Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council met on October 2, 2008, at 7:00 P.M. in Lexington, Kentucky, with Council Member Gorton presiding. The council addressed two agenda items during the meeting: a proclamation recognizing Lexington History Month, which was presented for informational purposes, and an ordinance proposing to change a property's zoning from Interchange Service Business (B-5P) to Agricultural Rural (A-R), which was withdrawn. The council took three motions and votes during the session and heard three public comments from members of the community.

Attendance

Present: Blues, Crosbie, DeCamp, Ellinger, Gorton, Henson, Lane, McChord, Myers, Stevens, Stinnett, Beard, and Blevins

Absent: James

Late: None

Votes and Decisions

Motion to Remove Ordinance Number Three from Docket 7:23

Lane moved to remove ordinance number three from the docket for second reading, seconded by Crosbie. This motion was withdrawn and did not proceed to a vote.

Approval of Ordinances Given Second Reading 10:03

Blues moved for approval of ordinances given second reading, seconded by McChord. The motion passed by roll call vote with 13 ayes and 0 nays.

The following council members voted in favor: - Blues - Crosbie - DeCamp - Ellinger - Gorton - Henson - Lane - McChord - Myers - Stevens - Stinnett - Beard - Blevins

Approval of Resolutions Given Second Reading 21:05

McChord moved for approval of resolutions given second reading, seconded by Ellinger. The motion passed by roll call vote with 12 ayes, 0 nays, and 1 abstention.

The following council members voted in favor: - Blues - Crosbie - DeCamp - Ellinger - Gorton - Lane - McChord - Myers - Stevens - Stinnett - Beard - Blevins

Henson recused herself from voting on item three.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council approved three contracts totaling $1,486,337.75 for capital projects and maintenance work.

Waste Management Building HVAC Renovation The Council awarded a contract to Teco Mechanical Contractor, Inc. for $639,200 to complete HVAC renovation work at the Waste Management Building.

Asphalt Surface Maintenance Pavement Technology, Inc. received a contract for $150,500 to perform asphalt surface maintenance using asphalt rejuvenating agent.

Cadentown Sanitary Sewer Project Schroeder Construction, Inc. was awarded a contract for $696,637.75 for the Cadentown Sanitary Sewer Project.

Public Comment

Three members of the public addressed the Council during this meeting.

Downtown Success Metrics

Bernard McCarthy spoke at 41:22 regarding how downtown success should be measured. Mr. McCarthy emphasized that the success of downtown should be evaluated based on the profitability of property owners rather than the number of people on the streets.

Community Safety

Lewis Cobb addressed the Council at 43:30 with concerns about community safety. Mr. Cobb expressed worry over the safety of young people in the community and called for unity to prevent further violence.

Economic Development

Eric Patrick Marr spoke at 44:34 about economic development policies in Lexington. Mr. Marr discussed the need for better economic development policies and highlighted the loss of talented individuals from the community due to a lack of suitable job opportunities.

Appointments

The Council made the following appointment at the October 2, 2008 meeting:

• Peter Everett Brown was appointed to the Board of Adjustment.

Proclamation – Lexington History Month

3:33

The Council considered a proclamation declaring October as Lexington History Month, recognizing the historical significance of Lexington and Fayette County.

Key Speakers

The proclamation was presented by Gorton and James Kemper Millard.

Outcome

The item was informational in nature, with the proclamation being made to acknowledge the historical importance of the community during the month of October.

Ordinance changing the zone from an Interchange Service Business (B-5P) zone to an Agricultural Rural (A-R) zone

7:23

The Council considered an ordinance that would have changed the zoning designation of a property from Interchange Service Business (B-5P) to Agricultural Rural (A-R). However, the ordinance was removed from the docket after the petitioner withdrew the application.

Lane and Crosbie were the key speakers on this agenda item. The ordinance did not proceed to substantive discussion or debate, as the withdrawal occurred before the matter could be fully presented to the Council.

Outcome: Withdrawn