# Urban County Council Meeting - June 23, 2009 > Auto-transcribed civic record · Council · June 23, 2009 - **Permalink**: https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/959 - **Source video**: https://lfucg.granicus.com/player/clip/959?view_id=14&redirect=true - **Date**: 2009-06-23 - **Body**: Council - **Last revised**: June 17, 2026 - **Length**: 1,569 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 Government Council Meeting was held on June 23, 2009, at 3:00 PM in Lexington, Kentucky, and was presided over by Mayor Jim Newberry. The meeting's agenda focused on two ordinances related to the government's financial operations: one appropriating revenues, expenditures/expenses, and interfund transfers, and another amending certain existing budgets, both of which received their first readings. Over the course of the meeting, 2 votes were taken and 1 public comment was heard. No presentations were noted as part of the meeting's proceedings. ## Attendance All members were present for the Council meeting on June 23, 2009. The following individuals were in attendance: - **Mayor:** Jim Newberry - **Council Members:** Beard, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Feigel, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, and Stinnett No members were recorded as absent or late. ## Votes and Decisions Two votes were taken during the June 23, 2009 Council meeting, both passing unanimously. - **Amendment to Include Budget Amendment 2347 for the Enhanced 911 Fund** [timestamp: 0:06:07]: Motioned by Blues and seconded by Beard, this vote amended an ordinance to include Budget Amendment 2347 for the Enhanced 911 Fund. The motion passed unanimously, 16–0. All 16 council members voted in favor: Jim Newberry, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Feigel, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, and Stinnett. No members voted against or abstained. - **Adjournment of the Council Meeting** [timestamp: 0:10:18]: Motioned by Ellinger and seconded by Gorton, this vote formally adjourned the council meeting. The motion passed unanimously, 16–0. All 16 council members voted in favor: Jim Newberry, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Feigel, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, and Stinnett. No members voted against or abstained. ## Public Comment One member of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period. [timestamp: 07:29] - **Pam Brandenburg** spoke on the topic of the budget, raising several concerns related to employee compensation and benefits. Specifically, Brandenburg expressed reservations about the proposed 1% salary increase for most employees, and raised the possibility of rising health insurance premiums as an additional burden. Brandenburg also made a direct request to the Council that any surplus money be prioritized for non-sworn employees. ## Ordinance appropriating the Revenues, Expenditures/Expenses and Interfund Transf [timestamp: 03:53] The Council took up an ordinance appropriating revenues, expenditures/expenses, and interfund transfers across various district funds. The ordinance also included approval of the Capital Improvement Program covering fiscal years 2010 through 2015, a suspension of a section of the Economic Contingency Ordinance, and approval of funding for the Tourist and Convention Commission. This item was heard on first reading at the June 23, 2009 Council meeting. No key speakers were identified in the available record for this item, and no specific debate, amendments, or concerns raised during discussion are reflected in the extracted data. The ordinance represents the Council's formal appropriation action establishing the budget framework for district funds and authorizing the multi-year capital planning program through FY 2015. ## Ordinance amending certain of the Budgets [timestamp: 06:07] The Council took up an ordinance amending certain budgets to reflect current requirements for municipal expenditures. The specific amendment under consideration was Budget Amendment 2347, pertaining to the Enhanced 911 Fund. Key speakers on this item were Blues and Beard. The ordinance was presented as a measure to align the relevant budgets with current municipal spending needs, with Budget Amendment 2347 identified as the central component of the action. The item was acted upon at first reading by the Council. --- ## Decisions - **Motion** — passed (16-0): Amend the ordinance to include Budget Amendment 2347 for the Enhanced 911 Fund - **Motion** — passed (16-0): Adjourn the council meeting --- ## Full transcript Yeah. We, we need to begin today with a, uh, council meeting. So, uh, we will do that first, but let me, uh, begin by turning the floor over to Council Member Chuck Ellinger, who has a special recognition. Chuck? Thank you, Mayor. It's my pleasure to welcome this year's, uh, senior interns. If you all would just take a moment and stand up. Aw, thanks. Mayor, this is a special class. This is the 25th year that w- we at the Urban County Government have been offering this program. There's been over 600 alumni that have gone through this that learn all about urban county government, and we learn from them. So I just wanna thank them for taking the time to come here, and also I wanna thank all the LFUCG employees who spend the time to, um, to teach them. So thank you all, and I hope you enjoy your week. Thank you. Council Member Ellinger, if you don't mind, you might tell folks who may be watching on GTV3 how they might become eligible to participate, what they have to do to apply, and what the eligibility requirements are. Certainly, yeah. W- it's the Senior Intern Program. We really don't set an age, but it's usually, I guess, around 50 or thereafter. And it meets the third week every w- every year in June, third week of June. It goes for a week and you learn all different aspects of, of government. We spent yesterday learning about the, the council. I wanna thank the different council members who were there speaking yesterday, Council Member Stennet, Dr. Blues, uh, Miss, um, Julian Beard, Linda Gordon was there, the Vice Mayor was there speaking. So it's, it's a great opportunity for them. And the mayor actually was the one who started the whole program off. Today they spent the day at the, um, police station, learned a lot about what's going on with the police. They'll s- they'll be at the, the fire department. They just learn all aspects of government, and it's a great opportunity to learn about government. I think everybody has a good appreciation for what goes on, but you get to kinda get a fine tune of what actually g- goes on. You get to, to meet the people who are in charge of all the different programs. So if you're interested, you can contact my office and we will get an application for you for next year to be the 26th class. Thanks again for participating. Sure. ... come back twice? No. No, we've asked people. I, I think we're