Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened on April 26, 2022, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber at 200 E. Main St, Lexington, KY 40507, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The council addressed five agenda items during the session, including public comment, zoning matters, budget amendments, new business, and continuing business presentations. The council took five votes throughout the meeting, approving requested rezonings/docket items, budget amendments, and new business matters. One member of the public provided comment on agenda issues. The meeting included both action items requiring council approval and informational presentations for council review.

Attendance

The following members were present at the April 26, 2022 meeting:

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

Absent: • Reynolds

No members arrived late to the meeting. A total of 14 members were present with 1 member absent.

Votes and Decisions

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

Docket Approval 0:02 Lamb motioned to approve the meeting docket, seconded by Ellinger. The motion passed by voice vote.

Zone Change 0:05 Reynolds motioned for a zone change from light industrial to Lexington center business, with Ellinger providing the second. The motion passed by voice vote.

Budget Amendments 0:10 Plomin motioned to approve budget amendments, seconded by Kaye. The motion passed by voice vote.

Budget Amendment Postponement 0:12 Bledsoe motioned to postpone fiscal year 2023 pre-funding budget amendments to June 2nd, with Kern seconding the motion. The motion passed by voice vote.

New Business Approval 0:20 Baxter motioned to approve new business items, seconded by LeGris. The motion passed by voice vote.

All votes were conducted by voice vote rather than roll call, with no recorded individual vote tallies or opposition noted for any of the motions.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed three significant financial items totaling $373,700 in authorized expenditures and program funding.

Audit Services Contract The board approved Resolution 0319-22 authorizing an agreement with Strothman and Company for financial audit services in the amount of $165,000. This represents the largest single financial commitment discussed during the meeting.

Sheriff's Settlement Agreement Resolution 0320-22 was approved, authorizing the execution of a Letter Agreement with Strothman and Company for Sheriff's Settlement services totaling $8,700. This agreement involves the same vendor providing the audit services but for a separate specialized function related to sheriff's department financial matters.

Housing Repair Program Amendment The board considered Resolution 0339-22, which would amend Chapter 12 of the Code of Ordinances to establish or modify a Housing Repair Financial Assistance Program with $200,000 in funding. This ordinance amendment would formalize the program's structure and funding allocation for housing repair assistance to eligible recipients.

The three items collectively represent a mix of professional services contracts and program funding, with Strothman and Company receiving $173,700 in combined contract awards for audit and settlement services. The housing repair program represents a separate $200,000 commitment toward community assistance initiatives.

Public Comment

During the public comment period, one speaker addressed the council.

Tiffany Brown spoke about the upcoming Clean Slate Lexington Expungement Clinic and Job Fair 1:00. Brown presented information about the event, explaining that its purpose is to help individuals with past criminal convictions improve their lives through expungement services and employment opportunities.

The Clean Slate initiative appears to be focused on providing resources and support for community members seeking to overcome barriers related to their criminal history records.

Appointments

The meeting included appointments for community corrections positions. Eleven individuals were appointed to serve as Community Correction Officers, though the specific names of the appointees were not detailed in the available meeting materials.

The appointments represent a significant staffing action for the community corrections department, with nearly a dozen new officers being brought on board simultaneously. Community Correction Officers typically work with individuals who are serving sentences in community-based programs as alternatives to incarceration, monitoring compliance with court orders and providing supervision and support services.

These appointments would expand the capacity of the community corrections system to supervise and assist individuals in community-based sentencing programs. The large number of simultaneous appointments suggests either an expansion of community corrections programs or the need to fill multiple vacant positions within the department.

The specific details regarding the qualifications, backgrounds, or assignment areas for these eleven newly appointed Community Correction Officers were not provided in the meeting documentation available for review.

Contested Items

The meeting featured one primary contested item that generated significant discussion among council members.

Jail Staffing Crisis

The council engaged in a heated discussion regarding the ongoing staffing crisis at the local jail facility. The debate centered on concerns about safety conditions and the effectiveness of current recruitment efforts to address understaffing issues.

While the extracted data indicates this was a contentious topic that prompted substantial discussion among council members, specific details about the nature of the disagreements, the positions taken by individual council members, or the final outcome of the discussion were not available in the provided materials.

