Urban County Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council met on April 16, 2013, at 3:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber on the 2nd Floor of the Government Center, with Vice Mayor Linda Gorton presiding. The council addressed nine agenda items during the session, taking six motions to a vote and hearing four public comments.

The council approved three items: the Summary, New Business Items, and Neighborhood Development Funds. Two items were deferred for future consideration: Capital Resurfacing for Major Corridors and Home Fleet Policy Review. Four additional items were presented for informational purposes: the Inmate Labor Pickup Program, Street Sweeping Schedule, Green Skate Event, and Police Recruit Graduation.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on April 16, 2013:

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

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

All motions brought before the meeting passed unanimously.

Motion to approve the summary 2:09 Moved by Myers and seconded by Clarke. Passed unanimously.

Motion to approve new business items 2:41 Moved by Farmer and seconded by Ellinger. Passed unanimously.

Motion to approve Neighborhood Development Funds 4:15 Moved by Ellinger and seconded by Clarke. Passed unanimously.

Motion to refer Capitol Road major corridor maintenance issue to Planning Committee 5:20 Moved by Stinnett and seconded by Myers. Passed unanimously.

Motion to refer home fleet policy review to Public Safety Committee 6:23 Moved by Stinnett and seconded by Myers. Passed unanimously.

Motion to adjourn 15:08 Moved by Ellinger and seconded by Clarke. Passed unanimously.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting included authorization for five financial actions:

Westlaw CLEAR Collection Services (L0261-13) The body authorized execution of an agreement with Westlaw CLEAR for collection efforts covering April through June of fiscal year 2013, with authorization for up to $3,300 in fiscal year 2014.

Medical Compliance Services Agreement (L0308-13) Authorization was granted to execute a Compliance and Auditing Agreement with Medical Compliance Services, Inc. for $7,200. A Business Associate Agreement with the same vendor was approved at no cost.

Time Warner Cable Internet Service (L0309-13) The body authorized a Master Service Agreement with Time Warner Cable to provide additional high-speed internet service at six Division of Police locations. The monthly cost is $1,392.20.

Equestrian Program Donation (L0328-13) Authorization was granted to accept a donation of a Tobiano paint mare named Sam's Show Girl ("Sammy"), valued at $5,000, from Mary Beth Moore. The horse will be used for the Equestrian Program at Masterson Station Park.

Home Network Project Funding (L0353-13) The body authorized acceptance of an award from the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department to continue the Home Network project at Family Care Center for fiscal year 2014. The award totals $479,952.

Public Comment

Four members of the public addressed the council during this meeting.

Bill Farmer 2:41 requested an update on the city's ongoing negotiations with Time Warner Cable regarding their franchise agreement. He emphasized the public's interest in these discussions and stressed the need for transparency in the process.

Peggy Henson 6:54 asked for more information about the implementation of the reinstated inmate labor pickup program. She sought clarification on how streets are selected for the program and how progress is tracked. She also inquired whether a presentation on the program would be helpful for the council.

Diane Lawless 11:35 requested that the city provide advance notice of street sweeping schedules, particularly for dead-end streets that lack signage. She noted that advance notice would allow residents to move their vehicles and prevent confusion about the sweeping operations.

George Myers 12:51 announced the 2013 Green Skate event scheduled for April 20. The event is being hosted by Friends of the Skate Park and UK Snowcats. He encouraged council members to attend and support this community activity.

Approval of Summary

The council approved the summary of the work session without discussion. Myers moved for approval, and Clarke seconded the motion 2:09. The summary was approved without further debate.

New Business Items

2:41

The council approved several new business items during this portion of the meeting.

Items Approved:

• Agreement with Westlaw CLEAR
• Agreement with Medical Compliance Services
• Agreement with Time Warner Cable
• Donation of a horse
• Grant for the Home Network project

Key Speakers:

Farmer and Ellinger presented and discussed the new business items.

Outcome:

All new business items were approved by the council.

Neighborhood Development Funds

The council approved funding allocations totaling $3,925 to various local organizations for community projects 4:15.

Key Speakers

Ellinger and Clarke led the discussion on this agenda item.

Funding Allocation

The approved funding supported projects across multiple community needs:

• Tree planting initiatives
• Field repairs
• Infant cribs
• Youth programs

Outcome

The council approved the neighborhood development funds allocation.

Capital Resurfacing for Major Corridors

5:20

Councilmember Stinnett raised the issue of maintaining major city-owned corridors and proposed referring the matter to the Planning Committee for long-term budgeting and maintenance planning. Councilmember Myers also participated in the discussion.

The proposal focused on establishing a systematic approach to capital resurfacing of major corridors through the Planning Committee, which would allow for coordinated long-term planning and budgeting rather than ad-hoc maintenance decisions.

The outcome of this discussion was deferred, meaning the matter was postponed for further consideration at a later time rather than being resolved during this meeting.

Home Fleet Policy Review

6:23

Councilmember Stinnett moved to refer the home fleet vehicle policy back to the Public Safety Committee for further review. The motion focused on examining potential cost savings and exploring possible compromise with the police union regarding the policy.

Key speakers in this discussion included Stinnett, Myers, and Reyers. The discussion centered on the need to balance fiscal considerations with labor relations, as the review was intended to identify cost-saving measures while simultaneously working toward an agreement acceptable to the police union.

The outcome of this agenda item was deferred, with the matter referred back to committee rather than being resolved during this meeting.

Inmate Labor Pickup Program

Councilmember Henson raised questions about the implementation and tracking of the inmate labor pickup program 6:54.

Commissioner Mason responded that the program is currently operational. Mason indicated that complaints related to the program are managed through the city's 311 system, which serves as the mechanism for tracking and addressing issues raised by the public.

The discussion was informational in nature, with no formal action or decision required. Councilmember Maloney also participated in the discussion.

Street Sweeping Schedule

11:35

Councilmember Lawless raised concerns about the street sweeping schedule and requested that advance notification be provided to residents before sweeping operations occur. Lawless emphasized the importance of giving residents adequate time to prepare, particularly noting that dead-end streets without signage face additional challenges in receiving timely information about when sweeping will take place.

The discussion was informational in nature, with no formal action taken. The outcome reflects the councilmember's request for improved communication procedures regarding street sweeping schedules to better serve residents.

Green Skate Event

Councilmember Myers announced the upcoming 2013 Green Skate event during the meeting 12:51. The announcement was intended to encourage council members to attend and support this community initiative.

This agenda item was presented as an informational announcement rather than a matter requiring a vote or decision. No debate or concerns were raised during the discussion of the Green Skate Event.

Police Recruit Graduation

14:04

Councilmembers expressed appreciation for the graduation of 31 new police recruits. Multiple council members—Clark, Scutchfield, Farmer, and Gorton—shared remarks acknowledging the milestone.

The graduation ceremony was notable for being held off-site for the first time. The event also featured a notable speech, though specific details about the speaker or speech content were not provided in the council discussion.

This was presented as an informational item, with no formal action or debate recorded.