LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Urban County Council on Tuesday will consider a two-part plan to stand up a temporary winter shelter at 1306 Versailles Road and contract for operations through April, decisions that could steer more than $2.47 million toward emergency housing as temperatures drop. Members will also review a $250,000 agreement with Lextran for a seasonal nighttime circulator linking downtown with the Distillery District and Warehouse Block.
The work session is set for 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, in the Council Chamber at 200 E. Main St. The meeting includes public comment at the start and end of the agenda.
At the top of the docket are two winter-shelter items: one to rent and install temporary structures at the Versailles Road site for up to $688,824, and a second to hire EDS Holdco, LLC to run the shelter through April 1, 2026, for up to $1,782,000. Both items note “partial funds budgeted” with a budget amendment “in process,” signaling fresh dollars may be needed to cover the full cost. The scope describes a “temporary winter emergency shelter serving persons experiencing homelessness” from Nov. 1 to April 1.
Another headline item would launch a spring-to-fall “downtown circulator” pilot in partnership with Lextran. The memorandum of understanding envisions a seasonal transit option between April and October 2026 connecting “popular nighttime entertainment options” in downtown, the Distillery District and the Warehouse Block, at a city cost of $250,000…