Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government held a meeting on November 30, 2021, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber at 200 E. Main St, Lexington, KY 40507, with Mayor Linda Gorton presiding. The meeting addressed three main agenda items, including the approval of a summary, an informational presentation on Neighborhood Development Funds, and a proclamation honoring Mr. Tony Likidropulos.

During the session, the council conducted eight motions and votes, with two items receiving formal approval. The meeting also included one public comment period, allowing community input on matters before the council. The agenda covered both administrative business and community recognition, demonstrating the council's focus on both operational matters and acknowledging local contributions to the community.

Attendance

All members of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council were present for the November 30, 2021 meeting.

Present: • Mayor Linda Gorton • Vice Mayor Kay • Council Member Ellinger • Council Member Plomin • Council Member Sheehan • Council Member Moloney • Council Member Reynolds • Council Member Legris • Council Member Bledsoe • Council Member Baxter • Council Member James Brown • Council Member Kloiber • Council Member Lamb • Council Member Mccurn

Absent: None

Late: None

The meeting achieved full attendance with all 14 council members participating.

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted eight votes during the November 30, 2021 meeting, all decided by voice vote.

Motion to Allow Public Comment 0:30 Council Member Ellinger motioned to allow Avery Hopkins to speak at the beginning of the meeting. The motion was seconded and passed by voice vote.

Closed Session 3:00 Vice Mayor Kay moved to go into closed session, seconded by Council Member Plomin. The motion passed by voice vote.

Legal Action Authorization 6:00 Council Member Moloney motioned to approve a resolution authorizing legal action related to Kentucky Utilities clear cutting. The motion was seconded and passed by voice vote.

Wastewater Treatment Plant Services 7:00 Council Member Moloney moved to approve a resolution authorizing purchase support service for Town Branch and West Hickman Waste Water Treatment Plant. The motion was seconded and passed by voice vote.

Docket Approval 9:00 Vice Mayor Kay motioned to approve the docket, seconded by Council Member Sheehan. The motion passed by voice vote.

Work Session Summary 11:00 Council Member Plomin moved to approve the November 18 work session summary, seconded by Council Member Baxter. The motion passed by voice vote.

Budget Amendments 13:00 A motion to approve budget amendments was seconded by Council Member Reynolds. The motion passed by voice vote.

New Business Items 15:00 Council Member Plomin moved to approve new business items, seconded by Council Member Legris. This motion passed by voice vote with one dissenting vote recorded.

All motions were approved, with the new business items vote being the only one to receive opposition during the meeting.

Budget and Financial Actions

The council approved seven financial items totaling approximately $366,605 in expenditures and grant funding.

Contracts and Agreements

The largest contract authorization involved $60,000 for Memorandum of Agreements with eight partner farms for the FY2022 Workplace Wellness CSA Farm Share Program (L1056-21). The participating farms include Black Soil, Elmwood Stock Farm, High Five Farm, Homegrown Direct, Lazy Eight Stock Farm, Rolling Fork Organic Farm, Rootbound Farm, and Sustainable Harvest Farm.

For infrastructure projects, the council authorized a $150,000 Consultant Service Agreement with Strand Associates, Inc., for the East Lexington Trail Connectivity and Traffic Study (L1206-21). Additionally, Contract Modification No. 4 with CDP Engineers, Inc., was approved for $16,200 to continue design work on the Town Branch Trail Phase III Project (L1203-21).

The council also approved a 3-year maintenance agreement with Cummins Sales and Service for $3,266 (L1186-21).

Technology and Equipment Purchases

Several technology-related purchases received authorization, including $3,550 for Magnet AXIOM Core software from Magnet Forensics, which was established as a sole source vendor (L1193-21). The council also approved $7,912.95 to upgrade to the NAVEX Global EthicsPoint tip line platform (L1194-21).

Grant Funding

The council authorized Amendment No. 1 to accept an increase of $125,677 in federal funds from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for transit planning purposes (L1205-21).

These financial actions encompass various city operations including employee wellness programs, infrastructure development, equipment maintenance, law enforcement technology, ethics reporting systems, and transportation planning initiatives.

Public Comment

During the public comment period, one community member addressed the council.

Avery Hopkins spoke about Town Branch, emphasizing its natural beauty and advocating for alternative bicycle infrastructure planning 1:00. Hopkins recommended that a proposed bicycle route be located along Town Branch rather than Old Frankfort Pike, suggesting this alternative location would be more suitable for cycling infrastructure.

The public comment period focused solely on transportation and recreational infrastructure planning, with particular attention to bicycle route placement and the preservation of scenic areas within the community.

Contested Items

The council addressed one significant contested item during the November 30, 2021 meeting that had generated community opposition.

Legal Action Against Kentucky Utilities

The primary contentious issue involved a resolution to authorize legal action against Kentucky Utilities for clear cutting trees. This matter had been a source of ongoing community concern and opposition prior to the meeting.

The council discussed the resolution and ultimately approved the legal action authorization against the utility company. The clear cutting of trees by Kentucky Utilities had evidently created sufficient community backlash to warrant formal legal proceedings by the municipality.

While the extracted data indicates this was a contested item with community opposition, the specific details of the debate, individual council member positions, or the vote breakdown were not provided in the available materials. The resolution's approval suggests the council sided with community concerns regarding Kentucky Utilities' tree removal practices.

Approval of Summary

11:00

The Council considered agenda item 1224-21 for the approval of the summary from the Council Work Session held on November 18, 2021.

Council Member Plomin and Council Member Baxter participated in the discussion regarding the approval of the meeting summary. The agenda item focused on reviewing and formally approving the documented proceedings from the previous work session.

The Council approved the summary of the November 18, 2021 Council Work Session without recorded objections or amendments to the document.

Neighborhood Development Funds

16:00

The council received an informational presentation on Neighborhood Development Funds under agenda item 1226-21. The presentation provided an overview of the allocation and use of these funds as of November 30, 2021.

This was a presentation-only item with no formal action required from the council. The session served to update council members and the public on the current status of neighborhood development funding programs and their utilization across the city.

No specific speakers were identified for this agenda item, and no formal outcome or vote was recorded as this was classified as an informational presentation.

Proclamation: Mr. Tony Likidropulos

18:00

The council considered agenda item 1223-21, a proclamation honoring Mr. Tony Likidropulos for his contributions to the community through his shoe repair business.

Mayor Linda Gorton presented the proclamation, recognizing Mr. Likidropulos's service to the community. Council Member Moloney also participated in the presentation of this honor.

The proclamation acknowledged Mr. Likidropulos's dedication to the community through his work in the shoe repair industry, highlighting his contributions as a local business owner.

The proclamation was approved by the council without opposition, formally recognizing Mr. Likidropulos's community service and business contributions.