District 9 eNews - Thursday, March 18, 2021

 

 
D9 Masthead
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...


Help Report Potholes

potholes

Now’s the time to begin ridding Louisville Metro streets and alleys of the potholes formed this winter. Here's how you can report a pothole:

  • On Twitter use the hashtag #502pothole. Just include the address or intersection where the pothole is located along with the hashtag in a tweet
  • Report a pothole online, click here, select “pothole” and continue with the required information
  • Contact Metro311 in one of these ways:
    • Call them at 311 or 574-5000
    • Download the “Louisville Metro 311” app on your smartphone and use it to report a pothole
    • Email them at metro.311@louisvilleky.gov

Yard Waste Collection by Request Only

yard waste

Every winter, yard waste collection in the Urban Services District is done BY REQUEST ONLY. The service is still available, but since the amount of yard waste generated is far less in the winter, it is more efficient to only collect when needed. 

How to Make a Request 

  1. Call Metro311 at 311 or 574-5000 or email metro.311@louisvilleky.gov
  2. Be prepared with the following information or include in your email: ​First and last name, address, phone number, set out location (front, rear, side, alley, etc.), and approximate number of containers, bags, or bundles.
  3. Your appointment will be scheduled on your regular collection day THE FOLLOWING WEEK. (Example: If your regular yard waste collection day is Friday, and your request is made on Monday, March 22, your yard waste will not be collected until Friday, April 2.) 
  4. Set out yard waste no earlier than 4 p.m. the day before your appointment and no later than 6 a.m. the day of your appointment. Be sure to follow the collection guidelines.

Regular weekly yard waste collection without requests will resume the week of April 5.


Beargrass Creek Greenway Reopens

Beargrass Greenway

I am very happy to report that the Beargrass Creek Greenway is open after a long closure. It’s rough in spots, gets muddy (bicyclists especially be careful) and needs some cleaning up, but it was great to see the barricades come down earlier this month.

The Greenway runs from the Lexington Road and Grinstead Drive intersection to Locust Street in Irish Hill.

It will close again next year for construction of a new trailhead.

Greenway

COVID-19 Vaccinations Open to Tier 1C

COVID Vaccine

As of Monday, March 15, people in Tier 1C (individuals ages 16-59 who have qualifying medical conditions and essential employees) are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in Louisville. LouVax, the vaccination site at Broadbent Arena, will continue prioritization of individuals ages 60 and up.

Essential employers who would like to help their employees receive vaccinations can submit a form through Metro Public Health and Wellness. The form should only be completed by human resource managers or senior leaders and not by individual employees.

Below are links to websites for waitlists, information and appointments. Due to available supply, appointments are limited. It may take several weeks to get an appointment. After hearing from many people since March 1, my advice is to keep trying.  I wish we had a better, more centralized system but people are getting appointments by continuing to check these websites.    

Norton is creating a waitlist and some individuals on it are being contacted to receive vaccinations at the LouVAX site at Broadbent Arena (shown below).  

Norton Healthcare (call 502-861-4499 for assistance)
U of L Health
Baptist Health
Walgreens
Kroger

Need a ride to get a COVID-19 Vaccine? Please call (888) 848-0989 to schedule a free ride to your appointment.  Rides must be scheduled at least 72 hours in advance of your appointment.

To stay informed on vaccine efforts in Louisville, please sign up now for weekly Covid-19 updates.

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.

COVID - Who is eligible?

Veterans Eligible for Vaccines

US Department of VA Affairs

The Robley Rex VA Medical Center (VAMC) in D9 is now offering COVID-19 vaccines to enrolled Veterans, aged 40 years and older. It continues to reach out to enrolled Veterans by telephone, letters, VETex, and secure messaging through My HealtheVet. Veterans may also call the COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center at 502-287-4426 to request an appointment.

Veterans who wish to enroll in VA health care can contact an enrollment service at 502-287-5591 or visit www.louisville.va.gov/patients/eligibility.asp.

For the latest Robley Rex COVID-19 vaccine updates, visit www.louisville.va.gov/services/covid-19-vaccines.asp.


LFPL Resumes In-Person Services March 26

LFPL

With the city’s COVID-19 positivity rate no longer in the Critical Zone, Mayor Greg Fischer announced that the Louisville Free Public Library is expanding in-person services at all locations on March 26.

Patrons will be encouraged to browse and pick up library materials and check out using self-check kiosks. Building capacity will be limited to ensure social distancing, and visits will be limited to no more than 90 minutes.

