Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on October 12, 2017, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Vice-Mayor Kay presiding over the session. The meeting focused primarily on recognition and informational items, with the council addressing two main agenda items: recognizing Compassionate Lexington and honoring a Junior Fire Chief. During the proceedings, the council conducted three motions and votes, heard two public comments from community members, and received presentations on both agenda items. The session served as a platform for acknowledging community initiatives and individual achievements within the city's public safety sector.

Attendance

The meeting on October 12, 2017 had strong attendance with 13 members present and 1 member absent.

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

Absent: • Plomin

No members arrived late to the meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The council took action on three items during the October 12, 2017 meeting, with two measures passing and one being postponed.

Resolution 0920-17 1:20 regarding a road lane miles exchange with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) was postponed following a motion by Moloney, seconded by Henson. The roll call vote resulted in 11 ayes and 1 nay, with the resolution postponed until November 9, 2017. Council members Gibbs, Henson, Kay, Lamb, Mossotti, Scutchfield, Smith, Stinnett, J. Brown, Evans, and Farmer voted to postpone, while F. Brown voted against the postponement.

Ordinance 1009-17 2:30 to change zoning for properties at 2311 Armstrong Mill Road and 3539 Kenesaw Drive passed on a motion by Henson, seconded by Scutchfield. The measure received 11 yes votes with no opposition and 1 abstention. Voting in favor were Gibbs, Henson, Kay, Lamb, Mossotti, Scutchfield, Smith, Stinnett, F. Brown, J. Brown, and Farmer. Evans abstained from the vote.

Resolution 1113-17 3:45 affirming and adopting the Charter for Compassion for Lexington-Fayette County passed unanimously following a motion by Lamb, seconded by Henson. All 11 participating council members voted in favor: Gibbs, Henson, Kay, Lamb, Mossotti, Scutchfield, Smith, Stinnett, J. Brown, Evans, and Farmer. There were no votes against or abstentions on this resolution.

The voting patterns showed broad consensus on most items, with only the KYTC road exchange resolution generating any opposition from F. Brown, who consistently voted differently from the majority on the first two items.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed two significant financial items through formal resolutions.

Emergency Vehicle Purchase The council approved Resolution 0984-17 for the purchase of ambulances from Excellance Ambulances totaling $318,381.32. This substantial investment in emergency medical services equipment represents a major capital expenditure for the municipality's public safety infrastructure.

Community Enhancement Grant Resolution 0914-17 authorized acceptance of a $10,000 grant from the AARP Community Foundation. The grant funding is designated for the installation of benches and raised gardens, supporting community accessibility and beautification initiatives. This grant represents external funding that will enhance public spaces without drawing from municipal budget resources.

Both resolutions were processed during the meeting, with the ambulance purchase representing the larger financial commitment at over $300,000, while the AARP grant provides targeted funding for specific community improvement projects.

Public Comment

Two speakers addressed the council during the public comment period, both speaking in support of the Compassionate Lexington initiative.

Rev. Dr. Albert Pennybacker 2:00 spoke in favor of the resolution to adopt the Charter for Compassion. He highlighted the global significance of the charter and urged the council to support the initiative.

Rev. Kory Wilcoxson 2:15 also voiced support for the Compassionate Lexington resolution. He emphasized the importance of compassion in addressing community issues and encouraged the council to move forward with adopting the charter.

Both speakers focused exclusively on the Charter for Compassion resolution, with no other topics raised during the public comment period.

Appointments

The meeting included two appointments to city commissions.

New Appointments: • Jason Jones was appointed to the Commission for People with Disabilities

Reappointments: • Lane Boldman was reappointed to the Corridors Commission

The appointments represent ongoing efforts to maintain active membership on various city commissions that provide advisory services and oversight in their respective areas of focus.

Contested Items

The meeting featured one contested item involving a procedural dispute over the timing of a resolution regarding a road lane miles exchange with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC).

Road Lane Miles Exchange with KYTC

A debate emerged over whether to postpone a resolution concerning a road swap agreement with KYTC. The disagreement centered on procedural timing rather than the substance of the exchange itself. Council members expressed concerns about moving forward without sufficient time to fully discuss the implications of the proposed road swap.

The primary point of contention was the potential impact on the Jefferson Street Bridge. Members argued that the road lane miles exchange could have consequences for this infrastructure project that warranted additional deliberation before proceeding with a vote.

The dispute reflected broader concerns about ensuring adequate review time for agreements that could affect local transportation infrastructure. While the specific positions of individual council members were not detailed in the available materials, the disagreement was significant enough to generate discussion about postponing the resolution.

The outcome of this procedural dispute was not specified in the provided information, leaving unclear whether the resolution proceeded as originally scheduled or was postponed to allow for the additional discussion time that some members sought.

Recognize Compassionate Lexington

The City Council received a presentation recognizing Compassionate Lexington and discussing a resolution affirming the Charter for Compassion 1:45.

The presentation featured several key speakers including Lamb, Rev. Marsha Moors-Charles, and Rosie Moosnick, who highlighted the efforts and initiatives of Compassionate Lexington within the community.

The agenda item, designated as 0969-17, served as an informational presentation to acknowledge the work being done by Compassionate Lexington and to bring awareness to the Charter for Compassion resolution before the council.

This was a recognition-focused agenda item that provided council members and the public with information about Compassionate Lexington's community efforts rather than requiring any formal council action or vote.

Recognition of Junior Fire Chief

2:10

The city recognized Katie Bowden as the Junior Fire Chief during agenda item 1109-17. Vice-Mayor Kay and Chief Kristin Chilton presented the recognition to Bowden for her outstanding work on fire safety education.

Bowden earned the Junior Fire Chief designation through her exceptional essay and poster focused on fire safety topics. The recognition highlighted her commitment to promoting fire safety awareness in the community through her educational materials.

Vice-Mayor Kay and Chief Kristin Chilton served as the key speakers for this presentation, formally acknowledging Bowden's achievements and contributions to fire safety education efforts.

This was an informational item with no action required by the council. The recognition served to publicly honor Bowden's work and demonstrate the city's support for youth involvement in public safety education initiatives.