# Urban County Council - March 6, 2025 > Auto-transcribed civic record · Council · March 6, 2025 - **Permalink**: https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/6359 - **Source video**: https://lfucg.granicus.com/player/clip/6359?view_id=14&redirect=true - **Date**: 2025-03-06 - **Body**: Council - **Last revised**: March 27, 2026 - **Length**: 18,382 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 Urban County Council met on March 6, 2025, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers in Lexington, KY, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting covered 2 agenda items, including the approval of minutes from two prior meetings — the February 20, 2025 Regular Council Meeting and the February 25, 2025 Special Council Meeting — as well as an informational presentation on the KY American Water District Science Fair. Over the course of the meeting, the Council took 2 votes and heard 2 public comments. The session was relatively brief in scope, focused primarily on routine business and a single informational item. ## Attendance The following members were present at the March 6, 2025 Council meeting: - Hale - LeGris - Lynch - Morton - Sevigny - Sheehan - Wu - Beasley - Brown - Ellinger - Elliott Baxter - Gray - Curtis *(arrived late)* **Absent:** Reynolds, Boone A total of 13 members were present, with Curtis attending but arriving late. Two members — Reynolds and Boone — were absent from the meeting. ## Votes and Decisions Two formal votes were taken during the March 6, 2025 Council meeting. **Ordinance 0143-25** [timestamp: 1:34:39] The Council voted on an ordinance to amend the creation of an unclassified position of Administrative Officer without abolishing the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. The motion was made by Mr. Brown and seconded by Ms. Gray. The ordinance **passed unanimously** on a roll call vote of 13–0. All members voted in favor: - Hale, LeGris, Lynch, Morton, Sevigny, Sheehan, Wu, Beasley, Brown, Curtis, Ellinger, Elliott Baxter, and Gray. --- **Resolution 0159-25** [timestamp: 1:47:39] A motion was made by Ms. Beasley, seconded by Mr. Morton, to postpone a resolution regarding an agreement with the Farm and Garden Market Cooperative Association. The motion to postpone **failed** on an electronic vote of 2–11. - **Voting to postpone (2):** Beasley, Gray - **Voting against postponement (11):** Hale, LeGris, Lynch, Morton, Sevigny, Sheehan, Wu, Brown, Curtis, Ellinger, Elliott Baxter ## Budget and Financial Actions The Council addressed two financial items during the March 6, 2025 meeting, covering a contract amendment and an educational incentive grant. - **Resolution 0126-25** authorized Change Order No. 4 to the contract with **W. Principles, LLC** for the Town Branch RAS/WS Pump Station Improvements project. The change order amounts to **$154,401.75**, modifying the existing agreement to account for additional work or adjustments associated with the pump station improvements project. - **Resolution 0134-25** approved an agreement awarding a **Class B (Education) Incentive Grant** to **Bluegrass Greensource, Inc.** in the amount of **$39,630**. This grant falls under the education incentive classification and is directed to Bluegrass Greensource, Inc. as the recipient organization. Together, these two items represent a combined financial commitment of **$194,031.75** across contract and grant obligations acted upon at this meeting. ## Public Comment Two members of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period. - **James Woodhead** [timestamp: 28:10] spoke in opposition to the ordinance proposing the abolishment of the Officer of Diversity and Inclusion. Woodhead emphasized the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in Lexington, voicing concern about eliminating the position. - **Rolanda Woolfork** [timestamp: 32:10] raised concerns about the zone change process, specifically highlighting the need for better communication with community members throughout that process. ## Appointments The Council made the following appointments during the March 6, 2025 meeting: - **Susan Lamb** was appointed to the **City Employees Pension Fund Board**. - **Joseph Clark** was appointed to the **Environmental Commission**. ## Contested Items Two items on the agenda drew notable opposition from community members during the March 6, 2025 Council meeting. **Abolishing the Officer of Diversity and Inclusion** An ordinance to abolish the Officer of Diversity and Inclusion prompted several community members to speak out in opposition. Speakers emphasized the importance of maintaining the city's diversity efforts and raised concerns about the impact of eliminating the position. The structured data does not indicate a postponement or other procedural action taken in response to this opposition, suggesting the item proceeded through the agenda despite the public pushback. **Agreement with the Farm and Garden Market Cooperative Association** A resolution concerning an agreement with the Farm and Garden Market Cooperative Association also generated community opposition. Members of the public voiced concerns about the terms or implications of the agreement, prompting a motion to postpone the resolution. That motion to postpone ultimately failed, meaning the resolution remained before the Council for consideration without delay. ## Minutes of the February 20, 2025 Regular Council Meeting and the February 25, 2025 Special Council Meeting [timestamp: 05:40] Council considered agenda item **0221-25**, which called for the approval of the minutes from two previous meetings: the **February 20, 2025 Regular Council Meeting** and the **February 25, 2025 Special Council Meeting**. The item was brought forward with **Mr. Ellinger** and **Ms. Gray** identified as the key speakers during this portion of the meeting. No concerns or substantive debate were recorded in connection with the minutes. The item was handled in a routine manner, consistent with standard council procedure for the adoption of meeting records. The minutes were **approved unanimously** by Council. ## KY American Water District Science Fair [timestamp: 06:41] The Council recognized winners of the Kentucky American Water District Science Fair during this presentation segment. Mayor Gorton led the recognition of students from various schools who were honored for their achievements in the competition. The item was informational in nature, with no debate or vote required. No concerns were raised during this portion of the meeting. *Note: The available data does not include the specific names of the student winners, their schools, or the categories in which they competed. For a full list of honorees, the meeting video beginning at timestamp 06:41 is recommended.* --- ## Decisions - **Ordinance 0143-25** — passed (13-0): Amendment to create an unclassified position of Administrative Officer without abolishing the Officer of Diversity and Inclusion - **Resolution 0159-25** — failed (2-11): Postpone resolution regarding the agreement with the Farm and Garden Market Cooperative Association --- ## Full transcript ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Thank you all. Thank you to the mayor. I want to acknowledge the council and all the city officials. Also, I want to thank Liz Sheehan from District 5 for the opportunity to do the invocation today. I want to draw our attention to Psalms 127 and 1 as we get ready to do the invocation. Except the Lord build the house, they that labor, they labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchmen that watch it, they watch it in vain. Another translation says, unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with stationed soldiers will be of no good. So let us always look to God's divine providence and wisdom in all the affairs of life and in all the business of our city. We understand without his hand and without his provision, we have no reason to expect his involvement. It is in these times that we are beginning to understand that without the hand of God and the wisdom of our God, even the best laid out plans will still fail. Except the Lord watch our city, they that station it and they that protect it will do it in vain. Let us pray. Lord, we acknowledge today that we need you. We need you and we need your hand. We need your wisdom so that our city will not only be safe, but will also move into the advancement that you have set for this city. Father, as I stand here as your elected official, as one that has been set by heaven, I pray for the elected officials in this room. I pray that your hand will be upon them. I pray that you will set your wisdom and your counsel upon everyone in this room that has to have their hand involved in the matters in this city. And, Father, I also pray for the city that you have positioned us in and that you have set us in to be not only stewards of, but also watchmans and protectors over. We thank you for this city that you have set us in, but we ask that your hand be upon us as we watch in this city, as we guard in this city, and as we implement the things that you have set to progress this city to the place where it is supposed to be. And last but not least, I pray also for the economy of this city, that you will begin to set your hand upon the economy and upon the economical decisions so that this city can advance the way that you have saw fit for it to advance. And we thank you and honor you in this meeting and in this place. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, amen. Thank you so much. All right, council members, we have two sets of minutes to approve. One is February 20, 2025, regular council meeting, and one is February 25, 2025, special council meeting. Motion approved. Second. Thank you, Council Member Ellinger. I heard about three seconds. Second. Council Member Gray seconded. Are there any questions? All right, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. Now we have two presentations. Well, tonight is one of the biggest, most exciting meetings of the year because we have a special opportunity this evening to honor the winners of the Kentucky American Water Fayette County Public Schools Science Fair, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. So this is coordinated by Fayette County Public Schools, and this year's fair was held February 1 at Frederick Douglass High School, and I had a wonderful time presenting awards and meeting families, and we had about 580 public, private, and homeschooled students in grades 4 through 12 who competed. And the regional science competition was March 2, So those winners go on to the Kentucky Science Engineering Fair, March 28 through 29 at Eastern Kentucky University. So at this time I want to introduce and welcome Kentucky American representatives this evening, and we have a new president of Kentucky American, Rob Burton. He's here with us. Welcome. Thank you. And I think this is his first Fayette County Science Fair. Yes. Right? And Susan Loncho, Senior Manager, External and Government Affairs. Thank you. And I want to also welcome, from Fayette County Public Schools, David Helm. He is the Science Instructional Specialist with the Office of Teaching and Learning. Now y'all don't have to just line up. Welcome. Come on. And I also want to welcome students, parents, and friends who are filling up this chamber tonight. Welcome. So, we have so many winners and proud parents here tonight that we are going to break them into three groups. Elementary school grades four and five, middle school grades six through eight, and high school. We have certificates for everyone. We will not give them out in here. We'll give them out downstairs in the lobby after this. So, as I have been talking, we have our first group coming, I believe. These are our fourth and fifth graders, our beginning scientists. And we want to welcome them. Come on up here. We have a lot. Yay. That's awesome. How about that? It's a wonderful big group. Now, as I say the name of your school, if you'll just put your hand up to show me that you're here from this school. So, we have a lot of schools represented. Ashland Elementary. Cassidy. Christ the King School. Clay's Mill. Fayette County Home Schools. Garden Springs. Liberty Elementary. Maxwell Elementary. Meadowthorpe. Rosa Parks. Sandersville Elementary. Scapa. Stonewall. Veterans Park. And Wellington. Now, have I missed a school? Did everybody get called? All right, let's give them a hand. Should we do a photo? Let's do a photo. We're going to do a photo with council members. Hello. How are you doing? Good. Everybody ready? One, two, three. Perfect. One more time. One, two, three. Perfect. Good job. Thank you. I understand. Now, we're letting our elementary students and their parents exit. Thank you for being here. Thank you. How are you? Fine. How are you? Yes, yes. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. Yes. Thank you, thank you, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Sorry. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. These are our middle school students. Let's see. We need to maybe, can you scoot over here? Some of you come over here. We have a lot. It's a good problem. It's a great problem. These are our middle school students. And while our 6th, 7th, and 8th graders are here, I want you to know how inspiring it is to see so many of you who are creative young people and interested in science. I just really think we're going to have a NASA engineer out of this group someday. So congratulations to all of you, and we're very proud of you. Now, I'm going to name the schools that are represented, and I want you to just put your hand up when I call your school. Beaumont Middle. No sound effects back there. Council members are over here. Bryan Station Middle. Carter G. Woodson Academy. Crawford. Edith J. Hayes. Fayette County Home Schools. Jesse Clark. Leestown. Lexington Christian Academy. Lexington Universal Academy. Morton. St. John's School. Scapa. Seton Catholic. Southern Middle. Tate's Creek Middle. The Lexington School. And Winburn Middle. Now, have I missed a school? All right, let's hear it for them. Applause. Now, we're going to get a picture with the council members. Trinity Christian Academy. Hold everything. I've missed a school, and I apologize. Trinity Christian Academy, where are you? All right. Oh, they're along. Applause. All right, everybody look right here. Make sure you can see the camera. If you can see this camera, the camera can see you. If not, move left or right just a little bit. Everybody ready? One, two, three. Handsome and beautiful, one, two, three. And we're down on three. One, two, three. Last time, one, two, three. Perfect. Applause. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much for adding Trinity Christian Academy here. I apologize. It wasn't on my list. It wasn't on your list. So, we just had to. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. We did. We did. We did. We did. We did. We did. Good. Thank you so much. Good. Thank you. All right. At this time, we're going to bring in our senior high school winners. Welcome. Applause. So, our science fair winners at the high school level were from Henry Clay High School, Lafayette High School, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, and Lexington Catholic this year. And so, which schools do you represent? Paul Lawrence Dunbar. Yes. Paul. Okay. Paul Lawrence Dunbar were able to come. And we want to congratulate you. And we want to give you a big hand. Thank you very much. Applause. So, before we get a photo, I want to congratulate all of our winners and thank the parents. And again, thank Kentucky American Water and the Fayette County Public Schools. Thank you. So now, we'll get a photo. So now, we'll get a photo. So now, we'll get a photo. How's everyone doing today? That is always an exciting presentation. It's good to see all of our future scientists. At this time, I would like to turn the presentations over to At this time, I would like to turn the presentations over to At this time, I would like to turn the presentations over to Council Member Whitney Baxter, who will introduce the next One. Council Member Whitney Baxter, who will introduce the next One. At this time, I would like to turn the presentations over to Council Member Whitney Baxter, who will introduce the next One. At this time, I would like to turn the presentations over to Council Member Whitney Baxter, who will introduce the next One. Thank you, Mayor. Colleagues, tonight I wanted to take a moment to honor the Life of Isabelle Yates. In conjunction with the Mayor's office and with special thanks To Neal with GTV for helping us put this together, we've Created a short video highlighting the impact of Isabelle had on our community. I never had the opportunity to work alongside her, but we met On several occasions, and she always welcomed me with her Southern charm and a smile that could light up the room. She had impeccable style and stood strong in her beliefs of What was right for Lexington. She was the epitome of grace and class. She famously said, you better be proud of the place where you Live, and you should live so the place is proud of you. What a great way to put it. She was the epitome of grace and class. She famously said, you better be proud of the place where you Live, and you should live so the place is proud of you. What a great way to put it. Isabelle, thank you for your years of service to our Community and for leaving Lexington better than you found It. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. What a wonderful, wonderful woman. Thank you. Thank you. It's your month. Thank you so much. I'm really overwhelmed. But you know what? I love it. I am so pleased to be here. And it's wonderful to have this recognition from your very good mayor here. And she's going home. Well, anyway. Thank you for honoring me. I am so blessed to be a member of this community. And I love every one of you here. And I'm so thankful to have had the opportunity to be of service. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Applause Applause Now, at this time, we will have public comment for issues on the agenda. A lot of people signed up. So, the way this works is I will call your name and at times I will call the person after you so you can queue up and when you come to the podium you're welcome to adjust the mic however you need it and you'll need to restate your name and you'll need to also say your council district for the record and you'll have three minutes and the council has certain rules for the chamber and they include things like no booing, no clapping, no signage held up to keep the decorum. So, we'll follow the council's rules. So, first up is James Woodhead followed by Rolanda Woolfolk. So, if you'll come right ahead. Welcome. Hi, my name is James Woodhead and I'm in the 10th district. I work as a special education teacher at a majority minority public school where over 90% of students are considered to be economically disadvantaged. I'm also a union member organizer with the American Federation of Teachers as well as a representative for the Central Kentucky Chapter of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. In solidarity with AFT, which is suing the U.S. Department of Education over anti-diversity equity and inclusion guidance as well as KFTC, which is guided by black, indigenous, people of color and impacted communities, I encourage LPCG to take bold action in defense of all those who call Lexington and Fayette County home. The history of this country shows that school, work, and community environments have often been hostile to women, persons of color, persons with disabilities, and the LGBTQ community. Without diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts the specially designed learning, behavior, and emotional accommodations and modifications that are central to the work that I do as a teacher to ensure that public education is safe and conducive to learning for all students would not exist. Yet the Department of Education is now encouraging educators to be reported and sanctioned for doing that very same work via a newly launched website that features a pro-segregationist hate group according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives have helped people that are too often pushed to the margins of Lexington enter into occupations in areas of our community that would otherwise be dominated by people who look like me. To continue to make progress in Lexington, we must remember that we're all in this together. History shows that uplifting marginalized classes uplifts all working families including working class, able-bodied white males. In 2020, thousands of Lexington's residents made their voices heard, demanding both accountability from as well as more diverse, equitable, and inclusive LOPCG. Despite hesitation from some that were a part of this governing body who reacted by warning against going too far, the Mayor's Commission for Racial Justice was formed. That commission was created to close equity gaps and dismantle systemic racism in Lexington. The need for that work has not ended in under five years. The University of Kentucky and LOPCG should be models for the private sector in the city. While UK let its students down, I encourage you not to let Lexington community members down. Rather than remove the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, tell legislators that want to take us back to the era of Jim Crow that we'll see you in court. Thank you. Now, I need to ask first, is Davida Gatewood here? Where are you, Davida? Oh, thank you. Are you giving your three minutes to Rolanda? Okay, thank you. Rolanda, you will have six minutes. Welcome. And you can pull the mic up if you need to. Rolanda Woolfolk, Second District. I'm speaking to you on multiple things that are on the agenda. One, about the $10 million that you're going to vote for. Also, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Proud of the students that we've seen today. I love judging for the science fair projects all the time. It's something I like to do. Council has told us multiple times that you can't speak to the community about zone changes. Right now, we've got a distrust going on. When you tell us that and you're voting to receive $10 million from the developer that's coming into the community, somebody's been talking to somebody. That's not fair to us. We're asking you, when you decide to do this plan, to call to the community members about developers talking to each other. Be truthful in this matter. Also, read. This is my ask to you. Read your comp plan, your pillar, your parts master plan to its entirety. Because if you don't know what you're talking about, how are you going to tell the constituents? Just not too long ago, I showed constituents how to watch their children receive their awards to send it to family members live. They didn't know. It exists. They didn't know our agenda. So communication is not always clear. You have to tell. You have to speak clear and let everyone know. Also, we need you to stand up to our legislators and say no. It's okay to say no to them . Just because they don't give us money doesn't mean we can find other ways to get some money. Also, I need you to, when you think about House Bill 443, listen to the voices. It's going to eliminate the voices of the community. That's what staff is telling us. Do we really want to eliminate the voices of the community? Also, Ash, did you look at your page 182 pillars to see if it's true or are we going to have to change that to where students for the community is no longer the expert of its neighborhood? Because that's number one on your pillar. Also, when you do read your master plan, there is a Google link that we use for our students with dyslexia and that are vision impaired that will help read it to you or you can highlight it and right click and it says read to. It will read the whole document to you while you're driving, while you're in your office, any documents that are lengthy. That's all I ask you to do. Thank you. Okay. Next is Nicole Guashiri and followed by Deborah Winslow. Welcome. Good evening. My name is Nicole Guashiri. Dear members of the Lexington City Council, I stand before you not just in opposition of the closure of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, but in defiance of the fear, complacency and preemptive surrender that this action represents. This is not just about a single department. It is about whether we will stand strong as a city committed to progress or roll over in the face of the rising tide of tyranny sweeping across this country from Washington, D.C. to Frankfort, Kentucky. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. warned us about this very moment in his letter from a Birmingham jail. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in this stride toward freedom is not the white citizen's counselor or the Ku Klux Klan-er, but the white moderate who is more devoted to order than to justice, who prefers a negative peace, which is the absence of tension to a positive peace, which is the presence of justice. What we are witnessing now is not a shift in priorities or a budget decision. It is a willful retreat, a giving away of our power before it is even taken. If Lexington, one of the most progressive cities in Kentucky, allows this office to be dismantled, we are telling the nation that even in our supposed strongholds, we lack the courage to defend what is right. Lexington is a city where more than 200 languages are spoken, where nearly a quarter of our residents speak a language other than English at home, and where we recently made history by electing Emma Curtis, the first openly transgender member of the Lexington Fayette County Council and my district. To dismantle the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at a time when hate crimes are on the rise, when book bans and curriculum whitewashing are being pushed across the country, and when the rights of LGBTQ women, individuals, and people of color are under daily attack is not just irresponsible, it is cowardly. Make no mistake, this is not about budgets, efficiency, or neutrality. It is about power. Preemptively surrendering diversity initiatives weakens our city and makes us complicit in the erasure of the very communities that have helped make Lexington strong. We often boast that Lexington is different, that we are a city where progress is still possible, but words mean nothing without action. What does it say about us if this office is allowed to be dismantled? It says that we fear backlash more than we value justice. It says that our leaders are willing to placate those who would rather erase diversity than celebrate it. It says that Lexington is no longer a leader, but a city willing to crumble under pressure. I urge this council not to let fear dictate our future. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is not just a department, it is a statement that Lexington stands for something greater than itself. Thank you. Next is Debra Winslow, followed by Cassandra Lyons. Welcome. My name is Debbie Winslow. I live in the 3rd Council District in Lexington. For those listening, I am a short white woman with gray hair and I'm wearing a black jacket with a white 3M Aura N95 respirator mask. I'm holding the graphic edition of historian Timothy Snyder's book, On Tyranny, Lessons for Surviving and Resisting America's Arc Towards Authoritarianism. I am alarmed to see that the City of Lexington, Kentucky is planning to remove its Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Ordinance 0143-25 would abolish the position of Officer of Diversity and Inclusion in the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer. No matter what the federal government or the Kentucky legislature does, Lexington-Fayette County should not give in to repressive actions and tyrannical rules. As Timothy Snyder writes in his book, most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do. Our current LFUCG DEI statement says, and I quote, we actively strive to serve as a local and national model for equity for all residents within our community, unquote. Instead, the council is considering modeling, obeying, and advance. Please don't. We all benefit when there is diversity, equity, and inclusion. In fact, you all were just celebrating at the science fair. It was magical to see. So we all benefit when we model that behavior out in the open. I'm just asking you to continue to live up to your own stated values and listen to the experts on tyranny in this matter. Thank you for your time and for your service to Lexington-Fayette County. All right. Next is Cassandra Lyons followed by Alessandra Lozano. Is Cassandra here? No? Okay. Next then is Alessandra Lozano followed by Tanya Whitfield. Welcome. My name is Alessandra Lozano. I'm from the 3rd District. I'm here because this ordinance to end DEI hurts Lexington. I was raised in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico while my father served in the U.S. Army to give us a better life. When I was 10, my mother, my brothers, and I moved here. Nothing made sense. We didn't know the language. We didn't understand the system. And people made sure we knew we didn't belong. I was bullied for my accent, for struggling in class, for bringing the wrong lunch to school, and I know I'm not alone. Every child who is different, whether because of their race, disability, or poverty, has faced this. But you know what helped? DEI programs, anti-bullying initiatives, English as a second language, support for military families like mine. If this ordinance passes, who will ensure those programs don't disappear? DEI wasn't just about feeling included. It gave me a fighting chance. Because of it, I became an engineer, earned a patent at 20, and brought robotics and engineering education to elementary schools, not just for Hispanic or Black kids, but for poor Kentuckians. I've worked in Silicon Valley and Toyota Georgetown, and at every step, DEI made space for me to give back, such as pro bono tutoring for kids whose parents couldn't afford private lessons and STEM workshops for underrepresented students. Maybe you're tired of hearing about how this affects people of color, so let me tell you a story that some of you can relate to. Last year, my white, wealthy roommate tried to have me kicked out of college for so-called discrimination against her race. Her mother, a professor, took her to report me. Can you guess where? The Office of Equal Opportunity, an office created by DEI. I disagree with her, but she's here tonight to fight the same fight. She's the reason I even knew about this meeting. And isn't that what you want? A place for white people and people of color both to be able to complain, to go to? So if you don't care about my story, care about Kentucky. We are one of the poorest states in America. We rank near the bottom in education, healthcare, and economic mobility. We should be investing in more opportunities, not fewer. And let's be clear, DEI has never just been about immigrants or minorities. Do you know who benefits the most from DEI? White women. Impoverished white men. Kentucky's struggling families. Our veterans. And their kids. No child should feel like they don't belong. Programs that teach empathy, support kids with disabilities, and make sure every child gets a fair shot, those are DEI programs too. Ending DEI doesn't make us stronger. It doesn't make us fairer. It just makes life harder for the people who already have the least. So I ask you, what financial benefit is worth the loss of DEI? A failed bus system? Who wins? Because it's not the working class family in eastern Kentucky. It's not the veteran's wife trying to put food on the table. It's not the kids in our schools who need just one person, one program to believe in them. That's something that you just celebrated. I don't want to be one of the only girls with a patent in robotics. Or one of the only women in engineering. I don't want to be one of the only Mexicans in either. I want to be one of many. And you should want the same for your own children. I urge you, do not pass this ordinance. Do not take away the very programs that give people like me and so many others a chance. And to handle agree, my district representative, I am looking at you tonight. Thank you. Alright, next is Tanya Whitfield followed by Teresa Villaron. Welcome. I'm Tanya Whitfield. First district. So, I'm going to go a whole other way because that's just me. You see I'm racking my bow. Because I feel and I don't know if I can point out Miss Gorton Mayor. I love her. I've been in many pictures with her. I've met her many times. She's actually taking time many times to have unscheduled interviews with my daughters. Because they will just ask her questions and ask her not only being the mayor but her being a mom, a nurse, and a grandma. She just always when kids ask her questions, she just answers them. That's just her. So, I felt needed to say that because I just feel kind of bad for this situation. And why I say that because when I'm like, this ain't my mayor. Nah, my mayor's not going to agree with this craziness. No, she is intelligent. This is a bad mama jama right here. And so, for me and definitely speaking from the other young lady about STEAM. STEAM is very important. STEAM is very big. My daughter, she just graduated from RISD STEM Academy last year. My younger daughter is going to be graduating this year. And it's a phenomenal school, right? And it's all different races in there. And that's why DEI is so important. But when they first started RISD, it wasn't about giving certain colors any type of situation. It was about giving anybody that was considered low income or anything like that just a chance to be in STEAM. And we all know STEAM, STEM is very important. It's very helpful. And that's why DEI is so important because they would not get these opportunities otherwise. And as I was talking to my colleagues earlier, my dad, one of the best men in all the world, a lot of y'all will never meet him because he passed 18 years ago, he taught me so much. He embodied so much love, so much spirit, so much grit into me. And that's why I'm up here. And my daughters, they love this kind of stuff too. And it's because I instilled that with their dad. And so, when they get older, they're going to instill that into my grandbabies. Because that's how it's supposed to go, right? Every generation should get a little bit better. Every generation should get a little bit stronger, should have a little bit more like being together and things like that. That's how that should go. That's how the world should be. And I just hope that y'all see it that way. Not think about it in DEI, not even use those words. Just think about, do we want everybody to be separated all the time and go back to the 1920s and 40s? Or do we want something better? So, thank you so much for your time. Alright, next is Teresa Villaran, followed by Rabbi David Wirtschafter. Welcome. Hello, my name is Teresa Villaran and I am a nurse. And I'm from District 10. I'm here to speak on behalf of keeping the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. As a nurse, these are important aspects of everything I do every day. We have so much inequity in health. Eliminating this office affects the Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Coalition, the Board of Health, Veterans Affairs, Community Action Council, Board of Directors, our Neighborhood Boards, the Emergency Medical Advisory Board, Ethics Commission, and everything else. Instead of eliminating this office, its mission and ideas should be incorporated across FUCG boards, commissions, and committees. Eliminating this office does not help and may negatively impact all of our communities. We should stand our ground, be a beacon of hope for the people of this county, not fall for the hateful rhetoric that wants to eliminate some people's existence and minimize the terror brought to others because of who they are. By eliminating this office, you are telling people our government supports patients refusing the care of a nurse because of the color of their skin. It is okay to be uncivil and even harmful to our workforce in general, but the nursing workforce specifically, and I know you've seen a lot of the violence against nurses that's been in the media. You are telegraphing. We are not interested in a diverse workforce or in supporting a diverse workforce at a time when nursing specifically is experiencing shortages due to the workforce leaving because they already do not feel supported. Our government should be interested in representing our diverse society. Our government should be celebrating our diversity, not trying to eliminate it. All right, next is David Wertschafter, followed by Esther Hurlbut. Welcome. Good evening, everyone. On behalf of the Union of Reform Judaism, the largest denomination of Judaism affiliated in the United States, I'd like to share the following statement with you on tonight's topic in defense of DEI, keeping it here in our fair city. Jewish group statement on DEI. Jewish tradition teaches that the divine spark in every human being must be protected and nurtured and appreciated. As Jewish groups that are committed to protecting and advancing the safety and security of our community, we know that we have an invaluable tool of leverage, DEI. DEI is about creating a culture that is welcoming and reflective of people of all ages, races, religions, or no religions, genders, sexual orientations, disabilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and systemically marginalized groups. DEI is the heir to efforts to open access to schools, professional associations, social clubs, and even entire neighborhoods that for decades were restricted against Jews. Diversity, equity, and inclusion is a descendant of efforts to integrate classrooms that were limited to white students. DEI is the progeny of campaigns to make buildings and sidewalks accessible to those with disabilities or to parents and babies in a stroller. All these achievements, now regarded with nearly universal pride, were and are about making our communities equally inclusive for all. Why? Because people and society overall are stronger when arbitrary barriers to participation are removed. Every person's safety and ability to thrive depends on fostering a culture in which all people can belong and be equally free to bring their unique talents and gifts, their whole selves. Yet too often, the American story has been one in which leaders, national, state, local, communal, have sought to gain power and hold power and sow division. All too often, individuals have helped them succeed through encouragement or passive silence. Some DEI champions have spoken or acted in ways that have caused pain, including through overt expressions of antisemitism and others of shared visions that differ from our own. None can speak authoritatively or comprehensively about what DEI is or isn't. Rather, it is for each of us to do the work of opening the doors of opportunity for all. It is not only possible but necessary to advance DEI efforts in a way that is truly inclusive of Jewish safety, identities, and history. Thank you for listening tonight and I ask that in the memory of all that we've experienced in the past, that we move forward together. Thank you. Next is Esther Hurlbut. Hurlbut, followed by James Turner. Welcome. Good evening. I'm the Reverend Esther Hurlbut. I'm a Unitarian Universalist community minister and I'm here because I believe in one of our core tenets of the worth and dignity of every person. I was in these chambers in July of 1999 when Urban County Council passed the Fairness Ordinance. Believe me, the diversity of the council was much different then. They passed the Fairness Ordinance and there was such celebration. This place couldn't hold the people. We were in the ballroom and there was such a roar of celebration. You could hear it. It's what now Thoroughbred Park. It put us on the map. It made us an important, vibrant city and a model of courage when other people were afraid to do the same thing. Don't forget that night and don't forget the courage that it took. I felt so proud that night but I'm not feeling that proud tonight that we even have to stand here and consider this ridiculous ordinance. Don't sell your power short out of fear. There's a lot to fear. Of course there's a lot to fear. Everybody's fearful right now. But let's not have to put a plaque out front to describe a disgraceful act of making a new ordinance to abolish the office of DEI. Let's not put a plaque to say that we're afraid to stand and be courageous and face power with an absolute no. I will see you in court. Do not obey in advance. Thank you. Next is James Turner followed by Michelle Haar. Welcome. I'm Jim Turner. I'm a former resident of the 5th district. I'm now in Scott County but I'm here in Lexington every day so I hope I can address the council. In Lexington the plaque that was just referred to on the fairness ordinance stands as a symbol of progress led by this city and county. I would hate to see that historical marker become irrelevant because make no mistake the legislation that is behind terminating DEI programs the executive order signed by Donald Trump which is the impetus of dismissal of DEI programs around the country reflects the anticipatory obedience by jurisdiction after jurisdiction and it is needless. There is a pending case that is the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education versus Trump. There is an initial ruling in that case which questions the constitutionality of dismissal of DEI programs. I don't even know exactly how to define DEI and I think that's one of the main problems. These rulings the topics of an ordinance about DEI is very, very vague. It's left for the local jurisdiction oftentimes to consider and define what that is. That pretty much reflects self-selection and jurisdictions going ahead and ruling against their own best interests and against the best interests of their constituents. This is a very important matter and this is the leading edge issue. The trans issue is a very leading edge issue. This is a leading edge issue. There's another sign down the street that celebrates the trans issue. There's another sign down case which ruled homosexuality is not a criminal offense. The groups that are behind this issue, the house bill that was just passed in Frankfurt today on DEI are sponsored by the heritage foundation, the