Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government held a meeting on February 28, 2023, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber of the Urban County Government Center, with Mayor Linda Gorton presiding. The meeting addressed four agenda items, including public comment opportunities, administrative business, and an informational update on the Flock Safety License Plate Reader (LPR) system. The council took two votes during the session, approving both the meeting summary and new business items that came before them. Two members of the public provided comments on agenda-related issues during the designated public comment period. The meeting included both action items requiring formal votes and informational presentations, with the Flock Safety LPR update serving as a briefing item for council members and the public.

Attendance

The following members were present at the February 28, 2023 meeting:

Present (14 members): • Mayor Linda Gorton • Vice Mayor Dan Wu • Councilmember J. Brown • Councilmember Ellinger • Councilmember Fogle • Councilmember Lynch • Councilmember LeGris • Councilmember Monarrez • Councilmember Sheehan • Councilmember Worley • Councilmember F. Brown • Councilmember Baxter • Councilmember Sevigny • Councilmember Reynolds

Absent (2 members): • Councilmember Gray • Councilmember Plomin

Late arrivals: • None

A total of 14 members were present for the meeting, with 2 members absent. No members arrived late to the proceedings.

Votes and Decisions

The council took two voice votes during the February 28, 2023 meeting.

Motion for Black National Anthem Performance 0:30 Councilmember Fogle made a motion to have Diane Mapson sing the Black National Anthem, which was seconded by Vice Mayor Wu. The motion passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

ARPA Funds Reallocation Amendment 2:30 Councilmember James Brown moved to amend item Z under new business to reallocate ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds. The motion was seconded by Councilmember Reynolds and passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Both motions were decided through voice votes rather than formal roll call votes, so individual member positions were not recorded in the official record.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed one significant financial matter involving federal funding reallocation.

ARPA Fund Reallocation (L0224-23) The council considered an amendment to reallocate $6,000,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The reallocation, designated as L0224-23, represents a substantial adjustment to the municipality's federal pandemic relief funding allocation strategy.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps and additional details about the reallocation purpose, voting outcomes, and discussion points were not available in the provided meeting data.*

Public Comment

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

Josh England spoke at 1:30 on behalf of the Farmers Market regarding funding concerns. England addressed the withdrawal of funding for a permanent Farmers Market site, expressing concerns about how this decision would impact the ongoing project. He advocated for the market's needs and the importance of securing a permanent location for the community farmers market.

Jess Bowman presented comments at 2:00 focusing on the Flock Safety License Plate Reader (LPR) system. Bowman raised specific concerns about the current data analysis methods being used for the LPR system and suggested that the city should consider hiring a professional statistician to improve data interpretation and analysis. This recommendation aimed to ensure more accurate and meaningful insights from the surveillance technology data.

Both speakers addressed distinct municipal issues - one focusing on community agriculture infrastructure funding and the other on public safety technology data management.

Contested Items

The February 28, 2023 meeting featured significant community opposition regarding the Flock Safety License Plate Reader (LPR) System.

Flock Safety LPR System

Community members raised substantial concerns about the proposed or existing Flock Safety LPR system, focusing primarily on data privacy issues and questions about the system's effectiveness. The opposition centered around demands for greater transparency in how the system operates and stronger oversight mechanisms to protect residents' privacy rights.

The nature of the disagreement involved community members challenging the implementation or expansion of the license plate reader technology, expressing skepticism about both its practical benefits and its potential impact on civil liberties. Residents called for more detailed information about data collection practices, storage protocols, and access procedures.

The specific outcome of this contested item was not clearly documented in the available materials, though the community opposition appears to have been formally presented during the meeting proceedings.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

1:00

During the public comment period for agenda items, two speakers addressed the council regarding specific matters under consideration.

Josh England and Jess Bowman provided comments on two distinct topics scheduled for discussion during the meeting. The public comments focused on the Farmers Market funding proposal and the Flock Safety License Plate Reader (LPR) system implementation.

The speakers used this opportunity to share their perspectives on these agenda items before the council's formal deliberation. Public comment periods allow community members to voice their opinions, concerns, or support for matters that will be voted on or discussed by the governing body.

This portion of the meeting served an informational purpose, providing the council with community input to consider during their subsequent discussions and decision-making processes on the referenced agenda items.

Approval of Summary

3:00

The Council considered approval of the summary from their February 14, 2023, Work Session. The agenda item was presented as a resolution for the Council's consideration.

The summary was approved without recorded discussion or debate from Council members. No specific concerns were raised regarding the accuracy or completeness of the February 14, 2023, Work Session summary.

Outcome: The summary of the February 14, 2023, Council Work Session was approved.

New Business

4:00

The council addressed new business items during this portion of the meeting, with Councilmember James Brown serving as the primary speaker for the discussion.

The main focus of the new business discussion centered on the reallocation of ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds. Councilmember Brown presented the proposal for redistributing these federal funds to address current municipal priorities and needs.

The council reviewed the proposed reallocation plan and discussed how the funds would be redirected to support various city initiatives and programs. The discussion covered the specific uses for the reallocated ARPA funds and their alignment with federal guidelines and local priorities.

Following the presentation and discussion, the council moved forward with approving the new business items, including the ARPA fund reallocation proposal. The approval allows the city to proceed with implementing the revised funding distribution as outlined in the discussion.

The successful approval of these new business items demonstrates the council's commitment to effectively utilizing available federal resources to benefit the community and address identified municipal needs.

Flock Safety LPR Update

5:00

Sergeant Tyson Carroll provided an informational presentation on the Flock Safety License Plate Reader (LPR) system currently in use by the department. The update covered the system's operational usage, data sharing protocols, and audit processes.

Carroll's presentation focused on how the LPR technology is being utilized in daily operations and the procedures governing data management and sharing with other agencies. The briefing also addressed the audit mechanisms in place to ensure proper use and compliance with established protocols.

This was an informational presentation with no action items or decisions required from the meeting participants. The update served to keep stakeholders informed about the current status and operational aspects of the Flock Safety LPR system implementation.