Metro Council - Regular Meeting

Over the course of the last year, Bardstown Road and the Highlands area has seen a multitude of changes. Some have been met with enthusiasm from the community, and others have been the source of concern for residents and businesses. Joining us today for our discussion about all there is to celebrate about The Highlands and the ways that it can respond to these present challenges and opportunities, we have with us three panelists.

Vardstown Road corridor and The Highlands are traditionally an economic development powerhouse for our city, not just for what it brings in that particular space, but what it means for our ability to attract and retain top tier talent from across our country.

If you've heard that Louisville is the economic engine of the state, if you've heard that before, then surely of that engine, Barton Sun Road in The Highlands has to be a cylinder in that engine, and it deserves, proper investment in, leadership to carry that forward.

Bartstown Road essentially has two Bartstown Roads. You have a daytime Bartstown Road, and you have a nighttime Bartstown Road. And one has issues and one has a perception issue. So, Daytown, I would say is probably the safest area of the city. Statistically speaking, there are no issues on Bartstown Road in the daytime. We get into the nighttime. In the past, have there been issues? Absolutely. Have there been shootings? Yes. Have there been murders? Yes. As of last year, has there been a murder? No. We are digging ourselves out of where we came from from 2020.

I'm a carpenter position, so that seems to be, like, kind of a catch all. So, it could be anything from, like, repairing walls to helping clean up after a flood or whatnot, but also building a window for, to replace in city hall. And I think that is what I enjoy the most about working at Metro is it's a variety of tasks. Whereas my previous job, it was just straight carpentry and we're working all the time, whereas it's quite the variety here.

I'm the plumber here in facilities here at Metro Downtown on the Northside crew. So Metro Hall, City Hall, see Metro Council people all the time, and of course, our mayor. What I like working most about metro is getting to interact with the public, giving people directions, which we do very often, and the sense of community here downtown. It's a really good crew.

I'm a partner. I do mow work, painting, you know, just different projects that come along. I enjoy everything and everybody. Man, ain't nobody here I don't do a fight. So

I'm so excited on this Earth Day, the fifty sixth Earth Day that we've had. We're here

to launch the fifth consecutive Solarize Louisville campaign here in our city. Solarize Louisville program has delivered a record 89 residential and commercial projects in 2025, and we look forward to so many more in the coming years. These transformative projects show what's possible when trusted partners, clear information, and community commitment come together to make clean energy accessible to all. The program streamline the entire process by matching participants with a

vetted installer, providing step by step guidance, and offering steeply discounted pricing.

Solarize Louisville is proof that when you remove barriers and give citizens a clear, trusted path to clean energy, they take it. Lower bills, predictable energy costs, and a smaller carbon footprint are all characteristics of our 300 plus projects and households and nonprofits across the city.

I'm a member of Bardstown Road Presbyterian and happy to be on the committee that brought Solarize Louisville and all of the new solar panels that are on top of our roof. The installation was completed just a few weeks ago, so we are only starting to see the benefits, but we're looking forward to the benefits that will probably occur over the next thirty years with these new solar panels.

The plan review process involves looking at all the plans and documents you submit to make sure your project follows the building codes. This includes checking that there are safe exits, reviewing the structure of the building, and making sure everything is designed to be safe. How detailed the review depends on the size and type of your project. We also coordinate with other agencies that may need to review your plans like Metropol

Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport keeps growing and taking you to new places. Coming this May, you can fly nonstop to Gulf Shores Orange Beach, Hartford, and Pittsburgh. Getting there is a breeze with Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. Visit flylouisville.com for all the details.

Come on. Come on. Come on. I knew it was something that was needed in our community.

On guard.

And I hope every single one of these young men and women that are here take this discipline

Here. Short step. And use it in a way of positive situations in their lives.

So it started on a Thursday. We were so excited. We thought it started on that Tuesday. We came to Tuesday and they wasn't here.

Now we start. Right?

On guard.

He really enjoys it.

Step. Joints

here. He's attended all the sessions so far. Constantly talking about programming and do we need another program especially with the balance and everything. Yes, we do.

