Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council convened on October 18, 2007, at 7:00 PM in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Jim Newberry presiding. The meeting addressed three main agenda items, including an invocation, approval of minutes from a previous meeting, and consideration of a zone change request for 1388 Alexandria Drive.

During the session, the Council conducted six motions and votes, with both the minutes approval and the zone change request receiving approval from the body. The meeting also included one public comment period, allowing community input on matters before the Council. The proceedings covered both routine administrative business and a specific zoning matter that required Council action and approval.

Attendance

The following Council members were present at the October 18, 2007 meeting:

• Stevens
• Stinnett
• Beard
• Blevins
• Blues
• Crosbie
• DeCamp
• Ellinger
• Gorton
• James
• Lane
• McChord
• Moloney
• Myers

Absent: Gray

No Council members arrived late to the meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The Lincoln City Council took several votes during the October 18, 2007 meeting, with most measures passing with strong support.

Minutes Approval 2:00 Councilman Gorton moved to approve minutes from August 23 & 28 and September 13 & 18, 2007, seconded by Ellinger. The motion passed unanimously 14-0, with all council members voting in favor: Stevens, Stinnett, Beard, Blevins, Blues, Crosbie, DeCamp, Ellinger, Gorton, James, Lane, McChord, Moloney, and Myers.

Second Reading Ordinances 10:00 Ellinger moved to approve ordinances on second reading, seconded by Crosbie. The roll call vote passed 14-0 with unanimous support from all council members.

Red Mile Court Closure [timestamp: 15:00 and 20:00] DeCamp moved to suspend rules for second reading of an ordinance closing Red Mile Court, seconded by Gorton. The suspension passed 13-1, with Myers casting the sole dissenting vote. The subsequent vote on the ordinance itself also passed 13-1 with the same voting pattern - all council members except Myers voting in favor.

Second Reading Resolutions 30:00 Gorton moved to approve resolutions on second reading, seconded by Crosbie. The roll call vote passed 14-0 with one abstention. Thirteen council members voted in favor while one member abstained.

Zone Change for 1388 Alexandria Drive 2:30:00 Maloney moved to approve a zone change for 1388 Alexandria Drive. The motion passed 11-2, with Blevins and Gorton voting against. The approval included the condition that no restaurants or cocktail lounges would be allowed at the location. Voting in favor were Stevens, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, DeCamp, Ellinger, James, Lane, McChord, and Maloney.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council approved several significant financial commitments during the October 18, 2007 meeting, totaling over $4.7 million in contracts and grant acceptance.

The largest expenditure was a $4,589,461.13 contract awarded to Central Rock Mineral Co., LLC for the Loudon Avenue Improvement Project. This substantial infrastructure investment represents a major commitment to roadway improvements in the city.

The Council also approved a $153,500 contract with Lithko Restoration Technologies for temporary shoring installation of the Annex parking structure. This emergency measure addresses structural concerns with the municipal parking facility and ensures public safety while permanent repairs are planned.

In addition to these expenditures, the Council accepted a $12,800 grant from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for the design of a bike lane on Rose Street. This grant funding will support the city's efforts to improve bicycle infrastructure and promote alternative transportation options without requiring local matching funds.

These financial actions demonstrate the Council's focus on critical infrastructure maintenance and improvements, ranging from emergency structural repairs to long-term transportation enhancements. The combination of local funding for essential projects and state grant acceptance for bicycle infrastructure reflects a balanced approach to municipal financial management and community development priorities.

Public Comment

One member of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period.

Bernard McCarthy spoke regarding two ordinance-related matters 3:00:00. Mr. McCarthy expressed his objection to Ordinance No. 16, which pertains to street trees. He also raised concerns about a proposed ordinance that would require landlords to obtain a license in order to rent property to students. Mr. McCarthy cited potential constitutional issues with this proposed student rental licensing requirement.

No other members of the public provided comments during this portion of the meeting.

Appointments

The Council approved multiple appointments and reappointments to various city boards and commissions during the October 18, 2007 meeting.

