Urban County Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on April 21, 2009, with Mayor Newberry presiding over the session. The meeting addressed six agenda items spanning legislative, budgetary, and ceremonial business. Council members approved requested rezonings, budget amendments, a broad slate of new business items (Items A through Q), and a Public Health Heroes Award, while also receiving informational updates from the Inter Governmental Committee and the Corridors Committee. Over the course of the meeting, seven motions were brought to a vote, two public comments were heard, and two committee presentations were delivered.

Attendance

All members were present at the April 21, 2009 Council meeting, with no absences or late arrivals recorded.

Present (17): - Mayor Newberry - CM Beard - CM Gorton - CM Lawless - CM Ellinger - CM Stinnett - CM Myers - CM Blues - CM Crosbie - CM Feigel - CM Martin - CM James - CM Henson - CM Lane - CM McCord - CM Crosby - CM Gordon

Absent: None

Late: None

Votes and Decisions

The Council took action on seven motions during the April 21, 2009 meeting.

• Rezoning – Lansdowne Drive (R-1B to B-1): Moved by CM Beard, seconded by CM Gorton, the Council unanimously approved placing an ordinance changing the zone from R-1B to B-1 for Lansdowne Drive on the docket without a hearing, subject to certain use restrictions.

• Rezoning – West High Street (R-2 to B-2B): Moved by CM Lawless, seconded by CM Ellinger, the Council approved placing an ordinance changing the zone from R-2 to B-2B for West High Street on the docket without a hearing, subject to certain use restrictions. The roll call vote was 13 ayes and 2 abstentions, with no nays. Voting in favor: CM Beard, CM Gorton, CM Lawless, CM Ellinger, CM Stinnett, CM Myers, CM Blues, CM Crosbie, CM James, CM Henson, CM Lane, CM McCord, and CM Gordon.

• Amended Docket: Moved by CM Gorton, seconded by CM Stinnett, the Council unanimously approved the amended docket.

• Budget Amendments: Moved by CM Gorton, seconded by CM Blues, the Council unanimously approved the budget amendments.

• New Business Items A–Q: Moved by CM Beard, seconded by CM Myers, the Council unanimously approved new business items A through Q as amended, except item A, which passed with 2 dissents.

• Grievance Process Subcommittee: Moved by CM James, seconded by CM Henson, the Council voted 11–2 to establish a subcommittee to deal with the grievance process. Voting in favor: CM Beard, CM Gorton, CM Lawless, CM Ellinger, CM Stinnett, CM Myers, CM Blues, CM Crosbie, CM James, CM Henson, and CM Lane. Voting against: CM Feigel and CM Martin.

• Public Meetings on April 28th and 30th for Item A: Moved by CM Blues, seconded by CM Beard, the Council voted 13–2 to schedule public meetings on April 28th and 30th for item A. Voting in favor: CM Beard, CM Gorton, CM Lawless, CM Ellinger, CM Stinnett, CM Myers, CM Blues, CM Crosbie, CM James, CM Henson, CM Lane, CM McCord, and CM Gordon. Voting against: CM Crosby and CM Ellinger.

No transcript timestamps were available for any of the votes recorded at this meeting.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council addressed several financial and budgetary items during the April 21, 2009 meeting, spanning ordinance approvals, contract authorizations, grant applications, and funding rescissions.

• Water Quality Management Fee Ordinance (629-08): The Council considered authorization to approve a proposed ordinance establishing a Water Quality Management Fee. No specific fee amount was included in the available record for this item.

• Metaformers™ Infrastructure Performance Management Contract (249-09): The Council took up authorization of a Statement of Work with Metaformers™ to provide Infrastructure Performance Management Support for Project Synergy. This item formalized the scope of work for Metaformers™ under the ongoing Project Synergy initiative. No contract dollar amount was specified in the available data.

• Household Hazardous Waste Grant Application (251-09): The Council considered authorization to submit a grant application to the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet under the Household Hazardous Waste Grant Program. This action would allow the city to seek funding from the state-level program dedicated to household hazardous waste management. No grant amount was identified in the available record.

