Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council met on April 17, 2012, at 3:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers on the 2nd Floor of the Government Center, with the Mayor presiding. The council addressed eight agenda items during the session, including new business, a Downtown Development Authority quarterly update, and personnel matters. Four motions were voted on, and the council heard seven public comments from residents regarding both agenda and non-agenda items.

The council approved two items: New Business and the NDF List. Two items were deferred for later consideration: a proposal regarding Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) and salary increases for Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government employees, and a Council Report. The meeting also included informational presentations on the Downtown Development Authority's quarterly update and the Mayor's Report, along with two public comment periods—one for issues on the agenda and one for issues not on the agenda.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on April 17, 2012:

• Mayor
• Vice Mayor Gordon
• Council Member Blues
• Council Member Henson
• Council Member Ellinger
• Council Member Farmer
• Council Member Myers
• Council Member Stenet
• Council Member Beard
• Council Member Ford
• Council Member Lane
• Council Member McCord
• Council Member Crosby
• Council Member Kaye
• Council Member Martin
• Commissioner Hamilton
• Commissioner Mason

No members were absent or late.

Votes and Decisions

The council took four votes during this meeting, all of which passed by voice vote.

Motion to place resolution supporting the Empower Lexington Energy Plan on the docket for April 26, 2012 6:43 Council Member Blues moved to place this resolution on the April 26, 2012 docket. Council Member Henson seconded the motion. The motion passed by voice vote.

Motion to approve the Neighborhood Development Funds (NDF) list 10:41 Council Member Ellinger moved to approve the NDF list. Council Member Myers seconded the motion. The motion passed by voice vote.

Motion to enter closed session for discussion of employee appointment 1:04:09 The Vice Mayor moved to enter closed session to discuss an employee appointment. Council Member Henson seconded the motion. The motion passed by voice vote.

Motion to schedule interviews for Citizen Advocate candidates on April 24, 2012 1:05:09 Council Member Crosby moved to schedule interviews for Citizen Advocate candidates on April 24, 2012. Council Member Kaye seconded the motion. The motion passed by voice vote.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting approved four financial actions totaling $1,177,405:

Todds/Liberty Road Improvement Project Authorization was granted to execute Supplemental Agreement No. 3 with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for design of Section II of the Todds/Liberty Road Improvement Project. The contract amount is $400,000 (L368-12).

Home Network Project Authorization was granted to accept a grant award from the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department to continue the Home Network Project at the Family Care Center for FY 2013. The grant amount is $460,560 (L369-12).

Day Treatment Services Authorization was granted to submit an application and accept a grant award from the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice for Day Treatment Services in the Division of Youth Services for FY 2013. The grant amount is $241,845 (L376-12).

Coolavin Rail Trail Project Authorization was granted to execute a Grant Agreement Amendment with the Kentucky Department for Local Government for the Coolavin Rail Trail project. The amendment extends the project through June 30, 2013, with a grant amount of $75,000 (L389-12).

Public Comment

The meeting included comments from council members and a community member addressing various topics:

John Jacob Niles Commemoration

Mr. Heno Lohmeyer presented a proclamation commemorating John Jacob Niles, the Dean of American Folk Music, on his 100th anniversary. 1:00 He announced a concert at the Kentucky Theater scheduled for May 2, 2012, to honor Niles' legacy and contributions to American music.

Public Golf Subsidy Discussion

Council Member McCord presented data on the city's public golf operations, noting that the city subsidizes the program by $1.2 million annually despite generating only $2 million in revenue. 38:36 He proposed establishing a policy direction for an enterprise fund with a defined subsidy level.

Council Member Ford expressed concern about the timing of this discussion, noting that the Parks Advisory Board had been working on a business plan and cautioning against rushing policy decisions before evaluation. 52:51

Council Member Kaye emphasized the need to evaluate golf subsidies within the broader context of the parks and recreation budget rather than in isolation. 55:15

Council Member Beard advocated for quarterly performance evaluations of the golf program to enable timely decision-making, rather than waiting for annual budget cycles. 57:57

Other Announcements

Council Member Henson announced the upcoming Downtown Trash Bash, scheduled for the following day at Cheapside Park, inviting council members and the public to participate in cleaning downtown. 1:01:18

Council Member Crosby praised staff for organizing a large dance recital and requested an updated list of fire stations being browned out to better inform constituents. 1:01:52

Appointments

During this meeting, the following appointment was made:

• Citizen Advocate — Candidate(s) for Citizen Advocate were appointed to this position.

Contested Items

Public Golf Subsidy and Enterprise Fund Proposal

Council members were divided on how to proceed with addressing the $1.2 million annual subsidy for public golf. The disagreement centered on timing and approach rather than the underlying issue itself. Council Member McCord advocated for immediate policy direction to move forward with decision-making, while Council Members Ford and Kaye took a more cautious stance, emphasizing the need for thorough evaluation and staff input before committing to any course of action. This split reflected differing views on whether the council should act decisively or gather more information first.

