Budget Committee - Regular Meeting

We can hear you.

Good afternoon and welcome to the regularly scheduled meeting of the September seven. I should have known that it's my wife's birthday. I should not have asked what today's date is. So of the September seventeenth, um, correct of the September seventeenth budget committee meeting. The time is currently four thirty PM. I am the vice chair. Uh, Marcus Winkler joined online by, uh, chair, Kevin Kramer. Uh, this meeting is being held pursuant to K. R. S. 61 dot 826 and council rule 5 a, uh, joining us in chambers is councilman councilman Joseph and councilman Herndon and online. I also already recognized chair Kramer. We're also joined by councilman Parker, councilman and councilman Reno Weber. Madam clerk, anyone else who's not here presently, uh, please let the record reflect that they have an excused absence or will join us momentarily. 1st, item of business is item number 0 dash 250 dash 26 ordinance amending ordinance number 111 series 2026 ordinance number 110 series 2026 related to the fiscal year 2627 capital budget and the fiscal year 2627 operating budget respectively by transferring 50,000 dollars from the district 1 capital infrastructure fund to the district 1 neighborhood development fund may have a motion in a 2nd, please. Probably moved and seconded. Uh, is there any discussion anyone here to talk about this item? Uh, Beth, would you like to speak to it?

Sure. We were, um, we were requested by district 1 to prepare an ordinance moving 50,000 dollars from their capital infrastructure to their neighborhood development funds. And I might add for this committee that there was an appropriation approved and appropriations committee yesterday that we need this to be able to have money in the account.

Uh, is there any further discussion? Anyone online seeing none, this is an ordinance requiring a roll call vote. Madam clerk, please open the voting.

Here Kramer yes. Councilman Reno.

Hi.

Councilwoman movie will rich. Yes, apologies Councilman Parker. Yes. Vice chair Winkler you have a yes votes.

Thank you. The ordinance is adopted unanimously and we'll move to the consent calendar. Item 2 is 0 dash 261 dash 26 and ordinance amending ordinance number 215 series 2025 by reallocating the funding within the West and improvement fund capital project from the center for neighborhoods to 724 Inc. May have a motion and a 2nd, please. 2nd by councilman Joseph. Uh, is there any discussion on this item? Councilman Herndon.

I just spoke to Councilwoman Hawkins about this in my office and she's supposed to be here. I'm not sure what she's been detained or something. Do we want to skip on this or just. It's basically leftover money from the West in front of our last year's fiscal. It's just moving to 724. I support it in case you have any questions. She can. Okay.

Do you have a discussion?

I was just going to say, it's not leftover funding. It's funding that has not was appropriated, but was not spent. They're changing the nonprofit. That's getting the grant to another nonprofit.

Is there anyone here to speak to this? I think we're waiting on council and so if we want a motion to postpone this, and we'll call it back here at the end of the meeting.

Motion to postpone.

All those in favor say aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye aye ordinance number eighty four series twenty twenty two relating to the fiscal year twenty twenty two twenty twenty three capital budget and ordinance number one eleven series twenty twenty six related to the fiscal year twenty six twenty seven capital budget by transferring thirty nine thousand two hundred and seventy four dollars and fifty nine cents between various capital projects may have a motion on a second please motion by councilman second by councilman joseph is there any discussion yes please introduce yourself for the record

I just saw for Leslie assistant councilwoman, Josie Raymond, Metro Council District 10 per parks request and best guidance. This has made an effort to consolidate some of the parks project accounts and return funds that were not used. Sorry, thank you.

Are there any questions seeing none? This is an ordinance requiring a roll call vote. Madam clerk voting share Kramer?

Yes.

Councilman Paris, right? Yes. Councilman Rena Weber?

Aye.

Councilwoman Parker? Yes. Councilwoman Mulvey-Woolridge?

Aye.

Chair, Vice Chair Winkler, you have nine yes votes.

