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With flood waters receding across Louisville, attention turns now to the cleanup effort. Metro Public Works today announced the following services are available for disposing of flood-damaged household items.
Jefferson County residents may drop off residential flood debris at any of seven sites Thursday March 1 through Saturday March 24. Six of the drop-off locations will be open Thursday through Saturday, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Waste Reduction Center will be open for debris drop-off Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The free service is available for residents of Jefferson County only and it does not include commercial haulers. No yard waste or construction debris other than flood-damaged drywall and insulation will be accepted. Electronics must be separated from other items. To qualify for the free drop-off residents must present the attendant with two forms of identification verifying Louisville residency.
If a citizen hires an individual or business to remove debris, the citizen must accompany the hauler to the drop-off center or provide the hauler with the same two forms of identification to present at the facility.
Drop-off sites Thursday March 1 thru Saturday March 24 as follows:
- Thursday – Saturday 1 p.m. – 8 p.m.
- 10500 Lower River Road at Bethany Lane
- Newburg Community Center 4810 Exeter Ave 40218
- Outer Loop Recycling Center 7201 Outer Loop 40228
- Dixie Recycling Center 7219 Dixie Hwy 40258
- Charlie Vettiner Park 5550 Charlie Vettiner Park Rd 40299
- Hubbards Lane Recycling Center 595 Hubbards Ln. 40207
- Monday – Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Waste Reduction Center 636 Meriwether Avenue
Pickup service in Metro Council districts
Residents who cannot drop off debris may request pickup service. Pickup requests must be made by telephone or email no later than 5 p.m. on March 9 to 574-3571 ext. 0 or swmd@louisvilleky.gov.
This service is for flood-damaged items only. Any other items set out will not be collected. Electronics must be separated from other items set out for collection. Requested pickups will be performed according to the following Metro Council district based schedule:
Mayor Greg Fischer and Kent Oyler, president and CEO of Greater Louisville Inc., today announced that Louisville Forward, the city’s economic development organization, and Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI), the city’s chamber of commerce, have been jointly recognized as Top U.S. Economic Development Groups for 2016 by Site Selection magazine.
Working together in 2016, with partners in two states and 15 counties, these two groups have helped the Greater Louisville region welcome 70 projects, representing nearly $1.4 billion in investment and more than 8,500 jobs. GLI attracts leads looking at the region and transitions projects to the local economic development organization after the company has narrowed its search.
“Louisville is seeing tremendous growth right now – from our highly skilled workforce to infrastructure improvements to our welcoming and inclusive culture – and quality companies are investing in our city at a rate never seen before,” said the Mayor. “This recognition is proof that our strategic partnership with GLI is working and the hard work of our economic development team, led by Chief Mary Ellen Wiederwohl, is paying off.”
As the economic hub for the region, Louisville Forward had a banner year in 2016, locating 61 projects in Jefferson County, representing $1.3 billion in investment, and creating 6,820 new jobs. Louisville Forward also celebrated the $310 million expansion of UPS Centennial Hub and the announcement of Computershare’s regional office with 1,100 jobs, representing a $32 million investment.
“This award proves that this region continues to be the best place in the world to relocate, expand or start a business. The diversity of resources here and the collaborative, community attitude make this an excellent market for new business,” said Oyler. “We will use this momentum to encourage more investment throughout our 15 counties.”
In 2016, GLI generated 9 leads for the 15-country region, resulting in projects representing $69 million in investment, and creating 1,750 jobs with an additional 43 projects in the pipeline to end the year. GLI also celebrated the launch of OneJet flight service out of Louisville International Airport, which was facilitated by GLI’s Regional Air Coalition and the Louisville Regional Airport Authority.
Louisville Forward was formed in July 2014 to unite economic development efforts and built environment functions, allowing business owners to go from concept to permit in one streamlined agency. To achieve its goals of raising the median wage across the city and growing the number of jobs, the Louisville Forward team focuses on five strategic business categories that are historic and contemporary areas of strength to Louisville; Advanced Manufacturing, Food and Beverage, Lifelong Wellness and Aging Care, Logistics and eCommerce, and Business Services.
