Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council met on January 10, 2012, at 3:00 pm, with Vice Mayor Gorton presiding. The council addressed nine agenda items during the session, including public comment periods, rezoning requests, budget matters, and various reports. The council took 13 votes and heard 8 public comments from members of the community.

Key actions included approval of requested rezonings and docket items, budget amendments, new business items, continuing business and presentations, council reports, and the mayor's report. The meeting also included two public comment periods—one for issues on the agenda and one for issues not on the agenda—allowing residents to address the council on matters of concern.

Attendance

Present: CM Blues, CM Henson, CM Farmer, CM Kay, CM Ellinger, CM Myers, CM Beard, CM Martin, CM Crosbie, CM Lane, CM Ford, CM Stinnett, and CM Lawless.

Absent: None.

Late: CM Lane.

Votes and Decisions

All motions brought before the meeting passed unanimously.

Zoning Ordinances - First Reading

Three zoning change ordinances were placed on the docket without a hearing:

• Motion to place on docket ordinance #4 changing zone from Light Industrial (I-1) to Heavy Industrial (I-2) for property at 195 Lisle Industrial Ave., subject to certain use restrictions imposed as conditions of granting the zone change. Motion by CM Blues, seconded by CM Ellinger. 2:15

• Motion to place on docket ordinance #3 changing zone from Wholesale and Warehouse Business (B-4) to High Rise Apartment (R-5) for 8.54 net acres and from Agricultural Urban (A-U) to R-5 for 2.06 net acres at 843 S. Broadway and 1200 Red Mile Rd. Motion by CM Henson, seconded by CM Myers. 2:50

• Motion to place on docket ordinance #2 changing zone from Wholesale and Warehouse Business (B-4) to Light Industrial (I-1) for 3.18 net acres at 1133 Industry Rd. Motion by CM Farmer, seconded by CM Ellinger. 3:57

Administrative and Budget Matters

• Motion to place on docket for January 12 meeting an ordinance amending Ordinance No. 158-2011 to change meeting times for Public Safety and Environmental Quality Committees in 2012. Motion by CM Kay, seconded by CM Farmer. 4:58

• Motion to place on docket for January 12 meeting an ordinance creating Article VIII of Chapter 16 of the Code of Ordinances to ensure enforcement against improper discharge of surface or groundwater into sanitary sewer system. Motion by CM Blues, seconded by CM Farmer. 5:28

• Motion to approve the docket as amended. Motion by CM Ellinger, seconded by CM Myers. 6:31

• Motion to approve budget amendments. Motion by CM Beard, seconded by CM Myers. 7:02

• Motion to approve new business items. Motion by CM Blues, seconded by CM Henson. 7:34

• Motion to bring to full Council the proposed $35,000 budget with the University of Kentucky's College of Social Work and the Martin School of Public Policy. Motion by CM Myers, seconded by CM Ellinger. 12:10

• Motion to request the administration to present a proposal to streamline the Consolidated Plan and tie it to FY 13 budget cycle measurements. Motion by CM Myers, seconded by CM McCord. 14:51

Public Hearing and Reports

• Motion to schedule a public hearing on the Red Mile TIF expansion for January 26, 2012 at 6 p.m. Motion by CM Henson, seconded by CM Lane. 52:17

• Motion to approve the Mayor's Report. Motion by CM Farmer, seconded by CM Beard. 1:08:58

• Motion to adjourn. Motion by CM Lane, seconded by CM Crosbie. 1:08:58

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting included approval for a purchase service agreement totaling $35,000. This funding was designated for a needs assessment to be conducted in collaboration with the Department of Social Services. The University of Kentucky's Martin School of Public Policy and College of Social Work was selected as the vendor to conduct this work under the purchase service agreement.

Public Comment

Several council members addressed various city matters during the public comment period.

