# Urban County Council Work Session - January 6, 2009 > Auto-transcribed civic record · Council · January 6, 2009 - **Permalink**: https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/714 - **Source video**: https://lfucg.granicus.com/player/clip/714?view_id=14&redirect=true - **Date**: 2009-01-06 - **Body**: Council - **Last revised**: June 17, 2026 - **Length**: 8,192 words > ⚠️ **Auto-generated content.** Audio from the official Granicus video was auto-transcribed by OpenAI Whisper-1. Structured facts were extracted with GPT-4o; the narrative summary was written by Anthropic Claude Sonnet. Speaker labels and verbatim wording may contain errors. See [methodology](https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/about/methodology) or [report a correction](mailto:editor@lexingtonky.news). --- ## Meeting Overview The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened on January 6, 2009, with the Mayor presiding. The meeting covered 7 agenda items spanning a range of legislative and administrative matters, including rezoning requests, budget amendments, and new business. Across these items, the Council took 9 votes, approving actions related to the rezoning docket, a summary, budget amendments, new business items, and a Mayor's Report, while two agenda items — Public Comment on Agenda Issues and the Council Report — were informational in nature. A total of 2 public comments were heard during the meeting. ## Attendance All ten Council members were present at the January 6, 2009 meeting. No members were absent or late. **Present:** Gorton, Beard, Henson, Myers, Stennett, Blues, Ellinger, McChord, Lane, and Gray. ## Votes and Decisions All votes at the January 6, 2009 Council meeting were taken by voice vote and passed. No roll call votes were recorded. The following motions were approved: - **Approval of the docket** — Moved by Ehlinger, seconded by Gordon. Passed by voice vote. [timestamp: 0:04] - **Approval of the December 9th summary** — Moved by Gordon, seconded by Beard. Passed by voice vote. [timestamp: 0:04] - **Amend budget journal number 29859-60** — Moved by Henson, seconded by Gordon. Passed by voice vote. [timestamp: 06:04] - **Approve budget amendments as amended** — Moved by Henson, seconded by Gordon. Passed by voice vote. [timestamp: 06:37] - **Approve new business items with clerical change** — Moved by Myers, seconded by Gordon. Passed by voice vote. [timestamp: 08:14] - **Amend the docket to add a resolution regarding the airport board** — Moved by Gray, seconded by Gorton. Passed by voice vote. [timestamp: 30:45] - **Merge the Stormwater Oversight and Sanitary Sewer Oversight Committees** — Moved by Gray, seconded by Gorton. Passed by voice vote. [timestamp: 31:16] - **Appoint a task force for the Day Treatment Center** — Moved by Myers, seconded by Beard. Passed by voice vote. [timestamp: 50:25] - **Table the Airport Board appointment** — Moved by Gordon, seconded by James. Passed by voice vote. [timestamp: 52:33] Because all votes were conducted by voice, no individual aye or nay tallies were recorded in the meeting data. ## Budget and Financial Actions The Council considered four grant acceptance items totaling more than $6.1 million in federal and state funding across a range of public programs. - **HOPWA Program (Resolution 016-09):** The Council took up acceptance of $1,430,000 in federal funds for the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program. AIDS Volunteers, Inc. was identified as the recipient in connection with this grant. - **Expansion Area 2A Pump Station and Trunk Sewer (Resolution 013-09):** The Council considered acceptance of $3,100,000 in state funds designated for the Expansion Area 2A Pump Station and Trunk Sewer project. No specific vendor or recipient was identified in the record for this item. - **Flood Mitigation Assistance Project:** The Council reviewed acceptance of $1,004,692.50 in federal funds for a Flood Mitigation Assistance Project. The Kentucky Department of Military Affairs was identified as the associated recipient or administering entity for this grant. No resolution number was recorded for this item. - **Leesway Underserved Areas Project (Resolution 015-09):** The Council considered acceptance of $600,000 in state funds for the Leesway Underserved Areas Project. No specific vendor or recipient was identified in the record for this item. Together, these four items represent a combined grant total of approximately $6,134,692.50 in federal and state funding directed toward housing assistance, infrastructure, disaster mitigation, and underserved community development. ## Public Comment No members of the public came forward to address the Council during the January 6, 2009 meeting. [timestamp: 0:03:54] - **Agenda items:** No public comments were made regarding any items appearing on the meeting agenda. - **Non-agenda items:** No public comments were made regarding matters outside the agenda. ## Appointments The Council considered one appointment during this meeting: - **David Stephens** — Nominated for a position on the **Airport Board**; the appointment was **tabled**. ## Contested Items - **Airport Board Issues:** The council engaged in heated discussion regarding matters related to the Airport Board. The debate centered on two specific actions: a resolution calling for the board's chairman to resign, and a proposal to suspend non-essential travel. The structured data available from this meeting does not specify which individual council members took opposing sides in the debate, nor does it record the final outcome of either the resignation resolution or the travel suspension proposal. Readers seeking further detail on the positions taken and the ultimate disposition of these items are encouraged to consult the meeting video directly. ## Public Comment — Issues on Agenda [timestamp: 03:54] No members of the public came forward to offer comments on any items appearing on the agenda. ## Requested Rezonings / Docket Approval [timestamp: 04:26] The Council took up the matter of requested rezonings and docket approval. Ehlinger and Gordon were the key speakers during this portion of the meeting. The item was handled without notable debate or opposition, and the docket was approved without dissent. ## Approval of Summary [timestamp: 04:26] The Council took up the approval of the summary from the December 9th meeting. Gordon and Beard were the key speakers during this portion of the meeting. No concerns or objections were raised during the discussion, and the summary was approved without dissent. ## Budget Amendments [timestamp: 06:37] The Council took up the matter of budget amendments during the January 6, 2009 meeting. Speakers Henson and Gordon were the key participants in the discussion of this item. The budget amendments were considered and ultimately **approved as amended**, indicating that modifications were made to the amendments prior to final adoption. The record does not