Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council held a meeting on March 17, 2015, at 3:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber on the 2nd Floor of the Government Center, presiding over by Mayor Jim Gray. The council addressed nine agenda items during the session, including public comment periods, rezoning requests, budget amendments, and various reports. A total of 19 motions and votes were taken, and four public comments were heard from the community. The council approved multiple items including requested rezonings and docket approvals, budget amendments, new business, continuing business and presentations, and the mayor's report, while also receiving informational reports from council members and the mayor.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on March 17, 2015:

• Jim Gray
• Keith L. Jackson
• Ronnie Bastin
• Sally Hamilton
• Patricia L. Dugger
• Beth Mills
• Mark Caton
• Wes Holbrook
• Gina Greathouse
• Hannah Huggins
• Kimberly Rossetti
• Bill O'Mara
• Rusty Cook
• Melissa Leuker
• Albert Miller
• Roger Mulvaney
• Mary Vosevitch
• David Holmes
• Teresa Grider
• Chris Ford
• Mark Bernard
• Chief Keith Jackson
• Hoskins

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The council took the following actions during the March 17, 2015 meeting:

Procedural Motions

The council approved the meeting docket by voice vote 3:10. The summary was also approved by voice vote 9:41.

Appointments and Scheduling

A resolution to appoint Chris Ford as Commissioner of Social Services was placed for consideration on March 19, 2015, passing by voice vote 3:44. A replacement motion was subsequently passed to make the appointment effective March 23, 2015 5:51. A motion to table the calendar change motion until Thursday night passed by voice vote 9:10.

Budget and Financial Matters

Budget amendments were approved by voice vote 10:11. An additional motion to amend the budget to add $36,250 for Fire Station 24 land purchase passed by voice vote 10:41. Neighborhood development funds were approved by voice vote 27:34. A motion to table the Budget, Finance & Economic Development Committee summary until the next work session passed by voice vote 28:06.

A motion to schedule a Budget and Finance Committee meeting on April 9, 2015 at 6 p.m., moved by Mossadi and seconded by Evans, failed by electronic vote with 3 ayes, 4 nays, and 3 abstentions 35:16. Voting in favor were Stinnett, Maloney, and Farmer. Voting against were Evans, Akers, Brown, and Kaye.

New Business and Committee Referrals

New business was approved by voice vote 19:56. Item K was removed from the new business docket due to a missing budget amendment 23:10. Woodland Avenue pedestrian enhancements were approved and referred to council by voice vote 29:52. The issuance of an RFP for a pavement management plan was approved and referred to council by voice vote 30:57.

Other Matters

A motion to discuss the economic contingency fund reaching full capacity passed by voice vote 42:20. A motion to place discussion of the downtown incentives fund in the Budget and Finance Committee was withdrawn 48:59. A motion to place traffic signal technology update in the Environmental Quality & Public Works Committee passed by voice vote 54:00.

The Mayor's report was approved by voice vote 56:50, and the meeting was adjourned by voice vote 57:23.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting approved the following financial actions and contractual agreements:

Construction and Facility Projects

• Change Order No. 1 (L0191-15) to Mitchell Construction Management for bathroom renovations at Fire Station #1: $2,615
• Change Order #1 (L0296-15) with Angel Contracting LLC for frost-free water fountains at Shillito Park Sports Fields: $1,750
• Purchase of property for Fire Station #24 at Greendale Hills Unit 2 (L0319-15): $280,000
• Agreement with Fitzsimons Office of Architecture for Bell House architectural and engineering services (L0320-15): $14,000

Equipment and Repairs

• Sole source agreement (L0265-15) with Wilson Equipment Company for repair of Case wheel loader: $30,000
• Modification to Accela Civic Platform phase II implementation contract (L0325-15): $150,000
• Master subscription agreement (L0334-15) with Administrative Office of the Courts for CourtNet software: $40

Grants and Incentives

• Acceptance of $20,000 grant (L0283-15) from Kentucky Office of Homeland Security for paramedic protective equipment
• Acceptance of $120.16 increase (L0288-15) in National PAL Mentoring Program award from National Police Athletic/Activities Leagues, Inc
• Incentive agreement (L0333-15) with Annulox, LLC for $100,000 to create 5 jobs

Other Agreements

• Memorandum of Agreement (L0298-15) with Lexington Community Radio for emergency notification equipment: $5,000
• Catering contract (L0331-15) with Hyatt Regency Lexington for Senior Intern Program Luncheon: $7,500
• Amendment (L0297-15) to Exchange of Information Agreement with Kentucky Department of Workforce Investment
• Lease agreement (L0329-15) with Bluegrass Sports Commission for space in Government Center Annex
• Authorization (L0321-15) to abolish Skilled Trades Worker Sr. position and create Community Maintenance Mechanic Sr. position: $3,510 salary differential

Public Comment

Council members shared several announcements and community events during the public comment period.

Spring Cleaning and Community Beautification

49:29 Council Member Henson recognized the efforts of Keep Lexington Beautiful and volunteer groups, including Friends of Wolf Run and Friends of Fursales Road, for conducting cleanup work ahead of the Breeders' Cup. Henson encouraged public participation in spring cleaning initiatives.

Science Fair at William Wells Brown Elementary

51:13 Council Member Akers invited council members and the public to attend a fourth-grade science fair at William Wells Brown Elementary. Akers highlighted the event as a positive opportunity for students, noting its significance following recent school challenges.