sponsors of the house bill. This is a very important issue and we consider not passing this ordinance. Thank you. Next is Michelle followed by Lexi Holland. Thank you, everyone. I live in council district nine. I'm the president of the neighborhood association. In that role I'm here in opposition to the zone change requested for 940 Higby mill road. In December I walked through Higby mill and spoke with quite a few of the neighbors for this development. No one was in favor. Everyone was vehemently opposed. Furthermore, the applicant felt stalked, bullied and intimidated. They feel there was no legitimate attempt on the part of the applicant at public engagement. In fact, the applicant did not even reach out to the neighborhood at all until the planning staff forced him to do so. The applicant then told me that if we do not support him, we will not be able to meet with him. We did not receive any phone addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of anyone who was going to meet with him. Needless to say, we did not feel it was safe for us to do so. The neighbors also feel that the entire process was designed to wear everyone down. The applicant has gone back and forth with planning staff at least three times in the past year. This is not a not-in-my-backyard situation. I am supportive of urban infill. There are infill spots in Lexington where townhouses make sense. This is not one of those spots. The applicant has admitted that he can build two single family detached homes right now without a zone change or with any variances. Doing this would fill out the entire area. Every other house in this neighborhood is a single family detached home. Why is he so intent on building six townhouses in this lot? Stuffing six townhouses into this space will make life very difficult for vehicle access, garbage truck access, EMTs, fire trucks and lengthy disruptions due to the difficult construction on this site. There is no public transportation. So you're going to have multiple cars for each townhouse. There are three bedrooms in each townhouse. There are six total driveways, six total spots for parking. So it's just not going to work. I just ask you to not approve this zone change. Thank you. All right. Next is Lexi Holland. Welcome. Hi, Mayor Gordon and Council. Good evening. My name is Lexi Holland. I represent Claire and Clovis Collins. They are homeowners at 3541 Cephas Way and they are in Council District 9. I'm here tonight to also voice opposition to Ordinance 021425 which seeks a zone map amendment for 940 Higbee Mill Road. Realty Unlimited first pursued this zone change back in September of 2022 around the same time that the Collins' engaged me to request a quick claim deed for a portion of an abandoned right-of-way in their backyard. While Realty had already been granted its portion of that right-of-way, it continued to pursue this development in areas that my clients and their neighbors had a right to claim. This was clearly outlined even in supplemental staff reports for the zoning commission. Over the past two and a half years, Realty's principal, Mr. Minyard, has taken a series of aggressive actions against neighbors including sending threatening letters, filing baseless code enforcement complaints, and even suing the Collins' and their neighbors. That lawsuit remained active even after my clients secured their deeded portion of the right-of-way until last week when Judge Bunnell dismissed it ruling there was no actual controversy in the court to decide. Similarly, the record reflects that before the planning commission, Mr. Minyard falsely claimed he had tried to purchase the abandoned right-of-way from the Collins' since 2016 despite the fact that my clients have only lived in that home since 2022. Throughout this process, Realty has used intimidation tactics and misrepresentations instead of genuine public engagement. The planning staff's reports repeatedly noted this lack of public outreach, only mentioning an attempt to contact the Higbee Mill Neighborhood Association in the final report late last year. Notably, my clients and her neighbors are not part of the Higbee Mill Neighborhood Association. So this raises an important question before the council. Is public engagement a true requirement of Lexington's development process or is it merely a suggestion? Beyond these concerns, we acknowledge the city's important commitment to density and infill development. However, Realty is proposing, as you've heard, six town homes on just half an acre, an intensity that is completely out of character with the surrounding neighborhood. This is in fact reflected in the comprehensive plan which emphasizes that less intensive multifamily housing such as duplexes or fourplexes are better integrated into single family areas. So, should six townhomes be prioritized over the needs of the neighborhood simply because they do add density? Finally, the project fails to meet the parking requirements outlined in the comprehensive plan. And for these reasons, I urge the council to reject the zoning request. Thank you for your all's time. Next is Phoenix Berry followed by Rory Heffner. Welcome. Hi again. My name is Phoenix. I'm a constituent of the 6th district. My pronouns are they them and I kind of wanted to talk about my experience as a black queer neurodivergent low income student. History and society has almost never been kind to me, my family, or my ancestors. History has actually tried to erase us and I feel like they are trying. I feel like they're kind of a little bit successful and I feel like by the removal of the office of DEI we'll also be contributing to that. That is a part of settler colonialism and if Lexington is as progressive as we all say it is, then we should not be removing the DEI office. As a black queer person our voices will never be erased. We will be here and we will be happily queer. We need DEI and we need advocates of DEI, diversity, equity, inclusion, people who are not straight white men that are Christian to be able to make sure that we can exist safely because right now I don't feel like I can exist safely and I don't think that any of my friends, family, or maybe even people that you all have, that you're related to, probably don't feel safe either. That's all I wanted to say. Thank you. Next is Rory Hefner and then Craig Blair. Welcome. Hello. My name is Rory. I'm District 10. There are many obvious reasons why eliminating the diversity officer position will have a negative and harmful impact on our city, but I wanted to tell you my personal story with DEI, specifically the letter everyone seems to leave off, which is A for accessibility. Two days before my third birthday, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. My parents were told that there was no cure. I had a wonderful experience at kindergarten despite my diagnosis, thanks to my school nurse. However, when I got to first grade, my new nurse was less understanding. She thought she had to send me home every time my blood sugar was over 250 instead of administering my insulin and sending me back to the classroom to learn, which is exactly what my mother did when she decided to homeschool me for the next two years. When I entered public schools again, my parents sat down with the educators to set up a 504 learning plan for me. I was able to receive extra accommodations during testing should my blood sugar start to rise or drop. I was an honors student, all A's, and I was gifted and talented. Had I continued down a path of being sent home every day for my post-lunch blood sugar spike, I might not have finished school on time or at all. And just a few months ago, I was working very long days for a home design company. A majority of my days were spent on ladders. One day, I happened to fall from my ladder about 12 to 15 feet and landed on cement. I was rushed to the hospital and received spinal fusion surgery. I now have eight screws and two titanium rods in my back. So most of you would probably not know that I'm disabled because not all disabilities are outwardly presenting, but I am no stranger to disabilities and I am also willing and able-bodied and I should be able to have protections at my job and university should I ever go back to school or work for one. So I'm standing here again imploring you, don't be submissive. Don't let what other entities are doing right now sway your humanity. DEI protects every single one of us in this room for reasons you might not even know yet. I didn't know I was gonna have spinal cord injury and I would hate to see my life get harder for something I didn't ask for that affects me. You don't know what the future holds, but you have the privilege to directly affect it. Now, I'm sure a lot of you have heard this poem, First They Came by Martin Niemoller, but I would like to read it again to remind you all of what's going on in our current climate. First they came for the socialists and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me. Thank you. All right, next is Craig Blair followed by Julia Hefner. Welcome. Hello, my name's Craig Blair. I'm in district nine. I come to you tonight as a resident, a business owner, a father and a grandfather. Lexington's always been known for its progressive and inclusive policies. I've lived here for 40 years. I've owned a business here for 30 years and the community here, that's why my wife and I came back to Lexington after graduate school to raise our family. We wanted to raise them in and with this community. And it's so important to maintain that. And as I understand it, or maybe I'm wrong, but it seems like this ordinance is simply a renaming of the DEI office. And I think, honestly, that's a rather craven tactic, because that's not gonna stop this administration from coming for you. There have been federal departments that tried that same tactic at the beginning, and they still got caught up in the tide. And so I would like to see Lexington maintain our personality, not just of the city, and stand courageous and be known for that town that stood, so thanks. Okay, next is Julia Hefner followed by DeBron Thomas. Welcome. Hi, I'm Julie, I live in District 10, and I don't have anything written down, and I'm really nervous. But I'm just, as a white person with a certain amount of privilege, it's my responsibility to get up and say something. I was born in 1967, the year that Jim Crow was abolished. And just because laws and rules are changed doesn't mean attitudes change. And growing up on the south side of Chicago, I witnessed that myself. And people's attitudes affect their behavior, and the people in power affect the people who are not. And that's why DEI is necessary. Also, Rory, the type one diabetic, is my daughter, and my other daughter has mental health issues. And I need them, and I will fight for them to always be protected in this world. As a young woman working in the 1990s, I also experienced that women were to be secretaries and assistants with a dress code of skirts and pantyhose. Which, as a man, you'll never understand how degrading and humiliating that is to women. And also, with two queer children, and I myself not being heterosexual, I have to speak up for them, I have to protect them. Because they're our future, and you may not have children like that, but with all the people in the world, I know you know people. And you need to think about those people and protect them. And our world is going backwards. The things that we fought for, for women's rights, voter rights, abortion rights, which is a healthcare issue, and rights for civil rights. All of that, we're going backwards. So in a world that wants to go backwards, don't do that here in Lexington, please. Thank you. Next is Debron Thomas, followed by Larry Price. Welcome. Good evening, Mayor and Council. I'm just gonna speak to you all directly. Do you mind to state your name and council district? I'm Debron Thomas in the fifth district. Thank you. I'm just gonna speak to you all directly because a lot of other people have already spoken a lot of fantastic things and I'm sure you're going to hear even more things from people. But what I would like to say directly to the council is you all have an opportunity. Ben Parker once said, with great power must also come great responsibility. And I can guess that when each and every one of you decided to run for office, you wanted to speak for someone who didn't feel like they had a power, right? You decided to speak for people. Now is one of those moments that you have to draw a line in the sand. I understand things are scary. We got fascism raising, Nazis are everywhere, hate crimes are on the rise. And most of us are just trying to get to work every day so we can go home to our families. I'm asking you to vote against this ordinance, dismantling the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Cuz some people apparently can't say the words. I understand that there's a lot of complicated parts about it that not a lot of people are privy to. I understand that as elected officials, sometimes you have to make decisions that you don't necessarily want to or are swayed towards. I totally understand that there are a lot of complications for that. But right now, you have an opportunity to stand not just for every person who's spoken, but every single person in Kentucky, every single person in Lexington. And you have an opportunity to say to the world that Lexington is a place where everybody can feel safe, where everybody can feel welcome and seen. I have to say I am so grateful to be standing in front of the council. Cuz the last time I spoke in front of the council, it was not as diverse as it is today. And you all are here because of people who came before you and the people who are gonna come after you. So I'm asking you, you know what, I'm not asking, I'm telling y'all. Especially those of y'all who are my friends on council who have asked me to hold them accountable, I'm holding you accountable. Now is the moment to stand for something. Do not let fascism continue to do its thing. We can't necessarily stop what's happening in Washington right now, but y'all got an opportunity to stand up for Lexington. And that's what every single