Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on September 14, 2023, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting addressed two main agenda items, both of which were approved by the council. The session included two formal votes and heard one public comment from community members. The council successfully approved a proclamation for Altrusa Awareness Day and a zone change for Flora Fina Street, completing all items on the agenda for the evening.

Attendance

Present: Wu, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, LeGris, Lynch, Monarrez, Plomin, Reynolds, Sevigny, Sheehan, Worley

Absent: Elliott, Baxter, Fogle, Gray

Late: Worley

Twelve members were present for the September 14, 2023 meeting, with four members absent and one member arriving late.

Votes and Decisions

The council took action on two items during the September 14, 2023 meeting, with both measures passing unanimously.

Ordinance 0848-23 1:00 The council voted on an ordinance changing the zoning from Professional Office (P-1) to Commercial Center (B-6P) for property located at 2717 Flora Fina Street. Council member Ellinger made the motion, which was seconded by Sevigny. The ordinance passed by roll call vote with 12 ayes and 0 nays. All council members voted in favor: Wu, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, LeGris, Lynch, Monarrez, Plomin, Reynolds, Sevigny, Sheehan, and Worley.

Resolution 0828-23 3:00 The council considered a resolution accepting the bid from Pro Air Midwest, LLC for a breathing air compressor for mobile use. Wu made the motion, with LeGris providing the second. The resolution passed unanimously by roll call vote with 12 ayes and 0 nays. The same twelve council members voted in favor: Wu, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, LeGris, Lynch, Monarrez, Plomin, Reynolds, Sevigny, Sheehan, and Worley.

Both votes demonstrated unanimous support from all present council members, with no abstentions recorded for either item.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed two significant contract approvals totaling $175,536 in expenditures.

Emergency Equipment Purchase The council approved Resolution 0828-23, authorizing a $57,000 contract with Pro Air Midwest, LLC for a breathing air compressor designed for mobile use. This equipment purchase represents a substantial investment in emergency response capabilities.

Environmental Monitoring Services Resolution 0796-23 was approved, establishing a $118,536 contract with ADS Environmental Services (ADS, LLC) for sewer overflow monitoring and reporting services. This contract represents the larger of the two financial commitments and focuses on environmental compliance and infrastructure monitoring.

The combined financial impact of these two resolutions totals $175,536 in new contractual obligations for the municipality.

Public Comment

During the public comment period, one resident addressed the council regarding a zoning matter.

Scarlet Divine spoke in support of Ordinance 0910-23, which appears to involve amending a zoning ordinance 6:00. Divine emphasized that the neighborhood supports the proposed changes and noted that an old fence mentioned in the ordinance is no longer relevant due to the installation of a new sound barrier in the area.

No other members of the public provided comments during this portion of the meeting.

Appointments

The meeting included one appointment action during the proceedings.

Clarence McCoy was appointed to the position of Public Service Worker Sr. The appointment was processed as part of the meeting's personnel actions.

No additional details regarding the appointment terms, duration, or specific responsibilities were provided in the available meeting materials.

Contested Items

The meeting featured one contested item that generated community opposition and discussion among attendees.

Zoning Ordinance 0910-23 - Fencing Amendment

The primary point of contention during the meeting centered on Zoning Ordinance 0910-23, which involved an amendment to existing zoning regulations related to fencing requirements. The disagreement arose from community members who opposed specific provisions within the ordinance that would result in the removal of existing fencing.

Several homeowners attended the meeting to voice their concerns about the proposed changes to the fencing ordinance. The opposition focused specifically on provisions that would require the removal of certain fences, which residents argued would negatively impact their properties. Community members expressed disagreement with the municipality's approach to fence regulation and the potential mandate to remove existing structures.

The nature of the opposition appeared to stem from property owners' concerns about how the zoning changes would affect their individual properties and neighborhoods. Residents who spoke against the ordinance indicated that the fence removal requirements would create hardships or unwanted changes to their current property configurations.

The extracted data does not indicate the final outcome or resolution of this contested item, suggesting that the matter may have required additional discussion, been tabled for future consideration, or remained unresolved at the conclusion of this particular meeting session.

This zoning ordinance represented the sole contentious issue identified during the September 14, 2023 meeting, with community opposition being the primary form of resistance to the proposed municipal action.

Altrusa Awareness Day

2:00

Mayor Gorton proclaimed September 19, 2023, as Altrusa Awareness Day in Lexington through agenda item 0911-23. The proclamation recognized Altrusa International's centennial milestone of 100 years of service to communities.

Valerie Dutcher participated in the presentation alongside Mayor Gorton to accept the proclamation on behalf of the organization. The proclamation highlighted Altrusa's century-long commitment to community service and civic engagement.

The proclamation was approved without discussion or opposition from the council.

Zone Change for Flora Fina St.

The council considered Ordinance 0848-23, which proposed changing the zoning designation for property located at 2717 Flora Fina St. from a Professional Office zone to a Commercial Center zone 1:00.

The ordinance was presented to allow for expanded commercial uses at the Flora Fina Street location. The current Professional Office zoning limits the types of businesses and activities permitted on the property, while the proposed Commercial Center designation would provide greater flexibility for retail and commercial operations.

Key speakers during the discussion included council members Ellinger and Sevigny, who addressed various aspects of the zoning change proposal. The speakers discussed the implications of transitioning from the more restrictive Professional Office classification to the broader Commercial Center zoning category.

The council ultimately approved Ordinance 0848-23, authorizing the zone change for 2717 Flora Fina St. This approval will allow the property owner to pursue commercial development opportunities that align with the Commercial Center zoning requirements and permitted uses.

The zoning change represents a shift in the intended use character for this particular area, moving from office-focused development to a more diverse commercial environment that could accommodate retail establishments and other commercial enterprises permitted under Commercial Center zoning regulations.