It's Super Bowl Sunday and I plan to watch the game and count the number of times my husband dozes off between plays. You see, our team, the fabulous Pittsburgh Steelers, is not in the Super Bowl this year - again.
We were certain they'd make it to the big dance, based on how they kicked off the season racking up an 11-0 record. Plus, we clinched the AFC North division title. But, it was just not meant to be - this year. All is not lost, though. We can still hold out hope that no other team will surpass us in Super Bowl championships.
Since the Patriots are not in the Super Bowl either, we have another year to attempt a championship to boast being the team with the most Super Bowl wins of all-time. If we don't make it, we will again root against the New England Patriots because we don't want them to exceed our number of wins. We will also keep an eye on the 49ers and Cowboys. They both have five championships, and we don't want them to catch up with us. Oh, and then there's the Baltimore Ravens. We will most definitely cheer against them next season --- for no other reason than we just don't like them. Lol.
Here's the latest news about Metro Council Conversations/Initiatives. Please email me to express your opinions on either of these issues:
1. Paid Parental Leave: An ordinance has been proposed that would provide up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave to city employees. Some would argue that parental leave pay is good business practice because it helps to recruit and retain talent, it's a responsible financial investment, and the benefit outweighs the cost. Several Metro Council members were interviewed about the issue. Two Metro Councilwomen interviewed with their babies in tow. Click here to hear their viewpoints: LEAVE
2. New Police Chief Erika Shields: During this week's Public Safety Committee, the Council asked many questions of Chief Shields. She was very receptive of our questions and was generous and genuine in her answers about police reforms, pressing issues at LMPD that include backlogged investigations, transparency, the recent top to bottom review of LMPD, staffing, and her idea of what reimagining policing looks like. I have a meeting with the Chief later this month. If you have any questions or concerns that you'd like me to address with her, email me with what those are.
3. Louisville Metro Government Budget: Louisville is expecting a stronger revenue outlook for this year than originally forecast even though most of the funds are yet to be collected. Daniel Frockt, the city’s chief financial officer, announced the mid-year budget update during our Budget Committee. He reported on the data from the first six months of the fiscal year, through December 31, 2020. The general fund revenue is about $34 million, or 5.5%, higher than expected last summer.
The increase is based largely on payroll taxes and corporate net profits taxes, which make up a bulk of Louisville’s revenue streams. Unlike property and payroll taxes the city collects on companies’ profits can swing wildly — up or down — based on factors including federal tax policy.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported Louisville’s unemployment rate was 5% in December, down from a peak of nearly 17% in April, the month after Kentucky officials confirmed the first COVID-19 case in the state.
In December 2019, the city’s unemployment rate was 3.3%, according to the BLS.
4. Juneteenth Celebrations: Mayor Greg Fischer signed an executive order to form a 15-member Juneteenth Jubilee Celebration Commission, which will help organize events celebrating its historical significance in Louisville.
Held on June 19, Juneteenth is the oldest known holiday commemorating the final communication of the abolition of slavery in the United States. Last June, the Mayor signed an executive order recognizing the day as an official holiday for Louisville Metro Government (LMG) workers, effective this year.
“Juneteenth has a long history as a day of celebration in the Black community. I believe it’s past time that our entire city honors the victory for freedom that Juneteenth represents with the celebration it deserves,” the Mayor said.
The new 15-member commission will include representatives from the Metro Council, the business community, arts, educational and faith institutions, and others. They will be charged with reviewing opportunities for expanding access to educational programming already developed by Waterfront Park and developing virtual events for Juneteenth 2021 – to raise community awareness of Juneteenth’s significance.
The commission also will advise on ways to create a series of educational and cultural events and community-wide celebrations for Juneteenth 2022 and beyond, public health conditions allowing.
In addition, the commission will help develop a budget and secure sponsorships and other funding needed to produce the celebration, in coordination with Waterfront Park, Metro Council and Louisville Metro Government. The commission will work to present events that will highlight Black-owned businesses, encourage entrepreneurship and wealth building, and showcase historically black colleges and universities.
Persons in Phase 1A, 1B and those 70 years of age and older can register for a vaccine appointment through one of the healthcare partners.
When you register, please remember the following:
Do not sign up with multiple providers. Due to available supply, appointments are limited. It may take several weeks to get an appointment.
Individuals without internet access can have a family member or friend register them.
If you have health insurance, including Medicare, you must bring your insurance card. There is no cost to you, regardless of your insurance status. All sites operate by appointment only and will require proof age (such as a valid state identification) on arrival.
NORTON HEALTHCARE
Until vaccine stock is replenished, contact Norton Healthcare to make an appointment and be placed on the waitlist.
Call this number for Norton vaccine appointments: (502) 861-4499
Here are the key stats for vaccinations in Metro Louisville
Through its LouVax site, the Louisville Department of Public Health and Wellness has given 23,180 doses to date
Citywide 90,379 total doses have been given out between our LouVax site and our healthcare system community partners, Norton Healthcare, UofL Health and Baptist Health.
Of the 90,379 individuals, 72,986 doses administered were first shot doses and 17,382 individuals received their second shot completing their COVID-19 vaccine series.
