Committee of the Whole (COW) Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council met on February 1, 2011, under the presiding officer of the Vice Mayor. The council addressed 13 agenda items during the session, which included a review of the previous meeting's summary, consideration of ordinances and resolutions on first reading, and discussion of various operational and budgetary matters. The council took 4 votes during the meeting and heard 1 public comment.

Key business included approval of the January 25th meeting summary, informational reviews of the docket, streetscape project change orders, the NDF list, custodial services for fleet management, and budget amendments. The council also conducted first readings of ordinances and resolutions, received committee and council reports, and deferred agenda items referred from council members. The meeting concluded with an opportunity for public comment on issues not on the agenda.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on January 29, 2011:

• Kevin Stennett
• Henson
• Crosby
• Martin
• Lawless
• Beard
• McCord
• Lane
• Ford
• Blues
• Myers
• Ellinger
• Maloney
• Taylor
• Wente
• Young
• Kay
• Gray

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

Resolution 027-11: Procurement of Golf Carts for Division of Parks and Recreation 24:56

Motion by Kevin Stennett, seconded by Henson. This resolution referred the procurement of golf carts for the Division of Parks and Recreation to the General Government Committee. The motion passed by voice vote with no opposition.

Resolution 028-11: Processing and Approval of Disability Claims by Public Safety Workers 47:29

Motion by Martin, seconded by Kay. This resolution referred the processing and approval of disability claims by public safety workers to the Public Works and Public Safety Committee. The motion passed by voice vote with no opposition.

Resolution 029-11: Updated Report on Solid Waste Operations 49:39

Motion by Kevin Stennett, seconded by Henson. This resolution referred an updated report on solid waste operations to the Budget and Finance Committee. The motion passed by voice vote with no opposition.

Motion to Adjourn 1:19:29

Motion by Ellinger, seconded by Henson. The motion to adjourn the meeting passed by voice vote with no opposition.

All four motions passed unanimously by voice vote. The following members voted in favor of all resolutions: Kevin Stennett, Henson, Crosby, Martin, Lawless, Beard, McCord, Lane, Ford, Blues, Myers, Ellinger, Maloney, Taylor, Wente, Young, Kay, and Gray. No votes were cast against any motion, and there were no abstentions.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed two financial matters requiring council action:

World Equestrian Games Reimbursement

An amendment was approved to reimburse the World Equestrian Games Foundation $237,000 for police and fire services provided during the World Equestrian Games.

Golf Course Equipment Purchase

Resolution 027-11 authorized the purchase of golf carts for three city golf courses, including Avon, at a cost of $80,000.

Public Comment

No members of the public signed up to speak during the public comment period 0:00.

Appointments

The following individuals were appointed to the Charles Young Community Center Task Force:

• Ford
• Kay
• Henson

Contested Items

The January 29, 2011 meeting included three significant areas of disagreement among council members.

Procurement of Golf Carts for Avon Golf Course

Council members engaged in heated discussion over a proposed $80,000 purchase of golf carts for Avon Golf Course, which was officially closed. Council Member Beard questioned the timing and purpose of the expenditure, while Council Member McCord stressed the need for greater transparency in city spending decisions. The council referred the matter to the General Government Committee for further review rather than approving the purchase immediately.

Disability Claims in Public Safety

The council was divided on whether it had the authority to review disability claims within the public safety department. Some council members supported referring the issue to the Public Safety Committee for examination. However, others noted that any substantive changes to the disability claims process would require legislative action at the state level due to privacy and statutory constraints. The split vote reflected disagreement over both the council's jurisdiction and the practical feasibility of addressing the issue through local action.

Streetscape Project Change Orders

Council members expressed concern over cost increases to the Streetscape project, which had grown by 10 percent. The increase resulted from design oversights, including missed ADA ramps and unanticipated underground issues discovered during construction. Council members questioned the competence of the project architect and raised concerns about the bidding process. Several members characterized the change orders as evidence of flawed project planning that should have been identified before construction began.

Public Comment

The council opened the meeting with a public comment period. No members of the public signed up to speak during this time, so no comments were presented.

Review of January 25th Meeting Summary

1:07

The council reviewed the summary from the January 25th meeting. Kevin Stennett and Henson were the key speakers during this agenda item.

The council approved the summary of the previous meeting's proceedings. No discussion was raised during the review.

Outcome: The summary was approved.

Review of Docket

1:44

The council discussed the structure of the agenda, specifically addressing the placement of first readings of ordinances and resolutions. Council members Kevin Stennett, Lawless, and Martin participated in the debate.

