Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Ayette Urban County Council convened on January 17, 2023, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber of the Urban County Government Center in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Linda Gorton presiding. The council addressed three agenda items during the session, including new business matters, neighborhood development funds, and the mayor's report. All three agenda items presented to the council were approved by the members. The meeting included three recorded motions and votes, along with one public comment from a community member. The session demonstrated the council's continued focus on local governance and community development initiatives.

Attendance

The following officials were present at the January 17, 2023 meeting:

Present: • Mayor Linda Gorton • Kay • Ellinger • J. Brown • McCurn • LeGris • Lamb • Sheehan • Kloiber • Worley • F. Brown • Baxter • Bledsoe • Reynolds • Plomin

Absent: • Moloney

No officials arrived late to the meeting. A total of 15 officials were present, with 1 absent.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included three unanimous votes, all passing with 15 members in favor and no opposition.

Approval of New Business 0:00 Motion by Lamb, seconded by LeGris. The motion to approve new business passed unanimously with 15 ayes and 0 nays. All members voted in favor: Kay, Ellinger, J. Brown, McCurn, LeGris, Lamb, Sheehan, Kloiber, Worley, F. Brown, Baxter, Bledsoe, Reynolds, and Plomin.

Approval of Neighborhood Development Funds 0:00 Motion by Ellinger, seconded by Gray. The motion to approve neighborhood development funds passed unanimously with 15 ayes and 0 nays. The same 15 members voted in favor: Kay, Ellinger, J. Brown, McCurn, LeGris, Lamb, Sheehan, Kloiber, Worley, F. Brown, Baxter, Bledsoe, Reynolds, and Plomin.

Approval of Mayor's Report 0:00 Motion by Plomin, seconded by Sheehan. The motion to approve the Mayor's Report passed unanimously with 15 ayes and 0 nays. All 15 members voted in favor: Kay, Ellinger, J. Brown, McCurn, LeGris, Lamb, Sheehan, Kloiber, Worley, F. Brown, Baxter, Bledsoe, Reynolds, and Plomin.

All three votes showed complete consensus among the 15 voting members present, with no abstentions recorded for any of the motions.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed three grant acceptance resolutions totaling $243,126.50 in federal and state funding for various county programs.

Grant Acceptances:

• Resolution 0029-23: Acceptance of $162,976.50 in grant funds from the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet for the Litter Abatement Program. This represents the largest funding allocation discussed during the meeting.

• Resolution 0028-23: Acceptance of $75,150 in grant funds from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services for the Kentucky Opioid Response Effort. This funding will support ongoing efforts to address the opioid crisis in the county.

• Resolution 0011-23: Acceptance of $5,000 in grant funds from the Consumer Product Safety Commission for the Fire Safety Program. This federal grant will enhance fire safety initiatives within the county.

All three resolutions involve the acceptance of external grant funding with no local matching funds required from the county budget. The grants span multiple areas of public service including environmental protection, public health, and fire safety programs.

Public Comment

0:00 One member of the public addressed the meeting during the public comment period.

Jennifer Carey introduced herself to the meeting participants and spoke about environmental services, specifically focusing on litter management issues. Her comments addressed the operational aspects of environmental services as they relate to community cleanliness and waste management concerns.

The public comment period was brief, with only one speaker participating in this portion of the meeting.

Appointments

The meeting included one appointment action during the proceedings.

Kenneth Payne was appointed to the One Lexington Team. The appointment was approved by the governing body during the session.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps were not available in the provided meeting materials for this appointment action.*

Contested Items

The meeting featured one contested item involving a procedural dispute over a zone change hearing.

Zone Change Hearing Withdrawal

A zone change hearing that had been scheduled for 5:00 PM became the subject of procedural discussions when the applicant withdrew their application. The withdrawal created uncertainty about proper procedures for handling such situations during the meeting process.

The nature of the dispute centered on procedural questions regarding how to appropriately manage the withdrawn hearing within the meeting's agenda and timeline. This led to discussions among meeting participants about the correct protocol for addressing applicant withdrawals and their impact on scheduled proceedings.

The outcome of these procedural discussions was not specified in the available meeting materials, though the withdrawal of the zone change hearing application was acknowledged and processed according to whatever procedures were ultimately determined to be appropriate.

New Business

0:00

The council addressed several new business items during this portion of the meeting. The discussion was led primarily by council members Lamb and LeGris, who presented various matters for consideration.

The new business items included budget amendments and grant acceptances, though specific details about the amounts, purposes, or sources of these financial matters were not provided in the available materials.

Council members Lamb and LeGris served as the key speakers during this agenda item, guiding the discussion and presenting the various proposals to their fellow council members.

The council ultimately approved the new business items that were presented for consideration. The specific voting details and any debate or concerns raised during the discussion were not detailed in the available documentation.

This agenda item represents routine municipal business where local government officials review and act upon financial and administrative matters that require council approval to move forward.

Neighborhood Development Funds

0:00

The council discussed and approved the allocation of neighborhood development funds for various community projects during this agenda item. Council members Ellinger and Gray served as the key speakers during the discussion.

The item focused on distributing funds designated for neighborhood-level development initiatives across the community. While specific project details and funding amounts were not detailed in the available materials, the discussion centered on how these resources would be allocated to support local community needs.

The council ultimately approved the neighborhood development fund allocations as presented. The approval suggests consensus among council members regarding the proposed distribution of these community development resources.

This agenda item represents the council's ongoing commitment to supporting neighborhood-level improvements and community development initiatives through dedicated funding mechanisms.

Mayor's Report

0:00 Mayor Linda Gorton presented her report to the council, which primarily focused on appointments to various boards and commissions.

Key Speakers: • Mayor Linda Gorton

Presentation Details: The Mayor's report centered on administrative appointments, outlining her selections for positions on municipal boards and commissions. These appointments represent the Mayor's efforts to fill vacant positions and ensure proper governance oversight across various city departments and advisory bodies.

Outcome: The Mayor's report was approved by the council.

*Note: Specific details about individual appointees, board names, and discussion points were not available in the provided materials. The report appears to have been a routine administrative presentation typical of mayoral reports at council meetings.*