Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened on March 18, 2008, at 3:00 PM with Mayor Newberry presiding. The Council conducted routine business during this session, addressing administrative matters and procedural items. The meeting included 8 agenda items, all of which were approved, resulting in 8 total votes taken by the Council. No public comments were heard during this meeting, and no formal presentations were given to the Council.

The Council's work focused primarily on administrative approvals, including the meeting docket, budget amendments, and the summary from the March 11th work session. Other significant actions included authorizing reimbursement for PeopleSoft software, encouraging the CSEA to utilize flex time provisions, and accepting Mr. Barker's proposal regarding dates for future presentations. The session concluded with approval of the Mayor's Report with modifications.

Attendance

All council members were present for the March 18, 2008 meeting.

Present: • Mayor Newberry • CM James • CM Ellinger • CM Blues • CM Gorton • CM DeCamp • CM Lane • CM Blevins • CM Beard • CM Stevens • CM McChord • CM Crosbie • VM Gray

Absent: None

Late: None

Votes and Decisions

The Council conducted eight votes during the March 18, 2008 meeting, with all motions passing. Most votes were conducted by voice vote, with one roll call vote on a personnel matter.

Administrative Approvals 0:00 • Docket approval as amended - Motion by CM DeCamp, seconded by CM Ellinger, passed by voice vote • March 11th work session summary - Motion by CM Gorton, seconded by CM Blues, passed by voice vote • Budget amendments - Motion by CM Gorton, seconded by CM Lane, passed by voice vote • New business items - Motion by CM Beard, seconded by CM Gorton, passed by voice vote

Financial Matters 0:00 • PeopleSoft software reimbursement resolution - Motion by CM Blevins, seconded by CM Myers, passed by voice vote

Personnel Issue 0:00 • Encourage CSEA to use flex time provision - Motion by CM James, seconded by CM DeCamp, passed by roll call vote with 9 ayes and 4 nays. This was the only contested vote of the meeting.

Scheduling Matters 0:00 • Accept Mr. Barker's proposal for future presentation dates - Motion by CM Blevins, seconded by CM Beard, passed by voice vote • Mayor's Report approval with change - Motion by CM Gorton, seconded by CM Crosbie, passed by voice vote

The flex time provision vote was the most significant decision of the meeting, representing the only item that generated opposition among Council members. All other business items received unanimous support through voice votes.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council approved several significant financial items totaling over $4.7 million in grants and contracts during the March 18, 2008 meeting.

Grant Approvals: - Resolution 136-08 authorized continuation of the Street Sales Drug Enforcement Project for FY2009, accepting $187,500 from the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet - Resolution 137-08 approved participation in the Law Enforcement Service Fee Grant Program for FY2009, receiving $35,000 from the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet - Resolution 140-08 accepted a $4,000 award from the John S and James L. Knight Foundation for the Life Skills Program

Major Contract Actions: The largest expenditure was Resolution 145-08, approving a $4,326,790 agreement with Metaformers, Inc. for PeopleSoft Software Phase II implementation.

Resolution 139-08 authorized $110,000 in professional services with Ratio, Inc. for developing a Small Area Plan for the Central Sector Neighborhood Area.

Infrastructure and Operations: - Resolution 120-08 approved a $30,000 contract proposal with Express Personnel Services for MMRS (Metropolitan Medical Response System) - Resolution 138-08 authorized Change Order No. 2 for $3,952.23 with Lenco Excavation, Inc. for the 7th Street at Old Railroad Improvements Project - Resolution 141-08 approved a $24,625 Railroad Encroachment Agreement with The Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway Company for the North Elkhorn Diversion Wastewater Project

The financial actions represented a mix of ongoing public safety initiatives, infrastructure improvements, and technology upgrades, with the PeopleSoft software contract representing the most substantial single investment approved by the Council.

Contested Items

The March 18, 2008 Council meeting featured one contested item that resulted in a split vote among council members.

CSEA Flex Time Provision

The primary point of contention during the meeting centered on a motion to encourage the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) to utilize flex time provisions. This item generated significant debate among council members, ultimately resulting in a divided vote.

The motion, which sought to encourage CSEA to implement or expand the use of flexible work time arrangements for employees, passed by a margin of 9-4. The split vote indicates that four council members opposed the measure, while nine supported it.

The nature of the disagreement and the specific arguments made by council members on either side of this issue were not detailed in the available meeting materials. However, the close vote suggests there were substantive concerns raised by the minority opposition regarding the flex time provision recommendation.

