Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened on March 15, 2022, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber of the Urban County Government Center in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The council addressed 10 agenda items during the session, taking 9 formal votes and hearing 1 public comment. All voted items received approval, including significant procurements for firefighter turnout gear and vehicle acquisitions, as well as various memorandums of agreement and understanding related to civil forfeiture actions and offsite mitigation. The council also approved budget amendments for workforce development, neighborhood development funds, and formally adopted motions from the March 8th work session. Additionally, the council received an informational presentation on police technology, demonstrating the body's focus on both operational needs and technological advancement for public safety departments.

Attendance

The following officials were present at the March 15, 2022 meeting:

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

Absent: • Plomin

No officials arrived late to the meeting. A total of 15 officials were present with 1 absence recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included nine motions, all of which passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Firefighter Equipment Procurement 0:00 Sheehan motioned to approve firefighter turnout gear procurement. The motion passed by voice vote.

Council Docket Item 0:30 Elker motioned, with Reynolds seconding, to place bond reimbursements and vehicle procurements on the docket for the March 2022 council meeting. The motion passed by voice vote.

Civil Forfeiture Agreement 1:00 James Brown motioned, with Ellinger seconding, to authorize the Mayor to execute a memorandum of agreement for civil forfeiture actions. The motion passed by voice vote.

Offsite Mitigation Agreement 1:30 Reynolds motioned, with Kay seconding, to authorize the Mayor to execute a memorandum of understanding for offsite mitigation. The motion passed by voice vote.

Work Session Minutes 2:00 The council approved the March 8th council work session table of motions by voice vote. No specific motion maker or seconder was recorded.

Budget Amendment 2:30 Sheehan motioned, with Ellinger seconding, to amend budget journal 133477-78 to increase workforce development funding. The motion passed by voice vote.

Agenda Modification 3:00 Sheehan motioned, with McCurn seconding, to remove item P from the agenda work session. The motion passed by voice vote.

New Business Approval 3:30 Sheehan motioned, with Kay seconding, to approve new business. The motion passed by voice vote.

Neighborhood Development Funds 4:00 A motion to approve neighborhood development funds was seconded by Reynolds and passed by voice vote. No original motion maker was recorded.

All votes were conducted by voice vote with no recorded individual vote tallies or opposition.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed multiple financial authorizations totaling over $22 million in expenditures, grants, and agreements.

Major Financial Items: • Resolution 0265-22: Authorization to accept $11,700,000 in federal Emergency Rental Assistance grant funds from the U.S. Department of the Treasury • Resolution 0269-22: Authorization to execute an amendment with Community Action Council for $10,530,000 • Resolution 0259-22: Authorization to accept the Collective Bargaining Agreement with Lexington Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 526, with a $2.4 million impact for the current fiscal year

Grant Applications and Awards: • Resolution 0267-22: Authorization to submit a $25,000,000 RAISE grant application to the U.S. Department of Transportation for the High Street Corridor Safety and Mobility Improvements Initiative • Resolution 0239-22: Class B Infrastructure Incentive Grant of $127,050 to Beaver Creek Hydrology, LLC • Resolution 0263-22: Application for a $102,000 Household Hazardous Waste Management Grant • Resolution 0240-22: Class B Education Incentive Grant of $34,426 to The Living Arts and Science Center, Inc. • Resolution 0242-22: Class B Education Incentive Grant of $34,997 to The University of Kentucky Research Foundation

Contracts and Services: • Resolution 0266-22: Authorization for Advanced Eco Systems as sole source provider for Zumro decontamination kits at $136,362 • Resolution 0256-22: Agreement with Cloudburst Consulting Group for Racial and Equity Analysis at $87,385 • Resolution 0252-22: Establishment of Metals Treatment Technologies (MT2) as sole source vendor for firing range services at $50,460 • Resolution 0257-22: Memorandum of Agreement with Bluegrass Community and Technical College for $45,000

Other Financial Actions: • Resolution 0258-22: Authorization to accept a $30,000 donation from the Creech Family Foundation, Inc. • Resolution 0243-22: Department of Law position restructuring with $3,164.53 budget impact

Several items had no budgetary impact, including solid waste management plan updates and police ordinance amendments.