Safe Practices to Enjoy Super Bowl LV
Host a virtual watch party. Avoid large gatherings at this time!
Wear clothing or decorate your home with your favorite team's logo or colors.
Make appetizers or snacks with the people you live with to enjoy while watching the game.
Start a text or video group chat with friends and family to chat about the game live while watching.
8 million pounds of guacamole is consumed on Super Bowl Sunday
14,500 tons of chips are eaten along with that guacamole
First time a team will play Super Bowl in their home stadium (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Of the top 10 most watched American television programs of all time, nine of them are Super Bowls
$13,497 average price of a Super Bowl LV ticket on the resale market (61% increase from 2020)
17.5M people will miss work the day after the Super Bowl
7,500 vaccinated healthcare workers will receive free admission to the Super Bowl game
Sarah Thomas is the first female to referee a Super Bowl game
The Super Bowl is measured in Roman numerals because a football season runs over two calendar years
Over 700,000 footballs are produced annually for official NFL use and 72 of them are used for the Super Bowl
It is the most watched sporting event in America.
More than 100 million people worldwide watch the Super Bowl every year. In fact, Super Bowl XLIV in 2010 unseated M*A*S*H's series finale as the most watched show in television history with over 106.5 million watchers.
The average cost of a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl has ranged from $37,500 at Super Bowl I, to around $2.2 million at Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000, and by Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, had doubled to around $4.5 million.
In 2020 a 30-second commercial reportedly cost between $5 million and $5.6 million.
$8,613 is the lowest price of a Super Bowl LV ticket on the resale market (30% increase from 2020)
The NFL has a policy against holding Super Bowl games in stadiums that have a climate of less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit, unless it is an enclosed stadium
Super Bowl XLIX (49) - Seattle Seahawks vs. the New England Patriots was the most-watched sporting event in the U.S. history. 114,442,000 people tuned in!
Twelve franchises have never won a Super Bowl, and four teams have yet to even play in the big game: Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Cleveland Browns
On Friday, Gov. Andy Beshear and Kroger Health opened the state’s regional vaccination site at Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Fayette County, as the state continues to ramp up its ability to vaccinate more Kentuckians.
Approximately 600 Kentuckians were scheduled to receive their first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Friday. Each week the site is expected to vaccinate more than 3,000 Kentuckians with the priority going to those who are 70 and older.
Kentuckians in phases 1A and 1B remain eligible for vaccination and, as vaccine quantities and available appointment times allow, people in phase 1C also may be scheduled, to ensure each vaccination site administers 90% or more of all vaccine doses received within seven days of arrival.
Gov. Beshear said Kentucky, through its partnership with Kroger, established a national model for COVID-19 testing and will break ground again on vaccinations.
Kentucky Horse Park Regional Site Sign-Up (Currently Prioritizing 70+)
Kroger regional site appointments can be scheduled directly at Kroger.com/covidvaccineor call 866-211-5320. Kentuckians also can be directed to contact Kroger through the state’s vaccine.ky.gov website. This site will vaccinate 3,000 Kentuckians in the first week, approximately 600 people per day. New appointments are added to the website around 6 a.m. daily.
“The Kentucky Horse Park is a staple in the Lexington community, and we are honored to be a partner in the state’s emergency response efforts to defeat COVID-19,” said Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Mike Berry. “As we continue to be united in our efforts to defeat the virus, we believe this is our opportunity to share the park with our fellow Kentuckians by repurposing our facility to provide vaccination distribution to the citizens of the commonwealth.”
“The Kentucky Horse Park is committed to offering full support to Kroger and Kentucky Emergency Management during this unprecedented time. Now more than ever, we stand at ready and our team looks forward to providing a safe and secure location for the citizens of the commonwealth to receive vaccinations,” Kentucky Horse Park Deputy Executive Director Jonathan Lang.
Find a Vaccine Website By answering a series of questions on the new vaccine.ky.gov website, which is protected and secure, Kentuckians can determine if they are currently eligible for a vaccine and if so will be directed to a map that shows available vaccine sites across the state. As vaccine supplies increase, more sites will be added to the map and announced.
Kentuckians not currently eligible or unable to locate an available vaccine are encouraged to sign up for text or email updates by entering their name, county of residence and an email or phone number at vaccine.ky.gov. The sign-up is not a wait list or appointment scheduler, but aims to provide alerts when a person’s eligibility changes, or, for example, when vaccines are available in an area.
Find a Vaccine Hotline In addition to the Find a Vaccine website, a new hotline is open to help Kentuckians who do not have access to the internet or a computer or need additional assistance. The hotline – 855-598-2246 or TTY 855-326-4654 (for hard-of-hearing Kentuckians) – is available 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST Monday through Friday.
Below are links to the PVA sites for property assessments. Some residents of District 7 will experience a property assessment this year, most the majority of our homes will be assessed in 2022. Want to find out when your home or business will be assessed? Click one of the links below.
Exemptions are defined as property that has been removed from the assessment roll, and are thus excluded from taxation. There are several different types of property tax exemptions.
THE 2021 PVA ONLINE CONFERENCES WILL BEGIN ON APRIL 23rd, 2021 at Noon.
