Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened on May 7, 2024, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The council addressed 11 agenda items during the session, taking 10 formal votes on various matters including budget amendments, contract approvals, and procedural items. Two members of the public provided comments on agenda issues during the designated public comment period.

The meeting accomplished several key administrative tasks, with the council approving the meeting docket, budget amendments, and the April 30, 2024 Work Session Table of Motions. The council also handled new business items and made adjustments to the agenda by removing a SPOKE Award Presentation. Additionally, the session included informational presentations, notably a Disparity Study Update and a Building Safety Month Proclamation, along with the Mayor's Report. Price contract bids were also reviewed and approved during the proceedings.

All voted items on the agenda received approval from the council, indicating a productive session with broad consensus among members on the matters presented for consideration.

Attendance

The following members were present at the meeting on May 7, 2024:

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

Absent: • Sheehan

No members arrived late to the meeting. A total of 15 members were present with 1 member absent.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included ten motions, all of which passed by voice vote with no recorded individual vote counts.

Procedural Approvals • Ellinger motioned to approve the docket, seconded by Baxter - passed 0:30 • Wu motioned to approve the April 30, 2024 work session table of motions, seconded by Gray - passed 1:00 • Fogle motioned to approve budget amendments, seconded by Plomin - passed 1:30

Agenda Modifications • Plomin motioned to approve new business, seconded by LeGris - passed with one abstention 2:00 • Wu motioned to remove the SPOKE Award presentation from the agenda, seconded by Ellinger - passed 2:30 • Worley motioned to approve the committee report on consent agenda changes, seconded by Ellinger - passed 3:00

Substantive Business • J. Brown motioned to approve a resolution pertaining to the Disparity Study Update, seconded by Ellinger - passed 3:30 • Fogle motioned to approve the Mayor's report, seconded by Wu - passed 4:00 • Fogle motioned to approve price contract bids, seconded by Plomin - passed 4:30

Adjournment • Ellinger motioned to adjourn, seconded by Sevigny - passed 5:00

All votes were conducted by voice vote without recorded individual member positions. The only vote with any opposition was the approval of new business, which had one abstention but no recorded nays.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting addressed multiple financial items totaling several million dollars in contracts, grants, and penalties.

Contracts and Agreements: • Resolution 0426-24 approved a $89,200 Purchase of Service Agreement with Special Electronics, Inc. • Resolution 0453-24 authorized a $22,066 Accreditation Agreement with the Council on Accreditation • Resolution 0455-24 approved a Sanitary Sewer Service Site Specific Agreement with CF Apartments, LLC and Jessamine-South Elkhorn Water District with no budgetary impact • Resolution 0471-24 awarded an $83,300 contract to DelMae, LLC for the Pebble Creek Bank Stabilization Project • Resolution 0474-24 established a 5-year Lease Agreement with VertiQ Software, LLC not to exceed $19,845 annually • Resolution 0477-24 approved a $5,964.42 maintenance agreement with Unified Technologies, Inc. • Resolution 0478-24 authorized a $444,763.59 software maintenance agreement with Accela Government Software, Inc. • Resolution 0480-24 approved a Memorandum of Agreement with Kentucky Community & Technical College System for $131,597 in the first year • Resolution 0486-24 approved Change Order No. 10 with ATS Construction, reducing the contract by $723,787.97

Grants and Awards: • Resolution 0481-24 accepted a $40,000 award from the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet for the Lexington Division of Police • Resolution 0482-24 awarded $1,506,791 in federal Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS grant funds to AVOL Kentucky, Inc. • Resolution 0483-24 accepted a $777,089.27 FEMA award for March 2023 Wind Storm damages • Resolution 0484-24 accepted a $600,000 award from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for fiber optic installation

Penalties: • Resolution 0469-24 authorized payment of a $4,000 civil penalty to the Kentucky State Treasurer for effluent discharge violations

Public Comment

Two residents addressed the council during the public comment period of the May 7, 2024 meeting.

Bob Babbage spoke regarding a proposed pet ordinance that would impact Petland 6:00. Babbage requested that the council delay voting on the ordinance and called for more inclusive discussions before moving forward with the legislation.

