Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on September 26, 2019, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, KY, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting followed a standard format beginning with roll call and invocation before proceeding to legislative business. The council addressed four agenda items during the session, focusing primarily on second readings of ordinances and resolutions. Two votes were taken during the meeting, with both the ordinances and resolutions receiving approval on their second readings. No public comments were heard during this session.

Attendance

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council meeting on September 26, 2019 had 10 members present and 5 members absent.

Present: • Reynolds • Worley • Bledsoe • F. Brown • Ellinger • Evans • Kay • Lamb • McCurn • Plomin

Absent: • J. Brown • Farmer • Gibbs • Moloney • Mossotti

No council members arrived late to the meeting. With 10 of 15 council members in attendance, a quorum was present to conduct official business.

Votes and Decisions

The Council took action on two items during the September 26, 2019 meeting, with both measures passing unanimously.

Ordinance 0978-19 - An Ordinance amending certain of the Budgets of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government to reflect current requirements for municipal expenditures, and appropriating and re-appropriating funds, Schedule No. 9, was brought forward by Vice Mayor Kay and seconded by Mr. Ellinger. The ordinance passed by roll call vote with 10 ayes and 0 nays. Council members voting in favor were Reynolds, Worley, Bledsoe, F. Brown, Ellinger, Evans, Kay, Lamb, McCurn, and Plomin.

Resolution 0957-19 - A Resolution ratifying the Probationary Classified Civil Service Appointments and pay increase, was motioned by Ms. Plomin and seconded by Ms. Lamb. This resolution also passed unanimously by roll call vote with 10 ayes and 0 nays. The same ten council members voted in favor: Reynolds, Worley, Bledsoe, F. Brown, Ellinger, Evans, Kay, Lamb, McCurn, and Plomin.

Both votes demonstrated unanimous support from the Council, with all ten members present participating in each roll call vote and no abstentions recorded for either measure.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council approved two contracts totaling $275,000 for public outreach and marketing services related to environmental programs.

Resolution 0888-19 authorized a $225,000 contract with Wiser Strategies for media planning and placement services relating to stormwater and recycling marketing campaigns. This contract covers the strategic placement and management of advertising and promotional materials to educate the public about proper stormwater management and recycling practices.

Resolution 0889-19 approved an additional $50,000 contract with Wiser Strategies for creative design services for public outreach and media campaigns relating to stormwater and water quality education. This contract focuses on the development of creative materials and design elements to support educational initiatives about water quality protection and stormwater management.

Both contracts were awarded to the same vendor, Wiser Strategies, indicating a coordinated approach to the city's environmental education and outreach efforts. The combined $275,000 investment reflects the Council's commitment to public education on environmental issues, particularly around water quality protection and waste management practices that directly impact the community's environmental health.

Appointments

The Council approved several appointments and reappointments to various city boards and commissions during the September 26, 2019 meeting.

The following individuals were appointed or reappointed to serve on city boards:

• Ian Hoffman was appointed to the Tree Board
• James Brown was appointed to the Corridors Commission
• Sarah Price was reappointed to the Masterson Station Park Advisory Board
• Charles Baesler was appointed to the Mayor's International Affairs Advisory Board
• Art Crosby was appointed to the Vacant Property Review Commission

These appointments fill vacant positions and continue citizen participation in various advisory roles that support city operations and planning initiatives. The Tree Board advises on urban forestry matters, while the Corridors Commission focuses on development along major transportation corridors. The Masterson Station Park Advisory Board provides input on park operations and programming. The Mayor's International Affairs Advisory Board assists with the city's international relationships and initiatives. The Vacant Property Review Commission addresses issues related to abandoned and vacant properties throughout the city.

Roll Call

Attendance was taken at the beginning of the Council meeting on September 26, 2019. The roll call served to establish which members were present and absent for the session.

The roll call was conducted as an informational item to document member attendance and establish quorum for the meeting. No discussion or debate occurred during this procedural agenda item.

*Note: Specific attendance details and transcript timestamps were not available in the provided meeting materials.*

Invocation

The invocation for the September 26, 2019 Council meeting was delivered by Rev. Delmetria Cayson Combs of Phillips Memorial CME Church. Rev. Combs provided the opening prayer to begin the official proceedings of the meeting.

This was a ceremonial presentation with no discussion or debate required from Council members. The invocation served its traditional role of opening the meeting with a moment of reflection and prayer before the Council proceeded to conduct city business.

Ordinances – Second Reading

Several ordinances received their second reading during the September 26, 2019 Council meeting. Vice Mayor Kay and Mr. Ellinger were the key speakers who presented or discussed these ordinances during this agenda item.

The ordinances that came before Council for second reading represented the final step in the legislative process before potential adoption. Second reading typically allows for final discussion, amendments if necessary, and voting on the proposed ordinances.

Following the presentations and any discussion that took place, the Council voted to approve the ordinances that were presented for second reading.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps are not available for this agenda item, and detailed information about the individual ordinances, their content, or specific discussion points was not provided in the source materials.*

Resolutions – Second Reading

During the September 26, 2019 Council meeting, several resolutions were presented for second reading and final consideration under agenda item 4.

The resolutions were presented by key speakers Ms. Plomin and Ms. Lamb, who guided the Council through the final review process for these legislative items. Second reading represents the final opportunity for Council members to debate and vote on proposed resolutions before they are either adopted or rejected.

Following the presentations and any final discussion, the Council proceeded to vote on the resolutions under consideration. All resolutions presented during this agenda item were approved by the Council, completing the legislative process for these measures.

The specific details of individual resolutions, including their subject matter and vote tallies, were not detailed in the available meeting materials. However, the successful passage of these items indicates Council consensus on the proposed measures.

This agenda item concluded the formal resolution process for these legislative matters, allowing them to move forward for implementation.