# Council Work Session - February 4, 2025 > Auto-transcribed civic record · Council · February 4, 2025 - **Permalink**: https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/6330 - **Source video**: https://lfucg.granicus.com/player/clip/6330?view_id=14&redirect=true - **Date**: 2025-02-04 - **Body**: Council - **Last revised**: March 27, 2026 - **Length**: 4,847 words - **Speakers**: Mayor > ⚠️ **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 February 4, 2025, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber on the 2nd Floor of the Government Center, with Mayor Linda Gorton presiding. The meeting covered 11 agenda items spanning a range of legislative and administrative business, including rezonings, budget amendments, mayoral appointments, donations, and procurements. Across the session, the Council took 10 votes, the majority of which resulted in approvals, reflecting an active and productive legislative agenda. One public comment period was held for issues on the agenda, and additional opportunity for public input was provided at the close of the meeting for issues not on the agenda. Informational items included continuing business and presentations, as well as council reports. ## Attendance All 15 council members were present at the February 4, 2025 meeting. No members were absent or late. **Present:** Wu, J. Brown, Ellinger II, Morton, Lynch, LeGris, Curtis, Sheehan, Gray, Hale, Beasley, Baxter, Sevigny, Reynolds, and Boone. ## Votes and Decisions All votes at the February 4, 2025 Council meeting were taken by voice vote and passed. No roll call votes were recorded. The following motions were approved: - **Approval of the docket** — Moved by Curtis; passed by voice vote. [timestamp: 00:02:35] - **Approval of the January 28th Council Work Session motion table** — Moved by the Vice Mayor, seconded by Council Member Legree; passed by voice vote. [timestamp: 00:03:38] - **Approval of budget amendments** — Moved by Council Member Gray, seconded by Council Member Savigny; passed by voice vote. [timestamp: 00:04:09] - **Approval of new business** — Moved by Council Member Savigny, seconded by Vice Mayor Wu; passed by voice vote. [timestamp: 00:07:24] - **Approval of appointments** — Moved by the Vice Mayor, seconded by Council Member Savigny; passed by voice vote. [timestamp: 00:11:07] - **Approval of donations** — Moved by the Vice Mayor, seconded by Council Member Curtis; passed by voice vote. [timestamp: 00:11:07] - **Approval of procurements** — Moved by Council Member Gray, seconded by Council Member Savigny; passed by voice vote. [timestamp: 00:11:38] - **Approval of council capital projects** — Moved by Council Member Ellinger, seconded by Council Member Gray; passed by voice vote. [timestamp: 00:12:09] - **Referral of anti-displacement and vulnerable neighborhood preservation to the General Government Planning Committee** — Moved by Council Member Morton, seconded by Council Member Gray; passed by voice vote. [timestamp: 00:24:06] - **Motion to adjourn** — Moved by Savigny, seconded by Curtis; passed by voice vote. [timestamp: 00:33:54] ## Budget and Financial Actions The Council approved a range of financial actions at the February 4, 2025 meeting, spanning purchases, contracts, grants, leases, and amendments. **Purchases and Contracts** - **L0075-25**: Authorized a $124,432 hardware purchase from RouteWare INC. in support of the Waste Management Routing Project. - **L0097-25**: Authorized a $5,800 catering contract with Hyatt Regency Lexington for the annual Senior Intern Alumni Luncheon. - **L0122-25**: Authorized a $31,217.68 contract with Mann Solar to install a roof-mounted solar photovoltaic system. **Grants and Awards** - **L0105-25**: Authorized submission of a $147,451 grant application to the Bluegrass Area Development District for operation of the Lexington Senior Center. - **L0120-25**: Authorized execution of an agreement to accept an $82,449.95 award from the Kentucky Department of Military Affairs. - **L0121-25**: Authorized a $576,000 agreement with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for the Brighton Trail Connection Project. **Leases and Agreements** - **L0115-25**: Authorized a 36-month lease for two wide-format scanner-plotters from Lynn Imaging at $7,320.00 annually. - **L0118-25**: Authorized execution of a Memorandum of Understanding for the replacement of a deteriorating retaining wall at a cost of $220,000. **Amendments** - **L0112-25**: Authorized Amendment One to an existing agreement with Independence Place, Inc. - **L0117-25**: Authorized an amendment to Resolution #22-2025 relating to the Lex Grow Trees Grant Program. - **L0119-25**: Authorized Amendment One to a purchase of service agreement with W-T Group, LLC, valued at $394,922. - **L0123-25**: Authorized an amendment to the classified civil service authorized strength by creating one new position of Accreditation Manager. **Legal** - **L0108-25**: Authorized participation in the settlement of a lawsuit brought by the Kentucky Attorney General against Kroger Company related to opioids. No settlement amount was specified in the authorization. ## Public Comment One member of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period. [timestamp: 30:41] - **Taniqua Oliver** spoke on the topic of quality of life activism, raising concerns about what she described as the trauma to prison pipeline. Oliver emphasized the need for proactive measures to prevent children from entering the criminal justice system, calling attention to the importance of early intervention and community-level action to address the root causes that