The D9 Annual FREE Responsible Recycling event is Saturday, May 13, from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM at Louisville Water Tower Park, 3005 River Road.

We need volunteers to help make this event a success! Volunteer duties include directing traffic, assisting vendors, and unloading vehicles. Snacks will be provided! If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the office at 574-3908 or email Kyle Ethridge.

This is a FREE drive-through event open to residents in Louisville Metro. Most of the same partners have joined us again this year. Please review the following flyer for accepted donations and plan to donate items on May 13!

NEW this year – we will be accepting all HAZ BIN items, complete list on flyer. Also, LMPD will be onsite to collect and dispose of expired and unused medications.

Thank you to our recycling vendors for participating in this year's event.

All Shred
Commonwealth e-Waste
Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Louisville Metro Department of Public Works
Supplies Over Seas
WaterStep

Please click on the flyer link for a list of items that will be accepted: 2017 Responsible Recycling Flyer. A complete list of accepted items is attached to the flyer on pages 2-8. 

Metro Council has started the review of the 2017-2018 budget recommended by Mayor Greg Fischer last week.  The proposed budget focuses heavily on public safety, including significant investments in LMPD, while continuing to fund affordable housing, paving and a new Northeast Regional Library.

The $593 million general fund operating budget anticipates $23 million in new revenue, with the greatest chunk of that – $19 million, or 83 percent – earmarked for LMPD and the Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods, including additional police officers. 

The budget proposal was presented one month earlier than usual under an ordinance I sponsored last year.  The ordinance was designed to give the public and Council members more time to evaluate and comment on the budget. 

Our D9 Community Conversation on May 17 at 6:30 p.m. will be a discussion about the budget. Mark your calendars now and join us at the Peterson-Dumesnil House, 301 South Peterson Avenue, to let me know what you think. 

I’m pleased to announce that the Frankfort Avenue fence and sidewalk improvement project is finally ready to move forward. In the next few weeks, you will begin to see work along Frankfort Avenue between Mellwood and Story Avenues. Crews will be removing tall chain length fencing along both sides of the Avenue and putting up temporary fencing. The northeast side of the street along the bridge will be getting much needed sidewalk repairs. A decorative fence will be replacing the chain length fence when the sidewalk repairs have been completed. We hope you will join us for an “official stroll” along Frankfort Avenue to view Beargrass Creek after the project has been completed.

Beargrass Creek won’t get better if we continue to hide it, and I am very happy to proceed with this pedestrian access and environmental awareness project!

Next Thursday will be a first reading for a resolution authorizing the Mayor to accept $150,000 of funding from the Commonwealth of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) for the environmental and design engineering phase to construct a sidewalk along Cannons Lane between Willis Avenue and Bowman Field to connect with the Seneca Loop.

Over the years, the D9 office has received many concerns from Seneca Park users about access to the Park and from many people looking for more pedestrian access throughout the area. The D9 office has provided a small local fund match of $7,051.20 for this design phase.

As the project develops, look for opportunities for public engagement in the eNews.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Habitat for Humanity’s offices in the Portland neighborhood and seeing the great work it is doing.  That includes a program to recycle leftover latex paint. 

The new Latex Paint Recycling Program is being offered by Habitat’s ReStore and Louisville Metro Solid Waste Department. Usable latex paint can be dropped off at several locations around town, which will get it out of your way and keep it out of the landfill. The program is simple. Usable latex paint is collected from area residents, sorted by color, then re-blended by Habitat ReStore. This process typically generates an eggshell or satin finish in shades of blue, green, yellow, red, beige or white, and is perfect for interior projects. The paint is being sold at Louisville Habitat ReStore locations for $13 per gallon – money which will go right back into our community by supporting Habitat for Humanity’s mission to create housing solutions for qualified families in Louisville.

Before you take your leftover paint to one of the collection facilities, there are a few limitations to keep in mind. Paint must be latex only, and in usable condition. If the paint can is rusted shut, or if it doesn’t have a label, it will automatically be declined. If your paint has been in an unheated garage over winter, it has most likely frozen and will not be usable. Latex paint can be dropped off at the following locations:

Louisville Metro Staffed Recycling Centers
Tues. – Sat., 10 AM – 5 PM

• 595 Hubbards Lane
• 7219 Dixie Highway
• 7201 Outer Loop

Habitat For Humanity ReStore

• 2777 S. Floyd Street Tues. – Fri., 10 AM – 6 PM; Sat., 9 AM – 4 PM
• 4044 Taylorsville Road Mon. – Sat., 9 AM – 7 PM; Sun., 12 PM – 6 PM
• 1631 Rowan Street Wed. – Fri., 10 AM – 6 PM; Sat., 9 AM – 4 PM

This program is for latex paint only. Oil-based paints, thinners and solvents should be taken to HAZ BIN at 7501 Grade Lane. It is open on Wednesday and Saturday from 9 AM to 3 PM.

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. 

Louisville Water Company contractors began work at the Crescent Hill Treatment Plant earlier this week. Contractors will be working on piping and valves near the guard gate off of Stilz.  Construction will be limited to the LWC property and will not restrict traffic on Grinstead or Stilz.  It will be necessary for LWC to remove fencing while the work is being done so temporary fencing will be put in place.  The work will last for 2-3 weeks and starting Monday May 8, crews will be working around the clock for three days.  Once complete, the permanent fencing will be put back in place.  A communication from LWC has been sent to residents on Stilz so that they are aware of the construction schedule.  

I was happy to join Mayor Fischer and Metro Parks officials at Seneca Park last week to announce a new way to access your parks.

A new mobile application that allows users to locate the nearest park or community center and make a tee time at any Metro Parks and Recreation golf course is now available for Apple and Android devices free of charge in the app store.

In addition to the GPS-enabled mapping and tee time technology, the app provides a comprehensive calendar of programs and events, information on athletic leagues and schedules, information about shelter and pavilion rentals, links to social media and more.

Users can find it in the app store by searching “Louisville Metro Parks and Rec.”

The Louisville Bats are hosting two types of Louisville Metro Government Nights.

Metro Council Mondays: For this program, the Bats will host groups and organizations doing the good of the community. This includes 12,000 total tickets distributed for use on any of these Monday nights: May 1, May 8, June 19, July 17 and August 28. Examples include school fundraisers, charity auctions, and several others.

Community Nights: The Bats will host two community nights, providing tickets, hot dogs, and soft drinks to non-profit groups who would not be able to afford a Bats game under regular circumstances. These two nights include 4,000 guests for each game on July 18 and August 2. Groups will need to contact the Bats office directly to sign up for the program and each group member will get a voucher for a ticket, hot dog and soft drink. Examples include mentoring organizations, social service agencies, and many more.

To request tickets for either part of the program, organizations should contact Shelby Harding at sharding@batsbaseball.com. Please include your Metro Council District, organization name, contact name, mailing address, daytime phone and number of tickets requested. Email requests are preferred, but if email is not available please call 614-4502.