Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council convened on February 11, 2010, at 7:00 P.M. in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Newberry presiding. The meeting featured three agenda items, including one action item and two informational presentations. The Council took 3 votes during the session and heard 1 public comment.

The primary action item was the Regional Bluegrass Armed Forces Community Covenant, which was approved by the Council. The meeting also included two informational items: an invocation and a presentation honoring the 2009 KHSAA Class 1A State Football Champions.

Attendance

The Council meeting on February 11, 2010 had 13 members present and 2 members absent, with no members arriving late.

Present (13): Ellinger, Feigel, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, Lawless, McChord, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, and Crosbie.

Absent (2): Martin and Myers.

Votes and Decisions

Three votes were taken during the February 11, 2010 Council meeting, all of which passed unanimously with 13 ayes and 0 nays.

• Approval of January 26 and 28, 2010 Meeting Minutes 0:02: Moved by Blues and seconded by Crosbie, the Council unanimously approved the minutes of the two prior Council meetings. All 13 members voted in favor: Ellinger, Feigel, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, Lawless, McChord, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, and Crosbie.

• Resolution 52 – Regional Bluegrass Armed Forces Community Covenant 6:26: Moved by Gorton and seconded by McChord, this resolution authorized execution of the Regional Bluegrass Armed Forces Community Covenant. The roll call vote was 13–0 in favor, with all members voting aye: Ellinger, Feigel, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, Lawless, McChord, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, and Crosbie.

• Approval of Ordinances 1 through 4 47:36: Moved by Crosbie and seconded by Feigel, the Council approved Ordinances 1 through 4 by roll call vote, 13–0. All 13 members voted in favor: Ellinger, Feigel, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, Lawless, McChord, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, and Crosbie.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered two grant-related ordinances at the February 11, 2010 meeting, directing funds toward infrastructure and environmental planning projects.

• Ordinance 1 authorized acceptance of a grant totaling $177,350 from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to fund infrastructure improvements for the Isaac Murphy Memorial Garden. The ordinance directed the appropriation and expenditure of these grant funds for the designated improvements at the garden site.

• Ordinance 3 authorized acceptance of a grant totaling $174,125 from the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet to support the Wolf Run Creek Watershed Based Plan. These funds are designated for watershed planning efforts associated with Wolf Run Creek.

Together, the two ordinances represent a combined $351,475 in grant funding directed to the city from state agencies, covering both a cultural infrastructure project and an environmental planning initiative. No local matching fund amounts or additional budget amendments were noted in the available data for these items.

Public Comment

One member of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period of the February 11, 2010 meeting.

• Mr. Bernard McCarthy spoke regarding the Red Mile Development Area 28:59. Mr. McCarthy raised questions about the specific streets slated for development and sought clarification on how those streets would connect with other streets in the surrounding area.

No additional public comments were recorded for this meeting.

Appointments

The Council approved the following appointments during the February 11, 2010 meeting:

• Roy N. Booker was appointed to the Black and Williams Neighborhood Community Center Board.
• Christina Briggs was appointed to the Bluegrass Crimestoppers Board.
• Meghan Mando was appointed to the Bluegrass Crimestoppers Board.

Invocation

1:03

The meeting opened with an invocation delivered by Mr. Keith Johnson, Elementary Spiritual Life Director at Lexington Christian Academy. No debate or discussion was associated with this portion of the meeting, which served as a ceremonial opening to the Council session.

Regional Bluegrass Armed Forces Community Covenant

6:26

The Council took up Resolution 52, concerning the Regional Bluegrass Armed Forces Community Covenant, a measure aimed at supporting military families in the region.

Key speakers on this item included Gorton, Curtis, and Stoltz. The resolution authorized the execution of the covenant, which represents a formal commitment by the community to support armed forces personnel and their families in the Bluegrass region.

The Council approved Resolution 52.

2009 KHSAA Class 1A State Football Champion Presentation

14:32

Council Member Crosbie introduced the Lexington Christian Academy football team to the Council, recognizing the team as the winners of the 2009 KHSAA Class 1A State Championship. Coach Paul Rains was also present as a key participant in the presentation.

This was an informational item, with no debate or votes taken. The presentation served as an opportunity for the Council to formally acknowledge the team's state championship achievement.