Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on February 6, 2020, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, KY, with Mayor Gorton presiding over the session. The meeting focused primarily on informational presentations and recognitions, with the Council addressing two main agenda items during the proceedings.

The session included an update on the Mr. & Ms. Kentucky Basketball Awards Ceremony and a recognition ceremony for Fresh Bourbon Distillery, both serving as informational items for the Council. Throughout the meeting, the Council conducted three motions and votes on various matters that came before the body. No members of the public provided comments during the designated public comment period, allowing the Council to proceed efficiently through their planned agenda items and business matters.

Attendance

The following Council members were present at the February 6, 2020 meeting:

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

Absent: • Bledsoe • Mossotti

No Council members arrived late to the meeting. A total of 13 members were present and 2 were absent.

Votes and Decisions

The Council conducted three roll call votes during the February 6, 2020 meeting, with all items passing by majority vote.

Ordinance 0122-20 - Amending budgets for municipal expenditures, Schedule No. 22, was motioned by Mr. Ellinger and seconded by Vice Mayor Kay. The ordinance passed unanimously with 13 ayes and 0 nays. All council members voted in favor: Plomin, Reynolds, Worley, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Evans, Farmer, Gibbs, Kay, Lamb, McCurn, and Moloney.

Resolution 0056-20 - Accepting bid of Pace Contracting, LLC for Town Branch Commons Project, was motioned by Mr. Moloney and seconded by Ms. Evans. The resolution passed with 12 ayes and 1 nay. Council members voting in favor were: Plomin, Reynolds, Worley, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Evans, Farmer, Gibbs, Kay, Lamb, and McCurn. Mr. Moloney, who made the motion, cast the sole dissenting vote.

Resolution 1333-19 - Permanent barricading of Ivy Bridge Dr. at its southern terminus, was motioned by Mr. Moloney and seconded by Ms. Evans. The resolution passed with 11 ayes and 2 nays. Council members voting in favor were: Plomin, Reynolds, Worley, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Evans, Farmer, Gibbs, and Lamb. Vice Mayor Kay and Mr. McCurn voted against the resolution.

All three items were decided by roll call vote with no abstentions recorded. The budget amendment received unanimous support, while the infrastructure-related resolutions saw some opposition from council members.

Budget and Financial Actions

The City Council approved three significant construction contracts totaling over $24 million during the February 6, 2020 meeting.

Town Branch Commons Project Construction The Council authorized Resolution 0056-20, awarding a contract worth $20,193,934.98 to Pace Contracting, LLC for the Town Branch Commons Project Construction. This represents the largest financial commitment of the meeting.

Town Branch Trail Phase 6 and Manchester/Forbes Turn Lane Resolution 0057-20 approved a contract valued at $3,854,486.96 with L-M Asphalt Partners Ltd. d/b/a ATS Construction for the Town Branch Trail Phase 6 project and construction of a turn lane at the intersection of Manchester and Forbes roads.

West Hickman Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements The Council passed Resolution 0076-20, authorizing an $83,735.75 contract with Judy Construction Co. for improvements to Final Clarifiers No. 7 and No. 8 at the West Hickman Waste Water Treatment Plant.

These three contracts represent a combined investment of $24,132,157.69 in municipal infrastructure projects spanning parks development, transportation improvements, and wastewater treatment facility upgrades.

Appointments

The Council approved several appointments and reappointments to various city boards and commissions during the February 6, 2020 meeting.

New Appointments: • Jamison Barton was appointed to the Alarm Advisory Board • Emily Evans was appointed to the Animal Care and Control Advisory Committee • Wallace Barber was appointed to the Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center Board of Directors • Karen Slaymaker was appointed to the Mayor's International Affairs Advisory Commission • Dr. Matthew Springer was appointed to the Raven Run Citizens Advisory Board

Reappointments: • James Ensminger was reappointed to Bluegrass Crime Stoppers • Craig Cammack was reappointed to the Commission on Veterans' Affairs • Ann Bakhaus was reappointed to the Downtown Development Authority • Paula Hanson was reappointed to the Downtown Development Authority • Mac Ferguson was reappointed to the Keep Lexington Beautiful Commission • Seon Jackson was reappointed to the Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center Board of Directors • Susan Craddock was reappointed to the Raven Run Citizens Advisory Board

The appointments span a diverse range of city advisory bodies, from public safety and animal welfare to cultural arts and environmental conservation. The Downtown Development Authority received two reappointments, while both the Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center Board of Directors and the Raven Run Citizens Advisory Board each received one new appointment and one reappointment.

Contested Items

The February 6, 2020 Council meeting featured one contested item that resulted in a split vote among council members.

Permanent Barricading of Ivy Bridge Dr.

The primary point of contention during the meeting involved the permanent barricading of Ivy Bridge Dr. Vice Mayor Kay raised objections specifically regarding the procedural aspects of the proposal, taking issue with the waiving of standard procedures for implementing the barricading measure.

The disagreement centered on whether the council should bypass its typical procedural requirements to expedite the barricading decision. While other council members appeared willing to waive the standard procedures, Vice Mayor Kay's opposition created a division within the council.

This procedural dispute ultimately resulted in a split vote, indicating that the council was not unanimous in their approach to handling the Ivy Bridge Dr. barricading matter. The split vote demonstrates the significance of the procedural concerns raised by Vice Mayor Kay and suggests that proper adherence to established council procedures was a point of principle for at least one council member.

The outcome of this contested vote and whether the barricading proposal ultimately moved forward would depend on the specific vote tally and the council's procedural rules for handling split decisions on procedural matters.

Mr. & Ms. Kentucky Basketball Awards Ceremony Update

Ms. Lamkin provided an update on the upcoming Mr. and Miss Kentucky Basketball Awards Ceremony during the February 6, 2020 Council meeting under agenda item 0157-20.

During her presentation, Ms. Lamkin discussed the details and preparations for the upcoming awards ceremony, which recognizes outstanding high school basketball players in Kentucky. She expressed gratitude to the community for their continued support of this annual event.

The presentation was informational in nature, with Ms. Lamkin serving as the primary speaker. No specific concerns were raised during the discussion, and no formal action was required from the Council regarding this agenda item.

The update served to keep Council members and the public informed about the progress and planning for this community basketball recognition event.

Recognition of Fresh Bourbon Distillery

Mayor Gorton presented a special recognition during the February 6, 2020 Council meeting, declaring the date as Fresh Bourbon Day in Lexington. The proclamation honored Fresh Bourbon Distillery as the first African American owned distillery in Kentucky, marking a significant milestone in the state's bourbon industry.

The recognition involved key speakers including Mayor Gorton, Mr. J. Brown, and Mr. Edwards, who participated in the presentation ceremony. This agenda item, designated as 0204-20, served as an informational presentation to acknowledge the historic achievement of Fresh Bourbon Distillery in breaking barriers within Kentucky's traditional bourbon industry.

The proclamation represents the city's commitment to recognizing diverse business ownership and celebrating entrepreneurial achievements that contribute to Lexington's economic and cultural landscape. As the first African American owned distillery in Kentucky, Fresh Bourbon Distillery's establishment represents both a business milestone and a step toward greater diversity in an industry with deep historical roots in the state.

The agenda item was presented as a ceremonial recognition without requiring Council action or debate, serving to formally acknowledge the distillery's significance to the community and the broader bourbon industry in Kentucky.