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• Metro Council News
• The Mayor's FY26 Budget Proposal
• Storm & Flood Debris Curbside Pickup
• Spring Cleanup - May 31, 2025!💐
• District Spotlight
• Shakespeare in the Parks - This Sunday!
• Upcoming Events!
• Pop-Up Drop Off - May 17, 2025
• Illegal Dumping Alert
• Planning and Zoning Matters
• Follow us on Facebook!
• Important Phone Numbers
• Quote of the Week

Metro Council News

Yesterday, Metro Council received the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget proposal from Mayor Greenberg. This proposal was received during a speech given to the members of the Metro Council during our regularly scheduled meeting and signifies the start the nearly two month long budget review process that will conclude at our June 26, 2025 Metro Council meeting.

The Mayor’s budget proposal represents months of work leading up to the presentation by the Mayor and his appointees. Mayor Greenberg’s proposal lays out our community’s spending priorities.

Members of the Metro Council do not get advance copies of the hundreds of pages of proposals, so our ability to give in depth comments on the proposal is limited. Over the next two weeks members of the Metro Council will take time to read through the hundreds of pages of documentation and then we will begin dozens of hours of public hearings with each department.

After the conclusion of the mayor’s speech, we returned to our regular meeting schedule voting on previous meeting minutes, the Metro Council’s Consent items and voting on those items listed on old business for their final recommendation.

Items Voted on during our April 24^th meeting included:

• Greater Louisville Pride Foundation Funding (O-080-25): Metro Council members allocated neighborhood development funding to support the creation and installation of signage honoring My Morning Jackson at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center.
• Kenducky Derby Funding for Harbor House: The Metro Council unanimously supported an ordinance to support and assist with marketing and fundraising for Harbor House’s 2025 Kenducky Derby Event at Waterfront Park.
• Zoning Cases: The Metro Council unanimously supported the approval of a zoning case on Thixton Lane after adding two binding elements to further clarify the maximum allowed number of units allowed to be constructed on the property.  
• Land Development Proposals: The sponsor for items O-086-25 and R-033-25 withdrew his sponsorship of a resolution requesting the planning staff review the definition of pool and game rooms as well as the moratorium on such developments within a specific PDD. Both items died for lack of a sponsor.

The Metro Council does not have meetings scheduled for next week. Our next regular committee week will be the week of May 5, 2025.

The Mayor's FY26 Budget Proposal

The Mayor’s FY26 Budget Proposal

Louisville Metro Government operates on an annual budget that unlike the Federal Government, must be balanced and must be passed prior to the start of the new Fiscal Year on the first day of July. Mayor Greenberg delivered his third budget proposal to the members of the Louisville Metro Council, outlining approximately $1.2 billion in spending ($960 million for the Operating Budget and $240 million for the Capital budget). The mayor’s budget proposal begins working from as positive a position as has occurred in many years. According to the Mayor’s Office, Louisville Metro is working from a position of strength and has a surplus of approximately $50 million. This funding will be used to increase our investment in infrastructure, technology for fighting crime, as well as finding ways to streamline permitting and application processes for persons looking to invest within our city. The mayor also used our positive position to propose levels of paving and other deferred maintenance that will help us continue to make significant improvements to our roads, sidewalks, as well as the general upkeep of our community assets.

Next Steps

We will now spend the next few weeks looking through the hundreds of pages of detail  to get a better grasp of what it being proposed. Starting Thursday, May 8^th the Metro Council’s Budget Committee will begin the hearing process with an overview of the entire proposal from Metro’s Chief Financial Officer, Angela Dunn and Budget Director, Aaron Jackson. Over the course of the next two months, we will have nearly 30 hours of budget hearings covering a at least 20  departments and government agencies.

Many Good Things to Talk About

Mayor Greenberg seems to have listened and worked many of our ideas into his budget proposal. Fully funding road paving, the police headquarters construction and helping to complete funding for new libraries are a few examples of what can be liked about this proposal.

The willingness to invest not only in downtown but now in areas such as Southwest Louisville gives me hope we can begin to make real progress and improvements in all parts of our city. There is $122 million proposed to be managed by our Public Works and Assets Department for 41 projects including $30 million for paving throughout Metro, $2 million in sidewalk repair, $29 million to continue the Louisville Loop in over 10 areas of Metro, $18 million for the Cooper Chapel Road project and many new sidewalk and road projects. 

$26.8 million is proposed to be spent for affordable housing projects, home repairs and homeless shelter projects.

