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Mayor Craig Greenberg proposed the city budget to Metro Council last month.
On April 25, 2024, Mayor Craig Greenberg presented his second proposed budget to the Metro Council. View a recording of Mayor Greenberg’s Budget Address or review the budget documents to learn more.
Louisville Metro Council will now review the Mayor’s budget and see it through a review process that includes hearings and a budget vote prior to July 1. To view the budget hearings calendar and share feedback using the public comment form, visit the Metro Council website.
This is a home of a Solarize Louisville participant.
Solarize Louisville is live! This year's selected installers, Icon Solar and Pure Power Solar, are offering standard panel price along with an 12-18% discount, ensuring that participants receive the best possible value for their investment in solar energy. In addition to these significant savings, participants in the Solarize Louisville program are also eligible for a 30% tax credit through the federal Inflation Reduction Act, further reducing the cost of transitioning to clean, renewable energy. Attend a Solar 101 workshop to learn more about investing in solar for your home:
Solarize Louisville Workshop with Pure Power Solar
Iroquois Library at 601 W Woodlawn Ave, Louisville, KY 40215
Saturday, June 1
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Register for the workshop here.
Solarize Louisville Workshop with Icon Solar
LFPL Main Library
301 York St. Louisville, Kentucky 40203
Saturday, June 29, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Register for the workshop here.
To learn more, visit www.solarizelouisville.com.
Eligible state, local, and Tribal governments can now apply for $430M in funding from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program.
The Office of Sustainability (OS) will be applying for $690,810 of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG), a formula grant offered through the U.S. Department of Energy. The program is designed to assist states, local governments, and Tribes in implementing strategies to reduce energy use, to reduce fossil fuel emissions, and to improve energy efficiency. Based on previous community input, are considering utilizing an energy services contractor with net zero expertise to upgrade an affordable housing property (preferably multifamily and renter occupied in an environmental justice area) to net zero energy or net zero energy ready standards.
We value community input in shaping how these funds can best be spent to advance energy efficiency efforts in Louisville. Please let us know in a short survey if you resonate with the proposed focus, if you have other ideas, and/or if there are specific priorities we should keep in mind.
Thank you in advance for your participation! Please submit EECBG survey responses by May 31.
 The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program is open for application! If you have a low-income residential or economic development benefit project powered by solar or wind, or have any project located in a qualifying census tract, you could be eligible for 10-20% tax credit on the clean energy facilities, over the existing 30% tax credit. Some tax-exempt entities may be eligible to apply. Please see a helpful overview of the program here.
Application to the program is open until 11:59 PM on June 27. For program-related inquiries and portal assistance, applicants should email EJBonusSupport@hq.doe.gov.
Mayor Craig Greenberg officially proclaimed May 6-10, 2024 as Air Quality Awareness Week in Louisville, joining Air Pollution Control District (APCD) partners across the country in encouraging residents to incorporate air quality awareness into their daily lives. Here are some good ways to increase your air quality awareness:
On March 28, Trees Louisville, Louisville Metro Government, and Urban Canopy LLC announced the development of Louisville's Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP), a strategic plan to improve a community's urban forest. An urban forest refers to all the trees in a city's boundary, whether they are in a city owned park, a privately owned home, or anywhere else. The amount of land shaded by trees is referred to as the tree canopy. In Louisville, 39% of the city is shaded by trees. Learn more about Louisville's tree canopy.
Graphic from the Louisville Tree Plan website: https://www.louisvilletreeplan.org/about-louisville-trees.html
The UFMP is created by assessing the current health and distribution of Louisville's trees and by engaging with residents, stakeholders, and the community at large to determine needs, set goals, and provide recommendations for the steps needed to achieve those goals.
Learn more about the UFMP process and how to get involved!
When a tree must be removed from public land, Urban Forestry repurposes it into mulch.
Louisville Metro Urban Forestry re-launched the Mulch Mondays program beginning May 6. Homeowners and non-profit organizations are eligible to receive free, natural mulch comprised of coarse wood chips collected from trees that were removed from public land. Individuals must register for an appointment as well as bring their own container or vehicle to collect mulch.