detail the specific line items, dollar figures, or the nature of the changes incorporated before approval. The outcome reflects Council consensus in moving the amended budget amendments forward. ## New Business [timestamp: 08:14] The Council took up New Business during this portion of the meeting. Myers and Gordon were the key speakers involved in the discussion of this agenda item. The new business items were presented to the Council, with the proceedings notable for the incorporation of a clerical change prior to final action. No additional details regarding the specific nature of the clerical change or the individual items of new business are reflected in the meeting record. Following the discussion, the Council approved the new business items, including the clerical change. ## Council Report [timestamp: 23:38] During the Council Report portion of the January 6, 2009 meeting, several council members provided updates on committee activities and offered remarks to mark the start of the new council term. Key speakers during this portion of the meeting included council members Gorton, Gray, and McChord, each of whom contributed reports on recent committee work and related council business. The reports were informational in nature, with no votes or formal actions taken as a result of the discussion. Council members also took the opportunity to welcome new members to the council, reflecting the organizational tone typical of an early January meeting following an election or transition period. No specific concerns were raised during this segment, and the item concluded as an informational presentation to the full council. ## Mayor's Report [timestamp: 50:55] The Mayor's Report was presented during the January 6, 2009 Council meeting, covering two primary topics: a federal stimulus package and issues related to the airport board. The Mayor and Council member Gordon were the key speakers during this portion of the meeting. The discussion addressed the stimulus package, which was a subject of significant interest to municipalities at the time given the broader federal economic response being developed, as well as matters concerning the airport board. The report was approved by the Council following the discussion. *Note: Detailed specifics of the stimulus package discussion and the nature of the airport board issues were not captured in the available structured data for this agenda item. Readers seeking the full context of the Mayor's remarks are encouraged to consult the meeting video beginning at timestamp 50:55.* --- ## Decisions - **Motion** — passed (0-0): Approval of docket - **Motion** — passed (0-0): Approval of December 9th summary - **Motion** — passed (0-0): Amend budget journal number 29859-60 - **Motion** — passed (0-0): Approve budget amendments as amended - **Motion** — passed (0-0): Approve new business items with clerical change - **Motion** — passed (0-0): Amend docket to add resolution regarding airport board - **Motion** — passed (0-0): Merge Stormwater Oversight and Sanitary Sewer Oversight Committees - **Motion** — passed (0-0): Appoint task force for Day Treatment Center - **Motion** — passed (0-0): Table Airport Board appointment --- ## Full transcript Let's go ahead and call the work session to order, if we could please. Um, first item on the agenda is public comment on issues that are on the agenda. Does anyone wish to address the council? See none, so we'll move ahead. We have a docket to approve. Is there a motion? Move to approve, Mayor. Second. Have a motion by Council Member Ehlinger and a second by Council Member Gordon to approve the docket. Any discussion? All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Oppose, no? Motion carries. We have a summary from December 9th for approval. Is there a motion? Move approval. Second. Have a motion by Council Member, uh, Gordon and a second by Council Member Beard to approve the December 9th summary. Any discussion? All in favor, please say aye. Aye. All oppose, no? Motion carries. We're now down to budget amendments, and I think Council Member, uh, Henson has a motion there. Thank you, Mayor. Um, I move that budget journal number 29859-60 on the budget amendment request list be amended to change the dollar amount from $100,000 to 37,050 to match actual deposits. And this is for, um, environmental policy, the Lilly program. It was just an error that needs to be corrected. So moved. Second. All right, let me ... I, I guess the best way to deal with this is a motion to approve the budget amendments. Council Member Henson, if ... Council Member Henson? Peggy? Yeah. How about if we convert your motion into a motion to approve the budget amendments, and then we'll entertain that amendment that you just made? Okay. Is there a second from Council Member Gordon? Second. All right. Now, uh, with the motion to approve the budget amendments on the floor, Council Member Henson has moved to, uh, uh, amend one item. Any discussion about that? Seeing none, those in favor of the amendment proposed by Council Member Henson, please indicate by saying, "Aye." Aye. Oppose, no. Motion carries. We're now ready to consider the budget amendments as amended. Any discussion? Council Member Stennett. Tha- Thank you, Mayor. I did have a question on the journal entry Council Member Henson just read, 29859-60. Could we get a copy of the expenditures? I und- understand this is the revenue we're realizing from the Lilly. If we can get a copy of the, the expenditures on that program versus the revenue, that'd be great. Let's see, Council m- Let's see, Commissioner Taylor... Okay, Charlie Martin says he can make arrangements for that to happen. Thank you. Anything further? Seeing nothing further, we'll proceed to vote. Those in favor of approving the budget amendments as amended, please indicate by saying, "Aye." Aye. Oppose, no. Motion carries. Think Mr. Greene has, uh, a few new business, uh, issues to address, uh, for us. Uh, Artie, if you could go over some clerical issues there. Uh, yes, Mayor, uh, under item A under New Business, it should read, "Authorization to amend Section 21-5 of the Code of Ordinance." Authorization to amend 21-5 of Code of Ordinance, not the eighth of ordinance number. So that needs to be replaced and we've already replaced the memo that you all have a copy of in that packet. Um, you lost me there, Artie. I didn't follow. Okay. Item A. Yes. Where it says, "This request would authorize an amendment to Section 8 of Ordinance Number," that should be replaced with, "Authorization to amend Section 21-5 of the Code of Ordinance." Thank you. That was a clerical error and a new memo has been placed in the packet. All right. Anything further? That's it. All right. The floor is open for a motion to approve those new business items with that clerical change. So moved. Second. Have a motion by Council Member Myers to approve the new business items and a second by Council Member Gordon. Any discussion? Coun- Council