Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council met on January 15, 2015, at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers located at 200 E. Main St, Lexington, KY 40507, with Mayor Gray presiding. The council addressed nine agenda items during the session, including roll call, approval of previous meeting minutes, and consideration of new ordinances and resolutions. The body took 15 motions and votes throughout the meeting and heard 1 public comment.

Key business included passage of an ordinance on second reading, first readings of additional ordinances and resolutions for future consideration, and communications from the Mayor. The council also conducted announcements and received informational communications from the Mayor. All procedural items, including roll call and approval of previous minutes, were approved.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on January 15, 2015:

• Akers
• Bledsoe
• Brown
• Evans
• Farmer
• Ford
• Gibbs
• Henson
• Kay
• Lamb
• Lane
• Moloney
• Massadi
• Scutchfield
• Stinnett

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

Ordinance 1342-14 – An Ordinance amending the Budgets of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government to reflect current requirements for municipal expenditures, Schedule No. 34. Motion by Henson, seconded by Farmer. Passed by roll call vote 15-0. All members voted in favor: Akers, Bledsoe, Brown, Evans, Farmer, Ford, Gibbs, Henson, Kay, Lamb, Lane, Moloney, Massadi, Scutchfield, and Stinnett. 2:54

Ordinance 0027-15 – An Ordinance changing the zone from Professional Office (P-1) to Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3) for property at 232 Waller Ave. Received first reading. 4:09

Ordinance 0028-15 – An Ordinance changing the zone from Single Family Residential (R-1D) to High Density Apartment (R-4) and Neighborhood Business (B-1) for property at 2985 Liberty Rd. Received first reading. 4:29

Ordinance 0029-15 – An Ordinance changing the zone from Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3) to Neighborhood Business (B-1) for property at 435 Redding Rd. Received first reading. 4:49

Ordinance 0030-15 – An Ordinance changing the zone from Light Industrial (I-1) to Wholesale & Warehouse Business (B-4) and from Planned Shopping Center (B-6P) to B-4 for property at 2380 Fortune Dr. Received first reading. 5:21

Ordinance 0031-15 – An Ordinance changing the zone from Single Family Residential (R-1C) to Mixed Use 2: Neighborhood Corridor (MU-2), and from Neighborhood Business (B-1) and Wholesale & Warehouse Business (B-4) to MU-2 for property at 1001, 1003, 1011, 1015, and 1021 North Limestone St. Motion by Scutchfield, seconded by Farmer. Postponed to be heard at a Special Council Meeting on March 9, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. 5:21

Ordinance 1281-14 – An Ordinance amending authorized strength by abolishing one Telecommunicator Supervisor position and creating one PSAP Manager position in the Division of Emergency Management/911. Motion by Scutchfield, seconded by Farmer. Motion withdrawn after the Mayor advised the ordinance was not eligible for second reading due to budget schedule attachment. 7:42

Resolution 0055-15 – A Resolution ratifying probationary and permanent civil service appointments, pay increases, and appointments to the Office of the Urban County Council. Motion by Stinnett, seconded by Scutchfield. Passed by roll call vote 15-0. 27:16

Resolution 0056-15 – A Resolution authorizing the Division of Human Resources to make conditional offers for probationary and unclassified civil service appointments. Motion by Bledsoe, seconded by Farmer. Passed by roll call vote 15-0. 23:56

Resolution 0013-15 – A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to submit a grant application to the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund for $105,000 for the Local Food Coordinator Project. Motion by Kay, seconded by Akers. Passed by roll call vote 15-0. 26:46

Resolution 0033-15 – A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a GSA-Federal Supply Schedule Purchase Order with Verizon Wireless for 54 mobile phones and cellular service to the Division of Parks & Recreation at $2,076.57 per month. Motion by Ford, seconded by Henson. Passed by roll call vote 15-0. 25:04

Resolution 0058-15 – A Resolution approving the Mayor's recommendations for appointments and reappointments to various boards and commissions. Motion by Scutchfield, seconded by Henson. Passed by roll call vote 15-0. 36:44

