As federal support is cut and public conservation efforts fall short in reaching rural Black farmers, one Black-led organization is creating new lifelines to protect historic legacies.
On Tuesday, February 25th, the Social Services and Public Safety (SSPS) Committee will hear an update on Code Enforcement from District Six Councilmember Denise Gray and Director of Code Enforcement Lee Steele.
The Mayor’s Racial Justice and Equality Commission, which aims to combat systemic racism in Lexington, released a report in 2020 recommending that changes be made to the Division of Code Enforcement “to place the health, well-being, and protection of residents (especially the most vulnerable) and neighborhoods” as its mission.
Several aspects of Code Enforcement have changed since 2020 to make the agency less punitive to residents, including increased sidewalk repair assistance and reducing the number of possible violations. You can read about previous changes here.
Some proposed changes to the ordinance include:
The inclusion of graffiti under “nuisances,” which would make graffiti a specific code enforcement violation.
Reducing the amount of time previous nuisance complaints can be held against a resident. Currently, if a resident receives a code violation, they will receive additional fines if they have had a violation in the past 24 months; the proposed change would reduce that timeline to 12 months.
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Watch the meeting: The Social Services and Public Safety (SSPS) Committee will meet on Tuesday, February 25th at 1pm in Council ChambersYou can attend in-person or watch live on LexTV.
Jemi Chew is a senior at the University of Kentucky majoring in journalism with minors in Arabic and Islamic studies and public policy. She is passionate about rural and community journalism and proud to call Kentucky home.
