Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council met on January 15, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers in Lexington, KY, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting included 3 agenda items, 2 motions and votes, and 1 public comment. The Council approved a proclamation establishing Jacobo Aragón Torres Day and took up two items on first reading: a Zone Change Ordinance and a set of Budget Amendments.

Attendance

All 15 members of the Council were present at the January 15, 2026 meeting. No members were absent or late.

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

Votes and Decisions

The Council took two votes during the January 15, 2026 meeting, both passing unanimously.

• Resolution 0050-26 — A proclamation declaring January 15, 2026 as Jacobo Aragón Torres Day. The motion was made by Ellinger and seconded by Elliott Baxter. The resolution passed unanimously, 14–0. All 14 members voted in favor: Wu, Beasley, Boone, Brown, Curtis, Ellinger, Elliott Baxter, Hale, Higgins-Hord, Lynch, Morton, Reynolds, Sevigny, and Sheehan. No members voted against or abstained. 9:56

• Resolution 0013-26 — A grant application to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for Town Branch Trail – Phase IV & V. The motion was made by Reynolds and seconded by Sheehan. The resolution passed unanimously, 14–0. All 14 members voted in favor: Wu, Beasley, Boone, Brown, Curtis, Ellinger, Elliott Baxter, Hale, Higgins-Hord, Lynch, Morton, Reynolds, Sevigny, and Sheehan. No members voted against or abstained. 31:24

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered three contracts at the January 15, 2026 meeting, spanning infrastructure, parks, and community facilities.

• Flow Monitoring for the Division of Water Quality (Resolution 1159-25): The Council took up a contract valued at $172,600 with Duke's Root Control, Inc. to provide flow monitoring services for the Division of Water Quality. This resolution carries a 2025 identifier, indicating it originated in the prior year before receiving Council consideration.

• Constitution Park Concessions and Restroom Building (Resolution 0015-26): A contract of $522,422 was presented for award to Shunar Concrete & Construction for the construction of a concessions and restroom building at Constitution Park. This represents the largest single financial commitment among the items on the agenda.

• Whitney Young Community Building Renovation (Resolution 0031-26): The Council considered a $216,700 contract with Elaine Allen LLC for renovation work at the Whitney Young Community Building.

Taken together, the three contracts total approximately $911,722 in public expenditures across water utility operations, parks infrastructure, and community facility improvements.

Public Comment

One member of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period at the January 15, 2026 meeting.

• CE Huffman spoke at 42:54, offering general observations about the Council. Huffman expressed respect for the Council members and raised the topic of the need for a full-time legislative body.

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

Appointments

The Council took action on the following appointments during the January 15, 2026 meeting:

• Brandi Lewis was appointed to the Administrative Hearing Board.
• Robert James was reappointed to the Agricultural Extension District Board.
• Patrick Robinson was reappointed to the Agricultural Extension District Board.

Lewis's appointment to the Administrative Hearing Board marks a new term of service on that body. James and Robinson both received reappointments to the Agricultural Extension District Board, continuing their existing service in those roles.

Jacobo Aragón Torres Day

Agenda Item 0050-26 10:31

Mayor Gorton declared January 15, 2026, as Jacobo Aragón Torres Day in recognition of Jacobo Aragón Torres's contributions to the community. The proclamation was presented during the Council meeting with Mayor Gorton, Jacobo Aragón Torres, and Reynolds identified as key speakers during the item.

The proclamation was approved by the Council.

Zone Change Ordinance

18:22

The Council took up Ordinance 0016-26, a proposed zone change affecting properties on Canebrake Dr. The ordinance would rezone the affected parcels from Agricultural-Rural to two new designations: Medium Density Residential and Light Industrial.

The ordinance was given its first reading at this meeting. No key speakers were recorded in the available data for this agenda item, and no specific debates, presentations, or concerns are documented in the extracted record.

The item will require subsequent readings before final adoption, consistent with standard ordinance procedure.

Budget Amendments

18:56

The Council took up agenda item 0052-26, an ordinance amending certain budgets to reflect current municipal expenditure requirements.

The item received its first reading at this meeting. No key speakers were recorded in connection with this agenda item, and no specific debate, amendments, or concerns are documented in the available meeting data.

As is standard procedure for ordinances, the first reading advances the measure in the legislative process before a subsequent reading and potential vote at a future Council meeting.