Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on March 20, 2014, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gray presiding over the session. The meeting addressed two main agenda items, including a recognition ceremony and legislative business related to historic preservation. During the session, the Council took two votes and heard from two members of the public during the comment period. The meeting accomplished both ceremonial and substantive business, with the Council recognizing community partners for their educational contributions and advancing historic preservation efforts through zoning legislation.

Attendance

The following members were present at the March 20, 2014 meeting:

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

Absent: • Lawless • Akers

No members arrived late to the meeting. A total of 13 members were present and 2 members were absent.

Votes and Decisions

The council took action on two items during the March 20, 2014 meeting, both passing unanimously.

Ordinance 0172-14 2:00 Mr. Stinnett motioned to approve an ordinance creating a Historic District (H-1) Overlay zone for properties located at 149 and 151 Jefferson St.; 611, 638-640 and 644 Ballard St.; and 609 W. Short St. Mr. Lane seconded the motion. The ordinance passed by roll call vote with 13 ayes and 0 nays. Voting in favor were: Mossotti, Myers, Scutchfield, Stinnett, Beard, Clarke, Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Gorton, Henson, Kay, and Lane.

Resolution 0175-14 4:00 Mr. Clarke motioned to approve a resolution authorizing and directing the Mayor to execute and submit a grant application to the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet for police overtime hours for a Traffic Alcohol Patrol. Ms. Gorton seconded the motion. The resolution was amended to request $132,500 with a $2,500 local match, rather than the original $135,000 amount. The amended resolution passed by roll call vote with 13 ayes and 0 nays. Voting in favor were: Mossotti, Myers, Scutchfield, Stinnett, Beard, Clarke, Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Gorton, Henson, Kay, and Lane.

Both measures received unanimous support from all council members present, with no abstentions recorded on either vote.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed two financial items totaling $14,330 in expenditures for county operations and maintenance.

Safety Equipment Appropriation The council considered Ordinance 0200-14, which appropriates $4,200 for safety vests for the Division of Community Corrections. This appropriation would provide necessary protective equipment for corrections staff.

Greenway Maintenance Contract Resolution 0204-14 authorizes a $10,130 contract with ZKB Construction Services, LLC for honeysuckle removal on greenways and trails. This contract addresses invasive species management to maintain the county's recreational trail system.

The two items represent routine operational expenditures for public safety equipment and environmental maintenance of county facilities.

Public Comment

Two residents addressed the Council during the public comment period.

Mr. Van Meter Petit 13:00 spoke about trails in Lexington, expressing support for completing trail projects in a cost-effective manner. He thanked the Council for bringing the related resolution to the meeting agenda for consideration.

Mr. Don Hatch 14:00 addressed concerns regarding the Residential Parking Permit Program. He discussed issues with the program's process and highlighted problems created by student parking on his street, indicating ongoing challenges with parking management in residential areas near student populations.

Appointments

The meeting addressed several appointments to city boards and commissions.

Charles Young Center Advisory Board • Mr. Charles Fields was reappointed to the Charles Young Center Advisory Board • Ms. Joyce Parks was reappointed to the Charles Young Center Advisory Board

Ethics Commission • Mr. Wesley Barringer was appointed to the Ethics Commission

These appointments represent the city's ongoing efforts to maintain active participation on various advisory bodies and commissions that support municipal operations and oversight functions.

Contested Items

The meeting featured one contested item that resulted in a split vote among council members.

Residential Parking Permit Program for Stratford Dr.

The primary point of contention involved a motion to delay the implementation of the Residential Parking Permit Program for Stratford Drive. Council members were divided on whether to proceed with the program as scheduled or postpone its launch.

The motion to delay the program's implementation failed by a narrow margin, with 6 council members voting in favor of the delay and 7 voting against it. This close 6-7 vote indicates significant disagreement among the council regarding the timing and readiness of the parking permit program.

The split vote suggests that while a majority of council members supported moving forward with the program as planned, a substantial minority had concerns that warranted delaying implementation. The narrow margin of the vote demonstrates the contentious nature of this issue and the divided opinions on the council regarding the best course of action for the Stratford Drive parking situation.

With the motion to delay failing, the Residential Parking Permit Program for Stratford Drive proceeded as originally scheduled.

Recognizing Partners for Youth for Receipt of FCPS Community Partners Leadership

1:00

The School Board recognized Partners for Youth for receiving the FCPS Community Partners Leadership Team Golden Apple Award during agenda item 0273-14. This presentation highlighted the organization's designation as a high-performance community partner.

Ms. Laura Hatfield presented information about Partners for Youth and described the program's impact on youth in the community. The Golden Apple Award recognizes community partners who demonstrate exceptional collaboration and effectiveness in supporting Fairfax County Public Schools students and programs.

This was an informational presentation with no action required by the School Board. The recognition served to acknowledge Partners for Youth's contributions to the school system and their achievement in receiving this distinguished award for community partnership excellence.

An Ordinance creating a Historic District (H-1) Overlay zone

2:00

The council considered Ordinance 0172-14, which establishes a Historic District (H-1) Overlay zone for properties located on Jefferson Street, Ballard Street, and West Short Street.

Mr. Stinnett presented the ordinance to the council. The proposed overlay zone would provide additional historic preservation protections and regulations for the designated properties in these three street areas.

The ordinance was approved by the council.

*Note: Limited transcript information was available for this agenda item. The summary reflects the available details about the ordinance's scope and outcome.*