Streetlight Issue CM Blues requested an interim report on the streetlight situation, noting that constituents have been waiting for months while administration works on a creative solution. 48:43

Chinese New Year Celebration CM Martin announced the Chinese American Association's Chinese New Year event scheduled for January 21, 2012, from 7–9 p.m. at the Singletary Center for the Arts, featuring performances and cultural displays. 50:38

Red Mile TIF Expansion CM Henson moved to schedule a public hearing on the proposed expansion of the Red Mile Tax Increment Financing (TIF) project, which would add 10 acres to the existing TIF and activate the first TIF in Fayette County. 52:17

Pennington Place Redevelopment CM Crosbie expressed gratitude to the administration, police, fire, and code enforcement for successfully addressing the abandoned property issue at Pennington Place. 58:59

Mayor's Travel CM Lane confirmed that Mayor Gray was in Detroit for city business, visiting Ford Motor and Toyota representatives, and verified his presence via phone call. 1:00:03

Vacant Properties and Copper Theft CM Ford called for attention to vacant properties as a public safety issue and requested a presentation from administration on the vacant properties review commission and copper theft prevention. 1:01:08

CM Stinnett announced intent to introduce a draft ordinance on vacant properties and requested a transition update on Marathon Health, noting confusion from duplicate mailings and ID cards. 1:03:55

CM Lawless highlighted the effectiveness of the statewide picture ID law in combating copper theft and requested a police presentation on coordination with surrounding counties. 1:06:10

Contested Items

Vacant Properties and Copper Theft

Council members expressed concerns about public safety risks associated with vacant properties and copper theft within the community. This issue generated opposition and discussion among council members who sought to address the growing problem.

In response to these concerns, council members requested that the administration provide presentations on the matter and that legislative action be taken to combat the issue. The contested nature of this item reflected the council's desire to move beyond discussion toward concrete administrative and legislative solutions to protect public safety and property within the community.

Public Comment – Issues on Agenda

1:07

No public comments were made on issues on the agenda during this portion of the meeting.

Requested Rezonings / Docket Approval

2:15

Three rezoning requests were approved without a hearing during this agenda item.

Rezoning Approvals:

• 195 Lisle Industrial Ave.: Rezoning from I-1 to I-2
• 843 S. Broadway and 1200 Red Mile Rd.: Rezoning from B-4 and A-U to R-5
• 1133 Industry Rd.: Rezoning from B-4 to I-1

Outcome:

All three rezoning requests passed without dissent. Council members CM Blues, CM Henson, and CM Farmer participated in the approval.

Approval of Summary

No summary was presented or approved during this agenda item.

Budget Amendments

A motion to approve budget amendments was presented and passed without dissent. 7:02

The amendments were detailed in pages 7–10 of the meeting packet. Council Members Beard and Myers were the key speakers on this agenda item.

The motion was approved unanimously.

New Business

7:34

The council approved a series of authorizations during the New Business section, with most items passing without discussion.

Approvals

The following agreements and authorizations were approved:

• An agreement with Corizon, Inc. for medical services
• An agreement with Kentucky American Water for firefighting support
• An authorization to the Airport Board for pump station upgrades
• Additional authorizations (specific details not provided in available materials)

Speakers and Process

Council members CM Blues, CM Henson, CM Kay, CM Ellinger, CM Farmer, and CM Myers participated in this agenda item. The majority of the resolutions were approved without substantive discussion.

Outcome

All New Business items were approved.

Continuing Business / Presentations

11:37

The Social Services & Community Development Committee provided updates on multiple initiatives during this portion of the meeting.

University of Kentucky Budget Approval

The committee approved a $35,000 budget in partnership with the University of Kentucky. Details regarding the specific purpose or scope of this budgeted allocation were not specified in the available information.

Consolidated Plan Streamlining

A motion was made to streamline the Consolidated Plan. The committee moved forward with this initiative, though specific details about the proposed changes or rationale were not documented.

Better Bites Presentation

A presentation on Better Bites was delivered, focusing on promoting healthier food options at city pools. This initiative aims to improve nutritional choices available to residents using municipal pool facilities.

Key Participants

CM Myers, Anita Courtney, and Brian Rogers were the primary speakers during this agenda item.

Outcome

The agenda item was approved.

Council Report

Council members provided updates on several neighborhood and development matters during this agenda item. 48:43

Topics Discussed

Council members CM Blues, CM Martin, CM Henson, CM Crosbie, CM Lane, CM Ford, CM Stinnett, and CM Lawless shared reports covering the following areas:

• Neighborhood associations updates
• Chinese New Year planning and events
• Red Mile Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district
• Pennington Place development
• Vacant properties in the city

Action Taken

A motion to schedule a public hearing on the Red Mile TIF was approved by the council.

Mayor's Report

A motion to approve the Mayor's Report was presented to the council. Council Members Farmer and Beard were the key speakers on this agenda item. 1:08:58

The motion to approve the Mayor's Report passed without dissent.

Public Comment – Issues not on the agenda

1:08:58

No public comments were made on issues not on the agenda during this portion of the meeting.