Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council met on January 22, 2009, at 7:00 P.M. in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Jim Newberry presiding. The meeting covered three agenda items, beginning with an invocation, followed by the approval of minutes, and concluding with action on ordinance amendments. Over the course of the meeting, the Council took 3 votes and heard 1 public comment. No presentations were noted among the agenda items.

Attendance

The following members were present at the January 22, 2009 Council meeting:

• Jim Newberry, Ellinger, Gorton, Gray, Henson, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, and Blues

The following members were absent:

• Crosbie, Feigel, and James

No members were recorded as late.

Votes and Decisions

Three votes were taken during the January 22, 2009 Council meeting.

• Approval of Minutes 5:09: Gorton moved and Ellinger seconded a motion to approve the minutes from previous meetings. The motion passed on a voice vote, 12–0, with no abstentions. Voting in favor were Ellinger, Gorton, Gray, Henson, Lane, Lawless, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, and Blues.

• Amendment to Ordinance Number One 6:10: McChord moved and Blues seconded an amendment to Ordinance Number One. The motion passed on a voice vote, 11–0, with 1 abstention. Voting in favor were Ellinger, Gorton, Gray, Henson, Lane, Lawless, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, and Blues.

• Approval of Ordinance Number One as Amended 11:07: Blues moved and Myers seconded approval of Ordinance Number One as amended. The motion passed on a roll call vote, 11–0, with 1 abstention. Voting in favor were Ellinger, Gorton, Gray, Henson, Lane, Lawless, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, and Blues. No members voted against.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered three grant-related financial items at the January 22, 2009 meeting, totaling approximately $5.13 million in external funding.

• Expansion Area 2A Class A Pump Station and Trunk Sewer ($3,100,000): The Council addressed a grant from the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority in the amount of $3,100,000 to fund construction of the Expansion Area 2A Class A Pump Station and Trunk Sewer. This represents the largest single financial item on the agenda.

• Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program ($1,430,000): A grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development totaling $1,430,000 was considered to support the continuation of the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program. This federal funding would allow the program to continue providing housing assistance to eligible recipients.

• Leesway Neighborhood Sanitary Sewer Service ($600,000): The Council also took up a $600,000 grant from the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority designated for the provision of sanitary sewer service to underserved households in the Leesway Neighborhood. This item reflects an ongoing effort to extend basic infrastructure to areas lacking adequate sewer access.

No resolution numbers or transcript timestamps were available in the source materials for these items.

Public Comment

One member of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period of the January 22, 2009 meeting.

• Bernard McCarthy spoke regarding the Coolavin Rail Trail 29:32. Mr. McCarthy asked about the exact location of the trail and raised concerns about its utility for his commute.

Appointments

The Council took action on several appointments and reappointments to city boards and commissions during the meeting.

• J. Michael Haskins was reappointed to the Black & Williams Community Center Board.
• Evelyn Kircher was reappointed to the Commission for Citizens with Disabilities.
• Jennifer F. Burke was appointed to the Internal Audit Board.

Haskins and Kircher both received reappointments, continuing their service on their respective bodies, while Burke received a new appointment to the Internal Audit Board.

Contested Items

• Ordinance Amendments: The ordinance amendments presented at the January 22, 2009 Council meeting generated some level of contention, as evidenced by a split vote. Council Member Martin abstained from voting on the ordinance amendments, distinguishing their position from the other members of the Council. No additional details are available in the record regarding the specific nature of Martin's objection or the precise subject matter of the amendments in question. The outcome of the vote was not specified beyond Martin's abstention.

Invocation

2:53

Pastor Chris Jackson of St. John's Lutheran Church delivered the invocation to open the Council meeting. Pastor Jackson's remarks asked for wisdom and guidance for the council members in their deliberations.

Approval of Minutes

5:09

The Council took up the approval of minutes from several previous meetings. The minutes under consideration covered the following meeting dates from 2008:

• July 8
• August 14
• August 19
• August 21
• September 9
• September 11

Gorton and Ellinger were the key speakers during this agenda item. The Council approved the minutes from all six meetings.

Ordinance Amendments

6:10

The Council took up a discussion of ordinance amendments covering changes to various positions and budget allocations. Key speakers on this item were McChord and Blues.

The amendments addressed updates to existing ordinances, with the discussion centering on the proposed changes to positions and associated budget allocations. No additional detail on specific positions, dollar figures, or individual ordinance identifiers is reflected in the available record of this item.

The Council approved the ordinance amendments.