Council Committee of the Whole Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Committee of the Whole met on July 2, 2011, at 3:00 p.m. in Room number one, with Mr. Chairman presiding. The meeting included 18 agenda items, with 8 motions and votes taken and 1 public comment heard. The committee approved several items including the summary, agenda items referred from council members, a resolution authorizing a purchase of service agreement with Lexington Children's Museum, and rental signs in yards regulations. Resolution 43 regarding Cultural District Planning was deferred for further consideration. The remainder of the agenda consisted of informational items and reports, including updates on environmental quality, the Urban Service Fund, road resurfacing funding and planning, a tweens program and wellness initiative, parking enforcement, road grading and funding allocation processes, a supplemental pay study for IT employees, and public comment regarding fireworks and wildlife impacts.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on July 12, 2011:

• Dr. Blues
• Dr. Kerr
• Mr. Farmer
• Mr. Stinnett
• Mr. McCord
• Ms. Henson
• Ms. Lawless
• Mr. Lane
• Mr. Wente
• Mr. Beard
• Ms. Jarvis
• Mr. Myers

No attendees were reported absent or late.

Votes and Decisions

The following motions were voted on and passed during the meeting:

Closed Session 3:32 A motion to go into closed session pursuant to KRS 61.8101F for discussion of employee appointment was moved by Dr. Blues and seconded by Dr. Kerr. The motion passed by voice vote.

Exit Closed Session 4:21 A motion to come out of closed session was moved by Dr. Blues and seconded by Mr. Farmer. The motion passed by voice vote.

Spay and Neuter Fund Ordinance 7:25 A motion to place an ordinance on docket regarding a spay and neuter fund and grant program was moved by Ms. Henson and seconded by Mr. McCord. The motion passed by voice vote.

Multi-Way Stop Installation 7:56 A motion to place a multi-way stop at Pink Pigeon and Plotted Place intersection on docket was moved by Mr. Stennett and seconded by Mr. McCord. The motion passed by voice vote.

Lexington Children's Museum Agreement 8:31 A motion to place on docket a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute a fiscal year 2012 purchase of service agreement with Lexington Children's Museum, Inc. was moved by Dr. Bluth and seconded by Ms. Henson. The motion passed by voice vote.

Rental Sign Issue Referral 10:43 A motion to refer the rental sign issue to the Public Safety and Public Works committees was moved by Ms. Lawless and seconded by Mr. Farmer. The motion passed by voice vote.

Committee of the Whole Meeting 15:44 A motion to schedule a Committee of the Whole meeting on August 23rd to review storm design options was moved by Vice Mayor Gorton and seconded by Council Member Stenet. The motion passed unanimously.

Adjournment 41:10 A motion to adjourn was moved by Mr. Farmer and seconded by Mr. Myers. The motion passed by voice vote.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed two significant financial commitments for fiscal year 2012:

Purchase of Service Agreement with Lexington Children's Museum

The board approved Resolution 0073-26 for a purchase of service agreement with Lexington Children's Museum, Inc., doing business as Explorium of Lexington, in the amount of $169,047. This agreement provides education and cultural experiences for the community.

Streetlight Rental Appropriation

An appropriation of $4.7 million was approved for streetlight rental services for fiscal year 2012 through the Urban Service District Fund.

Public Comment

36:38

Nora Ward, a volunteer for the Kentucky Wildlife Rescue Center, addressed the meeting regarding the impact of fireworks on wildlife. Ward reported that nine orphaned eastern cottontail rabbits in her care died from fright caused by persistent and intense fireworks during the weeks leading up to July 4th. She urged the city to adopt a safe and sane fireworks ordinance to protect animals and the environment.

Contested Items

Inclusion of Lexington Downtown Development Authority in Resolution 43

Council Member Lane questioned the exclusion of the Lexington Downtown Development Authority (DDA) from Resolution 43. Lane noted the DDA's involvement in previous projects, including the Cheapside Pavilion, and questioned why they were not included as formal members in the resolution. Dr. Blues responded by clarifying that while the DDA would serve as collaborators on the initiative, they would not be formal members. This distinction prompted brief debate among council members regarding the appropriate role and involvement of the DDA in the resolution's implementation.

Fireworks Impact on Wildlife

Community member Nora Ward provided emotional testimony regarding the impact of fireworks on wildlife, specifically describing rabbits dying from exposure to fireworks noise. Her testimony raised concerns among council members about the broader effects of fireworks celebrations on local animal populations. In response to this community opposition, the council referred the issue to committee for further review and consideration of potential mitigation measures.

Public common issues on the agenda

3:01

The chair opened the floor to invite members of the public to speak on common issues on the agenda. No members of the public came forward to address the meeting during this portion of the proceedings.

Approval of summary

The summary was approved by voice vote without opposition 3:01.

Closed session

A motion to enter closed session was passed to discuss employee appointment matters. 3:32

The closed session involved Dr. Blues, Dr. Kerr, and Dr. Cain. Following the discussion, the session was exited by motion.

The outcome of this agenda item was informational in nature.

Review of the docket

5:21

The committee conducted a review of the docket during this portion of the meeting. Dr. Blueys and Mr. Stinnett were the key speakers involved in this discussion.

The committee confirmed that no first or second readings of ordinances or resolutions were pending at the time of the meeting. Following this confirmation, the chair invited input from committee members regarding any referrals or actions that should be considered.

The outcome of this agenda item was informational in nature, with no formal action taken.

Agenda items referred from council members

7:25

Two items were referred from council members during this portion of the meeting.

