Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on August 15, 2019, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting addressed five agenda items, including two ceremonial recognitions and three legislative matters requiring council action. The council recognized the achievements of local youth baseball teams, specifically the Tates Creek Baseball Team and the South Lexington 8U Red Team, highlighting community athletic accomplishments.

The legislative portion of the meeting focused on budget and administrative matters, with the council taking six votes on various ordinances. Three ordinances were approved, including amendments to budgets for fiscal year transitions from 2019 to 2020, municipal expenditure adjustments, and modifications to the Classified Civil Service authorized strength. One member of the public provided comments during the designated public comment period, contributing community input to the proceedings.

Attendance

All council members were present for the August 15, 2019 meeting.

Present (15): • Moloney • Mossotti • Plomin • Reynolds • Worley • Bledsoe • F. Brown • J. Brown • Ellinger • Evans • Farmer • Gibbs • Kay • Lamb • McCurn

Absent: None

Late: None

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted six votes during the August 15, 2019 meeting, with all measures passing unanimously with 15 members voting in favor and none opposed.

Minutes Approval 1:00 Vice Mayor Kay motioned to approve the minutes from the July 2, 2019 and July 9, 2019 Council Meetings, and the July 2, 2019 and July 8, 2019 Zone Change Meetings, seconded by Mr. Worley. The motion passed unanimously 15-0.

Budget Amendments 2:00 Mr. Farmer motioned for ordinances amending certain budgets of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, seconded by Mr. Ellinger. The measure passed 15-0 on a roll call vote with all members voting in favor: Moloney, Mossotti, Plomin, Reynolds, Worley, Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Evans, Farmer, Gibbs, Kay, Lamb, and McCurn.

Civil Service Amendment 3:00 Ms. Lamb motioned for an ordinance amending the Classified Civil Service authorized strength, seconded by Mr. Farmer. The ordinance passed 15-0 on a roll call vote with unanimous support from all council members.

Human Resources Resolution 4:00 Mr. J. Brown motioned for a resolution authorizing the Division of Human Resources to make conditional offers, seconded by Mr. Worley. The resolution passed unanimously 15-0.

Federal Sharing Agreement 5:00 Ms. Mossotti motioned for a resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a Federal Equitable Sharing Agreement, seconded by Ms. Plomin. The resolution passed unanimously 15-0.

Justice Department Grant 6:00 Ms. Mossotti motioned for a resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute and submit a grant application to the U.S. Department of Justice, seconded by Ms. Plomin. The resolution passed unanimously 15-0.

All council members present participated in each vote, demonstrating full attendance and unanimous agreement on all agenda items.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed three significant financial contracts totaling approximately $3.9 million across infrastructure and consulting services.

Infrastructure Projects

The largest expenditure involved Resolution 0778-19, approving a $2,890,352.40 contract with L-M Asphalt Partners Ltd. d/b/a ATS Construction for the Polo Club Blvd. Public Improvement Project. This substantial road infrastructure investment represents the majority of the meeting's financial commitments.

Additionally, Resolution 0812-19 authorized a $105,000 contract with Fuelband, LLC for the construction of a metal storage building, addressing municipal facility needs.

Environmental Services

Resolution 0791-19 approved a significant $900,000 contract with Hazen and Sawyer, P.S.C. for Sanitary Sewer Remedial Measures Program Management Consulting Services. This environmental infrastructure investment focuses on sewer system improvements and remediation efforts.

The three contracts demonstrate the municipality's commitment to both transportation infrastructure improvements and environmental system maintenance, with the road project representing the largest single investment approved during this session.

Public Comment

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

Mark Smith spoke regarding zone change concerns 10:00. Smith expressed opposition to a proposed zone change near his property that would permit the construction of 85 apartments. He noted that he had been mistakenly informed about the meeting time, which caused him to miss an earlier opportunity to provide his comments on the matter.

Smith's comments focused specifically on the potential impacts of the proposed residential development and the zoning modification that would be required to accommodate the 85-unit apartment project adjacent to his property.

Appointments

The meeting included three appointments to various city boards and advisory bodies.

Two individuals were appointed to the Alarm Advisory Board: • Trevion McFarland was appointed to the Alarm Advisory Board • Rick Pierce was appointed to the Alarm Advisory Board

Additionally, Jennifer Reynolds was appointed to the Board of Health.

These appointments represent the city's ongoing efforts to fill positions on advisory boards and committees that provide specialized expertise and community input on municipal matters. The Alarm Advisory Board typically reviews and makes recommendations regarding alarm system regulations and policies, while the Board of Health addresses public health issues and policies within the jurisdiction.

Contested Items

The meeting featured one significant contested item involving community opposition to a proposed zoning change.

Zone Change Near Mark Smith's Property

Mark Smith raised concerns about a proposed zone change that would permit the construction of 85 apartments adjacent to his property. Smith expressed frustration that he had been given incorrect information about the meeting time, which prevented him from speaking during the appropriate portion of the proceedings when public comment was typically heard.

