This afternoon at 4:00 pm, Mayor Greg Fischer will present his FY 21 Capital and Operating Budget to Metro Council.  That begins the busiest time of the year for the Council and especially the Budget Committee, which I chair.  Our first meeting on the budget will be on Thursday, April 30.  A full schedule will be released later today – and posted on the D9 Blog (information about accessing it is in the “Stay Connected in D9" story below). All Metro Council Committee meetings, including the Mayor’s budget address, are carried live on Metro TV, Spectrum Cable Channel 184 and UVERSE Channel 99. The meetings are also available online at the Metro Council home page at http://louisvilleky.gov/government/metro-council/metro-council-clerk by clicking on the “Watch Meetings Online” button.

Since the pandemic began and the economy suffered as a result of necessary actions to deal with it, I have noted that the budget Mayor Fischer will present today 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.

Unfortunately, that relief was not included in the fourth bill passed by the United States Senate this week, which the House of Representatives is expected to approve today. Airlines, airports, hospitals and many other businesses have received assistance. Congress has failed to help cities deal with revenue losses resulting from the shuttered economy.  Funds that have been made available to cities only reimburse for coronavirus related expenses.  The Paycheck Protection Program, which Congress is scheduled to increase today, does not protect the paychecks of the people who provide you with police, fire, libraries, garbage collection and all the other services on which you regularly depend. With significantly reduced tax receipts, our ability to continue providing those services depends on federal help. 

There is talk of another federal package but there is also resistance to that idea among some legislators.  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

After nearly a year-long closure for Louisville Water Company work, the stretch of Lexington Road, between Grinstead Drive and Stilz Avenue, is being resurfaced and is expected to reopen in early May. In conjunction with this resurfacing, the roadway will undergo a reconfiguration, becoming a three-lane section with multi-use lanes.

The resurfacing and reconfiguration is led by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in partnership with Metro Public Works’ Transportation Division and Cleary Construction of Tompkinsville, Louisville Water Company’s Contractor.

The goal is to improve safety along the corridor by reducing speeding. The previous four-lane roadway has been converted to three – one lane in each direction, plus a center turn lane. Studies show that this type of configuration reduces crash rates by 25 percent to 35 percent.

“KYTC is pleased to partner with Louisville Metro Public Works on this project.” District 5 Chief District Engineer Matt Bullock said. “We look forward to the public safety benefits that all users will experience when the resurfacing and reconfiguration are complete.”

The project serves as a continuation of a previous reconfiguration, completed by Louisville Metro Public Works, along Lexington Road between Payne Street and Grinstead. As part of the reconfiguration, multi-use lanes will also be added, allowing connectivity between Cherokee and Seneca parks and providing an area for pedestrians and joggers where sidewalks do not exist.

I frequently receive complaints about the speed of vehicles on Lexington Road, east of Grinstead Drive, and safety issues for all users on that stretch of road.  This reconfiguration is similar to what has been done on other roads in the area, to make the road safer for everyone, including motorists.

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. 

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. 

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.

Civil legal aid is a critical resource in our community's efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic impact due to the virus.  While the Legal Aid Society of Louisville’s physical office is closed to the public, its staff remains committed to pursuing justice using the necessary precautions to ensure the safety and health of its staff and clients.  

Legal Aid Society continues to accept new applications for service. To apply for services, call (502) 584-1254 or (800) 292-1862 or apply online.  Important information for renters (there are some disturbing reports of very bad behavior by landlords), survivors of domestic violence and those seeking unemployment or stimulus payments is 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.  

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.

Finally, social distancing does not mean social isolation.  Please keep reaching out by phone, email or other technology to people who are alone.

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 people in your county, state and neighborhood have completed the census at this site. On March 28, 32.2 % of the neighbors in my census tract had responded.  Today it is 60.1%.  That’s a little better than Jefferson County’s 57.2% and better than Kentucky’s 53.9%.

We’re getting there but still have a long way to go! Complete the census today!

The Air Pollution Control District (APCD) invites you to attend the first 2020 Clearing the Air workshop. Join APCD for a discussion on Louisville’s air quality, including what pollutants are monitored and how APCD works to help keep the air clean.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the workshop will be held online on Monday, April 27, from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Click here to join the workshop.

Whitehall House & Gardens is unable to host its annual Peony and Hydrangea Sale this year, but you can still order plants online and pick them up curbside!    Please visit their web site here to see the varieties available. Once you have made your purchase, a Whitehall staff member will contact you with details about no-contact pickup. The pickup dates are May 6 and 7. If you just want to see Whitehall's peonies and other flowers, the gardens are still open to visitors sunup to sundown.

For more information, please contact Whitehall at (502) 897-2944 or whitehall@historichomes.org.