In order to expand services safely, the Library has reconfigured furniture, computer stations, and equipment to ensure safe physical distancing can be maintained. Masks and temperature checks are required to enter library facilities, and all patrons (age 5 and older) must properly wear a face covering at all times during their visit. The Library will have masks available for patrons who arrive without them. 

Study rooms and meeting spaces are not available for use at this time. However, as it has since August, computer access, printing and free faxing services will still be available at the libraries. More information can be found online at www.lfpl.org/appointment/.

LFPL’s popular curbside pick-up of library materials, which began on June 1, also will continue at all locations, six days a week. For information on the Library’s curbside service, please visit LFPL.org/curbside, or call (502) 574-1611.


Pop-Up Drop-Off Event – March 27

Pop Up Event

Pop-Up Drop-Offs are free recycling and large item disposal events for residents of Jefferson County. Through a partnership between the Department of Public Works, the Waste Management District, and Metro Council, these events are held monthly, March through November, at various locations.

The first event of 2021 is on Saturday, March 27, from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Sun Valley Ball Field Complex, 10401 Lower River Road, located in the southwestern part of Jefferson County.

Residents can have documents shredded, recycle electronics, tires, and scrap metal, dispose of prescription medication and bulky items, and compost yard debris. Items must be separated into those various categories for easy off-loading at each area. Limitations and guidelines are found at Louisvilleky.gov/PopUps

The goal is to give all Jefferson County residents opportunities to dispose of unwanted items properly and to keep as much material out of the landfill as possible. 

Future events will be announced and are posted on the Recycle Coach app calendar.

You can also recycle up to three electronic devices, up to four tires, and dispose of up to three large household items for free year-round at the Waste Reduction Center at 636 Meriwether Avenue. 

Watch this video to learn more about the Pop-Up Drop-Off events! 

What is accepted?

Compost Bins and Rain Barrels

compost

Compost bins, rain barrels, and accessories are offered at wholesale prices again this year! Purchase items in advance and pick up at the Pop-Up Drop-Off events! The online store is open and the first chance to pick up your order is on Saturday, March 27 at the Sun Valley Ball Field Complex.

Online store: louisvillecompostersale.ecwid.com


Get Involved in a Neighborhood Cleanup

litter 1

Recently I have received a number of calls and emails about litter in the City. In January, Metro Council appropriated more funds to litter cleanup efforts and a “Clean Collaborative” crew, primarily tasked with collecting litter and debris along Metro roadways, hit the streets on February 24. Since then, the crew has collected thousands of pounds of litter.

CHCC cleanup

But we need volunteer help too – and that’s where you come in. With more residents getting vaccinated and following social distancing protocols, now is the time to help out your neighborhood! Last week, volunteers from the Crescent Hill Community Council helped clean around Grinstead Drive.  There are several more upcoming neighborhood cleanups you can get involved with, including the D9 Spring cleanup on Saturday, April 17. If you are interested in organizing your own cleanup, please fill out the online form to make arrangements with Brightside here.  Volunteers can also contact my office about borrowing City-owned supplies.  

litter bags

Butchertown Neighborhood Association Clean-up

Saturday, March 27 from 9:00 a.m. – Noon
Volunteers should plan to meet at the corner of Mellwood/Frankfort and will work towards River Road. Bags, gloves and other items will be provided, but bring your favorite broom, rake or litter-picker-upper.

 

Irish Hill Neighborhood Association Clean-up

Now through Wednesday, March 31, volunteers are encouraged to work on their own schedule.  Please wear gloves or use a litter grabber and don’t touch your face. Please do not overload litter bags and dispose of them with your own trash or in Irish Hill Park next to the utility pole.

D9 Spring Community Clean-Up

Saturday, April 17
9:00 a.m. – Noon
Volunteers should plan to meet for supplies at the corner of Brownsboro Road and Lindsay Avenue. Volunteers will receive bags and gloves. Volunteers are asked to follow social distance protocols and wear masks during the cleanup if not working with their immediate family members. For more information, please contact the D9 office at 574-1109 or email Kyle Ethridge.


Join Mayor’s Month of Service

Mayor's Give a Week

Metro United Way is proud to partner with Louisville Metro Government again this year for the annual Mayor's Give A Day Month of Service. Yes, you read that right—the entire MONTH of April will be devoted to community service, and you’re invited you to participate!

Nonprofit agencies from across the region have posted volunteer projects, and they need YOU to get the job done! It is easy to get involved; simply follow these two steps:

  1. Click "Select a Project" below or visit mygiveaday.com to find a project that fits your interests and availability. Community groups, families, and individuals are encouraged to participate!
  2. Log your acts of compassion below or at mygiveaday.com. Whether you give an hour or a day, serve at an in-person or virtual project, or call and check on your neighbor, no act of service is too small to be counted!

