Lexington council and administration goals for next year

The Urban County Council and Mayor Jim Newberry’s administration outlined their goals for next year Monday, during the third joint retreat since January.

Council members discussed their top concerns and projects for the next year. The projects that all of the council members are concerned with are:

• Downtown revitalization, particularly as it relates to economic development.
• Environmental issues such as storm water and sanitary sewer issues. Those projects will partly be determined by an upcoming settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency regarding violations of the Clean Water Act.
• Budget issues related to revenue concerns and the underfunding of the police and fire pension system.
• Nuisance items such as work on the noise ordinance, dog issues, newsracks and litter.

The administration’s priorities for the next six months are:

• Adopt a city lobbyist registration ordinance. A draft ordinance should be distributed to the council by the end of the year.
• Implement sanitary sewer fee increases once the city reaches a settlement with the EPA.
• A revision of the Planning Commission appeals process. The proposed revision would limit Planning Commission appeals to a 90-minute hearing — 45 minutes for each side — before the council.
• Develop a proposal for a taxpayer-subsidized scholarship program to provide scholarships to high school graduates majoring in science, technology, engineering, math or in teaching those subjects. Once a program is developed, it could be considered for funding during the next fiscal year that begins July 1. Newberry pushed the scholarship program during his mayoral campaign.
• Minor changes to the city’s standard purchase of service agreements with its partner agencies. The changes would include language that would allow the city to audit the books of the partner agencies.
• Review and evaluate the city’s existing boards and commissions to determine which ones are needed and which ones could be removed.
• Complete the management audit which is currently about halfway done.
• Preliminary design approval for a permanent emergency operations center.
• Develop the infill land bank program.

The council and administration also discussed progress that has been made in meeting the six priorities that were set during the January retreat.

- Michelle Ku

Comments

More liberalism, pretty soon you will not be able to live in Lexington since it is your responsibility to spread the wealth to all. Communism failed.