Urban County Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council met on July 2, 2013, at 3:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber, 2nd Floor Government Center of Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, with Mayor Jim Gray presiding. The council addressed 10 agenda items during the session, including public comment periods, zoning matters, budget amendments, and various reports. The body took 9 motions and votes, approving most items on the agenda including requested rezonings, budget amendments, new business, and the mayor's report. One item—Continuing Business/Presentations—was deferred to a later date. The council also heard 1 public comment during the meeting.

Attendance

Present: Linda Gorton, Chuck Ellinger, Steve Kay, Chris Ford, Shevawn Akers, Diane Lawless, Julian Beard, Bill Farmer, Kevin Stinnett, Jennifer Scutchfield, Jennifer Mossotti, Harry Clarke, and Peggy Henson

Absent: Ed Lane

Late: George Myers

Votes and Decisions

The following motions were voted on and passed by voice vote during this meeting:

Docket of Rezoning Requests 4:05 Motion by Kevin Stinnett, seconded by George Myers, to approve the docket of rezoning requests. Passed.

Full Docket Approval 5:10 Motion to approve the full docket approval. Passed.

Summary of the Meeting 5:45 Motion by Julian Beard, seconded by Jennifer Scutchfield, to approve the summary of the meeting. Passed.

Budget Amendments 8:41 Motion by Chuck Ellinger, seconded by George Myers, to approve budget amendments. Passed.

New Business Items 9:15 Motion by Bill Farmer, seconded by Linda Gorton, to approve new business items. Passed.

Senior Citizens Center Motion 51:49 Motion by Kevin Stinnett, seconded by Harry Clarke, to table the motion to move forward on the original plan for a single central Senior Citizens Center. Passed.

Public Safety Committee Referral 1:06:24 Motion by Shevawn Akers, seconded by Linda Gorton, to refer presentations to the Public Safety Committee. Passed.

Mayor's Report 1:51:14 Motion by Linda Gorton, seconded by Shevawn Akers, to approve the Mayor's Report. Passed.

Adjournment 1:51:46 Motion by Chuck Ellinger, seconded by Linda Gorton, to adjourn. Passed.

All motions were decided by voice vote with no recorded abstentions.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting authorized 25 financial actions, including contracts, grants, amendments, and easement acceptances totaling approximately $2.65 million in direct expenditures and $88,633 in grant funding.

Contracts and Service Agreements

The meeting approved multiple Purchase of Service Agreements for FY 2014, including $235,000 to the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission (L0673-13) and $1,248,360 to seven Partner Agencies: Commerce Lexington, Downtown Lexington Corporation, Kentucky World Trade Center, Lexington Kentucky Chapter of SCORE, Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center, Bluegrass Area Development District, and Lexington Downtown Development Authority (L0718-13).

Engineering and infrastructure contracts included $199,737 to GRW Engineers, Inc. for design of the Polo Club Boulevard Public Improvements Project (L0694-13) and $220,000 to Transylvania University for Fourth Street improvements reimbursement (L0703-13).

Training and specialized services contracts were authorized with Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service for $40,500 for Advanced Ordnance Recognition Training for the Division of Police (L0682-13) and Spec.Rescue International for $20,000 for structural collapse training for the Division of Fire and Emergency Services (L0704-13).

Additional contracts included a $3,655.85 change order with Churchill McGee, LLC for Carver Community Center Renovation (L0692-13) and an $8,701 payment to Hilton Lexington/Downtown for the 2013 FEMA Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness annual meeting (L0747-13).

Grants and Federal Funding

The meeting authorized acceptance of $75,000 in federal funds from the Kentucky State Police-Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division for a Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program for FY 2014 (L0701-13) and submission of an application for $13,633 in federal funds from the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security for purchase of a micro-robot under the 2013 State Homeland Security Grant Program (L0702-13).

Amendments and Other Actions

Ordinance amendments included a 2% salary increase for full-time and part-time permanent employees (L0712-13), position changes in the Division of Waste Management totaling $13,936.25 (L0713-13), and a position change in Traffic Engineering totaling $8,937.02 (L0715-13). A $12,000 increase to right-of-way costs for the Fourth Street & Jefferson Street Signalization Project was approved (L0700-13).

Easement acceptances were authorized for the Century Hills Trunk Sewer Replacement Project ($300,000), Bob O Link Sewer Replacement Project ($250,000), and East Lake Trunk Sewer Project (L0716-13, L0717-13, L0721-13).

Public Comment

1:52:18

John Byrd, a retired public affairs consultant and insurance agent, addressed the council during the public comment period. Byrd urged the council to inform constituents about the Affordable Care Act, including details about open enrollment periods and penalties for individuals without health insurance coverage. He offered his new agency as a resource to assist the community with understanding these health insurance matters.

