Special Committee of the Whole (COW)

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council met on October 22, 2013, at 11:30 a.m. in the Council Chambers, with Vice Mayor Gorton presiding. The council considered seven agenda items, taking nine votes and hearing nine public comments during the session. Four of the seven items were approved, including the Economic Development Fund, Highlands Park Basketball Court Repair, Idle Hour Ballfields, and Dunbar Community Center Window Replacement. Three items were withdrawn from consideration: an unspecified project, Bulletproof Vest Replacements, and Additional Police Vehicles.

Attendance

Present: Akers, Beard, Clark, Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Henson, Kay, Lawless, Lane, Massadi, Myers, Soddy, and Stennett

Absent: Meyer

Late: None

Votes and Decisions

Motion to Move Economic Development Fund Up for Discussion and Reallocate $1 Million 2:34

Moved by Clark and seconded by Stennett. The motion to move item number 39 (Economic Development Fund) up the discussion list and reallocate $1 million from the Economic Contingency Fund to the Economic Development Fund passed by roll call vote, 11-3. Voting in favor: Akers, Beard, Clark, Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Henson, Kay, Lawless, Lane, and Massadi. Voting against: Myers, Soddy, and Stennett. The ordinance must be delivered by November 5th for review and feedback before presentation.

Amendment to Reduce Allocation to $500,000 38:46

Moved by Ellinger and seconded by Kaye. This amendment to reduce the allocation from $1 million to $500,000 failed by roll call vote, 12-13. Voting in favor: Akers, Beard, Clark, Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Henson, Kay, Lawless, Lane, Massadi, and Myers. Voting against: Soddy and Stennett.

Motion to Approve $20,000 for Highlands Park Basketball Court Repair 52:41

Moved by Akers and seconded by Kay. This motion passed by roll call vote, 13-1. Voting in favor: Akers, Beard, Clark, Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Henson, Kay, Lawless, Lane, Massadi, Myers, and Soddy. Voting against: Stennett.

Motion to Remove Councilmember Farmer's Proposals for Lines 32 and 34 54:53

Moved by Farmer and seconded by Akers. This motion passed by roll call vote, 14-1. Voting in favor: Akers, Beard, Clark, Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Henson, Kay, Lawless, Lane, Massadi, Myers, Soddy, and Stennett. Voting against: Meyer.

Motion to Remove Bulletproof Vest Replacements (Line 35) 55:23

Moved by Myers and seconded by Stennett. This motion passed by roll call vote, 14-1. Voting in favor: Akers, Beard, Clark, Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Henson, Kay, Lawless, Lane, Massadi, Myers, Soddy, and Stennett. Voting against: Meyer.

Motion to Approve $150,000 for Idle Hour Ballfields 57:41

Moved by Myers and seconded by Lawless. This motion passed unanimously by roll call vote, 14-0.

Motion to Withdraw Proposal for $150,000 for Additional Police Vehicles (Line 37) 1:01:57

Moved by Clark. This proposal was withdrawn by voice vote.

Motion to Approve $150,000 for Window Replacement at Dunbar Community Center 1:08:41

Moved by Ford and seconded by Ellinger. This motion passed unanimously by roll call vote, 14-0.

Motion to Adjourn 1:11:24

Moved by Stennett and seconded by Ford. This motion passed unanimously by roll call vote, 14-0.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting included the following financial actions:

Fund Reallocation * $1,000,000 was reallocated from the Economic Contingency Fund to the Economic Development Fund

Capital Appropriations * $20,000 was allocated for repair of Highlands Park Basketball Court * $150,000 was allocated for Idle Hour Ballfields * $150,000 was allocated for window replacement at Dunbar Community Center

Public Comment

Several speakers addressed the council on two primary topics: the Economic Development Fund allocation and capital project funding.

Economic Development Fund

Multiple speakers debated the appropriate funding level for the Economic Development Fund. 25:16 Clark defended a $1 million amount as insufficient and urged the council to support a larger allocation for meaningful impact. 26:17 Akers highlighted Lexington's recent national rankings in livability and homebuying to support the need for proactive economic development investment. 27:25 Ellinger argued for a $500,000 starting amount as a compromise, citing uncertainty about demand and the need to preserve the Economic Contingency Fund. 30:53 Lawless stressed that a $1 million fund sends a stronger signal to the business community than $500,000, even if not fully spent. 33:15 Lane suggested that any economic development fund disbursements should be discussed in a closed council session and recommended marketing the city to attract businesses. 35:27 Beard argued that reducing the fund from $2 million to $1 million undermines the city's intent to be aggressive in job creation and signals weakness. 46:09 Myers supported the $1 million allocation to bring high-paying jobs to the city and emphasized the importance of using savings wisely.