Since its creation, Louisville Forward has helped businesses create nearly 12,000 new jobs in Louisville, representing an investment of more than $2.4 billion dollars. This award marks the third straight year that Louisville Forward has been recognized by Site Selection magazine.
GLI is focused on growing the regional economy. As the region’s largest convener of business leadership, GLI leads global economic and outreach strategies focused on business attraction; nurtures the entrepreneurial eco-system; and champions the development of the community’s talent base. As the voice of Greater Louisville’s business community, GLI advocates for a pro-business environment and facilitates businesses engagement on issues that impact regional competitiveness.
The recognition is based on six criteria – total projects, total investment associated with those projects and total jobs associated with those projects; and those same three numbers calculated per capita for the metro area.
Top projects for the groups that are featured in the May issue of Site Selection magazine include:
Clariant Corporation – headquartered in Switzerland, Clariant Corporation, a leading manufacturer of catalysts, announced the development of a $100 million manufacturing plant located on Hill Street near 12th and 13th Streets. Clariant created 41 new jobs with the expansion of the Louisville operation.
Evolent Health – a strategic alliance between Passport Health Plan and Evolent Health created The Medicaid Center of Excellence. The Center is the first of its kind in the country and combines Passport’s expertise in Medicaid managed care with Evolent’s industry-leading technology and operations to offer centralized services for provider-led Medicaid health plans nationwide.
Guess, Inc. – located in Jefferson Riverport International, Guess Inc. announced its $11.5 million expansion to build a second warehouse of 232,500 square feet, more than doubling the footprint of the distribution center. The new warehouse created 200 new jobs, bringing its total employee count to 600.
In addition to the projects mentioned above, Louisville Forward and GLI partnered to attract global law firm Hogan Lovells to open its global business services center in Louisville, an $8.9 million investment, creating 250 high-quality jobs.
Click here for more information about Louisville Forward.
Click here for more information about GLI.
Credit: Louisville Metro Police
Louisville Metro recently discovered an incident that may affect the security of personal information stored within our environment. This notice is meant to provide information about the incident, steps taken since discovering the incident, and information on what potentially affected individuals can do to better protect against the possibility of identity theft and fraud.
A computer used by two Assistant County Attorneys was recently stolen from the Louisville Hall of Justice. The computer, about the size of a book, was located in a publicly accessible conference room and not secured to the table it was stationed on. After the theft was reported, Louisville Metro launched an internal investigation and retained third-party forensic experts to determine what information may have been stored on the hard drive at the time of the theft. Though the computer was later recovered, the hard drive had been removed. The investigation determined that the emails of the two attorneys may have been saved locally to the hard drive.
Though Louisville Metro has no evidence that the data contained on the hard drive was subject to unauthorized access, on April 19, 2017 Louisville Metro discovered that certain personal information was contained within the email account of one of the attorneys. While we are unaware of any actual of attempted misuse of this information, in an abundance of caution, we are providing notice of this incident. The information stored on the computer and potentially subject to unauthorized access included some individuals’ names, Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, and driver’s license numbers.
Notices have been mailed to the less than 175 individuals affected by this event.
To Learn More
Louisville Metro has established a confidential call center regarding this incident. The call center is staffed with professionals who can answer questions about this incident and provide information on how to protect against misuse of personal information. The call center is available Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. E.T. at 1-800-939-4170.
Louisville Metro encourages potentially affected individuals review their account statements and credit reports for suspicious activity.
In addition, under U.S. law affected individuals are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. You may also contact the three major credit bureaus directly to request a free copy of your credit report.
Individuals may also contact the three major credit reporting agencies below to put a “fraud alert” or “credit freeze” on their credit file.
Equifax
P.O. Box 105069
Atlanta, GA 30348
800-525-6285
www.equifax.com
Experian
P.O. Box 2002
Allen, TX 75013
888-397-3742
www.experian.com
TransUnion
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19022-2000
800-680-7289
www.transunion.com
Further, affected individuals can educate themselves regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, and the steps you can take to protect yourself, by contacting the Federal Trade Commission or your state Attorney General. The Federal Trade Commission can be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580, www.identitytheft.gov, 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement. Kentucky Residents: The Kentucky Attorney General’s office can be contacted at 888-432-9257 or 502-696-5389.
