Council Work Session - Virtual Meeting Packet

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened virtually on January 18, 2022, at 3:00 PM, with Mayor Linda Gorton presiding. The council addressed three main agenda items during the session, including approval of motions from the previous work session, new business items, and an amendment to revise standards for street patterns and continuity. All three agenda items were approved by the council. The meeting included four motions and votes, with one public comment heard during the proceedings.

Attendance

The following officials were present at the January 18, 2022 meeting:

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

Absent: None

Late: None

All expected attendees were present for the meeting, with no absences or late arrivals recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted four votes during the January 18, 2022 meeting, with three passing unanimously and one requiring a roll call vote.

Approval of January 11, 2022 Work Session Motions 0:00 Councilmember Plomin moved to approve the January 11, 2022 council work session motions, seconded by Ellinger. The motion passed unanimously with 17 ayes and 0 nays. All present council members voted in favor: Lamb, Whitney Baxter, Ellinger, Kay, J. Brown, McCurn, Sheehan, Kloiber, Worley, F. Brown, Baxter, Bledsoe, Reynolds, Plomin, Moloney, and LeGris.

Approval of New Business 0:00 Ellinger moved to approve new business, with Kay providing the second. This motion also passed unanimously with 17 ayes and 0 nays, with the same council members voting in favor.

Amendment to Delete Planning Commission Motion 0:00 Kay moved to amend a proposal to delete the final motion to amend that was made in the planning and public safety commission, seconded by Lamb. This motion required a roll call vote and passed 9-5. Voting in favor were Kay, Lamb, Ellinger, J. Brown, McCurn, Sheehan, Kloiber, Worley, and F. Brown. Voting against were Baxter, Bledsoe, Reynolds, Plomin, and Moloney.

Delay of Implementation Until February 2023 0:00 James Brown moved to delay the implementation of new rules and regulations until February 2023, with Lamb seconding the motion. The motion passed unanimously with 14 ayes and 0 nays. Voting members included Lamb, Whitney Baxter, Ellinger, Kay, J. Brown, McCurn, Sheehan, Kloiber, Worley, F. Brown, Baxter, Bledsoe, Reynolds, and Plomin.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed several financial authorizations totaling $198,981 across contract amendments, grants, and economic development agreements.

Contract Modifications • Resolution 0015-22 authorized amending Resolution No. 214-2020 to adjust account numbers for Contract Modification No. 5 with AECOM Technical Services, Inc., involving $11,850

Incentive Grants The council approved three incentive grants under the city's grant program:

• Resolution 0035-22 authorized a Class A (Neighborhood) incentive grant of $44,800.00 to The Gardens of Hartland Homeowners Association, Inc.

• Resolution 0036-22 approved a Class A (Neighborhood) incentive grant of $57,331.00 to Friends of Wolf Run, Inc.

• Resolution 0037-22 authorized a Class B (Education) incentive grant of $35,000.00 to Bluegrass Greensource, Inc.

Economic Development Agreement • Resolution 0053-22 approved an agreement with Commerce Lexington, Inc. for the Regional Economic Development Collective, allocating $50,000 for regional economic development initiatives

The financial actions represented a mix of infrastructure support through the AECOM contract amendment, community development through neighborhood grants totaling $102,131, educational initiatives through the Bluegrass Greensource grant, and regional economic collaboration through the Commerce Lexington agreement. All items required formal authorization through individual resolutions to execute the respective agreements and allocate the specified funding amounts.

Public Comment

During the public comment period, one speaker addressed the board regarding a state continuity ordinance.

Dick Murphy spoke on behalf of the Clarke family to express support for the state continuity ordinance 0:00. Murphy emphasized the importance of the grandfathering provision within the ordinance, particularly as it relates to ongoing development plans. He indicated that this provision would be beneficial for the Clarke family's current development projects.

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

Contested Items

The council engaged in a heated discussion regarding the Amendment to Revise Standards for Street Patterns and Continuity. The primary point of contention centered on whether to include a grandfathering provision that would allow ongoing development plans to proceed under existing regulations rather than the proposed new standards.

Council members expressed significant concerns about the potential precedent such a provision might establish for future zoning text amendments. The debate focused on balancing the need to protect developers who had already invested in projects under current regulations against the importance of implementing improved street pattern standards consistently across all new developments.

The disagreement highlighted broader questions about how the municipality should handle transitions between old and new zoning requirements, particularly when developments are already in various stages of planning or approval. Some council members worried that grandfathering provisions could undermine the effectiveness of the new standards, while others argued that failing to protect existing development plans could create legal and financial complications for both the city and developers.

The discussion revealed differing philosophies among council members about regulatory consistency versus practical implementation considerations. The specific outcome of this contested item was not detailed in the available meeting materials, though the intensity of the debate suggests it remained unresolved or required additional consideration before final action could be taken.

*Note: Specific participant names and timestamp information were not available in the provided meeting materials.*

Approval of January 11, 2022 Council Work Session Motions

0:00

The council considered approval of motions from their January 11, 2022 work session. Council members Plomin and Ellinger participated in the discussion of this procedural item.

The agenda item involved formally approving the motions that were made during the previous work session held on January 11, 2022. This type of approval is typically a routine administrative matter that ensures proper documentation and ratification of decisions made during work sessions.

The council approved the motions from the January 11, 2022 work session without any dissent or opposition from council members. No concerns were raised during the discussion, and the item proceeded smoothly through the approval process.

The outcome was the formal approval of all motions from the January 11, 2022 council work session, allowing those previously discussed items to move forward as officially ratified by the council.

New Business

0:00

The council addressed several new business items during this portion of the meeting. Council members Ellinger and Kay served as the primary speakers for the various matters brought forward.

The new business segment included multiple authorizations and agreements that required council approval. While the specific details of each individual item are not detailed in the available materials, the discussion covered various municipal matters that needed formal council action.

Council members Ellinger and Kay presented the new business items and facilitated the discussion among the council. The deliberation process allowed for consideration of the various proposals and agreements before the council.

Following the presentation and discussion of the new business items, the council moved to approve the matters. The outcome was successful, with the council voting to approve the new business items that were presented during this agenda segment.

The approval of these new business items represents the council's formal authorization for the various municipal activities, agreements, and administrative matters that were brought forward for consideration during this meeting.

Amendment to Revise Standards for Street Patterns and Continuity

0:00 The council considered an ordinance to amend standards for street patterns and continuity during the January 18, 2022 meeting. The proposed changes focused on revising requirements for block length and cul-de-sac development within the city's street design standards.

Key speakers during the discussion included James Brown, Kay, and Worley, who engaged in debate over the specific provisions of the amendment. The council examined modifications to existing block length requirements and standards governing the use of cul-de-sacs in new developments.

A significant portion of the discussion centered on whether to include a grandfathering provision in the amended standards. This provision would have allowed existing developments or approved projects to continue under the previous regulations rather than being subject to the new requirements. The speakers debated the merits and potential complications of implementing such a provision.

The council weighed the impact of the revised standards on future development patterns and street connectivity throughout the city. The amendments were designed to improve overall street network continuity while addressing practical concerns about development feasibility.

Following discussion of the various provisions and the grandfathering clause, the council voted to approve the amendment to revise standards for street patterns and continuity. The approved ordinance will establish new requirements for block length and cul-de-sac development that will apply to future projects within the city's jurisdiction.