Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened on October 24, 2023, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber at 200 E. Main St, Lexington, KY 40507, with Vice Mayor Wu presiding over the session. The council addressed a comprehensive agenda consisting of 7 items, ranging from public input opportunities to legislative business and administrative reports.

During the meeting, the council conducted 7 formal motions and votes, with several key items receiving approval including requested rezonings/docket approval, budget amendments, new business items, and the Mayor's report. The council heard from 2 members of the public during the designated public comment period for issues on the agenda.

The session included both action items that required council votes and informational presentations, with continuing business/presentations and council reports serving as informational items that did not require formal voting. The meeting covered the full spectrum of municipal governance, from zoning matters and budget considerations to ongoing city business and executive updates, demonstrating the council's regular oversight of city operations and policy decisions.

Attendance

The following members were present at the October 24, 2023 meeting:

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

All 15 members were in attendance with no absences or late arrivals recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted seven voice votes during the October 24, 2023 meeting, with all motions passing unanimously.

Docket Approval 0:30 Vice Mayor Wu moved to approve the docket, seconded by Council Member Plomin. The motion passed by voice vote.

Work Session Summary 1:00 Council Member Ellinger moved to approve the October work session summary, with Council Member Fogle providing the second. The motion passed by voice vote.

Budget Amendments 2:00 Council Member Plomin moved to approve budget amendments, seconded by Vice Mayor Wu. The motion passed by voice vote.

New Business Items 3:00 Council Member Baxter moved to approve new business items, with Council Member Reynolds seconding the motion. The motion passed by voice vote.

Neighborhood Development Funds 4:00 Vice Mayor Wu moved to approve Neighborhood Development Funds, seconded by Council Member Plomin. The motion passed by voice vote.

Mayor's Report 5:00 Council Member Gray moved to approve the Mayor's Report, with Council Member Sheehan providing the second. The motion passed by voice vote.

Price Contract Bid Recommendations 6:00 Council Member Sevigny moved to approve Price Contract Bid Recommendations, seconded by Vice Mayor Wu. The motion passed by voice vote.

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

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed several significant financial items totaling over $793,000 in contracts, grants, and budget amendments.

Contract Approvals

The council approved contract L1066-23 with Bluegrass Care Navigators for $205,340 to provide Temporary Winter Motel Shelter Services specifically for elderly and disabled persons. This represents the largest individual contract approved during the session.

A smaller contract, L1071-23, was authorized with American Legal Publishing for $6,000 to handle the republication of the Code of Ordinances and the Zoning Ordinances.

Grant Acceptance

Resolution L1080-23 approved the acceptance of $378,484.54 in additional federal funds from the Department of Local Government designated for election equipment. This substantial grant represents the largest single financial item addressed during the meeting.

Budget Amendment

The council processed amendment L1070-23, which involved the reallocation of $203,227.94 in workforce development funds. This internal budget adjustment redistributes existing resources without adding new expenditures to the overall budget.

These financial actions demonstrate the council's focus on essential services including emergency shelter for vulnerable populations, maintaining current legal documentation, upgrading election infrastructure with federal support, and optimizing workforce development funding allocation. The combined financial impact of these items totals $793,051.48, with the majority coming from external grant funding rather than local budget allocations.

Public Comment

Two community members addressed the council during the public comment period of the October 24, 2023 meeting.

Dotty Bean spoke at 7:00 about affordable housing and neighborhood preservation concerns. Bean urged the council to prioritize affordable housing initiatives and focus on preserving low-income neighborhoods throughout the community. She specifically raised concerns about speculative property transfers that could potentially impact housing affordability and neighborhood stability.

Rick Day addressed the council at 8:00 regarding reallocations and compensation issues. Day was critical of past reallocation decisions and compensation matters, suggesting that the council had been misled in previous discussions. He urged council members to seek detailed explanations from relevant department directors to better understand these issues moving forward.

Both speakers focused on different aspects of community concerns, with Bean emphasizing housing policy and neighborhood preservation, while Day concentrated on municipal financial and administrative matters requiring further clarification from city leadership.

Appointments

The council took action on one appointment during the October 24, 2023 meeting.

• Shantay Hall was appointed to the position of Council Administrator

The appointment was processed through the standard council procedures, though specific details about the voting process or discussion were not captured in the available meeting data.

Contested Items

### Disparity Study Implementation

The council engaged in a heated discussion regarding the implementation of disparity study recommendations, with significant disagreement over the proposed approach of hiring external consultants.

Council members raised substantial concerns about both the financial implications and potential effectiveness of bringing in outside consultants to implement the study's findings. The debate centered on whether the additional costs associated with consultant fees would provide sufficient value compared to handling the implementation internally or through alternative methods.

