Council Committee of the Whole Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council met on August 23, 2011, in the Council Chambers on the 2nd Floor of the Government Center, with the Vice Mayor presiding. The meeting included three agenda items and two public comments from members of the public on issues before the council. During the session, the council took three votes and heard informational presentations during a Committee of the Whole Work Session. The council approved a proposal for a bike lane on Maxwell Street. Overall, the meeting addressed both procedural matters and a specific infrastructure project.

Attendance

The following council members were present at the meeting on August 29, 2011:

• Council Member Farmer
• Council Member Henson
• Council Member Stinnett
• Council Member Beard
• Council Member Lawless
• Council Member Lane
• Council Member Martin
• Council Member McCord
• Council Member Kay
• Council Member Ellinger
• Council Member Blues
• Council Member Ford

No council members were absent or late.

Votes and Decisions

Motion to Place Three-Way Stop at Londonderry and Dunkirk 9:15

Council Member Henson moved to place a three-way stop at Londonderry and Dunkirk, seconded by Council Member McCord. The motion passed by voice vote.

Motion to Refer Parking Removal Process to Parking Authority 1:03:25

Council Member Lawless moved to refer the issue of the process for removing parking to the parking authority, seconded by Council Member Ellinger. The motion passed by roll call vote with 7 ayes and 6 nays.

Motion to Remove Bicycle Lane Striping and Replace with Parking Spaces 1:16:27

Council Member Farmer moved to remove the bicycle lane striping between Woodland and Kentucky and replace it with parking spaces, seconded by Council Member Beard. The motion passed by voice vote. Council Member Lawless and Council Member Kay voted against the motion.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed two significant financial items:

Web-Streaming and Voting System Contract

Resolution BS 296-11 authorized a monthly support and maintenance contract with Granicus, Inc. for $33,520. This contract covers ongoing support for web-streaming services and the Council Chamber voting system.

Housing and Urban Development Grant Application

Resolution BS 300-11 approved a grant application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the amount of $500,000. The grant would fund planning consultation services for the North Lexington Gateway Plan.

Public Comment

Two speakers addressed the council during public comment, both raising concerns about a proposed bike lane on Maxwell Street.

Richard Sexton 43:33 expressed concern about the removal of parking spaces that would result from the bike lane project. He emphasized the importance of parking availability for local businesses in the area.

Nick Nicholson 47:26 spoke against the bike lane proposal, arguing that the petition supporting the project was not representative of the affected businesses on Maxwell Street.

Appointments

The meeting included discussion regarding the Planning Commission, though specific details about the appointment action and the individual involved were not documented in the available records.

Contested Items

Bike Lane on Maxwell Street

A proposal to install a bike lane on Maxwell Street generated significant community opposition. The project would have required the removal of parking spaces to accommodate the new bike lane, which prompted local business owners to voice concerns about the impact on their operations and customer access.

The disagreement centered on balancing bicycle infrastructure improvements with the parking needs of businesses and their patrons. Local business owners argued against the removal of parking spaces, leading to a heated discussion during the meeting.

Following the contentious debate, the decision was made to remove the bike lane striping from Maxwell Street, effectively abandoning the original proposal in response to the community opposition.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

0:00

The council opened the floor for public comments on issues listed on the agenda. No public comments were made at this time.

Committee of the Whole Work Session

During this work session, the council reviewed the docket for the upcoming council meeting. The discussion focused on first readings of ordinances and resolutions that were scheduled for consideration.

This session was informational in nature, providing council members with an opportunity to examine the agenda items in advance of the formal meeting. 0:37

Bike Lane on Maxwell Street

The council discussed a contentious proposal regarding a bike lane on Maxwell Street, which would have required the removal of parking spaces. The discussion took place approximately 43 minutes and 33 seconds into the meeting.

Council Members Lawless, Beard, and Martin participated in the debate. The agenda item involved public comments on the bike lane proposal, indicating that community members had concerns or perspectives to share on the project.

The council considered a motion to remove the bike lane striping from Maxwell Street. This motion reflected opposition to the original bike lane proposal, suggesting that concerns about parking space loss outweighed support for the cycling infrastructure.

The council approved the motion to remove the bike lane striping, effectively rejecting the bike lane on Maxwell Street.