Louisville Metro Government has agreed in principle to a settlement that would significantly reduce a proposed utility rate increase by Louisville Gas & Electric (LG&E).
Wednesday’s settlement agreement is more than $40 million below LG&E’s initial request for new revenue and includes a drastic reduction in LG&E’s proposed fixed monthly charges of $46 for residential customers who have both electric and gas service. The settlement requires the approval of the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) and could be altered following the PSC’s hearing on the case that begins May 9.
“This settlement protects LG&E customers of all types but also supports the utility in providing safe and reliable service for its users,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “Louisville Metro’s efforts in this case benefit all cities within Jefferson County and the rest of the LG&E service area.”
Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell, in his authority as legal representative for Louisville Metro Government, has personally represented the city in the case, including settlement negotiations last week in Frankfort.
“Our work to limit the increase on fixed charges and to the rates cities pay for street lights is a big win for everyone in Jefferson County,” said O’Connell. “Listening to the input of our citizens, the Mayor and other city officials, along with members of Metro Council, guided me throughout this case. I hope that the PSC views this stipulation as fair, just and reasonable and ultimately approves it.”
LG&E asked the PSC in November to grant an increase to its electric and gas rates that would boost the company’s annual revenues by $107.5 million. Louisville Metro Government intervened in the case on December 2 and has since presented facts and expert testimony that called for a substantial cut to LG&E’s request. The settlement represents a 38 percent reduction from what LG&E requested in additional revenue.
Louisville Metro’s intervention paid especially high dividends in the debate over the fixed electric service charge. LG&E proposed to more than double the current service charge of $10.75 to $22 per meter. This increase raised concerns about impacts on low-income families, seniors and others living on fixed income, and from those in Louisville who had invested in energy conservation efforts, including solar technology. The high level of proposed increases in fixed charges was a significant factor in Louisville Metro’s decision to intervene.
The settlement raises the electric fixed charge only 75 cents each year in 2017 and 2018. The new fixed charges will be $11.50 and $12.25, respectively, a fraction of the company’s request.
When the fixed gas service charge is also taken into account, Wednesday’s agreement includes combined monthly charges of $27.85 for residential customers starting July 1, 2017. This combined $3.60 increase from current charges is drastically lower than LG&E’s request for an immediate $21.75 monthly boost in fixed costs outside of monthly electric and gas use.
Louisville Metro spends more than $17 million annually on utility bills. The city estimates $650,000 in cost avoidance compared to LG&E’s original request that would have resulted in more than a $1.23 million hike in Louisville Metro’s yearly utility bill.
This is the city’s first significant intervention in a LG&E rate case heard before the PSC in more than 30 years. Of the Louisville Metro Council members present and voting on Dec. 15, they unanimously approved (20-0) a resolution in support of intervention. Councilmen Bill Hollander and Kevin Kramer both have offered written testimony in the case.
Other notable pieces of the settlement include:
- Low-income customer support: $700,000 to the Association for Community Ministries (ACM) for utility assistance and $180,000 for Home Energy Assistance, both to remain in effect through June 30, 2021. This is a $200,000 increase to the contribution to ACM.
- Electric bus infrastructure and rates study: LG&E and Kentucky Utilities (KU) commit to fund a study concerning economical deployment of electric bus infrastructure in the Louisville and Lexington areas, as well as possible cost-based rate structures related to charging stations and other infrastructure needed for electric buses.
- LED lighting collaborative: The Utilities commit to engage in good faith with Louisville Metro, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, and any other interested parties to these proceedings in a collaborative to discuss issues related to LED lighting to determine what LED street lighting equipment and rate structures might be offered by the Utilities.
Parties to the settlement include LG&E, Louisville Metro, the office of Attorney General Andy Beshear and numerous other intervenors in the case, including large-scale commercial and industrial customers and nonprofits like the Metropolitan Housing Coalition and the Sierra Club.
