Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council met on March 17, 2011, at 6:00 p.m. in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gray presiding. During the meeting, the Council took 34 motions and votes on various matters, heard 11 public comments, and addressed 12 agenda items. The Council approved Committee Reports, Ordinances on Second Reading, Resolutions on Second Reading, Resolutions on First Reading, and Communications from the Mayor. One item—Ordinances on First Reading (New Business)—was deferred. The meeting also included informational items such as Roll Call, Invocation, Presentations, Communications from the Mayor for information only, and Announcements.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on March 17, 2011:

• Martin
• McChord
• Myers
• Stinnett
• Beard
• Blues
• Crosbie
• Ellinger
• Farmer
• Ford
• Gorton
• Henson
• Kay
• Lane
• Lawless

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

All motions and resolutions brought before the council passed unanimously by roll call vote with 15 ayes, 0 nays, and 0 abstentions. The following members voted in favor of all measures: Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Gorton, Henson, Kay, Lane, and Lawless.

Ordinances 1:32:14

Ordinance 0001-2011 changed the zoning of property at 412 S. Mill St. from Townhouse Residential (R-1T) to Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3), subject to certain use restrictions. Motion by Crosbie, second by Myers.

Ordinance 0002-2011 amended budgets of Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government to reflect current requirements for municipal expenditures and appropriating/re-appropriating funds, Schedule No. 99. Motion by Crosbie, second by Myers.

Ordinance 0003-2011 authorized the Mayor to submit a grant application to the Commonwealth of Kentucky Office of Highway Safety for $25,000 in Federal funds for "Click It or Ticket" Safety Belt Enforcement Mobilization. Motion by Crosbie, second by Myers.

Ordinance 0004-2011 authorized the Mayor to submit a grant application to the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet for $100,000 in Commonwealth funds from the Law Enforcement Service Fee Program for police overtime hours for a Traffic Alcohol Patrol. Motion by Crosbie, second by Myers.

Ordinance 0005-2011 authorized the Mayor to execute an addendum to the lease agreement with Gray Television Licensee, LLC d/b/a WKYT-TV for extension of the 800 megahertz trunked radio system, with cost not to exceed $7,392 for the first year. Motion by Crosbie, second by Myers.

Ordinance 0006-2011 amended Section 22-5(2) of the Code of Ordinances to create two positions of Construction Supervisor P/T, Grade 118E, in the Division of Waste Management. Motion by Crosbie, second by Myers.

Ordinance 0007-2011 amended Section 22-5(2) of the Code of Ordinances to create one position of Project Engineering Coordinator, Grade 119E, for a three-year term in the Division of Water Quality. Motion by Crosbie, second by Myers.

Ordinance 0008-2011 amended Section 2-151(b) of the Code of Ordinances to allow members of the "Keep Lexington Beautiful Commission" employed in Fayette County to be eligible for board membership. Motion by Crosbie, second by Myers.

Resolutions [timestamp: 01:50:14 and 02:15:27]

Resolutions 0001-2011 through 0011-2011 were motioned by Martin and seconded by Ellinger. Resolutions 0022-2011 through 0036-2011 were motioned by Beard and seconded by Crosbie, with the exception of Resolution 0036-2011, which was motioned by Stinnett and seconded by Crosbie.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting approved the following financial actions:

Infrastructure and Equipment Purchases

• Kearney Hills Golf Course Irrigation Replacement: $109,791 contract with The Southern Group, Inc. (Ordinance 0009-2011)
• Three mixing compressors for the Town Branch Wastewater Treatment Plant: $40,689 purchase from Sihi Pumps, Inc. c/o KY Sherman & Schroder Equipment Co. (Resolution 0010-2011)
• Eddy Current Separator for Thompson Rd. Material Recovery Facility: $106,440 purchase from Machinex Technologies, Inc. (Resolution 0016-2011)
• Electrical upgrades at Thompson Rd. Recycling Center: $84,750 purchase from Amteck (Resolution 0017-2011)

Stormwater Quality Project Grants

The meeting approved Class A Incentive Grants for stormwater quality projects to the following organizations:

• Bluegrass PRIDE, Inc.: $19,200 (Resolution 0028-2011)
• WGPL Neighborhood Association, Inc.: $7,700 (Resolution 0029-2011)
• Colony Unit Four Community Association, Inc.: $35,248.10 (Resolution 0030-2011)
• Ky. River Watershed Watch, Inc.: $1,800 (Resolution 0031-2011)
• Southern Heights Neighborhood Association, Inc.: $9,369.60 modification (Resolution 0032-2011)

Social Services Contract

• Emergency housing for homeless families: $8,000 contract with Volunteers of America of Ky., Inc. (Resolution 0019-2011)

Public Comment

The council heard public comment on three main topics during the meeting.

