Yesterday, the Labor and Economic Development Committee reviewed the FOP Contract between the Mayor and the Fraternal Order of Police (the Union that represents nearly all officers within the LMPD). The committee met for more than two hours and rather than holding a vote on the matter, they decided to table it until the next committee meeting on October 27^th.

I want to be clear – I support this contract and intend to vote in favor of the contract when it moves to the full Council. While I understand the frustration expressed by some, I believe the contract represents needed improvements in police pay as well as other allocations needed to help to improve our ability to recruit new officers. The police contract is two and a half years overdue, and in my opinion, it needs to be addressed now, not later. I do believe that there is enough support at the Metro Council to pass this contract and hope that the sponsors of the ordinance will seek a vote at the next committee meeting.

For those persons seeking police reforms, let me assure you that many reforms are part of this contract, and the timing of this contract will help to incorporate additional reforms as the Kentucky Legislature meets and makes adjustments to state law. The delay of this vote not only continues to damage moral within the police, it also delays reforms that have been agreed to and advocated in the past few months.

I hope this article helps explain my position on this matter and I encourage you to keep reading District 11’s eNewsletters to stay up to date on this and other important legislation being considered at the Metro Council.

Kevin J. Kramer

You are invited to attend a review of a proposed Change in Zoning from R-4, single-family to R-6, multi-family with detailed plan and Street Closure for Tucker Road

Subject Property:             9311 Old Six Mile Lane and Tucker Road

Case Number:                   20-ZONE-0010 & 20-STRCLOSURE-0002

Case Manager:                  Joel Dock (joel.dock@louisvilleky.gov)

Meeting Type:                   Land Development & Transportation

Meeting Date:                   Thursday, October 22, 2020

Time:                                     Meeting will begin at 1:00 PM and continue until all cases are heard

Location:                              Online Meeting -

https://louisvilleky.gov/government/upcoming-public-meetings

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 manger by 5:00 PM Wednesday, October 21, 2020.

Visit www.louisvilleky.gov/PlanningDesign for

• Meeting agenda and staff report
• More information on zoning processes
• Public comment opportunities
• Applications for a petition for a night hearing, including procedures to change the time and/or location of a public hearing to 6:00 PM or later downtown, or to a convenient location.

A list of persons notified of this proposal is available in the case file.

Person who desire special accommodations should contact the Planning Commission office at 574-6230 at least one week prior to this meeting. TDD users please use the Relay Service, 1-800-648-6056.

After trending toward the Red alert status last week, Louisville’s COVID-19 cases are now at the Orange level, according to Mayor Greg Fischer and Public Health and Wellness Director Dr. Sarah Moyer.

An orange alert level includes a combination of data metrics, but most notably means there are 10-25 positive cases per 100,000 people per day, based on the most recent 7-day average.

Louisville’s current rate is 24.2 cases per 100,000 people per day. The prior week it was 24.9  

Speaking during this week’s COVID-19 update on Tuesday, Dr. Moyer cautioned that while Louisville is at the Orange level, the city is treading dangerously close to the borderline of 25 cases per 100,000 that would move the city back to Red.

Mayor Fischer acknowledged that many are feeling “COVID-19 fatigue,” but he stressed that recent increases in cases nationally and locally are reminders that the virus is still here and still dangerous.

“As the numbers are showing, this virus is not ready to be over,” Mayor Fischer said. “It doesn’t take a day off. It’s not going to stop until we stop it. The goal is to get to the point where everyone is practicing the right things. So, it’s wearing masks, social distancing, avoiding crowded spaces.”

Being faithful to those measures is the only way to reverse the trends not just locally, but around the country, he said.

“This is something where we can’t look the other way,” he said. “We’ve got to come together and get this done.”

Here are the key data metrics for the week of October 13, 2020:

•       COVID-19 cases increased over the previous week for a total of 19,795 cases.
•       Louisville’s rolling two-week average positivity rate is at 7.2 percent.
•       Hospitalization data:
  • 9.9% of patients currently hospitalized have COVID-19.
  • 34 patients in ICU with COVID-19 as of October 13.
  • 24 COVID-19 patients on ventilators as of October 13.

