Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council held its regular meeting on April 15, 2025, beginning at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber in Lexington, KY, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting covered 10 agenda items spanning a range of legislative and administrative matters, including rezonings, budget amendments, mayoral appointments, donations, and procurements. The Council also recognized National Telecommunicators Week through a formal proclamation. Over the course of the meeting, 9 motions and votes were taken, the majority of which resulted in approval, and 1 public comment was heard on agenda items. A continuing business and presentations segment was also included as an informational item, rounding out an active and productive session.

Attendance

The following members were present at the April 15, 2025 Council meeting:

• Wu
• J. Brown
• Ellinger II
• Morton
• Lynch
• LeGris
• Curtis
• Sheehan
• Hale
• Beasley
• Baxter
• Sevigny
• Boone

Absent: Whitney Baxter, Jennifer Reynolds

No members were recorded as late.

Votes and Decisions

All nine motions brought before the Council on April 15, 2025, passed unanimously.

• March 20, 2025, Council Meeting Docket — Moved by Wu, seconded by Ellinger II. Passed unanimously. 0:32

• March 11, 2025, Work Session Summary — Moved by Gray, seconded by Curtis. Passed unanimously. 4:54

• Budget Amendments — Moved by Wu, seconded by Sheehan. Passed unanimously. 5:25

• New Business — Moved by Wu, seconded by Morton. Passed unanimously. 5:56

• Communications from the Mayor – Appointments — Moved by Curtis, seconded by Wu. Passed unanimously. 18:51

• Communications from the Mayor – Donations — Moved by Sevigny, seconded by Gray. Passed unanimously. 19:22

• Communications from the Mayor – Procurements — Moved by Sevigny, seconded by Wu. Passed unanimously. 20:00

• Motion to Table Section 12-2 (Nuisances) — Moved by Gray; no second recorded. The Council voted unanimously to table the section of the ordinance regarding nuisances until the October 14 work session. 25:33

• Ordinance Creating Section 12-55 – Landlord Tenant Act — Moved by Gray, seconded by Wu. The Council unanimously approved the ordinance creating section 12-55 in the code of ordinances related to the landlord tenant act. 27:09

No roll call votes were recorded; all decisions were made by unanimous voice or consensus vote. No abstentions or dissenting votes were noted for any item.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered 33 financial items at the April 15, 2025 meeting, spanning purchases, contracts, grants, and personnel amendments.

Purchases and Equipment - L0270-25: Sole source purchase of a Telma braking system installation from Atlantic Emergency Solutions for $59,613.65. - L0304-25: Purchase of four mobile vehicle lifts and accessories from ARI Phoenix, Inc. for $62,766.69. - L0316-25: Sole source purchase of replacement parts for the Headworks Bar Screen for $57,181.00. - L0323-25: Establishment of MillerMendel, Inc. as a sole source vendor for the eSOPH Background Software System for $6,468.75.

Contracts and Agreements - L0271-25: Change Order No. 5 for the Town Branch Park Access Improvements Project with Marrillia Design and Construction Inc. for $129,913.00. - L0272-25: Change Order #1 for refurbishment of a ladder fire apparatus with Atlantic Emergency Solutions for $269,331.11. - L0273-25: Renewal of a PSA Agreement with the Children's Advocacy Center of the Bluegrass for $50,000. - L0302-25: Software service agreement with ESO for $22,570.43. - L0308-25: Three-year maintenance agreement for generators with Cummins Sales and Service at $3,429.31 per year. - L0310-25: Lease agreement with Metro Employees Credit Union for $13,237.50. - L0311-25: Supplemental No. 1 agreement for the Citation Boulevard Phase 3B Project for $100,000. - L0313-25: Agreement with Saint Joseph Health Systems, Inc. for $3,000. - L0317-25 / L0318-25: Change orders for Valley Park Building Renovation & Expansion (Johnson Early Architects, $25,000) and the New Senior & Therapeutic Center (Champlin/Haupt Architects Inc, $42,000). - L0320-25: Price contract with Republic Services of Kentucky LLC for $11,000,000. - L0326-25: Change Order No. 1 for LFUCG Kelleys Landing Phase 0 with Gresham Smith for $27,900. - L0327-25: Consultant services agreement with Patrick D. Murphy Co., Inc. for courthouse roof replacement for $150,000. - L0329-25: Amendment #1 with Community Action Council for $54,981. - L0330-25: Lex End Homelessness Housing Flex Fund agreements with Arbor Youth Services, Inc. and Community Action Council for $300,000. - L0331-25: One-time funding to address homelessness system gaps distributed among Arbor Youth Services, Inc., Community Action Council, GreenHouse17, Inc., and Lighthouse Ministries, Inc. totaling $158,648. - L0336-25: Agreement with Frost Brown Todd for negotiating services for the Government Center Project for $160,000. - L0337-25: Agreement with INdigital Inc. for their MEVO system for $20,250.

