Council General Government Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The General Government Committee met on May 7, 2013, at 11:00 a.m., with Steve Kay presiding. The committee addressed five agenda items during the meeting, taking six votes and hearing 17 public comments. The committee approved the meeting summary, the Metro Employees Credit Union Lease and Memorandum of Agreement, and a proposal to restructure government by moving the Divisions of Building Inspection and Code Enforcement to the Commissioner of Planning. The committee also received an informational presentation on CAO Policy #3 regarding Vehicle Use and Assignment, and approved items referred to the committee.

Attendance

Present: Steve Kay, Linda Gorton, Chris Ford, Diane Lawless, Julian Beard, Jenny Scutchfield, Ed Lane, George Myers, and Harry Clarke.

Absent: Shevawn Akers.

Late arrivals: None.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included six motions, all of which passed by voice vote.

Approval of Meeting Summary 0:00 Linda Gorton moved to approve the meeting summary with an amendment to list Diane Lawless as absent for the March 2013 meeting. Diane Lawless seconded the motion, which passed by voice vote.

Amendment to Council Rules and Procedures 2:18 Linda Gorton moved to amend the Council Rules and Procedures to allow standing committees 15 minutes to obtain quorum before adjourning. Jenny Scutchfield seconded the motion, which passed by voice vote.

Draft Amendment to Section 2.201 2:18 Harry Clarke moved to forward a draft amendment to Section 2.201 of the Council Rules and Procedures to the full Council. Diane Lawless seconded the motion, which passed by voice vote.

Metro Employees Credit Union Lease and MOA 20:04 Steve Kay moved to move the Metro Employees Credit Union Lease and Memorandum of Agreement to the Council docket. Jenny Scutchfield seconded the motion, which passed by voice vote.

Government Restructuring 53:32 Diane Lawless moved to approve the restructuring of government to move Building Inspection and Code Enforcement to the Commissioner of Planning. Ed Lane seconded the motion, which passed by voice vote.

Deletion from Referral List 54:06 Harry Clarke moved to delete CAO Policy #3 Vehicle Use and Assignment, the Metro Employees Credit Union Lease and MOA, and the Restructuring Government items from the referral list. Linda Gorton seconded the motion, which passed by voice vote.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed one lease agreement requiring action:

Metro Employees Credit Union Lease Agreement

A lease agreement for Metro Employees Credit Union at the LFUCG Versailles Road Campus (Lease Agreement 2012) was presented. This contract item carried no associated financial obligation at the time of the meeting.

Public Comment

The meeting included public comment on several topics, with speakers addressing credit union access, vehicle branding, and government restructuring.

Credit Union Access and Lease Issues

Frances Block from Commonwealth Credit Union requested access to engage with LFUCG employees at benefit fairs, employment events, and new employee orientations to promote financial products and services 1:38. She emphasized the credit union's role in serving Kentucky Retirement System participants.

George Myers raised concerns about the sole-source lease with Metro Employees Credit Union, urging the committee to consider opening the lease process to competitive bidding to ensure the best service for employees 4:34. He later requested that the Law Department assess whether the council could proceed with the lease without first evaluating other potential providers 13:40.

Julian Beard opposed Commonwealth Credit Union's request, characterizing it as an "end run" and noting that Commonwealth Credit Union serves all of Kentucky, not just LFUCG employees, and that the issue should be addressed through proper channels 6:39.

Chris Ford stated that other credit unions like Members Heritage and UK have not been granted similar access, and that discussion should remain focused on the agenda item 9:55.

Linda Gorton suggested that Commonwealth Credit Union's request be addressed in a future work session or through administrative channels rather than during this committee meeting 11:01.

Ed Lane supported continuing the Metro Employees Credit Union lease, highlighting the long-term relationship, the credit union's willingness to increase rent to market rate, and their investment in the property 18:59.

Vehicle Branding and Government Restructuring

Ed Lane proposed implementing a standardized logo on all LFUCG vehicles to improve city branding 34:14, and suggested including a council member on the vehicle acquisition committee 34:14.

Diane Lawless recommended adding visible division identifiers on vehicles to improve public understanding 36:23.

Julian Beard emphasized the importance of a unified city brand, noting that inconsistent vehicle logos undermine the city's image 34:47.

Derek Paulsen presented a proposal to move Building Inspection and Code Enforcement under the Commissioner of Planning 39:10. Harry Clarke, Diane Lawless, and Ed Lane expressed support for the reorganization, citing improved coordination benefits [timestamps: 0:47:23, 0:49:38, 0:52:59].

