Week of July 5, 2021

Written By Richard Young

💡 - Big Topics this week: 
Council Redistricting & Recess

Last week, the City's Redistricting Committee had its first meeting, which was spread out over two different sessions due to attendance issues.

In this first round of meetings, we learned a few crucial pieces of information:

  1. Who each council member appointed to the committee

  2. The guidelines that the committee will use to draw new council districts

Want to learn who is on the committee? Head on over to our Redistricting page. We'll also have a special redistricting newsletter coming out later this week with information on the guidelines and more, so make sure you're signed up.

Unrelatedly, this is the last legislative week before Council Recess - so our CivicLex Weeklies may look a little lighter over the coming weeks, but we'll do our best to keep you informed. 🙂🙃 Council will be back in session in August.


🏢 - This week in City Hall:
Public Input for Stimulus Funds


As part of the Federal Government's American Rescue Plan Act for COVID-19 relief, the City of Lexington has received approximately $121 Million to spend over the next few years. These funds have several restrictions that are tied to the intention of the law. These include:

  • Supporting public health expenditures

  • Addressing negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency

  • Replacing lost public sector revenue

  • Providing premium pay for essential workers

  • Investing in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure

For weeks, Council has been deliberating on how to spend the city's ARPA funds. Some have proposed uses such as building a new $40M Sports Complex or significant improvements to Shilito Park. But in several Budget Retreats over the past month or two, Council has settled on creating a process for prioritizing uses for these projects instead of spending ad hoc.

In a Special Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday, Council will discuss the role of the public in this process.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the city to make needed investments in our community without putting strain on the city's budget. We're paying attention to this meeting because we think the role of the public in shaping how these resources are spent is important to understand.


🏃 - Get Engaged:
Mornings with Planning - Equity in Planning

This week, we recommend watching a morning event hosted by LFUCG's Division of Planning as part of their Mornings with Planning series. Wednesday's edition will focus on social and racial equity within land-use planning. 

We're recommending this event because we think that it's absolutely essential to understand why and how the goals of addressing social and racial equity is shaping policy in Lexington.

The panel will feature: 

  • Lisa Higgins-Hord (Guest Moderator), Assistant Vice President for Community Engagement at University of Kentucky

  • James Brown, 1st District Councilmember, Urban County Council, Lexington, KY

  • Christine L. Stanley, Partner, Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A. Law Firm (full disclosure: Christine is a CivicLex Board Member)

  • Kristofer Nonn, Former Executive Director, North Limestone CDC

📺: Wednesday, July 7 at 9am via Zoom


🗞 - Updates from Last Week:
Report out on Neighborhoods in Transition

🏢 This week in City Government

Monday, July 5

LFUCG Closed for 4th of July Holiday

Tuesday, July 6

🏢 - Special Committee of the Whole
📺 - 11:00am on July 6 via LexTV
📍 - Council Chambers
📖 - No public agenda available
🗣 - No input option available
🔦 - Meeting Highlights:

🏢 - Planning and Public Safety Committee
📺 - 1:00pm on July 6 via LexTV
📍 - Council Chambers
📖 - Read the Agenda
🗣 - Give input in person
🔦 - Meeting Highlights:

  • A presentation about creating a Residential Permit Parking program for the 500 block of Fairfield Drive near the Southland neighborhood.

  • A presentation about proposed changes to how new streets are designed in Lexington. These changes are designed to make streets safer for vehicles and pedestrians, improve emergency services response time, and make it easier to get around. Proposed changes include:

    • Shorten the maximum length of a city or neighborhood “block” from 1600 ft. to 800 ft. and eliminate the requirement for a minimum block length - currently, 500 ft.

      • Examples of places with 250/500 ft. block lengths are Downtown, Gratz Park, and MLK neighborhoods. Examples of places with over 1,000 ft. block lengths are Eastland and Meadowthorpe.

