Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council convened on March 26, 2009, at 7:00 P.M. in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Jim Newberry presiding. The meeting covered four agenda items, beginning with an invocation and proceeding through the approval of minutes, a second reading of ordinances, and a first reading of ordinances. Over the course of the meeting, the Council took 4 votes and heard 2 public comments. Both the minutes and the second reading of ordinances were approved, while the first reading of ordinances advanced to the next stage of the legislative process.

Attendance

The following members were present at the March 26, 2009 Council meeting:

• James
• Lane
• Lawless
• Martin
• McChord
• Myers
• Stinnett
• Blues
• Crosbie
• Ellinger
• Feigel
• Gorton
• Gray
• Henson

Absent: Beard

No members were recorded as late.

Votes and Decisions

Four votes were taken during the March 26, 2009 Council meeting, all of which passed unanimously.

• Approval of Meeting Minutes 0:06: Moved by Gorton, seconded by Stinnett, the Council approved the minutes from the September 9, September 18, October 2, and October 23, 2008 Council meetings. The motion passed by voice vote, 13–0. Voting in favor: James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Stinnett, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Feigel, Gorton, Gray, and Henson.

• Second Reading of Ordinances (Zone Change and Stormwater Discharges) 10:02: Moved by Crosbie, seconded by Blues, the Council approved the second reading of a package of ordinances including a zone change and provisions related to stormwater discharges. The motion passed by roll call vote, 13–0. Voting in favor: James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Stinnett, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Feigel, Gorton, Gray, and Henson.

• Approval of Resolutions (Cleaning Services Bids and Organizational Agreements) 26:52: Moved by Myers, seconded by James, the Council approved a set of resolutions covering bids for cleaning services and agreements with various organizations. The motion passed by roll call vote, 14–0. Voting in favor: James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Feigel, Gorton, Gray, and Henson.

• Second Reading of Ordinance to Change Mayor's Budget Address Date 28:57: Moved by Lane, seconded by Henson, the Council approved the second reading of an ordinance to change the date of the Mayor's Budget Address. The motion passed by roll call vote, 14–0. Voting in favor: James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Feigel, Gorton, Gray, and Henson.

All four measures passed without opposition or abstention. The full 14-member Council was present for three of the four votes; 13 members participated in the first voice vote on the meeting minutes.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council addressed three financial items at the March 26, 2009 meeting, covering a grant acceptance and two contracts.

• EPA Grant – $20,000: The Council considered a $20,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency designated for health education and outreach. No resolution identifier was provided in the meeting record.

• Demolition and Site Preparation Contract – $540,335.25: The Council took action on a contract award to Elza Construction, LLC in the amount of $540,335.25 for demolition and site preparation work associated with single family homes. No contract identifier was included in the meeting record.

• HVAC Upgrade Contract – $120,290: The Council considered a contract with Frantz, Inc. in the amount of $120,290 for an HVAC upgrade to the Police Technical Services Unit Building. No contract identifier was included in the meeting record.

Combined, the two contracts represent approximately $660,625.25 in expenditures, with the EPA grant providing an additional $20,000 in outside funding for public health programming.

Public Comment

Two members of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period of the March 26, 2009 meeting.

• Mr. McCarthy spoke about the proposed conversion of one-way streets to two-way streets in the downtown area. 56:28 He expressed concerns that such a change would make downtown less accessible and would worsen traffic conditions, arguing against the proposal.

• Mr. Winkler addressed the Council regarding the Gainesway Pond Project. 1:00:19 He was critical of how the project had been handled, focusing specifically on an oversight related to federal wage requirements. His comments suggested that proper procedures surrounding those requirements had not been adequately followed in connection with the project.

Contested Items

• Funding for Lexington Distillery District Project — The council was divided over the funding source for the Lexington Distillery District Project. The disagreement centered on whether to draw from the Council's Economic Development Fund to support the project. The item resulted in a split vote, indicating that council members were not in full agreement on the appropriate use of those funds for this purpose. No additional details are available in the record regarding the specific vote count, the names of members on each side, or the final outcome of the vote.

Invocation

3:32

The meeting opened with an invocation delivered by Rev. Dr. C.B. Akins, Sr., Pastor of the First Baptist Church Bracktown.

Approval of Minutes

6:16

The Council took up the approval of minutes from several previous meetings. The minutes presented for approval covered four prior sessions: those held on September 9, September 18, October 2, and October 23, 2008.

Gorton and Stinnett were the key speakers during this portion of the meeting. The Council moved to approve the minutes, and the item was approved without recorded objection or significant debate.

Second Reading of Ordinances

10:02

The Council conducted the second reading of ordinances related to zoning changes and stormwater discharges. Key speakers during this portion of the meeting included Crosbie and Blues.

The ordinances were presented for their second reading, covering two subject areas:

• Zoning changes — amendments to existing zoning regulations
• Stormwater discharges — ordinance language addressing stormwater discharge requirements

Following the second reading, the Council approved the ordinances. No additional details regarding specific debate, amendments, or concerns raised during this portion of the meeting are available in the record.

First Reading of Ordinances

11:08

Several ordinances were given their first reading during this portion of the Council meeting. The ordinances covered a range of subjects, including zoning changes and budget amendments. Madam Clerk presided over the reading of these items.

First readings represent the initial formal introduction of proposed ordinances before the full Council, allowing members and the public to become aware of pending legislative action prior to any vote. The ordinances presented at this stage would be subject to further consideration at a subsequent meeting before any final action could be taken.

The specific ordinances read included measures related to zoning changes and budget amendments, though detailed discussion or debate on the individual items was not recorded at this stage of the proceedings. No final votes were taken on these ordinances, as the items remained at the first reading stage.