“The outcome of the rate case for residential customers in Louisville Metro is much improved over what had been requested,” said Tom FitzGerald of the Kentucky Resources Council, which represented the Metropolitan Housing Coalition. “Louisville Metro and County Attorney Mike O’Connell worked with the other intervenors and were instrumental in keeping customer charge increases small, and in helping to expand low-income energy assistance for the most vulnerable LG&E customers. We appreciate LG&E’s continued commitment to low-income assistance, which they pledged to increase and continue through 2021.”
This is a partial settlement as intervenors AT&T Kentucky and the Kentucky Cable Telecommunications are not parties to the agreement.
Attorney Gregory Dutton from the law firm of Goldberg Simpson has served as outside co-counsel for Louisville Metro on this case.
A full version of the stipulation can be found here.
Photo: LouVelo
Mayor Greg Fischer announced that with the financial backing of nine local businesses, Louisville’s bike share program will launch this spring and will be called LouVelo.
LouVelo is owned by Louisville Metro, which has contracted with CycleHop, a leading operator of major municipal bike share programs throughout North America, to run the program. The LouVelo network will begin with 300 bikes positioned at 28 bike share stations in downtown, Old Louisville, NuLu, near Waterfront Park, and points in between.
Another 15 stations are under consideration to expand the network. The city is working with the University of Louisville with an aim to place multiple stations on the school’s Belknap campus by fall 2017. Plans for expansion into other neighborhoods, such as Russell and the Highlands, are also being developed.
The service makes bicycles available for short-term use. The bikes can be picked up at one station and returned to any other station in the system, which makes it easy for people looking to get from one location to another during the work or school day without driving a car, and those riding for leisure, recreation or just touring the city.
LouVelo sponsors include Norton Healthcare, JP Morgan Chase & Co., UPS, Main & Clay, Genscape Inc., The Brown Hotel, KentuckyOne Health, Atria Senior Living, and The Eye Care Institute.
“These great community partners know that quality of life is a critical factor in maintaining and growing a talented workforce in Louisville,” Mayor Fischer said. “LouVelo is one of the many things we’re doing to enhance quality of life in our city.”
“We are pleased to be a sponsor of the bike share program,” said Russell F. Cox, president and CEO of Norton Healthcare. “LouVelo’s goal of offering bicycles across the community aligns with our mission to improve the health of our community.”
The Mayor noted that bike sharing is part of the Move Louisville long-term multimodal transportation plan, which calls for accommodating all users of the city’s transportation system — pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and public transit riders — in the best ways possible. It’s also a great way for people to reduce their carbon footprints and increase wellness while serving the routine objective of getting from one place to another.
LouVelo is another way that Louisville is growing its network of cycling facilities, such as bike lanes, that are making it easier and safer to get around the city on two wheels.
Dave Nelson, Chief Operating Officer of CycleHop, said “We are excited to offer a new mode of public transportation to the residents and visitors of Louisville. Providing healthy, sustainable and fun transit alternatives is at the core of CycleHop’s mission. We are very grateful to Mayor Fischer, our sponsors and everyone in Louisville Metro who has made this mission a reality.”
An official launch will be announced soon. Riders will then be able to buy daily, monthly or annual passes. Until then LouVelo is offering a $99 Founding Member plan that includes an unlimited number of 60-minute rides for a whole year. A station map and signup details are available at www.louvelo.com. LouVelo can also be found on Twitter and Facebook under LouVeloBikes.
Startup costs to develop the LouVelo plan and to purchase and install bikes and stations were funded through a federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant of $1.1 million matched with $273,000 from Louisville Metro. Operational costs for the program will be covered though user fees, sponsorship, and an annual appropriation from metro in the amount of $50,000.
Yesterday, Mayor Greg Fischer joined Councilwoman Cheri Bryant Hamilton, the Waterfront Development Corporation (WDC), the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD), and MKSK Studios to announce that a major piece of planning for Waterfront Park Phase IV is in place.
MSD has acquired 4.8 acres of land there as part of a tunnel basin project that is expected to begin construction in late summer 2017. Once completed, the bulk of the land will be turned over for the park, providing an important link with other parcels, creating a unified waterfront experience.
