Urban County Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council met on March 5, 2013, at 3:03 p.m. in the Council Chamber on the 2nd Floor of the Government Center in Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. Mayor Jim Gray presided over the meeting. The council addressed 10 agenda items, including public comment periods, requested rezonings and docket approvals, budget amendments, new and continuing business, council reports, and the mayor's report. The council took 16 motions and votes during the session and heard 6 public comments from members of the community. Most substantive agenda items were approved, including the requested rezonings and docket approvals, budget amendments, new business items, and continuing business and presentations.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on March 5, 2013:

• Linda Gorton
• Chuck Ellinger
• Steve Kay
• Chris Ford
• Shevawn Akers
• Diane Lawless
• Julian Beard
• Bill Farmer Jr.
• George Myers
• Kevin Stinnett
• Jennifer Scutchfield
• Jennifer Mossotti
• Harry Clarke
• Peggy Henson
• Ed Lane

No members were recorded as absent or late.

Votes and Decisions

All motions during this meeting were decided by voice vote and passed unanimously.

Docket Additions 6:23

The council voted to add three items to the docket for the February 28th, 2013 Council meeting without public hearings:

• A motion by Diane Lawless, seconded by Chuck Ellinger, to add an ordinance changing the zone from wholesale and warehouse business to Lexington Center Business zone for 0.057 net acres at 430 West Maxwell Street.
• A motion by Kevin Stinnett, seconded by Linda Gorton, to add an ordinance changing the zone from Two Family Residential to High Density Apartment zone for 0.144 acres at 1577 Martha Court.
• A motion by Shevawn Akers, seconded by Bill Farmer Jr., to add an ordinance creating sections 15-11.1 through 15-11.4 of the Code of Ordinances to regulate mobile food truck vendors.

Resolutions and Professional Services 6:23

The council approved three resolutions for the February 28th docket:

• A motion by Linda Gorton, seconded by Diane Lawless, to place a resolution expressing support for a Kentucky constitutional amendment to grant automatic restoration of voting rights to persons convicted of felonies (excluding treason, intentional killing, sex crimes, and bribery) after expiration of probation or sentence.
• A motion by Linda Gorton, seconded by Steve Kay, to accept Dr. Ryan Stanton's response to RFP No. 1-2013 for Medical Director Services and authorize the Mayor to execute a Professional Services Agreement.
• A motion by Kevin Stinnett, seconded by Jennifer Mossotti, to authorize advertisement for bids and distribution of a preliminary official statement for Various Purpose General Obligation Bond Series 2013A (not to exceed $14 million) and Various Purpose Obligation Refunding Bonds Series 2013B (not to exceed $10 million).

Administrative Approvals [timestamp: 00:06:55 - 00:13:58]

The council approved the summary, budget amendments, and new business. A motion by Linda Gorton, seconded by Bill Farmer Jr., amended the budget amendment list to remove budget journal 65452 relating to Division of Fire overtime.

Other Actions [timestamp: 00:32:36 - 01:40:39]

The council approved the Neighborhood Development Funds list and Planning and Public Works minutes as amended. A motion by Chuck Ellinger, seconded by Kevin Stinnett, rescheduled a special meeting to March 12th at 6 o'clock. A motion by Peggy Henson, seconded by Steve Kay, canceled the hearing on the 12th. A motion by Kevin Stinnett, seconded by Peggy Henson, placed a review of the exaction program into the planning committee.

Adjournment 1:44:59

A motion by Kevin Stinnett, seconded by Bill Farmer Jr., to adjourn passed.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting authorized nine financial and budgetary actions:

Professional Services Contracts

• L0172-13: Authorization to execute Professional Service Agreements with seven forensic examiners—Carrie Barnett, Susan Noel, Susanna Moberly, Angela Wallace, Rosemary Dailey, Brigette Holleran, and Victory Nash—to serve on an on-call basis for forensic examinations under the 2013 SANE grant program for FY 2013. Amount: $60,530.

• L0176-13: Authorization to execute an agreement with Risk Management Services Co. to provide automobile physical damage and property damage claims adjusting, including subrogation services from February 1, 2013 to June 30, 2016. Amount: $23,000.

• L0200-13: Authorization to execute Addendum No. 1 to an agreement with Rave Wireless, Inc. to provide "SmartPrepare" software, training, and implementation services for an Emergency Management self-registration portal. Amount: $25,000.

• L0202-13: Authorization to execute a Continuing Services Agreement with Lifespan Design Studio for evaluation of two additional sites for a new Lexington Senior Center. Amount: $9,425.

Organizational and Planning Amendments

• L0190-13: Authorization to adopt the Lexington Fayette Hazard Mitigation Plan as required by FEMA. No budgetary impact.

• L0192-13: Authorization to adopt the Lexington Fayette Emergency Operations Plan as required by KRS 39B.030(2). No budgetary impact.

• L0201-13: Authorization to amend Sections 21-5 and 22-5 of the Code of Ordinances, abolishing one Social Worker Sr. position (Grade 113E) and creating one CASA Services Manager position (Grade 116E) in the Division of Youth Services. Savings: $442.77 for FY2013 (6 pay periods).

• L0207-13: Authorization to amend Resolution No. 288-2011 to include the affiliates of Tempur-Pedic International Inc. No budgetary impact.

• L208-13: Authorization to repeal Ordinance 252-2009 to dissolve the Showprop Lexington Development Area and Incremental Tax Special Fund. No budgetary impact.

Public Comment

Several speakers addressed the council with reports and requests during this meeting.

