logo
London City Council overrides veto of 2 ordinances

London City Council overrides veto of 2 ordinances

Yahoo11-04-2025

London City Council met in special session Friday afternoon, overriding the mayor's veto of two ordinances that made news earlier in the week.
The meeting began with the council approving a municipal road aid agreement in the amount of $177,015.54.
The municipal road aid agreement, which is from the state, was funded by a fuel tax. The motion to approve the agreement was made by City Council Member Judd Weaver, with a second by Council Member Justin Young. The agreement received the support of each council member present. Councilperson Holly Little was not in attendance.
City Clerk Katelin McPeek passed out copies of the resolution for council members to sign. Council members then additionally agreed to authorize Mayor Randall Weddle to sign the agreement.
The council also unanimously voted to override the mayor's veto of two ordinances — Ordinance 2025-01 and Ordinance 2025-02.
The vetoes made news earlier this week after City Attorney Larry Bryson questioned the legality of the Mar. 20 special-called meeting at which the first reading of each ordinance was held.
During Monday's regular meeting, Bryson advised that council members illegally called a special meeting in violation of KRS 83A.130(11). This statute mandates that special-called meetings must be called either by the mayor or the majority of council members through a written request.
The first ordinance requires that all supporting documents for city council agenda items be provided at least seven days before a regular meeting. If documents are submitted late, the items will be tabled unless the council approves the late submission at the meeting.
Any ordinances that conflict with Ordinance 2025-01 have consequently been repealed, as the ordinance took effect upon publication. Council Member Kelly Greene made the motion Friday to approve the veto override, which was seconded by Councilperson Stacy Benge.
Ordinance 2025-02 established the details of the council's regular meetings, amending Ordinance 2002-05. Under the new ordinance, meetings will be held on the first Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m., or the following day in the case of a conflicting holiday. Meetings will take place at the London Community Center, located at 529 South Main Street, unless otherwise announced.
Council Member Benge made the motion to override the veto of the ordinance, receiving a second by Councilperson Weaver. The council's vote brought the meeting to adjournment.
To watch the livestream of this meeting, visit The City of London Facebook page. The London City Council will hold their May meeting Monday, May 5, at 5:30 p.m.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

In Morro Bay, the decision to fly — or not fly — the Pride flag is political
In Morro Bay, the decision to fly — or not fly — the Pride flag is political

