Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council convened on June 25, 2009, at 7:00 P.M., with Mayor Jim Newberry presiding. The meeting included three agenda items: an invocation, a recognition ceremony, and legislative business. The council recognized the Lexington Catholic High School Baseball Team and conducted proceedings on an ordinance amending Section 4-2 of the Code of Ordinances, which was approved. Over the course of the meeting, the council took 3 votes, heard 2 public comments, and received 2 informational presentations.

Attendance

The following members were present at the June 25, 2009 Council meeting:

• Jim Newberry
• Blues
• Crosbie
• Ellinger
• Gorton
• Gray
• Henson
• James
• Lane
• Lawless
• Martin
• McChord
• Myers
• Stinnett
• Beard

Absent: Feigel

No members were recorded as late. A total of 15 members were present, with 1 absence noted for the record.

Votes and Decisions

Three roll call votes were taken during the June 25, 2009 Council meeting.

• Ordinance amending Section 4-2 of the Code of Ordinances relating to mistreatment of animals 32:22: Motioned by Blues, seconded by Lawless. The ordinance passed unanimously, 14–0. Voting in favor: Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, and Beard. No members voted against.

• Ordinance appropriating revenues and expenditures for various funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010 29:09: Motioned by Blues, seconded by Lawless. The ordinance passed 13–1. Voting in favor: Blues, Crosbie, Gorton, Gray, Henson, James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, and Beard. Ellinger cast the sole vote against.

• Resolution accepting bids for automotive and truck parts 1:06:36: Motioned by Crosbie, seconded by Lane. The resolution passed 13–0, with one abstention. Voting in favor: Blues, Crosbie, Ellinger, Gorton, Gray, James, Lane, Lawless, Martin, McChord, Myers, Stinnett, and Beard. No members voted against; Henson abstained.

Budget and Financial Actions

The Council addressed several financial matters at the June 25, 2009 meeting, including grants, donations, and a property purchase.

• Brighton Rail Trail Bridge Grant: The Urban County Government accepted a grant of $448,150 from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet designated for the Brighton Rail Trail Bridge project.

• Family Care Center Donation: A donation of $11,279.47 was received from the Family Care Center Volunteer Board, Inc., directed to the Family Care Center.

• Frankfort Court, LLC Property Purchase: The Council approved a purchase agreement with Frankfort Court, LLC for property at a cost of $1,665,950.

No resolution numbers were available in the meeting record for these items. Combined, the financial actions represented over $2.1 million in transactions, with the Frankfort Court property purchase comprising the largest single expenditure.

Public Comment

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

• Marianne Fugate, representing Speak Out Rescue, spoke at 1:47:56 in support of legislation that would limit the chaining of dogs and establish minimum enclosure sizes. Fugate cited examples of dogs living in poor conditions and urged the Council to adopt stronger animal welfare protections addressing these practices.

• Bernard McCarthy spoke at 1:51:15 in opposition to proposed changes to the city's street system that he argued would reduce overall traffic capacity. McCarthy specifically raised concerns about converting one-way streets to two-way operation and closing portions of streets, contending that such changes would negatively impact the street network's ability to move traffic.

Appointments

The Council addressed two resignations from advisory bodies during the meeting. No replacement appointments were recorded at this time.

• A member of the Picnic With The Props Commission submitted a resignation. The departing member's name was not recorded in the meeting materials.

• A member of the Social Services Advisory Board also submitted a resignation. As with the previous resignation, the departing member's name was not recorded in the meeting materials.

The Council acknowledged both resignations, leaving vacancies on each of the two bodies. No further details regarding the circumstances of the resignations or timelines for filling the vacant seats were included in the available meeting data.

Contested Items

Two items generated notable disagreement during the June 25, 2009 Council meeting.

Ordinance on Care and Treatment of Animals

Council members engaged in heated discussion over a proposed ordinance governing the care and treatment of animals. The debate centered on concerns about the ordinance's scope and clarity, with particular attention to whether horses were adequately addressed within its provisions. Council members questioned whether the language was sufficiently clear and comprehensive to cover the range of animals and situations intended. The record does not indicate a final outcome or vote result for this item within the extracted data. [timestamp: not available]

Street System Changes

A proposal involving changes to the street system drew opposition from members of the public during the comment period. Residents raised concerns about modifications that would reduce roadway capacity, with the conversion of one-way streets to two-way streets cited as a specific example. Commenters expressed opposition to such changes, suggesting they could negatively impact traffic flow. The extracted data does not specify which streets were under consideration, which council members took positions on the matter, or what the ultimate outcome of the discussion was. [timestamp: not available]

Both items reflect broader community and legislative concerns — one about the precision of animal welfare regulations and another about the practical effects of infrastructure changes on street capacity.

Invocation

1:05

Chaplain Leigh McGrath of Lexington Catholic High School delivered the invocation to open the Council meeting. McGrath's remarks offered a blessing directed at both the Council members present and the baseball team that was being honored at the meeting. The invocation was informational in nature, serving as a ceremonial opening to the proceedings.

Recognition of Lexington Catholic High School Baseball Team

3:08

The Lexington Catholic High School baseball team was recognized during the Council meeting for winning the state championship. Coach Kevin Clary was also honored, having been named KHSAA Coach of the Year.

Key speakers during this portion of the meeting included Mayor Jim Newberry and Coach Kevin Clary. The item was presented as a proclamation, and no debate or concerns were raised. The recognition was informational in nature, serving as an opportunity for the Council to formally acknowledge the team's achievement on behalf of the community.

Ordinance amending Section 4-2 of the Code of Ordinances

32:22

The Council took up an ordinance amending Section 4-2 of the Code of Ordinances, addressing the care and treatment of animals, including updated definitions and associated penalties.

Key speakers on this item were Martin and Logan Askew. The ordinance was presented and discussed before the Council, with the discussion centering on the provisions related to animal care and treatment as well as the definitional and penalty language being incorporated into the amended section.

The ordinance was ultimately approved by the Council.