Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

A Council Work Session was presided over by the Mayor on December 5, 2011. The meeting included 13 agenda items, with the council taking 14 motions and votes throughout the session. Three members of the public provided comments during the meeting.

The council approved several significant items, including docket additions, budget amendments, a Transfer of Control Agreement, a Mountain Bike Trail Project, a Bluegrass Family Health RFP, property acquisition, and traffic stop requests. The session also featured informational presentations on public safety staffing and an IT pay study, as well as a report from the Environmental Quality Committee. A Santa Claus Program Announcement was presented for informational purposes. Council Reports were postponed to a later date.

Attendance

Present: - Dan Dotterweik - Margaret Ballard - Chris Bartley - Matt - Council Member Lane - Council Member Henson - Council Member Crosby - Council Member Gordon - Council Member Ellinger - Council Member Blues - Council Member Farmer - Council Member Martin - Council Member Stennett - Council Member Beard - Council Member McCord - Commissioner Mason - Chief Jackson - Assistant Chief Jordan - Lyle Hanna - Tim Bailey - Elizabeth - Charlotte - Mr. Martin - Ms. McGee - Joe Venari - Pat - Lieutenant Riley - Mr. Reed - Commissioner Driscoll - Commissioner Graham

Late: - Council Member Lane - Council Member Crosby

Absent: None recorded.

Votes and Decisions

All motions during this meeting passed by voice vote.

Docket and Agenda Items

Council placed on the docket a resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a renewal confirmation with Humana to renew the 2011 contract from January 1, 2012, until the 2012 Humana contract is finalized and approved by Council. Motion by Council Member Henson, seconded by Council Member Ellinger 11:26.

The docket was approved on motion by Vice Mayor Gordon, seconded by Council Member Crosby 12:29. The docket was subsequently amended 12:59.

Budget and Financial Matters

Council approved budget amendments reallocating $72,000 from professional services to capital for construction projects. Motion by Council Member Beard, seconded by Council Member Ellinger 14:06.

Council approved the transfer of control agreement between Time Warner and Insight Communications under the existing franchise agreement. Motion by Vice Mayor Gordon, seconded by Council Member Ellinger 16:14.

An amendment to item H was approved, changing the contribution amount from $12,862 to $17,862 for the mountain bike trail project with the Kentucky Mountain Bike Association. Motion by Council Member Ellinger, seconded by Council Member Blues 19:32.

Property and Services

Council approved the RFP for prescription drug benefits under the new system for Bluegrass Family Health 21:10.

Council placed on the docket a resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a certificate of consideration and accept a deed for property at 401 Blue Sky Parkway, with payment of $250,000 plus closing costs. Motion by Council Member Lane, seconded by Council Member Blues 22:46.

Traffic and Infrastructure

Council directed traffic engineering to place a multiway stop at the intersection of North Eagle Creek Drive and Eagle View Lane. Motion by Council Member Crosby, seconded by Vice Mayor Gordon 23:48.

Council directed traffic engineering to place a multiway stop at the intersection of Squires Road and East Hills Drive due to collisions. Motion by Council Member Crosby, seconded by Council Member Lane 24:20.

Additional Motions

Council forwarded the sanitary sewer private property ordinance to Council. Motion by Vice Mayor Gorton, seconded by Council Member Henson 28:04.

The NDF list was approved 203:16.

Council postponed council reports until after the full council meeting. Motion by Council Member Martin, seconded by Council Member Farmer 47:15.

The meeting was adjourned 47:46.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed two significant financial matters:

Property Purchase The body approved a payment of $250,000 for the purchase of property located at 401 Blue Sky Parkway.

Firefighter Retirement Payouts An appropriation of $1,700,000 was approved to cover payouts to 40 retiring firefighters.

Public Comment

Three members of the public addressed the board during this meeting.

Dan Dotterweik 1:04 spoke regarding the Computer Services Salary Survey. He raised concerns about outdated job descriptions, noting that the study failed to consult with managers and did not adequately account for job scope and organizational size. He urged the board to give more detailed consideration to these factors before implementing any salary adjustments.

Chris Bartley 1:59:15 addressed Public Safety Staffing and Brownouts. He emphasized the urgency of hiring a new recruit class, characterizing the need for adequate staffing as a life-or-death matter. He stressed the importance of timely emergency response and warned that without sufficient personnel, brownouts could occur.

