Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council convened on September 28, 2017, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Vice-Mayor Kay presiding over the session. The meeting addressed two main agenda items, including a recognition ceremony for Adopt-A-Park Partners and consideration of budget amendments for the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government.

During the proceedings, the Council took three formal votes and heard from two members of the public during the public comment period. The primary business item involved amending the budgets of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, which was approved by the Council. The meeting also featured an informational presentation recognizing Adopt-A-Park Partners for their community contributions to the city's park system.

Attendance

The following members were present at the September 28, 2017 meeting:

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

Absent: Mossotti

No members arrived late to the meeting. A total of 14 members were present with 1 member absent.

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted three roll call votes during the September 28, 2017 meeting, with all items passing unanimously or near-unanimously.

Ordinance 1018-17 2:00 - Councilmember Plomin motioned to approve an ordinance amending certain budgets of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, with a second from Councilmember Bledsoe. The measure passed unanimously with 14 ayes and 0 nays. Voting in favor were Farmer, Gibbs, Henson, Kay, Lamb, Moloney, Plomin, Scutchfield, Smith, Stinnett, Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, and Evans.

Ordinance 0817-17 2:00 - Also motioned by Plomin and seconded by Bledsoe, this ordinance amended Chapter 25 of the Code of Ordinances regarding the Ethics Act. The vote was identical to the previous item, passing unanimously 14-0 with the same council members voting in favor: Farmer, Gibbs, Henson, Kay, Lamb, Moloney, Plomin, Scutchfield, Smith, Stinnett, Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, and Evans.

Resolution 0967-17 5:00 - Councilmember Farmer motioned to accept the bid of 300 Industrial LLC for the cleaning and painting of the Grimes Mill Road Bridge, with Councilmember Scutchfield providing the second. This resolution passed with 13 ayes and 0 nays, with one member apparently absent for this vote. The supporting votes came from Farmer, Gibbs, Henson, Kay, Lamb, Moloney, Plomin, Scutchfield, Smith, Stinnett, Bledsoe, F. Brown, and J. Brown. Councilmember Evans was not recorded as voting on this item.

All three items received strong council support with no opposition votes recorded on any measure.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed two significant financial contracts requiring council approval.

Bridge Maintenance Contract The council considered Resolution 0967-17 for the cleaning and painting of the Grimes Mill Road Bridge. The contract, valued at $169,000, was awarded to 300 Industrial LLC. This maintenance work represents a substantial infrastructure investment to preserve the bridge's structural integrity and appearance.

Prisoner Transport Services Resolution 0971-17 authorized a contract with Quality Vans & Specialty Vehicles for prisoner transport services. The agreement totals $99,950 and will provide the county with specialized transportation capabilities for law enforcement operations.

Combined, these two contracts represent $268,950 in approved expenditures for essential county services and infrastructure maintenance. The bridge painting project addresses long-term asset preservation, while the prisoner transport contract supports ongoing public safety operations.

Public Comment

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

Virgil Covington spoke at 10:00 regarding parking concerns for Main Street Baptist Church. Covington expressed ongoing concerns about the church's parking needs and referenced continuing discussions between the church and city officials to address the issue.

Bernard McCarthy addressed the council at 12:00 to voice strong opposition to the proposed closing of the Jefferson Viaduct. McCarthy cited traffic concerns as the primary reason for his objection to the closure, emphasizing the potential negative impact on local traffic flow.

Both speakers used their allotted time to bring local infrastructure and community facility concerns to the council's attention.

Appointments

The meeting included two appointments to local boards and organizations.

Debbie Wagner was appointed to Bluegrass Crime Stoppers. This appointment will allow Wagner to contribute to the community crime prevention organization's efforts to encourage citizen involvement in reporting criminal activity.

Raquel Carter was appointed to the Board of Adjustment. Carter's appointment to this quasi-judicial board will enable her to participate in hearing appeals and requests for variances from local zoning and development regulations.

Both appointments were processed during the meeting, though specific details about the appointment terms, voting results, or background qualifications of the appointees were not included in the available meeting data.

Contested Items

The primary contested item during the September 28, 2017 meeting centered on the proposed Jefferson Viaduct closure, which generated significant community opposition.

Jefferson Viaduct Closure

Community members voiced strong opposition to the planned closure of the Jefferson Viaduct, with residents raising substantial concerns about the traffic impacts such a closure would create. The disagreement focused on the potential disruption to local traffic patterns and the burden this would place on alternative routes in the area.

The opposition came from community members who attended the meeting to express their concerns directly to city officials. Residents argued that closing the viaduct would create significant traffic congestion and force vehicles onto other roads that may not be equipped to handle the additional volume.

*Note: The provided meeting data does not include specific transcript timestamps, participant names, or details about the final outcome of this contested item. Additional meeting documentation would be needed to provide more comprehensive information about the specific arguments presented and any decisions reached regarding the Jefferson Viaduct closure.*

Recognition of Adopt-A-Park Partners

1:00

The meeting included a presentation recognizing partners participating in the Adopt-A-Park program, which highlights community collaboration in park maintenance and improvement efforts.

Key speakers for this agenda item included Stephanie Hong and Pastor Matthew Cole, who presented information about the program's community partnerships.

This was an informational presentation (agenda item 1069-17) focused on acknowledging the contributions of community organizations and volunteers who have committed to adopting local parks. The Adopt-A-Park program represents a collaborative effort between the municipality and community groups to maintain and enhance public park spaces.

The presentation served as a recognition ceremony for the partners involved in the program, celebrating their ongoing commitment to park stewardship and community involvement. No formal action was required, as this was purely an informational and ceremonial agenda item to honor the participating organizations and individuals.

The discussion emphasized the value of community partnerships in maintaining public spaces and the positive impact these collaborative relationships have on local parks and recreation facilities.

Amending Budgets of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government

2:00

The council considered Ordinance 1018-17, which proposed amendments to the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government budgets to reflect current requirements for municipal expenditures.

Key speakers during the discussion included Plomin and Bledsoe, who addressed the proposed budget amendments. The ordinance was presented as a necessary adjustment to align the government's budget with current operational and expenditure requirements.

The council approved the ordinance, allowing the budget amendments to move forward as proposed. The approval enables the urban county government to proceed with the adjusted budget allocations to meet current municipal expenditure needs.