# Urban County Council - February 12, 2026 > Auto-transcribed civic record · Council · February 12, 2026 - **Permalink**: https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/6691 - **Source video**: https://lfucg.granicus.com/player/clip/6691?view_id=14&redirect=true - **Date**: 2026-02-12 - **Body**: Council - **Last revised**: February 13, 2026 - **Length**: 3,708 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 February 12, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers in Lexington, KY, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting covered 2 agenda items, both of which were approved: a Zone Change Ordinance and Civil Service Appointments. During the meeting, the Council held 2 votes and heard 1 public comment. No presentations were recorded for this session. ## Attendance The following 14 members were present at the February 12, 2026 Council meeting: - Boone - Beasley - Brown - Curtis - Eblen - Ellinger - Elliott Baxter - Hale - Higgins-Hord - Lynch - Morton - Reynolds - Sevigny - Wu **Absent:** Sheehan No members were recorded as late. ## Votes and Decisions Two items came to a vote at the February 12, 2026 Council meeting, both passing unanimously by roll call vote. - **Ordinance 0043-26** — An ordinance changing the zoning of the property at 401 Woodland Avenue from a Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3) zone to a Medium Density Residential (R-4) zone. The motion was made by Vice Mayor Wu and seconded by Mr. Sevigny. The ordinance passed 14–0, with no nays or abstentions. All fourteen members voted in favor: Boone, Brown, Curtis, Eblen, Ellinger, Elliott Baxter, Hale, Higgins-Hord, Lynch, Morton, Reynolds, Sevigny, Wu, and Beasley. - **Resolution 0066-26** — A resolution ratifying the Permanent Classified Civil Service Appointments. The motion was made by Vice Mayor Wu and seconded by Ms. Curtis. The resolution passed 14–0, with no nays or abstentions. All fourteen members voted in favor: Boone, Brown, Curtis, Eblen, Ellinger, Elliott Baxter, Hale, Higgins-Hord, Lynch, Morton, Reynolds, Sevigny, Wu, and Beasley. ## Budget and Financial Actions The Council considered two contract resolutions at the February 12, 2026 meeting, authorizing expenditures for infrastructure and park improvement projects. - **East Vine Street Retaining Wall (Resolution 0073-26):** The Council took action on a contract with Lagco, Inc. in the amount of **$474,477** for work on the East Vine Street retaining wall project. This represented the larger of the two financial commitments approved at the meeting. - **Meadowbrook Park Parking Lot (Resolution 0093-26):** The Council also considered a contract with C & R Asphalt, LLC in the amount of **$135,900** for the Meadowbrook Park parking lot project. This resolution authorized the expenditure for what is presumed to be paving or surface improvement work at the park facility. Combined, the two resolutions authorized a total of **$610,377** in contract spending. Both items were brought forward as formal resolutions, indicating they required Council approval rather than being handled through administrative authority alone. ## Public Comment One member of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period of the February 12, 2026 meeting. - **Brittany Roethemeier** spoke on behalf of **Fayette Alliance** regarding the **Urban Service Boundary**. She addressed the importance of safeguarding green space in Lexington and offered thanks to those who had worked on the related ordinance. No timestamp was available for this comment in the meeting record. ## Appointments The Council approved the following appointments and reappointments to various boards, commissions, and advisory bodies at the February 12, 2026 meeting: - **Amy Beasley** was appointed to the **Affordable Housing Governing Board**. - **Joel Howell** was appointed to the **Greenspace Trust**. - **Chuck Ellinger** was appointed to the **Lexington Center Corporation Board of Directors**. - **Basel Touchan** was appointed to the **Mayor's International Affairs Advisory Commission**. - **Hil Boone** was appointed to the **Neighborhood Action Match Grant Program Review Board**. - **Monica Calleja** was reappointed to the **Racial Justice and Equity Commission**. - **Jamison Barton** was reappointed to the **Raven Run Citizens Advisory Board**. - **Adam Blevins** was appointed to the **Transit Authority Board**. A total of eight individuals were confirmed, with six receiving new appointments and two — Monica Calleja and Jamison Barton — receiving reappointments to bodies on which they previously served. ## Zone Change Ordinance The Council took up Ordinance 0043-26, a proposal to rezone the property at 401 Woodland Avenue from a Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3) zone to a Medium Density Residential (R-4) zone. Key speakers on this item included Vice Mayor Wu and Mr. Sevigny. The structured record does not detail the specific arguments presented, concerns raised, or the nature of the debate during discussion of this ordinance. The Council approved the zone change ordinance. ## Civil Service Appointments **Agenda Item 0066-26** The Council considered a resolution ratifying Permanent Classified Civil Service Appointments for various positions within the Urban County Government. Vice Mayor Wu and Ms. Curtis were the key speakers on this item. The resolution was presented for Council consideration and ratification, covering classified civil service appointments across multiple positions in the Urban County Government. The Council approved the resolution. *Note: No transcript timestamp is available for this agenda item, and no specific details regarding the individual positions, the nature of any discussion or debate, or any concerns raised were recorded in the available meeting data.