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Councilwoman Shameka Parrish-Wright
601 W. Jefferson Street
(502) 574-1103
Email Councilwoman Parrish-Wright
Ben Harlan
Legislative Assistant
(502) 574-3452
Email Ben
Jocelyn Walker
(502) 494-6663
Jocelyn.Walker@louisvilleky.gov
District 3 Website
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 Yesterday was the annual Black History Month program, hosted by the Louisville Metro Council Equity, Community Affairs, Housing, Health, and Education Committee.
Councilwoman Parrish-Wright selected Von Barnes as the District 3 Honoree, pictured here with Committee Chair, Dr. Barbara Shanklin and Ben.
Von's bio is included below.
Von Barnes is a dedicated community leader, urban farmer, and educator at the forefront of Louisville’s local food movement. He has been instrumental in transforming the city’s landscape, helping hundreds of families gain the tools and knowledge to grow their own food and foster self-sufficiency.
His work extends deep into the heart of food policy and equity. Von serves on the steering committee for Food In Neighborhoods, a city-wide network dedicated to food justice. Throughout his career, he has worked alongside legislators to increase access to healthy food practices throughout Jefferson County, advocating for policies that empower urban growers and improve local food security.
In 2012, Von founded Kentuckiana Backyard Farms, a micro urban farm where he serves as both the founder and "head janitor." The farm serves as a living laboratory for sustainable practices, proving that meaningful change starts exactly where you are—even in your own backyard.
Von’s influence reached new heights on the TEDxBellarmine stage in 2023, where he delivered a powerful talk on utilizing micro-gardens to solve food insecurity in Louisville. Through education, advocacy, and a passion for the land, Von Barnes continues to foster healthier, more connected communities one garden at a time.
Let's all take a moment to celebrate Von's work, and congratulate him on this well deserved honor!
Last night, Metro Council met at one of their regularly scheduled meetings and adopted several ordinances. In District 3, Councilwoman Parrish-Wright appropriated $10,000 from Neighborhood Development Funds to Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation for a youth physical fitness program at the South Louisville Community Center. It will be heard at the appropriations committee meeting next week.
Other adopted legislation included zoning changes throughout Jefferson County:
Approved
- Zoning Changes – Council Standard Binding Element Added
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O-015-26: 4700 Westport Road & 913 Fountain Avenue
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O-026-26: 330 & 326 East Oak Street & 333 Stein Court
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O-030-26: 6205 Mason Boulevard Added the Council standard binding element requiring that any significant increase to structures, density, or change in use be reviewed by the Planning Commission, with final action by Metro Council
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O-031-26: 5045 Preston Highway (Zoning Change) Change in zoning from C-1 to C-2 for a night club
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O-034-26: 7402 Beulah Church Road (Zoning Change) Change in zoning from R-4 to R-5A for a townhouse development
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O-013-26: NDF Grant to Jefferson County Voters Outreach Program Approved costs associated with the “License to Vote” Art Contest and awards ceremony
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R-160-25: 3011 N. Buckeye Lane (Conservation Easement) Accepted a donation of a conservation easement in Goshen
For more information, please visit this website: https://louisvilleky.primegov.com/public/portal
If you have legislative ideas, please reach out to the office and let us know! Below, we'll get into more of the mechanics of how Louisville Metro Government works.
In our last newsletter, we gave a brief overview of all the different levels of government in the United States. This week, we want to focus specifically on our local government for a couple of reasons.
First, the District 3 office IS part of the local government, so we experience it every day.
Second, the local government is generally the most accessible. It is generally much easier to get in touch with someone from Louisville Metro than perhaps the Governor of Kentucky, or a US Senator or Representative.
Lastly, the local government is most often responsible for quality of life issues we deal with every day. This includes trash and recycling pickup, sidewalk repairs, parks, libraries, some business licensing, zoning, and emergency services.
In Jefferson County, since 2002, we operate as a merged city/county government. Prior to 2002, Louisville had city boundaries. For example, we still have several suburban cities that operate separately from Jefferson county, like Shively, St. Matthews, or Jeffersontown.
 In this image, the black border is the border of the entire Jefferson County. The area shaded in blue is what used to be the City of Louisville. Before 2002, Jefferson County and Louisville operated separately. Now, they are merged, and governed by the Mayor and Louisville Metro Council.
This map is also important because the shaded blue area is the Urban Services District. The Urban Services District, simply put, is where residents are taxed at a higher rate for services like waste collection and street sweeping. (There are also suburban cities like Shively, or Jeffersontown, where those cities provide some of these services, but that is another topic for another day.)
Apart from the Urban Services District, everything else in Jefferson County operates under the same rules and regulations.
As a refresher from our last newsletter, the local government has three branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.
