Budget season is coming to an end and, on Thursday, Metro Council will be voting to approve the amended city budget that will go into effect on July 1st.

So, what does “budget season” consist of and how is the city budget approved?

Since May 8th, Metro Council has had special budget meetings every week, Monday through Thursday, where various Metro departments (and some external agencies--think “non-profits”) come in to discuss their individual budgets. With a proposed budget of $1.1 billion, there’s quite a bit to dissect! While the conversation is focused heavily on the budget, I like to think of these meetings more like performance reviews, similar to what you would have at a job every year, especially if you are asking for a pay raise. We need to make sure every department is running efficiently and, if they ask for more money, we need to make sure it is necessary.

After all the special budget meetings concluded earlier this week, each Metro Councilperson submitted their thoughts on what should be changed in the budget. The budget chairs (Blackwell and Kramer) then sit down with the President of Metro Council (Winkler) and Democrat and Republican caucus chairs (McCraney and Piagentini) to create a balanced budget that takes each Councilmember’s requests into consideration. It’s that budget that we’ll hash out and vote in next week.

My priorities have always been the built environment and the natural environment. Simply put, I want everyone to live on a safe, tree-lined street with easy access to a great park. Radical, I know. Here are the things that were missing or underfunded in the budget that I was advocating for: PARKS (!!!), Complete Streets Coalition, Jefferson County Conservation District, New Directions Housing Corporation and YouthBuild Repair Affair partnership, and Public Works, specifically paving, sidewalks, and striping/markings.

Another fun part of budget is going through money that the D15 office has previously earmarked for projects and seeing if any of those projects came in under budget, were never completed, or didn’t need the funding. It’s like finding money in an old winter jacket that you forgot about, but better! We’re still crunching those numbers, so I can’t speak too much to them, but I can say that we’re going to be able to do a few more paving and sidewalk projects over the next year in parts of D15, primarily in University, South Louisville, and Lucky Horseshoe.

Once budget season is over, it’s time to get to stuff done and I’m super excited to start seeing implementation!!!!!!

I hope to see you at a neighborhood meeting soon. There’s a couple coming up later this month that you can attend--keep scrolling for more info. I'll be talking more about neighborhood meetings next month, so brace yourself for a guilt trip if you haven’t been to one yet. 😊

D15 Derby Detox

Time has gotten away from me. As soon as the book closed on the 2023 Kentucky Derby, Metro Council went straight into budget hearings. It has been an absolute whirlwind and, because of that, I have failed to share my D15 Derby Detox survey. I was hoping to catch y’all while Derby season was still fresh in your brain—and I hope it still is! I’ve talked to a lot of neighbors about their Derby experience this year and the response was resoundingly “Great!” So, if that’s the case, I still want to hear about your experience! If that wasn’t the case, let me know! Your feedback will help us better prepare for next year. Here’s the link: https://forms.gle/mSzA5k7p911LzW8b7

Schnitzelburg Neighborhood Meeting & Ice Cream Social: June 26

Join the Schnitzelburg Area Community Council for their June Neighborhood Meeting & Ice Cream Social on Monday, June 28th at 7 pm in Emerson Park (1100 Sylvia Street). Hear more about what is going on in the neighborhood, connect with neighbors, and enjoy sweet treats from Dairy Del. Everyone is welcome!

Meriwether Neighborhood Association Meeting: June 26

Join the Meriwether Neighborhood Association on Monday, June 26th at 7:45 pm in Preston Park (413 Augustus Ave) for a neighborhood meeting of the recently revived neighborhood association. They will be discussing neighborhood projects, issues, and initiatives, in addition to association structure and organization.

This meeting is open to all who wish to attend, especially those who are interested in becoming involved with the neighborhood association as a member.

2023 BBB Accredited Business Expo

Join the BBB serving Greater Kentucky and South Central Indiana on Wednesday, June 28th from noon to 4 pm at The Olmsted (3701 Frankfort Avenue) to meet businesses from a wide variety of industries and to expand your professional networks. BBB's Business Expo is free for everyone to attend, but only BBB Accredited Businesses will be exhibiting at the event. Limited vendor space is still available and for complete details, please contact Laura Calhoun at 502-588-0037 or lcalhoun@ky-in.bbb.org.

