General Government & Social Services Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government held a meeting on June 9, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber located at 200 E. Main St, Lexington, KY 40507. Susan presided over the session, which included six agenda items, 13 motions and votes, and five public comments.

The body addressed several matters during the meeting. The approval of the February 11, 2020 Committee Summary was approved, as was a discussion regarding Homeless Camps. An agenda item concerning the Bluegrass Area Development District was deferred to a later date. The council also approved the Examination and Creation of an Employee Organ & Bone Marrow Donor Leave Program. A review of Council Rules & Procedures as it relates to Robert's Rules was presented for informational purposes. One item referred to committee was removed from the agenda.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on June 9, 2020:

Council Members: - Councilmember Plumman - Councilmember Evans - Councilmember Maloney - Councilmember James Brown - Councilmember Fred Brown - Councilmember Farmer - Councilmember Reynolds - Councilmember Ellinger - Councilmember Bledsoe - Councilmember Coleman - Councilmember Lonnie - Councilmember O'Mara

Staff and Other Attendees: - Susan - Mr. Maxwell - Mr. Horn - Mr. Atkins - Ms. Ruddock - Ms. Angelucci - Ms. Luker - Ms. Valicenti - Mr. Duttlinger - Mr. Cacher - Mr. Specker - Mr. Ford - Dr. Humball

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The committee took the following actions during the June 9, 2020 meeting:

February 11, 2020 Committee Summary 2:17 Motion by Councilmember Plumman, seconded by Councilmember Evans, to approve the February 11, 2020 Committee Summary. Passed unanimously.

Homeless Camps Item Removal 29:19 Motion by Councilmember Plowman, seconded by Councilmember Plowman, to remove the Homeless Camps item from committee. Passed unanimously.

Bluegrass Area Development District Dues 46:17 Motion by Councilmember Maloney, seconded by Councilmember Farmer, to not fund FY20 and FY21 Bluegrass Area Development District dues. This motion was withdrawn.

Bluegrass Area Development District Presentation and Funding 56:22 Motion by Councilmember Maloney, seconded by Councilmember Farmer, to allow administration to return with a policy for a PSA to allow Bluegrass Area Development District to present and fund $58,600 for FY21. Passed unanimously.

Member Dues Recommendation 1:10:41 Motion by Councilmember Lamby, seconded by Councilmember Farmer, to recommend not going forward with FY18, FY19, and FY20 member dues. Passed unanimously.

Dues Motion Report 1:17:47 Motion by Councilmember Farmer, seconded by Councilmember Evans, to report out the motion to not go forward with FY18, FY19, and FY20 dues for work session budget amendment. Passed unanimously.

Organ and Bone Marrow Donation Leave 1:24:28 Motion by Councilmember Maloney, seconded by Councilmember Evans, to create a leave category for organ and bone marrow donation. Passed unanimously.

Organ and Bone Marrow Donation Leave Item Removal 1:25:03 Motion by Councilmember Maloney, seconded by Councilmember Plowman, to remove the organ and bone marrow donation leave item from committee. Passed unanimously.

DLP Family Friendly Events Item Removal 1:28:37 Motion by Councilmember Plowman, seconded by Councilmember Evans, to remove DLP Family Friendly Events item from committee. Passed unanimously.

City Golf Course Analysis Item Removal 1:30:14 Motion by Councilmember Fred Brown, seconded by Councilmember Farmer, to remove City Golf Course Analysis from committee. Passed unanimously.

Urban County Properties and Buildings Item Removal 1:31:15 Motion by Councilmember Fred Brown, seconded by Councilmember Evans, to remove Cell/Sale Transfer of Urban County Properties and Buildings from committee. Passed unanimously.

Historic Preservation Item Removal 1:31:48 Motion by Councilmember Ellinger, seconded by Councilmember Fred Brown, to remove Historic Preservation item from committee. Passed unanimously.

Adjournment 1:32:51 Motion by Councilmember Evans, seconded by Councilmember Reynolds, to adjourn. Passed unanimously.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed two financial matters:

Telework Equipment Amendment

An amendment of $58,600 was approved to fund the purchase of laptops and other telework equipment for CIO Valicenti's efforts. These funds are potentially reimbursable under the CARES Act.

Bluegrass Area Development District Appropriation

An appropriation of $98,701 in FY18 and FY19 dues held in account was addressed. These funds will be available for future use if the Bluegrass Area Development District returns to compliance.

