Several bills being considered by the Kentucky General Assembly would affect the way Metro Government is operated. House Bill 202 has many provisions. Here are some: (Read the entire bill by clicking here.) 

• Governor will appoint individuals to fill vacancies of Council due to death, resignation or removal, currently Metro Council fills vacancies.
• Governor will fill Mayoral vacancies, currently Metro Council appoints.
• Mayor is limited to two terms beginning January 1, 2019, may not serve more than two consecutive terms, and is prohibited from running for election or being appointed Mayor for at least four years, currently term limits are three terms.
• Each Caucus (Democratic and Republican) shall hire a minimum of two staff persons, currently Metro Council makes staffing decisions.

House Bill 246 (read the full bill here) would change the rules for solid waste in Louisville.  Currently, we make compost from yard waste, instead of sending it to the landfill.  The Frankfort legislation would reverse the ban on plastic bags for yard waste, even though yard waste in plastic bags cannot be composted.  House Bill 246 was on the agenda for a House Committee on Wednesday.  

I am very concerned about these bills - and any legislation that strikes at bedrock principles of local control.    

Here are ways to make your voice heard in Frankfort:

• Call or write your legislators to let them know your views on important issues.  (The link lets your locate your representatives and gives you contact information.)
• Call the toll-free legislative message line (1-800-372-7181) to leave a message for any legislator or group of legislators.  Be ready to say you support or oppose a bill, by number, and ask that your message be conveyed to your representative and leadership in the House or Senate. 

Join the League of Women Voters (LWV) for a Dinner and Democracy Meeting with LWV of Kentucky Co-chairs Nita Smith and Terry Naydan and discuss new and proposed state legislation and LWV positions. The meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 20. Dinner is at 5:30 (cash donations accepted) and the program begins at 6:00 p.m. at the Lang House, 115 S. Ewing Street. No reservations are required. For more information call 895-5218 or email info@lwvlouisville.org. 

Sydney Blandford, a student at Holy Cross High School, chose to concentrate her senior project on pollution by creating an awareness initiative, organizing a clean-up project at the Beargrass Creek Greenway. The clean-up will concentrate on the area near Lexington and Grinstead on Saturday, February 18th from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. 

Volunteers should park at the old Jim Porters lot on Lexington Road, then walk to the entrance at Lexington and Grinstead for donated breakfast items from the Clifton McDonald's and Heine Brothers' Coffee.

Sydney has also collected donations from local businesses, including cash prizes, which will be given away to volunteers by random drawing at the event.  

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. 

Desserts First is celebrating Girl Scouts cookies by letting people enjoy the best desserts and specialty drinks made with the cookies as the key ingredient! Louisville’s finest chefs will compete for bragging rights during this down-right delicious event, which benefits Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana, headquartered in D9! Plan to attend Desserts First on Wednesday, February 22 from 6 – 8 PM at The Olmsted, 3701 Frankfort Avenue. Reserve your tickets today at $65 per person. Call 716-7233 or visit dessertsfirst.eventbrite.com.

Washington Square neighbors and traffic on Chenoweth Lane will be impacted for an additional week by Masonic Homes' use of the emergency gate while construction of new assisted living and independent living units at Masonic Home continues. Since February 6, campus traffic has been rerouted so that all vehicles may enter via Frankfort Avenue, but exiting traffic is using the emergency gate at Washington Square. The project was anticipated to take two weeks but has now been extended for an additional week, through February 24.  

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 17, March 10, 24, and April 7, 14) 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.

AARP also offers free tax services at Clifton Christian Church, 131 Vernon Avenue, in D9 on Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. More information is available here or by calling 394-3433.

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 by March 1, 2017. 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.

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.

St. Matthews Baseball and Softball is looking forward to starting the new 2017 season. Online registration will continue at www.stmatthewsbaseballandsoftball.com until the beginning of March. The season will begin March 20 for ages 10 to 12 and on April 10 for players 9 and under.
 
A longstanding tradition for St. Matthews Baseball and Softball is the opening parade. This year, the parade is scheduled for April 22, starting at 8:00 a.m. It will begin on Shelbyville Road at Willis Avenue and end at St. Matthews Community Center Park with a short ceremony.
 
If you like to enjoy a fun evening watching youth baseball, stop by Community Center Park and catch a game. Games begin on weekdays at 6:00 p.m. and on Saturdays generally at 10:00 a.m.