gonna let the people... She asked if you could come back twice. You know, um, we haven't really had that problem, but, um, the people have asked that. We try to let new people come, but who knows? We might let you come back as a special one. Thank you. We're delighted to have you with us today and hope you enjoy the rest of your week. We look forward to seeing you on Friday as, uh, you wrap up your week. Madam Clerk, if you'll call the roll, please. Mr. Beard. Present. Mr. Blues. Here. Miss Crosby. Here. Mr. Ellinger. Here. Miss Feigel. Here. Miss Gordon. Here. Mr. Gray. Here. Miss Henson. Here. Miss James. Here. Mr. Lane. Here. Miss Lawless. Here. Mr. Martin. Here. Mr. McCord. Here. Mr. Meyers. Here. And Mr. Stennet. Yes, ma'am. Thank you. We have a quorum, so we are ready to proceed. Madam Clerk, if you'll give first reading to the ordinance entitled First Reading Ordinances, please. Ordinance Number One, an ordinance appropriating the revenues, expenditures, expenses, and inter-fund transfers for the General Services District Fund, the Tenant Relocation Fund, the Urban Services District Fund, the Police Confiscated Federal Fund, the Police Confiscated State Fund, the Pu- Public Safety Fund, the Spay and Neuter Fund, the Industrial Revenue Bond Fund, the Municipal and Program Aid, Program Fund, the County Road and Fund, the County Road Aid Fund, the Mineral Severance Fund, the Coal Severance Fund, the Miscellaneous Special Revenue Fund, the Sanitary Sewer Revenue and Operating Fund, the Sanitary Sewer Construction Fund, the Storm Water Fund, the Landfill Fund, the Right-of-Way Program Fund, the City Employees Pension Fund, the Policemen's and Fire Fighter's Retirement Fund of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, the Extended School Program Fund, the Prisoner's Account Fund, the Enhanced 911 Fund, the Li- LexVan Program Fund, the LexFayette Urban County Government Public Facilities Corporation General Fund, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Public Facilities Corporation Parks Projects Fund, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Public Parking Corporation Fund, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Public Library Corporation Fund, the Medical Insurance Fund, Property and Casualty Claims Fund, the FY2005, Five Bond, uh, Projects Fund, and the FY2010 Bond Projects Fund on a divisional level by four control levels for the fiscal year ending Jun- June 30th, 2010 for the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and its agencies and instrumentalities approving and adopting the Capital Improvement Program for Fiscal Years, FY2010 through FY2015, and as a portion of the Fiscal Year 2010 Annual Capital Improvements Budget, suspending Section 5-1 of the Economic Contingency Ordinance Number 78-2006, and approving funding for the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Tourist and Convention Commission from the Transient Room Tax, said funding to equal 99.5% of the revenue from the tax. And I understand there's a motion on number two? Mayor. Council Member Blues. Thank you, Mayor. I move that Ordinance Number Two on the docket be amended to include Budget Amendment 2347 for the Enhanced 911 Fund. Funds are needed to pay for telecommunications expenses ... Excuse me. Related to Enhance 9/11 in FY '09. Funds are available from other accounts within the Enhance 9/11 program. So moved. I have a motion and a second. Uh, the motion is, uh, by Council Member Blues, the second is by Council Member Beard. Any discussion? All in favor of that amendment, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Opposed, no. The motion carries. Madam Clerk. Ordinance Number Two for first reading as amended, an ordinance amending certain of the budgets of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government to reflect current requirements for municipal expenditures and appropriating and reappropriating funds Schedule Number 165. Thank you, Madam Clerk. If there are no, uh, further items, we'll proceed to announcements. No announcements? Any public comment on matters pertaining, uh, to this, this, uh, meeting? Uh, Pam Brandenburg? Ms. Brandenburg, are you here to speak on the budget? Yes. Okay. Now would be the time. If you will give us your street address and you'll have three minutes. Good afternoon. My name is Pam Brandenburg, and I am an employee of LFUCG and the current president-elect for CSEA AFSCME Local 3562. I do not live in Fayette County. One would have to be blind and deaf not to realize the condition of dec- today's economy and its impact on this year's budget. Therefore, I am not here to plead for an exorbitant raise for the non-collective bargaining employees. With the mandatory raises of anywhere from 2.8 to 14%, depending on years of service and individual contracts for fire, police, community corrections, it is also understandable where most of the funds set aside for payroll will be going. And until the rest of LFUCG gets collective bargaining, it's always going to be this way. In the mayor's 2010 budget address, he said, and I quote, "The proposed budget includes a 1% raise for all non-sworn personnel." End quote. He also proposed no new layoffs. However, when the budget went to the Committee of the Whole, it was listed as a 1% raise for most non-bargaining employees. I feel the very least the city can do for its non-collective bargaining employees is to give all of them a raise, not just a select few. A structure movement of 1.5% is not an unacceptable nor unreasonable request. In addition to this, we would like a guarantee from this council that our health insurance rates will not increase during open enrollment for calendar year 2010, and if these requests are granted, that it will not impact the no new layoffs proposed by the mayor. It is a fact that for LFUCG to grant equality to current non-bargaining employees in pay raises and benefits that has been negotiated by and won by collective bargaining personnel in the past three-plus years, it would bankrupt this city. We are not asking for that. We are simply asking for a pittance and a promise to keep our finances at just the minimum above the current status quo so that we do not fall farther and farther below the rapidly rising cost of living. It would also be nice for this council to guarantee that if surplus monies are found later in the year, some of it makes its way to the non-collective bargaining personnel in the form of adding money to the benefit pool so that we have more take-home money in our pocket. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Brandenburg. Does anyone else wish to address the council on the matter of the budget? If not, we'll entertain a motion to adjourn. I have a motion by Council Member Ellinger and a second by Council Member Gordon to, uh, adjourn the council meeting. Those in favor, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Those opposed, no. Motion carries. Thank you.