Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council met on April 30, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers in Lexington, KY, with Linda Gorton presiding. The meeting covered 2 agenda items, including an informational presentation on Public Health Hero Day and consideration of an ordinance modifying zoning restrictions. Over the course of the meeting, the Council heard 4 public comments and took 2 votes. The zoning ordinance was approved, representing the primary legislative action of the evening.

Attendance

All 14 members of the Council were present at the April 30, 2026 meeting. No members were absent or late.

Present: - Councilmember Boone - Councilmember Brown - Councilmember Curtis - Councilmember Eblen - Councilmember Ellinger - Councilmember Elliot Baxter - Councilmember Hale - Councilmember Higgins-Horde - Councilmember Lynch - Councilmember Morton - Councilmember Reynolds - Councilmember Savicny - Councilmember Sheehan - Vice Mayor Wu

Votes and Decisions

Two items came to a roll call vote at the April 30, 2026 Council meeting, both passing unanimously.

• Ordinance 0285-26 0:15 — An ordinance modifying the conditional zoning restrictions for property located at 532 and 550 South Broadway and 659 Plunkett St. The motion was made by Vice Mayor Wu and seconded by Council Member Curtis. The ordinance passed 13–0, with all members voting in favor: Councilmembers Hale, Higgins-Horde, Morton, Reynolds, Savicny, Sheehan, Beasley, Boone, Curtis, Eblen, Ellinger, Elliot Baxter, and Vice Mayor Wu. No members voted against or abstained.

• Resolution 0305-26 0:23 — A resolution accepting the bid of Mefford Contracting, LLC, for the Town Branch Exterior Window Replacement Project. The motion was made by Council Member Sheehan and seconded by Vice Mayor Wu. The resolution passed 13–0, with the same full roster of members voting in favor: Councilmembers Hale, Higgins-Horde, Morton, Reynolds, Savicny, Sheehan, Beasley, Boone, Curtis, Eblen, Ellinger, Elliot Baxter, and Vice Mayor Wu. No members voted against or abstained.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered two financial items at the April 30, 2026 meeting, covering a facilities contract and a public safety grant.

• Town Branch Exterior Window Replacement Project (Resolution 0305-26): The Council took action on a contract valued at $425,900 with Mefford Contracting, LLC for the Town Branch Exterior Window Replacement Project. This represents the largest single financial commitment on the agenda.

• Victim Assistance Formula Grant (Resolution 0275-26): The Council also addressed a grant of $100,526 funded through the Victims of Crime Act. The grant is administered through the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet and supports victim assistance formula programming.

Together, the two items represent a combined financial action of approximately $526,426 across capital improvement and public safety grant categories.

Public Comment

Four members of the public addressed the Council during the April 30, 2026 meeting, covering topics ranging from a community event to public safety technology concerns.

• Alan McDaniel 12:04 invited Council members and constituents to the Mayfest event in Gratz Park, highlighting the family-friendly activities planned for the occasion and noting the public safety support provided by the Council.

• Blake Spurgeon 14:17 addressed the solar Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment (ZOTA), clarifying that Silicon Ranch was not involved in the work group that developed the new solar ZOTA. Spurgeon indicated plans to submit feedback on specific provisions of the ZOTA that his organization finds objectionable.

• Isaac Looney 59:40 raised concerns about the city's use of Flock cameras, citing privacy issues and incidents he described as false flag occurrences. Looney urged the Council to end the city's contract with Flock Safety.

• Paige Hensley 1:02:31 also spoke on the subject of Flock cameras, requesting that the city provide updated and transparent data regarding their use. Hensley pointed to inconsistencies and outdated information currently available on the city's website as the basis for her request.

The comments on Flock cameras from both Looney and Hensley reflect a shared concern among some residents about the oversight and transparency surrounding the city's surveillance technology program.

Appointments

The Council acted on several appointments and reappointments to city boards and organizations at the April 30, 2026 meeting.

New Appointments: - Ozlem Davis was appointed to the CASA of Lexington Board of Directors. - Jason Young was appointed to the Emergency Medical Advisory Board.

Reappointments: - Kenneth Cooke, Jerry Davis, Sarah Geurkink, and Alice Hilton were each reappointed to the Greenspace Trust. - Nancy Wiser was reappointed to the Lexington Center Corporation Board of Directors.

In total, the Council confirmed two new appointments and five reappointments across five separate boards and organizations.

Contested Items

Flock Cameras

The use of Flock cameras generated notable community opposition during the meeting. Multiple public speakers came forward to express concerns about the technology, focusing their objections on three main issues: privacy, data transparency, and the potential for misuse.

Speakers urged the council to reconsider the use of Flock cameras, though the structured data does not indicate a specific council vote or resolution outcome was recorded for this item.

No timestamp data was available for this discussion.

Public Health Hero Day

Agenda Item 0177-26 | 5:31

The Council recognized Public Health Hero Day with a presentation honoring the recipient of the 2026 Dr. Rice C. Leach Public Health Hero Award. Dr. Crystal Miller presented the award to Dr. Nicholas Van Sickles, who was recognized for his contributions to public health, with particular distinction for his work in containing a measles outbreak.

The item was informational in nature, with no debate or votes taken. Dr. Van Sickles was among the key speakers during the recognition.

Ordinance Modifying Zoning Restrictions

Agenda Item 0285-26 15:18

The Council took up an ordinance to modify zoning restrictions affecting properties on South Broadway and Plunkett St. The measure expands the range of permitted uses within the Corridor Business (B-3) zone for those specific properties.

• The ordinance was approved by the Council.

No key speakers, debate, or specific concerns were recorded in the available data for this agenda item.