Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on July 2, 2024, at 5:00 PM in the Council Chambers at 200 E. Main Street in Lexington, Kentucky. The meeting addressed two primary agenda items focused on staffing and public safety matters within the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government.

During the session, the Council took action on an ordinance amending authorized strength by abolishing and creating positions, which was approved. Additionally, they passed a resolution for additional deputies in Tandy Park, demonstrating the Council's commitment to enhancing public safety resources in the community.

The meeting included a total of 3 motions and votes, with one public comment received from community members. Both agenda items were successfully approved by the Council, indicating unified support for the proposed staffing changes and enhanced security measures at Tandy Park.

Attendance

The following members were present at the meeting on July 2, 2024:

Present: • Renlz • Sevigny • Sheehan • Worley • Wu • Fred Brown • James Brown • Ellinger • Baxter • Fogle • Gray • Legris • Lynch • Monarrez • Plomin • Reynolds

All 16 members were in attendance. No members were reported as absent or late for this meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The council conducted three votes during the July 2, 2024 meeting, all of which passed unanimously.

Motion 0726-24 3:00 - The council approved the minutes from the June 27, 2024 Council Meeting. The motion was made by Ellinger and seconded by Fogle. The measure passed by voice vote with no opposition.

Ordinance 0616-24 6:00 - The council voted on an ordinance amending the authorized strength by abolishing one classified position of Information Systems Specialist Senior and creating one classified position of Software Developer. The motion was seconded by Gray. The ordinance passed by roll call vote with 16 ayes and 0 nays. Council members voting in favor were: Monarrez, Plomin, Reynolds, Sevigny, Sheehan, Worley, Wu, Fred Brown, James Brown, Ellinger, Baxter, Fogle, Gray, Legris, and Lynch.

Resolution 0598-24 12:00 - The council approved a resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a Memorandum of Agreement with the Downtown Lexington Management District for additional deputies to patrol Tandy Park. The motion was made by Wu and seconded by Monarrez. The resolution passed by roll call vote with 16 ayes and 0 nays. The same 15 council members who voted on the previous ordinance cast affirmative votes: Monarrez, Plomin, Reynolds, Sevigny, Sheehan, Worley, Wu, Fred Brown, James Brown, Ellinger, Baxter, Fogle, Gray, Legris, and Lynch.

All three measures received unanimous support from the council members present, with no dissenting votes or abstentions recorded on any item.

Budget and Financial Actions

The council approved three significant financial agreements totaling $732,673 during the July 2, 2024 meeting.

Resolution 0598-24 authorized $50,000 in funding for additional deputies from the Office of the Fayette County Sheriff to patrol in and around Tandy Park. The contract will be administered through the Downtown Lexington Management District, enhancing security presence in the downtown area.

Resolution 0599-24 approved a substantial $664,223 agreement with Tetra Tech, Inc. for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Program Management Services. This contract represents the largest financial commitment of the meeting and will support the city's stormwater management compliance requirements.

Resolution 0602-24 authorized an $18,450 agreement with LinkedIn Corporation to promote open positions within the city government. This contract will enhance the city's recruitment efforts by leveraging LinkedIn's professional networking platform to attract qualified candidates for municipal positions.

These three resolutions demonstrate the council's focus on public safety, environmental compliance, and human resources management, with the stormwater management contract representing nearly 91% of the total approved spending for the meeting.

Public Comment

During the public comment period, one resident addressed the board regarding parking restrictions in their neighborhood 150:00.

The speaker expressed disappointment about parking restrictions that had been implemented across their entire block. According to the resident, these restrictions were put in place to address a specific issue, but the solution affected all residents on the block rather than targeting the particular problem area. The resident requested assistance from the board in addressing this situation.

No additional public comments were recorded during this portion of the meeting.

Ordinance amending authorized strength by abolishing and creating positions

6:00

The council considered Ordinance 0616-24, which proposed changes to the city's authorized staffing structure within the Division of Computer Services. The ordinance called for abolishing one classified position of Information Systems Specialist Senior and creating one classified position of Software Developer in its place.

This personnel restructuring represents a strategic shift in the city's information technology capabilities, moving from a traditional systems specialist role to a more development-focused position. The change maintains the same overall staffing level while updating the skill set to better align with current technological needs.

The ordinance was presented without significant discussion or debate from council members. No speakers were identified as presenting detailed information about the rationale for the position change or the specific duties that would differentiate the new Software Developer role from the abolished Information Systems Specialist Senior position.

The council approved the ordinance, allowing the Division of Computer Services to proceed with the personnel restructuring. This approval enables the city to modernize its IT workforce composition while maintaining fiscal neutrality through the one-for-one position exchange.

The ordinance reflects ongoing efforts by municipal governments to adapt their workforce structures to evolving technology demands, particularly in areas requiring software development expertise rather than traditional systems administration and support functions.

Resolution for additional deputies in Tandy Park

12:00

The council considered Resolution 0598-24, which would authorize the Mayor to execute a Memorandum of Agreement with the Downtown Lexington Management District for additional deputies to patrol Tandy Park.

The resolution seeks to enhance security and public safety in Tandy Park through increased law enforcement presence. Under the proposed agreement, the Downtown Lexington Management District would provide funding for additional deputy patrols in the park area.

No specific speakers were identified during the discussion of this agenda item, and the transcript does not indicate any significant debate or concerns raised by council members regarding the resolution.

The council approved Resolution 0598-24, allowing the Mayor to move forward with executing the Memorandum of Agreement with the Downtown Lexington Management District for the additional deputy patrols in Tandy Park.