* --- ## Decisions - **Ordinance 0043-26** — passed (14-0): An Ordinance changing the zone from a Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3) zone to a Medium Density Residential (R-4) zone, for property located at 401 Woodland Avenue. - **Resolution 0066-26** — passed (14-0): A Resolution ratifying the Permanent Classified Civil Service Appointments. --- ## Full transcript In the bars and the cafes, fashion In the streets and the alleys, fashion A lot of pretending, fashion In the streets and the alleys, fashion In the streets and the alleys, fashion In the streets and the alleys, fashion In the streets and the alleys, fashion In the streets and the alleys, fashion In the streets and the alleys, fashion In the streets and 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All right, that motion passes. Now you have quite a few items of communications from the mayor for your information only. And that brings us to our disciplines. We have one fire discipline and two police disciplines. And it looks like Chief Wells is queued up to bring the fire discipline. Welcome, Chief. Thank you, Mayor. Good evening, Council. On Thursday, January 8th, 2026, an internal allegation was made that Franklin Ashford 57158 violated UDG 1.11, late Tardian AWOL at the conclusion of the investigation. The employee met with me and accepted a written reprimand. This is Lieutenant Ashford's first documented offense of UDG 1.11 since his employment in September of 2018. And stems from failure to report on time to a scheduled assignment. Thank you. Is there a motion to approve? Council, who moved? Council Member Morton moved. Council Member Curtis seconded. Are there questions for the chief? Any questions? All right, all those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that is approved. Thank you. And I'll welcome Chief Lawrence Weathers. I believe he's bringing us two disciplines. Welcome, Chief Weathers. Thank you all, and good evening, Council. Like the Mayor said, I have two disciplines, and I'll read through the first one. On October 23rd, 2025, an internal formal complaint was made that Officer Christopher Jackson violated General Order 1973-02L, Disciplinary Procedures, Appendix B, Operational Rule 1.11, Unsatisfactory Performance. At the conclusion of the investigation, the employee met with me and has accepted a written reprimand and retraining. Further, it states Officer Jackson had numerous issues that seemed to originate from his lack of knowledge and proficiency concerning rules and regulations from the department policy. Officer Jackson's knowledge of general orders, special orders, executive orders, and Kentucky Revised Statutes are not at the level expected for officers employed by the Lexington Police Department. This is Officer Jackson's first formal complaint since being hired on January 16th, 2023. Vice Mayor moves approval, Council Member Reynolds seconds. Are there questions for the Chief? All right, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. The second one. On November 12th, 2025, an internal formal complaint was made that Officer Caleb Crony violated General Order 1973-02K, Disciplinary Procedures, Appendix B, Operational Rule 1.11, Unsatisfactory Performance. At the conclusion of the investigation, the employee met with me and has accepted a one day suspension without pay. Further, Officer Caleb Crony has had numerous issues over the past eight months that show his inability to communicate in a professional manner with citizens he encounters while on duty and in an off-duty capacity. He has shown the inability to de-escalate situations and speak to them in a manner that is expected from his position and according to the policies of the Lexington Police Department. This is Officer Crony's second formal complaint since being hired January 20, 2020. Council Member Reynolds moves approval, Council Member Baxter seconds. Are there questions? Council Member Morton, did you have a question? Yes, ma'am, thank you. I just had one. Will this officer receive retraining and guidance as well, tied to this behavior, so that it doesn't happen again? There's a, I have to think a little bit because there's certain things I can say, so I'm trying to figure out how to say it. Okay. When we get complaints like these, supervisors investigate it at their level. And retraining is always, always part of that. Also part of that is coaching and counseling, which can entail recommendations if the supervisors feel like the officer may need something additional, which could be talking to somebody else about it. If they deem it necessary, they will also put an employee on what we call a performance development plan, where they get more intense monitoring as they go along. Appreciate that, thank you. All right, thank you. Are there any other questions for the chief? Council Member Brown? Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Chief. In the report, in this report, in the previous report, it said numerous a couple of times. Is that standard language that they use for discipline, or is it? Again, it's only so much we can put in these, so I will have to give you my interpretation of it. And you can do with that as you will. When I see words like numerous, I usually equate that, especially for situations like this, I usually equate that with three to four times. If I see words like multiple, maybe five to nine times it's happened. If I see several, it's more than nine times. That's how I apply it. Okay, and then it said this was an internal formal complaint. Do you know if this was witnessed or if this was something that was caught being reviewed through body camera footage? Can you share that? Our supervisors are required to review body camera footage, and if they see something that is out of line with policy, they will address it. Also, sometimes we get citizens that complain, and the supervisors investigate that. If a citizen complains, part of that process is we ask the citizen, if they want to proceed with a formal complaint, or do they rather be handled by the officer's supervisors? I did not see where anybody wanted to proceed with a formal complaint, but the supervisors decided that they should. Okay, so it could have originated outside, but that wasn't pursued from an outside entity, but it was pursued internally. That is exactly possible, sir. Okay, all right. Thank you, Chief. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Are there other questions? Council Member Baxter. Thank you, Mayor. Chief, I don't have a question, but I just want to say thank you for holding our officers accountable to a certain standard. I think that we put a lot of responsibility on our officers to act professionally. And us doing things like this shows us and the public that we take that very seriously. So I just want to say thank you, especially to the supervisor that potentially was the one who. Well, I appreciate that. And let me thank the council, because I don't know if anybody has. But we have behavioral health specialists on staff, and we recently got a grant for a second one, and you all approved that. And you all don't know how much that's appreciated, so thank you very much. All right, anything else for the chief? All those in favor of approval, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? All right, that motion passes. Thank you very much. Thank you all. Happy Valentine's Day. Thank you, you too. Council members, it's time for council announcements. Council Member Brown. Thank you, Mayor. I just, once again, want to thank Kelly Farley, our budget analyst, for her work. And the budget retreats, the council budget retreat, and the joint budget retreat. I know when we get into budget season, Kelly and I get pretty attached at the hip with working on these things. So I think she does a pretty good job of working with the council and representing us. And then also, Mayor, I'll just give you and your team a compliment for setting the stage for us as we go into this budget season. I know that as we continue to right size our budget, there's some things that we're going to have to get used to and some more work that's going to need to be done as we go forward. So I just want to thank you and my colleagues for their engagement and their work that they do in this process. And then, Mayor, I also want to just kind of, it's always a question mark about what you recognize, who you recognize, just because so many things happen, we lose and have been losing so many people over the last few years. But this morning, I was thinking about some of the people that have left us recently. Some folks more high profile than others, but I think a lot of folks give a lot to this community and give a lot to their families and friends. And I was thinking about Tom Shelton this morning, I remember when he was former superintendent, I was PTA. And I tell you, there was not a bigger advocate for students or education than Tom. And I can name and list off several things that he worked on and did while he was superintendent that spoke to that. But then also his work with the United Way, Tatum Dale and Congressman Barr's office. Tatum Dale was my go-to person with anything federal. There are three projects that haven't even broke ground that are going to be transformational to our community. The Wimber and Drive extension, she was involved in one of the first phone calls we made. The North Broadway pedestrian project, she worked with that office to be supportive of that. And then the early childhood head start facility that's coming out east end, those projects are going to change people's lives. And Tatum and her position helped make those things come to fruition. And then Gloria Tompkins, Ms. Tompkins, more notably known for the Edwards Sisters singing group. I first met her when she was in the principal's office at Dunbar High School. I wasn't in the principal's office because I was bad, but I just knew her from there. But found out later that we were related. Real strong roots in gym town, great voice, great person, beautiful family, and was a key contributor to the work that's being done by Sense of Place. So I just wanted to uplift those people, try to tell those, let their families know that their impact on our community is going to be felt for a long time. And I know they're going to miss them, and I think a lot of us are going to miss them as well. So thank you. Thank you, Mayor. Well said. Council Member Hale. Thank you, Mayor. I just want to announce our winter district-wide meeting for our neighbors in the 7th district. That's going to be on Monday, February 23rd, 6 to 7, 30 PM. It will be held at Edith J. Hayes in the library, that's 260 Richardson Place. Representatives from the Division of Planning and the Lexington Police Department will be present to field questions and hear concerns. Updates on what's happening here at the government center as well as around the district. Plenty of opportunity for conversation and questions and answers. So we just hope to see all seven district residents there. And I encourage you all to come out. These neighborhood meetings are very informative. I also just want to give another shout out