Sign up for an appointment and or visit the Urban Forestry website for more information!
In addition to the free mulch program, Urban Forestry will continue to host new tree planting and pruning events throughout the year! Sign up to volunteer at using the online volunteer portal.
Louisville Metro Urban Forestry responded to storm damage
After storms hit the city, Louisville Metro Urban Forestry jumped into action to respond to the many trees and limbs that fell in the recent storms. The Urban Forestry team has been working cooperatively to aid in the cleanup and restoration. Climate events and the damage they induce have continued to impact our city, but our Urban Forestry department has always acted swiftly and improved their response methods.
Brightside will host their monthly Sweep & Sip Cleanup at Goodwood Brewing on 636 E Main Street this Saturday, June 1 at 11:00 AM.
 Brightside neighborhood cleanups provide a way for community members to help keep Louisville clean and green all throughout the year. This is a great opportunity to foster civic pride and community engagement. Many groups use this as a team building activity within their place of employment, neighborhoods, place of worship, school and other community or service groups. No group is too small, whether it be one person or one hundred, all of our volunteers make an impact.
If you would like to host a Neighborhood Cleanup, registering is easy! Just fill out the Neighborhood Cleanup Registration Form.
 The Office of Planning at Louisville Metro Government will host a Reimagine 9th Street meeting on Thursday, June 6 at 5:00 PM. Reimagine 9th Street is a project that will benefit the surrounding community and neighborhoods. This meeting is a chance to engage with the project team on the 9th Street corridor design concept and ways to get involved going forward.
 The first CycLOUvia event of 2024 will be held on Sunday, June 9, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on 4th Street from Main to Broadway.
CycLOUvia is your opportunity to experience Louisville as you never have before, by walking, cycling, skateboarding, or dancing in the street. Streets account for a massive amount of public land in all cities. CycLOUvia repurposes these public spaces by temporarily replacing traditional vehicular traffic with pedestrian traffic. Streets become paved parks where people of all ages, abilities, and socio-economic backgrounds can come to improve their mental, physical, and emotional health. In addition, CycLOUvia allows residents to enjoy our great local businesses along some of Louisville's most iconic corridors!
Pop-Up Drop-Off events are recycling and large item disposal events free to residents of Jefferson County. They are funded through a partnership between the Department of Public Works, the Louisville/Jefferson County Waste Management District, and Metro Council. The next disposal event will be June 15 at Doss High School from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
Pop-Up Drop-Off graphic
Accepted Items:
- Up to 3 electronic items (recycled)
- Metal & appliances - no refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers or any items containing Freon (recycled)
- Up to 4 passenger tires (recycled)
- Household recyclables, follow curbside rules (recycled)
- Yard waste, follow curbside rules, wooden pallets (composted)
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Large household items (landfilled)
- Documents for shredding (recycled)
- Prescription medication (disposed properly)
- Gently used shoes will be collected for WaterStep - every 3 pairs of shoes collected provides safe water for 1 person for life!
Items must already be separated into categories for easy off-loading so as much can be recycled as possible.
Not Accepted:
- Garbage, loose debris (use curbside garbage collection or take to landfill)
- Concrete, bricks, rocks
- Construction debris (take to Waste Reduction Center, fees apply)
- Refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers, or items containing Freon (take to Waste Reduction Center or metal recycling facility)
- Latex paint (disposal information)
- Batteries, light bulbs, oil-based paint, varnishes, stains, and other household hazardous waste (take to Haz Bin)
- Tree trunks
- Boats, hot tubs
- Items from businesses
- Trailers greater than 10 feet in length (larger loads can be taken to the Waste Reduction Center)
For more information, please visit Pop-Up Drop-Off Waste Disposal Events | LouisvilleKY.gov.
