Urban County Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council met on December 9, 2008, with Mayor Newberry presiding. The meeting covered two agenda items: a presentation on Destination 2040, which was deferred, and an interim report from the Police and Fire Retirement Task Force, which was received as informational. Over the course of the meeting, the Council took 4 votes and heard 1 public comment. No time or location information is available for this session.

Attendance

All 14 members of the Council were present at the June 9, 2026 meeting. No members were absent or late.

Present: - Mayor Newberry - CM Blevins - CM Beard - CM Gorton - CM Ellinger - CM Henson - CM Stinnett - CM James - CM Blues - CM Lane - CM McChord - CM Crosby - CM Stevens - CM DeCamp

Votes and Decisions

Four votes were taken during the June 9, 2026 Council meeting, all of which passed by voice vote. No roll call votes were recorded, so individual member tallies are not available.

• Amendment to New Business Agenda 0:06: CM Henson moved, and CM Stinnett seconded, to amend item E on the new business items to replace Gearheart Communications with Intermountain Cable Incorporated. The motion passed by voice vote.

• Approval of New Business Items as Amended 0:10: The new business items, as amended by the preceding motion, were approved by voice vote. No mover or seconder was recorded for this action.

• Approval of the Mayor's Report 1:50: CM Gorton moved, and CM Ellinger seconded, to approve the Mayor's Report. The motion passed by voice vote.

• Resolution to Place on the Docket — Option to Purchase at 2401 Old Frankfurt Pike 1:52: CM Blues moved, and CM Beard seconded, to place on the docket a resolution authorizing and directing the Mayor to execute a six-month option to purchase with Frankfurt Court LLC for property located at 2401 Old Frankfurt Pike. The motion passed by voice vote.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council addressed several financial items spanning bond financing, contracts, and federal grant funding.

Bond and Reimbursement Resolution

• Resolution 668-08 authorized a Reimbursement Resolution for Fiscal Year 2008–2009 Bond Projects totaling $10,051,300, establishing the city's intent to reimburse expenditures from bond proceeds.

Contracts

• Resolution 656-08 approved Change Order No. 1 to an existing contract with Arnold Dugan and Meyers LLC for work at the West Hickman Wastewater Treatment Plant, adding $10,462 to the contract value.
• Resolution 669-08 authorized a License, Support and Shared Hosting Agreement with Dialogic Communications Corporation in the amount of $35,130.

Federal Grant Applications and Awards

• Resolution 659-08 authorized a grant application to the U.S. Department of Justice under the G.R.E.A.T. Program seeking $125,000.
• Resolution 660-08 authorized a continuation application to the U.S. Department of Justice under the Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program, seeking $400,000.
• The Council also accepted an award from the U.S. Department of Justice for bulletproof vests valued at $7,818.32.

In total, the Council acted on over $10.6 million in bond-related financing, approximately $45,592 in contract obligations, and sought or accepted more than $532,818 in federal grant funding across public safety programs.

Public Comment

During the public comment period of the June 9, 2026 Council meeting, one member of the public was present to speak. 1:59:47

• Mr. Maher was recognized during the public comment period but chose to defer his comments to the evening meeting rather than address the Council at that time.

No other public comments were recorded during this session.

Contested Items

• Police and Fire Pension Fund — Council members engaged in a heated discussion regarding the financial condition of the Police and Fire Pension Fund. The debate centered on the fund's significant unfunded liability and potential changes to the pension plan structure. Multiple council members expressed concerns during the discussion, though the specific individuals involved and the precise outcome of the debate are not detailed in the available record.

*Note: Transcript timestamps were not available for this item.*

Destination 2040 Presentation

15:16

Agenda Item B, the Destination 2040 Presentation, was not delivered at the June 9, 2026 Council meeting. The item was deferred, with the presentation postponed until January 2009. No speakers are recorded as having addressed this agenda item, and no discussion, debate, or concerns are documented in connection with it.

Interim Report - Police and Fire Retirement Task Force

18:34

Mr. Bill Lear presented an interim report to the Council on behalf of the Police and Fire Retirement Task Force. The presentation covered the financial issues facing the pension plan and potential changes under consideration by the task force.

No additional details regarding specific financial figures, proposed plan modifications, or individual task force recommendations were provided in the available record of this agenda item. The presentation was informational in nature, and no formal action or vote was taken by the Council as a result.