District 9 eNews - Thursday, January 7, 2021

 

 
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Bill Hollander - blue edit 2021

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...


Virtual “Meet with Bill” – January 13

Metro seal

We’re starting off 2021 with another way to contact me. On Wednesday, January 13 at 10:00 a.m., I’ll be available live through a WebEx virtual meeting. Attendees may submit questions ahead of time to Kyle Ethridge, or you can ask questions live during the meeting.

The meeting format will begin with a welcome and update on Metro and D9 issues. I will then open the meeting for questions and comments.

To participate in the meeting, please email Kyle Ethridge so we can provide you with a link.  

As always, you can contact me anytime using this link. For more regular updates, follow the D9 blog, "Councilman Bill Hollander" Facebook page and the @BillHollander Twitter feed.     


Stay Strong Louisville

COVID - Stay Strong

Vaccinations mean there is light at the end of the tunnel, but we’re still deep in the darkness of COVID-19. Until vaccinations are generally available – which is months away – the virus will continue to spread and there will be more illness, hospitalizations and deaths. Please continue doing your part and maintain a six-foot space between you and others, wear your mask when out in public, avoid large groups and stay home as much as possible.    

This week, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced the state’s planned vaccination phases:

  • 1A: Health care personnel; people in long-term care facilities, as well those in as assisted living facilities.
  • 1B: First responders; anyone who is at least 70 years old; K-12 school personnel.
  • 1C: Anyone who's at least 60 years old; anyone who's at least 16 years old and has a particularly high-risk condition associated with COVID-19 (as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); all essential workers.
  • 2: Anyone who's at least 40 years old.
  • 3: Anyone who's at least 16 years old.
  • 4: Children under 16 years old if the vaccines eventually are approved for their age group.

We are currently in Phase 1A and expect to be in Phase 1B sometime around the first of February.  More information about Louisville’s procedures and how to sign up when your priority group is available will be found online here.

Volunteers are needed to help administer the Moderna vaccines at Broadbent Arena. All are welcome - not just clinical volunteers like nurses (but they are needed too). There is space for everyone who wants to help.

  • Who can help? Volunteers must be 18 years or older and submit to a background check.
  • What will I be doing? Administering injections is limited to licensed clinicians only, but there are roles for everyone, including greeters, check-in staff, support staff, observing patients, and more!
  • Can I get a vaccine? Those who serve 40 hours or more will be eligible to receive COVID vaccination from LouVax.

To volunteer, please visit the following link: Volunteer here.

To see Louisville’s COVID-19 data dashboard, including total number of cases, deaths, testing locations and more, click here

The latest news about COVID-19 in Kentucky is here.


LG&E Seeks Rate Increase

LG&E 2

LG&E has petitioned the Kentucky Public Service Commission for a significant rate increase.  The monthly residential electric bill increase would be 11.81%; the monthly residential gas bill increase would be 9.37%. Commercial and industrial rates would also rise. 

I have long advocated for Louisville Metro Government to be at the table whenever LG&E seeks a rate increase and was glad to see intervention in this case, with Mayor Fischer noting that Metro will be “advocating for our municipal interests and our residents — especially those with low or fixed incomes.”  Lexington’s city government joined in the intervention.  Mayor Linda Gorton said “There’s no good time to ask for a rate hike, but it’s hard to imagine a worse time than in the middle of a pandemic. People are scrambling to pay their bills, and to hold on to their apartments and homes. We need to offer assistance, not increase their burden.”

LG&E 1

Members of the public can make comments to the PSC for inclusion into the official record.  Among other things, some residents are also asking that one or more public hearings be held in Louisville.  Include the case number (2020-00350) within the subject line of your email to the Public Information Officer at psc.info@ky.gov, and provide your full name and place of residence in the body of the e-mail.


Recycle Your Christmas Tree

recycle Christmas tree

Metro Public Works is providing curbside pickup of Christmas trees within the Urban Services District (the old City of Louisville boundaries). Residents with City curbside yard waste pickup may set their Christmas trees and greenery out on their regular collection day (Saturdays in most of D9, but regular collection ends on January 16 - see below). Trees must not be in plastic bags, and all decorations must be removed. (Residents normally serviced by private waste haulers should check with those companies to see whether and when tree pickup is available.)

