As a reminder, Metro Public Works (MPW) has suspended yard waste collection in the Urban Services District of Louisville Metro (the former City of Louisville boundaries) until March 12.

Seasonal suspension of yard waste collection was done on a two-week trial basis in 2017, 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.

Yard waste, including Christmas trees, that were set out before the suspension should be reported to MetroCall at 574-5000. During the suspension period, citizens should NOT put new, routine yard waste out for collection. Special large items, 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.

As always, contact my office if a request made to MetroCall has not been acted on within one week.

Photo: Courier-Journal

My office is partnering with the Louisville Asset Building Coalition (LABC) to provide FREE tax preparation services again in 2018. 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 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.

TreesLouisville, in partnership with the Louisville Metro Division of Community Forestry, is currently running a Tree Rebate Program as an incentive for homeowners to plant more trees.

The Tree Rebate Program is open to all residents of Jefferson County. Through the program, participants can earn a rebate of 40 percent (up to $80) on the purchase of a shade tree. Rebates will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis until funds run out. For full details, visit treeslouisville.org/rebate.

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 Metro Government has officially started the search for a new Louisville Metro Police vehicle impound lot.

Located for decades at 1478 Frankfort Avenue in Butchertown, the impound lot is the main temporary storage area for motor vehicles that have been impounded by LMPD and other agencies, and is a longer-term storage area for motor vehicles being held as evidence in a legal proceeding. Although technical capacity is 1,800 vehicles, the lot frequently stores in excess of 2,000 vehicles.

Space issues, as well as the impound lot’s negative impact on nearby Beargrass Creek and the Beargrass Creek Greenway Trail, are among the reasons Louisville Metro Government is seeking a new location. The site, a former landfill, is also located in a flood plain and is partially impacted by a high-tension power line crossing it.

As a temporary measure to free up space at the Vehicle Impoundment Unit, LMPD will be changing the location of its auctions to the Newburg Fleet facility.  This action will free up approximately 100-150 spaces that can be used to remove wrecked or abandoned vehicles, as well as parking violators, from Louisville’s roadways.

The first step in the process to move the lot is a Request for Information, seeking properties that fit the city’s search criteria for size, location, and other physical and operational requirements. The Request for Information is here.

Louisville Metro Government will also host three public meetings and conduct two tours of the current impound lot. A list of dates, times, and locations of meetings and tours can be found below.

The public is encouraged to provide suggestions on potential locations for the impound lot, as well as offer innovative solutions for the management of the facility. Public input can be made in-person at a public meeting or through an on-line comment portal.

Louisville Metro Government will close the Request for Information on March 15, 2018. Proposed locations will be evaluated based on their ability to meet operational and locational needs for the impound lot, as well as on their potential cost. If a suitable location is identified, funding for the relocation of the impound lot will be sought in upcoming fiscal years. 

Meeting and tour schedule:

• Tour – Thursday, February 15 at 10:00 a.m. at Metro Impound Lot, 1478 Frankfort Avenue. RSVP to Robert.Schroeder@louisvilleky.gov no later than February 12.
• Public Meeting – Saturday, February 17 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. at Main Branch Library, 311 York Street.
• Tour - Monday, February 19 at Noon at Metro Impound Lot, 1478 Frankfort Avenue. RSVP to Robert.Schroeder@louisvilleky.gov no later than February 16.
• Public Meeting – Tuesday, February 20 from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Oak and Acorn, 631 S. 28th Street.
• Public Meeting – Thursday, February 22 from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Butchertown Pizza Hall, 1301 Story Avenue, Second Floor.

Photo: WDRB.com

Louisville Metro Government has been accepting applications for External Agency Fund grants since early January for the service period of FY19 (July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019). These General Fund grants are awarded to non-profit, non-governmental, or "external”, agencies that contribute to the city's cultural, social and economic vitality. 

All agencies wishing to submit an application are required to have at least one representative participate in a mandatory application orientation.  The mandatory orientation is available on the External Agency Fund (EAF) website at https://louisvilleky.gov/government/external-agency-fund, and will provide information about the deadlines, how to access the application and general information about the application.

The grants are available for Social Services programs, administered by the Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Services (RCS), and for Arts and Creative Industries programs, administered by the Louisville Metro Department of Economic Development. The External Agency Fund grants are awarded annually to non-profit organizations offering programs or services in Louisville/Jefferson County that align with the Mayor's and departments' strategic goals.

Applications will be reviewed by two External Agency Fund panels, which include Metro Council members and community members. Recommendations will be included in Mayor Fischer’s Recommended FY19 Metro budget, available in late spring.

For the Social Services funding program, qualified non-profits committed to providing services that achieve meaningful outcomes for Louisville citizens in the following key areas are encouraged to apply:

• Decreasing homelessness
• Increasing household financial stability
• Increasing youth, teen, and/or young adult engagement in quality programming; or
• Increasing access to services and resources for a targeted population.

For the Arts and Creative Industries funding program, non-profits committed to providing arts and cultural attractions and opportunities to the Louisville community are encouraged to apply. Eligible arts and creative industries organizations should demonstrate how a program supports the following primary focus areas of Mayor Fischer's Strategic Plan:

• Economic development initiatives related to arts and creative industries
• Creative place making and arts-based programs in neighborhoods that have experienced disinvestment
• Opportunities for citizens to access and engage with visual, performing and other arts experiences 

Louisville Metro Government employs a competitive granting strategy and strives to award funding to agencies that demonstrate measurable positive impact in the community and are good stewards of taxpayer dollars. Successful grantees will be required to report their success in meeting goals and outcomes.

The deadline to submit an application is Friday, February 9, 2018 by 5 p.m.

For more information about EAF, and to access the application orientation, visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/external-agency-fund. Please submit all questions to EAF@louisvilleky.gov. 

The Jefferson County Board of Education (JCBE) has named two finalists for the position of superintendent of the Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) District.

The two finalists are JCPS Acting Superintendent Marty Pollio and JCPS Chief Operations Officer Mike Raisor.

The Board is interested in hearing your priorities for the next superintendent and your thoughts to help inform the Board’s interviews and selection. Families in the district have two different ways to participate in the process - by survey and by attending a forum.

Please participate in an online survey by visiting www.JCPSYourVoice.com. The survey will remain open until February 2. 

You can also attend a public forum that will provide in-person opportunities to meet and hear from the finalists.  The last of four meetings is tonight, February 1.

• Thursday, Feb. 1, Pleasure Ridge Park High School
  5901 Greenwood Road at 6:00 p.m.