    • Lowering the maximum length for cul-de-sacs from 1,000 ft. to 500 ft. and banning the use of cul-de-sacs off of already existing cul-de-sacs.

    • Requiring that any new subdivisions built directly next to existing or proposed public space make it easier for residents to access that space - including by requiring safe pedestrian access and increasing the amount of direct connection between the new development and the public space to 60% (from 0%).


🏢 - Council Work Session
📺 - 3:00pm on July 6 via LexTV
📍 - Council Chambers
📖 - Read the Agenda
🗣 - Give input in person

🏢 - Council Meeting
📺 - 5:00pm on July 6 via LexTV
📍 - Council Chambers
📖 - No agenda available (7/5/21)
🗣 - Give input in person


Wednesday, July 7

🏘 - Infill & Redevelopment Subcommittee
📺 - 10:30am on July 7
📍 - 3rd floor Conference Room, Phoenix Building (101 E. Vine Street)
📖 - Read the Agenda
🗣 - Give input in person

Thursday, July 8

🌊 - Water Quality Fees Board
📺 - 9:00am on July 8
📍 - North Elkhorn Conference Room, Tate Building (125 Lisle Industrial Ave.)
📖 - Read the Agenda
🗣 - No input option available

🏗 - Planning Commission Meeting - Subdivision Items
📺 - 1:30pm on July 8 via LexTV
📍 - Digital
📖 - No agenda available
🗣 - No input method available


🏢 - Council Meeting
📺 - 6:00pm on July 8 via LexTV
📍 - Council Chambers
📖 - No agenda available (7/5/21)
🗣 - Give input in person

Friday, July 2

🧓 - Lyric Theatre Board Meeting
📺 - 12:00pm on July 9
📍 - Digital
📖 - No public agenda available
🗣 - No input option available

🏃 Get engaged

🚸 - Mornings with Planning - Equity in Planning

📺 - Wednesday, July 7 at 9am via Zoom

A morning event hosted by LFUCG's Division of Planning as part of their Mornings with Planning series. Wednesday's edition will focus on social and racial equity within land-use planning. 

We're recommending this event because we think that it's absolutely essential to understand why and how the goals of addressing social and racial equity is shaping policy in Lexington.

The panel will feature: 

  • Lisa Higgins-Hord (Guest Moderator), Assistant Vice President for Community Engagement at University of Kentucky

  • James Brown, 1st District Councilmember, Urban County Council, Lexington, KY

  • Christine L. Stanley, Partner, Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A. Law Firm (full disclosure: Christine is a CivicLex Board Member)

  • Kristofer Nonn, Former Executive Director, North Limestone CDC

🍃 - Rethinking Open Space
🏃 - Give input here

The Division of Planning is proposing a Zoning Ordinance Text Amendments relating to Open Space.

What is open space? In the context of a city, think about small parks, greenspace, communal gathering areas, and other parts of our civic fabric. Open space provides opportunities for increased social cohesion and connection between neighbors and cultural events. It also has positive environmental impacts, including reduced water runoff, easing of heat islands, and more.

The Division of Planning's proposed changes to the Zoning Ordinance will set new definitions for open space, set open space requirements for new developments, and more.

Learn more here. 


🚜 - Apply for the Grow Smart Academy

Grow Smart Academy is a free, four-week program hosted by Fayette Alliance designed to educate Fayette County residents on land-use planning and its relationship to our community’s economic development, environment, and quality-of-life.

You can learn more and apply here.

🅿️ - Rethinking Parking
The Division of Planning has put out a call for community members to help gather data to evaluate the current parking situation in our city. Learn more and take the Parking Survey here.

🗞 Updates from last week

🏢 - June 29th: Budget, Finance, & Economic Development Committee

  • The city’s Economic Development Partners will continue receiving funding at their current levels.

  • LFUCG renewed its business stimulus program partnership with Commerce Lexington for $2.5M.


🏢 - June 29th: Council Work Session

📰 - Other Key News:

Richard Young
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Week of June 28, 2021