General Government Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The General Government Committee met on August 12, 2014, at 11:00 AM, with Kay presiding. The committee addressed five agenda items during the session, including approval of the committee summary and a measure regarding alcohol sales on election day. Two informational presentations were provided: an update on wireless device policies related to cell phone procurement and a report on items referred to the committee. The committee took three votes during the meeting and heard six public comments. One agenda item—the Coroner's Office Salary & Classification update—was deferred for further consideration at a future meeting.

Attendance

Present: Kay, Scutchfield, Gorton, Ford, Beard, Myers, Clarke, Lane

Absent: Akers, Lawless

Late: None

Votes and Decisions

Neighborhood Parks Task Force Barring Policy 8:38

A motion to approve the Neighborhood Parks Task Force barring policy was made by Scutchfield and seconded by Lane. The motion passed by roll call vote with 6 ayes and 2 nays.

Voting in favor: Kay, Scutchfield, Gorton, Ford, Clarke, and Lane

Voting against: Beard and Myers

Ordinance 0130-26: Repeal of Alcohol Sales Prohibition on Election Day 1:00:31

A motion to repeal subsection 321E of the Code of Ordinances, which prohibits alcohol sales on Election Day, was made by Gorton and seconded by Scutchfield. The motion passed by voice vote with no abstentions recorded.

Motion to Remove Neighborhood Parks Task Force Item from Agenda 1:01:01

A motion to remove the Neighborhood Parks Task Force item from the agenda was made by Gorton and seconded by Scutchfield. The motion passed unanimously with no abstentions recorded.

Public Comment

Several speakers addressed the committee on two main topics during the public comment period.

Coroner's Office Compensation

Multiple speakers raised concerns about pay and working conditions in the coroner's office:

• Gorton 27:42 emphasized the need to move forward on hazardous duty pay for coroner's office staff, noting they face significant hazards and that this is a separate issue from the broader compensation study.

• Lane 29:54 questioned whether the proposed pay increases would exceed state-regulated limits and asked if other government roles might also qualify for hazardous duty pay under the same criteria.

• Stinnett 33:24 expressed concern that the compensation study did not adequately reward experience and requested more detailed market comparisons with cities like Louisville and Cincinnati.

• Henson 40:09 highlighted that Lexington's deputy coroners perform additional duties not found in other cities and urged the committee to consider these unique responsibilities when evaluating pay.

• Coroner Ginn 46:27 argued that deputy coroners are severely underpaid compared to regional peers and requested a higher pay grade to retain qualified staff and reflect the complexity of their duties.

University of Kentucky Wireless Device Policy

• Myers 21:11 requested that the administration consider the University of Kentucky's approach of providing stipends instead of devices when revising the wireless device policy.

Contested Items

Coroner's Office Pay and Hazardous Duty

The committee was divided on whether to approve a hazardous duty pay amendment for the coroner's office. Members raised concerns about the budget impact of the proposal, as well as questions about equity across departments. Some committee members requested additional data on market comparisons and clarification regarding specific job duties before moving forward with approval. The split vote reflected uncertainty about whether the amendment was justified and properly supported by comparative analysis.

Neighborhood Parks Barring Policy

The committee voted on a policy to bar individuals from parks for persistent misconduct. The policy passed 6-2, with Myers and Beard voting in opposition. The two dissenting members expressed concerns about implementation challenges, fairness in enforcement, and the potential for the policy to overreach in restricting public access to parks. Despite these objections, the majority of the committee supported the measure.

Committee Summary

The committee approved the summary for the March 4, 2014 meeting during this agenda item 8:38. Key speakers Kay and Scutchfield participated in the discussion.

The approval included minor corrections to the record regarding the blue horse branding discussion. The committee made these adjustments to ensure accuracy in the meeting minutes before final approval.

The outcome of this agenda item was approval of the corrected committee summary.

Wireless Device Policies (Cell Phone Procurement) Update

10:13

Aldona Valicenti presented an update on the city's wireless device policy, which addresses procurement, security, usage, and the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative. The presentation covered the comprehensive framework governing how the city acquires and manages wireless devices across departments.

Key speakers included Valicenti and Slatin. The discussion focused on the current status of the policy review and its expected implementation timeline.

The policy update encompasses several components:

• Procurement procedures for wireless devices
• Security requirements and protocols
• Usage guidelines for city-issued devices
• The Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program

The policy is currently under review by the law department. According to the presentation, the review process is expected to be completed, with finalization anticipated in September.

This agenda item was informational in nature, providing the city council with an overview of the wireless device policy framework and its status in the approval process.

Coroner's Office Salary & Classification – Update

25:04

The committee reviewed an update on the coroner's office salary and classification structure. The presentation included a recommendation to amend the ordinance to allow hazardous duty pay for deputy coroners.

Key Speakers

Maxwell and Ginn led the discussion on this agenda item.

Outcome

The committee deferred the matter for further study and additional data before making a final decision on the proposed ordinance amendment.

Alcohol Sales on Election Day

The committee addressed an ordinance to repeal the local ban on alcohol sales on Election Day. 57:03

Background

The action followed state legislation that removed the statewide prohibition on alcohol sales during elections, creating an opportunity for the local jurisdiction to align its ordinance with the new state law.

Outcome

The committee approved a motion to repeal the ban on alcohol sales on Election Day. The ordinance will be forwarded to the full council for further consideration.

Key Participant

Gorton was the primary speaker on this agenda item.

Items Referred

During this agenda item, the committee discussed administrative changes to the meeting agenda. 1:01:01

Key Speakers

Gorton and Craig led the discussion on this matter.

Discussion

The committee addressed the removal of the Neighborhood Parks Task Force item from the agenda. This item had already been addressed in a prior meeting, making its continued inclusion unnecessary.

Outcome

The discussion was informational in nature, with no formal action required. The administrative adjustment to the agenda was noted by the committee.