Councilman Rick Blackwell announces the next “Coffee with your Councilman” on Saturday, March 9th.  It is an opportunity for District 12 residents to meet with their Councilman. 

It will take place at Sister Bean’s Coffee House, 5225 New Cut Rd. beginning at 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.  

There is no formal program and no need to sign up, simply stop in for an informal discussion on the topics, issues, concerns and suggestions you have for District 12 and southwest Louisville.

For more information about this “Coffee with your Councilman,” contact Councilman Blackwell’s office at 574-1112.

In an effort to get the views of as many people as possible in her district, Councilwoman Keisha Dorsey (D-3) has posted an online survey for those who would like to share their views on the proposed insurance tax.

“This simple survey is one more way to let the people of my district express how they feel on the current issue that is before the Metro Council Budget Committee,” says Councilwoman Dorsey. “It can be completed in no time and asks some basic questions on how much the insurance tax should be raised while asking what areas should be trimmed in the budget.”

The first part of the survey asks how much the insurance rate should be increased or should it be left alone. The second part asks which departments of government should be cut in order to balance next year’s budget.

The Councilwoman is also handing out printed copies of the survey at the public meetings she has announced in the district.

“I hope everyone will participate in the survey,” says Dorsey.

To take the District 3 Survey, go to Councilwoman Dorsey’s Home page at: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/metro-council-district-3

Councilwoman Barbara Shanklin will host a special public meeting for residents of District 2 to learn more about the pension situation and budget concerns facing Louisville Metro Government on Wednesday, March 6th.

“It is important for everyone to understand no final decision has been made as to how this situation will be handled,” says Shanklin. “Right now, the Metro Council is reviewing all options, but it is important to hear from everyone in every district of the city.”

The meeting will be held at Forest Baptist Church, 4500 Petersburg Road beginning at 6:00pm.

Councilwoman Shanklin will be on had as well as officials from the Office of Management and Budget to talk about the Insurance Rate Tax Ordinance which has been filed as well as what has been proposed as far as cuts if no additional revenue is raised to handle the pension situation the city faces from the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

“I want to encourage everyone to come out and be heard as we try to find a realistic way to deal with this problem,” says Shanklin.

For more information about the meeting, contact Councilwoman Shanklin’s office at 574-1102.

The Louisville Metro Council’s Budget Committee will hold its second and final public hearing on the proposed Insurance Tax Ordinance and the pension situation facing Metro Government on Monday, March 4th beginning at 6:00pm.

Signups for those wishing to address the Budget Committee begin one hour prior to the start of the hearing in the first Floor Conference Room of Historic City Hall, 601 West Jefferson Street.

Speakers are called in order of signup and have up to three minutes to make comments. This hearing is for anyone who did not testify at the Committee’s February 28th hearing. Written testimony can be turned in during the meeting and, occasionally, speakers are asked questions by the Committee members.

Speakers may use the Sixth Street entrance to Historic City Hall. Individuals needing assistance may enter City Hall from the Jefferson Street entrance.

All meetings are carried live on Metro TV, Spectrum Cable Channel 184 or on UVERSE at Channel 99.

All meetings of the Metro Council are streamed live. Go to the Metro Council home page at https://louisvilleky.gov/government/metro-council  and click on the Metro Council Agendas link.

The committee has also created an online form for questions about these issues.  Answers will be coordinated by the Louisville Metro Office of Management and Budget. Questions may be submitted online using this form: https://louisvilleky.wufoo.com/forms/submit-questions-on-the-proposed-bu… . 

All questions should be submitted by March 6th to allow for responses to be posted online by March 14th.

To access the new page with general information, and questions and answers, on the pension contributions, possible reductions in Metro services and the proposed insurance premium tax, the public may visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/metro-council-district-9/proposed-in… .

As the discussion over pensions continues, Council Members Jessica Green (D-1), Keisha Dorsey (D-3), and Donna Purvis (D-5) will host a joint West Louisville Town Hall Meeting at Southwick Community Center to discuss the current budget situation and the proposed tax increase.

          “It is important for everyone to understand no final decisions have been made on handling the tax increase or how to deal with the pension problem,” says Green. “I want to hear from the people in my district and how they will be impacted by what we choose as this process moves forward.”

          Several Council members are currently holding meetings in their districts following the filing of an ordinance to increase the insurance rate on certain kinds of insurance to generate new revenue to deal with the city’s pension problem.

          “When I came into this office, I wanted people to know that they will have a voice on important issues that are facing their neighborhood and their city,” says Dorsey. “I want to hear from everyone who has a concern and hope they will turn out for this meeting.”

          “I committed to District 5 full transparency, accessibility and a path to information. My purpose is to ensure that our community obtains valid information about the tax and how it will affect us as a whole,” says Purvis.

          The West Louisville Town Hall is scheduled for March 6th and will last from 6:00pm to 7:30pm at the Southwick Community Center, 3621 Southern Ave.

