Planning & Public Works Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Planning & Public Works Committee met on October 14, 2014, at 1:00 p.m., with Farmer presiding. The committee addressed six agenda items during the session, including approval of the Committee Summary and deferral of Items Referred. Four informational presentations were provided to the committee, covering the Leaf Collection Update, Snow Removal Plan, Electrical Inspection Fees, and Code Enforcement Nuisance Abatement Process. The committee took 14 motions and votes throughout the meeting and heard 13 public comments from attendees.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on October 14, 2014:

• Farmer
• Mossotti
• Gorton
• Ellinger
• Kay
• Ford
• Lawless
• Beard
• Clarke
• Henson

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

Resolution 0073-26: Permanent Barricade at Northern Terminus of Agape Drive 5:05

Motion by Clarke, seconded by Beard, to approve a resolution directing a permanent barricade at the northern terminus of Agape Drive. The motion passed unanimously.

Motion to Remove Agape Drive Barricade Item from Committee Agenda 5:05

Motion by Farmer, seconded by Beard, to remove the Agape Drive barricade item from the committee agenda. This motion was withdrawn.

Motion to Remove H-1 Notification Process from Committee Agenda 7:51

Motion by Gorton, seconded by Ellinger, to remove the H-1 notification process from the committee agenda. This motion was withdrawn.

Motion to Remove Homeowner Association Rights and Responsibilities from Committee Agenda 12:12

Motion by Gorton, seconded by Ford, to remove Homeowner Association Rights and Responsibilities from the committee agenda. The motion passed.

Motion to Remove Meltyway Stop Glendover and Valley Road from Committee Agenda 13:14

Motion by Farmer, seconded by Beard, to remove Meltyway Stop Glendover and Valley Road from the committee agenda. The motion passed.

Motion to Remove Off-Premise Signage Item from Committee Agenda 15:27

Motion by Gorton, seconded by Ellinger, to remove the off-premise signage item from the committee agenda. The motion passed.

Motion to Remove Streetlight Installation Plan from Committee Agenda 17:04

Motion by Farmer, seconded by Stinnett, to remove the streetlight installation plan from the committee agenda. The motion passed.

Motion to Remove Food Truck Zone Text Amendments from Committee Agenda 18:05

Motion by Farmer, seconded by Ford, to remove food truck zone text amendments from the committee agenda. This motion was withdrawn.

Motion to Remove Affordable Housing Issue from Committee Agenda 24:03

Motion by Gorton, seconded by Clarke, to remove the affordable housing issue from the committee agenda. The motion passed.

Motion to Remove University of Kentucky Master Plan from Committee Agenda 24:36

Motion by Farmer, seconded by Gorton, to remove the University of Kentucky master plan from the committee agenda. The motion passed.

Motion to Remove MAP Fund Usage Policies from Committee Agenda 25:12

Motion by Farmer, seconded by Beard, to remove MAP fund usage policies from the committee agenda. The motion passed.

Motion to Remove Landscape Examination Procedure from Committee Agenda 26:51

Motion by Gorton, seconded by Farmer, to remove the landscape examination procedure from the committee agenda. The motion passed.

Motion to Remove Oliver Lewis Way Update from Committee Agenda 27:24

Motion by Gorton, seconded by Beard, to remove the Oliver Lewis Way update from the committee agenda. The motion passed.

Motion to Adjourn Meeting 2:01:53

Motion by Farmer, seconded by Beard, to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed two appropriations for fiscal year 2015 operations:

Vacuum Leaf Collection Program An appropriation of $300,000 was approved for the vacuum leaf collection program for FY 2015. Republic Services was designated as the vendor for this service.

Snow Removal Salt Budget An appropriation of $700,000 was approved for snow removal salt for FY 2015. Detroit Salt was designated as the vendor for this purchase.

These two appropriations totaled $1,000,000 in combined funding for seasonal maintenance operations in the upcoming fiscal year.

Public Comment

Residents and officials raised concerns across several municipal service areas during the public comment period.

Leaf Collection

Mazzotti expressed concern that the current leaf collection map does not clearly distinguish between areas that receive collection and those that do not, potentially leading to resident confusion and complaints [0:41:44]. Henson shared similar concerns about confusion regarding partial private pickup areas and how the map might mislead residents about whether their street is included in the program [0:43:19].

Snow Removal and Road Salt

Stinnett questioned the long-term viability of curbside leaf collection given environmental costs and available alternatives like mulching and composting [0:53:50]. He also asked about the process for adding new hills to the snow removal priority list, noting that some hills face annual complaints despite not being included [1:08:45].

Gorton asked about a sudden 28% increase in salt prices, which contradicted prior budget information, and requested a copy of the current contract [1:09:47]. Mazzotti raised concerns about a potential city-wide shortage of road salt due to supply and demand issues, though confirmed that the city's contract with Detroit Salt remains secure [1:14:47]. Mazzotti also asked about the temperature threshold at which salt becomes ineffective and how the city addresses icy conditions below that point [1:15:56], and inquired about plans to increase snow removal capacity in response to potentially worsening winter weather trends [1:18:06].

