We have work to do to make Louisville a better place for everyone to live, work and raise a family.  It starts with our children. In our community, 47% of children are not ready to learn when they enter kindergarten, 32% of third graders can’t read at grade level and nearly 1,200 students will drop out of school this year. What can you do to help? Demonstrate your support for our kids by volunteering to read to, tutor or mentor a child.

January is National Mentoring Month and our eNews will be featuring news about mentoring all month.  Did you know that young people who are in a quality mentoring relationship are more likely to do better in school and have aspirations to go to college? They’re more equipped to make responsible decisions and model good behavior too.  Metro United Way has more on the benefits of mentoring here: https://metrounitedway.org/servlet/eAndar.article/872

You can sign up to be a mentor at this Metro United Way site: https://metrounitedway.org/comm/SurveyNE.jsp?SurveyKeyHex=6F726351576C5A2158357E3E. We all win when a child succeeds in school, when a neighborhood turns around, when families have good health and when workers have solid jobs. Become part of the solution this month! 

My office is partnering with the Louisville Asset Building Coalition to provide FREE tax preparation services again in 2016. The service is FREE if you earned $55,000 Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) or less in 2015 or if you quality for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Call the office today to see if you qualify and make your appointment! Appointments are available on four Fridays (Feb. 5, Feb. 19, Mar. 18 and Apr. 1) between 9:15 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Please call the office today to make an appointment. 

The end of the year brought good news for solar advocates, just as a push to increase solar use in Louisville gets started. 

The good news came from the United States Congress in the form of a long-term extension of the major federal tax credit for solar equipment.  While 2016 was originally supposed to be the final year for the tax credit, it is now the first of five additional years for the program.  Congressional action extended the federal tax incentives until at least 2021. Currently, the tax credit available for purchasing solar equipment stands at 30 percent and was supposed to drop to 10 percent in 2017, but the extension means the first reduction in the incentive will not arrive until 2020. 

Meanwhile, a Solar Over Louisville campaign organized by the Louisville Sustainability Council and supported by Metro Council is filling a part-time contract position.  The duration of contract work is expected to be six months, but may be longer if additional funding is obtained. 

For more information on qualifications, responsibilities and rate of pay for the position, please click here. Information on Solar Over Louisville Campaign, click here.  Submit cover letter and a resume by close of business on January 8, 2016 to info@louisvillesustainabilitycouncil.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. 

“In the 21st century, scientific and technological innovations have become increasingly important as we face the benefits and challenges of both globalization and a knowledge-based economy. To succeed in this new information-based and highly technological society, students need to develop their capabilities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to levels much beyond what was considered acceptable in the past.”  That’s the word from the National Science Foundation, which would be pleased with the work going on at D9’s Field Elementary School.  

The budget Metro Council approved in June included $300,000 for a much needed filter system at the Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center in D9.

Soon it will be time to install the filter. This long-awaited replacement will shut down the pool for up to two weeks, likely in February or March. Metro Parks will inform the public of the shutdown well in advance. Please stay tuned to bestparksever.com and follow Metro Parks on Twitter and Facebook for more information and for alternative sites while Mary T. is closed. 

The annual program that helps prevent low-income residents of Louisville from being disconnected from utility services begins Monday, Jan. 11, 2016. LIHEAP, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, is administered by Louisville Metro Department of Community Services. The Crisis Phase of LIHEAP will run from Jan. 11 - March 31, or as long as available funds last.

Residents wishing to apply must have an appointment, which can be set up, in person only, between 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 7, and between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Jan. 8, at the Central LIHEAP Office, located at the Urban Government Center, 810 Barret Ave.

Applicants must be Jefferson County residents with a household income at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty guidelines (e.g. for a household of four, the gross monthly income cannot exceed $2,628). For the Crisis Phase, applicants must have received a brown, disconnection notice from their utility service provider, or an eviction notice if their utilities are included in the rent.

Applicants should bring a picture ID (if available), as well as the   most recent LG&E bill (must be a brown bill), or an eviction notice if utilities are included in the rent.

Starting Jan. 11, appointments will be issued at all three LIHEAP offices listed below on weekdays 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., based on funding and appointment availability. Upon registering, residents will receive an appointment slip verifying the appointment date, time and location.

Central Office -- Urban Government Center, 810 Barret Ave., Room 127, 40204; 502-574-1157

East Office -- Newburg Community Center, 4810 Exeter Ave., 40218; 502-574-1270

(Note:  The East Office is closed on Fridays for LIHEAP)

South Office -- Southwest Government Center, 7219 Dixie Highway; 502-574-1272

All LIHEAP offices will be closed January 18, 2016 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

The following documents must be presented at the time of the LIHEAP appointment:

• Picture ID for head of household (if available)
• Proof of all household income (all members) for the preceding month (food stamp award letter, Social Security award letter, pay stubs, etc.). If there is no income in the household, please complete a “Proof of No Income” form prior to applying for benefits. (Available at the LIHEAP office at 810 Barret or by clicking here.)
• Social Security card(s) or official documentation with Social Security numbers or Permanent Resident Card Numbers for everyone living in the household.
• Most recent heating bill or verification from landlord that heating expenses are included in the rent (i.e. lease agreements).
• Documentation showing the amount of your utility allowance check and proof that it has been credited on your utility bill (if applicable.) 