The discussion centered on whether to maintain the current agenda format or return to the previous method of organizing these items. Council members debated the merits of the new format against the prior approach, though specific details about the differences between the two formats were not documented.

The item was treated as informational in nature, with no formal action taken. The outcome of the discussion regarding which format to adopt was not recorded in the available materials.

First Reading of Ordinances

Two ordinances were presented for first reading during this agenda item 2:15.

Key Discussion

Council Member Crosby raised a question regarding the elimination of captain positions within the police department. Leslie Jarvis provided clarification on this matter, explaining that the elimination represented a structural change to remove the captain classification. This change was being made to align with the police chief's current organizational approach, which utilizes commander roles instead of captain positions.

Speakers

The discussion involved Council Member Crosby, Martin, and Leslie Jarvis.

Outcome

The ordinances proceeded to first reading.

First Reading of Resolutions

5:26

The council conducted the first reading of resolutions, which included a resolution for a contract with a janitorial service.

Discussion and Concerns

Council Member Stennett raised a question regarding the contract structure, specifically questioning why the contract was split across two budget years. In response, the administration, represented by speakers Lawless and Henson, explained that the split was designed to project costs for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Outcome

The resolutions proceeded through first reading.

Streetscape Project Change Orders

The council received an informational presentation on change orders for the Streetscape project 7:02. Key speakers included Stennett, Henson, Lawless, and Crosby.

The discussion centered on a 10% increase to the Streetscape project budget. The increase resulted from three primary factors:

• Unforeseen underground conditions discovered during construction
• Missed ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) ramps in the original design
• Design oversights by the project team

The council addressed responsibility for the project shortcomings. The architect and engineering firm were cited for missing key details in their initial design and planning work. Despite these oversights, the contractor was confirmed to be the low bidder on the project.

The presentation was informational in nature, with no formal vote or decision required at this time.

NDF List

The council reviewed the NDF list for informational purposes. 18:53

Council Member McCord sought clarification regarding a specific item on the list: an $825 agreement with the Bluegrass Community Foundation. Langston provided information in response to this inquiry.

The item was presented as informational only, with no action required from the council at this time.

Custodial Services for Fleet Management

Council Member Lawless raised questions regarding the selection of the janitorial service provider for fleet management 21:47. Specifically, Lawless inquired whether the selected vendor was locally owned and questioned why the contract was not awarded to the lowest bidder.

In response, the administration, represented by Stennett, confirmed that the selected janitorial service is indeed locally owned. Stennett explained that the contract award decision was based on a six-month probationary performance review rather than solely on bid price. This approach allowed the council to evaluate the vendor's actual service quality and performance before making a final contract determination.

The discussion was informational in nature, with no formal action required. The exchange clarified the council's procurement process for this service and demonstrated that factors beyond cost—including local ownership and demonstrated performance—were considered in the vendor selection.

Budget Amendments

The council reviewed budget amendments during this agenda item, with Martin presenting the materials. The amendments were located on page six of the meeting documents. 22:52

No questions were raised by council members regarding the proposed amendments. The item was passed without further discussion.

Outcome: The budget amendments were approved as an informational item.

Agenda Items Referred from Council Members

23:55

During this agenda item, council members referred several matters to appropriate committees for further review and consideration.

The following items were referred:

• Golf cart procurement — referred to the General Government Committee
• Disability claims review — referred to the Public Works and Public Safety Committee
• Solid waste cost report — referred to the Budget and Finance Committee

Council members participating in the discussion included Stennett, Martin, Beard, McCord, Lane, Ford, and Lawless.

The item was deferred, with no final action taken at this meeting.

Committee Reports

The Budget and Finance Committee reported on its first organizational meeting. 57:46

Committee Leadership

Chuck Ellinger was elected as chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, with Ed Lane selected as vice chair.

Next Steps

A full report from the committee will be presented at the next work session.

Outcome

This report was informational in nature.

Council Reports

During this informational segment, council members provided updates on various upcoming events and initiatives 58:53.

Upcoming Events and Announcements

Council members reported on several scheduled activities:

• A business association kickoff event planned for Hamburg
• A neighborhood president's meeting
• A public meeting regarding the Clays Mill Road project

Wellness Challenge

Council members were issued a wellness challenge that required them to undergo health risk assessments.

Key Participants

The following council members contributed to the reports: Stennett, McCord, Lawless, Henson, Myers, Blues, Ford, Crosby, and Lane.

Outcome

This agenda item was informational in nature, with no formal action or decision required.

Public Comment on Issues Not on Agenda

No members of the public signed up to speak during the public comment period for issues not on the agenda 1:18:58.