Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened on June 3, 2008, at 3:00 PM with Mayor Newberry presiding. The Council addressed five agenda items during the session, all of which were approved through five recorded votes. The meeting included one public comment period, allowing community input on matters before the Council.

The Council's business focused primarily on administrative and operational matters, including amendments to municipal code sections and extensions of existing agreements. Key actions included approving Amendment No. 3 to a Health Services Agreement with CMS, modifying Sections 21-5 and 23-5 of the Code of Ordinances, and extending agreements for both the Portable Interoperable Communication Tower Project and the Regional 911 System Project. All five agenda items received Council approval, indicating unanimous or majority support for the proposed measures.

The session demonstrated the Council's attention to both healthcare services coordination and emergency communication infrastructure, with the approval of agreements that would enhance regional coordination capabilities. The meeting proceeded efficiently through its agenda, with all proposed items successfully advancing through the legislative process.

Attendance

The Council meeting on June 3, 2008 had strong attendance with 13 members present and 1 member absent.

Present: • Mayor Newberry • CM Beard • CM Ellinger • CM Blues • CM Henson • CM Blevins • CM Crosbie • CM McChord • CM Stevens • CM Stennett • CM DeCamp • CM Lane • CM Gorton

Absent: • CM James

Late: • None

With 13 of 14 council members in attendance, the meeting had sufficient participation for conducting official business.

Votes and Decisions

The Council conducted five votes during the June 3, 2008 meeting, all of which passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Meeting Minutes Approval 0:30 CM Beard motioned to approve the summary of the May 20, 2008 meeting, seconded by CM Ellinger. The motion passed by voice vote.

New Business Items 3:00 CM Blues motioned to approve new business items A through BB, with CM Henson providing the second. The motion passed by voice vote.

NDF List Approval 10:00 CM Blues motioned to approve the NDF (No Dollar Figure) list for June 3, 2008, seconded by CM McCord. The motion passed by voice vote.

Budget Committee Referral 12:00 CM Blevins motioned to place the review of inter-fund transfers into the Budget & Finance Committee for further consideration. CM Lane seconded the motion, which passed by voice vote.

Waste Management Task Force 13:00 CM Blevins motioned to create a task force focused on waste management efficiency procedures, with CM Lane providing the second. The motion passed by voice vote.

All votes were conducted as voice votes rather than roll call votes, meaning individual council member positions were not recorded. The unanimous voice vote outcomes suggest broad council consensus on these procedural and administrative matters.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council approved several financial agreements and grant applications during the June 3, 2008 meeting, totaling $429,395 in expenditures and potential funding.

Law Enforcement Services Contract The Council authorized Resolution 272-08, approving a $350,000 agreement with the Fayette County Sheriff for 2008 Urban Services Property Taxes. This represents the largest financial commitment discussed at the meeting.

Educational Services Agreement Resolution 290-08 approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Murray State University's Kentucky Institute for International Studies for Spanish language instruction services. The agreement totals $4,995 and will provide specialized language training programs.

Grant Application Authorization The Council approved Resolution 286-08, authorizing the submission of a grant application to the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice for a Truancy Assessment Center. The application seeks $74,400 in funding, with the Partners for Youth Foundation identified as the recipient organization. This grant would support programs aimed at addressing truancy issues in the community.

These three financial actions demonstrate the Council's commitment to public safety services, educational programming, and youth intervention initiatives. The agreements span multiple sectors, from law enforcement support through the Sheriff's department contract to educational enhancement through the Murray State partnership, and community youth services through the truancy prevention grant application.

Public Comment

During the public comment period, one community member addressed the Council regarding talent retention and community engagement initiatives.

Eric Patrick Marr spoke about the importance of community engagement and talent retention in Lexington 25:00. Marr emphasized the critical need for the city to actively engage its top talent and create meaningful opportunities for professional growth. He argued that such initiatives are essential for retaining thought leaders within the community, suggesting that without proper engagement mechanisms, the city risks losing valuable human capital that could contribute to Lexington's continued development and success.

Marr's comments focused on the broader strategic challenge of keeping skilled professionals and community leaders invested in the city's future, highlighting talent retention as a key factor in maintaining Lexington's competitive position and fostering long-term growth.

Contested Items

The June 3, 2008 Council meeting featured one significant point of contention regarding municipal utility funding practices.

Use of Sanitary Sewer Fees for Stormwater Tasks

Council Member Gorton raised concerns about the apparent use of sanitary sewer fees to fund stormwater management activities. This issue sparked a heated discussion during the meeting as Gorton questioned whether the city was appropriately segregating different utility fee revenue streams.

The city administration responded to Gorton's concerns by clarifying that sanitary sewer fees and stormwater funding operate as separate funding sources. Officials explained the distinction between these two utility systems and their respective funding mechanisms to address the council member's questions about proper fund allocation.

