ISSUES

Basic Services & Infrastructure are the foundation of good government.

The most basic reason governments are formed is to provide adequate public safety (for example: police, fire, emergency management), good basic services (garbage collection, street lights, street cleaning, parks, etc) and infrastructure (e.g., roads, sewers, etc). For that reason, the needs of public safety, streets & roads, sewers, emergency management, parks, and other basics should be considered in the top tier for funding during every budget cycle.

High Priority for Storm Water & Flooding

For several years prior to 2009 I was the only council member to propose stormwater funding from unanticipated revenues. As the result of a lawsuit by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Commonwealth of Kentucky for violating the Federal Clean Water Act, Lexington had to fix our stormwater problems. I accepted the challenge to chair the Stormwater Fee Task Force, created by the Council to address the stormwater problems. During the work of that task force, from Dec. 2008 – April 2009, I worked with representatives from the civic, business, and neighborhood communities to craft a funding solution to our massive water pollution and flooding problems. The Water Quality Management Fee, approved by the Council in May 2009 & implemented in January 2010, will be dedicated to fixing our water quality/flooding problems. Currently identified projects total more than $117 million and require a commitment of regular funding.

I support planned growth.

In 1958, Lexington became the first community in the United States to establish an Urban Service Boundary (USB), designating the land inside that boundary for future development. Since then, various other tools have been put into place to help define our planning process. Some of these tools are the Comprehensive Plan for Land Use (reviewed every five years by the Planning Commission), the Rural Land Management Plan (adopted in 1999), the Purchase of Development Rights Program (adopted in 2000), and the Infill & Redevelopment Program. The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) has also adopted Engineering Manuals, defining standards for building construction. With all this in mind, the Urban County Council’s role in reviewing the Comprehensive Plan is to review and adopt the Goals & Objectives, which drive the Comprehensive Plan. The Planning Commission has the sole decision-making role in whether to expand the USB during its every-five-year review. During the Urban County Council’s review of the Goals & Objectives in 2006, I was part of the unanimous decision to reject a new Comprehensive Plan Goal of expanding the Urban Service Boundary. City planners have indicated that undeveloped acreage (perhaps as much as 9000 acres) remains within the current boundary, including Infill & Redevelopment opportunities. Part of the discussion must continue to be how to ensure that there is adequate infrastructure (sewers, roads, etc) to support increased Infill & Redevelopment. Our Division of Water Quality has undertaken a Capacity Assurance Study to determine which of our sanitary sewers can accommodate increased sewer capacity for added density through Infill. Most importantly, I believe we need to continue community-wide discussion regarding growth in Fayette County. Neighborhoods, business owners, developers, citizens, Commerce Lexington, Bluegrass Tomorrow and other representatives of growth interests need to sit at the table to have meaningful conversations about what we want Fayette County to be like in 50-100 years. A vision for the future of our land will promote continued planned growth, to enable Fayette Countians to preserve what makes our county unique.

Linda Gorton is right for Lexington, UK

Saadia Akhtar Oct 23, 2018 Updated Oct 23, 2018 Election day is in just a couple of weeks— Nov. 6, to be exact— and many registered voters in Fayette County will vote for mayor. Mayor Jim Gray is not running for re-election, so the choice is between Linda Gorton and Ronnie Bastin. Linda Gorton is the best choice for Lexington and UK. Gorton’s website, for starters, is much more expansive than Bastin’s website. Gorton’s website contains an incredibly detailed, 16-page plan for Lexington, which includes transforming Lexington’s workplaces, expanding business, tackling crime and gun safety, creating more support for education as well as enhancing the city’s art and nature programs. Her business initiatives tackle major problems and aspects of Lexington because she plans to work on getting more reliable internet, making Lexington a high-tech area in animal sciences and promoting Lexington’s “brand.” That last goal of Gorton’s is exceptionally important, because Lexington has a lot to offer, but is not widely considered a tourism city. Branding Lexington, which is already known for UK’s basketball team, is a crucial task which will bring much needed business and tourism in the area. If successfully branded, it will attract a lot more students to UK, and will make the school more well-known, too. Gorton’s plan for gun safety is much better than Bastin’s, because she does not call for armed guards in schools. Both she and Bastin want to incorporate gun safety curriculum in schools, but I am glad Gorton does not want to make schools more like prison. Having armed guards at school will not make school a comforting place for children to spend eight hours, five days a week. Gorton supports education and has plans to help lower income students, to reduce disparities among schools and to provide students with better training for the workforce. She also supports public education employees, including at UK, and will fight for them at the state level. Lastly, she understands the value of art and preserving nature, something Bastin (and the previous candidates for mayor) have not even touched on. She plans on making art an important part of all public buildings and wants to sponsor neighborhood specific art projects, which is a great step toward preventing gentrification. Gorton herself attended UK and has lived here for many, many years, serving in numerous public positions, including vice mayor. Gorton has Lexington’s, and UK’s, best interests at heart because she knows this city well, and knows that to meet tomorrow’s challenges, you have to try something new.

