Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council met on January 21, 2025, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber in Lexington, KY, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting included 4 agenda items covering budget amendments, new business, a public presentation, and public comment. Over the course of the meeting, the Council took 7 votes, heard 4 public comments, and received 1 informational presentation — the One Lexington Presentation. Both the Budget Amendments and New Business items were approved by the Council, while the Public Comment period and the One Lexington Presentation were informational in nature.

Attendance

All 15 council members were present at the January 21, 2025 meeting. No members were absent or late.

Present: Wu, J. Brown, Ellinger II, Morton, Lynch, LeGris, Curtis, Sheehan, Gray, Hale, Beasley, Baxter, Sevigny, Reynolds, and Boone.

Votes and Decisions

All seven votes at the January 21, 2025 Council meeting passed by voice vote. No roll call votes were taken, so individual member tallies are not available.

• Agenda Amendment 1:58: Vice Mayor Wu moved to add a presentation from the Department of Environmental Quality and Public Works to the agenda. The motion passed by voice vote.

• Docket Approval 15:44: Seconded by Council Member Baxter, the Council voted to approve the docket. The motion passed by voice vote.

• January 14, 2025 Work Session Summary 16:15: Council Member Sheehan moved and Council Member Reynolds seconded approval of the January 14, 2025 work session summary. The motion passed by voice vote.

• Budget Amendments 16:49: Vice Mayor Wu moved and Council Member Baxter seconded approval of budget amendments. The motion passed by voice vote.

• New Business 18:52: Council Member Baxter moved and Council Member Reynolds seconded approval of new business items. The motion passed by voice vote.

• Communications from the Mayor – Appointments 22:03: Council Member Baxter moved and Council Member Sheehan seconded approval of mayoral appointment communications. The motion passed by voice vote.

• Communications from the Mayor – Procurements 22:36: Vice Mayor Wu moved and Council Member Curtis seconded approval of mayoral procurement communications. The motion passed by voice vote.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council approved several financial items at the January 21, 2025 meeting, spanning contracts, purchases, grants, and contract amendments.

• Resolution 0035-25 authorized a music license agreement with AllTrack Performing Rights, LLC at a cost of $3,179.

• Resolution 0057-25 approved a Collective Bargaining Agreement with AFSCME Local 2785 valued at $177,596.

• Resolution 0063-25 authorized the purchase of software from Magnet Forensics, LLC for $57,109.50.

• Resolution 0064-25 accepted $16,500 in grant funds from the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety to support a training course for the Lexington Police Department.

• Resolution 0065-25 awarded a Stormwater Quality Projects Incentive Grant of $46,435.00 to Friends of Wolf Run, Inc.

• Resolution 0067-25 approved an amendment to Contract #146-2016 related to the Transportation Alternatives Program, directing $95,430.23 to Lextran.

In total, the financial actions approved at this meeting accounted for approximately $395,749.73 across contracts, software procurement, grant awards, and program funding.

Public Comment

Four residents addressed the Council during the public comment period of the January 21, 2025 meeting.

• Chambra Mulder 3:32 spoke in support of One Lexington, stressing the importance of providing the organization with adequate administrative support to help navigate processes and secure grants.

• Shonda Snow 6:38 addressed the Council on two deeply personal matters: the unsolved murder of her son and her own experiences with mental health issues and interactions with police. Her comments raised concerns at the intersection of public safety and mental health services.

• Linda Froelich 9:48 drew attention to the difficulties pedestrians encountered during the recent snowstorm, which she referred to as "Snowpocalypse." She urged the city to make clearing sidewalks and crossings a higher priority during winter weather events, highlighting the safety risks posed to those who travel on foot.

• Anthony Skinner 12:24 also voiced support for One Lexington, praising the organization's positive impact on young people and underscoring the value of its work within the community.

Notable themes from public comment included support for One Lexington from multiple speakers, pedestrian safety concerns related to winter weather infrastructure, and the intersection of mental health and public safety.

Contested Items

• One Lexington Audit Findings — Council members engaged in a heated discussion with Devine Karama regarding audit findings related to One Lexington's financial practices and program effectiveness. The questioning focused on concerns raised by the audit, though the available record does not detail the specific points of disagreement or the outcome of the discussion. [No timestamp available]

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

2:58

Four members of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period on agenda items.

• Chambra Mulder spoke in support of One Lexington.
• Shonda Snow shared personal experiences related to gun violence.
• Linda Froelich raised concerns about pedestrian issues during snowstorms.
• Anthony Skinner also addressed the Council during this period.

The comments covered a range of topics including community support for the One Lexington initiative, the impact of gun violence on individuals and the community, and safety challenges faced by pedestrians navigating streets and sidewalks during winter weather events. No votes or formal actions were taken as a result of the public comments; the item was informational in nature.

Budget Amendments

16:49

The Council discussed several budget amendments during this portion of the meeting, with Council Member Brown and Council Member Ellinger II identified as key speakers on the item.

The amendments under consideration included:

• Salt delivery reallocations — adjustments to budget line items related to salt deliveries
• Arbor Youth Services adjustments — modifications to funding or allocations associated with Arbor Youth Services

The Council reviewed and deliberated on these proposed changes before moving to a vote. The budget amendments were ultimately approved by the Council.

*Note: Additional detail on specific dollar amounts, the nature of any concerns raised, and the full scope of debate is not available in the source data for this item.*

New Business

18:52

The Council took up several new business items covering contracts and grants for various city projects and services. Key participants in the discussion included Council Member Morton and Chief Weathers.

The items presented fell under the broad categories of contracts and grants intended to support ongoing and upcoming city initiatives, though specific contract values, grant amounts, and project names were addressed during this portion of the meeting. The Council reviewed the presented materials and engaged in discussion before moving toward a vote.

All new business items were approved by the Council.

*Note: For full details on the specific contracts, grant amounts, and project descriptions discussed during this agenda item, viewers are encouraged to consult the official meeting agenda or review the meeting video beginning at the 18:52 mark.*

One Lexington Presentation

55:49

Devine Karama and his team delivered a presentation to the Council on the work of One Lexington, an organization focused on reducing gun violence in the community. The presentation covered the organization's current programs, the challenges they face in carrying out that work, and their plans for the future.

The Council received the presentation as informational, with no formal action taken. Further details from the presentation — including specific program names, statistics, funding figures, or policy recommendations — were not captured in the available summary data.