The disagreement highlighted differing perspectives among council members about the best path forward for addressing the disparity study's recommendations. Some members questioned whether external consultants would have the necessary understanding of local conditions and existing city operations to effectively implement the recommended changes.

The discussion revealed underlying tensions about budget priorities and the most efficient use of city resources. Members debated whether the expertise that consultants would bring justified the expense, particularly given existing budget constraints and competing municipal priorities.

The outcome of this contested item was not definitively resolved during the meeting, with the discussion appearing to require further deliberation before a final decision could be reached on the implementation approach.

*Note: Specific council member names, exact cost figures, and precise timestamps were not available in the provided meeting data.*

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

0:10

No members of the public provided comments on agenda items during this portion of the meeting. The public comment period for issues on the agenda was opened but no speakers came forward to address the governing body.

This agenda item serves as a designated time for community members to speak on matters that are scheduled for discussion or action during the meeting. The absence of public participation during this segment indicates that no residents or stakeholders chose to provide input on the items listed on the meeting agenda.

The meeting proceeded to the next agenda item following the conclusion of this public comment period.

Requested Rezonings/Docket Approval

2:30 The council considered a rezoning ordinance for properties located at 2833 and 2853 Liberty Road during this agenda item.

Council Member Brown served as the key speaker for this item, presenting the rezoning request to the council for consideration. The discussion focused on the proposed changes to the zoning designation for these two adjacent properties on Liberty Road.

The council ultimately approved the rezoning ordinance for both 2833 and 2853 Liberty Road. No significant concerns or opposition were noted during the proceedings, and the item moved forward with council approval.

The specific details of the current and proposed zoning classifications, as well as the intended use for these properties, were not detailed in the available meeting materials. The approval allows the property owners to proceed with development plans that align with the newly approved zoning designation.

Budget Amendments

2:00

The council considered various budget amendments during the October 24, 2023 meeting. Council Member Plomin served as the key speaker for this agenda item.

The council reviewed and discussed multiple budget amendments, though the specific details of the individual amendments and their financial impacts were not detailed in the available materials. The discussion resulted in the approval of the proposed budget amendments.

Outcome: The budget amendments were approved by the council.

*Note: Additional details about the specific amendments, dollar amounts, and departmental allocations discussed during this agenda item were not available in the source materials.*

New Business

3:00

The council addressed several new business items during this portion of the meeting, with Council Member Baxter and Council Member Reynolds serving as the primary speakers for the discussion.

The discussion centered on two main topics: winter shelter services and the implementation of a disparity study. Council members reviewed the current status of these initiatives and discussed next steps for moving forward with both programs.

Council Member Baxter presented information regarding the winter shelter services, addressing the community's needs for the upcoming season. Council Member Reynolds contributed to the discussion by providing additional context and considerations for the implementation process.

The disparity study implementation was also examined, with council members discussing how to proceed with putting the study's findings into practice. The conversation included review of timelines and resource allocation for both initiatives.

Following the discussion of these new business items, the council approved moving forward with the proposed measures. The approval allows staff to continue with the planning and implementation phases for both the winter shelter services and the disparity study recommendations.

The new business discussion concluded with the council's unanimous approval of the items presented, setting the stage for continued work on these community initiatives in future meetings.

Continuing Business/Presentations

4:30

Council Member Sheehan provided a report on the Environmental Quality & Public Works Committee meeting during the continuing business portion of the October 24, 2023 council session.

The presentation was informational in nature, with Council Member Sheehan serving as the primary speaker to update the council on committee activities and discussions. The report allowed the full council to stay informed about the work being conducted at the committee level regarding environmental quality and public works matters.

No specific details about the committee meeting's content, decisions, or recommendations were captured in the available meeting data. The agenda item served its standard function of keeping council members apprised of ongoing committee work and maintaining communication between the committee structure and the full council body.

The presentation concluded without requiring any formal action from the council, consistent with its informational designation.

Council Reports

5:30

Council members provided updates on various community events and initiatives during the Council Reports portion of the meeting.

Key Speakers: - Council Member Gray - Council Member Baxter

The agenda item served as an informational session where council members shared updates on ongoing community activities and programs within their respective areas of focus. Both Council Member Gray and Council Member Baxter participated in delivering reports to keep the council and public informed about current developments.

This portion of the meeting was designated for discussion purposes, allowing council members to communicate important information about community events and initiatives to their colleagues and constituents in attendance.

The outcome was informational in nature, with no formal actions taken during this agenda item.

Mayor's Report

The Mayor's Report was presented during the October 24, 2023 meeting and was approved without any discussion from council members 5:00.

No speakers participated in debate or commentary on the report's contents, and the item proceeded directly to approval without questions or concerns being raised by the council.

Outcome: Approved