Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on May 20, 2008, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chambers on the second floor of the Government Center, with Vice Mayor Gray presiding over the session. The Council addressed three main agenda items during the meeting, focusing on zoning matters, budget considerations, and transportation updates.

The Council took action on requested rezonings through docket approval and considered several budget amendments, both of which received approval from the body. Additionally, members received an informational presentation on the LexTran budget report, providing insight into the public transportation system's financial status. Throughout the meeting, the Council conducted three formal votes and heard from two members of the public during the comment period, allowing for citizen input on matters of community concern.

Attendance

The Council meeting on May 26, 2008 had strong attendance with 14 members present and one absence.

Present: • Vice Mayor Gray • CM Blevins • CM Stevens • CM Ellinger • CM Gorton • CM Stinnett • CM James • CM Crosbie • CM Beard • CM Henson • CM Lane • CM McChord • CM Myers • CM Blues

Absent: • CM DeCamp

No members arrived late to the meeting. With 14 of 15 council members in attendance, the meeting had sufficient quorum to conduct official business.

Votes and Decisions

The Council took action on three motions during the May 26, 2008 meeting 0:00.

Zoning Change - 160 Pasadena Drive CM Blevins motioned to place an ordinance on the docket for May 22, 2008 without a hearing to change the zoning from Single Family Residential (R-1C) to Professional Office (P-1) for 0.16 net acres at 160 Pasadena Drive. CM Stevens seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

Zoning Change - 128-130 West Tiverton Way CM Beard motioned to place an ordinance on the docket for May 22, 2008 to change the zoning from Highway Business (B-3) with conditional zoning to Highway Service Business (B-3) with modified conditional zoning for 4.00 net acres at 128-130 West Tiverton Way. CM Ellinger seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

New Business Items A-K CM Stevens motioned to approve new business items A through K. CM James seconded the motion. The motion was decided by voice vote and passed, with CM Gorton voting against the measure.

All three motions were approved, with the first two receiving unanimous support from the Council. The third motion regarding new business items had one dissenting vote from CM Gorton, while the remaining council members voted in favor.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council addressed two significant financial matters during the May 26, 2008 meeting.

Grant Acceptance The Council considered Resolution 259-08 for accepting an $88,000 grant from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for the Biodiesel Fuel Storage Tank Project in FY2008. This grant funding would support the city's biodiesel fuel infrastructure development.

Transit Partnership Agreement Resolution 266-08 involved approving a Memorandum of Agreement between the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) and LexTran regarding bus shelters. This contract establishes the framework for bus shelter operations and maintenance responsibilities between the two entities, though no specific dollar amount was associated with this agreement.

Both items represent ongoing efforts to enhance the city's transportation infrastructure and services, with the biodiesel project supporting alternative fuel initiatives and the LexTran agreement addressing public transit amenities for residents.

Public Comment

During the public comment portion of the May 26, 2008 Council meeting, two speakers addressed the Council regarding issues not listed on the meeting agenda 0:00.

Speakers: • Justin Morgan - spoke about issues not on the agenda • Lewis Cobb - spoke about issues not on the agenda

Both speakers utilized the public comment period to bring forward matters that were not included in the formal meeting agenda. The specific details of their concerns and the topics they addressed were not detailed in the available meeting records.

The public comment section provides community members an opportunity to address the Council on matters of public interest, whether or not those items appear on the official meeting agenda.

Contested Items

The May 26, 2008 Council meeting featured one primary contested item that generated heated discussion among council members.

9-1-1 Fee Increase

The most contentious issue of the meeting centered on a proposed increase to the 9-1-1 emergency services fee. Council members engaged in heated discussion regarding both the necessity of the fee increase and its potential impact on residents and businesses.

The debate focused on questions about whether the current fee structure was adequate to support emergency services operations and what financial burden an increase would place on the community. Council members raised concerns about the timing and amount of the proposed increase, though specific details about the exact fee amounts or the positions of individual council members were not captured in the available meeting data.

The discussion highlighted the ongoing challenge of balancing essential emergency services funding with fiscal responsibility to taxpayers. The 9-1-1 fee increase represented a key decision point for the council in determining how to adequately fund critical public safety infrastructure while managing the financial impact on the community.

The outcome of this contested item and any final vote results were not specified in the available meeting information, though the heated nature of the discussion suggests this was a significant policy decision that required careful consideration by all council members involved.

Requested Rezonings / Docket Approval

0:00

The Council considered several motions to place rezoning ordinances on the docket for May 22, 2008, without requiring a public hearing. Multiple council members participated in presenting these rezoning requests.

Council Member Blevins, Council Member Stevens, Council Member Beard, and Council Member Ellinger each made motions to add specific rezoning ordinances to the upcoming docket. The structured approach allowed each council member to present their respective rezoning requests in an orderly fashion.

The rezoning requests were processed as routine docket items, with the council members moving to place the ordinances on the May 22nd agenda without the standard public hearing requirement. This procedural approach streamlined the process for what appeared to be non-controversial rezoning matters.

All motions to place the rezoning ordinances on the docket were approved by the Council, allowing these items to proceed to the May 22, 2008 meeting for formal consideration and potential adoption.

Budget Amendments

0:00

The Council considered budget amendments for the current fiscal year during the May 26, 2008 meeting. The item was presented as an ordinance requiring Council approval.

Council Members Ellinger and Crosbie served as the key speakers during the discussion of the budget amendments. The amendments addressed adjustments to the city's fiscal year budget, though specific details of the proposed changes were not detailed in the available materials.

The Council ultimately approved the budget amendments following the discussion. The item proceeded through the standard ordinance process and received the necessary votes for passage.

The approval of these budget amendments allows the city to implement the fiscal adjustments as outlined in the ordinance for the remainder of the fiscal year.

LexTran Budget Report

Rocky Burke presented the LexTran budget report to the Council 0:00. The presentation focused on the transit system's current financial status and operational performance.

Burke highlighted increased ridership numbers, indicating growing demand for public transportation services in Lexington. The report detailed budget allocations for the transit system's operations and outlined how funds were being distributed across various operational areas.

The presentation was informational in nature, providing Council members with an overview of LexTran's financial position and ridership trends. No specific budget figures or ridership statistics were detailed in the available meeting materials.

This agenda item served as a routine update to keep the Council informed about the performance and financial status of the city's public transit system. No formal action was taken following the presentation.