Police Disciplinary Actions – Officer Lance K. Greene suspended 40 hours without pay and required retraining. Motion by Henson, seconded by Scutchfield. Passed by roll call vote 15-0. 37:20 Officer Michael G. Smith received a written reprimand. Motion by Massadi, seconded by Scutchfield. Passed by roll call vote 15-0. 38:23

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed multiple financial actions including contracts, grants, and amendments:

Contracts

Several service contracts were approved:

• Classic Clean Pro, LLC for custodial services at Coleman House (Contract 0011-15)
• Graybar Electric Co., Inc.; Anixter, Inc.; Rexel, Inc.; and NTSG, Inc. for fiber optic cable and control equipment for Traffic Engineering (Contract 0014-15)
• Paratech, Inc. d/b/a Emergency Equipment for high pressure lifting equipment for Fire and Emergency Services (Contract 0021-15)
• J. Edinger & Sons, Inc. for dump bodies for Facilities and Fleet Management (Contract 0032-15)
• Strand Associates for engineering services on the Legacy Trail Project Phase 3 at $139,320.00 (Contract 0002-15)
• Strand Associates, Inc. for engineering services for Town Branch WWTP Headworks Improvements at $75,000.00 (Contract 0017-15)
• HealthFirst Bluegrass, Inc. for part-time pediatric services at Samuel Brown Health Center at $174,219.00 (Contract 0024-15)
• Marathon Health, Inc. for amended agreement providing third mid-level health services provider at Samuel Brown Health Center at $118,900.00 (Contract 0025-15)
• University of Kentucky Research Foundation for third-party evaluation of Housing First Pilot Project (three-year agreement) at $124,770.32 (Contract 0008-15)
• Emerson Network Power/Liebert Services for uninterruptible power system at $10,404.00 (Contract 0009-15)

Grants

• Kentucky Department of Military Affairs, Division of Emergency Management grant for emergency preparedness activities at $106,212.27 (Grant 1338-14)
• Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund grant application for Local Food Coordinator Project at $105,000.00 (Grant 0013-15)

Other Actions

• Lexington-Fayette County Parking Authority multi-year agreement for parking-related services (Contract 1344-14)
• Verizon Wireless GSA-Federal Supply Schedule Purchase Order for 54 mobile phones and cellular service to Parks & Recreation at $2,076.57 per month (Purchase 0033-15)
• Second Amendment to CHDO Agreement with Fayette County Local Development Corp. for HOME Investment Partnership Program funds at $217,017.50 (Amendment 0019-15)

Public Comment

Bernard McCarthy addressed the board regarding gunfire during New Year's celebrations 46:44. Mr. McCarthy expressed concern about the excessive volume of gunfire occurring during the first minutes of the new year. He noted that the large quantity of bullets being fired into the sky poses a significant safety risk to the community. Specifically, Mr. McCarthy highlighted the potential hazard of falling debris and the risk of property damage resulting from this practice.

Appointments

The following individuals were appointed or reappointed to various boards and commissions:

Affordable Housing Governing Board - Steve Kay was appointed

Agricultural Extension District Board - Sherry Maddock was reappointed - Carrie McIntosh was reappointed

Commission for Citizens with Disabilities - Richard Moloney was appointed

Community Action Council Board of Directors - Theresa Maynard was appointed - Bryanna Carroll was reappointed - Art Crosby was reappointed - Kelly Duffy was reappointed - Janet Ford was reappointed - Connie Godfrey was reappointed - Kathy Stein was reappointed - David O'Neill was reappointed

Greenspace Commission - Karen Angelucci was appointed - Jack Wilson was appointed

Homelessness Prevention and Intervention Board - Adrian Wallace was appointed

Masterson Station Park Advisory Board - Margaret Entrekin was appointed

Parks and Recreation Advisory Board - Jennifer Scutchfield was reappointed

Senior Services Commission - David Stevens was appointed

Sister Cities Program Commission - Angela Evans was appointed

Contested Items

Suspension of Rules for Second Reading

A procedural dispute arose regarding the suspension of rules for second reading. Councilmember Bledsoe was asked to provide a reason for the suspension motion, underscoring the importance of transparency in procedural decisions. This exchange highlighted concerns about ensuring that procedural motions are clearly justified and explained to the public record.

