Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council met on August 19, 2010, at 7:00 P.M. in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Newberry presiding. The meeting's agenda included two informational items: a commemoration for Linda Jo Van Eldik, Ph.D., and a presentation on the Summer Youth Employment Program. Over the course of the meeting, the Council heard 2 public comments and conducted 3 votes. No action items requiring formal approval were listed on the agenda, as both agenda items were informational in nature.

Attendance

All members were present at the August 19, 2010 Council meeting. The following 16 individuals were in attendance:

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

No members were recorded as absent or late.

Votes and Decisions

Three votes were taken during the August 19, 2010 Council meeting, all of which passed.

• Approval of Meeting Minutes 0:02: Moved by Gorton and seconded by James, the Council voted unanimously to approve the minutes from the June 10, 22, and 24 and July 1 and 6, 2010 meetings. The motion passed 15–0, with all members voting in favor: Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, and Feigel.

• Approval of Ordinances Amending Section 21-5(2) and Certain Budgets 13:21: Moved by Blues and seconded by Henson, the Council voted by roll call to approve ordinances amending Section 21-5(2) and certain budgets. The motion passed 15–0, with all members voting in favor: Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, and Feigel.

• Removal of Resolution Relating to an Engineering Services Agreement with Strand Associates, Inc. 25:39: Moved by Blues and seconded by Martin, the Council voted by roll call to remove a resolution relating to an Engineering Services Agreement with Strand Associates, Inc. The motion passed 14–0, with one abstention. Members voting in favor were: Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, and Feigel. Lane abstained. No members voted against.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered three contract actions at the August 19, 2010 meeting, covering engineering services, infrastructure remediation, and utility construction.

• Distillery District Public Improvements Program — The Council took up an Engineering Services Agreement with Strand Associates, Inc. valued at $1,659,091. This contract covers engineering services associated with the Distillery District Public Improvements Program.

• Glendover West Boardwalk Railing Remediation — A contract with Spectrum Contracting Services, Inc. in the amount of $39,936.92 was considered for the Glendover West Boardwalk Railing Remediation project.

• Beverly Ave. Sanitary Sewer Project — The Council addressed a contract with Schroeder Construction, Inc. totaling $672,135 for work on the Beverly Ave. Sanitary Sewer Project.

Combined, the three contracts represent a total commitment of approximately $2,371,162.92. No resolution numbers were included in the available meeting data for these items.

Public Comment

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

• Mark Leach spoke regarding the Distillery District Project 58:54. Mr. Leach raised concerns about the qualification-based selection process used for the project, questioning whether it ensured fair and reasonable pricing. He suggested that the project be re-bid as a way to address those concerns and provide greater confidence in the pricing outcomes.

• Mr. McCarthy spoke on the topic of public right-of-way 1:01:57. Mr. McCarthy objected to ordinances that he characterized as giving away public right-of-way. He also offered suggestions regarding improvements to certain road intersections.

Appointments

The Council acted on several appointments and reappointments to city boards and commissions during the meeting.

• Karen J. Ekstrom was reappointed to the Alarm Advisory Board.
• Deborah L. Slaughter was appointed to the Carnegie Literacy Center Board of Directors.
• Donna Robinson-Wilson was reappointed to the Civil Service Commission.
• David Winters was reappointed to the Civil Service Commission.

In total, the Council confirmed one new appointment and three reappointments across four bodies. The Civil Service Commission saw two members — Robinson-Wilson and Winters — returned to their positions, while Ekstrom continued her service on the Alarm Advisory Board. Slaughter joined the Carnegie Literacy Center Board of Directors as a new appointee.

Contested Items

• Engineering Services Agreement with Strand Associates, Inc.: A dispute arose during the meeting over a resolution related to an engineering services agreement with Strand Associates, Inc. The nature of the disagreement was procedural, centered on concerns about the qualification-based selection process used in connection with the agreement. A motion was made to remove the resolution from the docket as a result of these procedural concerns. The available data does not identify the specific council members involved in the dispute or record the final outcome of the motion.

Commemoration for Linda Jo Van Eldik, Ph.D.

2:46

Ms. Feigel presented a commemoration honoring Dr. Linda Jo Van Eldik in recognition of her appointment as director of the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging. Dr. Van Eldik was present at the meeting. The item was informational in nature, with no vote or further action taken by the Council.

Summer Youth Employment Program

7:30

Dr. Marlene Helm presented to the Council on the Summer Youth Employment Program, offering an overview of the program's success and its impact on both youth participants and employers. Ratliff also participated as a key speaker during this portion of the meeting.

The presentation was informational in nature, with no vote or formal action taken by the Council as a result. No additional details regarding specific program statistics, funding figures, employer names, or individual outcomes are available from the provided materials.