Urban County Council Work Session

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council met on May 5, 2009, with Mayor Newberry presiding. The meeting covered five agenda items spanning legislative, budgetary, and administrative matters. The Council took action on four substantive items — requested rezonings and docket approval, approval of a summary, budget amendments, and new business — all of which were approved, while a Council report was received as informational. Over the course of the meeting, eight votes were taken and two public comments were heard.

Attendance

The following members were present at the May 5, 2009 Council meeting:

• Mayor Newberry
• CM Myers
• CM Ellinger
• CM Beard
• CM Stinnett
• CM Lane
• CM Feigel
• CM Crosbie
• CM Henson
• CM Blues
• CM Lawless
• CM McChord
• CM Martin

Absent: CM Gorton and CM James were not in attendance.

No members were recorded as arriving late.

Votes and Decisions

All votes at the May 5, 2009 Council meeting were conducted by voice vote. The following motions were considered:

• Approval of the Docket 0:01: Moved by CM Myers, seconded by CM Ellinger. The motion passed. CM Feigel abstained with respect to item number one under ordinances.

• Approval of the Summary of 4/28/09 0:02: Moved by CM Myers, seconded by CM Beard. The motion passed with no abstentions.

• Approval of Budget Amendments 0:05: Moved by CM Stinnett, seconded by CM Myers. The motion passed as amended, with entries 32635, 32637, and 32638 deleted from the budget amendments.

• Approval of New Business Items A–L 0:06: Moved by CM Beard, seconded by CM Stinnett. The motion passed with no abstentions.

• Reduce Speed Limit on Kiddville Lane 0:08: Moved by CM Lane, seconded by CM Beard. The motion passed with no abstentions.

• Install Multi-Way Stop at Providence Lane and Colony Blvd 0:08: Moved by CM Feigel, seconded by CM Crosbie. The motion passed with no abstentions.

• Approve CPF List of 5/5/09 0:10: Moved by CM Blues, seconded by CM Crosbie. The motion passed with no abstentions.

• Go Into Closed Session 2:08: Moved by CM Beard, seconded by CM Ellinger. The motion passed with no abstentions.

All motions carried by voice vote. Because no roll call votes were taken, individual member votes for or against are not recorded. The only noted deviation from unanimous support was CM Feigel's abstention on item number one under ordinances during the docket approval.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council considered a range of grant authorizations and contract actions at the May 5, 2009 meeting. The following items were taken up:

Grants

• Resolution 290-09: Authorized the Department of Social Services, Division of Youth Services to accept an award from the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice.
• Resolution 291-09: Authorized the Lexington Senior Citizens Center to submit a grant application to the Bluegrass Area Development District.
• Resolution 296-09: Authorized the Department of Social Services, Division of Adult & Tenant Services to proceed with a substantial amendment to the 2008 Consolidated Plan.
• Resolution 297-09: Authorized acceptance of a supplemental award from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet through the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety.

Contracts and Property Actions

• Resolution 292-09: Authorized a special warranty deed to transfer Bryan Station Middle School property to the Fayette County Board of Education.
• Resolution 293-09: Authorized the conveyance of property and a temporary construction easement to the Kentucky Department of Transportation.
• Resolution 294-09: Authorized Change Order No. 2 to the contract with Arnold Dugan & Myers LLC.
• Resolution 295-09: Authorized termination of the remaining scope of the contract with Claunch Construction LLC.
• Resolution 298-09: Authorized a facility usage contract with the Fayette County Board of Education.
• Resolution 299-09: Authorized Change Order No. 1 to the contract with Herrick Company, Inc.
• Resolution 300-09: Authorized a trail design agreement with CDP Engineers, Inc.
• Resolution 286-09: Authorized Amendment No. 1 to the contract with Metaformers™, Inc.

No specific dollar amounts were included in the available data for any of these items. The actions collectively covered social services funding, senior services, community development planning, highway safety, property transfers, construction contract modifications, and trail design services.

Public Comment

Two members of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period.

• Dudley Webb spoke regarding the CenterPoint project, providing an update on the project's status. His remarks addressed financing issues related to the development and responded to criticisms that had been raised. 1:00:00

• Lewis Cobb offered general encouragement to the Council, expressing gratitude to its members for their work. 2:08:20

Contested Items

• CenterPoint Project — The council engaged in a lengthy and heated discussion with Dudley Webb regarding the status and financing of the CenterPoint project. The exchange was notably contentious, though the available record does not detail the specific points of disagreement or the outcome of the discussion.

Requested Rezonings / Docket Approval

1:50

The Council took up the approval of the meeting docket under Agenda Item II. The discussion was brief, with CM Myers and CM Ellinger identified as the key speakers during this portion of the meeting.

The docket was approved, with one notable exception: CM Feigel abstained from voting on item number one under the ordinances section of the docket. No additional details regarding the reason for the abstention are reflected in the meeting record.

The docket was ultimately approved by the Council.

Approval of Summary

2:22

The Council took up Agenda Item III, the approval of the summary from the previous Council meeting held on April 28, 2009. CM Myers and CM Beard were the key speakers during this portion of the meeting. No significant debate or concerns were noted in connection with this item. The Council approved the summary.

Budget Amendments

5:32

The Council took up Agenda Item IV, a resolution addressing budget amendments for the city. CM Stinnett and CM Myers were the key speakers during this portion of the meeting.

During the discussion, the Council opted to remove certain journal entries from the budget amendments before moving forward, setting those items aside for further discussion at a later time. The record does not detail the specific nature of the journal entries that were pulled or the particular concerns that prompted their removal, but the decision to separate them from the broader package allowed the remaining amendments to proceed without delay.

Following the removal of those entries, the Council approved the budget amendments as modified. No additional details regarding the specific dollar amounts, line items, or departmental allocations involved in the amendments are reflected in the available record.

New Business

6:05

The Council took up several new business items during this portion of the meeting, focusing on authorizations related to grants and contracts.

CM Beard and CM Stinnett were the key speakers during this agenda item. The items presented included various authorizations for grants and contracts, though the specific details of each individual authorization were addressed as part of the broader new business discussion.

The Council approved the new business items as presented.

--- *Note: The available meeting data for this agenda item is limited. For full details on the specific grants and contracts discussed, viewers are encouraged to consult the meeting video beginning at timestamp 06:05 or review the official meeting minutes.*

Council Report

6:39

During the Council Report portion of the May 5, 2009 meeting, three council members provided updates on community issues and upcoming events.

• CM Stinnett, CM McChord, and CM Lane each offered remarks covering a range of topics, including condolences extended in connection with recent tragedies affecting the community, as well as announcements regarding upcoming meetings.

The report was informational in nature, with no votes or formal actions taken. The council used this segment to keep residents and fellow members apprised of relevant community matters.