Special Olympics World Games Torch Relay

54:37 Council Member Stinnett announced the upcoming Special Olympics World Games torch relay, which will pass through Lexington on June 4th. Stinnett encouraged public participation and support for the event.

Kentucky Wildcats Basketball

56:16 Council Member Maloney encouraged council members and residents to support the Kentucky Wildcats during their first-round game in Louisville, emphasizing the excitement of basketball in Lexington.

Appointments

Chris Ford was appointed Commissioner of Social Services.

Contested Items

Three items generated significant debate during the March 17, 2015 meeting:

Calendar Change Motion

Council members engaged in heated discussion regarding the timing of a calendar change motion. The primary concerns centered on scheduling conflicts and whether council members would have adequate time to review the proposal. Rather than proceeding with a vote, the council decided to table the motion until Thursday night, allowing for further consideration.

Budget Amendment for Fire Station 24 Land Purchase

Council member Lane raised substantial concerns about a proposed budget amendment related to the purchase of land for Fire Station 24. Lane's primary objection was committing funds before completion of a fire station location study. The council member emphasized the long-term financial implications, noting that the commitment would represent a $60 million obligation over a 20-year period. This concern about premature financial commitment without adequate planning information created a point of contention during the discussion.

Downtown Incentives Fund Proposal

The proposal to establish a $1 million incentives fund prompted debate about the appropriate committee venue for discussion. Council members disagreed on whether the proposal should be reviewed by the Budget and Finance Committee or the Planning Committee. This procedural disagreement about which committee should handle the matter ultimately resulted in the motion being withdrawn from consideration.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

0:00

No public comment was received on the agenda items under consideration. The meeting proceeded directly to docket approval following this agenda item.

Requested Rezonings/Docket Approval

3:10

The Council addressed the docket for requested rezonings during this agenda item. Councilmember Farmer moved to approve the docket, with Councilmember Henson providing the second to the motion. The docket was approved by the Council.

In addition to the docket approval, the Council considered a motion to place a calendar change for April and June meetings. Due to scheduling concerns raised during discussion, this motion was tabled until Thursday night to allow for further review and coordination.

Key participants: Farmer, Henson, Kaye, and Stinnett

Outcome: The docket was approved. The calendar change motion was tabled pending Thursday night's session.

Approval of Summary

The summary was brought forward for approval during the meeting. 9:41

Stinnett made a motion to approve the summary, which was seconded by Henson. The summary was approved unanimously.

Budget Amendments

Budget amendments were discussed and approved during this agenda item. 10:11

Key Speakers

Council members Stinnett, Lane, Akers, Henson, and Brown participated in the discussion.

Amendment Approved

A $36,250 budget amendment for the Fire Station 24 land purchase was approved.

Discussion Points

Council members discussed the need for a fire station in the Masterson area. The discussion also included reference to an ongoing location study related to the fire station project.

Outcome

The budget amendments were approved.

New Business

19:56

The council approved several new business items during this portion of the meeting. The agenda included contracts for fire station renovations, equipment repairs, and emergency notification systems.

Council members Farmer, Henson, Gibbs, Akers, and Evans participated in the discussion of these items.

One item on the agenda, identified as Item K, was removed from consideration due to a missing budget amendment.

A significant portion of the discussion focused on Fire Station 24. Council members discussed the location of this facility and identified a need for a site study to be conducted before proceeding with related decisions.

The new business items that were presented were ultimately approved by the council.

Continuing Business/Presentations

During this agenda item, the meeting included presentations summarizing recent committee meetings and approval of two items for council referral.

Committee Summaries

Speakers Farmer, Stinnett, Gibbs, and Evans presented summaries from two committees: the Budget, Finance & Economic Development Committee and the Environmental Quality & Public Works Committee. 28:06

Items Approved for Referral

Two items were approved for referral to council:

• Woodland Avenue Pedestrian Enhancements — A project focused on improving pedestrian infrastructure along Woodland Avenue
• Pavement Management Plan RFP — A request for proposals related to pavement management planning

Both items received approval to move forward to the city council for further consideration.

Outcome

The agenda item concluded with an approved outcome, allowing the Woodland Avenue pedestrian enhancements project and the pavement management plan RFP to proceed to council review.

Council Reports

31:28

Council members discussed several matters during the Council Reports section, including scheduling follow-up discussions and reviewing fund-related initiatives.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Minimum Wage Meeting: Council members discussed the need to schedule a follow-up meeting to continue deliberations on minimum wage policy.

• Economic Contingency Fund: The council reviewed matters related to the economic contingency fund.

• Downtown Incentives Fund: Council members discussed a potential downtown incentives fund as a development initiative.

Speakers:

The discussion involved council members Mossadi, Farmer, Brown, Stinnett, and Kaye.

Outcome:

A motion to schedule a meeting for April 9th was brought forward but failed to pass. The council did not reach agreement on this proposed date, leaving the scheduling of the follow-up meeting unresolved at this time.

The item was informational in nature, with no binding decisions reached regarding the proposed meeting date.

Mayor's Report

The Mayor's Report was presented during agenda item VIII of the meeting. The report was delivered by Akers and Kaye 56:50.

The report was approved by the body without discussion.

Public Comment - Issues Not on Agenda

57:23

No public comment was received on issues not on the agenda. Mundy noted this informational item during the meeting.