Shevawn Akers asked whether code enforcement and building inspection staff could be cross-trained to improve efficiency 51:20.

Contested Items

Competitive Bidding for Metro Employees Credit Union Lease

Council Member George Myers raised procedural concerns about moving forward with a sole-source lease agreement with Metro Employees Credit Union without first evaluating competitive alternatives from other credit unions. Myers questioned whether the Council should proceed with this arrangement or open the process to competitive bidding. This dispute centered on whether the procurement process was following appropriate competitive standards or whether it should be expanded to consider other potential credit union partners.

Commonwealth Credit Union's Request to Address the Council

A heated discussion emerged regarding whether Commonwealth Credit Union should be permitted to speak during the meeting. Some Council members objected to allowing Commonwealth Credit Union to address the body, characterizing the request as an "end run" and arguing that it was inappropriate for the meeting agenda. This disagreement reflected broader concerns about the procedural fairness and structure of the discussion surrounding credit union services and leasing arrangements.

Approval of Summary

The committee addressed the approval of the meeting summary from the previous session. 0:00

Key Speakers

Linda Gorton and Diane Lawless participated in this discussion.

Discussion and Amendment

The committee reviewed the meeting summary and identified a necessary amendment. The summary required correction to accurately reflect Diane Lawless's absence at the March 2013 meeting.

Outcome

The committee approved the meeting summary with the amendment incorporated. The motion passed without dissent.

Metro Employees Credit Union Lease and MOA

14:45

The CAO and Mr. David Barbary presented the final draft of the lease and Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Metro Employees Credit Union to the committee.

Presentation and Discussion

The presentation focused on the completed lease agreement and MOA documents, which represented the culmination of negotiations with Metro Employees Credit Union.

Key Speakers

The following individuals participated in the discussion: Sally Hamilton, David Barbary, Piper Graham, Frances Block, George Myers, Julian Beard, Ed Lane, Chris Ford, and Linda Gorton.

Public Comments and Concerns

Public comment addressed concerns regarding competitive access and the long-term nature of the relationship established through the lease and MOA.

Outcome

The committee approved moving the Metro Employees Credit Union Lease and MOA item to the Council docket for further consideration.

CAO Policy #3 Vehicle Use and Assignment

Jamshid Baradaran presented proposed updates to CAO Policy #3 during this informational item 21:10. The presentation outlined several key changes to the city's vehicle management practices.

Proposed Updates

The main components of the proposed policy updates included:

• Fleet right-sizing initiatives
• Establishment of a new vehicle acquisition committee
• Improved reporting mechanisms for vehicle use and assignment

Council Input and Suggestions

Council members engaged with the presentation and offered feedback on the proposed changes:

• Council members suggested including a council member on the vehicle acquisition committee to ensure broader oversight and representation in vehicle procurement decisions
• Standardization of vehicle branding was proposed as an additional consideration for the policy

Key Speakers

The discussion involved several council members in addition to Baradaran, including Ed Lane, Diane Lawless, and Harry Clarke, who contributed to the dialogue regarding the policy updates.

Outcome

This agenda item was presented as informational, with no formal action taken during the meeting. The presentation provided council members with an overview of the proposed policy changes and allowed for initial feedback and suggestions before any further development or formal consideration of the updates.

Restructuring Government to Move the Divisions of Building Inspection and Code Enforcement to the Commissioner of Planning

Derek Paulsen presented a proposal to reorganize government operations by transferring the Divisions of Building Inspection and Code Enforcement under the authority of the Commissioner of Planning 39:10.

Proposal Overview

The reorganization aimed to achieve several objectives:

• Improve neighborhood coordination
• Establish one-stop permitting services
• Enhance civil enforcement capabilities
• Integrate the CAP (Community Assistance Program)

Key Participants

The discussion involved Derek Paulsen as the primary presenter, with participation from Harry Clarke, Diane Lawless, Shevawn Akers, and Ed Lane.

Outcome

The motion to approve the reorganization passed unanimously, indicating full support from the governing body for moving these divisions under the Commissioner of Planning's oversight.

Items Referred to Committee

54:06

The committee addressed several items on the referral list, with discussion led by Harry Clarke, Linda Gorton, and Steve Kay.

The committee voted to remove three items from the referral list: - CAO Policy #3 - The Metro Employees Credit Union Lease and Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) - The Restructuring Government item

Two items were retained on the referral list: - An item related to the Bluegrass Ad - A matter concerning the naming of facilities and parks

The outcome of the discussion was approved.