The Mayor has included $33.3 million throughout Metro for grants or contracts to non-profit organizations to supplement the activities and objectives of Louisville Metro.

A few concerns heading into Budget Hearings:

Lack of Funding for a Police Training Facility: While the Mayor’s budget does adequately fund the continued work on a new police headquarters, it fails to support an equally needed new police training facility. This project has been needed for nearly a decade and was one of the top projects that I and members within the Metro Council listed in our meetings leading up to the Mayor’s speech. I will continue to pursue funding for this facility as it is needed to help us bring in more officers as well as improve training for police, fire and other safety officers working in our community.

Growth of Metro Personnel: There are 69 new positions as well as salary increases listed within the Mayor’s Proposal. Some of those proposals are needed to keep and retain needed positions such as engineers and project managers. Even though we are in good financial times, we want to be sure that we are still evaluating the usefulness of all persons so that our government is operating in the most efficient way possible. Understanding the hiring, growth and other factors within this budget will take some time, but that will be an aspect of this budget that I will be carefully reviewing.

Planning for the Future: Over the past decade the Metro Council has helped to fund more proactive approaches towards issues by increasing funding for preventative maintenance within our parks and public works departments. We need to make sure that this budget not only continues that work but also creates proposals that will help to address traffic problems, improve safety and deliver services as they are needed instead of making promises and failing to deliver.  As a member of the Metro Council I will be looking to fund needed work that will lead to a substantial and positive improvements for District 14. 

Big Picture Highlights of the Budget Proposal:

• $30 million for paving/repairing streets. This marks the ninth year in which the Metro Council would meet or exceed our goals for addressing needed paving within the community.
• $1 million for additional cameras and license plate readers to continue our efforts to reduce crime.
• $9.2 million for continued work towards a new LMPD Headquarters
• $3 million for a new and innovative program established with the goal of bringing new businesses and restaurants to the South End.
• $3 million for addressing overdue infrastructure needs within the fastest growing areas of eastern Jefferson County
• Additional Funding for 24-hour shelter service to assist with our communities homeless population.
• Additional funding to offer medical assistance to homeless persons recently released from hospital treatment.
• $15 million in funding to support the Affordable Housing Trust Fund
• $2 million to support efforts to use Artificial Intelligence to reduce regulations, improve the permitting process and streamline the delivery of government services.

You can read, review, and make comments on the proposed budget...

To see the full schedule Metro Council FY26 Budget Committee hearings planned during the months of May and June click HERE.

If you would like to review the Mayor’s Proposed FY25 Budget you can view it by clicking HERE.

If you would like to make a comment, suggestion or have a question about the budget, you can fill out the following form and your submission will be collected and shared with all members of the Metro Council. 2025 - 2026 Louisville Metro Budget Comment Form

Thank you again for allowing me the opportunity to serve as your representative on the Louisville Metro Council. Please feel free to reach out to me should you have any questions or ideas related to local government.

Storm & Flood Debris Curbside Pickup

During the week of March 30, 2025, two tornadoes hit Jefferson County and days of thunderstorms throughout our region sparked a historic flooding event. The Ohio River crested Wednesday, April 10, 2025, nearly 25 feet above average, making it the eighth worst flooding event in Louisville’s history.

These overlapping severe weather systems have wreaked havoc on our communities. Louisville Metro Government is committed to helping our impacted families.

Metro residents may now fill out the self-reporting an online form to request curbside debris pick-up following recent severe weather events, including tornadoes and flooding.

Curbside service is for residential storm and flood related debris only. Household hazardous waste will not be accepted at the curb.

Businesses should contact and go-through their insurance for assistance. 

If you cannot access the Self-Reporting Online Form, or need additional assistance, please contact Public Works at 502-574-3572.

To review frequently asked questions visit the Storm and Flood Debris Cleanup webpage.

If you need assistance filing a request, please call us at 502-574-1114.

Spring Cleanup - May 31, 2025!💐

Calling all residents, families, church groups, schools, businesses, and non-profits...WE NEED YOU! It's time to come together for a cause that benefits us all - Community Cleanup Day!

Let's join hands to beautify our neighborhood and make a tangible difference. Your efforts will help create a cleaner, healthier, and more vibrant community for everyone. Bring your enthusiasm, community spirit, and a smile. Together, we can achieve greatness! 

District Spotlight

In all branches of public service, there are numerous individuals who work diligently behind the scenes to fortify operations and keep things running smoothly. This week, in honor of Administrative Week, we are excited to highlight some of those invaluable individuals! 