Member Gordon. I don't know either, but we'll work through it here. I did log in. Uh, I'm not sure where... Oh, there it is. Anyway, I had a question, uh, on two different items. Um, on item E, um, i- Commissioner Ko, if, I just wanted to know if... This is the item on the temporary appointment of Mary Phister as Acting Advisor for Policy and Budget and I didn't see a... I saw temporary, but I didn't see an end date. Right, uh- Do you have an end date? The, the ordinance says that, um, these can't go beyond six months. Okay. So it will be, it will end six months from the date of appointment. Okay. Thank you. And then on item K, which... Is Commissioner Taylor here? Or- Charlie Martin is here. Charlie Martin? This is the, um, the old Frankfort Pike petroleum release. Can you just tell me what date that occurred or do we know? We don't know. We don't know. This is unfortunately the one I probably know the least about- Okay. ... but this is what I do know about it, is that, we began to get hits in the leachate collection system, which goes down to the pump stations that we operate that are along the creek. And so further investigation has led to this, this request for new business right now, so we can get to the bottom of it and eliminate it. Okay. Right now, it is, it's being contained, the best we know of as far as environmentally, by the leachate system that was installed when the, the, um, the landfill was closed. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Thank you, Ma'am. I'm not entirely clear, um, when the requests to speak come up on the screen, so if I'm missing you, it's not intentional right now. Does anyone else wish to speak to the new business items? Council Member Stennett. Thank you, Mayor. I had a couple questions. One on Z. Um, thi- this is one, another one of our, uh, bus shelters, art- Art in Motion, I believe this one is, or actually just agreeing for a right-of-way. The one before, it was Art in Motion, but just, I'd like to have a little bit more explanation as to why we want to give blanket authority to the commissioner to execute all these future agreements. I know in my district, there has been some issues with the right-of-way and where these are being placed, and I wanna know what kind of oversight, um, council members are on k- in terms of heads up on these and where they're gonna be located, we're gonna be given, because I hate to go through this issue again, like we have had on Fortune Drive. Uh, it's a little uncomfortable for some, some, uh, business owners and property owners as to where these go. So, will we still be getting a list before they go in? Yes, Council Member, we will. Um, what we had done is, and I, I think I mentioned this, um, in a prior council session, that we were trying to expedite the process of facilitating the bus shelters with LexTran, because it was a real problem for them. So, in order to continue with that process, we're still gonna have a technical review committee meeting for each bus shelter to review that. And as opposed to bringing it, each one of those for an encroachment agreement to the council for approval, we thought we'd just expedite that, but you'd still receive the list of those individual shelters, but just giving the Commissioner of Public Works the sign-off as opposed to each one coming straight to council. So, we'll get a list as soon as the Technical Review Committee approves it? That's correct. That's correct. Before it's installed, we'll be notified? That, yes, sir. Okay. As long as we continue to do that, that's fine. And then on X, was a little curious as to, um, this study, uh, the freight, I think we called it the, the Freight Study. Uh- ... hadn't been reviewed since 1979. Curious about why it's popping up in 2009, a- and where we hope to go with it. I know there was some explanation on here. Um, I know we've had explan- or, or some discussion last month on the uses of certain freight traffic on Man O' War. So, is there anything new, or where are we going with this, Max, on, on X? Yes, this is, uh, just long overdue in, in our, you know, our view of the MPO. It's, uh, we perio- uh, periodically request that planning money, uh, from the state. Uh, all the MPOs do, and we thought this would be a good candidate for it, and of course you have to get the match secured, uh, well before the end of the fiscal year when they would award these. Uh, since then, there's been some questions about, you know, funding levels from Washington and so forth, and they're kind of holding this money back on, you know, to maybe cover shortfalls and so forth. So, there would be some more discussion before that would be awarded, but we still had to move, uh, forward with, uh, you know, getting, uh, getting this, uh, match secured. But this is one that the MPO has wanted to do for several years now, just because, like you said, it's very long overdue. Um, we're kind of fortunate in this area to not have too many major freight issues, you know, as with interstates not running through the middle of town and so forth. However, uh, we do have other issues where, uh, you know, they're trying to get to certain pla- places and you have bottlenecks and conflicts and so forth. So, it's just a, a, a new inventory, and basically trying to, uh, decrease conflicts between vehicles and trucks. Uh, that's a huge safety issue because you, uh, when those two have crashes, they're pretty severe and, uh, and also to just make sure that goods are moving how they're moving through our area, and, uh, making sure that our, they're moving through smoothly and, uh, making sure the, uh, new generators and receivers are, are, um, have adequate facilities and so forth. And we can guide our plan and our projects to, to try to meet those, and not only our local projects but the state and federal monies also, so. I guess, m- my only concern, and, and Mayor, I mean, you as anybody know how tight our budget is going to be next year. I mean, here we are, we're committing these funds for our next budget, and, and I guess my concern is, is this the most pressing project- ... to go ahead and commit ourselves? 'Cause obviously we have to get the grant first. Right. But I've rarely seen this government get a grant and not accept it. Right. So, so, I mean, I know it's only $33,000 but these things start mounting up going into '010 and, and I'm just curious, is this the best use of this money, this 33,000, in terms of Planning Department? Right. Maybe not at this time. I can agree with you, and, and we still have to have this discussion with the state and the federal government. It may be better to wait a few years, you know, uh, uh, maybe till next cycle. Uh, I know there's, all the MPOs are not really submitting a lot of these projects right now, maybe one or two. Usually there's many on the table, so this may, you know, I don't believe it would be a problem with withdrawing it, uh, if, if that was a, a budget issue for us. I think it would probably be a good time. It's definitely a budget issue with the state and they're discussing it. But, uh, I think it's an important study to do, uh, in the near future, I believe, just because, as you stated earlier, it's, it's long overdue and, um, it needs to be assessed and, uh, worked into our long-range plan. We feel it's important enough to, to try to do in the near future. