Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened on November 14, 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 periods and formal recognitions of community members. The council conducted eight votes during the session and heard two public comments from citizens. The meeting included both informational items, such as public hearings on urban service changes, and ceremonial business recognizing the contributions of Pat Dugger and Mike Thomas to the community.

Attendance

The following members were present at the November 14, 2023 meeting:

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

Absent: None

Late Arrivals: None

All fourteen members were in attendance for the meeting, with no absences or late arrivals recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted eight voice votes during the November 14, 2023 meeting, with all motions passing unanimously.

Employee Recognition Addition 0:00 Vice Mayor Wu motioned to add a presentation related to the employee recognition of project manager Mike Thomas, seconded by Councilmember Plomin. The motion passed by voice vote.

Council Meeting Docket Approval 10:00 Councilmember Ellinger moved to approve the November 16, 2023 Council Meeting docket, with Councilmember Fogle providing the second. The motion passed by voice vote.

Budget Amendments 20:00 Councilmember Baxter motioned to approve budget amendments. The motion passed by voice vote without a recorded second.

New Business Items 30:00 Councilmember Reynolds moved to approve new business items, seconded by Councilmember Gray. The motion passed by voice vote.

Neighborhood Development Funds 40:00 Councilmember Reynolds motioned to approve Neighborhood Development Funds, with Councilmember Fogle seconding. The motion passed by voice vote.

Council Capital Projects 45:00 Vice Mayor Wu moved to approve Council Capital Projects, seconded by Councilmember Plomin. The motion passed by voice vote.

Mayor's Report 50:00 Councilmember Baxter motioned to approve the Mayor's Report, with Councilmember Gray providing the second. The motion passed by voice vote.

Contract Bid Recommendations 55:00 Vice Mayor Wu moved to approve the Mayor's Price Contract Bid Recommendations, seconded by Councilmember Plomin. The motion passed by voice vote.

All votes were conducted by voice vote rather than roll call, so individual council member positions were not recorded for any of the eight motions.

Budget and Financial Actions

The council addressed three significant financial items during the November 14, 2023 meeting, totaling nearly $2 million in contracts and agreements.

Winter Shelter Services Contract The council approved Resolution 1150-23, authorizing a $48,500 contract with Community Action Council for the operation of temporary winter motel shelter services. This contract addresses emergency housing needs during the winter months.

Health Department Partnership Agreement Resolution 1154-23 established an agreement with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department valued at $237,500 for EFRCPOPP services. This partnership expands public health programming and service delivery capabilities within the community.

Public Infrastructure Project Modification The largest financial action involved Resolution 1155-23, approving Change Order No. 1 with Lagco, Inc. for the Meadows/Northland/Arlington Public Improvement Project. This change order totals $1,680,425, representing a significant modification to the original infrastructure contract scope.

The three financial items collectively represent $1,966,425 in municipal expenditures, spanning social services, public health initiatives, and infrastructure development. These actions demonstrate the council's commitment to addressing immediate community needs through emergency shelter services while maintaining long-term investments in public health partnerships and neighborhood infrastructure improvements.

Public Comment

Two community members addressed the council during the public comment period on November 14, 2023.

Dean Pulsifer spoke regarding the Urban Service Boundary Expansion 2:00. Pulsifer expressed disappointment with how the advisory committee recommendation had been rewritten, stating that he felt the changes did not align with the council's original intent for affordable housing. He appeared concerned that the revision may have altered the substance or direction of the committee's work on this housing-related boundary expansion issue.

Rick Day addressed the council much later in the meeting about the Salary Distribution Study 1:50:00. Day commented on the presentation of the salary distribution study, expressing confusion and stating that he lacked understanding about whether factors such as race, ethnicity, or gender were being considered in the analysis. His comments suggested he was seeking clarification on the methodology or scope of the salary study being presented to the council.

Both speakers raised questions about significant policy matters before the council - housing development through boundary expansion and employee compensation analysis - indicating community interest in these municipal issues.

Contested Items

The meeting featured one contested item that generated discussion among council members.

Second Property Tax Bill

Councilmember Fred Brown raised concerns about the proposed second property tax bill during the meeting 1:40:00. Brown questioned both the cost-effectiveness and necessity of implementing an additional property tax billing cycle, expressing opposition to the measure based on these practical considerations.

The disagreement centered on whether the municipality should proceed with sending out a second property tax bill to residents. Brown's objections focused on the financial efficiency of the proposal and whether such a measure was actually needed by the community.

The extracted data does not indicate the final outcome of this contested item or whether other council members responded to Brown's concerns during the discussion.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

2:00

During the public comment period for agenda items, Dean Pulsifer addressed the meeting regarding the urban service boundary expansion issue. Pulsifer expressed his disappointment with the recommendation that had been made by the advisory committee on this matter.

The public comment period served as an informational session, allowing community members to voice their concerns and perspectives on items scheduled for discussion during the meeting. No formal action was taken during this portion of the meeting, as is typical for public comment periods.

Public Hearing - Urban Service Changes

5:00

A public hearing was conducted regarding proposed urban service changes during the November 14, 2023 meeting. The hearing was opened to allow members of the public to provide input and comments on the urban service modifications under consideration.

No members of the public came forward to speak during the hearing period. The meeting proceeded without any public testimony, questions, or concerns being raised regarding the proposed urban service changes.

The public hearing served as an informational item, fulfilling the procedural requirement to provide community members with an opportunity to address the governing body about the urban service changes before any potential action is taken.

Recognition of Pat Dugger

1:00:00

Mayor Linda Gorton presented a recognition for Pat Dugger, honoring her nearly 40 years of dedicated service as the Director of Emergency Management.

Dugger's extensive career in emergency management spanned four decades, during which she served the community in preparing for and responding to various emergency situations and natural disasters. Her leadership role involved coordinating emergency response efforts, developing preparedness plans, and ensuring the safety and welfare of residents during critical incidents.

The recognition acknowledged Dugger's long-standing commitment to public service and her contributions to the community's emergency preparedness and response capabilities. Her nearly four-decade tenure represents a significant period of institutional knowledge and experience in emergency management operations.

The recognition was approved by the council, formally acknowledging Dugger's years of service to the community in this vital public safety role.

Recognition of Mike Thomas

1:10:00

Mike Thomas was formally recognized during the meeting for his completion of the Road Safety Champion Program. Mayor Linda Gorton and Martha Horseman served as the key speakers for this recognition item.

The recognition acknowledged Thomas's participation in and successful completion of the Road Safety Champion Program, though specific details about the program's requirements or Thomas's particular contributions were not detailed in the available materials.

The recognition was approved by the body without noted opposition or concerns raised during the discussion.