Urban County Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council met on December 11, 2012, at 3:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers on the 2nd Floor of the Government Center, with Mayor Jim Gray presiding. During the meeting, the Council addressed 10 agenda items and took 16 votes. The Council heard 12 public comments from residents, including remarks on both agenda and non-agenda issues.

The meeting included several substantive actions. The Council approved requested rezonings and docket items, adopted a summary of previous proceedings, and approved budget amendments. New business and continuing business items were also approved, along with the Mayor's report. In addition to voting matters, the Council received informational reports from Council members and heard presentations during the continuing business portion of the meeting. The meeting concluded with adjournment following the completion of all scheduled business.

Attendance

Present: Mayor Jim Gray and the following council members: Blue, Beard, Martin, Ellinger, Henson, Crosby, Farmer, Gorton, Lawless, Lane, Stinnett, Kaye, McChord, Crosbie, Mason, Hamilton, Driskell, Bastin, Mills, Lucas, Graham, Emmons, Crowe, Moloney, Wilson, Paulsen, Hawkinsmith, Such, Rose, Schmidt, Bloomberg, Arianna Huffington, Bennett Midland, Jane Driscoll, Jamie Emmons, Derek Paulson, Nick Such, Aaron Gold, and Goodwill Industries of Kentucky.

Absent: Council Member Beard

Late: None

Votes and Decisions

All motions during the December 11, 2012 meeting were decided by voice vote and passed unanimously.

Procedural Approvals

The council approved the docket for the December 11, 2012 meeting 7:00, the summary 10:45, and the Mayor's Report 1:08:31.

Infrastructure and Services

Resolution 18-86 authorized the installation of multi-way stop controls at Tupelo Lane and Savannah Lane 7:00. The motion was made by Council Member Martin and seconded by Council Member Ellinger.

Resolution 18-86 authorized execution of a multi-vendor IT recovery services contract with IBM for business continuity and recovery services 8:09. Council Member Henson made the motion and Vice Mayor Gordon seconded it.

Property Matters

Resolution 18-86 authorized execution of a release of easement for property at 516 Llorento Place 9:10. Council Member Crosby made the motion and Council Member Martin seconded it.

Budget and Committee Actions

The council approved budget amendments 11:46, with Council Member Beard making the motion and Vice Mayor Gordon seconding it.

The council approved new business 12:18, with Vice Mayor Gordon making the motion and Council Member Ellinger seconding it.

A motion to withdraw a new business item for further study was tabled 12:18. Council Member Lawless made the motion and Council Member Farmer seconded it.

A motion to substitute an amendment changing two half addresses on Richmond Avenue to 28A and 44A passed 39:15, with the condition that only addresses 28.5 and 43.5 be changed while all other addresses remain unchanged. Council Member Lawless made the motion and Council Member Farmer seconded it.

The council approved Neighborhood Development Funds 45:23, with Council Member Ellinger making the motion and Vice Mayor Gordon seconding it.

The council placed on the docket a resolution authorizing a grant application for the Planet matching grant program for tree replacement at 1201 Manowar Boulevard 46:25. Council Member Blues made the motion and Council Member Kaye seconded it.

The council approved the Budget and Finance Committee summary 47:31 and the Environmental Quality Committee summary 50:44.

Other Business

A motion to place the issue of clothing donation boxes in the Planning Committee passed 1:04:24, amended from the General Government Committee. Vice Mayor Gordon made the motion and Council Member Farmer seconded it.

The council adjourned 1:29:30 on a motion by Council Member Lawless, seconded by Vice Mayor Gordon.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting approved the following financial actions:

Purchases and Agreements

• Rental Agreement (L1283-12): $8,100 to Lexington Center Corporation for the 2013 Martin Luther King Day Celebration
• Land Transfer (L1313-12): $10 deed of conveyance to FRM Lawson, LLC for the Wolf Run Pump Station site

Grants and Donations

• Grant (L1308-12): $11,488 from Blue Grass Community Foundation's Family Care Center: Making a Difference Fund for Parent Education and Child Care programs
• Donation (JOURNAL 65442-43): $1,125 from Partners for Youth to William Wells Brown Community Center for Healthy Life Skills program
• Donation (JOURNAL 65446-47): $125 from Kentucky State University to William Wells Brown Community Center Health Program
• Budget Contribution (JOURNAL 65444-45): $5.44 from TRUIST for the Domestic Violence Prevention Board

Service Contracts

• TLO Systems Agreement (L1310-12): $200 per month for 1,000 monthly transactions for advanced data source use by the Division of Police
• Emerson Network Power Renewal Contract (L1315-12): $9,855 for uninterruptible power system service
• University of Kentucky Memorandum of Agreement (L1319-12): $125,000 for construction of public restroom facilities at the Arboretum

Appropriations and Reimbursements

• Federal Funds Appropriation (JOURNAL 65449-50): $2,480,000 in additional federal funds for Clays Mill Road Improvement Project from Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
• Sanitary Sewer Fund Appropriation (JOURNAL 65456): $20,000 for trench protection equipment
• Overtime Reimbursement (JOURNAL 65453-54): $740 for overtime related to Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure

Public Comment

Council members addressed several topics during the public comment period of the December 11, 2012 meeting.

Address Changes

Multiple council members discussed a proposed change to historic half-addresses on Richmond Avenue. Council Member Blues argued that the address change is a public safety matter and criticized delays as a delaying tactic, emphasizing the need for consistency and timely action to ensure emergency services can respond efficiently [00:14:42]. Council Member Farmer expressed concern that changing historic half-addresses would erase the unique character of the neighborhood and make Lexington less special, urging the council to allow the community to be heard before acting [00:15:50].