Tim Bailey 2:38:28 commented on the IT Compensation Study. He questioned the study's internal equity, pointing out a significant pay disparity in which a network security engineer subordinate was paid substantially more than their supervisor. He also noted that job classifications were not properly aligned with actual responsibilities.

Contested Items

Public Safety Staffing and Brownouts

Council members engaged in heated discussion regarding anticipated staffing shortages in the fire department. The primary concern centered on 40 firefighter retirements that would create operational brownouts. Multiple council members urged immediate action to address the crisis, including the hiring of a recruit class. However, these calls for swift intervention faced obstacles related to financial constraints and the extended lead time required to train and deploy new firefighters. The discussion reflected significant anxiety among council members about maintaining adequate public safety coverage despite budgetary limitations.

IT Compensation Study and Supplemental Pay

A split vote occurred on the IT compensation study and supplemental pay proposal. While the study's findings indicated that IT department pay was aligned with market rates, Council Member Martin voiced strong criticism of the council's priorities. Martin argued that the focus on compensation for the small IT department represented a distraction from more pressing financial issues. He contended that the council was overlooking larger public safety compensation problems—concerns that directly connected to the firefighter staffing crisis discussed elsewhere in the meeting. Martin's position highlighted a fundamental disagreement about resource allocation and which departmental needs should take precedence during the financial crisis.

Public Comment

During the public comment period, three speakers addressed the board with concerns regarding personnel and compensation matters.

Dan Dotterweik raised issues with the computer services salary survey, citing several methodological problems. His concerns included outdated job descriptions that did not reflect current responsibilities, insufficient input from managers in the survey process, and what he characterized as flawed methodology in how the survey was conducted.

Chris Bartley provided public comment on public safety staffing matters, though specific details of his remarks were not documented in the available materials.

Tim Bailey also offered public comment related to IT compensation, though the specific content of his remarks was not detailed in the summary.

The public comment period was informational in nature, with no formal action or decision required as a result of the remarks presented.

Santa Claus Program Announcement

Lieutenant Riley presented the Fire Department's Santa Claus program during this agenda item 6:04. The presentation focused on the program's fundraising efforts and community outreach activities.

Program Overview

The Santa Claus program raises donations for toys and funds to support the annual toy handout initiative. Lieutenant Riley highlighted the program's role in providing gifts to children in the community during the holiday season.

Corporate Support

A key component of the presentation was the discussion of corporate support for the program. Lieutenant Riley emphasized the partnerships and contributions from local businesses that help sustain the toy donation and distribution efforts.

Planned Events

The Fire Department outlined plans for future program activities, including a breakfast with Santa event. This initiative represents an expansion of community engagement opportunities related to the Santa Claus program.

Outcome

This agenda item was presented as informational in nature, with no formal action or debate recorded. The presentation served to update the body on the Fire Department's holiday charitable activities and community involvement.

Docket Additions

Council Members Lane and Crosby requested to add items to the docket during this agenda item 10:54. Following a brief discussion, the council approved the requested additions to the docket.

The council voted to approve the docket and amended it to include the new items proposed by Council Members Lane and Crosby. The outcome of this agenda item was approval.

Budget Amendments

The council discussed and approved a budget amendment to reallocate $72,000 from professional services to capital construction projects. 13:31

Key Speakers

The discussion involved Council Member Beard, Council Member Ellinger, Mr. Martin, and Ms. McGee.

Proposal and Rationale

The amendment reallocated $72,000 in funding to support active capital construction projects. According to the presentation, the funds were needed to complete projects related to old bond funds that were already in progress.

Outcome

The council approved the budget amendment.

New Business: Transfer of Control Agreement

16:14

The council discussed and approved a transfer of control agreement between Time Warner and Insight Communications. Vice Mayor Gordon, Council Member Ellinger, and Council Member Farmer participated in the discussion.

The agreement addressed the change in ownership of the cable service provider and ensured that the new owner would comply with the existing franchise agreement currently in place. The council determined that this transfer of control constituted a non-material change, meaning it did not require substantial modifications to the existing franchise terms or conditions.

The council voted to approve the transfer of control agreement.

