District 26 eNews | Sept 10th

Ackerson eNewsletter Header

Brent T. Ackerson

26th District Councilman
502-574-1126
Email Brent

 

Jeff T. Noble

Legislative Aide
502-574-1126
Email Jeff

 

Michael Garton

District Liaison 
502-574-1126
Email Michael


PHONE DIRECTORY

Animal Control
363-6609 

Bon Air Library
574-1795

County Clerk
574-5700

Courts System
595-4428

Drivers License
(Bowman Field)
595-4405

Drivers License
(Downtown)
595-4924

Health and Wellness
574-6520

LG&E
589-1444

Louisville Water Company
583-6610

MetroCall - 311

Mosquito Control
574-6641

MSD
540-6000

Poison Control
589-8222

Police - LMPD
574-2187

Police - St. Matthews
893-9000

PVA 
574-6380

St. Matthews  City Hall  895-9444 

State Highways
210-5400

TARC
585-1234

Veterans Affairs
595-4447

Zoo
459-2181

Dear Neighbor,

Please take note of several happenings in and around our district coming up. There will also be several transportation projects taking place this weekend and next week downtown for those of you who travel I-64 to I-65 and I-71. Please be patient as State work crews safely repair roadways and inspect the new bridge crossing the Ohio River. 

Have a great weekend,

BrentSignature

Brent T. Ackerson
26th District Councilman

P.S. Our office is practicing social distancing always and remote working when possible. The best way to contact our office with a concern or request is via email. We will address your communications as quickly as we can. Thanks, in advance, for your understanding during these uncertain times.


In This Issue:


This Week | USD Waste Collection One-Day Delay

Residential garbage, recycling, yard waste or bulky waste collection within the Louisville Metro Urban Services District will continue on the one-day delay through the weekend because of the Labor Day holiday. To receive automatic reminders of changes due to holidays, download our Recycle Coach app at the App Store or on Google Play

If your normal day is Thursday, collection will be Friday. Waste Collection will return to the regular schedule on Monday, Sept. 14th.


This Weekend | Downtown Interstate Lane and Ramp Closures

KYTC

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) advises motorists of ramp improvements taking place in downtown Louisville this weekend. Multiple interstate ramps will be closed from 9 p.m. Friday, September 11 until 5 a.m. Monday, September 14. 

Ramps to be closed include:

  • I-64 West to I-65 South
  • I-64 West to I-65 North
  • I-71 South to I-65 North
  • Story Ave to I-65 North & South
  • Story Ave to I-64 West

This work was originally scheduled to take place in August but was rescheduled due to rain. Closure of the ramps is necessary to perform signing & pavement marking modifications in the area locally known as “Spaghetti Junction.” These modifications are to better align with traffic volumes and will remove an undesired merge from I-71 South to I-65 North, which should allow traffic to flow more efficiently. While the ramps are closed, overhead signs will be installed to supplement the revised markings. All of the existing striping on the closed ramps will also be updated and refreshed.

Following the opening of the ramps, I-64 West traffic accessing I-65 is advised to take note of the new overhead panel signs and lane markings to ensure they are in the correct lane for I-65 North and South. Following the modifications, the left lane will become an exit only to I-65 South (Nashville), and the right lane will become a single lane accessing I-65 North (Indianapolis).

During the ramp closures, signed detours will be in place at I-264 for both I-71 South and I-64 West, directing drivers to connect with I-65 near the airport via I-264 West. Story Ave traffic can follow the signed detour to Main Street and then Preston Street for I-65 North & I-64 West or First Street for I-65 South. Drivers are encouraged to follow the message boards and signed detour, or seek an alternate route. Motorists should anticipate slowed or stopped traffic and possible delays in the area of the closures and detour routes. 

The date and duration of this work may be adjusted if inclement weather or other unforeseen delays occur.  Visit goky.ky.gov for the latest in traffic and travel information in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  You can also get traffic information for the District 5 counties at facebook.com/KYTCDistrict5 and twitter.com/KYTCDistrict5.


Next Week | I-65 NB (Lincoln Bridge) Lane Closures 8am - 5pm

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Sept. 9, 2020) The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) District 5 Office advises motorists of lane closures next week on Interstate 65 in Jefferson County. Inspectors from a consultant engineering firm will be performing a biennial inspection of the Abraham Lincoln Bridge which carries I-65 North over the Ohio River.

This bridge inspection is scheduled to take place September 14-18. Single lane closures will take place each day between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Lane closures will begin on the right side of the bridge and transition to the left side by the end of the week.

Inspection of the Kennedy Bridge, which carries I-65 South over the Ohio River, was performed last month.

The date and duration of this work may be adjusted if inclement weather or other unforeseen delays occur.  Visit goky.ky.gov for the latest in traffic and travel information in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  You can also get traffic information for the District 5 counties at facebook.com/KYTCDistrict5 and twitter.com/KYTCDistrict5.