The Executive Branch is the Mayor's Administration, and several departments fall under the Mayor, including:
- Louisville Metro Police Department
- Office of Strategic Initiatives, Economic Development, Codes and Regulations, Planning, Housing & Community Development, Violence Prevention, Sustainability, Gun Violence Intervention, Immigrant Affairs
- Alcoholic Beverage Control, Corrections, EMS, Fire Department, Metro Animal Services, Equity, Youth Transitional Services
- Air Pollution Control District, Brightside, Library, Zoo, Social Services, Parks & Recreation, Public Health and Wellness, Public Works
- Management & Budget, Human Resources, Technology Services, Criminal Justice Commission, Records Compliance, Facilities & Fleet Management, Metro TV, Internal Audit, Inspector General
We recognize this is a lot of information, so for the sake of convenience, we've included an organizational chart (basically a graphic that shows all the departments under the purview of the Mayor).
Each department plays a critical role in the functioning of our city. However, there are some departments that more commonly interact with residents than others. For example, it is generally more likely for a Jefferson County resident to have contact with the Office of Planning or the LMPD than with Internal Audit or Records Compliance.
Notice that no departments fall under the direction of Louisville Metro Council. According to the Kentucky Constitution (state level), the Mayor can be part of all staffing decisions within Louisville Metro except for Metro Council. What this means is that it is the responsibility of the mayor's administration to manage each of these departments. Metro Council Members are in regular contact with departments, but the policies and procedures are determined by the mayor and the mayor's appointees.
Let's look, for a moment, at the department of Codes and Regulations. The Director of Codes and Regulations, like most Department Directors, are appointed by the Mayor. While Louisville Metro Council drafts the ordinances that determine what property maintenance code is, it is the responsibility of the Department of Codes and Regulations to enforce those ordinances as they determine internally. This is the same for every department within Metro Government.
For some additional clarity, we've provided examples of how Metro Government can serve you, the resident:
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Public Works & Assets: This is department is large, and handles many of our infrastructure issues. This includes road and alley paving, sidewalk repair, speed hump installation, and waste collection, to name a few.
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Codes and Regulations: If you see a property has overgrown grass, excessive trash, or any other code violation, Codes and Regulations will send an officer to notify the property owner and resolve the issue.
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Emergency Services: If you or someone near you is having a medical emergency, Louisville Metro EMTs can transport someone via ambulance to the nearest hospital.
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Planning: Planning generally handles matters of zoning. Every parcel of land in Jefferson County has a zoning designation. This means there are limits on what is and what is not a permissible use of that property. For example a designation of "R1" means that a property can only be used to house a single family. If the property owner wanted to repair vehicles at that property, or house more than one household (like make a bigger structure into apartments), they would have to apply for a change in zoning.
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Public Health and Wellness: If you've ever been to a restaurant in Jefferson County, the "Grade" posted on the door is given by the department of Public Health and Wellness. One of their responsibilities is ensuring food service establishments are operating by strict food safety guidelines to reduce the likelihood of food-borne illness.
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Metro Animal Services: If you see a stray cat in your neighborhood, Metro Animal Services can ensure it is spayed or neutered (fixed) so it does not reproduce (have more kittens).
Most of the time, residents can call 311 (or 574-5000) to report issues (like some of the ones listed above). For example, for a property with code violations, a representative at Metro Call can take your concern and report it to Codes and Regulations. You may also report it online at louisvilleky.gov, or via the 311 app. The same is true for damaged sidewalks, or potholes, or an instance of suspected animal abuse or neglect.
Metro Government is comprised of over 5,000 employees who do anything from dispatch calls, to collect waste, to manage the budget, and ensure fair hiring practices. Often, our local government is our first avenue for relief from many issues we face on a day-to-day basis.
However, there are some things local government does not do. While there can often be exceptions to rules, generally, Metro Government does not:
- Provide legal counsel, or become involved in any litigation on behalf of any individual or organization. If you need legal counsel, you must retain a private attorney, or contact Legal Aid (502)-584-1254. If you have an issue with your landlord, a business, a neighbor, or anyone else that deals with a contract or crime, that is an issue that requires legal counsel, which Metro Government does not provide.
- Maintain any privately owned property. If you (or your neighbor) has a dead or dying tree, or a tree that is overgrown on private property, Metro Government does not handle it. If your neighbor has overgrown grass, it is the responsibility of that property owner to keep it cut. In some very limited cases, Metro Government may cut an overgrown lot, but that is only after numerous attempts to contact the property owner.
- Offer utility or rental assistance. In and of itself, Metro Government does not furnish any cash payments, or assist with any bill on behalf of residents. Departments like the Office for Social Services can help with LIHEAP applications, but they are not the office that actually writes the check. Most often, a Metro Government representative will connect a resident with their local Area Community Ministry for rental, food, or utility assistance.
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