can lead young people toward involvement with the justice system. ## Public Comment - Issues on Agenda [timestamp: 02:35] No public comments were made on issues on the agenda. ## Requested Rezonings/Docket Approval [timestamp: 02:35] The Council took up the matter of requested rezonings and docket approval. Curtis presented the item to the Council. No debate or dissenting concerns were raised during discussion of this agenda item. The Council approved the docket without any dissent. ## Approval of Summary [timestamp: 03:38] The Council took up the approval of the summary from the January 28th Council Work Session. The Vice Mayor and Council Member Legree were the key speakers during this portion of the meeting. The summary was approved without noted objection. ## Budget Amendments [timestamp: 04:09] The Council took up several budget amendments during this portion of the meeting. The amendments addressed traffic improvements and bond funds, though specific dollar amounts and project details were not detailed in the available record. Council Member Reynolds and Council Member Ellinger were the key speakers on this item. The available record does not specify the individual arguments made or concerns raised by each member during the discussion. The Council approved the budget amendments. ## New Business [timestamp: 07:24] The Council took up several New Business items during this portion of the meeting, covering agreements and authorizations for various projects. Council Member Savigny and Vice Mayor Wu were among the key speakers during this segment. The Council considered and acted on a series of items, which included approving agreements and providing authorizations related to ongoing and new projects. No specific concerns or notable debate are reflected in the available record for this agenda item. All New Business items were approved by the Council. ## Communications From the Mayor – Appointments [timestamp: 11:07] The Council considered appointments recommended by the Mayor during this agenda item. The Vice Mayor and Council Member Savigny were noted as key speakers during the discussion. The Council approved the Mayor's recommended appointments. No additional details regarding the specific positions, appointees, or deliberation points are available from the meeting record. ## Communications From the Mayor – Donations [timestamp: 11:07] The Council took up the agenda item covering donations as recommended by the Mayor. The item was presented for Council consideration and approval. Key speakers during this portion of the meeting included the Vice Mayor and Council Member Curtis. The Council moved to approve the donations as recommended, and the item passed. No additional details regarding the specific donations, their amounts, recipients, or any debate or concerns raised were included in the available record for this item. ## Communications From the Mayor – Procurements [timestamp: 11:38] The Council took up the Mayor's procurement recommendations during this portion of the meeting. Council Member Gray and Council Member Savigny were the key speakers on this item. The Council approved the procurement recommendations as presented by the Mayor. No additional details regarding the specific contracts, vendors, amounts, or scope of the procurements are available in the provided record. The item was approved by the Council. ## Continuing Business/Presentations [timestamp: 12:09] The Council received updates on ongoing projects and initiatives during this portion of the February 4, 2025 meeting. Council Member Ellinger and Council Member Gray were the key speakers during this segment. The discussion covered continuing business items and presentations related to various Council initiatives, with the session noted as informational in nature. No votes or formal actions were taken as a result of this agenda item. *Note: The available data for this agenda item is limited. For full details on the specific projects, updates, or concerns discussed, viewers are encouraged to consult the meeting video beginning at timestamp 12:09 or review the official meeting minutes.* ## Council Reports [timestamp: 14:50] Council members provided updates on various community projects and initiatives during this portion of the meeting. The primary speakers were Council Member Baxter and Council Member Legree. This agenda item was informational in nature, with no vote or formal action taken as a result of the reports presented. *Note: The available data for this agenda item is limited. For full details on the specific updates, projects, and initiatives discussed by Council Member Baxter and Council Member Legree, viewers are encouraged to consult the meeting video beginning at timestamp 14:50 or review the official meeting minutes.* ## Public Comment - Issues Not on Agenda [timestamp: 30:41] During the public comment period for issues not on the agenda, one member of the public addressed the Council. - **Taniqua Oliver** appeared before the Council to speak on the topic of quality of life activism. This portion of the meeting was informational in nature, providing an opportunity for a community member to bring forward concerns or perspectives outside of the items formally listed on the agenda. No Council action was taken in response to the public comment. --- ## Decisions - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve the February 6, 2025 Council Meeting Docket - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve the January 28, 2025, Work Session Summary - **Motion** — passed (0-0): approve Budget Amendments - **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): approve