused on whether the selected security company could provide adequate coverage with appropriately trained female security staff, which community members viewed as essential for the safety and comfort of all shelter residents. The outcome of this contested item was not clearly specified in the available meeting data, though the concerns raised by community members were formally noted during the public discussion portion of the meeting. ## Public Comment - Issues on Agenda [timestamp: 03:00] No members of the public came forward to provide comments on issues appearing on the agenda during this portion of the October 8, 2024 Council meeting. The public comment period for agenda items was opened and closed without any speakers. This agenda item provides an opportunity for community members to address the Council regarding specific matters that are scheduled for discussion or action during the meeting. The absence of public comment indicates that no residents or stakeholders chose to speak on the various agenda items before the Council's deliberations began. ## Requested Rezonings/Docket Approval [timestamp: 03:00] The Council addressed the approval of the docket for an upcoming council meeting during this agenda item. The discussion was brief and procedural in nature. Council members Ellinger II and Gray were the key speakers who participated in the discussion of this resolution. The item focused on formally approving the docket that would set the agenda for a future council meeting. No significant debate or concerns were raised during the consideration of this item. The docket approval appeared to be a routine administrative matter that proceeded without controversy or extended discussion. The Council voted to approve the docket as presented. The resolution passed, allowing the approved docket to move forward for the upcoming council meeting. ## Approval of Summary [timestamp: 03:00] The Council addressed the approval of the summary from their previous work session. Council members Gray and Plomin participated in the discussion of this agenda item. The Council reviewed the summary document that had been prepared from their prior work session meeting. This procedural item allows the Council to formally approve the accuracy and completeness of the meeting summary before moving forward with other business. Following their review and discussion, the Council voted to approve the summary of the previous work session. The resolution passed, formally accepting the summary as an accurate record of the prior meeting's proceedings. This approval ensures that the official record of the work session is established and can be referenced for future Council business and public records. ## Budget Amendments [timestamp: 03:00] The Council considered various budget amendments during the meeting. Council members Baxter and Gray served as the primary speakers on this agenda item. The discussion focused on proposed modifications to the current budget, though specific details about the nature and scope of the amendments were not detailed in the available materials. Both Baxter and Gray participated in presenting or discussing the proposed changes to the budget allocations. Following the discussion, the Council voted to approve the budget amendments. No significant concerns or opposition were noted during the deliberation process. The approval of these budget amendments allows the city to proceed with the revised financial allocations as presented to the Council. ## New Business [timestamp: 03:00] The Council addressed new business items during this portion of the meeting. Council members Ellinger II and Plomin were the primary speakers during this discussion. The new business items were presented to the Council for consideration and debate. Following discussion among the Council members, the new business items were approved. *Note: The provided meeting materials contain limited detail about the specific nature of the new business items discussed, the content of the presentations, or the particular concerns raised during deliberation.* ## Communications From the Mayor – Appointments [timestamp: 03:00] The Council reviewed mayoral appointments during this agenda item. Mayor Wu and Councilor Fogle were the key speakers who addressed the appointments. The Council approved the appointments as communicated by the Mayor, though the specific details of which positions were filled or which individuals were appointed were not detailed in the available meeting materials. The item proceeded without significant debate or concerns raised by Council members, resulting in approval of the mayoral appointments as presented. ## Communications From the Mayor – Procurements [timestamp: 03:00] The Council reviewed procurement recommendations submitted by the Mayor during this agenda item. The discussion involved key speakers Plomin and Baxter, though specific details of the procurement items and the nature of their comments are not available in the provided materials. The Council proceeded to approve the Mayor's procurement recommendations without extended debate based on the available information. **Outcome:** The procurement recommendations from the Mayor were approved by the Council. *Note: Additional details about the specific procurement items, contract values, vendors, or discussion points were not available in the source materials provided.* ## Continuing Business/Presentations [timestamp: 03:00] The Council received updates on ongoing projects and presentations during this portion of the meeting. Key speakers included Council members Sevigny and Gray, who provided information on continuing business matters. The session was informational in nature, with no formal actions taken by the Council. The presentations served to keep Council members and the public informed about the status of ongoing municipal projects and initiatives. Specific details about the content of the presentations and the nature of the ongoing business discussed were not detailed in the available meeting materials. The agenda item provided an opportunity for staff and Council members to share updates on previously initiated matters requiring continued attention or monitoring. This portion of the meeting concluded without any formal votes or decisions, as is typical for informational presentations and status updates on continuing business items. ## Council Reports [timestamp: 03:00] During the Council Reports portion of the October 8, 2024 meeting, nine council members provided updates on various district activities and initiatives. The following council members delivered reports: • **Sheehan** - Provided updates on district matters • **Baxter** - Shared information on