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Louisville Metro Government is now accepting applications from local non-profits for programs or activities funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Fiscal Year 2019 (July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019). HUD-funded grants include the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA). These grants are administered locally by Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Services (RCS) and guided by a 5-year strategic Consolidated Plan as well as the annual Action Plan.
Resilience and Community Services’ FY19 – FY20 Goals are:
- End chronic homelessness;
- End homelessness for families and youth;
- Serve homeless and low-income persons with HIV/AIDS
CDBG Public Service
CDBG Public Service grants will run from July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019. The average CDBG award equals approximately $40,000. For CDBG Public Service funds, RCS will give preference to applications for activities that include:
- Increasing case management capacity focusing on transitioning homeless individuals into housing;
- Connecting homeless families and/or youth to housing and supportive services through outreach;
- Increasing case management capacity focusing on self-sufficiency; and/or
- Recruitment of residential property owners and managers to increase access to housing for families and individuals exiting homelessness.
ESG
ESG grants require a 100% match to awarded funds. ESG grants will run from July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019. The average ESG award equals approximately $46,000. RCS will give preference to applications for activities that include:
- Increasing the number of emergency shelter beds available;
- Increasing case management capacity focusing on transitioning homeless individuals into housing;
- Rapidly rehousing homeless individuals and families; and/or
- Providing outreach to families and/or youth to exit homelessness.
HOPWA
HOPWA grants will run from July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019. The average HOPWA award equals approximately $180,000. HOPWA funds may be used for activities for individuals with HIV/AIDS which include, but are not limited to:
- Supportive services;
- Rental assistance; and/or
- Short-term payments to prevent homelessness.
CDBG, ESG, and HOPWA sub-recipients will go through competitive funding processes. Any groups representing persons of low and moderate incomes may request technical assistance from Louisville Metro to help in their preparation of an application for funding. The method with which to request technical assistance shall be included as part of the request for funding applications. The funding decision-making process will also be outlined in the request for funding applications. Once sub-recipients and projects have been approved, Louisville Metro Government will review the list to determine if a technical correction of the information is needed or a substantial amendment is required.
A public meeting for questions will be held at 701 W. Ormsby Ave, 1st floor conference room (Edison Room) on Monday, February 5, 2018 from 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. The deadline to submit an application is Monday, February 12, 2018 by 5 p.m. To gain access to the application, go to https://louisvilleky.wufoo.com/forms/fy-2019-esg-cdbg-and-hopwa-funding-application/.
Applications will be reviewed by an initial internal panel and recommendations will be presented to a larger panel composed of Louisville Metro Council members and outside agencies for approval. Recommendations will be made for inclusion in the FY19 Louisville Metro budget.
Please submit all questions to Heath Rico-Storey, Grants Contract Coordinator, with the Office of Resilience and Community Services, at (502) 574-5777 or Anthony.Rico@louisvilleky.gov.
Yard waste collection in the Urban Services District of Louisville Metro (the former City of Louisville boundaries) is now on seasonal shutdown. Regular collection on yard waste routes is suspended until March 12.
Seasonal suspension of yard waste collection was done on a two-week trial basis in 2017 and found to be successful. Because of that success, yard waste collection will go on seasonal shutdown annually from January 1 until the middle of March.
The shutdown is possible because yard waste collection volumes are very low in the winter months. It allows Metro Public Works to direct additional resources to the effort to clear our streets and roads, including interstate highways, of litter in advance of spring along with other solid waste activities.
During the suspension period, citizens should not put yard waste out for collection. Any yard waste problems should be reported as usual to MetroCall at 311 or 574-5000. Those calls will be handled on an as needed basis rather than running crews fulltime on routes across the city.
For thousands of local children – and quite a few adults, too – sledding is a highlight of the winter season. Louisville Parks and Recreation wants to remind the public it will open hills in seven parks for sledding from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on days when snow accumulation reaches 2-3 inches.
Louisville Parks and Recreation has selected its best and safest sledding hills in the area. As long as the sledding hills maintain adequate snow coverage, they will remain open. Park users are asked to avoid sledding when hills are closed. Sledding on slopes that lack appropriate snow depth will cause turf damage that must be repaired in the spring.
The rule of thumb for determining if enough snow accumulation has occurred is that if you see blades of grass poking through the snow cover; it’s not deep enough to sled safely. Sledding when parks employees have not posted the “open” sign, and at all other times, comes at your own risk.