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

In Morro Bay, the decision to fly — or not fly — the Pride flag is political

June is Pride Month, a time when we dust off our rainbow flags and don our regalia in celebration of decades of triumph over adversity. We commune with our siblings and allies to mark progress and honor those who came before us in brave elegance and hearty aspiration. There are moments of great joy and celebration, but also times of marked solemnity. Pride is a time of family and remembrance, but also a time to regroup and map the work that still needs to be done. When news broke that Morro Bay planned its final Pride flag raising, we shared a message on our business website encouraging folks to attend the proclamation earlier this week. Almost immediately, someone left a crude and loathsome response. Over the past calendar year in San Luis Obispo County, we have witnessed an alleged anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime death, along with several assaults and acts of vandalism rooted in queer hate. In the Southern U.S., we've heard preachers openly calling for the execution of LGBTQ+ individuals. And now, the current president has re-centered focus on making LGBTQ+ people once again targets of scorn and contempt. This is the backdrop that makes it clear: The decision to rescind Morro Bay's Pride flag ordinance did not happen in a vacuum. When City Councilmember Jeff Eckles publicly called for the removal of the ordinance that allows the Pride flag to fly, he offered scant and misleading justifications. Those justifications rang hollow as speaker after speaker faced the dais and systematically dismantled every point. Attempting to persuade the audience that his actions were rooted in the rosy ideal of 'neutrality,' the council member's words failed to resonate with the packed room of LGBTQ+ individuals and allies. It was a shameful insult to recast the rainbow Pride flag — a symbol that has stood for inclusion, affirmation and acceptance for nearly 50 years — as something divisive or exclusionary. Calling it a step toward 'tribalism' is disingenuous at best. It is intellectually dishonest to argue that allowing three council members to decide whether a symbol of unity and inclusion may fly is somehow a 'gross overreach of government.' If so, wouldn't removing it by that same process also constitute overreach? What is the point of representative government if not to represent all the people? While cities across the state and country are expanding Pride visibility, how is it that our small town of 10,000 cannot find the courage to take a principled stand in support of roughly 10% of its population? The Pride flag pushes back against the long history of violence, exclusion and discrimination that LGBTQ+ people have endured — and still endure. The claim that this decision affects all commemorative flags, not just the Pride flag, falls apart under scrutiny. No other flag has been requested to fly. And we've heard the same tired false dilemmas: 'What if someone wants to fly the Nazi or Confederate flag?' Well, there is a process, and the council votes on each request. If the council cannot distinguish between a flag that honors inclusion and one that glorifies violence and genocide, we have a much deeper problem than flag policy. We are not asking for rainbow crosswalks or high-dollar lighting displays. We are simply asking that the Pride flag continue to fly for one month out of the year to show that our town supports and represents all of its residents and visitors. The council has now rescinded the ordinance and chosen to limit flags to the Morro Bay flag, the state flag and the American flag. Some who spoke in favor of the decision said they wanted to return to 'unity under the American flag.' But here is the rub: the Stars and Stripes have not always symbolized unity. For many, they have represented prejudice, bullying and violence. Now, more than ever, the U.S. flag divides in new ways. Over the past decade, it has increasingly come to represent one political party. Often, it flies alongside banners promoting a leader who has actively worked to strip away protections and freedoms from the LGBTQ+ community — freedoms that should be guaranteed under that very flag. Unity under one banner sounds like a noble idea. But until we have a shared definition of liberty and equality, the Rainbow Pride flag must continue to fly. It is not a substitute for the American flag, it is a bridge that spans the divide between our country's promises and the lived reality of many of its people. Until the Stars and Stripes can fulfill their promise for everyone, the rainbow must remain. Aimee Brantley is a resident and business owner in Morro Bay.

Los Angeles Mayor Bass signs city budget to preserve services, bolster police force
Los Angeles Mayor Bass signs city budget to preserve services, bolster police force

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Los Angeles Mayor Bass signs city budget to preserve services, bolster police force

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed the city budget on Friday. The newly signed budget will preserve city services like street repair, traffic management and parks and library programming maintenance. It will also help to bring new jobs to the Los Angeles Police Department, according to the mayor's office. 'City Council leadership will identify funds for an additional 240 recruits within 90 days,' Bass' office said in a press release. 'The money will be used after LAPD fulfills hiring 240 officers.' Funding for vital services such as street repair, traffic management and parks and library program maintenance is also included in the budget, which according to the mayor herself, was not easy to put forward. $150K Camaro stolen from influencer during Southern California event 'This budget has been delivered under extremely difficult conditions–uncertainty from Washington, the explosion of liability payments, unexpected rising costs and lower than expected revenues,' said Mayor Bass. 'This budget continues to aggressively combat the homelessness crisis and invest in emergency response and vital city services like street repair, parks and libraries. I want to thank the City Council for coming together on this deal as we work together to make Los Angeles safer for all.' According to Mayor Bass' office, the city budget includes: Restoration of more than 1,000 city positions at risk of layoff to ensure delivery of vital services like pothole repair, traffic management, positions that support future housing development and more New investments in the Los Angeles Fire Department with more positions, funding for more paramedics and other resources and support Funding for all sworn officers and firefighters Continued funding for 9-1-1 emergency dispatchers to lower wait times Protection for homeless funding Resources to continue driving the Palisades Fire recovery forward with urgency Maintenance of library and Parks and Recreation facility hours maintained Support for capital infrastructure projects, including staff for the planning and coordination of the LA Convention Center, funding for Sepulveda Basin improvements and recreation facilities in San Fernando Valley & South L.A. Measures to preserve of all positions within the Emergency Management Department with a priority to expand with future funding Continued funding for RepresentLA to provide legal representation to Angelenos Funding to keep all animal shelters open and add strategic additional staffing support More information on the city's budget can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Help us settle a debate: What do you call the middle lane on the Sevens?
Help us settle a debate: What do you call the middle lane on the Sevens?