Thank you the ordinance is adopted and we'll move to the consent calendar. Uh, the next item of business is item number 40 dash 259 dash 26 and ordinance amending ordinance number 110 series 2026. In order number 111 series 2026 related to the fiscal year 2627 operating budget, the fiscal year 2627 capital budget, respectively. By transferring 21,100 dollars from the district, 14 neighbor development fund to the district, 14 capital infrastructure fund may have emotion and 2nd, please. Motion by Councilman Piagentini, second by Councilman Joseph. Is there any discussion?

Yes. Thank you, Chair. I'm a legislative assistant for Councilman Bass, District 14. We are transferring the NDF funds into our CIF to complete some capital projects.

Are there any questions or any further discussion? Hearing none, this is an ordinance requiring a roll call vote. Madam Clerk, please open the voting.

Chair Kramer?

Yes.

Councilman Parrish-Wright?

Yes.

Councilman Reno-Weber?

Aye.

Councilman Parker? Yes. Councilman Mulvey-Woolridge? Aye. Vice Chair Winkler, you have nine yes votes.

Thank you. The ordinance is adopted and will be moved to the consent calendar. Madam Clerk, please let the record reflect. We've also been joined by Councilman Hawkins. The next item on the agenda is item five O dash two six zero dash twenty six ordinance amending ordinance number one ten series twenty twenty six related to the fiscal year twenty six twenty seven operating budget by adding language pertaining to the school bus stop lighting study assistance funding may have a motion and second please motion by councilman second by councilman joseph is there any discussion I will speak to this item. I am the sponsor of this item. So, colleagues, if you remember, we've done a couple of things related to school bus lighting. We unanimously passed a resolution asking the administration to work with and to look at all bus stops in Jefferson County and make sure where we have lighting available. Uh, then, uh, deputy mayor George came to me during the budget process and said, you know, hey, to do that assessment, we might need some help, uh, and and need some money in the budget to potentially bring in, uh, a 3rd party to help us do that assessment. Um, and so we put a 100,000 dollars into the budget in June, uh, for that study. I'm happy to report that through the great partnership with bus drivers who were able to do the assessment on their routes and then our public works employees and partners who went out and assess the school bus stops that weren't lit. Uh, we basically do not need this money to hire anybody. Um, you know, we, we've done the study on the 7500 stops. Uh, there's about 1700 that are unlit of those. Uh, 700 are. Give or take these around numbers, right? But approximately 700 are within about 100 to 150 feet of a working street light. And so will be working to reassess moving those stops where possible to those, um. to those areas that are lit. And then the remaining 1,000 stops need streetlights. And so we have no reason to spend this money on a consultant we don't need. We would rather use this money now to actually begin buying the streetlights and getting those installed, something that I think we all agree is of critical import for the safety of our students as they're waiting on the bus in the morning. And I would respectfully ask for a yes vote on this today. Is there any other discussion on this topic?

Can.

See the. Councilman Piacentini. Thank you.

Thank you. Mr. Chair. Mr. Vice chair, the, um. Couple quick 1st of all great terrific and and I do want to say, thank you to the bus drivers. We're doing it that way and doing it so efficiently and quickly. We actually had conversations going. This goes back a little bit councilman read with related to assessing how many of their playgrounds were accessible. And the, the initial reaction was, well, we need, like, a consultant to come out and I'm like, well, we got principles at all these schools, right? Just go outside and let us know how many are accessible or not. And, uh, I'm just happy to see Jason is doing this in such an efficient way that saves money for everybody. We can get to the business of correcting it. My more operating question is, okay, we're going to buy the street lights. Who is do we have a sense of where these are and who is going to be paying for the ongoing maintenance? Moving forward.

Yeah. So it's a great question. So about 100 of the of the unlit stops are in suburban cities. So we can't put the streetlights in there. So presumably we'll work with those suburban cities. OK, gotcha. We would light those hundred. The remaining ones will be metro streetlights that we would pay for. But one of the things we are looking for wherever possible is to install the solar lights there.