Affordable Housing Trust Fund

Eight speakers addressed the council in support of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund [timestamps: 00:43:27 to 00:50:04]:

• Pastor Joseph Owens called it a win-win for the city with positive economic and social impacts [00:43:27]
• Katherine Goetz urged support for its humanitarian and economic benefits [00:45:03]
• Pastor Richard Gaines emphasized its economic return and positive community impact [00:45:35]
• Forrest Wiley urged the council to act on behalf of low to moderate-income citizens [00:47:22]
• Katlain Akers expressed excitement about the trust fund's potential to improve Lexington economically and socially [00:47:53]
• Mary Alice Pratt asked the council to support the fund and urged the mayor to fulfill his campaign promise [00:48:24]
• William Moody strongly urged Councilmembers Martin and Lawless to vote for the trust fund [00:48:57]
• Adam Jones shared stories of individuals struggling with housing costs and urged support for the trust fund to provide affordable housing [00:50:04]

Easement Rights for Property on 737 Woodward Lane

Nikita Moy spoke on behalf of his mother, requesting fair compensation for her property's easement rights, which were denied despite others receiving payments [02:21:50].

Pay Adjustments for Council Aides

Jamie Cooper expressed concern about salary inversions and asked if the moratorium on adjustments had been lifted, urging the council to consider all affected employees [02:27:09].

Support for House Bill 202

Robert Dalton thanked the council for supporting House Bill 202, which would make it easier for Kentucky veterans to obtain a Class A CDL [02:30:02].

Appointments

The following appointments and reappointments were made:

CASA - Brittany Blackburn Koch — appointed - Morgan Hall — appointed

Corridors Commission - Bill Farmer — appointed - Matthew A. Bland — appointed - Logan K. Baker — appointed

Ethics Commission - Chauncey Curtz — reappointed - Christopher Goode — reappointed

Special Events Commission - Diane Lawless — appointed

Town and Gown Commission - Linda Gorton — appointed - Melissa Lueker — appointed

Contested Items

Affordable Housing Trust Fund

The council voted to refer a study on the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to the Economic and Community Development Committee, though the motion passed with a split vote. Several council members expressed concerns about the process, questioning whether adequate discussion had occurred regarding priorities and revenue projections before moving forward with the referral.

Budget Workshop and Council Priorities

Council members engaged in a heated discussion about whether to hold a pre-budget workshop to discuss priorities before the mayor's budget presentation. The disagreement centered on timing and process: some members argued that such a workshop would be premature, while others emphasized that collaborative input from council members was important and should occur before the mayor presented the budget.

Temporary Employment and Job Security

Councilmember Stinnett raised concerns about three temporary positions scheduled for termination at the end of March. The issue centered on the lack of confirmed funding for these positions and the need for timely decisions regarding their continuation. Stinnett highlighted that without prompt action, the positions would be lost, affecting job security for the affected employees.

Roll Call

The council conducted a roll call to confirm attendance. All members were present at the meeting. 5:00

Invocation

Rev. Tanya Tyler, an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), delivered the invocation for the meeting 6:18. During her remarks, Rev. Tyler asked for wisdom and guidance for the council's work.

This agenda item was informational in nature and served as the opening spiritual reflection for the meeting.

Presentations

During this agenda item, the mayor introduced representatives from Toyota Motor Manufacturing and the American Red Cross to address the meeting. 7:59

Key speakers Kim Swayze and Winn Stephens presented information regarding the Japan tsunami and discussed an upcoming community relief initiative. The presentations focused on the Bluegrass Community Walk for Tsunami Relief, which was being organized to support those affected by the disaster.

As part of the presentations, a moment of silence was observed in honor of the victims of the tsunami.

The outcome of this agenda item was informational in nature, providing the community with details about the relief efforts and the upcoming fundraising walk.