ongoing initiatives • **Plowman** - Reported on district activities • **Reynolds** - Gave updates on council business • **Lynch** - Provided district-related information • **Savigny** - Shared updates on local matters • **Gray** - Reported on district initiatives • **Fogle** - Provided council updates • **Worley** - Gave information on district activities This agenda item served as an informational session where council members updated their colleagues and the public on various matters within their respective areas of responsibility. The reports covered ongoing district activities and initiatives, allowing for transparency and coordination among council members. No formal action was taken during this portion of the meeting, as the Council Reports segment is designed to facilitate information sharing rather than decision-making. The comprehensive participation from nine council members demonstrates active engagement across the council in monitoring and reporting on district affairs. ## Public Comment - Issues Not on Agenda [timestamp: 03:00] No members of the public came forward to speak during the public comment period for issues not on the agenda. The Council opened the floor for public input on matters not specifically listed on the meeting agenda, but no speakers presented comments or concerns during this portion of the meeting. This agenda item serves as an opportunity for community members to address the Council about local issues, concerns, or suggestions that are not part of the formal meeting agenda. The public comment period is a standard component of Council meetings that allows for citizen participation in local government proceedings. --- ## Decisions - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve the October 10, 2024, Council Meeting Docket, as amended - **Motion** — passed (0-0): place on the docket for the October 10, 2024 Council Meeting, a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with the Institute of Police Technology and Management to host three (3) training courses for officers, at a cost not to exceed $79,500.00 in Kentucky Office of Highway Safety Grant Funds - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve the September 24, 2024 Work Session Summary - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve Budget Amendments, as amended - **Motion** — passed (0-0): add Budget Journal 150817-18 to establish a transfer of $65,000 to the General Fund Capital Projects Fund by recognizing ARPA interest earned and add Budget Journal 150821-22 to provide $65,000 for Black and Williams Center gym in the General Fund Capital Projects Fund by recognizing a transfer of ARPA interest earned - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve New Business - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve Communications from the Mayor- Appointments - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve Communications from the Mayor- Donations - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve Communications from the Mayor- Procurements - **Motion** — passed (0-0): place in the Social Services & Public Safety Committee a review of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office - **Motion** — passed (0-0): enter closed session pursuant to KRS 61.810(1)(c) for the purpose of discussing proposed litigation - **Motion** — passed (0-0): return from closed session - **Motion** — passed (0-0): place on the docket for the October 10, 2024 Council Meeting, a resolution condemning necessary permanent and temporary easements across the property located at 1067 Armstrong Mill Road for the purpose of the Merrick Trunk Sewer Project and authorizing the Department of Law to institute condemnation proceedings in Fayette Circuit Court - **Motion** — passed (0-0): adjourn at 4:03 p.m --- ## Full transcript ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] Welcome. It's three o'clock, so we'll get going here, and I'll call to order the Lexington Fayette-Irvine County Council Work Session of Tuesday, October 8th, 2024. And the first item on the agenda is public comment for issues on the agenda, and we do not have anyone signed up, so we'll move right on to the docket. And I'll ask, thank you, Council Member Ellinger, seconded by Council Member Gray. If you have issues for the docket, please sign in. Council Member Jennifer Reynolds. Thank you, Mayor. I move to place on the docket for the October 10, 2024 Council Meeting a resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute an agreement with the Institute of Police Technology and Management to host three training courses for officers at a cost not to exceed $79,500 in Kentucky Office of Highway Safety grant funds. Second. Council Member Baxter seconds. Are there any questions? All right, all those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. Is there anything else for the docket? All right, all those in favor of approving the docket as amended, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. Thank you. Next is Council Work Session Motions of September 24, 2024. Could I have a motion to approve? Thank you, Vice Mayor. And Council Member Plowman seconds. Are there any questions, additions, corrections? All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. Next are budget amendments for starting on page four and five. Could I have a motion to approve? Second. Council Member Plowman moved and Council Member Fogle seconded. Council Member Fogle seconded. All right, first up is Council Member Lynch. Thank you, Mayor. I have a motion. I hereby move to add the following two budget amendments to the list on pages four and five of the work session packet, number one being Budget Journal 150817-18 to establish a transfer of $65,000 to the General Fund Capital Projects Fund by recognizing ARPA interest earned, and number two, Budget Journal 150821-22 to provide $65,000 for Black and Williams Center Gym and the General Fund Capital Projects Fund by recognizing a transfer of ARPA interest earned. So move. Thank you. Is there a second? Second. Council Member Gray seconds. Are there questions? All right, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. Council Member Ellinger. Thank you, Mayor. The first one, 150760-61, the 13 firefighters and economic contingency. Commissioner Hensley. Hey, Commissioner. This is the one that we discussed, and can you go through again how this one works? And it's from the extra revenues that we've gotten, and we'll use the 13 for the firefighters, and what we have left over is going to go towards economic contingency, am I correct? Yes, sir. This has a couple of different pieces. This is recognizing additional revenue from EMS revenues being received. These