Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Urban County Council convened on August 18, 2016, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Vice-Mayor Kay presiding over the session. The council addressed three agenda items during the meeting, including the approval of minutes from previous meetings and the first reading of two zoning ordinances. The council took seven votes throughout the evening's proceedings, while no public comments were heard during this session. The meeting focused primarily on administrative matters and zoning changes, with the council approving minutes from the June 23 and July 7, 2016 meetings and conducting first readings for ordinances involving a Neighborhood Design Character Overlay zone addition and a zoning change from Single Family Residential to Neighborhood Business.

Attendance

The following members were present at the meeting on August 18, 2016:

Present: • James Brown • Evans • Farmer • Gibbs • Hensley • Henson • Kay • Lamb • Moloney • Mossotti • Scutchfield • Stinnett • Akers • Bledsoe • Fred Brown

All members were in attendance with no absences or late arrivals recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted seven votes during the August 18, 2016 meeting, all of which passed by voice vote.

Meeting Minutes Approval 0:45 The council approved the minutes from the June 23 and July 7, 2016 meetings by voice vote.

Rules Suspension Motions Several motions were made to suspend rules for second readings of various resolutions:

• Resolution 33 3:30: Evans motioned to suspend rules for the second reading, which passed by voice vote.

• Resolution 48 4:15: Stinnett motioned to suspend rules for the second reading, which passed by voice vote.

• Resolution 10 5:00: James Brown motioned to suspend rules for the second reading, which passed by voice vote.

• Resolution 19 5:30: James Brown motioned to suspend rules for the second reading, which passed by voice vote.

• Resolutions 6, 45, and 47 6:00: Mossotti motioned to suspend rules for the second reading of all three resolutions simultaneously, which passed by voice vote.

Chamber Modification 10:00 Farmer motioned to remove velvet ropes from the council chambers, which passed by voice vote.

All votes were conducted as voice votes with no recorded individual vote tallies or opposition noted. No roll call votes were taken during this meeting, and no abstentions were recorded for any of the motions.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed three contract resolutions for various municipal services and equipment purchases.

Resolution 0860-16 authorized a contract with Stringfellow, Inc. for a Hook Lift Vehicle for the Division of Facilities and Fleet Management. The resolution did not specify the contract amount during the meeting discussion.

Resolution 0871-16 approved contracts for Sanitary Sewer Repair Materials for the Division of Water Quality. The contracts were awarded to multiple vendors: C.I. Thornburg Co., Hayes Pipe Supply, Inc., and H.D. Supply Waterworks, Ltd. No specific dollar amounts were disclosed for these supply contracts.

Resolution 0873-16 authorized a contract with T.E.M. Group, Inc. for Emergency Generator Electrical Connections for the Division of Water Quality, with a contract value of $37,621. This was the only financial item with a specific dollar amount provided during the meeting.

All three resolutions involved operational contracts supporting municipal infrastructure and services, with two focused on water quality division needs and one addressing fleet management requirements. The emergency generator electrical work represents a critical infrastructure investment to ensure continuity of water quality operations during power outages.

Appointments

The meeting included several appointments and reappointments to various municipal boards and commissions.

New Appointments: • Jimmy Emmons was appointed to the Corridors Commission • Rebecca Self was appointed to the Library Board of Advisors

Reappointments: • Gregory Bibb was reappointed to the Rural Land Management Board

These appointments fill vacant positions and continue representation on key advisory bodies that support city operations and planning initiatives.

Contested Items

The meeting featured one significant point of contention among council members regarding the presence of velvet ropes in the council chambers.

Velvet Ropes in Council Chambers

Council members engaged in a heated discussion about whether velvet ropes should remain installed in the council chambers. The debate centered on both practical necessity and symbolic implications of maintaining these barriers within the meeting space.

The disagreement involved multiple council members, though specific names and individual positions were not detailed in the available meeting records. The discussion appeared to focus on questions of accessibility, formality, and the message that physical barriers might send to members of the public attending council meetings.

After deliberation, the council ultimately reached a decision to remove the velvet ropes from the chambers. This outcome suggests that concerns about the barriers' appropriateness or necessity prevailed over arguments for maintaining them.

The nature of this debate as a "heated discussion" indicates that council members held strong, differing views on what might otherwise seem like a minor procedural matter, reflecting broader questions about the council's relationship with the public and the appropriate level of formality for municipal government proceedings.

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

Minutes of the June 23 and July 7, 2016 Council Meetings

0:45

The Council considered Ordinance 0926-16 for the approval of minutes from two previous Council meetings held on June 23, 2016 and July 7, 2016. This routine administrative item involved the formal adoption of the official record of proceedings from these earlier sessions.

The agenda item was presented as a standard procedural matter requiring Council approval to finalize the written record of the June 23 and July 7 meetings. No specific speakers were identified as presenting or debating this item, indicating it proceeded without significant discussion or controversy.

The ordinance was approved by the Council, completing the formal process of adopting the minutes from both meetings. This approval ensures the official record of Council proceedings from June 23 and July 7, 2016 becomes part of the permanent municipal record.

The swift handling of this item reflects the routine nature of minutes approval, which typically occurs without extensive debate unless there are specific corrections or clarifications needed to the written record of previous proceedings.

An Ordinance adding a Neighborhood Design Character Overlay (ND-1) zone

2:00

The council conducted the first reading of Ordinance 0892-16, which proposes to establish a Neighborhood Design Character Overlay (ND-1) zone covering 23.33 net acres. The ordinance is designed to preserve the existing neighborhood character in the designated area.

This agenda item was presented as a first reading, which is the initial step in the legislative process for adopting new zoning regulations. The ND-1 overlay zone would add an additional layer of design standards and requirements to the underlying zoning in the affected area, aimed at maintaining the distinctive characteristics that define the neighborhood's current appearance and development patterns.

The ordinance completed its first reading without recorded discussion or debate during this portion of the meeting. As a first reading, no final action was taken on the proposal, which will require additional readings and potential public input before final adoption.

The outcome was the completion of the first reading process, allowing the ordinance to advance to subsequent readings where more detailed discussion and public comment typically occur before final council action.

An Ordinance changing the zone from a Single Family Residential (R-1C) zone to a

2:30

The council considered Ordinance 0893-16, which proposes to rezone 0.34 net acres from Single Family Residential (R-1C) to Neighborhood Business (B-1) zone. This agenda item was presented as a first reading of the ordinance.

The ordinance represents a zoning change that would allow the designated property to transition from residential use to neighborhood business use. The relatively small parcel size of 0.34 net acres suggests this may be a targeted rezoning for a specific development or business opportunity.

As this was the first reading of the ordinance, the item was presented to the council for initial consideration. First readings typically involve the introduction of the proposed legislation without extensive debate or public input, serving as the formal beginning of the legislative process.

The council completed the first reading without recorded discussion or debate from council members. No specific concerns or questions were raised during this portion of the meeting, which is typical for first reading presentations where the focus is on formally introducing the proposed zoning change.

The outcome was the successful completion of the first reading, which allows the ordinance to proceed through the standard legislative process. The zoning change will require additional readings and likely public input before final approval, following standard municipal procedures for land use changes.

This type of residential-to-business rezoning often reflects changing neighborhood dynamics or economic development opportunities, though the specific reasons for this particular request were not detailed during the first reading presentation.