Economic Development Report 33:14 Julian Beard reported on the February 19th Economic Development Committee meeting. He highlighted significant economic activity in 2012, including the creation of 50 high-tech jobs and capital investment exceeding $137 million. The committee also unanimously approved a draft ordinance for a food truck work group.

Budget and Finance Report 38:10 Chuck Ellinger reported on the February 19th Budget and Finance Committee meeting. Discussion topics included the Homeless Commission report and monthly financials. Ellinger noted the need for a comprehensive funding approach to address identified issues. The meeting concluded early due to time constraints.

Financial Efficiency Ordinance 41:30 Ed Lane presented a proposal for a Financial Efficiency Ordinance designed to improve cost accounting, oversight of capital projects, and independent evaluations. The proposal emphasized proactive cost savings and accountability measures.

Health Care and Housing Funding 1:38:25 Kevin Stinnett requested a presentation on how the Affordable Health Care Act would impact the city's health plan. He also asked whether Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds could be used to advance affordable housing initiatives.

Confirmation Hearing Announcement 1:42:49 Peggy Henson announced a scheduled confirmation hearing for Bill O'Mara for the position of commissioner of finance. The hearing is set for Thursday, March 7th at 3:45 p.m.

Community Event Recognition 1:43:23 Jennifer Henson shared positive remarks about the Dr. Seuss birthday celebration held at the Family Care Center, describing it as one of the most enjoyable events she has attended.

Appointments

Bill O'Mara was appointed Commissioner of Finance.

Contested Items

The March 5, 2013 meeting included three areas of significant disagreement among council members.

Financial Efficiency Ordinance

The proposal for a Financial Efficiency Ordinance generated heated discussion. Council members debated the cost and feasibility of the ordinance, with particular concern about whether internal improvements could achieve the same results without hiring external consultants. Members raised concerns about potential duplication of services and questioned the financial burden of third-party oversight.

Senior Center Site Evaluation

Council members were divided on a $9,425 expenditure for evaluating two additional sites for a new senior center. The split vote reflected disagreement over the cost of the study and whether the evaluation would provide sufficient value to justify the expense.

Zoning Hearing Rescheduling

A procedural dispute emerged regarding the scheduling of a zoning hearing. The hearing could not be held on March 12th or 13th due to lack of quorum and advertising requirements. This procedural conflict resulted in the cancellation of the meeting.

Public Comment Issues on Agenda

No public comment was received on issues on the agenda. 1:00

Requested Rezonings / Docket Approval

6:23

Several motions were made during this agenda item to add zoning changes and other items to the docket for the February 28th Council meeting. The key speakers involved in this discussion included Diane Lawless, Kevin Stinnett, Linda Gorton, Jennifer Mossotti, Shevawn Akers, and Bill Farmer Jr.

All motions presented during this agenda item passed without dissent, resulting in the approval of the requested rezonings and docket additions.

Approval of Summary

The Council considered approval of the work session summary during this agenda item. 6:55

Key Speakers: - Julian Beard - Linda Gorton - Peggy Henson

Discussion and Outcome:

The work session summary was presented for approval. During the discussion, Council Member Ford noted a minor correction regarding the motion's seconding. Following this clarification, the summary was approved.

Budget Amendments

The council approved budget amendments during this agenda item. 8:01

The amendments included a motion to remove a journal related to Division of Fire overtime. The discussion also addressed fund transfers and utility billing adjustments.

Key speakers on this item included Bill Farmer Jr., Linda Gorton, Bill O'Mara, and Peggy Henson.

The budget amendments were approved by the council.

New Business

The new business items, which included the adoption of hazard mitigation and emergency operations plans, were presented for consideration 13:58. The discussion involved multiple speakers including Kevin Stinnett, Peggy Henson, Chuck Ellinger, Julian Beard, Steve Kay, Bill Farmer Jr., George Myers, and Ed Lane.

During the discussion, participants addressed several key considerations regarding the proposed plans. The primary topics of debate centered on cost, scope, and feasibility of the hazard mitigation and emergency operations plans under consideration.

Following the discussion of these factors, the new business items were approved by the body.

Continuing Business / Presentations

33:14

During this agenda item, the meeting included presentations from multiple committees and a detailed discussion of proposed financial policy changes.

Presentations Delivered

The Economic Development Committee provided a summary of its activities and initiatives. The Budget and Finance Committee delivered a report on financial matters under their purview. A comprehensive presentation on the Financial Efficiency Ordinance was also delivered, which prompted extensive discussion among attendees.

Key Speakers

The following individuals participated in the presentations and discussions: Julian Beard, Chuck Ellinger, Ed Lane, Peggy Henson, Bill O'Mara, and Charlie Martin.

Outcome

The agenda item was approved.

Council Reports

Council reports were presented during this portion of the meeting, beginning at approximately 33:14.

Presenters and Content

Reports were delivered by Julian Beard and Chuck Ellinger covering activities from two committees:

• Economic Development Committee
• Budget and Finance Committee

Outcome

The reports were presented for informational purposes. No further action was taken on the items discussed.

Mayor's Report

The Mayor's Report was presented by Chuck Ellinger 1:44:27. The report was approved without discussion.

Public Comment – Issues Not on Agenda

1:44:27

No public comment was received on issues not on the agenda. Mr. Mundy reported this informational update to the body.

Adjournment

A motion to adjourn the meeting was made and passed. 1:44:59

The motion was presented by Kevin Stinnett and Chuck Ellinger, and was approved, concluding the proceedings.