Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council met on November 11, 2014, at 3:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber on the 2nd Floor of the Government Center, with Mayor Gray presiding. The council addressed nine agenda items during the session, including public comment periods, rezoning requests, budget matters, and various reports. The body took 19 votes and heard 1 public comment from citizens regarding issues on the agenda. All substantive agenda items—including Requested Rezonings/Docket Approval, Approval of Summary, Budget Amendments, New Business, Continuing Business/Presentations, Council Reports, and Mayor's Report—were approved. The meeting also included an informational public comment period for issues not on the agenda.

Attendance

Present: Gorton, Ellinger, Kay, Ford, Akers, Beard, Farmer, Stinnett, Mossotti, Clarke, Henson, and Lane

Absent: Lawless, Scutchfield, and Myers

Late arrivals: None

Votes and Decisions

All motions brought before the meeting passed unanimously.

Closed and Open Session

The body entered closed session pursuant to KRS 61.810(1)(c) to discuss potential litigation. This motion was made by Gorton and seconded by Akers. The body later returned from closed session on a motion by Ellinger, seconded by Gorton.

Docket and Agenda Items

The docket was approved on a motion by Gorton, seconded by Farmer. Several items were placed on the docket for the October 23, 2014 Council meeting:

• A resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a quitclaim deed and transfer a portion of non-utilized right-of-way adjacent to 1747 Lakewood Lane to the abutting property owner (motion by Farmer, seconded by Lane)
• An Ordinance adopting a schedule of meetings for the Council for calendar year 2015 (motion by Gorton, seconded by Beard)
• An ordinance amending Section 14-97(6) of the Code of Ordinances to include e-cigarettes in the definition of smoke or smoking (motion by Kay, seconded by Gorton)
• A resolution recommending that the Mayor not sign the proposed Amended Interlocal Cooperative Agreement with the Bluegrass ADD and recommending that the Urban County Government take steps to have Lexington-Fayette County area declared a Workforce Investment Area (motion by Ford, seconded by Mossotti)

Ordinance #4 was removed from the docket on a motion by Lane, seconded by Gorton.

Administrative Approvals

The summary was approved on a motion by Beard, seconded by Ellinger. Budget amendments were approved on a motion by Farmer, seconded by Akers. New business was approved on a motion by Gorton, seconded by Ellinger. The Mayor's Report was approved on a motion by Stinnett, seconded by Gorton.

Environmental Services Reorganization

A neighborhood development fund was approved on a motion by Ellinger, seconded by Farmer. The body approved a budget amendment reallocating older inactive bond proceeds to provide approximately $321,000 for capital equipment related to reorganizing landscaping and forestry functions into the Division of Environmental Services (motion by Stinnett, seconded by Mossotti). The Division of Environmental Policy was renamed to Division of Environmental Services, with three civil service positions transferred from Parks to Environmental Services (motion by Stinnett, seconded by Henson). Three professional services requests totaling $250,000 were included in future Fund Balance discussions (motion by Stinnett, seconded by Gorton).

Other Business

A Special Planning & Public Works Committee meeting was scheduled for November 11th at 1:30pm, with the Economic Development COW ending at 1:30pm (motion by Farmer, seconded by Beard). Examination of the sign mechanism was placed into the General Government Committee (motion by Farmer, seconded by Gorton).

The meeting adjourned at 4:15pm on a motion by Stinnett, seconded by Gorton.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting approved 16 budget amendments totaling approximately $668,871.34 in financial actions:

Event-Related Reimbursements - $188.47 for overtime reimbursement during the Fest-Of-Ales special event (Journal 81653-54) - $14,206.78 reimbursement for General Fund personnel budget from Downtown Lexington Corporation related to Bluegrass 10,000 (Journal 81674-75) - $3,150.00 reimbursement of operating and equipment accounts from Woodland Arts Fair sponsorship revenue (Journal 81780-81)

Parks and Environmental Services - $209,900.59 for Environmental Services-Natural Resource Management by decreasing Parks and Recreation funds for Seasonal Salaries, Mowing, and other operating accounts (Journal 81782) - $21,150.00 for county road rejuvenation and crack-sealing by decreasing Construction-Bridges funds (Journal 81655)

Community Programs and Donations - $3,000.00 donation from Kentucky State University to the William Wells Brown Community Center for healthy eating and physical fitness programming (Journal 81769-70) - $5,000.00 for Keep Lexington Beautiful operating expenses from donated funds (Journal 82005-06) - $200.00 for Keep Lexington Beautiful from recognized revenues (Journal 81672-73)