Public Comment

Several councilmembers raised concerns and questions during the meeting:

Bluegrass Area Development District Compliance

Councilmember Maloney expressed concern that the Bluegrass Area Development District has not demonstrated compliance with state requirements and has failed to present to the committee despite multiple requests. 1:01:33

Board Representation

Councilmember Fred Brown raised concerns about Fayette County's limited representation on the Bluegrass Area Development District board and suggested a need for reform based on population. 39:58

Day Center Operations

Councilmember James Brown asked about the resumption of normal day center hours and how that would impact access to services for homeless individuals in public spaces. 22:15

Organ and Bone Marrow Donation Program

Councilmember Evans shared a personal experience of being contacted as a potential bone marrow donor and praised the initiative for encouraging employee participation in life-saving donations. 1:22:46

Council Rules and Procedures

Councilmember Farmer asked about the meaning of "orders of the day" in the context of Robert's Rules, noting confusion with the terminology. 1:26:53

Contested Items

Bluegrass Area Development District Compliance and Dues

A disagreement emerged regarding the Bluegrass Area Development District's compliance with state requirements and the county's handling of funds owed for past dues. The core dispute centered on whether the county should continue to hold funds designated for past dues without receiving formal presentation or documented proof of compliance from the district. The council was divided on this issue, resulting in a split vote.

Representation on Bluegrass Area Development District Board

Councilmember Fred Brown raised concerns about Fayette County's limited voting power on the Bluegrass Area Development District board, sparking a heated discussion. Brown advocated for implementing a population-based representation model, arguing that the current structure did not adequately reflect the county's size and interests in the district's governance. This disagreement highlighted tensions over how voting authority should be allocated among member jurisdictions.

Approval of February 11, 2020 Committee Summary

Identifier: 0551-20

The committee considered approval of the February 11, 2020 Committee Summary. 2:17

Outcome

The committee approved the February 11, 2020 summary by unanimous voice vote. No discussion preceded the vote.

Participants

Key speakers on this item included Susan, Councilmember Plumman, and Councilmember Evans.

Homeless Camps

Ms. Polly Ruddock presented updates on homeless encampment operations during this agenda item 2:51. Her presentation covered three main areas: encampment standard operating procedures, the homeless system's response to COVID-19, and the current status of outreach and shelter operations.

The committee reviewed the presented information and voted to remove the item from committee. The outcome was approved.

Bluegrass Area Development District

The committee discussed agenda item 0553-20 regarding the Bluegrass Area Development District 29:54. The discussion focused on the organization's financial settlement, compliance status, and ongoing dues issues.

Key Participants

The discussion involved Mr. Horn, Mr. Atkins, Councilmember Maloney, and Councilmember Fred Brown.

Topics Addressed

The committee examined three main areas: - The Bluegrass Area Development District's financial settlement - The organization's compliance status - Outstanding dues issues

Outcome

The committee agreed to defer action on this matter. The deferral was contingent upon the preparation and presentation of a draft Public Service Announcement (PSA), which will be reviewed before further action is taken.

Examination and Creation of an Employee Organ & Bone Marrow Donor Leave Program

1:18:54

Councilmember Maloney introduced a proposal to establish a leave program for employees who donate organs or bone marrow. The program would provide 240 hours of leave for employees donating organs and 40 hours of leave for employees donating bone marrow.

Mr. Maxwell and Councilmember Maloney were the key speakers on this agenda item (Ordinance 0554-20). The proposal aimed to support employees undertaking these medical procedures by providing adequate time away from work for recovery and related medical appointments.

The committee voted to approve the motion to create the leave category, passing the ordinance. The outcome was approved.

Review of Council Rules & Procedures as it relates to Robert's Rules

The council discussed inconsistencies between its current rules and Robert's Rules of Order 1:25:47. Key speakers included Susan and Councilmember Farmer.

The committee identified gaps and discrepancies in how the council's procedures align with Robert's Rules. Rather than resolve these issues immediately, the council determined that a comprehensive review was necessary.

Outcome

A subcommittee was formed to undertake a formal review and update of the council's rules and procedures. The subcommittee plans to meet in the coming weeks to address the identified inconsistencies and develop recommendations for aligning council practices with Robert's Rules of Order.

Items Referred to Committee

1:28:01

Several items were removed from the committee agenda during this discussion. The removed items included:

• DLP Family Friendly Events
• City Golf Course Analysis
• Cell/Sale Transfer of Urban County Properties
• Historic Preservation

The rationale for removal was that these items were either being handled by other committees or were no longer relevant to the current agenda.

Key speakers in this discussion included Councilmember Bledsoe, Councilmember Fred Brown, and Councilmember Ellinger.

The outcome of this agenda item was that the referenced items were removed from consideration.