Drop-off sites are also open for all Louisville/Jefferson County residents at four locations. The Hubbards Lane site will also instantly recycle Christmas trees into mulch that will be offered back to citizens for home use. Those wishing to receive mulch must bring an appropriate container in which to carry it. All lights and ornaments should be removed from trees before they are dropped off or set out for collection.

HOURS

  • Tuesday - Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Waste Reduction Center closes at 3 p.m. on Saturdays)
  • Now through January 30
  • All locations will be closed on Saturday, January 16. 

LOCATIONS

  • East District Recycling Center, 595 N. Hubbards Lane
  • Public Works Yard, 10500 Lower River Road (enter from Bethany Lane)
  • Waste Reduction Center, 636 Meriwether Avenue 

Yard Waste Suspended January 17 – April 4

yard waste

Regular yard waste collection in the D9 portion of the Urban Services District has moved to Saturdays but it will be suspended for the winter after January 16, as a budget cutting move and to reduce the number of trucks operating in low-demand months.

Yard waste collection resumes during the week of Monday, April 5. While individuals may request collection as needed during the suspension through MetroCall at 574-5000, please plan to set out your yard waste – INCLUDING CHRISTMAS TREES – by January 16.


No Louisville Garbage or Recycling Pickup on January 18; Delays Rest of Week

garbage can

There will be no residential garbage and recycling collection on Monday, January 18 in the Urban Services District (former Louisville city limits) in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Residents who normally have garbage/recycling collection on Monday will have service instead on Tuesday, January 19, and collections for the rest of the week will be delayed one day. 

Collections in St. Matthews will follow the regular schedule, with no delays.  Residents in other areas normally serviced by private waste haulers should check with those companies for holiday collection schedules.

Louisville Metro offices, including the D9 office, will be closed on Monday, January 18.


Comment on I-64 Corridor Study- Story Ave. to I-264

I-64  

The deadline to make your comments on the I-64 corridor study has been extended to January 11.  Please see below links for an update on the study. The StoryMap provides a review of the project. There is also a survey in the StoryMap. Please share your comments!   

Several of you have asked my views. Since the summer, I have advocated for Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) strategies, which consist of operational improvements that can maintain and even restore the performance of an existing transportation system without adding additional lanes. Particularly important are improvements at the Grinstead Drive interchange, especially from westbound I-64, which can become very congested in the evening rush hour.   

I-64 Proposal

But the point of the survey is to find out what you think.  Over 400 people completed the last survey.  After reviewing the Interactive Story Map, we hope you will comment again.   

  • Interactive StoryMap - provides the study background, schedule, existing conditions, and a variety of improvement strategies that have been further developed and evaluated since a first meeting in July. 
  • Survey - The survey is included in the StoryMap and will be open for comments through Monday, January 11, 2021.

Café LOUIE 2021 Schedule

Café LOUIE is back in 2021 to connect citizens to their elected representatives. From 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. each Saturday morning from January 23 through March 20, participants can join a virtual meeting.  Elected officials will be given a brief time for prepared remarks and to answer a few pre-selected questions submitted by attendees.  The focus of these meetings is engagement through personal conversations. Every Café LOUIE is open (virtually, this year) to the public. I will be participating at the D9 event on February 20. More information will be posted online at https://www.facebook.com/CafeLOUIE/ and events will stream there, beginning on January 23.

Cafe LOUIE

Suicide Prevention & Coping During COVID

Suicides increased in Louisville in 2020, with more than 100 people taking their lives. To learn about individual and collective efforts to prevent suicide and coping strategies during the age of COVID-19, the Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods (OSHN) invites you to be a part of a One Love Louisville Networking Night featuring a special guest from the Kent School of Social Work, Sara Williams MSSW, CSW. The session is scheduled for Tuesday, January 26, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.  

Come ready to connect with other passionate community members and learn more about innovative harm prevention strategies to help create a safer Louisville! Learn more about the event or register here.

