Over the last several months, I've had many discussions about "Justice for Breonna" and what that means.  Yesterday afternoon, Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced a decision on criminal charges against the officers involved in executing a no-knock warrant at Breonna Taylor's home in March, an incident in which she was killed by police.  But I have never thought that "Justice for Breonna" was limited to potential criminal charges. 

We desperately need significant police reform in Louisville - and that can be "Justice for Breonna" too.  We are working on that in multiple ways, including creating a robust, sustainable civilian oversight system for LMPD.  I'll participate in another meeting of a broad-based community work group tomorrow, and the introduction of an ordinance in coming days.  We need to create that system this year.  Anticipating prompt approval of such a system, Metro Council funded it in the budget we passed in June, appropriating over $750,000 to the effort. We also need to press state legislators for changes in state law that will allow real police reform.  We need to be honest and say clearly that we also need to examine and demand change in culture at LMPD and put people in charge who are committed to that change. We must reimagine policing in the community. 

"Justice for Breonna" can and should go beyond policing and criminal justice too. We need a renewed, sustained focus on racial equity.   We've disinvested in Black neighborhoods for too long, and we can never be the community we want and need to be until we do more for jobs, education, health, and housing in those neighborhoods. Along with justice, those are the missions of the Louisville Urban League and the focus of the Path Forward for Louisville.  You can read that here. 

We also need you.  As I wrote on June 4, "systemic change requires a citizenry that keeps pushing – and I hope you will continue to do that.  Please keep speaking up – including in situations you think I need to do something more or differently." We should condemn violence in all forms, including the senseless shootings of LMPD officers last night. But we should support people responsibly calling for change. I'm very disappointed to learn that one member of LMPD leadership ridiculed citizens who are new to speaking up and demanding change, in an email to officers who are sworn to protect our area. In my view, we need more people paying attention and calling for reform. 

We need peace and healing, but we also need "Justice for Breonna". Those calls didn't end yesterday - and they shouldn't end until we have lasting change.

In anticipation of protests, Mayor Greg Fischer signed an Executive Order setting a countywide, 72-hour curfew from 9 p.m. to 6:30 a.m..  The curfew was in effect last night  and it ends at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. The Mayor has urged people to start making their way home at 8 p.m. The curfew does not apply to people commuting to work, house of worship for services or seeking medical attention for themselves or others.

The Mayor added that all Louisville Metro Government buildings in the downtown corridor are closed today. That includes: Metro Hall and its Annex; City Hall and its Annex; Fiscal Court; the Sinking Fund; LMPD headquarters; Metro Development and Metro Safe on South Fifth Street; Youth Detention Services; and the Alexander Building on West Main. 

I was pleased to see twenty-four colleagues come together in voting for an ordinance that prohibits licensed professionals from subjecting LGBTQ youth to the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy. With a 24 to 1 vote on September 17, Louisville joins twenty states and over seventy cities with similar laws.  Hopefully, it will help lead to a statewide ban in 2021. 

“Conversion therapy” refers to a range of practices which purport to change sexual orientation or gender identity.  The practices don’t work, and they hurt kids.   According to research published in the American Journal of Public Health, LGBTQ youth who underwent conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to report having attempted suicide and more than 2.5 times as likely to report multiple suicide attempts in the past year. Conversion therapy is widely opposed by prominent professional medical associations including the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

I’ve been working on the ordinance for several months and filed it on August 31.  It passed with nine cosponsors and a nearly unanimous vote.  Thanks to everyone who helped in the effort.

More on the new ordinance is in this Courier-Journal report.

Election Day – November 3 - is forty days 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.

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 are now being mailed to registered voters who requested 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, Individuals who don’t want to return their ballots through the mail may place them in secure drop-off boxes. The current plan is for five of them, with the closest one to District 9 at the KFC YUM! Center.

EARLY IN-PERSON VOTING:

• Beginning Oct. 13, three weeks before the election, every Monday-Saturday until Election Day, from 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, there will be in-person early voting. Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw has proposed four sites for early voting, with the closest one to District 9 being the KFC YUM! Center downtown. The plan must be approved by state officials and there is a push underway to have more sites.
• Early voting is not absentee voting – anyone can vote early for any reason.

ELECTION DAY VOTING:

There will be polling places on Election Day, but the number and locations is still to be finalized.  Clerk Holsclaw has proposed eight polling sites in the entire county, with none in District 9 and none within the Watterson Expressway, east of I-65. The closest ones are the KFC YUM! Center and Ballard High School. State officials will determine if more must be added. 

The proposed Jefferson County plan, still not approved by the state, is here.

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

House of Ruth provides housing and support services for people with HIV/AIDS and their families who are homeless, at risk of losing their homes, or need financial help.  Every year it raises funds as local restaurants contribute a portion of their receipts on a given night in “Dining Out for Life”. 

With the pandemic dramatically affecting the restaurant business, House of Ruth isn’t asking restaurants to donate a portion of their sales. Instead, it is thanking them for their past participation by helping them generate business. On Thursday, September 24, help House of Ruth thank them by dining in, carrying out, or buying a gift card from a participating restaurant.