When we were in the middle of the hepatitis A outbreak, The Courier Journal covered our response, and a CJ reporter and photographer even spent time with us to see exactly how we were dealing with the outbreak. So I was disappointed that the recent series of articles about “How Kentucky’s hep A outbreak became the nation’s largest,” barely mentioned the work here, including the fact that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) described our response to the outbreak as the “gold standard.”

Louisville’s health department is a modern, collaborative operation at the forefront of public health innovation and transformation. That’s why we were able to tackle the hep A epidemic in half the time and with 1/20th the resources as other cities across the nation. When the outbreak first hit Louisville, we reached out to cities and states that experienced hepatitis A outbreaks before us to learn best practices and lessons learned. We relied on our partnerships in the city to quickly vaccinate the highest risk populations and effectively halted the spread of hep A before it impacted the wider community.

Having a robust Syringe Exchange Program – which allowed us to build trust with people who use drugs – enabled us to vaccinate them quickly when the need arose. Dr. Jeff Howard, Kentucky’s Commissioner for Public Health, a supporter of harm reduction practices, has recommended that every county have a syringe exchange program, which would eliminate the difficulty some rural counties have in finding and vaccinating people who use drugs when it’s needed to stop the spread of disease.

Having built an extensive network of community partners, we were able to quickly activate many trained individuals who helped administer the huge number of vaccinations necessary to contain the outbreak. Dr. Howard is leading the effort to move every local health department to this modern, collaborative model, which would eliminate the bottleneck many rural health departments experience, only having a small number of staff available to respond to an outbreak.

Rather than looking to other states for answers, as The Courier-Journal suggested, Kentucky should use Louisville as a model to modernize all our local health departments, and the state should properly fund public health. Even during a hepatitis A outbreak, Kentucky continued to battle other challenges that have much higher death rates – flu, the opioid crisis and suicide. Public health officials are always trying to decide best use of funds to save the most lives. Given proper funding, we wouldn’t have to choose which challenges to focus on, and instead we could provide the “gold standard” response to all of them.

Despite the many challenges, including lack of resources, faced by local health departments in Kentucky, the hep A outbreak is turning around, thanks to the diligence of local public health workers, whose commitment to their communities should be commended. Many local health departments are facing bankruptcy or devastating cuts due to the state pension crisis. Let the hep A outbreak be a reminder of the value of timely, effective, modern public health as discussions about budget cuts continue.

Dr. Sarah Moyer

Director, Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness

Louisville, KY 40202

Neighborhood Place partners have planned numerous events and resources to benefit the entire family in March. Activities include the Fifth Third Bank Financial Empowerment Mobile, a prom dress giveaway, a summer opportunities resource fair, a mindfulness workshop and much more. To learn more about these offerings, please refer to the list below.

March 4, 11, 12, and March 21, Passport Health Care Community Engagement at three locations
Passport Members are invited to join with representatives from Passport Health Care for one-on-one consultations to discuss plan benefits and options. This is a great opportunity as Passport aims to raise awareness and educate the community about the Passport Health Plan mission. Passport members will receive a $10 retail gift card for attending.

• March 4 and 11, First Neighborhood Place, 1503 Rangeland Rd (door #16) side of Thomas Jefferson Middle School, 1 – 3:30 p.m. Call (502) 212-6677 to leave a message telling us that you want to attend.
• March 12 at NorthWest Neighborhood Place, 4018 West Market Street on the Market Street side of the Academy at Shawnee, 10:30am – 12noon. Call (502) 212-6677 to leave a message telling us that you want to attend.
• March 21 @ South Jefferson Neighborhood Place, 1000 Neighborhood Place, 2:00p.m. – 3:00p.m. Call 1-800-578-0603, ext. 8428 to leave a message if you want to attend.

March 4, Foster Parent/Adoption Information Meeting at NorthWest Neighborhood Place, 6 – 8 p.m.
Located at 4018 NorthWest Neighborhood Place. Call 595-5437 (KIDS) for more information. Detailed information will be provided on the requirements and process of how to become a foster or adoptive parent. Information such as an explanation of foster care, special needs adoption, and information on foster parent training classes will be provided. Sponsored by Kentucky Foster Care and the training classes will be provided. Sponsored by Kentucky Foster Care and the Special Needs Adoption Program.

March 5, Free Energy Management Workshop at First Neighborhood Place, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Located at 1503 Rangeland Rd. Call 313-4700 for reservations. Project Warm’s free workshops help families take control of their energy usage and learn “do-it-yourself” energy-saving tips. Free supplies will be distributed at the end of the workshop such as clear plastic/tape for windows, caulk to seal openings around windows and sealing foam. Reservations are required to reserve materials.

