Urban County Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened on August 30, 2022, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber at 200 E. Main Street, Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Linda Gorton presiding. The council addressed three agenda items during the session, including docket approval and rezonings, a street dedication matter for Warrenton Woods, and consideration of a sustainable growth study. All three items on the agenda were approved by the council. The meeting included three motions and votes, and the council heard from three members of the public during the public comment period.

Attendance

All council members were present for the August 30, 2022 meeting.

Present: • Mayor Linda Gorton • Council Member 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 Worley • Council Member F. Brown • Council Member Baxter • Council Member Bledsoe • Council Member Reynolds • Council Member Plomin

Absent: None

Late: None

The meeting achieved full attendance with all 15 council members and the mayor participating.

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted three votes during the August 30, 2022 meeting, all using voice vote procedures.

Approval of Docket and Rezonings 2:00 Council Member Ellinger motioned to approve the docket and rezonings, with Vice Mayor Kay providing the second. The motion passed by voice vote with no opposition recorded.

Amendment to Remove Sidewalk Requirement for Warrenton Woods 45:00 Council Member Sheehan made a motion to amend the proposal by removing the sidewalk requirement for the Warrenton Woods development. Council Member Baxter seconded the motion. The amendment passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Approval of New Business Items as Amended 50:00 Council Member Plomin motioned to approve the new business items as amended, seconded by Vice Mayor Kay. This vote resulted in passage but with one dissenting voice vote from Council Member Worley, who voted against the motion. The remaining council members supported the measure.

All three votes were conducted as voice votes rather than formal roll call votes, with the exception that Council Member Worley's opposition to the final motion was specifically recorded. The meeting proceeded efficiently through the voting process, with most items receiving unanimous or near-unanimous support from the council members present.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed two significant financial contracts totaling $57,500 for professional services.

Grant Consulting Services Contract (Resolution 0828-22) The board approved a $7,500 contract with Strategic Funding Group, Inc. for grant consulting services related to the preparation of the FY22 HUD Continuum of Care Supplemental Application. This contract will support the organization's efforts to secure federal housing assistance funding through the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Continuum of Care program.

Professional Services Agreement (Resolution 0848-22) A $50,000 professional services agreement was approved with Stantec Consulting, Inc. for an update to the 2021 Existing Conditions and Growth Trends Report. This substantial contract represents the majority of the financial commitments made during the meeting and will provide updated analysis of current conditions and projected growth patterns in the area.

Both contracts were presented as individual resolutions requiring board approval. The Strategic Funding Group contract focuses on specialized grant application preparation services, while the Stantec Consulting agreement involves comprehensive planning and analysis work to update existing municipal planning documents. These expenditures reflect ongoing commitments to both securing external funding opportunities and maintaining current planning documentation for future development decisions.

Public Comment

Three residents addressed the council during the public comment period, with two speakers focusing on sidewalk requirements in the Warrenton Woods neighborhood and one supporting the city's growth planning efforts.

Warrenton Woods Street Dedication

John Woodall spoke on behalf of his neighborhood regarding the Warrenton Woods street dedication 3:00. Woodall requested that the council waive the sidewalk requirement for the dedication of their streets to public use. The neighborhood is seeking to transfer their private streets to the city's responsibility.

Billy Walters followed with additional concerns about the sidewalk requirement 10:00. Walters expressed specific worries about how sidewalk installation would impact his property, noting that the project would require construction of a retaining wall and the removal of existing trees on his land. His comments highlighted the practical challenges individual property owners face when sidewalk requirements are implemented in established neighborhoods.

Sustainable Growth Planning

Brittany Rothmeyer addressed the council regarding the city's planning initiatives 20:00. Rothmeyer voiced her support for the Sustainable Growth Task Force's ongoing work and praised the Growth Trends Report. She emphasized the importance of making data-driven decisions when it comes to managing the city's development and growth patterns.

The public comments reflected two key community concerns: infrastructure requirements for existing neighborhoods seeking city services, and support for comprehensive planning efforts to guide future development. The Warrenton Woods speakers highlighted the tension between city standards for new infrastructure and the practical challenges of retrofitting established areas, while Rothmeyer's comments demonstrated community engagement with the city's long-term planning processes.

