Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government held a Council meeting on August 11, 2026, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chamber located at 200 E. Main St, Lexington, KY 40507. Mayor Linda Gorton presided over the session, which included 11 agenda items and resulted in 8 motions and votes. The Council heard 4 public comments on issues appearing on the agenda and received 2 informational presentations.

The meeting addressed a range of municipal business. The Council approved requested rezonings and docket items, an approval of summary, budget amendments, and new business items. Additionally, the body approved three categories of communications from the Mayor: appointments, donations, and procurements. The Council also approved continuing business and presentations. Two informational items were presented during the session: a mayoral proclamation and a presentation on Ad Valorem matters. Public comment was received at the beginning of the meeting regarding issues on the agenda.

Attendance

All 16 council members were present at the August 11, 2026 meeting:

• Dan Wu
• James Brown
• Chuck Ellinger
• Tyler Morton
• Shayla Lynch
• Tom Eblen
• Emma Curtis
• Liz Sheehan
• Lisa Higgins-Hord
• Joseph Hale
• Amy Beasley
• Whitney Elliott Baxter
• Dave Sevigny
• Jennifer Reynolds
• Hilary Boone
• Linda Gorton

There were no absences or late arrivals.

Votes and Decisions

The Council held eight votes during this meeting, all of which passed unanimously with 16 ayes, 0 nays, and 0 abstentions.

Approval of Requested Rezonings/Docket 5:21 Motion by Chuck Ellinger, seconded by Emma Curtis. Passed unanimously.

Approval of Budget Amendments 12:19 Motion by Dan Wu, seconded by Whitney Elliott Baxter. Passed unanimously.

Approval of New Business Items 12:50 Motion by Emma Curtis, seconded by Jennifer Reynolds. Passed unanimously.

Approval of Mayor's Appointments 29:22 Motion by Shayla Lynch, seconded by Tyler Morton. Passed unanimously.

Approval of Mayor's Donations 30:24 Motion by Emma Curtis, seconded by Dan Wu. Passed unanimously.

Approval of Mayor's Procurements 30:55 Motion by Emma Curtis, seconded by Dave Sevigny. Passed unanimously.

Approval of Council Capital Projects 31:25 Motion by Jennifer Reynolds, seconded by Emma Curtis. Passed unanimously.

Approval of Social Services and Public Safety Committee Summary 31:56 Motion by Jennifer Reynolds, seconded by Emma Curtis. Passed unanimously.

All voting members present—Dan Wu, James Brown, Chuck Ellinger, Tyler Morton, Shayla Lynch, Tom Eblen, Emma Curtis, Liz Sheehan, Lisa Higgins-Hord, Joseph Hale, Amy Beasley, Whitney Elliott Baxter, Dave Sevigny, Jennifer Reynolds, Hilary Boone, and Linda Gorton—voted in favor of each measure.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council approved four donations during the August 11, 2026 meeting:

Bluegrass Community Foundation Donation Budget Amendment #14376 authorized acceptance of a $159,500.00 donation from the Bluegrass Community Foundation for phased construction in the Cadentown Hamlet. The funds were directed to the Mayor's Office.

Rumpke Donation Budget Amendment #14385 approved a $2,500.00 donation from Rumpke to support Truck-a-Palooza and Environmental Quality and Public Works career programming. Environmental Services received the donation.

Stantec Consulting Services Donation Budget Amendment #14391 accepted a $2,524.27 donation from Stantec Consulting Services to sponsor the purchase and replacement of signs at the Beaumont Preserve Trail. Parks and Recreation was designated as the recipient.

Friends of Joe Lyons Donation Also under Budget Amendment #14391, the Council approved a $2,690.00 donation from friends of Joe Lyons for the purchase of a memorial bench at Kearney Hill Golf Course. Parks and Recreation received this donation as well.

The total value of donations approved was $167,214.27.

Public Comment

Four members of the public addressed the Council during this meeting with concerns about development and zoning matters.

East End Redevelopment

Cheryl Birch spoke at 5:52 regarding redevelopment in the East End, expressing concerns about the potential for displacement of current residents.

West End and Georgetown Street

Tammy Bright raised concerns at 7:26 about the West End and Georgetown Street being considered part of the city, and the potential impact on local culture and parks.

Data Center Zoning

Dawn Amond addressed the Council at 1:22:21 with concerns about the planning commission's decisions on data center zoning and potential legal challenges.

Anti-Displacement Policy

Rolanda Wolfork spoke at 1:26:06 to advocate for an anti-displacement policy to protect historical neighborhoods from development pressures.