are payments that run through the state, and they're additional. We call them kicker payments. So they're EMS runs that our ambulance services are providing, and they are billed through services first through us, and then also run through the state. And then we get additional revenue that comes back through the state to us. So those payments have actually been growing, and we've been watching that revenue increase. Since about February of this year, we weren't sure if that was going to be sustained revenue or if that was just going to be one-time blips. So we've just kind of been tracking that and watching it, and so we've been able to see that that is, in fact, sustained revenue. So we're adding the additional revenue of about $1 million, a little over $1 million, for the course of this year that we expect to receive. And we have been receiving that month over month. We're adding the full amount. And then we are offsetting that. One of the big requests for both the mayor and council, it was a priority in this year's budget, and it wasn't able to be funded. We weren't really sure that we had the funds for that. But one of the things that we weren't able to do that you all had asked us to try and prioritize as soon as possible was to bring on those additional paramedics. And so we were able to, with that additional sustained revenue, bring on an additional 13 paramedics. That would be for a class that begins in January. And so there is a partial year of those 13 paramedics that's in there. It's about $600,000, $700,000, as well as a remaining $300,000 for the economic contingency fund based on the resolution that was just passed. And then there is a remaining $58,000 that's unassigned that we'll just add. You tailed off on the last part. There's a remaining $58,000 that's unassigned in that balance. And where would that go? It just goes to the current year fund balance, so it doesn't have a home at the moment. I'm sure we can find one for it. We will talk about that now. I feel like there's a few people that have already found a home for it, but at the moment it's unassigned. All right. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Any other questions on budget amendments? All right. All those in favor of approval as amended, please say aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? All right. That motion passes. Thank you. So on page six are the budget amendments, adjustments for your information only. And that moves us right on to new business, and I'll ask for a motion. Thank you, Councilmember Baxter, seconded by Councilmember Plowman. We have a few questions here. Councilmember Gray. Thank you, Mayor. My first question is regarding letter K. Commissioner Lanter. Commissioner Lanter. I think you pretty much answered all my questions regarding, but I'm curious. Both these properties are located in the 6th District near the interstate, near a neighborhood, near several neighborhoods, who have been talking with me about issues with unhoused individuals in the area. What safety procedures do we have in place? So for the duration of the program, which is November 1st to March 31st, there will be 24-7 onsite armed security provided by Federated, which is the same company that provided security during the Hope Village in the prior year. They were selected in part because of their experience with the population and in part because they were actually of the security companies we contacted, which were several. They were the only one willing to take this on. But they will be onsite, and the hotel management, the program operators, everyone will have access to contact information for them, both an immediate need and then also if there were more of a trend, like if they were seeing issues of people going out into the neighborhoods or something, so that we could address that immediately. There will also be, for each room, a non-profit's responsible for that room, and the individuals in that room. We'll be bringing those contracts to the council at the next work session. And so we will be having weekly coordination meetings with those organizations, and so any complaints, any concerns we have from you, from your constituents, or anyone in the area, we'll be able to regularly address those, get staff out, and you never know what to anticipate with this kind of program. We learn something every year, but we feel like we have the right staffing and security measures in place to do the best that we can. And do we have any of these, are these going to be the only ones? Do we have other ones dispersed throughout the city of Lexington, or are they solely in the 6th and the 1st District? There are a couple of others. There is a program that has not been brought to you yet that you are already aware of, the Bluegrass Care Navigators Program, which operates a very similar model using hotels, but it's focused on people with disabilities, people with accessibility issues, and a lot of elderly folks. That one is, I want to say in 8th? No, it's Richmond Road, so it may still be 6th, actually. I'm not quite sure where the line is. You said Richmond? It's the, they utilize Bluegrass Extended Stay. For those of us who have lived in Lexington a very long time, it's the former Shoney's Inn, but you have to have been here a while to remember that. And then Community Action Council uses the, operates the family version, which has, you know, for women and children and families, that intersperses through a couple of different hotels throughout the city. Okay, for now. I, after talking with some of our residents, I have directed them to you, for better or for worse. And we'll be happy to meet with them anytime, take their calls. We could go out there and have a meeting and address their concerns, not just now, but throughout the winter as things arise. Well, then I would like to invite you to the 6th District-wide meeting. If you have time, I'll send you the information. Sure, send me the info. That way we can get the answers asked before so we don't have backlash. Yeah, I think that's great. Yeah. We'll talk. Thank you. All right, thank you. Council Member Baxter. Thank you, Mayor, Commissioner. Sit down, just chill. I was trying to catch you. I have one other question about item K. I know that we have, the amount includes projected taxes, fees, and damages. I'm just curious if in the past, when we've done the hotel programs, if we have seen extensive damages, or if this is just like normal damages, like allocations. Extensive is in the eye of the beholder. Okay. It varies. A lot of it's kind of wear and tear that you might expect when someone's using a hotel room, not for a night or two, but for an extended