Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council met on October 1, 2013, at 3:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber on the 2nd Floor of the Government Center, with Mayor Jim Gray presiding. The council addressed 10 agenda items during the session, including public comment periods, rezoning requests, budget amendments, and various reports. The body took 8 motions to a vote and heard 7 public comments from members of the community. Key actions included approval of a summary, new business items, and continuing business with presentations, while other items such as rezoning requests, budget amendments, council reports, and the mayor's report were presented for informational purposes.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on October 1, 2013:

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

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The council took eight votes during this meeting, with all motions passing.

Docket Approval 10:55 A motion by Chuck Ellinger, seconded by Jennifer Mossotti, to approve the docket for the September 26, 2013 Council Meeting passed unanimously. This motion authorized the Mayor to execute a Memorandum of Agreement with the Office of the Kentucky Attorney General to accept $759,125 in funds from the National Mortgage Foreclosure Settlement.

Environmental Quality Committee Summary 10:55 A motion by Julian Beard, seconded by Linda Gorton, to approve the summary of the Environmental Quality Committee meeting passed unanimously.

New Business Items 11:27 A motion by Linda Gorton, seconded by Steve Kay, to approve the new business items passed unanimously.

Neighborhood Development Funds 11:58 A motion by Peggy Henson, seconded by Harry Clarke, to approve the Neighborhood Development Funds passed unanimously.

Mayor's Report 11:58 A motion by Bill Farmer, seconded by Steve Kay, to approve the Mayor's Report passed unanimously.

Distillery District Bond Funds Amendment 1:18:42 A motion by Shevawn Akers, seconded by Diane Lawless, to amend the original motion regarding remaining distillery district bond funds passed by roll call vote with 13 ayes and 0 nays. The amendment designated $500,000 for a watershed floodplain study and the remainder for the Town Branch Trail in the distillery district. Those voting in favor were: Chuck Ellinger, Steve Kay, Chris Ford, Shevawn Akers, Diane Lawless, Julian Beard, Bill Farmer, Jennifer Scutchfield, George Myers, Jennifer Mossotti, Harry Clarke, Peggy Henson, and Ed Lane.

Call the Question 1:18:10 A motion by Bill Farmer, seconded by Chuck Stinnett, to call the question on the amended distillery district bond funds motion passed by voice vote.

Adjournment 11:58 A motion by Chuck Stinnett, seconded by Jennifer Mossotti, to adjourn the meeting passed unanimously.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed five financial items totaling $1,417,218.56 in amendments, contracts, and grants.

Personnel Amendments

Two personnel-related budget amendments were approved:

• L0991-13: $39,320.36 to fund one position of Personal Protective Equipment Manager (Grade 114N) in the Division of Fire & Emergency Services.

• L1018-13: $17,388.32 to abolish one sworn Police Captain position and create one sworn Police Lieutenant position.

Contract Amendment

• L1035-13: $560,509.88 for Amendment No. 15 to the agreement with Stantec (formerly Entran, PLC, formerly American Consulting Engineers, PLC) for the Newtown Pike Extension Project.

Grant Acceptances

Two grants from the U.S. Department of Justice were accepted:

• L1037-13: $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice/Office on Violence Against Women under the Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program.

• L1050-13: $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women for continuation of the Safe Havens Project. This grant will support execution of an agreement with Sunflower Kids, Inc. for FY 2014.

Public Comment

Seven speakers addressed the council regarding the use of distillery district bond funds, with most supporting trail funding while one speaker advocated for alternative infrastructure priorities.

Support for Trail Funding

Clark Case, representing Busters, argued that allocating the remaining $1.7 million for the Town Branch Trail would demonstrate the city's commitment to district infrastructure and send a positive message to prospective developers and investors 39:12.

Van Meter Pettit emphasized the symbiotic relationship between public infrastructure and private investment, stating that completing the trail would catalyze further development and economic growth in the district 42:05.

Heather Wright, representing BBPH Properties and Barrel House Distillery, supported both the watershed study and trail funding, highlighting the potential for the area to become a revitalized destination similar to San Antonio's Riverwalk 45:26.

Douglas Clark, owner of Create Now Makerspace, expressed strong support for keeping the funds in the distillery district, noting that his business had committed to the area based on the city's infrastructure promises 46:36.

Barry McNeese emphasized that the trail is an economic catalyst and that the city's commitment to infrastructure is essential for attracting private investment and revitalizing the district 47:45.

Alternative Infrastructure Priorities

Kelly King-Bakehorn, representing multiple properties in the distillery district, presented a contrasting view, arguing that streetscape improvements, sidewalks, and road upgrades are more critical than the trail for attracting visitors and improving safety 50:34.

