Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government held a meeting on August 11, 2015, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber of the Urban County Government Center in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gray presiding. The council addressed 10 agenda items during the session, covering a range of municipal business including zoning matters, budget amendments, and various administrative items. The meeting resulted in 21 motions and votes being taken, with most substantive items receiving approval including requested rezonings, budget amendments, and new business items. No public comments were recorded during either of the designated public comment periods for issues on the agenda or issues not on the agenda. The session concluded with standard informational reports from council members and the mayor before adjournment.

Attendance

All council members were present for the August 11, 2015 meeting.

Present: • Mayor Gray • Stinnett • Henson • Akers • Farmer • Evans • Mossotti • Lamb • Scutchfield • F. Brown • Bledsoe • Kay • Moloney • J. Brown • Gibbs

Absent: None

Late: None

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted 21 votes during the August 11, 2015 meeting, with most passing unanimously. All 15 council members were present, including Mayor Gray.

Unanimous Approvals: The council unanimously approved multiple items including: • Approval of the July 7, 2015 Council meeting docket (motion by Stinnett, second by Henson) • Two amendments to the Neighborhood Development Fund (NDF) list: $500 to Bryan Station High School Alumni Association, Inc. (motion by Stinnett, second by Akers) and $2,150 to the African American Forum, Inc. (motion by Farmer, second by Henson) • Placing several resolutions on the docket for service agreements with Bluegrass State Games, Inc., Roots & Heritage Festival, Inc., and Kentucky Classical Theatre Conservatory (motion by Evans, second by Mossotti) • Accepting the bid from Pack's Nursery and Landscaping, LLC for Man O' War Boulevard Landscape (motion by Farmer, second by Akers) • An Interlocal Cooperative Agreement with Kentucky Counties for Bluegrass Workforce Investment Board (motion by Lamb, second by Henson) • Amendment to the Mayor's Report adding Gross and Needham to the Board of Adjustment and Frank Penn to the planning commission (motion by Lamb, second by Scutchfield) • Procurement of replacement wayfinding signs from Architectural Graphics, Inc. and related budget amendments (motions by Bledsoe)

Roll Call Votes: Two items required roll call votes. Item XX was initially tabled 9-3 (motion by Moloney, second by Stinnett), with Akers, Farmer, and Lane voting against. The item was later removed from the table unanimously and approved for the July 7, 2015 docket.

The minimum wage issue was recalled from the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee by an 11-4 vote (motion by Kay, second by Mossotti), with Farmer, Scutchfield, F. Brown, and Bledsoe opposing. A special Committee of the Whole meeting was scheduled for August 20, 2015 at 4pm to discuss this issue.

The meeting concluded with unanimous approval to adjourn (motion by Scutchfield, second by Akers).

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed multiple financial items totaling over $6 million in contracts, grants, and change orders across various city departments and projects.

Fire Station Renovations Three change orders were approved for Mitchell Construction Management's bathroom renovation project at Fire Station #1: • Change Order No. Two (0833-15): $10,900.00 • Change Order No. Three (0834-15): $200.00 • Change Order No. Four (0835-15): $2,085.00

Major Infrastructure and Technology Contracts The largest expenditure was an amendment with Airbus DS Communications (0908-15) for $1,542,083.00 to expand the 800 MHz radio system. Additional technology agreements included Oracle America, Inc. (0966-15) for $67,806.03 in licenses and support fees, and SDGblue (0984-15) for $262,500.00 in utility billing technical project management services.

Public Works and Engineering Significant infrastructure investments included CDP Engineers, Inc. (0981-15) receiving $526,482.00 for the Clays Mill Road Improvement Project and Judy Construction Company (0985-15) receiving a $664,596.00 change order for the Wolf Run Wet Weather Storage project. A smaller contract with Iron Armour, LLC (0958-15) for $28,600.00 covered traffic monitoring devices.

Grants and Revenue The city approved applications for federal funding including $140,000.00 from the Bluegrass Workforce Investment Board (0963-15) for youth services and $60,000.00 (0969-15) for the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program. A tax collection agreement with the Sheriff of Fayette County (0956-15) was approved for $350,000.00.

Administrative Items Several items carried no budgetary impact, including Verizon contract renewals (0948-15, 0957-15), various intergovernmental agreements, and donation acceptances from Adam Banks and the NAACP of Lexington. The implementation of a new billing and collections system (0977-15) was approved for $2,502,181.00.

Appointments

The meeting included several appointments to municipal boards and commissions.

Three individuals were appointed to serve on various city bodies:

• Gross was appointed to the BOA
• Needham was appointed to the BOA
• Frank Penn was appointed to the planning commission

All three appointments were approved during the meeting. The BOA appointments for Gross and Needham will fill positions on the Board of Appeals, while Frank Penn's appointment adds a new member to the city's planning commission.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps were not available for this section of the meeting.*

Contested Items

The council addressed one contested matter during this meeting, involving a procedural decision regarding minimum wage policy.

Minimum Wage Issue Recall

The primary point of contention centered on a motion to recall the minimum wage issue from the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee (BFED) for immediate council discussion. This procedural move generated significant debate among council members, ultimately resulting in a divided vote.

The council voted 11-4 to approve the recall motion, bringing the minimum wage matter back to the full council for consideration rather than allowing it to continue through the committee process. The split vote indicates substantial disagreement among council members about the appropriate procedural path for handling this policy issue.

The nature of the disagreement appeared to focus on whether the minimum wage issue should continue through the standard committee review process or be expedited for full council discussion. Those supporting the recall motion prevailed, suggesting they believed the matter warranted immediate attention from the entire council rather than further committee deliberation.