New Appointments:

• Benjamin Brown was appointed to the Address Enforcement Hearing Board
• Ellen M. Sam, Lee Agee, and Rick Curtis were appointed to the Animal Care & Control Oversight Committee
• John Roth and Tom Blues were appointed to the Board of Health
• Kelly Flood was appointed to the Carnegie Literacy Center Board of Directors
• Greg Drake, Sarah Razor, Emily Lane, Joshua Ackerman, and Jay Blanton were appointed to the Explorium Board
• Louis A. Carmichael was appointed to the Library Board of Trustees
• Kevin Weaver was appointed to the Picnic with the Pops Commission

Reappointments:

• Eileen O'Brien, William C. Davis, and Pam Sexton were reappointed to the Carnegie Literacy Center Board of Directors
• Barbara Barr, Paul Ennis, Monica Mucci, and Dana McNee were reappointed to the Explorium Board
• Robert Hendricks was reappointed to the Lexington History Museum

The appointments represent a significant number of volunteer positions across various city boards and commissions, with the Explorium Board receiving the most appointments with nine total members appointed or reappointed. The Animal Care & Control Oversight Committee received three new appointments, while the Board of Health and Carnegie Literacy Center Board of Directors each received multiple appointments and reappointments.

Contested Items

The Council addressed one contested item during the October 18, 2007 meeting that resulted in significant debate and a split vote among members.

Zone Change for 1388 Alexandria Drive

The primary point of contention involved a proposed zone change for the property located at 1388 Alexandria Drive. The request sought to rezone the property from P-1 (Professional) to B-1 (Business) classification with specific conditions attached to the approval.

Council members engaged in debate regarding the implications and appropriateness of this zoning modification. Some members raised concerns about the potential impacts of changing the zoning designation from professional use to business use, though the specific nature of their objections was not detailed in the available materials.

The discussion ultimately led to a split vote among Council members, indicating that the body was divided on whether to approve the zone change request. The split vote demonstrates that there was not unanimous agreement on the merits of the proposal or the conditions that were proposed to accompany the zoning change.

The outcome of this split vote and whether the zone change was ultimately approved or denied was not specified in the available meeting materials. This zoning matter represented the sole contested item that generated significant debate and division among Council members during this particular meeting session.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps were not available in the provided materials for this contested item.*

Invocation

1:00

Pastor Ruben Rodriguez from The Rock/La Roca United Methodist Church delivered the invocation to open the Council meeting. This was a ceremonial presentation to begin the proceedings with a prayer or blessing.

The invocation was informational in nature, serving as the traditional opening of the meeting session.

Approval of Minutes

2:00

The Council reviewed and approved minutes from four previous meetings during this agenda item. The minutes under consideration covered meetings held on August 23, August 28, September 13, and September 18, 2007.

Council members Gorton and Ellinger participated in the discussion of the minutes approval. The approval process proceeded without any recorded debate or concerns raised about the accuracy or completeness of the meeting records.

The Council voted unanimously to approve all four sets of meeting minutes, formally adopting them into the official record. This routine procedural item ensures that the City maintains accurate documentation of previous Council proceedings and decisions.

Zone Change for 1388 Alexandria Drive

2:30:00 The Council considered an ordinance to rezone property at 1388 Alexandria Drive from P-1 (Professional) to B-1 (Business) classification with specific restrictions.

The proposed zone change included conditions that would prohibit restaurants and cocktail lounges from operating at the location. This represented a compromise approach that would allow broader business uses while addressing potential concerns about traffic, noise, or other impacts that dining and drinking establishments might generate in the area.

Council members Maloney, Murphy, and Salley participated in the discussion of this zoning matter. The speakers addressed the merits of the zone change request and the appropriateness of the proposed conditions limiting certain types of commercial activities.

The Council ultimately approved the ordinance, granting the zone change from P-1 to B-1 for 1388 Alexandria Drive with the stipulated conditions prohibiting restaurants and cocktail lounges. This decision allows for expanded business uses at the property while maintaining restrictions on specific commercial activities that could have generated greater community impact.