Back back. Thanks, bro.

Also, who has the program, who's facilitating the program truly matters, especially for youth like my son. His legs hurt, so they work him out really good. His energy level, I could just tell with his energy level. I know the first day of asking him, you know, we're coming back, and he was like, for sure. And so excited, we end up bringing our cousin too. He's excited and interested in boxing as well. I hope that the programs get support in order for it to continue.

This is a small piece of somebody taking their time, pouring into some youth that wanna help make our community better. During

National Crime Victims' Rights Weeks, communities across the country are gathering just like we are here today. These moments aren't easy, but they matter because being together matters. Today is about you. It's about your story, and it's about your strength, the strength that carried you here today.

You know, we never chose our paths to cross, but they did. And with that comes a profound responsibility on our end to pursue justice and seek answers and the truth and to help bring

Metro TV will start in thirty seconds. The regular meeting of the Louisville Metro Council of 05/14/2026 will come to order. The time is currently 06:00. Please arise for the pledge pledge of allegiance. This meeting is being held pursuant to KRS 61.826 and council rule five a.

Madam clerk, call the roll please.

Council member Hawkins? Present. Council member Shanklin?

Present.

Council member Parish Wright? Present. Council member Herndon? Present. Council member Purvis? Present. Council member Lenninger? Present. Council member McCraney? Here. Council member Reno Weber?

Present.

Council member Owen? Here. Council member Raymond? Here. Council member Kramer? Council member Joseph? Here. Member Syme? Here. Council member Bass? Here. Council member Chapel? Here. Council member Reid?

Here.

Council member Winkler.

Here.

Council member Parker.

Here.

Council member Piagentini. Here. Council member Benson. Present. Council member Rui.

Here.

Council member Bratcher.

Here.

Council member Hudson.

Here.

Council member Mulvey Woolridge. Council member Batshawn. Here. Council member president Akerson. Present. Mister president, you have 24 in a quorum.

And let the record reflect that councilman Kramer and councilwoman Mulvey Woolridge have excused absences. Noted. Councilwoman Rena Weber, I believe you have a guest or a page.

I have two. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce two pages this evening, one of whom is my daughter, Ava Rena Weber. And the other is my daughter by virtue of the village with which we are collectively raising our children, Lila Takonda. Some of the villages here tonight. So Lila Lita Gonda is a student at Highland Middle School where she is in the engineering and design pathway.

Her favorite subject is history. She also plays field hockey quite well for a public school team that is challenging the incumbent field hockey players from other schools quite aggressively, where she plays both for the school and the club teams. She likes to sing and explore nature in our fabulous parks and beyond. So please welcome Lila DeGondi. Avaroon Weber is also a student at Highland Middle School, where she is in the music pathway.

I don't know what her favorite subject is, and I probably should as her father. What is your favorite subject? Is also her favorite subject. She plays basketball, and also to the great enjoyment of our family loves to bake and cook, she is a fabulous speaker and has excelled at some of the YMCA's civic engagement programs. So please welcome Eva Reno Weber. Councilman Syme if you would present them with a. Thank you Mr. President.

Councilwoman Rayman, I believe you've got a special guest.

Yes. Thank you. So tonight, I get the honor of recognizing two guys, one who is just starting his civic engagement and one who has been contributing to this city for a long time. First, I wanna recognize Braden Peterson. And this young man is a fifth grader at Tully Elementary School and a lightning fast soccer player. Right? Yeah. Yes. And Braden won first place last month statewide in the student technology leadership program. That's right.

That's right. If you know this program, it's been around for decades, and this is how we engage our children in thinking about how technology can be used for good for the future. There were many winners in many categories, and I wish we could recognize them all. Why I particularly wanna recognize Braden, who brought the trophy home, right, is that his entry blew me away. Braden won the assignment to use Minecraft to design Louisville one hundred years in the future.

I'm emailing you all the link as soon as I sit down to his four minute video. You have got to see this to believe it. I thought it took a lot longer than it did, apparently. It still took many hours. Was blown away. He had to cover how we're gonna be transported in the future. We're gonna have subways. He had to cover the green energy we're gonna use in the future. Was it geothermal? Yeah.

