Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened on February 7, 2023, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber at 200 E. Main St, Lexington, KY 40507, with Mayor Linda Gorton presiding. The meeting addressed four agenda items, including public comment on agenda issues, approval of meeting summaries, budget amendments, and new business items. Council members took four votes during the session, with all substantive matters receiving approval. The meeting included one public comment period specifically for issues related to the agenda items under consideration.

Attendance

All council members were present for the February 7, 2023 meeting.

Present: • Mayor Linda Gorton • Councilmember Worley • Councilmember Plomin • Councilmember Sheehan • Councilmember James Brown • Councilmember Gray • Councilmember Ellinger • Councilmember Fogle • Councilmember Baxter • Councilmember Reynolds • Councilmember Lynch

Absent: None

Late: None

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted four voice votes during the February 7, 2023 meeting, with all motions passing unanimously.

Docket Approval 0:30 Councilmember Worley motioned to approve the docket, with a second from Councilmember Plomin. The motion passed by voice vote.

Budget Amendments 3:00 Councilmember Fogle made a motion to approve budget amendments, seconded by Councilmember Gray. The motion passed by voice vote.

New Business 5:00 Councilmember Plomin motioned to approve new business items, with Councilmember Lynch providing the second. The motion passed by voice vote.

Mayor's Report - Price Contract Bid Recommendations 10:00 Councilmember Fogle motioned to approve the Mayor's Report regarding price contract bid recommendations, seconded by Councilmember Plomin. The motion passed by voice vote.

All votes were conducted as voice votes rather than roll call votes, with no recorded individual vote tallies or dissenting votes. The unanimous passage of all agenda items indicates broad council consensus on the matters presented during this meeting.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed three significant financial authorizations totaling over $80,000 in immediate expenditures with potential for additional costs.

Right of Way Acquisition Agreement The board considered authorization to execute an agreement with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for Right of Way acquisition valued at $41,950.00 under identifier L0089-23. This contract represents the largest single expenditure item discussed during the session.

Easement Acquisition Budget Amendment Members reviewed an amendment to Resolution No. 153-2022 that would increase the easement acquisition budget by $28,920.51 under identifier L0092-23. This amendment adjusts previously approved spending limits to accommodate additional acquisition costs.

Amazon Web Services Contract The board examined authorization to establish Amazon Web Services (AWS) as a sole source provider under identifier L0097-23. The initial authorization covers $10,800 for fiscal year 2023, with provisions allowing the contract value to potentially increase to approximately $120,000. This arrangement would designate AWS as the exclusive provider for specified cloud computing services.

The three financial items collectively represent both immediate capital expenditures for infrastructure projects and ongoing operational technology costs. The Right of Way and easement acquisition items appear related to transportation or utility infrastructure development, while the AWS contract addresses the organization's cloud computing and digital infrastructure needs.

All three authorizations require formal board approval to proceed, with specific identifier numbers assigned for tracking and administrative purposes. The varying contract structures—from fixed-price agreements to budget amendments to scalable service contracts—reflect different procurement approaches based on the nature of each expenditure.

Public Comment

During the public comment period, one community member addressed the board regarding tree removal assistance programs.

Dottie Bean spoke about the difficulties that low-income residents encounter when trying to access funding for tree removal services 90:00. Bean highlighted concerns about the current program's accessibility and suggested that improvements could be made to both the marketing and accessibility of these assistance programs to better serve residents who need financial support for tree removal.

The comment focused specifically on addressing barriers that prevent low-income individuals from utilizing available tree removal funding resources, indicating a need for enhanced outreach and program design to reach underserved community members.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

0:00

The meeting opened with a public comment period specifically designated for issues related to items on the agenda. During this portion of the meeting, the floor was made available for members of the public to address the governing body regarding any matters that would be discussed later in the session.

No members of the public came forward to speak during this public comment period. The session proceeded without any specific issues, concerns, or presentations being raised by community members regarding the agenda items scheduled for discussion.

This agenda item served as an informational period, providing the opportunity for public input on matters to be considered by the governing body, though no such input was provided on this occasion.

Approval of Summary

2:00

The council considered approval of the summary from their January 31, 2023, work session. Councilmember Gray and Councilmember Ellinger participated in the discussion of this agenda item.

The council voted to approve the summary of the January 31, 2023, work session without any recorded objections or concerns raised during the discussion.

Outcome: Approved

Budget Amendments

3:00

The council considered several budget amendments involving fund reallocations during the February 7, 2023 meeting. The amendments were presented as a resolution requiring council approval.

Councilmember Fogle and Councilmember Gray served as the primary speakers during the discussion of the budget amendments. The amendments involved reallocations across various municipal funds, though the specific details of the fund transfers and amounts were not detailed in the available materials.

The council ultimately approved the budget amendments resolution. No significant concerns or opposition were noted during the deliberation process, suggesting the amendments received broad council support.

The approval of these budget amendments allows the city to proceed with the proposed fund reallocations as outlined in the resolution.

New Business

5:00

The council addressed new business items during this portion of the meeting, focusing on agreements and contracts for various municipal projects.

Key Participants: - Councilmember Plomin - Councilmember Lynch

Discussion Overview: The council reviewed several new business matters involving agreements and contracts for ongoing city projects. Councilmember Plomin and Councilmember Lynch were the primary speakers during this discussion, though specific details of the individual items were not provided in the available materials.

Outcome: The new business items presented were approved by the council.

*Note: Additional details about specific agreements, contract amounts, project descriptions, and individual voting records were not available in the source materials for this meeting.*