| Dear Neighbor,
There are several spots of news in our City and our District for your consideration. As always, please feel free to weigh in on these - as many of you have - and let our office know your thoughts.
3042 Hikes Lane
First, a meeting for the proposed development at 3042 Hikes Lane (formerly St. Barnabas) will be held again on June 29th at 6:30 pm via WebEx videoconferencing software. The chats or written comments submitted during the prior meeting on June 17th were not saved. If you would like to participate, information is below. You can also submit written comments directly to the Planning Commission by mail or email. Their address is 444 South Fifth Street, Suite 300 Louisville, KY 40202. Email joel.dock@louisvilleky.gov. Make sure you include the case number (20-ZONEPA-0035) in any communications you send. You may be able to speak to the case manager by calling (502) 574-6230.
Budget Passage
Second, I'm pleased to report that your government has a budget for the next fiscal year. Initially the projections were very grim due to COVID-19 and concerns about city revenue, however those have gotten more positive in recent weeks. The CARES Act also afforded Louisville Metro about $121MM for virus-related relief expenses. Some of that will go into a $21MM program to help small businesses, particularly in low-income and minority census tracts like West Louisville. Overall, however; this was a continuation budget that simply sought to keep funding levels stable for the next year.
There were many calls to "defund" the LMPD. Finding ways to invest more in community services and other types of intervention is something we should pursue. However, talking about punishing police to accomplish that is short sighted, even if it is something other communities are pursuing. To put it simply, we cannot hire and retain good cops if we don't make a career path competitive with our surrounding cities. Currently, we're not competitive.
The good news on this front is that we ARE doing many of the investments in the social services, mental and behavioral health counselors, alternative intervention methods that were requested. Additional revenues and a commitment to have Churchill Downs cover all of the security costs for Thurby/Oaks/Derby will make new police body cameras, batteries, ShotSpotter, and additional training possible.
Personally, I'm pleased to see that my colleagues again invested in additional paving to keep on our 10-year plan (now in its 5th year) hoping to get all Jefferson County roads "above average" (on a 0-100 scale) by the end of 2024. We were ahead of schedule but additional revenues should help us stay on track to finish early.
Have a safe weekend,
 Brent T. Ackerson
26th District Councilman
P.S.: Please continue to contact our office by email for the next two weeks at least. Social distancing has required limited use of City Hall offices and our phones have been overloaded with calls from around the country on various issues. We will try to respond promptly.
Property Location: 3042 Hikes Lane
Meeting Date: June 29th @ 6:30 pm
Website to Join Meeting: https://dinsmore.webex.com/dinsmore/j.php?MTID=m55cdfad8b736761ab1edbca49a4a00ac
Meeting Number: 129 943 7919
Access Code: fvGTwDv6M49
The meeting site may NOT be live until shortly before the meeting is supposed to start. If you would like call-in instructions, please email Sheri.Werling@dinsmore.com or call (502) 540-2535
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The Secretary of State wants to hear from you! After an unconventional election, the office of Kentucky's chief election officer has asked for comments on how the election went for you. General feelings on ease-of-use, speed, accuracy, etc.are welcome via an online survey. You can participate here. |
The application will open for Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grants on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, and more details will be provided on that date. Applicants must have a business located within Louisville/Jefferson County. At least 50 percent of the funds will be spent in low-to-moderate income census tracts.
Purpose of the Fund
The Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grants program is designed to help prevent business closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to preserve the hundreds of fun and funky businesses that make Louisville unique.
Grant Program Funding
Louisville Metro Government’s FY21 operating budget includes up to $21 million in federal CARES funding for Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grants.
Amount of Grants
The program will provide eligible businesses with grants up to $50,000 based on demonstrated impact from COVID-19.
Eligible Business Criteria
Businesses meeting the following criteria will be eligible for a grant:
- Businesses with 20 full-time employees or fewer as of March 16, 2020
- Non-retail businesses with 50 full-time employees or fewer that have remained closed or whose business activity have been severely restricted under state executive order dated March 25, 2020
- Businesses that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
- Businesses must be located in Louisville/Jefferson County
- Businesses must be in good standing with Louisville Metro Revenue Commission
Industries of focus include retail (including direct services), food service, arts & entertainment, recreation, and childcare.
Grant Use
The funds may only be used for the following business expenses:
- Payroll
- Utilities
- Lease/mortgage assistance
- Fixed cost support – to include debt service (interest only), business insurance, other fixed costs
- Technology for online platform to allow online sales
Mayor Fischer has asked all members of the community to share their thoughts on what we need in a new Louisville Metro Police Chief. This survey is available online below or you can call (502) 528-3543 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday if you don't have computer access or need assistance filling out the survey. Call-takers will assist those who call the number and input their answers to questions on a community survey which became available earlier this month online.
The survey asks for input in several areas, including:
- The three most important qualities or skills residents would like to see in the next police chief;
- What suggestions residents have for improving police services; and
- What residents would like to see a new chief accomplish immediately and over the next two to three years.
The survey will be available by phone and online through July. As of now, more than 8,000 residents have already completed the survey's online version.
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE COMMUNITY-WIDE SURVEY
Property Location: 2926 Breckenridge Lane
Meeting Date: July 16th @ 1:00 pm
Website to Join Meeting: https://LouisvilleKY.gov/government/upcoming-public-meetings
The meeting site may NOT be live until shortly before the meeting is supposed to start. If you have questions, please call (502) 574-6230
Cleanse Clinic can help you or a loved one beat addition. They specialize in both intensive outpatient programs (IOP) and medication assisted treatments (MAT) at four Ky locations.
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Patients referred into our outpatient program are not required to participate in our medication program, however the option is available. Upon completion of the programs, all clients participate in an exit interview with our board-certified psychiatrist and medical director. During the exit interview, clients can choose to continue treatment through counseling and medication assistance.
Throughout the course of the patient’s time with Cleanse Clinic, they will be required to provide urine samples for ongoing monitoring and accountability. These samples are tested at the time of visit with urine dipstick, before being analyzed in our in-office lab for toxicology and confirmation. The use of our own lab allows us to have results back quickly, guaranteeing individual treatment plans can be monitored and updated frequently. This helps us hold our patients accountable and give them stability. Patients that continue treatment with our clinic and show that they are stable have the chance to move to biweekly and then monthly follow up appointments. To be eligible for this, the patient must maintain frequent monthly counseling and must show ongoing abstinence from all illicit substances and alcohol use. Treatment in the Cleanse Clinic could be used as an alternative to provide more stability, accountability, and positive change to the lives of your clients.
645 South Roy Wilkins Ave
Louisville, KY 40203
502-583-4092
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