A number of major decisions rest on the Urban County Council's shoulders this week. The most contentious is an element of the Comprehensive Plan that could see some movement after decades of stability – a widening of the city’s urban service boundary by up to 5,000 acres.
It’s a highly-charged issue that’s put council members directly in the middle of intense lobbying from proponents and opponents, and is sure to make for a lively council meeting this Thursday. Kit Anderson with CivicLex says it’s residents should keep in mind that the Comprehensive Plan reaches far beyond the boundary question.
"Transportation, housing policy, environmental policy, neighborhood design — all of those things will also be included in these goals and objectives and are also important to remember," she says.
Also in the final stages is the record-breaking city budget, which the council expanded to include about $3 million in extra spending. Anderson says it’s been a relatively pain-free year when it comes to the spending plan.
"Lexington's revenue has grown faster than they expected it to, and so it's really been a year of abundance and there have really been too many no's in the process," she notes.
The council will also hear updates on staffing trends and salary questions within public safety, along with collective bargaining agreements in corrections which expire at the end of the year.
Hear the full interview above and check out civiclex.org for more information.