•          35.4 % of COVID-19 cases in Louisville are in the 15-34 age range. The CDC reported that young adults account for more than 20% of all confirmed cases in the U.S.
•         Cases continue to be in every Louisville ZIP code. There are higher case numbers in west and south Louisville among Black and Latino communities.

Dr. Moyer said the disproportionately high number of COVID cases in these areas illustrate the overall inequities within our current healthcare system.

Louisville and the Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness are working to alleviate some of the issues by offering more testing in impacted areas.

“We have over 21 sites available in every area of town, and especially in west Louisville,” Dr. Moyer said. “An important step in stopping the spread of COVID-19 is to know if you are positive or not.”

Dr. Moyer urged residents to get tested in order to make better informed decisions about their health.

“With cases continuing to rise and a vaccine still some time away, we all have to protect ourselves and others by avoiding crowded indoor spaces, wearing your mask and practicing social distancing,” Dr. Moyer said. “There’s complications with long-term effects of COVID-19 that we do not want people to experience.”

Local critical care doctor shares insights from treating COVID19 patients

Dr. Sonia Compton, a pulmonary and critical care specialist treating COVID-19 patients in Louisville since the start of the pandemic, said there are common misconceptions and changing trends with the COVID pandemic.

One of the major changes in trends Dr. Compton has observed is the number of younger patients contracting COVID-19 with more prolonged and severity of illness.

 “Early on, there was talk about older people with heart and lung disease and we’re seeing less of that,” she said, and more among people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s.

Dr. Compton shared her personal experiences with patients and described what can happen to even healthy people, based on the acute and long-term effects of COVID.

“I have one patient that had asthma, got admitted to the ICU and improved,” Dr. Compton said. “Now two-and-a-half months later, he has persistent shortness of breath and chest pains. Even though his CT scans and oxygen levels are better, he’s having these symptoms and is very limited in his activities daily.”

And while most healthcare systems in the area are opening post-COVID clinics, she said there’s no treatment for the lingering effects of COVID, she said.

Dr. Compton said a lack of caution and information are contributing factors in cases rising among the younger demographic. She added that some people feel that because cases are going up masks won’t work.

“It’s the opposite,” she said. “It’s when we ease up on any of the restrictions that the virus starts to spread. We know that masks work. There’s good data emerging that masks not only decrease transmission but may also contribute to a lower severity of illness. But they are mostly effective when used in conjunction with social distancing and staying away from gatherings of more than 10 people.”

First Responder Data

Currently, 63 members of LMPD, Louisville Fire, Metro EMS, Metro Corrections and the Sheriff’s Office are off-duty due to COVID-19:

• 35 are off with positive tests and in self-isolation
• 6 are off and quarantined due to exposure to someone who tested positive
• 22 are off with symptoms, pending test results

Positive test numbers for first responders/public safety since the incident began:

• 227 positive tests
• 192 have fully recovered and returned to duty

Metro Corrections inmate data: 3,647 inmates have been tested

• 231 positives
• 0 tests are pending

The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness is offering its Food Manager Certification Course online.

In 1989, the Jefferson County Fiscal Court established an ordinance outlining procedures for the training and certification of Food Service Managers – any person that directs, conducts or supervises a food service establishment. In order for food service establishments to conduct business, at least one Food Service manager has to hold a valid current certificate issued by the Louisville and Jefferson County Board of Health and be on the premises during hours of operation.

The State Food Safety course will incorporate a full audiovisual interactive learning experience with question-and-answer segments. Instruction will also be able to facilitate the needs of those with hearing, and vision loss and learning disabilities.

“Knowledge is power, and this course provides individuals with the knowledge necessary to reduce risks and behaviors that are most associated with foodborne illness,” Kelly Monahan, Environmental Health Manager at Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. “There is also a legal requirement for Food Service Establishments to have a Certified Food Manager on duty during all hours of operation. The ability to provide two options really helps to advance food safety in Louisville Metro.”

