General Government and Planning (GGP) Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The General Government & Planning (GGP) Committee met on December 2, 2025, at 1:00 P.M., with Liz Sheehan presiding. The meeting covered four agenda items spanning administrative approvals, land use policy, and program management. Over the course of the meeting, the committee took 5 votes, received 1 informational presentation, and heard no public comments.

The committee approved three items: the September 2025 Committee Summaries, Lexington's Preservation & Growth Management Program (LPGMP), and a set of Items Referred to Committee. The Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Review was presented as an informational item and did not result in a vote.

Attendance

The following 10 members were present at the December 2, 2025 Committee meeting:

• Liz Sheehan
• Shayla Lynch
• Dan Wu
• James Brown
• Chuck Ellinger II
• Hannah LeGris
• Emma Curtis
• Whitney Elliott Baxter
• Dave Sevigny
• Jennifer Reynolds

No members were recorded as absent or late.

Votes and Decisions

The committee took five votes at the December 2, 2025 meeting, all of which passed unanimously with 10 ayes and 0 nays. All ten members — Liz Sheehan, Shayla Lynch, Dan Wu, James Brown, Chuck Ellinger II, Hannah LeGris, Emma Curtis, Whitney Elliott Baxter, Dave Sevigny, and Jennifer Reynolds — voted in favor on each item. No transcript timestamps are available for these votes.

• Item 0846-25 — Approval of September 9, 2025 Committee Summary: Moved by Chuck Ellinger II, seconded by James Brown. Passed unanimously, 10–0.

• Item 0846-25 — Approval of September 16, 2025 Special Committee Summary: Moved by Chuck Ellinger II, seconded by Hannah LeGris. Passed unanimously, 10–0.

• Item 0038-25 — Approval of the Draft Ordinance of the Preservation and Growth Management Program: Moved by Dan Wu, seconded by Shayla Lynch. Passed unanimously, 10–0.

• Item 0467-25 — Removal of "Acquire Investor-Owned or Other Properties" from Committee: Moved by Hannah LeGris, seconded by Jennifer Reynolds. Passed unanimously, 10–0.

• Item 0467-25 — Removal of the Public Input Subcommittee from Committee: Moved by Hannah LeGris, seconded by Dave Sevigny. Passed unanimously, 10–0.

Approval of September 2025 Committee Summaries

Resolution 0846-25

The committee took up Resolution 0846-25, concerning the approval of the summaries from the September 9 and September 16, 2025 committee meetings. Key speakers on this item included Chuck Ellinger II, James Brown, and Hannah LeGris.

The resolution was approved.

Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Review

Agenda Item 0402-24

Beth Overman presented the annual review of the Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Program to the Committee. The presentation highlighted a significant milestone for the program: its designation as a Certified Entity by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

This certification has had a meaningful impact on the program's activity. Since receiving the designation, the PDR Program has successfully closed on 16 farms, collectively totaling 1,075 acres of protected land. The Certified Entity status through USDA NRCS allows the program to operate with greater autonomy and efficiency in processing agricultural land conservation transactions.

The item was informational in nature, and no formal action was taken by the Committee following the presentation.

Lexington's Preservation & Growth Management Program (LPGMP)

Agenda Item 0038-25

Dan Wu presented the Lexington's Preservation & Growth Management Program (LPGMP) to the Committee. The program is designed to establish a data-driven framework for managing growth within the city.

Key points from the presentation include:

• The LPGMP aims to create a structured, evidence-based approach to growth management decisions
• A draft ordinance was presented for the Committee's consideration and review

Following the presentation and discussion of the draft ordinance, the Committee approved moving the item forward to the full council for further consideration.

*Note: Specific debate points, concerns raised, and vote tallies were not available in the source materials for this agenda item.*

Items Referred to Committee

The committee discussed agenda item 0467-25, which concerned the removal of certain items from the committee's purview. Key speakers in this discussion included Hannah LeGris, Jennifer Reynolds, and Dave Sevigny.

The committee considered removing two specific items from its active agenda:

• Acquire Investor-Owned or Other Properties
• The Public Input Subcommittee

Following discussion among the key speakers, the committee approved the removal of both items. The item was ultimately approved.

*Note: No transcript timestamp is available for this agenda item.*