Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on January 17, 2019, at 6:08 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gorton presiding over the session. The meeting focused on the first reading of three ordinances addressing zoning changes, budget amendments, and personnel authorization adjustments. Council members conducted 5 votes during the proceedings while addressing 3 agenda items. No public comments were heard during this session, allowing the council to focus entirely on the legislative business at hand.

Attendance

The following members were present at the January 17, 2019 meeting:

Present: • Lamb • McCurn • Moloney • Plomin • Reynolds • Worley • Bledsoe • F. Brown • J. Brown • Ellinger • Evans • Farmer • Gibbs • Kay

Absent: • Mossotti

No members arrived late to the meeting. A total of 14 members were in attendance, with one member absent.

Votes and Decisions

The Council took action on five items during the January 17, 2019 meeting, with all measures passing unanimously.

Minutes Approval 0:30 Ms. Plomin motioned to approve the Minutes of the December 4 and 6, 2018 Council Meetings, seconded by Mr. Ellinger. The motion passed unanimously with all 13 members voting in favor: Lamb, McCurn, Moloney, Plomin, Reynolds, Worley, Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Farmer, Gibbs, and Kay.

Resolution 0056-19 3:45 Mr. J. Brown motioned to approve Resolution 0056-19 authorizing the Division of Human Resources to make a conditional offer to various appointments, seconded by Mr. Worley. The resolution passed by roll call vote 13-0, with all members voting in favor.

Resolution 0011-19 4:30 Ms. Lamb motioned to approve Resolution 0011-19 authorizing Professional Services Agreements with Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, seconded by Vice Mayor Kay. The resolution passed by roll call vote 13-0, with unanimous support from all Council members.

Resolution 0028-19 5:15 Ms. Lamb motioned to approve Resolution 0028-19 authorizing a Grant Application to the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, seconded by Vice Mayor Kay. The resolution passed by roll call vote 13-0, with all members voting in favor.

Resolution 0038-19 6:00 Council member Lamb motioned to approve Resolution 0038-19 authorizing a Grant Application to the Kentucky Heritage Council, seconded by Council member Ellinger. The resolution passed by roll call vote 13-0, with unanimous approval from all Council members present.

All voting members present were: Lamb, McCurn, Moloney, Plomin, Reynolds, Worley, Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Farmer, Gibbs, and Kay. No members voted against any of the measures, and there were no abstentions recorded.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed several significant financial commitments totaling over $2 million across multiple departments and infrastructure projects.

Infrastructure and Stormwater Projects

The largest expenditure approved was $1,169,959 for the WGPL Storm Sewer Project under Resolution 0040-19, awarded to WRC 1, LLC d/b/a W. Rogers Co. Additionally, the city authorized $203,462 for Arrowhead Stormwater Improvements through Resolution 1329-18, contracting with Lagco, Inc. for the work.

A separate stormwater-related contract for Temporary Flow Monitoring was approved for $324,990 under Resolution 1330-18, with ADS, LLC selected as the vendor.

Public Safety Equipment and Training

The city approved a substantial investment in public safety equipment, authorizing $303,208 for an Armored Response Vehicle through Resolution 0010-19. The contract was awarded to Lenco, Industries, Inc.

Complementing the equipment purchase, the city allocated $31,065 for Ordnance Recognition Training under Resolution 0014-19, contracting with Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service to provide specialized training services.

Financial Summary

The combined value of all contracts and expenditures approved during this meeting totaled $2,032,684, representing significant investments in both infrastructure improvements and public safety capabilities. The resolutions span from the previous year (1329-18 and 1330-18) through early 2019 (0010-19, 0014-19, and 0040-19), indicating ongoing project approvals and budget implementations across fiscal periods.

Appointments

The meeting included appointments to the Transit Authority Board. Two individuals were appointed to serve on this board.

The appointments made were:

• Peggy Henson - appointed to the Transit Authority Board
• Joe Smith - appointed to the Transit Authority Board

Both appointments were processed during the January 17, 2019 meeting. No additional details regarding the terms of service, qualifications, or background information for the appointees were provided in the available meeting materials.

Ordinance changing the zone from B-3 to R-3

1:00

The council considered Ordinance 0019-19, which proposes to rezone property located at 2679 Leestown Road from a Restricted Highway Service Business (B-3) zone to a Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3) zone.

The ordinance represents a change from commercial zoning that allows highway service businesses to residential zoning designed for planned neighborhood development. The property at 2679 Leestown Road would be transitioned from its current B-3 designation, which typically permits businesses serving highway travelers, to R-3 zoning that accommodates residential development with planned community features.

No specific speakers were identified during the discussion of this agenda item, and the meeting materials do not indicate any particular concerns or debate regarding the proposed zoning change.

The ordinance received its first reading during this meeting, which is the initial step in the legislative process. As a first reading, no final action was taken on the measure, and it will need to proceed through additional readings before final adoption.

The rezoning affects a single property on Leestown Road and would facilitate the transition from commercial use to residential development in this location.

Ordinance amending budgets for municipal expenditures

1:30

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government considered Ordinance 0065-19, which would amend certain municipal budgets to reflect current requirements for expenditures. The ordinance received its first reading during the January 17, 2019 meeting.

The agenda item was presented as a routine budget amendment to align the city's financial allocations with current operational needs. The ordinance's summary indicates it addresses adjustments to multiple budget categories within the Urban County Government structure.

No specific speakers were identified during the discussion of this agenda item, and no particular concerns or debates were recorded in the available meeting materials. The item appears to have proceeded through the standard legislative process without significant controversy.

The ordinance successfully passed its first reading, which is the initial step in the municipal legislative process. Following first reading, the ordinance will need to advance through additional readings before final adoption, allowing time for public input and further council consideration of the proposed budget amendments.

The specific dollar amounts and budget categories affected by the amendments were not detailed in the available summary materials, though the ordinance addresses current municipal expenditure requirements across various city departments and functions.

Ordinance amending authorized strength

2:00

The council conducted the first reading of Ordinance 0033-19, which proposes changes to the city's authorized staffing structure. The ordinance would abolish one vacant unclassified position of Innovation Director and create new positions within the Office of the Mayor.

The measure represents a reorganization of personnel resources, moving away from the Innovation Director role that had remained unfilled. The ordinance would redirect these resources to establish new positions under the Mayor's office, though the specific details of the new roles were not elaborated during this first reading.

As a first reading, no formal discussion or debate took place on the ordinance. The item was presented to the council as part of the standard legislative process, which requires multiple readings before final adoption. No speakers addressed the council regarding this personnel restructuring proposal.

The ordinance will require additional readings and potential committee review before the council can take final action on the proposed changes to the city's authorized strength and organizational structure.

Outcome: First reading completed