Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened on April 9, 2024, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Linda Gorton presiding. The meeting addressed five agenda items, including an intern proclamation, docket approval, budget amendments, and new business matters. Council members conducted 11 votes throughout the session and heard from 8 members of the public during the comment period. The meeting successfully accomplished its primary business objectives, with the docket approval, budget amendments, and new business items all receiving approval from the council.

Attendance

All council members were present for the April 9, 2024 meeting.

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

Absent: None

Late: None

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted eleven votes during the April 9, 2024 meeting, all of which passed by voice vote 0:00.

Procedural Motions: - Council Member Sheehan moved to move the intern proclamation presentation to the start of the meeting, seconded by Council Member LeGris. The motion passed. - Council Member Fogle moved to approve the March 21, 2024 Council Meeting docket as amended, seconded by Ellinger II. The motion passed.

Planning and Zoning: - Council Member LeGris moved to place an ordinance changing a zone from Light Industrial to Downtown Frame Business on the docket, seconded by Vice Mayor Wu. The motion passed.

Administrative Approvals: - Vice Mayor Wu moved to approve the March 12, 2024 Work Session Summary, seconded by Council Member Gray. The motion passed. - Council Member Plomin moved to approve Budget Amendments, seconded by Council Member Sheehan. The motion passed. - Council Member Gray moved to approve New Business, seconded by Council Member Sheehan. The motion passed with 2 abstentions.

Financial Matters: - Council Member Fogle moved to approve Neighborhood Development Funds, seconded by Vice Mayor Wu. The motion passed. - Council Member Gray moved to approve Council Capital Projects, seconded by Council Member Plomin. The motion passed.

Mayor's Reports: - Council Member Gray moved to approve the Mayor's Report, seconded by Council Member Reynolds. The motion passed. - Council Member Sevigny moved to approve the Mayor's Report-Price Contract Bid Recommendations, seconded by Council Member Wu. The motion passed.

Adjournment: - Council Member Gray moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Council Member Plomin. The motion passed.

All votes were conducted by voice vote with no recorded individual vote tallies. Only the New Business approval noted abstentions, with 2 council members abstaining from that vote.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed five financial authorizations totaling $849,488.09 across various municipal services and projects.

Contract Authorizations

The largest expenditure involved reestablishing Flock Group Inc. as a sole source vendor for the License Plate Reader system under resolution L0294-24, totaling $352,404.11. Additionally, the city authorized a Professional Services Agreement with Gresham Smith for the Coldstream Regional Park Master Plan (L0340-24) at $189,458, and another agreement with Shield Environmental Associates (L0337-24) for $132,263.

Grant Approval

Resolution L0297-24 authorized approval of a Stormwater Quality Projects Incentive Grant for Rob Prop, LLC in the amount of $173,103.56, representing the second-largest financial commitment of the meeting.

Equipment Purchase

The smallest expenditure was resolution L0303-24, which authorized acceptance of a DVR Examiner Quotation and End User License Agreement with Magnet Forensics, LLC for $2,259.42.

These financial actions span multiple municipal departments and functions, including public safety technology, environmental services, parks and recreation planning, and law enforcement forensic capabilities. The authorizations demonstrate the city's ongoing investments in infrastructure, environmental compliance, and public safety systems.

Public Comment

Eight residents addressed the council during the public comment period, with the majority focusing on support for a parks funding ballot referendum 0:00.

Seven speakers voiced strong support for the parks funding ballot referendum:

• Kaitlyn Walsh emphasized the importance of parks for community well-being and mental health
• Price Bell highlighted parks as crucial community investments
• Brittany Rothmyer cited benefits of parks for sustainable development and community health
• Michael Potipoff emphasized parks' role in improving quality of life and community health
• Dave Osborne spoke about the importance of parks for community engagement and health
• Steve Kay shared personal experiences with parks and their significance to community life
• Griffin Van Meter emphasized the emotional and community benefits that parks provide

Reva Russell English addressed two topics during her comments. She raised concerns about the Flock license plate reader program while also expressing support for the parks funding ballot referendum.

The public comment period demonstrated unified community support for parks funding, with speakers consistently emphasizing themes of community health, well-being, quality of life, and sustainable development. Only one speaker raised concerns about a separate municipal program, specifically the Flock license plate reader system.

All comments were delivered at the beginning of the meeting, with speakers addressing both immediate community concerns and broader quality-of-life issues related to parks and recreation funding.

Contested Items

The meeting featured significant community opposition to the Flock License Plate Reader System, with residents raising substantial concerns about both privacy implications and the system's effectiveness.

