Council Environmental Quality Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Environmental Quality Committee met on February 12, 2013, at 11:00 AM under the direction of the Chair. During the meeting, the committee addressed three agenda items: a Distillery District Update, a Capital Projects Update, and Items Referred. Two of these items were presented as informational updates, while the Items Referred were deferred for future consideration. The committee took four votes during the session and heard public comments from four speakers. Overall, the meeting focused on receiving updates on ongoing projects and deferring certain referred matters for later action.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on February 12, 2013:

• Stinnett
• Mossotti
• Gorton
• Akers
• Farmer
• Scutchfield
• Myers
• Clarke
• Henson
• Lane

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The committee took four votes during this meeting 5:30.

Approval of the January 29, 2013 Committee Summary

A motion by Farmer, seconded by Myers, to approve the January 29, 2013 Committee Summary passed by voice vote with no abstentions.

Approval of Option Two for the Boonesboro Manor Pump Station

A motion by Gorton, seconded by Lane, to approve option two for the Boonesboro Manor pump station with a master agreement for the management of the sanitary system passed unanimously with no abstentions.

Amendment to Remove Master Agreement Reference

A motion by Gorton, seconded by Farmer, to amend the previous motion by removing the reference to a master agreement passed unanimously with no abstentions.

Motion to Develop Master Agreement at a Later Time

A motion by Gorton, seconded by Farmer, to develop a master agreement for the Boonesboro Manor project at a later time passed unanimously with no abstentions.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed several significant financial appropriations and contracts:

Manchester Street Improvement and Town Branch Trail Corridor An appropriation of $501,000 was approved for a feasibility study for the Manchester Street Improvement and Town Branch Trail Corridor project. Strand was designated as the vendor for this work.

Distillery District Infrastructure Improvements Two related appropriations were discussed regarding Distillery District infrastructure: - An initial bond appropriation of $2,189,000 was approved for infrastructure improvements in the Distillery District - Following expenditures of $427,000, a remaining bond appropriation of $1,687,000 was allocated for continued work in the district

Town Branch Storage Tanks Design A contract valued at $13,000,000 was approved for funding related to Town Branch storage tanks design, with the work associated with SCADA system upgrade.

Public Comment

Four speakers addressed the council on various topics during the meeting.

Barry McNeese 10:52 provided a historical overview of the Distillery District, highlighting its significance in Lexington's bourbon heritage. He emphasized the importance of completing the Town Branch Trail as a catalyst for development and stressed the need for infrastructure support and private-public collaboration.

Council Member Akers 36:17 questioned the project's priority and raised concerns about accountability. Akers stressed the need for a formal developer agreement before spending additional bond funds, noting that the lack of such an agreement undermines accountability and risks losing private investment opportunities.

Council Member Farmer 57:18 inquired about the total capital needs for the remedial measures plan. Farmer confirmed that the $590 million estimate is not yet fully spent and noted that ongoing value engineering efforts are expected to reduce costs across projects.

Commissioner Maloney 1:04:13 reported on waste management and landfill operations. Maloney noted that the landfill fee fund balance stood at $11.1 million as of June 2012 and discussed upcoming initiatives including a transfer station RFP and zero waste management planning.

Appointments

The following appointments were made during this meeting:

• Stinnett was appointed as Environmental Quality Committee Chair
• Mossotti was appointed as Environmental Quality Committee Vice Chair

Contested Items

Developer Agreement Requirement for Bond Fund Spending

Council members disagreed over whether to proceed with infrastructure spending from bond funds without a formal developer agreement in place. The debate centered on the conditions and safeguards that should precede the use of public funds for development-related infrastructure.

Council Member Akers advocated for requiring a binding developer agreement before spending bond funds. Akers argued that such an agreement was necessary to ensure accountability and to secure a commitment from the private sector to the project. This position reflected concern that public funds should not be deployed without clear contractual obligations from developers.

Other council members held a different view on the timing and necessity of a formal agreement, creating a split vote on the issue. The disagreement reflected broader questions about risk management, the sequencing of public and private commitments, and the appropriate conditions for deploying public resources in development projects.

The vote was divided among council members, indicating that the body could not reach consensus on whether to move forward with spending without the developer agreement in place.

Distillery District Update

Barry McNeese presented a historical and current status update on the Distillery District, emphasizing its significance to Lexington's bourbon heritage 10:52.

The presentation focused on the district's role in the city's bourbon legacy and highlighted the current state of development efforts. McNeese emphasized the importance of completing critical infrastructure projects, particularly the Town Branch Trail, which he identified as essential to the district's continued success and integration with the broader community.

The update included discussion of private investments that have been made in the Distillery District, demonstrating ongoing commercial interest in the area's development. McNeese called for increased public-private collaboration to advance the district's future projects and ensure coordinated progress between private developers and public sector initiatives.

The agenda item was presented as informational in nature, with no formal action or debate recorded. The outcome was to inform the meeting attendees of the current status and ongoing needs of the Distillery District.

Capital Projects Update

Charlie Martin presented updates on several key capital projects during this agenda item 46:24.

Projects Discussed

The presentation covered the following initiatives:

• Capacity Assurance Program
• CIMON
• SCADA system upgrade
• Remedial measures plan

Key Themes

Martin emphasized progress being made in stormwater projects and highlighted ongoing value engineering efforts aimed at controlling costs across the capital portfolio.

Outcome

This item was presented for informational purposes, with no formal action required.

Items Referred

1:13:34

The committee discussed referring several items to the Environmental Quality Committee for further consideration and action.

Items for Referral

The following matters were identified for referral:

• Waste Management Funding Options
• Consolidated Greenway Responsibilities
• DWQ construction process
• Drainage maintenance issues

Key Participants

Council Member Myers and Council Member Henson led the discussion on these referred items.

Outcome

The committee deferred action on these items and scheduled a follow-up meeting for March to continue deliberations on the referred matters.