Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council met on July 5, 2012, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gray presiding. During the meeting, the Council addressed two agenda items: a presentations segment and consideration of an ordinance on inmate medical fees. The Council took three motions to a vote and heard three public comments from members of the community. The ordinance on inmate medical fees was approved by the Council.

Attendance

Present: Mayor Gray, Kay, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Gorton, and Henson

Absent: Crosbie

Late: None

Votes and Decisions

Amendment to Inmate Medical Fees Ordinance (0555-12) 34:46

Motion by Lawless, seconded by Kay. This amendment failed on a roll call vote with 4 ayes and 10 nays.

Voting in favor: Kay, Lawless, Beard, Ford

Voting against: Lane, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Blues, Ellinger, Farmer, Gorton, Henson

Ordinance on Inmate Medical Fees (0555-12) 1:07:11

Motion by Farmer, seconded by Gorton. This ordinance passed on a roll call vote with 10 ayes and 4 nays.

Voting in favor: Lane, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Blues, Ellinger, Farmer, Gorton, Henson

Voting against: Kay, Lawless, Beard, Ford

Ordinances 2 through 7 Second Reading 1:09:23

Motion by Farmer, seconded by Gorton. This motion passed unanimously on a roll call vote with 14 ayes and 0 nays.

Voting in favor: Kay, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Gorton, Henson

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting approved two service agreements for fiscal year 2013:

Purchase of Service Agreements (Contract 0637-12): $1,051,590

The body approved a purchase of service agreements totaling $1,051,590 for FY2013. This contract was distributed among multiple vendors and recipients:

• Commerce Lexington
• Downtown Lexington Corporation
• Ky. World Trade Center
• Lexington Ky. Chapter of SCORE
• Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center, Inc.
• Bluegrass Area Development District
• Lexington Downtown Development Authority, Inc.

Mental Health Services Contract (Contract 0581-12): $881,265

The body approved a contract for mental health services at the Detention Center in the amount of $881,265. The Bluegrass Regional Mental Health-Mental Retardation Board, Inc. was designated as the vendor to provide these services.

Public Comment

Three speakers addressed the council during the public comment period, focusing on concerns related to inmate fees and treatment.

Corey Dunn 36:21 spoke about inmate medical fees, expressing concerns about the impact of increased fees on inmates and their families. Dunn suggested alternative ways to save money rather than implementing the proposed fee increases.

James 'Thunderbolt' Mason, Jr. 42:15 urged council members to consider the humane treatment of inmates and highlighted the potential impact on taxpayers. Mason emphasized the importance of balancing fiscal concerns with ethical treatment standards.

Michael Ide 46:31 warned that increased inmate medical fees could have serious consequences, including increased violence in jails and financial strain on families. Ide expressed concern that such fees could potentially increase recidivism rates.

The public comment period reflected significant community concern about the proposed inmate medical fee structure and its broader implications for jail operations, family finances, and public safety outcomes.

Contested Items

Inmate Medical Fees Ordinance

The council considered an ordinance to increase inmate medical fees, which generated significant public opposition and resulted in a split vote among council members. The disagreement centered on the proposed fee increases, with members of the public expressing concerns about the measure during the meeting. The council was divided on whether to approve the ordinance, with the vote not reaching consensus among all members present.

Presentations

During this agenda item, students from Winburn Middle School were recognized for their achievements on National History Day. Mayor Gray, Chris Ford, Kent Whitworth, and Cheryl Caskey participated in the presentation. 3:19

A video about the National History Day program was shown to highlight the students' work and accomplishments. The presentation was informational in nature, designed to celebrate the students' participation and success in the program.

Ordinance on inmate medical fees

The council considered an ordinance to increase inmate medical fees and add a booking fee. 16:04

Key Speakers and Discussion

The ordinance was discussed by council members Lawless, Kay, and Ballard. During deliberation, an amendment was proposed to limit fee deductions, but this amendment failed to pass.

Outcome

The ordinance was approved by the council.