Public Comment

During the public comment period, one community member addressed the board regarding waste management concerns.

Don Pratt spoke about garbage and recycling issues 3:00:00. Pratt emphasized the need for manufacturers to take greater responsibility for the waste generated by their products. He suggested implementing a shift towards reusable containers as a potential solution to current waste management challenges. His comments focused on addressing systemic issues in how communities handle garbage and recycling programs.

Contested Items

The License Plate Reader Program emerged as the primary contested item during the meeting, generating significant community opposition centered on privacy concerns and camera placement decisions.

The controversy involved multiple stakeholders, including representatives from the NAACP, ACLU, and the Human Rights Commission, who raised objections to various aspects of the proposed program. Community members expressed concerns about the privacy implications of implementing automated license plate reading technology throughout the jurisdiction.

Key points of contention focused on:

• Privacy protections - Questions about data collection, storage, and access protocols
• Camera placement - Disputes over proposed locations for the license plate reading equipment
• Community oversight - Calls for greater transparency and accountability measures

The opposition groups argued that the program could disproportionately impact certain communities and raised constitutional concerns about surveillance and data privacy. The Human Rights Commission's involvement highlighted civil liberties aspects of the proposal, while the NAACP and ACLU brought broader advocacy perspectives to the discussion.

The debate reflected ongoing tensions between public safety initiatives and privacy rights, with community organizations seeking stronger safeguards and oversight mechanisms before any program implementation could proceed.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps and final outcomes were not available in the provided meeting data.*

Firefighter Turn Out Gear Procurement

0:00

The council considered a resolution for the procurement of firefighter turn out gear during the meeting. Sheehan served as the key speaker presenting this agenda item to the council.

The discussion focused on acquiring new protective equipment for firefighters, though specific details about the gear specifications, vendor selection, or procurement amount were not detailed in the available meeting materials. Turn out gear typically includes essential protective clothing such as coats, pants, boots, helmets, and gloves that firefighters wear when responding to emergency calls.

The council proceeded to vote on the resolution without recorded debate or concerns raised during the discussion period. The procurement proposal received approval from the council members, allowing the fire department to move forward with acquiring the necessary protective equipment for its personnel.

This approval ensures that firefighters will have access to updated safety gear, which is critical for their protection while performing emergency response duties in the community.

Bond Reimbursements and Vehicle Procurements

0:30 The council addressed the scheduling of bond reimbursements and vehicle procurements for their March 2022 meeting agenda.

Elker presented the item to the council, discussing the need to place both bond reimbursements and vehicle procurements on the docket for the upcoming March 2022 council meeting. The discussion focused on the procedural aspects of scheduling these financial matters for formal consideration.

The council approved moving forward with placing these items on the March meeting agenda. No specific concerns or objections were raised during the brief discussion of this scheduling matter.

The resolution was approved, ensuring that both bond reimbursements and vehicle procurement matters would be formally addressed at the March 2022 council meeting.

Memorandum of Agreement for Civil Forfeiture Actions

1:00

The council considered a resolution to authorize the Mayor to execute a memorandum of agreement for civil forfeiture actions during the March 15, 2022 meeting.

James Brown served as the key speaker presenting this agenda item to the council. The resolution focused on granting the Mayor authority to enter into an agreement related to civil forfeiture proceedings, though specific details about the nature of the agreement or the parties involved were not provided in the available meeting materials.

The item was presented as a resolution requiring council approval before the Mayor could proceed with executing the memorandum of agreement. Civil forfeiture actions typically involve legal proceedings where government entities seek to seize property allegedly connected to criminal activity.

Following the presentation and any discussion that may have occurred, the council voted to approve the resolution. This approval grants the Mayor the necessary authorization to execute the memorandum of agreement for civil forfeiture actions on behalf of the municipality.

The resolution passed, allowing the Mayor to move forward with the agreement as presented to the council.

Memorandum of Understanding for Offsite Mitigation

1:30 The council considered a resolution to authorize the Mayor to execute a memorandum of understanding for offsite mitigation during the March 15, 2022 meeting.

