LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Urban County Council is scheduled to consider a packed work session agenda on Tuesday that includes three major contracts worth more than $3.6 million to provide winter emergency shelter services for people experiencing homelessness in the months ahead.

The most substantial proposal would authorize an agreement with EDS Holdco, LLC to operate a general winter emergency shelter between October 29, 2026, and April 1, 2027, at a total cost not to exceed $3,081,732.03. The city would also consider approving shelter services specifically for families with children and for elderly or disabled individuals, with agreements totaling $534,977 if approved.

The Community Action Council for Lexington-Fayette, Bourbon, Harrison, and Nicholas Counties would operate motel-based winter shelter services for families with children experiencing homelessness between November 1, 2026, and April 1, 2027, at a cost not to exceed $300,000. Bluegrass Care Navigators, which operates as Hospice of the Bluegrass, Inc. d/b/a, would provide similar services for elderly and disabled persons experiencing homelessness at a cost not to exceed $234,977, according to the agenda.

Beyond homelessness initiatives, the council's work session will feature a presentation on the Downtown Area Master Plan, which calls for 2,500 new housing units and redesigned streets over the next decade. The plan emerged from a yearlong community-driven process involving more than 2,200 residents and includes strategies to address homelessness and improve mobility in the downtown core.

The agenda also includes numerous budget amendments, capital projects, and procurement authorizations. Among them: a sole source agreement with Zonar Systems, LLC for electronic vehicle inspection software at the Waste Management department, not to exceed $85,000; authorization for a Siemens Inc. sole source purchase to update automatic transfer switching equipment at West Hickman Wastewater Treatment Plant, at a cost of $444,705; and stormwater quality incentive grants to local organizations totaling roughly $86,536.

A work session, typically held on Tuesday, is where council members discuss and consider items before final votes are generally deferred to the regular Thursday council meeting. Public comment on agenda items is accepted during the session.