Council Capital Projects - **Motion** — passed (0-0): place Anti-Displacement and Vulnerable Neighborhood Preservation in the General Government and Planning Committee - **Motion** — passed (0-0): adjourn at 3:34 p.m --- ## Full transcript Uh huh. Mm. Mm hmm. Mm hmm! Mm hmm! Mm hmm! It's three o'clock, so we'll get going on our February 4th, 2025 Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council Work Session, and first up on our agenda is public comment for issues on the agenda, and it looks like we have no one signed up. So that will move us right along to the docket, and I'll ask for a motion to approve. Motion approved. Second. All right. Thank you, Curtis, I heard seconded, and if you have questions, walk-ons to the docket or any such thing, will you log in, please? And it looks like we have no one, so all those in favor of approval, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. Thank you. Next we have a January 28th Council Work Session motion table. I'll entertain a motion. Thank you, Vice Mayor. Is there a second? Council Member Legree. Are there questions about January 28th, 2025 table of motions? All right. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. That passes. And now I'll entertain a motion to approve the budget amendments. Second. Council Member Gray. Council Member, who seconded? Council Member Savigny. Okay. Are there any questions about budget amendments? Council Member Reynolds. Thank you, Mayor. I have some questions for traffic engineering about general item 152703-04 and 152827, 152700-01 and 152705-06. These are in regards, some of them say that the general fund capital projects funding traffic improvements to Red Mile and Versailles, and then there's one that has to do with the old stockyards on South Forbes. And I was just curious about these improvements. Sure, my rough understanding, Council Member Reynolds, is that these are geared toward monies received from developers for improvements as a part of the development plan. So the one that is referring to Red Mile and Versailles is the gas station, convenience store there on the corner? I do not know that detail. Okay, and the Forbes one is with the KU facility? Correct. Okay, could you send me just details on all of those, please? Yes, ma'am. Okay, thank you very much. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Council Member Ellinger. Thank you, Mayor. Page four, journal entry 152859-60, the FY 2025 bond fund. We're sent for art. This is, I guess, our whole general budget bond. That's it. What changes do we have in here that, I guess, this is kind of the finish up? Yes, this is the wrap up of the whole bond, so it does include the swap of the paving out of the bond, the corrections project for the roof for the fire suppression into the bond. It does have the closing costs, if you will, for our third party administrator for all of those costs for the closing in there as well. It does have the percent for art that is in there. It has all of the wrap up for all of the pieces of the bond in that whole 48, 769. So, what is the percent for art? What's the final number? And do you have a spreadsheet on all these, by chance? I do, and you'll actually get every single line item of that on your Thursday docket. I don't know if we can get ahead of time, but- We can. Yeah, I'll go ahead and get that sent to you. Thank you so much. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Does anyone else have any questions about budget amendments? All right, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. And we have for your information only pages six through eight adjustments to the budget. So, that brings us to new business. I'll entertain a motion to approve. So moved. Second. All right, Council Member Savigny moves, Vice Mayor Wu seconds, and please log in if you have questions. All right, seeing none, all those in favor, say aye. Okay, we do have someone with a question at the last second. I know, are you talking about new business here? Yes, sir. Okay, I'm sorry. I was talking to- Council Member Ellinger. Yeah, Kay, please. The Brighton Trail. Ask Director Burton if you would. We met with the MPO on Wednesday, this past Wednesday, and we were talking about the last part. This gets us to where? We're getting closer to getting to downtown with this trail. Right, this makes a connection from behind the existing Liberty School over to Liberty Road and through the park. And that will tie into the charity's path that the state will be constructing as part of their roadway improvements later on. Now, is this going to be a separate, because the second, the last part of it, we're not sure yet if it's going to be on road or if it's going to be a separate trail. So, our goal is to have a separated trail, is it not? Eventually, we will have a mostly separated trail all the way to downtown Lexington. We're working on the Liberty Road design inside New Circle, which is our project. That will have a separated path. The state is working on their design outside of New Circle. That will be a separated path. It gets a little tricky when we get to Winchester Road. That design hasn't been completed yet, so we're not exactly sure how that separated path is going to work yet. But all the phases up to Winchester Road are either under design, or like this one, will soon be under construction. And I guess that's what the MPO, what we were talking about, is we're in the design phase on that one now. Right. Thank you. Thank you, Director. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Council Member Hale. Thank you, Mayor. A question for item J, 0120-25. This is new business, item J. This is new business? Mm-hm. Yes. Dr. Larkin. Afternoon, Mayor and Council. Rob Larkin, Emergency Management Director. So item J, that's the annual emergency management performance grant. We use that, or it can be used for equipment, services, and personnel. We like to use it for salaries and personnel. Okay, okay. That's what I was, because I just wanted to see, just get a little bit more detail on how it's going to be used to support emergency preparedness. Yes, sir, it pays a certain percentage of our salaries. Okay. All right, thank you. Yes, sir. Thank you. All right, are there any other questions for new business? All right, now, all those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. Thank you. We do have communications from the Mayor. First is appointments. I'll entertain a motion to approve. Vice Mayor moves, Council Member Savigny seconds. Are there any questions? All right, all those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. Next, we have donations. So moved. Thank you, Vice Mayor. Second by Council Member Curtis. Any questions about the donations? All those in favor of approval, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. And the last communication is for procurements. Council Member Gray moves, Council Member Savigny seconds. Are there questions? All right, all those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. Thank you. Next, this brings us to continuing business and presentations. I'll entertain a motion to approve council capital projects. Council Member Ellinger, Council Member Gray seconds. Are there questions? All right, all those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. And next is General Gov and Planning Committee. And who is giving this? Council Member Lynch. All right. Thank you, Mayor. The General Government and Planning Committee January 14, 2025 meeting was called to order at 1 PM. The committee summary was approved unanimously without any additions or corrections. A chair and vice chair were selected. Sam Castro presented the most recent update of the Urban Growth Master Plan. Upcoming action items from the plan include a complete street design manual, an infrastructure funding plan, a parkland dedication ordinance, and a zoning ordinance text amendments. No action was taken on this item. Hal Bailey then presented Lexington's growth management program. Based on theme E, goal 4, and the 2045 comprehensive plan, this program will construct the process for future growth and preservation decisions. Council will provide its input and adopt it as an amendment to the elements of the comprehensive plan by August 1st, 2026. Planning staff will coordinate the process with the General Government and Planning Committee Chair by refining the project scope, establishing a framework for public input, and scheduling committee reports and updates. Chair Sheehan advised the committee that she will place this item into the committee at the January 14th work session and add preservation to the title, as preservation is equally important as growth. No action was taken on this item. Tracy Wade provided an update on House Bill 443, which becomes effective on July 1st, 2025. House Bill 443 creates a new section of KRS Chapter 100 to require that local laws dealing with subdivision plots and development plans be set out by objective standards and applied ministerially, and to set out conditions for applying discretion. Planning will initiate a zoning ordinance text amendment, mail notices to registered neighborhood associations, and plan to have it on the agenda at the March Zoning Committee meeting. There will be a public hearing at the March Planning Commission meeting, and council will receive the final reports in April. The council may then refer it back to the committee for further discussion or place it on the docket. No action was taken on this item. During the annual review of items, the committee unanimously approved to remove the following from committee. Recommendations for ensuring the continuous operations for shared use paths, sidewalks and bike lanes, office residential conversions, two-way street conversions, and division and program review. The meeting was adjourned at 2.43 PM, and that concludes my report out. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you very much. Are there any questions about the report for Councilmember Lynch? All right, thank you. All right, it's time for council reports. Please log in. Councilmember Baxter. Thank you, Mayor. I think I have an image that we can put up. I just wanted to announce that our local neighborhood grant program through the Corridors Commission, the application window is now open, so I wanted to encourage all of my colleagues to spread the word to your neighborhoods that are along the corridors that you can find listed on the website. And these are all for physical improvements or improvements to property that are public facing, so neighborhood entrances to neighborhoods or even businesses or organizations that are public facing and would qualify. And there's listed some of the highlights of things that we are looking for in projects. So the application window is open through March the 1st, and then we will quickly work to expedite those funds. That's all I have. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Councilmember Legree. Thank you, Mayor. Colleagues, I just want to take a moment to celebrate an exciting milestone in my district and for our city. Last week we broke ground on a new project called the Oaks at Woodland. And this project will transform Woodland Christian Church by adding 38 units of affordable senior housing while preserving the building's historic character. And it's not every day that we get to celebrate a project that brings together so many important goals. Preserving a historic building, creating a much needed affordable housing for seniors, and then giving new life to an existing space. So it's really a shining example of what's possible when creativity, persistence, and strong partnerships come together because they use both historic tax credits and housing tax credits in order to bring this vision to life. And it also is at a church, and it's very innovative infill development in Lexington. So I just want to say thank you to Winterwood, to Kentucky Housing Corporation, to Affordable Housing Board Commissioner Lantern and his team. And then my council colleagues, you all, and the mayor have really helped make this project possible with our funding for affordable housing. Thanks to Vice Mayor Wu for joining me and Mayor Gorton and a lovely lineup of speakers at the groundbreaking last week. I'm really excited to see the Oaks at Woodland grow into a vital part of our community. So that's it, Mayor. Thank you very much. Thank you. Council Member Hale. Thank you, Mayor. I had a tour yesterday at the Woodhill Community Center, and I met with some of the representatives from Lexington Leadership Foundation. And I want to thank Marcus and Audra Patrick for the work that they've done in the Woodhill area. With that being said, we'll be having a town hall on Wednesday, February 19th at 5.30 PM at the Woodhill Community Center. That is located at 422 Codell Drive. This will be to discuss improvements that they may want in their community, and to meet the new council member, and just discuss any other issues that they will have in District 7. This is open up, not only to the Woodhill community, but to all of District 7. Thank you. Thank you. Council Member Gray. Thank you, Mayor. First of all, I would like to say thank you to my colleagues, the Mayor, and as well as staff members who we all joined together for LexCount, which took place last week, where we, I guess the city, we get a direct count for the number of unhoused population that we have here in Lexington, so that we can better prepare for whatever. Homelessness. Homelessness. Hopefully we're preparing to make a place for them. But next, I would like to invite everyone out to support Frederick Douglass High School Cheer Squad tomorrow, right before the town hall that will be taking place, also at Frederick Douglass. You can stop before that to see Frederick Douglass cheerleaders perform, but right before they go off to compete at nationals in Orlando. Next, this week, and next, you can show the next picture as well. They're both related. Both of these young ladies right here, Kathy Rollins and Erica Tilford, are connected to the 6th District, and they will be in a production entitled A Raisin in the Sun. I'm asking all residents to go out and support my residents at the Woodford Theater, starting on February 6th, to see the classic play entitled A Raisin in the Sun. Next, as I mentioned earlier, tomorrow we will be having a town hall to update the residents on the work that myself, Council Member Lynch, and Director Steele have been doing to improve code enforcement. This has been a team effort. This has been a lot of conversations talking with the residents of Lexington who have been personally affected in the past regarding code enforcement, and it took a whole team to get this done. So I'm hoping that we have a full house tomorrow at Frederick Douglas in the 6th District, of course. Doors open at 6 PM, and the town hall will begin promptly at 6.30 PM, and it will end promptly, again, at 7.30. And we will be presenting to my colleagues on February 25th, everything that we have done this past year in order to improve code enforcement as a team. So hope to see everyone tomorrow at Frederick Douglas High School in the cafeteria, I must add. There will be signs to alert everyone to where we are. Most importantly, come and bring a listening ear, and also we are still taking your feedback as well, as always. Thank you. Thank you. Council Member James Brown. I'm out of order, Mayor. I'll sign back in later. Okay. Okay. Council Member Reynolds. Thank you, Mayor. Wanted to say, I've been working with the Office of Housing and Code to address some issues in Cardinal Valley with some apartment complexes. And we've had a bilingual code enforcement officer who has done a fantastic job trying to connect with residents and help them with their needs and things like that. And so I just wanted to mention that she has been going to the Marksbury Family Branch Library to have office hours. On Tuesdays from 5 to 7 PM. And so that's open to anyone who has any code enforcement questions or is confused about something that's going on, there's a lot going on over there. And you can also call her work number at 859-576-8200. Once again, she is bilingual in Spanish and English. And then if someone is having housing needs, you can call our housing advocate at 859-280-8425. I want people to feel that their city cares about them and that they have safe housing. And you can always call my office or email me as well if you have any questions, and I will help connect you with the right person. So, thank you very much. Thank you, Council Member Beasley. Thank you, Mayor. I just want to take a minute to remind everybody that this weekend is the Polar Bear Plunge at the Texas Roadhouse in Beaumont. Our community corrections will be there. They're trying to