Grants - L0307-25: FY25 Stormwater Quality Projects Incentive Grant to CBZ Enterprise, LLC for $331,500. - L0312-25: Award from the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet for $79,206. - L0321-25: Agreement with Kentucky Blood Center Inc. for $10,000. - L0338-25: Resolution requesting Congressional Community Project Funding for the Central Kentucky Regional Business Park Authority totaling $10 million. - L0339-25: Marathon Community Investment Programs First Responder Grant for $3,405.

Personnel and No-Impact Items - L0309-25: Appointment of Theresa Reynolds as Applicant Agent for LFUCG — no budgetary impact. - L0324-25: Abolishment of one unclassified position and creation of one classified position in Parks and Recreation, with a budget adjustment of $9,669.86. - L0340-25: Similar position reclassification in Emergency Management, noted as budget neutral. - L0333-25, L0334-25, L0335-25: Engineering service agreements for design, construction inspection, and right-of-way services with multiple firms — no budgetary impact.

Public Comment

At the April 15, 2025 Council meeting, no members of the public came forward to comment on issues appearing on the agenda. 2:32

Appointments

The Council took the following appointment action during the April 15, 2025 meeting:

• Theresa Reynolds was appointed as Applicant Agent for the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG).

Contested Items

• Graffiti as a Public Nuisance Ordinance — A procedural dispute arose over a proposed ordinance addressing graffiti as a public nuisance. Council member Gray moved to table the ordinance until October 14th, 2025, citing concerns about the penalties the measure would impose on property owners. No additional participants, vote outcomes, or further details regarding the nature of the proposed penalties were recorded in the available meeting data.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

2:32

No members of the public offered comments on agenda items during this portion of the meeting.

Requested Rezonings/Docket Approval

2:32

The Council took up the matter of requested rezonings and docket approval, with Wu and Ellinger II identified as the key speakers during this portion of the meeting. The Council approved the docket for the March 20, 2025, Council Meeting.

No additional details regarding specific concerns raised, debate, or individual rezoning requests are available from the meeting record for this agenda item.

Approval of Summary

4:54

The Council took up the approval of the summary from the March 11, 2025, Work Session. Gray and Curtis were the key speakers during this portion of the meeting. No concerns or substantive debate were noted regarding the summary's contents. The Council approved the summary.

Budget Amendments

5:25

The council took up a budget amendments ordinance during the April 15, 2025 meeting. Council members Wu and Sheehan were the key speakers on this item.

The ordinance was considered and passed as amended. No additional details regarding the specific line items, dollar amounts, or the nature of the amendments are available from the meeting record.

The council approved the budget amendments as amended.

New Business

5:56

The Council took up New Business with Wu and Morton identified as the key speakers during this portion of the meeting. The Council approved the new business items presented.

*Note: The available data does not include details on the specific items presented, arguments made, or concerns raised during this discussion. For a full account of what was debated and decided, readers are encouraged to consult the meeting transcript or recording beginning at timestamp 05:56.*

Communications from the Mayor - Appointments

18:51

The Council took up the matter of communications from the Mayor regarding appointments. The item was presented and discussed with Council members Curtis and Wu identified as key speakers during this portion of the meeting.

No specific concerns or debate are reflected in the available record for this item. The Council moved forward and approved the mayoral appointments as communicated.

*Note: The specific individuals being appointed and the boards, committees, or positions to which they were appointed are not detailed in the available meeting data for this item.*

Communications from the Mayor - Donations

19:22

The council took up communications from the Mayor regarding donations. The item was presented and discussed by key speakers Sevigny and Gray. Following the discussion, the council approved the communications.

No additional details regarding the specific donations — including donors, recipients, amounts, or purposes — are available from the provided record.

Communications from the Mayor - Procurements

20:00

The Council took up communications from the Mayor regarding procurements. The item was presented and discussed by key speakers Sevigny and Wu. Following the discussion, the Council approved the communications.

No additional details regarding the specific procurement items, contract values, vendors, or concerns raised during the discussion are available in the provided record.

Continuing Business/Presentations

20:00

The Council took up continuing business and presentations, covering ongoing projects and committee updates. The discussion was led by speakers Brown and Gray.

• Topics covered included capital projects and committee summaries, though specific project names, dollar amounts, or committee details were not enumerated in the available record.
• Brown and Gray served as the primary speakers during this portion of the meeting.
• The item was informational in nature, with no votes or formal actions taken as a result of the presentations.

No specific concerns, objections, or debates were recorded for this agenda item. The presentations were received by the Council as a status update on ongoing work.

Proclamation: National Telecommunicators Week

28:13

Mayor Gorton issued a proclamation declaring April 13 through April 19, 2025, as Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in Lexington. The proclamation recognized the contributions of public safety telecommunicators — the dispatchers and communications professionals who serve as the first point of contact in emergency situations.

Director Janelle Patten was among the key speakers participating in the presentation of the proclamation. The item was approved by the Council.