Watershed Study Funding

Chris Kelly noted that no single developer would fund a watershed study, making public funding essential for the broader public benefit and long-term development of the area 52:48.

Contested Items

Use of Distillery District Bond Funds

A split vote occurred regarding the allocation of remaining funds from the distillery district bond. The contested decision centered on how to use approximately $1.7 million in remaining bond money, with two competing proposals: directing the funds toward the Town Branch Trail or allocating them to a watershed floodplain study.

The debate revealed fundamental disagreements about the appropriate use of public funds. Key points of contention included:

• Public versus private benefit: Disagreement over whether the proposed uses would primarily serve the public interest or benefit private entities
• Precedent-setting concerns: Questions about what precedent committing these funds would establish for future bond allocations
• Planning requirements: Concerns that funds should not be committed without a completed master plan to guide their use

The discussion highlighted the need for clearer guidelines on how remaining bond funds should be deployed and whether adequate planning mechanisms were in place before making financial commitments.

Public Comment – Issues on Agenda

3:00

No members of the public signed up to provide comment on issues appearing on the agenda. As a result, this portion of the meeting proceeded without public testimony, and the meeting moved forward to the next agenda item.

Requested Rezonings / Docket Approval

10:55

No docket was presented for approval during this agenda item. As there was no council meeting scheduled that week, the requested rezonings and docket approval item was skipped.

Approval of Summary

The Environmental Quality Committee approved the summary of the previous meeting unanimously, with no discussion. 10:55

Key speakers on this agenda item included Julian Beard and Linda Gorton. The summary was presented for approval and was adopted without any questions, concerns, or debate from committee members.

Outcome: The summary was approved unanimously.

Budget Amendments

No budget amendments were presented for this meeting. This agenda item was skipped. 11:27

New Business

11:27

The new business items were presented and discussed by Linda Gorton and Steve Kay. The agenda included authorizations for budget amendments, contract changes, and grant acceptances.

All new business items were approved unanimously by the body.

Continuing Business / Presentations

11:58

During this agenda item, the council addressed two primary matters: approval of Neighborhood Development Funds and a review of the Environmental Quality Committee Summary.

Neighborhood Development Funds

The Neighborhood Development Funds were presented and subsequently approved by the council.

Environmental Quality Committee Summary

The Environmental Quality Committee Summary was reviewed in detail. A significant portion of the discussion focused on the allocation of distillery district bond funds, which presented two competing priorities for consideration:

• A watershed study
• The Town Branch Trail project

The council engaged in detailed discussion regarding which initiative should receive funding from the available distillery district bond resources. This decision required weighing the environmental and community benefits of each option.

Key Participants

Multiple council members and staff participated in this discussion, including Peggy Henson, Harry Clarke, Chuck Stinnett, Linda Gorton, Diane Lawless, Shevawn Akers, Bill Farmer, Chris Ford, Julian Beard, George Myers, Jennifer Mossotti, Ed Lane, Barry McNeese, Heather Wright, Clark Case, Van Meter Pettit, Douglas Clark, Kelly King-Bakehorn, and Chris Kelly.

Outcome

The Neighborhood Development Funds were approved. The discussion regarding the distillery district bond fund allocation between the watershed study and Town Branch Trail was reviewed as part of the Environmental Quality Committee Summary.

Council Reports

Council members provided reports on various committee activities during this agenda item. 1:30:59

Committee Activities Discussed

The General Government Committee reviewed partnerships with the Bluegrass Area Development District. Additionally, council members discussed the renaming of the Bluegrass Domestic Violence Program to Greenhouse 17.

Key Speakers

Reports were delivered by Steve Kay, Julian Beard, Shevawn Akers, Diane Lawless, and Bill Farmer.

Outcome

This agenda item was informational in nature, with council members sharing updates on their respective committee work and activities.

Mayor's Report

No Mayor's Report was presented at this meeting. 1:37:36

Public Comment – Issues Not on Agenda

1:35:26

During this portion of the meeting, several residents addressed the body on matters not included on the formal agenda.

Speakers and Topics

Three residents provided public comment:

• Diane Lawless
• Julian Beard
• Shevawn Akers

The comments focused on neighborhood associations and community events.

Outcome

No formal motion was made during this public comment period. The agenda item was informational in nature, allowing residents to raise issues and concerns for the record without requiring official action or response from the body at that time.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 1:37:36 following a motion by George Myers, which was seconded by Linda Gorton. The adjournment motion was approved with no objection.