Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council met on June 20, 2013, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Jim Gray presiding. The meeting included two informational agenda items: a proclamation recognizing The Kentuckians Chorus for Barbershop Harmony Week and a presentation by Leia Wedlund, a Siemens Foundation Scholarship Winner. The Council took three votes during the session and heard two public comments. The meeting focused primarily on recognizing local achievements and celebrating community members.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on June 20, 2013:

• Jim Gray
• Ellinger
• Farmer
• Ford
• Gorton
• Henson
• Kay
• Lane
• Lawless
• Mossotti
• Myers
• Scutchfield
• Stinnett
• Akers
• Beard
• Clarke

No members were recorded as absent or arriving late.

Votes and Decisions

Motion 0659-13: Appropriating Revenues, Expenditures/Expenses and Interfund Transfers 28:40

Motion by Gorton, seconded by Farmer. This motion to appropriate revenues, expenditures/expenses, and interfund transfers for various funds passed by roll call vote with 15 ayes and 0 nays. All members voted in favor: Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Gorton, Henson, Kay, Lane, Lawless, Mossotti, Myers, Scutchfield, Stinnett, Akers, Beard, and Clarke.

Motion 0568-13: Establishing a Six Month Limited Pilot Program for Mobile Food Unit Vendors 2:35:01

Motion by Akers, seconded by Henson. This motion to establish a six month limited pilot program for mobile food unit vendors passed by roll call vote with 15 ayes and 0 nays. All members voted in favor: Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Gorton, Henson, Kay, Lane, Lawless, Mossotti, Myers, Scutchfield, Stinnett, Akers, Beard, and Clarke.

Motion 0590-13: Amending Subsection 6-53(b)(2) of the Code of Ordinances Relating to the City Employees' Pension Fund 47:32

Motion by Henson, seconded by Akers. This motion to amend Subsection 6-53(b)(2) of the Code of Ordinances relating to the City Employees' Pension Fund failed by roll call vote with 6 ayes and 6 nays. Members voting in favor were Ford, Henson, Kay, Lawless, Akers, and Clarke. Members voting against were Ellinger, Lane, Myers, Scutchfield, Stinnett, and Beard.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting included approval of the following financial actions:

Food Services Agreement A food services contract with Trinity Services I, LLC was approved for $1,648,420 (Resolution 0552-13). This agreement establishes the terms for food service provision.

Transportation Grant A grant of $460,000 from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet was approved for the FY 2014 ITS/CMS Traffic Improvements Project (Resolution 0560-13). This funding supports traffic management and intelligent transportation system improvements.

Public Comment

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

Mobile Food Unit Vendors Pilot Program

Sean Tibbetts spoke in support of the pilot program for mobile food vendors 2:18:09. He highlighted the innovation and creativity of food truck operators and urged the council to approve the program.

New Senior Center

Carol Rickwald advocated for the construction of a new senior center 2:38:12. She emphasized the need for integrated services and stressed the importance of fulfilling political promises to the elderly community.

Contested Items

City Employees' Pension Fund COLA Increase

The council considered an ordinance to increase the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for the City Employees' Pension Fund from 3% to 5%. The proposal divided council members, resulting in a 6-6 split vote that caused the ordinance to fail.

The disagreement centered on the financial implications and fairness of the proposed increase. Council members were unable to reach consensus on whether raising the COLA by two percentage points was justified or sustainable given the city's budget considerations and obligations to pensioners.

The even split reflected fundamental differences in how council members weighed competing concerns: the need to ensure adequate cost-of-living protections for city employees and retirees against fiscal responsibility and the city's financial capacity to fund the increase.

Proclamation: The Kentuckians Chorus - Barbershop Harmony Week

Mayor Jim Gray introduced the Kentuckians Chorus and presented them with a proclamation honoring the 75th Anniversary of the Barbershop Harmony Society 3:53. The proclamation declared June 20, 2013, as Kentuckians Chorus Day.

This was an informational agenda item with no debate or concerns raised. The presentation served to recognize the chorus and their contributions to barbershop harmony music traditions.

Presentation: Leia Wedlund, Siemens Foundation Scholarship Winner

21:23

Leia Wedlund was recognized during this meeting for being named a Siemens Foundation Scholarship winner. As part of the recognition, Wedlund was presented with a Henry Clay Ambassadorship.

This agenda item was informational in nature, serving to acknowledge Wedlund's achievement and honor her accomplishment.