Compensation System Evaluation

A heated discussion emerged regarding how to evaluate the city's compensation system. The core dispute involved whether to hire a new external consultant or re-implement the original Mercer system that had been used previously. Council Member Beard raised concerns about the city's track record, criticizing its history of rejecting consultant recommendations, which he suggested indicated a pattern of not acting on professional advice. Council Member Lane questioned the value proposition of hiring an external firm, arguing instead for reliance on internal expertise. This debate reflected broader concerns about resource allocation and the effectiveness of external consulting versus developing internal capacity.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

5:58

No public comments were submitted for issues on the agenda. The council confirmed that no members of the public were signed up to speak and proceeded directly to the next agenda item.

New Business

6:43

Four new business items were presented during this agenda section.

Items Presented:

• Authorization to execute a supplemental agreement with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for road design
• Acceptance of a health department award for the Home Network Project
• Submission of an application for juvenile justice funding
• Extension of a rail trail grant

Key Speakers:

Glenda George and Jeff Fugate presented the new business items.

Outcome:

All four items were approved by voice vote.

NDF List

The Neighborhood Development Funds list was presented during this agenda item 10:41. Council Member Ellinger and Council Member Myers participated in the discussion.

The presentation included a $450 grant to Captain Reginald Underwood Young Marines for instructional materials.

The list was approved by voice vote.

Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Quarterly Update

Jeff Fugate, Executive Director of the Downtown Development Authority, presented a quarterly update on the organization's activities and initiatives 11:16.

Presentation Topics

The update covered the DDA's work across several key areas:

• Economic development efforts
• Project management activities
• Public engagement initiatives
• Upcoming Design Excellence Guidelines
• Downtown market inventory assessment

Outcome

The report was accepted by the body without discussion.

COLA & Salary Increase for LFUCG Employees

Glenda George presented a detailed overview of the current compensation system for LFUCG employees, including its historical evolution and challenges with the existing Mercer system. 19:18

The presentation covered the compensation structure and identified issues with the current system's effectiveness. George outlined how the system has developed over time and discussed the specific problems that have emerged with the Mercer approach to salary administration.

Following the presentation, the council determined that an external evaluation was necessary to address the identified concerns. The council agreed to hire a consultant to evaluate the compensation system and provide recommendations for improvement. The council budgeted $40,000 for this consulting effort.

The agenda item was deferred, indicating that further action on COLA and salary increases for LFUCG employees would be addressed at a future meeting pending the consultant's findings and recommendations.

Council Report

Council Member McCord delivered a report on public golf operations, addressing the financial structure and future direction of the enterprise. 38:36

Key Presentation

The report highlighted that public golf currently operates with a $1.2 million annual subsidy. Council Member McCord proposed establishing policy direction for converting the golf operation to an enterprise fund model.

Discussion and Concerns

Several council members raised questions during the discussion:

• Council Member Ford and others expressed concerns about responsiveness and the timeline for evaluation of the golf program's performance.
• The discussion included debate over the timing of the proposed policy changes and the need for greater transparency in how the subsidy is being used.
• Council members emphasized the importance of fiscal responsibility in managing the public golf enterprise.

Speakers

In addition to Council Member McCord, the discussion involved Commissioner Hamilton, Council Member Ford, Council Member Kaye, and Council Member Beard.

Outcome

The Council Report agenda item was deferred, meaning the matter was postponed for consideration at a future meeting rather than resolved during this session.

Public Comments - Issues Not on Agenda

38:36

During this agenda item, several council members provided public comments on matters not listed on the meeting agenda. The discussion covered a range of operational and policy topics affecting city services.

Key Topics Discussed

Council members raised concerns and observations regarding:

• Parks and recreation services and their management
• Golf subsidy programs and their financial implications
• General city operations and administrative practices
• Staff evaluation processes and their timeliness
• Financial reporting transparency
• Recognition and appreciation of city staff

Speakers

The following council members participated in this portion of the meeting:

• Council Member McCord
• Council Member Ford
• Council Member Kaye
• Council Member Beard
• Council Member Henson
• Council Member Crosby

Key Concerns

Council members emphasized the importance of timely evaluations for staff performance management and highlighted the need for greater transparency in how the city reports its financial information. Additionally, there was discussion regarding the value of recognizing and acknowledging staff contributions to city operations.

Outcome

This agenda item was informational in nature, allowing council members to raise and discuss issues outside the formal agenda without requiring a formal vote or decision.

Mayor's Report

No mayor's report was presented at this meeting. 1:03:09