EMS Fee Waiver Proposal

A proposal to waive Medicare fees for EMS runs generated significant discussion and disagreement among council members. The proposal was initially misunderstood, creating confusion about its scope and implications. Following this misunderstanding, a public clarification was provided to address the confusion. Subsequently, a motion was made to reassign the issue to a different committee for further review and consideration, rather than proceeding with an immediate vote on the proposal as originally presented.

Roll Call

0:00

The Council Clerk called the roll at the beginning of the meeting. All members were present.

The meeting commenced with a moment of silence in lieu of an invocation.

Minutes of the Previous Meetings

2:22

The Council reviewed and approved the minutes from four previous meetings held in late 2014:

• November 13, 2014
• November 20, 2014
• December 4, 2014
• December 9, 2014

Key speakers on this agenda item included Farmer and Henson.

Outcome

The minutes from all four meetings were approved by unanimous vote.

Ordinance – Second Reading

2:54

During the second reading of ordinances, Ordinance 1342-14 was presented for consideration. This ordinance proposed amendments to the budget and re-appropriation of funds.

Key Speakers: - Henson - Farmer

Outcome:

Ordinance 1342-14 was approved by unanimous vote.

Other ordinances scheduled for consideration were deferred to first reading and were not acted upon during this meeting.

Ordinances – First Reading

4:09

Several ordinances were introduced for first reading during this agenda item. The ordinances addressed zoning changes and personnel-related matters.

Action Taken

Multiple ordinances were ordered placed on file for public inspection following their introduction. One ordinance was postponed to allow for a special hearing to be scheduled.

Key Participants

Scutchfield and Farmer were the primary speakers during discussion of this agenda item.

Outcome

The ordinances proceeded through first reading, with most being filed for public review. The postponement of one ordinance indicates that additional public input or specialized consideration was deemed necessary before the measure could advance further.

Resolutions – First Reading

9:24

Multiple resolutions were introduced for first reading during this agenda item. The resolutions addressed contracts, grants, and personnel appointments.

Key speakers during this discussion included Bledsoe, Ford, Kay, and Stinnett.

Several of the resolutions introduced were approved after the body suspended the rules to allow for second reading to occur during the same meeting. This procedural action enabled expedited consideration of certain items on the agenda.

The outcome of this agenda item was that the resolutions proceeded to first reading as scheduled.

Communications From the Mayor

36:44

The Mayor presented recommendations for appointments and reappointments to various boards and commissions. Key speakers on this item included Scutchfield and Henson.

The Mayor's recommendations were approved by unanimous vote.

Communications From the Mayor (For Information Only)

36:44

The Mayor's communications for information only were presented to the body. These communications included matters related to resignations, reinstatements, and personnel changes.

Henson presented this agenda item to the council. As an informational item, no action or vote was required on these communications. The matter was received for the information of the council members.

Announcements

During the announcements section of the meeting 45:10, council members Henson, Lamb, and Ford made several announcements to the body.

The announcements covered three main topics:

• Bluegrass International Center — Council members announced information regarding the Bluegrass International Center.

• Martin Luther King Holiday — An announcement was made concerning the Martin Luther King holiday.

• EMS Fee Proposal Reassignment — Council members discussed a proposed reassignment of an EMS fee proposal to a different committee.

The announcements section was approved by the council.

Public Comments

During the public comment period, Bernard McCarthy raised concerns about excessive gunfire occurring during the first minutes of the new year. 46:44

McCarthy expressed worry about safety risks associated with bullets falling from the sky, highlighting a public safety issue he felt warranted attention from the governing body.

The item was handled as informational, with no formal action or resolution recorded.