Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council convened on April 9, 2009, at 7:00 P.M. in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Jim Newberry presiding. The meeting covered 11 agenda items, all of which were approved, spanning a range of municipal matters including zoning changes, personnel actions, grant acceptances, and contractual agreements. Over the course of the meeting, the Council took 5 votes and heard 1 public comment. No presentations were recorded for this session.

Among the items approved were two zoning ordinances — one changing the designation at 852 Campbell Lane from R-1D to R-4, and another changing 550 and 560 Stone Road from R-1B to I-1 — along with an agreement with Remotec, Inc., personnel actions affecting the Division of Water Quality and Division of Human Resources, and a reclassification for Donald Bowman. The Council also approved grants from the Kentucky Department of Military Affairs for the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) and from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for an ITS/CMS Traffic Improvement Project, as well as a modification to an agreement with the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security, a bid from Elza Construction, LLC for demolition and site preparation, and an amendment to the municipal budgets.

Attendance

The following members were present at the April 9, 2009 Council meeting:

• Mayor Jim Newberry
• Lane
• Martin
• McChord
• Myers
• Stinnett
• Beard
• Blues
• Ellinger
• Feigel
• Gorton
• Gray
• Henson
• James

Absent: Crosbie, Lawless

No members were recorded as late.

Votes and Decisions

The Council took five votes during the April 9, 2009 meeting, all of which passed.

• Approval of Minutes 9:13: Gorton moved and James seconded approval of the minutes from previous meetings. The motion passed by voice vote.

• Approval of Ordinances (Second Reading) 14:00: Beard moved and Gorton seconded approval of ordinances given second reading. The motion passed by roll call vote, 13–0, with all members voting in favor: Lane, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Ellinger, Feigel, Gorton, Gray, Henson, and James. No members voted against.

• Approval of Resolutions (Second Reading) 28:33: Blues moved and Gorton seconded approval of resolutions given second reading. The motion passed by roll call vote, 13–0, with all members voting in favor: Lane, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, Beard, Blues, Ellinger, Feigel, Gorton, Gray, Henson, and James. No members voted against.

• Disciplinary Action for Firefighter Robert Smith 41:28: Ellinger moved and Myers seconded approval of disciplinary action for Firefighter Robert Smith. The motion passed by voice vote.

• Disciplinary Action for Officer David Loy Lunsford 42:30: Myers moved and Lane seconded approval of disciplinary action for Officer David Loy Lunsford. The motion passed by voice vote.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council addressed several financial items at the April 9, 2009 meeting, covering contracts and grants across multiple departments.

Contracts:

• The Council approved an agreement with Remotec, Inc. for a hybrid radio assembly and foldable video antenna assembly in the amount of $55,307.00.
• The bid of Elza Construction, LLC was accepted for demolition and site preparation at a cost of $540,335.25.

Grants:

• The Council accepted a grant of $372,300.00 from the Kentucky Department of Military Affairs in support of the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program.
• A grant of $324,000.00 was accepted from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for the ITS/CMS Traffic Improvement Project.

No resolution numbers were recorded in the available meeting data for these items. Timestamps were not available for individual financial agenda items.

Public Comment

One member of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period.

• Mr. McCarthy spoke on the topics of downtown traffic and retail. 35:25 He expressed concerns about a proposal to convert downtown streets from one-way to two-way traffic, arguing that such a change would not benefit retail businesses in the area. Mr. McCarthy contended that the decline of downtown retail was driven by competition from malls and by limited store hours, rather than by the current street configurations. In his view, altering the direction of traffic flow would not address the underlying causes of downtown retail struggles.

Appointments

The Council took action on several appointments to county boards and commissions during the April 9, 2009 meeting.

• Mary H. Witt was appointed to the Agricultural Extension District Board.
• Karla R. Groves, Yavaletta K. Cooper, and James Templin were each appointed to Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Additionally, Jane H. Bennington was reappointed to CASA.
• Guadalupe A. Mejia was appointed to the Environmental Commission.
• Arthur Wrobel was appointed to the Greenspace Commission.
• Karen W. Angelucci was reappointed to the Tree Board.

In total, the Council confirmed six new appointments and two reappointments across six separate boards and commissions.

Ordinance changing zone from R-1D to R-4 at 852 Campbell Ln.

9:13

The Council considered an ordinance to rezone the property at 852 Campbell Ln. from R-1D (Single Family Residential) to R-4 (High Density Apartment), subject to certain use restrictions. Key speakers on this item were Beard and Gorton.

The ordinance proposed changing the zoning designation to allow for high-density apartment use at the property, while incorporating specific restrictions on how the property could be used under the new zoning classification. The Council reviewed and discussed the proposed change before moving to a vote.

The ordinance was approved by the Council.

