Council Work Session
Watch the official video · Markdown version · Full transcript (text) · Agenda (PDF)
Summary
Meeting Overview
The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened on July 5, 2022, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber at the Urban County Government Center in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Linda Gorton presiding. The meeting focused primarily on informational presentations and public input, with the council hearing a presentation on the KU Vegetation Management Plan and providing an opportunity for public comment on agenda items. During the session, the council conducted 4 votes on various matters and heard 1 public comment from community members. The meeting addressed 2 main agenda items, both of which were informational in nature, allowing for discussion and input rather than formal legislative action.
Attendance
The following council members were present at the July 5, 2022 meeting:
- Mayor Linda Gorton
- Vice Mayor Kay
- Council Member Moloney
- Council Member Ellinger
- Council Member J. Brown
- Council Member McCurn
- Council Member Lamb
- Council Member Sheehan
- Council Member Kloiber
- Council Member F. Brown
- Council Member Baxter
- Council Member Reynolds
- Council Member Plomin
Two council members were absent from the meeting:
- Council Member Worley
- Council Member Bledsoe
No council members arrived late to the meeting. With 13 members present and 2 absent, the council had a quorum to conduct official business.
Votes and Decisions
The council took action on four motions during the July 5, 2022 meeting.
Approval of Work Session Summary 0:00 Ellinger motioned to approve the June 21, 2022 work session summary, seconded by Baxter. The motion passed unanimously.
New Business Approval 0:00 Plomin made a motion to approve new business, which was seconded by McCurn. This motion also passed unanimously.
Lexington History Museum Agreement 0:00 The council voted on a resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute an agreement with the Lexington History Museum. Lamb made the motion, seconded by Plomin. This item required a roll call vote, which passed 12-1 with no abstentions.
Voting in favor were: Kay, Moloney, Ellinger, J. Brown, McCurn, Lamb, Sheehan, F. Brown, Baxter, Reynolds, and Plomin. Kloiber cast the sole dissenting vote.
Adjournment 0:00 Lamb motioned to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Ellinger. The motion to adjourn passed unanimously.
All unanimous votes proceeded without individual vote counts recorded, while the Lexington History Museum agreement resolution was the only item requiring a formal roll call vote with individual council member positions documented.
Budget and Financial Actions
The meeting addressed several significant financial items totaling over $578,000 in contracts and grants.
Contracts and Agreements
The board approved a Mental Health Compliance Monitor agreement with C Cesario Medical Consulting, LLC for $14,575 under resolution 0628-22. This contract supports ongoing mental health compliance monitoring services.
A major commissary services agreement was approved with Keefe Commissary Network, LLC for $463,018 under resolution 0650-22. This substantial contract covers commissary operations and services.
Donations
The board accepted a donation of 132 smoke alarms from Home Depot Inc. under resolution 0648-22. This donation supports fire safety initiatives without cost to the organization.
Federal Grant Funding
The board approved acceptance of a $100,792 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice under resolution 0655-22. This funding comes from the 2020 State Criminal Alien Assistance Program and will support related operational costs and programs.
The combined financial actions represent significant investments in mental health compliance, commissary services, public safety equipment, and federal program support. The largest single expenditure was the commissary services contract at nearly half a million dollars, while the federal grant provides substantial revenue to offset program costs.
Public Comment
The public comment period featured one speaker addressing vegetation management concerns.
Robbie Walker spoke regarding the KU Vegetation Management Plan 2:00. Walker requested that more specific information and impact details be provided before taking a position on the proposed plan. The speaker indicated they needed additional details about the plan's scope and potential effects before offering support or opposition to the vegetation management initiative.
The brief public comment period focused solely on this single agenda item, with Walker seeking greater transparency and more comprehensive information from KU regarding their vegetation management approach.
Contested Items
The July 5, 2022 meeting featured one primary contested item that drew community opposition.
KU Vegetation Management Plan
Community members raised concerns about the proposed KU Vegetation Management Plan during the meeting. The opposition centered on the potential impact of the vegetation management activities, with residents expressing uncertainty about how the plan would affect their area.
The nature of the disagreement involved community members requesting additional information before the plan could move forward. Residents indicated they needed more details about the scope, timeline, and specific impacts of the vegetation management activities before they could support the proposal.
The community opposition resulted in a request for the governing body to provide more comprehensive information about the plan before proceeding with any implementation or approval process.
*Note: Specific transcript timestamps, participant names, and detailed outcomes were not available in the provided meeting data.*
KU Vegetation Management Plan Presentation
0:00 Kyle Byrnes presented updates on the KU Vegetation Management Plan during this informational session. The presentation addressed ongoing concerns and proposed modifications to the current vegetation management program.
Byrnes provided an overview of the plan's current status and outlined potential changes being considered for the program. The presentation served as an update to inform attendees about the direction of KU's vegetation management efforts and to address any outstanding issues that had been raised regarding the existing approach.