Meet Sonya Harward (Metro Clerk's Office) Sonya Harward has been the Metro Council Clerk since 2020. She has worked in local and state government for about 25 years, including Louisville Metro Corrections Department, Louisville Metro Housing Authority, Kentucky Public Service Commission, and the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office. Her experience with government has culminated to prepare her perfectly for her current position and everyone on Metro Council is grateful for the support and efforts she continuously puts forth to keep everything running smoothly in City Hall. Sonya enjoys spending time with her family, especially her two grandchildren. She also enjoys playing tennis and shares her passion for tennis with the community by serving as Vice President on the board for the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Kentucky, serving as a committee member on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for USTA Southern, and volunteering with various tennis activities throughout the state.

Meet Justin Soforo (Metro Clerk's Office) Justin was born and raised in the city of Louisville.  Growing up in Districts 18 and 19, currently living in District 2, and graduating from the University of Louisville in 2012 with a degree in Political Science – Law and Public Policy. His heart has always been in the city and with the Louisville athletics programs. Serving as the Senior Clerk for the Metro Council Clerk’s Office, Justin specializes in the oversight and fulfillment of Open Records for the Metro Council’s 26 District Offices, as well as Government Oversight/Audit & Appointments, Public Safety, and Parks and Sustainability committees. Stop by his office if you need any help with processing legislation and open records or just to chat about the Cards!

Meet Amy Golden (Metro Clerk's Office) Amy joined the Metro Council Clerk's Office in April 2024. She previously worked in the Governor’s Office of Constituent Services before coming to the Metro Council. She enjoys painting, going to concerts, and spending time outside with my dogs and friends. She has been a great addition to the Metro Clerk's Office team!

Meet Cheryl Woods (Metro Clerk's Office) Cheryl is a resident of District 19 and has worked in Metro for over twenty years, having been with the Clerk’s Office for five of those years. She enjoys spending her time with her family and attending church. Cheryl’s focus for the Metro Council is Planning and Zoning Committee, Public Works Committee, Equity, Community Affairs, Housing, Health and Education Committee, and Ad Hoc Committee on Boards and Commissions. Cheryl's peers tell us she is the heart and soul of the Metro Council Clerk’s Office, where every office in City Hall knows to go to her if they need a boost in morale or a friendly face to talk to.

Meet Lora Bentley (PRP Fire Dept) Lora has called Louisville, Kentucky home for all but 17 years, during which she spent time in Cincinnati, Ohio. She as two adult children who both graduated from Pleasure Ridge Park High School. With a background in the financial and construction industry, Lora came to the PRP Fire Department in September 2024 as the Finance Administrator and is happy to be a part of this team that is dedicated to serving the community.

Shakespeare in the Parks - This Sunday!

JOIN US THIS WEEKEND! 

We are super excited to sponsor Shakespeare in the Parks presentation of Macbeth at Sun Valley Community Center on April 27 @ 6:30PM! Bring your chairs and/or blankets and join us on the lawn in front of the stage.

The Bootlegger Grill Food truck will be available if you would like to purchase food. Check them out on Facebook HERE! 

Upcoming Events!

Check it out these events coming up in the area! 

Pop-Up Drop Off - May 17, 2025

Illegal Dumping Alert

The drop-off recycling location near the Sun Valley Community Center has been a target for illegal dumping lately - and the Solid Waste Enforcement team has been on the case!

This individual's vehicle was impounded, and they will have to pay about $1000 in fines/fees. They were also educated on proper disposal methods! 

Remember: Use the Recycle Coach app or contact Know Waste Louisville if you aren't sure how to get rid of items!

Thinking of dumping? Don't do it! Each recycling container is clearly labeled with what is acceptable and what is not permitted. Please adhere to the instructions.

Planning and Zoning Matters

This week's Planning and Design Inter-Agency Review Agenda (IARC) can be accessed HERE.

Did you know that you also can sign up to receive weekly activity reports from the Office of Planning directly to your inbox or phone? Sign up HERE. You can also sign up to receive notices of all development proposals specifically for District 14. This is the best way to stay informed! 

‼️NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING MEETING FOR 23-ZONE-0108‼️

Case Record: 23-ZONE-0108

Property Address: 13001, 13003, & 13015 E ORELL RD and 6110 1/2 Blevins Gap Rd

Change in zoning from R-4 to R-6 for a 528 unit multi-family residential development on 36.98 acres. (this development plan has been udpated with changes since the originally filing, please refer to case records at the link below for the latest information)

For more information, please click HERE.

