Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on June 18, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers in Lexington, KY, with Linda Gorton presiding. The meeting covered 3 agenda items, all of which were approved, including a proclamation for Pat Gerhard Day, a public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget of the Downtown Lexington Management District, and an ordinance amending Chapter 4 and Sections 4-2, 4-9, 4-12.4, 4-12.5, 4-14, and 4-21. Over the course of the meeting, the Council took 4 votes and heard 2 public comments.

Attendance

The following 14 members were present at the June 18, 2026 Council meeting:

• Sevigny
• Sheehan
• Wu
• Bees
• Boone
• Brown
• Curtis
• Eblen
• Ellinger
• Hale
• Higgins-Hord
• Lynch
• Morton
• Reynolds

No members were recorded as absent or late. The Council had full attendance for this meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The Council took action on four items during the June 18, 2026 meeting.

• Motion 0554-26 — Approval of the minutes from the June 4, 2026 and June 9, 2026 Council meetings. Moved by Ellinger, seconded by Curtis. The motion passed on a voice vote. 11:21

• Motion 0560-26 — Proclamation of Pat Gerhard Day. The item was approved. 12:09

• Motion 0490-26 — Public Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget of the Downtown Lexington Management District. The item was approved. 20:06

• Motion 0545-26 — Ordinance amending Chapter 4 and Sections 4-2, 4-9, 4-12.4, 4-12.5, 4-14, and 4-21 of the Code of Ordinances. Moved by Curtis, seconded by Brown. The ordinance passed on a roll call vote of 15–0, with no nays or abstentions. All fifteen Council members voted in favor: Sevigny, Sheehan, Wu, Beasley, Boone, Brown, Curtis, Eblen, Ellinger, Elliot-Baxter, Hale, Higgins-Hord, Lynch, Morton, and Reynolds. 34:25

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered three financial agreements at the June 18, 2026 meeting, covering municipal equipment procurement, legal services, and infrastructure planning.

• Resolution 0372-26 authorized an agreement with Wastequip in the amount of $102,884.79 for the purchase of fifteen dumpsters. The contract covers the acquisition of solid waste equipment for city use.

• Resolution 0401-26 approved a First Amendment to a Purchase of Services Agreement with Legal Aid of the Bluegrass, valued at $400,000. This amendment modifies an existing services agreement with the nonprofit legal aid organization.

• Resolution 0423-26 authorized an agreement with Palmer Engineering in the amount of $769,746 for preliminary design services related to the Versailles Road Improvement Project. This contract covers the early-stage engineering and design work for the roadway improvement initiative.

Combined, the three agreements represent a total Council-approved expenditure of $1,272,630.79 across equipment, legal services, and infrastructure planning categories.

Public Comment

Two residents addressed the Council during the public comment period, both focusing on data center policy and surveillance technology.

Hudson Chamberlain 1:21:13 spoke on two topics. He expressed gratitude to the Council for enacting the data center moratorium and urged members to extend it through the end of the year. Chamberlain also called on the Council to terminate its contract with Flock Safety, citing concerns about surveillance activity in predominantly Black neighborhoods.

Dylan Powell 1:27:19 also thanked the Council for the data center moratorium and echoed the call to extend it through the end of the year. Powell cited concerns about the negative impacts data centers have on communities as the basis for his request.

Both speakers were aligned in their support for prolonging the moratorium beyond its current timeline, reflecting community interest in continued restrictions on data center development.

Appointments

The Council took action on the following appointment during the June 18, 2026 meeting:

• Ella Helmuth was appointed as an Attorney in the Department of Law.

Contested Items

Two items drew notable community opposition during the June 18, 2026 Council meeting.

Data Centers

Community members spoke out strongly against data centers, urging the Council to extend an existing moratorium through the end of the year. The nature of the opposition centered on concerns significant enough to prompt calls for continued restrictions on data center development. No outcome of the Council's deliberation on this request is recorded in the available data.

Flock Safety Cameras

Residents raised concerns about the placement of Flock Safety surveillance cameras, arguing that the cameras had been disproportionately installed in predominantly Black neighborhoods. Speakers called on the Council to end the contract with Flock Safety entirely. The available data does not indicate a recorded outcome or Council vote on this matter.

Both items reflect broader community concerns about equity and land use that were brought before the Council during the public-facing portions of the meeting. No additional detail on Council members' responses or formal votes on either item is available in the provided record.

Pat Gerhard Day

Agenda Item 0560-26 12:09

The Council took up a proclamation declaring June 18, 2026, as Pat Gerhard Day in Lexington. The item was presented with remarks from Mayor Linda Gorton and honored Pat Gerhard for her contributions to the community through her art and activism.

The proclamation was approved by the Council.

Public Hearing - Fiscal Year 2027 Budget of the Downtown Lexington Management Di

20:06

The Council held a public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget of the Downtown Lexington Management District (Agenda Item 0490-26). This hearing provided an opportunity for members of the public to comment on the proposed budget before the Council.

No public comments were made during the hearing. The item was ultimately approved by the Council.

Ordinance amending Chapter 4 and Sections 4-2, 4-9, 4-12.4, 4-12.5, 4-14, and 4-21

34:25

The Council took up agenda item 0545-26, an ordinance making several amendments to Chapter 4 of the municipal code. The ordinance addresses three primary areas:

• Defining unsafe weather conditions for the purposes of animal care regulations
• Setting standards for the tethering and confinement of domestic animals
• Implementing a statutory scheme for the impounding and custody of victimized animals

Key speakers on this item were Curtis and Brown, who presented and discussed the ordinance before the full Council.

The measure establishes clearer legal definitions and enforceable standards governing how domestic animals may be restrained or confined, and creates a formal process for taking custody of animals that have been subjected to abuse or neglect. By codifying unsafe weather conditions, the ordinance gives animal control authorities a defined threshold for intervention when animals are exposed to dangerous environmental circumstances.

The ordinance was approved by the Council.