Suicide Prevention

Apply for LIHEAP Utility Assistance

LIHEAP

The program that helps prevent low income residents of Jefferson County from being disconnected from utility services has begun. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is administered by the Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Services. The LIHEAP Crisis Component will run through March 31, or until available funds have been expended, whichever comes first. This year’s Crisis Program will allow residents receiving a current utility bill with a past due amount and residents receiving a disconnect notice to apply for assistance. To apply, residents must schedule an appointment utilizing the automated appointment system. Appointments can be scheduled by phone by calling 502-991-8391 or online at louisvilleky.cascheduler.com. The toll-free service is currently open and is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Applicants must be a resident of Jefferson County with a household income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines (e.g. for a household of four, the gross monthly income cannot exceed $3,275.00).  Applicants must also meet one of the following eligibility requirements:

  • Received a disconnect notice from LG&E, or
  • Received a current bill with a past due amount, or
  • Have a current payment plan with LG&E due to a past-due balance, or 
  • Received an eviction notice if utilities are included in the rent, or
  • Be within four days of running out of bulk fuel; or
  • Be within ten days of running out of pre-paid electric service.

For more information on what documents you need to provide and more program information, please click here.


Sign Up for Crime Mapping Alerts

Crime Mapping

You can sign up for email reports of crime on and around your street through Crime Mapping. Visit https://www.crimemapping.com/home and search for crime around a specific address, zip code, landmark or through a specific agency in Louisville. You can click on a specific graphic for details about the crime. You can also sign up for email or text alerts for an area.

As always, if you notice any suspicious behavior, please contact LMPD at 574-7111 or 911 if there is an emergency. If you have general questions for LMPD’s Fifth Division, which serves most of D9, please email 5thdivlmpd@louisvilleky.gov.


D9 Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) Resources

UCHM - NTI

Evolve502 is offering Community Learning Hubs throughout Louisville. In D9, United Crescent Hill Ministries, located at 150 South State Street, is a site. It provides in-person assistance for grades 1 – 8 on Mondays – Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. OR 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. There are eight sessions in each time slot. To sign up for a spot, please click here. Questions, please call 893-0346 or email Katie Litanga at klitanga@uchmlouky.org.

Slots are also available at other locations, including the Jewish Community Center at 3600 Dutchmans Lane, just outside D9. 

Additional Resources

JCPS Cares Line (313-2273): Open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. CARE Operators will be able to offer assistance, resources and referrals for:

  • Basic needs, including food, utilities, clothing, public transportation and housing
  • Medical services
  • Emotional/ behavioral/ mental health
  • Domestic violence
  • Drug and alcohol addiction support
  • Unemployment
  • Homelessness

JCPS 360 Student & Family Support Center at Humana: Waterside building - 101 E Main Street. Open Monday-Friday, 8:30am-3:30pm. Click here to make an appointment.

Available services include:

  • Non-traditional instruction (NTI) 2.0 technical support
  • Special education screenings
  • School choice assistance
  • Language support
  • Screening physicals
  • Social support consultation services.

Neighborhood Meeting on 3020 River Road – January 19

3020 River Road

Ashbourne Farms, LLC, has filed a zoning pre-application to rezone the property located at 3020 River Road. The proposal is to rezone approximately 5 acres from R-5 (Single Family Residential) to C-1 (Commercial) to develop the Haymarket by Ashbourne Farms at the site of the former Lebanese American Country Club.

You are invited to attend an online neighborhood meeting to discuss the proposal on Tuesday, January 19 at 6:30 p.m. For easy access to the meeting, please email, Sheri Werling at Sheri.Werling@Dinsmore.com or call 502-540-2535, and an electronic invitation will be forwarded to you. Otherwise, you may join the Webex meeting as indicated below:

Join the WebEx Meeting: click here
Meeting Number (access code): 179 716 1497
Meeting Password: cnKvGqns434

To read the entire letter and for a copy of the proposed development plan and map showing the location of the property, please click here.

A Courier-Journal article about the proposed development is here.


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-AMEND-0007

Case No. 20-VARIANCE-0171

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