Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council met on June 16, 2015, at 3:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber on the 2nd Floor of the Government Center, with Mayor Gray presiding. The council addressed 10 agenda items during the session, including public comment periods, zoning matters, budget amendments, and various reports. The body took 19 votes and heard 5 public comments from constituents. Key actions included approval of requested rezonings and docket items, budget amendments, new business items, continuing business and presentations, and the mayor's report, with the meeting concluding in adjournment.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on June 16, 2015:

Farmer, Akers, Scutchfield, Moloney, Mossotti, Henson, Lane, Evans, Lamb, Gibbs, Bledsoe, J. Brown, F. Brown, Ford, Gooding, Holmes, Nugent, Valicenti, Houlihan, Emmons, Martin, Kay, Stinnett, Hanson, Maloney, Brown, James Brown, Graham, Reed, Poulsen, Fugate, Kurtzinger, Charlie Martin, Jamie, Sally, Janet, Adona, and Mundy.

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

All motions were decided by voice vote. The following items were approved:

Motion 0723-15 – Authorization to execute a sole source agreement with BissNuss, Inc. for a sluice gate at Town Branch WWTP. Motion by Martin, seconded by Holmes. Passed.

Motion 0730-15 – Authorization to execute an addendum to contract 281-2014 with Level 3 for phone system redundancy. Motion by Nugent, seconded by Valicenti. Passed.

Motion 0753-15 – Authorization to accept $703,430.41 in FY 2016 funds from the Kentucky Commercial Mobile Radio Service Emergency Communications Board for 911 PSAP Customer Premise Equipment Upgrade. Motion by Gooding, seconded by Bastin. Passed.

Motion 0756-15 – Authorization to accept a $25 Kroger gift card donation from Joanna Rodes for Family Care Center client incentives. Motion by Ford. Passed.

Motion 0757-15 – Authorization to accept $200,000 in FY 2016 EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant for Fayette County Courthouse Property. Motion by Gooding, seconded by Holmes. Passed.

Resolution 0001-2015 – Designating the speed limit on Jouett Creek Drive as 25 mph. Motion by Stinnett, seconded by Moloney. Passed. 14:48

Additional motions passed:

• Approval of the docket for June 18, 2015 Council Meeting. Motion by Hanson, seconded by Scutchfield. 3:27
• Approval of change order 18 to contract with Marilla Design and Construction for Senior Citizen Center. Motion by Stinnett, seconded by Scutchfield. 3:27
• Approval of the Environmental Quality & Public Works Committee meeting summary. Motion by Farmer, seconded by Henson. 7:12
• Approval of budget amendments. Motion by Scutchfield, seconded by Massadi. 7:12
• Approval of new business. Motion by Stinnett, seconded by Akers. 7:42
• Removal of item C (LexArts maintenance agreement) from new business. Motion by Akers, seconded by Scutchfield. 8:19
• Placement of tree protection issue into Environmental Quality & Public Works Committee. Motion by Gibbs, seconded by Bledsoe. 20:01
• Placement of street trees issue into Environmental Quality & Public Works Committee. Motion by Stinnett, seconded by Gibbs. 24:52
• Approval of Mayor's Report as amended. Motion by Scutchfield, seconded by Masati. 29:43
• Adjournment. Motion by Stinnett, seconded by Scutchfield. 32:12

Motion 0751-15 – Authorization to execute a Memorandum of Agreement with LexArts for maintenance of the Oliver Lewis Way Art Bridge. Motion by Houlihan, seconded by Emmons. Withdrawn. 8:19

Budget and Financial Actions

The following financial actions were approved:

Equipment Purchase (0723-15): BissNuss, Inc was authorized to supply a 72" X 72" heavy duty sluice gate to replace a damaged gate at the primary effluent pump station at Town Branch WWTP for $25,216.00.

Communications Contract (0730-15): An addendum to contract 281-2014 with Level 3 was approved for $28,878.24 to add additional lines for geographic redundancy and to address a failing phone system.

Arts Maintenance Appropriation (0751-15): An appropriation of $7,500 was made to LexArts for maintenance of the Oliver Lewis Way Art Bridge over a five-year period.

911 System Grant (0753-15): A grant of $703,430.41 was received from the Kentucky Commercial Mobile Radio Service Emergency Communications Board to upgrade 911 PSAP Customer Premise Equipment. The upgrade will maintain reliable 911 systems and enable Next Generation 911 features.

Brownfields Cleanup Grant (0757-15): A grant of $200,000 was received from the Environmental Protection Agency for brownfields cleanup at the Fayette County Courthouse Property. The grant will address asbestos, lead paint, mold, and guano remediation.

Public Comment

Council members addressed several community initiatives and concerns during the meeting.

Skate Park at Berry Hill Park 15:19 Council Member Brown reported on the informal opening of the skate park at Berry Hill Park, which has experienced high attendance. However, several operational issues were identified, including trash accumulation, lack of fencing and lighting, and the need for increased police presence and ongoing maintenance.