The 11-4 vote breakdown demonstrates that while a clear majority supported recalling the issue from committee, a notable minority of council members preferred to maintain the established committee process. This procedural dispute reflects broader tensions about how significant policy matters like minimum wage should be handled within the council's governance structure.

The successful recall motion means the minimum wage issue will proceed directly to full council consideration rather than continuing through the BFED committee review process.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

The meeting included a designated period for public comments specifically related to items listed on the agenda. This agenda item provided an opportunity for community members to address the governing body regarding matters scheduled for discussion during the meeting.

No specific speakers or comments were recorded for this portion of the meeting. The item was structured as an informational session, allowing for public input on agenda topics without requiring formal action by the governing body.

This public comment period represents a standard practice in government meetings to ensure transparency and community engagement in the decision-making process. By dedicating time specifically for agenda-related comments, the meeting structure allows residents and stakeholders to provide input on matters that will be formally considered by the governing body during the same session.

The outcome was informational, indicating that any comments received during this period were intended to inform the governing body's subsequent discussions and deliberations on the agenda items rather than to prompt immediate action or response.

Requested Rezonings/ Docket Approval

The council considered approval of the meeting docket during this agenda item. Council members Stinnett and Henson were the key speakers who participated in the discussion regarding the docket approval.

The item was presented as a resolution for the council's consideration. While specific details of the docket contents or any particular rezoning requests were not detailed in the available materials, the council proceeded with their review of the proposed agenda items.

The council ultimately approved the docket for the meeting, allowing the scheduled business to proceed as planned. No significant concerns or objections were noted during the discussion of this procedural item.

Outcome: Approved

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps are not available for this agenda item.*

Approval of Summary

The council considered approval of the summary from their previous work session. Council members Farmer and Mossotti participated in the discussion of this agenda item.

The council voted to approve the summary of the previous work session without any recorded objections or significant debate. This routine procedural item allows the council to formally accept the record of their prior meeting's proceedings.

Outcome: Approved

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps are not available for this agenda item.*

Budget Amendments

The council considered and approved various budget amendments during this meeting. The agenda item was presented as a resolution requiring council action.

The discussion focused on necessary adjustments to the municipal budget, though specific details about the nature and scope of the amendments were not captured in the available meeting documentation. The amendments appeared to be routine budgetary adjustments that required formal council approval.

The council proceeded to vote on the budget amendments without significant debate or opposition recorded in the meeting materials. The resolution was ultimately approved by the council.

Outcome: The budget amendments were approved.

*Note: Specific details about the amendment amounts, affected budget categories, and individual speaker comments were not available in the source materials for this meeting.*

New Business

The council addressed new business items during this portion of the meeting. Council members Scutchfield and Farmer were the primary speakers during the discussion of these matters.

The council reviewed and deliberated on the new business items that were brought forward for consideration. Following their discussion, the council voted to approve the new business items that were presented.

*Note: Specific details about the individual new business items, the nature of the discussion, and voting specifics were not available in the provided meeting materials. Transcript timestamps were not available for this agenda item.*

Continuing Business/ Presentations

The council addressed ongoing business matters and received presentations during this portion of the meeting. Key speakers included Kay and Henson, who participated in the discussion of continuing business items.

The session was informational in nature, with council members receiving updates and presentations on various ongoing matters. However, specific details about the topics covered, the content of presentations, or the nature of the continuing business items were not captured in the available meeting documentation.

No specific concerns, debates, or formal actions were recorded for this agenda item. The discussion served primarily as an informational update for council members on various ongoing municipal matters.

*Note: Detailed transcript information and specific timestamps were not available for this agenda item.*

Council Reports

Council members provided reports on various topics during this agenda item. The discussion was informational in nature, with no specific actions taken.

Key speakers during the council reports included: • Kay • Gibbs

The reports covered various municipal matters, though specific details of the topics discussed were not provided in the available meeting documentation. This agenda item served as an opportunity for council members to update their colleagues and the public on ongoing issues, committee work, or other matters of municipal interest.

The council reports concluded without any formal motions or decisions, as is typical for this type of informational agenda item.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps are not available for this agenda item.*

Mayor's Report

The Mayor provided a report on current issues and activities during the meeting. The presentation involved key speakers Mayor Lamb and Henson, who discussed various municipal matters and ongoing city initiatives.

The report covered current issues affecting the city and provided updates on municipal activities. While specific details of the topics discussed were not detailed in the available materials, the Mayor's Report served as an informational presentation to keep the council and public informed about city operations and developments.

Following the presentation, the report was approved by the council, indicating acceptance of the information provided and any recommendations or updates shared during the discussion.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps are not available for this agenda item.*

Public Comment - Issues Not on Agenda

The meeting included a designated period for public comments on issues not listed on the agenda. This agenda item provided an opportunity for community members to address the governing body on matters of public interest outside of the scheduled discussion topics.

No specific transcript timestamp or detailed information about individual speakers or comments was provided in the available meeting documentation. The item was classified as informational, indicating that no formal action was taken in response to the public comments received.

This type of public comment period is a standard component of government meetings, allowing for citizen participation and ensuring that community members have a forum to raise concerns or provide input on matters that may not have been formally scheduled for discussion during that particular meeting session.

Adjournment

The meeting was brought to a close with a motion to adjourn. The key speakers involved in the adjournment process were Scutchfield and Akers.

The motion to adjourn was approved, officially ending the meeting proceedings.