Myers suggested that cul-de-sacs could be added to the areas likely to freeze list to allow for targeted salting, even if snow removal is not feasible [1:20:55].

Electrical Inspection Fees

Kay asked whether the proposed fee increase would be passed on to consumers and expressed concern about the profitability of the current contract [1:43:27]. Mazzotti requested a pro forma financial analysis to better understand the impact of proposed fee changes and emphasized the need for full transparency [1:46:50].

Zoning Enforcement

Lawless asked for specific examples of how zoning enforcement would use abatement funds, particularly regarding gravel and illegal signs [1:53:47]. Kay shared anecdotal evidence that code enforcement has failed to act on nuisance complaints due to unclear property titles, despite the law allowing abatement regardless [2:00:47].

Contested Items

The October 14, 2014 meeting included two items that generated significant disagreement among council members.

Electrical Inspection Fee Increases

Council members expressed concern about a proposal to increase electrical inspection fees. The primary issue centered on the profitability of the current contract and the absence of a pro forma financial analysis to support the fee increase. Rather than approve the increase, the council voted to split on the matter and decided to delay action pending the submission of additional financial data. This decision reflected the council's desire to base the fee adjustment on concrete financial documentation rather than proceed without adequate analysis.

Zoning Enforcement Abatement Authority

A heated discussion arose regarding zoning enforcement abatement authority. Council members raised two main concerns: first, the lack of enforcement action on gravel violations, and second, questions about the legal foundation for expanding abatement authority to zoning enforcement without explicit council approval. The discussion reflected disagreement over both the current enforcement practices and the procedural question of whether such authority expansion required formal council authorization. The contentious nature of this discussion indicated fundamental concerns about enforcement mechanisms and the proper delegation of authority.

Committee Summary

The committee reviewed and approved the summary report for the work session. 4:34

Key Speaker: - Farmer

Discussion: The committee examined updates on various agenda items and made determinations regarding which items should be retained on or removed from the committee agenda going forward.

Outcome: The summary report was approved.

Items Referred

5:05

The committee reviewed a list of items that had been referred to it for consideration. Speaker Farmer presented the referred items to the committee.

During the discussion, several items were removed from the agenda following deliberation by the committee members. The specific details of which items were removed and the rationale for their removal are not detailed in the available record.

Following the review of the referred items and the removal of certain agenda items, a motion to adjourn was made.

The outcome of this agenda item was deferred, indicating that final action or resolution on the referred items was postponed to a future meeting.

Leaf Collection Update

Rob Allen and Chris Dorge presented the 2015 vacuum leaf collection plan to the council 29:01. The presentation outlined several improvements to the city's leaf collection services.

Key Improvements

The 2015 plan includes three main enhancements:

• A pilot program partnering with a commercial vendor
• Extended service hours for collection operations
• An interactive map providing real-time tracking of collection progress

Presentation Details

The presenters highlighted how these additions aim to improve the efficiency and transparency of leaf collection services. The interactive map component would allow residents to monitor collection activities in their neighborhoods as they occur, addressing potential concerns about service timing and coverage.

Outcome

This agenda item was presented as informational, with no formal action or debate recorded. The council received the update on the planned improvements for the upcoming leaf collection season.

Snow Removal Plan

Chester Hicks and Albert Miller presented an updated snow and ice control plan to the board 59:14. The presentation was informational in nature and covered multiple aspects of the municipality's winter weather preparedness.

The presenters reviewed lessons learned from previous winter seasons and discussed the current salt inventory levels and equipment capacity available for snow and ice removal operations. They also outlined the procedures and protocols that would be implemented for handling extreme winter events.

The presentation provided the board with a comprehensive overview of the snow removal operations, including the resources and strategies in place to manage winter weather conditions. No specific concerns or debates were documented from this agenda item.

Electrical Inspection Fees

1:22:30

Commissioner Holmes and representatives from Commonwealth Inspection Bureau presented a proposal to increase electrical inspection fees. The presentation addressed rising costs and code changes as justification for the fee adjustment.

Key Speakers

The discussion involved Commissioner Holmes, along with representatives Vickroy and Jones from Commonwealth Inspection Bureau.

Presentation Content

The representatives cited rising costs and code changes as primary reasons for proposing the fee increase. They requested that a pro forma financial analysis be conducted to support the proposal.

Outcome

This agenda item was presented for informational purposes. No vote or final decision was made during this portion of the meeting.

Code Enforcement Nuisance Abatement Process

1:47:55

A representative from General Services presented a proposal regarding the code enforcement nuisance abatement process. The presentation focused on three main areas: expanding abatement funds to zoning enforcement, improving timelines for the abatement process, and addressing nuisances that are currently unenforceable or unrecoverable.

The proposal aimed to enhance the city's ability to address code violations and nuisance properties through expanded funding and streamlined procedures. By extending abatement funds to zoning enforcement, the city would be able to address a broader range of violations beyond those currently covered.

The presentation was informational in nature, with the outcome being to provide the council with information about the proposed changes to the nuisance abatement process rather than to seek immediate action or approval.