The successful passage of this motion means the Council officially went on record encouraging CSEA to utilize flex time arrangements, though the specific implementation details and timeline were not specified in the extracted meeting data.

This was the only item during the March 18, 2008 meeting that generated sufficient controversy to result in a split vote, with all other agenda items apparently receiving more unanimous support from the council members present.

Approval of docket as amended

0:00

The Lincoln City Council approved the docket as amended for the March 18, 2008 meeting. The approval process involved Council Members DeCamp and Ellinger as key participants in the procedural vote.

The council determined that certain items on the docket would proceed without requiring a public hearing, streamlining the meeting process for those particular agenda items. This procedural decision allowed the council to efficiently manage their meeting schedule while maintaining appropriate oversight for items that did require public input.

The docket approval passed without recorded opposition, enabling the council to proceed with their planned agenda for the session. This standard procedural item ensures that all council members are in agreement with the meeting's structure and the handling of individual agenda items before substantive business begins.

Approval of summary of March 11th work session

0:00 The Council considered approval of the summary from their March 11th work session. Council Members Gorton and Blues participated in the discussion of this agenda item.

The item was presented as a resolution for the Council's consideration. The summary documented the proceedings and discussions that took place during the March 11th work session.

Following the discussion, the Council approved the summary of the March 11th work session.

Approval of budget amendments

0:00

The Council considered budget amendments during the March 18, 2008 meeting. Council Members Gorton and Lane participated in the discussion of this agenda item.

The Council approved the budget amendments as presented. The item was handled as a resolution and received approval from the Council.

*Note: Limited transcript details were available for this agenda item, preventing a more detailed summary of the specific amendments discussed or the nature of the debate.*

Approval of new business items

0:00 The Council considered the approval of new business items during the March 18, 2008 meeting.

Council Members Beard and Gorton participated in the discussion of this agenda item. The item was presented as a resolution for the Council's consideration.

The Council voted to approve the new business items that were presented for consideration.

Outcome: Approved

*Note: The transcript and meeting materials provided limited detail about the specific new business items that were discussed or the nature of the debate that occurred during this agenda item.*

Resolution authorizing reimbursement for PeopleSoft software

0:00

The Council considered a resolution authorizing reimbursement for the implementation of Phase II of the PeopleSoft software system. The discussion involved key contributions from CM Blevins and CM Myers, though specific details of their remarks and the broader council debate were not captured in the available meeting materials.

The resolution focused on approving reimbursement related to the second phase of PeopleSoft implementation, which represents a continuation of the city's enterprise software system upgrade. PeopleSoft is typically used by government entities for human resources, financial management, and other administrative functions.

The Council ultimately approved the resolution, authorizing the requested reimbursement for the PeopleSoft Phase II implementation costs. The approval suggests the Council found the expenditure necessary and appropriate for the city's ongoing technology infrastructure improvements.

Encourage CSEA to use flex time provision

0:00

The Council discussed encouraging the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) to utilize existing flex time provisions rather than pursuing a formal ordinance for association business time.

Council Members James and DeCamp were the key speakers on this agenda item, which was presented as a resolution. The discussion centered on the city's approach to accommodating CSEA members who need time away from their regular duties to conduct union business.

Rather than creating new formal policies through an ordinance, the Council determined that the existing flex time provision would be sufficient to meet CSEA's needs for association business time. This approach would allow union representatives the flexibility to handle their duties while maintaining their regular work responsibilities.

The Council approved the resolution to encourage CSEA to use the flex time provision instead of pursuing additional formal ordinance language for association business time.

Accept Mr. Barker's proposal of dates for future presentations

0:00

The Council considered Mr. Barker's proposal regarding scheduling dates for upcoming presentations on employee compensation matters. The item was presented as a resolution requiring Council approval.

Council Members Blevins and Beard participated in the discussion of the proposed presentation schedule. The agenda item focused specifically on accepting the dates that Mr. Barker had suggested for future presentations related to employee compensation topics.

The Council approved Mr. Barker's proposed dates for the future presentations without significant debate or opposition recorded in the meeting summary.

Outcome: The resolution was approved, formally accepting Mr. Barker's proposal of dates for future presentations on employee compensation.

Approval of Mayor's Report with change

0:00

The Council considered approval of the Mayor's Report, which required a correction to information regarding the Greenspace Commission.

Council Members Gorton and Crosbie participated in the discussion of this agenda item. The report needed modification to correct a name associated with the Greenspace Commission before it could be approved.

The Council approved the Mayor's Report with the requested change incorporated.