| |
|
Councilman Bill Hollander
601 W. Jefferson Street
(502) 574-1109
Email Bill
Kyle Ethridge
Legislative Assistant
(502) 574-3908
Email Kyle
Visit the District 9 Website
Visit the D9 Blog
How District 9 Spends Your Tax Dollars
Subscribe to D9 eNews
Read Past eNews Editions
Find City Services by Address
|
Friday, April 17 marks six weeks since Governor Andy Beshear declared a State of Emergency in Kentucky. Since that time, a number of actions have been taken to deal with the pandemic, not just in Kentucky but throughout the United States and the world. The federal government’s recommended “30 Days to Slow the Spread” continues until April 30 and may be extended.
Despite the fact that we are only halfway through that 30-day period, calls are increasing to “reopen the economy”.
Planning for that is well underway and has been since the crisis began. But the idea that things will return to normal with a simple declaration by the President, the Governor or anyone else is fanciful. As Dr. Paul Coomes, an economist with the University of Louisville, reminded Metro Council’s Labor & Economic Development Committee this week, the economy froze after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in part because everyone was afraid to fly. People became comfortable to fly again only after TSA screening processes were put in place. Dr. Coomes believes, and I agree, that the economy won’t really “reopen” this time, until consumers feel comfortable going about their old routines at places of work, entertainment and shopping, and that will require the implementation of robust public health screening. That may involve taking temperatures. It will certainly require more testing and contact tracing, so that we have a better handle on infections. Contact tracing in many areas has largely stopped because of the volume of cases. It can increase when the number of cases falls, provided we have more public health workers.
There are active plans for all of that. In the meantime, the public’s priority should be flattening the curve through social distancing and good hygiene, like frequently and thoroughly washing our hands. Those are the best things each of us can do to reopen the economy as soon as possible. As Dan Borsch, who owns restaurants, including on Frankfort Avenue, told the Courier-Journal, “Opening up too early and sabotaging all the work we have done so far is not a plan, it is a suicide pact. Of course we should be planning for the future opening, but our priority should be saving lives now, not acting like a lack of a plan is all that is stopping us from returning to normal.”
As I moved around D9 this week, I have been pleased to see much better social distancing. Essential retailers – like pharmacies and grocery stores - are doing a better job. Just as importantly, consumers at those stores are much more conscientious about social distancing, avoiding crowded aisles and staying six feet away from people. As I have been out and about getting fresh air and exercise, I notice people much more proactively moving away from others, sometimes walking carefully into the street to avoid a crowded sidewalk or walking on less frequented sidewalks. The Crescent Hill Reservoir has been less crowded and, for the most part, we’re all doing a good job staying six feet away from people we don’t currently live with.
None of this happened by accident or without effort. I give Governor Beshear great credit for impressing upon people the importance of our efforts to act now to flatten the curve, which will save lives and ultimately “reopen the economy” sooner. Kentuckians have been motivated through social media, informative 5:00 pm briefings, green lights to honor the more than 100 Kentuckians we’ve lost to COVID-19 and in many other ways.
Most of all, I credit all of you. As the Governor says, “We’ll get through this. We’ll get through this together.“
|
|
Metro Council’s Budget Committee, which I chair, is beginning the busiest time of the year. Mayor Fischer will make his budget address, remotely, on April 23 and we will begin reviewing the spending plan immediately, with public hearings beginning the week of May 4. Next week, we’ll be announcing ways you can comment on the budget and a schedule for public hearings you can view remotely.
Since the pandemic began and the economy suffered as a result of necessary actions to deal with it, I have noted that the budget presented on April 23 will be “tentative”, because no one will have a very good idea how much revenue we have to spend. We know that our dependence on employee withholdings and net profit taxes (which are two of the very few revenue sources allowed under state law) means that we will see revenue losses much quicker than many other cities in the country. We also know that the losses will be very large and that, absent more federal relief, we will be forced to reduce services.
Congress has passed three packages to deal with the emergency, and many new programs are helping our constituents. Airlines, airports and many other businesses have received assistance. So far, however, Congress has done nothing to help cities deal with revenue losses resulting from the shuttered economy. Funds that are available to cities only reimburse for coronavirus related expenses. They cannot be used to fund police, fire, libraries, garbage collection and all of the other services on which you regularly depend. With significantly reduced tax receipts, our ability to continue providing those services depends on federal help.