person who voted for y'all or voted didn't vote for y'all did, all right? You all are here to serve the people. You all are also human beings who benefit from diversity, equity, inclusion initiatives, whether you are aware of it or not. So I just wanna say thank you for your time, all power to the people, and please quit this nonsense and vote against this, thank you. All right, excuse me. Next is Larry Price followed by Paul Quarles, welcome. Hello, my name's Larry Price. Do you wanna pull the mic down just a hair, thank you. My name's Larry Price, I'm from Somerset, Kentucky. I'm a farmer and a member of the Lexington Farmer's Market. I really don't like for the reason why I'm here. But at the same time, I feel that right has to be done. And you have to stick up for what's right. I feel like there's a member of our market that has been unjustly put out of the market when others has been let slide by, has been let back into the market with a unanimous decision. And when you have something like that, it's not a good look. As the city council has control and gonna be voting on the use of the Tandy Park. For the market, I would hate to see that the market wouldn't have it, because there's several people in that market that really needs their income. But at the same time, if we can be voted out for an unjust reason, how long can any of us stay? I don't know that my position would be in jeopardy for coming and speaking here tonight. If so, that's the price we have to pay, or some. Because I was raised, you stand for what's right if you have to stand by yourself. And that's what I'm doing standing here. Like I said, I drove from Somerset tonight to just speak. So thank you for hearing me, and I appreciate it. All right, next is Paul Quarles, and he is our final speaker. Welcome. Good evening, ma'am. My name is Paul Quarles, I'm with Quarles Farm. We're a family owned operation. I wish to speak with you about when a civic group, or an NGO, or a charitable group, desires to utilize a government facility to further their cause. Whether it's for profit, for public good, entertainment, or benefit of the general public, it is inevitable that that market or that entity becomes the face of urban county government for the period of time of the event. Likewise, that group should come under heightened scrutiny of their practices and appearances, so as not to engage in proper actions that would bring issues that reflect poorly upon urban county council, and detract or impair from your all's goal of equality and non-discrimination based on gender, race, and age, etc. Nothing should ever occur in that organization to cause the urban county council to be associated with such things as lack of fair play, stifling of First Amendment rights, age discrimination, infliction of emotional distress, bullying, or restraint of trade, to name a few. An organization that uses municipal properties and given exclusive control over that property for a period of time cannot hide behind no comment or excuses that are superficial, nonsensical, on their face while that organization continues those practices that are detrimental or contrary to the public good. The people of Lexington and the market patrons have asked for reasonable explanations in this matter. And none have been forthcoming. No organization should use municipal property much less for free if their hallmark traits are arrogance, self-superiority, and implacability in the face of reasonable requests for clarifications of policy and actions by the taxpayers. They are only able to do this with the acquiescence of this urban council. You all have that control. If urban county council so desires that a farmer's market is the best use of that pavilion on set days, they should at least partner with a market organization that strives to honor higher standards that have been shown in this matter before you tonight. I thank you on behalf of my family. All right, that concludes our public comment for issues on the agenda. And I thank all of you who came for the public comment. Now, I'll ask our clerk to go ahead and start the second reading of ordinances, and we will pause after the first ordinance. Yes, ma'am. Item one, an ordinance amending certain of the budgets of the Lexington Urban County Government to reflect current requirements for municipal expenditures and appropriating and reappropriating funds, FY 2025, schedule number 18. Thank you. I believe Councilmember Brown has a motion. Thank you, Mayor. I do have a motion, and Councilmembers, I sent out an email earlier today with some justification, and I think an email was also sent by the administration. The intent of my motion is to, is for one, is to realign a position, and current position in the diversity officer position in HR to continue doing the training and recruitment efforts that are currently underway. And then also, the diversity officer position was a council-created position. So I think we can have the opportunity to work with the administration on what that position looks like going forward. So with that being said, I've moved to amend item number two under ordinance, second reading, to provide for the creation of the unclassified position of administrative officer and for the transfer of the incumbent in the unclassified position of the officer of diversity and inclusion to the newly created position without abolishing the unclassified position of officer of diversity and inclusion. This is a material change and requires a new first reading, so move. Second. All right, Councilmember Gray seconded. Now, if you want to discuss the motion, will you please log in? Are there any comments? Councilmember Gray? First of all, thank you, Councilmember James Brown, for this effort to keep this office. So, by what you just stated, does that mean that the employee keeps this position? And, but it's moved to the division of HR? Yeah, so the intent of the motion, and I think the intent of the original ordinance, is to realign the current person in that position in HR to continue doing the work that they are currently doing in regards to recruitment and training. Thank you, and once again, thank you for your leadership in this effort. Councilmember Sheehan? Thank you, Mayor. I would also like to thank you, Councilmember Brown, for bringing us this alternative. I think this gives us some time to figure out how to do work that aligns with the values that we have expressed through our current council and that was expressed by past councils by even creating this position. And the values that our community have expressed to us in the past and here today. So, I think this alternative gives us time to figure out how to reorient this position while adhering to any potential constraints we may face from the new state and federal policies that have come down to us. So, I just want to say thank you, and I plan to support your motion. Thank you. Councilmember Morton? Thank you. So, from day one, I was a no on the original ordinance to abolish the position, and I cannot morally or ethically support that. Being that, to me, I felt that if we took one position, moved it, and we had an office that was no longer there and not funded, then we essentially abolished it. In my head, that's what I thought. But with seeing Brown's amendment, I think that takes that piece away from the ordinance, effectively keeping that office fully funded and making justice to be filled. And I believe that we should still have that office, like I said, fully funded. And I strongly believe that we shall fill this office and make sure it's based on, like Councilmember Sheehan said, our values of a city based on what our folks think, how we should move forward. So, I plan to support Councilmember Brown's amended motion as well, because I believe that it takes away that abolishing the CDO position away. So, thank you. Thank you, Captain Brown. Thank you. I have no one else signed up to speak. So, all those in favor of the amendment, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? That motion passes. This will require a new first reading. Item two, an ordinance amending the authorized strength by creating one unclassified position of administrative officer, grade 523E in the division of human resources and transferring the incumbent in the unclassified position of officer of diversity and inclusion to the newly created position effective upon passage of council. Thank you. Thank you. Is there, Councilmember Brown, did you want to make the motion to suspend the rules? Yes, ma'am. I'll make a motion to suspend the rules and give this a second reading. Second. All right, Vice Mayor Wu seconds. Any questions? All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, thank you. If you will give that a new first, second reading. Yes, ma'am. Item two, an ordinance amending the authorized strength by creating one unclassified position of administrative officer, grade 523E in the division of human resources and transferring the incumbent into the unclassified position of officer of diversity and inclusion to the newly created position effective upon passage of council. Item three, an ordinance amending the authorized strength by abolishing one classified position of staff assistant at grade 509N, creating one classified position of recreation specialist senior, grade 516N, abolishing two unclassified positions for educational program aid part-time, grade 510N, and creating one classified position of recreation supervisor, grade 514N, all in the division of parks and recreation effective upon passage of council. And item four, an ordinance amending the authorized strength by abolishing one classified position of public service worker senior, grade 510N, and creating one classified position of equipment operator, grade 512N, all in the division of streets and roads effective upon passage of council. Thank you. Thank you. Is there a motion to approve? So moved. Vice Mayor Wu moved. Council Member Savigny seconded. And when you're ready, if you'll take a roll call vote, please. Council Member Hale? Thank you. Council Member LaGrete? Yes. Council Member Lynch? Yes. Council Member Morton? Yes. Council Member Savigny? Yes. Council Member Sheehan? Yes. Vice Mayor Wu? Yes. Council Member Beasley? Yes. Council Member Brown? Yes. Council Member Curtis? Yes on all except a no on two. Yes on all and I'm sorry, what, on two? No. No, okay. Thank you. Council Member Ellinger? I have a question because the one that we were sent had a different than what you read, that Council Member Brown sent us, is different than what you read. That's the one that I read, yeah. Do you want me to restate it? Yes. Yeah. Yeah, so there's a phrase in there that I read that didn't come out in the copy that she sent. She didn't say. Oh, okay. So he's actually got it. So if you want to reread that one, because that's actually the one I read on the record. This one? Yeah. Okay. Okay. All right. So I'm in the middle of a vote. So should I just take it? No. Go. Go. Okay. Okay. Okay. I'm going to. Okay. Okay. Let's see. I'm going to reread item two. So we already have quite a few people who voted. I'll look at Carlos for some advice. Is this okay to read the new one in the middle of voting? The option is yours. You could finish the vote and then come back to it if you would like. To read number two? Yes, to number two. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. You can continue your vote. Continue your vote and then we can come back and address that one to clarify at the end. Okay. Does that work for council? Or do you want, Council Member James, would you prefer she would read the new language right now in the middle? I would. Yeah, I would prefer to read the new language now. And now our Commissioner of Law- Just do a motion to reconsider. It'll be a lot cleaner if you do it that way. I'm sorry? Just do a motion to reconsider. Okay. After everybody votes. Okay. All right. Thank you. Okie doke. We'll continue with the vote and then I'm sure there'll be a motion to reconsider. Okay. Council Member Ellinger? Yes. Thank you. Council Member Elliot Baxter? Yes. Council Member Gray? Yes on all except for two until we have it re-read. Thank you. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Thank you. I think we have everyone who's voted who's here and so those motions- those items pass and I'll entertain a motion. Council Member Savigny? Thank you. Thank you, Mayor. Can we have a motion to reconsider? Second. Number two. Yes. All right. Council Member Morton seconded. Is there any discussion? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. We will reconsider number two and ask you to reread it. Okay. An ordinance to provide for the creation of the unclassified position of administrative officer and for the transfer of the incumbent in the unclassified position of officer of diversity and inclusion to the newly created position without abolishing the unclassified position of officer of diversity and inclusion, effective upon passing of council. Thank you. Thank you. Is there a motion to approve? Second. All right. Council Member Curtis seconded. And now actually that would have been a first new first reading. So- I make a motion to suspend the rules. Thank you. For a second reading. Second. Council Member Hale. And there's a little competition going on over here. Who actually seconded? Council Member Curtis. Thank you. And any comments or questions? All those in favor of suspending the rules say aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? All right. Now, do I have a motion? Well, go ahead and read and then we'll get the motion. An ordinance to provide for the creation of the unclassified position of administrative officer and for the transfer of the incumbent in the unclassified position of officer and diversity and inclusion to the newly created position without abolishing the unclassified position of officer of diversity and inclusion, effective upon passage of council. Thank you. Is there a motion to approve? So moved. Second. Council Member Morton and Council Member Gray. Now when you're ready, if you'll take a roll call vote, please. Council Member Hale. Yes. Council Member LeGray. Yes. Council Member Lynch. Yes. Council Member Morton. Yes. Council Member Savigny. Yes. Council Member Sheehan. Yes. Vice Mayor Wu. Yes. Council Member Beasley. Yes. Council Member Brown. Yes. Council Member Curtis. Yes, ma'am. Council Member Ellinger. Yes, ma'am. Council Member Elliott-Baxter. Yes, ma'am. And Council Member Gray. Yes. Thank you. All right. Thank you. That motion, that item passes. And now we'll move on to first reading of ordinances. Item five. An ordinance to change the zone from a single family residential R1C zone to a townhouse residential R1T zone for a 0.520 net, 0.756 gross acre for property located at 940 Higney Bill Road, Realty Unlimited Bluegrass LLC, Council District 9. And item six. An ordinance amending certain of the budget to the Lexington-Fayette-Rubin County Government to reflect current requirements for municipal expenditures and appropriating reappropriating funds, FY 2025, Schedule No. 19. