General Government & Social Services Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The General Government & Social Services Committee met on May 5, 2015, at 1:00 p.m., with Lamb presiding. The committee considered five agenda items, taking seven votes and hearing five public comments during the session. Three items were approved: EMS Service Fees, Inclusion of Veterans as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, and the Bluegrass International Center. Two items were deferred: Review of Ethics Ordinance and Items in Committee.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on May 5, 2015:

• Akers
• Bledsoe
• F. Brown
• J. Brown
• Gibbs
• Henson
• Lamb
• Moloney
• Scutchfield
• Evans
• Vice Mayor Kay
• Steve Kay

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included seven votes, all of which passed by voice vote.

Resolution 0000-2015 — Emergency Medical Transportation Assistance Program 42:42 Motion by Henson, seconded by Maloney. The resolution to authorize the Department of Social Services to create and administer an Emergency Medical Transportation Assistance Program passed.

Resolution 0000-2015 — Veteran-Owned Small Business Goal 55:21 Motion by Akers, seconded by Henson. The resolution to adopt a three percent (3%) minimum goal for certified veteran-owned small businesses and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses passed.

Ordinance 0000-2015 — Mayor's International Affairs Advisory Commission 1:08:49 Motion by Maloney, seconded by Henson. The ordinance to create the Mayor's International Affairs Advisory Commission and endorse renaming the Bluegrass International Community Center to the Lexington Global Engagement Center passed.

Remove EMS Service Fees from Committee 1:12:01 Motion by Henson, seconded by Maloney. The motion to remove the EMS Service Fees item from Committee passed.

Remove Inclusion of Veterans as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises from Committee 1:12:33 Motion by Akers, seconded by Henson. The motion to remove the Inclusion of Veterans as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises item from Committee passed.

Remove Master Plan Update from Committee 1:13:05 Motion by Akers, seconded by Scutchfield. The motion to remove the Master Plan update for Masters and Station Park from Committee passed.

Adjourn the Meeting 1:13:35 Motion by F. Brown, seconded by Scutchfield. The motion to adjourn the meeting passed.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting included one financial action regarding emergency assistance programs.

Emergency Medical Transportation Assistance Program

The body approved an appropriation of $50,000 for an addendum to the Emergency Financial Assistance Program. This funding was directed to the Department of Social Services under Resolution 0000-2015. The appropriation establishes the Emergency Medical Transportation Assistance Program as an addition to the existing Emergency Financial Assistance Program framework.

Public Comment

Five speakers addressed the council during the public comment period.

Akers 33:14 asked about program eligibility and income verification, specifically inquiring how many people would be affected by the program and what process would be used to verify income and need. Staff responded that verification would be handled by Adult and Tenant Services staff.

Bledsoe 38:28 raised questions about cost comparison with other providers. Bledsoe asked about pricing from American Medical Response and Rural Metro for comparison purposes. In response, the council was informed that American Medical Response charges $449 for basic life support when service is scheduled more than four hours in advance.

Evans 40:52 asked about budget structure and program tracking, specifically whether the new program would be established as a separate fund or incorporated into the existing EFA total. The response confirmed that the program would be part of the EFA total.

Lamb 1:05:14 offered suggestions regarding branding and marketing of the Bluegrass International Center. Lamb proposed that the center's name should be more distinctive and memorable, offering examples such as "Global Lex." Lamb recommended that the council consider holding a community-wide contest to develop branding for the center.

Maloney 1:08:12 expressed appreciation for work completed on the Bluegrass International Center, specifically complimenting Taylor on her efforts. Maloney shared a personal connection to the project, noting that it represents the realization of a previously held vision for international engagement in the community.

Appointments

Bledsoe was appointed to the Ethics Ordinance Review Subcommittee.

Contested Items

Veteran-owned Business Inclusion

A disagreement arose regarding the scope of veteran-owned business inclusion in the resolution under consideration. [timestamp: unavailable] Council Member Evans questioned whether the resolution should encompass all veteran-owned businesses or be limited to service-disabled veteran-owned businesses only. Evans noted that the state bill being considered focused exclusively on disabled veterans, raising the question of whether the local resolution should maintain alignment with that narrower scope.

The nature of this disagreement resulted in a split vote among council members, indicating that the body was divided on how broadly to define the veteran-owned business category for purposes of the resolution.

EMS Service Fees

5:33

Council Member Henson presented a proposal to establish an Emergency Medical Transportation Assistance Program designed to help income-eligible residents manage the costs of emergency medical services. The program would cap assistance at $400 per transport and would not provide retroactive coverage for previously incurred charges.

Program Details

The proposed program would be administered through the city's Adult and Tenant Services department. Funding would be provided through an addendum to the existing Emergency Financial Assistance Program, allowing the city to leverage established administrative infrastructure and processes.

Key Speakers

The agenda item involved discussion among Council Members Henson, Ford, Godfrey, and Wood.

Outcome

The proposal was approved by the council.

Inclusion of Veterans as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises

43:44

Council Member Akers presented a resolution to establish a separate 3% minimum goal for veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses within the Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) program.

Key Details of the Proposal

The resolution proposes creating a dedicated contracting goal specifically for veterans and service-disabled veterans, carving out a 3% minimum target within the existing DBE program framework. According to the presentation, the proposal carries no budgetary impact.

Implementation and Evaluation

The proposal includes a plan to evaluate the program's effectiveness after six months of implementation, allowing the council to assess whether the initiative is meeting its intended goals and to make adjustments if necessary.

Speakers

Council Member Akers led the presentation on this agenda item, with Slayton also participating in the discussion.

Outcome

The resolution was approved by the council.

Review of Ethics Ordinance

Council Member Evans provided an update on the work of the Ethics Ordinance Review Subcommittee 56:26. The subcommittee has reached consensus on a significant change to the structure of the ethics commission.

Key Decision

The subcommittee agreed to eliminate organizational nominations for the ethics commission and replace them with categorical appointments. This represents a shift in how commission members will be selected going forward.

Next Steps

The subcommittee will continue its work with the goal of completing a full report by year-end.

Outcome

This agenda item was deferred, meaning further discussion or action on the Ethics Ordinance Review will occur at a future meeting.

Bluegrass International Center

Multicultural Affairs Coordinator Isabel Taylor presented on the Bluegrass International Center's expansion and proposed organizational changes 58:15.

Presentation Highlights

Taylor reported significant growth at the center, with the number of international languages supported increasing to 125. The center achieved a growth rate of 239%.

Proposed Changes

Taylor proposed two major initiatives:

• Renaming the Bluegrass International Center to the Lexington Global Engagement Center
• Creating a Mayor's International Affairs Advisory Commission

Outcome

The proposal was approved.

Items in Committee

The committee discussed and voted on the status of several referred items during this agenda segment. 1:09:52

Items Addressed

The committee considered removal of the following items from committee:

• EMS Service Fees
• Veterans as DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises)
• Master Plan update for Masters and Station Park
• Bluegrass International Center

Committee Action

The committee voted to remove several of the referred items from committee consideration. However, the Bluegrass International Center was retained for a future update rather than being removed at this time.

Key Participants

The discussion involved committee members Henson, Akers, Scutchfield, and Maloney.

Outcome

The overall outcome of this agenda item was deferred, indicating that while some items were addressed, final disposition or further action on certain matters was postponed for later consideration.