And and he had he had to place city hall. And you all, in 2126, we're gonna be working out of a skyscraper. It was really amazing to watch. And reminded me during this budget season that as we're working on an annual budget, we really need to be thinking, maybe not a hundred years in the future, but thinking about how we want Louisville to look in five or ten or fifteen or twenty years. And our young people are already doing that.

So it was a great reminder. So can we please honor Braden Peterson? And next, I get to honor Jeff Wall, who has been the legislative assistant for District 10 for more than ten years. The time has come for Jeff to hang it up. When I was first elected in 2024, Jeff had been serving as the LA for about eight years under former councilman Pat Mulvihill, and we met about him staying on.

And I think we both felt really lucky that we hit it off. He had known Pat for, like, forty, fifty years.

Since Pat was in dark.

And we had just met. I cannot overstate the value that Jeff has brought to District 10 as he has served literally thousands of our neighbors over the last ten years, even going so far as to pick up people's prescriptions during snowstorms and ice storms. He's also been an invaluable resource to me. When I came in and other folks who've come in recently, you remember saying, what do we do about graffiti and potholes and traffic and mulch? And he's always had the answer.

We've been on sort of a farewell tour around the district to our neighborhood associations. And so Jeff has gotten to hear the wonderful things that people say to him and about him. I wish, Jeff, you could hear the things that people say when you're not around, which are even kinder. How rare is that? When I first was elected and I was going to those neighborhood associations and meeting and and saying, and Jeff has agreed to stay on, the rooms would burst into applause.

And I thought there's no greater testament to the work that he's done. He's been a critical thought partner for me, something of a father figure, and a role model. His phenomenal wife Cindy is here tonight and his daughter Zoe to celebrate with us and to celebrate Jeff. I want to thank Jeff for his many years of service.

I'll say a couple of words. I've really enjoyed working here. And like Josie said, we get to help people. I don't care if you're on the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Floor in this building. That is the thing we have in common.

So folks have a problem, which could be relatively easy for a council person to help address, but it's huge to them. So it's been good to be around to try to help folks out. And so I might be leaving this job, but I'm by no means going away. I mean, I might very well appear to speak for my three minutes or appear on this side of the aisle, but I just want to thank everybody. I appreciate you.

Councilmember Bass and Councilman Parish Wright. We've got a guest, councilman. Multiple guests.

Alright. Tonight, we have a special guest. If we could invite Dejaune and his mother and his family that is here with him that could join us up here. So tonight, we are joined by 15 year old Dejaune Hayes Burr who was stabbed at Thunder Over Louisville while stepping up to protect a 12 year old from a grown man, and he does not want to be called a hero. What he did goes beyond hero.

A hero can be a title people throw around casually. What he showed was character, courage, instinct, and heart in the moment that most adults would even run from. Not a hero in his eyes, just a young man with a rare kind of courage. Tonight, we also want to surprise his mother, Lakita Burr Smith, because courage like this starts at home, Behind every young man that's right. Behind every young man willing to protect someone else is often a parent who has poured love, strength, respect, and character into them long before anyone was watching.

Thank you both for being an amazing role model and raising a young man with the courage to stand up to others. You should be incredibly proud. Yes.

Look at the look at our council standing up.

This is so special. And I asked Dejaan how to properly pronounce his name because I have a grandson named Dejaan. And I am just honored that councilwoman Bass included me in this because they are residents of District 3. And when councilwoman contacted our office about doing this, I said yes. Too many times we hear about complaints about our young people and we don't get to praise our young people.

And I let him know that you all don't stand up for everybody. That was a great standing ovation. So it is my honor to present this proclamation to Dejean Hayes Burr and his mother, Lakita Burr Smith, because everybody says, the parents, the parents, and here we have an example of an amazing parent, and we didn't even coordinate on the animal print that is that is here to honor. We honor you. Thank you, mom.