• Rescission of Funding for Hollywood-Mt Vernon Neighborhood Association, Inc. (544-2006): The Council addressed a resolution to rescind previously authorized funding for the Hollywood-Mt Vernon Neighborhood Association, Inc., referencing original authorization 544-2006. No specific dollar amount associated with the rescinded funding was included in the available data.

These items collectively reflect the Council's ongoing management of infrastructure contracts, environmental programs, and neighborhood funding commitments during this session.

Public Comment

Two members of the public addressed the Council during the April 21, 2009 meeting.

• Chad Harpole spoke at 4:54 regarding the proposed Water Quality Management Fee ordinance. Harpole requested that the Council hold a standalone public hearing on the ordinance prior to any vote, allowing community members and stakeholders the opportunity to provide input and comment on the proposal.

• Mr. Cobb spoke at 1:43:19 on the topic of community change. He emphasized the importance of collaboration and urged Council members to support his initiatives, which he framed as necessary for economic growth in the community.

Appointments

At the April 21, 2009 Council meeting, the following appointment action was taken:

• Virginia Bell was appointed to receive a resolution honoring her contributions to Alzheimer's care.

Contested Items

• Water Quality Management Fee: The council debated the implementation of a water quality management fee during this meeting. Some members raised concerns about the timing of the fee and its potential economic impact. The item resulted in a split vote, though the specific vote tally, the names of members on each side, and the final outcome of the vote are not detailed in the available record.

Requested Rezonings / Docket Approval

The Council considered two ordinances related to zone changes, which were placed on the docket without a hearing.

• CM Beard and CM Lawless were the key speakers on this item.
• The two ordinances addressed zone changes in the following locations:
• Lansdowne Drive
• West High Street

Both ordinances were placed on the docket without requiring a separate public hearing at this stage. The item was approved by the Council.

*No transcript timestamp is available for this agenda item.*

Budget Amendments

The Council took up a series of budget amendments for the fiscal year during this meeting. CM Gorton and CM Blues were the key speakers on this item.

The Council considered and voted on the proposed amendments to the fiscal year budget. The item was brought forward as an ordinance, indicating the amendments required formal legislative action by the Council.

The outcome of the vote was approval of the budget amendments.

*Note: Detailed information about the specific dollar amounts, individual line-item changes, the substance of any debate or concerns raised, and the precise vote count are not available in the source materials for this agenda item. Readers seeking the full text of the amendments or a complete record of the discussion are encouraged to consult the official meeting minutes or the approved ordinance on file with the City.*

New Business Items A-Q

The Council took up a series of new business items, designated Items A through Q, during this portion of the meeting. According to the record, the Council approved the full set of items, which included a water quality management fee and infrastructure support for Project Synergy among the matters addressed.

Key participants in the discussion included CM Beard and CM Myers. The record does not provide detailed breakdowns of debate or concerns raised for each individual item within the A–Q series, nor does it specify which council members spoke to which particular items.

• Water Quality Management Fee: This item was among the notable measures approved as part of the new business slate.
• Project Synergy Infrastructure Support: The Council also approved infrastructure support related to Project Synergy as part of this block of items.

All items in the A–Q series were approved by the Council. No transcript timestamps are available for this portion of the meeting.

Inter Governmental Committee Update

CM James provided the Council with an update on the Inter Governmental Committee. As part of the update, a motion was presented to establish a subcommittee focused on the grievance process.

The item was informational in nature, and no vote or formal action beyond the subcommittee motion was recorded as an outcome of the discussion.

*Note: No transcript timestamp is available for this agenda item.*

Corridors Committee Update

CM Blues provided the Council with an update on the work of the Corridors Committee. The report covered the committee's ongoing efforts related to ordinance changes and landscaping requirements.

No additional details regarding the specific ordinance changes under consideration, the nature of the landscaping requirements being reviewed, or any concerns raised during the committee's deliberations were recorded in the available meeting data. The item was informational in nature, and no vote or formal action was taken by the Council as a result of the presentation.

Public Health Heroes Award

The Council recognized the Lions Club with a Public Health Heroes Award for their contributions to public health in the community, specifically their work providing vision and hearing screenings.

Key speakers on this item included Dr. Rowe, Linda Allen, and Sue Alexander, who participated in the presentation and recognition.

The proclamation was approved by the Council.