Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council met on May 26, 2026, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber in Lexington, KY, with Mayor Linda Gorton presiding. The meeting covered 11 agenda items spanning a range of municipal business, including rezonings, budget amendments, mayoral appointments, donations, procurements, and neighborhood development funds. The Council took a total of 19 votes during the session, with the majority of agenda items receiving approval. Two public comment periods were held — one for issues on the agenda and one for issues not on the agenda — during which 2 public comments were heard in total. No presentations are reflected in the meeting record.

Attendance

All 16 members of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council were present at the May 26, 2026 meeting. No members were absent or late.

Present: - Mayor Linda Gorton - Vice Mayor 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

All items at the May 26, 2026 Council meeting passed by voice vote. No roll call votes were recorded, and no dissenting votes were noted for any item.

• Approval of the May 14, 2026 Council Meeting Docket — Moved by Council Member Ellinger, seconded by Vice Mayor Wu. Passed by voice vote. 2:33

• Ordinance 0413-26 — Changing the zone from a professional office zone to a neighborhood business zone for property at 456 East High Street. Moved by Council Member Ebb. Passed by voice vote. 3:03

• Ordinance 5411-26 — Changing the zone from a townhouse residential zone to a neighborhood business zone for a portion of Country Club Drive. Moved by Council Member Hale, seconded by Vice Mayor Wu. Passed by voice vote. 4:16

• Ordinance 04216 — Changing the zone from a single-family residential zone to a medium density residential zone for property at 3000 Clays Mill Road. Moved by Council Member Sevigny, seconded by Vice Mayor Wu. Passed by voice vote. 4:53

• Approval of the May 12, 2026 Council Work Session Motions — Moved by Council Member Ellinger. Passed by voice vote. 6:32

• Approval of Budget Amendments — Moved by Council Member Sheehan, seconded by Vice Mayor Wu. Passed by voice vote. 7:03

• Approval of New Business — Moved by Council Member Reynolds, seconded by Council Member Sheehan. Passed by voice vote. 7:42

• Amendment to correct the name of the contractor for weekly group trauma counseling support — Moved by Council Member Ellinger, seconded by Council Member Lynch. Passed by voice vote. 9:21

• Approval of Communications from the Mayor — Appointments — Moved by Vice Mayor Wu, seconded by Council Member Sheehan. Passed by voice vote. 17:31

• Approval of Communications from the Mayor — Donations — Passed by voice vote. 18:03

• Approval of Communications from the Mayor — Procurements — Moved by Council Member Sevigny, seconded by Council Member Hale. Passed by voice vote. 18:34

• Approval of Neighborhood Development Funds — Moved by Council Member Reynolds, seconded by Council Member Curtis. Passed by voice vote. 19:04

• Ratification of the Mayor's Proposed Budget for FY 2027 as amended by the Council — Moved by Council Member Brown, seconded by Vice Mayor Wu. Passed by voice vote. 21:16

• Place on the docket for the first reading of the FY 2027 Budget Ordinance — Moved by Council Member Brown. Passed by voice vote. 21:48

• Place on the docket for the first reading of budget amendments related to prefunding certain items in the FY 2027 budget — Moved by Council Member Brown, seconded by Council Member Ellinger. Passed by voice vote. 22:20

• Cancel the Committee of the Whole meeting scheduled for May 28 — Moved by Council Member Brown, seconded by Council Member Higgins-Hord. Passed by voice vote. 22:53

• Refer to committee a development of a comprehensive expansion strategy for crisis response — Moved by Council Member Morton, seconded by Council Member Beasley. Passed by voice vote. 26:40

• Place in the Social Services and Public Safety Committee a study on the e-911 shift pay differential — Moved by Council Member Beasley, seconded by Council Member Morton. Passed by voice vote. 27:11

• Adjournment — Passed by voice vote. 33:35

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered three financial items at the May 26, 2026 meeting, covering transportation infrastructure, traffic calming, and community support services.

• L0369-26 authorizes a Memorandum of Agreement with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for the operation and maintenance of traffic signals and electrical traffic control devices, valued at $426,000. This represents the largest financial commitment on the agenda and covers ongoing coordination between the city and the state transportation agency for signal infrastructure.

• L0375-26 approves a contract valued at $16,400 to install four speed humps on Glenn Place. No vendor or recipient was identified in the available documentation for this item.

• L0385-26 authorizes a Professional Services Agreement with Anthony Moody in the amount of $7,000 to provide weekly group trauma counseling support. This contract reflects a direct investment in community mental health services.

Combined, the three items total $449,400 in authorized expenditures across transportation maintenance, infrastructure improvements, and social services.

Public Comment

Two residents addressed the Council during the public comment period at the May 26, 2026 meeting.

• Martin Rivers 28:44 spoke on the topics of budget allocations and security measures. Rivers raised concerns about the use of funds designated for additional security personnel and equipment, arguing that the money could be more effectively directed toward community-wide initiatives. He specifically suggested Narcan distribution as an alternative use of those resources.

