Urban County Council Meeting
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Summary
Meeting Overview
The Urban County Council met on August 30, 2012, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gray presiding. During the meeting, the Council took two votes and heard two public comments. The Council approved two agenda items: a Proclamation recognizing Eastern Little League All-Stars Day and a Zoning Map Atlas Amendment.
Attendance
Present: Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Gorton, Henson, Kay, Lane, and Lawless
Absent: Crosbie
Late: None
Votes and Decisions
Ordinance 0793-12 14:36
An Ordinance amending Sections 3, 4, and 5 of Ordinance No. 91-2012 to remove pay increases for part-time employees, effective retroactive to July 1, 2012, was motioned by Mr. Stinnett and seconded by Ms. Gorton. The ordinance passed by roll call vote with 14 ayes and 0 nays.
Voting in favor: Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Gorton, Henson, Kay, Lane, and Lawless.
Ordinance 0860-12 22:14
An Ordinance levying ad valorem taxes for municipal purposes for the Fiscal Year July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013, was motioned by Ms. Gorton and seconded by Mr. Beard. The ordinance passed by roll call vote with 13 ayes and 1 nay.
Voting in favor: McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Gorton, Henson, Kay, Lane, and Lawless.
Voting against: Martin.
Budget and Financial Actions
The meeting approved two contracts for municipal projects:
Generator for Fire Station No. 1 - Amount: $148,812 - Vendor: TEM Group, Inc. - Resolution: 0828-12
Andover Trunk Sewer No. 16 Fairway - Amount: $124,451 - Vendor: Lagco, Inc. - Resolution: 0839-12
The total value of contracts approved was $273,263.
Public Comment
Two members of the public addressed the meeting with concerns about employment and economic development in Lexington.
Brian Schlecki presented data on Lexington's employment statistics spanning 2002 to 2012 1:52:02. His presentation highlighted a shortfall in employment positions and emphasized the need for job creation in the community.
Bernard McCarthy spoke on two related topics 1:58:40. He suggested that funds allocated for Civic Center renovations could be redirected toward housing for the homeless. He also advocated for the development of alternative energy jobs in coal mining areas.
Contested Items
Charles Young Community Center Agreements
A heated discussion took place regarding proposed agreements for the Charles Young Community Center. The central point of contention involved whether to provide free rent and utilities for a three-year period to organizations using the facility.
Participants raised concerns about policy adherence in structuring these agreements. There were also questions regarding financial transparency in how such arrangements would be managed and documented. The debate was lengthy, indicating significant disagreement among attendees about the appropriate terms and conditions for community organizations utilizing the center.
The extracted data does not specify the final outcome of this discussion or identify which individuals advocated for particular positions on the matter.
Proclamation: Eastern Little League All-Stars Day
Council Member Farmer and Mayor Gray recognized the Eastern Little League 11-year-old All-Stars team as District 3 champions. The council declared August 30th as Eastern Little League All-Stars Day in recognition of the team's achievement.
The proclamation was approved.
Zoning Map Atlas Amendment
An ordinance to change the zoning map atlas from historical maps to a geographic information system (GIS) was presented for second reading 10:45. The proposal received approval from the governing body.
Key speakers on this matter included Gorton and Beard, who discussed the transition to the new GIS-based system. The ordinance represented a modernization of how zoning maps are maintained and accessed, moving away from traditional historical paper or static map formats to a digital geographic information system.
The item was approved following the second reading, indicating the ordinance advanced through the required legislative process and was adopted.
Decisions
- Ordinance 0793-12 — passed (14-0): An Ordinance amending Sections 3, 4, and 5 of Ordinance No. 91-2012; removing pay increases for part-time employees, effective retroactive to July 1, 2012.
- Ordinance 0860-12 — passed (13-1): An Ordinance levying ad valorem taxes for municipal purposes for the Fiscal Year July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013.