Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on May 8, 2014, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gray presiding. The meeting focused primarily on recognizing local performing arts achievements and conducting routine administrative business. The council heard two presentations honoring the Bluegrass Youth Ballet and the Paul Laurence Dunbar High School Dance Team for their accomplishments. Additionally, the council approved the minutes from their previous meetings held on April 8 and April 10, 2014. The session included 3 total votes, 2 informational presentations, and no public comments were heard during the meeting.

Attendance

The meeting on May 8, 2014 had twelve members present and three absent.

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

Absent: • Akers • Lane • Mossotti

No members arrived late to the meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted three votes during the May 8, 2014 meeting, all of which passed unanimously with 12 members voting in favor and none opposed.

Minutes Approval Councilmember Gorton motioned to approve the minutes of the April 8 and 10, 2014 Council Meetings, with Councilmember Kay providing the second. The motion passed unanimously with all 12 council members voting in favor: • Voting Yes: Beard, Clarke, Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Gorton, Henson, Kay, Lane, Myers, Scutchfield, and Stinnett • Final Vote: 12 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstentions

Ordinances Approval Councilmember Gorton motioned for approval of various ordinances, seconded by Councilmember Lawless. This item was decided by roll call vote and passed unanimously: • Voting Yes: Beard, Clarke, Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Gorton, Henson, Kay, Lane, Myers, Scutchfield, and Stinnett • Final Vote: 12 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstentions

Resolutions Approval Councilmember Stinnett motioned for approval of various resolutions, with Councilmember Scutchfield seconding the motion. The roll call vote resulted in unanimous approval: • Voting Yes: Beard, Clarke, Ellinger, Farmer, Ford, Gorton, Henson, Kay, Lane, Myers, Scutchfield, and Stinnett • Final Vote: 12 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstentions

All three votes demonstrated complete council consensus, with no dissenting votes or abstentions recorded. The specific details of the ordinances and resolutions were not provided in the available meeting data.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed five contract resolutions totaling $405,623.84 in expenditures across infrastructure and recreational facility improvements.

Wastewater Treatment Equipment • Resolution 0376-14 authorized a $54,985 contract with JWC Environmental, LLC for an In-Line Shredder/Grinder for TB WWTP Primary Digester and Gravity Thickener Buildings • Resolution 0377-14 approved a $31,023.18 contract with Hach Co. for a Compact Phosphate Analyzer

Recreation and Pool Facilities • Resolution 0382-14 authorized the largest expenditure of $187,777.66 to Ky. Services Company, Inc. for Pump Installation for Pools & Fountains

Lansdowne Merrick Development • Resolution 0425-14 approved a $19,900 contract with Mt. Carmel Stabilization Group, Inc. for Lansdowne Merrick Soil Stabilization • Resolution 0442-14 authorized $111,938 to Randle-Davies Construction Co., LLC for Lansdowne Merrick Tennis Court Construction

The contracts span critical infrastructure maintenance for wastewater treatment facilities, recreational amenities, and development projects in the Lansdowne Merrick area. The wastewater treatment equipment purchases represent ongoing operational needs, while the pool and fountain pump installation and Lansdowne Merrick projects indicate capital improvements to recreational facilities and community development initiatives.

Appointments

The meeting included several appointments and reappointments to various county boards and commissions.

Board of Adjustment • Larry B. Forrester was appointed to the Board of Adjustment

Charles Young Center Advisory Board • Ben A. Turpin was appointed to the Charles Young Center Advisory Board • Cheryl A. Birch was reappointed to the Charles Young Center Advisory Board

Corridors Commission • Susan Plueger was appointed to the Corridors Commission

Rural Land Management Board • William S. Howard was appointed to the Rural Land Management Board • Frank Penn was appointed to the Rural Land Management Board • Marianna M. Marye was reappointed to the Rural Land Management Board

The appointments represent a mix of new members and continuing service members across multiple county advisory bodies. The Rural Land Management Board received the most appointments with three total actions, including two new appointments and one reappointment. The Charles Young Center Advisory Board had both a new appointment and a reappointment, while the Board of Adjustment and Corridors Commission each received one new appointment.

Presentation - Recognizing Bluegrass Youth Ballet

The city formally recognized the Bluegrass Youth Ballet during this presentation, with Mayor Gray and Ms. Henson leading the ceremony. The recognition highlighted the organization's contributions to the community and the arts.

As part of the recognition, the city declared May 8, 2014, as Bluegrass Youth Ballet Day, marking the significance of the organization's work in promoting youth ballet and dance education in the area.

Jennifer Rebecca Reynolds participated in the presentation, though her specific role was not detailed in the available materials. The presentation was informational in nature, serving to honor the ballet organization rather than requiring any formal action or vote from the council.

The Bluegrass Youth Ballet recognition reflects the city's commitment to acknowledging local arts organizations and their impact on youth development and cultural enrichment in the community.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps are not available for this agenda item.*

Presentation - Recognizing the Paul Laurence Dunbar High School Dance Team

The Mayor and Mr. Clarke presented a recognition ceremony for the Paul Laurence Dunbar High School Dance Team during agenda item 0483-14. The presentation honored the team's achievements and contributions to the school and community.

Mayor Gray and Mr. Clarke formally recognized the dance team's accomplishments, with Coach Teresa Champ also participating in the ceremony. As part of the recognition, the officials declared May 8, 2014, as Dunbar High School Girls Dance Team Day, providing official acknowledgment of the team's success.

The presentation served as an informational item, celebrating the students' dedication and performance in dance competition and school representation. The recognition highlighted the importance of extracurricular activities and student achievement in the arts within the district's educational programs.

This ceremonial presentation provided an opportunity for the school board and community to publicly acknowledge the hard work and talent of the Dunbar High School dance team members and their coach.

Minutes of the April 8 and April 10, 2014 Council Meetings

The Council considered agenda item 0480-14, which involved the approval of minutes from two previous Council meetings held on April 8 and April 10, 2014.

Ms. Gorton and Mr. Kay were the key speakers who addressed this agenda item during the meeting. The discussion focused on reviewing and formally approving the written records of the proceedings from both April meetings.

The minutes approval process proceeded without any recorded concerns or objections from Council members. No significant debate or discussion points were noted regarding the accuracy or completeness of the meeting records from either the April 8 or April 10, 2014 sessions.

The Council voted unanimously to approve the minutes from both meetings, formally adopting them as the official record of those proceedings. This routine administrative action ensures that the City maintains accurate documentation of Council deliberations and decisions from the previous meetings.

The approval of these minutes allows them to be entered into the permanent municipal record and makes them available for public review as part of the City's official meeting documentation.