Council members Leet, Welch, Stuckel and Parker had the honor and privilege to recognize Mayor Susan Barto from Lyndon at last Thursday night's Louisville Metro Council Meeting. After 27 years of service to the citizens of Lyndon Mayor Barto will be retiring from the city on December 31. 

Mayor Barto has been instrumental in establishing Lyndon as a thriving community in which nearly 10,000 people call home. She has constantly strived to improve the quality of life for Lyndon residents with park improvement projects, road paving and drainage improvement initiatives.

Mayor Barto has also served the Louisville Community as the President for the Kentucky League of Cities and as President of the Southern Municipal Conference Board of Directors. Mayor Barto we thank you for your 27 years of public service and congratulate you on your retirement.  

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 Thursday, 6:00 - 8:30PM at Center For Neighborhoods Offices - 507 South Third Street, for 12 consecutive weeks (January 26th, 2017 – April 13th, 2017), 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. Applications will be accepted through January 13th, 2017.

The Neighborhood Institute Spring 2017 is open to all neighborhoods, Metro Council Districts, and the whole community. 

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

With the arrival of cold weather, Louisville Water encourages customers to take some time and prepare their home for winter.

“Wrap your presents and wrap your pipes” is Louisville Water’s customer information campaign that focuses on how to avoid water pipes freezing and a costly mess.  “Wrap Your Presents and Wrap Your Pipes” includes visuals and videos that illustrate how to prevent freezing water pipes inside the home. The materials are located at LouisvilleWater.com.

Each year during extreme cold weather, Louisville Water receives thousands of calls from customers whose internal water lines have frozen and/or burst.  While Louisville Water doesn’t maintain the internal plumbing, they can offer tips to avoid a costly mess.

Before cold weather lingers, focus on eliminating the amount of cold air coming into the home around water pipes.

1.    Wrap exposed pipes with insulating material purchased at a hardware store

2.    If the home has a crawl space, cover the outside vents to prevent winter winds from freezing the pipes

3.    If the house has a slab foundation, keep the garage door closed.  Some water pipes are located under concrete floors in the garage.

During extreme cold weather, consider running a small, steady stream of water from a cold water faucet in an area of the home where pipes are exposed or have frozen in the past. The movement of the water will help to prevent the water from freezing. Also, open cabinet doors to allow heat to surround the pipes.

Finally, regardless of the weather, locate the water shut-off valve. This is the valve that controls the flow of water into the house.  It’s usually located near the hot water heater, in the basement, or in a utility closet.  Turning off the water in the event of a burst pipe can minimize the damage.  Once you locate the valve, tag it with a waterproof hanger or a ribbon.  Louisville Water has free tags for customers at its downtown office and at Brownsboro Hardware, 4858 Brownsboro Road. 

Effective March 1, 2017, all property located in Louisville Metro and occupied or offered for occupancy in exchange for money or any other consideration must be registered with Louisville Metro Government. Failure to register is subject to a fine up to $100 per day per housing unit.

Registration must include the rental unit street address along with current contact information of the owner and managing operator.

New owners must register within thirty days of any ownership transfer. Any change in contact information must be updated on the registry within thirty days of said change.

Registration requires an account with Develop Louisville. Visit, https://www.louisvilleky.gov/government/codes-regulations, to establish an account and access the registry, or to get detailed information and instructions on registry requirements.