Ms. Henson moved to place a spay and neuter fund ordinance on the docket. Mr. Stennett moved to place a multi-way stop request at Pink Pigeon and Plotted Place on the docket.

Both motions passed by voice vote.

Resolution authorizing purchase of service agreement with Lexington Children's Museum

8:31

Dr. Bluth moved to authorize the mayor to execute a service agreement with Lexington Children's Museum in the amount of $169,047. Ms. Henson participated in the discussion of this agenda item.

The motion passed by voice vote.

Rental signs in yards

10:43

Ms. Lawless raised a concern about rental signs that remain in yards beyond the rental period. She suggested that this matter be referred to both Public Safety and Public Works departments for enforcement purposes.

Mr. Farmer participated in the discussion of this agenda item.

The motion regarding rental signs in yards passed by voice vote.

Resolution 43 – Cultural District Planning

11:14

Council Member Lane raised a question regarding the exclusion of the Lexington Downtown Development Authority (DDA) from Resolution 43. Dr. Blues responded to this concern, explaining that while the DDA would not serve as formal members of the steering committee, they would function as close collaborators in the cultural district planning process.

Ms. Lawless also participated in the discussion.

The resolution was deferred and did not receive a final vote at this meeting.

NDF (No action needed)

13:26

The NDF item was presented as informational only. The body noted that the NDF had already been placed on the docket and required no action from the meeting participants.

Environmental Quality Committee report

Dr. Blues presented findings on storm design plans to the committee 13:58. The presentation outlined three options for storm design, with associated costs ranging from $540 million to $814 million.

The committee determined that a future meeting would be needed to review and discuss these options in greater detail. A follow-up meeting was scheduled for August 23 to continue this review.

The agenda item was informational in nature, with no formal action taken at this time.

Council reports – Urban Service Fund update

17:05

Ms. Bush provided an update on the Urban Service Fund, which supports street lighting, cleaning, and garbage collection services.

Key Issues Presented

Ms. Bush highlighted a potential deficit in streetlight revenues, indicating that current funding may be insufficient to cover the costs of maintaining street lighting services. She also reported that ongoing cost analysis is being conducted to better understand the fund's financial position and service delivery expenses.

Actions Needed

The update identified a need for rate adjustments to address the revenue shortfall and ensure the fund can continue to support its three primary service areas: street lighting, street cleaning, and garbage collection.

Outcome

This was an informational presentation with no formal action taken at this time.

Road resurfacing funding and planning

25:16

Mr. Wente outlined the process for rating roads and preparing a list for resurfacing. He explained the methodology used to evaluate which roads should be prioritized for resurfacing work.

According to Mr. Wente's presentation, a comprehensive list of roads recommended for resurfacing is expected to be completed by the end of the week. Once the list is prepared, feedback from relevant parties will be needed within two to three weeks to finalize the resurfacing plan.

Mr. Stinnett participated in this discussion alongside Mr. Wente.

The outcome of this agenda item was informational, with no formal decision or action items recorded at this time.

Tweens program and wellness initiative

27:52

Mr. McCord presented an update on the Parks and Recreation tweens program and a broader wellness initiative. He highlighted the success of the existing tweens program and shared national obesity statistics to underscore the importance of addressing sedentary lifestyles in the community.

Mr. McCord called for community-wide action to combat inactivity and promote healthier behaviors among young people. As part of this effort, he promoted the 'Fit City Lexington' Facebook page as a resource for community engagement and information sharing related to the wellness initiative.

The item was presented for informational purposes, with no formal action or debate recorded.

5th District-wide meeting invitation

31:39

Mr. Farmer presented an invitation to council members for a district-wide meeting scheduled for July 14 at the Kenwood Community Center. The meeting will feature the mayor and special guests.

This was an informational presentation with no debate or concerns raised during the discussion.

Parking enforcement update

Mr. Farmer requested a presentation from the Parking Authority to address concerns about parking violation enforcement, particularly regarding tickets issued for wrong-way parking. 32:11

This agenda item was presented as an informational discussion to clarify the Parking Authority's enforcement practices and procedures. The presentation was intended to provide the public and council members with an explanation of how parking violations are enforced and to address specific concerns that had been raised about the issuance of citations for wrong-way parking violations.

The outcome of this agenda item was informational in nature, serving to educate attendees about parking enforcement policies rather than to make a decision or take formal action.

Road grading and funding allocation process

Mr. Beard raised questions about the two-year road grading cycle and how funding is allocated within that process 33:23. Mr. Wente responded to the inquiry, confirming that the road grading process was ongoing and operating consistently with the approach used in prior years.

This agenda item was presented as an informational discussion rather than a decision point. No specific concerns or objections were raised during the exchange. The discussion served to clarify the status and continuity of the existing road grading and funding allocation procedures.

Supplemental pay study for IT employees

35:34

Mr. Lane inquired about the status of a study examining supplemental pay for IT employees. Ms. Jarvis responded to confirm that the study was underway and that job specifications had been sent to the relevant parties.

This agenda item was presented as an informational discussion, with no formal debate or concerns documented. The exchange between Mr. Lane and Ms. Jarvis served to confirm progress on the initiative rather than to resolve outstanding issues or make decisions requiring a vote.

Public comment – Fireworks and wildlife

36:38

Nora Ward testified during the public comment period regarding the impact of fireworks on wildlife. Ward described the death of nine rescued rabbits that occurred as a result of fireworks noise. She urged the city to adopt a safe and sane fireworks ordinance to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The agenda item was designated as informational, with no formal action taken during the meeting.