For the last two months, Metro Council has reviewed the operating and capital budgets proposed by Mayor Fischer on April 22.  As Chair of the Budget Committee, I have been involved in dozens of hearings and participated in many public forums. Tonight, we will vote on the budget, which goes into effect on July 1.

The Mayor’s proposal increased investments in public safety, including violence prevention; increased funding for housing initiatives; and continued the effort to improve our roads and sidewalks. Those priorities are by and large funded in the amended budgets unanimously approved by the Budget Committee this week, which the full Council will consider tonight. 

Utilizing Louisville’s improved revenue forecast and American Rescue Plan funds appropriated by Congress in a process led by Congressman John Yarmuth, the Budget Committee’s amended budget also expands funding for public safety, libraries, parks, infrastructure, and deferred maintenance. It also advances our renewable energy commitment and reduces proposed borrowing by just over $10 Million, compared to the original proposed budget.

Here are a few highlights:

Public Safety

The budget appropriates additional dollars to improve compensation at LMPD, Corrections, Emergency Management Services and Louisville Fire.  It also expands funding for violence intervention, through the Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods and Group Violence Intervention.

The amended budget includes the proposed $2.9 Million for a pilot 911 Prioritization and Deflection Project but moves the funding from LMPD to Emergency Services, which operates the 911 system. That project is designed to send social service providers in response to some 911 calls involving non-violent behavior, saving police resources and providing a more appropriate response.

Human Services and Housing

Using $1 million in funding reserved for “Council-designated priorities” in the Mayor’s proposed budget, the amended budget makes additional investments in human services throughout the community.

Human service funding includes:

• $279,400 for Goodwill Industries of Kentucky’s “Another Way” program, expanding a pilot program to a county-wide effort. The program offers a new way for unhoused individuals to earn money and connect with Goodwill’s life-changing resources. It targets high-traffic areas and offers unhoused individuals an opportunity to get off the streets and to different work opportunities, where they’ll receive a lunch and a stipend for a day’s work. In addition, the program aims to connect unhoused individuals with Goodwill’s resources, designed to end poverty and guide individuals to self-sufficiency.
• $100,000 for the Volunteers of America Unity House, which provides food, housing and safety for families who become homeless due to a wide range of factors, including eviction, domestic violence, mental illness, substance abuse, unemployment or underemployment, lack of affordable housing, and lack of money management and/or life skills.
• Increased funding for Family and Children’s Place ($33,100) and the Center for Women and Families ($16,500).

“Council-designated” funds will also be used to: fund a “Parks for All” Equitable Investment Plan, to be matched by the Louisville Parks Foundation, to help develop a plan for equitable investments in parks throughout Louisville Metro ($200,000); expand the effort to remove graffiti in the community ($150,700); and hire two additional Code Enforcement Officers and one Zoning Enforcement Officer, to improve neighborhoods throughout Louisville.

Other human service and housing changes in the amended budget include:

• Replacement funding for $350,000 in the Corrections budget, to allow for the elimination of revenue from inmate telephone calls. The amended budget calls for the elimination of fees for inmate telephone calls which generate review for Louisville Metro no later than December 31, 2021.  We previously received $700,000 from inmate telephone calls and we’ve seen stories of families incurring bills of hundreds of dollars per month just to speak to their incarcerated relatives.  That’s wrong.  I am very pleased to see a recognition that we should not be funding our jail on the backs of families who have loved ones in the facility.
• The Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund’s allocation carries the new requirement that 25% of the $10 million investment be dedicated to serving very low-income households, at or below 30% Area Median Income. There is also money in the budget for down payment assistance, affordable housing homeowner unit preservation, and home repair, totaling almost $11 Million.  Continuing to address our housing issues is critical to the future of the community, and I hope to see a great deal more money appropriated to the effort in American Rescue Plan funding. (The July 8 newsletter will have more on American Rescue Plan process and funding.)

Libraries

The capital budget heavily invests in library services. It includes $2 million for renovation of the Portland Library at 3305 Northwestern Parkway, the Louisville Free Public Library branch most in need of renovation, including an elevator to make the second floor accessible to all library users.  The library is a historic Carnegie library, one of four still operating in Louisville. (Crescent Hill is one of the four.)

It also includes $500,000 to reopen for library services the historic Carnegie library building in Parkland, at 2743 Virginia Avenue.  

The amended budget also includes $1,040,000 in funds for Phase I of a library complex on Metro-owned property in the Fern Creek area, to replace a library closed as part of budget cuts two years ago.

Road and Sidewalk Projects

The amended budget adds to the $22 million appropriation for road and sidewalk repairs in the proposed budget, with locally funded projects and investments of $4,567,500 to leverage an additional $18.2 million in federal funds. Among the projects are the reconstruction of River Road from Zorn Avenue to Beargrass Creek, a long delayed project in District 9, for which we are appropriating $2.25 Million of a more than $10 Million total cost. The project elevates the road to address flooding issues and includes bike lanes and a shared use path.   

