Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on August 26, 2021, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Vice-Mayor Kay presiding over the session. The meeting focused primarily on zoning matters, with the council addressing two zone change requests during the proceedings. Both agenda items were successfully approved by the council, including zone changes for properties on Harrodsburg Road and DeRoode Street. The council conducted a total of 3 votes throughout the meeting and heard 1 public comment from community members. The session demonstrated the council's continued work on land use planning and zoning decisions that affect development within Lexington-Fayette County.

Attendance

Present: Sheehan, Worley, Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Kloiber, Lamb, McCurn, Moloney, Plomin, Reynolds

Absent: Baxter, LeGris

Late: None

Twelve members were present for the August 26, 2021 meeting, with two members absent and no late arrivals recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted three roll call votes on tax-related ordinances during the meeting 6:04.

Ordinance 0812-21 - An Ordinance levying Ad Valorem Taxes for municipal purposes for the Fiscal Year July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 was motioned by Ms. Bledsoe and seconded by Mr. Worley. The ordinance passed unanimously with 13 ayes and 0 nays. All council members voted in favor: Sheehan, Worley, Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Kay, Kloiber, Lamb, McCurn, Moloney, Plomin, and Reynolds.

Ordinance 0813-21 - An Ordinance adopting the request of the Lexington-Fayette County Health Dept. and levying a Special Ad Valorem Public Health Tax was motioned by Ms. Lamb and seconded by Ms. Plomin. This ordinance also passed unanimously with 13 ayes and 0 nays. The same 13 council members voted in favor: Sheehan, Worley, Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Kay, Kloiber, Lamb, McCurn, Moloney, Plomin, and Reynolds.

Ordinance 0815-21 - An Ordinance levying Ad Valorem Taxes for purposes of support of the Agricultural Extension Office was motioned by Ms. Lamb and seconded by Ms. Plomin. This ordinance passed with 8 ayes and 5 nays. Council members voting in favor were: Sheehan, J. Brown, Kay, Kloiber, Lamb, Moloney, Plomin, and Reynolds. Council members voting against were: Worley, Bledsoe, F. Brown, Ellinger, and McCurn.

All three ordinances related to tax levies for the fiscal year, with the Agricultural Extension Office tax being the only measure that faced opposition from council members.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed two significant financial contracts totaling over $17.6 million in expenditures.

Major Infrastructure Contract The board approved Resolution 0788-21, authorizing a $17,450,000 contract with Judy Construction Co. for the West Hickman Wet Weather Storage Tank Phase 2 project. This substantial infrastructure investment represents the continuation of a multi-phase wet weather management system designed to address stormwater storage capacity in the West Hickman area.

Technology Enhancement Contract Resolution 0753-21 was approved, establishing a $201,485.50 contract with Thoroughbred Aviation Maintenance for an Augmented Reality Mapping System. This technology acquisition will enhance the organization's mapping and visualization capabilities through advanced AR technology.

The combined financial commitments of $17,651,485.50 reflect significant investments in both critical infrastructure development and technological modernization. The West Hickman project represents the larger portion of expenditures, accounting for approximately 98.8% of the total approved spending, while the augmented reality system comprises the remaining 1.2% of the financial commitments.

Both contracts were processed through the standard resolution approval process, with formal identification numbers assigned for tracking and administrative purposes. The substantial difference in contract values highlights the organization's dual focus on major capital infrastructure projects alongside targeted technology improvements to support operational efficiency.

Public Comment

During the public comment period, one community member addressed the board regarding local parking concerns.

Robb Hill spoke about parking issues affecting Main Street Baptist Church 15:00. Hill expressed concerns about the lack of adequate parking for the church and discussed how ongoing park development in the area could further impact the church's operations. He highlighted the potential challenges that reduced parking availability might create for church members and visitors attending services and events.

No other members of the public provided comments during this portion of the meeting.

Appointments

The meeting included two appointments to local boards and organizations.

Sarah Lamere was appointed to the Board of Architectural Review. The Board of Architectural Review is responsible for reviewing proposed changes to buildings and structures within designated historic districts to ensure they comply with architectural and design standards.

Silas House was appointed to the Carnegie Center for Literacy. The Carnegie Center for Literacy works to promote literacy and educational opportunities within the community through various programs and initiatives.

Both appointments were approved during the meeting, though specific vote counts and discussion details were not provided in the available materials. These appointments help fill important volunteer positions that support the community's historic preservation efforts and educational mission.

Contested Items

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

Ad Valorem Tax for Agricultural Extension Office

An ordinance regarding ad valorem tax for the Agricultural Extension Office generated significant division among council members. The proposal ultimately passed by a narrow margin of 8-5, highlighting the contentious nature of the issue.

The close vote indicates that nearly half of the council members opposed the measure, though the specific details of their objections and the arguments presented by both sides are not available in the meeting records. The narrow passage suggests this was a significant policy decision that divided the governing body along unclear lines.

The 8-5 vote represents one of the more divisive decisions made during this meeting, with the slim three-vote margin indicating substantial disagreement about the appropriateness or necessity of the ad valorem tax measure for agricultural extension services.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps and detailed arguments from council members are not available in the provided meeting documentation.*

Zone Change for Harrodsburg Rd.

6:04

The Council considered Ordinance 0759-21, which proposed changing the zoning classification for properties on Harrodsburg Road from a Restricted Highway Service Business (B-3) zone to a Restricted Highway Service Business (B-3) zone with modified conditional zoning.

Vice-Mayor Kay served as the key speaker for this agenda item, presenting the zoning change request to the Council. The ordinance maintained the same underlying B-3 zoning classification but added modified conditional zoning provisions to the properties.

The B-3 zone designation allows for restricted highway service businesses, which typically includes commercial uses that serve travelers and the general public along major roadways. The addition of modified conditional zoning would impose specific conditions or restrictions on how the properties can be developed or used, though the specific conditions were not detailed in the available materials.

The Council approved Ordinance 0759-21, allowing the zoning change to move forward. The approval enables the properties on Harrodsburg Road to operate under the new B-3 zone with modified conditional zoning requirements, which will govern future development and use of these parcels.

This type of conditional zoning modification is commonly used by municipalities to ensure that commercial development along major corridors like Harrodsburg Road meets specific standards or addresses particular community concerns while maintaining the flexibility of commercial zoning.

Zone Change for DeRoode St.

6:04

The council considered Ordinance 0760-21, which proposed changing the zoning designation for property on DeRoode Street from Townhouse Residential (R-1T) to High Density Apartment (R-4).

Vice-Mayor Kay served as the key speaker for this agenda item, presenting the zoning change request to the council for consideration.

The ordinance would allow for higher density residential development on the DeRoode Street property by transitioning from a townhouse residential zone, which typically permits moderate-density attached housing units, to a high-density apartment zone that allows for multi-story apartment buildings and increased unit density per acre.

The council approved the zoning change ordinance, allowing the property to move forward under the new R-4 High Density Apartment zoning classification. This approval enables future development of the DeRoode Street property consistent with high-density residential standards and requirements.