The disagreement centered on ensuring transparency and appropriate use of utility fees collected from residents. Council Member Gorton's inquiry reflected broader concerns about municipal financial practices and whether ratepayers' money designated for specific utility services was being used for its intended purpose.

Following the administration's clarification of the separate funding sources, the discussion was resolved with a better understanding of how the city manages different utility revenue streams. The outcome reinforced the importance of clear communication about municipal utility financing and helped clarify the city's practices regarding sanitary sewer and stormwater funding separation.

Amendment No. 3 to Health Services Agreement with CMS

3:00

The Council considered Resolution 267-08, which would authorize Amendment No. 3 to the Health Services Agreement with CMS. The proposed amendment involves reallocating funds within the existing agreement to change staffing positions.

The amendment specifically seeks to reallocate funding from an X-Ray Technician position to an Administrative Assistant position. This represents a shift in the type of personnel support being provided under the health services contract with CMS.

Key speakers during the discussion included Bishop and Bennett, who addressed the Council regarding the proposed staffing changes and funding reallocation.

The resolution was approved by the Council, authorizing the amendment to proceed. This approval allows for the formal modification of the Health Services Agreement with CMS to reflect the new staffing allocation, moving resources from the X-Ray Technician role to support an Administrative Assistant position instead.

The amendment maintains the overall funding level of the agreement while adjusting the personnel structure to better meet current operational needs within the health services program.

Amend Section 21-5 of the Code of Ordinances

3:00

The Council considered Ordinance 188-08, which proposed amending Section 21-5 of the Code of Ordinances to restructure a position within the city's technical workforce. The ordinance sought authorization to abolish an existing Electronic Technician Sr. position and create a new Radio/Electronics Specialist position in its place.

Key speakers during the discussion included Council members Hendricks and Bennett, who addressed the proposed position change. The amendment represents an administrative restructuring that would modify the city's personnel classification system to better align job titles and responsibilities with current operational needs.

The ordinance was presented as a straightforward personnel matter involving the elimination of one technical position and the simultaneous creation of another specialized role. This type of position reclassification typically occurs when departments need to adjust their staffing structure to match evolving job requirements or to provide more accurate job descriptions that reflect actual duties performed.

The Council approved Ordinance 188-08, authorizing the amendment to Section 21-5 of the Code of Ordinances. This approval allows the city to proceed with abolishing the Electronic Technician Sr. position and establishing the Radio/Electronics Specialist position, completing the administrative restructuring of this technical role within the municipal workforce.

Amend Section 23-5 of the Code of Ordinances

3:00

The Council considered Ordinance 268-08, which proposed amending Section 23-5 of the Code of Ordinances to restructure police department positions. The ordinance would abolish one Police Captain position and create one Police Lieutenant position in its place.

Council members Allen and Bennett were the key speakers during discussion of this agenda item. The proposed change represents a reorganization within the police department's command structure, effectively replacing a higher-ranking captain position with a lieutenant position.

The ordinance was approved by the Council, authorizing the amendment to the municipal code. This restructuring will formally codify the change in the police department's organizational hierarchy and position classifications.

The approval of Ordinance 268-08 allows the city to proceed with implementing the revised staffing structure within the police department as outlined in the amended code section.

Extend Agreement for Portable Interoperable Communication Tower Project

3:00

The Council considered Resolution 269-08, which authorized extending the agreement with the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security for the Portable Interoperable Communication Tower Project.

P. King and Bennett served as the key speakers during discussion of this agenda item. The resolution sought authorization to extend the existing agreement that enables the city to participate in the state's portable communication tower initiative, which provides interoperable communication capabilities for emergency response situations.

The portable interoperable communication tower project is designed to enhance emergency communications coordination between different agencies and jurisdictions during critical incidents. By extending this agreement with the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security, the city maintains its access to this specialized emergency communication equipment and support services.

The Council approved Resolution 269-08, allowing the city to continue its participation in this homeland security communication initiative. The extension ensures continued access to portable communication infrastructure that can be deployed during emergencies to facilitate coordination between local, state, and federal response agencies when standard communication systems may be compromised or insufficient.

Extend Agreement for Regional 911 System Project

3:00

The Council considered Resolution 270-08, which authorized extending the agreement with the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security for the Regional 911 System Project.

P. King and Bennett served as the key speakers during the discussion of this agenda item. The resolution sought to extend the existing agreement that governs the regional emergency communications system project, which involves coordination with state homeland security officials.

The Regional 911 System Project represents an ongoing effort to enhance emergency response capabilities across the region through improved communication infrastructure and coordination mechanisms. The extension would allow continued collaboration with the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security on this critical public safety initiative.

The Council approved Resolution 270-08, authorizing the extension of the agreement with the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security for the Regional 911 System Project. This approval ensures continuity of the regional emergency communications enhancement efforts and maintains the partnership with state homeland security officials.