Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened on January 29, 2008, at 3:05 PM with Mayor Newberry presiding. The Council addressed six agenda items during the session, all of which were approved. The meeting included three recorded motions and votes, covering various municipal agreements and administrative matters. Two public comments were heard during the proceedings, allowing community input on the items under consideration. The Council successfully completed all business on the agenda, approving contracts for engineering services, easement acceptances, utility access agreements, street name changes, professional services, and construction change orders.

Attendance

All council members were present for the January 29, 2008 meeting.

Present: • Mayor Newberry • CM Peggy Henson • CM Blues • CM McChord • CM Ellinger • CM Myers • CM Stevens • CM Crosbie • CM DeCamp • CM Stinnett • CM Gorton • CM Beard • CM Blevins • CM James • CM Lane • CM Lucas • CM Bennett • CM Martin • CM Taylor • CM McFadden • CM King • CM D. Kelly

Absent: None

Late: None

The meeting achieved full attendance with all 22 council members and the Mayor present.

Votes and Decisions

The Council took action on three motions during the January 29, 2008 meeting.

New Business Items A-F CM Beard moved to approve new business items A-F, with CM Blevins providing the second. The motion passed unanimously.

Water Supply Analysis Contract CM Stevens moved to retain Kenneth Troske for analysis of water supply proposals, seconded by CM Gorton. This motion failed on a roll call vote with 7 ayes and 8 nays 6:15:00.

Voting in favor were: • CM Stevens • CM Gorton • CM Blues • CM Beard • CM Blevins • CM James • CM Lane

Voting against were: • CM McChord • CM Ellinger • CM Myers • CM Crosbie • CM DeCamp • CM Stinnett • CM Lucas • CM Bennett

ICLEI Membership Authorization CM Stinnett moved to authorize membership in ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives), with CM McCord seconding the motion. The motion passed on a voice vote.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council approved several financial agreements and contract modifications during the January 29, 2008 meeting.

Engineering Services Contract The Council authorized an Engineering Services Agreement with Strand Associates, Inc. for $42,500 under Resolution 048-08. This contract will provide professional engineering services to the city.

Storm Sewer Easement Resolution 050-08 approved the acceptance of a Deed of Permanent Storm Sewer and Drainage Easement valued at $8,500. This easement will provide the city with permanent rights for storm water management infrastructure.

Medical Professional Services Under Resolution 056-08, the Council approved a Professional Service Agreement with Jessica Collins, SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner). The agreement authorizes payment not to exceed the reasonable cost of a prepaid annual premium for medical liability insurance, ensuring continued availability of specialized medical services.

Construction Contract Modification The Council approved Change Order No. 2 to the existing contract with Randle Davies Construction Company through Resolution 049-08. This change order reduces the contract amount by $12,484.10, representing cost savings on the construction project.

These financial actions demonstrate the Council's ongoing commitment to infrastructure improvements, professional services, and fiscal responsibility through contract modifications that achieve cost savings for the city.

Public Comment

The Council meeting on January 29, 2008, included two designated public comment periods, but no members of the public participated in either session.

Public Comment — Issues on Agenda No public comments were made regarding items scheduled for discussion on the meeting agenda.

Public Comment — Issues Not on Agenda No public comments were made regarding issues not included on the meeting agenda.

Both public comment periods concluded without any community input or citizen participation.

Contested Items

The Council faced one significant contested item during the January 29, 2008 meeting that resulted in a closely divided vote.

Retaining Kenneth Troske for Water Supply Analysis

The primary point of contention involved a motion to retain Kenneth Troske to conduct an analysis of water supply proposals. This item generated substantial disagreement among council members, ultimately resulting in a narrow defeat by a vote of 8-7.

The close margin of this vote - with only a single vote determining the outcome - highlighted the deep division within the Council regarding this particular consultant engagement. The split decision suggests that council members held differing views on either the necessity of the analysis, the selection of Kenneth Troske as the consultant, the scope of work proposed, or the associated costs.

The failure of this motion means that the Council will not be moving forward with retaining Troske's services for the water supply proposal analysis at this time. The narrow margin suggests that supporters of the motion may seek to revisit this issue in future meetings or explore alternative approaches to obtaining the desired analysis.

This contested vote demonstrates the challenging nature of water supply decision-making, which often involves complex technical considerations, significant financial implications, and varying perspectives on the best path forward for municipal water management.

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

Engineering Services Agreement with Strand Associates, Inc.

The Council considered a resolution to authorize an Engineering Services Agreement with Strand Associates, Inc. for $42,500 to provide laboratory services for the Department of Environmental Quality.

Council Members Martin and Taylor participated in the discussion of this agenda item. The agreement would establish a contract with Strand Associates, Inc. to perform specialized laboratory services needed by the city's Department of Environmental Quality.

