Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council convened on July 11, 2017, at 6:06 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gray presiding over the session. The council addressed a focused agenda consisting of two items: Ordinance 0746-17 and Resolution 0821-17, both of which were approved during the meeting.

The council conducted two formal votes during the session, successfully passing both measures that came before them. Two members of the public provided comments during the designated public comment period, allowing for community input on matters of local concern. The meeting demonstrated efficient governance with all agenda items receiving approval, reflecting the council's ability to move forward on municipal business in a timely manner.

Attendance

The following members were present at the meeting on July 11, 2017:

Present: • Stinnett • Bledsoe • F. Brown • J. Brown • Evans • Farmer • Gibbs • Henson • Kay • Lamb • Moloney • Mossotti • Plomin • Scutchfield • Smith

All 15 members were in attendance. No members were recorded as absent or arriving late to the meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The council took action on two items during the July 11, 2017 meeting, with both measures passing unanimously.

Ordinance 0746-17 1:00 The council voted on changing the zone from a Single Family Residential (R-1E) zone to a Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3) zone for property located at 1975 Russell Cave Rd. Council member Farmer made the motion, which was seconded by Plomin. The ordinance passed by roll call vote with 15 ayes and 0 nays. All council members voted in favor: Stinnett, Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Evans, Farmer, Gibbs, Henson, Kay, Lamb, Moloney, Mossotti, Plomin, Scutchfield, and Smith.

Resolution 0821-17 2:00 The council approved Resolution 0821-17, which concerned the Fayette County Sheriff's Settlement for 2016 Taxes. Henson made the motion and Farmer provided the second. This resolution also passed unanimously by roll call vote with 15 ayes and 0 nays. The same fifteen council members voted in favor: Stinnett, Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Evans, Farmer, Gibbs, Henson, Kay, Lamb, Moloney, Mossotti, Plomin, Scutchfield, and Smith.

Both votes demonstrated unanimous support from the full council, with no abstentions recorded on either measure.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed two significant financial contracts totaling over $1.7 million in infrastructure investments.

Trail Construction Contract The council approved Resolution 0775-17, authorizing a contract with L-M Asphalt Partners d/b/a ATS Construction for $234,512.19 to complete the Legacy Hope Center Trail construction project. This contract represents the continuation of trail development infrastructure in the community.

Water Infrastructure Project A substantially larger expenditure was approved through Resolution 0783-17, which authorized a $1,521,760 contract with Midwest Mole, Inc. for the WH7 Wet Weather Storage - Road Bore project. This contract addresses critical water management infrastructure, specifically involving specialized boring work for wet weather storage systems.

The combined financial commitments of $1,756,272.19 demonstrate significant municipal investment in both recreational infrastructure through trail development and essential utility infrastructure through water management systems. Both contracts were formalized through specific resolution numbers, ensuring proper documentation and approval processes for these substantial public expenditures.

Public Comment

Two community members addressed the council during the public comment period.

Robin spoke at 3:00 regarding the relocation of statues. Robin inquired about the progress being made on finding new locations for the Breckenridge and Morgan statues. Additionally, Robin offered assistance from the coalition in support of these relocation efforts.

Virgil Covington addressed the council at 4:00 with concerns related to the Main Street Baptist Church. Covington expressed worries about how the proposed Town Branch Park project would impact parking availability and access for the Main Street Baptist Church congregation.

Both speakers raised issues related to ongoing municipal projects and their effects on the community, with Robin focusing on historical statue relocations and Covington highlighting potential impacts on religious institution operations.

Appointments

The meeting included two appointments to various boards and organizations.

Administrative Hearing Board • Jane Graham was reappointed to the Administrative Hearing Board

Bluegrass Crime Stoppers, Inc. • Nancy Van der Wal was appointed to Bluegrass Crime Stoppers, Inc.

The appointments represent the city's ongoing efforts to maintain representation on key administrative bodies and community organizations that support public safety and municipal operations.

Contested Items

The primary contested item during the July 11, 2017 meeting involved Planning Commission appointments, which drew community opposition regarding representation concerns.

Planning Commission Appointments

Community members raised significant concerns about the composition of the Planning Commission, specifically citing inadequate representation across various districts and age groups. The opposition focused on ensuring that the commission would reflect the diverse demographics and geographic areas of the community rather than being concentrated among certain populations or districts.

The nature of the disagreement centered on the appointment process and whether the proposed commissioners would adequately represent the full spectrum of community interests and perspectives. Residents expressed concerns that without proper representation from all districts and age demographics, the Planning Commission's decisions might not reflect the needs and priorities of the entire community.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps, participant names, and the final outcome of this contested item were not available in the provided meeting data. The resolution of these representation concerns and any actions taken by the governing body regarding the Planning Commission appointments would require additional meeting documentation to report accurately.*

Ordinance 0746-17

1:00

The council considered Ordinance 0746-17, which proposed changing the zoning designation for property located at 1975 Russell Cave Road from Single Family Residential (R-1E) to Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3).

Key speakers during the discussion included Farmer and Plomin, who presented information regarding the zoning change request. The ordinance would allow for increased residential density on the property by transitioning from the more restrictive single-family zoning to the planned neighborhood residential classification.

The R-3 zoning designation typically permits a broader range of residential development options compared to the R-1E zone, which is primarily limited to single-family homes. This change would provide the property owner with additional development flexibility for the Russell Cave Road site.

Following discussion of the ordinance, the council voted to approve the zoning change. The approval allows the property at 1975 Russell Cave Road to proceed under the new R-3 zoning classification, enabling planned neighborhood residential development on the site.

Resolution 0821-17

2:00

The board considered Resolution 0821-17, which approved the Fayette County Sheriff's Settlement for 2016 taxes. This resolution addressed the final accounting and settlement of tax collections handled by the Sheriff's office for the 2016 tax year.

The discussion involved key speakers Henson and Farmer, who presented the details of the sheriff's tax settlement. The resolution represented the standard annual process of reconciling tax collections, distributions, and any remaining balances from the previous tax year's activities managed by the Sheriff's office.

The board approved Resolution 0821-17 without significant debate or opposition, indicating the settlement met standard requirements and expectations for the annual tax reconciliation process.