Equipment and Technology - $9,000.00 for a new Police Canine to replace a retiring canine (Journal 81765) - $6,348.00 for ICMA software purchase for Performance Measurements from the International City/County Management Association (Journal 82070)

Federal Grants and Matching Funds - $315,562.50 for federal funds and grant match for Polo Club Right of Way Phase FY 2013 grant from the US Department of Transportation (Journal 81767-68) - $63,112.50 budget grant match for Polo Club FY 2013 grant right of way phase (Journal 81766) - $15,969.25 to amend Justice Assistance FY 2014 for equipment and training from the US Department of Justice (Journal 82067) - $72.25 budget interest income for Justice Assistance FY 2012 from the US Department of Justice (Journal 82065-66) - $9,100.00 to amend Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program FY 2014 for connectivity to Kentucky from the US Department of Transportation (Journal 81892)

Other Recoveries - $111.50 recovery of refund for overpayment of advertising costs in Professional Services account (Journal 81893-94)

Public Comment

0:00

A speaker addressed the role of business development publications in promoting Lexington as a business location. The speaker discussed how key industry magazines—including Business Facilities, Site Selection, Southern Business Development, and Area Development—influence site consultants and decision-makers when they evaluate potential locations for business relocation and expansion.

The speaker highlighted a recent positive article that emphasized Lexington's growing business cluster, noting the importance of such coverage in attracting business development interest to the region.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

Council members opened the meeting to public comment on issues listed on the agenda. No public comments were recorded during this portion of the meeting.

Requested Rezonings/Docket Approval

The council approved the docket and placed several items on the docket for future meetings.

Items Added to Docket

The following items were added to the docket for consideration at future meetings:

• A quitclaim deed transfer
• A schedule of meetings for 2015
• An ordinance to include e-cigarettes in the definition of smoking
• A resolution opposing the Bluegrass ADD agreement

Key Participants

The discussion involved council members Gorton, Farmer, Kay, Ford, and Lane.

Outcome

The docket was approved.

Approval of Summary

The council considered and approved the summary of the meeting, which encompassed a review of prior committee actions and administrative reports.

Key Speakers

Beard and Ellinger participated in this agenda item.

Outcome

The summary was approved by the council.

Budget Amendments

The council approved a series of budget amendments totaling over $600,000 during this agenda item. The amendments included reimbursements, grant matches, and funding allocations for various departments including Parks, Environmental Services, Police, and Grants.

Key speakers on this item were Farmer and Akers. The amendments were presented and discussed by the council, ultimately resulting in approval of the proposed budget adjustments.

New Business

The council addressed several new business items during this portion of the meeting, with discussion led by Stinnett, Gorton, Henson, Maxwell, and Hamilton.

The council approved organizational changes in the Division of Environmental Services, including reclassification of positions within Waste Management. Additionally, the council established a new Division of Aging and Disability Services.

All new business items presented were approved by the council.

Continuing Business/Presentations

During this agenda item, the council heard several presentations and took action on multiple matters.

Corridors Commission and America in Bloom

Speakers Farmer and Stinnett provided updates on the Corridors Commission and presented recognition related to America in Bloom.

Land Use and Watershed Management

Charlie Martin delivered a presentation on Land Use and Watershed Management, addressing environmental and planning considerations for the community.

Neighborhood Development Fund and Budget Actions

The council approved a neighborhood development fund and authorized budget reallocations. Mossotti participated in these discussions alongside other council members.

Outcome

All items presented during this segment were approved by the council.

Council Reports

The council reviewed and approved reports from multiple committees during this agenda item. Key speakers included Farmer, Beard, and Gorton.

The approved reports included submissions from the General Government Committee and the Special Budget Committee of the Whole (COW). In addition to reviewing these committee reports, the council scheduled a Special Planning & Public Works Committee meeting to address additional matters requiring committee-level discussion.

The outcome of this agenda item was approval of the presented reports.

Mayor's Report

Agenda Item VIII presented the Mayor's Report to the council for consideration. The report included updates on city operations and initiatives.

Key Speakers

The discussion involved Stinnett and Gorton.

Outcome

The council approved the Mayor's Report.

Public Comments - Issues Not on Agenda

The council opened the floor for public comments on issues not listed on the agenda. No specific comments were recorded during this portion of the meeting.