Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council met on May 5, 2026, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber in Lexington, KY, with Mayor Linda Gorton presiding. The meeting included 8 agenda items spanning a range of legislative, ceremonial, and informational business. Across the course of the meeting, 5 motions were voted on and 1 public comment was heard on agenda items.

The Council approved several items during the session, including a summary, new business, council capital projects, and two proclamations — one honoring Pulitzer Prize winner Chahi Shaquindu and another recognizing Building Safety Month. Informational items included a report from the Social Services and Public Safety Committee and a SPOKE Award Presentation, neither of which required a vote.

Attendance

All 16 members of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council were present at the May 5, 2026 meeting. No members were absent or late.

Present: - Mayor Linda Gorton - Vice Mayor Dan Wu - Council Member Brown - Council Member Ellinger II - Council Member Morton - Council Member Lynch - Council Member Eblen - Council Member Curtis - Council Member Sheehan - Council Member Higgins-Hord - Council Member Hale - Council Member Beasley - Council Member Baxter - Council Member Sevigny - Council Member Reynolds - Council Member Boone

Votes and Decisions

The Council took five votes during the May 5, 2026 meeting, all of which passed by voice vote. No roll call votes were recorded, and individual ayes and nays were not tallied for any item.

• Approval of April 28, 2026 Council Work Session Motions 0:04: Moved by Councilmember Ellinger and seconded by Councilmember Reynolds. The motion passed by voice vote.

• Proclamation Honoring Pulitzer Prize Winner Chahi Shaquindu 0:04: Moved by Councilmember Eblen and seconded by Councilmember Morton. The proclamation passed by voice vote.

• Approval of New Business 0:05: Moved by Councilmember Baxter and seconded by Councilmember Sevigny. The motion passed by voice vote.

• Approval of Council Capital Projects 0:08: Moved by Vice Mayor Wu and seconded by Councilmember Reynolds. The motion passed by voice vote.

• Extension of Deadline for Encumbering Council Capital Project Funds to December 31, 2026 0:32: Moved by Councilmember Morton and seconded by Councilmember Curtis. The motion passed by voice vote.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered two contract items during the May 5, 2026 meeting.

• Resolution 0341-26 authorizes a contract with United Way of the Bluegrass, INC. in the amount of $375,000 for the operation of the Rides United program. This funding supports the continued delivery of transportation services administered through the United Way of the Bluegrass.

• Resolution 0347-26 authorizes a Utility Access Agreement with Metro Fibernet, LLC related to broadband infrastructure. No dollar amount was specified for this agreement.

Public Comment

One member of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period at the May 5, 2026 meeting.

• Rick Day spoke at 33:46 regarding the Urban County Government's Compensation Study. Day was sharply critical of the study, alleging that it was rigged and had negatively impacted the careers of numerous employees. He called on the Council to conduct a further investigation into the matter.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

3:30

No public comments were made on issues on the agenda.

Approval of Summary

4:01

The Council took up the approval of the summary of motions from the April 28, 2026 meeting. Councilmember Ellinger and Councilmember Reynolds were the key speakers on this item. The summary was approved without noted objection.

Proclamation Honoring Pulitzer Prize Winner Chahi Shaquindu

4:36

The Council took up a proclamation honoring Chahi Shaquindu in recognition of winning a Pulitzer Prize. The item was presented during the May 5, 2026 Council meeting, with Councilmember Eblen and Councilmember Morton identified as key speakers on the matter.

The proclamation was approved by the Council.

*Note: Additional details regarding the specific remarks made by Councilmember Eblen and Councilmember Morton, the category or work for which Chahi Shaquindu received the Pulitzer Prize, and any further discussion or context presented during the meeting are not available in the source materials.*

New Business

5:06

The Council took up new business items during this portion of the meeting, with discussion centering on the Rides United program.

Key speakers during this portion of the meeting included Councilmember Baxter and Councilmember Sevigny. The structured data available does not detail the specific arguments made or concerns raised by individual speakers beyond their participation in the discussion.

The item was approved by the Council.

*Note: Additional details regarding the substance of the Rides United program discussion, any concerns raised, and the specifics of the vote are not available in the source data for this meeting.*

Council Capital Projects

8:52

The council reviewed and approved several capital projects during this agenda item. The discussion included funding allocations for United Way of the Bluegrass and Sayre Christian Village Nursing Home.

Key speakers on this item were Vice Mayor Wu and Councilmember Reynolds.

The council ultimately approved the capital projects as presented.

*Note: Additional details regarding specific funding amounts, debate points, concerns raised, or further project descriptions were not available in the source data for this agenda item.*

Social Services and Public Safety Committee Report

9:24

Councilmember Reynolds delivered the Social Services and Public Safety Committee Report, providing updates on several ongoing initiatives under the committee's purview.

The report covered three primary areas:

• Affordable Housing Initiatives: Councilmember Reynolds provided an update on the committee's work related to affordable housing efforts, though no specific votes or actions were taken during this presentation.

• Lexington Mobile Market: An update was given on the Lexington Mobile Market, a program falling within the committee's social services focus.

• Domestic & Sexual Violence Prevention Coalition: Councilmember Reynolds reported on the activities and status of the Domestic & Sexual Violence Prevention Coalition as part of the committee's public safety responsibilities.

The report was informational in nature, with no votes or formal actions taken. No additional speakers or debate were noted in connection with this agenda item.

Building Safety Month Proclamation

11:29

Mayor Linda Gorton presented a proclamation declaring May 2026 as Building Safety Month. The proclamation highlighted the importance of building safety and recognized the work of the Building Inspection team.

Bob Carpenter was also a key speaker during this portion of the meeting.

The proclamation was approved by the Council.

SPOKE Award Presentation

18:18

Mayor Linda Gorton and Wes Holbrook presented the SPOKE Award to Tammy Schweitzer, recognizing her exceptional service in her role as Administrative Specialist Senior in Revenue. The presentation was informational in nature, with no debate or votes required.

The SPOKE Award is a recognition honor presented during Council meetings to highlight outstanding employee contributions. Schweitzer was identified as the recipient for this cycle based on her performance and service in the Revenue department.

No concerns were raised during the presentation. The item concluded as an informational matter following the award ceremony.