Services Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Services Committee met on October 6, 2009, at 1:00 p.m., with Mr. Chairman presiding. The committee addressed six agenda items during the meeting, including presentations on utility storm response and livestock regulations, as well as several policy matters requiring approval. Four motions were voted on, and the committee heard seven public comments. Of the items brought to a vote, four were approved: regulations on slaughtering livestock presented by Henson, implementation of parking meters in Chevy Chase presented by Feigel, a right-of-way signage liability matter, and an animal cruelty amendment presented by Martin. Two additional items were presented for informational purposes: a report on KU/EON ice storm response by Gorton and a summary of items currently in committee.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on October 6, 2009:

• Ellinger
• Myers
• Lawless
• Beard
• Feigel
• Crosbie
• McChord
• Martin
• Henson
• Lane

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

Ordinance 0130-26 35:13

An ordinance prohibiting the slaughter of animals within the urban services boundary in any area visible from a street, sidewalk, or neighboring property, including for personal consumption, was moved by Henson and seconded by Feigel. The motion passed by voice vote.

Chevy Chase Parking Meters 1:40:46

A request to retain individual parking meters in Chevy Chase with replacement smart card meter heads instead of the current pay-and-display system was moved by Feigel and seconded by Myers. The motion passed by voice vote.

Legislative Amendment Request for Right-of-Way Signage 1:45:50

A motion to send a resolution to the Frankfort delegation requesting legislative amendment to KRS 512.080 to allow civil fines for unauthorized right-of-way signage instead of criminal penalties was moved by Myers and seconded by Martin. The motion passed by voice vote.

Animal Shade and Shelter Definitions 1:42:23

A motion to accept and forward to the full council a draft amendment to clarify definitions of adequate shade and shelter for animals based on species was moved by Martin and seconded by Horne. The motion passed by voice vote.

Public Comment

Seven speakers addressed the meeting regarding Chevy Chase parking meters, with comments spanning from 00:43:45 to 01:31:14.

Support for Current System

Ann Kamak, a resident and former neighborhood association president, stated that the new pay-and-display meters are being used effectively, with increased usage and no significant complaints, suggesting the issue may be resolving itself [00:43:45].

Concerns About Process and Community Engagement

Bill Farmer, Jr. criticized the lack of public input before installing the new meters and accused the Parking Authority of making decisions without community engagement, calling for a more inclusive process [00:45:56].

Business and Customer Impact

Leanne Parker-Greathouse, a small business owner, expressed concern that the new meters are deterring customers and harming local businesses, calling the current system "horrible" and detrimental to the area [00:48:49].

Howard Pacemull, a store owner, reported daily complaints from elderly customers struggling to use the new meters, especially in bad weather, and emphasized the inconvenience of having to walk back and forth [00:53:42].

Victoria Grafias, property manager for Ashland Plaza, stated that employees now park in safer lots, but customer parking is being lost due to the new meters, resulting in a 50% drop in revenue and business decline [01:29:06].

Jim Gormley argued that the study's revenue data was artificially inflated due to staff directing people to use the new meters, and warned that high parking costs and inconvenience are discouraging new businesses from locating in vacant spaces [01:31:14].

Traffic and Safety Concerns

Ann Steele reported increased traffic and parking issues in nearby neighborhoods due to congestion at the Chevy Chase intersection, citing a recent serious accident and the need for better pedestrian safety [00:50:55].

Contested Items

Chevy Chase Parking Meters

Multiple business owners and residents expressed strong opposition to newly installed pay-and-display parking meters in Chevy Chase. Opponents cited customer loss, inconvenience, and a lack of public input during the implementation process. The community's concerns prompted a motion to revert to individual meters equipped with smart card heads. This item represented a significant point of contention between those advocating for the new meter system and constituents who felt the change negatively impacted local commerce and accessibility.

Authority of the Parking Authority

A procedural dispute emerged regarding the council's legal authority to override decisions made by the Parking Authority, which is appointed by the mayor. Councilmember Lawless questioned whether the council possessed the proper legal basis to direct the authority's actions, raising concerns about the separation of powers and governance structure. This disagreement centered on institutional authority rather than the merits of the parking meter policy itself.

Slaughter of Animals Ordinance

An ordinance regulating the slaughter of animals passed with unanimous support, but the vote masked underlying debate about its implications. Concerns were raised that the ordinance might indirectly target religious practices, with questions about potential constitutional implications. Discussion focused on whether a permitting process should be established specifically for religious rituals involving animal slaughter. Despite the unanimous passage, the ordinance remained contested on grounds of religious freedom and the appropriate regulatory framework for accommodating faith-based practices.