Deferred Maintenance and Renewable Energy

The amended budget includes funds for deferred maintenance and other improvements to Louisville Metro facilities, including funds to demolish the obsolete LMPD Headquarters and Fiscal Court Building. It adds to funds to deal with maintenance issues in parks and other Metro facilities.

Finally, to advance Louisville Metro’s renewable energy goals, the amended budget calls for reinvesting savings from energy conservation identified by Metro’s new Energy Manager into improving energy infrastructure in Metro facilities as well as securing a renewable energy supply. Meeting our renewable energy goals will require an investment and this provision will help us make it.  

Many thanks to everyone who let me know your views on Louisville’s budget in this long process.

There will be no residential garbage, recycling or yard waste collection within the Louisville Metro Urban Services District (former Louisville city limits) for the Independence Day Holiday on Monday, July 5. Collection of garbage and recycling will be delayed by one day. Those who have regular yard waste collection on Saturday will still have collection on Saturday.

In the City of St. Matthews, there will be no delay in services and regular weekly collection.

Other District 9 residents who rely on private haulers for garbage, recycling and yard waste collection should consult those haulers about holiday collection schedules.

The Waste Reduction Center, at 600 Meriwether Avenue, all staffed recycling centers and the Haz Bin hazardous materials facility at 7501 Grade Lane will be closed on Saturday, July 3. They will resume normal operations on Tuesday, July 6.

For the second year, there will be no Crescent Hill 4^th of July Festival this year.  Pandemic restrictions at the time commitments had to be made for this neighborhood sponsored event just didn’t make it feasible.  The festival’s sponsor, the Crescent Hill Community Council, is already planning the 2022 festival, however.

In the meantime, Waterfront Park is planning a 4th of July event.  Information will be posted here.  Happy Independence Day!

Recycling collection in the Urban Services District (USD) begins a bi-weekly schedule the week of July 12.

Households within the USD that currently recycle using an 18-gallon bin or their own container will receive a free 95-gallon recycling cart, after Louisville applied for and received grant support for advancing recycling in the community. A waste container audit was performed throughout the USD over a three-week period. Any household that participated in recycling during the audit but did not have a recycling cart will receive one. Cart delivery is ongoing. (The new carts have blue lids, as a first step to move Louisville to the blue color associated with recycling in most of the country.)

The new 95-gallon recycling carts have more than five times the capacity of the original 18-gallon recycling bins, but that’s not the only reason for the upgrade.

1. They save backs! The 18-gallon bins are only 14 inches off the ground, which means the repeated motion of bending and lifting takes a toll on the collection crew. The wheels make the cart easy to move for residents and workers alike, and the lift bar allows the truck to do the heavy lifting.  
2. Their lids prevent litter! It’s no secret that recyclables can easily blow out of the open-top 18-gallon bins. Providing carts with lids and requiring store-bought containers to also have lids falls in line with the city’s cleanliness initiatives.
3. They allow for every other week recycling! Every other week recycling is a more efficient system and means less wear and tear on the roads and on the trucks themselves.

The new carts are made with 12% post-consumer recycled materials and another 25-38% came from old carts or plastic manufacturing scraps. Although residents are welcome to keep their old bin for household use, they can also be dropped off for reuse or recycling. Bins that are usable will be made available for organizations or schools to use for office or classroom recycling. Bins that are broken will be recycled.

The bins can be dropped off at the Waste Reduction Center or the three staffed recycling drop-off locations:

• Waste Reduction Center, 636 Meriwether Avenue
• Recycling Drop-Off, 595 N Hubbards Lane
• Recycling Drop-Off, 7219 Dixie Highway
• Recycling Drop-Off, 7201 Outer Loop 

Watch MetroTV's video about the new carts by clicking here. 

Celebrate the start of summer with Whitehall House & Garden’s exciting new live music series on Sunday, June 27 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. This month’s concert features "The Decades”, performing on the Whitehall terrace, 3110 Lexington Road. Seating will be available under the tent, and guests are welcome to bring blankets and lawn chairs. A cash bar will be available, and guests may bring their own food. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children (5-12) and free for kids under 5. Click here to purchase tickets.

Upcoming Sunday concert is on July 25, featuring the “Derby City Dandies”.

Register now for the League of Women Voters of Louisville’s Annual Meeting on Monday, June 28 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom. There is no fee to register, but you must register to receive the Zoom link. Click here to register.