The proposed contract amount of $42,500 represents the authorized spending limit for these environmental laboratory services. The services appear to be related to environmental testing and analysis work that the Department of Environmental Quality requires but cannot perform in-house.

The Council approved the resolution, authorizing the city to enter into the engineering services agreement with Strand Associates, Inc. This approval allows the Department of Environmental Quality to proceed with contracting for the necessary laboratory services within the established budget of $42,500.

The agreement represents a standard procurement of professional services to support the city's environmental quality monitoring and compliance activities. By contracting with Strand Associates, Inc., the city gains access to specialized laboratory capabilities and expertise that supplement the Department of Environmental Quality's operations.

Acceptance of a Deed of Permanent Storm Sewer and Drainage Easement

The Council considered a resolution to accept a deed for a Permanent Storm Sewer and Drainage Easement, along with a Temporary Construction Easement, located at 226 Westwood Court. This easement is required for the Elizabeth Street Drainage Improvements Project.

The agenda item involved authorization for the city to accept the easement deed, which would grant the municipality the necessary rights to install and maintain storm sewer infrastructure on the private property. The easement also includes temporary construction rights to facilitate the drainage improvement work.

Council Members Martin and Taylor participated in the discussion of this item. The resolution was presented as part of the city's ongoing efforts to improve drainage infrastructure in the Elizabeth Street area.

The Council approved the resolution, allowing the city to formally accept the easement deed and proceed with the necessary drainage improvements at the Westwood Court location. This approval enables the Elizabeth Street Drainage Improvements Project to move forward with the required infrastructure work on the affected property.

Access Agreement with Verizon South, Inc.

The Council considered a resolution to authorize the city to enter into an Access Agreement with Verizon South, Inc. for conducting a limited subsurface investigation at Shilito Park.

The agreement would grant Verizon South, Inc. permission to perform subsurface investigation work at the park location. The specific details of the investigation scope and duration were not elaborated upon during the discussion.

Council Members McFadden and Taylor participated in the discussion of this agenda item, though the specific nature of their comments or any concerns they may have raised were not detailed in the available materials.

The resolution was approved by the Council, allowing the city to move forward with executing the Access Agreement with Verizon South, Inc. This approval enables the telecommunications company to proceed with their planned subsurface investigation activities at Shilito Park under the terms and conditions established in the agreement.

The approval of this access agreement represents a routine administrative action allowing a utility company to conduct necessary infrastructure assessment work on city property while ensuring appropriate oversight and coordination with municipal authorities.

Resolution to Change Street Names and Individual Addresses

The Council considered a resolution to authorize changes to street names and individual addresses across multiple districts to support the Enhanced 9-1-1 System implementation.

The resolution affects properties within Council Districts 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, and 12. The street name and address changes are being made to improve emergency response capabilities and ensure compatibility with the Enhanced 9-1-1 System, which provides more precise location information to emergency dispatchers.

Council Members Lucas and Bennett participated in the discussion of this agenda item. The resolution addresses the technical requirements needed to support the upgraded emergency response system, which relies on accurate and standardized address information to quickly locate callers in need of assistance.

The Enhanced 9-1-1 System represents a significant upgrade from traditional emergency calling systems, allowing dispatchers to automatically receive location information and better coordinate emergency responses. The street name and address changes covered by this resolution are necessary to eliminate duplicate street names, resolve addressing conflicts, and ensure that all properties have unique, clearly identifiable addresses that work effectively with the new system.

The Council approved the resolution, authorizing the implementation of the street name and individual address changes across the eight affected districts. This approval allows city staff to proceed with notifying affected property owners and coordinating with relevant agencies to implement the changes in support of the Enhanced 9-1-1 System rollout.

Professional Service Agreement with Jessica Collins, SANE

The Council considered a resolution to authorize a Professional Service Agreement with Jessica Collins, SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner), for the performance of forensic examinations at the University of Kentucky Emergency Room.

Council Members King and Bennett participated in the discussion of this agenda item. The agreement would enable Collins to provide specialized forensic examination services for sexual assault cases, utilizing the facilities at the University of Kentucky Emergency Room.

The resolution was approved by the Council, authorizing the city to enter into the professional service agreement with Collins for these forensic examination services.

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

Change Order No. 2 to Contract with Randle Davies Construction Company

The Council considered a resolution to authorize Change Order No. 2 to the contract with Randle Davies Construction Company for the Brighton East Rail Trail Phase 1 — 2007 project. The change order would decrease the contract amount by $12,484.10.

Council Members King and D. Kelly participated in the discussion of this agenda item. The change order represented a reduction in the overall project cost, indicating that the work was completed for less than the originally contracted amount.

The Council approved the change order, allowing for the contract adjustment and the associated cost savings for the Brighton East Rail Trail Phase 1 project.

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