Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on July 6, 2017, at 6:35 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gray presiding over the session. The council addressed four agenda items during the meeting, all of which were approved, including two zone change ordinances, a budget amendment ordinance, and an employee pay increase ordinance. The council conducted five motions and votes throughout the evening's proceedings. One member of the public provided comments during the designated public comment period. The meeting demonstrated productive legislative action with all proposed ordinances receiving council approval.

Attendance

The following members were present at the July 6, 2017 meeting:

• Smith
• Stinnett
• F. Brown
• J. Brown
• Farmer
• Gibbs
• Henson
• Kay
• Moloney
• Mossotti
• Plomin
• Scutchfield

Late Arrivals: • Evans • Lamb

Absent: • Bledsoe

Note: There appears to be a discrepancy in the provided data, as Bledsoe is listed in both the present and absent categories. Based on standard meeting protocols, an individual cannot be simultaneously present and absent from the same meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted five roll call votes during the meeting, with all measures passing unanimously or near-unanimously 0:00.

Ordinance 0710-17 changed the zoning from R-2 to B-1 for properties on W. Maxwell Street and Pine Street. Motion by Farmer, seconded by Stinnett. The ordinance passed 15-0 with all council members voting in favor: Smith, Stinnett, Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Evans, Farmer, Gibbs, Henson, Kay, Lamb, Moloney, Mossotti, Plomin, and Scutchfield.

Ordinance 0711-17 rezoned property at 1937 Star Shoot Parkway from P-1 to B-6P. Motion by Farmer, seconded by Stinnett. The measure passed unanimously 15-0 with the same council members voting in favor.

Ordinance 0763-17 amended municipal expenditure budgets for FY 2018 Schedule No. 1. Motion by Farmer, seconded by Stinnett. The budget amendment passed 15-0 with unanimous support from all council members.

Ordinance 0742-17 provided a 2% pay increase for certain employees. Motion by Farmer, seconded by Stinnett. The pay increase ordinance passed unanimously 15-0 with all council members voting in favor.

A resolution authorizing a grant application to the U.S. Department of Justice for bulletproof vests was also approved. Motion by Henson, seconded by Mossotti. This resolution passed 14-0, with one council member (Bledsoe) not recorded as voting. The supporting votes came from Smith, Stinnett, F. Brown, J. Brown, Evans, Farmer, Gibbs, Henson, Kay, Lamb, Moloney, Mossotti, Plomin, and Scutchfield.

All votes were conducted as roll call votes with no opposition recorded on any measure.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed one financial item related to public safety equipment funding.

• Grant for Sheriff's Office Equipment: The commission considered a $7,550 grant for the purchase of bulletproof vests for the Fayette County Sheriff's Office. This grant funding would provide essential protective equipment for law enforcement personnel.

The financial action represents an investment in officer safety and public protection through the acquisition of critical protective gear for sheriff's department personnel.

Public Comment

During the public comment period, one community member addressed the board regarding transportation infrastructure concerns.

Bernard McCarthy spoke at approximately 7:00 to voice his objection to a proposal involving the removal of public roadway infrastructure. Specifically, Mr. McCarthy opposed the removal of the Jefferson viaduct, arguing that the community needs to maintain its existing streets and parking spaces rather than eliminating them.

Mr. McCarthy's comments focused on the practical transportation needs of the area, emphasizing the importance of preserving vehicular access and parking availability for residents and visitors. His remarks highlighted community concerns about potential impacts to local mobility and access if the viaduct were to be removed.

No other members of the public provided comments during this portion of the meeting.

Contested Items

The July 6, 2017 meeting featured discussion of one primary contested issue that generated community opposition and council debate.

Fireworks Noise Complaints

Several council members addressed constituent complaints regarding excessive fireworks noise in the community. The discussion centered on residents' concerns about disruptive fireworks activity and what council members characterized as insufficient police presence to address the issue.

Multiple council members participated in the discussion, expressing their constituents' frustrations with the noise disturbances. The debate highlighted concerns over the adequacy of law enforcement response to fireworks-related complaints from community members.

The extracted data does not indicate a specific resolution or outcome for this contested item during the meeting.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps and detailed participant names were not available in the provided source materials for this meeting.*

Zone Change Ordinance

0:00

The council considered Ordinance 0710-17, which proposed changing the zoning classification from R-2 (residential) to B-1 (business) for properties located on W. Maxwell Street and Pine Street.

Key speakers during the discussion included Farmer and Stinnett, who addressed the proposed zoning change and its implications for the affected properties.

The ordinance was approved by the council, allowing the properties on W. Maxwell Street and Pine Street to transition from residential zoning (R-2) to business zoning (B-1). This change will permit commercial uses on these properties that were previously restricted to residential development.

The approval of this zoning change represents a shift in the designated use for these specific parcels, potentially allowing for business development in an area that was formerly zoned for residential purposes.

Zone Change Ordinance

0:00

The council considered Ordinance 0711-17, which proposed changing the zoning designation from P-1 to B-6P for property located at 1937 Star Shoot Parkway.

The agenda item was presented as a zone change ordinance requiring council approval. Key speakers during the discussion included Farmer and Stinnett, though the specific details of their presentations and any debate that occurred were not detailed in the available materials.

The proposed zoning change would reclassify the property from P-1 (Public/Institutional) to B-6P (Planned Business District), which would allow for different permitted uses and development standards at the Star Shoot Parkway location.

The council ultimately approved the ordinance, completing the zone change process for the property at 1937 Star Shoot Parkway.

Budget Amendment Ordinance

0:00

The council considered Ordinance 0763-17, a budget amendment ordinance for municipal expenditures under FY 2018 Schedule No. 1. This ordinance proposed amendments to the city's budget allocations for the fiscal year.

The discussion was led by key speakers Farmer and Stinnett, who presented the details of the proposed budget modifications. The ordinance addressed adjustments to various municipal expenditure categories, though the specific departments or line items affected were not detailed in the available materials.

The budget amendment represents the first scheduled adjustment to the FY 2018 municipal budget, indicating this was likely a routine administrative measure to reallocate funds or address changing operational needs early in the fiscal year.

Following the presentation and any discussion by council members, the ordinance was approved by the council. The approval allows the city to proceed with the amended budget allocations as outlined in Schedule No. 1 for the remainder of FY 2018.

This type of budget amendment ordinance is typically used by municipalities to adjust spending priorities, accommodate unexpected expenses, or reallocate funds between departments based on actual operational needs that may differ from initial budget projections.