Tuesdays, March 5 – April 9, Learn Mindfulness Workshop at South Jefferson Neighborhood Place, 1 – 2 p.m.
Located at 1000 Neighborhood Place. For more information or registration call Polly Mayer @ 363-1483.
Six one-hour classes that will help you gain insights and techniques to build your own meditation practice, discover your interior stillness, and learn positive coping skills rooted in kindness and compassion. Classes are offered FREE by the Passionist Earth and Spirit Center and the Mindfulness Mentors.

March 7, Sodexo Hiring Opportunitiesat First Neighborhood Place, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Located at 1503 Rangeland Road (T.J. Middle School in the W.D. Bruce Building – door #24). Call 313-4700 for more information. Sodexo, a food-service agency, will provide on-the-spot interviews for positions with Jewish Hospital, Our Lady of Peace and University of Louisville Hospital. Bring your resume and be prepared for an interview. This is one of Sodexo’s busiest hiring seasons. Stop by if you are looking for employment that can lead to a full-time or part-time position.

March 11, The Center for Women and Families Outreach at First Neighborhood Place, 1- 3:30 p.m.
Located at 1503 Rangeland Rd (door #24) side of Thomas Jefferson Middle School. For more information, contact Nayelyi Sanchez, Domestic Violence Advocate at (502) 581-7270. Staff with the Center for Women and Families will be on-hand to give an overview of their services which include trauma-informed advocacy and support for qualified families and individuals with supportive services; emergency shelter; sexual assault services; housing; children’s services and more.

March 12 and 14, A Healthy Journey for Two Educational Baby Shower at two locations
A Healthy Journey for Two is an educational baby shower open to any expectant mothers. The class will include a range of information and resources, as well as free baby items, gift cards, prizes, and snacks. Hosted by Seven Counties and KIDSNow. Fathers are welcome but must be registered. For more information, contact Mendy Mason at 502-341-5400.

• March 12 at NorthWest Neighborhood Place, 4018 West Market Street. 10 a.m. – noon
• March 14 at First Neighborhood Place, 1503 Rangeland Rd., 1 – 3 p.m.

March 14, Passport Health Care Community Engagement at Ujima Neighborhood Place, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Located at 3610 Bohne Ave. Call 485-6710 for more information. Passport Members are invited to join with representatives from Passport Health Care for one-on-one consultations to discuss plan benefits and options. This is a great opportunity as Passport aims to raise awareness and educate the community about the Passport Health Plan mission.

March 15, Fifth Third Bank Financial Empowerment Mobile, 9 a.m. – noon
Fifth Third Bank Financial Empowerment E-Bus will be at NorthWest Neighborhood Place to assist our community with financial matters such as viewing your credit report, fraud awareness and prevention, home ownership seminars and information on how to avoid foreclosure. For more information, contact Adam Hall at adam.hall@53.com.

March 20, “Addiction 101:  Moving Forward” at the Portland Branch Library, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Located at 3305 Northwestern Pkwy. Call Nannette Dix at 634-6057 for information. Part of the “Addiction 101” series, this event will continue the conversations about the effect that drug and alcohol abuse and addictions have on families and communities. The theme of this event “Moving Forward” will focus on what has been working and what else needs to be done to help individuals move on from drug addiction.

March 20, 7^th Annual Butterfly Effect Prom Event at NorthWest Neighborhood Place, 3:30 – 6 p.m.
Located at 4018 W. Market St. Call 313-4892 for more information. Prom is an exciting yet expensive time for many community families. The Butterfly Effect Prom Event will help match donated dresses, shoes and accessories with students in need of assistance. ALL donations of prom attire (dresses, shoes, accessories such as bags and jewelry), restaurant gift cards and hygiene items are greatly appreciated and are being collected through March 9. Sponsored by NorthWest Neighborhood Place and the Family Youth Resource Center at the Academy of Shawnee.

March 20, Colon Health Screening Information Booth at South Jefferson Neighborhood Place, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Located at 1000 Neighborhood Place. Call 772-8588 for more information. Stop by and receive information on Colon Health. Information on free Colon Health Screening kits will be available. Sponsored by Family Health Center.

March 23, SOAR (Summer Opportunities And Resource Fair) at DuValle Education Center/Carter Gym, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Located at 3610 Bohne Ave. Call 313-4635 for more information. Come speak with several agencies that will provide families with information regarding summer programs, camps, and other summer activities for youth and teens. Also featured will be healthy eating workshops, information about summer scholarship opportunities and door prizes. Sponsored by Ujima, Bridges of Hope and Cane Run Neighborhood Places, JCPS and the Villages at Park DuValle.

Tuesdays, Starting March 26 – April 30, Healthier Meals, Healthier Me Class at South Jefferson Neighborhood Place, 11 a.m.– 12:30 p.m.
Located at 1000 Neighborhood Place. Registrations is required by calling 772-8588. A six week class to learn more about healthy eating, meal planning on a budget and more. Persons can still attend who have participated before, but will not be able to earn a slow-cooker.