Community members voiced strong objections to the license plate reading technology, questioning whether the system adequately protects citizen privacy rights. The opposition centered on concerns about data collection, storage, and potential misuse of personal information gathered through the automated license plate recognition system.

In addition to privacy concerns, residents challenged the effectiveness of the Flock system, questioning whether it delivers the promised public safety benefits. Critics argued that the community lacks sufficient transparency regarding how the system operates and whether it achieves its stated objectives.

The most significant outcome of the community opposition was a call for an external audit of the Flock License Plate Reader System. This proposed audit would aim to provide independent verification of the system's performance and ensure greater transparency in its operations. The audit request reflects the community's demand for accountability and objective assessment of the technology's impact on both public safety and privacy rights.

The contentious nature of this item highlights the ongoing tension between public safety technology implementation and community concerns about surveillance and privacy protection. The call for external oversight demonstrates residents' desire for independent verification of claims about the system's benefits and safeguards.

Intern Proclamation

0:00

The council recognized Reese Lyle, an intern serving in Council Member Sheehan's office, with a proclamation acknowledging her contributions and service to the community. Mayor Linda Gorton presented the recognition during the meeting.

The proclamation highlighted Lyle's work on environmental initiatives during her internship. Council Member Sheehan spoke about Lyle's dedication and the valuable contributions she made to the office's environmental programs and community outreach efforts.

Lyle addressed the council to express her gratitude for the opportunity to serve and gain experience in local government. She spoke about her work on environmental projects and the insights she gained into municipal operations during her time as an intern.

The recognition was informational in nature, celebrating the intern's service and contributions to the community through her work in the council office. No formal action was required or taken regarding the proclamation.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

0:00

Seven community members addressed the meeting during the public comment period, with all speakers voicing support for the parks funding ballot referendum.

The speakers who participated in public comment were: - Kaitlyn Walsh - Price Bell - Brittany Rothmyer - Michael Potipoff - Dave Osborne - Steve Kay - Griffin Van Meter

According to the meeting summary, the speakers emphasized the importance of parks for community well-being and development. The comments focused on supporting the parks funding ballot referendum, with community members making the case for why this funding measure deserves public support.

This was an informational agenda item, with no formal action taken by the governing body. The public comment period provided an opportunity for residents to share their perspectives on agenda-related matters before the meeting's formal business proceedings.

Docket Approval

0:00 The council addressed the approval of the docket for the March 21, 2024 Council Meeting during the opening portion of the session.

Council Member Fogle and Ellinger II were the key speakers who participated in the discussion of this procedural item. The agenda item involved reviewing and formally approving the docket from the previous council meeting held on March 21, 2024.

The council considered the docket as amended, indicating that modifications had been made to the original version from the March 21st meeting. The specific nature of these amendments was not detailed in the available information.

Following the discussion between the participating council members, the docket approval was put to a vote. The council unanimously approved the amended docket for the March 21, 2024 Council Meeting, allowing the proceedings to move forward with the formal record established.

This docket approval represents standard procedural business that typically occurs at the beginning of council meetings to ensure proper documentation and approval of previous meeting records before proceeding with new business items.

Budget Amendments

0:00

The council considered various budget amendments during this agenda item, which was presented as a resolution requiring council approval.

Council Member Plomin and Council Member Sheehan served as the key speakers during the discussion of these budget modifications. The amendments included reallocations for waste management services along with adjustments to other city service budgets.

The budget amendments were approved by the council, though the extracted data does not provide specific details about the dollar amounts involved, the exact nature of the waste management reallocations, or which other city services were affected by the budget changes.

No information was available regarding any concerns raised during the discussion or debate that may have occurred before the council reached its decision to approve the amendments.

New Business

The council addressed several new business items during this portion of the meeting 0:00. Council Member Gray and Council Member Sheehan were the primary speakers for these agenda items.

The new business section included consideration of various contracts and grants for city projects and services. While the specific details of individual contracts and grant applications were not provided in the available materials, the council reviewed multiple items that required approval for implementation.

Council Member Gray and Council Member Sheehan presented information regarding these business items to their fellow council members. The discussion covered the various city projects and services that would benefit from the proposed contracts and grant funding.

Following the presentations and any discussion among council members, the new business items were put to a vote. The council approved all new business items that were presented during this session.

The approval of these new business items will allow the city to move forward with the various projects and services covered under the contracts and grants. The specific implementation timelines and project details were not detailed in the available meeting materials.