Urban County Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on March 24, 2009, with Mayor Newberry presiding over the session. The meeting addressed six agenda items spanning a range of legislative and administrative matters, including budget amendments, new business items, and informational updates on planning and street conversion benchmarks. Over the course of the meeting, the Council took 13 votes and heard 3 public comments on agenda items. Key actions included the approval of the docket, passage of budget amendments, and approval of new business items, while the Planning Committee Update and Street Conversion Benchmarks were presented for informational purposes only.

Attendance

All members were present at the March 24, 2009 Council meeting. The following 16 officials attended:

• Mayor Newberry
• VM Gray
• CM Stinnett
• CM Gorton
• CM Myers
• CM Beard
• CM James
• CM Lawless
• CM Ellinger
• CM Blues
• CM Henson
• CM McChord
• CM Lane
• CM Crosby
• CM Feigel
• CM Martin

No members were recorded as absent or late.

Votes and Decisions

The Council took the following actions at the March 24, 2009 meeting:

• Docket Addition – R-1D to R-4 Rezoning: On a motion by CM Stinnett, seconded by CM Gorton, the Council unanimously approved placing on the docket without a hearing an ordinance changing the zone from Single Family Residential (R-1D) to High Density Apartment (R-4) for the March 26, 2009 Council Meeting.

• Docket Addition – R-1B to I-1 Rezoning: On a motion by CM Gorton, seconded by CM Stinnett, the Council unanimously approved placing on the docket without a hearing an ordinance changing the zone from Single Family Residential (R-1B) to Light Industrial (I-1) for the March 26, 2009 Council Meeting.

• Amended Docket Approval: On a motion by CM Myers, seconded by CM Gorton, the Council unanimously approved the amended docket.

• Budget Amendments: On a motion by CM Gorton, seconded by CM Myers, the Council unanimously approved the budget amendments.

• Amendment to New Business Item J – Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority MOA: On a motion by CM Beard, seconded by CM Stinnett, the Council voted 12–2 with 1 abstention to amend new business item J regarding the Memorandum of Agreement with the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority. Voting in favor: CM Beard, CM Stinnett, CM Myers, CM James, CM Lawless, CM Ellinger, CM Blues, CM Henson, CM McChord, CM Crosby, CM Feigel, and CM Martin. Voting against: VM Gray and CM Gorton. 7:00

• New Business Items A–Y as Amended: On a motion by CM James, seconded by CM Lawless, the Council unanimously approved new business items A through Y as amended.

• Ad-Hoc Committee – Zoning/Building Permits: On a motion by CM Gorton, seconded by CM Ellinger, the Council unanimously voted to establish an ad-hoc committee to review possible changes to time limits and increased fines on zoning/building permits. 1:14:19

• Heritage Tree Program Withdrawal: On a motion by CM Gorton, seconded by CM Beard, the Council unanimously voted to withdraw the Heritage Tree Program issue from the Planning Committee. 1:15:23

• Courthouse Area Design Review Board Text Amendment: On a motion by CM Gorton, seconded by CM Blues, the Council unanimously voted to initiate a text amendment to include the Courthouse Area Design Review Board recommendations. 1:17:04

• Planning Committee Special Meetings: On a motion by CM Gorton, seconded by CM Henson, the Council unanimously voted to set two special meetings for the Planning Committee. 1:19:17

• Street Conversion Benchmarks: On a motion by CM McChord, seconded by CM Meyers, the Council voted 6–9 to adopt proposed benchmarks for street conversion. The motion failed. Voting in favor: CM McChord, CM Meyers, CM James, CM Lawless, CM Ellinger, and CM Blues. Voting against: CM Beard, CM Gorton, CM Henson, CM Crosby, CM Feigel, CM Martin, CM Lane, VM Gray, and Mayor Newberry. 3:03:37

• Main Street 44-Foot Street Design: On a motion by CM McChord, seconded by CM Martin, the Council approved by voice vote authorizing Clete Behnken to provide detailed design of a 44-foot street on Main Street. 3:05:42

• Lexington Distillery District TIF Project MOA – Docket Placement: On a motion by CM Blues, seconded by CM Lawless, the Council voted 10–1 with 1 abstention to place on the docket a resolution authorizing and directing the mayor to execute a memorandum of agreement with the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority for the Lexington Distillery District Mixed-use Redevelopment Tax Increment Financing Project. Voting in favor: CM Blues, CM Lawless, CM Stinnett, CM Gorton, CM Myers, CM Beard, CM James, CM Ellinger, CM Henson, and CM McChord. Voting against: CM Crosby. 3:21:17

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council addressed one financial item during the March 24, 2009 meeting involving a formal agreement tied to a major redevelopment initiative.

