Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council met on October 27, 2011, at 6:00 P.M. in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gray presiding. The Council addressed five agenda items during the meeting, taking four votes and hearing five public comments. The meeting resulted in the approval of three substantive measures: a Health Care Rates Supplement, Budget Amendments, and a Code of Ordinances Amendment. The Council also approved a Redistricting item. An invocation opened the proceedings.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on October 27, 2011:

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

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

Resolution 28 2:40:53

Resolution 28 to commit up to an extra $1.9 million toward health care rates for all employees and retirees passed by roll call vote with 14 ayes and 0 nays. The motion was made by Kay and seconded by Gorton. Voting in favor were Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Gorton, Henson, Kay, Lane, Lawless, Martin, Myers, and Stinnett.

Ordinance 129-2011 6:00:00

Ordinance 129-2011, amending certain budgets of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, passed by roll call vote with 12 ayes and 0 nays. The motion was made by Blues and seconded by Henson. Voting in favor were Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Gorton, Henson, Kay, Lane, Lawless, McChord, and Myers.

Ordinance 130-2011 6:00:00

Ordinance 130-2011, redistricting the districts of the members of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council, passed by roll call vote with 12 ayes and 0 nays. The motion was made by Blues and seconded by Henson. Voting in favor were Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Gorton, Henson, Kay, Lane, Lawless, McChord, and Myers.

Ordinance 131-2011 6:00:00

Ordinance 131-2011, amending Section 22-5(2) of the Code of Ordinances, passed by roll call vote with 11 ayes and 1 nay. The motion was made by Blues and seconded by Henson. Voting in favor were Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Farmer, Gorton, Henson, Kay, Lane, Lawless, McChord, and Myers. Ford voted against the ordinance.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting approved four financial actions totaling $553,175:

Old Frankfort Pike Corridor Management Plan [Resolution 5] A grant of $52,000 was awarded to Lexington-Frankfort Scenic Corridor, Inc. for development of the Old Frankfort Pike Corridor Management Plan.

Street Sales Drug Enforcement Project [Resolution 6] A contract valued at $56,200 was awarded to the Fayette County Commonwealth Attorney's Office to fund a Fast Track prosecutor position for the Street Sales Drug Enforcement Project.

AM Alert Station [Resolution 7] A contract of $44,975 was awarded to Information Station Specialists, Inc. for an AM Alert Station.

Domestic Violence Accountability Project [Resolution 8] A grant of $400,000 was approved from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women to continue a project designed to hold offenders of domestic violence accountable.

Public Comment

Five speakers addressed the meeting during public comment, with all but one focusing on employee and retiree health insurance concerns.

Employee Health Insurance

Debbie Tester 1:43:51 expressed concerns about the affordability of health insurance for non-sworn personnel and advocated for unionization to have a stronger voice in addressing these issues.

Pam Brandenburg 1:46:32 criticized the proposed health insurance changes, stating they would not be sufficient and could lead to financial hardship for employees.

Kelly Stidham 1:55:52 argued that the proposed health insurance plans are not feasible for employees with dependents and suggested alternative solutions.

Sandy Witt 2:04:19 presented a detailed analysis of the financial impact of the proposed health insurance plans on her family, highlighting significant out-of-pocket costs.

Retiree Health Insurance

William Pinkston 2:16:16 expressed concerns about the impact of health insurance changes on retirees, especially those on fixed incomes.

Appointments

Tamara McMullen was appointed to the position of Program Coordinator in the Division of Family Services.

Contested Items

Employee Health Insurance Changes

The proposed changes to employee health insurance plans generated heated discussion during the meeting. Employees and retirees expressed significant opposition to the proposed modifications, citing concerns about affordability and coverage under the new plan structure.

The disagreement centered on the impact these changes would have on current and former employees' access to healthcare and their out-of-pocket costs. The contested nature of this item reflects the substantial concerns raised by those who would be directly affected by the modifications to their health insurance benefits.

Invocation

Rabbi Marc Kline from Temple Adath Israel delivered the invocation for the meeting 1:27. The invocation emphasized themes of faith and community service.

Health Care Rates Supplement

2:40:53

The council discussed and approved Resolution 28, which committed up to an additional $1.9 million toward health care rates for all employees and retirees.

Key speakers on this agenda item included Kay, Gorton, and Stinnett. The resolution was approved by the council.

Budget Amendments

Ordinance 129-2011 proposed amendments to certain budgets of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government to reflect current requirements for municipal expenditures. 6:00:00

The ordinance was discussed by Blues and Henson. The ordinance was approved.

Redistricting

Ordinance 130-2011 addressed the redistricting of districts for members of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council. 6:00:00

The discussion on this matter involved key speakers Blues and Henson. The ordinance was presented for consideration and deliberation by the council.

The ordinance was approved.

Code of Ordinances Amendment

Ordinance 131-2011 proposed an amendment to Section 22-5(2) of the Code of Ordinances that would abolish one position of Citizens' Advocate and create a part-time position in its place.

The discussion on this item involved Blues and Henson as key speakers 6:00:00.

The ordinance was approved.