Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council convened on February 12, 2009, at 7:00 P.M. in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Jim Newberry presiding. The meeting covered 3 agenda items, beginning with an invocation before moving into substantive legislative business. The Council took up both ordinances and resolutions on second reading, approving items in each category. Over the course of the meeting, 3 votes were taken, 1 public comment was heard, and no formal presentations were recorded.

Attendance

The following members were present at the February 12, 2009 Council meeting:

• Jim Newberry
• Gorton
• Gray
• James
• Lane
• Lawless
• Martin
• McChord
• Myers
• Stinnett
• Beard
• Blues
• Crosbie
• Ellinger
• Feigel

Absent: Henson

No members were recorded as late. A total of 15 members were present for the meeting.

Votes and Decisions

Three roll call votes were taken during the February 12, 2009 Council meeting, all of which passed unanimously with 14 ayes and 0 nays.

• Approval of Ordinances (Second Reading) 6:37: Motioned by Beard and seconded by Blues, the Council voted to approve ordinances given second reading. The motion passed 14–0. Voting in favor: Gorton, Gray, James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, and Feigel. No members voted against.

• Approval of Resolutions (Second Reading) 10:00: Motioned by Ellinger and seconded by Beard, the Council voted to approve resolutions given second reading. The motion passed 14–0. Voting in favor: Gorton, Gray, James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, and Feigel. No members voted against.

• Approval of Resolutions (First Reading) 1:09:48: Motioned by McChord and seconded by Gorton, the Council voted to approve resolutions given first reading. The motion passed 14–0. Voting in favor: Gorton, Gray, James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, and Feigel. No members voted against.

All three votes were unanimous, with the same 14 members voting in favor on each occasion and no abstentions recorded.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered three contracts totaling approximately $2.7 million at the February 12, 2009 meeting.

• Raven Run Visitor and Tourist Center: The Council took action on a contract with BCD, Inc. valued at $1,723,013 for construction and related services for the Raven Run Visitor and Tourist Center. This represented the largest single financial commitment on the agenda.

• Meadows-Northland-Arlington Neighborhood Improvement Project – Phase 3C: A contract with Woodall Construction Company, Inc. in the amount of $564,965 was considered for the third phase of this neighborhood infrastructure improvement project.

• Storm Cleanup Services: The Council addressed a contract with DRC Emergency Services LLC for $438,000 to cover storm cleanup services.

No resolution numbers were included in the available records for these items. Timestamps for individual agenda items were not provided in the source materials.

Public Comment

One member of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period. 1:17:07

• Mr. McCarthy spoke on the topics of traffic and transportation, raising concerns about road capacity and the importance of consistency in street systems. He also shared his pro-life stance and expressed support for housing development.

Contested Items

• Resolution 58 — Open Records Request 1:14:12

The most notable point of contention during the meeting was a split vote over whether to table Resolution 58, which concerned an open records request. The motion to table the resolution produced a 7-7 tie among council members, reflecting a deeply divided body on the matter. With the vote deadlocked, the chair cast the deciding vote in favor of tabling, bringing the immediate debate to a close. The even split indicates significant disagreement among council members regarding how to proceed with the open records request, though the specific objections raised by members on either side are not detailed in the available record.

Invocation

1:11

Dr. Alex Kinchen from The Master's Church delivered the invocation to open the Council meeting. Dr. Kinchen offered prayers on behalf of the council members and the community.

Ordinances - Second Reading

3:24

The Council took up several ordinances on second reading during this portion of the meeting. Madam Clerk presented the ordinances, which included budget amendments and position changes within various divisions.

No debate or concerns were recorded during this portion of the meeting. The ordinances were approved by the Council.

Resolutions - Second Reading

12:11

Multiple resolutions were brought forward for their second reading during this portion of the Council meeting. Madam Clerk presided over the reading of the resolutions, which covered a range of contracts for services and agreements with various organizations.

The resolutions were read for the second time as part of the standard legislative process, advancing them through the required stages of Council consideration. The specific resolutions addressed included contracts and formal agreements, though no significant debate or concerns were recorded during this portion of the proceedings.

All resolutions presented at second reading were approved by the Council.