Committee Reports

Vice Mayor Linda Gorton reported on the Committee of the Whole Work Session 54:09. The session addressed several matters requiring committee action and scheduling.

The following motions were discussed and approved:

• Police Disciplinary Hearing: A motion to schedule a police disciplinary hearing
• Investigation Referrals: A motion to refer investigations to the Public Safety and Public Works Committee
• Alternative Fuel Vehicles: A motion to refer the purchase of alternative fuel vehicles to the General Government Committee
• Environmental Quality Committee Meeting: A motion to schedule a special meeting of the Environmental Quality Committee

The outcome of the Committee Reports agenda item was approved.

Ordinances – Second Reading

1:32:14

The council approved eight ordinances during the second reading portion of the meeting. The ordinances addressed multiple municipal matters, including a zone change for property located at 412 S. Mill St., budget amendments, grant authorizations, and the creation of new positions across various city departments.

Key speakers during this agenda item included Crosbie and Myers, who presented and discussed the proposed ordinances with the council.

The council voted to approve all eight ordinances presented for second reading. The specific details of individual ordinances, including the nature of the zone change, the amounts of budget amendments, the grants being authorized, and the departments receiving new positions, were not detailed in the available meeting materials.

Ordinances – First Reading (New Business)

1:33:27

Several ordinances were presented for first reading during this agenda item. The ordinances were ordered placed on file for public inspection.

Key Actions:

• Acceptance of a bid for Kearney Hills Golf Course irrigation replacement
• Ratification of the 2010 Division of Community Corrections Policy and Procedure Manual

Key Speakers:

Lawless and Jarvis participated in the discussion of these ordinances.

Outcome:

The item was deferred.

Resolutions – Second Reading

1:50:14

The council approved 11 resolutions during the second reading portion of the meeting.

Key Speakers

Martin and Ellinger led the discussion on this agenda item.

Resolutions Approved

The approved resolutions included:

• Accepting bids for temporary labor
• Accepting bids for pool paint
• Authorizing grant applications
• Approving contract amendments for the Newtown Pike Extension
• Approving contract amendments for the Wayfinding Program

Outcome

All 11 resolutions were approved by the council.

Resolutions – First Reading (New Business)

2:15:27

The council approved 14 resolutions during the first reading of new business. Key speakers on this agenda item included Beard and Crosbie.

The resolutions addressed several procurement and authorization matters:

• Custodial Services Bids: The council accepted bids for custodial services.
• Trash and Recycling Containers: Bids were accepted for trash and recycling containers.
• Fencing: Bids were accepted for fencing projects.
• Electronics Waste Recycling: Bids were accepted for electronics waste recycling services.
• Stormwater Quality Projects: The council authorized grant awards for stormwater quality projects.

All 14 resolutions were approved by the council.

Communications from the Mayor

2:16:00

Mayor Gray presented communications regarding appointments and reappointments to various city commissions and boards. The mayor recommended candidates for the following bodies:

• CASA
• Corridors Commission
• Ethics Commission
• Special Events Commission

The agenda item was categorized as an appointment matter. The recommendations presented by Mayor Gray were approved by the council.

Communications from the Mayor (For Information Only)

Mayor Gray announced temporary appointments to positions within the Department of General Services and the Division of Facilities and Fleet Management. 2:16:33

The appointments made were: - Jamshid Baradaran - Jimmy Ross

This item was presented for informational purposes only, with no debate or action required from the council.

Announcements

No announcements were made during this agenda item.

Public Comments

During the public comment period, eleven citizens addressed the council on various topics of community concern. 2:21:50

The speakers raised issues spanning multiple policy areas:

• Affordable Housing Trust Fund — Citizens spoke in support of and regarding the establishment or continuation of affordable housing initiatives.

• Easement Rights — Questions and concerns were raised regarding property easement rights.

• Pay Adjustments for Council Aides — Public comment addressed proposed compensation changes for council staff members.

• Veteran Legislation — Citizens expressed support for legislation benefiting veterans.

Speakers included: Joseph Owens, Katherine Goetz, Richard Gaines, Forrest Wiley, Katlain Akers, Mary Alice Pratt, William Moody, Adam Jones, Nikita Moy, Jamie Cooper, and Robert Dalton.

The public comment period served an informational function, allowing constituents to present their perspectives on pending and ongoing matters before the council.