Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council met on January 27, 2022, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The council addressed two main agenda items during the session, both of which were approved. The meeting included two motions and votes, covering a zone change request for properties on North Broadway and the acceptance of a bid for equipment procurement. One member of the public provided comments during the meeting. The council successfully completed all items on the agenda, with both the zoning matter and the frontloader bid acceptance receiving approval from the body.

Attendance

The following members were present at the January 27, 2022 meeting:

• Plomin
• Reynolds
• Sheehan
• Baxter
• F. Brown
• J. Brown
• Ellinger
• Kay
• Kloiber
• Lamb
• LeGris
• McCurn
• Moloney

Absent: • Bledsoe • Worley

No members arrived late to the meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included two roll call votes, both of which passed unanimously.

Ordinance 009-22 0:00 Council voted on an ordinance changing the zoning from Single Family Residential (R-1C) to High Density Apartment (R-4) for properties located at 1114 N. Broadway and 1118 N. Broadway. The motion was made by Plomin and seconded by Reynolds. The ordinance passed unanimously with 13 ayes and 0 nays.

Voting in favor: Plomin, Reynolds, Sheehan, Baxter, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Kay, Kloiber, Lamb, LeGris, McCurn, and Moloney.

Resolution 012-22 0:00 Council voted on a resolution accepting the bid of Worldwide Equipment, Inc., establishing a price contract for a frontloader for the Division of Facilities and Fleet Management. The motion was made by Ellinger and seconded by Plomin. The resolution passed unanimously with 13 ayes and 0 nays.

Voting in favor: Plomin, Reynolds, Sheehan, Baxter, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Kay, Kloiber, Lamb, LeGris, McCurn, and Moloney.

Both measures received full council support with no opposition or abstentions recorded.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed two significant financial contracts requiring board approval.

Capacity Assurance Program Flow Monitoring Contract The board considered Resolution 027-22, authorizing a contract with Hydromax USA, LLC for $147,375. This contract covers capacity assurance program flow monitoring services, which are essential for tracking and managing system capacity requirements.

Material Recovery Facility Equipment Contract Resolution 0065-22 was presented for approval, establishing a $165,000 contract with Ely Enterprises, Inc. This contract funds the re-lining of baler equipment at the Material Recovery Facility, representing necessary maintenance and infrastructure improvements to maintain operational efficiency.

The two contracts combined represent a total financial commitment of $312,375 for operational monitoring services and facility maintenance. Both items required formal resolution approval as part of the standard procurement and contracting procedures.

Public Comment

The public comment period for this meeting encountered technical difficulties that prevented full participation from community members.

Doug Epling attempted to provide general comments to the board but experienced audio technical issues that made it impossible for him to be heard clearly 0:00. Due to these connectivity problems, meeting officials advised Epling to submit his comments via email instead so that his input could still be considered by the board.

No other public comments were successfully delivered during this portion of the meeting due to the technical constraints.

Appointments

The meeting included two appointments to the Agricultural Extension District.

New Appointments: • Jana Schmidt was appointed to the Agricultural Extension District

Reappointments: • Frank Penn was reappointed to the Agricultural Extension District

Both appointments were processed during the meeting, with Schmidt receiving a new appointment and Penn continuing his service through reappointment to the Agricultural Extension District.

Contested Items

The January 27, 2022 meeting featured one primary area of contention among council members regarding the ongoing format of municipal meetings.

Meeting Format Discussion

Council members engaged in a heated discussion about whether to continue conducting meetings online due to COVID-19 concerns or return to in-person sessions. The debate revealed significant ambivalence among council members, with no clear consensus emerging on the preferred approach.

The disagreement centered on balancing public health considerations against traditional meeting practices and public accessibility. While specific council member positions and the final outcome of this discussion were not detailed in the available meeting records, the contentious nature of the debate highlighted the ongoing challenges municipalities faced in adapting their governance procedures during the pandemic.

The discussion reflects broader municipal concerns during this period about maintaining effective governance while addressing health and safety protocols that had been implemented in response to COVID-19.

Zone Change for 1114 N. Broadway and 1118 N. Broadway

0:00 The council considered Ordinance 009-22, which proposed changing the zoning classification for properties at 1114 N. Broadway and 1118 N. Broadway from Single Family Residential (R-1C) to High Density Apartment (R-4).

Key speakers during the discussion included Plomin and Reynolds, who presented information and participated in the deliberation of this zoning change request.

The ordinance would allow for higher density residential development on these North Broadway properties by transitioning them from single-family residential use to a classification that permits apartment buildings and multi-unit housing developments.

The council ultimately approved the zone change ordinance, allowing the properties to move forward under the new R-4 High Density Apartment zoning designation.

Bid Acceptance for Frontloader

0:00

The board considered Resolution 012-22 regarding the acceptance of a bid from Worldwide Equipment, Inc. for a frontloader purchase. This resolution established a price contract with the company for the equipment.

Key speakers during the discussion included Ellinger and Plomin, who presented details about the bid and contract terms. The agenda item was structured as a formal resolution requiring board approval to move forward with the procurement.

The resolution was approved by the board, authorizing the acceptance of Worldwide Equipment, Inc.'s bid and establishing the price contract for the frontloader. This approval allows the organization to proceed with the equipment purchase under the agreed-upon terms.

*Note: Detailed discussion points, specific bid amounts, and individual board member comments were not available in the provided meeting materials.*