District 9 eNews - Thursday, September 10, 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...


Registration and Voting Information

Vote

Election Day – November 3 - is less than eight weeks away and time is running out to register and make a plan to vote. 

REGISTER:

The deadline to register to vote is October 5 at 4:00 p.m. local time. Register, check or change your registration at GoVoteKY.com.

Voting

ABSENTEE VOTING:

Now through October 9, individuals concerned about contracting or spreading the coronavirus may request an absentee ballot via an online portal at GoVoteKY.com. The process is very simple and fast. Ballots will be mailed later this month to those requesting them through the portal. To ensure all votes are counted, absentee ballots are required to be postmarked by Election Day, November 3, and received by November 6. For those concerned about postal delays, County Clerks will offer secure drop boxes to deposit absentee ballots. Locations will be announced soon.

EARLY IN-PERSON VOTING:

  • Beginning Oct. 13, three weeks before the election, every Monday-Friday until Election Day, and every Saturday for at least four hours, every county clerk will provide a location for safe in-person voting. Jefferson County early voting locations are expected to be announced soon.
  • Early voting is not absentee voting – anyone can vote early for any reason.
Vote

ELECTION DAY VOTING:

There will be polling places on Election Day, but the number and locations will be reduced from elections prior to the pandemic.  Jefferson County voting sites will be announced soon.

A Metro Council committee held a hearing on voting this week and I asked an expert from the University of Kentucky for his best advice. The answer was clear. If you want to vote by absentee ballot, request your ballot NOW at GoVoteKY.com. If you want to vote in person, make a plan to do it early, as soon as the early voting locations are announced. You can watch the full meeting here.

As new announcements are made about voting locations and hours, I’ll report them on my social media pages-  the D9 blog"Councilman Bill Hollander" Facebook page and the @BillHollander Twitter feed.    


“Conversion Therapy” Ban

conversion

So-called “conversion therapy” describes a range of dangerous and thoroughly discredited practices that falsely claim to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.  The practices don’t work and they harm the people subjected to them. Minors are especially vulnerable, and conversion therapy can lead to depression, anxiety, drug use, homelessness, and suicide. For those reasons, every mainstream medical and mental health organization rejects the practices. 

Twenty states and some seventy cities have laws or regulations protecting youth from these harmful practices. Last month, I filed an ordinance which would add Louisville to that list. It was approved in committee yesterday and will be considered by the full Metro Council next week. You can read the ordinance here.

It’s time to end this dangerous and discredited practice that hurts kids.  


Census Takers in Our Neighborhood

Census 2020

An accurate count of people residing in Louisville is so important to our community.  Please make sure you are counted before September 30.

Census Takers are visiting every household that has not already responded. In certain areas, the Census Bureau is also calling households, reminding them to respond. Census Takers will have a valid ID badge with their photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date. Census workers may also carry Census Bureau bags and other equipment with the Census Bureau logo. Learn more at https://louisvilleky.gov/census.


St. Matthews Library Reopening for Some Services

St. Matthews Library

The Louisville Free Public Library has announced additional libraries now open for in-person public computer use by appointment. The newly added libraries include St. Matthews, Newburg and Shawnee. These three locations join the Main Library and Northeast, South Central, and Southwest regionals in offering in-person computer use and limited free printing and faxing services by appointment. Computer access is limited to one 90 minute session per day. To make an appointment, patrons should call their preferred participating location at the numbers listed below.

  • Main: (502) 574-1616
  • Newburg: (502) 479-6160
  • Northeast: (502) 574-1751
  • St. Matthews: (502) 574-1772
  • Shawnee: (502) 574-1722
  • Southwest: (502) 933-0029
  • South Central: (502) 964-3515

In order to reopen safely to in-person visits, library spaces and computer stations have been reconfigured to ensure safe physical distancing can be maintained. Enhanced cleaning protocols have been implemented and masks and temperature checks are required to enter library facilities. The Library will have masks available for patrons who arrive without them. Browsing of books and other materials is not permitted at this time.

More information on computers by appointment can be found at LFPL.org/appointment.

Curbside pickup of library materials is available at all 17 locations.