New Business: Mountain Bike Trail Project

19:32

The council discussed and approved a correction to the city's financial contribution for a mountain bike trail project. The city's contribution was increased from $12,862 to $17,862.

Key Participants

Council Members Ellinger, Blues, and Hancock participated in the discussion of this agenda item.

Project Details

The mountain bike trail project will benefit from volunteer labor and oversight provided by the Kentucky Mountain Bike Association, reducing costs and ensuring specialized expertise in the trail's development and maintenance.

Outcome

The council approved the corrected contribution amount of $17,862 for the mountain bike trail project.

New Business: Bluegrass Family Health RFP

21:10

The council discussed and approved a Request for Proposal (RFP) for prescription drug benefits under a new system. Council Member Ellinger, Joe Venari, and Mr. Mars participated in the discussion.

The RFP focused on prescription drug benefits administration, with the council evaluating the proposal based on projected financial outcomes and cost management strategies. The proposal emphasized improved cost control measures that would contribute to overall savings.

Outcome

The council approved the RFP. The approval was based on projected annual savings of $1.5 million, which were attributed to favorable inflation trends and enhanced cost control mechanisms within the new prescription drug benefits system.

Walk-on: Property Acquisition

22:46

The council approved a resolution to acquire property located at 401 Blue Sky Parkway for $250,000. The resolution authorized the Mayor to execute all necessary documents and accept the deed for the property.

Council Member Lane and Council Member Blues participated in the discussion of this agenda item. The council voted to approve the acquisition, which was the stated outcome of the discussion.

Walk-on: Traffic Stop Requests

23:48

The council considered two motions to install multiway stops at intersections in response to traffic volume and collision risks.

Key Speakers

• Council Member Crosby
• Vice Mayor Gordon
• Council Member Lane

Discussion and Outcome

The council approved both motions unanimously. The motions addressed safety concerns at specific intersections by proposing the installation of multiway stops to manage traffic volume and reduce collision risks in those areas.

Environmental Quality Committee Report

25:25

Council Member Blues reported on the Environmental Quality Committee's recent meeting, covering three main topics.

Construction Management Firm Appointment

The committee addressed the appointment of a construction management firm for the remedial measures plan. Details regarding the specific firm selected or the scope of the remedial work were not provided in the available information.

Sanitary Sewer Private Property Task Force

Council Member Blues reported on the progress of the sanitary sewer private property task force. The specific updates or recommendations from this task force were not detailed in the available information.

Key Plexington Beautiful Commission Annual Report

The committee received the annual report from the Key Plexington Beautiful Commission. The contents and findings of this report were not specified in the available information.

Outcome

This agenda item was presented for informational purposes only, with no formal action or vote required.

Public Safety Staffing Presentation

Commissioner Mason and Chief Jackson presented a detailed report on significant staffing challenges facing the public safety department 29:16.

Key Issues Presented

The presentation focused on the impending retirement of 40 firefighters, which would create a substantial staffing crisis for the department. To address this challenge, leadership presented the SAPA plan, which proposes managing the shortage through rotating out-of-service apparatus—a strategy to maintain service levels despite reduced personnel availability.

Key Speakers

The presentation was led by: - Commissioner Mason - Chief Jackson - Assistant Chief Jordan

Outcome

This agenda item was presented as informational, providing the governing body with details on the staffing situation and the proposed management strategy to address the upcoming retirements and their operational impact.

IT Pay Study Presentation

2:04:22

Lyle Hanna presented findings from a compensation study of the IT department. The study examined how the department's pay structure compared to industry market standards.

Key Findings

The study concluded that: - Base pay is at 95% of market - Supplemented pay is at 107% of market

These figures indicate that the IT department's overall compensation package is well-aligned with industry standards, with base pay slightly below market rates but total compensation exceeding market benchmarks when supplemental benefits are included.

Outcome

This was an informational presentation with no action items or decisions required.

Council Reports

47:15

The council addressed council reports during this agenda item. Council Member Martin and Council Member Farmer participated in the discussion.

Rather than proceeding with council reports at that time, the council made a procedural decision to postpone them. The council moved to place the council reports in the announcements portion of the next session instead of addressing them during the current meeting.

The outcome of this agenda item was postponement of the council reports to a later time.