Alright. So whereas the citizens of our community are strengthened by individuals who demonstrate extraordinary courage, compassion, and selflessness, and during the recent thunder over Louisville event, a moment of unexpected danger called for immediate action and unwavering bravery. And in in that critical moment, Dejean, son of Lakita Burr Smith, rose to the occasion with remarkable courage, placing the safety and well-being of another above his own. And without hesitation, he stepped forward and put himself in harm's way to protect the young citizen from danger, exemplifying valor far beyond his years. And and his actions reflect the highest ideals of heroism, demonstrating integrity, quick thinking, and a deep sense of responsibility for others.

And such selfless bravery serves as an inspiration to our entire community, reminding us all of the power of courage and the importance of looking out for one another. And the actions of Dejean bring pride not only to his family, but to the entire community that is fortunate to call him one of its own. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed, we shall recognize and honor Dejahn Hayes Burr for his actions stand as a shining example for all, reminding us that true heroes walk among us and act when it matters most. Done in Louisville on this fourteenth day of May, third district councilwoman Shamika Parish Wright and fourteenth district councilwoman Crystal Bass. Thank you.

I would like all the council members to take a picture with us, please.

You're tall enough you can do that, but only you as Andrew Owen can do that. Hold on. We got one more coming. Madam Clerk, are there any addresses at the council?

Yes, sir. There are.

Let me remind those addressing the council to please refrain from using any profanity, making any derogatory statements towards council members, and a reminder that there is a maximum of three people may speak on a particular topic, a position on that topic. Madam Clerk, call the speakers.

Kevin McClure.

I'm thankful for the privilege to speak here tonight and to address all of you. And I'm very grateful to God for your service to our esteemed city. I'm a PhD student here in Louisville, and I have friends who identify as transgender. And I care deeply about loving my neighbor, as I believe you do as well, and also following the golden rule to love others as ourselves. It's for this reason that I want to encourage each council member to vote no on the proposed transgender ordinance for this primary reason.

This ordinance does not truly love or help in the long term the people who identify as transgender. I believe that each council member here wants what's best for the transgender community. And that's why creating ordinances that encourage them in a lifestyle that confuses and hurts them is deeply unloving. The so called transgender community has one of the highest rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation in the world. So you think of The United States alone, transgender identified people are eight to nine times more likely to attempt suicide than the normal population.

Now some people want to say that this is because The United States is not supportive of LGBTQ. But in the country of Norway, this is a country that ranks second highest in the world for support for LGBTQ, according to the LGBTQ Equality Index. In the country of Norway, according to a study from one of their own universities, a transgender person in that country has a 12 times greater likelihood of attempting suicide than someone in the average population. So even in a society that is enthusiastically in favor of transgenderism and LGBTQ identities, the sad outcomes are similar or worse. And this is not just Norway.

The CAST review in The United Kingdom came out in 2024, or the Finnish nationwide registry study in 2026. All of these studies point to the same truth. It is not loving to create laws or ordinances that affirm a trans identity that only solidifies the anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation of the very people who you're seeking to serve. And so it's for this simple reason that I would encourage you to vote no on this ordinance. It's not loving to encourage people to go against the grain of creation.

We just celebrated a brave young man who sought to protect those who were vulnerable among him. And I would encourage you to vote no on this ordinance in order to protect in the long term those who identify as transgender. Thank you for your time.

Dee Buscetto. Dee Buscetto. Sorry.

Good evening, council members. Thank you for the privilege of addressing you this evening. I lived as a homosexual for thirty seven years, and I am opposed to adoption and passage of this ordinance. On its surface, this ordinance appears to help transgender and gender nonconforming residents of Louisville, but it would actually harm them. What do I mean by this?

Governments exist to uphold righteousness and promote good for the people. This ordinance does not promote good for the people of Louisville. Let me draw your attention to section four of the bill. According to line c of section four, this ordinance would endanger women by allowing biological men into women's bathrooms and other female spaces. It would also endanger women by allowing biological women access to men's bathrooms and to other male spaces.

