Some solid waste collection services will be altered under the following schedule for the Christmas and New Year’s holiday weeks:

There will be no residential garbage, yard waste or recycling collection on Monday, December 26 or Monday, January 2 in the Urban Services District (former Louisville city limits). Residents who normally have garbage/yard waste/recycling collection on Monday will have service instead on Tuesday, December 27 and Tuesday, January 3, and collections for the rest of the week will be delayed one day. 

Collections in St. Matthews will follow the regular schedule, with no delays.

Residents in other areas normally serviced by private waste haulers should check with those companies for holiday collection schedules.

Staffed Recycling Centers:

These centers will be closed Saturday December 24, Monday December 26, Saturday December 31 and Monday January 2.

• East District Public Works Yard, 595 N. Hubbards Lane
• Metro Parks Landscaping, 9300 Whipps Mill Road
• Southwest Government Center, 7219 Dixie Highway
• Central Government Center, 7201 Outer Loop

Waste Reduction Center, 636 Meriwether Avenue

• Closed Saturday, December 24, Monday, December 26, Saturday December 31 and Monday January 2.

HAZ BIN Hazardous Waste Facility, 7501 Grade Lane

• Closed Saturday, December 24 and Saturday December 31

 In 2008, Republicans and Democrats on the Metro Council voted 25-1 to create the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund (LAHTF), to fund organizations that address the needs of low and moderate-income families and individuals for housing and housing-related services. The ordinance specifically mentions helping seniors on fixed incomes, persons with disabilities and single-parent families. 

Unfortunately, Louisville Metro failed to provide LAHTF with substantial funds for housing, until this year.  The 2016-2017 budget approved by Metro Council appropriated $2.5 Million to LAHTF, 25 times more than the amount of local funds it had received for housing in the last eight years combined. 

This week, as Metro Council’s representative on the trust fund board, I had the pleasure of speaking at a news conference where funding decisions to organizations providing affordable housing were announced.  Among the recipients were Habitat for Humanity, River City Housing, the Housing Partnership and the Chestnut Street Family YMCA.  Projects include single family homes, apartments for working families, senior housing and single occupancy rooms, which the YMCA use as transitional housing for homeless men. 

Louisville has a significant affordable housing shortage. Funding more safe and decent housing will continue to be a priority for me. 

Jacob Ryan’s WFPL story about the funding announcement is here: http://wfpl.org/lahtf-allots-money-to-boost-citys-affordable-housing-stock/. 

A big year for sidewalk repairs in D9 is continuing, with defective sidewalks all over the district being replaced or repaired. Nearly $200,000 in D9 repairs have been completed, including major work on Hillcrest and Pennsylvania Avenues and many smaller repairs.  We successfully sought additional funds for sidewalks in this year’s Metro budget and we have committed most of the Capital Infrastructure Funds available this year to D9 sidewalk repairs. These funds will help us chip away at the need but won’t fix everything that needs fixing. 

Interestingly, we don’t have a complete list of all of the sidewalks needing repairs – and that’s where we need your help.  Sidewalks are on the repair list because someone has reported an issue and a Metro inspector has rated the sidewalk.  As funds are available, the worst rated sidewalks are repaired. Some of those fixed this year have been awaiting repair for years.

If your sidewalk needs repair, let us know so that we can get it inspected.  Putting it on the list will not mean an instant repair, because funding remains limited, but not reporting it will mean that it will never be considered for repair.  To report a sidewalk issue, put the exact address in an email to Bill Hollander or Kyle Ethridge, or call us at 574-1109.   

Metro Public Works is providing curbside pickup of Christmas Trees within the Urban Services District. Beginning Tuesday, December 27, 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, and all decorations must be removed.

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.

In St. Matthews, trees can be set out by the street on your regularly scheduled trash day.

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 Tuesday, December 27 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 27 through 30, and January 3 at Hubbards Lane and Dixie Hwy sites.
• Through January 14 at Waste Reduction Center

TIME

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

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. 

Did you know those drains along the street are there to prevent flooding? If the grates are blocked by fallen leaves, the storm drain can get clogged and water can back up, flooding our streets and our homes. Now that the leaves have fallen from our city trees, it is a good time to clear the debris from your storm drain. The leaves can be put in paper bags or bins to be collected on yard waste removal days. You can also spread the leaves over your yard to break down and add nutrients back to your soil. Just remember, if you like to let the leaves stay, be sure to run over them with a lawn mower to mulch them so they don't cause clogged drains.

LIHEAP helps low income residents with utility bills. The next phase of the LIHEAP utility assistance program, called the Crisis Phase, will begin on Jan. 9, 2017. Appointments can start being made on or after Dec. 27th.  Read here for more details.

There are dozens of fun activities available for local children who are out of school on winter break through Metro Parks and Recreation.

A guide on what's offered through Jan. 3, 2017 has been created by Metro Parks and Recreation, and it can be found here. 

Metro Parks and Recreation community centers will be closed on December 25-26 and January 1-2. 

Enroll NOW for the 2017-2018 school year. 3 easy options to register and apply.

1.   In Person: At the JCPS Lam Building, 4309 Bishop Lane or at your local elementary school.

2.   Online: https://www.jefferson.kyschools.us/schools/how-apply/elementary-schools-and-programs

3.   On location: Call the JCPS Parent Assistance Center at (502) 485-6250 for mobile registration site dates and location.

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.

My office is partnering with the Louisville Asset Building Coalition (LABC) to provide FREE tax preparation services again in 2017. The service is FREE if you earned $55,000 Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) or less in 2016 or if you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Call the office today to see if you qualify and make your appointment! Appointments are available on Fridays (February 3, 17, March 10, 24, and April 7) between 9:15 a.m. – 3:00 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 $62,000 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.