  • Crescent Hill hours are:
    • Monday, Tuesday     10am – 7pm
    • Wednesday-Saturday 10 am – 4pm
  • St. Matthews hours are:
    • Monday-Thursday     10am – 7pm
    • Friday, Saturday       10am – 4pm

For more information, visit lfpl.org/curbside.


Give For Good Louisville – September 17

Give for Good

Give For Good Louisville is Thursday, September 17 from midnight – 11:59 p.m. This event is hosted by the Community Foundation of Louisville and is the community’s biggest day of local giving. For 24-hours, the community comes together with gifts big and small to give back to non-profits which are helping change the world around us. Please consider a donation to a D9 or Metro-wide organization. More information is here.


Public Invited to Provide Input for Review of LMPD

LMPD

Residents who want to weigh in on the ongoing top-to-bottom review of the Louisville Metro Police Department have a new tool for sharing their views. Residents may reach out by email to LMKY@hillardheintze.com, which is a direct link to Chicago-based consulting firm Hillard Heintze, the Jensen Hughes company that is performing the comprehensive, top-to-bottom review. Members of the Hillard Heintze team will respond to all concerns, comments and inquiries sent to the address. The email address will remain active through the delivery of the report later this year.

Hillard Heintze representatives are also making onsite visits to Louisville, conducting interviews, observing training, and participating in ride-alongs with officers. Upon concluding their assessment work, the team will develop recommendations to serve as a roadmap for an LMPD Strategic Plan that includes:

  • Establishing a new policing environment in Louisville where the police department and the community are equal partners in co-producing public safety.
  • Providing recommendations designed to reduce use of force incidents.
  • Increasing transparency and encouraging greater trust and public confidence.
  • Developing leadership within LMPD with a focus on community outreach and community policing efforts.
  • Identifying innovative and effective recruitment strategies and best practices at the local, regional and national level that will improve the agency's police officer workforce diversity.
Chief Gentry

The top-to-bottom review is being undertaken at the same time as a search for a permanent LMPD Chief.  Beginning October 1, Yvette Gentry, a well-regarded former police officer and community leader, will serve as interim chief until a new chief is selected.

In the meantime, a work group on which I serve is working to create a civilian oversight system for LMPD.  We need civilian oversight regardless of who is leading the department and I will continue to do all I can to get a robust, sustainable system in place this year.


Request for Information: Food and Groceries

Community Grocery

The Center for Health Equity wants to hear from you about what it’s like to get food and groceries in Louisville.

The 2017 Louisville Health Equity Report recommended that Louisville make healthy foods more accessible, particularly in areas of the city without ready access to stores.  The report suggested that it would take a lot of different solutions at many different levels. That includes government policy, organizations, and businesses helping to make it easy for people to have a chance to get healthy foods.  

Metro Council appropriated $3.5 Million for the effort in the budget we passed in June.  Please share your ideas by September 13!  The Center for Health Equity will report your recommendations to the Metro Council and use them to help determine how the $3.5 million allocation will be spent.

Read the full Request for Information here. Share your responses online here. If you don’t have access to a computer to respond, you may share your comments in several other ways listed below.

  1. Call 502-574-5883.
  2. Mail their input to Center for Health Equity, Louisville Metro Department of Public Health & Wellness, 400 E Gray Street, Louisville, KY 40202
  3. Email healthequity@louisvilleky.gov

UCHM Youth Program Volunteers Needed

UCHM

United Crescent Hill Ministries (UCHM) has had to adapt to the changing times and alter many of their regular programs, including the youth program, and they need your help! UCHM will be providing academic and social support to students in grades K-8 who are participating fully in virtual learning. These students will be coming in for 2 hour blocks up to two days a week. This is where you come in!

UCHM is looking for tutors who will provide their academic and social support to these students as they work through their NTI assignments and navigate online school. UCHM currently needs volunteers in three hour blocks on Tuesdays and Thursdays, either from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, or 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. This program will last as long as JCPS students are using virtual learning. Please click here to learn more about the program. If you have never volunteered with UCHM before, please follow this link to fill out an application. Please contact Emily Purdy at (502)893-0346 or epurdy@uchmlouky.org with any questions.


