Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on September 30, 2021, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gorton presiding over the session. The meeting addressed two agenda items, with the council taking two votes during the proceedings. The session included recognition items and budget amendments, though not all scheduled business was completed as planned.

The council heard from two members of the public during the comment period, providing community input on matters of local concern. Of the two agenda items considered, one was postponed while the other received approval from the council members. The Recognition of the 12U Cal Ripken Baseball Team was postponed to a future meeting, while the council successfully approved amendments to the Parks and Recreation budget.

The meeting demonstrated the council's ongoing work to balance ceremonial recognitions with substantive policy matters, including important budgetary decisions affecting the city's recreational services. Despite the postponement of the baseball team recognition, the council was able to advance necessary budget modifications for the Parks and Recreation department, ensuring continued operations and services for Lexington residents.

Attendance

The following officials were present at the September 30, 2021 meeting:

Present: • Mayor Gorton • F. Brown • J. Brown • Ellinger • Kay • Kloiber • Lamb • LeGris • McCurn • Moloney • Plomin • Reynolds • Sheehan • Baxter • Bledsoe

Absent: • Worley

No officials arrived late to the meeting. A total of 15 officials attended the meeting, with one absence recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included two roll call votes, both of which passed with strong support from council members.

Ordinance 0891-21 0:00 Council voted on an ordinance amending budgets for Parks and Recreation to cover stage rental costs. The motion was made by Ellinger and seconded by Kay. The ordinance passed unanimously with 14 ayes, 0 nays, and 0 abstentions. All council members voted in favor: F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Kay, Kloiber, Lamb, LeGris, McCurn, Moloney, Plomin, Reynolds, Sheehan, Baxter, and Bledsoe.

Resolution 0827-21 2:00 Council considered a resolution establishing a subrecipient agreement with the Community Action Council for $392,000. McCurn made the motion, which was seconded by Bledsoe. The resolution passed with 13 ayes, 0 nays, and 1 abstention. Council members voting in favor were: F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Kay, Kloiber, Lamb, LeGris, McCurn, Moloney, Plomin, Sheehan, Baxter, and Bledsoe. One member abstained from the vote, though the specific abstaining member was not identified in the voting record.

Both measures received broad council support, with no opposition votes recorded on either item. The unanimous passage of the Parks and Recreation budget amendment and the near-unanimous approval of the Community Action Council agreement demonstrate council consensus on these funding matters.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed two financial items totaling $392,283.50 in appropriations and grant funding.

Ordinance 0891-21 authorized an appropriation of $283.50 for stage rental expenses related to the E.J. Hayes Annual Back to School Event. This represents a relatively modest expenditure for community programming support.

Resolution 0827-21 involved significantly larger funding, authorizing $392,000 in federal grant funds for an Intensive Street Outreach Program. The Community Action Council was identified as the recipient organization for these grant funds, which will support street outreach services in the community.

The two items reflect different funding mechanisms - a direct municipal appropriation for the community event versus federal grant pass-through funding for social services programming. The street outreach program represents the majority of the financial activity, accounting for over 99% of the total dollar amount addressed in these budget actions.

Public Comment

Two speakers addressed the meeting during the public comment period, both focusing on the classification of Streets and Roads employees as essential workers.

Brett Tallby 3:00 expressed concern that Streets and Roads employees are not considered essential workers despite their critical roles. Tallby highlighted the importance of these employees' work and questioned why they have not received essential worker designation.

Donna Jones 4:00 spoke in support of Streets and Roads employees, emphasizing their hard work and dedication. Jones requested that these workers receive recognition as essential workers, acknowledging their contributions to the community.

Both speakers focused specifically on the need for proper classification and recognition of Streets and Roads department staff as essential workers, suggesting this may be an ongoing issue of concern for the department and its employees.

Appointments

The meeting included three appointments to city boards and commissions.

Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Coalition • Hilary Sykes was appointed to the Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Coalition

Greenspace Commission • Jordan Lloyd was appointed to the Greenspace Commission • Jeremiah Myers was appointed to the Greenspace Commission

All three appointments were approved during the meeting proceedings.

Contested Items

The meeting featured one primary point of contention regarding the classification of Streets and Roads employees as essential workers during the pandemic.

Essential Worker Status for Streets and Roads Employees

Several members of the public voiced concerns during the public comment period about the lack of essential worker recognition for Streets and Roads department employees. Community members argued that these workers performed critical functions throughout the pandemic, maintaining vital infrastructure and services that kept the community operational during emergency conditions.

The opposition centered on what speakers characterized as an oversight in the county's essential worker designations. Public commenters emphasized that Streets and Roads employees continued working in potentially hazardous conditions to ensure roads remained passable, infrastructure was maintained, and emergency services could access all areas of the county during pandemic restrictions.

The specific outcome of this issue was not clearly resolved during the meeting, as the extracted data does not indicate whether the governing body took immediate action or scheduled the matter for future consideration. The concerns raised by community members highlighted a gap between the essential services these employees provided and their formal recognition as essential workers, which could have implications for benefits, protections, or other considerations typically afforded to workers in that classification.

This contested item reflected broader community concerns about ensuring all critical workers received appropriate recognition and support during the ongoing public health emergency.

Recognition of the 12U Cal Ripken Baseball Team

0:30

Agenda item 0991-21, the recognition of the 12U Cal Ripken Baseball Team, was scheduled as a presentation during the meeting but was ultimately removed from the docket.

Vice Mayor Kay addressed the agenda item, explaining that the recognition ceremony could not proceed as planned due to the unavailability of the team members or representatives who were to be honored.

The item was postponed rather than canceled, indicating that the city council intends to reschedule the recognition at a future meeting when the 12U Cal Ripken Baseball Team can be present to receive their acknowledgment.

No further details were provided about the team's achievements or the specific reasons for their unavailability during this meeting.

Amending Budgets for Parks and Recreation

1:00

The council considered Ordinance 0891-21, which proposed amending the Parks and Recreation budget to cover costs associated with stage rental for an event.

Ellinger served as the key speaker presenting this budget amendment to the council. The ordinance specifically addressed the need to allocate additional funds within the Parks and Recreation department's budget to cover expenses related to renting stage equipment for a departmental event.

The budget amendment was presented as a straightforward financial adjustment to ensure the Parks and Recreation department had adequate funding to cover the stage rental costs. No significant concerns or opposition were raised during the discussion of this agenda item.

The council approved Ordinance 0891-21, allowing the Parks and Recreation department to proceed with the budget amendment for the stage rental expenses.