More than 230 projects considered for Lexington COVID money. How council ranked them.
A proposal to infuse $1 million into Lexington’s tourism industry was one of the most-ranked proposals on how to spend $120 million in federal coronavirus relief money coming to Fayette County over the next two years.
Other proposals selected by Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council members include spending $17.5 million to build infrastructure at a 200-acre Coldstream industrial park to attract future businesses, building a new fire station headquarters, upping Lexington’s tree canopy and building a soccer complex at Cardinal Run North.
After receiving more than 550 unique proposals submitted by the public in August, the 15-member council each chose 30 projects and ranked them.
Nine council members had VisitLex, the city’s visitor and tourism’s bureau, spending $1 million to increase marketing to the area, on their list of 30 projects worth considering.
In total, 230 unique projects were selected by one or more council members, said Vice Mayor Steve Kay during a Thursday meeting to discuss how to spend the American Rescue Plan Act money.
Other projects selected by multiple council members include:
- $2 million to Community Ventures for an affordable housing project near the Met on Third Streets and Midland Avenue.
- A permanent location for the Lexington Farmers Market in the Davis Bottom area.
- A citywide youth center or multiple youth centers.
In the coming weeks, the council will break into five subgroups, vet those proposals and return on Oct. 26 with recommendations.
If the subgroup decides not to use American Rescue Plan Act money to fund a proposal, it’s possible the group may recommend the project be funded at some point with other money, said Councilwoman Amanda Bledsoe, who chairs the council’s Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee.
Kay cautioned that the council was still early in the process. If a project is not part of the 230 the council ranked, that does not mean it’s been nixed, he said.
“That does not yet mean that projects are to be approved or likely to be approved,” Kay said. “If the project has not been identified by one or two council members that does not mean it’s off the list..”
This summer, the council and the city asked residents to rank priority areas and submit proposals on how millions in federal coronavirus money should be spent. In total, it received upwards of 900 proposals. Many were duplicates, leaving roughly 550 unique projects.
Council members have also decided not to allow people and groups who submitted those proposals to come and speak to council yet.
“There will be public comment but not at this time,” Kay said.
The city has already used a little more than $7.9 million from American Rescue Plan Act money in the current-year budget. It has also proposed using $15 million for bonus pay for city essential workers who worked during the pandemic, including fire, police, corrections and 911.
