Special Committee of the Whole (COW)

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council met on October 15, 2013, at 2:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, with Ms. Gorton presiding. The council considered four agenda items during the meeting, taking six votes and hearing one public comment. Three of the four items were approved: a bus shelter and sign on Alexandria Drive, a kitchen floor replacement at the Corrections Facility, and Phase III of the Legacy Trail. One item—iPads for Building Inspection and Code Enforcement—was withdrawn from consideration.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on October 10, 2013:

• Henson
• Akers
• Lane
• Stinnett
• Ellinger
• Ford
• Myers
• Scutchfield
• Mossotti
• Lawless
• Clarke
• Beard
• Massadi
• Farmer
• Kay
• Clark

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

Bus Shelter and Sign on Alexandria Drive 13:44

A motion by Henson, seconded by Akers, to approve $45,000 for a bus shelter and sign on Alexandria Drive passed by voice vote with 8 ayes and 7 nays. Those voting in favor were Henson, Akers, Lane, Stinnett, Ellinger, Ford, Myers, and Scutchfield. Those voting against were Mossotti, Lawless, Clarke, Beard, Massadi, Farmer, and Kay.

Kitchen Floor Replacement at Corrections Facility 18:41

A motion by Henson, seconded by Lane, to approve $400,000 for kitchen floor replacement at the corrections facility passed by voice vote with 13 ayes and 2 nays. Voting in favor were Henson, Akers, Lane, Stinnett, Ellinger, Ford, Myers, Scutchfield, Mossotti, Lawless, Clarke, Beard, and Massadi. Farmer and Kay voted against.

iPad Allocation for Code Enforcement and Engineering 21:56

A motion by Myers, seconded by Kaye, to allocate $31,900 for iPads for code enforcement and engineering was withdrawn.

Legacy Trail Phase III Funding 42:11

A motion by Ellinger, seconded by Myers, to approve $1.1 million for Legacy Trail (Phase III) failed by roll call vote with 4 ayes and 11 nays. Voting in favor were Farmer, Stinnett, Lawless, and Kay. Voting against were Henson, Akers, Lane, Ellinger, Ford, Myers, Scutchfield, Mossotti, Clarke, Beard, and Massadi.

Amendment for Legacy Trail Phase III Funding 56:56

A motion by Lawless, seconded by Massadi, to amend the allocation by providing $600,000 from fund balance for Legacy Trail (Phase III) passed by voice vote with 13 ayes and 1 nay. Voting in favor were Henson, Akers, Lane, Stinnett, Ellinger, Ford, Myers, Scutchfield, Mossotti, Lawless, Clarke, Beard, and Massadi. Farmer voted against.

Adjournment 1:01:27

The meeting was adjourned by voice vote.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting on October 10, 2013 included appropriations for three capital projects:

• Corrections Facility Kitchen Floor Replacement — $400,000 appropriation for replacement of the kitchen floor at a corrections facility.

• Bus Shelter and Sign on Alexandria Drive — $45,000 appropriation for a bus shelter and sign on Alexandria Drive, with Arts in Motion designated as the vendor or recipient.

• Legacy Trail (Phase III) — $600,000 appropriation, representing a partial funding of the $1.1 million total project request for Legacy Trail Phase III.

Public Comment

During the public comment period 1:02:04, Massadi addressed the council regarding equity in park funding. Massadi highlighted disparities in funding across park districts and urged the council to consider equitable distribution of funds for parks.

Contested Items

Funding allocation for Legacy Trail

The council voted on a motion to allocate $1.1 million for the Legacy Trail project. The motion failed with a vote of 4-11, indicating significant disagreement among council members. The primary dispute centered on the timing and source of funds. Council members debated whether the allocated funds should be used immediately or reserved for future use. Additionally, there was contention over whether distillery bond funds should be redirected to support this allocation. The failed vote demonstrates that a substantial majority of the council opposed the proposed funding approach at this time.

Use of fund balance for non-shovel-ready projects

Council members engaged in heated discussion regarding the allocation of large sums from the fund balance to projects that cannot be fully spent within the current fiscal year. The core concern was whether committing significant resources to projects lacking immediate implementation capacity represented responsible fiscal management. Council members raised questions about potential wasted funds and the lack of accountability mechanisms for projects that would extend beyond the fiscal year. This debate reflected broader disagreement about budget priorities and the appropriate use of available fund balance reserves.

Bus Shelter and Sign on Alexandria Drive

Council discussed funding for a historic bus shelter restoration project at Alexandria Drive. 5:11

The primary debate centered on whether LexTran should fund the project. Key speakers in the discussion included Henson, Lane, Massadi, and Lawless, who presented different perspectives on the appropriation.

The council voted on the measure, with the motion passing by a narrow margin of 8 ayes to 7 nays. This close vote reflected the divided opinion among council members regarding the funding responsibility and allocation for the bus shelter restoration.

Kitchen Floor Replacement at Corrections Facility

14:17

The council considered an appropriation of $400,000 for urgent kitchen floor replacement at the corrections facility due to health and safety concerns.

Key Speakers

The discussion involved council members Henson, Lane, Beard, and Myers.

Outcome

The council approved the appropriation. The motion passed with 13 ayes and 2 nays.

iPads for Building Inspection and Code Enforcement

A motion to fund iPads for building inspection and code enforcement was withdrawn following staff explanation of significant implementation challenges. 19:14

Key speakers Myers, Lane, and Emmons participated in the discussion of this agenda item.

Concerns Raised

Staff identified two critical obstacles that made the proposed purchase impractical at the time:

• Lack of software integration capabilities
• Absence of adequate data plans

These technical and logistical gaps meant the iPads could not be effectively deployed for their intended inspection and code enforcement purposes without additional infrastructure and planning.

Outcome

The motion was withdrawn rather than voted down, indicating that the proponents agreed the proposal was not ready for implementation in its current form.

Legacy Trail (Phase III)

Council considered an appropriation for the Legacy Trail Phase III project 22:31. The initial proposal requested $1.1 million in funding.

Discussion and Concerns

Council members Ellinger, Farmer, Lawless, Kay, Stinnett, and Clark participated in the debate. Key concerns centered on the timing of the expenditure and whether the funds could be spent within the appropriate budget cycle. Council members questioned the spendability of the full amount requested, raising doubts about the project's readiness to obligate the entire $1.1 million allocation.

Outcome

Rather than approving the full $1.1 million request, Council passed a motion to allocate $600,000 for Legacy Trail Phase III. The remaining funds were deferred to be addressed in future budget cycles, allowing the project to proceed with a reduced appropriation while preserving the option to fund additional phases later.