Council Environmental Quality Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Environmental Quality Committee met on September 20, 2011, at 10:00 AM, with Chair Blues presiding. The committee addressed four agenda items during the session, hearing one public comment and taking five votes. Two items were presented for informational purposes: the Quarterly Financials and an Environmental Quality Projects Update. The committee deferred action on a proposal to Consolidate Greenways Maintenance & Management, and transferred Items Referred for further consideration.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on September 20, 2011:

• Blues
• Stinnett
• Gorton
• Farmer
• Crosbie
• Myers
• McChord
• Martin
• Henson
• Lane
• Cosby
• McCord

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

Five motions were passed by voice vote during this meeting.

Greenway Management Policies Review 1:13:33 A motion by Farmer, seconded by Stinnett, to ask Commissioner Taylor to convene an in-house group to examine greenway management policies and operations, with a report back in two months, passed unanimously.

Removal of Private Solid Waste Providers from Committee Referrals 1:48:40 A motion by Stinnett, seconded by Henson, to remove "Private Solid Waste Providers" from the committee referrals list passed unanimously.

Valley View Ferry Transfer 1:49:46 A motion by Blues, seconded by Gorton, to remove "Valley View Ferry" from the committee referrals list and transfer it to the Planning and Public Works Committee passed unanimously.

Paving Warranties Transfer 1:50:17 A motion by Blues, seconded by Gorton, to remove "Renegotiation and Expand Paving Warranties" from the Environmental Quality Committee and transfer it to the Planning and Public Works Committee passed unanimously.

Bulky Item Collections Referral 1:52:20 A motion by Farmer, seconded by Stinnett, to send "Bulky Item Collections" to the Waste Management Task Force passed unanimously.

All votes were conducted by voice vote with no recorded opposition or abstentions.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed several financial actions related to water quality, stormwater management, and infrastructure upgrades:

Appropriations

• $125,000 appropriation for maintenance of greenway properties outside parks using Water Quality Management Fee funds
• $125,000 appropriation for maintenance of stormwater-related properties, including grass cutting and mowing activities

Contract

• $12,000,000 contract for SCADA electrical and computer operations upgrade at treatment plants

Grant Program

• Incentive grant program established for neighborhood associations and private businesses to support green infrastructure projects, with funding amounts to be determined based on individual project proposals

Public Comment

No public comments were received during this meeting. 1:52:57 The committee proceeded without remarks from members of the public and adjourned following the passage of final motions.

Appointments

The following appointments were made during this meeting:

• Cosby was appointed to the Environmental Quality Committee.

• McCord was reappointed to the Environmental Quality Committee.

Contested Items

The meeting featured two significant areas of disagreement among council members.

Funding and Management of Greenways

Council members debated the appropriate funding mechanism for greenway maintenance and construction. The core disagreement centered on whether greenway maintenance should be funded through stormwater fees or parks budgets. Council Member Hanson opposed using tax dollars for trail construction, while other council members advocated for exploring new funding models. The discussion revealed concerns about misaligned funding sources and inconsistent mowing policies across the greenway system. This disagreement resulted in a split vote, indicating the council remained divided on the best approach to sustaining greenway infrastructure.

Procurement and Local Hiring Preferences

Council Members Martin and Lane raised concerns about the dominance of out-of-state firms in large municipal contracts. They advocated for local hiring preferences to support the local economy. However, other council members argued against implementing local preference policies, citing fairness concerns and potential negative impacts on competitive procurement practices. This heated discussion highlighted a fundamental tension between supporting local economic development and maintaining open, competitive bidding processes for municipal contracts. The disagreement reflected broader questions about the council's priorities regarding community economic support versus market-based procurement principles.

Consolidate Greenways Maintenance & Management

21:33

The committee discussed the fragmented management of Lexington's greenway system during this agenda item. The discussion revealed that the city's greenways span 850 acres but are managed across multiple departments with various funding sources, creating inconsistencies in maintenance and oversight.

Key Issues Identified

The committee identified several challenges with the current greenway management structure:

• Fragmented management across multiple departments
• Inconsistent maintenance standards
• Lack of a designated greenway coordinator
• Unclear definitions of what constitutes a greenway
• Funding challenges and unclear budget allocation

Speakers and Discussion

Multiple committee members participated in the discussion, including Taylor, Lovin, Martin, Stinnett, McCord, Lane, Hanson, and Farmer. Their contributions addressed the need for a more coordinated approach to managing the city's greenway assets.

Action Taken

The committee passed a motion tasking Commissioner Taylor with convening an in-house working group to address the management issues. The working group was charged with developing a coordinated greenway management structure that would consolidate oversight and improve consistency across the system.

The committee requested that the working group report back with recommendations within two months, allowing time for the group to assess current practices and propose solutions for better coordination and management of Lexington's greenway network.

Quarterly Financials

Commissioner Driscoll presented an overview of the city's financial position as of June 30, 2011 1:17:55. The presentation highlighted approximately $36 million in investments and $3 million in operating cash.

Council Member Lane raised concerns regarding cash reserves and their adequacy for future bond issuance. Lane requested a review of the required cash levels to ensure the city maintains sufficient reserves for upcoming financial needs.

Council Member Mulligan also participated in the discussion.

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

Environmental Quality Projects Update

Director Charlie Martin presented an update on several key environmental quality initiatives to the committee. 1:21:16

Projects Discussed

Martin reported on the following projects:

• Sanitary Sewer Assessment Group 2: Fieldwork for this project has been completed.
• SCADA Upgrade: Upgrades are underway at treatment plants.
• Coldstream Crimson King Stormwater Project: This project was highlighted as a success.
• Incentive Grant Program: The program has been performing successfully.

Procurement and Engineering Practices

The committee discussion included consideration of procurement practices and the pre-qualification of engineering firms. Committee members Stinnett and Lane participated in the discussion alongside Director Martin regarding these operational matters.

Outcome

This agenda item was presented as informational, with no formal action required. The update provided the committee with current status information on the environmental quality projects under the department's oversight.

Items Referred

The committee reviewed and voted on several referral items during this portion of the meeting 1:45:33.

Items Transferred:

The following items were referred to appropriate committees:

• Private Solid Waste Providers – Removed and transferred to the Waste Management Task Force
• Valley View Ferry – Moved to Planning and Public Works
• Renegotiation and Expand Paving Warranties – Moved to Planning and Public Works
• Bulky Item Collections – Sent to the Waste Management Task Force

Key Participants:

The discussion involved committee members Stinnett, Blues, Farmer, and Gordon.

Outcome:

All referral items were successfully transferred to their designated committees for further review and action.