By statute KRS 133.045 , the Open Inspection Period begins on the first Monday in May and continues for a 13 day period including two Saturdays.
For added convenience, The Jefferson County PVA requested and has been granted an extended period, from Noon April 23rd-4pm May 17th, 2021 for Jefferson County property owners to complete the first step of the appeals process: The Online Conference.
During that time, if you think your assessment does not represent the fair market value of your property, by law, you can request a review from the Jefferson County PVA by participating in the Online Conference process.
If you are disabled or do not have access to technology, you can schedule a Telephone Conference with the PVA. To better serve you, please request a Telephone Conference appointment before May 12th, 2021 by calling our office at 502-574-6224.
The Metro Office of Planning and Design Services announced the initial recommended changes to the Land Development Code (LDC), a set of regulations guiding what can be developed on private property. These recommendations are the culmination of many months of work by planning staff as well as feedback from residents. The initial recommendations include:
• Requiring notices be mailed to property owners and residents so people are better informed about potential development;
• Revising current zoning requirements to reduce obstacles to creating market gardens, community gardens, and similar uses;
• Allowing applications for accessory dwelling units, including an accessory apartment, to be reviewed by Planning and Design Services staff rather than requiring the application to go through the lengthier conditional use permit process;
• Permitting duplexes outright on properties that are zoned multi-family (R-5A, R-5B, R-6, R-7, R-8A) to increase housing options and affordability; and
• Other measures that aim to reduce barriers to housing affordability and increase housing choices.
The Planning Commission is expected to host public hearings in early spring and then make its recommendations regarding these new regulations to the Metro Council and suburban cities with zoning authority.
The Mayor and community partners announced the opening of free federal and state income tax preparation for eligible residents. The Louisville Asset Building Coalition’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA, and AARP Tax Aide programs provide trained, IRS-certified volunteers to offer free tax services via online or at select drop-off sites. The service is available to individuals and families who earned less than $66,000 in 2020. Learn more.
The VITA free tax preparation sites are located at:
Americana Community Center, 4801 Southside Dr.
Bates Community Development Corporation, 1228 Jackson St.
Eastern Area Community Ministries, 9104 Westport Rd.
Louisville Urban League, 1535 W. Broadway
Portland Promise Center, 1831 Baird St.
Salt and Light Community Development, 3025 Gerald Dr.
Sun Valley Community Center, 6505 Bethany Lane
United Crescent Hill Ministries, 150 State St.
Wesley House Community Services, 5114 Preston Hwy.
For more details including hours of operations at VITA locations, visit http://labcservices.org or call Metro United Way’s 211 help referral service.
AARP Tax-Aide Program
The other service, AARP Tax-Aide, has a mission to serve any person who comes through the door, with special attention to those 60 and older. AARP select drop-off sites in Louisville will open Feb. 15.
The work of the Louisville Asset Building Coalition and the AARP Tax Assistance Program is made possible by Metro United Way, Louisville Metro Government, the IRS, the AARP Tax-Aide Foundation and dozens of other partners.
In August 2016 Louisville Metro Emergency Services teamed up with Bullitt County, Oldham County, and Washington County to create a regional emergency notification system – Louisville Emergency Notification System (LENSAlert). Its enhanced capabilities include using all communications modes to send alerts – mobile phones, landlines, email, text, social media, IPAWS-OPEN. Take another step in being prepared for disasters and sign up for LENSAlert today.
In addition to receiving notifications, individuals can create a Safety Profile for themselves and their household that can include any information they want 9-1-1 and first responders to have in the event of an emergency. When individuals make an emergency call, their Safety Profile is automatically displayed to the 9-1-1 call taker, allowing them to send the right responders to the right location with the right information. Information about medical history, allergies to medication, number of residents in a home and even a picture of the family dog can all be added to a Safety Profile.
Are you looking for a public place to exchange items you've sold online? Do you share custody of a child and are looking for somewhere to exchange custody?
The Louisville Metro Police Department is providing MetroSWAP Zones outside of some Division offices.
There is 24 hour video surveillance. LMPD recommends:
Agree to meet the person ONLY at a MetroSWAP station.
Meet only during daylight hours.
Tell someone you trust where you are meeting and at what time.
Meet in the parking lot at two designate areas of each location.
Visit http://www.louisvilleky.gov/MetroPolice/Patrol+Divisions/ to sign up to receive the LMPD’s new crime alert update for your neighborhood. Simply select your LMPD division number and click "Subscribe to Crime Alerts by Beat" to begin receiving the update.
Division 5, please call dispatch at 502-574-7111
Division 8, please call dispatch at 502-574-2111
Fifth Division - This division covers the area including the Highlands, Clifton and Cherokee and Seneca Parks.
Eighth Division - This division covers the area including Middletown, Lyndon, Oxmoor and the Ford Truck Plant.
NOTICE: All Metro Council meetings are carried live on Metro TV, Spectrum Cable Channel 184 and U-verse Channel 99.
The meetings are also available online at the Metro Council home page at http://louisvilleky.gov/government/metro-council/metro-council-clerk.(Click here and click on the “Watch Meetings Online” button.)
