Warm wishes this holiday season from the District 9 office!

As a reminder, Metro offices are closed next Friday, December 25. There will be no garbage, yard waste or recyclables collection on Friday in either the Urban Services District or St. Matthews. Collections for the rest of the week are delayed one day.

The D9 eNews will not publish next week and will resume on December 31. This week’s calendar events run through that day. 

With the Lincoln Bridge now open, I've received several questions about road closures in District 9, including two associated with the bridges project. 

The ramp from Story Avenue to I-64 West closed on August 31.  We were told last week that the tentative time frame for reopening it is mid-May.   Crews are building new ramps to improve safety and traffic flow in the area.  One ramp will carry traffic from Story Ave. to I-64 West and I-65 South and another ramp will carry traffic from Story Ave. to I-65 North. The new ramps will eliminate the need to merge across lanes of I-64 traffic to reach I-65.

Meanwhile, work will continue intermittently on Frankfort Avenue, closing that road to through traffic from Story Ave. to River Road from time to time.

Finally, unrelated to the bridges project,  the closure of Spring Street between Story and Mellwood Aves. is coming to an end.  The street has been closed  to put in a new sanitary sewer line that intersects in the middle of Spring Street. The current goal is to have the work completed by December 22.  

Sign up for the D9 blog for more information on bridges and road work when it becomes available : https://district9news.wordpress.com/. 

The Frankfort Avenue/ Shelbyville Road corridor is fortunate to have several bus routes running from the east to and from downtown.   Both the 31- Shelbyville Road bus and the 15 -Market Street bus pass the intersection of Frankfort and North Bellaire Avenues and there is a bus stop in front of the Clifton Baptist Church at that corner.  But until recently there was no bench at that bus stop. 

Thanks to Clifton Baptist Church you can now rest while waiting for the bus there.  After volunteers from the Neighborhood Pedestrian and Bicycle Access Committee (a joint effort of Clifton, Clifton Heights, Crescent Hill and Butchertown) noticed that there was a bench across the street but none at the bus stop, Clifton Baptist Church agreed to make space on its property and pour a new concrete pad for the bench, all at its expense.  TARC, Metro Public Works and the District 9 office were also involved in getting the bench and a trash can moved to the corner. 

Thanks to Clifton Baptist Church, Mark Smith, Minister of Administration & Children’s Ministries, and the church volunteers for making it easier to ride TARC!  For more information on TARC, including transit directions, click here:   https://www.ridetarc.org/

We’d like to feature your sustainability story - a resident or business doing good things for the environment.  Riding the bus, bicycling, walking, gardening and more - our eNews will feature practices which can benefit all of us.  Send your story to Bill Hollander or Kyle Ethridge. 

I regularly meet with LMPD officers to discuss crime in District 9 and always hear the same tips, which could vastly decrease crime if everyone always followed them. For vehicles, the best advice is to always lock doors and leave nothing of value visible through the windows.

Here are tips for your home security:

1. Lock all doors and windows

It’s extremely important to make sure that your doors and windows are shut and locked, both when you’re inside your home and when you’re away. This is the first thing that potential burglars check when trying to break into homes, and something as simple as locking the door could possibly prevent a home invasion. As such, you’ll want to make sure you remind your family members to lock the door behind them every time they leave and come back inside the house.

2. Don’t leave a spare key

With the craziness of the holiday season combined with your kids having extracurricular activities and hectic-after school schedules, many parents think it’s a good idea to leave a spare key under a mat or rock near a door. Contrary to belief, this is something that should be avoided at all costs, as these are common areas for burglars to look at as a means to get inside your home. Instead, make sure your children or family members keep a spare key on them, or have them wait at a neighbor’s house until you or someone else is home to let them in.

3. Remove valuable items from plain sight

This means laptops, jewelry, home entertainment systems, holiday gifts or anything that would entice a burglar to break into your home. If you personally can see it from the street or by merely glancing through a window, so can burglars. Make sure you close the curtains when you aren’t home, and if you plan to be gone for an extended period of time, consider moving valuables (including holiday gifts) into a safe or locked away somewhere else in your home that cannot be easily seen through windows, such as a closet.

4. Make it look like someone is home

You can help ward off would-be burglars by simply giving the illusion that someone is always home. While you’re away at work or school, you can set a timer for lights and other appliances to switch on and off periodically. Most home security systems have home automation systems that allow you to control these types of things remotely from your smartphone or tablet, which is great if your timers malfunction or you forget to set them. And if you’re able to, have a trusted friend or neighbor house sit or check in on your home if you’re away on vacation or visiting relatives for the holidays. Be sure to also ask the friend or neighbor to take in your mail, as that is usually a dead giveaway that someone isn’t home. If you don’t plan to have someone watch your home, make sure you put a temporary stop on your mail.

5. Check your alarm system regularly

Far too often, those with home security systems get too comfortable and feel so secure that they forget to do regular upkeep of these systems. You’ll want to make test your alarm keypad and ensure your door and window sensors are fully functioning and have batteries that are working. After all, what good is your home security system if it’s not even active? Also, make sure you set the alarm while you’re away from home, as a home security system isn’t effective if it’s not set.