According to Line D of Section four, this ordinance would remove all safeguards for the people of Louisville, especially children and teens exposed to indecency. This section allegedly protects public entertainment by transgender and gender nonconforming persons, but the language is incredibly vague. It is entirely unclear what this entertainment could consist of and where this entertainment could occur. Do we want the city of Louisville to be a city where young children and teens are exposed to this kind of confusing behavior? But beyond this, the passage of this ordinance would not promote good for Louisville residents because it would encourage people to live contrary to reality.

What do I mean by this? What I am about to share, you may not believe in, you might even strongly disagree with, but it does not change the fact that it is true. God creates human beings, male and female. And because God creates us, he has authority over us. Our biggest problem is that we are bound to sin, and we can do nothing about that.

God loves us so much, he sent his son to live a perfect life for us, to suffer and die for us. God resurrected Jesus from the dead to restore us to the goodness of God's good design. Living according to God's design glorifies God and brings us the greatest good. By passing the safe haven ordinance, the Louisville Metro Council would be subverting God's good design and reinforcing the lie that men and women can recreate themselves as the opposite gender. This only creates chaos, confusion, and depression.

This ordinance, therefore, is not good for the residents of Louisville. For transgender and gender nonconforming people in our city, their ultimate problem is not a lack of protection from the law. Their ultimate problem is misunderstanding their identity. The Louisville Metro Council is not meant to, nor can it, address that ultimate problem. I trust that you, the members of Louisville Metro Council, desire to provide an environment in this city that promotes good for Louisville residents. The passage of this ordinance will not do that. Thank you for your time.

Joshua Allen.

Joshua Allen, I oppose, the safe haven ordinance simply because I believe it's unlawful according to Kentucky preemption in senate. The bills that I don't have the time to bring up right now, but I believe it's also unconstitutional to give people special rights for their lifestyle and for their sin of choice. We might as well allow the crack houses, the liquor stores, and also the casinos to accept insurance card as payment. But more importantly, I believe it is a disservice to the people of Louisville to allow such an ordinance, not the people that are opposing, but for the people that are following this type of agenda. I love them.

I used to once be lost in sin myself. And we just said a pledge of allegiance under God. What does that mean? In God we trust. We've gotta get back to the word of God. God's not an opinion. It's found in the scriptures. He says in Deuteronomy twenty two five, the woman shall not wear that which pertaineth to a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment for all that do so are abomination unto the lord thy god. That means god hates that. Not the person but the sin.

Why? Because there is a heaven to gain and there is a hell to shun and see sin sends the sinner to hell, but god sent his son, the lord Jesus, to die in their place. Now, these people, once they had this exchange, which is not possible, god made them male and female. And when these people decide, I wanna commit suicide, People like JP Lininger is not there. While he's enjoying the natural love that god allows. Yes, sir.

I

apologize and the natural that god gives male and female as in children to say, daddy, I love you and to kiss your wife good night and night time while these people that are following this agenda are in a room by their self wanting to kill their self. I love them. There is a god that can transform them, that can change them. I used to drink smoke party so dope in and out of jail. Eight years ago, give my life to Jesus.

He has transformed me. He has changed me, and these people deserve to be led not toward error but towards truth. Jesus Christ loves them and can save them and I encourage everybody under the sound of my voice, repent and turn to Jesus before it is eternally too late. We cannot continue to practice sin and feel like god is not gonna do anything about it. Judgement day is coming and god requires that man receive Jesus as our personal lord and savior.

Not that any of us, there's no big eyes. There's no little yous at Calvary. God says, he loves you and he stretched out his arms at Calvary and died a death that you and I could see freedom. These people deserve to be led towards the cross where god can change them. Father, in Jesus name, I pray you'd bind every false way. Father, thou art god and I pray lord you would help us. Lord, to repent and love one another, lord, and lead towards truth and not toward error. God, we pray the peace of Jerusalem in Jesus name. Amen.

Miss Sean Daniels. Miss Shawn Daniels.

