Blown away
There was good news and bad news regarding Fourth of July festivities this year. The good news is that the downtown activities and other events associated with the Fourth provided a lot of great entertainment and an appropriate celebration of our nation's birth. The bad news is that one of the traditional elements of a great Fourth of July celebration - fireworks - was not as entertaining for everyone. Lexington's 911 call center received 553 general noise complaints from over the weekend of the Fourth (Friday - Tuesday), compared to 308 complaints last year.
As you are probably aware, state legislators voted earlier this year to allow the sale and purchase of larger and louder bottle rockets, mortars and other devices that previously were not sold in Kentucky. Clearly, the relaxation of rules governing fireworks was a major contributor to the increase in the number of complaints.
Suffice to say, the council will be visiting this subject and investigating what can be done to balance the desire for a safe and enjoyable celebration of the Fourth
for everyone against the personal safety, fire risk and nuisance issues raised by the liberalized rules and abuses of existing noise ordinances.
Blown away... again
This time it was Mother Nature providing the fireworks in the Fairway and Chevy Chase neighborhoods, as heavy storms and high winds a few weeks ago resulted in downed trees and power lines. This is nothing new for the 5th District, since we have more than our share of trees, among them some of the oldest and most vulnerable in the city. We also have more than our share of wet basements when the rains come.
As usual, the emergency response from police, fire, city work crews and other services was tremendous. I have thanked them personally and take this opportunity to thank them publicly.
Despite their response, the mayor and my council office are working hard to update our after-hours response mechanism. It became readily apparent during this storm that our after-hours 311 emergency system needs better coordination. While streets and roads crews were out immediately, and into the night and early next morning, we need to improve our "flooding" response.
As for those sewers, solutions, as
we all know, are in the works. I constantly monitor the progress we are making meeting the EPA's requirements for repairs and upgrades to the sewer system and will report on that progress periodically.
Budget
The toughest budget I have been involved with is done. It seemed to captivate the first half of the year and took us up to the council summer recess to complete.
"Basic" is the word I would use to describe the budget, as in meeting basic needs. I will be watching our spending throughout the year to make sure the city provides the services we need in our neighborhoods.
One item that did not make it into the budget would have made Lexington a more "lacrosse-friendly" community. I am going to spend time with the lacrosse board in September to see what can be done to accommodate the needs of young people who want to participate in one of the fastest growing sports in America.
Being able to predict the budgetary impact of collective bargaining contracts is an important issue for the council and is something we will continue to discuss. Under existing law, the council is left out of the process until the mayor's budget proposal is presented to us. Since it is ultimately the council's responsibility to adopt a budget, having only the ability to vote yes or no on the final product of negotiations between the mayor and public employee unions puts us at a distinct disadvantage when trying to craft a reasonable and responsible budget.
The salary of employees is obviously a huge part of the budget, and there has been a 30 percent increase in compensation for public safety workers over the past five years, with the council having no option except to accept or reject the total package presented by the mayor.
Whether the council's involvement is necessary and can improve the outcome of negotiations remains to be seen, but as your representative and your voice on how the city spends its money, I am not entirely comfortable with the process as it exists now.
Back to school
It's hard to believe, but students will be back in school in just a few days. That means more traffic on the roads mornings and afternoons and more kids crossing streets. Drivers are encouraged to be particularly sensitive to child safety when school is in session. Please observe posted speed limits in designated areas and stay alert as our children make their way to and from school.