Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington Fayette County Urban County Council met on July 1, 2026, under the presiding of the Mayor. During the meeting, the Council took 15 votes and heard 1 public comment. The Council addressed 6 agenda items, including 4 items that required formal approval and 2 informational presentations.

The Council approved four ordinances and agreements: a zone change ordinance, budget amendments and appropriations, a tax incentive agreement amendment, and removal of a survivors assistance agreement. The Council also received informational presentations on Artificial Intelligence Policies and Sustainability Standards for LFUCG Buildings.

Votes and Decisions

The council held fourteen votes during the July 1, 2026 meeting, all of which passed by voice vote.

Procedural Votes

The council approved the docket for the July 1, 2026 meeting, with the motion made by Council member Ellinger and seconded by Council member Higgins-Hord 5:54. The council also approved the June 23, 2026 work session motions, with the motion made by Council member Reynolds and seconded by Council member Curtis 9:42.

Ordinances Placed on Docket

Three ordinances were placed on the docket for future consideration:

• An ordinance changing the zone for properties on Chair Avenue and Heyman Avenue, moved by Council member Reynolds and seconded by Council member Ellinger 6:27
• An ordinance for budget amendments and appropriations, moved by Council member Brown and seconded by Council member Elliot-Baxter 7:31
• An ordinance for a tax incentive agreement amendment, moved by Council member Eblen 8:02

Budget Amendments

The council approved budget amendments, moved by Council member Elliot-Baxter and seconded by Council member Sheehan 10:12. Subsequently, Council member Brown moved to amend the list of budget amendments to add grant budget amendments, seconded by Council member Elliot-Baxter 10:43. The council then approved the budget amendments as amended 11:15.

Agenda Modifications and Approvals

The council removed item B under new business relating to survivors assistance, moved by Council member Beasley and seconded by Vice Mayor Wu 9:10. This item was removed again after new business items were approved, with the motion made by Council member Beasley and seconded by Council member Reynolds 12:18.

The council approved new business items, moved by Council member Sheehan and seconded by Council member Sevigny 11:46.

Communications from the Mayor

The council approved three categories of communications from the mayor:

• Appointments, moved by Council member Elliot-Baxter and seconded by Council member Beasley 40:58
• Donations, moved by Council member Curtis and seconded by Council member Sevigny 41:34
• Procurements, moved by Council member Sheehan and seconded by Council member Sevigny 41:34

Other Approvals

The council approved neighborhood development funds, moved by Council member Reynolds and seconded by Council member Higgins-Hord 42:05.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council approved one financial action during this meeting:

Engineering Services Contract

The Council authorized a contract for engineering services related to expansion area work in the amount of $474,477.

Public Comment

Rick Day addressed the Council regarding a discrepancy in how employee misconduct cases have been handled at different facilities. 53:42 Day compared the handling of misconduct at Bird Thurman Drive with that at 200 East Main, questioning why different standards were applied to similar situations.

Zone change ordinance

An ordinance to change zoning designations for properties on Chair Avenue and Heyman Avenue was presented and discussed. The proposed change would rezone the affected properties from a light industrial I-1 zone to a corridor node zone. 6:27

Council member Reynolds participated in the discussion of this agenda item.

The ordinance was approved by the Council.

Budget amendments and appropriations

An ordinance to amend and appropriate funds from fiscal year 2026 to fiscal year 2027 for various projects was presented and discussed 7:31.

Council member Brown participated in the discussion of this agenda item.

The ordinance was approved by the Council.

Tax incentive agreement amendment

An ordinance to amend a tax incentive agreement related to the Lexington Center Development Area was presented to the Council. 8:02

Council member Eblen participated in the discussion of this agenda item.

The ordinance was approved by the Council.

Survivors assistance agreement removal

A motion was made to remove an agenda item relating to the survivors assistance agreement. Council member Beasley presented the motion, citing the withdrawal of the selected organization as the reason for the removal request. 9:10

The motion to remove the survivors assistance agreement item from consideration was approved by the Council.

Artificial Intelligence Policies

The Council reviewed LFUCG's proposed artificial intelligence policies during this meeting. CIO Rogers presented the policies, which were designed to ensure responsible use of artificial intelligence systems, maintain public trust, and keep employees accountable.

The presentation was informational in nature, with the committee examining the proposed framework for AI governance within the organization. The policies aim to establish guidelines that balance the potential benefits of artificial intelligence technology with safeguards to protect the public interest and ensure appropriate employee conduct.

This agenda item concluded as informational, meaning no formal action or vote was taken at this time.

Sustainability Standards for LFUCG Buildings

Patrick Mason presented a proposal to establish long-term performance standards for LFUCG (Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government) buildings designed to support the achievement of climate goals.

The presentation was informational in nature, introducing the framework for sustainability standards that would apply to government-owned buildings. The proposal aims to create measurable performance benchmarks that guide building operations and renovations toward environmental objectives.

No specific concerns or debate points were documented from this agenda item. The outcome was informational, indicating the item was presented for awareness and discussion rather than requiring an immediate vote or decision.