KU/EON Ice Storm Response - Gorton

0:00

EON representatives presented findings from a post-ice storm review to discuss system improvements and response strategies. The presentation was delivered by Greg Thomas, Tom Jesse, and David Barbarie.

Key Topics Presented

The presentation covered three main areas of focus:

• Customer Communication Improvements: The representatives discussed enhancements made to how the utility communicates with customers during and after storm events.

• Power Line Undergrounding: EON addressed the feasibility of undergrounding power lines as a long-term infrastructure solution, including cost estimates for this option.

• System Hardening Strategies: The presentation outlined approaches to strengthen the electrical system, including tree removal programs and upgrades to infrastructure to better withstand severe weather events.

Public Input and Willingness to Pay

The presentation included results from a public survey regarding undergrounding initiatives. The survey findings indicated that the public has limited willingness to pay for undergrounding power lines, which represents a constraint on implementing this particular improvement strategy.

Outcome

This agenda item was informational in nature, with no formal action or decision required. The presentation provided the governing body with an overview of EON's post-ice storm analysis and the range of potential responses being considered to improve system resilience and customer service during future weather events.

Slaughtering Livestock - Henson

Councilmember Henson introduced an ordinance to prohibit the slaughter of animals within the urban services boundary in any area visible from a street, sidewalk, or neighboring property. The prohibition applies to all animal slaughter, including slaughter for personal consumption. 29:45

Key Discussion Points

The committee discussion involved Councilmember Henson, Keith Horn, Feigel, Lawless, and Beard. During deliberation, concerns were raised regarding the ordinance's impact on religious practices. The committee also addressed enforcement considerations related to the proposed restrictions.

Outcome

The ordinance was approved without dissent.

Chevy Chase Parking Meters - Feigel

39:10

The committee discussed concerns regarding new pay-and-display parking meters installed in Chevy Chase. The agenda item addressed customer inconvenience, potential business impact, and the lack of public input during the implementation process.

Key Speakers and Testimony

Multiple speakers participated in the discussion, including Feigel, Gary Means, Ann Kamak, Bill Farmer, Leanne Parker-Greathouse, Ann Steele, Howard Pacemull, Victoria Grafias, and Jim Gormley. Public testimony reflected divided opinions on the new parking meter system, with some speakers expressing support while others voiced opposition to the changes.

Concerns Raised

The discussion highlighted several issues with the new pay-and-display meters: - Customer inconvenience related to the new system - Potential negative impact on local businesses - Lack of community engagement and public input during the implementation phase

Outcome

The committee approved a motion to retain individual meters with smart card heads, rather than proceeding with the pay-and-display system as originally implemented. This decision represented a compromise that addressed concerns raised during the public testimony and committee discussion.

Right-Of-Way Signage Liability

1:43:31

The committee discussed amendments to KRS 512.080 regarding penalties for unauthorized right-of-way signage. The primary focus was on changing the enforcement mechanism from criminal penalties to civil fines.

Key Speakers and Discussion

Myers and David Barbarie led the discussion on this matter. The committee examined the current statutory framework and identified a need to modify how violations related to unauthorized signage on rights-of-way are penalized.

Proposal

The committee considered amending KRS 512.080 to allow civil fines as an alternative to criminal penalties for unauthorized right-of-way signage violations. This change would provide a more flexible enforcement approach for addressing signage violations.

Action Taken

The committee approved a motion to send a resolution to the Frankfort delegation requesting legislative change. This resolution would formally request that the state legislature consider and enact the proposed amendment to KRS 512.080.

Outcome

The agenda item was approved, and the committee moved forward with requesting the legislative action through the Frankfort delegation.

Animal Cruelty Amendment - Martin

Councilmember Martin moved to accept a draft amendment that would clarify definitions of adequate shade and shelter based on animal species. 1:41:17

The amendment received support from council members, including Horne. No opposition was raised during the discussion.

The measure passed without objection.

Items in Committee

The committee reviewed several pending items during this portion of the meeting. The items under consideration included:

• Proposed ordinance on animal slaughter
• Parking meters
• Signage liability
• Animal cruelty amendments

This was an informational review of the pending matters. No further action was taken beyond discussion of these items at this time.