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor. Mm-hmm. Any further discussion? Council Member Blues, I think you're up. I, I just wanted to add that if this , if, if, if this study which, which, which is overdue, will, uh, will give us some insight into, into safety improvements on, uh, you know, on our urban, urban street system, especially now that we have so many, uh, you know, so many large, large trucks sharing, sharing the road, if sharing is the right word always. Uh, Max, do you think that this is, you know, when you say we, we might wait a few, a few years on, on this. Uh, what is, what is your sense of how urgent this might be, simply in terms of safety concerns- Mm-hmm. ... not only in, in, uh, on, on the roadways, but also on the railways? Right. I think in the past we've done some good things, uh, from the 1979 study. We've, uh, did the great separation on Broadway and, you know, put in a lot of gates out on, where we've had development on the urban edges and things like that. We've done some good things that, that we've been guided by, by studies and so forth. But, uh, whe- whenever you read the led- literature, whenever we go to conferences, whenever we are talking, uh, freight increases are supposed to just go, you know, crazy. They're supposed to, uh, freight movement is supposed to just increase, uh, uh, largely. I forgot the percentages, but more and more trucks are, you know, uh, scheduled to get onto our road system. So not having a good assessment, a good understanding of that is, is, uh, is, is kind of dropping the ball, I believe. So, I don't believe it's a real vital thing that we have to do, you know, right now, but it's definitely something we want to do in the next few years, I believe, just to have a good understanding, as you said, um, in those, you know, I think everybody that drives the interstate sees more and more trucks every year, you know? And so it's something that you want to pay attention to, I believe. And, and I believe that's where the MPO wanted to go with it, is just to make sure that we have, uh, are considering it. It's, it's, uh, one of the planning factors in the legislation that we have to consider, and also I think it's our obligation to consider it not only from a goods movement economy standpoint, but also a safety standpoint, which is always first and foremost in our planning, um, process. Thank you, sir. Okay. Thank you. Appreciate it. Is there any further discussion? Council Member Meyers? Thank you, Mayor. I have a question on E. Good afternoon, Commissioner. Hi. How you doing? Um, I just have a couple of questions about this position. Um, this is the position that I think the council determined it was not gonna fund in the last budget cycle. That's true. Is that correct? That's correct. Yes, sir. What has changed that the administration is bringing this forward to, to be funded? Uh, a couple of things. Um, first of all, um, my administrative officer senior, Sandy Nichols retired and we have not replaced that position. And Sandy was instrumental in helping when I was in charge of part of the budget. Without her help, um, I'm, I'm snowed quite frankly. And then in the division of budgeting, we have, um, Connie Underwood who retired. We've replaced her by moving Elizabeth up, but then that makes Elizabeth's position vacant. So we're one person short in budgeting. So s- so this really comes a- about because we just don't have enough hands on deck to be able to do a thorough job of re- of, um, p- preparing the mayor's recommended budget and working with the council through that budget process. It, it's purely... W- we just need another pair of hands and I was thrilled that Mary was willing to step up to the plate and, and offer to help. So it sounds like what you're saying is that the reason you filled this position is because since it's appointed, you can make the appointment immediately. If you had to hire this individual- We could make... That's right. We could make the appointment immediately. It is temporary. Mary has absolutely no interest in the position long term, and the mayor hasn't yet determined whether he will request funding for that position in the next budget. But this was just a way to, to help us temporarily in a really cost-effective way, rather than trying to hire temporary help or, or something like that. We felt l- like this was the least expensive route to go to get the becks- best expertise. And the most effective and efficient way to get it done. Right. Okay. Thank you. Mm-hmm. That's all, Mayor. Thank you. Anything further? All right. Those then in favor of approving the items of new business, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Opposed, no. Motions carry. Uh, the motion carries. We're now down to the budget and finance, uh, committee report. I don't know if that's Councilman Lane. Council Member Lane. Uh, thank you, Mayor. Uh, our former Council Member Stephens asked me to fill in for him since he's not on the council anymore. Um, the meeting was held, uh, the Budget and Finance Committee meeting was held on December 9th. And the major portion of the meeting was, uh, reported from the Equine Task Force. And one of the major points brought out by the task force is that there's no sales tax exemptions for equine agribusinesses, uh, where other, um, business like cattle raising are exempt from sales tax. So a motion was made by Council Member Gordon to take the issue of sales tax inequities for horse farm owners to the Central Kentucky Caucus and to our Urban County Government's Director of Government Relations. Uh, this was seconded by Council Member Ellinger and passed without dissent. So, uh, although I, I suppose this could be just a direct request for the administration to implement that effort, uh, I don't think a motion is really required at this time. Uh, in addition to that, uh, uh, Commissioner Coe reported on financials and, uh, probably the most significant thing she said was she was concerned about the revenue and budgets for fiscal year 2010 and she was waiting to see, uh, more updated financial information for this fiscal year. We should have a report hopefully by the next Budget and Finance Committee meeting. Uh, the other two items, uh, internal audit reports. Uh, Bruce Salih made a report on the vision of engineering project management and the Hailey Pike landfill collection process. And Mike Webb, the Acting Commissioner of Public Works stated that, uh, his department is working on changes that will rectify those issues as soon as possible. And then, uh, the last