Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council held a meeting on January 28, 2025, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber on the 2nd Floor of the Government Center, presided over by Mayor Linda Gorton. The meeting included 6 agenda items, covering a range of business from neighborhood funding to capital projects. The Council heard 1 public comment on agenda items and took 4 votes over the course of the meeting. Items approved included the meeting summary, new business, Neighborhood Development Funds, and Council Capital Projects, while the Social Services and Public Safety Committee Report was received as informational.

Attendance

All 15 council members were present at the January 28, 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

The Council held four votes during the January 28, 2025 meeting, all of which passed unanimously.

• Approval of January 21, 2025 Work Session Summary 5:08: Motioned by Ellinger and seconded by Wu, the Council unanimously approved the summary from the January 21, 2025 work session.

• Approval of New Business 5:39: Motioned by Savigny and seconded by Reynolds, the Council unanimously approved the new business items before it.

• Approval of Neighborhood Development Funds 17:11: Motioned by Wu and seconded by Savigny, the Council unanimously approved the Neighborhood Development Funds.

• Approval of Council Capital Projects 17:41: Motioned by Gray and seconded by Baxter, the Council unanimously approved the Council Capital Projects.

No roll call votes were recorded for any of these items. All four motions passed without opposition or abstention.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered a range of financial actions at the January 28, 2025 meeting, including grants, contract amendments, appropriations, and personnel changes.

Stormwater Grants - The Council took up two Stormwater Quality Projects Incentive Grants: a grant of $305,250.00 to Windswept Ventures, LLC (L0066-25) and a grant of $217,681.95 to Mediocre Creative, LLC (L0068-25).

Contract Amendment - A final change order to the Rural Services Area Sewer Capability Study agreement with Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. (L0070-25) reduced the contract value by $108,971.23, reflecting a credit back to the Council.

Easement Releases - The Council considered the release of easements at two properties: 1180 Newtown Pike (L0074-25) and 2724 Kearney Creek Lane (L0076-24). No dollar amounts were associated with either action.

Personnel and Appropriations - An appropriation of $40,560.32 was included to create two unclassified part-time Aide to Council positions (L0084-25). - A separate appropriation of $83,444.89 was included to create one classified Administrative Specialist Principal position (L0087-24). - The Council also considered an amendment (L0086-24) to abolish various positions in the Division of Community Corrections and Parks and Recreation. No dollar figure was attached to this item.

Other Actions - The Council considered accepting a Memorandum of Understanding with the US Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force (L0090-25), which carried no associated cost. - An ordinance (L0077-25) to lower the speed limit on Fontaine Road was also on the agenda, with no financial impact.

Public Comment

One member of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period at the January 28, 2025 meeting.

• Tyler Starrett spoke at 2:33 regarding the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Marshal Service. Starrett urged caution on the matter, stressing the importance of public discourse before the agreement is finalized. Starrett's central concern was that the MOU should be carefully examined to ensure it aligns with community standards.

Contested Items

• Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Marshal Service [timestamp: N/A]

One item drew public opposition during the January 28, 2025 Council meeting. Tyler Starrett spoke against the proposed Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Marshal Service, raising concerns about its potential impact on community standards. Starrett called for more public discourse on the matter before the Council moved forward. No additional outcome data is available from the meeting record.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

2:33

The Council opened the floor for public comments on agenda items. One speaker addressed the Council during this portion of the meeting.

• Tyler Starrett spoke on the item concerning the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Marshal Service.

No additional details about the specific content of Starrett's remarks are available in the meeting record. This portion of the meeting was informational in nature, with no action taken as a result of the public comment period.

Approval of Summary

5:08

The Council took up the approval of the summary from the January 21, 2025 Work Session. Ellinger and Wu were the key speakers on this item. The summary was approved without noted controversy or outstanding concerns.

New Business

5:39

The Council took up New Business, during which several items were presented for consideration, including various authorizations and grants. Savigny and Reynolds were among the key speakers during this portion of the meeting.

The items brought forward under New Business were approved by the Council.

*Note: The available meeting data does not include a detailed breakdown of the individual items, specific debate points, or concerns raised during this portion of the meeting. Readers seeking the full discussion are encouraged to consult the meeting video beginning at the timestamp above or review the official meeting minutes for a complete record of the authorizations and grants that were acted upon.*

Neighborhood Development Funds

17:11

The Council took up a resolution approving Neighborhood Development Funds for various community projects, including scholarships and community events. Key speakers on this item were Council members Wu and Savigny.

The resolution was approved by the Council.

*Note: Detailed information about the specific funding amounts, individual project recipients, any debate or concerns raised, and the vote breakdown is not available in the source data for this item.*

Council Capital Projects

17:41

The Council took up a resolution regarding the approval of funds for capital projects. The item was presented and discussed by key speakers Gray and Baxter.

The resolution included funding for capital projects, with a noted component being the construction of a new backstop at Shilito Park. No additional details regarding the total funding amount, project timeline, or other specific capital projects included in the resolution were provided in the available record.

The Council approved the resolution.

Social Services and Public Safety Committee Report

18:13

Council Member Reynolds presented the Social Services and Public Safety Committee Report, providing the full Council with updates on the committee's recent activities.

The report covered two primary areas:

• Affordable Housing — Reynolds provided an update on the committee's work related to affordable housing initiatives, though specific details, figures, or action items were not elaborated upon in the available record.
• Juvenile Treatment Court — Reynolds also reported on developments related to juvenile treatment court, a program falling within the committee's public safety purview.

The presentation was informational in nature, with no votes or formal actions taken as a result. No additional speakers, debates, or concerns were recorded in connection with this agenda item.