Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council met on February 25, 2010, at 7:00 P.M. in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Newberry presiding. The meeting included a total of four agenda items, spanning both informational presentations and legislative action. Two presentations were made to the Council — one recognizing the 2010 UCA National Cheerleading Champions and another honoring Science Fair Award Winners — providing the body an opportunity to formally acknowledge community achievements. The Council also conducted second readings on both ordinances and resolutions, with all legislative items receiving approval. Across the course of the meeting, three votes were taken and one public comment was heard.

Attendance

All 16 members were present at the February 25, 2010 Council meeting. No members were recorded as absent or late.

Present: - Mayor Newberry - Feigel - Gorton - Gray - Henson - James - Lane - Lawless - Martin - McChord - Myers - Stinnett - Beard - Blues - Crosbie - Ellinger

Votes and Decisions

Three roll call votes were taken during the February 25, 2010 Council meeting.

• Approval of Ordinances (Second Reading) 31:47: Motioned by McChord and seconded by Myers, the Council voted to approve ordinances given second reading. The motion passed unanimously, 15–0. All members voted in favor: Feigel, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, and Ellinger.

• Motion to Table Zoning Ordinance Amendment 37:39: Motioned by Gorton and seconded by James, this motion sought to table an ordinance amending the zoning ordinance. The motion failed, 5–9. Voting in favor of tabling were Gorton, James, Feigel, Gray, and Lawless. Voting against tabling were Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Crosbie, and Ellinger. (Note: the recorded ayes and nays total 14; no abstentions were recorded.)

• Approval of Resolutions (Second Reading) 49:18: Motioned by McChord and seconded by Gorton, the Council voted to approve resolutions given second reading. The motion passed unanimously, 15–0. All members voted in favor: Feigel, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, and Ellinger.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council addressed three financial items at the February 25, 2010 meeting, covering grant acceptances and an equipment purchase.

• Homeland Security Grant for LEXFIT Program: The Council approved acceptance of a $46,939 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The funds are directed to the Division of Fire and Emergency Services to support the LEXFIT program.

• Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet Grant for Dump Remediation: The Urban County Government received a grant of $3,390.69 from the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet. These funds are designated for dump remediation efforts.

• Purchase of Smart Speed Monitoring Awareness Radar Trailers: The Council approved a purchase of $38,357.25 from Kustom Signals, Inc. for smart speed monitoring awareness radar trailers. No resolution number was recorded in the available data for this transaction.

No resolution identifiers were included in the source materials for any of the three items. Timestamp information was not available for these agenda items.

Public Comment

One member of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period of the February 25, 2010 meeting.

• Robert Dalton spoke in support of proposed legislation that would amend Kentucky law to make it easier for veterans to obtain Commercial Driver's Licenses (CDLs). 1:14:25 Dalton requested that the Council support the bill, which sought to extend the deadline for veterans to obtain their CDLs and to expand the legislation's coverage to include all classes of CDLs, not just select categories. His comments were directed at encouraging the Council to back the measure as a means of assisting veterans in transitioning to civilian employment opportunities that require commercial driving credentials.

Appointments

The Council acted on nine appointments to various boards and commissions during the meeting.

Airport Board - Kelley Sloane was appointed to the Airport Board. - J. Robert Owens was reappointed to the Airport Board.

Bluegrass Crime Stoppers Board - Bill Rhoads was reappointed to the Bluegrass Crime Stoppers Board.

Lexington Center Corporation Board of Directors - Cecil Dunn was reappointed to the Lexington Center Corporation Board of Directors.

Masterson Station Park Advisory Board - Wilbur W. Frye was appointed to the Masterson Station Park Advisory Board.

Picnic with the Pops Commission - Scott Terrell was appointed to the Picnic with the Pops Commission.

Raven Run Nature Sanctuary Advisory Board - Diana Clewett was appointed to the Raven Run Nature Sanctuary Advisory Board.

Rural Land Management Board - Gregory A. Bibb was appointed to the Rural Land Management Board.

Town and Gown Commission - Fred D. Jones was appointed to the Town and Gown Commission.

In total, six individuals received new appointments and three — J. Robert Owens, Bill Rhoads, and Cecil Dunn — were reappointed to bodies on which they had previously served.

Contested Items

• Ordinance Amending the Zoning Ordinance: This item generated notable division among council members during the February 25, 2010 meeting. A motion was made to table the ordinance rather than proceed with a vote on its merits. That motion to table failed by a vote of 5 in favor to 9 opposed, indicating that a majority of the council wished to move forward with consideration of the ordinance rather than delay it. The split vote reflects a meaningful disagreement among council members over how to handle the zoning amendment, though the specific points of contention underlying the procedural dispute are not detailed in the available data.

Presentation of 2010 UCA National Cheerleading Champs

2:45

The Council recognized the UK Cheer Team for winning their 18th national championship at the 2010 UCA (Universal Cheerleading Association) National Cheerleading Championships. The presentation was led by McChord and Mayor Newberry.

During the item, a video of the team's championship routine was shown to those in attendance. Following the video, a proclamation was read in the team's honor to formally recognize their achievement.

The item was informational in nature, with no debate or votes taken. The recognition celebrated the team's continued excellence, marking their 18th national title.

Science Fair Award Winners

15:14

Mayor Newberry recognized the winners of the Kentucky-American Water Science Fair during this portion of the meeting. The fair drew participation from 620 students, of whom 142 advanced to the regional fair.

The presentation was informational in nature, with no debate or votes taken. No concerns were raised during this portion of the meeting.

Ordinances - Second Reading

31:47

The Council took up several ordinances on second reading, with McChord and Myers identified as key speakers during this portion of the meeting. The ordinances considered included amendments to the Code of Ordinances as well as the acceptance of grants.

No significant debate or concerns are recorded for this agenda item. The ordinances were approved by the Council.

Resolutions - Second Reading

49:18

The Council took up multiple resolutions on second reading, covering a range of municipal matters including contracts for demolition, equipment purchases, and mutual aid agreements. Key speakers during this portion of the meeting were McChord and Gorton.

All resolutions presented under this agenda item were approved by the Council.