Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened on May 27, 2025, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber in Lexington, KY, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting addressed three agenda items, including public comment, docket and rezonings, and new business. Over the course of the meeting, the council heard 3 public comments on agenda items and took 3 votes. Both the Docket and Rezonings item and the New Business item were approved, while the public comment portion was informational in nature.

Attendance

The following members were present at the May 27, 2025 Council meeting:

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

Absent: Beasley

Late arrivals: None

*Note: Beasley appears in both the present and absent lists in the source record. Readers seeking clarification on Beasley's attendance status should consult the official meeting minutes.*

Votes and Decisions

The Council took three votes during the May 27, 2025 meeting. No transcript timestamps are available for these items.

• Approval of May 6, 2025 Work Session Summary: Moved by Curtis and seconded by Gray, the motion to approve the May 6, 2025 Work Session Summary passed unanimously. No individual roll call votes were recorded.

• Approval of New Business: Moved by Reynolds and seconded by Curtis, the motion to approve New Business passed unanimously. No individual roll call votes were recorded.

• Amendment to Include a Six-Month Review of Undue Medical Debt Contract: Moved by Ellinger and seconded by Gray, this amendment passed by voice vote. The amendment stipulates that a six-month review of the Undue Medical Debt contract is to be presented by the CAO at a work session. No individual roll call votes were recorded.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered three financial actions at the May 27, 2025 meeting, ranging from environmental services to community health initiatives.

• Webster Environmental Associates Change Order (L0480-25): The Council took up authorization to approve Change Order #1 to a professional services agreement with Webster Environmental Associates in the amount of $1,572,038. This represents the largest single financial action on the agenda.

• Lexington Pride Center Purchase of Service Agreement (L0489-25): The Council considered authorization to execute a Purchase of Service Agreement with the Lexington Pride Center in the amount of $5,000. This agreement formalizes a service relationship between the municipality and the organization.

• Undue Medical Debt Contract (L0501-25): The Council considered authorization to sign a contract with Undue Medical Debt in the amount of $1,000,000. This contract represents a significant community investment directed toward medical debt relief.

Combined, the three financial actions total approximately $2,577,038 in authorized expenditures and contractual commitments.

Public Comment

Three residents signed up to address the Council during the public comment period at the May 27, 2025 meeting, with all three focused on zoning-related matters.

• Jack Cavanaugh 1:06 indicated he had signed up to speak as a precautionary measure, stating he wanted to be available to respond in the event that any zone changes on the agenda came up for discussion.

• Zach Leonard 1:37 sought clarification from the Council on whether rezoning would be taken up during the meeting, suggesting some uncertainty among residents about the scope of the agenda.

• Maureen Peters 2:11 raised a more specific concern, requesting that the Council hold a public hearing regarding the Subtext 2 zone change. She cited concerns about the process surrounding that particular zoning matter.

All three speakers were focused on zoning issues, and the comments from Leonard and Peters in particular suggest that residents had questions about both the procedural handling of zone changes and the opportunity for broader public input on the Subtext 2 zone change specifically.

Appointments

No appointment items were recorded for the Council meeting on May 27, 2025.

Contested Items

Two items generated notable disagreement among council members at the May 27, 2025 meeting.

Zone Change (Professional Office to Downtown Frame Business)

A proposed zone change from professional office to downtown frame business designation passed on a narrow 8-7 vote, reflecting a closely divided council. The slim margin indicates significant reservations among nearly half of the council members, though the specific arguments made on each side are not detailed in the available record. Despite the split, the measure carried.

Undue Medical Debt Contract

A contract with Undue Medical Debt prompted heated discussion among council members. The concerns raised centered on two issues: the high administrative costs associated with the contract, and the fact that it was sole-sourced — meaning the contract was awarded without a competitive bidding process. Critics questioned whether the administrative expenses were justified and whether bypassing competitive procurement was appropriate. The outcome of this discussion is not specified in the available record.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

0:00

Three members of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period on agenda items. Comments centered on zone changes and rezoning discussions.

• Jack Cavanaugh, Zach Leonard, and Maureen Peters each spoke during this portion of the meeting.

The public comment period was informational in nature, with speakers offering input related to zoning and rezoning matters scheduled for Council consideration. No votes or formal actions were taken as a result of the public comments.

*Note: Detailed individual positions and arguments from each speaker are not available in the source data beyond the general topic of zone changes and rezoning discussions.*

Docket and Rezonings

3:15

The Council took up a Planning Commission item involving proposed zone changes from professional office and medium density residential designations to downtown frame business. Council Members LaGrie and Brown were the key speakers during this portion of the meeting.

The discussion centered on the rezoning request, which would shift the affected properties from their existing professional office and medium density residential classifications into the downtown frame business category. No additional details regarding the specific parcel locations, applicants, or Planning Commission recommendations are reflected in the available record for this item.

Following discussion, the Council approved the rezoning.

New Business

12:51

The Council took up New Business, which included consideration of various contracts and agreements brought forward for approval.

Council Member Reynolds and Director Martin were the key speakers during this portion of the meeting. The items presented fell under the category of contracts and agreements, though the specific details of individual contracts or agreements were not itemized in the available record.

The Council approved the New Business items as presented.

> Note: The source data for this agenda item is limited. Specific contract names, dollar amounts, parties involved, and any debate or concerns raised during discussion are not available in the provided record. Readers seeking full details are encouraged to consult the official meeting minutes or view the meeting video beginning at timestamp 12:51.