Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened on June 24, 2008, with Mayor Newberry presiding over the session. The meeting focused primarily on informational presentations and committee updates, with three main agenda items scheduled for discussion. The Council heard updates from the Corridors Committee and Planning Committee, as well as received a presentation from the Kentucky League of Cities. During the course of the meeting, the Council conducted 10 motions and votes on various matters, though no public comments were recorded for this session. All three agenda items were informational in nature, indicating this was largely a briefing and update session rather than one focused on legislative action.

Attendance

The following Council members were present at the June 24, 2008 meeting:

Present: • Mayor Newberry • CM Blevins • CM Stinnett • CM Ellinger • CM Beard • CM Gorton • CM DeCamp • CM Myers • CM McChord • CM Lane • CM Blues • CM Henson • CM Blavats • CM Gordon • CM Crosby

Absent: None

Late: None

All Council members were in attendance for this meeting, with no absences or late arrivals recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The Council conducted ten votes during the June 24, 2008 meeting, with nine passing unanimously and one requiring a roll call vote.

Procedural Approvals The meeting began with standard procedural votes. CM Blevins motioned to approve the docket, seconded by CM Stinnett, which passed unanimously. CM Ellinger then motioned to approve the summary from the June 17, 2008 meeting, seconded by CM Beard, also passing unanimously. Budget amendments were approved unanimously on a motion by CM Blevins, seconded by CM Gorton.

New Business Items CM DeCamp motioned to approve new business items A through U in a single vote, seconded by CM Myers. This comprehensive approval passed unanimously.

Audit-Related Decisions Two motions addressed audit matters for the Family Health Care Clinic. CM Gorton first motioned to approve hiring a CPA auditor, seconded by CM Ellinger, which passed unanimously. A second motion by CM Gorton to place MP audit recommendations into the appropriate Council Link, seconded by CM Myers, required a roll call vote and passed 8-5. Additionally, CM Gorton motioned for Paul Schoninger to send notice regarding MP audit recommendations, seconded by CM Beard, passing unanimously.

Infrastructure and Property Decisions The Council approved several infrastructure improvements. CM Lane motioned to install a multi-way stop at Saron Drive and Forest Lake Drive, seconded by CM Myers, passing unanimously. Another motion by CM Lane to rename Jimmie Drive to Jimmie Campbell Drive was seconded by CM Blues and passed unanimously.

Property Condemnation The final vote addressed property enforcement. CM Ellinger motioned to initiate condemnation proceedings for 1426 Bryan Avenue, seconded by CM Gorton, which passed unanimously.

The only contested vote involved the MP audit recommendations placement, suggesting some Council division on audit-related procedures, while all other matters received full Council support.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council approved several significant financial items totaling over $3 million in grants, contracts, and purchases during the June 24, 2008 meeting.

Grant Awards Accepted: • Resolution 346-08: $46,410 grant from the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice for the Lexington-Fayette Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Council • Resolution 360-08: $100,000 grant from the Bluegrass Area Development District for the Division of Youth Services Out-of-School Youth Program • Resolution 362-08: $410,940 grant from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health & Family Services for the Department of Social Services New Chance Program and other services

Major Contracts and Purchases: • Resolution 361-08: $2,029,040 in Purchase of Services Agreements with various partnering agencies, representing the largest financial commitment of the meeting • Resolution 347-08: $115,450 contract with Mountjoy and Bressler, LLP for the financial audit of LFUCG funds for fiscal year 2008 • Resolution 359-08: $265,000 engineering services agreement with Strand Associates, Inc. • Resolution 355-08: $75,880 purchase of Rain Tainers for the 'Lily' Program • Resolution 348-08: $7,200 datacenter hosting services contract with The Center for Rural Development

The approved items reflect a mix of federal and state grant funding for youth services and social programs, along with necessary operational contracts for auditing, engineering services, and technology infrastructure. The largest single expenditure was the multi-agency service agreements totaling over $2 million, while the smallest was the $7,200 datacenter hosting contract.

Contested Items

The Council meeting on June 24, 2008, featured one contested item that resulted in a split vote among council members.

Management Partners Audit Recommendations

The primary point of contention involved a motion regarding the handling of audit recommendations from Management Partners. The disagreement centered on whether to place these audit recommendations into the appropriate Council Link system for further processing and consideration.

The motion ultimately passed, but with a narrow margin that highlighted the division among council members. The final vote was 8-5 in favor of placing the Management Partners audit recommendations into the Council Link system.

While the specific details of the audit recommendations and the nature of the opposition were not detailed in the available materials, the close vote suggests there were substantive concerns among the five dissenting council members about either the content of the recommendations, the process for handling them, or the implications of formally incorporating them into the Council Link system.

The 8-5 vote outcome indicates that while a majority of the council supported moving forward with the formal processing of the audit recommendations, a significant minority had reservations about this approach. This type of split vote on procedural matters involving external audit recommendations often reflects broader disagreements about implementation priorities, resource allocation, or the scope of recommended changes.

Corridors Committee Update

Chair CM Stevens provided an informational update on the Corridors Committee's ongoing projects and initiatives during the meeting.

The presentation covered the committee's current focus areas, with particular emphasis on two main projects. Stevens reported on the Richmond Road cleanup efforts, which represent part of the committee's broader mission to improve the appearance and functionality of major transportation corridors throughout the city.

Additionally, Stevens discussed the committee's tree maintenance activities, highlighting the ongoing work to maintain and enhance the urban canopy along key corridors. This tree maintenance program appears to be a regular component of the committee's responsibilities for corridor beautification and environmental stewardship.

The update was presented as an informational item, with Stevens serving as the primary speaker reporting on the committee's activities. No specific action items or decisions were presented to the Council as part of this update.

The presentation provided Council members with current information on the Corridors Committee's progress and ongoing initiatives, maintaining transparency about the committee's work in managing and improving the city's major roadway corridors.

Planning Committee Update

Chair CM Gorton provided an informational update on several key planning initiatives during the council meeting.

The update covered three main areas of Planning Committee activity:

• Liberty Road - CM Gorton reported on ongoing developments and planning considerations for this corridor

• Downtown Streetscape Plan - Updates were provided on the progress of downtown improvement initiatives and streetscape design planning

• Management Partners Audit Implementation - The committee chair discussed the status of implementing recommendations from the Management Partners organizational audit

This was an informational presentation with no action items or decisions required from the full council. The update served to keep all council members informed of the Planning Committee's current work and progress on these ongoing municipal planning initiatives.

No specific concerns were raised during the presentation, and no formal outcome or vote was required as this was purely an informational update to the council.

Kentucky League of Cities Presentation

Sylvia Lovely, Executive Director and CEO of the Kentucky League of Cities (KLC), delivered a presentation to the Council regarding the services and support that KLC provides to municipal governments across Kentucky.

During her presentation, Lovely outlined the comprehensive range of services offered by the Kentucky League of Cities to member municipalities. She highlighted two key areas of support: insurance services and training programs. The insurance services help cities manage risk and provide coverage for municipal operations, while the training programs offer professional development opportunities for city officials and staff.

The presentation was informational in nature, designed to educate Council members about the resources available through KLC membership and how these services can benefit the city's operations and personnel. Lovely's role as Executive Director and CEO positioned her to provide authoritative information about the organization's capabilities and offerings.

This agenda item served as an educational opportunity for the Council to learn about the broader support network available to Kentucky municipalities through the League of Cities. The presentation did not require any action from the Council and concluded as an informational session.