Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council met at 7:00 P.M. in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Jim Newberry presiding. The meeting featured 4 agenda items, all of which were approved, covering a range of land use and public health matters. These included two zone change requests — one from Single Family Residential to Professional Office and another from Planned Neighborhood Residential to Neighborhood Business — as well as the establishment of a Neighborhood Design Character Overlay (ND-1) Zone and an amendment to the Code of Ordinances related to smoking indoors. The council heard 2 public comments during the meeting and took a total of 4 votes. No presentations were recorded in the meeting data.

Attendance

All 16 members were present at the June 24, 2025 Council meeting. No members were recorded as absent or late.

Present: - Jim Newberry - Ellinger - Gorton - Gray - Henson - James - Lane - McChord - Myers - Stevens - Stinnett - Beard - Blevins - Blues - Crosbie - DeCamp

Votes and Decisions

All four roll call votes at the June 24, 2025 Council meeting passed unanimously.

• Ordinance 227-2008 – Neighborhood Design Character Overlay (ND-1) Zone 13:21: Motioned by Dr. Stevens, seconded by Mr. Myers. The ordinance adding a Neighborhood Design Character Overlay (ND-1) Zone passed 14–0. Voting in favor: Ellinger, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, McChord, Myers, Stevens, Stinnett, Beard, Blevins, Blues, and DeCamp. Note: restrictions established under this ordinance may be modified or removed by the Planning Commission.

• Ordinance 227-2008 – Amendment to Section 14-97 (Indoor Smoking) 21:24: Motioned by Dr. Stevens, seconded by Mr. Myers. The ordinance amending Section 14-97 of the Code of Ordinances related to smoking indoors passed 14–0. Voting in favor: Ellinger, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, McChord, Myers, Stevens, Stinnett, Beard, Blevins, Blues, and DeCamp.

• Approval of Ordinances 1 through 11 26:18: Motioned by Dr. Stevens, seconded by Mr. Myers. The block approval of Ordinances 1 through 11 passed 14–0. Voting in favor: Ellinger, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, McChord, Myers, Stevens, Stinnett, Beard, Blevins, Blues, and DeCamp.

• Approval of Resolutions 577-2008 through 616-2008 33:48: Motioned by Mr. Blues, seconded by Mr. McChord. The block approval of Resolutions 577-2008 through 616-2008 passed 15–0. Voting in favor: Ellinger, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, McChord, Myers, Stevens, Stinnett, Beard, Blevins, Blues, Crosbie, and DeCamp.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council approved five contracts spanning public infrastructure, public safety equipment, and fleet and utility needs.

• Cadentown Sanitary Sewer Project (Resolution 577-2008): The Council authorized a contract with Schroeder Construction, Inc. in the amount of $696,637.75 for the Cadentown sanitary sewer project, representing the largest single expenditure approved at this meeting.

• Helicopter Main Rotor Blades (Resolution 578-2008): A contract of $107,000.00 was approved with RJ Corman Aircraft Maintenance, LLC for the purchase of helicopter main rotor blades.

• Thermal Imaging System (Resolution 580-2008): The Council approved a contract with Wysong Enterprises, Inc. totaling $320,245.00 for a thermal imaging system.

• 2009 Ford F450 Trucks (Resolution 582-2008): A contract valued at $55,146.00 was authorized with Bill Waits Countryside Ford for the purchase of 2009 Ford F450 trucks.

• Replacement Circuit Breakers – West Hickman (Resolution 586-2008): The Council approved a contract with Graybar Electric in the amount of $119,900.00 for replacement circuit breakers at the West Hickman facility.

In total, the five contracts approved at this meeting represent combined expenditures of approximately $1,298,928.75.

Public Comment

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

• Bernard McCarthy 1:03:31 spoke on the topics of impact fees and housing. McCarthy suggested that developers should be charged impact fees on a countywide basis. He also emphasized that policy efforts should prioritize subsidizing home ownership for low-income residents rather than rental housing.

• Mr. Cobb 1:06:22 spoke on the topics of Black leadership and community cooperation in Lexington. Cobb urged respect and support for the Black community and stressed the importance of Black leadership and cooperative engagement within the city.

Contested Items

Neighborhood Design Character Overlay (ND-1) Zone

The Council addressed one contested item at the June 24, 2025 meeting involving the Neighborhood Design Character Overlay (ND-1) Zone ordinance, which drew community opposition.

The disagreement centered on the ordinance's provisions, with objectors and proponents ultimately reaching an agreement on a key modification. To resolve the dispute, the ordinance was amended to allow the Planning Commission to modify or remove restrictions without requiring full Council action. This change was agreed upon by both the objecting and supporting parties, allowing the ordinance to move forward with the compromise language in place.

Zone Change from Single Family Residential to Professional Office

12:20

The Council considered an ordinance to rezone the property located at 223 Pasadena Drive from a Single Family Residential (R-1C) zone to a Professional Office (P-1) zone.

The structured data available for this agenda item does not include details on specific speakers, presentations, debate, or concerns raised during the discussion. No key speakers were recorded in the meeting data for this item.

The Council ultimately approved the ordinance.

Zone change from Planned Neighborhood Residential to Neighborhood Business

12:50

The Council considered an ordinance to rezone the property located at 3380 Tates Creek Road from a Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3) zone to a Neighborhood Business (B-1) zone.

The structured meeting data does not identify specific speakers who presented or debated this item, and no concerns or notable points of discussion are recorded in the available materials.

• Property address: 3380 Tates Creek Road
• Current zoning: Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3)
• Proposed zoning: Neighborhood Business (B-1)
• Outcome: The ordinance was approved.

Neighborhood Design Character Overlay (ND-1) Zone

13:21

The Council considered an ordinance to add a Neighborhood Design Character Overlay (ND-1) Zone to the municipal code, applicable to various properties, with the stated purpose of preserving existing neighborhood character.

Dr. Stevens served as the key presenter on this agenda item. The ordinance was identified as Agenda Item 3.

The Council approved the ordinance.

*Note: The available data for this agenda item is limited. Specific details regarding the substance of Dr. Stevens' presentation, any concerns raised by Council members, the scope of properties affected, and the nature of the debate or deliberation are not captured in the source material for this summary.*

Amendment to Code of Ordinances related to smoking indoors

21:24

The Council took up Agenda Item 4, an ordinance amending various sections of the Code of Ordinances related to smoking indoors, including updates to definitions and exceptions within the existing regulatory framework.

Key Speakers: - Mr. Lane - Mr. Steve Ruschell

The item was presented to the Council with Mr. Lane and Mr. Steve Ruschell identified as the key participants in the discussion. The ordinance proposed amendments to multiple sections of the Code of Ordinances, addressing how indoor smoking is defined and regulated, as well as clarifying or modifying the exceptions that apply under the code.

Outcome: The ordinance was approved by the Council.

*Note: Detailed debate points, specific concerns raised, and the precise nature of the definitional and exception changes discussed are not available in the source data for this item.*