District 9 eNews - Wednesday, March 25, 2020

 

 
D9 Masthead
Bill Hollander

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

Kyle Ethridge

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


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In this Issue...


D9 eNews in the Age of COVID-19 (coronavirus)

We normally publish the eNews every other week but, at least for awhile, we'll update you more regularly.  Also remember to follow the D9 blog, "Councilman Bill Hollander" Facebook page and the @BillHollander Twitter feed for more updates.    

We won’t use the eNews to post the latest news about the novel coronavirus or COVID-19, the disease it causes, because that information changes daily and sometimes hourly. 

Except for a couple of announcements specific to D9, we won’t post what’s open or closed in the City, because that information is changing too. 

We don’t have an event section because everything we would list there has been postponed or canceled.  

What we will do is share some websites you can access regularly for the latest information and pass along some advice that won’t change no matter what happens next.


COVID-19 Kentucky Information

Covid

By far the best way to keep up with the latest news about the novel coronavirus in Kentucky is at the state website: kycovid19.ky.gov.  Guidance is being added to the website as it becomes available. So many people are accessing the website that it occasionally crashes but, if that happens, keep trying.

There is also a hotline you can call: (800) 722-5725.

The COVID-19 hotline is a service operated by the healthcare professionals at the Kentucky Poison Control Center, who can provide advice and answer questions. Please be patient as those professionals are handling a high volume of calls and want to give everyone the time they deserve. For general information, please review the website prior to calling the hotline. 


COVID-19 Louisville Information

Louisville Metro has a website with updated information about COVID-19, including information from Mayor Greg Fischer’s briefings about City services.  You can access it here.


Help for Residents

Help for Residents

The effort to slow the spread of the virus (see the graphic below if you have any doubt about the importance of that), and do all we can to keep our health care facilities from being overwhelmed, has caused many job losses and many worries.  Last week, I was proud to sponsor and help pass an ordinance making $2.7 Million available for people who need assistance for housing or food, many of whom have never needed assistance before. Click here to read the Courier-Journal story.

I was also extremely happy to see a private fund develop to help Louisville residents in need because of this global pandemic.  The fund continues to grow and you can learn more about it (and contribute) here.

A special website has been developed about community and agency actions taken to assist our most vulnerable residents.  Among other things, it includes information about emergency feeding sites for children 18 years old or younger established by JCPS, including sites at Breckinridge-Franklin Elementary and St. Matthews Elementary, and locations to pick up frozen meals for seniors. The site is updated daily.   

Metro United Way connects people in need to resources every day. Call the 2-1-1 hotline to be connected to outreach and services that could help you. It operates 24/7/365 and is available to anyone in the community. A Metro United Way page dedicated to the pandemic is here.


Help for Unemployed Workers and Small Businesses

Resources available to both workers and small businesses, including unemployment benefits, are collected at a Louisville Metro website here. Federal action this week may also greatly expand unemployment benefits.   

Increased business is leading to new jobs in some industries, with immediate hiring. KentuckianaWorks and GLI have partnered to create a new online jobs board listing current job opportunities in the area. You can see job listings at www.kentuckianaworks.org/jobs and it’s being updated daily. Companies that are hiring can also add their listings to the website.


Ways You Can Help Others

Crescent Hill Baptist

For the foreseeable future, we all must practice social distancing.  But social distancing does not mean a complete lack of social interaction. Stay in touch with the people close to you, especially those who are not getting out at all. For those of you who are not in high risk groups (people over 60 or with underlying health conditions are considered high risk), why not make it a point to check in by phone with your older or health challenged friends, relatives and neighbors - and offer to help them? That kind of thoughtfulness is always greatly appreciated. Even a potentially deadly virus should not force us to be alone. Now, more than ever, people need to find smart ways to stay connected.

More and more people are needing emergency assistance to help them through this period.  You can help by volunteering and contributing to the community ministries in our city.  They provide food and emergency assistance to people needing help and are doing it in new ways to maintain social distancing.  United Crescent Hill Ministries can be reached at (502) 893-0346 or https://www.uchmlouky.org/.  St. Matthews Area Ministries is at  (502)-893-0205 or http://stmam.com/.  Both sites have information about ways to volunteer or donate.

UCHM

Finally, support local businesses if you can.  Many restaurants are providing takeout or delivery options.  Earlier this week, I ran into the owner of a Frankfort Avenue business who said she is reviewing the numbers and considering how long the business can continue to operate in this way.  You can keep those businesses open by getting takeout or delivery.  Call ahead or see their Facebook pages.

The Louisville Independent Business Alliance (LIBA) has developed an online resource and is sharing recommendations to help the community keep our local businesses in mind as we stay safe. 

  • Visit  www.KeepLouisvilleWeird.com for a listing of local, independent businesses. Special space on each listing is dedicated to information useful during COVID-19 precautions. Keep checking back as LIBA members update their information regularly. The directory is also searchable by businesses that offer delivery, curbside pickup, online ordering, etc. 
  • Give the Gift of Business - Buy a gift card (on the phone or online) that would cover your usual spend over the coming weeks. Then spend the gift cards later or give them as gifts to others.
  • Buy Now, Pick Up Later - If you had planned on purchasing an item, give the business a call. Pay for it now and have them set it aside for later pickup.
  • Keep Up Your Memberships - If you have a membership to a gym, class, studio, etc. keep it going. Many small businesses count on that constant support to keep their doors open so they can be there when you come back.
  • Curbside Pickup/Delivery - For restaurants and for retail any of our local independents are offering this service.

