NewsBreak Original

Lexington, KY — A moment of disarray unfolded during Thursday’s Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council meeting when several councilmembers and the mayor left the chamber just before the public comment section. This procedural misstep nearly blocked comments members of KY Tenants, a local housing advocacy group, who were there to speak on the issue of source of income discrimination in housing.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — In a move to address the city’s growing homelessness crisis, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council passed a resolution on Thursday allocating $1,072,000 in funding for temporary warming shelters this winter. The resolution received two readings and was approved the same meeting.

It’s easy to ignore odd year elections and who’s on the ballot. But civic duty leads us to the polls on that second Tuesday each November to cast our ballots. Perhaps there’s a city council person we’re supporting, or an interest in the local school board race that brings us out. We get in the booth and realize we did not do any research on the judicial candidates. Many of us instinctively vote for the woman listed instead of another white man.

Three years later, the fate of the precinct site is still in limbo. On September 19, the Minneapolis City Council voted 11 to one to postpone discussions on what to do with the Third Precinct after council members balked at the idea of co-locating the Third Precinct with the First Precinct in downtown Minneapolis.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A press conference held Tuesday at Northside Library by “Picture of Homelessness in Lexington” revealed alarming statistics about the city’s homeless population. A comprehensive survey conducted by Catholic Action Center (CAC), Central KY Housing and Homeless Initiative (CKHHI), and Street Voice Council, found that Lexington is home to 2,410 homeless individuals, including 453 children.

The City of Darlington has not posted Council meeting minutes since June, but there have been five City Council meetings since then. Requests for the council packet received by council members at each meeting have been refused. The meeting minutes are part of these packets.

Lexington, KY — The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council is set to discuss a $1.2 million contract for construction of restroom and maintenance buildings at the new Cardinal Run Park North during its Thursday meeting. The contract, which is on the agenda for its first reading, could be fast-tracked by suspending the rules, a tactic recently employed for a controversial welcome sign contract to the same company.

This staff report was created from notes taken by Max Puchalsky for The Lexington Times Observer Program. Lexington, KY — The Corridors Commission of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government met on Thursday to tackle a variety of issues, including the Commission’s FY2024 budget, maintenance contracts, the North Broadway Greening initiative, and community development projects on Manchester Street.

Lexington, KY — As construction is set to begin this week on the contentious $211,588.03 Athens Boonesboro Welcome Sign, new information has come to light that further questions the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s (LFUCG) priorities. Minutes from the LFUCG’s Corridor Commission‘s August 17 meeting and a recent city email acquired by The Lexington Times reveal additional details about the project, including the project timeline and a controversial choice of ‘blighted’ landscaping.

LEXINGTON, KY — A forthcoming presentation set for Tuesday promises to shed new light on the severity of homelessness in Lexington. According to the Catholic Action Center, the 2023 Street Survey is expected to reveal at least 2,410 homeless individuals in the community, a number far exceeding the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s (LFUCG) official count of 815. With such a disparity in these figures, the stage is set for a pivotal conversation about the crisis and the need for immediate, comprehensive solutions.

LOS ANGELES, California (LAI) - Kevin de León, the Los Angeles City Council member who faced calls for his resignation following a racially charged recorded conversation, has declared his intention to run for reelection in 2024. Despite the controversy and criticism, de León expressed confidence in his constituency's support.

Any day now, the New Orleans jail population could reach its legal cap, set by the City Council in 2019. As of Tuesday (Sept. 19) the jail population was 1,222 – according to a City Council data dashboard . The Tuesday total was a mere 28 people away from the population cap – 1,250 – set by the council in the jail’s conditional use permit.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — As New York City takes a hard line on short-term rentals, tightening regulations to combat a housing shortage, Lexington's more lenient approach is raising concerns among local residents. The contrasting policies underscore the complexities cities face in regulating this modern form of accommodation.

Lexington, KY — In a move that has raised eyebrows and sparked controversy, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council suspended its rules to fast-track the approval of a $211,588.03 welcome sign on Athens Boonesboro Road. The decision came during the council meeting on August 31, bypassing the expected discussion in Thursday’s agenda. Council Members James Brown and Kathy Plomin led the motion to suspend the rules, effectively pushing the resolution through.

Lexington, KY – A proposed mixed-use development across from Jacobson Park at 4075 Old Richmond Road is stirring up community debate as it heads for its first reading at the Urban County Council meeting on September 14. The developer, Anderson Communities, Inc., seeks to rezone the currently undeveloped land from Agricultural Rural (A-R) and Highway Service Business (B-3) to a Community Center (CC) zone.

The Wilson North Carolina 2043 Comprehensive Plan is ready for review by the general public. The town wants to hear from the community and they have set dates for you to get the opportunity to do just that.

Note: Identifying features of individuals and locations have been changed to protect the vulnerable. LEXINGTON, KY — Teams of volunteers hit the streets in Lexington on Wednesday, armed with clipboards and compassion, to administer a comprehensive survey under the aegis of local nonprofits. With winter fast approaching, this initiative is aimed at understanding and addressing the diverse needs of Lexington’s homeless population. While the data is still being compiled for release next month, the experiences gathered during this survey offer profound, often unsettling insights into the lives of some of the city’s most marginalized residents.

LEXINGTON, KY — In a move that has sparked both support and dissent among council members and the public, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council passed ordinances Thursday setting ad valorem tax rates for the fiscal year 2023-2024. The decision comes after extensive discussions and debates, including a notable contribution from Councilmember Dave Sevigny.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A contentious dispute over the city’s growth boundary is ramping up as the Fayette Alliance, a land use advocacy group, along with several private citizens, filed a motion on Monday requesting immediate cessation of the committee’s work on the matter, the Herald-Leader’s Beth Musgrave reports. They claim that the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council acted outside of its jurisdiction in voting for the city’s boundary expansion.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The planned Athens Boonesboro Road welcome sign, a new addition to Lexington’s tourism infrastructure, is set to be introduced at Thursday's Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council meeting. The project, which has been in the works since 2014, aims to enhance the city’s aesthetic appeal, but it also raises questions about budget allocations and public-private partnerships.