DESIGNATED SLEDDING HILLS:
- Cherokee Park (Baringer Hill, intersection of Alexander Road and Scenic Loop)
- George Rogers Clark Park (1024 Thruston Avenue, behind playground, near McKinley Avenue)
- Joe Creason Park (1297 Trevilian Way, behind Metro Parks administration building)
- McNeely Lake Park (6900 Cooper Chapel Road, near Korean War Memorial)
- Tyler Park (1501 Castlewood Avenue, on Tyler Park Drive side of park)
- Charlie Vettiner Park (5550 Charlie Vettiner Park Road, near Easum Road entrance)
SLEDDING RULES:
- Sledding is permitted on designated sledding hills when the “Sledding Hill Open” sign is displayed.
- Sledding hills will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. as long as there is adequate snow to protect slopes; all sledding hills will close at 11 p.m.
- Park vehicles only in regular parking areas to protect your car from damage.
- No vehicles are permitted off the pavement in any park.
- No alcoholic beverages are permitted at any time.
- Those who use the designated sledding hills are doing so at their own risk. Bonfires will not be permitted at Metro Parks’ sites, and sledders are urged to carry a cell phone in the event of an emergency.
- Please pick up your trash or use the designated trash bins for waste removal – or take trash with you as you leave.
SLEDDING SAFETY TIPS:
- Only use devices designed for sledding.
- Wear appropriate clothing – loose ends or flaps can easily get caught.
- Sleds should contain a number of riders appropriate for the designated device during each descent.
- Dress in layers, so you can remove one layer without risking frostbite. Several thin layers are warmer than one bulky layer.
- Make sure you’re with someone who knows your name and can contact family in an emergency; parents should remain with their children.
- Don’t drink alcohol before sledding – it impairs your ability to use good judgment and causes the body to lose heat more rapidly.
- Check your path for trees and other objects before starting your descent.
- Don’t sled head-first or standing up. Good visibility is necessary during your descent. Don’t face backwards, and make sure your vision isn’t obscured by hats and scarves.
- When climbing the hill, stay to the sides. Don’t climb in the sledding path. It’s important to remember that slopes can become very crowded during peak times.
January is National Radon Action month. The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness wants you to know the dangers of radon and encourages you to test your home. The department is offering free radon test kits while the supply lasts. You can request a kit online by clicking HERE or by calling 574-6650.
Radon is a gas that you cannot smell, taste or see. It forms naturally when uranium, radium and thorium break down in rocks, soil and groundwater. People can be exposed to radon primarily from breathing radon in air that comes in through cracks and gaps in homes and other buildings. Radon can cause lung cancer through prolonged exposure. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, behind smoking, and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, causing between 15,000 and 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year.
The entire state of Kentucky is at high risk for radon exposure with about 40 percent of homes estimated to have unsafe levels. The only way to know if radon exists at dangerous levels in your home is to test for it.
“To encourage people to test their homes for radon, we are offering free test kits, “said Dr. Sarah Moyer, director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. “People can’t see or smell radon so they may be unaware that it might exist at dangerous levels in their homes and be exposing them to deadly health effects.”
The lung cancer risk factors of tobacco smoke and radon are related. More radon-related lung cancers occur in individuals with a history of exposure to tobacco smoke. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.
Lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States, with the highest mortality rate of any cancer. Kentucky has the highest incidence rate of lung cancer in the nation with a rate of 93.4 per 100,000 compared to the national average of 59.4. According to the recently released 2017 Health Equity Report, cancer is the leading cause of death in Louisville.
The death rate from lung cancer in Kentucky is 69.5 per 100,000 compared to the national average of 43.4. In Louisville our lung cancer incidence and mortality rates are also well above the national average. According to the Kentucky Cancer Registry the incidence rate of lung cancer in Louisville is 94.8 per 100,000 compared to 59.4 nationally. The death rate is 61.7 compared to 43.4 nationally.
Here are a few tips to help prevent radon in your home:
- Stop smoking and discourage smoking in your home. Smoking significantly increases the risk of lung cancer from radon. Second hand smoking in the home is also a leading cause of Sudden Infant Death (SIDS).
- Increase air flow in your house by opening windows and using fans and vents to circulate air.
- Seal cracks in floors and walls with plaster, caulk, or other materials designed for this purpose.
- Seek a qualified contractor to help remove the radon from your home.
- Mitigation costs generally range from $1,200 to $2,500 depending on the size and foundation of the home.
Consult the Kentucky Association of Radon Professionals or the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists National Radon Proficiency Program to locate approved contractors near you.
The annual program that helps prevent low income residents of Louisville from being disconnected from utility services begins Monday, Jan. 8, 2018.
LIHEAP, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, is administered by Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Services. The Crisis Phase of LIHEAP will run from Jan. 8 – March 30, or until available funds have been expended, whichever comes first.