• Rolanda Wolfork 31:23 addressed the Council regarding the downtown master plan. Wolfork was critical of what she described as a lack of meaningful community engagement in the planning process, with particular concern about the inclusion of her neighborhood in the plan without adequately addressing residents' concerns.

Appointments

The Council took action on appointments to various commissions and boards during the May 26, 2026 meeting. However, the available structured data does not include the specific names of individuals appointed or the particular bodies to which they were assigned beyond a general reference to "various commissions and boards."

No timestamp information is available for this agenda item.

For a complete list of the individuals appointed and the specific bodies they were assigned to, members of the public are encouraged to consult the official meeting minutes or agenda documentation, which would contain the full details of each appointment action taken by the Council.

Contested Items

Two items drew public opposition during the May 26, 2026 Council meeting.

• Security Measures Funding: Martin Rivers spoke against the proposed allocation of funds for additional security personnel and equipment. Rivers argued that the funds should be directed toward alternative uses, though no specific alternatives are noted in the record. The outcome of this item is not indicated in the available data.

• Downtown Master Plan: Rolanda Wolfork criticized the downtown master plan, focusing specifically on what she described as a lack of meaningful community engagement in the planning process. Wolfork raised particular concern about the inclusion of her neighborhood in the plan, suggesting residents had not been adequately consulted. The outcome of this item is not indicated in the available data.

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

2:02

No public comments were made on issues on the agenda.

Requested Rezonings/Docket Approval

2:33

The Council took up the matter of requested rezonings to be placed on the docket for the May 28, 2026 council meeting. Council Members Ellinger, Ebb, Hale, and Sevigny were among the key participants in the discussion.

The rezonings were considered for docket placement, which would formally schedule them for action at the upcoming May 28 meeting. The Council ultimately approved placing the rezonings on the docket.

*Note: The available data does not include specifics on the individual rezoning requests discussed, the details of any debate or concerns raised, or the vote tally. Readers seeking fuller detail are encouraged to consult the meeting video beginning at timestamp 02:33.*

Approval of Summary

6:32

The Council took up the approval of the summary from the May 12, 2026 Council Work Session. Council Member Ellinger was the key speaker on this item. No concerns or debate were noted regarding the summary's contents. The summary was approved.

Budget Amendments

7:03

The Council took up a resolution on budget amendments during the May 26, 2026 meeting. Council Member Sheehan was the key speaker on this item. The resolution was approved without dissent.

No concerns or debate were recorded in connection with this item.

New Business

7:42

The Council took up New Business, during which several items — including amendments and contracts — were presented for consideration.

Council Member Reynolds and Council Member Sheehan were the key speakers during this portion of the meeting. The items discussed fell under the category of resolutions and encompassed amendments as well as contract-related matters.

No specific concerns from the discussion are reflected in the available record. All New Business items were approved by the Council.

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*Note: The source data for this agenda item is limited. Specific item identifiers, contract details, amendment descriptions, vote counts, and the full substance of any debate are not available in the provided record and have been omitted accordingly.*

Communications from the Mayor - Appointments

17:31

The Council took up the Mayor's appointments during this portion of the meeting. Vice Mayor Wu was the key speaker on this agenda item, presenting the appointments communicated by the Mayor for Council consideration.

No specific details regarding the individual appointees, the boards or commissions to which they were appointed, or any debate or concerns raised during discussion are reflected in the available record for this item. The appointments were brought forward and acted upon by the Council.

Outcome: The Mayor's appointments were approved.

Communications from the Mayor - Donations

18:03

The Council took up the matter of donations communicated by the Mayor. The item was presented for Council consideration and was approved without additional detail recorded in the available meeting data.

No key speakers were identified in connection with this agenda item, and no debate or concerns were noted in the record.

Outcome: The donations were approved by the Council.

Communications from the Mayor - Procurements

18:34

The Council took up the Mayor's communications regarding procurements. Council Member Sevigny was the key speaker on this item. The procurements communicated by the Mayor were presented to the Council for consideration, and the item was approved.

No additional details regarding the specific contracts, vendors, amounts, or scope of the procurements are available in the meeting record for this item. No concerns or debate are noted in the available data.

Continuing Business - Neighborhood Development Funds

19:04

The Council took up the matter of Neighborhood Development Funds as a continuing business item during the May 26, 2026 meeting. Council Member Reynolds and Council Member Curtis were the key speakers on this agenda item.

The resolution was approved by the Council. No additional details regarding the specific funding amounts, project descriptions, concerns raised, or the nature of the debate are available from the meeting record for this item.

Council Reports

19:39

Council members provided a series of reports and personal announcements during this portion of the May 26, 2026 meeting. The following council members delivered remarks:

• Council Member Brown
• Council Member Lynch
• Council Member Sevigny

This item was informational in nature, and no votes or formal actions were taken as a result of the reports presented.

*Note: The available data for this agenda item does not include the specific details of each council member's individual remarks. For the full content of each report, viewers can refer to the meeting video beginning at timestamp 19:39.*

Public Comment - Issues Not on Agenda

28:44

During the public comment period for issues not on the agenda, two members of the public addressed the Council.

• Martin Rivers and Rolanda Wolfork each came forward to share comments on matters outside of the meeting's formal agenda items.

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