Council Public Safety Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Public Safety Committee met on May 1, 2012 at 1:00 p.m., presided over by Diane Lawless. The committee addressed four agenda items, taking three votes and hearing seven public comments during the session.

The committee approved two items: the Fire and EMS Task Force Report and the Horses Running at Large Ordinance. Two items were deferred for future consideration: the Chronic Nuisance Ordinance and Items Referred to Committee.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on May 1, 2012:

• Diane Lawless
• Doug Martin
• Chuck Ellinger
• Chris Ford
• Julian Beard
• Bill Farmer
• Kevin Stinnett
• K.C. Crosbie
• Jay McChord
• Peggy Henson
• Jenifer Benningfield

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

Three motions were voted on during this meeting, all of which passed by voice vote.

Fire & EMS Task Force Findings Report 1:40:41

A motion was made by Bill Farmer and seconded by Julian Beard to report out the Fire & EMS Task Force findings to the full council during a work session instead of at this meeting. The motion passed by voice vote.

Nuisance Properties List 1:35:17

A motion was made by Jay McChord and seconded by Chuck Ellinger to direct the Commissioner of Public Safety and relevant departments to compile a list of nuisance properties and report it to the committee at its next meeting. The motion passed by voice vote.

Horses Running at Large Ordinance 1:44:04

A motion was made by Kevin Stinnett and seconded by Doug Martin to adopt the Horses Running at Large Ordinance. The motion passed by voice vote.

Public Comment

During the public comment period on the Chronic Nuisance Ordinance, one speaker provided remarks while six others were present but did not speak.

Craig Harden 1:47:05 expressed frustration with the slow progress on the Chronic Nuisance Ordinance. He criticized the reliance on volunteer efforts to advance the work and recommended that the government hire a full-time staff member to move the initiative forward more effectively. Harden characterized the current draft as bad legislation and urged that it be withdrawn for revision before proceeding further.

The following individuals were present during public comment but did not speak: - Sharon Harris - George Pruitt - Joyce Register - Stephen Marshall - Shelby Arnold - Jamie Gooch

Contested Items

Chronic Nuisance Ordinance

The committee engaged in a heated discussion regarding the Chronic Nuisance Ordinance. The primary disagreement centered on the fairness and implementation of the ordinance, with particular concern about three key aspects: the adequacy of notice provided to property owners, the opportunity to cure violations before penalties were imposed, and the potential for disproportionate impact on low-income properties.

Several committee members expressed concern that the ordinance was overly punitive in its approach. These members argued that the process lacked early notification to property owners, which they viewed as a significant procedural deficiency that could unfairly penalize owners without adequate warning or chance to remedy the issues.

Other committee members took a contrasting position, supporting the ordinance as a necessary and appropriate tool to address chronic neighborhood problems. These members viewed the enforcement mechanism as justified given the need to maintain neighborhood quality and address persistent nuisance issues.

The debate reflected a fundamental tension between protecting property owners from what some viewed as an unfair or hasty process and providing the municipality with adequate enforcement tools to address ongoing neighborhood concerns. The discussion highlighted concerns about equity, particularly regarding how the ordinance might affect lower-income property owners who might face greater difficulty in quickly addressing violations.

Chronic Nuisance Ordinance (1-9)

The committee discussed a draft ordinance designed to address chronic nuisance properties through a structured enforcement process 4:32. The proposed ordinance would establish a case-by-case enforcement mechanism that includes notice requirements, abatement plans, and civil penalties for properties that persistently create nuisance conditions.

Key Speakers and Discussion

Committee members Keith Gaines, Diane Lawless, Doug Martin, Julian Beard, Jay McChord, Bill Farmer, Kevin Stinnett, and K.C. Crosbie participated in the discussion of this agenda item.

Concerns Raised

Several concerns emerged during the committee's review:

• Fair notice: Committee members raised questions about whether property owners would receive adequate notice of violations and the enforcement process.
• Opportunity to cure: There was discussion about whether the ordinance provided sufficient opportunity for property owners to remedy violations before penalties were imposed.
• Impact on low-income properties: Concerns were expressed about the potential disproportionate effect of the ordinance on low-income residential properties and their owners.

Outcome

The committee did not vote on the ordinance. Instead, members agreed to defer the item and requested that the Commissioner of Public Safety prepare a report on high-impact nuisance properties. This report would presumably provide additional information to inform future consideration of the ordinance.

Fire and EMS Task Force Report (10-13)

The Fire & EMS Task Force presented its findings to the council at approximately 1:40:10. Key speakers included Bill Farmer, Diane Lawless, Julian Beard, Jay McChord, and Peggy Henson.

The task force report addressed several critical areas of fire and emergency medical services operations:

Key Findings Presented: - Paramedic staffing levels and current capacity - Response time performance and metrics - Recruitment efforts focused on diversity - Preference points for hiring and advancement

Recommendations: The task force recommended several actions to improve service delivery: - Adding two new emergency care units to the system - Implementing annual paramedic training requirements - Phasing in capital improvements over a specified period

Outcome: The council approved the report and moved it to the full council work session for further discussion and detailed consideration of the recommendations.

Horses Running at Large Ordinance (14)

1:43:30

Council Member Kevin Stinnett introduced an ordinance to prohibit horses from running at large in Fayette County. According to Stinnett, no existing law currently addresses this issue in the county.

The ordinance establishes penalties for violations of the prohibition on horses running at large. The measure was presented to address a gap in local regulations governing livestock management.

Council Member Doug Martin participated in the discussion of this agenda item.

The motion to approve the ordinance passed unanimously, indicating full support from the council for establishing this new prohibition and its associated penalties.

Items Referred to Committee (15)

1:49:54

The committee discussed several items that had been referred to it for consideration. The topics addressed included right-of-way signage, public safety disability claims markers, paramedic training, and community corrections best practices.

Key speakers during this discussion included Bill Farmer, Julian Beard, Kevin Stinnett, and K.C. Crosbie.

Outcome

No action was taken on the referred items due to a lack of quorum. The discussion was deferred, meaning the items were not resolved and will require further consideration at a future meeting when a quorum is present.