Lexington’s Urban County Council will weigh a $218,452 boost to homeless street outreach and a separate $50,000 deal to add sheriff’s patrols downtown at its work session Tuesday, two items likely to draw public interest amid ongoing debates over downtown safety and services. The 3 p.m. meeting is in Council Chamber at 200 E. Main St., with public comment at the start (agenda items) and end (non-agenda items).
The outreach proposal would amend the city’s agreement with the Hope Center, raising total funding to $535,092. In a memo, Housing and Community Development Commissioner Charlie Lanter wrote the program provides “street-level service engagement and ongoing case management” and has focused more on the downtown core since August in coordination with Community Paramedicine and police; the added dollars would fund a team lead, clinician, peer support specialist and weekend coverage. The Hope Center contract dates to 2023 and was renewed in 2024 for additional terms, according to the memo.
Separately, the council will consider an agreement with the Downtown Lexington Management District to fund up to two Fayette County sheriff’s deputies for patrols in and around Tandy Park during key morning, midday and late-afternoon windows through Oct. 31, at a cost of $50,000. The memo notes the city can terminate the agreement with 60 days’ notice…