This year’s Crisis Program features expanded eligibility which allows residents receiving a current utility bill with a past due amount to apply, in addition to continuing to serve residents receiving a disconnect notice.
Residents wishing to apply must make an appointment utilizing the automated appointment system. Appointments can be scheduled by phone by calling 502-991-8391 or online atlouisvilleky.cascheduler.com. The toll-free service is currently open and is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Applicants must be Jefferson County residents with a household income at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty guidelines (e.g. for a household of four, the gross monthly income cannot exceed $2,665.00).
Applicants must also meet one of the following eligibility requirements:
- Disconnect notice from utility service provider, or
- Current bill with a past due amount, or
- Eviction notice if utilities are included in the rent, or
- Bulk fuel is within four days of running out; or
- Pre-paid electric services is within ten days of running out.
Applicants must provide the following documents.
- Proof of all household income for the preceding month (Food Stamp award letter, Social Security Award letter, pay stubs, or other proof of $0 income). Note: Zero Income forms are available at the LIHEAP offices or at 701 W. Ormsby Ave., Suite 201 or by clicking here.
- Social Security card(s) or (official documentation with Social Security Numbers) or Permanent Residence card (Green Card) for each member of the household; and
- Disconnect notice or a current bill with a past due amount; or
- Eviction notice if heating expenses are included in the rent. If heat is included in rent, clients must also provide a copy of the lease in addition to the eviction notice; or
- Statement from utility company that shows 10 days or less of service if participating in pre-paid electric service.
Individuals who are unable to apply for this program in person may send an authorized representative on their behalf with a signed, written, note including the applicant’s name, address, phone number, Social Security Number, and the name of the designated representative. The authorized representative must provide a picture ID to verify they are the person designated in the note. Residents who are homebound and who are unable to send a representative may call 502/780-7937.
LIHEAP applications will be completed at the time of the appointment at one of the six locations listed below.
- Northwest Neighborhood Place/Academy at Shawnee, 4018 W Market St., 40212
- South Central Neighborhood Place, 4255 Hazelwood Ave., 40215
- Neighborhood Place Ujima/Duvalle Education Center, 3610 Bohne Ave., 40211
- Neighborhood Place/Bridges of Hope, 1411 Algonquin Pkwy., 40210
- Newburg Community Center/East, 4810 Exeter Ave, 40218
- Southwest Government Center/Dixie Highway location. 7219 Dixie Highway, 40258
Callers who require more information can contact MetroCall 311 by simply dialing 311 or 574-5000, email metro.call@louisvilleky.gov, visit the website’s On Line Customer Service or Live Chat at www.louisvilleky.gov/metrocall, tweet @LouMetro311, or download the free Mobile 311 app from the website. Residents can also call Metro United Way’s 2-1-1 help referral service.
A major project to improve safety along one of the city’s most traveled highways began a new phase today, as Mayor Greg Fischer and U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced the construction kickoff of the New Dixie Highway Project.
Upon completion in December 2019, the improved corridor will include safety improvements such as new medians, wider sidewalks and clearly marked crosswalks; efficiency improvements including responsive traffic signals linked by fiber optic cable; and the city’s first bus rapid transit system which will vastly improve bus travel times to and from downtown.
“The U.S. Department of Transportation’s $16.9 million TIGER grant is providing nearly half of the funding for the New Dixie Highway Project to greatly improve the Louisville area transportation network,” said Secretary Chao. “As a resident of Louisville, I have spent a lot of time driving Dixie Highway and am delighted to be part of this effort to improve the safety and efficiency of the city’s busiest traffic corridor.
The $35 million project will create a New Dixie Highway that’s safer for drivers and pedestrians, and will fuel transformation of a major economic corridor for southwest and west Louisville. The New Dixie Highway Project is the first major construction project under the Mayor’s MOVE Louisville initiative.
“We’re investing more money into improving Dixie Highway right now than any other corridor in the city,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “This road is a crucial connector for people to get to schools, to work, to health care, and most importantly, to get back home. This project will not only make Dixie safer for drivers, but it will make it more attractive for business owners, consumers and investors.”
Dixie Highway carries nearly 60,000 vehicles per day near its busiest intersections, which is a higher traffic count than some interstate stretches. Dixie Highway also suffers a fatality rate three times higher than comparable Kentucky roadways.
The project includes funding from federal, state and local sources, including a $16.9 million federal TIGER grant, $5.28 federal funds through KIPDA, $12 million in state funds, and $600,000 from Louisville Metro.
“It takes collaboration and support between city, state and federal partners to move a project of this size forward,” said KYTC Secretary Greg Thomas. “The upcoming construction, coupled with roadway improvements in recent years, will completely transform Dixie Highway into a safer, better-connected corridor.”