Gotcha, but but still, like, we're placing the balls from time to time. All this stuff even.

Yeah, right maintenance.

Yeah. And and always yeah, because if it's in a suburban city, it's 1 thing. If it's in a nature way, it's another thing. But if it's in an unincorporated outside the USD, it's like, it's, it's like, la la land. Like, nobody knows what to do with it at that point. So, but it sounds like the vast majority. We know exactly what's happening and we'll partner with the cities. So great. Thank you very much.

And councilman Joseph, thank you. The teacher me says, thank you for spearheading this and the councilman and the community member as well says, thank you for this. Um, my big question though, was, do we have documentation of where, like, like a map or whatnot or the locations at this point of where those 700 ish spots are looking to be.

Well, this, so the 700 spots where the bus stops are like. We know where the 1700 are, let me put it that way. And then we also know where the 700 are, where there's lights nearby. What we don't know because this is a JCPS operating decision is what of those stops that are near the 700 can be moved. Because some of them can't be moved because maybe it has to be where it is because there's an ADA access issue as an agreement. so they'll have to go through that assessment on the 700 okay on the remaining thousand or so we know where those are and the administration has has that list and i'm sure if if you'd like it i'm sure uh deputy mayor george or whoever would be happy to send it thank you councilman reno weber

Thank you. I also just want to note that Councilman Kramer and I were at an event earlier this week with a group of students for a YMCA civic engagement program. And that program identified this as an issue in need and then lobbied for in certain areas a decade ago. So the young people clearly feel that this is an issue. And thank you for making progress on it.

thank you uh madam clerk please let the record reflect we were joined some time ago by councilman chappell who is next in the queue

Thank you so much. I don't have any questions necessarily, but I do want to give thanks to Councilman Winkler for spearheading this initiative. And I also just want to say, if you recall in budget conversations, we've been asking for a public inventory of our trash cans that Louisville Metro manages, public trash cans. And we've been told that that study is $500,000. I think that this is proof that the people that are doing the work, the bus drivers, the people that are picking up our trash, can do that work. And so I hope Louisville Metro takes a lesson out of this example. And can see that we have people on the streets that can do an inventory, so we can make progressive decisions to protect our people and so again, I just want to. Thank you for spearheading this and I look forward to it continuing to evolve and I applaud jcps at the expedience in which they got their study completed, so thank you.

Yeah, thank you. And I would echo your comments and say that sometimes the simplest solution is the best, right? And, you know, we went into that meeting and some people are like, well, how can we possibly get the bus drivers to, you know, to do this assessment? And we'd have to, you know, make the super, I'm like, you could just print out an Excel spreadsheet of all their stops and they can just put a check mark, yes or no, when they are at their stop, right? So it doesn't have to be something super complicated. And literally in two weeks, they had all, All of the data back to us 2 weeks, so people that were there every single day. Um, and, you know, in 1 of the things we talked about is the data doesn't have to be like, if we're 98% accurate, like. We're most of the way there, right? It doesn't don't let perfection be the enemy of good. Right? And so. So I'm very, very proud of that partnership. And again, cannot thank JCPS enough for making their drivers available to do this work and echo your comments about, you know, we've got folks in the field, whether it's emptying the trash cans or, you know, doing other work in the area that could equally be able to do this kind of assessment. So seeing no one else in queue, oh, you would like to, okay, Councilman Hawkins.

I just want to say thank you. I know you've been working on this for quite some time. So I just want to say thank you for spearheading this. This was something that was very well needed. Thank you. Got my full support.

Thank you. Is an ordinance requiring a roll call vote? Madam Clerk, please open the voting.

Councilwoman Parrish-Wright. Yes. Councilman Reno-Weber.

Aye.

Councilman Parker? Yes. Councilwoman Mulvey-Woolridge?

Aye.

Vice-Chair Winkler, you have nine yes votes.