LincolnBridge

Sept. 26 | Pop-Up Junk Drop Off

Saturday, September 26, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

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.

These events are made possible through a partnership between the Louisville/Jefferson County Waste Management District, the Department of Public Works Solid Waste Management division, and Metro Council. 

POpUp

Sept. 28 | Virtual Public Meeting

Location: 405 Browns Lane
Application Type: Variance for accessory structure in the side yard
Meeting Date: Sept. 28, 2020
Meeting Time: 1pm
Virtual Login: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/upcoming-public-meetings

BOZA

Don’t have internet access? Please call 574-6230 to find out how to connect to the meeting by telephone.

If you wish to submit comments on this case, please submit comments (in writing) to the case manager by 5:00 P.M. Friday, September 25, 2020.


Oct. 2-4 | Large Item Set Out

For residents of the Urban Services District, the next large item set out weekend is coming up! Oct 2-4, set out your bulky items for pick-up, but be mindful that the Public Works Department has been strictly enforcing guidelines and they will leave anything outside those guidelines behind. 


Large Items

RecycleCoach

Click to edit this Get your personalized waste calendar in the My Schedule section below. You may also sign up for reminders of large item/junk collection, recycling, yard waste, garbage and more. On your cellphone? Download the Recycle Coach app now by visiting the Google Play or App Store.


New COVID-19 Testing Site at YMCA on Six Mile Lane

  • Southeast Family YMCA, 5930 Six Mile Lane (drive thru, no appointment needed). Testing provided by Bluewater Labs.
    • Beginning Friday, August 28, 1:00 pm -7:00 pm,
    • Saturday August 29, 9:00-2:00 pm
    • Week of August 31:  Mon and Wednesday, 9:00-4:00 pm, Friday, 1:00-7:00 pm.  NO TESTING OVER LABOR DAY WEEKEND.
    • Week of September 7th: Wednesday, 9:00-4:00, Friday, 1:00-7:00 pm, Saturday 9:00-2:00.
    • Week of September 14th: M, W 9:00-4:00, Friday, 1:00-7:00, Saturday 9:00-2:00.

https://louisvilleky.gov/government/health-wellness/louisville-covid-19-response-testing


Respond today for the 2020 Census

Census2020

NEW Small Biz Loans for COVID-19 Impacts

Logo

The Department of Economic Development’s Small Business Team is accepting applications for a new low-interest loan program, the Small Business COVID-19 Relief Loan Program.

The $2.8 million revolving loan fund is designed to assist small businesses impacted by COVID-19 and aims to meet businesses’ immediate cash flow needs quickly through a shortened application process and additional meetings of the METCO Board, the oversight
body that will approve the loans.

Through the new program, small businesses can receive a 66-month loan of up to $50,000, with no payments and zero interest for the first six months and 2 percent interest starting in month seven. There will be no prepayment penalty for early payoff.

  • If approved, the borrower must agree to receive financial coaching within 90 days of closing and will be required to report proof of fund usage on a quarterly basis for the life of the loan.
  • The Small Business COVID-19 Relief Loan Program was created using grant funds recently awarded
    by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration.
  • For more information and a link to the application, visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/louisvilleforward/
    small-business-covid-19-relief-loan-program or call 502.574.4140.

Request your absentee ballot today!

Want to vote absentee in the November election because you are concerned about contracting or spreading COVID-19? The portal to request an absentee ballot is now open at https://vrsws.sos.ky.gov/ovrweb/govoteky.

ABSENTEE VOTING:

Now through October 9, 2020, individuals concerned about contracting or spreading the coronavirus may request an absentee ballot via an online 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.

EARLY IN-PERSON VOTING:

Early in-person voting will be available beginning on October 13, for three weeks before the election. Anyone will be able to vote early at their County Clerk's office, with no excuse needed. Jefferson County early voting locations will be announced later.

ELECTION DAY VOTING:

There will be polling places on Election Day but the number and locations are still to be determined.

Consider signing up to be an election officer!  The Jefferson County Clerk is seeking both Democrats and Republicans to fill positions on November 3, in order to have more polling locations open for people who will vote in person.  More information is here.

Voting

New COVID-19 State Eviction Relief Fund

This week, Gov. Andy Beshear announced the launch of the Healthy at Home Eviction Relief Fund website, teamkyhherf.ky.gov, where Kentuckians now can visit and apply for assistance.

Kentuckians can visit the site to seek information on how to obtain a portion of $15 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act money the Governor pledged to support the Healthy at Home Eviction Relief Fund. Details of the application of the funds include:

  • Eligible landlords can be reimbursed for missed rent payments and receive some advance rent payments to keep tenants in their homes;
  • For eligible tenants, the program pays up to 90 percent of past-due rent and may also cover up to two months of future rent;
  • For approved applications, payments will be made directly to eligible landlords; and
  • Kentuckians may submit applications beginning today, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020.

