Urban County Council Special Meeting - Fire Discipline Hearing

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government held a meeting on August 20, 2024, at 5:00 PM in the Council Chambers located at 200 E. Main St, Lexington, KY 40507. Mayor Gorton presided over the session. The meeting included one agenda item: a Fire Disciplinary Hearing presented for informational purposes. Seven motions were voted on during the meeting, and no public comments were heard.

Attendance

Present: Reynolds, Sevigny, Sheehan, Worley, Wu, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Elliott Baxter, Fogle, Gray, LeGris, Lynch, and Plomin

Absent: Monarrez

Late: None

Votes and Decisions

Motion to Enter Executive Session 5:30 A motion to go into executive session pursuant to Reed versus City of Richmond and KRS 61.810(1)(f) was made by Mr. Worley and seconded by Ms. Reynolds. The motion passed unanimously with 14 ayes and 0 nays.

Motion to Return to Open Session 3:51:45 A motion to return to open session was made by Ms. Fogle and seconded by Ms. Gray. The motion passed unanimously with 14 ayes and 0 nays.

Count I Substantiation - CAO Policy #5 (Harassment) 4:36:02 A motion that Count I of the Formal charges against Lieutenant Gatewood was substantiated for a violation of CAO Policy #5 (Harassment) was made by Mr. Sevigny and seconded by Vice Mayor Wu. The roll call vote passed 14-0.

Count I Substantiation - UDG 1.09 (Harassment and Threats in the Workplace) 4:37:33 A motion that Count I of the Formal charges against Lieutenant Gatewood was substantiated for a violation of UDG 1.09 (Harassment and Threats in the Workplace) was made by Ms. Elliott Baxter and seconded by Ms. Plomin. The roll call vote passed 14-0.

Count I Substantiation - UDG 2.01 (Conduct Unbecoming) 4:39:08 A motion that Count I of the Formal charges against Lieutenant Gatewood was substantiated for a violation of UDG 2.01 (Conduct Unbecoming) was made by Vice Mayor Wu and seconded by Ms. Elliott Baxter. The roll call vote passed 14-0.

Penalty Approval 4:41:07 A motion to approve the penalty of 112 Hour Suspension without pay and Mandatory completion of the course 'The Right Side of the Line' for Officer Gatewood was made by Ms. Reynolds and seconded by Mr. Sevigny. The roll call vote passed 14-0.

Resolution Adoption 4:44:56 A resolution adopting Findings, Determination and Holding concerning Formal Disciplinary Charges filed against Lieutenant Terrance Gatewood was made by Ms. Fogle and seconded by Mr. Worley. The motion passed unanimously with 14 ayes and 0 nays.

All votes were unanimous, with the following 14 members voting in favor of each motion: Reynolds, Sevigny, Sheehan, Worley, Wu, F. Brown, J. Brown, Ellinger, Elliott Baxter, Fogle, Gray, LeGris, Lynch, and Plomin.

Fire Disciplinary Hearing

The council held a disciplinary hearing for Lieutenant Terrance Gatewood regarding charges of misconduct, harassment, and conduct unbecoming. The hearing was conducted in executive session and closed to the public.

Key participants in the hearing included Mayor Gorton, Lieutenant Terrance Gatewood, and Fire Chief Jason Wells. The hearing addressed formal disciplinary charges against the lieutenant, though specific details of the allegations and presentations were not disclosed due to the closed executive session format.

As this was an executive session hearing, the public record does not contain details regarding what evidence was presented, arguments made by either party, concerns raised during the proceedings, or the specific rationale for any decisions. The hearing was informational in nature as documented in the meeting record.