Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council met on February 12, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers in Lexington, KY, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting covered 2 agenda items, both of which were approved: a Zone Change Ordinance and Civil Service Appointments. During the meeting, the Council held 2 votes and heard 1 public comment. No presentations were recorded for this session.

Attendance

The following 14 members were present at the February 12, 2026 Council meeting:

• Boone
• Beasley
• Brown
• Curtis
• Eblen
• Ellinger
• Elliott Baxter
• Hale
• Higgins-Hord
• Lynch
• Morton
• Reynolds
• Sevigny
• Wu

Absent: Sheehan

No members were recorded as late.

Votes and Decisions

Two items came to a vote at the February 12, 2026 Council meeting, both passing unanimously by roll call vote.

• Ordinance 0043-26 — An ordinance changing the zoning of the property at 401 Woodland Avenue from a Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3) zone to a Medium Density Residential (R-4) zone. The motion was made by Vice Mayor Wu and seconded by Mr. Sevigny. The ordinance passed 14–0, with no nays or abstentions. All fourteen members voted in favor: Boone, Brown, Curtis, Eblen, Ellinger, Elliott Baxter, Hale, Higgins-Hord, Lynch, Morton, Reynolds, Sevigny, Wu, and Beasley.

• Resolution 0066-26 — A resolution ratifying the Permanent Classified Civil Service Appointments. The motion was made by Vice Mayor Wu and seconded by Ms. Curtis. The resolution passed 14–0, with no nays or abstentions. All fourteen members voted in favor: Boone, Brown, Curtis, Eblen, Ellinger, Elliott Baxter, Hale, Higgins-Hord, Lynch, Morton, Reynolds, Sevigny, Wu, and Beasley.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered two contract resolutions at the February 12, 2026 meeting, authorizing expenditures for infrastructure and park improvement projects.

• East Vine Street Retaining Wall (Resolution 0073-26): The Council took action on a contract with Lagco, Inc. in the amount of $474,477 for work on the East Vine Street retaining wall project. This represented the larger of the two financial commitments approved at the meeting.

• Meadowbrook Park Parking Lot (Resolution 0093-26): The Council also considered a contract with C & R Asphalt, LLC in the amount of $135,900 for the Meadowbrook Park parking lot project. This resolution authorized the expenditure for what is presumed to be paving or surface improvement work at the park facility.

Combined, the two resolutions authorized a total of $610,377 in contract spending. Both items were brought forward as formal resolutions, indicating they required Council approval rather than being handled through administrative authority alone.

Public Comment

One member of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period of the February 12, 2026 meeting.

• Brittany Roethemeier spoke on behalf of Fayette Alliance regarding the Urban Service Boundary. She addressed the importance of safeguarding green space in Lexington and offered thanks to those who had worked on the related ordinance.

No timestamp was available for this comment in the meeting record.

Appointments

The Council approved the following appointments and reappointments to various boards, commissions, and advisory bodies at the February 12, 2026 meeting:

• Amy Beasley was appointed to the Affordable Housing Governing Board.
• Joel Howell was appointed to the Greenspace Trust.
• Chuck Ellinger was appointed to the Lexington Center Corporation Board of Directors.
• Basel Touchan was appointed to the Mayor's International Affairs Advisory Commission.
• Hil Boone was appointed to the Neighborhood Action Match Grant Program Review Board.
• Monica Calleja was reappointed to the Racial Justice and Equity Commission.
• Jamison Barton was reappointed to the Raven Run Citizens Advisory Board.
• Adam Blevins was appointed to the Transit Authority Board.

A total of eight individuals were confirmed, with six receiving new appointments and two — Monica Calleja and Jamison Barton — receiving reappointments to bodies on which they previously served.

Zone Change Ordinance

The Council took up Ordinance 0043-26, a proposal to rezone the property at 401 Woodland Avenue from a Planned Neighborhood Residential (R-3) zone to a Medium Density Residential (R-4) zone.

Key speakers on this item included Vice Mayor Wu and Mr. Sevigny. The structured record does not detail the specific arguments presented, concerns raised, or the nature of the debate during discussion of this ordinance.

The Council approved the zone change ordinance.

Civil Service Appointments

Agenda Item 0066-26

The Council considered a resolution ratifying Permanent Classified Civil Service Appointments for various positions within the Urban County Government.

Vice Mayor Wu and Ms. Curtis were the key speakers on this item. The resolution was presented for Council consideration and ratification, covering classified civil service appointments across multiple positions in the Urban County Government.

The Council approved the resolution.

*Note: No transcript timestamp is available for this agenda item, and no specific details regarding the individual positions, the nature of any discussion or debate, or any concerns raised were recorded in the available meeting data.*