Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened on February 27, 2024, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber of the Urban County Government Center, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The council addressed seven agenda items during the session, covering both routine business and ongoing municipal matters. The meeting included three formal votes, with council members approving requested rezonings and docket items, summary approvals, and new business items. No public comments were received during the designated public comment period for agenda issues. The session concluded with informational reports from both council members and the mayor, providing updates on continuing business and municipal presentations.

Attendance

The following members were present at the February 27, 2024 meeting:

Present: • Vice Mayor Wu • J. Brown • Ellinger II • 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 for this meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included three motions, all of which passed by voice vote.

Approval of Requested Rezonings and Docket 0:30 Wu made a motion to approve the requested rezonings and docket, which was seconded by Ellinger II. The motion passed by voice vote with no recorded individual vote counts.

Approval of the Summary 1:00 Wu moved to approve the summary, with Ellinger II providing the second. This motion also passed by voice vote without recorded individual tallies.

Approval of New Business 2:00 Reynolds made a motion to approve new business items, seconded by Gray. The motion passed by voice vote with no individual vote counts recorded.

All three votes were conducted as voice votes rather than roll call votes, so specific vote tallies and individual member positions were not recorded. No abstentions or opposing votes were noted for any of the motions.

Budget and Financial Actions

The council addressed multiple financial items totaling over $700,000 in expenditures and grant awards during the February 27, 2024 meeting.

Stormwater Quality Projects Grant Adjustments Several decreasing change orders were approved for the Stormwater Quality Projects Incentive Grant program: • Resolution 0176-24: $1,679 decrease with Lakes Edge Condominium Association, Inc. • Resolution 0178-24: $5,818.08 decrease with Friends of Wolf Run, Inc. • Resolution 0179-24: $12,454.36 decrease with Living Arts & Science Center, Inc. • Resolution 0180-24: $10,087.97 decrease with Friends of Wolf Run, Inc. • Resolution 0183-24: $4,640.70 decrease with Bluegrass Greensource, Inc.

Major Contracts and Amendments The council approved Resolution 0177-24 authorizing a $75,775 sole source contract with The Verdin Company for repairs to the historic Skuller's Clock. Additionally, Resolution 0184-24 approved a $281,369.68 amendment with CHS TX, Inc. d/b/a YesCare for additional staffing for the MAT Program.

Grant Awards and Federal Funding Resolution 0198-24 accepted a $300,000 award from The Recycling Partnership, Inc. The council also approved Resolution 0197-24 for Amendment No. 5 of the TIGER agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation for the Town Branch Commons Project, utilizing previously budgeted federal funds and grant match.

Social Services Funding Resolution 0201-24 authorized a $40,000 amendment with Community Action Council for Temporary Winter Motel Shelter Services.

Budget-Neutral Items Several resolutions had no budgetary impact, including speed limit changes on Viley Road (0186-24) and Crawley Lane (0187-24), creation of a classified civil service position (0196-24), and amendments to the Extended Social Resource Program (0202-24).

Contested Items

The February 27, 2024 meeting featured one contested item that generated community discussion and opposition.

Amendment to Resolution No. 158-2021

The primary point of contention involved a proposed amendment to Resolution No. 158-2021 regarding the Extended Social Resource Program. The amendment sought to add a mental health priority area to the existing program framework.

The item faced community opposition, with discussion centering on the proposed expansion of the program to include mental health services as a designated priority area. The nature of the opposition and specific concerns raised by community members were discussed during the meeting, though the extracted data does not provide details about the specific arguments presented by either supporters or opponents of the amendment.

The discussion involved consideration of how the mental health priority area would be integrated into the existing Extended Social Resource Program structure and what implications this addition might have for program operations and resource allocation.

The outcome of this contested item and whether the amendment was ultimately approved or rejected was not specified in the available meeting data.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

0:10

During the public comment period for issues on the agenda, no members of the public came forward to address the governing body. The meeting proceeded without any public input on the items scheduled for discussion during the February 27, 2024 session.

This agenda item serves as a designated opportunity for community members to speak on matters that are specifically listed on the meeting agenda before the governing body begins its formal deliberations. The absence of public participation during this portion of the meeting indicates that no citizens wished to provide input, raise concerns, or offer support regarding the scheduled agenda items.

The public comment period is a standard component of government meetings, providing transparency and community engagement opportunities in the decision-making process.

Requested Rezonings/Docket Approval

0:30

The council considered and approved requested rezonings and docket items during this agenda item. The discussion involved key speakers Wu and Ellinger II, who presented the rezoning requests to the council for consideration.

The council ultimately approved the requested rezonings and docket without significant debate or opposition recorded in the available materials. The specific properties, zoning classifications, or details of the individual rezoning requests were not detailed in the provided information.

Outcome: Approved

Key Speakers: - Wu - Ellinger II

The approval of these rezoning requests allows the affected properties to proceed with their proposed development or use changes under the newly approved zoning classifications.

Approval of Summary

1:00

The council considered approval of the summary from the previous meeting. Council members Wu and Ellinger II participated in the discussion of this agenda item.

The council voted to approve the summary of the previous meeting. No additional details about the content of the discussion, any concerns raised, or the specific nature of the previous meeting's summary were provided in the available materials.

The motion was approved by the council.

New Business

2:00

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

The new business segment focused on various financial amendments and contracts that required council approval. Reynolds and Gray presented the items to the council, though the specific details of the individual amendments and contracts were not detailed in the available materials.

The discussion proceeded without significant debate or concerns raised by other council members. The items presented appeared to be routine business matters that had been properly vetted through the appropriate channels prior to being brought before the full council.

Following the presentation and brief discussion, the council moved to approve the new business items as presented. The resolution passed, indicating unanimous or majority support for the financial amendments and contracts under consideration.

The efficient handling of these new business items suggests they were largely administrative in nature and had likely received preliminary review through committee processes or staff recommendations before reaching the full council agenda.

Continuing Business/Presentations

3:00

During the continuing business portion of the February 27, 2024 meeting, presentations were delivered on neighborhood development funds and other ongoing municipal projects.

Worley served as the primary speaker for this agenda item, providing updates on current initiatives and project status reports to the governing body.

The presentations covered neighborhood development funding programs, though specific details about funding amounts, targeted neighborhoods, or project timelines were not detailed in the available materials. Additional ongoing projects were also discussed as part of the continuing business review.

This agenda item was informational in nature, serving to keep council members and the public informed about the progress of existing municipal initiatives rather than requiring any formal action or decision-making.

The presentations provided an opportunity for officials to review the status of previously approved programs and maintain oversight of ongoing community development efforts within the jurisdiction.

Council Reports

4:00

Council members provided updates on various community and committee activities during the Council Reports segment of the meeting.

The discussion featured presentations from three council members who shared information about their recent activities and committee work. Council member Ellinger II, Gray, and Sevigny each contributed updates to inform their colleagues and the public about ongoing municipal matters.

This agenda item served an informational purpose, allowing council members to communicate about their involvement in different aspects of city governance and community engagement. The reports provided transparency regarding council members' activities outside of regular council meetings and helped keep all members informed about various initiatives and committee work happening across different areas of city operations.

No formal action was taken during this portion of the meeting, as the Council Reports segment is designed to facilitate information sharing rather than decision-making. The updates allowed for coordination among council members and provided the public with insight into the breadth of activities council members engage in beyond the formal meeting structure.

Mayor's Report

5:00

No report was provided by the Mayor during this portion of the meeting. The agenda item was acknowledged but no presentation or discussion took place.