Rick Day addressed concerns about the county government's compensation system and transparency practices 7:00. Day criticized what he characterized as issues with budget reallocations and referenced problems with the MAG study. He highlighted concerns about the overall transparency of the county's compensation structure and related financial processes.

Both speakers used their allotted time to raise specific policy concerns and request council consideration of their respective issues.

Contested Items

Two significant issues generated debate during the May 7, 2024 meeting, drawing opposition from both community members and officials.

Petland Ordinance

Bob Babbage raised concerns about a proposed ordinance that would affect Petland, a local pet store business. Babbage specifically requested additional discussion time before the council proceeded with a vote on the measure, warning that the ordinance could potentially force the business to close. The nature of community opposition suggests residents and stakeholders had concerns about the ordinance's impact on the local business. The specific details of the ordinance and its potential effects on Petland operations were not fully detailed in the available materials, but the request for延期討論 indicates the matter required further consideration before any final decision.

Government Compensation System

Rick Day initiated a heated discussion regarding the local government's compensation system, focusing his criticism on issues of transparency and accuracy. Day specifically highlighted problems with the reallocation process within the compensation structure, suggesting that the current system lacked proper oversight or clear reporting mechanisms. His concerns appeared to center on how compensation adjustments and reallocations were being handled and communicated to the public. The discussion was characterized as "heated," indicating significant disagreement or tension around these compensation practices.

The outcomes of both contested items were not specified in the available materials, leaving unclear whether the Petland ordinance received the additional discussion time requested by Babbage or how the council responded to Day's criticisms of the compensation system. Both issues represent ongoing concerns that may require follow-up action or further deliberation in subsequent meetings.

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 directly to elected officials about specific matters scheduled for discussion or action during the meeting. The absence of public participation during this segment indicates that no citizens chose to exercise this opportunity to provide input on the day's agenda items.

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

Approval of Docket

The council addressed the approval of the meeting docket as a procedural item early in the session 0:30.

Council members Ellinger and Baxter were the key speakers during this agenda item. The discussion focused on formally approving the docket that outlined the items to be addressed during the meeting.

The council voted to approve the docket for the meeting. No significant concerns or objections were raised during the discussion of this procedural matter.

Outcome: The docket was approved, allowing the meeting to proceed with the planned agenda items.

Approval of April 30, 2024 Work Session Table of Motions

1:00 The council considered approval of the table of motions from their April 30, 2024 work session. Council members Wu and Gray participated in the discussion of this procedural item.

The table of motions represents a formal record of all motions made during the previous work session, providing an official summary of actions taken and decisions made by the council during that meeting.

The council approved the table of motions from the April 30, 2024 work session without significant debate or opposition, indicating agreement with the accuracy of the recorded motions from that session.

Approval of Budget Amendments

1:30

The council considered and approved budget amendments during the May 7, 2024 meeting. The discussion involved key speakers Fogle and Plomin, who presented the proposed amendments to the council.

The budget amendments were presented to the council for consideration and approval. While the specific details of the amendments were not detailed in the available materials, the council proceeded with their review and discussion of the proposed changes.

Following the presentation and any discussion, the council voted to approve the budget amendments as presented. The motion carried, allowing the amendments to move forward as part of the municipal budget process.

The approval of these budget amendments represents the council's ongoing oversight of municipal finances and their commitment to making necessary adjustments to the budget as circumstances require.

New Business

2:00

The council addressed several new business items during this portion of the meeting, with multiple council members participating in discussions regarding various financial agreements and grants.

Key speakers included Plomin, LeGris, Reynolds, F. Brown, Lynch, Wu, and Baxter, who engaged in deliberations on the proposed new business matters. The discussions centered around financial agreements and grant-related items that required council consideration and approval.

While the specific details of individual agenda items within the new business section are not detailed in the available materials, the broad scope of discussions encompassed various financial commitments and grant opportunities that came before the council for formal action.

The council ultimately approved the new business items that were presented during this session. The collaborative nature of the discussion, involving seven different council members, suggests there was substantial deliberation on the matters at hand before reaching the final decision to approve the proposed items.