Center for Neighborhoods Gallery Grab: June 29

Gallery Grab is an event like no other! Center for Neighborhoods has collected two huge silent-auction-style galleries (worth more than $15,000!) and you have the opportunity to walk away with the ones you love most. A random draw of ticket numbers allows you to “grab” items from galleries full of art, jewelry, gift cards, auction baskets, and much more. Instead of bidding on these items, you simply "grab" the item you love most, based on the order of your ticket number(s) as its drawn. First called, first served! Find more information and grab a ticket here.

Riverview Independence Festival: July 1

Anti-Racism Challenge: July 1-31

Sign up for the free, 4-week, citywide Anti Racism Challenge, sponsored by Listen Learn Act, Metro Lean Into Louisville, and the Earth and Spirit Center. It begins July 1st and goes through the month.

This is how it works -- each week during July, participants will receive an email with a list of 10-12 anti-racism activities. These range from reading an article, calling an elected official, making a donation, watching a film or viewing an exhibit by Black artists, patronizing a Black business, etc. Participants are asked to choose and complete 3 of the listed activities with the goal of focusing and remaining active in challenging racism in our daily lives. This is a personal challenge--no one needs to report back to us.

Interested in participating? Simply provide your email address  (no ones information will ever be shared) and you'll be put on the list to receive emails each week. Click here to sign up.

Alberta O. Jones Park Day: July 8

Join Parks Alliance of Louisville in celebration of Phase 1 construction being done on Alberta O. Jones Park, the Parks Alliance's largest project to date!

Over 30 community organizations present along with some local small businesses and tons of family-friendly activities.

At 10 am, Mayor Greenberg will open the event with a press conference, unveiling a portrait of Alberta O. Jones commissioned by the Alliance as part of our #BecauseofAlbertaJones campaign. This portrait will be digitized as the base image of a photomosaic mural composed of photos of people and places from the past and present that represent the thriving California community and then permanently displayed in the park.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

Earlier this year, Imagination Library of Louisville expanded their zip codes and they now cover more families in D15!

Imagination Library of Louisville is the local affiliate of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and they mail a FREE monthly, age-appropriate book to children under five years old to help them develop a love of reading and get ready for kindergarten.

Scan the QR code on to register or click here.

Green Resources for Residents Guidebook

The Office of Sustainability is excited to launch the Green Resources for Residents Guidebook, a one-stop resource to help individuals and families save costs while going green! Residents can learn about financial incentives available through the Inflation Reduction Act, Louisville Metro Government, Louisville Gas & Electric, and more.

Preston Corridor Plan Public Comment

The Preston Corridor Plan, prepared by Louisville Metro’s Office of Advanced Planning, is ready for public review.

City planners have been working with transportation planning professionals from WSP Inc, MKSK, and EHI Consultants to develop a long-range plan for the Preston Corridor that aims to decrease the number of severe and fatal crashes on the roadway and improve the number and availability of useful transportation options along the corridor.

The full draft of the plan is available on the project website (https://www.prestoncorridorplan.org/) along with a survey for the public to submit their feedback.

Conversations with a City Planner

Does planning and zoning make you go "huh?" Same.

Our Planning & Zoning team operates under the guidance of a 900+ page book called the Land Development Code. It's confusing, outdated, and limiting, so they are looking to revise the LDC to be more comprehensive. They want you to join the conversation, so city planners from the Office of Planning and Design Services will be holding 'Zoning Matters: Conversations with a City Planner' events at libraries throughout Louisville so you can ask questions about zoning and give input on the ongoing Land Development Code Reform project.

Questions? Email LDCReform@louisvilleky.gov

Mosquito Prevention

Mosquito season is officially here. To protect Jefferson County residents from diseases the pests can carry, the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness (LMPHW) is out in the community actively treating known breeding grounds, trapping mosquitoes and testing them for diseases.