Contested Items

Two significant issues generated substantial debate during the August 30, 2022 meeting, drawing opposition from residents and council members respectively.

Warrenton Woods Sidewalk Requirement

The most contentious item involved strong community opposition to a proposed sidewalk requirement for street dedication in the Warrenton Woods neighborhood. Residents voiced concerns about the financial burden the requirement would place on property owners, arguing that the high costs associated with sidewalk installation would create an undue hardship. Additionally, community members expressed worries about how the sidewalks would affect the established aesthetic character of their neighborhood, suggesting the requirement could fundamentally alter the area's appearance and feel.

The opposition highlighted the tension between municipal infrastructure standards and existing neighborhood preferences, with residents advocating for their community to maintain its current streetscape without mandatory sidewalk additions.

Sustainable Growth Study

The second major point of contention centered on the Sustainable Growth Study, which sparked heated discussion among council members. The debate focused on concerns about the reliability and completeness of the data underlying the study. Council members questioned whether the information presented was sufficiently accurate to support informed decision-making.

The discussion revealed significant unease about moving forward with adopting the study when council members felt they lacked complete information necessary for proper evaluation. This disagreement reflected broader concerns about the thoroughness of the research and whether the study's findings could adequately guide future growth-related policy decisions.

The heated nature of the discussion suggested fundamental disagreements among council members about both the study's methodology and the wisdom of proceeding without addressing the identified data gaps and accuracy concerns.

Docket Approval and Rezonings

2:00

The council addressed the docket approval and rezonings during this portion of the meeting. Council Member Ellinger and Vice Mayor Kay were the primary speakers on this agenda item.

The discussion centered on the approval of the docket and various rezoning matters before the council. A notable aspect of the proceedings was a motion to place an item on the docket without requiring a public hearing, which represents a procedural decision that allows certain matters to move forward more expeditiously through the council process.

The council ultimately approved the docket and rezonings as presented. The specific details of individual rezoning cases or the particular item that was added to the docket without a public hearing were not detailed in the available materials, but the overall outcome indicates the council found the proposals acceptable for advancement.

This agenda item represents routine municipal business involving land use and zoning decisions that are fundamental to city planning and development processes.

Warrenton Woods Street Dedication

45:00

The council considered a resolution regarding the dedication of streets in the Warrenton Woods neighborhood to public use. The primary issue under discussion was a request from Warrenton Woods residents to waive the standard sidewalk requirement as part of the street dedication process.

Council Member Sheehan and Council Member Reynolds were the key speakers during this agenda item. The discussion centered on whether the city should grant an exception to its typical infrastructure requirements for accepting private streets into the public system.

The residents' request sought to have their neighborhood streets transferred to public ownership and maintenance without installing sidewalks, which would normally be required under city standards for public street dedication. This type of waiver would allow the city to take over responsibility for street maintenance while exempting the neighborhood from the sidewalk installation requirement.

The council ultimately approved the resolution, granting the requested waiver for the Warrenton Woods street dedication. This decision allows the neighborhood streets to be accepted into the public street system without the residents having to install sidewalks as a precondition for the dedication.

The approval means the city will assume responsibility for ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the Warrenton Woods streets, while the residents avoid the expense and disruption that would have been associated with sidewalk construction throughout their neighborhood.

Sustainable Growth Study

The council considered a resolution regarding the Sustainable Growth Study during the meeting 1:20:00. The discussion centered on the accuracy of data within the study and the importance of maintaining current information through regular updates.

Council Member Bledsoe and Vice Mayor Kay served as the primary speakers during the deliberation of this agenda item. The conversation focused on ensuring the study's data remained reliable and reflected current conditions affecting sustainable growth in the community.

Key concerns raised during the discussion included the need for ongoing data accuracy and the establishment of a framework for regular updates to the study. The speakers emphasized the importance of maintaining current and reliable information to support informed decision-making regarding sustainable growth initiatives.

The council ultimately approved the resolution related to the Sustainable Growth Study, indicating consensus on moving forward with the proposed approach to data management and study maintenance.