Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council met on May 13, 2025, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber in Lexington, KY, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting's agenda included two items: a public comment period for issues on the agenda and a continuing business and presentations segment, both of which were informational in nature. During the meeting, the Council heard 2 public comments and conducted 2 votes. The session also included presentations as part of the continuing business portion of the agenda.

Attendance

The following members were present at the May 13, 2025 Council meeting:

• Wu, Brown, Ellinger II, Morton, Lynch, LeGris, Curtis, Sheehan, Gray, Hale, Beasley, Baxter, Sevigny, Reynolds, and Boone

Absent: Joseph Hale

Late: George Brown

Votes and Decisions

Two motions came before the Council during the May 13, 2025 meeting, both passing by voice vote.

• Approval of May 6, 2025 Work Session Motions 35:17: A motion to approve the motions from the May 6, 2025 Work Session was made by Curtis and seconded by Gray. The motion passed by voice vote. No individual roll call votes were recorded.

• Placement of ZOTA 25-00001 on the May 29, 2025 Docket 3:35:12: A motion to place ZOTA 25-00001, as amended, on the May 29, 2025 docket was made by Baxter. No second was recorded in the data. The motion passed by voice vote. No individual roll call votes were recorded.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered two financial actions at the May 13, 2025 meeting, covering a construction contract amendment and a vehicle purchase.

• Change Order #3 – New Senior & Therapeutic Center (Resolution 0439-25): The Council took up authorization to execute Change Order #3 with Calhoun Construction for the New Senior & Therapeutic Center project. The change order totals $1,132,447.13, modifying the existing construction contract for the facility.

• SVI 18' Air Truck Purchase (Resolution 0478-25): The Council considered authorization to enter into a purchase agreement with SVI Trucks for one SVI 18' Air Truck at a cost of $779,168.00.

Combined, the two actions represent approximately $1.9 million in authorized expenditures. No additional financial details, funding sources, or vote outcomes were included in the available data for these items.

Public Comment

Two members of the public addressed the Council during the comment period.

• Alan Overmyer spoke in support of the Memorandum of Understanding regarding the use of Hazel Park. He expressed appreciation for Lexington's support of UK Army ROTC and indicated he was available to answer any questions the Council might have. 2:07

• Mike Brower addressed the Council regarding House Bill 443, voicing opposition to any interpretation of the bill that would reduce public input in government proceedings. Brower referenced a letter from Representative Chad Aul in support of his position. 3:13

Contested Items

Two items generated notable disagreement during the May 13, 2025 Council meeting.

House Bill 443 and Public Input

Community members voiced opposition to interpretations of House Bill 443 that would restrict public participation in planning processes. Multiple speakers raised concerns during the meeting, reflecting broader community unease about how the bill's provisions might be applied to limit input from residents on development and land-use decisions. The structured data does not indicate a final vote or resolution on this matter, but the volume of community opposition made it one of the more prominent points of contention during the session.

Notification Requirements for Development Plans

A separate dispute arose over how extensive notification must be when development plans are submitted or advanced. The debate centered on competing interests: developers raised concerns about the administrative and financial burden that broader notification requirements could impose, while others emphasized the importance of keeping affected community members informed and involved. This item resulted in a split vote among Council members, indicating that no clear consensus was reached and that the question of balancing developer practicality against community transparency remained unresolved at the close of discussion.

• Both items touched on the overarching theme of community access to planning and development decisions.
• No additional named individuals or specific vote tallies were recorded in the available data for either item.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

1:28

During the public comment period for issues on the agenda, community members addressed the Council with concerns centered on House Bill 443 and its potential effects on public participation in planning processes.

Two speakers were identified during this portion of the meeting:

• Alan Overmyer
• Mike Brower

Both speakers raised concerns about House Bill 443, focusing specifically on how the legislation could impact the ability of the public to provide input in planning-related proceedings. The comments were informational in nature, and no formal action was taken by the Council in response to the public testimony.

Continuing Business/Presentations

48:04

This portion of the meeting focused on efficiencies in development processes and the municipality's compliance with House Bill 443, including related amendments to zoning ordinances.

Council Member Brown and Commissioner Horn were the key speakers during this discussion. The presentation covered efforts to streamline development-related procedures and addressed the requirements imposed by House Bill 443, with particular attention to how zoning ordinance amendments would need to be structured to bring the municipality into compliance.

The item was informational in nature, and no formal vote or binding action was taken as a result of the discussion.