Bikeway Implementation Plan
Public Work's Bike Louisville and the Office of Planning are partnering with Alta Planning & Design to develop the Bikeway Implementation Plan! This study will set the agenda for bike infrastructure improvements for the near future by prioritizing areas of the existing bike network that would most benefit from quick-build projects.
The BIP held a virtual kick off meeting (view slides and Q&A here) on Monday, April 15th to solicit public input on our existing bike network and where improvements to that network are most needed.
Building off of a productive virtual kick off meeting, the first week of June will have opportunities to get involved in-person! Check out the upcoming public events below that will give you a chance to review updates on the plan and provide feedback on findings and proposed improvements! The BIP project team is hosting a group ride followed by an informal meet-up at West 6th Brewery Wednesday, June 5th @ 5:30 pm and a public open house at the Louisville Main Library, Thursday, June 6th, 6:00 pm - 7:30pm. Everyone is welcome to join!
First-time and veteran bikers showed up to Bike To Work!
After a last-minute postponement due to weather, dozens came out on a beautiful Monday morning, to take part in Bike To Work Day group rides and 4th Street Live celebration, Louisville's first in-person Bike to Work Day (BTWD) since 2019! The coffee, donuts, and raffle prizes were a great way to start the week.
This year, we saw how effective fun events like BTWD can be at encouraging folks to try new healthy, sustainable habits. Through the registration form, over 20 percent of those who signed up for BTWD said this was their first time riding their bike to work!
Be on the look out for more Bike Louisville events that give us an excuse to get out and enjoy car-free traveling.
The Louisville Sustainability Council Grant Program is open until May 31.
The Louisville Sustainability Council’s Community Grant Program offers grants to support innovative, entrepreneurial projects and programs to plan for the impact of climate change on our most vulnerable citizens, while supporting community equity and resilience.
Recipients will receive between $250 and $2,500 toward their project and will have access to LSC events, programs, mentors and the opportunity to partner their work with the LSC initiatives.
Application Requirements:
- Anyone in the Louisville Metro area may apply, including educational institutions and non-profit organizations.
- Each submitted program or project must directly align with the mission of the Louisville Sustainability Council.
- The proposed activities must largely take place in the greater Louisville Metropolitan Statistical Area. In an effort to align with the Justice 40 Initiative, we intend to allocate 40% of funds to Environmental Justice areas in the MSA.
- Applicants must complete the on-line application by the deadline, including proposed project budget and timeline.
The Community Grant Program supports projects with a mission to reflect the vision and mission of the LSC. Submission window closes on May 31, 2024, with notification of award by July 1, 2024. Apply today!
The Louisville Sustainability Council will host the next Green Drinks event on June 12.
Join the Louisville Sustainability Council for a discussion by guest curator Rebecca Norton, and the local artists involved in 21c Louisville’s current exhibition “H2O" on June 12 at 6:00 PM. The works in the exhibition draw attention to both the beauty and wonder of oceans, rivers, streams and wetlands, as well as the destruction caused by pollution and climate change.
We will hear more about each artist’s artmaking process, reflections on the themes of the exhibit, and Norton’s approach to curating. Artists featured in “H2O” are Julia Coash, Susanna Crum, Valerie Sullivan Fuchs, Mary Newton, and Guinever Smith. “H2O” is sponsored by the Kentucky Foundation for Women.
- Louisville names Michelle King parks executive director (via Courier Journal)
- How Louisville rideshare startup Dais plans to 'go a step further' for passengers (via Louisville Business First)
- TARC employees rally in downtown Louisville for more public transportation funding (via WDRB)
- Trager Microforest Project Brings Forestry To Downtown Louisville (via LEO Weekly)
- New solar will help keep power on during scorching summer, report says (via Kentucky Lantern)
- Kentucky awards $20 million grant from National Science Foundation to study climate change (via Northern Kentucky Tribune)
- 'Change Today, Change Tomorrow' launches first-ever West End Farmers Market (via WLKY)
- Metro Council members raise concerns about proposed budget cuts to agriculture programs (via WDRB)
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