Capital Projects and Preservation

1:08:41 Ford emphasized the historical significance of the Dunbar Community Center and the need to preserve it through window replacement, noting prior improvements to heating and cooling.

Budget Follow-Through

1:11:24 Stennett urged the CAO and commissioners to consider unfunded projects from the list for inclusion in next year's budget to ensure continuity and follow-through.

Contested Items

The October 22, 2013 meeting included two significant areas of disagreement among council members.

Size of Economic Development Fund

The council was divided on the appropriate funding level for the Economic Development Fund. Members debated whether to allocate $1 million or reduce the amount to $500,000. Both positions included substantive arguments: supporters of the larger allocation emphasized fiscal responsibility and the fund's visibility and impact potential, while those favoring the reduced amount raised concerns about fiscal constraints. The disagreement reflected broader questions about the council's priorities and resource allocation strategy.

Use of Confiscated Assets Funds

Councilmember Lawless raised procedural concerns regarding the use of confiscated assets funds for police vehicle replacements. This dispute centered on legal restrictions and the proper rules governing how confiscated assets funds could be deployed. Lawless's intervention prompted discussion among council members about whether the proposed use of these funds complied with applicable regulations and fund usage guidelines.

Economic Development Fund

Council discussed a proposal to reallocate $1 million from the Economic Contingency Fund to the Economic Development Fund. 2:34

The key speakers in this debate were Clark, Ellinger, Stennett, Lawless, and Akers.

During the discussion, Council considered an amendment to reduce the proposed allocation from $1 million to $500,000. This amendment failed with a vote of 12-13.

The main motion to allocate $1 million from the Economic Contingency Fund to the Economic Development Fund was approved by a vote of 11-3.

Highlands Park Basketball Court Repair

Councilmember Akers presented a proposal to allocate $20,000 for resurfacing the basketball court at Highlands Park 52:41.

The motion was brought before the council for consideration, with Akers and Lawless identified as key speakers on the matter. The proposal received unanimous approval from the council, with no opposition raised during the discussion.

Outcome: The $20,000 allocation for Highlands Park basketball court resurfacing was approved.

Unspecified project

During this agenda item, Councilmember Farmer withdrew support for the project under consideration 54:53. Key speakers in this discussion included Farmer and Akers.

As a result of Farmer's withdrawal of support, the project was removed from consideration. This item was part of a broader action in which Farmer withdrew support for two projects listed at lines 32 and 34 on the agenda.

The outcome of this discussion was that the project was withdrawn from further consideration.

Bulletproof Vest Replacements

Councilmember Myers moved to remove this item from the agenda, noting that it had been previously addressed. Stennett was also involved in the discussion. The motion to remove the item passed unanimously 55:23.

The item was withdrawn and did not proceed to further discussion or action.

Idle Hour Ballfields

Councilmember Myers presented a proposal for $150,000 in funding for baseball fields at Idle Hour Park 57:41.

During discussion, clarification was sought regarding the intended use of the funds. Akers confirmed that the allocation was specifically designated for baseball facilities, not football fields.

The motion passed unanimously.

Additional Police Vehicles

Councilmember Clark presented a proposal for $150,000 in funding for additional police vehicles 1:01:57.

However, Clark subsequently withdrew the motion due to insufficient available funds. The proposal did not advance to a vote.

Dunbar Community Center Window Replacement

Councilmember Ford presented a proposal to allocate $150,000 for window replacement at the historic Dunbar Community Center 1:08:41. The proposal emphasized the importance of preserving the building's legacy while addressing necessary maintenance needs.

The discussion included input from Councilmember Clark, who joined Ford in supporting the initiative. The council voted on the motion and approved it unanimously, reflecting broad agreement on the project's merit and the value of maintaining this historic community facility.

The window replacement project was approved without recorded objections or significant concerns raised during the discussion.