Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council met on February 11, 2014, at 3:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber on the 2nd Floor of the Government Center, with Mayor Gray presiding. The council conducted business on 10 agenda items, taking 29 motions and votes throughout the session. The meeting included 9 public comments from citizens, with designated periods for comments on both agenda and non-agenda issues.

The council approved several significant items during the meeting, including requested rezonings, a summary approval, budget amendments, and new business items. The Mayor's Report was also approved. Two agenda items—Continuing Business/Presentations and Council Reports—were handled as informational or deferred matters. The meeting concluded with adjournment.

Attendance

Present: Ellinger, Kay, Ford, Beard, Farmer, Stinnett, Scutchfield, Myers, Mossotti, Clarke, Henson, Lane

Absent: Gorton, Akers, Lawless, Farmer

Late: None

Votes and Decisions

All motions during this meeting passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition or abstentions.

Procedural Approvals [timestamp: 00:07:35–00:08:38]

The body approved the docket for requested rezonings (motion by Beard, second by Henson), the summary of meeting agenda (motion by Gordon, second by Myers), and budget amendments (motion by Gordon, second by Akers).

Vendor and Contract Authorizations 23:32

The following items were approved on a single motion by Farmer, seconded by Gordon:

• L0083-14: Approval of Pyramide USA, Inc. as sole source vendor for aquatic climbing wall purchase
• L0094-14: Authorization to execute Contract Modification No. 1 with Hall-Harmon Engineers for Rose Street Bike Lane Project
• L0106-14: Establishment of Atlantic Signal, LLC as sole source provider for Gladiator V Bone Conduction Headsets for Division of Police
• L0112-14: Authorization to execute agreement with Art in Motion Inc. for Gardenside Bus Shelter Renovation Project
• L1364-13: Authorization to execute agreement with Telvent dtn for weather forecasting services for WxSentry SmartPhone
• L0089-14: Authorization to upgrade building control systems to Tracer ES platform in Division of Environmental Quality
• L0097-14: Authorization to execute Phase 1 Needs Analysis Agreement with Springbrook Software for Business Tax Analysis

Ordinance Amendments 23:32

Three amendments to the Code of Ordinances were approved (motion by Farmer, second by Gordon):

• L0104-14: Abolish one sworn Police Captain, create one sworn Police Lieutenant
• L0105-14: Abolish one Budget Technician (Grade 112N), create one Budget Analyst Sr. (118E)
• L0113-14: Abolish one Council Administrative Specialist (Grade 115E), create one Research Analyst (Grade 118E)

Additional Authorizations 23:32

Also approved by Farmer and Gordon were: L0107-14 (authorization to submit applications to Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for participation in Traffic Safety Programs - FY 2015), L0108-14 (authorization to execute Amendment No. 1 to Agreement with National Council on Crime and Delinquency for Prison Rape Elimination Project), L0109-14 (authorization to accept award from Kentucky Education Fund for Handicapped Children for Therapeutic Recreation Department), and L0114-14 (authorization to execute Assistance Agreement with Kentucky Infrastructure Authority for low-interest loan for Bundle 2 - Trunk Sewer Replacement and Wet Weather Equalization Tank Projects).

Committee Referrals and Other Motions [timestamp: 00:41:15–01:08:30]

Approval of Neighborhood Development Funds awards was approved (motion by Gordon, second by Akers). Multiple motions directed items to committee review, including code enforcement fines, building inspection enforcement, off-premises signage, and taxi ordinance review. Additional motions placed the Summit-Lexington TIF Master Development Agreement on the February 13 docket and referred streetlight installation, snow plan, Downtown Arts Center utilization, and Lexington branding discussions to appropriate committees.

Closing [timestamp: 01:10:40–01:11:14]

The Mayor's Report was approved (motion by Gorton, second by Scutchfield), and the meeting was adjourned (motion by Massadi, second by Scutchfield).

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed nine financial items totaling approximately $13.7 million in expenditures and funding agreements.

Budget Amendments and Operational Expenses

A budget amendment (Journal 75660 and 75661) allocated $304,365 for additional salt to address winter weather conditions.

Service and Technology Contracts

The city approved several service contracts:

• Contract L1364-13 with Telvent dtn for weather forecasting services via WxSentry SmartPhone: $5,028
• Contract L0089-14 for upgrading building control systems to the Tracer ES platform in the Division of Environmental Quality: $26,640
• Contract L0094-14 with Hall-Harmon Engineers, Inc. for Contract Modification No. 1 on the Rose Street Bike Lane Project: $6,500
• Contract L0097-14 with Springbrook Software for a Phase 1 Needs Analysis Agreement for Business Tax Analysis: $24,000
• Contract L0112-14 with Art in Motion Inc. for the Gardenside Bus Shelter Renovation Project: $33,500

Equipment Purchase

Purchase L0083-14 from Pyramide USA, Inc. for an aquatic climbing wall totaled $26,055.

Grants and Loans

Two grant agreements were approved:

• Grant L0109-14 from the Kentucky Education Fund for Handicapped Children for the Therapeutic Recreation Department: $10,500
• Grant L0114-14 from the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority for a low-interest loan supporting Bundle 2 - Trunk Sewer Replacement and Wet Weather Equalization Tank Projects: $13,674,302

The infrastructure loan represented the largest single financial action, addressing significant municipal sewer and water management projects.