raise, I think she said $1,500. There's a link on my Facebook page, on the 8th District's Facebook page, if you all would like to go on and donate $25 to the community corrections. I'm not sure what time that starts on Saturday. So at 11, we'll be able to see our Chief of Community Corrections jump into a ice cold pool at Texas Roadhouse to benefit the Special Olympics. Thank you. Boy, Council Member Morton. Thank you, Chair. First, I want to start off, I'm going to place an item in committee. I move to place anti-displacement and vulnerable neighborhood preservation into the general government planning committee. And the purpose of this item is to establish a process for identifying and preserving the history and culture of historically significant Lexington communities. This initiative aims to combat gentrification and displacement by ensuring that these communities and heritage are recognized, respected, and protected. So I move to place anti-displacement and vulnerable neighborhood preservation into general government planning committee. So moved. Second. Council Member Gray seconds. Are there any questions? All right, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? That motion passes. Cool, thank you. I don't think I've got enough time within this four minutes. So we're in Black History Month, and black history means a lot to me. So I just want to give a couple sentiments towards black history. I'm here today standing on the shoulders of those who came before me. As the speech said, Dr. Martin Luther King stated in a speech, all we say to America is be true to what you say on paper. Our Declaration of Independence states, we hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal. Our Constitution states, all people are entitled to equal protection under the law, and our Star Spangled Banner even alludes to the land of the free. But we all know that a paper will lie down and let you write anything on it. Yet in America, on American soil, African-Americans experience slavery, lynching in the Reconstruction era, segregation, Jim Crow, redlining, economic inclusion. And still today, African-Americans in the United States, and even here in Lexington, are still impacted by structural racism, experiencing trauma, health disparities, economic disadvantages, and are segregated by design. We cannot confuse movement with progress, because you can't stand in place and run and not go anywhere. What makes these words more impactful is action, not lip service. Black history is American history. Black history is Lexington history, and black history is all of our history. It doesn't just because you're black doesn't mean that it's your history, it means it's all of our history. And we cannot look past it, we have to embody it. We have to move forward with action, demand equality, equal opportunities and investments. Because we still have bad actors wanting to get rid of black history. Those same bad actors that want to pull the history out of our schools, that are being taught in schools, so that certain grandchildren don't have to learn what their ancestors and family members did to black folks simply due to white supremacy. So you can rest assured that each day of this month and each day of the year that I will continue to shed light on these trailblazers, on unsung heroes, and of the folks who have paved the way for me and for so many others. So that our kids know the truth, most importantly. But then also so that the black boy or girl that is listening to me right now can understand no matter what anyone tells them, they can dream and they can reach their dreams. So I'll end it with what, I'll say seasoned folk, but what my mom would say, what old folk used to say. They used to say, hold on, keep your hand on the plow, because a change will come. And if we can get this far, we can go much further. So thank you, and happy Black History Month. Thank you. Council Member Lynch. Thank you, Mayor. Well said. Council Member Morton. Well said. I have a few items and announcements that I would like to acknowledge. One being tomorrow, we'll be cutting the ribbon at the Black and Williams Gymnasium. I'd like to invite all my colleagues and all my neighbors to come out tomorrow morning at 11 AM. Should be a very fun time, and it's a very, very beautiful gymnasium. So please come out tomorrow morning. On February the 19th, I will be hosting a district wide community meeting in partnership with Fayette County Public Schools to talk about the new elementary school that is going to be built on Greendale Road. They'll be breaking ground on the school starting in May, so I want to have a community meeting with my neighbors. And so please bring your questions, we will have staff from Fayette County Public Schools that will answer your questions, and they'll have the designs for the new elementary school. So I look forward to seeing you on February 19th at 6 PM, and we'll be at Sandersville Elementary School that evening. And then lastly this weekend, my sorority Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated is hosting a Heart Health Summit. It is a free event open to the community. And we're going to have our morning event at the Lexington Senior Center. Thank you to Christy Stanbaugh, Commissioner Casey Allen Bryant for helping us make that happen. We're excited to have hosted there, and then Saturday afternoon we'll be at the Greater Liberty Baptist Church. It's free, open to the community, please come out on Saturday. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Council Member Brown. Thank you, Mayor, and I too will acknowledge the sentiment and comments from Council Member Morton. I appreciate you sharing that, your thoughts with us and kicking off Black History Month. And Mayor, it was a pleasure to be with you yesterday at Ashland as they announced or unveiled the art piece that they're going to have at their facility. And I think, and I think we both spoke to it at the time, is there's a way to tell the truth and honor black history, even not the unpleasant side of it. But then also tell a powerful, inspiring story as we move forward. So I appreciate Jim Clark and his team at Ashland for continuing to be truthful and to share the truth and to look for ways to honor all of our history here in Lexington. And then I'll also speak in support of the item that Council Member Morton put in committee. With anti-displacement and looking to preserve the history and culture of vulnerable neighborhoods. I think our planning department, along with some of the input that was put into the comp plan, has already started to work on those initiatives. And I think this is another opportunity to take recommendations from the mayor's task force on racial justice and equality. And also neighborhoods and transition recommendations forward to better create policies and initiatives to protect our vulnerable neighborhoods. And they're just not minority neighborhoods. Some of our historic neighborhoods, as we continue to grow and see development happen, I think we have to be intentional about making sure that we protect the things and the reasons why people moved into these neighborhoods. So I look forward to working with you on that. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. All right, that brings us to public comment. We have one person signed up. And the way this works is when I call your name, you'll come to the podium and restate your name and say your council district, and you'll have three minutes. So we have Taniqua Oliver. Welcome. Hi, my name is Taniqua Oliver. I live in district 11 at this current time, but I don't really claim any district. I barely even claim Lexington. But to get started, I just want to say I'm a quality of life activist and my passions are slumlords and the trauma to prison pipeline. Lexington is my hometown and I hate it here, but going off course here, I love what I just heard about code enforcement. I have already done so much work in Louisville on the matter, so you can count me in tomorrow. Nevertheless, I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. So number one, prepping and shoving our children down the trauma to prison pipeline and in lieu of the Safer Kentucky Act that is ultimately going to exploit the pipeline ends now. The trauma to prison pipeline has been established in Kentucky and has disproportionately affected people of color. And it doesn't start after 18, it starts before that. As a mother of two kings and one princess, I take full offense to the statistics in Kentucky and I'm disappointed at the amount of funding this city has poured into intervention or correction and very little into proactive or preventative measures. I've realized that majority of funding or resources that are out there for children are available only after a child is involved in the criminal justice system in some way. And I find this as an insult to the future and a subliminal way to segregate our city and our public schools as the trauma to prison pipeline disproportionately affects children of color. It is not because children of color are committing the most crimes, but rather that children of color are disproportionately disciplined at a much harsher standard. Our children of color are turning into job security for the corrective system that does not and has not made a viable attempt in rehabilitating children of any demographic in at risk populations. But rather housing them or keeping them on individual organizations head count for commission per child. This city, this system, and this state has been profiting off a broken system for far too long and I demand that this city gets ahead of it. In the world of medicine, they even say the best way to cure a disease is not intervention, but prevention. Yet this city and many organizations on its payroll turns down children or refuses transportation or the full benefits of a program without a referral or a criminal charge first. I demand that these organizations that this city is funding to be more proactive and since this city is the one cutting the check, I demand that it is the mandate of all of them. To stop making a disability or it's already too late a prerequisite so mothers like me can find and form the villages that our children deserve. I demand that this city stop handing out checks to organizations that are merely profiting off the children without adequate tracking of their rehabilitative efforts and progress for every single child. I demand that the overflow of negative attention and discipline is mandated to match the amount of positive reinforcement, resources, and effort each child receives as too much negative attention has backfired. The numbers do not lie. This goes for private and public agencies within the city's payroll from the most pivotal, our public school system, that has the ability to reach every child all the way down to small organizations that have their foot on the pavement after school, during the summer, and beyond as they serve as lighthouses in whatever reality a child is facing. Thank you so much. Thank you. All right, that brings us to a motion to adjourn. So moved. Second. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. We are adjourned. Thank you for coming.