Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council convened on March 16, 2017, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gray presiding. The council addressed three agenda items during the session, focusing primarily on budget amendments and traffic safety improvements on Richmond Avenue. All three items brought before the council were approved, with the council taking a total of three votes during the meeting. No public comments were heard during this session, and no presentations were given to the council.

Attendance

The following members were present at the March 16, 2017 meeting:

Present: • Henson • Higgins • Kay • Lamb • Moloney • Mossotti • Plomin • Scutchfield • Stinnett • Bledsoe • F. Brown • Evans • Farmer • Gibbs • J. Brown (arrived late)

Late: • J. Brown

Absent: • None

All members were in attendance for the meeting, with J. Brown arriving after the meeting had begun. No members were recorded as absent.

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted three roll call votes during the March 16, 2017 meeting, with all three measures passing.

Ordinance 0227-17 10:00 - Amending budgets for traffic calming measures on Richmond Ave. was motioned by Vice Mayor Kay and seconded by Ms. Mossotti. The ordinance passed with 13 ayes and 2 nays. Voting in favor were Henson, Higgins, Kay, Lamb, Mossotti, Plomin, Scutchfield, Stinnett, Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Evans, and Gibbs. Moloney and Farmer voted against the measure.

Ordinance 0226-17 15:00 - Amending budgets for municipal expenditures was also motioned by Vice Mayor Kay and seconded by Ms. Mossotti. This ordinance passed unanimously with all 15 council members voting in favor: Henson, Higgins, Kay, Lamb, Moloney, Mossotti, Plomin, Scutchfield, Stinnett, Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Evans, Farmer, and Gibbs.

Resolution 0246-17 45:00 - Installing traffic calming devices on Richmond Ave. was motioned by Ms. Scutchfield and seconded by Ms. Plomin. The resolution passed with 14 ayes and 1 nay. Supporting the resolution were Henson, Higgins, Kay, Lamb, Moloney, Mossotti, Plomin, Scutchfield, Stinnett, Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Evans, and Gibbs. Farmer cast the sole opposing vote.

All three items related to Richmond Avenue improvements, with the budget amendments and traffic calming installation receiving strong council support. Farmer was the most frequent dissenting vote, opposing two of the three measures.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed multiple financial items totaling over $1.3 million in contracts, grants, and amendments across various city departments and projects.

Major Construction and Infrastructure Contracts: • Resolution 0213-17 authorized a $207,890 contract with Tri-State Roofing and Sheet Metal Co. for Black and Williams Center roof replacement and repairs • Resolution 0188-17 approved a $109,097 contract with OMNI Commercial, LLC for the Newtown Pike Welcome Sign Project • Resolution 0200-17 authorized an $88,764 contract with Lagco, Inc. for Bluegrass Regional Transfer Station pump station improvements • Resolution 0183-17 approved a $26,500 contract with ZKB Service, LLC for a concrete pad for tornado shelter

Contract Amendments: • Resolution 0202-17 authorized Change Order No. 1 for $127,205.11 with RRC Co., LLC for the Waste Transfer Station Repairs Project • Resolution 0181-17 approved Change Order No. 8 for $36,113.91 with Olympic Construction, LLC for the Replacement Fire Station #2 Project

Environmental and Waste Management: • Resolution 0177-17 authorized a $78,781.50 contract with Environmental Enterprises, Inc. for the Hazardous Household Waste Collection Event Spring 2017 • Resolution 0178-17 approved a grant application for $78,784 to the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet for a hazardous waste recycling event

Grant Activities: • Resolution 0204-17 authorized a grant application for $333,000 to the United States Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention • Resolution 0058-17 accepted a $7,800 grant from the Reeve Foundation for recreational basketball wheelchairs

Other Financial Actions: • Resolution 0179-17 approved a $210,833 subrecipient agreement with Lexington Community Land Trust for affordable housing related to the Newtown Pike Extension Project • Resolution 0077-17 authorized professional services agreements with Angela Wallace, Carrie Barnett, and Susanna Moberly for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners • Resolution 0148-17 approved a transfer of title agreement for the artwork "Blue Cat" with Jesse Rivera and Dan Dutton

Contested Items

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

Traffic Calming Measures on Richmond Avenue

The primary point of contention during the meeting involved an ordinance proposing traffic calming measures for Richmond Avenue. The proposal faced opposition from Mr. Farmer, who voted against the measure due to his concerns about establishing a precedent for similar municipal expenditures in the future.

Mr. Farmer's opposition centered on the potential financial implications of approving traffic calming measures, expressing worry that approval of this ordinance could lead to increased requests for similar projects throughout the municipality. His concerns appeared to focus on the broader budgetary impact rather than the specific merits of the Richmond Avenue project itself.

Despite Mr. Farmer's objections, the ordinance ultimately passed, though the split vote highlighted the division among council members regarding municipal spending priorities and the appropriate scope of traffic safety investments. The disagreement reflected broader questions about how the municipality should balance individual neighborhood requests for improvements against overall fiscal responsibility and consistency in policy application.

The contested nature of this item demonstrates the ongoing challenges local governments face when weighing specific community needs against broader policy considerations and budget constraints.

Amending Budgets for Municipal Expenditures

15:00

The council considered Ordinance 0226-17, which proposed amendments to certain municipal budgets to reflect current expenditure requirements and included provisions for appropriating and re-appropriating funds.

Vice Mayor Kay and Ms. Mossotti served as the key speakers during the discussion of this budget amendment ordinance. The ordinance was designed to adjust existing budget allocations to better align with the city's current financial needs and operational requirements.

The proposed amendments addressed necessary adjustments to municipal expenditures, though the specific budget categories and dollar amounts affected were not detailed in the available materials. The ordinance included provisions for both appropriating new funds and re-appropriating existing funds to ensure proper allocation across municipal departments and services.

The council ultimately approved Ordinance 0226-17, allowing the budget amendments to take effect. This approval enables the city to proceed with the revised budget allocations and ensures that municipal expenditures can continue to meet current operational requirements.

The passage of this ordinance represents routine municipal financial management, allowing the city to maintain fiscal flexibility and respond to changing budgetary needs throughout the fiscal year.

Traffic Calming Measures on Richmond Ave.

10:00

The council considered Ordinance 0227-17, which proposed amending the budget to allocate $18,000 for traffic calming measures on Richmond Avenue.

Mr. Farmer and Mr. Gibbs served as the key speakers during the discussion of this agenda item. The ordinance specifically addressed the need for traffic safety improvements along Richmond Avenue through the implementation of various calming measures.

The proposed $18,000 budget amendment would fund the installation and implementation of traffic calming infrastructure designed to reduce vehicle speeds and improve pedestrian safety on Richmond Avenue. The measures represent the city's response to traffic safety concerns in the area.

Following discussion by the council members, Ordinance 0227-17 was approved, authorizing the budget amendment and allowing the city to proceed with the planned traffic calming improvements on Richmond Avenue.

Traffic Calming Devices on Richmond Ave.

45:00

The council considered Resolution 0246-17, which would authorize the installation of traffic calming devices on Richmond Avenue.

Ms. Scutchfield and Ms. Plomin served as the key speakers during the discussion of this traffic safety measure. The resolution proposed implementing physical infrastructure designed to reduce vehicle speeds and improve safety conditions along the Richmond Avenue corridor.

The council ultimately approved the resolution, authorizing the city to move forward with installing the traffic calming devices on Richmond Avenue. This approval will allow the implementation of measures intended to address speeding and enhance pedestrian and vehicular safety in the area.