‼️NOTICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING FOR 25-ZONEPA-0044‼️

Case Record: 25-ZONEPA-0044

Property Address: 6104 PARADISE LANE

Change in Zoning Pre-Application from R-6 & C-2 to C-M to allow the construction of a mini-warehouse business on the on 4.1593 acres located at 6104 Paradise Lane. The proposed plan includes seven one-story buildings and a detention basin in the southeast corner of the property. The proposed mini-warehouse business will be accessed via Paradise Lane. The property will be fenced, and buffering will be provided along all property lines adjacent to residences.

We are inviting nearby owners, residents, and other neighborhood stakeholders to a meeting to discuss the proposal as indicated below.

MEETING LOCATION: Southwest Regional Library Community Room
9725 Dixie Highway Louisville, Kentucky 40272
DATE: May 8, 2025
TIME: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

For more information, please click HERE.

‼️NOTICE OF SECOND NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING FOR 25-ZONE-0026‼️

Case Record: 25-ZONE-0026

Property Address: 11900 & 11908 E. ORELL RD and 11705 DIXIE HIGHWAY

For more information, please click HERE.

Notice of Second Neighborhood Meeting: Change of Zoning Form District from
existing Neighborhood Form to Suburban Marketplace Corridor Form

You are invited to a second neighborhood meeting on the above-referenced Application for a change in Zoning. Details are as follows:

MEETING LOCATION: Southwest Regional Library Community Room
9725 Dixie Highway Louisville, Kentucky 40272
DATE: May 7, 2025
TIME: 6:00 p.m.

Case Record: 25-ZONEPA-0049

Property Address: 13601 KELLY LN

A change in zoning from R-4 to EZ-1 to allow an existing auto repair shop and heavy truck off-street parking and storage facility on 4.7 acres.

For more information, please click HERE.

Case Record: 25-MPLAT-0055

Property Address: 4933 WEST PAGES LN

A minor subdivision plat to divide one lot into 2 and dedicate right-of-way on 4.63460 acres in the C-2 and R-4 zoning districts.

For more information, please click HERE. 

Case Record: 24-MPLAT-0049

Property Address:13800 DIXIE HWY

A minor subdivision plat application to consolidate three tracts into one and dedicate right-of-way on 3.649 acres in the C1 and C2 zoning districts

For more information, please click HERE. 

Case Record: 25-CFR-0009

Property Address: 11616 LOWER RIVER RD

Johnsontown Storage Building - A community facility review for a storage building on 300.37 acres in the R-1, R-4, and R-7 zoning districts.

For more information, please click HERE. 

Case Record: 24-CAT2-0031

Property Address:13730 DIXIE HWY 40272

Rapid Liquors Corner Mall - a category 2b development plan for a 6000 sf commercial strip mall on 0.59 acres in the C-1 zoning district.

For more information, please click HERE. 

Case Record: 24-DDP-0077

Property Address: 9501 CANE RUN RD 40258 (Five Star #5301)

A district development plan application to demolish and rebuild of existing convenience store, with fueling and related site improvements on 2.96 acres in the C1 zoning district.

For more information, please click HERE. 

Case Record: 24-DDP-0038

Property Address: 7000 TRANSPORT CT 40258

ISCO Riverport - A detailed development plan to construct a 106,800 sf building on 8.71 acres in the EZ-1 zoning district

For more information, please click HERE. 

Case Record: 24-CAT2-0031

Property Address: 13730 DIXIE HWY 40272

A category 2b development plan for a 6000 sf commercial strip mall on 0.59 acres in the C-1 zoning district

For more information, please click HERE.

Case Record: 24-DDP-0038

Property Address: 7000 TRANSPORT CT 40258

A detailed development plan to construct a 106,800 sf building on 8.71 acres in the EZ-1 zoning district

For more information, please click HERE.

➡️ How to Participate in a Planning Commission Public Hearing

➡️ How to Participate in a Land Development & Transportation Meeting (LD&T)

➡️ After the Neighborhood Meeting

Southwest Regional Library Events

Check out these upcoming events and activities at the library and be sure to visit their website for more details and information HERE.

LMPD Crime Mapping Tool

Find out where crime is happening in your neighborhood! Use LMPD's Crime Mapping Tool HERE.

Follow us on Facebook!

Important Phone Numbers

Quote of the Week

For further information on Councilwoman Bast or District 14 please visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/metro-council-district-14

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