The approval of these new business items represents the council's commitment to moving forward with the financial agreements and grant-related matters that were brought before them for consideration during the May 7, 2024 meeting.

Remove SPOKE Award Presentation

2:30

The council voted to remove the SPOKE Award presentation from the meeting agenda. Council members Wu and Ellinger were the key speakers during this brief procedural discussion.

The motion to remove the SPOKE Award presentation was approved by the council, effectively striking this item from the day's proceedings. No details were provided in the available materials regarding the reasons for removing the presentation or whether it would be rescheduled for a future meeting.

This agenda modification was handled as a routine procedural matter early in the meeting, allowing the council to proceed with the remaining scheduled items.

Committee Report on Consent Agenda Changes

3:00

The council reviewed and approved changes to the consent agenda process during the May 7, 2024 meeting. The discussion was led by key speakers Worley and Ellinger, who presented modifications designed to improve the efficiency of council operations.

The proposed changes to the consent agenda process were presented as part of ongoing efforts to streamline council meetings and enhance procedural effectiveness. While specific details of the modifications were not elaborated in the available materials, the discussion focused on operational improvements to how consent agenda items are handled.

Council members Worley and Ellinger guided the presentation and discussion of these procedural changes. The conversation addressed how the revised consent agenda process would function and its expected benefits for meeting efficiency.

The council ultimately approved the proposed changes to the consent agenda process. This approval represents a procedural adjustment aimed at improving the overall effectiveness of council meetings and the handling of routine business items.

The implementation of these consent agenda changes is expected to contribute to more efficient council operations moving forward.

Disparity Study Update

3:30

The council considered a resolution to update goals for minority and women-owned business participation based on findings from a disparity study. The agenda item was presented as a resolution requiring council approval.

Key speakers during the discussion included J. Brown and Ellinger, who addressed the proposed updates to the participation goals. The resolution aimed to establish new targets for minority and women-owned business enterprises based on data and analysis from the completed disparity study.

The council ultimately approved the resolution to implement the updated participation goals for minority and women-owned businesses. The specific details of the new goals, the methodology of the disparity study, or the timeline for implementation were not detailed in the available materials.

This action represents the council's commitment to adjusting their minority and women-owned business participation requirements based on current market analysis and disparity findings.

Building Safety Month Proclamation

4:00

Mayor Gorton officially declared May 2024 as Building Safety Month during the meeting, issuing a proclamation that recognized the important work performed by the city's Building Inspection team.

The proclamation highlighted the critical role that building safety professionals play in protecting public health and safety through proper code enforcement and inspection services. Mayor Gorton emphasized the dedication and expertise of the Building Inspection staff in ensuring that construction projects meet established safety standards and building codes.

Bob Carpenter was also present during this agenda item, though the specific nature of his participation was not detailed in the available information.

This proclamation serves as an annual recognition that aligns with the national Building Safety Month initiative, which aims to raise awareness about building safety and the importance of proper construction practices, code compliance, and regular inspections in protecting communities.

The agenda item was informational in nature, with no formal action required beyond the mayor's official declaration of the proclamation.

Mayor's Report

4:30

The council considered the Mayor's Report during the May 7, 2024 meeting. The item was presented as a motion for approval and included various administrative updates.

Key speakers during this agenda item were Fogle and Wu, who participated in the discussion of the mayor's administrative updates.

The council voted to approve the Mayor's Report without significant debate or concerns raised during the session.

Outcome: Approved

*Note: Specific details of the administrative updates contained in the Mayor's Report were not available in the provided meeting materials.*

Price Contract Bids

5:00

The council considered approval of price contract bids during the meeting. Council members Fogle and Plomin participated in the discussion of this agenda item.

The price contract bids were presented to the council for their review and approval. The specific details of the contracts, vendors, or bid amounts were not detailed in the available meeting materials.

Following the presentation and discussion, the council voted to approve the price contract bids as presented. No significant concerns or objections were raised during the deliberation process.

The motion to approve the price contract bids was successful, allowing the city to move forward with the contracted services or purchases outlined in the approved bids.