Hello everybody. How y'all doing? I wanna thank God. I wanna thank my mother. Stand up, mom. We just celebrated Mother's Day. And seeing a young man come up here, I am an example of her. She put me in the military in 1978. And she gave me this name. You can see that, mom. She gave me this name, Mishawn. And I take pride in my name, Mishawn. I'm glad to see that we are still in the same council. I'm standing here, and I pass this out. There was a lawsuit that took place in 2018 to 'twenty three.

This major corporation in this city had a surgical technologist that was trained in the Operating Room from the military. I'm a sergeant first class. I saved the life in the Operating Room of a patient that was suffocating under their fluids and everything because a nurse froze up and didn't realize what to do. I made the report to my hospital supervisor, And instead of them taking that report, they decided to turn me into a person that they said that I touched a woman because I tapped her on the shoulder just to get her attention. She did the Karen face.

She broke out and crying. I mean, was ugly. It was just a crazy situation. They sent me home, Okay, and decided that four days later that they were going to fire me. And so I hired an attorney and everything to take that up and everything.

And what happened is that my attorneys decided, obviously, they didn't pay any attention to the judge. The judge actually ruled in my favor and said that it was clearly a whistleblower. Clearly. Instead of my attorneys looking out for my best interests, they said it Gary Adams and David Bronson they decided to side with the corporations, instead of when you catch somebody's hands in the cookie jar we all know that. I'm a baby boomer.

When somebody says you catch somebody's hands in a cookie jar, that means that they're supposed to pay the piper. Do you understand what I'm saying? And so what I'm saying is that I am upset that when I get a phone call from an attorney that says I mean, from a private attorney that says that people in the corporations and the lawyers say that when they see slurs and it comes

to

corporations, they don't think that we're deserving to get paid what we should be paid, because we're just a slur. We're just poor people. Okay? And we shouldn't get can you imagine someone calling you and telling you this, and then you find out that it happened to you? They didn't think my lawyers didn't think that I was deserving. So I need all of your help to make this happen. That's why I'm here. Thank you.

Thank you. James Elliott.

Good evening. I'm here and I marvel marveling at what I've heard this evening at the type of work that you counsel people have to contend with. You are to be congratulated for bearing the burdens of this entire community. Basically, I'm here because my car was stolen on December 8 on the seventh, and I reported it on December 8. And I learned that the car had been located about two weeks ago, and I had not been notified.

That was in December December till now, but the car was located. And I told the individual who found out, said, don't you try to take the car. He was my son, in fact. He knew the car. He he I said, you call the police.

Let them identify the car, prove that it is my car, and then they will be able to handle it. I went to the police report center where I made the report, told them what had happened the day before, and they told me that your car is still in the stolen status situation. I said, no. It's not. It may be on your records there, but it has been proven that my car has been found.

But I was never notified. So I call the sergeant of second district. I call the supervisor of the young man who found the car just two blocks away from where I live. Is where it was located. All he had to do would come around the aisle.

It would have never had to go to the impoundment. But he didn't report it to me, instead had it impounded. And now the professional standard unit told me that I should reach out for a lawyer. Actually, sergeant Eldridge, I think he was told me I should go to the professional standard unit. But standard professional standard unit told me he couldn't write the check, but he suggested that I reach out for a lawyer.

So I'm here to let everybody know that I think my rights my my my ownership of my car was neglected by the LMPD. Thank

you. Pam Chauncey.

Good evening and thank you for your time and thank you just for the opportunity to share a valuable resource for those in our community. Thank you, Councilman Joseph, for asking me to share. My name is Pam Chancey, and I'm the director of operations and advancements for First Hour Grief Recovery. We are a small nonprofit with a big impact. We have served about three about 1,300 grieving individuals and families in 74 zip codes and we have two locations, one off of Lynn Station Road and one off of Saint Andrews Church Road.

Our mission is to provide compassionate guidance for people who have suffered sudden loss of a loved one, like homicide, suicide, overdose, SIDS, car crashes, anything that is tragically unexpected. I began working at First Hour Brief a little over a year ago after my oldest brother took his life. My younger brother had taken his life twelve years prior after losing both of our parents and not having coping skills or community to heal, and instead, they turned to substances and eventually took their lives. First hour grief met me in my pain as I tried to continue with life as usual like so often people do, but I was quietly sinking. They provided care, support, and coping skills to move forward.

