Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council held a virtual meeting on October 8, 2020, at 6:10 PM, presided over by Mayor Gorton. The council addressed six agenda items and took eight votes during the session. No public comments were heard during the meeting.

The council approved ordinances and resolutions on second reading, and advanced resolutions to first reading. The meeting also included communications from the Mayor, which were approved. Additionally, the council took action on two disciplinary matters: discipline for Officer Benjamin Fielder and discipline for Officer Ryan Wells, both of which were approved.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on October 8, 2020:

• Mayor Gorton
• J. Brown
• Ellinger
• Farmer
• Higgins-Hord
• Kay
• Lamb
• McCurn
• Moloney
• Mossotti
• Plomin
• Reynolds
• Swanson
• Worley
• Bledsoe
• F. Brown

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

Approval of the Minutes of the September 24, 2020 Council Meeting (0983-20) 23:45

Motion by Mr. Farmer, seconded by Vice Mayor Kay. Passed unanimously 15-0. All council members voted in favor: J. Brown, Ellinger, Farmer, Higgins-Hord, Kay, Lamb, McCurn, Moloney, Mossotti, Plomin, Reynolds, Swanson, Worley, Bledsoe, and F. Brown.

Approval of Ordinances Amending Budgets for Municipal Expenditures and Council Projects (0933-20, 0934-20, 0935-20) 25:28

Motion by Mr. Farmer, seconded by Mr. McCurn. Passed by roll call vote 15-0. All council members voted in favor: J. Brown, Ellinger, Farmer, Higgins-Hord, Kay, Lamb, McCurn, Moloney, Mossotti, Plomin, Reynolds, Swanson, Worley, Bledsoe, and F. Brown.

Approval of Various Resolutions Including Bids, Appointments, and Agreements (0861-20 to 0899-20) 37:26

Motion by Ms. Plomin, seconded by Ms. Higgins-Hord. Passed by roll call vote 15-0. All council members voted in favor: J. Brown, Ellinger, Farmer, Higgins-Hord, Kay, Lamb, McCurn, Moloney, Mossotti, Plomin, Reynolds, Swanson, Worley, Bledsoe, and F. Brown.

First Reading of Resolutions for Bids and Contracts (0929-20 to 0951-20) 38:26

First reading held with no vote recorded.

Approval of Communications from the Mayor (0982-20) 57:19

Motion by Ms. Plomin, seconded by Ms. Lamb. Passed unanimously 15-0. All council members voted in favor: J. Brown, Ellinger, Farmer, Higgins-Hord, Kay, Lamb, McCurn, Moloney, Mossotti, Plomin, Reynolds, Swanson, Worley, Bledsoe, and F. Brown.

Discipline for Officer Benjamin Fielder - Use of Force 1:39:10

Motion by Council Member Farmer, seconded by Council Member Massadi. Passed by roll call vote 14-1. Voting in favor: J. Brown, Ellinger, Farmer, Higgins-Hord, Kay, Lamb, McCurn, Moloney, Mossotti, Plomin, Reynolds, Swanson, Worley, and Bledsoe. Voting against: F. Brown.

Discipline for Officer Benjamin Fielder - Unsatisfactory Performance 1:40:49

Motion by Council Member Farmer, seconded by Council Member Higgins-Hord. Passed by roll call vote 14-1. Voting in favor: J. Brown, Ellinger, Farmer, Higgins-Hord, Kay, Lamb, McCurn, Moloney, Mossotti, Plomin, Reynolds, Swanson, Worley, and Bledsoe. Voting against: F. Brown.

Discipline for Officer Ryan Wells - Unsatisfactory Performance 1:43:06

Motion by Council Member Farmer, seconded by Council Member Bledsoe. Passed by roll call vote 14-1. Voting in favor: J. Brown, Ellinger, Farmer, Higgins-Hord, Kay, Lamb, McCurn, Moloney, Mossotti, Plomin, Reynolds, Swanson, Worley, and Bledsoe. Voting against: F. Brown.

Budget and Financial Actions

The following financial actions were approved:

Clays Mill Road Improvements Section 1 [0861-20] A contract worth $10,683,653.39 was awarded to L-M Asphalt Partners ltd. d/b/a ATS Construction for improvements to Clays Mill Road Section 1.

Homecare Program for Homebound Seniors [0832-20] A contract in the amount of $48,610 was approved with Bluegrass Area Development District to provide homecare services for homebound seniors.

Cardiac Monitors Purchase [0866-20] A purchase order for $180,294.40 was authorized for the acquisition of cardiac monitors from Zoll.

Euclid Avenue Multi Modal Improvements Project [0949-20] A grant in the amount of $480,000 was received from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for the Euclid Avenue Multi Modal Improvements Project.

Appointments

The following individuals were appointed to government boards and committees:

• Shirie Hawkins was appointed to the Airport Board
• Tonya Jackson was appointed to the Airport Board
• Carllen Warner was appointed to Bluegrass Crime Stoppers
• Hannah Emig was appointed to the Rural Land Management Board
• Ellen Ferguson was appointed to the Tree Board

Contested Items

Police Discipline Process

Council members engaged in a heated discussion regarding the process and standards for police discipline [timestamp information not available]. The disagreement centered on concerns about transparency in how disciplinary actions are conducted and evaluated.

A key point of contention was the adequacy of information provided to council members regarding police discipline matters. Members expressed concerns that they were not receiving sufficient details to properly oversee and understand the discipline process.

The discussion reflected broader concerns about the transparency and accountability mechanisms within the police discipline system, though specific details about proposed solutions or the ultimate outcome of this discussion are not documented in the available meeting materials.

Ordinances – Second Reading

24:17

The council conducted the second reading of ordinances amending budgets for municipal expenditures and council projects. Mr. Farmer and Mr. McCurn were the key speakers during this agenda item.

The ordinances presented addressed budget amendments related to municipal spending and council-directed projects. Following discussion by the council members, the ordinances were approved.

Resolutions – Second Reading

37:26

The second reading of resolutions proceeded with Ms. Plomin and Ms. Higgins-Hord as key speakers. The resolutions under consideration included matters related to bids, appointments, and agreements.

The item was approved.

Resolutions – First Reading

38:26

This agenda item presented the first reading of resolutions related to bids and contracts. No specific details regarding the content of individual resolutions, key speakers, or substantive discussion points were recorded in the available meeting materials.

The item proceeded to first reading, which is the initial formal presentation stage in the resolution approval process.

Communications From the Mayor

Mayor Gorton presented appointments to various boards and commissions during this agenda item 57:19.

The appointments were approved by the council.

Discipline for Officer Benjamin Fielder

Chief Weathers presented a disciplinary matter regarding Officer Benjamin Fielder for use of force and unsatisfactory performance 1:39:10.

The discussion resulted in approval of the proposed discipline for Officer Fielder. The specific details of the use of force incident, the performance concerns, and the disciplinary measures imposed are not detailed in the available meeting materials.

Discipline for Officer Ryan Wells

1:43:06

Chief Weathers presented a disciplinary matter regarding Officer Ryan Wells for unsatisfactory performance. The discussion resulted in approval of the proposed discipline.

The specific details of the performance issues and the nature of the disciplinary action were addressed during this agenda item, with Chief Weathers leading the presentation to the body for consideration and vote.