Urban County Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government held a meeting on June 25, 2013, at 3:03 p.m. in the Council Chamber on the 2nd Floor of the Government Center. Mayor Jim Gray presided over the session, which included six agenda items covering requested rezonings, approval of summaries, new business, continuing business presentations, council reports, and public comment on issues not on the agenda. During the meeting, the council took three motions to a vote and heard nine public comments from members of the community. Two of the agenda items—Approval of Summary and New Business—resulted in approved outcomes, while the remaining four items were informational in nature.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on June 25, 2013:

Jim Gray, Gordon, Akers, Farmer, Myers, Stinnett, Lawless, Mossotti, Beard, Kay, Ford, Henson, Scutchfield, Moloney, Gorton, Clarke, Lane, Mills, Gooding, Paulsen, Martin, Hamilton, Mason, Jackson, Reed, Queary, Angelusi, McSwards, Anderson, Hancock, Blake, Cozart, Chandler, and Barr.

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

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

Budget Committee Summary Approval 7:05 Vice Mayor Gordon moved to approve the summary of the Budget Committee of the Whole meeting held on June 6, 2013. Akers seconded the motion, which passed by voice vote.

New Business Items Approval 7:40 Beard moved to approve new business items including right-of-way transfers, service agreements, and federal grant applications. Scutchfield seconded the motion, which passed by voice vote.

Adjournment 1:32:09 Ellinger moved to adjourn the work session. Gordon seconded the motion, which passed by voice vote.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting included authorization for the following financial actions:

Infrastructure and Property

• L0643-13: Authorization to execute Supplemental Agreement No. 4 with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for purchase of right-of-way for Section II of the Todds/Liberty Road Improvement Project ($1,000,000)

• L0668-13: Authorization to transfer a portion of sidewalk right-of-way to adjacent property owners at 545 & 551 Elm Tree Lane

• L0672-13: Authorization to transfer a portion of sidewalk right-of-way to adjacent property owners at 442 Fayette Park

Health and Public Safety Services

• L0654-13: Authorization to execute first renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department for FOG Training Services ($1,200)

• L0657-13: Authorization to execute Professional Service Agreement with Melissa Young-Flynn, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, for forensic examinations in FY 2013 ($60,530)

• L0658-13: Authorization to submit application to the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security for continuation of the Metropolitan Medical Response System for FY 2014 ($150,000)

• L0679-13: Authorization to submit applications to the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security for federal funds totaling $1,381,050 under the 2013 State Homeland Security Grant Program

Social Services and Community Development

• L0665-13: Authorization to execute Amendment to Loan Agreement with Bluegrass Regional Mental Health-Mental Retardation, Inc., for rehabilitation of residential units at 381-391 Virginia Avenue ($8,278)

• L0677-13: Authorization to enter into Purchase of Service Agreements with 35 Social Services Partner Agencies for 54 programs in FY 2014 ($2,297,495)

Facilities and Operations

• L0678-13: Authorization to execute Lease Agreement with Glenncase, LLC for temporary salt storage facility at 801 East New Circle Road ($18,000)

Public Comment

Council members raised several concerns during the public comment period, focusing primarily on safety issues and social services.

Phoenix Park Safety and Services

Council Member Stinnett expressed concern about safety conditions at Phoenix Park, emphasizing the need for a proactive, humane approach to address homelessness and criminal activity while maintaining public access and dignity 21:50. Council Member Lawless highlighted the importance of the park's open design for visibility and safety, noting increased police presence and a pilot program with mounted officers 30:46.

Council Member Henson asked about the frequency and year-round nature of feeding programs at the park and suggested creating a warm, indoor space for meals as a more humane alternative 36:48. Council Member Scotchfield expressed concern about the lack of uniformity in food service regulations across parks and supported finding alternative sites for feeding programs 40:00.

Council Member Akers noted that problems from Phoenix Park have shifted to courthouse parks and questioned whether law enforcement has addressed the new locations 53:29.

Other Safety and Administrative Matters

Council Member Farmer asked questions about new business items F, G, I, and J, including right-of-way transfers on Elm Tree Lane and Fayette Park, the location of the temporary salt storage facility at Continental Inn, and the scope of the $1.3 million federal grant for public safety projects 7:40. Farmer also raised concerns about safety in the 5th District due to an attempted arson on Winchester Road and requested reassurance and increased supervision from city authorities 1:15:13.

Council Member Ford requested a review of HR inversions and urged the administration to prioritize construction of the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden in the East End 1:22:49.

Systemic Approach to Homelessness

Council Member Kay stressed the need for a systemic, not piecemeal, approach to address homelessness, emphasizing the importance of reducing need and improving services 1:26:41.