Public Comment

Several council members addressed various topics during the meeting on February 11, 2014.

Salt Budget and Winter Weather

Council Member Farmer 9:15 emphasized the need for additional salt due to prolonged winter conditions. He cited constituent complaints and noted that the city's current capacity limited plowing to only 33% of city roads. Farmer highlighted the urgency of an emergency budget amendment to ensure adequate salt supply.

Snow Plowing Capacity

Council Member Stinnett 20:52 questioned whether the city had expanded its snow plowing capacity since population growth occurred. He requested a cost-benefit analysis of expanding coverage to 50% of roads.

Aquatic Climbing Wall

Council Member Lawless 29:28 explained that an aquatic climbing wall would replace high dives due to safety concerns and liability issues, noting a national trend toward eliminating high dives in public pools.

Council Member Scutchfield 25:05 requested data on return on investment from other cities that have installed similar climbing walls to assess whether such installations increase public use of aquatic centers.

Weather Forecasting Service

Council Member Scutchfield 36:53 inquired about the need for a new weather forecasting service and how it would complement the National Weather Service.

Business Tax Analysis System

Council Member Scutchfield 39:04 asked about the overall cost and benefits of a proposed Business Tax Analysis system, particularly how it would improve upon the current legacy system.

Signage Enforcement

Council Member Henson 48:19 noted that the Planning Division is already reviewing all signage and suggested that the committee could receive a general presentation on the topic instead of creating a new subcommittee.

Committee Appointment

Council Member Akers 1:06:50 expressed concern about being placed on a committee without prior notice and requested clarification on the process.

Road Crew Recognition

Council Member Skutchfield 1:08:00 praised the road crews for their hard work in freezing temperatures and long shifts, expressing gratitude for their service.

Contested Items

Emergency Salt Budget Amendment

Council members engaged in a heated discussion regarding an emergency amendment to the salt budget. The debate centered on the urgency of the proposal, with disagreement over several underlying issues. Members raised concerns about supply constraints and questioned whether the amendment adequately addressed long-term planning needs. A key point of contention was how to balance resources between maintaining major roads and serving smaller neighborhoods, with council members divided on the appropriate allocation priorities.

Taxi Cab Ordinance Reform

The council experienced a split vote on proposed taxi cab ordinance reforms. The central disagreement involved a requirement that 25 cabs be operational before a company could begin service. Some council members characterized this threshold as an anti-competitive barrier that would restrict market entry and limit business opportunities. Other members defended the requirement, citing safety concerns and the need to ensure adequate insurance coverage for public protection. The ordinance ultimately proceeded to a vote, though council members remained sharply divided on whether the 25-cab minimum was justified or overly restrictive.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

7:04

No public comments were submitted for issues on the agenda. The meeting proceeded directly to the next agenda item.

Requested Rezonings/Docket Approval

7:35

The council approved the docket for requested rezonings. Beard and Henson were the key speakers on this agenda item. The docket was approved with no discussion or objections raised.

Approval of Summary

The council voted to approve the meeting summary. 8:08

Gordon and Myers were the key speakers on this agenda item. The summary was approved with no discussion or dissent from council members.

Outcome: Approved

Budget Amendments

The council considered a budget amendment to allocate $304,365 for additional salt 8:38. The amendment addressed supply, demand, and long-term planning needs for snow response operations.

Key Participants

The discussion involved council members Stinnett, Martin, Farmer, Lawless, and Myers.

Outcome

The budget amendment was approved.

New Business

23:32

The council approved several new business items during this portion of the meeting. Key speakers on these matters included Farmer, Scutchfield, Lawless, and Stinnett.

The items under consideration included:

• Contracts for weather forecasting services
• Building control upgrades
• Aquatic equipment

Each item received brief discussion from council members before being brought to a vote. The council ultimately approved all new business items presented.

Outcome: All new business items were approved.

Continuing Business/Presentations

41:15

Council Member Stinnett reported on the Environmental Quality Committee meeting, addressing three main topics.

Keep Lexington Beautiful

Stinnett provided an update on the Keep Lexington Beautiful initiative as part of the committee's ongoing work.

Waste Management Audit Follow-up

The council member reported on follow-up matters related to a waste management audit, keeping the council informed on the status of this review.

Monthly Financials

Stinnett presented the committee's monthly financial report to the council.

This agenda item was informational in nature, with no formal action or debate recorded. The presentation served to update the full council on Environmental Quality Committee activities and findings.

Council Reports

During this agenda item, Council Members Lawless, Farmer, and Clark proposed several matters for committee review 44:19.

The following items were presented for consideration:

• Code enforcement fines
• Building inspection ordinances
• Off-premises signage regulations
• Taxi cab regulations

The discussion focused on referring these proposals to the appropriate committees for further review and analysis. All matters under Council Reports were deferred, allowing committees time to examine the proposals in detail before they return for full council consideration.

Mayor's Report

The Mayor's Report was presented during the meeting 1:10:40. Key speakers on this agenda item included Gorton and Scutchfield.

The report was presented and approved without discussion. No concerns were raised and no debate occurred during this agenda item.

Public Comment - Issues Not on Agenda

1:10:40

No public comments were submitted for issues not on the agenda.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 01:11:14 following a motion by Council Member Massadi, which was seconded by Scutchfield. The motion to adjourn passed with no opposition.