Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on July 5, 2016, at 6:06 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gray presiding over the session. The meeting focused on second readings of legislative items, with the council addressing two main agenda items: ordinances and resolutions, both of which were approved. During the course of the meeting, the council conducted three votes and heard one public comment from a community member. The session successfully advanced multiple pieces of legislation through the second reading process, demonstrating the council's continued work on municipal governance and policy implementation for Lexington-Fayette County.

Attendance

The following members were present at the July 5, 2016 meeting:

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

Absent: • Akers

No members arrived late to the meeting. A total of 15 members were present with 1 member absent.

Votes and Decisions

The council took action on three items during the July 5, 2016 meeting.

Meeting Minutes Approval 1:30 Council Member Mossotti moved to approve the May 10 Zone Change Hearing and June 16 Council Meeting minutes, seconded by Kay. The motion passed by voice vote.

Ordinance 0724-16 2:00 Farmer moved to approve Ordinance 0724-16, changing the zone from Agricultural Rural (A-R) to Light Industrial (I-1) for property at 1551 Greendale Rd., seconded by Lamb. The ordinance passed unanimously on a roll call vote with 13 ayes and 0 nays. Voting in favor were: Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Farmer, Gibbs, Hensley, Henson, Kay, Lamb, Moloney, Mossotti, Scutchfield, and Stinnett.

Resolution 0834-16 8:00 Moloney moved for council acceptance of the Pavement Management Plan under Resolution 0834-16, seconded by Henson. The resolution passed on a roll call vote with 12 ayes and 2 nays. Voting in favor were: Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Evans, Farmer, Gibbs, Hensley, Henson, Kay, Moloney, Mossotti, and Stinnett. Voting against were: Lamb and Scutchfield.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed three significant financial expenditures through formal resolutions totaling $375,945.84.

Resolution 0695-16 authorized the purchase of Vapor Wake Dogs for $49,000 from American K9 Detection Services, LLC. These specialized detection dogs are trained to identify explosive materials and provide enhanced security capabilities.

Resolution 0723-16 approved a contract with Strothman and Co. for $7,700 related to the Sheriff's Settlement for the 2015 Property Tax Year. This resolution addresses settlement obligations from the previous tax year.

Resolution 0735-16 represented the largest expenditure, authorizing the purchase of tasers for $319,245.84 from Taser International. This substantial investment in law enforcement equipment indicates a significant expansion or upgrade of the department's non-lethal weapon capabilities.

The three resolutions collectively demonstrate the government's commitment to enhancing public safety through both specialized detection capabilities and law enforcement equipment upgrades, while also addressing outstanding financial obligations from prior tax settlements.

Public Comment

One member of the public addressed the meeting during the public comment period.

Richard Murphy spoke on behalf of Burgess Carey regarding a zoning ordinance amendment 3:00. Mr. Murphy addressed proposed changes to zoning regulations that would affect recreational and tourism land uses. He advocated for the implementation of incentives to encourage property owners to zone their land as AN (Agricultural-Natural). Murphy's comments focused on supporting the ordinance amendment as a beneficial tool for promoting appropriate land use designations in areas suitable for recreational and tourism activities.

The public comment period was brief, with only one speaker addressing the zoning matter before the meeting proceeded to other business items.

Appointments

The meeting included several appointments to various city boards and commissions.

Administrative Hearing Board • Michael Hurter was reappointed to the Administrative Hearing Board

Airport Board of Directors • Ronnie Bastin was appointed to the Airport Board of Directors

Board of Architectural Review • Sarah Lamere was appointed to the Board of Architectural Review

These appointments represent the city's ongoing efforts to maintain proper staffing of its various advisory boards and commissions that support municipal operations and governance.

Contested Items

The meeting featured one contested item that resulted in a split vote among council members.

Pavement Management Plan

The primary point of contention during the meeting centered on the Pavement Management Plan and concerns about how funds would be distributed. Councilmember Scutchfield raised specific objections regarding the allocation of resources within the plan, though the exact nature of these distribution concerns was not detailed in the available materials.

The disagreement was significant enough to prevent unanimous approval, resulting in a split vote on the measure. The specific vote tally and which other council members supported or opposed the plan alongside Councilmember Scutchfield was not documented in the extracted meeting data.

This split vote indicates there were differing perspectives among council members about the most appropriate approach to pavement management funding and resource allocation within the municipality.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps were not available in the provided meeting data for this contested item.*

Ordinances – Second Reading

2:00

The council conducted second readings for several ordinances during this portion of the meeting. The ordinances under consideration included proposed changes to zoning regulations and budget amendments.

Key speakers during this agenda item were Farmer and Lamb, who presented the ordinances and facilitated the discussion of the proposed measures.

The ordinances addressed various municipal matters, with zoning modifications and budget adjustments being the primary focus of the second readings. These readings represent the penultimate step in the ordinance approval process, allowing council members and the public to review the final language before a potential vote.

Following the presentations and any discussion, the ordinances were approved during the second reading phase. This approval moves the ordinances forward in the legislative process, bringing them closer to final adoption and implementation.

The second reading process ensures that all proposed ordinances receive adequate review and consideration before becoming municipal law, providing transparency and opportunity for public input on matters affecting the community.

Resolutions – Second Reading

5:00

The council conducted second readings of multiple resolutions during this agenda item. The resolutions included contracts for roof repairs and various purchase agreements, though specific details of each resolution were not provided in the available materials.

Key speakers during this portion of the meeting included council members Henson and Farmer, who participated in the discussion of the resolutions under consideration.

The resolutions presented for second reading covered operational matters including: • Contracts for roof repair work • Purchase agreements for municipal needs

Following the second reading process, all resolutions were approved by the council. The specific vote counts and any detailed discussion points were not captured in the available meeting materials.

Second readings represent the final step in the resolution approval process, allowing council members to review and vote on measures that have already undergone initial consideration during first reading at a previous meeting.