A few of our programs is one to one grief mentoring by trained mentors and free grief support groups. We have our MOA approval to be in all JCPS schools and our hope wave program designed to serve grieving students grade three through 12. It's a free ten week program serving a 107 students this semester. We are sharing and teaching healthy coping strategies that also help them build resilience when life gets tough. We also host an annual community angel walk for those that are experiencing miscarriage, stillbirth, and early infant loss.

Families gather to remember and honor their loved ones that have passed too soon. We had over 500 grieving participants last year and we will be moving into the waterfront this year to accommodate more families. We are also putting care carts into local hospitals to offer resources to grieving families that have lost their little ones. We provide grief response impact program training. We are sensitive to the horrific things that first responders experience, and we help them understand what grief feels like and how to compassionately serve those that have just received tragic news.

We also teach the importance of self care that will foster better relationships within the community. I'm running out of minutes. Talk fast. Grief affects everyone in our community, and we would be honored to partner with each of you to help provide support to those to navigate life after loss. Thank you so much for your time, your leadership, and commitment to supporting the well-being of our communities.

Thank you. Irina Batiste.

Good afternoon. My name is Irene Baptiste, and I have a couple of points to submit to the consideration of the city council in the section four of the city ordinance. I agree with the rest of the speakers, but I do believe that we should reach a point of compromise regarding the ordinance. Point A of section four of the ordinance, it could be reward. So we we we rephrase it, it can be there. Detaining, it means that the metro government, shall be used to detain people seeking of providing

I'm gender free interrupt you for a second. Are you talking about the transgender ordinance?

Yes,

sir. And you're here speaking out against the proposed transgender ordinance.

I'm see I'm here to submit to the city council the not against the transgender ordinance, but trying to help regarding the phrasing of the transgender ordinance that could be helping the community and helping the people on the detent of transgender communities.

Madam, I'm gonna view this from the chair's position, Yes, sir. My colleagues. And that is this. If you were speaking in a manner that is proposing to change the ordinance that these presently before this body in the committee at the moment, that would be speaking out against it. And as I said earlier, you are limited. This body is limited to having three speakers on a position on any topic.

Okay.

We've had three speakers that spoke out against this ordinance. And as such, what you're speaking about now is gonna be the rule of this chair that you are speaking out as a fourth speaker against the proposed ordinance. And I'm going to respectfully ask you to sit down.

Then let's change it and I'm gonna speak on behalf of the ordinance.

If you wanna if if you were going to now speak in favor of this ordinance without changing the ordinance, then I would invite you to proceed. Okay. But the moment you're going to change something, I'm going to have to rule you down. Okay?

Well, the ordinance can pass to a certain point on the ordinance can pass. Some others can be transformed. Meaning it doesn't need to be off. It just need to be rewarded. So if you change the words of you put on it and you said that the gender affirming care individual is somebody of in the age of consent, it can be there. It doesn't have to be removed. And if you see if if you say in point d that enforcing probably prohibitions of entertainments of male or female impersonators, it doesn't have to be forbidden in public areas. It's you have to be it can be done in the library in a nonpublic area.

Madam, you're speaking out against it. I'm gonna I'm gonna at this point

It's not against.

I'm going to rule from the chair that you're out of order. And with all due respect

With all

who can be?

Following the rules, I'm gonna invite you to sit down. Madam clerk, our time is done.

Freedom of speech.

Melissa Bear?

Uh-huh.

Thank you for your time today, madam.

Alright. Woe to ye lawyers.

Price is king. Don't forget it.

No? Alright.

Good evening, counsel. I appreciate the opportunity to speak tonight about the hero run. So a few years ago, my spouse and I wanted to create an event in Louisville that really recognized the meaning of Memorial Day to honor our service members who were killed in combat and those we've lost at home to psychological wounds of war. And out of that discussion the hero run was created. So our name is an acronym it stands for honor earned remembrance owed and we are a run that closes out Memorial Day week.