Thank you. The ordinance is adapted unanimously and will go to the consent calendar. The next item of business is item number 6, O-245-26, an ordinance amending ordinance number 080, series 2023, relating to the fiscal year 23-24 capital budget, and ordinance number 101, series 2024, relating to the fiscal year 24-25 capital budget by transferring $75,761.68 between D8 capital projects. May I have a motion and second? Motion by Councilman Piacentini, second by Councilman Joseph. Is there any discussion? Beth Stenberg, looking to you?

Sorry, Beth Stenberg.

This is something that was requested by District 18. She's on with us. She may want to speak.

I'm so sorry, Beth. Councilman Parker, I'm so sorry. I should have thrown it to you. I apologize. You're on mute?

Yes, that's okay. I think it's pretty self-explanatory. Does anybody have any questions or concerns?

Do not appear to be any.

Okay.

I would appreciate your support. If you had something you wanted to add, um, I was just gonna say this was money from 1 of the district 18, um, accounts was under budget. Another 1 over budget. And so it's just moving the funds between those 2.

Thank you seeing no 1 else in queue. This is an ordinance requiring a roll call vote. Madam clerk, please open the voting.

And so I'm in Paris, right? That's when reno ever I. And so I'm in Parker.

Yes, I hope I can find another project to spend the surplus on.

Councilwoman will rich. Hi. I sure when you have 9 yes votes, thank you.

The ordinance adopted will move to consent and Councilman Parker Councilman raised his hand. He's got several projects that if you've got excess money, he'll gladly he's just throw it across the fence. He'll gladly take it. So, um. Councilman parish, right?

Councilman Piangentini. Not what Councilman Piangentini said.

Thank you. Okay, your video is very choppy and somewhat difficult to hear. Can we get a motion to untable item to revisit item number two? Thank you. Properly moved. Second. All those in favor.

You have to take a vote on that. I don't think so. Yes.

All those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? The ayes have it. Item number two, O-261-26, an ordinance amending Ordinance 215 Series 2025 by reallocating the funding within the West End Improvement Fund Capital Project from the Center of Neighborhoods to 724 Inc. is properly before us. Councilman Hawkins, we held this earlier because we believe you have some discussion on this.

Not much discussion. Um, everybody knows what's going on in the West end. Um, I wish I could take, um, district 18 money, the surplus that they had and anybody else's money to help the West end is really all I can say for programming and, um, just a lot of things that, um, needs to be done in parks and community centers. And, uh, we're just moving, um, just moving that money for the West end from 1 entity to another.

And just for the record, can you talk about what 724 Inc. is going to be doing with the money?

Yes. Feeding people in Russell, I think they do that now. They have a series of programs going on at Algonquin. I think at the Shawnee Community Center. I believe that they were going out to Jenny Mori Woolridge's district for a while until... I think they had some transportation and some funding issues. They had to stop that. So we just want to kind of get those things going back, back going. Thank you.

Councilman Herndon.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Since this money was originally sent to the West End, which I represent a part, I'd like to become a co-sponsor as well, please.

Yeah. Great. Anybody else? Seeing no one else in queue, there's an ordinance. Council, I'm sorry. Go ahead.

You're good. So, um, I will, I will say that this organization did come out to my district for a while. And as she said, until, um, funds were depleted, transportation were not there and so could not support anymore with them coming out and helping the use in the area. So, I'm excited to see, um, then continue to get some support here.

Yeah, and now seeing no 1 else in queue, this is an ordinance requiring a roll call vote. Um, clerk, please open the voting.

Councilman Paris, right? Yes. Councilman Reno. Hi. Councilman Parker? Yes. Councilman Mulvey-Woolridge? Yes. Vice Chair Winkler, you have nine yes votes.

Thank you very much. That does make a clean sweep for this meeting. Meaning all items will be on the consent calendar next Thursday. So thank you all. There's no more business before us. And so without objection, we stand adjourned.

Alrighty then.