Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on July 2, 2019, at 5:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting addressed two agenda items, both of which were successfully approved by the council. The session included consideration of an ordinance amending the fee schedule and another ordinance amending the Zoning Ordinance and planting manual. The council conducted two votes during the meeting, with no public comments recorded for this session.

Attendance

The following members were present at the July 2, 2019 meeting:

Present: Farmer, Gibbs, Kay, Lamb, McCurn, Moloney, Mossotti, Plomin, Reynolds, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Evans, and Worley (14 members)

Absent: Bledsoe (1 member)

Late: None

A total of 14 members attended the meeting, with one member absent.

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted two roll call votes during the July 2, 2019 meeting, both passing with strong support.

Ordinance 0672-19 3:00 Council Member Farmer motioned to approve an ordinance providing a one-time one percent (1%) supplement payment to all eligible employees included in the Unified Pay Plan, with Council Member Ellinger providing the second. The measure passed by a vote of 12 ayes to 1 nay.

Voting in favor were: Farmer, Gibbs, Kay, Lamb, McCurn, Mossotti, Plomin, Reynolds, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, and Evans. Council Member Moloney cast the sole dissenting vote.

Ordinance 0622-19 5:00 Council Member Farmer motioned to approve an ordinance amending Section 5-29(2) of the Code of Ordinances related to fee schedule, again with Council Member Ellinger seconding the motion. This measure received unanimous approval with 13 ayes and 0 nays.

All council members voted in favor: Farmer, Gibbs, Kay, Lamb, McCurn, Moloney, Mossotti, Plomin, Reynolds, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, and Evans.

Both ordinances were approved without conditions or amendments. The employee supplement payment ordinance faced minimal opposition with only one dissenting vote, while the fee schedule amendment received full council support.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed two significant contract approvals totaling over $5.4 million across fiscal years 2019 and 2020.

Technology Infrastructure Contract

The board approved contract 0633-19 with United Data Technologies, Inc. for modernizing the Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft SharePoint productivity platforms. The contract is valued at $53,214 in fiscal year 2019 and $56,670 in fiscal year 2020, representing a total commitment of $109,884 over the two-year period.

Medical Services Contract

A substantially larger contract, 0656-19, was approved with Corizon, Inc. for the provision of medical care services for the offender population. This contract is valued at $5,330,742 in fiscal year 2020, representing the largest financial commitment discussed during the meeting.

The combined value of these two contracts totals $5,440,626, with the medical services contract representing approximately 98% of the total financial commitments approved. Both contracts appear to address critical operational needs - technology infrastructure modernization and essential healthcare services for the correctional facility population.

Appointments

The meeting addressed reappointments to the Board of Health, with two members receiving renewed terms.

The following appointments were made:

• Kacy Allen-Bryant was reappointed to the Board of Health
• Rodney Jackson was reappointed to the Board of Health

Both appointments represent continuations of service for existing board members rather than new appointments to vacant positions.

Contested Items

The meeting featured one contested item that resulted in a split vote among council members.

One-time Supplement Payment Ordinance

An ordinance providing a one-time supplement payment to employees was the subject of disagreement during the meeting. While the majority of council members supported the measure, one member cast a dissenting vote, preventing unanimous approval.

The ordinance ultimately passed despite the opposition, allowing for the one-time supplement payments to proceed as proposed. The specific details of the payment amounts, eligible employees, or the reasoning behind the dissenting vote were not detailed in the available meeting materials.

This split vote represented the only contentious issue during the July 2, 2019 meeting, with all other agenda items appearing to receive unanimous or uncontested approval from the governing body.

Ordinance amending fee schedule

5:00

The council considered Ordinance 0622-19, which amends Section 5-29(2) of the Code of Ordinances to adjust the municipal fee schedule based on intended use.

Key speakers during the discussion included Farmer and Ellinger, who presented details about the proposed fee structure changes. The ordinance specifically targets fees that vary depending on how facilities or services will be utilized by applicants.

The amendment represents an update to the existing fee schedule framework, allowing the city to differentiate charges based on the specific intended use of municipal services or facilities. This approach enables more tailored pricing that reflects the actual costs and impacts associated with different types of usage.

The council approved the ordinance, implementing the revised fee schedule structure into the municipal code.

Ordinance amending Zoning Ordinance and planting manual

6:00

The council considered Ordinance 0657-19, which amends Articles 18 and 26 of the Zoning Ordinance and the city's planting manual to reclassify all columnar tree varieties as small trees.

Key speakers during the discussion included Farmer and Ellinger, who presented the proposed changes to the existing zoning regulations and planting guidelines.

The ordinance specifically targets the classification system for trees used in city planning and development requirements. Under the current regulations, columnar trees - which are characterized by their narrow, upright growth pattern - were classified differently than other tree types. The proposed amendment would standardize the classification by designating all columnar tree varieties as small trees within both the zoning ordinance and the accompanying planting manual.

This reclassification affects how developers and property owners must comply with landscaping requirements, as different tree classifications carry different obligations for spacing, placement, and quantity in development projects. By categorizing columnar trees as small trees, the amendment provides clearer guidance for meeting municipal landscaping standards.

The council approved Ordinance 0657-19, implementing the new classification system for columnar trees. This change will take effect upon the ordinance's passage and will apply to future development projects and landscaping plans submitted to the city.