Beargrass Creek Pathway Opens

Beargrass Path

The Waterfront Botanical Gardens cut the ribbon for the new Beargrass Creek Pathway last week.  The 1,720-foot winding walkway connects the Butchertown Greenway to the Gardens. It features three bridges over a waterfall. "This (walkway) allows people to come all the way down and enjoy the seating area, the waterfall and get down to Beargrass Creek with an accessible pathway,” said Waterfront Botanical Gardens' President Kasey Maier. The walkway includes historical stones from old Louisville buildings. 

Beargrass Press Conference

At last week’s event, David Wicks presented Waterfront Botanical Gardens with the 2020 "Steering the Future Course of The Beargrass Creek Award" for its efforts in creating an access point between the greenway and the gardens and in preserving and protecting Beargrass Creek.

I was happy to announce that construction will start next month on a sidewalk on the east side of Frankfort Avenue from Story Avenue to River Road, linking D9 neighborhoods and providing better access to the Gardens.


Right-of-Way and Utility Policy Update

Metro seal

Many of you have contacted me about work in our rights-of-way, especially regarding fiber installations and plans for 5G antennas. Those installations are covered by federal law, which limits any city’s ability to regulate them. 

We do have some regulations, however, and Metro Public Works & Assets is proposing an update to the current Right-of-Way Guide and Utility Policy, last revised October 2019. View the proposed draft here. (Start on p. 40)

The proposed changes are primarily focused on utilities within the public right-of-way. Public Works & Assets would like to hear from all users that may be impacted by the proposed changes. The goal is to have a final policy that protects the public without burdening the stakeholders working within the right-of-way. Submit your comments using this form.

The public comment period will end September 15, 2020.


More Help for Small Businesses and Residents

Louisville Forward will start taking applications September 14th for a new $2.8 million revolving loan program. These funds are made possible by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration and will be administered through Louisville Forward's METCO staff and Board. They are for businesses with less than $2.5 million in annual revenue who have suffered a negative impact from COVID-19. More information is here.

The new program adds on to the $21.2 Million appropriation of federal CARES funds for small businesses impacted by the pandemic. https://louisvilleky.gov/government/louisville-forward/small-business-covid-19-relief-grants

Another $21.2 Million has been made available for eviction prevention efforts, helping residents whose income has been affected by the pandemic pay rent.  More information about eviction prevention in Louisville is here.


Monthly Pop-Up Drop-Off Event – September 26

Monthly Pop Up

Pop-Up Drop-Offs are free recycling and large item disposal events for residents of Jefferson County. These events will pop up around the county once per month, from March through November, starting September 26. Use the Recycle Coach app to receive notifications about future events or view them on the app calendar. (Download the app in the Apple Store or Google Play.) Or check the Pop-Up Drop-Off website for updates. 

Saturday, September 26, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Sun Valley Park, 10401 Lower River Road

ACCEPTED ITEMS

  • Electronics (up to 3 items) - recycled
  • Metal & appliances (no refrigerators or any items containing coolant) - recycled
  • Passenger tires (up to 4) - recycled
  • Household recyclables (follow curbside rules) - recycled
  • Yard waste (follow curbside rules) - composted
  • Large household items - landfill
  • Paper shredding - recycled
  • Prescription medication - disposed properly

NOT ACCEPTED

  • Garbage, loose debris
  • Concrete, bricks, rocks
  • Construction materials
  • Refrigerators or items containing coolant
  • Paint
  • Batteries
  • Tree trunks
  • Light bulbs
  • Boats
  • Hot tubs
  • Household hazardous waste
  • Items from businesses
  • Items on trailers greater than 10 feet in length

COVID-19 POLICIES

  • Staff will wear personal protective equipment, including face coverings, and will stay at least 6 feet away from citizens.
  • Citizens should remain in their vehicle if possible and must wear a face covering if exiting their vehicle.

What Not to Put in Your Recycling Container

What not to recycle

The facility where the city's recycling goes for sorting and processing reported that during the pandemic they've seen an increase in Styrofoam takeout containers and plastic shopping bags. Styrofoam containers may have a recycling symbol and a number on them, but that doesn't mean they're accepted in the recycling program! Those should go in the trash instead. Or try to avoid them in the first place!

Plastic shopping bags are only recyclable through participating retail stores. Do not put in your recycling container. Avoid them by bringing your own bags to the store instead! Check out Kroger's infographic showing all the types of plastic you can recycle at their stores. 

