Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council convened on March 20, 2008, at 7:00 P.M. in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Jim Newberry presiding. The Council addressed two primary agenda items during the session, both of which were approved following deliberation. The meeting included two formal motions and votes, covering a zone change request for Beaumont Investments, LLC and the issuance of revenue bonds for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington. Two members of the public provided comments during the designated public comment period, contributing community input to the proceedings.

Attendance

The following members were present at the Council meeting on March 20, 2008:

Present: • Jim Newberry • Stevens • Stinnett • Beard • Blevins • Blues • Crosbie • DeCamp • Ellinger • Gorton • Gray • Henson • James • Lane • McChord • Myers

All 16 council members were in attendance. No members were reported as absent or late for this meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The Council conducted two roll call votes during the March 20, 2008 meeting, both resulting in unanimous passage.

Approval of Ordinances Given Second Reading 2:00 Councilmember Blevins made a motion to approve ordinances given second reading, which was seconded by Councilmember Stevens. The motion passed unanimously with a roll call vote of 14 ayes, 0 nays, and 0 abstentions.

Voting in favor were: Stevens, Stinnett, Blevins, Blues, Crosbie, DeCamp, Ellinger, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, McChord, and Myers.

Approval of Resolutions Given Second Reading 6:00 Councilmember Stevens made a motion to approve resolutions given second reading, which was seconded by Councilmember Myers. The motion passed unanimously with a roll call vote of 15 ayes, 0 nays, and 0 abstentions.

Voting in favor were: Stevens, Stinnett, Beard, Blevins, Blues, Crosbie, DeCamp, Ellinger, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, McChord, and Myers.

Both votes demonstrated full Council support for the legislative items under consideration, with no opposition or abstentions recorded on either motion.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council approved three significant financial contracts during the March 20, 2008 meeting, totaling over $3.4 million in expenditures.

The largest financial action involved a $2,827,319.00 engineering services agreement with Camp Dresser & McKee, Inc. for a comprehensive sewer system capacity assessment. This substantial contract represents a major investment in evaluating the city's wastewater infrastructure capabilities.

The Council also authorized a $590,000.00 contract with Arnold, Dugan & Meyers for improvements to the West Hickman Wastewater Treatment Plant's aerated sludge holding tank. These improvements are part of ongoing efforts to maintain and upgrade the city's wastewater treatment facilities.

Additionally, the Council approved a smaller $19,865.00 contract with Muse Electric Co. Inc. for electrical supply expansion at the Detention Center. This project addresses infrastructure needs at the county's correctional facility.

These three contracts collectively represent $3,437,184.00 in approved expenditures, with the majority of funds directed toward wastewater system evaluation and improvements. The sewer capacity assessment contract with Camp Dresser & McKee represents approximately 82% of the total financial commitments made during this meeting.

Public Comment

Two speakers addressed the Council during the public comment period at the March 20, 2008 meeting.

Diana Butler spoke at 10:00 regarding employee compensation issues. Butler expressed concerns about the Mayor's proposal to not grant pay raises to non-union urban county government employees. She addressed the potential impact this decision would have on government workers who are not represented by union contracts.

David Sams addressed the Council at 12:00 to request support for House Bill 519. Sams emphasized the importance of this legislation, specifically highlighting the need for enhanced protection for employees who handle hazardous materials in their work duties. He urged the Council to formally support this state-level legislation.

Both speakers focused on employee-related issues, with Butler addressing local compensation concerns and Sams advocating for workplace safety protections at the state level.

Appointments

The Council approved several appointments and reappointments to various city boards and commissions during the March 20, 2008 meeting.

New Appointments: • Kristina M. Stambaugh was appointed to the Commission for Citizens with Disabilities • William J. Baggerman was appointed to the Raven Run Nature Sanctuary Advisory Board • William M. Ballard, Jr. was appointed to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board

Reappointments: • Lee Meyer was reappointed to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board • Freddy Peralta was reappointed to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board • Leslie Phillips was reappointed to the Civil Service Commission • Van Meter Pettit was reappointed to the Greenspace Commission • John B. Park was reappointed to the Greenspace Commission

The appointments included positions on several key advisory bodies, with the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board receiving both new and continuing members. The reappointments demonstrate continuity of service for experienced board members across multiple city commissions, including those focused on environmental conservation, civil service oversight, and accessibility services for citizens with disabilities.

Contested Items

During the March 20, 2008 Council meeting, one primary issue generated community opposition and debate.

Employee Pay Raises

The main contested item involved concerns raised by community members regarding the Mayor's proposal to withhold pay raises from non-union urban county government employees. The disagreement centered on the administration's decision not to grant salary increases to this specific group of workers, while the broader context and reasoning behind this proposal sparked opposition from meeting attendees.

The nature of the opposition appeared to focus on the fairness and impact of selectively denying pay raises to non-union employees, though the specific arguments made by community members and the Mayor's detailed justification for the proposal were not fully captured in the available meeting data.

The outcome of this contested item and any subsequent Council action or resolution was not specified in the meeting records provided.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps and detailed participant statements were not available in the source materials for this contested item.*

Zone change for Beaumont Investments, LLC

2:00

The Council considered an ordinance to change zoning designations for properties owned by Beaumont Investments, LLC. The proposed ordinance would rezone certain areas from Highway Service Business (B-3) zone to Professional Office (P-1) zone, while simultaneously changing other portions from P-1 to B-3 zoning.

Council members Blevins and Stevens participated in the discussion of this zoning matter. The ordinance represents a reciprocal zone change arrangement, effectively swapping the zoning classifications between different sections of the Beaumont Investments properties.

The Highway Service Business (B-3) zone typically allows for commercial uses oriented toward highway and automotive services, while the Professional Office (P-1) zone is designed for office buildings and professional services. The zone swap would realign the permitted uses on the properties to better match the intended development plans.

The Council approved the ordinance, allowing the zone changes to proceed as requested by Beaumont Investments, LLC.

Issuance of Revenue Bonds for Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington

3:00 The Council considered Ordinance 2 authorizing the issuance of revenue bonds not to exceed $5,000,000 for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington Project.

The discussion was led by key speakers Blevins and Stevens, who presented the details of the bond issuance proposal. The revenue bonds would support a project undertaken by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington, though the specific nature of the project was not detailed in the available materials.

The ordinance represents a significant financial commitment, with the bond authorization capped at $5 million. Revenue bonds of this type typically allow religious organizations to access capital markets for major construction or renovation projects while providing certain tax advantages.

Following the presentation and discussion by Blevins and Stevens, the Council moved to approve the ordinance. The measure was approved, authorizing the city to proceed with the revenue bond issuance process for the Diocese project.

This approval allows the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington to move forward with their planned project financing through the municipal bond mechanism, which can provide favorable interest rates compared to conventional financing options.