5:30 PM     Program Agenda includes:

• Ida B Wells portrait donation from Laura Rothstein, U of L Law School
• Presentation of 2021 LWVL Presidents' Citizen Award
• Meet the LWVL recipient of the 2021 Harvard Case Study Program
• Special Guest Speaker Kentucky Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman

There will be a short break after the Program. This break will also allow for guests to exit the webinar if they do not wish to attend the Annual Meeting.

6:30 PM     League of Women Voters of Louisville Annual Meeting

• Welcome from League of Women Voters of KY and the US
• Nominating Committee Report
• Finance Committee Report
• Adoption of FY2021-2022 annual budget
• Adoption of Recommended Bylaw Changes
• Review proposed changes to LWVL Positions
• President's Remarks - "A Year in Review - Looking Forward"
• Recognition of outgoing board members

During the pandemic, my office received many calls and emails regarding the warm pool at the Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center. I’m happy to share that the warm/therapy pool is now open. Please see the schedule below.

• Mondays: 8:00 – 9:00 AM Open / 9:00 AM – Noon Aqua Class
• Tuesdays: 8:00 AM - Noon Open  
• Wednesdays: 8:00 – 9:00 AM / 9:00 AM – Noon Aqua Class
• Thursdays: 8:00 – Noon Open
• Fridays: 8:00 – 9:00 AM & 10:00 AM – Noon Open / 9:00 – 10:00 AM Aqua Class

The warm pool will close at Noon. Please note, if you come during Aqua Class time you will be expected to participate in the class.

If you have any questions, please contact MTM at 897-9949.

Thanks to the generosity of local businesses, community organizations, and residents, hundreds of electric fans have been collected to provide heat relief for older adults and people with disabilities. 

The Fan Fair giveaway qualifications and guidelines are as follows:

• Person 60 years of age or older
• Or documentation verified by a physician of a disability
• Resident of Jefferson, Oldham, Henry, Shelby, Spencer, Trimble or Bullitt Counties
• Proof of address and age
• ​One fan per household
• Household must not have functional central air conditioning

Qualified individuals may call one of the sites below for more information and instruction on how to receive a fan. Appointments are required in advance.  The locations include:

• First Neighborhood Place (40219); 502-313-4700
• Cane Run Neighborhood Place (40216); 502-485-6810
• South Central Neighborhood Place (40215); 502-485-7130
• Ujima Neighborhood Place (40211); 502-485-6710
• South Jefferson Neighborhood Place (40258); 502-363-1424
• Bridges of Hope Neighborhood Place (40210); 502-634-6050
• KIPDA (40299); 502-266-5571

Monetary donations are still accepted and appreciated to purchase additional fans.  Checks can be made payable to KIPDA, Attn:  Fan Fair, mailed to 11520 Commonwealth Drive, Louisville, KY 40299.

Fan supplies are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.

For more information about the Fan Fair event, visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/resilience-and-community-services/fan-fair  or https://www.kipda.org/.

The Louisville Zoo is inviting guests to travel back 65 to 200 million years in time to visit their newest prehistoric animal ambassadors – 19 life-sized robotic dinosaurs in “Dino Quest” presented by Great Clips. From Saturday, June 26, until Sunday, September 19, Zoo guests can experience the world’s largest, most lifelike robotic dinosaur exhibit, free with admission to the Zoo.

Guests will encounter 19 roaring, breathing giants from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods of history. They will have the opportunity to view the world’s tallest life-sized, robotic dinosaurs, ranging from 5-foot-long baby triceratops to a 40-foot-long Tyrannosaurus rex.

Curated by Dino Don, Inc. — the world’s leading supplier of robotic dinosaurs to zoos and museums worldwide, and the only maker of full-sized dinosaurs — the handmade animatronics are uniquely created under direct scientific supervision. The company’s founder, “Dino” Don Lessem, is a world-renowned expert and author of 40 books on dinosaurs with experience as the dinosaur advisor to Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park” films.

A Louisville Zoo membership or general admission ticket will allow guests to encounter the prehistoric period prior to extinction in “Dino Quest,” presented by Great Clips. Purchase tickets today at louisvillezoo.org/tickets. For information about “Dino Quest” visit LouisvilleZoo.org/dino.

Shopping local is so important.  You can learn more in a documentary about independent bookstores.  Carmichael's Bookstore took part in the documentary created by Mason Engel, a self-published author who visited unique indie bookstores around the country.

There are plenty of reasons to shop indie. The in-store experience, book clubs, author events, community involvement, economic contribution--the list goes on. But in Engel's conversations with booksellers, there was a common thread that he found most powerful of all, the reason to shop indie that no one seems to talk about. It’s revealed in the documentary.

The Bookstour is a thirty-minute documentary film. From now until July 7, all the money raised with digital rentals and tickets to the virtual premier will go straight to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation. You can watch the trailer here.