Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council met on November 18, 2025, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber of the Urban County Government Center, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting covered 7 agenda items spanning a range of legislative and administrative business. Among the items addressed, the Council approved budget amendments, new business, mayoral appointments, and mayoral procurements, while also receiving informational presentations including a Spoke Award presentation and a continuing business/presentations segment. Over the course of the meeting, 10 votes were taken, and 12 members of the public offered comments on agenda items.

Attendance

All 15 council members were present at the November 18, 2025 Council meeting. No members were absent or late.

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

Votes and Decisions

The following motions were considered and voted on during the November 18, 2025 Council meeting:

• Agenda Reordering 3:37: Moved by Baxter, seconded by Ellinger, to move the spoke award to the first item on the agenda. The motion passed by voice vote.

• October 23, 2025 Council Meeting Docket: Moved by Sevigny, seconded by Higgins-Hord, to approve the October 23, 2025 Council Meeting Docket. The motion passed by voice vote.

• Zoning Change Ordinance (R-4 to B-2a): Moved by LeGris, seconded by Ellinger, to place on the docket an ordinance changing the zone from R-4 to B-2a. The motion passed 14–1 by roll call vote.
• *Voting in favor (14):* Beasley, Boone, Brown, Curtis, Ellinger II, Baxter, Hale, LeGris, Lynch, Morton, Reynolds, Sevigny, Sheehan, and Higgins-Hord
• *Voting against (1):* Wu

• Budget Amendments: Moved by Wu, seconded by Sevigny, to approve Budget Amendments. The motion passed by voice vote.

• New Business: Moved by Baxter, seconded by Sheehan, to approve New Business. The motion passed by voice vote. *Note: Sheehan recused on item a.*

• Communications from the Mayor – Appointments: Moved by Baxter, seconded by Wu, to approve Communications from the Mayor regarding Appointments. The motion passed by voice vote.

• Communications from the Mayor – Procurements: Moved by Curtis, seconded by Hale, to approve Communications from the Mayor regarding Procurements. The motion passed by voice vote.

• Neighborhood Development Funds: Moved by Ellinger II, seconded by Curtis, to approve Neighborhood Development Funds. The motion passed by voice vote.

• Council Capital Projects: Moved by Baxter, seconded by Wu, to approve Council Capital Projects. The motion passed by voice vote.

• Closed Session: Moved by Wu, seconded by Baxter, to enter closed session pursuant to KRS 61.810. The motion passed by voice vote.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered 46 financial items at the November 18, 2025 meeting, spanning contracts, purchases, grants, and personnel amendments.

Major Contracts and Purchases - L1082-25: Authorization to execute documents related to constructing and leasing to own a new Government Center with Lexington Opportunity Development Fund, Inc. — $30,000,000 - L0998-25: Purchase of a Custom Pierce Enforcer Custom Pumper from Atlantic Emergency Solutions — $1,150,000 - L1056-25: Change Order No. 5 with L-M Asphalt Partners, Ltd. — $1,085,012.44 - L1062-25: Change Order No. 6 with L-M Asphalt Partners, Ltd. — $175,885 - L1055-25: Change Order No. 8 with Marrillia Design and Construction Inc. — $341,948.32 - L1065-25: Agreement with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department — $165,000 - L1029-25: Change Order No. 1 for the Blenheim Way Sewer Replacement project with Tribute Contracting & Consultants, LLC — -$140,380.57 (a reduction) - L1060-25: Sole source purchase of field service repairs and parts from Huber Technology — $123,628.57 - L1045-25: Modification to the Annual MOA with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet — $60,000