to the Boy Scouts out there. You all almost made it. You're almost at the end, so I just wanted to give you a shout out. I know it's kind of hard sitting through these meetings, but congratulations and you're about five minutes away from that merit badge. Council Member Hale, there were several council members who noticed your neighborhood meeting had a snow background. Okay. My goodness. We hope it doesn't get canceled. Council Member Reynolds. I just wanted to say a huge thank you to our safety officers that do a good job of keeping our roads safe. I was in a situation today. The person in front of me got stuck in the intersection of a very large, I will say a main corridor, and they ran out of gas and were stuck. And I called the non-emergency number and took the person to get gas and then came back and the safety officer had moved the vehicle out of the intersection, safely to the side of the road, and I was really thankful. I was worried that it was just going to get plowed through an intersection. They were quick and they were really helpful and made sure that the vehicle was safe until we got back. So I just wanted to thank those officers and I think we have a great program going there, so thank you. Thank you, Council Member Beasley. Thank you, Mayor. This past weekend I had the opportunity to present Scout Troop 103 from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in the 8th District with a proclamation from the mayor for 30 years. The gentleman holding the proclamation is the first scout master and the gentleman standing next to him is the first Eagle Scout from that troop. They've had 51 Eagle Scouts in the last 30 years and they have only had six scout masters and they are standing there in the last 30 years. I know, right? So it was an honor to represent the mayor to hand out that proclamation to those scouts in the 8th District. And then also on Saturday we went to the polar bear plunge at the Texas Roadhouse in Beaumont to support the Department of Community Corrections. I did have a cupsicle, it was freezing, it was fine. As they jumped into water that they had to, that's the chief in the center with that hat on. They jumped into water that they had to break the ice out of the pool with a hammer before it started. It was nine o'clock in the morning, so that water was like zero degrees. Yeah, and they raised over $2,500 for the Kentucky Special Olympics. So I just wanted to share their pictures with you all. We also had, last night we had our second City Hall Center Parkway night and we had four constituents come and visit us there, it was a good time. We'll be doing that again next Wednesday from four to seven. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Council Member Morton. Thank you. So I had a, I think it's a couple of images, I had a great visit at the Bluegrass Community Technical College. And I was grateful for the invitation to visit the campus and wanted to thank Dr. Feeney for his visionary leadership and deep commitment to students and our community. BCTC is transforming lives every day, providing education, workforce pathways, and opportunity that truly strengthen families, our economy, and the future of our community. So shout out to BCTC and Dr. Feeney. Also this past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend Step Into Black History, say it loud, step show at the Lyric Theater, and it was phenomenal. The Divine Nine delivered an incredible high energy performance celebrating culture, unity, and excellence. A powerful kickoff to Black History Month that uplifted community pride, history, and shared connection. So don't forget that you can find all the events that were sent to us in Lexington on my council webpage website calendar. So just get that access and information, and I'd like to see some of these events. And then lastly, February is American Heart Awareness Month. It serves as an important reminder that heart health matters, encouraging prevention, education, and small lifestyle choices that can save lives. And I'm happy to be working with Public Safety and Ms. Sarah, District 1 resident, who is bringing the Cardiac Crusade to Lexington. The Cardiac Crusade project is a community-driven initiative focused on raising heart health awareness, expanding prevention resources, and increasing public awareness of automated external defibrillators. Locations so that residents can respond quickly and help save lives during cardiac emergency. So with that, I'm going to make a motion to put a Cardiac Crusade in the Public Safety and Social Service Committee, so moved. Second. All right, we had a few seconds for there. Any questions? All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Is anyone opposed? Thank you, that passed. All right, Council Member Eblen. Yes, everybody beat me to it, but I wanted to also recognize the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts here, or the Scouts here today. I was an Eagle Scout at Troop 186, and when I was doing my citizenship in the community merit badge, I attended a meeting like this. So it's nice to see you. And I also want to thank, for my first week as a council member, all my colleagues and the mayor's staff and the other staff around and the city employees for making me welcome and really trying to help me get up to speed, so I really appreciate it. Great, thank you, good to have you. Anything else, council members? All right, I'll enter, there's no one signed up for public comment for issues not on the agenda, so I'll entertain a motion to adjourn. Next, Council Member Baxter, Council Member Curtis. All those in favor, say aye. We are adjourned, thank you all for coming.