Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on January 31, 2023, at 5:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gorton presiding over the session. The council addressed three agenda items during the meeting, all of which were approved by the body. The meeting included consideration of zoning matters, with both a Zone Change Ordinance and a Zoning Ordinance Amendment receiving approval from the council members. Additionally, the council passed a Resolution for Toyota Sienna Vans, completing all items on the evening's agenda.

Throughout the session, the council conducted three formal votes on motions, with all measures passing successfully. Two members of the public provided comments during the designated public comment period, offering community input on matters before the council. The meeting demonstrated efficient proceedings with Mayor Gorton guiding the council through all scheduled business items to completion.

Attendance

The following members were present at the January 31, 2023 meeting:

Present: • Plomin • Reynolds • Sevigny • Sheehan • Worley • Wu • F. Brown • J. Brown • Ellinger • Elliott Baxter • Fogle • Gray LeGris • Lynch • Monarrez

All 14 members were in attendance with no absences or late arrivals recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted three roll call votes during the January 31, 2023 meeting, with all measures passing unanimously.

Ordinance 0021-23 0:00 - An ordinance changing the zone from a High Density Apartment (R-4) zone to a Professional Office (P-1) zone for property located at 203 E. Fourth St. was approved. Ellinger made the motion, seconded by Fogle. The measure passed 14-0 with the following members voting in favor: Plomin, Reynolds, Sevigny, Sheehan, Wu, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Elliott Baxter, Fogle, Gray LeGris, Lynch, and Monarrez.

Ordinance 0024-23 0:00 - An ordinance amending Articles 1-11 and others of the Zoning Ordinance to update and clarify open space standards received unanimous approval. Ellinger motioned for passage, with Fogle providing the second. The vote was 15-0 in favor, with all present members supporting the measure: Plomin, Reynolds, Sevigny, Sheehan, Worley, Wu, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Elliott Baxter, Fogle, Gray LeGris, Lynch, and Monarrez.

Resolution 0001-23 0:00 - A resolution accepting the bid of Frankfort Toyota for Toyota Sienna Vans for the Division of Fire & Emergency Services passed unanimously. Elliott Baxter made the motion, with Gray LeGris seconding. The final vote was 15-0, with the same members voting in favor as the previous ordinance.

All three measures received strong support from the council with no opposition or abstentions recorded on any vote.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed three significant financial items totaling $416,151 in expenditures and contracts.

Vehicle Purchase for Emergency Services The council considered Resolution 0001-23 for the purchase of Toyota Sienna vans for the Division of Fire & Emergency Services. The $93,930 procurement from Frankfort Toyota will provide new vehicles to support emergency response operations.

Water Quality Monitoring Contract Resolution 0005-23 authorized a $155,404 contract with Hydromax USA, LLC for capacity assurance temporary flow monitoring services for the Division of Water Quality. This contract will support ongoing water system monitoring and compliance requirements.

HVAC Equipment Purchase The council reviewed another item numbered 0005-23 involving the purchase of HVAC York coils and fan boxes for the Division of Community Corrections. The $166,817 expenditure with Emergent Coils, LLC represents the largest single financial item considered, addressing heating and cooling system needs for correctional facilities.

The financial actions span multiple city departments, including emergency services, water utilities, and corrections, reflecting diverse operational needs across municipal services. All three items represent significant capital expenditures requiring council approval due to their dollar amounts exceeding standard procurement thresholds.

Public Comment

Two community members addressed the council during the public comment period.

Dottie Bean 0:00 raised concerns about recent changes to the public participation process. Bean expressed opposition to the elimination of public comments at committee meetings and criticized the new limitation restricting council members' comments to five minutes. She voiced concerns about how these policy changes might impact public engagement and council deliberations.

Josh Buckman 0:00 spoke about transportation challenges facing dialysis patients in the community. Buckman outlined the difficulties patients encounter when trying to access transportation services and highlighted specific complications with the A.D.A. Rides process. He described how these transportation barriers create additional hardships for individuals who require regular dialysis treatment.

Both speakers used their time to bring attention to issues affecting community access - Bean focusing on public access to government meetings and participation, while Buckman addressed physical access to essential medical services through transportation programs.

Contested Items

The meeting featured one primary area of contention regarding changes to public participation procedures.

Public Comment Policy Changes

Community members expressed opposition to proposed modifications to the public comment structure at government meetings. The disagreement centered on two specific policy changes:

• The elimination of public comment periods at committee meetings
• The implementation of a five-minute time limit for council members' comments during meetings

The nature of the opposition was characterized as community-based, with residents raising concerns about reduced opportunities for public participation in the governmental process. The elimination of public comments at the committee level was particularly contentious, as this would remove a venue for citizen input during the preliminary stages of policy development.

The five-minute limitation on council member comments also drew criticism, with concerns that this restriction could limit thorough discussion of complex issues and reduce the quality of deliberation among elected officials.

The extracted data does not specify the identities of individual community members who voiced opposition, the exact number of speakers, or the final outcome of these concerns. Additionally, no transcript timestamps were provided in the source material to reference specific moments when these issues were discussed during the meeting.

Zone Change Ordinance

0:00

The council considered Ordinance 0021-23, which proposed changing the zoning designation for property located at 203 E. Fourth Street from High Density Apartment (R-4) zone to Professional Office (P-1) zone.

Key speakers during the discussion included Ellinger and Fogle, though specific details of their presentations and comments were not captured in the available transcript materials.

The ordinance represents a shift from residential high-density housing use to professional office designation for the Fourth Street property. This type of zoning change typically involves considerations of land use compatibility, traffic impacts, parking requirements, and neighborhood character.

The council approved Ordinance 0021-23, allowing the zone change to proceed from R-4 to P-1 for 203 E. Fourth Street.

Zoning Ordinance Amendment

The council considered Ordinance 0024-23, which proposed amendments to various articles of the Zoning Ordinance to update and clarify open space standards 0:00.

The ordinance focused on modernizing existing open space requirements within the city's zoning framework. Key speakers during the discussion included council members Ellinger and Fogle, who addressed the proposed changes and their implications for future development projects.

The amendments aimed to provide clearer guidance for developers and city staff regarding open space calculations and requirements across different zoning districts. The updates were designed to eliminate ambiguities in the current ordinance language that had created confusion during the development review process.

The council ultimately approved Ordinance 0024-23, allowing the zoning ordinance amendments to move forward. The approval will result in updated open space standards that provide more precise requirements for new development projects throughout the city.

Resolution for Toyota Sienna Vans

0:00

The meeting addressed Resolution 0001-23, which proposed accepting a bid from Frankfort Toyota for Toyota Sienna vans intended for the Division of Fire & Emergency Services.

Key speakers on this agenda item included Baxter and LeGris, who presented the resolution to the body for consideration. The resolution specifically dealt with the procurement of Toyota Sienna vehicles that would be utilized by the fire and emergency services division.

The discussion centered on the bid acceptance process and the selection of Frankfort Toyota as the vendor for these specialized vehicles. The Toyota Sienna vans are intended to support the operational needs of the Division of Fire & Emergency Services, though specific details about the number of vehicles, total cost, or intended use were not detailed in the available materials.

The resolution moved through the standard approval process during the meeting. Following the presentation and any discussion by the speakers, the body voted on the measure.

Outcome: The resolution was approved, authorizing the acceptance of Frankfort Toyota's bid for the Toyota Sienna vans for the Division of Fire & Emergency Services.

This approval allows the fire and emergency services division to proceed with acquiring the vehicles from the selected vendor, supporting their operational capacity and service delivery capabilities.