Grants - L1039-25: Subrecipient agreement with Lexington Habitat for Humanity — $10,000,000 - L1040-25: Federal award for the First Responders Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Support Services Act Grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — $461,997 - L1027-25: Law Enforcement Mental Health & Wellness Act Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice — $200,000 - L1007-25: Challenge grants agreement with Bluegrass AgTech Development Corp — $250,000 - L1031-25: Stormwater Quality Projects Incentive Grant for 1000 Delaware, LLC. — $231,984.38 - L1053-25: Stormwater Quality Projects Incentive Grant for BBPH Properties, LLC. — $113,800 - L1025-25: Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program grant application with Kentucky State Police-Vehicle Enforcement Division — $64,864.10 - L1028-25: Grant from Bluegrass Community Foundation to support programming along Town Branch Commons — $33,500 - L1054-25: Stormwater Quality Projects Incentive Grant for Andover Neighborhood Association Inc. — $36,900 - L1020-25: Additional USDA Child Care Food Program revenue from the Kentucky Department of Education — $12,577.96

Personnel Amendments - L1072-25: Amendment to classified and unclassified civil service authorized strength — $324,385 - L1071-25: Creation of one classified Accountant Sr. position — $100,744.13 - L1069-25: Abolishment of one classified position and creation of a new one in the Division of Computer Services — $24,971.26 - L1073-25: Abolishment of one classified position and creation of a new one in the Division of Code Enforcement — $3,367.68 - L1070-25: Amendment to classified civil service authorized strength — no budgetary impact

Several additional items carried no budgetary impact, including agreements with CASA of Lexington, Inc. (L1006-25), A Caring Place, Inc. (L1021-25), the Fayette County Clerk (L1024-25), Social Impact Solar LLC (L1032-25), and the Fayette County Sheriff (L1052-25), among others.

Public Comment

Twelve residents addressed the Council during public comment, with remarks focused primarily on food insecurity funding and opposition to a proposed new city hall or government center.

Food Insecurity Funding

Several speakers urged the Council to increase funding for organizations addressing food insecurity and nutritional access:

• Jennifer Palmer (Glean, Kentucky) spoke in favor of grant funding for food insecurity and nutritional access, citing increased demand for food distribution. 11:36
• Malik McAlpine (Glean, Kentucky) emphasized the urgency of the need, drawing on personal experiences distributing food. 13:13
• Dan Baer, Executive Director of the Nathaniel Mission, supported additional funding for ESR organizations, noting rising demand for services. 14:46
• Alex Maddox (God's Pantry Food Bank) discussed growing demand for food assistance and the importance of additional funding to meet community needs. 16:26
• Calvin Penn (Moveable Feast Lexington) expressed support for Vice Mayor Wu's proposal to increase food insecurity funding, referencing rising costs and funding challenges. 29:21
• Cassandra Brown, a volunteer with Food Chain, urged the Council to provide additional funds, sharing observations about community needs. 31:28
• Leandra Foreman (Food Chain) highlighted the value of investing in local organizations to address food insecurity and support the local economy. 34:40

Opposition to New City Hall / Government Center Spending

• Jessica Cleveland criticized a proposal to spend $30 million on a new city hall, arguing those funds should instead address housing and food insecurity. 19:08
• Reva Russell-English opposed funding for a new government center and urged the Council to invest in public transportation and resources for unhoused residents. 21:58
• Deborah Winslow also opposed the new city hall proposal, stressing the need to focus on economic issues affecting residents. 27:09
• Sarci Eldridge argued that basic needs such as food and shelter should be prioritized over investment in a new government center. 37:41

Other Concerns

• Doug Holloway raised concerns about employee reclassification and pay disparities, calling for fair compensation. 25:07

Appointments

The Council took action on appointments to various commissions and boards during the November 18, 2025 meeting.

• Various individuals were appointed to various commissions and boards.

*Note: Specific names of appointees and the particular commissions or boards to which they were assigned were not detailed in the available meeting data. Readers seeking the full list of individual appointments are encouraged to consult the official meeting minutes or agenda posted by the Council.*

Contested Items

Two issues generated notable disagreement during the November 18, 2025 Council meeting, drawing opposition from both community members and council members.

New Government Center Funding

The proposed funding for a new government center drew criticism from several public speakers as well as council members, who raised concerns about the appropriateness of moving forward with such a significant financial commitment given current economic uncertainties. The objections centered on both the timing of the expenditure and its broader financial implications for the community. No outcome for this item was recorded in the available meeting data.