item was an overview of the Man-O-War study show how we can make improvements to the road with minimum capital expenditures. Uh, that's all I have, Mayor. Thank you. Any questions for Council Member Lane? All right. We're ready then to move on to council reports. And it looks like Council Member Meyers is first. Yes. Oh, I'm sorry, Council Member Gordon. Ms. Redding's training- Thank you, Mayor. Um, first of all, I wanted to welcome, uh, Council Member Dianne Lawless and Council Member Cheryl Feigl. It's great to have you two aboard and I look forward to working with you both. Um, secondly, I wanted to report that the Stormwater Fee Task Force met in December, had its first meeting and kind of got organized. And we're having our second meeting this Thursday, January the 8th at 1:00 in the afternoon, on the fifth floor in the conference room. And, uh, all council members should have received a hard copy of our minutes and our agenda for the next meeting. What I'm hoping is to keep all council members in the loop as much as possible. And we've gotten several people from the public who have wanted to be on the email list. So they're all added and they're all getting all the information that we're getting so that as we go through the process, all council members and as many people in the public as want to know what we're doing will know. So, uh, council members, if you know anyone who wants added to the email list, just let me know, and we'll be happy to send them the information electronically. And then, uh, finally, I wanted to go back to August. Um, on August the 26th, we discussed, um, our tax rates, as we do every year. And during the discussion, I had requested that we get a reporting from all of the quasi-governmental bodies that receive a dedicated tax. The Health Department, LexTran, um, Soil and Conservation, the Library, thank you, and there's one more. And I had not heard anything about that, because, um, what I was wanting to know was at least that the council had had an opportunity to look at, look at those. And so I'd like to go ahead and maybe Commissioner Koh has an answer to that before I make a motion. Yeah. The Extension Service, thank you, is the other one. Right. Um, and, and I apologize. We re- we have those reports, and as I noted earlier, I've had a retirement. She was the one who collected all that information, and clearly, it just didn't get conveyed to you. We did collect it, so we will get it to you before the end of the week. I'm, I'm terribly sorry. But, m- I understand. I just thought it might be good to bring it back up, since we had not heard. Right. Okay. We, we, we did get them, so. Okay. We'll get them to you. I appreciate that very much. Thank you. Vice Mayor Gray. Thank you, Mayor. Council Member Gordon has already, uh, welcomed our two council members in the Committee of the Whole this morning. Uh, that was our welcome, first item on the agenda as well, so welcome Council Member Feigl and Council Member Lawless. Uh, next item on our agenda was less welcome, and it had to do with the expanding problems at our airport, which the council addressed this morning in the Committee of the Whole. And for context and quickly, just bef- as, um ... Context for the reading of the resolution that we discussed this morning, I'd like to f- say that ... this was a, has an, it has been and continues to be a tough issue for all of us, for the members of the council, certainly for the mayor and the administration for the city. Um, the council, however, has and it should be acknowledged, um ... The council, a little more than three weeks ago, after the first news of these issues surfaced in the press, the council took a leadership role and running against the grain, in many respects, against the objections of the board, the airport board, and the board chairman, to ask for an independent audit at the airport. To examine these issues that have since proved to be significant and substantial. In today's meeting, it was almost to a person expressed that these issues are not about individuals. They are about the institution. And the remedies that we are encouraging, the actions that we are encouraging as a council have to do with restoring trust and confidence, and the unshakable credibility and integrity of the airport. So with that in mind, I'd like to read the resolution and , and make a motion to the effect of adopting this resolution. Whereas the Lexington Bluegrass Airport is a publicly owned facility responsible and accountable to the public, and whereas the governing board of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Airport is appointed by the mayor and subject to confirmation by the Urban County Council, and whereas the council has a clear responsibility to act in the public interest regarding the management and oversight of the airport, and whereas , rec- whereas recent reports have seriously jeopardized public confidence and credibility in the airport's management and oversight, now therefore be it resolved by the Council of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Section 1, that the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Airport Board Chairman is requested to resign as chair and suspend any activities with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Airport Board and airport management until the Kentucky State Auditor completes the independent audit. Section 2, that the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Airport Board is urged to suspend approval of all e- nonessential out-of-state travel by airport staff and board members until the audit is complete. Section 3, that no new appointments be made by the mayor to the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Airport Board until the Kentucky State Auditor completes the audit. Section 4, that this resolution shall become effective on the date of its passage. And I will move the adoption of the resolution. Second. I think the motion would be to amend the docket to add that to the, uh, Thursday night. Okay. Docket. So, the motion would be to amend the docket to add this, uh, resolution to the docket for Thursday evening. Any further discussion? All in favor, please say, "Aye." Aye. Oppose, "No." Motion carries. Council Member McCord, uh- Mayor, we have a couple of more things, if I can mention- Sure. ... from the Committee of the Whole meeting this morning. Uh, we discussed new committee assignments, uh, as well as the merger of sto- Stormwater Oversight and Sanitary Sewer Oversight Committees into the Water Resources Oversight Committee. Now, do we need a motion to adopt that? If, if w- then I sh- will so move. Second. Any discussion? All in favor, please indicate by saying, "Aye." Aye. Oppose, "No." Motion carries. We had several other new business items, but I believe we're all clear on that and it's not really n- necessary, is it? Do y'all think to... Okay. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Council Member McCord. Thank you, Mayor. Uh, again, I also wanna extend my, uh, welcome to Council Members Feigl and, and Lawless. Good to have you all here. Um, a couple things. One, uh, uh, wanna announce that on, uh, January 13th from 6:00 to 7:00 at the North Side YMCA is the Legacy Trails, uh, Public, uh, Meeting. Unfortunately, council members that wanna be there will, uh, will be here, uh, during a zone change, but, uh, do encourage, uh, all of the members of the community to come out, uh, as this is one of those projects that has huge community support, has already had a huge, uh, community buy-in and, and, uh, input, and we certainly would like everyone to know what is happening, but also to, to lend their, uh, suggestions. Um, secondly, I was just wanting to ask Mayor if, uh, if it was okay with you, if, if you wouldn't mind speaking just a little bit to what President Elect Obama's, uh, Main Street Stimulus Package, for lack of a better way of saying it, is, uh, what we are doing in, in, in preparation for that as it, it relates to my next, next item. Sure. I'll be glad to address that. It is a bit of a work in process, um, but I can, I can give you a quick rundown. The president-elect has made it clear that he's interested in trying to stimulate the economy as quickly as possible, and to that end, he has, uh, requested that we identify projects that can be started in 90 days and completed by the end of 2010. They are looking for projects that, um, uh, fall within the broad definition of infrastructure, whether it's transportation projects, water, sewer, um, government buildings, education, uh, and an assortment of other broadly defined infrastructure projects. They're also looking to try to do some things, um, that would target healthcare technology, which I think bodes well for our community, and for, um, education there is some discussion about extending benefits for unemployed individuals through the, uh, unemployment insurance program nationally, and there's also some tax relief that is contemplated. The US Conference of Mayors has requested on several occasions, um, during December that we provide them with a list of projects that meet the criteria established by the president-elect and his transition team. And we have thus far submitted projects, um, 124 projects in Lexington that would amount to approximately $454 million worth of investment, and if, um, things go as anticipated, they would generate somewhere in the neighborhood of 6,500 jobs during calendar years 2009 and 2010. That, uh, whole, uh, exercise is continuing. As a matter of fact, earlier today we learned that we have until January 9th to, uh, submit additions or changes in the list of projects that we have submitted, so if any of you have, um, items that you'd like to add to the list for inclusion that meet those particular qualifications, please let, uh, Ned Shehey know, who has been coordinating that effort. But that's, uh, a bit of an overview. It appears as though the timing of this, uh, is probably sometime in February, late January at the earliest, February more likely, and, um, it, it has great promise for our community if, uh, if things go as they appear to be going right now. Thank you. I appreciate that, uh, and, and I think that, uh, people see bits and pieces oftentimes and they don't quite understand how all this fits together, but obviously this is a, uh, a tremendous opportunity depending on which way the Congress goes and, and, uh, and how this shakes itself out, but we certainly need to do everything we can to be ready, uh, to receive money or, or to be in a position to, to take, uh, what is offered and to that end, one of the things that I'd mentioned back before we went on break, uh, that I wanted to push forward at the very beginning of this year, uh, is, uh, is this practice known as QBS, or Quality Based Selection, with regard to our engineering, uh, selections, how we pick engineers, and especially with regard to so many of these projects that are, uh, involved in, in the stimulus package. Uh, if those projects are cleared, uh, and, and paid for through the federal government, then we have a lot of opportunity for, uh, getting at some of the other projects that are, are, have been backlogged. But one of the things I wanna do, especially with new council members and, and other council members that may not be familiar with this, is to organize a, uh, a council workshop, uh, before either a, uh, a work session or before a council meeting, uh, and bring in, uh, George Bender, who's with the, uh, American Council of Engineering Consultants and Companies, and, uh, ask him to work with, uh, our council administrator to set that up for us, so that we can be aware of what that means and how we move forward, but one of the key, key things that this council sees all the time, and I know Council Member Myers, it, it has been something we've talked about so often, is change orders- ... and just how helpless we kinda feel when we see a, a massive change order. Uh, and I know that Commissioner Coe and, and others have seen, uh, th- this is a real problem. And so, one of the things about QBS that's really important is, um, not only does it foster greater, uh, competition, because there are engineering companies that will not bid on jobs in Lexington, because we're not a QBS city, uh, but also, uh, it is a, a direct way that we can get at change orders. Uh, and, and so, that's, that's a really, really important point. But the reason I asked the mayor to speak directly about President-elect Obama's, uh, plan is, is that a lot of these federal dollars can go to only cities, uh, cities that use QBS. And so, we wanna make sure that we are in line for those things. So, that's why I wanna move with haste to get the council aware, to answer whatever questions the administration has. Uh, and so, I plan on doing that in the next couple of weeks, so please, uh, as, uh, our council administrator sends you, uh, a, uh, invitation to that, I would ask that everybody be, be there. So, thank you, Mayor. I appreciate it. Thank you. Council Member Blues. Thank you, Mayor. I just wanted to underline, uh, Council Member McCord's, uh, announcement of and, and, uh, uh, an, an appeal to the public to, uh, to attend the, uh, uh, the, the feasibility study review of the, uh, of, of the Legacy Trail. That's gonna be at 6:00 PM, once again, uh, Tuesday, January 13, at the North Lexington Y on Loudoun, near the Health Department, near Newtown Pike. It's especially important that residents of Northwest Lexington and North Lexington, uh, a- a- attend this, uh, attend this session and give their ideas on the, uh, on the trail. There, there are gonna be many access points for neighborhoods extending all the way from, from the Horse Park to the proposed, uh, Isaac Murphy, uh, uh, memor- Art Garden. That's right, at the corner of Midland and, uh, and Third. So, this i- this is a- another opportunity for the public to, uh, uh, uh, to see, to see the, the, the trail design as it now stands, look at the, at the routing, uh, look at their neighborhood's relationship to that trail, and to give their ideas on, on, on access, on, on artistic, uh, uh, points of interest along the way, and so forth. So, uh, as, as, uh, Council Member McCord said, most of us will be in this, uh, in this room that night instead of at that, at that meeting, but this is really for the public to, uh, to provide its, its input, its advice, uh, and, and get some information. So I, again, encourage, uh, a lot of folks to attend that night. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Council Member Beard. Thank you, Mayor. Um, as relates to this, um, um, stimulus package that, uh, the, uh, president-elect has, uh, offered us or is going to offer us or... um, that takes very good care of the construction engi- industry and engineering and such. What about other segments of the economy? Let's say, um, as we saw in the paper this morning, the automobile industry in, in a local mode, um, we're gonna see dealerships closed. Um, while mechanics may be used in the construction industry, I'm not real sure that a 20-year salesperson is gonna be much help. Um, is there any discussion at all about something that's broader that can cover, uh, uh, more of the, uh, the population that's in trouble? With regard to the auto industry specifically, you may recall that, um, the House approved a relief package for the auto industry. The Senate rejected it, and then President Bush indicated that there would be some, um, relief for the auto industry under the TARP program that, uh, was adopted back in, in September and October. So, with regard to the auto industry specifically, that's, I think, the primary source of, of, uh, relief for the auto industry. President-elect Obama has indicated that there will be a broad-based tax redu- reduction element in his, uh, stimulus package. The exact amount and form of that remains to be negotiated out with Congress as they go through the legislative process. But I do think it's safe to anticipate that there'll be some significant tax relief that will probably start showing up in people's paychecks pretty quickly. Um, there are some other elements to the, um, uh, stimulus package. I don't... I didn't bring a, a detailed description with me today, but I think it's safe to say that they are trying to construct it in such a fashion that it would have the maximum impact in as many places as possible as quickly as possible. The current amount proposed by President- uh, elect Obama is, uh, as I understand, it's $775 billion, and, um, there appears to be strong bipartisan support for that in Congress. But obviously, there's going to be a lot of negotiating going on over the course of the next month or six weeks. So, that's about everything I know about it right at the moment. And to the degree any of you have, uh, interest in that and care to share your views, I would encourage you to contact, uh, Senator McConnell, Senator Bunning, and, uh, Congressman Chandler. Just one -- just one other comment. You do have to have a job before tax relief really helps you. True. Yeah. True. Thank you. As I mentioned a moment ago, there is some, uh, intention to extend unemployment insurance benefits for a protracted period of time, so, uh, for those who may not have the job and benefit from the tax relief, perhaps there would be an alternative form of benefit. Thank you, Mayor. All right. Council Member Ellinger. Thank you, Mayor. I, I too want to welcome our new, um, council members to the next, the new term, and welcome everybody back. And I was looking through, um, an email that had the list of our retirees, and we've lost a lot of important, valuable institutional knowledge, um, people, in this last fiscal year. And one in particular that I'm not sure if y'all are aware of, but, uh, Charlie Bolin, um, retired here recently. I just wanted to wish Charlie all the best. He, he actually did the retirement for two council members and did a song and dance for them, and it was, um, very entertaining, and, and I wish we could have done something special for him, because he did a lot for this, um, city. And I wish him the best in all his future endeavors, but I wish everybody who's retired all the best, because I think it's over 100 now. And when we budgeted that, I'm not sure wh- where we stand. Um, Keenan, do you know how we stand on our retirees and what pace? Because I think we had, what, 170 that we had planned on that, and I think we're up to, according to that list was 112. Okay. So I just wanted to let everybody be aware of at least one of them in particular, because we did not really do anything special for him. And I think that's somebody who's been here many years that should get some public, um, notarized, because he did so much for this community. Charlie will be back with us next week to, uh, make a presentation on 2040. So, um, you'll have an opportunity to visit with him then. And I think there may be something in the works for Charlie. Anything further? All right. We'll move to the mayor's... I messed that up. O- Okay, Council Member Myers. Thank you, Mayor. Um, I too would like to echo the, the comments from Councilman McCord on the, on the stimulus package and the quality based, uh, contracting. And that UK does a lot of that, and that's something that we need to look into and look forward to having that presentation. Also, in light of, um, President-Elect Obama's pending stimulus package, Mayor, I'd like to ask if it's possible. I've gotten some feedback from some of the outside agencies that are concerned that the application process for them is, I think, uh, January 15th, the deadline. And they're concerned that there's some opportunities might be missed if they have to submit their application prior to, um, the president-elect's stimulus package being announced. So they would like to know if we could move that deadline back to maybe the end of February, if that would create too much problem on your budget cycle. Their application process for the budget purposes or for- Yes. Okay. Um- They have an application they have to submit. I think the deadline is the 15th of January. They were wondering if they could push that back to the end of February, or at least until whatever time the stimulus package is announced and they can look at what opportunities may be out there for them. I'll let Commissioner, Commissioner Ko address that because she's more intimately familiar with the, um, process for getting the applications in. I'm sorry, I didn't hear all your comments. I, I, I was working on something else, but, but the applications are due, um, January 15th, and I wasn't clear what you're asking after that. I'm sorry. I've had contact with some of the folks from the outside agencies that are going to be submitting applications. Mm-hmm. They're wondering if there's some opportunity available to them in that