The nature of Smith's opposition centered on the potential impact of the large-scale residential development on his neighboring property. The proposed 85-unit apartment complex represented a significant density increase for the area, which appeared to be the source of his concerns.

Smith's situation was complicated by what he described as a miscommunication regarding the meeting schedule. This timing issue meant he missed the standard opportunity for public input on the zoning matter, forcing him to address the issue later in the meeting when such comments might carry less procedural weight.

The record does not indicate the specific outcome of Smith's concerns or whether the governing body took any action regarding either the zoning change itself or Smith's procedural complaint about the meeting notification. The incident highlights the importance of accurate public notification for zoning matters that can significantly impact neighboring property owners.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps are not available for this contested item.*

Recognition of Tates Creek Baseball Team

0:30

The Tates Creek Baseball Team was formally recognized during the meeting for their outstanding achievement of winning the State Title. Mayor Gorton presented the recognition to acknowledge the team's exceptional performance and dedication throughout the season.

Coach Larry Poynter was specifically highlighted for his leadership in guiding the team to the state championship. The coach and team members received applause from those in attendance for their remarkable accomplishment.

F. Brown also participated in the recognition ceremony, joining Mayor Gorton in celebrating the team's success. The presentation served as an opportunity for the local government to publicly honor the athletic achievements of students from the community.

This agenda item (0671-19) was informational in nature, focusing solely on recognizing and celebrating the baseball team's state championship victory. No formal action was required, as the purpose was to provide public acknowledgment of the team's accomplishments and to show community support for local student athletes.

The recognition highlighted the importance of youth athletics and academic institutions within the community, demonstrating the local government's commitment to celebrating educational and extracurricular achievements of area students.

Recognition of South Lexington 8U Red Team

1:30

The city recognized the South Lexington 8U Red Team for their outstanding performance in the Ohio Valley Regional Tournament during agenda item 0779-19. Mayor Gorton led the recognition ceremony, congratulating the young athletes on their tournament success.

Coach Andy McCord was present to represent the team during the presentation. The recognition highlighted the team's achievements in regional competition, showcasing the talent and dedication of South Lexington's youth baseball program.

Bledsoe also participated in acknowledging the team's accomplishments. The presentation served as an informational item to celebrate the local youth sports achievement and recognize the hard work of both the players and their coaching staff.

This recognition demonstrates the city's commitment to supporting and celebrating youth athletics in the community, particularly when local teams achieve success at the regional level.

Ordinance amending budgets for FY 2019 into FY 2020

2:00

The council considered Ordinance 0765-19, which would amend certain budgets to provide funds for purchase orders and pre-paid expenses rolling from fiscal year 2019 into fiscal year 2020.

The ordinance addresses the administrative need to carry forward financial commitments that were made in FY 2019 but require completion or payment in the new fiscal year. This type of budget amendment is typically necessary to ensure continuity of operations and fulfill existing contractual obligations across fiscal year boundaries.

Key speakers during the discussion included Farmer and Ellinger, though the specific details of their presentations or comments were not detailed in the available materials.

The ordinance was approved by the council, allowing the necessary budget adjustments to move forward and ensuring that outstanding purchase orders and pre-paid expenses from the previous fiscal year could be properly funded and completed in FY 2020.

Ordinance amending budgets for municipal expenditures

2:30

The council considered Ordinance 0766-19, which proposed amendments to certain municipal budgets to reflect current requirements for expenditures. The ordinance was designed to adjust existing budget allocations to meet the city's operational needs.

During the discussion, Farmer and Ellinger served as the primary speakers addressing the budget amendments. The speakers presented the rationale for the proposed changes and explained how the adjustments would align the budgets with current municipal expenditure requirements.

The ordinance received approval from the council, allowing the budget amendments to move forward as proposed. The specific details of which budget categories were affected and the amounts of the adjustments were not detailed in the available summary, but the measure was characterized as necessary to ensure proper allocation of municipal resources.

The approval of Ordinance 0766-19 enables the city to proceed with the revised budget framework to support ongoing municipal operations and services.

Ordinance amending Classified Civil Service authorized strength

3:00

The council considered Ordinance 0795-19, which would amend the Classified Civil Service authorized strength by transferring one position from the Division of Planning to the Office of the Chief Development Officer.

Council members Lamb and Farmer were the key speakers during discussion of this agenda item. The ordinance represents an internal reorganization that would move a classified civil service position between city departments without changing the overall authorized staffing levels.

The transfer involves moving the position from the Division of Planning, which handles city planning and zoning matters, to the Office of the Chief Development Officer, which oversees economic development initiatives and coordinates development projects across the city.

The ordinance was approved by the council, allowing the position transfer to proceed as proposed. This type of administrative adjustment enables the city to realign staffing resources to better match departmental needs and priorities without requiring additional budget allocations for new positions.