What’s New in City Government This Week?

By CivicLex Staff

Community Corrections operations review

Tuesday at the Social Services & Public Safety (SSPS) Committee meeting, Council will hear a presentation from Division of Community Corrections Director Scott Colvin reporting the findings of a recent operations review.

The review of the Fayette County Correctional facility and strategy was conducted by the National Institute of Corrections and took place in June of 2022 at the request of the division.

The Technical Assistance Report was finalized last August and identified several areas for improvement including:

• Staffing – Inadequate staffing with poor retention rate highlighted a need for new recruitment and staff cultural practices
• Use of Force – The report recommended building a Use of Force Review Board to review inmate discipline and use of force
• Confinement Conditions – The report recommended making improvements to the current conditions of confinement through opening additional cell units as staffing grows

Community Corrections notes several plans to address many of the concerns in the report. You can view the entire presentation here.

The SSPS Committee will meet Tuesday, March 14th at 1pm in Council Chambers. You can attend in person or watch live on LexTV.

Community Paramedicine Program Update

The Social Services and Public Safety Committee will hear an update on the Community Paramedicine Program from Captain Seth Lockard and Chief Jason Wells of the Lexington Fire Department. The Community Paramedicine program pairs teams of firefighters, paramedics, social workers, and police officers to assist in post-acute crises across the city. In 2022, the Program responded to over 1,800 cases of non-fatal overdoses.

The SSPS Committee will meet Tuesday, March 14th at 1pm in Council Chambers. You can attend in person or watch live on LexTV.

Substance Use Disorder Intervention Program Update

In the SSPS Committee on Tuesday will be a program update on Substance Use Disorder Intervention and the National Opioid Litigation. The presentation includes overviews on the work of various Substance Intervention initiatives in Lexington, including the Barrier Free Re-Entry Recovery Initiative, Recovery Supportive Living Assistance Program, and the Mayor’s Substance Use Disorder Advisory Council. It also touches on overdose trends in Lexington and the National Opioid Litigation, from which the LFUCG will receive funding.

The SSPS Committee will meet Tuesday, March 14th at 1pm in Council Chambers. You can attend in person or watch live on LexTV.

Public Input Subcommittee Meeting

Last week, on Friday March 10th, the Public Input Subcommittee met to continue its discussion related to recommendations from our Public Input Report. The Subcommittee heard a presentation from Michael Cravens in the city’s Law Department about legal regulations for Public Comment. The Subcommittee also heard from Nick Brock, who oversees LFUCG’s website, about some plans to build a public engagement hub for the site and from Council Administrator Stacey Maynard about public input and legislation tracking software.

Voice your concerns on Lexington’s housing and community development

On March 20th there will be a second public heating on the Consolidated Plan. This plan outlines the funding available and use plans for Community Development Block Grants and Home Emergency Solutions Grants. The public is invited to give comment on any housing and community development needs. This public hearing will be held in Council Chambers on Monday, March 20th at 6pm.

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