Food Insecurity Funding

Multiple public speakers urged the Council to increase funding directed at addressing food insecurity, emphasizing that community need in this area is growing. Speakers pressed the Council to prioritize this issue, though the available data does not indicate a specific funding figure that was requested or a final outcome from the Council on this matter.

Spoke Award Presentation

4:45

The Council recognized the Spoke Award presentation, in which the award was given to Dolores Madrid-Sanders for her exceptional service as a Social Services Coordinator. Mayor Gorton participated in the presentation, along with Danielle Sanders and Dolores Madrid-Sanders herself. The item was informational in nature, with no vote or further action required by the Council.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

11:06

During this portion of the meeting, five members of the public addressed the Council on agenda-related topics, with comments focused primarily on food insecurity funding and the proposed new city hall.

The following speakers addressed the Council:

• Jennifer Palmer
• Malik McAlpine
• Dan Baer
• Alex Maddox
• Jessica Cleveland

Speakers raised concerns and provided input on two main subject areas:

• Food insecurity funding — Multiple speakers commented on this topic, reflecting community interest in how the city is addressing food access and related funding decisions on the agenda.
• Proposed new city hall — Speakers also weighed in on the city's plans for a new city hall facility, indicating public engagement with this significant infrastructure proposal.

This agenda item was informational in nature, and no formal action was taken as a result of public comment. The Council received the comments as part of the standard public input process.

Budget Amendments

The Council discussed and voted on a series of budget amendments during the November 18, 2025 meeting. The amendments addressed several areas of community need, with funding directed toward food insecurity and housing stability among the highlighted priorities.

Key speakers on this item included Council members Wu and Sevigny, who participated in the discussion surrounding the proposed amendments. The specific dollar amounts, funding sources, and full scope of all amendments included in the package were part of the deliberations.

The Council ultimately approved the budget amendments.

*Note: Detailed figures, the full list of amendments, and the specifics of any debate or concerns raised are not available in the source data for this item. Readers seeking the complete breakdown of approved amendments are encouraged to consult the official meeting minutes or view the meeting recording directly.*

New Business

The Council took up several new business items during this portion of the meeting, including contracts and agreements related to city projects. Key speakers during this agenda item included Baxter and Sheehan.

The items presented fell under resolution-type actions, and the Council moved through consideration of the relevant contracts and agreements. No additional detail on specific contract values, project names, or individual concerns raised during debate is available in the meeting record.

All new business items were approved by the Council.

*Note: Detailed timestamps and a fuller breakdown of individual items discussed under New Business were not available in the meeting record. Readers seeking specifics are encouraged to consult the full meeting minutes or video for the November 18, 2025 Council meeting.*

Communications from the Mayor - Appointments

The Council considered a set of appointments recommended by the Mayor. The item was presented and discussed with key speakers Baxter and Wu participating in the proceedings.

The Council voted to approve the Mayor's recommended appointments. No additional details regarding the specific positions, appointees, or any concerns raised during deliberations are available in the meeting record.

Communications from the Mayor - Procurements

The Council took up a series of procurements recommended by the Mayor for approval. Key speakers on this item included Curtis and Hale.

The procurements were presented for the Council's consideration and were approved. No additional details regarding the specific contracts, vendors, dollar amounts, or scope of individual procurements are available in the meeting record for this item.

Outcome: The Council approved the Mayor's recommended procurements.

--- *Note: No transcript timestamp or itemized procurement details were available in the source data for this agenda item. For a full breakdown of individual procurements considered, readers are encouraged to consult the official meeting agenda or minutes posted by the municipality.*

Continuing Business/Presentations

The Council received updates on two topics during this portion of the meeting: neighborhood development funds and council capital projects.

Key speakers during this agenda item included Ellinger II and Curtis, who presented information to the Council. The updates were informational in nature, and no votes or formal actions were taken as a result of the presentations.

Specific figures, project identifiers, and details of any concerns raised during the discussion are not available in the provided materials. Readers seeking the full context of what was presented are encouraged to consult the meeting video for this agenda item.