Contested Items

The June 25, 2013 meeting included three significant areas of disagreement among council members.

Phoenix Park Safety and Feeding Programs

Council members engaged in a heated discussion regarding Phoenix Park's safety and feeding programs. The debate centered on balancing public safety concerns with the rights of homeless individuals and the legality of feeding programs operating in the park. A key concern raised was the potential for relocating problems rather than solving them. Council members emphasized the need for humane, systemic solutions to address the underlying issues rather than enforcement-focused approaches alone.

Code for America Funding

A motion to fund Code for America initially failed to pass. However, the proposal was later approved after council members added a conditional amendment. The revised funding agreement required a $180,000 match to be secured by August 15, 2013, making the approval contingent on meeting this financial benchmark.

Homelessness and Public Safety

Council members expressed deep concern about the intersection of homelessness and public safety in the community. The discussion reflected worry over the impact of homelessness and mental illness on public safety conditions. Members called for increased services to address these challenges and advocated for greater coordination with faith-based groups, suggesting a collaborative approach involving community and religious organizations in developing solutions.

Requested Rezonings / Docket Approval

6:28

No docket was approved during this meeting. Rather than proceeding with standard docket approval procedures, the Council moved directly to the approval of the summary.

Approval of Summary

7:05

The Council approved the summary of the Budget Committee of the Whole meeting held on June 6, 2013. Vice Mayor Gordon presented this item for consideration.

The summary encompassed several key elements from the previous Budget Committee meeting:

• Revenue updates
• Late items
• Link recommendations

The Council voted to approve the summary as presented, with the outcome recorded as approved.

New Business

7:40

The Council addressed several new business items during this portion of the meeting. Key speakers on these matters included Beard, Farmer, and Scutchfield.

The new business agenda encompassed the following types of items:

• Right-of-way transfers
• Service agreements
• Federal grant applications

The Council approved all presented new business items without opposition. No concerns or objections were raised during the discussion of these matters.

Continuing Business / Presentations

12:04

The Council received several informational updates during this agenda item, with presentations from Vice Mayor Gordon, Jeff Reed, Clay Mason, Rick Jordan, and Clayton Roberts.

The Council heard updates on the following matters:

• Budget Committee of the Whole — An update was provided on the Budget Committee's work and findings.

• Tree City USA Recognition — The Council received information regarding Tree City USA recognition status.

• Phoenix Park Renovation — A comprehensive update on the Phoenix Park renovation project was presented, which included discussions on multiple aspects of the park's development and operations.

• Fireworks Ordinance — The Council received an update on the fireworks ordinance.

The Phoenix Park presentation covered several key topics:

• Safety considerations for the park
• Feeding programs currently in place or planned
• Community partnerships supporting the park's renovation and operations

This agenda item was informational in nature, with no formal votes or decisions required. The presentations provided the Council with updates on ongoing projects and initiatives within the municipality.

Council Reports

During this agenda item, council members raised several concerns affecting the community. 1:11:55

Issues Discussed

Council members addressed the following matters:

• Delayed Refunds: Concerns were raised about refunds that had not been processed in a timely manner.
• HR Inversions: Human resources-related inversions were discussed as a concern among council members.
• Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden: The status and development of this memorial garden was addressed.
• Homelessness and Neighborhood Safety: Council members discussed the impact of homelessness on neighborhood safety, expressing concerns about how the issue affects community well-being.

Key Speakers

The following council members participated in the discussion: Scutchfield, Farmer, Ford, Kay, and Akers.

Mayor's Response

The Mayor emphasized the need for systemic solutions to address the concerns raised, particularly regarding the homelessness and safety issues presented by council members.

Outcome

This agenda item was informational in nature, with no formal action taken. The discussion served to document council members' concerns and the Mayor's acknowledgment of the need for broader, systemic approaches to the issues raised.

Public Comment – Issues Not on Agenda

1:11:55

During this agenda item, several council members raised public concerns on various topics not listed on the meeting agenda.

The issues brought forward included:

• Safety in Phoenix Park – Concerns were raised regarding safety conditions in Phoenix Park
• Relocation of issues to courthouse parks – Discussion of problems being relocated to courthouse parks
• Attempted arson on Winchester Road – An incident involving an attempted arson on Winchester Road was reported
• Delays in refund processing – Concerns were raised about delays in processing refunds

The following speakers participated in this discussion: Farmer, Stinnett, Lawless, Henson, Scotchfield, Akers, Ford, and Kay.

The outcome of this agenda item was informational in nature, with no formal action taken.