Many constituents have contacted me to express support for a Louisville Metro appropriation to assist in the expansion of the St. Matthews Eline Library.  The library has the highest circulation in the Louisville Free Public Library system, in a very small space.  Constituents have told me the library is “sorely in need of expansion and improvement”, is “overcrowded all the time” and is “out of book space, parking and everything needed to help make this a functional… part of our community.”

Fortunately, the City of St. Matthews, which supplies the space for the library without charge to the library system, has proposed a substantial expansion, at an expense of at least $3 Million in City of St. Matthews funds, contingent on an appropriation of $1 Million by Louisville Metro.  I fully support that request as part of the mid-year budget adjustment.  I also support providing money to The Healing Place and Volunteers of America to help deal with the heroin epidemic in our community, as well as other items.  While a very substantial part of the mid-year adjustment should be reserved for repaving roads, we cannot ignore other critical needs and opportunities.

We always appreciate hearing from constituents and thank you for your many comments over the last few weeks as Metro Council considers the mid-year adjustment.  

Plan to attend the second Chenoweth Lane Public Meeting on Monday, February 29 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Broadway Baptist Church, 4000 Brownsboro Road, 40207. This meeting is to get input from the public on potential changes to Chenoweth Lane between Shelbyville Road and Brownsboro Road. Representatives from the KY Transportation Cabinet and their consultants will be available to answer questions. 

State officials have announced the proposed 3-lane widening of Chenoweth Lane will no longer be considered, a decision I supported. Other alternatives are still being considered and will be presented at this public meeting. Some changes suggested include drainage, pedestrian and bicycle facilities. 

Written and oral comments will be accepted during the meeting. Written comments will also be accepted at the District Five Office, Attn: Judi Hickerson, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, 8310 Westport Road, Louisville, KY 40242. 

Butchertown volunteers were out in force last Saturday, planting fourteen trees on Story Avenue in D9.  I was happy to join them on planting day and to earlier appropriate $1,000 in District 9 Neighborhood Development Funds for the effort. That money was matched by the neighborhood with proceeds from the Butchertown Art Fair.

In the last year, we have also used your tax dollars to plant trees on Beals Branch Road and along Drescher Bridge Avenue, and we are working on several other tree-planting projects.  Trees are an important tool in addressing Louisville’s urban heat island effect.  They also improve personal health by reducing air pollution, add beauty and increase property values, among many other benefits.  

Trees Louisville is a 501c(3) organization dedicated to a more livable and healthy community for future generations through a robust tree canopy throughout Louisville. The organization is raising the public awareness of our tree canopy deficit and planting trees today in places of greatest need. You can read much more about Trees Louisville and our community’s tree issues and needs at the Trees Louisville website:  http://treeslouisville.org/.

Congratulations and thanks to Butchertown and the volunteers who came out on Saturday!  

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. 

My office is partnering with the Louisville Asset Building Coalition (LABC) 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 Friday, March 18 and Friday, April 1 between 9:15 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Please call the office at 574-3908 to make an appointment. 

Do you instead file your own taxes? Through the LABC website there are two options to self-file online. The “Turbo Tax Freedom Edition” is available if you have $31,000 or less in income. The software has a well-designed interview process that guides you through the process of making decisions about your filing status, inputting your income and making decisions about deductions and tax credits for which you may qualify. The other option is “My Free Taxes”, which is available if you make $60,000 or less. This program is developed by H&R Block and uses an interview process. Please visit, http://labcservices.org/index.php/free-tax-filing-at-labc-services, for more information.

Louisville Metro Government began accepting External Agency Fund applications today for FY17 (July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017). These General Fund grants are awarded to non-governmental, or "external” agencies, that contribute to the city's cultural, social and economic vitality. 

All agencies wishing to submit an application are required to have at least one representative participate in a mandatory orientation webinar. The session is approximately 90 minutes and will cover eligibility, the application process, and provide instructions for the on-line application. The webinar is available online.

The grants are available for Social Services programs, administered by the Louisville Metro Department of Community Services (LMCS), and for Arts and Creative Industries programs, administered by the Louisville Metro Department of Economic Development. The External Agency Funds are awarded annually to non-profit organizations offering programs or services in Louisville/Jefferson County that align with the Mayor's and departments' strategic goals.

The deadline to submit an application is Friday, March 18, 2016 by 5 p.m.

For more information about EAF, visit http://louisvilleky.gov/government/external-agency-fund.  Please submit all questions to EAF@louisvilleky.gov.  

LMPD would like to remind citizens to report any unusual activity to LMPD by calling the non-emergency line at 574-7111. Follow your “gut” instinct and if you think something does not seem right, please call it in. That piece of information could potentially help LMPD solve crimes. If you would like to report information to LMPD’s tip line you may call 574-5673, text tips to “CRIMES” (274637), or enter a tip online at: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/police/574-lmpd. If you feel like you are in danger, please call 911 directly.

A globally recognized authority on innovation leadership, Luke Williams, and best-selling author of The Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson, are the headline speakers for the Leadership Louisville Center’s third annual Best of Leadership Summit to be held March 3, 2016 from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. at The Kentucky Center.  PNC Bank is the presenting sponsor for the Summit offering leadership development focused on three tracks: Develop Yourself, Build Your Team and Lead Your Community, followed by a closing networking and cocktail reception.

In all, over 20 speakers will be on the agenda, providing performance-boosting learning alongside leaders from the Louisville region and surrounding metropolitan areas.  Attendees will leave with new skills, new contacts and new ways to lead with influence. See current confirmed speakers at https://www.leadershiplouisville.org/our-events/best-of-leadership-summit/2016-speakers/.

Registration is now open at www.leadershiplouisville.org, and members of the Leadership Louisville Center receive an additional discount.  Registration is $300 and only $250 for members.