City and D9 Events On Hold

Metro logo

Earlier this week, Mayor Fischer announced that Louisville Metro’s State of Emergency will continue through May 10.  That means that two D9 events I, and many of you, look forward to will not occur as scheduled. 

The D9 Spring Cleanup had been scheduled for April 18.  Our annual Responsible Recycling event at Louisville Water Tower had been scheduled for May 9.  Neither event will be held those days.  We’ll let you know whether they will be rescheduled or canceled entirely.


Libraries Closed but Online Services Grow

LFPL

We’re all better off if we are “Healthy at Home” but that doesn’t mean you can’t visit the Louisville Free Public Library.  The library buildings are closed but the library is very much open – and actually expanding.  Our D9 blog had information about it this week, click here to read.


Tax Filings and Preparation POSTPONED

tax

The deadline for filing taxes at the federal, state and local levels has been extended from April 15 to July 15.  Read about the Louisville Metro extension for the 2019 annual occupational tax here.

The tax preparation appointments through the Louisville Asset Building Coalition (LABC) at United Crescent Hill Ministries on Fridays have been postponed. The service is FREE if you earned $66,000 Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) or less in 2019 or if you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Call the appointment line to see if you qualify and to get guidance on when and if new appointments will be available. The appointment line is 502-305-0005.

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide services, including the St. Mark’s Episcopal Church site, are suspended until further notice. As coronavirus (COVID-19) developments change hour by hour, AARP Foundation is doing its part to flatten the curve of transmission. A top priority is ensuring they are protecting those most at risk, including volunteers and taxpayers. Therefore, they are suspending AARP Foundation Tax-Aide services until further notice. AARP will continue to assess whether they can open again in some or all sites for the remainder of the tax season. Please visit http://www.aarp-tax-aide-lou.org/Sites/sites.html or call 502-394-3443 for updated info.                                                

Options to file your own taxes are still available. Through the LABC website, there are two options to self-file online. The “Intuit 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 “H&R Block My Free Taxes”, which is available if you make $66,000 or less. This program is developed by H&R Block and uses an interview process. Please visit https://labcservices.org/index.php/free-tax-help/do-you-qualify, for more information.


Social Distancing Works

For anyone who doubts the importance of social distancing and the new measures being taken, look at this chart. We can reduce the number of sick and infected people by stopping non-essential activities - and staying at least six feet away from other people all the time. Social distancing works! 

Social Distancing Chart

Report Prohibited Activity

Metro311

Mayor Fischer has urged Louisvillians to report non-essential businesses that refuse to shut down during the COVID-19 outbreak. The city has received numerous complaints about restaurants, bars, and salons that are still conducting business as usual.

Residents who see businesses or groups of residents defying the order to close or curtail their activities can report those violations in several ways:

 State of Kentucky – 1-833-KY-SAFER / 1-833-597-2337 (tollfree)

 City of Louisville – Metro311

Due to an increased volume of phone calls, city officials are asking residents to contact Metro311 via the web if possible. Your complaints will still be addressed, and your questions will be answered.


IN OTHER NEWS…

Lexington Road Reconfiguration – Public Meeting Canceled

Lexington Road Reconfiguration

One of the complaints I frequently receive is the speed of vehicles on Lexington Road, east of Grinstead Drive, and safety issues for all users on that stretch of road.  To make conditions safer, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and Metro Public Works is proposing a reconfiguration of Lexington Road from Grinstead Drive to Alta Vista Road.  The proposal would create a center turning lane and bike/pedestrian lanes on either side of the road, similar to what has been done on Lexington Road from Payne Street to Grinstead Drive. That project has made the road safer for all users, including motorists.

The proposal is to restripe the road with the new lanes when Louisville Water Company’s work in the area wraps up and the road is repaved. 

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the necessity to minimize in-person engagements, the Open House that had been scheduled for March 25 was canceled and all comments will only be accepted through the online portal- https://louisvilleky.gov/lexingtonroad.  If you have specific questions please call 502-574-0032. 

For the most up-to-date information, renderings and to make public comment, please visit https://louisvilleky.gov/lexingtonroad.


Census 2020

Census

Census reminders are arriving in the mail.  Census data is used to determine how many representatives each state gets in Congress, how many districts each state has, and how much federal funding states and counties receive, in addition to other things. 

You can go online and complete the census. You can also call 1-844-330-2020 to complete the survey over the phone as soon as you receive the invitation. The best way to avoid a visit from a census taker is to fill out the 2020 Census questionnaire online, by phone, or by mail as soon as you receive your invitation to participate.  We urge you to do so by April 1, to limit person-to-person contact as the coronavirus continues to spread. The census website is here.

Here’s the schedule, subject to change (like everything else these days).

MARCH 26-APRIL 3

Reminder postcards

APRIL 1

Census Day

APRIL 8-16

Hardcopy Census mailed

APRIL 20-27

Final postcards mailed

MAY 1

Non-response follow-ups begin


Yard Waste Collection – By Request Only – Until Further Notice

Yard waste

From now until further notice, yard waste will be collected in the Urban Service District on your normal day BY REQUEST ONLY. Call 311 or 574-5000 to request yard waste collection. This is a change from previous guidance regarding the resumption of regular yard waste pickups. (Residents with private waste haulers should contact their company about yard waste collection.)


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