• Lexington Distillery District Tax Increment Financing Agreement: The Council considered a Memorandum of Agreement with the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority in the amount of $47,000 related to the Lexington Distillery District Mixed-use Redevelopment Tax Increment Financing Project. This agreement establishes a formal relationship between the city and the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority in connection with the tax increment financing (TIF) structure supporting the Distillery District redevelopment effort.

No resolution number or additional contract identifier was recorded in the available meeting data for this item.

Public Comment

Three members of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period of the March 24, 2009 meeting.

• Mr. Cobb 3:36:35 spoke on the themes of community unity and the revitalization of Black history in Lexington. He urged the Council to support new initiatives and to take action to help save young people in the community.

• Mr. Powell 3:38:49 raised concerns about the amount of personal information required when selling items to pawn shops. He cited identity theft as a significant risk associated with these requirements and called attention to the issue as a matter of public concern.

• Ms. Debi Tester 3:40:23 addressed concerns related to civil service employment practices, specifically focusing on employees who have been serving in acting or temporary positions beyond the established 90-day limit. She also noted the absence of adequate grievance procedures available to employees seeking to address these situations.

Contested Items

Two items generated notable disagreement during the March 24, 2009 Council meeting.

Street Conversion Benchmarks

The council was divided over a proposal to adopt benchmarks for street conversion. The debate centered on concerns about the costs associated with implementation and the timelines for carrying out the conversions. The item resulted in a split vote, indicating that a portion of the council was not prepared to move forward with the benchmarks as presented. Specific vote tallies and the names of members on each side were not recorded in the available data.

Memorandum of Agreement for TIF Projects

A heated discussion arose over a Memorandum of Agreement related to Tax Increment Financing (TIF) projects, specifically involving the Distillery District and CenterPoint projects. The disagreement focused on how funding would be structured and how reimbursements would be handled under the agreement. Council members debated the terms before the item was resolved, though the final outcome of the vote was not captured in the available data.

*No transcript timestamps were available for these items.*

Public Comment on Issues on Agenda

0:05

The Council meeting opened with an invitation for members of the public to comment on any issues appearing on the agenda. No public comments were offered at this time.

Docket Approval

0:37

The Council took up approval of the docket for the upcoming meeting, which included several zoning changes and resolutions. CM Myers and CM Gorton were the key speakers during this portion of the meeting. The docket was approved.

Budget Amendments

5:57

The Council took up a resolution on budget amendments for the fiscal year. CM Gorton and CM Myers were the key speakers on this item.

The resolution was approved by the Council.

*Note: Additional details about the specific amendments discussed, any concerns raised, or the nature of the debate are not available in the source materials for this item.*

New Business Items

6:29

The Council took up several new business items during this portion of the meeting, including various agreements and contracts for consideration. CM James and CM Lawless were among the key speakers participating in the discussion of these items.

The Council reviewed and deliberated on the presented agreements and contracts, moving through the new business agenda. Following discussion, the items were approved by the Council.

*Note: Detailed specifics regarding the individual agreements, contract parties, dollar amounts, and the substance of any debate or concerns raised are not available in the source materials for this agenda item.*

Planning Committee Update

1:12:26

CM Gorton presented the Planning Committee Update to the Council, providing information on several ongoing initiatives under the committee's purview.

The update covered two primary areas of focus:

• Zoning and Building Permit Changes: The Planning Committee reported on proposed or ongoing changes related to zoning regulations and the building permit process.
• Heritage Tree Program: The committee also provided an update on the Heritage Tree Program, an initiative tracked and managed through the Planning Committee.

The presentation was informational in nature, with no votes or formal actions taken as a result of the update.

Street Conversion Benchmarks

2:58:02

The Council held a discussion on proposed benchmarks for converting one-way streets to two-way streets, with the conversation centering on Main and Vine Streets.

Key speakers in this discussion included CM McChord and Clete Behnken. The item was informational in nature, meaning no formal vote or binding decision was reached during this session.

No additional detail on the specific benchmarks proposed, concerns raised, or the substance of the debate is available in the provided record beyond the focus on Main and Vine Streets as the subject streets under consideration.