Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council met on September 11, 2025, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers in Lexington, KY, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting covered 2 agenda items, including an informational presentation honoring Rena Baer from the Friends of Jacobson Park and consideration of an ordinance on solar energy systems. The council heard 2 public comments during the meeting and took 2 votes. The ordinance on solar energy systems was approved by the council.

Attendance

The Council meeting on September 11, 2025 had 13 members present and 2 members absent, with no members arriving late.

Present (13): Elliott Baxter, Hale, Higgins-Hord, LeGris, Lynch, Morton, Reynolds, Sevigny, Sheehan, Wu, Beasley, Curtis, and Ellinger.

Absent (2): Boone and Brown.

Votes and Decisions

Two ordinances came to a roll call vote during the September 11, 2025 Council meeting.

• Ordinance 0827-25 — Amending certain budgets of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government for FY 2026 Schedule No. 6. 1:47:21 Motioned by Mr. Ellinger and seconded by Ms. Reynolds, the ordinance passed 13–0. All thirteen members voted in favor: Elliott Baxter, Hale, Higgins-Hord, LeGris, Lynch, Morton, Reynolds, Sevigny, Sheehan, Wu, Beasley, Curtis, and Ellinger. No members voted against or abstained.

• Ordinance 0812-25 — Amending Section 4 of the Code of Ordinances relating to the keeping of certain animals. 1:49:02 Also motioned by Mr. Ellinger and seconded by Ms. Reynolds, the ordinance passed 11–2. Voting in favor were Hale, Higgins-Hord, LeGris, Lynch, Morton, Reynolds, Sevigny, Sheehan, Wu, Beasley, and Ellinger. Elliott Baxter and Curtis voted against. No members abstained.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council addressed two financial items at the September 11, 2025 meeting, involving contract funding and a grant amendment.

• Resolution 0772-25 authorized the expenditure of Council Capital Project funds totaling $9,549.10 with the Young Men's Christian Association of Central Ky., Inc. No additional details regarding the specific project scope were included in the available data.

• Resolution 0762-25 approved Change Order No. 1 to the stormwater quality projects incentive grants with Rob Prop, LLC, amending the agreement by $43,800.12. This change order modifies the existing grant arrangement related to stormwater quality initiatives.

Public Comment

Two residents addressed the Council during the public comment period.

• Nestor Gomez 23:59 spoke about his work with OneLexington, emphasizing the importance of focusing efforts on vulnerable communities.

• Cheryl Birch 27:58 addressed gun violence prevention, calling for survivor-led initiatives and criticizing the city's current approach to violence prevention efforts.

Appointments

The Council took action on several appointments to city boards and commissions during the September 11, 2025 meeting.

• Maria Gomez was reappointed to the Carnegie Center for Literacy Board of Directors.
• Tonya Hale was appointed to the Environmental Commission.
• Joseph Browning was appointed to the Tree Board.

Contested Items

• Ordinance Limiting Rooster Ownership: This item drew opposition from several community members who spoke during the meeting. Residents raised concerns about the fairness of the proposed ordinance as well as questions about how it would be enforced. No additional details about the specific terms of the ordinance, the identities of those who spoke, or the outcome of the council's deliberations were recorded in the available meeting data.

Rena Baer In Memoriam - Friends of Jacobson Park

12:45

The Council received a presentation in memory of Rena Baer, recognizing her contributions to the community and her work with Friends of Jacobson Park. This item (0862-25) was informational in nature.

Key speakers during this portion of the meeting included:

• Mayor Gorton, who presided over the presentation
• Eric Baer, who participated in the memorial recognition
• Katie Lindeman, who also took part in honoring Rena Baer's legacy

The presentation highlighted Rena Baer's contributions to the community and her involvement with Friends of Jacobson Park. No debate or opposing concerns were raised, as this was a commemorative item brought before the Council to formally recognize her memory and service.

The item was informational and required no Council vote or action.

Ordinance on Solar Energy Systems

1:47:21

The Council took up agenda item 0778-25, an ordinance to amend the zoning ordinance by creating Article 31, which would establish regulations governing solar energy systems.

Key speakers on this item were Mr. Ellinger and Ms. Reynolds. The discussion centered on the proposed amendment and the framework it would introduce for solar energy systems within the jurisdiction's zoning code.

The ordinance was ultimately approved by the Council.

*Note: Additional details regarding the specific provisions of Article 31, any concerns raised during debate, and the vote count were not available in the source materials for this item.*