Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council met on March 24, 2026, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber in Lexington, KY, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting covered 11 agenda items spanning a range of legislative and administrative matters, including rezonings, budget amendments, mayoral appointments, donations, and procurements. The Council took a total of 10 votes during the session, with the majority of action items receiving approval, including items related to new business, budget amendments, and several categories of communications from the Mayor. Three members of the public provided comment during the meeting, with opportunities for public input offered both at the opening for agenda-related issues and at the close of the meeting for issues not on the agenda. Informational items included continuing business and presentations as well as council reports.

Attendance

The following 14 members were present at the March 24, 2026 Council meeting: Wu, Brown, Ellinger II, Morton, Lynch, Eblen, Curtis, Sheehan, Hale, Beasley, Baxter, Sevigny, Reynolds, and Boone.

Absent: Higgins-Hord

No members were recorded as late.

Votes and Decisions

All votes at the March 24, 2026 Council meeting were taken by voice vote and passed. No roll call votes were recorded.

• Approval of the docket — Moved by Baxter, seconded by Ellinger. Passed by voice vote. 0:03

• Approval of the March 17, 2026 table of motions — Moved by Sheehan, seconded by Savigny. Passed by voice vote. 0:03

• Approval of budget amendments — Moved by Curtis, seconded by Wu. Passed by voice vote. 0:04

• Approval of new business — Moved by Savigny, seconded by Wu. Passed by voice vote. 0:04

• Approval of mayoral appointments — Moved by Wu, seconded by Curtis. Passed by voice vote. 0:11

• Approval of mayoral donations — Moved by Reynolds, seconded by Curtis. Passed by voice vote. 0:12

• Approval of mayoral procurements — Moved by Wu, seconded by Curtis. Passed by voice vote. 0:12

• Approval of neighborhood development funds — Moved by Reynolds, seconded by Baxter. Passed by voice vote. 0:12

• Approval of council capital projects — Moved by Wu, seconded by Sheehan. Passed by voice vote. 0:12

• Adjournment — Moved by Curtis, seconded by Reynolds. Passed by voice vote. 0:31

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council approved several financial actions at the March 24, 2026 meeting, covering a range of municipal services and infrastructure needs.

• Fire Monitoring and Suppression Services (L0167-26): The Council authorized a contract with Siemens Industry, Inc. in the amount of $40,100.47 for the purchase of fire monitoring and suppression services.

• Joyland Area Storm Drainage Project – Final Change Order (L0222-26): The Council approved Final Change Order No. 5 with Lagco Inc. for the Joyland Area Storm Drainage Project, totaling $104,954.31. As a final change order, this action closes out the contractual adjustments associated with that infrastructure project.

• Detention Center Recovery Program Agreement (L0226-26): The Council approved an agreement with Hope Center valued at $228,000 to provide a recovery program at the Detention Center. This contract supports rehabilitative services for individuals in the detention facility.

• Lexington Pride Festival Sponsorship (L0227-26): The Council authorized a Purchase of Service Agreement with the Lexington Pride Center in the amount of $10,000 to support sponsorship of the Lexington Pride Festival.

Combined, these four financial actions represent a total commitment of approximately $383,054.78 across public safety infrastructure, community health services, and civic programming.

Public Comment

Three members of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period, covering topics ranging from opioid recovery funding to concerns about the city's compensation system.

• Danesha Taylor 24:30 spoke on opioid abatement, stressing the urgency of addressing recovery needs within the community. Taylor emphasized that the fight against opioid addiction remains an ongoing and pressing concern requiring timely action.

• Trevor Davis 25:35 also addressed opioid abatement, focusing specifically on funding recommendations. Davis highlighted differences in how opioid abatement funds are being recommended for use and called for greater support for grassroots organizations as part of the community response.

• Rick Day 28:44 raised concerns about the city's compensation system, alleging that numbers had been manipulated and pointing to what he described as irregularities in the compensation study. Day's remarks were critical of the process used to evaluate and determine employee compensation.

Appointments

The Council took action on appointments to various commissions and boards during the March 24, 2026 meeting. However, the available structured data does not include the specific names of individuals appointed or the particular bodies and roles to which they were assigned.

For a complete list of appointees and their respective commissions or boards, members of the public are encouraged to consult the official meeting minutes or agenda documentation for the March 24, 2026 Council meeting, which should contain the full details of each appointment action taken.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

0:00

Public comments were invited for agenda items at this point in the meeting. No members of the public signed up to speak during this portion of the session, and no comments were received.