Council Member Lawless stated that residents in the affected neighborhood were adamantly opposed to the changes and that public safety officials had not reported any issues with current addresses, suggesting the changes were unnecessary [00:20:47]. Council Member Kaye criticized the addressing office for applying an overly high standard for public safety risk, arguing that the policy lacked balance and that the issue had already been discussed at length [00:25:41].

Council Member Crosby supported withdrawing the item, noting that the issue had been repeatedly voted down and that the council should accept the community's preference [00:30:42]. Council Member Myers suggested grandfathering existing half-addresses and using A/B designations instead, arguing that the current policy is inconsistent and the public safety argument is not compelling [00:33:23]. Council Member Kay questioned whether the addressing policy was applied fairly, noting that some areas with single-digit numbers were not changed [00:38:13].

Other Topics

Council Member Stinnett urged the council to consider options for addressing fire department brownouts, requesting that staffing and budget data be presented by January 15 [01:00:04].

Vice Mayor Gordon raised concern about for-profit businesses misrepresenting clothing donation boxes as charitable and moved to refer the issue to the Planning Committee [01:01:07]. Council Member Hanson confirmed that several such boxes exist in his district and expressed interest in reviewing relevant ordinances [01:05:40].

Council Member Lawless expressed sympathy to the family of a young woman killed in a traffic incident and reminded residents to practice safety during the holiday season [01:06:59]. Council Member Henson shared condolences and acknowledged the emotional toll on firefighters and the community [01:08:01].

Contested Items

Address Changes on Richmond Avenue

The council engaged in a heated discussion regarding proposed half-address changes on Richmond Avenue. The primary disagreement centered on whether these changes were necessary for public safety purposes. Residents and council members voiced strong opposition to the proposal, arguing that the address changes would erase neighborhood character and were unnecessary for the stated safety objectives. The debate was prolonged, indicating significant division among participants over the merits and consequences of the proposed changes.

Clothing Donation Boxes

A procedural dispute emerged regarding the appropriate committee jurisdiction for addressing the issue of for-profit clothing donation boxes. The General Government Committee was initially considered to handle the matter but was deemed inappropriate for this purpose. Following the dispute over proper committee assignment, the Planning Committee was ultimately selected to take responsibility for the issue.

Public Comment – Issues on Agenda

6:30

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

Requested Rezonings / Docket Approval

7:00

The council approved the docket containing several rezoning requests and other resolutions that did not require public hearings. The approved items included changes to zoning designations for properties located on Harrodsburg Road and Leestown Center Way.

Council Members Martin, Henson, and Crosby participated in the discussion of this agenda item. The council voted to approve the docket as presented, moving forward with the rezoning requests and associated resolutions without further deliberation or public comment periods.

Outcome: The docket was approved.

Approval of Summary

10:45

The council approved the summary of prior committee meetings during this agenda item. Council Member Ellinger and Vice Mayor Gordon were the key speakers on this matter.

The approval encompassed summaries from two committees:

• Budget and Finance Committee
• Environmental Quality Committee

The item was presented as a resolution and was approved by the council.

Budget Amendments

11:46

The council approved several budget amendments during this agenda item.

Key Speakers - Council Member Beard - Vice Mayor Gordon

Amendments Approved

The council approved budget amendments that included:

• Funds for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
• Donations to community centers
• Federal funds for Clays Mill Road improvements

Outcome

All budget amendments were approved.

New Business

12:18

The council addressed new business items during this portion of the meeting. Vice Mayor Gordon, Council Member Lawless, and Council Member Blues participated in the discussion.

Two main motions were considered:

• A motion to approve the Neighborhood Development Funds
• A motion to place a grant application for tree replacement on the docket

Both items were approved by the council. No specific concerns or objections were recorded during the discussion of these new business items.

Continuing Business / Presentations

47:31

During this agenda item, the council reviewed presentations from two standing committees with updates on several ongoing projects and initiatives.

Budget and Finance Committee and Environmental Quality Committee Summaries

Council Member Ellinger and Council Member Blues presented summaries from the Budget and Finance Committee and Environmental Quality Committee. The presentations covered multiple topics of municipal interest and concern.

Key Projects Discussed

The presentations included updates on the following initiatives:

• Affordable housing
• Blue Sky Pump Station
• Distillery District

Outcome

The council approved the presentations and the information contained within them.

Council Reports

During this informational segment, council members provided updates on various municipal matters affecting the community. 1:00:04

Key Speakers and Topics

Council Member Stinnett, Vice Mayor Gordon, Council Member Lawless, and Council Member Henson each contributed to the reports, addressing staffing levels, public safety concerns, and community issues.

Issues Discussed

A significant topic of discussion involved the proliferation of clothing donation boxes throughout the community. Council members raised concerns about this issue and its impact on the municipality.

In addition to the donation box matter, council members addressed staffing levels and public safety concerns, though specific details about these topics were not elaborated in the available information.

Outcome

This agenda item was informational in nature, with no formal action or decision required. The reports provided council members and the public with updates on current municipal conditions and community concerns.

Mayor's Report

1:09:06

Mayor Jim Gray presented a report on the Bloomberg Mayor's Challenge application, with contributions from Derek Paulson, Nick Such, and Jane Driscoll.

The presentation covered three main areas:

• The team's experience and activities in New York
• Development of the Citizen Lex platform
• Next steps for the final submission

The report detailed the progress made on the Bloomberg Mayor's Challenge application, highlighting the work completed to date on the Citizen Lex platform and the team's engagement during their time in New York.

The agenda item was approved.

Public Comment – Issues Not on Agenda

1:29:30

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

Adjournment

1:29:30

The council voted to adjourn the meeting with no further discussion. Council Member Lawless and Vice Mayor Gordon were present for this motion. The adjournment was approved.