Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council met on March 4, 2025, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber on the second floor of the Government Center, with Mayor Linda Gorton presiding. The meeting covered three agenda items, all of which were approved: the February 18, 2025, Work Session Summary, New Business, and Neighborhood Development Funds. Over the course of the meeting, the Council took 4 votes and heard 1 public comment. No presentations were recorded for this session.

Attendance

Present (14): Wu, J. Brown, Ellinger II, Morton, Lynch, LeGris, Curtis, Sheehan, Gray, Hale, Beasley, Baxter, Sevigny, and Boone.

Absent (1): Jennifer Reynolds.

Late: None.

Votes and Decisions

All four votes taken at the March 4, 2025, Council meeting passed unanimously with 14 ayes and 0 nays. The full voting roster for each motion was: Wu, J. Brown, Ellinger II, Morton, Lynch, LeGris, Curtis, Sheehan, Gray, Hale, Beasley, Baxter, Sevigny, and Boone.

• Approval of February 18, 2025, Work Session Summary 19:59: Motioned by Gray, seconded by Curtis. Passed unanimously, 14–0.

• Approval of New Business 21:03: Motioned by Ellinger II, seconded by Curtis. Passed unanimously, 14–0.

• Approval of Neighborhood Development Funds: Motioned by Wu, seconded by Curtis. Passed unanimously, 14–0.

• Adjournment: Motioned by Gray, seconded by Sevigny. Passed unanimously, 14–0.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered six financial items at the March 4, 2025 meeting, ranging from service contracts to economic development grants.

• Resolution 0175-25 authorized a Master Service Agreement with Lexipol, LLC valued at $32,004 for a Fire & EMS Learning Platform.

• Resolution 0196-25 approved a $250,000 Lexington JOBS Fund incentive grant to SIMPLYWORX LLC, representing one of the larger economic development expenditures on the agenda.

• Resolution 0197-25 authorized a $27,600 agreement with Rail Pros for the Wolf Run G Sanitary Sewer Replacement Project.

• Resolution 0199-25 approved a facility usage contract with Fayette County Public Schools / Frederick Douglas High School in the amount of $555.59 for the Truck-a-Palooza event.

• Resolution 0206-25 authorized an agreement with Partners for Economic Solutions for $744,195 to develop an Infrastructure Funding Plan, the largest single expenditure considered at the meeting.

• Resolution 0208-25 approved Amendment No. 1 to a grant agreement with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department for $78,000 in support of the HANDS Program at the Family Care Center.

In total, the financial actions before the Council represented approximately $1.13 million in commitments across contracts and grants, with the Infrastructure Funding Plan agreement and the SIMPLYWORX LLC economic incentive accounting for the majority of that figure.

Public Comment

During the public comment portion of the March 4, 2025 Council meeting, one comment was recorded from Council Member Baxter on the topic of the rezoning process. 15:52

• Council Member Baxter addressed the rationale behind placing an item on the agenda without an accompanying hearing. Baxter stated that this approach would best serve the concerns of the neighbors who were in opposition to the matter.

No additional public comments were recorded for this meeting.

Contested Items

• Rezoning Process [timestamp: N/A]: A point of contention arose during the March 4, 2025 Council meeting regarding the procedural handling of a rezoning item. Council Member Baxter addressed the decision to place the item on the agenda without first holding a hearing, noting that this course of action followed consultations with neighbors who were in opposition to the matter. The nature of the disagreement centered on community opposition and the process by which the item was brought forward for Council consideration. No further outcome details are available from the provided record.

Approval of February 18, 2025, Work Session Summary

19:59

The Council took up the approval of the summary from the February 18, 2025, work session. The discussion on this item was brief, with Gray and Curtis identified as the key speakers during consideration of the summary.

No significant concerns or debates were noted regarding the content of the work session summary. The Council moved forward with approval, and the February 18, 2025, work session summary was approved.

Approval of New Business

21:03

The Council took up the Approval of New Business during this portion of the meeting. Key speakers on this item included Ellinger II and Curtis, who participated in the discussion of the new business items presented on the agenda.

The Council discussed the new business items before them and ultimately voted to approve them. No additional detail regarding specific concerns raised or the substance of individual items within this agenda section is available in the meeting record.

Approval of Neighborhood Development Funds

The council discussed and voted on the allocation of neighborhood development funds during this agenda item. Key speakers included council members Wu and Curtis.

The item was categorized as a discussion item, during which the council considered the proposed fund allocation before moving to a vote. The record does not include details on the specific amounts involved, the neighborhoods or projects targeted for funding, or the particular points of debate raised by Wu, Curtis, or other participants.

Following the discussion, the council approved the allocation of neighborhood development funds.

*Note: Additional details on the substance of the debate, any concerns raised, and the specific funding figures were not available in the source materials for this item.*