Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council convened on March 17, 2022, at 6:00 PM in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting addressed 2 agenda items, including an invocation and consideration of a budget amendment ordinance for fiscal year 2022. The council conducted 3 votes during the session and heard 2 public comments from community members. The primary business item, Ordinance amending certain Budgets of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government FY 2022 Schedule No. 31, was approved by the council.

Attendance

The following members were present at the March 17, 2022 meeting:

Present: • Mayor Gorton • Baxter • F. Brown • J. Brown • Ellinger • Kay • Lamb • LeGris • McCurn • Moloney • Reynolds • Sheehan • Worley (arrived late)

Absent: • Bledsoe • Kloiber • Plomin

Late Arrival: • Worley

A total of 13 members were present for the meeting, with 3 members absent. One member, Worley, arrived after the meeting had begun.

Votes and Decisions

The Council took action on three items during the March 17, 2022 meeting.

Approval of Minutes 6:04 Vice Mayor Kay motioned to approve the Minutes of the March 3, 2022 Council Meeting, seconded by F. Brown. The motion passed unanimously with all 12 members voting in favor: Baxter, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Kay, Lamb, LeGris, McCurn, Moloney, Reynolds, Sheehan, and Worley.

Budget Amendment Ordinance 6:30 F. Brown motioned to approve an Ordinance amending certain Budgets of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, FY 2022 Schedule No. 31, seconded by Reynolds. The motion passed by roll call vote with 10 ayes and 2 nays. Members voting in favor were: Baxter, F. Brown, J. Brown, Kay, Lamb, LeGris, McCurn, Reynolds, Sheehan, and Worley. Ellinger and Moloney voted against the ordinance.

Zoning Ordinance Amendment 7:00 F. Brown motioned to approve an Ordinance amending Section 1-11 of the Zoning Ordinance to include barber shops and beauty parlors as permitted uses as a Home Based Business, seconded by Reynolds. The motion passed unanimously by roll call vote with all 12 members voting in favor: Baxter, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Kay, Lamb, LeGris, McCurn, Moloney, Reynolds, Sheehan, and Worley.

All three items on the voting agenda were approved, with the budget amendment being the only measure to receive opposition votes from two council members.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed several significant financial matters totaling over $3.5 million in expenditures and grant funding.

Major Infrastructure Contract The council approved a substantial $2,791,000 contract with W. Principles, LLC d/b/a The Walker Co. of Ky. for the Town Branch RAS-WAS Pump Station Improvement project. This represents the largest financial commitment discussed during the meeting.

Fire Department Equipment Purchase A purchase authorization of $80,000 was approved for replacement parts to fire apparatus from Cummins Sales and Service. This expenditure supports the maintenance and operational readiness of the city's fire department equipment.

Transportation Grant Funding The council addressed $640,000 in grant funding from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for the Liberty Road Improvements Project. This funding will support infrastructure enhancements to the Liberty Road corridor.

The three financial actions collectively represent significant investments in municipal infrastructure, public safety equipment, and transportation improvements. The pump station improvement project accounts for the majority of the financial commitments, reflecting the city's focus on water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades.

Public Comment

Two community members addressed the meeting during the public comment period.

Brent Rice spoke at 2:30:00 about his personal experience with COVID-19 recovery and his return to volunteer service. Rice shared details about his recovery process and his resumption of volunteer work at the Lexington VA, where he assists veterans and their families. His comments highlighted the ongoing impact of the pandemic on community volunteers and the gradual return to normal service activities.

Don Pratt addressed the meeting at 2:33:00 regarding historic preservation concerns in Lexington. Pratt emphasized the critical importance of preserving the city's historic properties and expressed concern about the ongoing loss of historical buildings in the community. His remarks focused on the need for stronger protection of Lexington's architectural heritage and historical assets.

Both speakers used their allotted time to address issues of community importance, with Rice focusing on personal recovery and continued service to veterans, while Pratt advocated for enhanced historic preservation efforts within the city.

Appointments

The council took action on several appointments and reappointments to various boards and commissions during the meeting.

New Appointments: • Whitney Baxter was appointed to the Explorium of Lexington • Josh McCurn was appointed to the Explorium of Lexington • Christopher Pemberton was appointed to the Human Right Commission

Reappointments: • Valerie Trimble was reappointed to the Masterson Station Park Advisory Board

The appointments represent the council's ongoing effort to fill positions on various municipal boards and commissions that provide oversight and guidance for city programs and facilities. The Explorium of Lexington received two new appointees, while the Human Right Commission and Masterson Station Park Advisory Board each gained one new or continuing member respectively.

Contested Items

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

Budget Allocation Dispute - $45,000

Council members Ellinger and Moloney voiced opposition to a proposed $45,000 budget allocation during the meeting. The disagreement led to a split vote on the item, though the specific details of what the allocation was intended to fund were not specified in the available meeting materials.

The opposition from these two council members created a division within the council on this particular budgetary matter, demonstrating differing priorities or concerns regarding the proposed expenditure. The split vote indicates that the council was not unanimous in their support for this allocation, suggesting significant debate or disagreement about the merits of the proposed spending.

The outcome of the split vote and whether the $45,000 allocation was ultimately approved or rejected was not detailed in the provided meeting information.

Invocation

6:02

Dr. Imam Shaheed Coovadia of Masjid Bilal delivered the invocation to open the council meeting on March 17, 2022. The imam offered blessings and guidance for the proceedings, providing a spiritual opening for the council's work session.

This was an informational presentation with no action required from the council members.

Ordinance amending certain Budgets of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, FY 2022 Schedule No. 31

6:30

The council considered an ordinance amending the FY 2022 budget to reflect current requirements for municipal expenditures. The budget amendment included various adjustments to accommodate changing operational needs throughout the fiscal year.

During discussion, a contentious $45,000 allocation drew particular attention from council members. Key speakers included Ellinger and Moloney, who engaged in debate over the specifics of this funding allocation and its necessity within the broader budget framework.

The ordinance represents Schedule No. 31 in the series of budget amendments for the 2022 fiscal year, indicating this was one of multiple budget adjustments made throughout the year to address evolving municipal requirements and expenditure needs.

Despite the debate surrounding the $45,000 allocation, the council ultimately approved the ordinance, allowing the budget amendments to take effect and ensuring continued funding for the specified municipal operations and services.