District 9 eNews - Thursday, January 18, 2018

Read the weekly District 9 eNews!
 
Banner
Bill Hollander

Councilman Bill Hollander
601 West Jefferson Street
(502) 574-1109
Email Bill

 

kyle ethridge

Kyle Ethridge
Legislative Assistant
(502) 574-3908
Email Kyle


Links

Visit the District 9 Website

Visit the Blog

See NDF/CIF Spending

In this issue...


Regular Yard Waste Suspended

Metro Seal

Yard waste collection in the Urban Services District of Louisville Metro (the former City of Louisville boundaries) is now on seasonal shutdown. Regular collection on yard waste routes is suspended until March 12.

Seasonal suspension of yard waste collection was done on a two-week trial basis in 2017 and found to be successful. Because of that success, Metro Public Works (MPW) informed our office this week that regular yard waste collection will go on seasonal shutdown annually from January 1 until the middle of March.

The shutdown is possible because yard waste collection volumes are very low in the winter months. It allows MPW to direct additional resources to the effort to clear our streets and roads, including interstate highways, of litter in advance of spring, along with other solid waste activities.

During the suspension period, citizens should not put yard waste out for collection. Yard waste that needs to be picked up, including properly bundled tree limbs and branches, should be reported to MetroCall at 311 or 574-5000. Those calls will be handled on an as needed basis rather than running crews full-time on routes across the city.


“Meet with Bill” – January 23

I am always happy to hear from constituents.  To make meeting with me in person more convenient, I hold office hours at various places around District 9, in addition to the regular, evening D9 Community Conversations.  On Tuesday, January 23, from 10:00 a.m. – Noon, I’ll be at the St. Matthews Branch Library, 3940 Grandview Avenue, in the second floor conference room. Please stop by with any questions or concerns. You can also call anytime at 574-1109 or email me


160 Years for American Printing House for the Blind

APH

One of District 9’s real gems – the American Printing House for the Blind – is celebrating 160 years – and you’re invited. On Tuesday, January 23 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., APH will host a community-wide open house to celebrate 160 years in business. There will be a brief program at 11:00 a.m.

Take a tour, enjoy refreshments, see product demonstrations, and listen to the program.

Insider Louisville recently featured APH:

“Most folks who drive up and down Frankfort Avenue in Louisville’s [Clifton] neighborhood likely have never paid much attention to the imposing campus comprised of the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) and the Kentucky School for the Blind (KSB).

Chartered in 1858, the APH is an institutional powerhouse with a legacy hardly matched in the state of Kentucky. This is modestly indicated on the state placard out front that reads: ‘American Printing House for the Blind, oldest nonprofit agency for blind in U.S. and largest publishing house for blind in the world.’

The APH website states it in bolder terms: ‘Before the Civil War, a Louisville company was formed to provide products for people who are blind … Before airplanes … Before telephones … Before the Louisville Slugger bat … Before the Kentucky Derby, there was the … American Printing House for the Blind.’”

To read the full Insider Louisville story by James Natsis, please click here.


Be Heard in Frankfort

Frankfort

The Kentucky General Assembly is back in business and decisions it makes between now and April will have a major effect on all of us. Among other things, legislators will deal with pension obligations and a plan to force Louisville Metro Government to spend an additional $38 Million for pensions beginning in July, which would have a devastating effect on our budget.  Any changes can and should be phased in, to make this year’s additional amount far less than $38 Million, but the General Assembly will need to act to get that done. 

There are many other issues, including common sense gun safety proposals, which would make our city safer. The biggest legislative obligation is to pass a state budget for the next two years. Governor Bevin has proposed to eliminate 70 programs and cut education funding as part of that budget. 

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.

We all need to pay attention to Frankfort and speak up!


Café LOUIE 2018

Cafe LOUIE

Meet your legislators at the Louisville Free Public Libraries in 2018. The purpose of Café LOUIE is to provide constituents and their elected representatives a chance to engage and “get-to-know” each other in an informal setting. 

From 9:00 am to 10:00 am each Saturday morning from January 20 through April 7, participants are offered refreshments and conversation.  Elected officials will be given a brief time for prepared remarks and to answer a few pre-selected questions submitted by attendees.  The focus of these meetings is engagement through personal conversations.

Mark your calendars for two District 9 opportunities:

  • Saturday, January 27 – St. Matthews Library, 3940 Grandview Avenue
  • Saturday, March 10 – Crescent Hill Library, 2762 Frankfort Avenue

For a complete listing of Café LOUIE events, please click here.


Snow: Sidewalks and Streets

snow1

There’s a thaw coming – and, after a week of snow and ice, we’re ready for it! But here’s a reminder about snow removal on Metro sidewalks and streets.

 

Regarding sidewalks, persons and businesses owning or occupying property abutting a public street are required to clear the sidewalks within 24 hours.  The snow is to be placed either on private property or in the public driveway at a distance not less than 12 inches from the curbing of the sidewalk. In no event shall the snow be so placed as to obstruct the free passage of water in the gutter or in the direction of any sewer or catch basin. Failure to comply can result in a $25 to $100 fine.  Because some folks may need assistance with meeting their obligations, I encourage residents to be aware of neighbors who may need help with snow removal.  Reach out and provide a helping hand. You will benefit your neighbor, pedestrians who use the sidewalk, and yourself as you give service - and keep D9 walkable. Thanks to those who cleared their sidewalks during this last event – and let’s do even better next time.

snow2

Snow removal on Metro-maintained streets is done by a 300-member snow team which uses 160 pieces of equipment to clear 1,362 miles of road.  Snow routes include arterials, the major commuting paths through the city, streets that run between and feed traffic onto arterial roads and connections to major local employers, hospitals, schools and emergency routes. Unfortunately, we do not have enough resources to clear all neighborhood streets.  To see a map and learn more about snow removal on Metro streets, go here.  