Neighborhood Leaders' Meeting 18:56 Council Member James Brown thanked the Mayor for attending the first neighborhood leaders' meeting. He praised both the turnout and the presentation on the Town Branch Trail project.

Community Meetings on Safety and Environmental Restoration 20:36 Council Member Henson announced upcoming public meetings on two topics: Cross Keys Pond restoration and a town hall focused on reducing violence in the Northside area.

Senior Intern Program 23:19 Council Member Stinnett expressed appreciation for the 31st Senior Intern Program and advocated for its expansion, requesting additional funding and consideration of new program ideas.

Neighborhood Association Meetings 27:34 Council Member Akers noted the Mayor's attendance at the Metathorpe Neighborhood Association meeting and announced an upcoming meeting of the Masterson Station Neighborhood Association.

Appointments

The following appointments were made during this meeting:

• Jamie was appointed to the Planning Commission
• Sally was appointed to the Board of Adjustment

Contested Items

Two procedural matters were disputed during the meeting.

Acceptance of Small Donations

Council Member Lamb raised concerns about the process for accepting small donations. Lamb noted that the staff time required to process minor gifts—such as a $25 gift card—exceeded the monetary value of the donation itself. Lamb suggested that a policy change was needed to prevent such items from being placed on the docket in the future.

Wi-Fi in the Council Chamber

Council Member Stinnett questioned the reliability of Wi-Fi service in the Council Chamber. Stinnett highlighted that this had been an ongoing issue since 2009 and requested an update on what steps were being taken to address the problem.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

No public comments were submitted for this work session.

Requested Rezonings/Docket Approval

3:27

The board approved the docket for the June 18, 2015 Council Meeting. Key speakers on this item included Stinnett, Henson, and Lane.

In addition to docket approval, the board also approved a change order for the Senior Citizen Center construction project. The change order increased the contract price by $336,699.

The item was approved by the board.

Approval of Summary

The committee approved the summary of the Environmental Quality & Public Works Committee meeting held on May 19, 2015. 13:12

Stinnett presented this agenda item for approval. The motion to approve the summary was carried, and the summary was officially approved by the committee.

Budget Amendments

The Budget Amendments agenda item was presented during the meeting 7:12.

Key Speakers

Scutchfield and Massadi led the discussion on budget amendments.

Amendments Approved

The following budget amendments were approved:

• A transfer from Asset Forfeiture funds to the Street Sales 2015 grant
• Additional funds allocated for the Public Safety Emergency Operations Center

Outcome

The budget amendments were approved.

New Business

7:42

The board approved several new business items during this section of the meeting.

Items Approved

The following contracts and grants were approved:

• Contract with BissNuss, Inc.
• Contract with Level 3
• EPA Brownfields grant

LexArts Maintenance Agreement

The LexArts maintenance agreement was removed from the docket after confirmation that it was not required.

Key Participants

The discussion was led by board members Akers, Lamb, and Graham.

Outcome

All new business items presented were approved.

Continuing Business/Presentations

13:12

During this agenda item, the council addressed three matters:

Neighborhood Development Funds The council approved Neighborhood Development Funds, though specific details regarding the amount or intended projects were not provided in the available materials.

Environmental Quality & Public Works Committee Meeting Summary Stinnett, Henson, and Moloney presented a summary of the Environmental Quality & Public Works Committee meeting. The specific content of this committee report was not detailed in the provided information.

Speed Limit Reduction on Jouett Creek Drive The council approved a reduction of the speed limit on Jouett Creek Drive to 25 mph. This action was taken during the presentations portion of the meeting.

Outcome All matters presented during this agenda item were approved.

Council Reports

Council members provided updates on several ongoing initiatives and issues during this agenda item.

Senior Intern Program and Skate Park

Council members Brown and James Brown presented reports on the Senior Intern Program and skate park developments. These updates were informational in nature, allowing the council to receive status reports on these community programs.

Neighborhood Meetings

Council Member Henson reported on neighborhood meetings, providing the council with feedback and updates from community engagement efforts.

Tree Protection Issues

Tree protection emerged as a significant topic during the council reports. Council Member Gibbs moved to place tree protection into committee for further review and discussion. This action indicated that the council determined the issue warranted more detailed examination through the committee process rather than immediate full council action.

Speakers and Participation

In addition to those mentioned above, Council Members Maloney and Stinnett participated in the council reports discussion.

Outcome

The agenda item was informational in nature, with council members sharing updates on various programs and community matters. The primary action taken was Council Member Gibbs' motion to refer tree protection issues to committee for further consideration.

15:19

Mayor's Report

The Mayor presented a report to the council 28:05. The Mayor requested approval of the report with specific exclusions for Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment appointments, which were noted as pending confirmation hearings.

Henson participated in the discussion of this agenda item.

The motion to approve the Mayor's Report, with the noted exclusions for the Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment appointments, passed.

Public Comment - Issues Not on Agenda

No public comments were submitted for issues not on the agenda.

Adjournment

A motion to adjourn the meeting was made and carried. 32:12

The motion involved speakers Stinnett and Scutchfield and was approved.