Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council held a meeting on April 22, 2025, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber in Lexington, KY, presided over by Mayor Linda Gorton. The meeting included 9 agenda items spanning action items and informational presentations. The Council took 7 votes during the session, approving items including budget amendments, new business, mayoral appointments, and mayoral procurements. Members also heard 1 public comment on agenda items. Three agenda items were presented for informational purposes — covering the Downtown Lexington Management District Recertification Process, the Lexington & Fayette County Parking Authority FY26 Proposed Budget, and a 2025 Complete Streets Program Update — with no votes required on those matters.

Attendance

All 15 council members were present at the April 22, 2025 meeting. No members were absent or late.

Members Present: - Wu - Brown - Ellinger II - Morton - Lynch - LeGris - Curtis - Sheehan - Gray - Hale - Beasley - Baxter - Sevigny - Reynolds - Boone

Votes and Decisions

The Council took seven votes at the April 22, 2025, meeting, all of which passed unanimously with 15 ayes and 0 nays.

• April 17, 2025, Council Meeting Docket — Moved by Ellinger II, seconded by Curtis. Passed unanimously (15–0). All 15 members voted in favor: Wu, Brown, Ellinger II, Morton, Lynch, LeGris, Curtis, Sheehan, Gray, Hale, Beasley, Baxter, Sevigny, Reynolds, and Boone. 4:06

• March 18, 2025, Work Session Summary — Moved by Wu, seconded by Reynolds. Passed unanimously (15–0) with the same 15 members voting in favor. 4:38

• Budget Amendments — Moved by Savigny, seconded by Curtis. Passed unanimously (15–0) with all 15 members voting in favor. 5:08

• New Business — Moved by Baxter, seconded by Sheehan. Passed unanimously (15–0) with all 15 members voting in favor. 5:39

• Communications from the Mayor — Appointments — Moved by Wu, seconded by Gray. Passed unanimously (15–0) with all 15 members voting in favor. 12:55

• Communications from the Mayor — Procurements — Moved by Gray, seconded by Wu. Passed unanimously (15–0) with all 15 members voting in favor. 13:26

• Resolution approving the FY26 budget of the Lexington-Fayette County Parking Authority, with rate increases to take effect September 1, 2025 — Moved by Brown, seconded by Baxter. Passed by voice vote (15–0) with all 15 members voting in favor. 1:33:33

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council addressed four financial items at the April 22, 2025 meeting, spanning grant awards, a loan amendment, and a procurement authorization.

• ONE Lexington Summer Program Grant (L0343-25): The Council authorized acceptance of a $30,000 grant award for the ONE Lexington "It Takes A Village" Summer Program. The funds are provided by The Fayette Education Foundation via the Bluegrass Community Foundation.

• Space Tango Loan Amendment (L0356-25): The Council authorized execution of a First Amendment to the Lexington JOBS Fund Loan Agreement with Space Tango, LLC. The amendment involves $187,500 and modifies the terms of the existing loan arrangement between the city and Space Tango, LLC.

• Safe Restraints Inc. Sole Source Purchase (L0372-25): The Council authorized establishing Safe Restraints Inc. as a sole source vendor and approved the purchase of transport harnesses in the amount of $43,527.24. The sole source designation indicates the Council determined Safe Restraints Inc. to be the only viable supplier for this specific equipment.

• 2025 Consolidated Plan Submission (L0373-25): The Council authorized submission of the 2025 Consolidated Plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, encompassing three federal programs totaling $3,732,873.03. The plan includes the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, and the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program. These funds support a range of community development, affordable housing, and emergency housing assistance activities in the Lexington area.

Public Comment

One member of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period at the April 22, 2025 meeting.

• Rick Day 2:15:20 spoke on the topic of compensation system inequities. Day highlighted what he described as discrepancies in the compensation system, focusing specifically on the reclassification and salary adjustments of two employees, Charlie Martin and Billy Morris. He raised questions about the fairness and transparency of the process used to make those adjustments.

Contested Items

• Parking Citation Issuance During Winter Weather Emergencies: Council Member Curtis introduced a review of the city's practice of issuing parking citations during winter weather emergencies, citing community concerns about enforcement during such events. The item was brought forward in response to opposition from residents regarding citations being issued under those conditions. No additional details about the specific outcome of the review or any resulting policy changes are available from the meeting record.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

3:33

No public comments were made on issues on the agenda.

Approval of Summary

4:38

The Council took up the approval of the summary from the March 18, 2025, Work Session. Wu and Reynolds were the key speakers during this portion of the meeting. The summary was approved without noted objection or significant debate recorded in the available data.

Budget Amendments

5:08

The Council took up a resolution addressing various budget amendments during the April 22, 2025 meeting. Key speakers on this item included Savigny and Curtis.

The resolution was approved by the Council. No additional detail regarding the specific line items, dollar amounts, departmental allocations, or individual amendment descriptions is available from the meeting record.

New Business

5:39

The council took up New Business, during which several authorizations and agreements were presented for consideration. Key speakers during this portion of the meeting included Baxter and Sheehan.

The council reviewed and acted on multiple items falling under this agenda category, which included various authorizations and agreements. No specific concerns or extended debate are reflected in the available meeting record for this section.

The New Business items were approved by the council.

Communications from the Mayor - Appointments

12:55

The Council took up appointments communicated by the Mayor during this portion of the meeting. Key speakers on this item included Wu and Gray.

The Council approved the Mayor's appointments. No additional details regarding the specific positions, nominees, or any debate or concerns raised during discussion are available in the meeting record for this item.

Communications from the Mayor - Procurements

13:26

The Council took up the Mayor's communications regarding procurements. Key speakers on this item included Gray and Wu. The Council approved the procurements as communicated by the Mayor.

No additional detail on the specific contracts, vendors, amounts, or debate surrounding individual procurement items is available in the source data for this meeting.

Downtown Lexington Management District Recertification Process

16:40

Jim Frazier presented to the Council on the petition and plan for reauthorization of the Downtown Lexington Management District. The presentation was informational in nature, covering the district's impact to date as well as its plans going forward as part of the recertification process.

No vote or formal action was taken during this agenda item, as it served as an informational presentation to the Council regarding the reauthorization effort.

*Note: Additional details on the specific programs, budget figures, boundaries, or concerns raised during this presentation are not available in the provided source materials.*

Lexington & Fayette County Parking Authority FY26 Proposed Budget

1:33:33

Laura Boyson presented the proposed FY26 budget for the Lexington & Fayette County Parking Authority to the Council. The presentation covered the Authority's budget outlook for the upcoming fiscal year, including proposed rate increases and changes to safety violation fines.

No additional detail on the specific rate increase amounts, fine structures, or budget totals is available from the provided materials. The item was informational in nature, and no vote or formal action was taken by the Council as a result of the presentation.

2025 Complete Streets Program Update

1:34:05

Brandy Peacher delivered a presentation to the Council providing an update on the Complete Streets program. The presentation covered the program's current progress, challenges being encountered, and plans for the future.

This item was informational in nature, and no vote or formal action was taken by the Council as a result of the presentation.

*Note: Additional details regarding the specific progress metrics, challenges discussed, and future plans outlined during this presentation were not available in the source data for this summary.*