Tax Preparation Appointments Available

taxes

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 $64,000 Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) or less in 2017 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 every Friday beginning January 26 through the end of tax season between 9:15 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at United Crescent Hill Ministries, 150 S. State Street, in Clifton. Please call the office at 574-3908 to make an appointment and please share this with anyone you think may be eligible. Click here to view brochure.                                            

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 $33,000 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 $64,000 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.


3rd Annual Local Business Expo – January 25

LIBA Business Expo

The Louisville Independent Business Alliance (LIBA), an organization with over 900 members of local and independent businesses, will host the 3rd Annual Louisville Local Business Expo on Thursday, January 25 from 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at the Mellwood Arts Center’s Picasso Room, 1860 Mellwood Avenue. The Expo will showcase over 50 local and independent “Business to Business” companies, giving decision makers on business purchasing the opportunity to explore local options for their needs. Admission is free with a business card, and the first 150 people to register online will receive a “Local Love” gift bag.

The event will also feature “TED” style talks and a local business owner panel discussion to inspire business owners on their road to success. 


Sustainability Story: Waterfront Botanical Gardens

Waterfront Botanical Gardens

With snow on the ground and the growing season months away, gardeners and other nature lovers can take heart that the Waterfront Botanical Gardens is under construction in D9.

After years of discussion, and a ground breaking last September, work began in December. Crews began clearing brush to make room for the new 23 acre project. They are also building an access road and laying utilities. It's all happening on what used to be a landfill, just off Frankfort Avenue near River Road. 

Botanical Gardens 2

Warm up - and take heart - by watching this one-minute video about the project or visit its website at www.waterfrontgardens.org

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


Volunteers Needed at UCHM

UCHM Volunteers

Help Report Streetlight Outages

street light

Recently we have noticed a number of streetlight outages in the District. Please help us report those outages directly to LG&E so that it can repair fixtures or replace bulbs. LG&E offers an online reporting form, https://lge-ku.com/outages/report/streetlight, please fill in all the fields. If you need help in reporting outages, call our office at 574-1109. Since LG&E employees repair lights during the day, they do not see the outages and rely on the information reported to them to make the appropriate repairs. Let’s get the lights back on!


District 9 Calendar Events

Below are some Ninth District calendar events!  To view a full listing of events please visit the District 9 Blog at http://district9news.wordpress.com/.  If you would like to submit events to be considered for the blog calendar please email Kyle Ethridge or call 574-1109.

Thursday, January 18: Carmichael's Bookstore, 2720 Frankfort Avenue, to host Kiki Petrosino at 7:00 p.m. for a reading and book signing of her newest poetry collection. For more information, please call the store at 896-6950.

Friday, January 19: St. Matthews Library, 3940 Grandview Avenue, to host English Conversation Club at 10:30 a.m. English Conversation Club allows non-native speakers to practice English in a relaxed, informal setting with others. If you are learning the English language, or would like to practice conversing in English, come join us at the Conversation Club. Participants should have some basic knowledge of the English language before joining. Questions, please call 574-1771.

Saturday, January 20American Printing House for the Blind, 1839 Frankfort Avenue, to celebrate Louis Braille's 209th birthday from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Students from the Kentucky School for the Blind will tell the story of tactile books for people who are blind. APH will unveil their newest museum exhibit, which includes a copy of Le Procédé – the book Louis Braille published in 1829 to tell the world about his code. Come help celebrate! For all ages. FREE EVENT, but registration required by January 19. Call 502-899-2213 or send email to kcarpenter@aph.org to register.

Tuesday, January 23: "Meet with Bill" from 10:00 a.m. - Noon at St. Matthews Library, 3940 Grandview Avenue. Not everyone has the time to come downtown to meet, so we wanted to make this easy and informal with no appointment necessary to let me know if you have any concerns or questions about anything going on in the district or Metro Louisville.

Tuesday, January 23: St. Matthews Library, 3940 Grandview Avenue, to host a first time home buyers class at 2:30 p.m. Benjamin Weatherholt of Keller WIlliams Realty will present on how to invest in yourself and your future through owning your own home. Questions, please call 574-1771.

Tuesday, January 23Crescent Hill Library, 2762 Frankfort Avenue, to host an introduction to genealogy research at 3:00 p.m. Interested in uncovering your family history? In this class you will learn the basics of how and where to begin your research. Questions, please call the branch at 574-1793.


You are receiving this email because you have signed up for the e-News or have contacted my office for assistance.  If you would like to be removed from this communication please email Kyle Ethridge with “REMOVE” in the subject line. 


 If you are having trouble viewing this email please click on the link at the bottom of this email to view a Microsoft Word version of eNews.  PLEASE feel free to copy any of this information for use at your meetings or in your newsletters!