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Are there any walk-ons? Council Members? All right. Are there any motions to suspend the rules and give second reading? All right. Thank you. And now we'll move on to second reading of resolutions. Item one. A resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Rubin County Government to execute a site-specific agreement with the Jesmond South Elkhorn Water District and Great Oak Lane II LLC to provide sanitary sewer conveyance and treatment capacity to a portion of property located in Jesmond County. Item two. A resolution authorizing the division of E911 to access iConnective database of phone numbers and corresponding carriers, iConnective LLC is a sole source provider and authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Rubin County Government to execute any necessary agreement with iConnective LLC related to the procurement to cost not to exceed $6,000. Item three. A resolution authorizing and directing the Mayor on behalf of the Rubin County Government to execute change order number four to the contract with W Principles LLC, DBA Walker Company of Kentucky for Town Branch RASWS pump station improvements for the division of water quality increasing the contract by the sum of $154,401.75 from $2,955,268.23 to $3,109,669.98. Item four. A resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Rubin County Government to execute an agreement awarding a class B education incentive grant to Blue Grass Green Source Incorporated for its remote water quality project at a cost not to exceed $39,630. Item five. A resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Rubin County Government to execute a participating addendum cooperative purchasing master agreement with Safari Land LLC through NASPO Value Point, establishing a price contract for the purchase of body armor and ballistic resistance products and further authorizing the Director of Procurement or his designee to execute any other necessary documents related to the price contract. Item six. A resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Rubin County Government to execute a workplace solutions cooperative acceptance agreement with Syntax Corporation pursuant to an Omnia partner agreement establishing a price contract for the rental of facility entrance mats and rental uniforms and authorizing the Director of Purchasing to for the term of the contract to execute any additional necessary documents related to the agreement. Item seven. A resolution authorizing the undirected Mayor on behalf of the Rubin County Government to execute a contract with Populous Technologies Incorporated for its data management and per trip fee collection services related to dockless shared mobility vehicles for the division planning at a cost not to exceed $9,500 and 15% of per trip fees collected by Populous Technologies Incorporated. Item eight. A resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Rubin County Government to execute an agreement in order to class B an infrastructure incentive grant to LFUC Airport Board for a storm water quality project at a cost not to exceed $152,000. Item nine. A resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Rubin County Government to execute a purchase of service agreement PSA with Commerce Lexington Incorporated to assist with community and minority business development at a cost not to exceed $140,000. Item ten. A resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Rubin County Government to execute an amendment to an agreement with the Goodwill Industries of Kentucky Incorporated extending the period of performance through December 31, 2025 and revising the scope of services at no additional cost to the Rubin County Government. Item 11. A resolution accepting the bid of W Principles LLC, DBA, the Walker Company in the amount of $2,509,000 for the Town Branch Dewatering Pump Station Improvements for the Division of Water Quality and authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Rubin County Government to execute an agreement with W Principles LLC, DBA, the Walker Company related to the bid. Item 12. A resolution accepting the bid of LM Asphalt Partners, LTD, DBA, ATS Construction Company in the amount of $2,101,875 for the Cooper Drive Stormwater Improvements for the Division of Water Quality and authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Rubin County Government to execute an agreement with LM Asphalt's partner, LTD, DBA, ATS Construction related to the bid. Item 13. A resolution ratifying the permanent classified civil service appointments of Crystal Martin Equipment Operator Senior, Grade 515M, 21.185 hourly in the Division of Streets and Roads, effective January 29th, 2025. Matthew Christopher, Vehicle Equipment Technician Principal, Grade 521N, 31.792 hourly in the Division of Facilities and Fleet Management, effective February 12th, 2025. Katrice Smoot, Public Service Worker, Grade 508N, 17.530 hourly in the Division of Facilities and Fleet Management, effective February 12th, 2025. James Baker, Fleet Operations Manager, Grade 527E, 3,769.28 biweekly in the Division of Facilities and Fleet Management, effective February 26th, 2025. Rodriguez-Givens, Recreation Supervisor, Grade 514N, 23.318 hourly in the Division of Parks and Recreation, effective January 15th, 2025. Jonathan Boone, Recreation Specialist Senior, Grade 516N, 22.007 in the Division of Parks and Recreation, effective January 15th, 2025. McKee Klimper, Administrative Specialist Senior, Grade 518N, 26.960 hourly in the Division of Parks and Recreation, effective January 17th, 2025. Item 14, a resolution authorizing the Mayor and Behavior of the County Government to execute change order number one to the agreement with Henkel Construction Services LLC for the Squires Road sidewalk project, increasing the contract price by the sum of $59,844.55 from $434,619.31 to $494,463.86. Thank you. We are going to pause. Council Member Beasley has a motion. Thank you, Mayor. I move to postpone item number 15, resolution number 0159-25, a resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute a memorandum of agreement with the Farm and Garden Market Cooperative Association, Inc., DBA, Lexington Farmers Market to operate farmers market at the Henry A. Tandy Centennial Park, 5th 3rd Bank Pavilion area and certain adjoining public properties at no cost to the Urban County Government to the March 20th Council Meeting Docket. So moved. Is there a second? I'll second. Second. Council Member Morton seconds. Is there discussion? Council Member LaGreve. Thank you, Mayor. I'm curious if Commissioner Ford or Director Conrad is here. Thank you. Director Conrad. Yes. Director Conrad, would you be able to share with us what the agreement or the MOA with the farmers market is about, please? Yes. Council Member, the MOA is a renewal. So we've had this MOA with farmers market, I believe it first began in 2012. We've had several renewals since then. It, like most MOAs, covers the basics of what is going to occur, when it is going to occur, the dates, and then it allows for some things like when there's going to be portable toilets or when additional service may be needed. It's really similar to what we have with Latino Live and also with Downtown Lexington Partnership for Thursday Night Live. Okay. Thank you. Thanks for that context. So the MOA is about the relationship between the farmers market and their access to their space where they hold their outdoor season currently? That's correct. Correct. You all know that the farmers market season is set to begin on March 22nd in terms of their outdoor season. We have a lot of vendors and downtown businesses who are looking forward to that opening. And as a speaker mentioned earlier, the start of the outdoor season requires a lot of preparation and planning for all involved. And I think that the market is a really positive aspect of our economy, especially our downtown economy. And their busiest season is quickly approaching. And we have a very positive relationship with the farmers market. As Council Member Beasley shared with you all via email, we've scheduled a meeting with us, our office, our offices, with the market and with the CAO to make sure that questions related to this current season and about the farmers market's process are answered clearly. So frankly, I'm not in support of this postponement. I want the vendors to know they have a secure plan for their outdoor market season. And I don't even want them to have the perception that their MOA has been jeopardized. These market vendors have been putting in a lot of work to plan and coordinate their trips to the market and in preparation for the season ahead. And I want to make sure that their business and their hard work is secure. So respectfully, Council Member Beasley, I won't be supporting this motion to postpone the MOA. All right, thank you. Vice Mayor Wu. Thank you, Mayor. I'll echo my Council Member Legree's sentiments, especially on the timing issue is that we will have lots of livelihoods and lots of businesses kind of on the line here coming into the season. And the other part too that I'm very hesitant about the idea of postponing this beyond the timing of it is I'm a little hesitant about setting the precedent of LFUCG getting into the minutiae and the business of our independent partner agencies that we don't have specific direct oversight over and kind of holding whether it's an MOA, MOU, or a contract kind of over various issues. I think we have avenues that we can have conversations, and it sounds like that's, at least that scheduling has begun to have that conversation and kind of figure out what those issues are and how to address those. And I think that's very much appropriate. But I think given the timing and given sort of the, to me, the appropriateness of using this mechanism as a way to hold organizations to account, I don't know that it's appropriate. I think it is appropriate for any of us to ask that our partner agencies, non-profits, or businesses act in good faith and make sure that things are happening as they're supposed to. But I think there's another way to do it. So I will also oppose this postponement. Thank you. Thank you. Council Member Curtis. Thank you, Mayor. I am also going to be a no on this motion. I really appreciate the intentionality behind it, but I have a lot of concerns, again, about, like the Vice Mayor mentioned, setting precedent and creating confusion around, again, what this body does and does not do. I don't believe it's our role to engage in this capacity through a formal vote, or to create the notion that council can withhold things in order to bargain with certain people in certain ways. I know that doesn't feel appropriate to me, but I appreciate this, and I hope that the conversation goes forward, and that we're able to come to a solution that works for everybody. Thank you. Thank you. Does anyone else care to comment, council members, on the motion? All right. Let's take an electronic vote. And the motion is to postpone item 15 until the March 20th meeting. All right. It looks like the vote fails, 11 nay, 2 yay. Thank you. If you will go ahead and give it its reading. Item 15, a resolution authorizing the mayor and we have the Urban County government to execute a memorandum of agreement with the Farm and Garden Market Cooperative Association Incorporated, DBA Lexington Farmer's Market to operate a farmer's market at the Henry A. Tandy Centennial Park, Fifth Third Bank Pavilion area, and certain adjoining public property at no cost to the Urban County government, item 16. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the county government to execute a one year agreement with the Cumulus Radio Lexington, Kentucky to provide rounds of golf at golf courses owned by the Urban County government at no charge in exchange for radio advertising of the golf courses from the date of execution through October 31, 2025, item 17. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the county government to execute a temporary right of entry with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, authorizing entry upon LFUCG property located at Haley Pike Landfill, 4172 and 4253 Hedger Lane to perform dye tracer studies, item 18. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the county government to execute an agreement and accept a grant from the Commonwealth of Kentucky Department of Public Health in the amount of $733,100 in FY 2025 and the federal funds for the Health Access Nurturing Development Services Hands Program for the Family Care Center, the acceptance of which does not obligate the Urban County government to the expenditure of funds in authorizing the mayor to transfer other funds in the grant budget, item 19. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the Urban County government to execute a settlement agreement with CMN RUS LLC, FKACMN RUS Incorporated for earlier termination of its non-exclusive cable franchise at no cost to the Urban County government. When further authorizing the early termination of the non-exclusive cable franchise CMN RUS LLC FKACMN RUS Incorporated effective March 11th, 2025 pursuant to and contingent upon compliance with the terms of the settlement agreement, item 20. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the county government to execute change number two to the contract with LACO Incorporated for the construction of the Meadow Northland Arlington Public Improvement Project Phase 6C1A and B increasing the contract price by the sum of $42,842.11 for the total contract cost of $2,488,079.11, item 21. A resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the county government to execute an agreement with Standard and Associates Incorporated for the police officer selection test for LFUCG police recruit candidates at a cost not to exceed $4,500. And item 22, a resolution authorizing the mayor on behalf of the county government to execute an agreement related to the council capital project expenditure funds with Kentucky Council on child abuse incorporated $2,440.07 for the office of the Urban County Council at a cost not to exceed the sum stated. Thank you. Thank you. Is there a motion to approve? So moved. All right, Council Member Ellinger, Council Member Baxter, seconded. When you're ready, we'll do the roll call vote. Council Member Hale? Yes. Council Member Legree? Yes. Council Member Lynch? Yes. Council Member Morton? Yes. Council Member Savigny? Yes. Council Member Shin? Yes. Vice Mayor Wu? Yes. Council Member Beasley? Yes on all and no on 15. Thank you. Council Member Brown? Yes. Council Member Curtis? Yes, ma'am. Council Member Ellinger? Yes, ma'am. Council Member Elliot Baxter? Yes. Council Member Gray? Yes. Thank you. Thank you. Those items pass and we're ready for first reading of resolutions. Okay. Item 23. A resolution authorizing the Mayor or her designee on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute the service order agreement with Charter Communications, DBA Spectrum Enterprise for cable television for senior programs at a cost of $925.92 in FY25. Item 24. A resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute an agreement with Touch Ferries Development, LLC DBA Jolota to improve community paramedicine program efficiency and data management at a cost of $37,096. Item 25. A resolution authorizing Mayor on behalf of Urban County Government to execute a First Amendment to the agreement with Community Action Council for Lexington-Fairburn-Harrison and Nicholas Counties Incorporated related to the administration of the One Lexington Community Partners Violence Prevention Grant Program to provide for the grant administrators must disperse grant awards to the recipients with a 501c3 designation or to a fiscal sponsor with a 501c3 designation at no cost to the Urban County Government. Item 26. A resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of Urban County Government to execute an amendment to the agreement with Aval Kentucky Incorporated related to an award of Home Investment Partnership Program funds extending the period of performance through April 30, 2025. Item 27. A resolution approving and adopting substantial amendments to 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 annual action plans, decreasing funds from multiple community development block grant projects and reallocating those funds to the Family Care Center's Play Grant Upgrade and authorizing Mayor to transfer undecorated funds within the grant budget. Item 28. A resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of Urban County Government to execute an agreement related to the Neighborhood Development Funds with Glendover Elementary, PTA Incorporated, 965, the Fairways at Lakeside Community Association Incorporated, 2,500, a Caring Place Incorporated, 1,500, Fayette Alliance Incorporated, 1,000, William Willsboro Neighborhood Association Incorporated, 700, Bella Woods Neighborhood Association Incorporated, 1,300, Pearls of Service Foundation Incorporated, 1,500, Lexington Children's Museum Incorporated, 2,200, LFUCG Senior Intern Program, 1,750, that will be done production and performance fund incorporated, $7,600 for the Office of the Urban County Council to cost under the seat of some state at item 29. A resolution accepting a bid of Bison Services LLC in the amount of $79,656 for the Town Branch Wastewater Treatment Heat Recovery Ventilator Modification for the Division of Water Quality, item 30. A resolution accepting a bid of Louisville Paving and Construction in the amount of $1,349,999 for the Veterans Park Water Quality Improvement Project for the Division of Environmental Services and authorizing Mayor on behalf of every county to execute an agreement with Louisville Paving and Construction related to the bid, item 31. A resolution accepting a bid of Elevator Solutions Incorporated in the amount estimated not to exceed $94,400 for Elevator Repair for the Division of Water Quality, item 32. A resolution ratifying the Permanent Classified Civil Service Appointment of Tanisha Payton, Customer Account Specialist, grade 512N, 20.118 hourly in the Division of Lakes, call effective February 12th, 2025, Ryan Hughes, Municipal Engineer Senior, grade 528E, 3,576.96 biweekly in the Division of Engineering. Effective March 9th, 2025, in ratifying the Permanent Sworn Appointment of Philip Palmer, Police Sergeant, grade 315N, 42.126 hourly in the Division of Police, effective February 12th, 2025, item 33. A resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of every county government to execute an agreement with Lexapro LLC with the purchase of fire and EMS learning platform with services at a cost of $32,004, item 34. A resolution authorizing Mayor on behalf of every county government pursuant to the Jobs Fund Program to execute a ten year loan agreement and related documents with Simply Works LLC in the amount not to exceed $250,000 for the creation and retention of at least ten new jobs with an average hourly wage of at least $28, exclusive of benefits, item 35. A resolution authorizing Mayor on behalf of every county government to execute a license agreement with the Cincinnati, New Orleans, Texas Pacific Railway Company, Norfolk Southern Railway Company to permit the replacement of sanitary sewer infrastructure on railroad property at a cost not to exceed $27,600, item 36. A resolution authorizing Mayor on behalf of every county government to execute an agreement with the Fayette County Board of Education for space to host Truckapalooza for the Division of Environmental Services at a cost not to exceed $555.59, item 37. A resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of every county government to execute a consultant services agreement or 56244 with partners for economic solutions LLC for the development of an infrastructure funding plan for the Department of Planning and Preservation at a cost not to exceed $744,195, item 38. A resolution authorizing and directing Mayor on behalf of every county government to execute amendment number one to the agreement with the Lexington County Health Department to accept an additional award of $78,000 in federal funds from the State Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting MIECHV program for the administrative expenses. Also known as Kentucky Health Access Nurturing Development Services Hands for the Family Care Center, the extent of which does not obligate the urban county government to the expenditure of funds. And authorizing the Mayor to transfer adequate funds within the grant budget, item 39. A resolution authorizing Mayor on behalf of every county government to execute a monthly year agreement with Energy Cap LLCs for subscription services related to energy cap utility management software at a cost not to exceed $14,406.63 in the first year, FY 26. And to establish Energy Cap LLC as a sole source provider, all contingent upon budgeting of sufficient funds, item 40. A resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of every county government to execute change order number three to the agreement with Element Design for the LFUCG Phoenix Reimagined, increasing the contract price by the sum of $7,500 from $207,450 to $214,950, item 41. A resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of every county government to execute and submit a grant application to the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Waste Management in the amount of $110,000 for the support of a household hazardous waste collection event for Fayette County. And to accept this grant if awarded and to provide any additional information requested in connection with this grant application. The acceptance of which obligates the urban county government to the expenditure of $27,500 as a local match. If the full grant award is not utilized at a one day event, authorizing a request to apply for a supplemental second event during FY 26 to utilize any remaining funds and authorizing Mayor to transfer adequate funds within the grant budget, item 42. A resolution authorizing and directing Mayor and behalf of every county government to execute and submit various grant applications to Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to provide any additional information requested in connection with these grant applications. And to accept these grants if these grants are awarded, which grant funds are in the amount of $1,089,320, $525,000 FHWA planning, $108,000 Federal Transit Administration Section 5303, $456,320 Surface Transportation Block Grant SLX in federal funds and $65,625 in common with the Kentucky funds for FY 2026 transportation planning activities under the Unified Planning Work Program. The acceptance of which obligates the urban county government to the expenditure of $206,705 as a local match and authorizing Mayor to transfer adequate funds within the grant budget, item 43. A resolution authorizing and directing Mayor and behalf of every county government to execute and submit a grant application seeking $109,350 in federal funds to the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security and to the Law Enforcement Protection Program for the Division of Police. To purchase rifle kits for all sworn officers, authorizing the Mayor to provide any additional information requested in connection with this grant application. Authorizing Mayor to accept this award if offered, the acceptance of which does not obligate the urban county government to the expenditure of funds. And further authorizing Mayor to transfer unaccounted funds within the grant budget. And item 44, a resolution authorizing and directing Mayor and behalf of every county government to execute and submit a Kentucky House Bill HB1 project grant application and related documents for up to $10 million in HB1 funds with the Department of Local Government, DLG, to support Lexington's Transformational Housing Affordability Partnership project. And to accept this grant if awarded, authorizing and directing Mayor on behalf of the urban county government to execute any documents which are deemed necessary by DLG to carry out this project. Authorizing Mayor to act as the authorized correspondent for this project. And authorizing Mayor to transfer adequate funds in the grant budget. Thank you. Thank you very much. Are there any walk-ons, council members? All right, are there any motions to suspend the rules? Council Member Hale. Thank you, Mayor. I make a motion to suspend the rules to give a second reading to item number 28, a resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute agreements related to neighborhood development funds. Second. Thank you. Vice Mayor Wu seconds. Any comments or questions? All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. Council Member Hellinger. Thank you, Mayor. I make a motion to suspend the rule and give a second reading to number 44 so we can go ahead and execute and submit a Kentucky House Bill 1 project grant application related documents for up to 10 million House Bill 1 funds with the Department of Local Government to support Lexington's transformational housing affordable partnership. So moved. Second. Thank you. Council Member Curtis seconded. Any questions? All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. Council Member Legree. Thank you, Mayor. I move to give second reading to item number 40. This is a resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute change order number 3, which is connected to LFUCG's Phoenix Park reimagined project. Second. Thank you. Vice Mayor Wu seconds. Any questions? All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. We have 28, 40, and 44, I believe. And if you'll go ahead and give those second reading, please. Item 28. A resolution authorizing and directing the Mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute agreements related to neighborhood development funds with Glendover Elementary, PTA, Incorporated 965, the Fairways at Lakeside Community Association, 2500, and Caring Place, Incorporated 1500, Fiat Airlines, Incorporated 1000, William Wells Brown Neighborhood Association, Incorporated 700, Bella Woods Neighborhood Association, 1300, Pearls of Service Foundation, Incorporated 1500, Lexington Children's Museum, Incorporated 2200, LFUCG Senior Intern Program, 1750, Thy Will Be Done Production and Performance Fund, Incorporated 7600 dollars for the office of the Urban County Council to cost of the seat that some stated. Item 40. A resolution authorizing the Mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute change order number three to the agreement with Element Design for the LFUCG Phoenix reimagined increase in the contract price by the sum of $7,500 from $207,450 to $214,950. And item 44. A resolution authorizing and directing the Mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute and submit a Kentucky House Bill HB1 project grant application and related documents for up to $10 million in HB1 funds with the Department for Local Government, DLG, to support Lexington's Transformational Housing Affordability Partnership Project and to accept this grant if awarded. Authorizing and directing the Mayor on behalf of the Urban County Government to execute any documents which are deemed necessary by DLG to carry out this project. Authorizing the Mayor to act as the authorized correspondent for this project. And authorizing the Mayor to transfer adequate funding to the grant budget. Thank you. Thank