“Waterfront Park is Louisville’s front yard, our community living room. We’re enormously proud of it,” said the Mayor. “Projects like Waterfront Park Phase IV are critical because they strengthen the connection among our neighborhoods by giving people even more space to come together, take a walk, ride their bikes and enjoy our unique quality of life in Louisville.”
Phase IV will expand Waterfront Park west of 10th Street to provide a continuation of open space along the river and bring the prospect for new experiences and activities to the area. As part of the project, River Road will be extended west to Rowan Street, providing a vital connection between the existing park and Phase IV, downtown and the west.
The existing RiverWalk adds an additional pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly connection between the first three phases and Phase IV. The expansion will also refresh and update one of the early sections of the Louisville Loop.
“I am excited that today we are taking another important step in the westward expansion of Waterfront Park with the acquisition of all the 22-acres,” said Councilwoman Bryant Hamilton. “Louisville was founded here in the Portland neighborhood, and I’m glad that the residents of the community will soon have additional waterfront recreational access, as was originally planned back in the 1980s.”
In addition to announcing the land acquisition, MKSK unveiled new renderings of the amenities Phase IV will provide, centering on three components – Reveal, Play, Connect, where residents and visitors can experience the waterfront like never before.
The 22-acre site plan shows increased green space and interactive features that will connect Portland and downtown, becoming a catalyst for economic development, improved health and wellness for the city, as well as a regional attraction for visitors to downtown.
“The location of Phase IV offers both social and economic opportunities that few other sites in the city could afford,” said WDC VP Mike Kimmel. “This will be an exciting addition to Waterfront Park.”
The Waterfront Park master plan for Phase IV was approved by Metro Council in 2015, and the city allocated $950,000 in last year’s budget for planning and land acquisition. As with the first three phases of Waterfront Park, funding will be assembled from a variety of sources, including requests to government, corporations, individuals, and foundations. The team will work with the Jefferson County Legislative Delegation and the Congressional Delegation to help identify state and federal resources.
Waterfront Park has been a 30-plus-year project with planning beginning with creation of the Waterfront Development Corporation in 1986, extensive public meetings in the late ‘80s, and the adoption of the original Waterfront Master Plan in 1992. Completion of the first three phases of Waterfront Park, and plans for Phase IV, have sparked more than $1.3 billion in investment in the surrounding area and built a program of more than 150 special events per year with an annual park attendance of more than 2 million visitors.
As part of Louisville’s economic momentum and in anticipation of the new park extension, the city is already enjoying new investment in west Louisville, including Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co., Heine Brothers’ headquarters, Old 502 Winery, Over the 9, and other exciting projects in the Portland neighborhood.
Click here to view design renderings for Phase IV.
Public comments on the project are welcome, visit https://louisvillewaterfront.com/contact/
For more information on Waterfront Park, visit https://louisvillewaterfront.com/about-wdc/what-we-do/phaseiv/
A new Rental Registry for all rental property in Metro Louisville is now up and running online following the passage of an ordinance in September by the Louisville Metro Council.
Effective March 1, 2017, all property located in Louisville Metro and occupied or offered for occupancy in exchange for money or any other consideration must be registered with Louisville Metro Government. Failure to register is subject to a fine up to $100 per day per housing unit.
“Rental property owners have the next two and a half months to register their property through Develop Louisville. It is a simple process that can be completed online in less than five to ten minutes,” says Councilwoman Marianne Butler (D-15), who was the primary sponsor of the ordinance. “There online registration can also handle multiple property listings.”
The registration calls for:
- Rental property owners to include the rental unit street address.
- List current contact information of the owner and managing operator.
- New owners to register within thirty days of any ownership transfer.
- Any change in contact information to be updated on the registry within thirty days of the change.
Visit: https://www.louisvilleky.gov/government/codes-regulations, to establish an account and access the registry, or to get detailed information and instructions on registry requirements.
Registration is free and will be monitored by the staff of Develop Louisville.
The need for the Rental Registry was prompted after concerns were raised by code enforcement inspectors, citing the difficulty in finding a person who was responsible for the problem properties. Currently, some listings have only a Post Office Box number or LLC as contacts in the event of a violation.
It is important to remember, all rental property must be registered by March 1, 2017.
