Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council convened on December 8, 2009, at 6:00 P.M. in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Newberry presiding. The meeting addressed 3 agenda items, all of which were approved by the Council. Business before the Council included two ordinances amending Section 21-5(2) of the Code of Ordinances, as well as an ordinance authorizing an agreement with REACH, Inc. Over the course of the meeting, the Council took 3 votes and heard 2 public comments.

Attendance

The following 14 members were present at the December 8, 2009 Council meeting:

• Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, and Myers

Absent: Feigel

No members were recorded as late.

Votes and Decisions

Three votes were taken during the December 8, 2009 Council meeting.

• Approval of Ordinances (Second Reading) 8:24: Motioned by Beard and seconded by Ellinger, the Council voted to approve ordinances given second reading. The motion passed unanimously on a 14–0 roll call vote. All members voted in favor: Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, and Myers. No members voted against or abstained.

• Approval of Resolutions (Second Reading) 27:50: Motioned by Crosbie and seconded by Ellinger, the Council voted to approve resolutions given second reading. The motion passed unanimously on a 14–0 roll call vote. All members voted in favor: Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, and Myers. No members voted against or abstained.

• Amendment to Extend Vacation Leave Carryover 1:29:54: Motioned by Myers and seconded by Crosbie, the Council voted on an amendment to extend vacation leave carryover to all employees. The motion passed by voice vote.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council addressed several financial items at the December 8, 2009 meeting, including contracts and grant awards totaling more than $6.9 million.

• Douglass Heights Redevelopment Project: The Council approved an agreement with REACH, Inc. valued at $525,000 to support the Douglass Heights Redevelopment Project. No resolution identifier was provided in the meeting record.

• Cold Case Pilot Project Grant: The Council accepted an $80,000 grant from the Department of Criminal Justice Training to fund a Cold Case Pilot Project. This award will support investigative efforts related to unsolved cases. No resolution identifier was recorded for this item.

• Legacy Trail and Downtown Streetscape Projects Grant: The largest financial action of the meeting was the acceptance of a $6,375,000 grant from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. The funding is designated for two projects: the Legacy Trail Project and the Downtown Streetscape Project. No resolution identifier was provided in the meeting record.

No resolution numbers were included in the available meeting data for any of the above items. Combined, the financial actions approved at this meeting represent approximately $6,980,000 in contracts and grant funding.

Public Comment

Two members of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period, both speaking on the same topic regarding vacation and holiday time carryover for the Project Synergy team.

• Tim Bailey 46:27 requested that employees on the Project Synergy team be given the same opportunity as E911 employees to carry over vacation and holiday time. Bailey's comments centered on the impact of changing implementation dates on staff, suggesting that shifting project timelines had affected the team's ability to use their accrued leave as planned.

• Mary Pfister Tucker 49:20 followed with comments supporting Bailey's request. Tucker echoed the concern that delays in the project's implementation had prevented Project Synergy staff from taking leave they had planned to use, and she advocated for the team to be permitted to carry over that vacation time as a result.

Both speakers framed their requests around the precedent set by E911 employees, who had apparently been granted similar carryover accommodations. The comments reflect a concern that Project Synergy team members should not be penalized with lost leave time due to circumstances tied to project scheduling changes outside their control.

Contested Items

• Vacation Leave Carryover for Employees: The Council engaged in heated discussion regarding a proposal to extend vacation leave carryover to all employees. The debate centered on concerns about fairness — specifically whether the policy should apply uniformly across the workforce — as well as the potential administrative burden such an expansion could create. The structured data does not specify which individual council members or staff took particular positions, nor does it record a final vote outcome or resolution from this discussion.

Ordinance Amending Section 21-5(2) of the Code of Ordinances

2:39

The Council considered an ordinance to amend Section 21-5(2) of the Code of Ordinances, which proposed abolishing one position of Computer Analyst Supervisor and creating one position of Database Administrator in the Division of Enterprise Solutions.

Key speakers on this item included Beard and Ellinger. The ordinance was presented and discussed by the Council, with the item moving through consideration without significant recorded opposition.

• Action proposed: Abolish one Computer Analyst Supervisor position and replace it with one Database Administrator position within the Division of Enterprise Solutions.
• Outcome: The ordinance was approved.

Ordinance Amending Section 21-5(2) of the Code of Ordinances

3:10

The Council took up an ordinance to amend Section 21-5(2) of the Code of Ordinances, which addressed a staffing change within the Division of Emergency Management/911. The ordinance proposed creating one position of Administrative Specialist Sr. while simultaneously abolishing one position of Administrative Specialist in that division — effectively an upgrade of an existing position classification rather than an expansion of overall headcount.

Key speakers on this item included Beard and Ellinger. The discussion centered on the personnel reclassification and its implications for the Division of Emergency Management/911. No significant concerns or opposition were recorded in the available record.

The ordinance was approved by the Council.

Ordinance Authorizing Agreement with REACH, Inc.

3:42

The Council took up Agenda Item 3, an ordinance authorizing the Mayor to execute an agreement with REACH, Inc. in connection with the Douglass Heights Redevelopment Project, to be funded through Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds.

Key speakers on this item included Beard and Ellinger. The ordinance was presented to the Council for consideration and discussion before a vote was taken.

The Council approved the ordinance.