Visit SWMS website for more information about what you can recycle at home. Or use the What Goes Where search tool on the Recycle Coach app! 


Important Driver’s License Information

Drive Jefferson

The Office of the Jefferson County Circuit Court Clerk has provided our office with important information on the permit and road tests, Real ID appointment information, regular/standard Kentucky Driver’s License renewal information and other general information. Click here to read the flyer.


Louisville Metro is Hiring an Energy Manager!

Energy Manager

Louisville Metro Government is adding an Energy Manager to its team to help move Louisville into its clean energy future! Essential functions will include creating and implementing energy conservation measures, developing and implementing renewable energy projects, and managing energy contracts with outside agencies.

Applicants must be a Certified Energy Manager (or have a similar certification) with five or more years of related experience to be eligible. To view the full job description and apply, click here. Closing date is September 17th. 


Louisville Metro Parks Volunteer Opportunities

photographer

Virtual Opportunities

Metro Parks is excited to offer some NEW virtual volunteer opportunities! 

  • Citizen Photographer - Help capture the beauty of Louisville's parks! Photos will be used in Louisville Parks and Recreation publications including social media, websites, flyers, and publications. No Fancy Equipment Necessary! For most publications, photos taken on a cell phone will work just fine. Email flarsheim@louisvilleky.gov for more information!
  • Social Media / Newsletter Opportunities - Ready to get writing? Love making videos? Help Parks make their social media and newsletters more fun! Each month they will have a different theme that volunteers can write about, share a picture, or a short quote. Ask questions and submit your work to Woodrum@louisvilleky.gov
    • September's theme is "I'm a Parks and Rec. Kid". Parks is looking for submissions from park users of all ages about growing up outdoors, playing in a recreation league, or hanging out at a community center. 
    • October's theme will be Halloween/Celebration of Fall Colors
In Person

In Person Service Opportunities

For your safety and the safety of all park users, volunteers are required to wear a mask and practice safe social distancing while volunteering in the parks. All in-person group projects are limited to 10 people or fewer. 

  • Evening Litter Walks - Join a slow and social volunteer opportunity! These projects take place on the first and third Wednesday of the month from 6:30 to 7:30 pm and rotate to different parks around Jefferson County. Due to group size restrictions, advanced sign-up is required. Login or create a MyImpactPage.com account for more details or email LMPRvolunteer@louisvilleky.gov for more information. 
  • Antique Farming Equipment Display - Ready to roll up your sleeves and create something amazing? Riverside, The Farnsley-Moremen Landing is installing a NEW Antique Farming Equipment Display and needs strong volunteers to help create the outdoor display space. This is an ongoing opportunity and volunteers are free to help during regular operating hours until the work is completed. For more information or to come out to volunteer please contact Teresa Lee at (502) 935-6809 or email Lee@louisvilleky.gov.
  • Garden Club - Interested in learning more about gardening? Have a green thumb you want to share? Join the NEW Garden Club volunteer team! Help install and care for beautiful, welcoming gardens that will inspire new gardeners! No experience necessary, just a willingness to learn and get dirty. Please contact Sarah Flarsheim for more information at flarsheim@louisvilleky.gov or (502) 574-6403
garden club

Help on Your Own

  • Gather Limbs and Fallen Sticks
  • Weeding Tree Rings and Landscape Beds
  • Clean Up Litter
  • Complete a Park Assessment
    • Help us see what you are seeing in your neighborhood park! Complete a Park Assessment. This simple online form will help us identify future projects, areas for improvement.
    • Form Link >> Park Assessment Report

Notice of Planning & Design Public Meetings

For basic details for all of below case/s, please visit https://aca-louisville.accela.com/LJCMG/Welcome.aspx?.  Click on the “Planning” tab.  Then enter either the case number in the “record number” box or the address.

You can also click on the notice below to go to the application page.

For specific case information, please call or email the listed case manager.  If you have any questions, please contact Planning & Design directly at 574-6230.  

20-VARIANCE-006420-VARIANCE-0078

District 9 Calendar Events

Below are some Ninth District calendar events!  To view a full listing of events, please visit the District 9 Blog at http://district9news.wordpress.com/.  If you would like to submit events to be considered for the blog calendar please email Kyle Ethridge or call 574-1109.

