Lexington has 67 city boards. New subcommittee to look at upping diversity
The Lexington council is starting a subcommittee to look at upping diversity and transparency of the city’s 67 boards.
“The goal of this subcommittee is not only to make sure the makeup of our boards and commissions truly represents the people of Fayette County, but to also make them more efficient, accessible and impactful for our communities,” Lexington Vice Mayor Dan Wu said at a news conference Tuesday at city hall announcing the new subcommittee.
Lexington Fayette Urban County Councilwoman Shayla Lynch said in 2023 she met with tenants who requested more renters on city boards. Lynch said she then broadened the scope and looked at representation on all city boards.
CivicLex, a local nonprofit, completed an analysis of the city’s boards and commissions in March and found the boards needed more diverse representation and better training, and needed to be more accessible to the public.
Other findings by CivicLex:
- Limited public awareness & accessibility: Many boards lack clear public meeting schedules and most Lexington residents don’t know they exist.
- Representation gaps: Many boards lack clear public meeting schedules, and most Lexington residents don’t know they exist.
- Operational challenges: Some boards lack clarity on their roles and struggle with recruitment.
CivicLex made more than 14 recommendations. The subcommittee will begin meeting Aug 28.
“Creating policy and pathways to make our city’s boards and commissions more accessible to all is work that excited me, and it will benefit our community for decades to come,” said Lynch, who will serve as co-chair of the committee with Wu. “If you are interested in serving on a board or commission, please visit the city’s website, lexingtonky.gov and apply. We need your voice at the table.”
Council and Gorton have fought over key appointments
The move comes as the council and Mayor Linda Gorton have tussled over appointments to two key planning boards: the Urban County Planning Commission, which oversees major zone changes, and the Board of Adjustment, which oversees conditional use permits for things such as short-term rentals and variances for city land use regulations such as setbacks.
The mayor appoints members of city boards. The council confirms members of the Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment, the two most powerful boards in the city.
The council has failed to confirm two of Gorton’s appointments to those boards in the past two years, which is rare.
Last year, the council failed to confirm Janice Meyer to the planning commission. According to city rules, Gorton has 60 days to appoint someone after the council votes not to confirm. Gorton did not. Under city rules, the Planning Commission then appointed its own member, former member Frank Penn.
In late June, the council also failed to confirm Anissa Martinez to fill a vacant spot on the Board of Adjustment. Martinez works as a security specialist for Bechtel, an engineering company in Richmond.
Gorton has appointed Ross Boggess to fill the open position on the Board of Adjustment. A council confirmation hearing is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Boggess is a podcaster and works for an Atlanta-based developer, according to his LinkedIn profile.
The council deliberates and votes on those appointments behind closed doors. The reason why appointees are not confirmed is not made public. The council is allowed to go into executive session to discuss personnel matters, including appointments to boards and commissions.
Council members have previously complained Gorton takes too long to fill appointments to the city’s main planning boards.