As an extra incentive this year, the Kentucky Derby Festival will be offering an opportunity for one lucky volunteer to win a special Derby Festival gift package including a framed 2021 Derby Festival Official Poster by Louisville Artist Andy Perez and a $100 gift card for Official Derby Festival merchandise! To be eligible to win, volunteers must register by March 25 at mygiveaday.com or at the link below. One package will be given away.

Ready to sign up, click here.

Already volunteering, log hours here.

Questions, click here to learn more.


Make Your Voice Heard on Parks Loops

Parks survey

Louisville Parks and Recreation is currently accepting feedback regarding the future use of loop roads in Cherokee and Iroquois parks through a public survey process. To increase recreational space with appropriate social distancing, the loops at both parks have been restricted from vehicle traffic since April 2020, and some members of the public have expressed a desire to make those adjustments permanent. Others would like to see the roads reopened. 

The surveys, which can be found at https://louisvilleky.gov/news/loop-road-surveys, will be open until 5 p.m. this Friday, March 19, 2021. Following the evaluation of the survey results, virtual public meetings will be scheduled for additional feedback. The first, to discuss Cherokee, is set for 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, March 23. Check Parks’ social media and website for details on how to join and for updates on the Iroquois meeting, expected to take place within the next few weeks. Nearly 5,000 residents have already completed the two surveys.

Parks and Recreation will announce plans on the future use of the loops this spring.


TreesLouisville Residential Tree Rebate Program

TreesLouisville

Thanks to a generous grant from the Louisville Metro Department of Parks & Recreation, TreesLouisville is excited to announce the opening of another round of its Residential Shade Tree Rebate Program!

Nearly 70% of available planting space in Jefferson County is privately owned. Planting a tree at home is one of the best and easiest ways you can help expand our community tree canopy and grow a greener, healthier neighborhood.

To participate, purchase and plant an eligible shade tree on your residential property and apply to receive $30 back on up to three trees. This program is open to residents of Jefferson County, KY on a first-come, first-serve basis until all funds have been claimed. For full eligibility requirements or to apply, visit treeslouisville.org/rebate or find a brochure at your local garden center.


PVA Property Assessment Meetings

PVA Property Assessment

The Jefferson County PVA is responsible for applying a fair and equitable assessment to residential and commercial properties as of January 1 each year. The PVA has a statutory responsibility to assess your property and you, as the property owner, have a right to appeal. The notices will be mailed on April 23, 2021.

The Jefferson County PVA invites you to join one of the "You Have a Right to Appeal" virtual meetings in March and April to discuss the 2021 Property Reassessment and the appeal process for properties in your area.

Homes and businesses in D9 neighborhoods will be reassessed in 2021. Click here to search your address to determine what MLS area you live in.

Part of Metro Council District 9 is in MLS Area 2. The PVA will have an online meeting for residential property owners on Tuesday, March 23 at 6:30 pm, click here to register. There will be an online meeting for commercial property owners on Thursday, March 25 at 6:30 pm, click here to register.

Part of Metro Council District 9 is in MLS Area 3. The PVA will have an online meeting for residential property owners on Tuesday, March 30 at 6:30 pm, click here to register. There will be an online meeting for commercial property owners on Thursday, April 1 at 6:30 pm, click here to register.


PVA Homestead and Disability Exemption – Do You Qualify?

Homestead Exemption

Individuals aged 65 or older, or permanently disabled may be eligible to receive a property tax exemption that reduces the taxable assessment by up to $40,500 for 2021, resulting in significant savings on property taxes.

65+ Qualifications

Property owners become eligible for the Homestead Exemption on their primary home beginning the year they turn 65, if they owned and occupied the home on January 1. The exemption can be claimed on one property.

Disability Qualifications

Property owners who have been declared totally disabled for the previous twelve months by the federal government or any public or private retirement system may be eligible to receive the Disability Exemption on their primary home. The exemption can be claimed on one property, and the applicant must have owned and occupied the home on January 1.

Additionally, parents of disabled children or legal guardians of disabled people may qualify for the exemption by placing the property in a legal trust for the benefit of the disabled person. Legal assistance may be available free of charge to assist in establishing the trust. Contact the PVA office for more information at (502) 574-6380 or www.jeffersonpva.ky.gov.


