Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council met on October 14, 2025, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber at the Urban County Government Center in Lexington, KY, with Mayor Linda Gorton presiding. The meeting covered two agenda items: an informational presentation on the ARPA Annual Report and consideration of a Code Enforcement Ordinance Amendment, which was approved. Over the course of the meeting, the Council took 12 votes and heard 2 public comments.

Attendance

Present (13): Brown, Ellinger II, Morton, Lynch, LeGris, Curtis, Sheehan, Hale, Beasley, Baxter, Sevigny, Reynolds, and Boone.

Absent (2): Vice Mayor Wu and Higgins-Hord.

Late: None.

Votes and Decisions

All motions brought before the Council at the October 14, 2025 meeting passed unanimously. No roll call vote counts or individual member votes were recorded in the available data, and no timestamps are available for individual items. The following decisions were made:

• Approve the October 9, 2025 Council Meeting Docket, as amended — Moved by Ellinger II, seconded by Sheehan. Passed unanimously.

• Authorize the mayor to execute a deed of easement with Kentucky Utilities Company — Moved by Sheehan, seconded by LeGris. Passed unanimously.

• Adopt a schedule of meetings for the Council for Calendar Year 2026 — Moved by Ellinger, seconded by Reynolds. Passed unanimously.

• Change the zone from Single Family Residential (R-1D) and Townhouse Residential (R-1T) to Medium Density Residential (R-4) — Moved by Sevigny, seconded by Ellinger II. Passed unanimously.

• Approve Budget Amendments — Moved by Sheehan, seconded by Curtis. Passed unanimously.

• Approve New Business — Moved by Sevigny, seconded by Ellinger II. Passed unanimously.

• Approve Communications from the Mayor — Appointments — Moved by Curtis, seconded by Sevigny. Passed unanimously.

• Approve Communications from the Mayor — Donations — Moved by Baxter, seconded by LeGris. Passed unanimously.

• Approve Communications from the Mayor — Procurements — Moved by Curtis, seconded by Reynolds. Passed unanimously.

• Approve Council Capital Projects — Moved by Lynch, seconded by Hale. Passed unanimously.

• Amend the previous motion to direct the Division of Water Quality to expand the scope of its analysis — Moved by Brown, seconded by Morton. Passed unanimously.

• Adjourn the meeting — Moved by Ellinger II, seconded by Curtis. Passed unanimously.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered ten financial items at the October 14, 2025 meeting, spanning contracts, purchases, and grants across multiple city departments.

Contracts and Agreements

• Resolution 0928-25 authorizes a first amendment to an agreement with Hope Center, Inc. for $218,452.00 to expand homeless street outreach services.
• Resolution 0952-25 establishes a memorandum of agreement with the Downtown Lexington Management District for $50,000 to fund additional Sheriff Deputies in the downtown area.
• Resolution 0978-25 approves a Professional Services Agreement with Megan Magsam for $27,784.00 to serve as a Contract Forensic Nursing Advocate.

Equipment Purchases

• Resolution 0940-25 approves a purchase agreement with Stonewell Bodies and Machine Inc. for a Command Access Vehicle Box at $89,469.50.
• Resolution 0944-25 authorizes a purchase agreement with American Response Vehicles for an AEV XX-Series Aluminum Medium Duty Custom Ambulance at $447,796.45.
• Resolution 0950-25 approves the purchase of cardiac monitors from ZOLL, identified as a sole source provider, for $185,376.75.

Grants Awarded and Accepted

• Resolution 0931-25 approves a FY26 Stormwater Quality Projects Incentive Grant of $116,400.00 for Garden Meadows Homeowners Association Inc.
• Resolution 0969-25 authorizes the acceptance of additional federal funds of $1,946.86 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HOME Investment Partnerships Program.
• Resolution 0976-25 accepts $150,000 from the Blue Grass Community Foundation for the Main & Vine Streetscape Plantings & Amenities Redesign project.
• Resolution 0977-25 authorizes submission of an application and acceptance of an award of up to $95,000 from the Kentucky Department of Education/Division of School Child Care Food Program for the Child Care Food Program at the Family Care Center.

The combined value of all financial actions before the Council totaled approximately $1,371,225.56.

Public Comment

Two councilmembers offered remarks during the public comment portion of the October 14, 2025 Council meeting.

• Councilmember Brown 36:39 addressed the topic of ARPA funding, expressing gratitude for what she described as effective allocation of those funds. Her comments highlighted the focus on affordable housing and community projects as key areas where the funding has been directed.

• Councilmember Lynch 41:39 spoke on community events and public safety. She thanked first responders for their work and announced several upcoming community events in her district, emphasizing the importance of community engagement.

No additional public speakers were recorded during this portion of the meeting.

ARPA Annual Report

27:02

Hillary presented the ARPA Annual Report to the Council in an informational session covering the allocation and impact of ARPA funds. The presentation highlighted completed projects as well as future goals for the expenditure of remaining funds.

The report was received as an informational item, with no vote or formal action taken by the Council.

*Note: Additional details regarding specific funding amounts, project names, expenditure breakdowns, and any concerns raised during discussion were not available in the source data for this agenda item.*

Code Enforcement Ordinance Amendment

39:09

The Council took up a proposed amendment to the Code Enforcement Ordinance during this portion of the meeting. Councilmember Sheehan introduced the amendment, which sought to remove graffiti from the ordinance's definition or list of public nuisances.

No additional speakers or points of debate are reflected in the available meeting record for this item. The Council approved the amendment as proposed by Councilmember Sheehan.