There are four ways to participate in Dining Out for Life:

1. Dine Out on September 24
2. Get Carry Out on September 24
3. Purchase a Gift Card From Your Favorite Dining Out For Life Restaurant
4. Make a Donation to House of Ruth

Dining Out for Life restaurants in D9 include Blue Dog Bakery and Café, The Hub, The Irish Rover, Porcini and Red Hog.  A complete list is here.

I get frequent questions about why the Beargrass Creek Greenway, a multi-use path that runs along Beargrass Creek from Grinstead Drive to near Spring Street in Irish Hill, isn’t fully open.  Sometimes, I’m asked what’s going on at the old Jim Porter’s site. 

It’s all part of MSD’s Waterway Protection Tunnel project.  The tunnel is four miles long and eighteen stories underground.  A machine digging the tunnel – MSD calls it “Bumblebee” - has been grinding its way from 12^th and Rowan to behind the old Jim Porter’s site.  This week it completed its journey, breaking through to the shaft behind that site, from which it will be removed.

The tunnel will collect combined sewer overflow during rain events and hold it until it can be treated for discharge into the Ohio River. The result will be a cleaner Beargrass Creek and Ohio River, because now that combined sewer overflow goes directly into the creek. 

MSD has more work to do at the site and the Greenway can’t open fully yet.  But we hope that it will reopen by the end of the year (before it closes again for final work).  When it’s all done, we’ll have a nice, new ADA compliant trail and trailhead behind the old Jim Porter’s site.  And we’ll have a cleaner creek and river.  Stay tuned for more details!

Read more about the tunnel here.

On August 13, the eNews reported on work underway at Grinstead and South Peterson Avenues.  It looks like a construction zone on land set aside as a conservation area but it's actually stream restoration work. 

Hayden Ristevski of WDRB reported on the work this week.  The story is here.

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.

As Louisville’s homicide rate increases, I am frequently asked “What can I do?”  Here’s an opportunity. 

Louisville’s Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods (OSHN) invites you to be part of the One Love Louisville Networking Night featuring Dr. Steven Kniffley on Tuesday, September 29 from 6:30 – 7:30 pm.

This is an opportunity for citizens to learn more about Violence Prevention efforts as well as find out about important resources in our community. During this Networking Night, Dr. Kniffley, the Associate Director for Spalding University’s Center for Behavioral Health and an Assistant Professor in its School of Professional Psychology, will speak about Race-Based Trauma and the mental health resources available to our community.

OSHN’s Networking Nights create an environment for change agents to build a network of citizens as well as agencies involved in efforts to help prevent violence.  They provide a space for continued development of violence prevention knowledge and resources.  Come ready to connect with community partners and to learn more about important topics impacting our city.  Register for the event here.

Metro Council has approved revisions to the Residential Parking Permit Program that will ease current regulations regarding the establishment of Residential Parking Zones (RPZ), designated areas where parking is restricted to individuals with residential parking permits during certain hours.

The Residential Parking Permit Program, which is managed by the Parking Authority of River City (PARC), aims to provide parking relief to residents who live in areas that are highly trafficked by visitors. PARC recommended that the city amend the ordinance. The only existing RPZ is in Old Louisville.

The changes will:

• Restrict RPZs to the Urban Services District.
• Allow RPZs to be two or more contiguous blocks on local streets. Previous regulations required 10 or more contiguous blocks.
• Require a study demonstrating that at least 75% of the curb spaces in the proposed RPZ are full during peak periods under normal conditions. The prior ordinance required 90% of spaces be filled.

These changes are consistent with the Plan 2040 Comprehensive Plan and complement amendments to the Land Development Code’s parking regulations – reducing minimum parking requirements - that were recommended for approval by the Louisville Metro Planning Commission and approved by Metro Council on Sept. 17.

Keeping garbage and recycling contained is essential to a safe and healthy community. It prevents disease, reduces litter, and makes it safe and efficient for crews to collect. For those reasons, our local ordinances say that all household garbage and recycling must be set out in appropriate containers. No bags containing garbage or recycling can be set on the ground outside of the containers.

• The city provides a black 95-gallon wheeled garbage cart to households within the Urban Services District. You may request a smaller 65-gallon garbage cart instead.
• An orange 18-gallon recycling bin is also provided. You may purchase a 65 or 95-gallon wheeled recycling cart instead.
• Yard waste can be collected in bundles, in paper yard waste bags, or store-bought containers.

In some situations, you can use store-bought containers for garbage or recycling as well, but for all types of waste, the containers must be less than 40-gallon capacity, have handles for lifting, and marked to indicate what is in them. The D9 office has a limited number of yard waste and recycling identification stickers available, so we are limiting them to one per household while supplies last. If you are interested in obtaining one, please contact Kyle Ethridge and include the type of sticker you are requesting.

To request your first garbage cart or recycling bin, or to have a cart repaired, contact Metro311 at www.louisvilleky.gov/tell311 or by calling 311 or 574-5000.

To purchase an additional garbage cart, an additional recycling bin, or a wheeled recycling cart click here.

