Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on September 13, 2018, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gray presiding. The meeting focused primarily on recognitions and informational presentations, with two agenda items addressing community achievements and civic contributions. The council heard presentations recognizing the Lexington Cal Ripken Baseball Teams and Habitat for Humanity for their service to the community. During the session, the council conducted two votes and received one public comment from a community member.

Attendance

The following members were present at the September 13, 2018 meeting:

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

Absent: • Worley

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

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted two formal votes during the September 13, 2018 meeting, both by roll call.

Resolution 0886-18 2:30 Councilmember Stinnett motioned to approve Resolution 0886-18, a resolution to negotiate a long-term lease-to-own agreement for a new Government Center/City Hall, with a second by Councilmember Farmer. The resolution failed by a vote of 5 ayes to 7 nays with no abstentions.

Voting in favor: Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Farmer, and Stinnett

Voting against: Gibbs, Henson, Kay, Lamb, Moloney, Mossotti, and Smith

Second Reading of Ordinances 3:45 Councilmember Henson motioned to approve the second reading of ordinances, with a second by Councilmember Lamb. The motion passed unanimously with 13 ayes, 0 nays, and no abstentions.

All council members present voted in favor: Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Evans, Farmer, Gibbs, Henson, Kay, Lamb, Moloney, Mossotti, Smith, and Stinnett.

The failed resolution on the Government Center/City Hall lease-to-own agreement represented a significant split among council members, while the ordinances on second reading received full council support.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed three significant financial agreements totaling $176,000 across education, interpretation services, and correctional facility operations.

Education Services Contract Resolution 0775-18 approved a $30,000 Purchase of Service Agreement with YMCA of Central Kentucky for operating the 2018 Power Scholars Academy Summer Program. This contract supports educational programming through the established community organization.

Interpretation Services Agreement Resolution 0814-18 authorized a $5,000 agreement with Vocalink, Inc. to provide interpreting services for the offender population. This contract addresses communication needs within the correctional system to ensure proper interpretation services are available.

Correctional Facility Services Contract Resolution 0832-18 approved the largest financial commitment of the meeting, authorizing $141,000 for laundry services for the Division of Community Corrections through Aramark Correctional Services. This contract covers essential facility maintenance services for correctional operations.

The three resolutions represent ongoing operational expenses across different county departments, with the correctional facility laundry services comprising nearly 80% of the total approved spending. All contracts involve established service providers in their respective fields - the YMCA for community education programs, Vocalink for specialized interpretation services, and Aramark for institutional facility services.

Public Comment

One member of the public addressed the meeting during the public comment period.

Bernard McCarthy spoke regarding traffic control changes in the area 15:00. McCarthy expressed concerns about recent modifications to intersection traffic management, specifically the transition from signal control to all-way stop control at certain intersections. He suggested that this change may result in increased fuel consumption for vehicles navigating these intersections.

No other public comments were recorded during this portion of the meeting.

Appointments

The meeting included two personnel appointments to city positions.

Robin Adams was appointed to the position of Administrative Specialist Sr. Michael Jordan was appointed to the role of Public Service Supervisor.

Both appointments were approved during the September 13, 2018 meeting proceedings.

Contested Items

The primary contested item during the September 13, 2018 meeting centered on a proposal for a new Government Center/City Hall facility.

New Government Center/City Hall Lease-to-Own Agreement

Council members were divided on a resolution to negotiate a lease-to-own agreement for a new Government Center/City Hall. The proposal failed to gain sufficient support due to a lack of consensus among the council members, resulting in a split vote.

The disagreement represented a significant policy decision regarding the city's future administrative facilities and financial commitments. The failed resolution indicates that council members had differing views on either the proposed lease-to-own structure, the necessity of a new government center, or the financial implications of such an arrangement.

The outcome was that no authorization was granted to proceed with negotiations for the lease-to-own agreement, leaving the status of potential new government facilities unresolved at the conclusion of this meeting.

Lexington Cal Ripkin Baseball Teams

0:30

Mayor Gray and Ms. Lamb presented a Spirit of Lexington Award to the Lexington Cal Ripkin Baseball Teams in recognition of their outstanding performance in the Cal Ripkin World Series. The presentation was designated as agenda item 0797-18.

The ceremony honored the baseball teams for their achievements in the national tournament, highlighting their representation of Lexington on a competitive stage. Mike Campbell was among the key participants in the recognition ceremony alongside Mayor Gray and Ms. Lamb.

This was an informational presentation with no formal action required by the council. The Spirit of Lexington Award represents the city's acknowledgment of individuals or groups who have brought positive recognition to the community through their accomplishments or service.

The Cal Ripkin Baseball program provides youth baseball opportunities, and the teams' advancement to the World Series level represents a significant achievement for the local organization and the young athletes involved.

Recognition - Habitat for Humanity

1:30

Mayor Gray and Mr. J. Brown presented a recognition for Habitat for Humanity during the meeting, honoring the organization's three decades of service to the Lexington community. The presentation acknowledged Habitat for Humanity's 30-year history of contributions to local housing and community development efforts.

As part of the recognition, the city officially declared September 8, 2018, as Habitat for Humanity Day in Lexington, formally commemorating the organization's milestone anniversary and ongoing impact on the community.

Rachel Childress participated in the recognition ceremony alongside Mayor Gray and Mr. J. Brown, representing the organization during this ceremonial presentation.

This agenda item (0889-18) served as an informational presentation to highlight Habitat for Humanity's significant role in the community over the past three decades. The recognition provided an opportunity for city leadership to publicly acknowledge the organization's sustained commitment to housing initiatives and community service in Lexington.

The presentation was ceremonial in nature, with no debate or discussion required, as it focused solely on honoring Habitat for Humanity's contributions and establishing the official designation of September 8, 2018, as Habitat for Humanity Day.