Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government held a meeting on May 10, 2022, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber of the Urban County Government Center in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Linda Gorton presiding. The meeting addressed four agenda items, including proclamations, approval of the previous work session summary, new business approval, and a committee report. The council took three votes during the session and heard one public comment. All voted items on the agenda were approved, while the General Government & Social Services Committee Report served as an informational presentation to the council.

Attendance

All council members were present for the May 10, 2022 meeting.

Present: • Mayor Linda Gorton • Vice Mayor Steve Kay • Council Member Susan Lamb • Council Member Richard Moloney • Council Member James Brown • Council Member Hannah LeGris • Council Member Liz Sheehan • Council Member Fred Brown • Council Member Whitney Baxter • Council Member Jennifer Reynolds • Council Member Kathy Plomin • Council Member David Kloiber

Absent: None

Late: None

The meeting achieved full attendance with all 12 council members participating.

Votes and Decisions

The council took three votes during the May 10, 2022 meeting, all of which passed by voice vote.

Agenda Modification 0:30 Vice Mayor Steve Kay moved to move the three proclamations to the top of the agenda. Council Member Whitney Baxter seconded the motion. The motion passed by voice vote.

Work Session Summary Approval 10:30 Council Member Liz Sheehan moved to approve the May 3, 2022 work session summary. Council Member Whitney Baxter seconded the motion. The motion passed by voice vote.

New Business Approval 12:00 Council Member Ellinger moved to approve new business. Council Member Kathy Plomin seconded the motion. The motion passed by voice vote.

All three motions were conducted as voice votes rather than roll call votes, so individual council member positions were not recorded. No opposition or abstentions were noted for any of the three items voted upon.

Budget and Financial Actions

The council approved multiple contracts, agreements, and financial actions totaling over $1.2 million in commitments and potential grant funding.

Real Estate and Facility Leases: • Resolution 0411-22: Approved a lease agreement with Metro Employees Credit Union for office space at 101 East Vine Street for $10,937.50 • Resolution 0434-22: Authorized a lease with Metro Employees Credit Union for space at 1306 Versailles Road totaling $45,550.20 • Resolution 0435-22: Approved a lease agreement with Lexington and Fayette County Parking Authority for $12,782.28 • Resolution 0436-22: Authorized a lease agreement with Keeneland for Picnic with the Pops event with no budgetary impact

Public Safety Expenditures: • Resolution 0459-22: Approved Remotec Inc. as sole source provider for police robot upgrade equipment costing $183,850 • Resolution 0460-22: Designated CavCom, Inc. as sole source provider for communication devices at $49,782.80 • Resolution 0454-22: Authorized joining Ring Neighbors Public Safety Service with no budgetary impact

Grant Applications and Partnerships: • Resolution 0456-22: Approved submitting applications to Kentucky Office of Homeland Security Grant for $316,617.93 in potential funding • Resolution 0427-22: Authorized a Memorandum of Agreement with Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation for $5,000 • Resolution 0461-22: Renewed agreement with Commonwealth of Kentucky State Board of Elections for $575,370

Other Financial Actions: • Resolution 0426-22: Approved Assignment, Assumption, and Consent Agreement with Herrick Company, Inc. for Hartland 3 Pump Station Replacement Project at no additional cost • Resolution 0432-22: Accepted an $11,000 donation from Fraternal Order of Firefighters

The largest single expenditure was the elections board agreement renewal at $575,370, while the potential homeland security grant represents the largest funding opportunity at over $316,000.

Public Comment

During the public comment period, one community member addressed the meeting to share concerns about housing issues in the area.

Michael Wilson spoke about affordable housing and rental assistance 90:00. Wilson expressed concerns regarding the current state of affordable housing availability and emphasized the need for increased funding and support for rental assistance programs. He highlighted these issues as priorities requiring attention from the governing body.

The public comment period provided an opportunity for community input on housing-related challenges facing residents, with Wilson's remarks focusing specifically on the financial support mechanisms needed to address housing affordability concerns.

Proclamations

2:00

Mayor Linda Gorton presented three proclamations during this portion of the meeting to recognize important community observances and local contributions.

The proclamations honored:

• Local small businesses - Recognizing the vital role small businesses play in the community's economic development and daily life
• National Police Week - Acknowledging the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers
• Building Safety Month - Highlighting the importance of building codes and safety standards in protecting public welfare

Mayor Gorton served as the primary speaker for all three proclamations. The proclamations were presented without discussion or debate from council members, following the typical ceremonial format for such recognitions.

All three proclamations were approved as presented, continuing the city's tradition of formally acknowledging significant community contributions and national observances that impact local residents and businesses.

Approval of May 3, 2022 Work Session Summary

10:30

The council considered approval of the summary from their May 3, 2022 work session. Council Member Liz Sheehan and Council Member Whitney Baxter participated in the discussion of this agenda item.

The council reviewed the work session summary document, which captured the proceedings and discussions from their previous meeting held on May 3, 2022. This type of approval is a standard procedural item that allows the council to formally adopt the written record of their work session activities.

The agenda item was presented as a resolution for the council's consideration. Following their review and discussion, the council voted to approve the May 3, 2022 work session summary.

Outcome: The resolution was approved by the council.

Approval of New Business

12:00

The council considered the approval of new business items during this portion of the meeting. Council Member Ellinger and Council Member Kathy Plomin served as the key speakers for this agenda item.

The new business items were presented to the council for consideration and approval. The discussion focused on the various matters that required council action and authorization to proceed.

Following the presentation and discussion of the new business items, the council voted to approve the new business as presented. The motion carried, allowing the approved items to move forward through the appropriate administrative processes.

The approval enables staff to proceed with implementation of the authorized business items in accordance with established procedures and timelines.

General Government & Social Services Committee Report

13:00 Council Member Susan Lamb presented the report from the General Government & Social Services Committee during the May 10, 2022 meeting.

The committee report covered multiple topics of municipal interest, with particular focus on language access services and updates regarding the Lexington History Museum. Council Member Lamb served as the primary presenter for the committee's findings and recommendations.

The presentation included discussion of language access initiatives, which relates to the city's efforts to provide multilingual services to residents. Additionally, the committee addressed matters concerning the Lexington History Museum, though specific details of the museum-related discussions were not elaborated in the available materials.

This agenda item was informational in nature, with Council Member Lamb providing updates on the committee's recent work and deliberations. The report served to keep the full council informed of the General Government & Social Services Committee's ongoing activities and areas of focus.

The presentation concluded without requiring formal action from the council, as it functioned as a standard committee report to maintain transparency and communication between the committee and the broader council body.