Council Work Session - Virtual Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened virtually on August 11, 2020, at 3:00 PM, with Mayor Linda Gorton presiding over the meeting. The council addressed two primary agenda items during the session, focusing on local park renaming and coronavirus relief funding matters.

The meeting resulted in the approval of the renaming of Cheapside Park, marking a significant decision for the community. Additionally, the council received informational updates regarding next steps for the Coronavirus Relief Fund, providing guidance on the allocation and distribution of federal relief resources during the ongoing pandemic.

Throughout the session, the council conducted three formal votes on various motions and heard one public comment from a community member. The virtual format allowed for continued civic engagement while maintaining public health protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring that essential city business could proceed safely and transparently.

Attendance

All council members were present for the August 11, 2020 meeting.

Present: • Mayor Linda Gorton • Vice Mayor Kay • Council Member Lisa Higgins-Hord • Council Member Farmer • Council Member Plomin • Council Member Swanson • Council Member Mossotti • Council Member Ellinger • Council Member Mccurn • Council Member James Brown • Council Member Fred Brown • Council Member Reynolds • Council Member Bledsoe • Council Member Moloney • Council Member Worley • Council Member Lamb

Absent: None

Late: None

The meeting achieved full attendance with all 16 members of the council present along with Mayor Gorton.

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted three formal votes during the August 11, 2020 meeting.

Docket Approval 20:00 Council Member Farmer motioned to approve the docket as amended, with a second from Council Member Plomin. The motion passed unanimously with all 15 members voting in favor: • Ayes (15): Mayor Linda Gorton, Council Member Lisa Higgins-Hord, Council Member Farmer, Council Member Plomin, Council Member Swanson, Council Member Mossotti, Council Member Ellinger, Council Member Mccurn, Vice Mayor Kay, Council Member James Brown, Council Member Fred Brown, Council Member Reynolds, Council Member Bledsoe, Council Member Moloney, Council Member Worley, and Council Member Lamb

New Business Items 1:30:00 Council Member Farmer motioned to approve new business items, seconded by Vice Mayor Kay. This motion also passed unanimously with all 15 members voting in favor, including the same roster of council members and Mayor Gorton.

Household Assistance Program Funding 2:30:00 Vice Mayor Kay motioned to allocate $1.9 million to household assistance programs contingent upon a plan being in place, with Council Member Swanson providing the second. This motion passed by roll call vote with 13 ayes and 2 nays: • Ayes (13): Mayor Linda Gorton, Council Member Lisa Higgins-Hord, Council Member Farmer, Council Member Plomin, Council Member Swanson, Council Member Mossotti, Council Member Ellinger, Council Member Mccurn, Vice Mayor Kay, Council Member James Brown, Council Member Reynolds, Council Member Bledsoe, and Council Member Worley • Nays (2): Council Member Fred Brown and Council Member Moloney

The funding allocation was approved with the condition that a plan must be in place before the funds can be distributed.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed one significant financial appropriation during the August 11, 2020 session.

Household Assistance Programs Appropriation The council approved an appropriation of $1,900,000 for household assistance programs. This substantial allocation was designated to support community members facing financial hardship, though specific details about the recipient organizations or program administrators were not specified in the available meeting materials.

The appropriation represents a significant commitment to social support services during what was a challenging period for many households. However, the meeting materials do not include specific resolution numbers, vendor information, or detailed breakdowns of how these funds would be distributed among different assistance programs.

*Note: Transcript timestamps are not available for this meeting's financial discussions.*

Public Comment

During the public comment period, one community member addressed the council regarding a proposed park renaming initiative.

Christine Stanley spoke in support of renaming Cheapside Park to Henry A. Tandy Centennial Park 10:00. Stanley emphasized the significance of this proposed name change for the African-American community, describing it as an important step toward healing. She expressed her support for honoring Henry A. Tandy through this park designation, highlighting the meaningful impact such recognition would have on the community.

The public comment period focused solely on this park renaming proposal, with Stanley being the only speaker to address the council during this portion of the meeting.

Contested Items

The meeting featured one significant contested item that resulted in a split vote among council members.

Allocation of Coronavirus Relief Funds [timestamp: not available]

The council engaged in debate over the allocation of $1.9 million in coronavirus relief funds designated for household assistance programs. The disagreement centered on concerns raised by some council members regarding both the timing of the proposed allocation and the specific details of how the funds would be distributed.

While the extracted data indicates this was a contentious issue that resulted in a split vote, the specific positions taken by individual council members, the exact nature of their concerns about timing and program specifics, and the final outcome of the vote are not detailed in the available materials.

The $1.9 million allocation represents a substantial amount of relief funding, making the debate over its proper distribution a significant matter for the community. The split vote suggests the council was divided on how best to proceed with these coronavirus relief efforts for household assistance.

Renaming of Cheapside Park

30:00 The council considered a resolution to rename Cheapside Park to Henry A. Tandy Centennial Park during agenda item j.

The discussion involved several key speakers who provided context and perspectives on the proposed name change. Monica Conrad, Debron Thomas, Russell Allen, Christine Stanley, and Foster Auckerman participated in the deliberations regarding this renaming initiative.

The council members discussed the historical significance behind the proposed new name, examining the importance of Henry A. Tandy and how the renaming would honor his contributions to the community. The discussion included background information about both the current name "Cheapside Park" and the reasoning for selecting "Henry A. Tandy Centennial Park" as the replacement designation.

Council members addressed various aspects of the renaming process, including the historical context that made this change appropriate and meaningful for the community. The centennial designation in the proposed name suggests this renaming may have been tied to a significant anniversary or milestone.

After consideration of the historical context and significance of the name change, the council voted to approve the resolution. The park will officially be renamed from Cheapside Park to Henry A. Tandy Centennial Park, reflecting the council's decision to honor Henry A. Tandy's legacy through this public recognition.

The approval of this agenda item represents the council's commitment to ensuring that public spaces reflect names and designations that appropriately honor individuals who have made meaningful contributions to the community's history and development.

Coronavirus Relief Fund Next Steps

2:00:00

Brandi Peacher presented on the allocation of the Coronavirus Relief Fund during this agenda item. The presentation focused on proposing various uses for the available federal relief funds that the city had received in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Peacher outlined several potential allocation categories for the Coronavirus Relief Fund money, with household assistance being identified as one key area of focus. This would involve directing funds to help residents who had been financially impacted by the pandemic. Additionally, budget stabilization was proposed as another use for the relief funds, which would help the city maintain essential services and operations during the economic challenges brought on by the health crisis.

Mayor Linda Gorton participated in the discussion alongside Peacher, though the specific nature of her contributions to the conversation was not detailed in the available information.

The presentation was informational in nature, meaning no formal votes or binding decisions were made during this agenda item. Instead, the discussion served to inform council members and the public about potential options for deploying the federal relief funds that had been allocated to the city.

The Coronavirus Relief Fund represented federal assistance provided to local governments to help address the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cities across the country received these funds with specific guidelines on how they could be used, typically requiring that expenditures be directly related to pandemic response and recovery efforts.

This agenda item provided an opportunity for city leadership to consider how best to utilize these federal resources to benefit the community during the ongoing public health emergency.