Reynolds served as the key speaker for this agenda item, presenting the proposal to the council. The discussion centered on granting the Mayor authority to enter into a memorandum of understanding that would establish terms for offsite mitigation activities.

The resolution was presented as a standard authorization measure, allowing the Mayor to proceed with executing the agreement on behalf of the municipality. The offsite mitigation memorandum of understanding would formalize arrangements for mitigation activities conducted away from the primary project site.

Following the presentation and discussion, the council voted to approve the resolution. This approval grants the Mayor the necessary authority to execute the memorandum of understanding for offsite mitigation as presented.

The resolution passed, enabling the Mayor to move forward with finalizing the offsite mitigation agreement according to the terms discussed during the meeting.

March 8th Council Work Session Table of Motions

2:00

The council reviewed and approved the table of motions from their March 8th work session. This agenda item involved formally adopting the record of motions that were made during the previous council work session.

The item was presented as a resolution for council approval. No specific speakers were identified during the discussion of this procedural matter, and no significant debate or concerns were raised regarding the table of motions.

The council approved the March 8th Council Work Session Table of Motions, formally adopting the record of motions from that session into the official proceedings.

Budget Amendment for Workforce Development

2:30

The council considered and approved a budget amendment to increase workforce development funding by $50,000. Sheehan served as the key speaker presenting this amendment to the council.

The amendment was designed to enhance the municipality's workforce development programs, though specific details about which programs would receive the additional funding were not elaborated upon in the available materials. The $50,000 increase represents an expansion of the existing workforce development budget allocation.

Following discussion, the council voted to approve the budget amendment. No significant concerns or opposition were noted during the deliberation process, and the amendment passed successfully.

This funding increase will allow for expanded workforce development initiatives within the community, though the specific implementation details and timeline for deploying these additional resources were not specified in the meeting materials.

Removal of Item P from Agenda

3:00

The council addressed a procedural matter regarding the removal of Item P from the agenda during the work session. Councilmember Sheehan led the discussion on this agenda modification.

The council voted to approve the removal of Item P from the scheduled agenda items. No specific details were provided in the available materials regarding the nature of Item P or the reasons for its removal from consideration.

The motion to remove Item P from the agenda was approved by the council without recorded opposition or significant debate.

Approval of New Business

3:30

The council addressed the approval of new business items during this portion of the meeting. Sheehan served as the key speaker for this agenda item, presenting the new business matters to the council for consideration.

The council discussed the new business items that were brought forward for approval. Following the discussion, the council voted to approve the new business items as presented.

The resolution was approved by the council.

*Note: The available meeting materials provided limited detail about the specific nature of the new business items discussed or the content of the deliberations during this agenda item.*

Neighborhood Development Funds

4:00

The council considered a resolution regarding the allocation of neighborhood development funds during the March 15, 2022 meeting.

The agenda item focused on distributing funds designated for neighborhood-level development projects and improvements. While specific details about the funding amounts, recipient neighborhoods, or particular projects were not detailed in the available materials, the discussion centered on the formal allocation process for these community development resources.

The resolution was presented to the council for consideration and vote. No significant concerns or opposition were noted during the discussion of this item.

Outcome: The resolution was approved by the council, authorizing the allocation of neighborhood development funds as proposed.

The approval enables the distribution of these funds to support various neighborhood development initiatives and projects within the community.

Police Technology Presentation

4:30

Assistant Chief Eric Lowe presented information about the Flock Safety Pilot Program, which involves the implementation of license plate reader technology for law enforcement purposes.

Lowe discussed the technical aspects of the Flock Safety system and outlined how the department plans to implement this technology as part of a pilot program. The presentation covered the potential impact these license plate readers could have on crime reduction efforts within the community.

The presentation was informational in nature, providing council members and the public with details about this new police technology initiative. Assistant Chief Lowe served as the primary speaker for this agenda item, explaining the department's approach to incorporating automated license plate recognition systems into their operations.

The Flock Safety Pilot Program represents the police department's effort to utilize modern technology to enhance public safety and criminal investigation capabilities through automated vehicle identification and tracking systems.