Each spring and summer, LMPHW treats 14,500 catch basins to eliminate mosquito larvae as well as 8,982 miles of swampy areas and large areas of land known to collect standing water. The department also places 148 mosquito traps around the city and county.

To protect you and your family from mosquitoes, remember the three D’s: Drain, Defend, Dress.

Drain: Prevent mosquito breeding grounds by emptying standing water from flowerpots, gutters, buckets, pool covers, toys, pet water dishes, discarded tires and drain birdbaths on a regular basis.

Defend: Use insect repellents when you go outdoors. Repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535 and some oil of lemon eucalyptus and para-menthane-diol products provide longer-lasting protection. To optimize safety and effectiveness, repellents should be used according to the label instructions.

Dress: Wear long sleeves, long pants, socks and closed-toed shoes when outdoors. Avoid perfumes and scented lotions.

To make a complaint about mosquitos in your neighborhood, call Metro Call at 311 or 502-574-5000. To learn more about mosquitoes and ways to prevent mosquito bites, click here.

Jail Population Dashboard

Mayor Greenberg announced a new transparency tool that allows citizens to access to real-time information on who is residing in or in the care of the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections. The Louisville Metro Corrections Dashboard, which can be found here, displays daily infographics on the corrections population that includes gender, race, length of stay, category of charge, amount of set bond, and other information.

Community Crosswalks Program

The Community Crosswalks program, a collaboration between the Department of Advanced Planning and Office of Arts & Creative Industries, is ongoing placemaking effort to support Louisville’s rich culture through tactical interventions that enhance safety. The program utilizes unique, vibrant asphalt art designed by local artists to disrupt the monotony of the street at intersections around Louisville. These colorful designs improve the aesthetic of the streetscape and serve as a tool for increasing pedestrian safety.

According to the Bloomberg Philanthropies Asphalt Art Safety Study, communities that have implemented similar asphalt art programs have seen a 50% decrease in the rate of crashes involving vulnerable road users and a 17% reduction in the total crash rate. Examples of Louisville’s new asphalt art crosswalks can be seen along South Fourth Street at the intersections of West Chestnut Street, West Muhammad Ali Boulevard, and West Liberty Street.

The Mayor has allocated $50,000 in his proposed budget for the Community Crosswalks program. Neighborhood associations, community organizations, and businesses are encouraged to install colorful crosswalk art at intersections in neighborhoods across Louisville. Details on applying for the program and eligible funding can be found here.

PrimeGov Conversion

Metro Council is in the process of transitioning to a new meeting information system, PrimeGov, which is replacing the Legistar system.

Metro Council meeting agendas are now accessed by the public online at: https://louisvilleky.primegov.com/public/portal. To view the attachments to an item, you must view the HTML version of the pdf version of the packet. A “search” functionality allows you to browse current legislation on the PrimeGov public portal by typing in a keyword.

The public may watch the proceedings live on Metro TV, Spectrum Cable Channel 184, or on UVERSE at Channel 99, Metro Council's Facebook page, or streamed live from the Swagit page (select Watch Live). Note: The Swagit link is temporary, and you’ll be able to view meetings on the PrimeGov webpage in a few weeks.

Currently, you may view archived meetings and search passed legislation on the old Legistar system at http://louisville.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=2, but all meetings will soon be available on the PrimeGov site exclusively.

Solar Over Louisville

Louisville Metro's Office of Sustainability has launched the 2023 Solar Over Louisville solarize program. Solar Over Louisville makes going solar easy by connecting participants with vetted and trustworthy solar installers, providing a step-by-step walk-through of the solar installation process, and helping participants access discounted rates on solar. In addition to a wholesale discount of 15-23% through certified installers, Solar Over Louisville participants may also be eligible for a 30% tax credit through the federal Inflation Reduction Act. The program is open to residents, small businesses, nonprofits, places of worship, and other small non-residential properties in Jefferson and surrounding counties. Learn more about the program and sign up: www.100PercentLou.com/2040.