Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council convened on September 17, 2009, at 7:00 P.M. in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Jim Newberry presiding. The meeting covered four agenda items, beginning with an invocation and proceeding through second readings of both ordinances and resolutions, as well as communications from the Mayor. All substantive agenda items — including the ordinances, resolutions, and mayoral communications — were approved by the Council. Over the course of the meeting, 5 votes were taken and 3 public comments were heard.

Attendance

The following members were present at the September 17, 2009 Council meeting:

• Jim Newberry
• Henson
• James
• Lane
• Lawless
• Martin
• McChord
• Myers
• Stinnett
• Beard
• Blues
• Crosbie
• Ellinger
• Feigel
• Gray

Absent: Gorton

No members were recorded as late. A total of 15 members were present for the meeting.

Votes and Decisions

• Approval of August 27, 2009 Minutes 2:46: Motioned by Stinnett, seconded by Ellinger. The minutes were approved by voice vote.

• Ordinance 183-2009 3:20: Creating Section 5-29.3 of the Code of Ordinances for additional fees. Motioned by Martin, seconded by Henson. The ordinance passed 13–1 on a roll call vote. Voting in favor: Henson, James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Feigel, and Gray. Voting against: McChord.

• Ordinance 184-2009 10:23: Levying ad valorem taxes for municipal purposes. Motioned by Martin, seconded by Henson. The ordinance passed 12–2 on a roll call vote. Voting in favor: Henson, Lane, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Feigel, and Gray. Voting against: James and Lawless.

• Approval of Various Ordinances 10:53: Motioned by Martin, seconded by Henson. The package of ordinances passed unanimously 14–0 on a roll call vote. All members voted in favor: Henson, James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Feigel, and Gray.

• Approval of Various Resolutions 19:57: Motioned by Lawless, seconded by McChord. The resolutions passed unanimously 14–0 on a roll call vote. All members voted in favor: Henson, James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Feigel, and Gray.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council approved several contracts and financial agreements at the September 17, 2009 meeting, spanning public infrastructure, public safety, technology, and housing assistance.

• Resolution 571-2009 authorized a contract with Bluegrass Contracting Corp. valued at $1,225,006.25 for the Vaughn's Branch Flood Hazard Mitigation Project.

• Resolution 572-2009 approved a contract with Allen Vanguard Technologies, Inc. for the purchase of a Ballistic Ensemble for the Division of Police. No contract amount was specified in the available record.

• Resolution 575-2009 authorized a Software License Agreement with New World Systems Corp. at a cost of $58,560.

• Resolution 576-2009 approved a contract with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in the amount of $300,000 for the Operations and Maintenance of Traffic Signals.

• Resolution 578-2009 approved an amendment to an agreement with REACH, Inc. in the amount of $100,000 in connection with the First-Time Homebuyer's Program.

Public Comment

Three residents addressed the Council during the public comment period.

• Adam Jones 53:10 asked about the timeline for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Task Force, indicating interest in tracking the group's progress.

• Mr. McCarthy 54:52 raised concerns about increasing traffic congestion in downtown Lexington. He suggested that the Council consider implementing a road impact fee as a potential tool for managing the strain on road capacity.

• Steve Olszewski 58:21 spoke about the effects of increased traffic on Westwood Court, specifically highlighting the impact that construction vehicles have had on the surrounding neighborhood.

Appointments

The Council acted on five appointments to city boards and commissions at the September 17, 2009 meeting.

• Jane Graham was reappointed to the Administrative Hearing Board.
• Jennifer Karim was reappointed to the Domestic Violence Prevention Board.
• Sandy X. Camargo was reappointed to the Environmental Commission.
• Wayne G. Hipsley was appointed to the Greenspace Commission.
• Laura Tanno Boison was appointed to the Industrial Revenue Bond Review Commission.

Three of the five actions were reappointments — Graham, Karim, and Camargo returning to bodies on which they had previously served — while Hipsley and Boison received new appointments to their respective commissions.

Contested Items

• Ad valorem tax levy ordinance: The council considered an ordinance levying ad valorem taxes for municipal purposes. The measure passed, but not without opposition — two council members voted against it, making it one of the few split votes of the meeting. The source materials do not specify which council members cast the dissenting votes or detail the specific objections raised. The ordinance ultimately received enough support to pass despite the divided vote.

Invocation

1:06

Reverend Bob Sessum of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church delivered the invocation to open the Council meeting.

Ordinances – Second Reading

3:20

The Council took up several ordinances on second reading, covering matters related to fees, grants, and tax levies. Key speakers during this portion of the meeting were Martin and Henson.

The ordinances presented included measures addressing:

• Fees – at least one ordinance related to fee structures was considered
• Grants – an ordinance pertaining to grant-related matters was brought forward
• Tax levies – an ordinance concerning tax levy provisions was also read for the second time

No additional details regarding specific debate, amendments, or concerns raised by individual Council members are available from the record for this agenda item. All ordinances on second reading were approved by the Council.

Resolutions – Second Reading

19:57

The Council took up Agenda Item VI, covering resolutions on second reading. The resolutions before the Council at this stage related to contracts and appointments.

Key speakers during this portion of the meeting included Lawless and McChord. The resolutions were presented for their second reading in accordance with standard Council procedure, having previously been introduced and read for the first time at an earlier meeting.

The structured data does not detail specific debate or concerns raised during this agenda item. The Council moved through the second reading and the resolutions were approved.

Communications from the Mayor

42:42

The Mayor submitted several recommendations for appointments and reappointments to various boards and commissions. The item was introduced and discussed with Crosbie and Lane identified as key speakers during this portion of the meeting.

The Council considered the Mayor's recommended appointments as presented. No specific concerns or debate are noted from the available record. The Council approved the Mayor's recommended appointments and reappointments.