period of time. So you're going to have a little more damage than you would for a three-night stay or something. We've budgeted in this $200,000, but that is not all for damages. That's for, you know, we have a hard time projecting, for example, how many families with pets we'll have, and every family pet, we have to pay a pet fee over and above. So that's kind of our contingency, is that $200,000. We came to that based on how many families last year had presented with pets, and then estimated damage costs from when we did a similar program two years ago. That year, I believe it was in the $20,000 to $30,000 range is how much we spent on damages over the course of the year. Okay. Thank you. My next question is on item N. I don't know if Director Martin or Commissioner Albright. I was just hoping that you could explain this to us in a little bit more detail. Yeah. Just... Brandi's right behind me for the really hard questions. The park came to us with a concern discovered during construction that part of the old stone facing for the culvert that protects the bank wall had collapsed, and they had not anticipated that until they started cutting away the vegetative growth. And so we determined that this part is a public waterway, a public water management source. And so that is why we are assisting with the reconstruction or reestablishing of the bank of Town Branch. And can you explain why it's considered a grant award? We're funding it in a way that's similar to our water quality management grants, but it's not exactly through that process. But we're going to reimburse them for their expenses up to a certain amount. So they will be completing the work and submitting for reimbursement? Correct. Okay. That's what I needed to know. Thank you so much. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Council Member Savigny. Thank you, Mayor. My questions are on ENF, Commissioner Hensley. And just... Could you just explain the difference between ENF and then... And we've had a discussion about this, so just so for the record, like what the process is going to be for these bonds because I do plan to make some sort of recommendation during fund balance that might change the... That any of us might change the amounts of the bonds. I'm sorry. I'm trying to pull up ENF with me. I believe that E has the total authorization for the amount of the bond. It's like the advertisement for bids, right? And it's the $46 million. That is the amount that is approved in the overall budget. It also has, thank you, the language for the up to 10%. That has authorization in case we issue at a discount or a premium, that gives us the flexibility to be able to pay for our closing costs and all of the items that are necessary with the issuance of a bond. So that's the typical language for our bond issuance. This is the first step of kind of the bond process. So this is one of many of the things that will happen. We'll have to advertise and try and... And I brought Chad with me to talk through the back end of that. But this is after the council has approved the bond package as a whole. This sets the ceiling for what we will go out to market for, but it doesn't set a floor. So if there is a decision that is made at... Because we will not go out to sell, and I think we've said this a couple of different times. We will not go out to market before the fund balance conversation. So if there's a decision made at the fund balance conversation where you want to reduce that, approving these documents does not prevent you from reducing that number. It just sets the maximum amount that we are able to bond. But you all have already set that amount with our budget. And then F also sets the amount. And we budgeted that amount for debt service. So that's how much we budgeted for half a year. Because we anticipated not going to market early in the year to have two payments. And we are also still on track for that. Now, when we first started talking about it, we thought we might go before the election. Bond council was telling us, you know, there's some uncertainty. We're thinking that we might need to try and thread this needle where we go between fund balance if we're trying to maybe make a different decision and then the election. But since then, they've reduced interest rates. And we're in a better interest rate environment. And they're actually thinking that there may be a reduction. The big portion of our bond this year is our senior and therapeutic center, which is actually a 20-year item. And so we may actually benefit if we hold off a little bit longer because we won't incur those expenses for quite some time. So we may actually benefit from holding just a little bit longer to see what the interest rate environment kind of settles into post-election and if there is another additional cut. So I don't necessarily know when we'll go, but the two items, E and F, together, just move forward with what was approved in the budget as far as a cap on the bond that we're able to go for, the amount that is budgeted for debt service, and then the maximum year term that we're able to agree to for the debt service on those payments, which is the 20-year that agrees with the senior and therapeutic center. Thank you. And is the debt service piece of it basically you're estimating about six months' worth of payment? Is that kind of... We are, approximately. And we have a little bit of flexibility with that. If we go a little bit later, we can increase the front-end payment, and that just helps us on the back end. So we typically will just pay whatever it is that we've budgeted, and then it just helps us out later. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mayor. That's all I've got. Thank you, Council Member Fogle. Thank you, Mayor. Nice to see you. Item K, come on down. You knew it. I'm glad you didn't walk very far. With this, I'm really concerned, colleagues, about this particular security company. I spent a lot of time at the Hope Village last year, excited about what we were doing together. Is there a way that you can ensure that this company brings on female security? Because we had a lot of issues and a lot, I saw it for myself as I was visiting, and with our females and the male securities. So is there any way that... Have we already contracted these guys? That contract will come to the Council at the next work session. Okay, then I'm going to hold this because I've got something to tell you guys. So thank you. Well, may I... Since no one else has signed up, Commissioner, we can... Presumably, we can put some qualifiers into the contract, correct? We can certainly discuss with them. We're only paying to have two on site at all times, so we're going to be a little limited, obviously, in how many there are, and I'm not sure what their staff looks like in terms of how many men and women they have on staff, but I believe they're all off-duty officers, so there should be some females available. We can certainly have that conversation with them. I'm not sure contractually that we can require it, but we can certainly make that a strong... Basically, part of our insistence on how they deliver the service. So maybe you could have some conversation about the specifics with Commissioner and folks before the contract comes? Yeah, I know they have some female, because there was some out there last year, not as consistently as we would have liked. Yes, sir. I'm just saying we're going to have some issues, and we're going to have some problems on the 8th of October, I'm telling you all right now, if they don't have female staff. I think the Commissioner got the message. Yes, ma'am. I was just going to hammer it home. I think you did. