Urban County Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on April 14, 2009, with Mayor Newberry presiding over the session. The meeting covered five agenda items, including public comment, approval of a summary, new business, a Services Committee update, and a Storm Water Fee Task Report. Two items — the Approval of Summary and New Business — were acted upon and approved, while the remaining three items were informational in nature. Over the course of the meeting, five motions and votes were recorded, and one public comment was heard. The session addressed both administrative matters and ongoing policy topics, including updates from the Services Committee and a report on storm water fees.

Attendance

The following members were present at the April 14, 2009 Council meeting:

• Mayor Newberry
• CM Beard
• CM Myers
• CM Lane
• CM McChord
• CM Blues
• CM Ellinger
• CM Gorton
• CM Stinnett
• CM Martin
• CM Gordon
• CM Crosby
• CM Lawless
• CM Kelly
• CM Hancock
• CM Taylor
• CM Wright
• CM Bennett
• CM King
• CM Webb
• CM Cole

Absent: CM James

No members were recorded as late.

Votes and Decisions

The Council took the following actions during the April 14, 2009 meeting:

• Approval of the April 7, 2009 Summary 31:42: Motioned by CM Beard and seconded by CM Myers, the summary of the 4/7/09 meeting was approved unanimously.

• Amendment to New Business Item A 33:22: CM Lane motioned, seconded by CM McChord, to amend New Business Item A by changing the referenced amount from $5,000 to $3,933.25. The motion passed unanimously.

• Approval of Amended New Business Items 33:57: CM Blues motioned, seconded by CM Lane, to approve the new business items as amended. The motion passed unanimously.

• Executive Order Declaring LexArts the Official Local Arts Agency: CM Gorton motioned, seconded by CM Crosbie, to request that the Mayor issue an Executive Order declaring LexArts the official local arts agency for the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG). The motion passed on a roll call vote of 14 ayes and 0 nays. CM James was absent for the vote.

• Resolution Designating LexArts as Official Arts Agency: CM Gorton motioned, seconded by CM Crosbie, to direct the Department of Law to prepare a resolution making LexArts the official arts agency for the LFUCG. The motion passed on a roll call vote of 14 ayes and 0 nays. CM James was absent for the vote.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered one financial item during the April 14, 2009 meeting involving the acceptance of an external donation.

• Resolution 238-09 authorized the acceptance of a donation of $3,933.25 from Kentucky American Water Company to support the 2009 Reforest the Bluegrass Program. The funds represent a charitable contribution from the water utility intended to fund tree-planting and reforestation efforts under the program for that year.

This was the sole budget or financial action on the agenda for this meeting.

Public Comment

One member of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period of the April 14, 2009 meeting.

• Jane O'Tiernan spoke regarding two related concerns: the installation of rain gardens and the proposed narrowing of Main Street 1:48:26. O'Tiernan raised issues about the potential impact these changes could have on traffic flow and parking in the area.

Contested Items

• Designation of LexArts as the Official Local Arts Agency: The Council engaged in heated discussion regarding a proposal to designate LexArts as the official local arts agency. Concerns were raised about the process by which this designation was being pursued, as well as the potential implications for other arts organizations operating in the area. The available record does not specify which individual council members led the debate or detail the precise nature of each objection, nor does it indicate the final outcome of the discussion at this meeting. [No timestamp available]

Public Comment

No public comments were made on issues on the agenda during the April 14, 2009 Council meeting.

Approval of Summary

31:42

The Council took up the approval of the summary from the previous meeting held on April 7, 2009. CM Beard and CM Myers were the key speakers on this item. The summary was approved without noted objection.

New Business

33:57

The Council took up several items under New Business, covering authorizations and agreements on a range of topics.

Key discussion during this portion of the meeting was led by CM Lane and CM McChord, who presented and debated the items before the Council. The business included consideration of donations for the Reforest the Bluegrass Program as well as agreements with the University of Kentucky.

All items brought forward under New Business were approved by the Council.

*Note: Detailed specifics on individual agenda sub-items, vote counts, and any concerns raised during debate are not available in the source data for this portion of the meeting.*

Services Committee Update

34:28

CM Ellinger provided the Council with an update on recent activity from the Services Committee. The update covered two notable issues that the committee had been examining: peddler's licenses and dog tethering.

No further details regarding the specific findings, recommendations, or debates on either topic are available from this portion of the meeting. The update was informational in nature, with CM Ellinger serving as the primary speaker presenting the committee's work to the full Council.

Storm Water Fee Task Report

37:11

CM Gorton presented the Storm Water Fee Task Report to the Council, providing an overview of the need for a water quality management fee and its potential implications.

The presentation was informational in nature, with CM Gorton serving as the primary speaker on the item. The report addressed the consideration of a storm water fee as a mechanism for funding water quality management efforts, outlining the rationale behind establishing such a fee structure.

No formal action was taken on this item, as it was brought before the Council as an informational presentation. The outcome of the discussion was informational, indicating that the Council received the report and its findings without proceeding to a vote or decision at this meeting.