Please ensure you are following SWMS’s collection guidelines for recycling and yard waste. Click here for the yard waste collection guidelines and here for the recycling guidelines.

Keeping garbage and recycling workers safe is essential to an efficient and cost-effective waste collection system. For those reasons there are rules about what you can and cannot place in your garbage and recycling containers.

The potential for injury or exposure is high, so the best way to keep our waste collection staff safe is to make sure they don’t physically come into contact with the trash and recycling.

These items should NOT be placed in your garbage cart:

• Concrete, asphalt, dirt, and rock are very heavy, and a small amount can make the container weigh too much and cause staff injuries or cart damage. It is also best to keep this material out of the landfill. Instead, use it to fill in holes in your yard or offer it for free to neighbors or online. Large amounts can be taken to a proper recycling or disposal facility.
• Asbestos and household hazardous materials should never be placed in your curbside collection containers. Rechargeable lithium ion batteries are a fire hazard. Take household hazardous waste to the HazBin, open Tuesday – Saturday, 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. www.louisvilleky.gov/HazBin.
• Electronic devices contain metals that can be hazardous or even valuable. Always take your electronics to a proper recycling location such as participating retail stores or the Waste Reduction Center at 636 Meriwether Avenue. www.louisvilleky.gov/government/public-works/electronics-recycling  
• Liquid human waste should never be placed in your waste containers. Even if contained, these items tend to spray out when crushed by the truck’s compaction equipment. Bedpans and other containers of urine should be drained into the toilet. (Diapers can be bagged and placed in your garbage.)
• Although medical needles and other sharps CAN go into your garbage, they need to be placed in heavy duty plastic or metal containers and clearly marked with the word “sharps.” Never place sharps in recycling. 

Solid Waste Ordinances about what's allowed in containers:

51.405 (A)(2): The following materials shall not be set out for collection: auto parts, asphalt, concrete, dirt, rock, asbestos, hazardous waste (including medical waste and bodily fluids), hot ashes., construction and demolition debris, liquid paint, and electronic waste (e-waste).

51.405 (B)(2): Needles may only be set out for garbage collection. Needles may not be set out for collection unless contained in either an approved sharps container, or a heavy-duty plastic or metal container that is clearly marked “sharps”. Such containers containing needles may not be recycled.

51.405 (A)(3): Department-provided carts may not be loaded with more than 200 pounds.

Whitehall House & Gardens, 3110 Lexington Road, presents the Whiskey Bent Valley Boys at Bluegrass Music in the Garden on Friday, October 2 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Vendors include: Bun’s Smokehouse BBQ, Comfy Cow, Goodwood Brewing Co., Kizito Cookies, Morris Deli & Catering, Thirsty Thoroughbred  and Balloon Man of Kentucky.

Face masks and social distancing are required. There will be seating under a tent or you can bring blankets and chairs for the lawn. No coolers, food, alcohol or pets are allowed. Beer, wine and food will be available for purchase.

There are limited tickets for this event. You may call Whitehall at 897-2994 or click here to purchase tickets. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for children. This event is rain or shine.

Join the Waterfront Botanical Gardens (WBG) in celebrating its one-year anniversary with a private virtual concert featuring CMT’s Next Women of Country Artist, Stephanie Quayle!

Choose from 3 exciting options to join the celebration!

1. In-Person: $250 per person

• Includes live music by Bridge 19 and virtual concert with Nashville star, Stephanie Quayle
• Dinner and dessert at the Gardens by Wiltshire Pantry. Tables available for parties of 2 or 4.
• Cocktails by Beam Suntory
• Cocktail attire
• Limited tickets available to accommodate social distancing

2. From Your Home for the Virtual Concert & Dining: Basket for Two $300 or Basket for Four $600

• Includes Picnic Dinner Basket featuring Kentucky fare by Chef Damaris Phillips as seen on Food Network, and Coby Ming of Bluegrass Supper Club, named best chef of 2020 by Southern Living Magazine.
• Cocktails by Beam Suntory
• Picnic Dinner Basket available for pick up at Waterfront Botanical Gardens on Sunday, Oct. 4 from 11-1 pm. Basket must be picked up by someone 21 years of age or older.
• Private concert link provided for 7-8pm Virtual Concert with Stephanie Quayle

3. From Your Home for the Virtual Concert Only: $50

• Private concert link provided for the 7-8pm Virtual Concert with Stephanie Quayle

For more information on the options and to purchase tickets, please click here.

It’s almost time to clean house and get ready for another junk collection if you live in the 9^th District Urban Services District (USD). You may begin setting out your large items junk Friday, October 16 in the afternoon. All items must be set out by Monday, October 19 at 6:00 a.m. Some items (hazardous materials, construction debris, etc.) are not collected and THESE RULES ARE STRICTLY ENFORCED. For collection guidelines, please visit http://louisvilleky.gov/government/public-works/services/junk-and-bulk-trash-disposal. Sign up for junk set out reminders by email and text, click here! To see if you are in the collection area, go to http://mapit.louisvilleky.gov/, enter your address and check under “sanitation services.”