LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council received a presentation from the Mayor's Task Force on Homelessness and reviewed several contracts for police, 911 and fire services during a work session Tuesday, according to the council's meeting archive. The task force's final report, which remains in draft form in the packet, was the session's main presentation.

Commissioner of Housing Advocacy and Community Development Charlie Lanter told council members that the task force grew out of the June 2025 Emergency Homeless Shelter Study by EHI Consultants, which found the city was near capacity. Lanter said current shelters are largely organized around specific groups, leaving gaps for seniors, couples, families and people with pets. The task force's priority recommendations, which Mayor Linda Gorton publicly outlined last week, include keeping the seasonal shelter at the 1306 Versailles Road campus while planning a transition to a more permanent facility. According to WUKY, the campus would eventually serve families with children, adults 55 and older, and people with disabilities.

Lanter also described a proposed central intake and triage system. He said the task force wants a single answer for residents asking where a homeless person should go, rather than an answer that depends on factors such as gender, family status or addiction. Gorton has described the broader goal as a permanent, cost-effective approach to shelter capacity.

Council members also considered several items on the new business list. The largest of these would authorize a professional services agreement with The Champion Therapy Center, worth $77,221, to help 911 callers experiencing a crisis. The contract is funded through the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program with federal money passed through the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, and a budget amendment is pending.

A second item would authorize a two-year master services agreement with DNA Labs International, a sole-source provider, for the Lexington Police Department's unsolved homicide and violent crime work. The cost for fiscal year 2027 is $193,150, and the agreement includes two two-year renewal options. The lab played a role in the department's January announcement that it had solved a 1998 homicide through a DNA match.

Council members discussed a $50,000 agreement with Thin Line Counseling and Consulting for mental health services for the Divisions of Fire and Emergency Services and Enhanced 911, starting Oct. 1 for six months or until funds run out. Councilmember Jennifer Reynolds questioned whether the city had used the same provider before. Battalion Chief Jessica Bowman said fire had used the firm in its peer support program but not in a full-time role, and that the new arrangement would embed a full-time clinician with the department. The council then approved the item by voice vote.

The work session also included a decreasing change order with Tetra Tech, Inc. for the MS4 annual program management contract, which would produce savings of $508,561.14 for fiscal years 2023 and 2024. Councilmember Dave Sevigny also gave a report on the Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee's September 15 meeting, which covered traffic signal technology and Vision Zero education efforts. No committee actions were taken.