you. Is there a motion to approve? So moved. Thank you. Council Member Baxter. Second by Vice Mayor Wu. And when you're ready if you'll take the roll call. Council Member Hale. Yes. Council Member LaGrene. Yes. Council Member Lynch. Yes. Council Member Morton. Yes. Council Member Savigny. Yes. Council Member Sheehan. Yes. Vice Mayor Wu. Yes. Council Member Beasley. Yes, ma'am. Council Member Brown. Council Member Curtis. Yes, ma'am. Council Member Ellinger. Yes, ma'am. Council Member Elliot Baxter. Yes. Council Member Gray. Yes. Thank you. All right. Thank you very much. Those all pass. And now it's time for communications from the Mayor. First are appointments. Thank you. Council Member Baxter. Second. Council Member Curtis, we'll put you down for the second. Are there any questions? All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. That passes. We have donations. Could I have a motion? So moved. Second. All right. And a second? All right. All right. And a second? All right. All right. And a second? All right. All right. And a second? All right. And a second? All right. All right. And a move? Council Member Gray moves. Okay. Council Member Savigny seconds. Are there any questions? All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. That motion passes. And the third communication is for procurements. Could I have a motion? Senator Savigny. Second. Council Member Savigny moves. Pardon me. And Council Member Gray seconds. Are there any questions? All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. That motion passes. Council Members, you have a list of communications from the Mayor for your information only. And that takes us to discipline. And we do have a police discipline. And I'll welcome Chief Lawrence Weathers to the podium. Welcome Chief. Good evening, Mayor, Council. I hope everybody's doing well. On December 20, 2024, an internal formal complaint was made that Officer Michael Dick violated General Order 1973-021, Disciplinary Procedures of Sworn Officers, Appendix B, Operational Rules 1.02, Misconduct. At the conclusion of the investigation, the employee met with me and has accepted a letter of reprimand. On November 23, at approximately 1535 hours, Officer Michael Dick arrived at the Central Sector Roll Call Building to prepare for his shift. He was working that day. During this time, he was approached by a civilian guest who was participating in the ride-along program and was asking for assistance on the proper location to report. While speaking to the sergeants in front of the guest, Officer Dick responded and conducted himself in a manner that cast doubt on his judgment character and reflected poorly upon the agency. He refused to follow a lawful order from the sergeant, which in turn impaired the operational efficiency of the department. This is Officer Dick's second formal complaint since his employment began on April 15, 2019. His first formal complaint was in 2021 for three at-fault collisions. He was given a letter of reprimand and a two-week suspension of Home Fleet. Thank you, Chief. Is there a motion to approve? Councilmember Baxter moves. Councilmember Gray seconds. Are there any questions, Councilmembers? All right. All those in favor of approval, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right. That motion passes. Thank you, Chief. Thank you, Mayor. I like the look without glasses, and I hope to see everybody at our recruit graduation tomorrow. Thank you. All right. Very good. Thank you. All right. Councilmembers, it's time for announcements. Please log in. Councilmember Baxter. Thank you, Mayor. As you all know, March is Women's History Month, but you might not know that it's also Colon and Rectal Cancer Awareness Month. You also might not know that colorectal cancer is the number two cancer killer in the state of Kentucky. Educating the public is important to me because my mother died after a seven-year battle with colon cancer. Early detection is so very important in diagnosis and treatment of these types of cancers. It's recommended that everyone has a colonoscopy starting at age 45 or earlier if you have a family history like I do, or if you are experiencing a sudden onset of symptoms. Please reach out to your doctor or go to the American Cancer Society's website at www.cancer.org for more information. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you for that. Councilmember Hale. I feel like I've been announcing this since January. One last reminder. So we will be having our town hall meeting this, it's Monday, so this is the last time you're going to hear this. So it will be Monday, March 10th at 5.30 p.m. at the Woodhill Community Center. Again, it's going to be a great time and a great opportunity to engage in conversation with the Councilmember, and we will have translators there in Spanish, French, and Swahili. That's it. I think I've heard enough. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Lynch. Thank you, Mayor. I would like to remind my neighbors at our community meeting to discuss the new elementary school that's going to be built along Greendale Road. It's coming up on Thursday, March 13th at 6 p.m. We will meet at Sandersville Elementary School in the library. Please bring your questions and suggestions and opinions, and the FCPS design team will be there to talk about the school with some pictures. So please come out next Thursday at 6 p.m. And then also I want to encourage my neighbors to come out at one of the listed times on this flyer. We will be convening focus groups throughout the city regarding trees. We want to hear about your relationship with trees. Do you like trees? Do you hate trees? Can we do things better regarding trees here in the city of Lexington? Please come out at one of the times on the flyer. You'll also be able to find this flyer in my newsletter as well as on my social media pages. We want to hear about your relationship with trees and ways we can improve our tree canopy here in the city, especially in the 2nd District. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Councilmember Beasley. Thank you, Mayor. Let's see. I think I have some things to go up on the screen. We'll see. We'll just start talking and then I'll show them, right? So congratulations to the Police Recruitment Class of 08-2024 who are graduating tomorrow morning at Emmanuel Baptist Church, 10 a.m. Make sure y'all are there. Congratulations to the Police Athletics League Elite Cheer Team. They were crowned Grand Champions in Mercy Academy's Spirit Spectacular Cheer Competition this past weekend. Those girls worked so incredibly hard and we're very proud of them. And this is the Tage Creek Middle School Cheer Team who also won first place in the Cheer Elite Competition. They also took home Grand Champion for their school cheering, earning the highest score of the school cheer team for that day. We'd also like to congratulate the Lexington branch of the NAACP, branch number 3097, who celebrated 106 years of advocacy and service this past Tuesday. So happy birthday to Mr. Whit Whitaker and everyone who is a member of our local NAACP organization. Finally, I'm sure he's gone already. Sorry, you'll have to catch it. Oh, I see you back there. Finally, I would like to thank Commissioner Ford, Director Monica Conrad, Deputy Director Thakur, Laura Hatfield, Anthony Jackson, Justin and Curtis, and Michael Johnson and Rod Givens for touring the Tage Creek Community Center, the Tage Creek Ballroom, and the Tage Creek Park with my office last week. I'd also like to thank Monica and her team for working with KU last week to get our lights around the Gainesway pond up and operating again. The patrol officers in that area had reached out to me last weekend about the lighting in the park. None of the lights around the park had been working and that was a safety concern for our officers and within 48 hours of contacting Parks, they had worked with KU and got the lights back on, which of course makes our park safer and improves visibilities on the pathways around our pond. So thank you very much, Parks and Rec. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Councilmember Curtis. Thank you, Mayor. I wanted to give a couple of shout-outs, especially to a couple of folks who were appointed tonight. So we had Susan Lamb, who was one of my predecessors in the 4th District Council seat, who was appointed to the City Employees Pension Fund Board, which I'm particularly excited about because it means I get to cross a personal bucket list item off of my city government bucket list and serve on a Board of Commission with Susan Lamb. And I would also like to give a shout-out to Claire Hilbrecht, who was just appointed to be the 4th District Rep on our Environmental Commission. Claire is somebody who's incredibly bright, incredibly passionate about the environment, and I've been lucky to have in my life for several years now, and I'm really looking forward to seeing her service on that board. And I just want to encourage anybody who's watching this, if you have ideas and you want to participate in your government, especially in the 4th District where we have the lowest representation on our municipal boards and commissions, go apply. Join a board and commission. It's fun. It's great. I love it. And I think you would, too. So thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Councilmember Morton. Thank you. I'm going to show you a couple pictures as well. Oh. Maybe a little video. Ooh. It's fancy. So, yeah. Tuesday, I had the opportunity to speak with a 7th grade class at Bryan Station Middle School during their monthly town hall in the home of the 6th District. Yes, indeed. You know, it was just my old stomping grounds. I was able to share some insight about the importance of goal-setting and education encouraging students to strive for success. Likewise, in the 6th District, I was at Crawford Middle School and met with Mr. Davis, which actually was my Bryan Station Middle School basketball coach, which is a small world. But he's now the Dean of Students at Crawford Middle School, and we had some great discussions of moving, you know, they've got some big things in store, and moving the youth there forward through youth engagement and investing in our youth at risk. So supporting and uplifting our young people remains a top priority for my office, and I look forward to the development of our District Youth Advisory Board coming very soon. And then, lastly, Castlewood Litter Cleanup. This weekend, Castlewood Neighborhood Association will be doing a litter cleanup, which is scheduled for Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., starting at the Castlewood, well, within the Castlewood Park, they're going to meet at the shelter. So I encourage everyone to participate and help our community stay safe and clean and beautiful. So that will be it. Thank you. Thank you. Council Member Gray. Thank you, Mayor. First of all, I would like to say thank you to the residents of Lexington for showing up tonight. The efforts to get rid of our city diversity, equity, and inclusion was avoided, thankfully to the actions of our colleague, Council Member James Brown, and supported by myself and my colleagues. Right now, we stand at the precipice. In Frankfort and in Washington, D.C., we have people who are at war with people who look like me, people who love differently, people who have served our nation. We cannot, we shall not go back. I am thankful to the residents of Lexington who showed up today. However, however, I need you to show up in Frankfort and hold them accountable. I need you to hold our congressional delegation, hold them accountable for when they put party above people. I need for you to step up and hold our elected officials accountable. But I thank you for showing up today. However, it is important for our residents to understand the supremacy law. Local government is at the bottom. We must do whatever the federal government lends and whatever our state government does. So please hold those who represent us in Washington, D.C. and in Frankfort equally accountable because we are the people. We are diverse. We come from diverse walks of life and we hear you and we talk with you. But you need to hold those leaders equally, equally accountable for their actions. Okay. Done. Okay. That speech is over. So moving on, today, not only is March, March is also Reading Across America Month. And today, I had the opportunity to be in the 6th District at Dixie Magnet Elementary School with the kindergartners, with the deputy council girl of the 6th District, my niece Kennedy and her classmates as I read a book to them. It was a joy to be there and to explain to those young people the difference of how the mayor and the council work together and how we're equal. So thank you to those awesome young people for your awesome questions and I look forward to the great things you will do in life. Next, over yesterday, I was invited by the University of Kentucky HR to teach a class with their employees, over 20,000 employees of how to lock in to local government. And tonight, while we had our students here who were receiving their awards for science, I actually had one of the parents walk up to me and say, thank you for teaching that class. That actually helped her know how to check in when she got here. So that's an awesome thing to know immediately of the work that I do being a benefit to the residents. I would like to also thank my predecessor, Lisa Higgins-Hord, for recommending me to the University of Kentucky for teaching, because I'm an educator, always an educator, and I can teach you anything. And that video is on my Facebook page, on the 6th District Facebook page, and also on the University of Kentucky's page as well. Do we have anything else, LexTV? And that right there is just a clip from a screenshot from my class. And that's it. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor. All right, thank you. We have no one signed up for public comment for issues not on the agenda, so I'll entertain a motion to adjourn. Councilmember Hale, second Councilmember Sheehan. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. We are adjourned. Thank you all for coming.