Susan works hard, every day, listening to voices from the communities in the 4th District, and looking for ways to make living here better and safer.
Below are a few issues Susan has talked to community members about, examined, researched and worked on to find the best outcome for our city.
Police Body Cameras – Susan worked with the administration and her Council colleagues to make sure the city was ready to move forward on the project in an effective manner.
Safety Officers – Susan supported the newly created positions of Safety Officers who will assist in promotion of community and neighborhood safety.
Traffic Calming – Susan works with the Div. of Police and the Commander of our East Sector in requesting additional patrol on streets where speeding is a problem. She also works with our Div. of Traffic Engineering to see if there are options to reduce speed and other calming devices on neighborhood streets.
Veterans Park Baseball Foul Ball Protection Shades – Southeastern Baseball League contacted Susan in early 2015 and expressed concerns with foul ball protection around the ball fields. Susan was able to provide Council support for cost sharing with the league to have the protection shades installed.
Street Resurfacing – Each year Susan evaluates the Overall Condition Index (OCI) of the 4th District local streets (121.61 lane miles) and then actually drives the streets to gauge their driving condition. After that review, local streets are designated for resurfacing. The FY18 budget included $10 million for resurfacing (local streets received 42% of $10M) and, of that amount, the 4th District received $365,873 of the funds.
Veterans Park Basketball Court – Pinnacle Neighborhood Association approached Susan in 2015 and asked if they could petition to have a basketball court installed at Veterans Park. Susan worked with the administration on funding, and it was approved by Council. The basketball court is scheduled to be constructed in 2016.
Zandale Park Pavers – After attending a Lansdowne Neighborhood Association annual picnic at Zandale Park, a resident asked if parking pavers could be installed at Zandale Park. Susan talked with the Div. of Parks & Recreation and after agreeing this could be useful for the park, the division has a plan to install parking pavers for four parking spaces at Zandale Park.
Kirklevington Park Exercise Stations – Making improvements to parks in the 4th District is critical and needed so residents can enjoy these wonderful amenities. At Kirklevington Park, which is highly utilized, Susan talked to our Div. of Parks & Recreation and they agreed to upgrade exercise stations along the paved path.
Kirklevington Pickle Ball Courts – Susan continues to support the transition of tennis courts to create more pickle ball courts. It is the fastest growing sport in the country, and these new courts are actively used by residents throughout the city.
Arboretum Shared Use Path – The Arboretum borders the 4th District, and Susan stays in contact with staff and participates in discussions of new development and projects as much as possible. Developments at the Arboretum directly impact the 4th District. Susan was invited to participate in the bidding process of the path in early 2015 and attended the ribbon cutting when the path was opened.
Global Lex (Lexington’s Global Engagement Center) – The concept of an International Community Center was under way when Susan was first elected. The new center is important to our community, and Susan wanted to make sure that her colleagues were updated on how it was helping local and international citizens engage with one another. As Chairman of General Government and Social Services Committee, Susan made sure the leaders of Global Lex had opportunities to present updates to the committee.
Minimum Wage Increase – Susan knew when the first draft ordinance to increase minimum wage was introduced the Council couldn’t just rubber stamp it. After months of research, meetings and debate, discussion was needed among her colleagues as well as with the city’s residents. She reached out, and met with, business owners and community leaders to listen to their input and how this issue would affect their businesses and livelihood. Susan’s Legislative Aide performed major research to produce long-term projections and estimate the impact on the city. Susan worked with her colleagues and after much discussion, an ordinance was approved by the Council.
Updated Snow & Sidewalk Snow Removal Plan - With the large amount of snowfall in 2015, Susan learned very quickly that snow removal was very important to our community. On top of this, there was a need for improved public sidewalk snow removal. The Council asked for an update to the Snow Plan, and during the Environmental and Public Works Committee, Susan joined in the discussion on improvements. Susan suggested city-owned sidewalks should be cleared like privately-owned sidewalks. After the discussion, the Div. of Environmental Services developed a plan ensuring sidewalks were cleared, as well as providing an improved, tiered snow clearing plan for our streets.
Contingency “Rainy Day” Fund – From her past experience with Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Susan knew the importance of this fund and how difficult it would be to ever use the funds. Susan understood the ordinance set parameters for how the fund was created and maintained. The government standard was to have a minimum of 10% of the annual revenue in this fund just in case an emergency or disaster struck Lexington. During a Budget, Finance & Economic Development Committee, the details of the fund were discussed. Susan worked with her colleagues to utilize appropriate fiscal strategies to help the city reach its 10% fund goal.
LexServ Billing System – Susan wanted to bring the billing of our Water Quality Fee back to Lexington, since the water company had made the decision to stop processing it. After initially being sent to Cincinnati for processing, Susan felt the city should handle its own billing. She knew there would be significant cost savings to bring it back. Susan participated in the Request for Proposal (RFP) process and discussion about the best software system for Lexington. She supported the new system through the budget process and looks forward to the cost savings in the future.
Lansdowne Drive and Redding Road Base Failure Repair - Susan worked with the Div. of Streets and Roads to find a solution to the base failures on Redding Road and Lansdowne Drive. She was able to garner unanimous support from her colleagues to include $1.27 million funding in the FY18 Budget toward the repair of the base failures.
Mental Health Court Funding - Susan witnessed first-hand the positive effects of Lexington’s newly established Mental Health Court and made sure her colleagues were aware of the necessity for this program in our community.