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner. All right. Anything else for new business? All right. All those in favor of approval, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. That motion passes. We have communications from the mayor appointments. Could I have a motion to approve? Second. Thank you. Council Member Fogle, second by Council Member Gray. Are there any questions? All right. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? All right. Next up is communications from the mayor donations. I'll entertain a motion. Second. Council Member Plowman, second by Council Member Legree. Any questions? All right. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? That motion passes. And communications from the mayor procurements. Could I have a motion? Council Member Baxter moves. Is there a second? Second. Council Member Gray seconds. Any questions? All right. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. And that brings us to the social services and public safety committee. Council Member Reynolds. Thank you, Mayor. This is the report out for the July 2nd, 2024 social services and public safety committee. The meeting was called to order at 1 p.m. And the first item on our agenda was approval of the May 14th, 2024 committee meeting summary. There were no additions or corrections. And the summary was approved without dissent. The next item on our agenda was an update on recruitment, retirement, and retention for public safety. Public safety commissioner Ken Armstrong. I'm sorry. I think this is the wrong one? Is it right? The agenda says September 17th. Yes. And that is not what I have in front of me. Okay. I will bring it up right now. All right. I have it. I'm sorry. I don't know why I had that one in front of me. The social services and public safety committee of September 17th, 2024. Summary of motions. Chair Reynolds called the meeting to order at 1 p.m. Committee members Ellinger, James Brown, Fogel, Menares, Gray, Fred Brown, Baxter, Savini, and Plowman were all in attendance. Vice Mayor Wu, Councilmembers Lynch and Sheehan were present as non-voting members. Approval of July 2, 2024 committee meeting summary. Motion by Savini to approve the July 2, 2024 committee summary. Seconded by Gray. Motion passed without dissent. The Office of Homelessness Prevention and Intervention Annual Update. Jeff Heeran, Homelessness Prevention Manager, provided a background of the Office of Homelessness Prevention and Intervention, which was established in 2014. He reviewed the coordination and planning responsibilities of OPI office and said they do not provide direct services. He spoke about the 44 million investment in the homelessness program between FY 20 to 25 to address homelessness. He reviewed and updated data from the 2014-2024 LexCount results. And the annual point in time count provides a snapshot of what homelessness looks like in our city on any given night. He provided an update on homelessness encampments and they conducted 28 cleanups in FY 24 and 18 unique locations and 15 cleanups were tied to six emphasis areas. The total cost for cleanup is $51,805 at an average cost of $1,850 per cleanup. He reviewed the five year strategic plan for 21 through 25, which was released in 21 and included 55 recommendations. Strategic plan goals are compromised of community outreach and engagement, preventing homelessness policy and advocacy, funding sources, and explaining permanent supportive housing. He continued with a review of current process, including onboarding curriculum for case management, shelter and transitional housing, feasibility study, housing flex fund, landlord partnership program, and 2024 continuum of care program completion. Heron said that the emphasis areas are listed on the website and there's a permanent signage at campsites. There was a suggestion for a voucher program similar to that in Boston where expediters helped people find housing quickly. Heron feels the landlord partnership program might be able to incorporate something like this. Heron said that a few pieces of the strategic plan that will not be fully achieved because some of those recommendations will need millions of dollars to be fully executed. And we have not been able to identify a sustainable funding source. Heron confirmed LexCount as Lexington's annual point in time count of all experiencing homelessness, including emergency shelters, transitional housing, or unsheltered homelessness in Lexington on a single night in January. When asked about the email regarding temporary shelter across from the Hope Center, Heron said the YMCA is not willing to allow us to return to their property a second time. LFUCG is looking to work with hotels to get a block of rooms this year. There was a suggestion to look at a permanent solution for housing. When asked how council can support this, Heron explained scaling up the efforts is important to consider. No action was taken on this item. Sorry, this is long. Next was the NAMI Fayette Mental Health Court. And this was Bill Buckman, coordinator with the Fayette Mental Health Division, reviewed the monetary savings for Lexington from July 1 through August 31, 2024 for 32 graduates. The city invested $790,000 in the program and this resulted in $4,655,819 return on investment. Many people are referred to the program at low level charges and living with mental illness. These people tend to self-medicate, causing issues with substance abuse, leading to violent episodes and charges of disturbing the peace. He explained the importance of this program as it helps with turning someone's life around. Kelly Gunning, Director of Advocacy and Policy with the National Alliance