stimulus package that might be coming down from Presi- President-Elect Obama. But if we have to have the deadline at the 15th of January, they'll have to submit their applications prior to whatever announcements he's going to make. They're wondering if we could push that deadline back to the end of February, or at least the middle of February, so they'd have an opportunity, um, to take advantage of some of the things that are going to be available. We can take a look at that, but I thought all of, uh, President-Elect Obama's package was around cap- what we would consider capital projects. And I don't know that we have any, um, outside agencies that, other than maybe the YMCA, that we've really, um, participated in a, in a capital way as- I'll give you an example. And I'm not sure what they have, what they're working on, but I talked to PG Peoples. Uh-huh. And, uh, the National Urban League has been meeting with the president-elect's staff at some opportunities that might be available to urban leagues around the country. What about if we do this? If, if we go ahead and, and make, make them due on January 15th, but advise them if they get information after that date that changes what they might have submitted to us, that they'd be allowed to update it? Okay. Because we really need to have those in the system, um, as we move forward, starting to try to make decisions. But we'd be happy t- to accept any amendments that they might offer. And we'll get something out to the, um, to the folks that we sent the applications to, to make sure that they understand that they will be allowed to amend if they get something from the package that changes what they sent to us. Okay. Is that, is that okay? That's perfect. Okay. Perfect. Thank you. I have, um, one more thing. Um, as you know, the fiscal year '09 mayor's budget, mayor's proposed budget included a recommendation to transfer the operation of the Day Treatment Center to the Fayette County Public Schools. The members of the link committee studied the proposal at length. Our recommendation was to maintain the center within LFUCG with some minor adjustments. The council's unanimous support for that recommendation demonstrates the importance of this center to our community. After some feedback from the members of the community, including family court, I remain convinced that the part of this program's strength is its unique partnership and that LFUCG needs to continue responsibility for its operation. I also believe that the opportunities remain to find efficiencies that will improve its solvency and soften, if not eliminate, its impact on the general fund... Budget. Um, a small task force comprised of people from the community could help shed light on these opportunities and develop a plan prior to the presentation of the FL... FY '09 budget. Such a group could examine the entire project or program in a way that the council link and the administration, um, could not due to its limits in time and resources. I'm requesting that the Vice Mayor, um, appoint a task force, um, as soon as practical and to, to take a look at that. And I also have a list of names, uh, that I'd like to submit to you. I don't want to do it on the record until you have a contact, a chance to contact them, but- ... my motion is that you would, um, or my request is that you would appoint a task force. Make a motion? Okay. I'll go ahead and ma- and make a motion that you put together a task force, and I'll supply you some names as recommendations to, um, study the day treatment center and its feasibility in keeping that, um, where it's at. So moved. Second. Second. I have a motion by Council Member Meyers and a second by Council Member Beard to, uh, request the vice mayor to appoint a task force to study the day treatment center. Um, is there any discussion? Those in favor then, please say, "I." I. Those who oppose, say, "No." Motion carries. Thank you, Mayor. That concludes my report. Is there anyone else yet- Council Member Henson. ... has a report? Council Member Henson, do you have a report? Okay. Anyone else? All right. That takes us down to the mayor's report. Um, it has been dis- distributed in the packet. In light of your action earlier today, I understand there may be some issue with the Airport Board, but, um, I'm gonna keep it on the list, and if you all wish to remove it, that's your prerogative. Uh, I think there are some issues under the statutes as to exactly what the council's role is here, but we'll deal with that in dear ti- due time. Um, for the moment, I'd appreciate a motion to entertain so much of the mayor's report as you wish. Approve it, brother. So moved. I move that we... Would be the appropriate thing here. Council Member Gordon? Well, in light of the fact that the council passed the motion not to appoint any new Airport Board members- Excuse me. ... it seems that the second item, the Airport Board, would not... I- if we approve that, we go against what we just passed. So, it seems to me that we need to, uh, table the Airport Board. I move to table the Airport Board- Second. ... appointment. Second. I have a motion and second to table the airport... The appointment of David Stephens to the Airport Board. Any, uh, discu- well, there's no discussion on that. All in favor, please say, "I." I. Opposed, "No." Motion carries. I move to, uh, remaining, um, elements of the, of the mayor's report to be, uh, adopted. Is there a second? Second. I have a motion by Vice Mayor Gray and a second by Council Member McCord to approve the remaining elements of the mayor's report. Any discussion? All in favor, please say, "I." I. All opposed, "No." Motion carries. The only other thing I would add is, as I mentioned on Sunday, uh, I think we saw remarkable results from getting together in a retreat format down at Shakertown a couple of years ago, and, uh, I'd like to suggest we do that again. The sooner, the better. Ideally, uh, before the end of the month in order that we can, we can, um, establish an agenda for the next couple of years, and I'll work with the vice mayor to try to find a date that will work for most peoples' calendars as expediently as we can. That is all I have. That takes us down to the, uh, public comment on issues not on the agenda. Does anyone wish to address the council? All right. We do have a, uh, closed session. Do we have a, a motion, Council Member Gordon? Yes, Mayor. I move that the council enter into closed session pursuant to KRS 61.8101C to discuss pending and proposed litigation, the public discussion of which would jeopardize the government's tactics, evidence, and legal position. So moved. I have a motion by Council Member Gordon to go into closed session with a second by Council Member Beard. Any discussion? All in favor, please say, "I." I. All opposed, "No." Motion carries. Anything coming out negative? No. I'm wild again, beguiled again. A simpering, whimpering child again. Bewitched. Bothered and bewildered am I.