Requested Rezonings/Docket Approval

3:00

The Council took up the matter of requested rezonings and docket approval during the March 24, 2026 meeting. Baxter and Ellinger were the key speakers on this item. The Council approved the docket for the meeting.

*Note: Limited detail is available in the source data regarding the specific discussion, presentations, concerns raised, or individual rezoning requests considered under this agenda item.*

Approval of Summary

3:32

The Council took up the approval of the summary of the March 17, 2026 table of motions. Sheehan and Savigny were the key speakers during this portion of the meeting. The item was presented without noted controversy, and no significant concerns were raised during the discussion.

The Council approved the summary.

Budget Amendments

4:06

The council took up a resolution on budget amendments for the fiscal year. Key speakers on this item were Curtis and Wu.

After discussion, the council approved the budget amendments.

*Note: Additional details about the specific amendments presented, figures discussed, concerns raised, or the nature of the debate are not available in the source materials for this item.*

New Business

4:38

The Council took up New Business, during which members considered a series of authorizations and agreements brought forward for approval. Key speakers during this portion of the meeting included Savigny and Wu.

The items presented fell under the category of resolutions and encompassed various authorizations and agreements, though the specific details of each individual item are reflected in the broader package considered by the Council.

The Council approved the New Business items.

*Note: The source materials for this meeting do not include granular detail on each individual authorization or agreement discussed under this agenda item. Readers seeking the full text of the resolutions or the specific terms of any agreements are encouraged to consult the official meeting minutes or supporting documentation on file with the Council.*

Communications From the Mayor – Appointments

11:46

The Council took up the Communications From the Mayor – Appointments agenda item, during which mayoral appointments were presented for Council consideration. Key speakers on this item included Wu and Curtis.

The Council approved the mayoral appointments as presented.

*Note: The available record for this item does not include details on the specific individuals appointed, the boards or bodies to which they were appointed, or the substance of any debate or concerns raised. Readers seeking additional detail are encouraged to consult the full meeting transcript or official minutes beginning at approximately the 11:46 mark of the meeting recording.*

Communications From the Mayor – Donations

12:22

The Council took up the agenda item concerning donations communicated by the Mayor. The item was presented as a resolution for Council approval.

Key speakers on this item included Reynolds and Curtis. The resolution was brought forward to formally recognize and approve donations as communicated through the Mayor's office.

The Council approved the donations resolution. No additional details regarding the specific donors, donation amounts, or intended recipients are available from the meeting record.

Communications From the Mayor – Procurements

12:22

The Council took up the Communications From the Mayor – Procurements agenda item, which covered procurements submitted by the Mayor's office for Council approval.

Key speakers on this item were Wu and Curtis. The structured record does not detail the specific procurement contracts, vendors, amounts, or departments discussed during this portion of the meeting, so readers seeking that level of detail are encouraged to consult the full meeting agenda or procurement documentation submitted alongside the Mayor's communication.

The item was approved by the Council.

Continuing Business/Presentations

12:22

The Council received updates on ongoing projects and initiatives during this portion of the meeting. Reynolds and Baxter were the key speakers during this agenda item.

The discussion covered continuing business matters and presentations related to various Council initiatives, with the outcome being informational in nature — no votes or formal actions were taken as a result of this segment.

*Note: The available data for this agenda item is limited. Specific details about the projects discussed, concerns raised, or the substance of individual presentations were not captured in the source material. Readers seeking the full content of this discussion are encouraged to consult the meeting video beginning at timestamp 12:22.*

Council Reports

16:59

Council members provided updates on district activities and upcoming events during this informational portion of the March 24, 2026 meeting. The following members delivered reports: Wu, Lynch, Sheehan, Beasley, Baxter, Curtis, and Ellinger.

No formal action was taken on this item, as it was presented for informational purposes only.

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*Note: The available data identifies the speakers and general purpose of this agenda item but does not include the specific content of each council member's report. For full details of what each member presented, please refer to the meeting video beginning at timestamp 16:59.*

Public Comment - Issues Not on Agenda

23:56

The Council opened the floor for public comments on issues not appearing on the agenda. Three speakers addressed the Council during this portion of the meeting.

• Danesha Taylor, Trevor Davis, and Rick Day each came forward to speak on topics outside the scope of the meeting's formal agenda items.

This portion of the meeting was informational in nature, with no votes or formal actions taken in response to the public comments. The specific content of each speaker's remarks is not detailed in the available meeting record.