Council Work Session - Virtual Meeting Packet

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened virtually on August 18, 2020, at 3:00 PM, with Mayor Linda Gorton presiding over the session. The council addressed four agenda items during the meeting, focusing primarily on routine business matters and neighborhood development funding. Three motions were voted on by the council, with approval granted for the meeting summary, new business items, and neighborhood development funds allocation. The council also received an informational report from the Planning & Public Safety Committee. No public comments were heard during this virtual session.

Attendance

All members of the council were present for the August 18, 2020 meeting.

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

Absent: None

Late: None

The meeting achieved full attendance with all 16 members present.

Votes and Decisions

The council took action on three items during the August 18, 2020 meeting, with all motions passing unanimously.

August 11 Work Session Summary Approval 0:45 Vice Mayor Kay moved to approve the August 11 work session summary, with Council Member McCurn providing the second. The motion passed unanimously.

New Business Items Approval 2:00 Council Member McCurn made a motion to approve new business items. The motion passed unanimously without requiring a second.

Neighborhood Development Funds Approval 3:00 Council Member McCurn moved to approve neighborhood development funds. This motion also passed unanimously without requiring a second.

All three votes were conducted as unanimous consent votes rather than formal roll call votes, with no council members voting against or abstaining from any of the items presented.

Budget and Financial Actions

The council approved several contracts and agreements totaling over $284,000 in expenditures during the August 18, 2020 meeting.

Mental Health Services Contract Resolution 0753-20 authorized a $170,000 agreement with NAMI-Lexington to provide services for the Fayette County Mental Health Court. This represents the largest financial commitment approved during the session.

Infrastructure Projects The council approved Change Order No. 1 for the Dartmouth Drive Culvert Replacement Project under Resolution 0773-20, adding $3,916.29 to the existing contract with Churchill McGee, LLC. This change order likely addresses unforeseen conditions or scope modifications discovered during construction.

Additionally, Resolution 0774-20 approved a Memorandum of Agreement with the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the University of Kentucky for sanitary sewer infrastructure replacement work valued at $110,828.50. This agreement appears to involve coordination between multiple government entities for essential utility improvements.

Emergency Medical Services Partnership Resolution 0775-20 established an agreement with the Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services for a Community Paramedicine Program. No specific dollar amount was associated with this contract, suggesting it may involve in-kind services, grant funding, or administrative coordination rather than direct municipal expenditures.

The approved financial actions demonstrate the council's focus on essential services including mental health support, infrastructure maintenance, and emergency medical services. The total identified expenditures of $284,744.79 reflect ongoing commitments to public health, safety, and infrastructure needs within the community.

Appointments

The council took action on one appointment during the August 18, 2020 meeting.

• Lisa Higgins-Hord was appointed to the 6th Council District.

This appointment represents a single personnel action taken by the council during this session. No additional details about the appointment process, term length, or specific responsibilities were provided in the available meeting materials.

Contested Items

The primary contested item during the August 18, 2020 meeting centered on the issue of no-knock warrants and the appropriate policy response to community concerns.

No-Knock Warrants Policy

Community members expressed opposition to the use of no-knock warrants, with disagreement emerging over whether the city should implement a temporary moratorium or pursue a complete ban on such warrants. The nature of the contention involved community opposition to current practices, with residents advocating for stronger restrictions on law enforcement's ability to execute warrants without prior announcement.

The specific concern raised focused on the distinction between a moratorium, which would temporarily suspend the use of no-knock warrants, versus an outright ban that would permanently prohibit their use. Community members appeared to favor the more restrictive approach of a complete ban rather than the less definitive step of a temporary moratorium.

The disagreement highlighted broader tensions around police reform measures and the extent to which local government should restrict law enforcement practices in response to community safety concerns. The debate reflected ongoing national conversations about police accountability and the balance between public safety operations and civil liberties protections.

No specific outcome or resolution was documented in the available materials for this contested item, leaving the final disposition of the no-knock warrant policy question unclear from this meeting's proceedings.

Approval of Summary

0:45

The council considered approval of the summary from their August 11 work session. Vice Mayor Kay and Council Member McCurn participated in the discussion of this agenda item.

The summary was approved by the council.

New Business

2:00

The council addressed several new business items during this portion of the meeting, with Council Member McCurn serving as the primary speaker for this agenda item.

The discussion focused on the approval of various agreements and contracts that required council action. Council Member McCurn presented the new business items to the council for consideration and approval.

The council proceeded to review and discuss the proposed agreements and contracts presented under new business. Following the discussion, the items were approved by the council.

Outcome: All new business items were approved by the council.

Neighborhood Development Funds

3:00

The council considered approval of allocations for various community projects under the Neighborhood Development Funds agenda item. Council Member McCurn served as the key speaker for this discussion item.

The agenda item focused on the approval of funding allocations for multiple community-based projects, though specific project details and funding amounts were not detailed in the available materials. The discussion centered on distributing neighborhood development resources to support local initiatives.

Council Member McCurn presented the funding recommendations to the council for consideration. The discussion appeared to proceed without significant debate or concerns raised by other council members regarding the proposed allocations.

The council ultimately approved the neighborhood development fund allocations as presented. The approval allows the various community projects to move forward with their allocated funding support.

Planning & Public Safety Committee Report

4:00 Council Member James Brown presented the Planning & Public Safety Committee Report, providing an update on several key law enforcement policy matters currently under committee review.

The report focused on three primary areas of committee work:

• Police Department Policies - The committee has been conducting a comprehensive review of existing departmental policies and procedures
• No-Knock Warrants - Discussion of current practices and potential policy changes regarding no-knock warrant procedures
• Collective Bargaining Agreements - Review of ongoing negotiations and agreements with law enforcement unions

Council Member Brown delivered the report as an informational presentation to update the full council on the committee's ongoing work in these areas. The report served to keep council members informed about the committee's progress on these public safety policy matters.

This was presented as an informational item with no formal action required from the council at this time. The committee continues its work on these policy areas, with further updates expected in future meetings.