Metro Public Works will provide curbside pickup of Christmas Trees within the Urban Services District (the old City of Louisville boundaries) after the holiday. Beginning Saturday, December 26, residents with City curbside yard waste pickup may set their Christmas trees and greenery out on their regular collection day. Trees must not be in plastic bags.

Drop-off sites will also be available for all Louisville/Jefferson County residents at three locations on the dates below. Two of the three drop-off sites will also instantly recycle trees into mulch that will be offered back to citizens for home use.

Those wishing to receive mulch must bring an appropriate container in which to carry it. This mulch performs particularly well for acid-loving plants such as azaleas and rhododendrons. Trees picked up from curbside will also be recycled but not offered as mulch. All lights and ornaments should be removed from trees before they are set out or dropped off.

Residents normally serviced by private waste haulers should check with those companies to see whether and when tree pickup is available.

Christmas tree vendors may recycle their unsold trees on Saturday, December 26 ONLY, and only at the Hubbard’s Lane site.

DROP OFF LOCATIONS

• East District Recycling Center, 595 N. Hubbards Lane (Bring containers to take home fresh mulch.)
• Southwest Government Center, 7219 Dixie Highway (Bring containers to take home fresh mulch.)
• Waste Reduction Center - 636 Meriwether Avenue (Tree drop-off only. Mulch is not available at this location.)

DATES
December 26, 29, 30 and 31
January 2

TIME
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

It’s been a mild winter so far but now is the time to plan for keeping your sidewalks clear when the snow comes. It’s the law – and it’s being a good neighbor. Let’s keep District 9 walkable when winter weather returns!

A message from Metro Public Works:

Last winter we had lots of inquiries about who is responsible for clearing snow from the city’s sidewalks. Snow covered sidewalks have led many people to choose walking in roadways over trudging through the white stuff on the sidewalk. The answer is that property owners and tenants must perform this function.

Below is the Louisville Metro Ordinance that spells out the responsibility of property owners for clearing sidewalks.

§ 97.113 SNOW REMOVAL (A) It shall be the duty of all persons and corporations owning or occupying property abutting a public street in Louisville Metro to remove within 24 hours thereafter such snow as may fall on the sidewalks in front of their property. Where the property is unimproved or unoccupied this duty shall devolve on the owner or the agent for the property. Where property is occupied by others than owners thereof, this duty shall devolve on the owner or the tenants and either may be proceeded against for the violation.

The ordinance goes on to state that “Any responsible party failing to comply…shall be subject to the following fines: not less than $25, nor more than $100.” We also urge that snow removed from the sidewalk be placed on private property such as lawns, and not in the street where it would slow or reverse progress in keeping the streets open.

The Neighborhood Institute is a leadership education program designed to equip neighborhood leaders with skills and resources needed to initiate positive change in the community through their neighborhood, homeowner, and condo associations.  Classes meet every Tuesday, 6:00 - 8:30PM at Urban Design Studio - 507 South Third Street, for 12 consecutive weeks (January 26th – April 12th), followed by a Graduation Celebration. Dinner is provided each week. There is no charge to attend, but space is limited, and advance registration is required.

The Neighborhood Institute Spring 2016 is open to all neighborhoods, Metro Council Districts, and the whole community.

To apply for the 13-week program, contact John Hawkins at 502-589-0343 or johnh@centerforneighborhoods.org. You can also apply online at www.centerforneighborhoods.org. 

The Solar Over Louisville (SOL) campaign, a program of the Louisville Sustainability Council, is hiring a part-time contract position for the Louisville campaign. Duration of contract work is expected to be six months, but may be longer if additional funding is obtained.  Responsibilities listed are larger than what can be accomplished in a part-time position, so prioritizing will be done in collaboration with the SOL Planning Team

JOB DESCRIPTION
The Program Manager will manage the implementation of the Solar Over Louisville (SOL) campaign, which is a city-wide initiative, under the supervision of the SOL Planning Team and broad oversight of the Louisville Sustainability Council (LSC).  Responsibility areas will include the implementation of program goals; community and agency education and outreach; building partnerships with local government, business, education, and community agencies; planning, scheduling, and holding a regular series of events, including workshops, tours, and trainings; working to identify and pursue fundraising activities in partnership with the LSC and the SOL Planning Team; promoting the program and developing positive public relations; community and media relations and outreach; and program administration.

For more information on qualifications, responsibilities and rate of pay please click here. Information on Solar Over Louisville Campaign click here.

Submit cover letter and a resume by close of business on December 30, 2015 to info@louisvillesustainabilitycouncil.org.

When the dust settles after this holiday season, don't let it pile up on your suddenly useless old electronics relegated to the garage or basement by the latest, greatest, digital, 4K, Smart gizmos. Instead, bring those old televisions to the Waste Reduction Center at 636 Meriwether Avenue for recycling. Special drop-off collections will be held during regular Waste Reduction Center hours on Saturday January 2 and Saturday January 9. Regular Saturday hours are 8 AM to 3 PM. Read more about year round electronics recycling.