Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council convened on September 16, 2025, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber in Lexington, KY, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting included 8 agenda items spanning a range of legislative and administrative business. The Council heard 1 public comment on agenda items and took a total of 6 votes throughout the session. The majority of substantive items were approved, including requested rezonings, budget amendments, new business, mayoral appointments, and procurements, while two items — public comment and a continuing business/presentations segment — were informational in nature.

Attendance

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

Absent (2): Baxter and Boone.

No members were recorded as late.

Votes and Decisions

The Council took action on six items during the September 16, 2025 meeting, all of which passed.

• September 11, 2025 Council Meeting Docket — Motioned by Wu, seconded by Curtis. Approved by voice vote. 3:38

• September 9, 2025 Work Session Table of Motions — Motioned by Ellinger II, seconded by Curtis. Approved by voice vote. 4:09

• Budget Amendments — Motioned by Wu, seconded by Sevigny. Approved by voice vote. 4:41

• New Business — Motioned by Sevigny, seconded by Ellinger II. Approved by voice vote. 5:22

• Communications from the Mayor – Appointments — Motioned by Wu, seconded by Ellinger II. Approved 12–0 with 1 abstention. This was the only item with a recorded vote count. 7:36

• Communications from the Mayor – Procurements — Motioned by Curtis, seconded by Sevigny. Approved by voice vote. 8:13

All six items passed without opposition. No roll call votes were recorded, and no named individual votes for or against any item are available in the record. The Appointments item was the sole vote conducted with a tallied count rather than a simple voice vote.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered six financial items at the September 16, 2025 meeting, spanning service agreements, a grant application, and a franchise renewal.

• L0690-25 authorizes a Memorandum of Understanding with Fayette County Public Schools valued at $92,521.44 for transportation services.

• L0843-25 approves a Purchase of Service Agreement with Frontrunners Lex in the amount of $2,000 to support the Pride Run event.

• L0845-25 establishes a Purchase of Service Agreement with Lexington-Fayette Animal Care and Control, LLC for $2,350,000, representing the largest single expenditure on the agenda.

• L0847-25 covers the renewal of a utility franchise agreement with Kentucky American Water. This item carries no budgetary impact.

• L0848-25 authorizes a grant application to the U.S. Department of Justice under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program seeking $179,625 in federal funding.

• L0852-25 approves a vendor agreement with Environmental Enterprises, Inc. in the amount of $220,000 for Household Hazardous Waste collection services.

Combined, the items with direct expenditures total approximately $2,844,146.44, with an additional $179,625 sought through federal grant funding.

Public Comment

At the September 16, 2025 Council meeting, no members of the public came forward to comment on issues appearing on the agenda. 3:06

Appointments

The Council took action on appointments to various commissions and boards during the September 16, 2025 meeting. However, the available structured data does not include the specific names of individuals appointed or the particular bodies to which they were appointed. Readers seeking the full list of appointees and their respective commissions or boards are encouraged to consult the official meeting minutes or agenda documentation for complete details.

Contested Items

• New Business Item H — Amendment to Agreement with the Community Action Council: This item drew scrutiny from Council Member Morton, who raised questions about the transparency and necessity of the proposed amendment to the agreement with the Community Action Council. Morton's concerns centered on whether the amendment process had been sufficiently open and whether the changes were warranted. No additional contesting parties, vote tallies, or final outcome details are available in the meeting record for this item.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

3:06

This portion of the meeting provided an opportunity for members of the public to comment on any issues listed on the agenda. No members of the public signed up to speak, and no public comments were received.

Requested Rezonings/Docket Approval

3:38

The Council took up the approval of the September 11, 2025 Council Meeting Docket. The item was handled briefly, with Wu and Curtis identified as the key speakers during this portion of the meeting. No additional details regarding specific concerns, debate, or discussion on individual docket items are reflected in the available record. The docket was approved.

Approval of Summary

4:09

The Council took up the approval of the September 9, 2025 Work Session Table of Motions. The item was brought forward by Ellinger II and Curtis, who were identified as key speakers on this agenda item. No substantive debate or concerns were noted in connection with the approval. The Council voted to approve the summary, and the motion carried.

Budget Amendments

4:41

The Council took up a resolution for the approval of budget amendments as presented. The item was handled briefly, with Council members Wu and Sevigny identified as the key speakers during this portion of the meeting.

No detailed breakdown of the specific amendments or line-item changes is available in the meeting record, but the resolution was brought forward for Council consideration and a vote was held. No significant debate or concerns are reflected in the available data for this agenda item.

The resolution to approve the budget amendments was approved by the Council.

New Business

5:22

The Council took up New Business, with discussion led by Sevigny and Ellinger II. The new business items were presented to the Council for consideration and approval.

The record does not detail the specific items debated or individual concerns raised during this portion of the meeting. The Council moved forward on the items as presented, and the new business was approved.

Communications From the Mayor – Appointments

7:36

The Council took up the matter of appointments as communicated by the Mayor. The item covered the approval of appointments submitted for Council consideration.

Key speakers on this item included Wu and Ellinger II. The appointments were presented for Council action, consistent with the standard process by which mayoral nominations are brought before the full body for confirmation.

The Council approved the appointments.

Communications From the Mayor – Procurements

8:13

The Council took up the Communications From the Mayor – Procurements, which covered approval of procurements as communicated by the Mayor. The item was presented and discussed with participation from Curtis and Sevigny.

The Council considered the procurements as submitted and moved forward without extended debate noted in the available record. The item was approved by the Council.

*Note: Detailed procurement line items, dollar amounts, and vendor information were not included in the available structured data for this agenda item. Readers seeking the full list of procurements are encouraged to consult the official meeting agenda and supporting documents on file with the City Clerk.*

Continuing Business/Presentations

8:49

This portion of the meeting featured several presentations covering neighborhood development funding, budget and finance matters, economic development, conservation, and long-term planning for Lexington's government facilities.

Key speakers during this segment included James Brown, Aaron Clark, and Chris Ford. The presentations covered the following topics:

• Neighborhood Development Funds — An overview of funding related to neighborhood development initiatives.
• Budget, Finance, and Economic Development Committee — A report addressing budgetary and financial matters alongside economic development activity.
• Fayette County Conservation District Annual Report — A presentation of the Conservation District's annual findings and activities.
• The Plan for Lexington's New Government Center — A presentation outlining planning efforts for a new government center facility in Lexington.

This agenda item was informational in nature, with no votes or formal actions taken as a result of the presentations.