Financial Navigators Can Help You Manage Your Bills

Financial Nagivators

Has COVID-19 put you in a financial bind? If you’re having trouble staying financially afloat because of the pandemic, there is a free service that can help. The Financial Navigator program can help you make sense of your financial situation, prioritize your payments and make referrals to services that can help. Here’s how it works: You complete a simple web form with your contact information. Within a couple of days, a Financial Navigator will give you a phone call so you can explain your situation. During the 30-minute call, the Navigator will offer help and advice about:

  • Prioritizing daily living expenses like housing, food and insurance;
  • Maximizing your income, possibly through emergency cash assistance or an affordable emergency loan;
  • Managing credit card debt, student loans, child support and other debt;
  • Avoiding predatory scams; and
  • Budgeting for future loss of income.

The Financial Navigator Program is a collaboration between LHOME and Louisville Metro and it is free of charge. While Navigators can’t offer you direct financial assistance, they will help you make sense of the financial challenges caused by COVID-19 and offer resources that can help you stay on your feet without costing an arm and a leg.

To learn more, visit Cities for Financial Empowerment webpage.


Summer Camps

summer camps

UCHM United Learning Summer Camp
Join United Crescent Hill Ministries (UCHM) for an affordable and engaging summer camp. Weeks offered June 14 – July 23. Cost is suggested donation of $100. For more information visit www.uchmlouky.org/united-learning-summer-camp.

Sprouts Camp at Waterfront Botanical Gardens
Children ages 5-10 are invited to attend these weeklong, half-day camps, which will include investigative garden activities, craft projects, outdoor movement/play, and opportunities to create lasting friendships.  All camps will take place at the Gardens’ satellite, living classroom: The Avish greenhouse and gardens in Harrods Creek, Prospect. Pre-registration is required. Cost is $150, $125 WBG Members (members use code WBGMEMBER at checkout to receive discount). For more information, please click here.

Botanical Gardens/Louisville Visual Art (LVA) Art & Nature Camp
The Waterfront Botanical Gardens and LVA present a new camp – art projects based on nature in the mornings, and nature guided walks and talks and more art in the afternoons. Fresh air and running with butterflies and friends, discovering a sparkling spider web, sketching and creating with colors made from plants, are just a few of the exciting possibilities. Cost is $285 per week. Click here for more information and to register.


Know Waste: Wish-cycling

You don’t want to add more waste to the landfill, so you toss your tricky items in your recycling container, hoping they’ll be recycled. This is called “wish-cycling.” Wish-cycling might start with the best of intentions, but it can cause big issues at the recycling facility. Let’s take a closer look at why we need to collectively kick this bad habit.

Wish-cycling wastes time and money. Our local recycling facility relies on complex machinery to sort and process recyclables. These machines are designed to appropriately sort a specific set of items — namely, the items accepted in our recycling program. When things like plastic shopping bags or garden hoses get tossed in, they can jam up the machinery. Time is wasted when the whole operation must shut down to fix the issue. And if “time is money,” as the saying goes, then the time wasted on fixing clogged machinery ends up costing money — and potentially jeopardizing recycling plant operators’ relationship with the commodities market. The baled materials can’t have a high rate of contamination or they won’t be purchased. By recycling right, we’re doing our part to protect the facility and keep recycling affordable.

So, what can we recycle? Glass bottles and jars, aluminum and steel cans and containers, paper products (including cartons, newspapers, junk mail, flattened cardboard), and empty plastic bottles and containers. Images and details can be found at Louisvilleky.gov/recycling. You can also go to Louisvilleky.gov/RecycleCoach and use or download the free app. The What goes where? search tool allows you to learn how to properly dispose any item.

Wish Cycling

District 9 Calendar Events

Below are some Ninth District calendar events!  To view a full listing of events, please visit the District 9 Blog at http://district9news.wordpress.com/.  If you would like to submit events to be considered for the blog calendar please email Kyle Ethridge or call 574-1109.

Thursday, March 18: Just Creations will host a virtual event, "From Fleece to Floor" at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. Learn about the creativity and hard work that goes into making a hand-knotted rug from Pakistan. Featuring guest speakers from the Bunyaad Rug Program in Lititz, PA. Get a sneak peek into the rug piles at the Bunyaad Marketplace and earmark ones to come to the April Rug Event. Register by clicking here

Saturday, March 20: Waterfront Botanical Gardens (WBG) will host a virtual Zoom workshop on basic floral arrangements on a budget at 10:00 a.m. Cost is $15 or $11 for WBG members. For more information, please click here.

Thursday, March 25: LFPL will host a virtual workshop to learn how to use digital services from 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. This class will cover how to borrow library e-books, e-audiobooks, and e-magazines, as well as how to stream select movies for free with your library card. Participants will also learn how to use Lynda.com to boost their technical and soft skills. Email Chris.Johnson@lfpl.org to register.


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