Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council convened on December 3, 2009, at 7:00 P.M. in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Newberry presiding. The meeting addressed 4 agenda items, all of which were approved by the Council. Items considered included a Full Urban Services District Expansion, the issuance of Refunding Revenue Bonds for the Roman Catholic Diocese, the Showprop Lexington Development Area, and a measure concerning the Electronic Monitoring of Inmates. Over the course of the meeting, the Council held 3 votes and heard 3 public comments.

Attendance

The following members were present at the December 3, 2009 Council meeting:

• Mayor Newberry
• Myers
• Stinnett
• Beard
• Blues
• Crosbie
• Ellinger
• Gorton
• Gray
• Henson
• James
• Lane
• Lawless
• Martin
• McChord

Absent: Feigel

No members were recorded as late.

Votes and Decisions

Three roll call votes were taken during the December 3, 2009 Council meeting.

• Ordinance 237-2009 — Refunding of revenue bonds for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington Project 16:08. Motioned by Ellinger and seconded by Myers, the ordinance passed unanimously, 14–0. All 14 members voted in favor: Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, and McChord.

• Ordinance 248-2009 — Establishing the Showprop Lexington Development Area 32:22. Motioned by Ellinger and seconded by Martin, the ordinance passed 13–1. Voting in favor were Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Gorton, Gray, Henson, Lane, Lawless, Martin, and McChord. James cast the sole vote against.

• Resolution endorsing the University of Kentucky's student housing program 1:03:51. Motioned by Myers and seconded by Lawless, the resolution passed 12–0. Voting in favor were Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lawless, and Martin. No members voted against. Note that Lane and McChord, who were present for earlier votes, are not recorded among the ayes for this item.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered six resolutions authorizing contracts for a range of government services and supplies.

• Resolution 714-2009 authorized a contract with G4S Justice Services, Inc. for the electronic monitoring of inmates.

• Resolution 715-2009 authorized a contract with Amteck of Ky., Inc. for the maintenance of outdoor warning sirens.

• Resolution 716-2009 authorized a contract with L-M Asphalt Partners, Ltd. for the provision of asphalt for the Division of Streets, Roads and Forestry.

• Resolution 717-2009 authorized a contract with Midsouth Baseball, Inc. for baseball field drying conditioners.

• Resolution 718-2009 authorized a contract with Landpro in connection with the Community Corrections Scenic Corridor Tree Project.

• Resolution 719-2009 authorized a contract with Brenntag Mid-South for odor control chemicals.

No specific dollar amounts were recorded in the available meeting data for any of the six resolutions. The contracts span multiple departments and service areas, including public safety (inmate monitoring and emergency warning systems), public works (asphalt supply), parks and recreation (baseball field maintenance), community corrections (tree planting), and wastewater or environmental services (odor control).

Public Comment

Three members of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period.

• Bernard McCarthy 1:06:28 reported that his home had been burglarized and asked the Council for increased police patrols in his neighborhood, particularly during the holiday season.

• Debra Jo Robinson 1:09:14 raised concerns on behalf of 911 employees regarding the potential loss of earned vacation time as a result of budget cuts. She requested that the Council either provide a payout for the accrued vacation time or extend the deadline by which employees would be required to use it.

• Tracy Wells 1:15:54 also spoke to the issue of vacation time for 911 employees, offering a personal account of how the potential loss would affect her. She emphasized that 911 employees regularly work through holidays and that the ability to take earned vacation time is especially important given the demands of their jobs.

The comments from Ms. Robinson and Ms. Wells together highlighted a shared concern among 911 staff about the financial and personal consequences of losing accrued leave under current budget conditions.

Appointments

The Council approved the following appointments at the December 3, 2009 meeting:

• Dustin Baker was appointed to the role of GIS Specialist.
• Lee McKinney was appointed to the role of Electronic Computer Controls Specialist.
• Kent Dornbrock was appointed to the role of Golf Course Superintendent Sr.
• Jerry Boyd was appointed to the role of Security Officer.

Contested Items

Showprop Lexington Development Area

The ordinance related to the Showprop Lexington Development Area passed but drew a dissenting vote from Council Member James, making it one of the more divided outcomes of the meeting. James voted against the measure, citing concerns about the project's impact and the absence of affordable housing provisions. The ordinance passed by a 13-1 margin.

911 Employee Vacation Time

Budget cuts affecting 911 employees generated community opposition and public comment during the meeting. Employees raised concerns about losing vacation time they had already earned, framing the issue as a matter of fairness given that the time had been accrued under existing policy. The matter prompted a request for a formal resolution to address the employees' concerns.

Full Urban Services District Expansion

12:39

The Council took up Agenda Item 1, an ordinance to expand and extend Full Urban Services District #1 to provide additional municipal services — specifically street lighting, street cleaning, and garbage and refuse collection — to additional areas brought within the district's boundaries.

Madam Clerk was identified as a key speaker during this portion of the meeting. The item was presented as an ordinance, the formal mechanism by which the district's geographic scope would be expanded to extend these urban services to the newly included areas.

The Council approved the ordinance.

Refunding Revenue Bonds for Roman Catholic Diocese

16:08

The Council took up Agenda Item 3, an ordinance related to refunding revenue bonds and financing construction for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington. Madam Clerk was the key speaker noted during this portion of the meeting, consistent with the procedural reading of the ordinance.

The item appeared to move through the Council without extended debate or notable concerns raised on the record. No additional speakers or points of contention are reflected in the available record for this agenda item.

• Item Type: Ordinance
• Subject: Refunding revenue bonds and financing construction for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington
• Key Speaker: Madam Clerk
• Outcome: Approved

The ordinance was approved by the Council.

Showprop Lexington Development Area

32:22

The Council took up Agenda Item 4, an ordinance establishing the Showprop Lexington Development Area, a designated development area created for economic purposes in downtown Lexington.

Key speakers on this item included Blues and James. The ordinance was presented as a measure to formally establish the development area framework, which is intended to support economic development activity in the downtown Lexington area.

The Council approved the ordinance.

*Note: The available structured data for this item is limited. For full details of the presentation, any debate, and specific concerns raised during discussion, viewers are encouraged to consult the meeting video beginning at timestamp 32:22.*

Electronic Monitoring of Inmates

1:03:51

The Council took up Resolution 714-2009, a measure to accept a bid for electronic monitoring of inmates on behalf of the Division of Community Corrections.

Key speakers on this item included Ellinger and Gorton. The resolution was presented as an acceptance of a bid related to the electronic monitoring program, which is used in connection with the Division of Community Corrections.

The resolution was approved by the Council.