of Mental Illness, NAMI, referred the building where Participation Station is housed. Participation Station is a unique program that operates on the Boston model of psychiatric rehabilitation and provides mental health services in Lexington. She said there is a risk of losing the building as it all will be for sale if NAMI cannot raise enough money to purchase it. Gunning emphasized Participation Station focused on seriously mentally ill population and is the hub of outreach, recovery, and rehabilitation. When asked about Empath Center, Gunning explained the living room model, which is no barrier, 23-hour bed, a chair for people to come in where police could bring people who are in crisis. Typically, when the police pick up someone who is intoxicated, they must wait for the person to be sober before they can take the hospital. At the Empath Center, when you walk in, you get help immediately. In the first months, they have seen over 300 people, and most of those people were diverted successfully by agreeing to go to the next day community appointment. No action was taken on the item. Items referred to committee, no action was taken on the item, and the meeting was adjourned at 219 PM. Thank you. Thank you. Does anyone have questions for Councilmember Reynolds? All right. That brings us to special proclamation for today. All right. I'm going to ask Fire Chief Jason Wells and his folks, I think there are a few of his folks here, Assistant Chiefs, to join me at the podium. Kevin, would you like to join us at the podium? Anybody with fire and emergency services? Hey, Chief, how are you? I do want to thank Chief Wells for being here and all of his many folks who have come to support National Fire Prevention Week. The 2024 theme of Fire Prevention Week is Smoke Alarms, Make Them Work for You. That sounds good. It does. Right. The campaign focuses on the importance of having working smoke alarms. It's critical that you install, test, and replace your smoke alarms, and we must take the necessary precautions to keep our loved ones, our neighbors, and our emergency responders safe. Each and every day, our firefighters and first responders put their lives on the line to serve others. We thank them for their commitment to our community. Chief Wells, I know you have an extremely strong team. We've talked about that before, and I thank you. I thank your team. Our community can't live without you, and that is a literal truth. I want to present this proclamation and then ask if you want to say a few words, and then we'll have a photo. How's that sound? Okay. Whereas National Fire Prevention Week is a time set aside to educate our community and spread awareness of the importance of fire safety and prevention, and whereas the 2024 National Fire Prevention Week theme, Smoke Alarms, Make Them Work for You, strives to educate everyone about the importance of having working smoke alarms in your home, and whereas the Lexington Fire Department is committed to reducing the occurrence of home fires and injuries through prevention and education, and whereas residents who have planned and practiced a home fire escape plan are more prepared and are more likely to survive a fire, and whereas we appreciate our brave firefighters and first responders who are among the first to react when devastation strikes, and whereas Lexington is committed to ensuring the safety and security of our community, now therefore I, Linda Gorton, Mayor of Lexington, do hereby declare October 6th through 12th, 2024, National Fire Prevention Week in Lexington. Thank you for all you do. Appreciate you. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Council. So, you know, our smoke alarm program really wouldn't be possible without our Community Service Bureau, and we hope to have those folks here today, but as you'll hear more about very soon, they're tied up with my future replacement, our Junior Fire Chief today, but you'll hear more about that soon. I'm not going to say a whole lot, but I do want to reiterate something that is really crucially important. The theme of this year's Fire Prevention Week is smoke alarms, make them work for you, and that's kind of a little double entendre, but functioning smoke alarms are such a simple, inexpensive thing that we can do to save lives, and the Lexington Fire Department is not going to stop beating on the podium and preaching the word until we have consecutive years without fire fatalities here in Lexington. So, I ask for your help, I ask for the public's help for us to continue to push that message to make sure that we keep our residents safe. Thank you all. That's a great goal. Thank you. Shall we get a photo? Yeah. Did I, wait, where'd the, where'd it go? Bring it. It's great. It's great. Okay. All right, thank you so much. We're ready for council report, and first up is Council Member Sheehan. Thank you, Mayor. Colleagues, you obviously already know about this, but we're going to continue to announce it until it happens, but so, the Lexington Fayette Urban County Council is launching a new expo series this fall, and our first event will focus on transportation policy. This is an opportunity for the public to engage directly with council members, as well as with experts and stakeholders from across LFUCG. The event, centered around transportation, will include topics like bike and pedestrian safety, public transit, road improvements, and more. It's designed to be a casual and interactive experience where community members can connect with decision makers, share their insights, and receive accurate information around transportation. This event will be on Saturday, October 19th from 9 to 1130 a.m. at the Marksbury branch of the Lexington Public Library. If you're involved in transportation-related initiatives or simply want to learn more, we'd love to see you there. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Council Member Baxter. Thank you, Mayor, and Chief Wills, if you'll make your way down while I'm doing my other part, that would be great. I think that we have a few photos. Okay, so I'm so super excited about this. Okay, so yesterday at McConnell Springs, Director Monica Conrad and I launched or announced the launch of a new pilot program of this action track chair. And so a little bit about this. Recently, I discovered that all-terrain electric-powered activity chairs were available to aid those with limited mobility in exploring and experiencing our city parks. And I was convinced that this was an amenity that our residents should have. So I sponsored out of my council capital funds and with my colleagues' approval here, we have purchased, it's on order now, one of these chairs. And it will be housed, the pilot program will start at Raven Run in the spring. And it will be available for reservation of individuals who have limited mobility or just in general mobility challenges and would like to enjoy the outdoors a little more. I am, like, so stoked about this, I can't hardly contain myself. Like I said, it's on order. It will be available in the spring. And I really, really want to say a big thank you to Director Conrad because when I first brought this idea to her, she didn't shy away from it at all. She went straight to her staff and said, let's make it happen. And so we have got this pilot program all ready to go for when the chair gets here. And I can't wait to show it to you guys in person. So I'm super pumped about that. Okay. Okay. Oh, yeah, you showed the video already. Okay. Now, Chief, you gave us a great speech, but you didn't tell us how people could request. Very good. Very good. Thank you. Thank you for that catch. That's why you're the council member. So we offer a program where the Lexington Fire Department will install smoke alarms free of charge anywhere in Fayette County, regardless of need. All they have to do is contact our Community Service Bureau. That can be done via email online, or individuals can call 859-231-5662 to reach our Community Service Bureau and schedule an install. That's awesome. Thank you. Thank you, Chief. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Council Member Plowman. Thank you, Mayor. And I wanted to remind each of you that you received a purple pumpkin, and that is in celebration of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Next Thursday, which is the 17th, is Purple Clothing Day. Wear something purple. It raises awareness and is a day to identify yourself as an advocate to survivors of domestic violence. And again, this is the whole month is dedicated to the awareness of Domestic Violence Month. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Council Member Reynolds. Thank you, Mayor. There's several things going on in the 11th District this weekend. Saturday the 12th, Meadowthorpe's Meadowfest is happening from 3 to 6 p.m. at Meadowthorpe Park. And it is going to be a big celebration of Meadowthorpe's 75th anniversary. So there's going to be all types of activities. And my office is sponsoring a tree planting for tree week there. So come on out, celebrate with Meadowthorpe, and plant a tree. And then on Sunday, Gardenside is having their fall picnic from 3 to 5 in Gardenside Park. And the Lane is having their fall picnic from 4 to 7 p.m. on the Lane. And I want to thank the Fire Department for all they do and for Fire Safety Week. I hope that we'll all make sure that our houses are safe and that our children know how to get out of the house in case of a fire. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Council Member Lynch. Thank you, Mayor. I just have a few acknowledgments and announcements. I would just like to thank my colleagues, those that participated in the Week Without Driving. If you did a council comment on it or participated in your own way last week, thank you for doing that. I enjoyed my time. I chose to run from my house down to 200 East Main Street last Monday and then ride the bus home. And I made it. I'm so glad I made it. And I made informational videos along the way to share with my neighbors some of the barriers that exist when you're traveling through the 2nd District that I plan to work on, especially with our Complete Streets Initiative. And so it was a beautiful 5.98-mile run from my house down here. And it is completely doable for anyone. Because I plan to do it again. It wasn't bad at all. So anyone that wants to join me, let me know. But it was a great initiative. I'm so glad that we had great community support about this new initiative. And I look forward to next year. And then my next announcement is just to thank our chief wells and the fire department and all the whole host of community partners that were out at Madison Station Park this weekend for the Fire Prevention Festival. It kind of turned me into a kid again because I just got excited seeing all the cool trucks and things that kids can get engaged in at the festival. And I have to give a big shout out to Q859, my old Kentucky barbecue. That was by far the best hash brown casserole I've ever had. And I'll be getting more later. But it was a great Fire Prevention Festival. And it was very, very well attended. So thank you all for hosting that in the 2nd District. And it was just great to see the community engaged in that way. And then lastly, just to remind my District 2 neighbors that our next district-wide meeting will be on Wednesday, October the 16th at 6 p.m. at the STEAM Academy. I hope you all can come out and attend. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Council Member Savigny. Thank you, Mayor. Just a few things. Last week I did partake as well in the week without driving. I took the bus a few days and I took it home two days. And I actually extended it to today and I took the bus. So I will say that sometimes you start a habit and it kind of forms. So it's been a good experience. I will say that the bus stop that I am at is right across from Kerr Brothers Funeral Homes. And the cars go 55 miles an hour past it. So it's a little scary sometimes. This Friday at Moondance we've got Freaky Flicks. Starting at 6.30 there will be food games, costume contests and more. So bring a chair and blanket. And our parks team is showing Ghostbusters Frozen Empire. The weather looks like it's going to be fantastic still. And then on Saturday, very proud of this young Eagle Scout candidate, Paxton Beck. From 10 to 3 from Troop 186. He and Friends of Parks and Trees Lex are going to add 50 trees to Clay's Mill Elementary. Under the guidance of an arborist, a landscape architect and scout mentor, Paxton developed a tree site plan coordinated with Fayette County Schools and prepared the Lex Grow Trees grant application for the project. To sign up and volunteer for this great group of people, visit treeweeklexington.com. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Council Member Gray. Thank you, Mayor. I moved to place in the Social Services and Public Safety Committee a review of the sheriff's office. I spoke with Sheriff Kathy Witt and she has agreed. So moved. Thank you. Is there a second? Second. Okay. The motion was to review the sheriff's office. Now the sheriff isn't part of government, right? Are you wanting a specific? There's something specific. So can you state is it a specific thing? Such as when we just a way to help get the word out about when someone is sexually assaulted, the process of getting they have certain programs. Okay. Okay. And you're putting that in committee? Yes. And did you have a question, Council Member Ellinger? My question was what you asked is because that was pretty general. I wanted to kind of get specific on what the topic was. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Anything else about the motion? All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. That passes. Anything else? No. Okay. And so, Council Member Fogle. Thank you, Mayor. First of all, I want to give a shout out to Oakwood Estates and the community there. I believe it was about 70 people that showed up in a meeting last night. Their concern is about sober living houses appearing in historic neighborhoods and neighborhoods, period, across Lexington. And then I always ask this question, do I have some photos? So we have some photos. I would like to give a shout out always to the cemetery down this number two on 7th Street. Had an event on Sunday where they just talked about the history of folks. And I got to learn something about this gentleman, Mr. Benjamin, and his arrest record and what he did. It should be some more photos with the cemetery. It was attended. I was able to get a walking stick that was carved. And I want to give a shout out to my community. So the graveyard is such a historic figure in the 1st District, one of the oldest graveyards here in Lexington. And so that event that took place on Sunday with the history, and I'm pretty sure that Ms. Jowls and folks will bring that back. So hopefully we can get the word out so people can come and just learn history about folks in this community that is buried in that cemetery and all the history and ancestries surrounding that cemetery. Also a shout out, I didn't do a five mile. Somebody probably, I would have to be Madea. I need some oxygen. But to do that one, so my hand is off to you. However, the experience of being out in the remnants of the hurricane and trying to take transportation did take place. And working with folks this weekend, last weekend, getting them housing and partnering with a community partner that stepped up. And we went around Lexington picking folks up and putting them in hotels last week. And you probably don't have those photos, but that's what community partners did last week just to aid and help folks. Hopefully, thank you Mr. Brown for giving me a call back. And we're going to be looking at it and working with the commissioner about what does occur when we have a devastation of rain. And if it was powerful enough to knock all those trees down where KU was really busy, that means that that's pretty close to emergency with folks who are unhoused. And so the day center closes at 4 and it doesn't open until 8 on Monday. So maybe we can have that conversation in the near future. But folks were picked up. Now to my surprise, Mayor, there were some people that just would not come in. They stayed in the car washes on Winchester Road. And no matter what we did or said, they still did not want to come in from that storm. So it could be something that some of our paramedicines can check out and look into with mental health services. We had some bright spots. I don't know where the rest of the photos are, but we had some bright spots in the first district also. Windburn put on a phenomenal cleanup. They took pride in the community and had a cleanup day last weekend. And so I may have failed to give those photos to Kristen. And Kristen, I'm sorry if I did. But I just wanted to lift up some of those things that happened and just keep smiling. It is also here in October. I just went blank. It is Breast Cancer Awareness as well. And so you guys know that I love my hair colors to lift up and bring awareness. So Breast Cancer Awareness is also October. I've got my purple pumpkin on my porch too, Council Member. So thank you. That's my announcement. Thank you. And we also have the same issue with our homeless on an ongoing basis that many of them choose not to go in shelter. Yes, ma'am. So, Council Member Worley. Thank you, Mayor. I'd like to give some recognition here at the Council Chamber to a 7th District constituent and a great educator here in Fayette County. I hope that you all saw in the news this week that Nathan Hoskins, the aviation instructor at Eastside Technical Center, was named the Air and Space Forces Association of Kentucky Teacher of the Year. Yes. And Nathan's a fantastic guy. And what he's done for students in Fayette County is exposing them to the aviation industry and the aerospace industry, piloting drones, teaching them about all the various different opportunities that come along with that industry. And I think not only should he be recognized for what he is doing in his class and elevating those students, but also I think it's a recognition that we all sometimes forget how important technical education is and providing opportunities for students outside the normal class setting and exposing them to industries and opportunities that they otherwise wouldn't have thought of. So, congratulations, Nathan. He's a wonderful guy, and I'm really very happy for him. Thank you. Great. Thank you. Any other Council reports? All right. We do not have anyone signed up for public comment for issues not on the agenda, so I believe Vice Mayor Wu has our motion for closed session. Thank you, Mayor. I move that we go into closed session pursuant to KRS 618101C for the purpose of discussing proposed litigation. So moved. Is there a second? Second. Thank you. All those in favor? Aye. All right. We are going to closed session, even though only five of you voted for it. All right. Thank you. All right. Thank you. All right. Thank you. All right. Thank you. All right. All right. Thank you. All right. Thank you. All right. Thank you. All right. Thank you. All right. Thank you. All right. Do I hear a motion to come back into open session? Councilmember Fogle, Councilmember Gray, all in favor say aye. Aye. All right. We are back in open session and Councilmember Fred Brown has a motion. Thank you, Mayor. I move to place on the docket for the October 10, 2024 Council meeting a resolution condemning necessary permanent and temporary easements across the property located at 1067 Armstrong Mill Road for the purposes of the Merrick Trunk Sewer Project and authorizing the Department of Law to institute condemnation proceedings in Fayette Circuit Court. So moved. Second. All right. Councilmember Worley seconded. Any questions? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. That motion passes. Do I hear a motion to adjourn? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Thank you very much. We are adjourned.