Appointments

The Council made the following appointments and reappointments:

Reappointments: - John Atchison to the Affordable Housing Governing Board - Leah Mason to the Board of Health - Patricia Alvayay to the Environmental Commission - Cassandra Vogl to the Environmental Commission - Billie Love to the Homelessness Prevention and Intervention Board - Allison Donovan to the Lexington Children's Museum Board of Directors - Hunter Porter to the Lexington Children's Museum Board of Directors - Ronald Reed to the Lexington Children's Museum Board of Directors - Carrie Rogers to the Lexington Children's Museum Board of Directors - Kimberly Skidmore to the Lexington Children's Museum Board of Directors - Thomas Harris to the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors - Mary Quinn Ramer to the Sister Cities Program Commission

New Appointments: - Trudy Rose to the Dunbar Neighborhood Center Board - Cornelius Johnson to the Emergency Medical Advisory Board - David Waters to the Emergency Medical Advisory Board - Olivia Lasheen Grisby to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board - Christian Nelson to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board - Allison Roy to the Senior Services Commission

Contested Items

The Council meeting on August 11, 2026 included discussion of two items that generated community opposition.

Data Center Zoning

Community members raised concerns about the planning commission's decisions regarding data center zoning. The discussion included potential legal challenges to the zoning decisions. [Specific timestamps and detailed outcomes were not provided in the meeting materials.]

Downtown Master Plan

Community members expressed concerns about the downtown master plan and its potential impact on historical neighborhoods. [Specific timestamps and detailed outcomes were not provided in the meeting materials.]

Public Comment - Issues on Agenda

During the public comment period for issues on the agenda, two residents provided remarks regarding neighborhood concerns. 5:21

Key Speakers: - Cheryl Birch - Tammy Bright

Issues Raised:

Members of the public expressed concerns about redevelopment and zoning changes affecting local neighborhoods. The comments focused on how these proposed changes could impact their communities.

Outcome:

This agenda item was informational in nature, with no formal action taken during this portion of the meeting. The public comments were received and noted for the record.

Requested Rezonings/Docket Approval

5:21

The Council approved a rezoning ordinance for property located at 500 Southland Dr. The rezoning changes the zone classification from Professional Office (P-1) to Neighborhood Business (B-1).

Chuck Ellinger and Emma Curtis were the key speakers on this agenda item. The ordinance was approved by the Council.

Approval of Summary

The Council approved the summary of the Council Work Session from July 1, 2026. 11:47

Key Speakers

Jennifer Reynolds and Emma Curtis participated in this agenda item.

Outcome

The summary was approved by the Council.

Budget Amendments

The council approved budget amendments for rolling over purchase orders and pre-paid expenses from FY 2026 into FY 2027. 12:19

Key Speakers

Dan Wu and Whitney Elliott Baxter led the discussion on this agenda item.

Outcome

The budget amendments were approved by the council.

New Business

12:50

The council addressed several new business items during this portion of the meeting, including discussions of agreements, contracts, and authorizations.

Emma Curtis and Jennifer Reynolds were the key speakers on these matters. The council reviewed and discussed the various proposals presented under new business.

The council approved the new business items that were brought forward.

Communications From the Mayor - Appointments

29:22

The Council considered communications from the Mayor regarding appointments and reappointments to various boards and commissions. Shayla Lynch and Tyler Morton presented the matter to the Council.

The Council approved several appointments and reappointments to various boards and commissions.

Communications From the Mayor - Donations

30:24

The council considered and approved various donations intended for different city departments and divisions. Emma Curtis and Dan Wu presented this matter to the council.

The council accepted and approved the donations as presented. No specific details regarding the individual donations, their sources, amounts, or designated departments were provided in the available meeting materials.

The item was approved by the council.

Communications From the Mayor - Procurements

30:55

The council considered communications from the mayor regarding procurements, which involved approving bids and establishing price contracts for various departments and divisions.

Emma Curtis and Dave Sevigny presented this agenda item to the council. The discussion focused on the approval of competitive bids and the establishment of pricing agreements that would serve multiple city departments and divisions.

The council voted to approve the proposed procurements. This action authorized the city to move forward with the selected bids and establish the price contracts for the various departments and divisions as presented.

Continuing Business/Presentations

31:25

The Council received presentations on council capital projects and other ongoing initiatives during this agenda item.

Key Speakers: - Jennifer Reynolds - Emma Curtis

Outcome: The presentations were approved by the Council.

Mayoral Proclamation

A mayoral proclamation was presented to honor Betty Kerr for her service as the city's historic preservation officer. 40:37

Mayor Linda Gorton presented the proclamation to Betty Kerr in recognition of her work in this role. The item was informational in nature and did not require a vote or formal action by the council.

Presentation: Ad Valorem

Budget Director Melissa Lueker presented information on ad valorem tax rates and options for the fiscal year 48:06.

This was an informational presentation with no formal action taken. The presentation covered ad valorem tax rate considerations and alternatives available to the Council for the upcoming fiscal period.