Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened virtually on February 10, 2022, at 6:00 PM with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting addressed two agenda items, including a recognition ceremony for Rolanda Woolfork and consideration of a zone change ordinance. The council conducted three votes during the session and heard no public comments. The zone change ordinance was approved, while the recognition of Rolanda Woolfork served as an informational item for the council.

Attendance

The following members were present at the February 10, 2022 meeting:

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

Absent: Worley

Late arrivals: None

A total of 14 members were present with 1 member absent.

Votes and Decisions

The council took action on three items during the February 10, 2022 meeting.

Motion 0163-22 0:00 - Ms. Plomin moved to approve the minutes of the January 27, 2022 Council Meeting, seconded by Ms. Sheehan. The motion passed unanimously with 14 ayes and 0 nays. All council members present voted in favor: Reynolds, Sheehan, Baxter, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Kay, Kloiber, Lamb, LeGris, McCurn, Moloney, and Plomin.

Ordinance 0079-22 1:00 - Ms. Sheehan moved to approve an ordinance changing the zone from Agricultural Rural (A-R) to Agricultural Buffer (A-B) for property located at 7086 Tates Creek Road, seconded by Mr. Ellinger. The ordinance passed on a roll call vote with 13 ayes and 0 nays. Council members voting in favor were: Reynolds, Sheehan, Baxter, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Kay, Kloiber, Lamb, LeGris, McCurn, Moloney, and Plomin.

Resolution 0015-22 2:00 - Ms. LeGris moved to approve a resolution amending Resolution 214-2020 to revise account numbers for payment to AECOM Technical Services, Inc., seconded by Ms. Sheehan. The resolution passed on a roll call vote with 12 ayes and 1 nay. Council members voting in favor were: Reynolds, Sheehan, Baxter, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Kay, Kloiber, Lamb, LeGris, McCurn, and Plomin. Mr. Moloney cast the sole dissenting vote.

All three items on the agenda received approval, with the AECOM resolution being the only measure to face opposition from a council member.

Budget and Financial Actions

The council addressed two significant financial items during the February 10, 2022 meeting.

Amendment 0015-22 authorized an $11,850 payment to AECOM Technical Services, Inc. for work related to the Town Branch Commons Corridor project. This amendment represents additional funding for technical services associated with the ongoing corridor development initiative.

Contract 0053-22 established a $50,000 agreement with Commerce Lexington, Inc. to assist with the creation of the Regional Economic Development Collective. This contract represents the city's investment in regional economic development coordination efforts, with Commerce Lexington serving as the primary partner organization for this collaborative initiative.

Both financial actions required council approval and represent investments in infrastructure development and economic growth initiatives for the community.

Contested Items

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

Resolution 0015-22 - Amendment of Account Numbers for AECOM Payment

The board considered Resolution 0015-22, which involved amending account numbers for payment to AECOM Technical Services, Inc. While the resolution ultimately passed, it was not unanimous.

Mr. Moloney cast the sole dissenting vote against the resolution, while the remaining board members voted in favor of the measure. The specific reasons for Mr. Moloney's opposition to the account number amendments were not detailed in the available meeting materials.

Despite the dissenting vote, the resolution was approved and will proceed as planned. The payment to AECOM Technical Services, Inc. will move forward under the amended account number structure as outlined in the resolution.

This represents the only item during the meeting that generated disagreement among board members, with all other business items appearing to receive unanimous support.

Recognition of Rolanda Woolfork

0:30

Mayor Gorton presented a proclamation recognizing Rolanda Woolfork's contributions to the Lexington community during the February 10, 2022 meeting. The Mayor officially declared February 10, 2022, as "Rolanda Woolfork Day" in the city of Lexington.

The proclamation highlighted Woolfork's extensive volunteer work and community involvement throughout her time in Lexington. Several council members participated in the recognition ceremony, including J. Brown, McCurn, and Moloney, who joined Mayor Gorton in acknowledging Woolfork's service to the community.

The agenda item, designated as 0103-22, was presented as an informational proclamation with no formal action required from the council. The recognition served to publicly honor Woolfork's dedication to volunteer service and her positive impact on the local community.

This proclamation represents the city's formal acknowledgment of citizens who demonstrate exceptional commitment to community service and civic engagement in Lexington.

Zone Change Ordinance

1:00

The council considered Ordinance 0079-22, which proposed changing the zoning classification for property located at 7086 Tates Creek Road from Agricultural Rural (A-R) to Agricultural Buffer (A-B).

Ms. Sheehan and Mr. Ellinger served as the key speakers during the discussion of this zoning change request. The ordinance specifically addressed the rezoning of the property to allow for the Agricultural Buffer designation, which typically provides a transitional zone between agricultural and other land uses.

The council ultimately approved the zone change ordinance, allowing the property at 7086 Tates Creek Road to be reclassified from Agricultural Rural to Agricultural Buffer zoning. This change will affect how the property can be developed and used going forward under the city's zoning regulations.