Social Services & Public Safety (SSPS) Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Social Services and Public Safety (SSPS) Committee met on January 13, 2026, at 1:00 P.M. at the Urban County Planning Commission, Planning Services Division, located at 200 East Main St., Lexington, KY, with Jennifer Reynolds presiding. The committee addressed four agenda items spanning both action items and informational presentations. Two votes were taken during the meeting, resulting in the approval of the Committee Summary and new Carbon Monoxide Detection Requirements. The committee also received two informational briefings — one on Street Outreach Services and Homeless Encampment Response, and one providing an update on the Audrey Grevious Center — with no public comments heard during the session.

Attendance

Meeting Date: January 13, 2026

Present (10): - Jennifer Reynolds - Dan Wu - Chuck Ellinger II - Tyler Morton - Shayla Lynch - Lisa Higgins-Hord - Joseph Hale - Amy Beasley - Whitney Elliott Baxter - Hilary Boone

Absent: None

Late: None

All 10 members were present for the meeting. No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

Two votes were taken during the meeting, both passing unanimously with 10 ayes and 0 nays.

• Approval of the October 14, 2025 Committee Summary 0:02: Motioned by Chuck Ellinger II and seconded by Whitney Elliott Baxter, the committee voted to approve the summary from its previous meeting. The motion passed unanimously, 10–0. All members voted in favor: Jennifer Reynolds, Dan Wu, Chuck Ellinger II, Tyler Morton, Shayla Lynch, Lisa Higgins-Hord, Joseph Hale, Amy Beasley, Whitney Elliott Baxter, and Hilary Boone.

• Move Carbon Monoxide Detection Ordinances to Full Council 34:00: The committee voted to advance the Carbon Monoxide Detection Ordinances to the full council for consideration. The motion passed unanimously, 10–0. All members voted in favor: Jennifer Reynolds, Dan Wu, Chuck Ellinger II, Tyler Morton, Shayla Lynch, Lisa Higgins-Hord, Joseph Hale, Amy Beasley, Whitney Elliott Baxter, and Hilary Boone. No motion maker or seconder was recorded for this vote.

Approval of Social Services & Public Safety Committee Summary

Resolution 0349-25

2:02

The body took up Resolution 0349-25, concerning the approval of the Social Services & Public Safety Committee summary from its October 14, 2025 meeting.

• Speaker: Jennifer Reynolds presented or addressed this agenda item.
• Outcome: The summary was approved.

No additional concerns, debate, or discussion details are reflected in the available record for this item.

Carbon Monoxide Detection Requirements

Ordinance 0034-26 | 2:33

The meeting took out time to address Ordinance 0034-26, concerning carbon monoxide detection requirements for older buildings. The discussion centered on the need to mandate carbon monoxide detectors in buildings constructed before 2011, a category of structures not previously subject to such requirements.

Key speakers on this item included Jennifer Reynolds and Jeff Johnson. The ordinance was brought forward in the wake of a tragic incident in the district, which highlighted the safety risks posed by the absence of carbon monoxide detection in older building stock. The measure aims to close the gap between newer construction — which already carries detector requirements — and pre-2011 buildings that may lack this critical safety equipment.

The ordinance was ultimately approved.

Street Outreach Services and Homeless Encampment Response

Agenda Item 0203-25 | 34:32

Jeff Herron delivered a presentation providing an update on street outreach services and the city's response to homeless encampments. The presentation covered the current state of outreach programs, highlighting both the successes achieved by existing efforts and the need for expanded services to meet ongoing demand.

Herron's update noted that current programs have demonstrated measurable success, while also underscoring that additional resources and capacity would be necessary to more fully address street homelessness and encampment response across the area.

The item was informational in nature, and no formal vote or action was taken as a result of the presentation.

*Note: Additional details regarding specific program metrics, funding figures, concerns raised by members, or further discussion points were not available in the source materials for this agenda item.*

Audrey Grevious Center Update

53:03

Agenda Item 0035-26

Felicia Lindsay delivered a presentation providing an update on the Audrey Grevious Center, focusing on the educational and therapeutic services the center offers to court-involved youth and highlighting the program's overall success.

Lindsay's presentation covered the range of services available through the center, which serves young people who are involved in the court system. The update addressed both the educational programming and therapeutic support components that form the core of the center's work with this population.

The outcome of this agenda item was informational, with no action taken or vote recorded. No additional speakers or concerns are noted from the available record of this discussion.