ISSUES

Basic Services & Infrastructure are the foundation of good government.

The most basic reason governments are formed is to provide adequate public safety (for example: police, fire, emergency management), good basic services (garbage collection, street lights, street cleaning, parks, etc) and infrastructure (e.g., roads, sewers, etc). For that reason, the needs of public safety, streets & roads, sewers, emergency management, parks, and other basics should be considered in the top tier for funding during every budget cycle.

High Priority for Storm Water & Flooding

For several years prior to 2009 I was the only council member to propose stormwater funding from unanticipated revenues. As the result of a lawsuit by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Commonwealth of Kentucky for violating the Federal Clean Water Act, Lexington had to fix our stormwater problems. I accepted the challenge to chair the Stormwater Fee Task Force, created by the Council to address the stormwater problems. During the work of that task force, from Dec. 2008 – April 2009, I worked with representatives from the civic, business, and neighborhood communities to craft a funding solution to our massive water pollution and flooding problems. The Water Quality Management Fee, approved by the Council in May 2009 & implemented in January 2010, will be dedicated to fixing our water quality/flooding problems. Currently identified projects total more than $117 million and require a commitment of regular funding.

I support planned growth.

In 1958, Lexington became the first community in the United States to establish an Urban Service Boundary (USB), designating the land inside that boundary for future development. Since then, various other tools have been put into place to help define our planning process. Some of these tools are the Comprehensive Plan for Land Use (reviewed every five years by the Planning Commission), the Rural Land Management Plan (adopted in 1999), the Purchase of Development Rights Program (adopted in 2000), and the Infill & Redevelopment Program. The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) has also adopted Engineering Manuals, defining standards for building construction. With all this in mind, the Urban County Council’s role in reviewing the Comprehensive Plan is to review and adopt the Goals & Objectives, which drive the Comprehensive Plan. The Planning Commission has the sole decision-making role in whether to expand the USB during its every-five-year review. During the Urban County Council’s review of the Goals & Objectives in 2006, I was part of the unanimous decision to reject a new Comprehensive Plan Goal of expanding the Urban Service Boundary. City planners have indicated that undeveloped acreage (perhaps as much as 9000 acres) remains within the current boundary, including Infill & Redevelopment opportunities. Part of the discussion must continue to be how to ensure that there is adequate infrastructure (sewers, roads, etc) to support increased Infill & Redevelopment. Our Division of Water Quality has undertaken a Capacity Assurance Study to determine which of our sanitary sewers can accommodate increased sewer capacity for added density through Infill. Most importantly, I believe we need to continue community-wide discussion regarding growth in Fayette County. Neighborhoods, business owners, developers, citizens, Commerce Lexington, Bluegrass Tomorrow and other representatives of growth interests need to sit at the table to have meaningful conversations about what we want Fayette County to be like in 50-100 years. A vision for the future of our land will promote continued planned growth, to enable Fayette Countians to preserve what makes our county unique.

Linda Gorton is right for Lexington, UK

Saadia Akhtar Oct 23, 2018 Updated Oct 23, 2018 Election day is in just a couple of weeks— Nov. 6, to be exact— and many registered voters in Fayette County will vote for mayor. Mayor Jim Gray is not running for re-election, so the choice is between Linda Gorton and Ronnie Bastin. Linda Gorton is the best choice for Lexington and UK. Gorton’s website, for starters, is much more expansive than Bastin’s website. Gorton’s website contains an incredibly detailed, 16-page plan for Lexington, which includes transforming Lexington’s workplaces, expanding business, tackling crime and gun safety, creating more support for education as well as enhancing the city’s art and nature programs. Her business initiatives tackle major problems and aspects of Lexington because she plans to work on getting more reliable internet, making Lexington a high-tech area in animal sciences and promoting Lexington’s “brand.” That last goal of Gorton’s is exceptionally important, because Lexington has a lot to offer, but is not widely considered a tourism city. Branding Lexington, which is already known for UK’s basketball team, is a crucial task which will bring much needed business and tourism in the area. If successfully branded, it will attract a lot more students to UK, and will make the school more well-known, too. Gorton’s plan for gun safety is much better than Bastin’s, because she does not call for armed guards in schools. Both she and Bastin want to incorporate gun safety curriculum in schools, but I am glad Gorton does not want to make schools more like prison. Having armed guards at school will not make school a comforting place for children to spend eight hours, five days a week. Gorton supports education and has plans to help lower income students, to reduce disparities among schools and to provide students with better training for the workforce. She also supports public education employees, including at UK, and will fight for them at the state level. Lastly, she understands the value of art and preserving nature, something Bastin (and the previous candidates for mayor) have not even touched on. She plans on making art an important part of all public buildings and wants to sponsor neighborhood specific art projects, which is a great step toward preventing gentrification. Gorton herself attended UK and has lived here for many, many years, serving in numerous public positions, including vice mayor. Gorton has Lexington’s, and UK’s, best interests at heart because she knows this city well, and knows that to meet tomorrow’s challenges, you have to try something new.

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