Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council met on March 20, 2025, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers in Lexington, KY, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting covered 2 agenda items, both of which were informational in nature: a presentation from The Links, Incorporated and a presentation of CASA Presidential Volunteer Service Awards. Over the course of the meeting, the Council heard 2 public comments and took 2 votes.

Attendance

Present (13): LeGris, Lynch, Morton, Sevigny, Wu, Beasley, Boone, Brown, Curtis, Ellinger, Elliott Baxter, Gray, and Hale.

Absent (2): Reynolds and Sheehan.

No members were recorded as late.

Votes and Decisions

The Council took two roll call votes at the March 20, 2025 meeting, both of which passed unanimously.

• Ordinance 0214-25 — An ordinance changing the zone from Single Family Residential (R-1C) to Townhouse Residential (R-1T) for property located at 940 Higbee Mill Rd. The motion was made by Vice Mayor Wu and seconded by Ms. Curtis. The ordinance passed 13–0, with all members voting in favor: LeGris, Lynch, Morton, Sevigny, Wu, Beasley, Boone, Brown, Curtis, Ellinger, Elliott Baxter, Gray, and Hale. No members voted against or abstained.

• Ordinance 0247-25 — An ordinance amending certain budgets of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government to reflect current requirements for municipal expenditures. The motion was again made by Vice Mayor Wu and seconded by Ms. Curtis. The ordinance passed 13–0, with the same unanimous roll call: LeGris, Lynch, Morton, Sevigny, Wu, Beasley, Boone, Brown, Curtis, Ellinger, Elliott Baxter, Gray, and Hale. No members voted against or abstained.

Both measures received identical motions, seconds, and vote tallies, with no dissent or abstentions recorded on either item.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered three contracts at the March 20, 2025 meeting, spanning senior services, public health, and infrastructure planning.

• Resolution 0173-25 authorizes a contract with Charter Communications d/b/a Spectrum Enterprise in the amount of $925.92 for cable television services supporting Senior Programs.

• Resolution 0176-25 authorizes a contract with Touchphrase Development LLC., d/b/a Julota in the amount of $37,096 for efficiency and data management services related to the Community Paramedicine Program.

• Resolution 0206-25 authorizes a contract with Partners for Economic Solutions, LLC in the amount of $744,195 for the development of an Infrastructure Funding Plan.

The three contracts together represent a combined commitment of approximately $782,217. The largest single expenditure, the Infrastructure Funding Plan contract with Partners for Economic Solutions, LLC, accounts for the substantial majority of that total. The Community Paramedicine data management contract with Julota reflects continued investment in public health program operations, while the Spectrum Enterprise cable television contract supports programming at senior facilities.

Public Comment

Two members of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period at the March 20, 2025 meeting.

• Chuck Eddy 1:11:21, representing Moms Demand Action, spoke on the topic of gun violence prevention. Eddy discussed the importance of safe gun storage practices and highlighted the Be Smart program as a resource for preventing gun violence.

• Phoenix Berry 1:14:34 spoke about the importance of courage in advocacy, particularly as it relates to marginalized communities. Berry emphasized the role that individuals and public officials play in advocating for change on behalf of those communities.

Appointments

The Council acted on three board appointments during the March 20, 2025 meeting.

• Jordan Lloyd was appointed to the Affordable Housing Governing Board.
• Patricia Dixon was reappointed to the Dunbar Neighborhood Center Board.
• Anthony Jackson was appointed to the Dunbar Neighborhood Center Board.

The Links, Incorporated

Agenda Item 0192-25

Mayor Gorton declared March 20, 2025, as The Links Day in Lexington, recognizing the organization's dedication to unity, friendship, and service. The presentation featured remarks from Mayor Gorton and Rosie Harless.

The agenda item was informational in nature, with no debate or concerns raised. The proclamation honored The Links, Incorporated and the contributions the organization has made in alignment with its core values of unity, friendship, and service.

CASA Presidential Volunteer Service Awards

Under agenda item 0290-25, Melynda Jamison, Executive Director of CASA of Lexington, appeared before the Council to announce the recipients of the National President's Volunteer Service Award.

Jamison presented the awards on behalf of CASA of Lexington, recognizing volunteers who had earned this national distinction. The presentation was informational in nature, and no debate or concerns were raised during this agenda item.

No additional details regarding the specific award recipients, the criteria used for selection, or the number of volunteers honored were included in the available record of this item.