Please contact your federal representatives by email at these links or telephone, and tell them that Louisville and other cities need help now:
Senator Mitch McConnell
(502) 582-6304
Senator Rand Paul
(202) 224-4343
Congressman John Yarmuth
(502) 582-5129
|
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.
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.
|
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.
The Centers for Disease Control has a wealth of information about COVID-19, including the latest guidance, like the recommendation to wear a cloth face covering in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies). The website is here.
|
For at least the rest of April, staying at home as much as possible and social distancing when we are out for necessities is the best way to stop the spread of COVID-19 – and get things reopened as soon as possible.
In-person gatherings, even of family members that you do not currently live with, threaten efforts to “flatten the curve” and save lives, and therefore should not happen. How well people adhere to those guidelines can significantly affect how many people have COVID-19 and how long closures last.
Before you go out anywhere, remind yourself what six feet of space looks like and commit to stay six feet away from everyone you are not currently living with. Go to the grocery store as infrequently as possible and don’t treat your visits there as social occasions. Stay back in any line (the Clifton Kroger and many other stores have new entrance procedures and are limiting the number of people in the store at any one time) and exercise some responsibility yourself. If you see a crowded aisle, avoid it or wait for people to leave, for example.
When you are out for a walk, run or bike ride, keep that six feet distance from other people and avoid areas with large crowds. If you head for a walk on Frankfort Avenue or the Crescent Hill Reservoir, for example, and see a crowd, walk somewhere else.
Walking, running and biking in our parks are still allowed but many other activities are prohibited. Since last week’s eNews, Louisville Metro has temporarily closed the Cherokee Park Loop road to vehicles, to allow better social distancing for walkers, runners and bikers.
Social distancing does not mean social isolation. Please keep reaching out by phone, email or other technology to people who are alone.
The Louisville Asset Building Coalition (LABC) that normally prepares taxes in-person has switched to a virtual tax preparation model. The service is free if you earned $66,000 Adjusted Gross Income or less in 2019, or if you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit. Clients can make appointments by visiting https://labcservices.org/. You may also click here to view a flyer that fully describes the process. LABC understands that not everyone will be comfortable with this new method, LABC plans to operate in-person tax sites once it’s safe to do so. More information will be provided in the D9 eNews when it’s available. The tax filing deadline has been extended to July 15, 2020.
|
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.
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, donate or seek help.
|
Support local businesses if you can. Many restaurants are providing takeout or delivery options. 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.
|
Regular, weekly curbside yard waste collection in the Urban Service District resumed this week. For most everyone in the USD District 9, that means the first regular collection will be Friday, April 17.
Please follow these guidelines in the Urban Service District:
Yard Waste Collection accepts these items:
- Leaves, twigs, straw, pine needles
- Shrubbery trimmings
- Branches and tree trimmings - must be less than 2 inches in diameter and less than 4 feet long
- Wood ash
Yard Waste Collection does NOT accept these items:
- Dirt, rock & gravel
- Litter or trash from yard
- Plastic items - including, but not limited to, flower pots, plant tags, empty mulch and soil bags
- Large limbs & tree stumps - larger than 2 inches diameter and longer than 4 feet
- Wrong containers - material may not be in city garbage or recycling carts OR plastic bags
- Piles not contained or bundled
Live outside the Urban Service District? Collection of garbage, yard waste and recycling outside the Urban Service District varies by location. Residents living in small cities within Jefferson County should contact the city administrator for more information. Residents of unincorporated areas must contract directly with a private waste collection company. Not sure? Use the MyLouisville tool to find out more information about your address.
|
Kyle and I are working remotely but we are answering the phone and responding to many emails.
If you see a need or just have a question, let us know. The best way to reach us is at this contact page.
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 frequent updates.
Please go online and complete the census. It’s a very simple procedure. 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 now, to limit person-to-person contact as the coronavirus continues to spread. The census website is here.
You can see how many of your neighbors have completed the census at this site. On March 28, 32.2 % of the neighbors in my census tract had responded. Today it is 57.3%. That’s a little better than Jefferson County’s 53.5% and better than Kentucky’s 50.4%.
We’re getting there but still have a long way to go! Complete the census today!
|
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!
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
