I am happy to report that the Homeless Protection Ordinance I sponsored in November was approved by Metro Council last week by a bipartisan 19-2 vote, with one member voting “present” and four members not voting. 

The ordinance requires a 21 day notice before Louisville Metro displaces homeless persons from public property.  The notice is designed to give social service providers an opportunity to work with the homeless and offer whatever support is available, including shelter beds, or transitional or permanent housing.  Homeless people would also have the opportunity during the notice period to remove their belongings so they don’t end up in the landfill without warning. If notice is not provided due to a health or safety emergency, Metro would store personal items for 30 days so the owners could retrieve them.  

Because there is growing evidence that medical cannabis can help people suffering from chronic pain, post-tramatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other conditions, I am sponsoring a resolution urging the Kentucky General Assembly to join 29 states and the District of Columbia to allow its use on recommendation of a medical practitioner. Nine other Councilmembers have joined me.

The community is invited to attend one of three town hall meetings on the topic of legalizing the use of cannabis for medical purposes. Each town hall meeting will be held in a different part of the community, with the first town hall starting Monday, February 19 at 6:00pm. Each town hall will start with presentations by panelists both in support and opposition to the resolution.

Persons attending the town hall meeting will have the opportunity to ask questions of panelists following opening remarks. Each town hall is expected to last 60-90 minutes and comments received during each event will be given to all members of the Louisville Metro Council.

Town Hall Meeting Dates: 
Monday, February 19, 6:00PM – Lyndon City Hall (515 Wood Road)
Monday, February 26, 6:00PM – Louisville Fire Fighters Hall (400 Bakers Lane)
Tuesday, February 27, 6:00PM – Southwick Community Center (3621 Southern Avenue)  

A copy of the proposed resolution is available by clicking HERE. 

Congratulations to former Metro Councilwoman and Alderwoman Tina Ward-Pugh, who has joined the Louisville Metro Office for Women (OFW).   

OFW uses advocacy, research and policy to improve the status of women in the Louisville Metro area. OFW is an Advocacy & Empowerment office within the Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Services. It works to ensure women have access to the resources and information necessary for self-determination. Therefore, OFW focuses on issues related to violence against women, women’s physical and mental health, social and economic well-being, and community engagement. 

OFW was founded in 1991. The Office's efforts have been instrumental in the implementation of policies, collaborations, and tools to improve the safety and well-being of women and their families. Among the successful outcomes of such collaborations are: The creation of VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) which is now available in all but three states and the Louisville Metro Visitation and Exchange Center where parents can safely exchange children or have supervised visitation.

Tina started in the new position this week.  Congratulations, Tina! 

The League of Women Voters invites you to attend the Dinner and Democracy meeting on Monday, February 19 to discuss Racial Realities: White Like Me. The program includes the film, followed by a group discussion. Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. (no reservations are required and donations are accepted) and the program begins at 6:00 p.m. at the Lang House, 115 S. Ewing Avenue. Questions, please call 895-5218 or email info@lwvlouisville.org.

Don’t worry if you missed the Metro Public Works Proposed Cannons Lane sidewalks meeting last week. You can still fill out the comment form. The proposal is for sidewalks on Cannons Lane from Pee Wee Reese Road to I-64. The area is slightly less than one mile long and will connect Seneca Park to the shared use path around Bowman Field. Comments are due by March 31, 2018. The filled out comment form can be emailed to Mojgan.taghizadeh@louisvilleky.gov, Attention: Cannons Lane Sidewalk Project, or mailed to Louisville Metro Public Works, Attention: Mojgan Taghizadeh Cannons Lane Sidewalk Project, 444 South Fifth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202.

Metro Parks is proceeding with plans to improve signage at entrances to Seneca Park on Taylorsville Road, Cannons Lane and Seneca Park Road.  The proposed signage, which will be paid for largely through a private donation, was discussed at a public meeting earlier this week.  A presentation with options is at this link.

Comments about the plan and options can be sent to Seve Ghose, the Director of Louisville Parks and Recreation, at Seve.Ghose@louisvilleky.gov, by Friday, February 23.

The plan to expand Haz Bin, our household hazardous materials drop-off service, from a two-days-a-week operation to five days a week has been delayed by an unexpected personnel shortage.

Haz Bin, now open only Wednesdays and Saturdays, will switch beginning April 3, 2018 to a Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule. The new hours were previously set to go into effect on February 13. Haz Bin, located at 7501 Grade Lane, is available to all residents of Louisville/Jefferson County. It provides a safe and convenient way to dispose of unwanted household hazardous materials which are not accepted in household garbage collection or recycling centers. Learn more

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. 

The Louisville Resilience team is asking citizens to complete a short web-based survey to help craft the city’s strategy for withstanding “shocks and stresses,” such as economic downturns and natural disasters.

Louisville Resilience will use the residents’ feedback to help craft policies and implementation strategies. 

Take the 10 minute survey by clicking here. 

St. John Center is changing the lives of homeless men for good. Last year, 182 men moved from homelessness into housing. Help St. John do more by attending the 12th Annual Raisin’ the Rent fundraiser on Saturday, March 3 from 7:00 – 11:00 p.m. at the Mellwood Arts Center, 1860 Mellwood Avenue, Van Gogh Room. Click here to purchase tickets today.

This week United Crescent Hill Ministries (UCHM) launched a new and improved website. The new website is one of the many changes taking place at UCHM. Be sure to check it out for the most up-to-date information on volunteer opportunities, events and services. Click here to visit the website.

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.