Thursday, September 10: Carmichael's Bookstore to host a free virtual event at 7:00 p.m. with Nancy Jensen & Sena Naslund in-conversation. Click here to register for the event. About In Our Midst: Drawing upon a long-suppressed episode in American history, when thousands of German immigrants were rounded up and interned following the attack on Pearl Harbor, In Our Midst tells the story of one family's fight to cling to the ideals of freedom and opportunity that brought them to America.

Saturday, September 12: St. Matthews Farmers Market, 4100 Shelbyville Road. The market is open every Saturday through September 26  from 8:00 a.m. to Noon. More information, including new social distancing rules, is here.

Saturday, September 12: Waterfront Botanical Gardens, 1435 Frankfort Avenue, will host Creamy, Dreamy Plant-Based Soups at 10:00 a.m. This is an interactive virtual program on Zoom. Cost is $15 for members and $20 for general public. For more information and to pre-register, please click here.

Saturday, September 12: Family Adventures at the Avish, the Avish is a satellite-learning location at Waterfront Botanical Gardens, 1435 Frankfort Avenue. This event is a private 90-minute program that includes: a tour of gardens and greenhouse, an educational science activity, a craft and seeds to take home. Cost is $60 for four people, and $15 for each additional person. Maximum participants are 10. Click here for more information. This event occurs every Saturday through September 26.

Monday, September 14: Citizens' Climate Lobby Louisville is sponsoring a talk by University of Louisville Economics Professor, Robert Lambert about the importance of a fee on carbon in the effort to reduce CO2 emissions. It will be a virtual meeting at 7:00 p.m. and accessed through an EVENTBRITE invitation. A link to the Eventbrite link is: incentivizingsustainability.eventbrite.com. For submitting questions in advance go to CCLLouisvilleChapter@gmail.com.

Tuesday, September 15: The Clifton Community Council will hold its Annual Meeting and Board Elections beginning at 6:00 pm., outside in the parking lot at 131 Vernon Ave., the Clifton Campus of Northeast Christian Church.  Five board member positions are up for election.  To be eligible to vote one must be a Clifton resident, business or property owner, and be a paid dues member ($10 per adult per year).  If you are interested in volunteering to serve on the board, please contact Mike O’Leary at michael.oleary@twc.com.  Also, on September 15, the paid members will vote on several bylaw revisions.

Wednesday, September 16: League of Women Voters of Louisville will host its first Book Discussion from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.  This discussion is open to the general public, but please RSVP by sending an email to LWVLouisville@gmail.com indicating your desire to attend. Upon receipt of the request, they will forward a Zoom link to your email. *The two books which will be discussed are: Klein, E. (2020). Why we’re polarized?  New York: Avid Reader Press. and Myers, V. (2013). What if I say the wrong thing? Chicago: American Bar Association.

Thursday, September 17: Give for Good Louisville. Join in for the biggest day of local giving. For more information visit, https://www.giveforgoodlouisville.org/.

Saturday, September 19: St. Matthews Farmers Market, 4100 Shelbyville Road. The market is open every Saturday through September 26 from 8:00 a.m. to Noon. More information, including new social distancing rules, is here.

Saturday, September 19: Louisville Grows' Plant 5K Run and Walk. This event benefits Louisville Grows' goal of planting 5,000 trees by 2025. The cost is $30 for early registration and will start at 9:00 a.m. at Jeffersonville Overlook, 100 West Riverside Drive, Jeffersonville, IN. For more information and to register, please click here.

Saturday, September 19: Family Adventures at the Avish, the Avish is a satellite-learning location at Waterfront Botanical Gardens, 1435 Frankfort Avenue. This event is a private 90-minute program that includes: a tour of gardens and greenhouse, an educational science activity, a craft and seeds to take home. Cost is $60 for four people, and $15 for each additional person. Maximum participants are 10. Click here for more information. This event occurs every Saturday through September 26.

Sunday, September 20: reGeneration Fair from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. at Waterfront Botanical Gardens, 1435 Frankfort Avenue. This event is free and open to the public, with a $10 suggested donation. This is a family-friendly environmental fair. All booths will be spaced to manage crowds and promote social distancing. Masks are required for all staff, guests, and vendors on the grounds. Hand sanitizing stations will be positioned at multiple locations throughout the fair. For more information, please click here.


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