Course Details:

• Cost is $35.00
• Approximately two hours in length. Individuals can start and stop as needed.
• Compatible on computers, tablets, Android and iOS smartphone devices.
• Objectives will include safe food handling, cross-contamination prevention and proper cleaning and sanitizing procedures.
• Comes with one year of unlimited access to the training videos

Individuals will still have the option to take the in-person class at reduced capacity at Marth Gregory and Associates.

Participants in the course will need a grade of 70 percent to successfully complete the course. Upon completion you will be able to print your certificate or send email to your inbox for printing. The certification is valid for three years.          

One-time fee changes will only affect businesses with on-site, by the drink licenses

To help lighten the financial burden on restaurants, bars and other establishments where on-site alcohol consumption occurs, Louisville Metro’s Department of Codes and Regulations is granting a one-time reduction of the annual renewal fee for Alcohol and Beverage Control licenses by 25 percent and is waiving its annual renewal fees for extended hour licenses, a nearly $576,000 impact. This will not apply to packaged alcohol licenses.

All existing licenses also have been granted a no-cost extension until Monday, Nov. 30. Licensees must submit their license renewals to continue alcoholic beverage sales thereafter.

“Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and state-mandated shutdowns, some businesses have been unable to operate consistently and continue to face limitations on capacity and hours of operation. Charging for extended hour licenses that they cannot currently use would only add to the financial strains many of our small businesses are facing,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. “By lessening the annual renewal fee and waiving fees for the extended hour licenses, we hope to provide those businesses with additional relief.”

For any businesses that qualify for the discounted rate and have already renewed their annual license, the discounted rate will be applied to their next renewal. No refunds will be issued.

In Louisville, there are currently 916 establishments with licenses permitting on-site consumption, and of those, 429 also hold extended hours licenses. These businesses include restaurants, hotels, bars, breweries, convention centers and more.

Licenses permitting on-site consumption range in price from $200 to $2,000 per license depending on the type of business and alcohol served. They only permit alcohol sales until midnight.

Any business that wants to sell alcohol past midnight is required to hold a valid extended hours license. The cost of individual extended hours licenses for by-the-drink sales ranges from $50 to $2,000 depending on the type of alcohol an establishment serves and how late they’d like to stay open; some businesses have multiple extended hours licenses. A statewide executive order does not currently permit on-site alcohol sales after 11 p.m.

“Many of our local businesses continue to struggle from COVID-19 restrictions. Along with the small business grant program and other creative initiatives we’ve put in place since May, reducing and waiving ABC renewal fees is another way the city is helping ease the burden so many of our beloved local establishments are under right now,” said Mary Ellen Wiederwohl, chief of Louisville Forward.

This is the latest measure Louisville Metro Government has taken to help businesses during the pandemic. In July, Louisville Forward launched the Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grants and has awarded $22 million in grants to 637 small businesses to date. Louisville Forward also recently launched a low-interest loan program for small businesses impacted by COVID-19.

In August, the Office of Advanced Planning and Sustainability introduced a new opportunity for restaurants to offer temporary outdoor dining expansions through the utilization of on-street parking spaces. This followed action in May by Louisville Forward and Louisville Metro Council to allow restaurants to setup or expand outdoor seating on private property or in a parking lot without meeting certain planning and zoning requirements. Restaurants with valid ABC license also were allowed to serve alcohol outside in the expanded dining without obtaining additional permitting.

The Department of Public Works also temporarily suspended application fees for restaurants seeking an encroachment permit to add or expand their outdoor seating on public property, including sidewalks, and the city waived Tent Permit fees.

Most residents have been staying at home due to COVID-19 and using this time to clean house and declutter.  With that in mind, I decided to host two free shredding events.  Our contracted business, All-Shred, has committed to taking the necessary precautions to keep everyone safe by wearing masks and gloves while collecting the materials to be shredded. Your confidential documents will be shredded onsite and then taken to a recycling facility. There is no limit to the number of personal documents that you may bring; however, no businesses are allowed.

The next shredding event is Saturday, November 7, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (noon) at Hunsinger Lane Baptist Church, 3400 Summerfield Dr.