Mayor Fischer, Sec. Chao, KYTC Sec. Thomas, Congressman John Yarmuth, Metro Council members and other leaders celebrated the New Dixie Highway construction kickoff at the Kroger Marketplace, a $23 million grocery and retail superstore, at 4915 Dixie Highway. The location is appropriate, Mayor Fischer said, because the project builds on the renaissance already under way on the corridor, with tens of millions of dollars in private investments in new restaurants, retail businesses, housing and other developments.
Safety improvements lead the way
This month, MAC Construction began preparations for construction, including temporary lane shifts and utility location. Safety improvements will include new concrete medians designed to limit left turns between Crums Lane and Greenwood Road. Dedicated turn lanes will reduce the risk for head-on collisions. Pedestrians will enjoy new, more accommodating sidewalks that are eight feet wide in many areas, and better markings for crosswalks.
The city’s busiest transit corridor will also get the region’s first “bus rapid transit” line, including distinctive TARC buses and high-visibility shelters to help move thousands of people daily and better define the 14-mile corridor. More than 100 trees will be planted along the route, as well as native grasses and plants within the new landscaped medians.
Mayor Fischer thanked state legislators, Metro Council members and the KYTC for their commitment to improving safety and mobility along Dixie Highway, noting that without their work to secure state and local matching funds, the city would not have been able to leverage the federal grant to jump-start the project.
Bus rapid transit will help move people to work, home
Fueled by a $16.9 million federal TIGER grant, the New Dixie Highway project will include a new bus rapid transit line along Dixie Highway from around the Gene Snyder Freeway to Broadway, and connect to the downtown business district. It will include specially designed vehicles and bus stations that will reduce travel times for riders and increase reliability along Louisville’s most used public-transit corridor.
“This strategic investment in a proven transportation solution will help transit users get to work, to stores and back home faster and more reliably than today,” Yarmuth said. “That’s important for working families, employers and our regional economy.”
With more than 30 distinctively branded bus shelters, new buses and sidewalk improvements, the New Dixie Highway project will also help transform the look and feel of the corridor.
Multiple improvements on Dixie are already underway or completed
Overall, more than $50 million has been invested in Dixie Highway in a series of projects over the past two years. The total investment of federal, state and local dollars includes:
- $14.5 million in pavement replacement and resurfacing underway along a five-mile segment from Stonegate Manor Drive to Greenwood Road
- $2.5 million in resurfacing work completed this summer – a two-mile section from Algonquin Parkway to Maple Street (31W) and a six-mile section from the Jefferson/Hardin county line to Stonegate Manor Drive
- $2.5 million project to clean and repaint the Dixie Highway overpass at the Watterson Expressway completed last year
- $800,000 project completed this fall to add a new sidewalk along the east side of Dixie, and straighten ramp and add a signal at the westbound I-264 Shively exit
Open house meetings planned for early 2018
Citizens will get a chance to learn more about the planned improvements at an open house meeting in early 2018. Citizens can also get more information through the project website (www.TheNewDixieHighway.com) and social media channels, including Facebook and Twitter.
Follow progress on the New Dixie Highway at TheNewDixieHighway.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter @NewDixieHighway.
Metro Public Works will provide curbside pickup of Christmas Trees within the Urban Services District (the old City of Louisville boundaries) after the holiday. Beginning Tuesday, December 26, residents with City curbside yard waste pickup may set their Christmas trees and greenery out on their regular collection day. Trees must not be in plastic bags, and all decorations must be removed.
Drop-off sites will also be available for all Louisville/Jefferson County residents at three locations. Two of the three drop-off sites will also instantly recycle trees in to mulch that will be offered back to citizens for home use.
Those wishing to receive mulch must bring an appropriate container in which to carry it. Trees picked up from curbside will also be recycled but not offered as mulch. All lights and ornaments should be removed from trees before they are set out or dropped off.
Residents normally serviced by private waste haulers should check with those companies to see whether and when tree pickup is available.
Christmas tree vendors may recycle their unsold trees on Tuesday, December 26 only, and only at the Hubbard’s Lane site.
DROP OFF LOCATIONS
- East District Recycling Center, 595 N. Hubbards Lane (Bring containers to take home fresh mulch.)
- December 26 – 29, January 2
- Hours: 9:00AM – 4:00PM
- Southwest Government Center, 7219 Dixie Highway (Bring containers to take home fresh mulch.)
- December 26 – 29, January 2
- Hours: 9:00AM – 4:00PM
- Waste Reduction Center – 636 Meriwether Avenue (Tree drop-off only. Mulch is not available at this location.)
- Through January 31
- Hours: 9:00AM – 4:00PM