Ordinance changing zone from R-1B to I-1 at 550 and 560 Stone Rd.

9:13

The Council took up an ordinance to rezone the properties at 550 and 560 Stone Road from R-1B (Single Family Residential) to I-1 (Light Industrial). The rezoning came with certain use restrictions attached to the change in designation.

Key speakers on this item included Beard and Gorton, who participated in the discussion. The ordinance was ultimately approved by the Council.

*Note: The available structured data for this item does not include detailed information on the specific arguments presented, concerns raised, or the nature of the use restrictions attached to the rezoning. Readers seeking a full account of the debate and conditions applied are encouraged to consult the meeting transcript or recording directly, beginning at approximately the 9:13 mark.*

Agreement with Remotec, Inc.

9:13

The Council took up an ordinance authorizing the Mayor to execute an agreement with Remotec, Inc. for hybrid radio assembly and foldable video antenna assembly. Key speakers on this item were Beard and Gorton.

The ordinance was approved by the Council.

*Note: The available record for this agenda item is limited. Specific details of the presentation, any debate, and concerns raised during discussion are not available in the provided data.*

Amendment to create temporary positions in Div. of Water Quality

9:13

The Council considered an ordinance to amend the Code of Ordinances to create two temporary positions of Staff Assistant Sr. in the Division of Water Quality.

Key speakers on this item included Beard and Gorton. The ordinance was presented to the Council for consideration and discussion before a vote was taken.

The item was ultimately approved by the Council.

Reclassification of Donald Bowman

9:13

The Council considered an ordinance to reclassify Donald Bowman from Treatment Plant Operator-Apprentice to Treatment Plant Operator in the Division of Water Quality.

Key speakers on this item included Beard and Gorton. The ordinance was presented to the Council for consideration and approval.

The Council approved the reclassification ordinance.

Amendment to abolish and create positions in Div. of Human Resources

9:13

The Council considered an ordinance to amend the Code of Ordinances by abolishing one position of Human Resources Analyst and creating one position of Total Rewards Assistant within the Division of Human Resources.

Key speakers on this item included Beard and Gorton. The ordinance represented a straightforward personnel restructuring within the division, replacing one classified position with another of a different title and function.

The item was approved by the Council.

Grant from Ky. Dept. of Military Affairs for CSEPP

9:13

The Council considered an ordinance authorizing the Mayor to accept a grant from the Kentucky Department of Military Affairs for the continuation of the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP). The item was presented as a continuation of an existing program rather than a new initiative.

Key speakers on this item included Beard and Gorton. The ordinance was brought forward to ensure the city could formally receive the grant funding necessary to maintain CSEPP operations. No significant concerns or debate were recorded in the available data for this agenda item.

The ordinance was approved by the Council.

Bid of Elza Construction, LLC for Demolition and Site Preparation

9:13

The Council considered an ordinance accepting the bid of Elza Construction, LLC for demolition and site preparation work in connection with the construction of single family homes. This item was brought forward as Agenda Item 8.

Key speakers on this item included Beard and Gorton, who participated in the discussion. The ordinance was presented for Council consideration and action.

The Council approved the ordinance accepting Elza Construction, LLC's bid for the demolition and site preparation work. No additional details regarding the bid amount, specific site locations, or the nature of any debate or concerns raised are available in the record for this item.

Amendment to Municipal Budgets

9:13

The Council took up Agenda Item 9, an ordinance amending certain budgets of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government to reflect current requirements for municipal expenditures.

Key speakers on this item included Beard and Gorton. The ordinance was presented as a budget amendment measure intended to align existing municipal budgets with current operational and expenditure needs of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government.

The Council approved the ordinance.

Grant from Ky. Transportation Cabinet for ITS/CMS Traffic Improvement Project

9:13

The Council considered an ordinance authorizing the Mayor to accept a grant from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for the Intelligent Transportation System/Congestion Management System (ITS/CMS) Traffic Improvement Project. Key speakers on this item were Beard and Gorton.

The ordinance was approved by the Council.

*Note: The available record identifies this as Agenda Item 10 and confirms the speakers and outcome, but does not include detailed information about the specific grant amount, project scope, or the substance of any debate or concerns raised during discussion.*

Modification to Agreement with Ky. Office of Homeland Security

9:13

The Council considered an ordinance authorizing the Mayor to execute a modification to an existing agreement with the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security for the purchase of equipment related to a Total Containment Vessel.

Key speakers on this item included Beard and Gorton, who addressed the Council regarding the proposed modification. The ordinance sought to amend the terms of the prior agreement to accommodate the equipment purchase associated with the Total Containment Vessel, though no specific dollar amounts or detailed terms were recorded in the available meeting data.

The Council ultimately approved the ordinance.