The session was structured as an informational presentation, allowing Byrnes to communicate key developments and proposed adjustments to the vegetation management strategy. This type of update suggests the plan may be undergoing review or refinement based on previous feedback or operational experience.
The presentation concluded without requiring formal action from the meeting participants, as it was designated as an informational item on the agenda.
Public Comment on Agenda Items
During the public comment period for agenda items, members of the public were invited to address the board regarding items scheduled for discussion during the meeting.
Robbie Walker was the sole speaker during this portion of the meeting, providing comments specifically related to the KU Vegetation Management Plan that was on the agenda for consideration.
The public comment period served its standard informational purpose, allowing community input on agenda matters before the board proceeded with formal discussion and deliberation on the scheduled items.
Decisions
- Motion — passed (0-0): approve the July 5, 2022 Council Meeting docket
- Motion — passed (0-0): place on the docket for the Tuesday, July 5, 2022, Council Meeting a Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute an amendment to a HOME Investment Partnerships Program agreement with Ballard Apartments, LLC, extending the performance period to September 30, 2022
- Motion — passed (0-0): place on the docket for the July 5, 2022, Council Meeting, a Resolution authorizing and directing the Mayor, on behalf of the Urban County Government, pursuant to the Jobs Fund Program, to execute a ten-year forgivable Incentive Agreement and related documents with RalphVR Inc., in an amount not to exceed $100,000.00, for the creation of at least five new full time jobs, with an average hourly wage of at least $41.00, exclusive of benefits
- Motion — passed (0-0): place on the docket for the July 5, 2022, Council Meeting, a Resolution authorizing and directing the Mayor, on behalf of the Urban County Government, to execute a Letter of Agreement with NaphCare, Inc. related to payment for emergency medical services at the Federal Bureau of Prisons, at no cost to the Urban County Government
- Motion — passed (0-0): place on the docket of the July 5, 2022, Council meeting a resolution authorizing the Department of Law, on behalf of the Urban County Government, to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Kentucky Utilities Company related to its tree cutting practices, to dismiss the government’s injunction lawsuit against the company (Fayette Circuit Court, Case No. 21-CI-03574), and to take any related actions
- Motion — passed (0-0): amend and place on the docket for the July 7, 2022 Council meeting, with second reading on August 18, 2022, and to allow emergency vegetation maintenance only during the interim period
- Motion — passed (0-0): place on the docket for the July 5, 2022, Council Meeting, a Resolution authorizing the Division of Streets and Roads to purchase GPS monthly service from Routeware, a sole source provider, and authorizing and directing the Mayor, on behalf of the Urban County Government, to execute any necessary agreement with Routeware related to the procurement, at a cost not to exceed $35,736.72
- Motion — passed (0-0): approve the June 28, 2022 work session summary
- Motion — passed (0-0): approve budget amendments
- Motion — passed (0-0): amend the proposed Budget Amendments on the Work Session Agenda to include Budget Amendments for Fiscal Year-End activity including Rolled Purchase Orders and Pre-Paid items. Consistent with normal practices the Divisions of Purchasing and Accounting have reviewed certain purchase orders and pre-paid items as follows and moved them from FY 2022 to FY 2023: (1) Open Purchase Orders for items specifically approved by Council, contains Claims (Insurance) accounts, or for ongoing construction or professional services projects. (2) Purchases that should be more accurately charged to FY 2023, including purchases through May. Budget to cover these purchase orders and pre-paid items must be rolled forward to cover these items. An additional budget amendment for the FY 2022 June pre-paid items will be provided for consideration after Council recess
- Motion — passed (0-0): approve new business
- Motion — passed (0-0): approve neighborhood development funds
- Motion — passed (0-0): repeal sections 2-326; 2-327; 2-328; 2-329; 2-330; 3-331; 2-332; 2- 333; and 2-334 of the code of ordinances related to the Greenspace Commission (as approved at the June 7, 2022 Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee meeting)
- Motion — passed (0-0): accept the amendments to the Greenspace Trust (as approved at the June 7, 2022 Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee meeting)
- Motion — passed (14-10): amend section 14-10(f)(5) of the code of ordinances related to citation officers to add enforcement of article 18 of the zoning ordinance and section 4- 8(d) of the land subdivision regulations (as approved at the June 7, 2022 Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee meeting)
- Motion — passed (0-0): refer planned unit development zones to the Planning and Public Safety Committee
- Motion — passed (0-0): refer mass transit and regional zones to the Planning and Public Safety Committee
- Motion — passed (0-0): refer the trimming of street trees for public safety to the Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee
- Motion — passed (0-0): refer updating our ADA improvement plan to the General Government & Social Services Committee
- Motion — passed (0-0): refer the assessment and enforcement of the noise ordinance to the Planning and Public Safety Committee
- Motion — passed (0-0): approve the Mayor's Report
- Motion — passed (0-0): adjourn at 5:50pm