Benefits provided by this program are paid directly to the applicant’s heating vendor.

Individuals who are unable to apply for this program in person may send a representative on their behalf with a note including the applicant’s signature and phone number. Call 574-1157 for more details on how this process works. Residents who are homebound and who are unable to send a representative may call 574-1274.

LIHEAP is made possible by the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is a pass through grant from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which contracts with Community Action Agencies across the state. Louisville Metro Community Services serves as the administering agency of Louisville Metro Community Action Partnership. For more information about Community Services, visit the website: http://www.louisvilleky.gov/government/community-services or call 574-1157 (TDD available at Metro Call – 574-5000); or Community Action Kentucky at 1-800-456-3452. 

The Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund is seeking an Executive Director. The position requires someone who can advance the work of the Fund by securing dedicated funding and building broad-based support for affordable housing in Metro Louisville as outlined in the Metro Louisville Consolidated Plan. It also includes creating policies for, and managing, a multi-million dollar housing fund administered to developers throughout Metro Louisville. All interested candidates should review the job description below and send a resume to louisvilleahtf@gmail.com by January 22, 2016.

Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund Job Description               
 
Title: Executive Director

Summary: This position is responsible for all activities associated with the management and direction of the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund including fund management, research and strategic planning around the best use of funds and working with the Louisville Metro Government staff and local affordable housing and community development advocates to secure and maintain funding for the Fund.

Reports to: Board of Directors

Classification: Regular Full-Time Professional                           

Minimum Requirements: Bachelors Degree in a related field with eight years experience in housing issues, or equivalent educational and work experience. Familiarity with housing research and planning methods. Ability to work with diverse groups, including experience building coalitions, partnering with and managing other people. Experience conducting advocacy and fundraising efforts. Excellent written and oral communication skills. Must own reliable personal insured vehicle.

Duties:

1. Oversee personnel and/or subcontractors of the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund which includes recruiting, outlining expectations and evaluating the performance of agency staff and subcontractors.
2. Oversee the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund budget which includes working with the Board Treasurer to create an annual budget and meeting monthly to review and address variances in budgeted versus actual expenses. Maintain the organization’s finances including making check requests to pay vendors and depositing funds in a timely manner.
3. Work with Louisville Metro Government staff and local affordable housing and community development advocates to insure that the community and Louisville Metro Council understand the importance of the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund and funding for low-income and affordable housing development.
4. Oversee and update the policies and procedures of the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
5. Create and maintain relationships with funders of the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund and seek new ways to access funding for the Fund.
6. Develop media campaigns and issue media releases as appropriate.
7. Speak at public events about the importance of the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
8. Oversee board development and policies and attend all Board and Executive Committee meetings. Take minutes of Board meetings. Also, insure that board seats are filled in a timely manner and that Board committees are meeting regularly.
9. Keep up with national, state and local trends and issues around the issue of low-income housing.

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 2015 Bingham Fellows project, Café LOUIE, is pleased to announce a partnership with the Leadership Louisville Center, the Louisville Free Public Library, and the Friends of the Library to host the inaugural series of Café LOUIE meetings with Jefferson County legislators during the 2016 legislative session. Each meeting will feature one or two members of Louisville’s 28-member legislative delegation and will be held at library branches within or near their districts. The meetings will take place on Saturday mornings from 9 - 10:00 a.m., January until early April. The public is invited to attend and is encouraged to ask questions.

Café LOUIE, a series of informal meetings to facilitate better interaction between legislators and constituents, was identified as a need by the Leadership Louisville Center’s 2015 Bingham Fellows class. Working with legislators and the Louisville Free Public Library, the Bingham Fellows organized the Café LOUIE events.

The currently scheduled Café LOUIE dates for District 9 are:

• January 16 from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. St. Matthews Eline Library, 3940 Grandview Avenue. Senator Julie Raque Adams and Representative Mary Lou Marzian.
• January 23 from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Crescent Hill Library, 2762 Frankfort Avenue. Senator Morgan McGarvey.

You’re invited to attend an Orientation meeting held by MSD regarding the Lexington Road and Payne Street CSO basin on Tuesday, January 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana, 2115 Lexington Road. This meeting will provide information about the need for underground storage basins and offer an opportunity for input and comments. Storage basins are part of MSD’s larger endeavor to prevent sewage from overflowing into Louisville’s waterways. Planned basins throughout the City are designed to capture rainwater and sewage, which otherwise can overwhelm the sewer system during rain events and flow untreated into waterways. These basins retain the mixture of rainwater and sewage until the rain subsides and capacity is available, then will gradually release it back into the sewer system. At that point, the water is conveyed to a water quality treatment center, treated and returned to the local streams or the Ohio River.