Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on July 5, 2022, at 6:09 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gorton presiding over the session. The meeting focused on second readings of legislative items, with the council addressing two main agenda items: ordinances and resolutions, both of which were approved. During the course of the meeting, the council conducted three votes on various matters. No public comments were heard during this session, and no presentations were given to the council. The meeting represented a focused legislative session where the council completed second readings and final approvals of pending ordinances and resolutions.

Attendance

The following members were present at the July 5, 2022 meeting:

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

All members were present with no absences or late arrivals recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted three formal votes during the July 5, 2022 meeting, with all items passing by wide margins.

Motion 0712-22 2:30 - Councilmember Ellinger moved to approve the minutes from the June 21, 2022 Zone Change meeting and the June 23, 2022 Council Meeting, seconded by Baxter. The motion passed unanimously with all 15 members voting in favor: Plomin, Reynolds, Sheehan, Worley, Baxter, Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Kay, Kloiber, Lamb, LeGris, McCurn, and Moloney.

Ordinance 0614-22 6:00 - An ordinance amending Chapter 21 of the Code of Ordinances was brought forward by Ellinger and seconded by Plomin. The measure passed on a roll call vote of 15-0, with the same council members voting in favor and no opposition or abstentions recorded.

Resolution 0600-22 10:00 - The council considered a resolution authorizing Contract Modification No. Two with Palmer Engineering. Ellinger made the motion, seconded by Plomin. This item passed by a vote of 14-1 on roll call. Fourteen members voted in favor: Plomin, Reynolds, Sheehan, Worley, Baxter, Bledsoe, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Kay, Kloiber, Lamb, LeGris, and McCurn. Moloney cast the sole dissenting vote.

All three items were successfully adopted, with Councilmember Ellinger serving as the primary mover for each motion. The Palmer Engineering contract modification was the only measure to receive opposition, with Moloney being the lone dissenter among the 15-member council.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed several significant financial items totaling over $7 million in contracts and grant acceptances.

Contract Approvals

The council approved Resolution 0600-22, authorizing a $43,500 contract with Palmer Engineering for additional design work on Town Branch Trail Phase V. This represents continued investment in the city's trail infrastructure development.

Grant Acceptances

Three substantial grants were accepted during the meeting:

• Waste Tire Disposal Grant (Resolution 0594-22): The city accepted a $4,000 grant from the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet specifically designated for the disposal and recycling of waste tires.

• Fire Training Incentives (Resolution 0598-22): A major grant totaling $3,595,162 was accepted from the Commission on Fire Protection, Personnel, Standards, and Education to fund fire training incentives for firefighters. This represents the largest single financial item addressed in the meeting.

• Police Training Incentives (Resolution 0599-22): The council accepted $3,433,110 from the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet for police training incentives, marking another significant investment in public safety personnel development.

The combined police and fire training grants total nearly $7 million, demonstrating substantial state support for enhancing the skills and capabilities of the city's emergency response personnel. These training incentive programs are designed to improve service delivery and maintain professional standards within both departments.

All financial items were presented as resolutions requiring council approval, indicating they went through the standard municipal approval process for contracts and grant acceptances.

Appointments

The meeting included several appointments and reappointments to various city boards and organizations.

Arboretum Advisory Board • Hannah LeGris was appointed to the Arboretum Advisory Board

CASA of Lexington • Rogelio Carbajal was reappointed to CASA of Lexington • Stuart Hurt was appointed to CASA of Lexington • Andrea Miller was appointed to CASA of Lexington

Library Board of Trustees • Yajaira West was appointed to the Library Board of Trustees

The appointments represent new members joining these civic bodies as well as the continuation of existing service through reappointment. CASA of Lexington received the most appointments during this meeting, with three individuals either joining or continuing their service on the organization.

Contested Items

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

Contract Modification No. Two with Palmer Engineering

The council considered a resolution authorizing a contract modification with Palmer Engineering, which generated disagreement among members. While the majority of the council supported the modification, Councilmember Moloney opposed the measure.

The resolution ultimately passed with a 14-1 vote, with Councilmember Moloney casting the sole dissenting vote. The specific reasons for Councilmember Moloney's opposition were not detailed in the available meeting materials, nor were the particular terms or scope of the contract modification with Palmer Engineering.

This represented the only item during the July 5, 2022 meeting that did not receive unanimous council support, highlighting a rare instance of division among the governing body on the proposed contract changes.

Ordinances – Second Reading

6:00

The City Council conducted second readings on several ordinances during this agenda item, with key participation from Council members Ellinger and Plomin.

The ordinances under consideration included:

• Amendments to Chapters 21 and 22 of the Code of Ordinances
• Suspension of Water Quality Management Fee adjustment
• Authorization for the issuance of Industrial Revenue Bonds

Council members Ellinger and Plomin were the primary speakers during the discussion of these ordinances. The second reading process allows for final consideration and potential amendments before formal adoption.

The Water Quality Management Fee adjustment suspension was among the notable items, which would temporarily halt planned fee increases for water quality services. The Industrial Revenue Bond authorization would enable the city to issue bonds for qualifying industrial development projects.

All ordinances presented for second reading were approved by the Council. The approval of these measures completes the required two-reading process for ordinance adoption, allowing the amendments to Chapters 21 and 22 of the municipal code to take effect, the water fee adjustment to be suspended as specified, and the Industrial Revenue Bond issuance to proceed according to the established parameters.

The successful completion of second readings on these ordinances represents routine legislative business for the Council, addressing both municipal code updates and financial mechanisms for city operations and development initiatives.

Resolutions – Second Reading

10:00

The council conducted second readings on several resolutions during this agenda item. The resolutions under consideration included acceptance of various grants for waste tire disposal, fire training incentives, and police training incentives, as well as contract modifications.

Key speakers during this portion of the meeting included Ellinger and Plomin, who participated in the discussion of these resolutions.

The resolutions addressed multiple municipal functions:

• Waste tire disposal grants - Acceptance of funding to support proper disposal of waste tires
• Fire training incentive grants - Financial support for fire department training programs
• Police training incentive grants - Funding to enhance police department training initiatives
• Contract modifications - Various adjustments to existing municipal contracts

Following the second reading process, all resolutions presented during this agenda item were approved by the council. The approval of these resolutions allows the municipality to accept the grant funding and implement the specified contract modifications, supporting waste management, emergency services training, and other municipal operations.

The second reading process represents the final step before formal adoption of these resolutions, indicating that the council had previously reviewed these items during first reading at an earlier meeting. The successful passage of these resolutions enables the city to move forward with the grant-funded programs and contract adjustments outlined in each resolution.