Appointments

The following appointments were made during this meeting:

• Three Planning Commission members were appointed to the Planning Commission.

• One Board of Adjustment member was appointed to the Board of Adjustment.

Contested Items

Senior Citizens Center Proposal

A heated discussion arose regarding the proposed Senior Citizens Center and the involvement of the YMCA in its development. Council members expressed frustration with the timing and process of the proposal, citing concerns about the lack of involvement of the Commissioner of Social Services in the decision-making process.

The core disagreement centered on the approach to establishing senior services. Council members debated whether to proceed with a single central facility or to consider alternative approaches involving satellite locations in partnership with the YMCA. This fundamental difference in strategy reflected broader concerns about how the proposal had been developed and presented to the council.

The contentious nature of the discussion underscored council members' worry that the decision-making process was moving too quickly without adequate input from relevant city departments and stakeholders. The absence of the Commissioner of Social Services from the deliberations was identified as a significant gap in the planning process, suggesting that important perspectives on senior services were not being adequately represented in the discussion.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

3:00

No public comments were submitted for issues on the agenda during this meeting.

Requested Rezonings / Docket Approval

4:05

During this agenda item, the board considered matters related to requested rezonings and docket approval. Kevin Stinnett and George Myers were the key speakers on this item.

The board took action on two separate motions:

• A motion to approve the docket was made and passed without dissent
• A separate motion to approve a rezoning request was made and passed

The outcome of both motions was approval.

Approval of Summary

The meeting summary was presented for approval as agenda item III. 5:45

Julian Beard moved to approve the summary, and Jennifer Scutchfield seconded the motion. The motion passed without dissent.

Outcome: The summary was approved.

Budget Amendments

A motion to approve budget amendments was made and discussed during this agenda item 8:41. The motion passed without dissent.

Key Speakers

The discussion involved Chuck Ellinger, Bill Farmer, and Kevin Stinnett.

Items Discussed

Several budget amendments were presented for consideration, including funding allocations for federal grants and local programs.

Outcome

The motion to approve the budget amendments was approved.

New Business

A motion to approve new business items was made and passed without dissent. 9:15

Several new business items were discussed during this portion of the meeting, including contracts, agreements, and budget amendments. Key speakers on these matters included Bill Farmer, Shevawn Akers, Kevin Stinnett, and Harry Clarke.

The new business items were approved by the body.

Continuing Business / Presentations

46:01

Two committee summaries were presented during this portion of the meeting.

Social Services & Community Development Committee

Chris Ford and Bill Farmer presented a summary from the Social Services & Community Development Committee. The presentation focused on a proposal involving the YMCA to partner on senior citizen centers. Following discussion of this proposal, a motion to table it was passed.

Planning and Public Works Committee

The Planning and Public Works Committee summary was deferred and not presented at this time due to pending legal review of the materials.

Outcome

The agenda item was deferred, with the YMCA senior citizen centers proposal tabled and the Planning and Public Works Committee summary postponed pending legal review.

Council Reports

During this agenda item, several council members provided updates on various matters of interest to the city.

Public Safety Committee and Related Matters

Council members Linda Gorton, Chris Ford, Kevin Stinnett, Shevawn Akers, Bill Farmer, Harry Clarke, and Steve Kay delivered reports covering multiple topics. Updates were provided on the Public Safety Committee's activities and initiatives.

Smoking Ordinance Anniversary

The council acknowledged the 10-year anniversary of the city's smoking ordinance, marking a decade since its implementation.

Tribute to Fallen Firefighter

Council members expressed condolences regarding a fallen firefighter, honoring their service and sacrifice to the community.

This segment of the meeting served an informational purpose, allowing council members to share updates and recognize significant milestones and losses affecting the city. 1:05:51

Mayor's Report

1:50:44

Mayor Linda Gorton presented a report on confirmation hearings for municipal board appointments. The report covered the approval and advancement of four nominees:

• Three Planning Commission members
• One Board of Adjustment member

All nominees were approved through their confirmation hearings and moved forward in the appointment process.

Outcome: Approved

Public Comment - Issues Not on Agenda

1:52:18

John Byrd provided public comment on health insurance and the Affordable Care Act. He offered his new agency as a resource for residents seeking information and assistance related to these topics.

This item was informational in nature, with no formal action taken by the body.

Adjournment

1:51:46

A motion to adjourn the meeting was made and passed without dissent. Chuck Ellinger and Linda Gorton were the key speakers involved in this agenda item. The motion concluded the proceedings of the meeting held on July 2, 2013.