The staffing crisis appears to be an ongoing concern that has reached a critical point requiring council attention and potential action, though the specific measures proposed or adopted during this meeting could not be determined from the available information.

*Note: Transcript timestamps were not available in the provided materials for this contested item.*

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

0:01

The meeting opened with an opportunity for public comment on agenda items. However, no members of the public had signed up to speak on any of the items scheduled for discussion during the April 26, 2022 meeting.

This portion of the meeting was purely procedural, with no speakers, presentations, or public input provided. The agenda item served as the standard opening for public participation but resulted in no discussion or debate.

The meeting proceeded directly to other agenda items following this brief acknowledgment that no public comments on agenda items had been submitted.

Requested Rezonings/Docket Approval

0:04

The council addressed several zoning changes and docket items during this agenda item, with key participation from council members Reynolds and Ellinger. The items were processed without requiring a public hearing, indicating they were likely routine or previously vetted matters.

The council approved all requested rezonings and docket items that were presented. However, the specific details of which properties were involved, the nature of the zoning changes requested, or the rationale behind the approvals were not captured in the available meeting documentation.

Reynolds and Ellinger were the primary speakers during this portion of the meeting, though the exact nature of their comments or any discussion points they raised regarding the zoning matters is not detailed in the record.

The approval of these items suggests the council found the requested changes to be appropriate and in compliance with local zoning requirements and community planning objectives. The streamlined process without public hearing indicates these were likely administrative or non-controversial zoning adjustments.

All requested rezonings and docket items were ultimately approved by the council.

Budget Amendments

0:09

The council addressed budget amendments during this portion of the meeting, with key participation from council members Plomin, Kaye, and Bledsoe.

The primary focus of the discussion centered on the timing of fiscal year 2023 pre-funding budget amendments. Rather than proceeding with these amendments during the current meeting, the council decided to postpone consideration of the fiscal year 2023 pre-funding budget amendments until June 2nd.

The speakers engaged in discussion regarding the procedural aspects and timing of these budget amendments, though the specific details of their concerns or reasoning for the postponement were not detailed in the available materials.

Following the discussion among the three council members, the budget amendments under consideration were approved by the council. However, the postponement of the fiscal year 2023 pre-funding components means that those particular amendments will require separate consideration at the June 2nd meeting.

The approval represents the council's decision to move forward with the current budget amendment proposals while allowing additional time for the more complex fiscal year 2023 pre-funding elements to be properly reviewed and considered at a later date.

New Business

0:19

The council addressed several new business items during this portion of the meeting. Key speakers included Reynolds, Conrad, and Ford, who led discussions on various municipal matters.

The discussion covered multiple topics, with particular attention given to fireworks contracts and sidewalk projects. These items represented ongoing municipal operations and infrastructure improvements that required council consideration and approval.

Council members Reynolds, Conrad, and Ford participated in the deliberations, presenting information and discussing the merits of the proposed business items. The discussion appeared to focus on practical implementation details and municipal service delivery.

Following the presentations and discussion among the council members, the new business items were approved. The approval suggests that the council found the proposed contracts and projects to be in the best interests of the municipality and its residents.

The new business segment demonstrates the council's ongoing work to address municipal services and infrastructure needs through contractor relationships and capital improvement projects.

Continuing Business/Presentations

1:00

The meeting featured two informational presentations addressing community initiatives in Lexington.

Clean Slate Lexington Expungement Clinic and Job Fair

Tiffany Brown presented information about the Clean Slate Lexington program, which provides expungement services and employment opportunities for community members. The presentation covered details about the clinic's services and an associated job fair designed to connect individuals with employment opportunities following the expungement process.

Addressing Violence in Lexington

Tyler Scott delivered a presentation focused on efforts to address violence within the Lexington community. The presentation outlined strategies and initiatives being implemented to reduce violence and improve community safety.

Both presentations were informational in nature, providing updates on ongoing community programs and initiatives. No formal action was taken on either presentation, as they served to inform attendees about available resources and current efforts to address community needs.

The presentations highlighted collaborative efforts between various organizations and the city to provide support services and address public safety concerns through community-based approaches.