Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council met on November 18, 2025, beginning at 5:22 PM in Council Chambers in Lexington, KY, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting covered three agenda items spanning ceremonial, informational, and legislative business. The Council approved the Arthur Murray Day Proclamation, received an informational presentation on the SolSmart Gold Designation Recognition, and conducted a first reading of the Recovery Residence License Ordinance. Over the course of the meeting, three votes were taken, two public comments were heard, and at least one presentation was given.

Attendance

All 16 members were present at the November 18, 2025 Council meeting. No members were absent or late.

Present: - Mayor Gorton - Lynch - Morton - Reynolds - Sevigny - Sheehan - Wu - Beasley - Boone - Brown - Curtis - Ellinger - Elliott Baxter - Hale - Higgins-Hord - LeGris

Votes and Decisions

Three votes were taken during the November 18, 2025 Council meeting.

• Motion 1079-25 – Approval of October 23, 2025 Meeting Minutes 0:03: Moved by Reynolds, seconded by LeGris. The minutes were approved unanimously, 15–0, with all members voting in favor: Lynch, Morton, Reynolds, Sevigny, Sheehan, Wu, Beasley, Boone, Brown, Curtis, Ellinger, Elliott Baxter, Hale, Higgins-Hord, and LeGris.

• Approval of Ordinances 1–3 Under Second Reading 0:22: Moved by Curtis, seconded by Sheehan. The ordinances passed on a unanimous roll call vote of 15–0. All members voted in favor: Lynch, Morton, Reynolds, Sevigny, Sheehan, Wu, Beasley, Boone, Brown, Curtis, Ellinger, Elliott Baxter, Hale, Higgins-Hord, and LeGris.

• Motion 1004-25 – Amendment to Ordinance Regarding Recovery Residence License 0:27: Moved by Lynch, seconded by Hale. The amendment passed 13–2 on a roll call vote. Voting in favor were Lynch, Sevigny, Sheehan, Wu, Beasley, Boone, Brown, Curtis, Ellinger, Elliott Baxter, Hale, Higgins-Hord, and LeGris. Reynolds and Morton voted against. The amendment requires a new first reading before taking effect.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered three contracts at the November 18, 2025 meeting, covering facility repairs, environmental improvements, and parks infrastructure.

• Mounted Police Ventilation Repairs (Resolution 1033-25): The Council took up a contract with C3 Mechanical in the amount of $25,000 to perform ventilation repairs at the Mounted Police facility.

• Southland Park Water Quality Improvements (Resolution 1063-25): A contract with Kentucky Stream Restoration valued at $222,000 was presented for water quality improvements at Southland Park.

• Veterans Park Net Backstop Replacement (Resolution 1095-25): The Council considered a contract with Myers Fence Inc. in the amount of $110,000 for the replacement of the net backstop at Veterans Park.

Combined, the three contracts total $357,000 in expenditures spanning public safety infrastructure, environmental restoration, and recreational facilities.

Public Comment

Two members of the public addressed the Council during the November 18, 2025 meeting.

• Terry Mullins spoke in support of additional funding for Extended Social Resources, emphasizing the importance of food programs serving the Lexington community. Mullins urged the Council to approve the increased funding. 17:57

• Laura Kelly raised concerns about LexTran's subcontracting practices, specifically referencing the transit agency's relationship with Transdev. Kelly highlighted the potential impact these arrangements could have on union jobs and called on the Council to carefully consider the broader implications of the subcontracting arrangement before moving forward. 54:24

The comments covered two distinct areas of public interest: social services funding and labor concerns related to public transit operations.

Contested Items

• Recovery Residence License Ordinance Amendment: The Council was divided over a proposed amendment to the ordinance governing Recovery Residence Licenses. The item resulted in a split vote, indicating that Council members held differing opinions on whether the amendment was necessary. The specific points of disagreement among members and the final vote tally are not detailed in the available meeting data, but the divided outcome reflects meaningful opposition to the measure rather than routine unanimous approval.

*Note: Timestamp information was not available for this item.*

Arthur Murray Day Proclamation

3:58

Mayor Gorton declared November 18, 2025, as Arthur Murray Studio Day in Lexington, recognizing the studio's contributions to the community. The proclamation, identified as agenda item 1098-25, was presented during the Council meeting and formally approved.

Key speakers involved in the item included Mayor Gorton, Hunter Wood Lisle, and Reynolds. The proclamation honored the Arthur Murray Studio and its role in the Lexington community, with the designation of the specific date coinciding with the Council meeting itself.

The item was approved by the Council.

SolSmart Gold Designation Recognition

10:08

The Council received a presentation recognizing Lexington's achievement of the SolSmart Gold designation, honoring the city's efforts to make solar energy more accessible to residents and businesses.

Key speakers on this item included Mayor Gorton, Laura Hagg, and Jada Griggs. The presentation highlighted Lexington's work in earning this designation, which is awarded to communities that have taken meaningful steps to reduce barriers to solar energy adoption.

This agenda item (identifier 1099-25) was informational in nature, with no vote or formal action required by the Council. The recognition served to acknowledge the city's progress in advancing solar accessibility as part of its broader energy goals.

Recovery Residence License Ordinance

27:36

The Council took up agenda item 1004-25, an ordinance to create a Recovery Residence License and establish related fees and procedures.

Key speakers during the discussion included Lynch, Higgins-Hord, Reynolds, Cravens, and Sheehan. The item was presented and debated by Council members, with amendments made to the ordinance in the course of discussion.

The ordinance received its first reading at this meeting. No final vote on adoption was taken at this session, as is standard procedure for ordinances undergoing a first reading.

*Note: Additional detail on the specific amendments made, individual arguments raised, and particular concerns voiced by each speaker was not available in the source data for this meeting. Readers seeking the full substance of the debate are encouraged to consult the meeting video beginning at timestamp 27:36.*