Lexington City Council on Oct. 2 unanimously approved Resolution 2025-13, updating the city’s blanket funding commitment and authorizing city staff to submit Virginia Department of Transportation grant applications on the city’s behalf.

The measure is largely a housekeeping update to a standing authorization first adopted in 2022. City Manager staff framed the item as a routine refresh required periodically by VDOT. The council approved the resolution by roll-call vote; the motion carried unanimously.

City staff then led an extended discussion of recently opened paving bids and possible reallocation of budget savings. The city manager told council that the city’s paving budget totaled approximately $1,147,000 plus $404,489 (figures provided during the meeting) and that the lowest responsive bids for the listed streets were about $157,000 under budget if one contested street (Colonial Lane) were excluded. Staff proposed using $115,000 of that estimated $157,000 savings to repave two municipal parking areas: the Kids Place parking lot and the municipal outdoor pool parking lot, leaving roughly $42,000 in unspent budgeted funds.

Council members discussed alternatives, including deferring the municipal parking lot work to the next fiscal year to preserve savings. The city manager noted an additional, unbudgeted $300,000 payment from Columbia Gas tied to repaving work in Providence Hill; combined with the identified savings this created roughly $457,000 of available resource for pavement-related work. Staff said the contractor could mobilize this fall and that work in Providence Hill was preferable before winter, while some Columbia Gas restoration on other streets will not be ready for repaving until next spring.

There was no formal amendment to the budget at the meeting; the city manager said he would follow council direction but recommended proceeding with the currently budgeted streets and using a portion of the savings for the two parking-lot repairs. Council members who spoke expressed support for repairing the municipal pool lot and for addressing streets Columbia Gas had disturbed; others urged caution and recommended waiting to confirm contractor availability and final costs. Staff said it would present a final recommendation and updated cost figures at the council’s next regular meeting.

Votes at a glance:
- Consent agenda: approved (unanimous roll call). The packet listed two consent items; council approved them as presented.
- Resolution 2025-13 (VDOT blanket funding/ grant submission authority): approved by unanimous roll-call vote.

The meeting record shows the council will revisit paving allocation and any final bid awards at its next meeting, with staff to present a recommended schedule and any contract awards.

Ending: Council members did not adopt a final change in spending at the Oct. 2 session; staff will return with firm costs and a proposed implementation schedule for paving and parking-lot repairs at an upcoming meeting.