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Help us settle a debate: What do you call the middle lane on the Sevens?

Phoenix leaders recently commissioned a study to examine commuting patterns on Seventh Avenue and Seventh Street where reversible lanes are used in rush hour. City traffic engineers also will look at the effects of those lanes on the major arterials within a mile and a half to the east and west of them. The City Council's decision last month came as a citizen petition that garnered 4,000 signatures demanded the removal of the reverse lanes along the two heavily trafficked corridors, commonly referred to as the Sevens. For years, people have raised safety concerns with Phoenix's reverse lanes, which have been used for nearly a half-century. City officials argue they are needed to mitigate traffic during peak hours. The report, which is planned to be completed by December 2026, will study the city's streets and the potential impacts of removing a portion of the reverse lanes, notably through the Melrose District. It's the second time the city has studied the question in four years and follows the second resident petition in three. After the last petition, in 2023, The Arizona Republic asked readers to let us know how they felt about the reverse lanes. In our non-scientific poll, two-thirds of readers said Phoenix should stop using reverse lanes. We want to see if readers' thoughts on the matter have changed since then. Let us know by answering the poll question below. While the debate continues over whether the reverse lanes are helpful, the issue as prompted another debate within The Republic newsroom and among its readers. Many longtime Phoenix residents use the colloquial term 'suicide lanes" to describe the reverse lanes on the Sevens. But traffic engineers do not use that term; they call them reversible lanes. Many people use "suicide lanes" to describe any center lane where cars can face each other head-on, such as on McDowell or Thomas roads. So, which is it? What should the lanes on the Sevens be called? We're asking readers to help settle this dispute. First, here's what we know about the lanes, their definitions and how they're meant to be used: This is an easy question to answer, as traffic engineers in Phoenix and around the country agree on their definition and description. They're center two-way left turn lanes, or TWLTL, to the engineers. Simply put, they're center turn lanes. The lanes are marked with solid yellow lines on the outside, and inner broken yellow lines. Drivers traveling in both directions along major streets like Indian School and McDowell roads or the Sevens can hop into the center lane to turn across traffic down a side street, or into a driveway or shops. Reverse, or reversible, lanes, like the ones along Seventh Street and Seventh Avenue, are converted center turn lanes. They're designed to expedite traffic flow during morning and afternoon rush hours, and only between McDowell Road and Dunlap Avenue on Seventh Street. On Seventh Avenue, the lane ends at Northern Avenue. What are flex lanes? New lanes introduced on Interstate 17 to alleviate traffic congestion On weekdays in Phoenix, those center turn lanes on the Sevens can be used as southbound through-traffic lanes for drivers heading into downtown from 6 to 9 a.m. They flip to northbound through-traffic lanes from 4 to 6 p.m. as drivers head away from downtown. During all other times of the day, the lanes can again be used as left-hand turn lanes, just like those on Thomas Road. This is the crux of the debate. 'Suicide lane' is not an official term that traffic engineers and transportation departments use. It's hardly found in official documents and government reports. The term is purely colloquial, and depending on who you're talking to, it can have slightly different meanings and uses. Here in Phoenix, many use it interchangeably with reverse lanes to denote the safety concerns and confusion associated with the lanes. Elsewhere, 'suicide lane' is the term used to describe all center turn lanes, not just those used for reverse lanes. A study on U-turns and intersections that the North Carolina Department of Transportation commissioned noted that some people described the two-way left turn lane as a 'suicide' lane. According to Wikipedia, the term has historically been used to describe the center left turn lane, as well as center passing lanes that are sometimes found along highways. Here's where you, the reader, can weigh in and help settle — or fuel — the debate. What do you call Phoenix's reverse travel lanes? Cast your vote in the poll below. Shawn Raymundo covers Phoenix and Scottsdale. Reach him at sraymundo@ or follow him on X @ShawnzyTsunami. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Suicide' or 'reverse' lane? What to call center lanes on the Sevens?

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store