On Friday, Gov. Beshear, who has taken repeated steps to keep people from being evicted at the height of the pandemic, updated the state’s executive order on evictions to reflect the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s moratorium on residential evictions through Dec. 31.

Under the CDC order, a tenant who signs and submits a declaration to his or her landlord about the inability to timely pay rent cannot be evicted. However, the declaration is required in order to prevent an eviction. Like the Governor’s prior executive orders on evictions, the CDC order does not relieve anyone of the obligation to pay rent or comply with any other obligation under a tenancy, lease or similar contract. The CDC order allows landlords to charge and collect fees, penalties and interest for failure to timely pay rent, but prohibits evictions for nonpayment or late payment of such fees, penalties or interest.


NOW AT THE LIBRARIES | Computer Appointments

The Louisville Free Public Library is pleased to announce that the Main Library will be open for in-person computer access by appointment starting Monday, August 17 and the Southwest, South Central, and Northeast regionals starting Tuesday, August 18. The browsing of books and other materials will not be permitted at this time.

Computer access is by appointment only and restricted to 90 minutes per day. Limited free printing and faxing services will also be available by appointment. To make an appointment, patrons should call a participating library location at the numbers listed below. All regionals will have 90 minute appointments:

Location Phone Monday - Thursday Friday - Saturday
Main (502) 574-1616 9am - 5pm 10am - 3pm
Northeast (502) 574-1751 10am - 5pm 10am - 3pm
South Central (502) 964-3515 10am - 5pm 10am - 3pm
Southwest (502) 933-8007 10am - 5pm 10am - 3pm

Phone calls for appointments should be made to the preferred location, during the hours listed above.

In order to reopen safely to in-person visits, the Library has reconfigured furniture, computer stations, and equipment to ensure safe physical distancing can be maintained. It has also procured sufficient personal protective equipment and sanitizing supplies and implemented enhanced cleaning protocols. Masks and temperature checks will be required to enter library facilities. The Library will have masks available for patrons who arrive without them.

We appreciate your patience and continued support and we look forward to serving you at the Library.

Library

Become an Olmsted Steward!

Become an Olmsted Parks Conservancy Park Steward! Are you passionate about Louisville's Olmsted Parks and looking for a way to give back? 

The next Park Steward Training program begins on September 8, where volunteers can attend a series of virtual lectures and in-park training to learn more about Park History, Horticultural Techniques, Plant Identification, and Landscape Management, all while meeting amazing new people and getting the opportunity to exercise ownership over these greenspaces you care about.

The one-time enrollment fee, a $50 donation to Olmsted Parks Conservancy, covers costs to produce the lectures, training, and materials. Scholarships are available for those interested.

Learn more and reserve your spot at https://www.olmstedparks.org/news/park-steward-training-fall-2020/

Olmstead

COVID-19 Relief Fund | Eviction Protection

Eviction

Eviction Prevention COVID-19 Relief Fund aims to aid low-to-moderate income households that are delinquent on rent payments as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program will pay for up to three months of rent for households facing COVID-related delinquencies.

Individual households may begin applying for rental assistance through the Office of Resilience and Community Services immediately. To be eligible, households must earn at or below 60 percent of the area median income ($45,840 annually for a family of four) and have had their income impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Households can begin the application process here: https://louisvilleky.wufoo.com/forms/one-louisville-fund-online-application.

Beginning July 1, Landlords may apply for assistance on behalf of their tenants to the Office of Housing. To be eligible, the landlord must:

  • Be currently registered on the Rental Registry.
  • Have no outstanding code violations for the property for which rent is being paid.
  • Waive all late fees, fines, and penalties.
  • Forgo evictions for assisted tenants for 60 days after assistance is provided.
  • Provide pre-COVID-19 rent rolls to document delinquency rates before and after the pandemic.

Funding will be prioritized for affordable housing units (households at or below 60% of area median income) or properties with more than 50% of their units in the Housing Choice Vouchers Program.

Landlords will be required to submit the following documentation:

  • Information about the property, including its tax ID number, ownership and delinquency rates
  • W-9
  • An eviction prevention application worksheet
  • Certification of non-payment of rent signed by each tenant for whom assistance is requested
  • Copy of each tenant’s ledger for whom you are claiming to be reimbursed for delinquencies
  • Copy of Recorded LURA or Recorded Deed Restriction
  • Accounts Receivable Report for period January 1, 2020 to current
  • Copy of Final 8609 (if a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit project)
  • Executed and Notarized Landlord Tenant Rental Assistance Certification

To find out more information and apply, visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/develop-louisville/eviction-prevention.


Louisville Metro COVID-19 Small Business Grants

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

LEARN MORE ONLINE HERE


SmallBiz

COVID-19 | When to Seek Care

COVID Help

ONLINE Learning at the Louisville Free Public Library

Library1