Council approves series of ordinances, contracts, grants and appointments; moves to participate in Kroger opioid settlement

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council approved a slate of ordinances, resolutions, appointments and procurement actions at its Feb. 6 meeting, including expedited approval to participate in the Kentucky attorney general’s opioid settlement with Kroger Co. and several grant, contract and personnel actions.

Key items approved (by item number and brief description):

- Ordinance (second reading, Item 1): Amendment to FY2025 budget schedules to reflect current municipal expenditure requirements and creation of one classified human resources manager position in the Division of Human Resources; approved by roll call.

- Resolutions (Items 1–6): Multiple routine awards and personnel ratifications were approved, including a price contract with Stonewall Bodies and Machine, ratifications of classified civil service appointments, a licensing agreement with All Track Performing Rights LLC for public performances, ratification of a collective bargaining agreement between LFUCG and AFSCME Local 2785 (lieutenants and captains, Division of Community Corrections), a neighborhood incentive grant to Friends of Wolf Run for a stormwater quality project ($46,435), and an amendment reallocating a Transportation Alternatives Program grant among Lex Tram and Lexington (increasing Lex Tram’s allocation by $95,430.23 and reducing Lexington’s by the same amount) — all adopted by roll-call vote.

- Contract and procurement approvals: The council approved a sole-source purchase of a software platform from Routeware Inc. for the Division of Waste Management (contract amount shown in the record as $124,432), a professional services amendment with WT Group LLC for an ADA study (first amended cost not to exceed $394,922), and a professional services contract with Man Solar for a roof-mounted solar installation at Fire Station 19 (not to exceed $31,217.68).

- Grants and capital projects: The council authorized acceptance of a $576,000 federal award from the Commonwealth of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to support construction of a 12-foot shared-use path for the Brighton Trail connection project, which obligates a $144,000 local match. It also authorized neighborhood development funds and council capital project funds for local organizations and youth baseball capital projects.

- Opioid settlement (Item 20): Council voted to authorize the mayor or her designees to take all actions necessary to participate in the Kentucky attorney general’s opioid settlement with Kroger Co., including execution of necessary documents. Vice Mayor Wu moved to suspend rules and expedite consideration of Item 20; the council adopted the motion and then approved the resolution in the final roll-call sequence. Councilmember Beasley announced a recusal for Item 20 on advice of counsel and voted yes for the other items.

- Appointments, procurements and donations: The council approved a set of staffing appointments, procurement actions, and donations that were presented in communications to council; each passed by motion and vote as recorded.

Procedure and voting: Several items were advanced by motions to suspend the rules and permit second reading the same night (examples include Items 19, 20 and 30). Multiple items were moved through by roll-call votes during the meeting’s final approval sequence. When individual roll calls were recorded earlier in the meeting (for example during second reading on ordinance Item 1), recorded responses from councilmembers were “yes” for the items called. For Item 20 the transcript records Councilmember Beasley stating she would recuse on advice of counsel from that specific item and would vote yes on the remainder. The meeting clerk recorded individual yes responses from councilmembers during roll calls reported in the transcript.

What the council did not do: The transcript shows these items were approved largely with limited substantive debate on the council floor; where details (contract amounts, grant matches, implementing partners) are required, the recorded motions authorized staff or the mayor to execute agreements and make necessary budget transfers. There was no extended on-the-record policy debate in the public transcript for most listed items.

Notable dollar figures recorded in the meeting record (as read into the record): Routeware software platform purchase — $124,432 (record read as "124,000 thousand $432" in the transcript); Friends of Wolf Run neighborhood incentive grant — $46,435; Lex Tram grant reallocation — $95,430.23; Brighton Trail federal funding — $576,000 (local match $144,000); Man Solar roof-mounted photovoltaic installation (Fire Station 19) — $31,217.68; WT Group LLC purchase-of-service amendment — not to exceed $394,922; HUD Older Adults Home Modification Grant (Item 30) — $2,000,000.

Votes at a glance (selected items with motion sources):

- Approval of Jan. 23 and Jan. 28 minutes — motion carried by voice vote (no opposition recorded).

- Ordinance Item 1 (budget and one HR position) — moved and approved by roll call; recorded “yes” responses from councilmembers called in the roll call sequence.

- Resolutions Items 1–6 (contracts, civil service appointments, license, collective bargaining ratification, neighborhood grant, Lex Tram allocation) — approved by roll-call vote.

- Suspension of rules and second readings (Items 19, 20, 23, 25, 30) — motions carried; second-readings approved by roll-call during final sequence. Item 20 (opioid settlement participation) — Vice Mayor Wu moved to suspend rules and expedite; Councilmember Beasley recused from Item 20 on advice of counsel and otherwise voted yes on the remaining items.

- Appointments, procurements and donations presented in communications — approved by motion (voice or roll call as recorded).

Next steps and implementation: Most approvals authorize the mayor or designees to execute agreements, accept grant awards, and transfer funds within the grant budgets as required. Project-level details, vendor contracts and implementation schedules will be prepared and executed by the relevant departments (e.g., Division of Environmental Quality and Public Works, Division of Waste Management, Division of Fire and Emergency Services).

Context: The votes reflect a mix of routine personnel and procurement matters, neighborhood and infrastructure grants, and several procurement decisions. The council also moved to participate in a statewide attorney general opioid settlement with Kroger, which the resolution permits the mayor to finalize on behalf of the urban county government.