Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on February 26, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers in Lexington, KY, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting included 3 agenda items, covering a range of legislative and community matters. The Council took 3 votes during the session, approving 2 substantive agenda items: the Black Church Coalition item and an Amendment to Budgets. Additionally, 1 public comment was heard on issues appearing on the agenda.

Attendance

All 16 members of the Council were present at the February 26, 2026 meeting. No members were absent or late.

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

Votes and Decisions

Three items came to a vote at the February 26, 2026 Council meeting, all of which passed without opposition.

• Approval of the February 12, 2026 Meeting Minutes 5:23: Moved by Mr. Ellinger and seconded by Ms. Curtis, the minutes were approved by unanimous consent.

• Ordinance 0130-26 13:23: Moved by Mr. Sevigny and seconded by Ms. Curtis, this ordinance amends certain budgets of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government to reflect current requirements for municipal expenditures, and appropriates and re-appropriates funds under FY 2026 Schedule No. 23. The ordinance passed 15–0 on a roll call vote. Voting in favor: Brown, Curtis, Eblen, Ellinger, Elliott Baxter, Hale, Higgins-Hord, Lynch, Morton, Reynolds, Sevigny, Sheehan, Wu, Beasley, and Boone. No members voted against or abstained.

• Approval of Various Resolutions 19:53: Moved by Ms. Reynolds and seconded by Ms. Higgins-Hord, the resolutions passed 15–0 on a roll call vote. Voting in favor: Brown, Curtis, Eblen, Ellinger, Elliott Baxter, Hale, Higgins-Hord, Lynch, Morton, Reynolds, Sevigny, Sheehan, Wu, Beasley, and Boone. No members voted against or abstained.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered three financial items at the February 26, 2026 meeting, spanning infrastructure, recreation, and public safety technology.

• East Vine Street Retaining Wall (Resolution 0073-26): The Council took action on a contract with Lagco, Inc. valued at $474,477 for the East Vine Street Retaining Wall project. This represented the largest single expenditure on the agenda.

• Exercise Equipment Purchase (Resolution 0067-26): The Council considered a purchase of exercise equipment from Design2Wellness totaling $175,576.45. Resolution 0067-26 authorized this procurement.

• ESO Solutions, Inc. Agreement Amendment (Resolution 0055-26): The Council addressed an amendment to an existing agreement with ESO Solutions, Inc. in the amount of $42,451.50. Resolution 0055-26 covered this contract modification.

Combined, the three financial actions represented a total of approximately $692,504.95 in authorized expenditures or contract obligations.

Public Comment

One member of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period at the February 26, 2026 meeting.

• Gary Jones 44:18 spoke about persistent low-frequency vibrations affecting his home. Jones expressed concern about the ongoing nature of the problem and suggested the source may be commercial or industrial in origin. He requested that an engineering assessment be conducted to investigate the cause of the vibrations.

Appointments

The Council acted on six appointments to various boards and commissions during the February 26, 2026 meeting.

• Mahtaab Bagherzadeh was appointed to the Access Lexington Commission.
• Anita Dawson was reappointed to the Civil Service Commission.
• Tom Eblen was appointed to the Downtown Lexington Management Board of Directors.
• David Sevigny was reappointed to the Economic Development Investment Board.
• Gregory Butler was appointed to the Senior Services Commission.
• Wesley Whistle was appointed to the Transit Authority Board.

Of the six actions taken, four were new appointments and two were reappointments. Anita Dawson and David Sevigny were each returned to their respective positions on the Civil Service Commission and the Economic Development Investment Board.

Black Church Coalition

Agenda Item 0174-26 | 6:51

Mayor Gorton presented a proclamation declaring February 26, 2026, as Black Church Coalition of the Bluegrass Day in Lexington, recognizing the organization's contributions to the community.

Key participants in this agenda item included:

• Mayor Gorton, who delivered the proclamation
• Deacon James Weathers, who was present as a representative of the Black Church Coalition of the Bluegrass
• Councilmember Brown, who participated in the discussion

The proclamation was approved by the Council.

Amendment to Budgets

13:23

The Council took up agenda item 0130-26, an ordinance amending certain budgets of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government to reflect current requirements for municipal expenditures.

Mr. Sevigny and Ms. Curtis were the key speakers on this item. The ordinance was approved by the Council.

*Note: The available data for this agenda item does not include details on the specific budget figures amended, the nature of the debate or concerns raised, or the vote breakdown. Readers seeking fuller detail are encouraged to consult the meeting transcript or recording beginning at the 13:23 mark.*

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

12:53

No public comments were made on issues on the agenda during this portion of the Council meeting.