Each year we support a local veterans organization. This year all of our proceeds will benefit University Louisville Salute to Service scholarship for their veterans and their dependents as well as Volunteers of America Mid States. Volunteers of America Mid States does a million things but one of the things that they do is they have an honor program that supports veterans in myriad ways right covering rents, being able to move from supported housing into independent housing, covering rent rental application fees, they do a million things. And so what we are requesting is support from council members through NDF funds to cover the costs of things for the run so that we can maximize the money that we give back to the local veteran community. That's really it.

That's it. Thank you for your time, appreciate it.

Thank you. Maria Gurren. Maria Gurren, oh sorry.

Hi my name is Maria Gurren and I'm the executive director of imagination library of Louisville thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight. I'm here today to follow-up on our budget request of a $150,000 so that we can continue improving early learning skills in kindergarten readiness for thousands of Louisville kids. We were not eligible to apply for EAF this year so this body is our only path to metro government funding. Today I'm going to talk to you about three things that make our organization unique, our reach, our results, our cost effectiveness. First our reach, we send a free monthly book to over 21,000 children every month and while available countywide we focus most of our outreach efforts on our eight equity zip codes where we know families might have more barriers to accessing books.

We also know there's pockets of poverty in every part of Jefferson County and we partner with dozens of organizations to make sure that we're reaching families who need our program the most. Every birthing hospital enrolls before they go home as well as dozens of community organizations including Head Start, JCPS, Thrive by Five, the Americana Community Center, Family Health Centers and many more. Since 2017 we have mailed over 683,000 books and nearly 13,000 Louisville kids have graduated from our program. Next our results, Imagination Library works by improving home literacy environments of families, increasing reading behaviors, and increasing motivation to read among caregivers and children. Included in the handouts that you were given today are some of our program evaluation results that you might have already seen as well as some brand new exciting data.

There was a recent groundbreaking global study of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library which shows that children in our program were 11 times more likely to be interested in books and 15 times more likely to join in during shared book reading time than their peers not in the program. Perhaps most exciting is that new data shows that Kentucky kids in Imagination Library have higher kindergarten readiness rates than their peers not in the program even in the absence of preschool. I don't have to tell you all how significant this is. And Imagination Library is worth investing in because it is effective. We are locally responsible for covering the cost of books each month, half this cost is covered by the state but our cost is just a dollar 30 per month so for a dollar and 30¢ thousands of children are receiving a free high quality age appropriate monthly book delivered to their home with their name on it.

You might have heard that the state legislature was considering reducing their contribution from 50% to 30% however when this word got out parents across Kentucky responded immediately calling and emailing their legislators sharing how the program has benefited families and the joy their children get from receiving their monthly book. We're happy to report that the state match was reinstated however we still need local government support in order for us to continue enrolling children. We are committed to changing book access for Louisville families and ensuring that all parents have the tools they need to give their kids the best start possible. Your past investments have helped us reach the point we are today but please don't abandon that investment now and help us continue building a better future.

Thanks. Thank you. Daniel Cobble.

Council members, for full disclosure, I am Daniel Cabo running for US representative here in Louisville District 3. I have three quick points. First, secretary of state Michael Adams and interim Jefferson County clerk David Yates are once again violating sections one four seven and one four eight of the Kentucky constitution that bars county and state officials from conducting elections. These these these eighteen ninety one central provisions eliminate the conflicts of interest where government officials have the interest in putting whom they want in office. You have copy of my 04/30/2026 pleading in court demanding that clerk Yates keep closed and sealed all early voting and mail in ballots until delivered on election day to the precinct captains in the precincts where these voters live.

Next, one of the mayoral candidates says the mayor of Greenberg Camp is claiming Greenberg has an 80% approval rating. This is not possible and exemplifies my concern that clerk clerk Yates will cheat to get Greenberg back in office. His office is no longer taking phone calls that are directed to that are directed to 311 city call, and he stopped the tradition of people dropping off information to the mayor's office. Thus, he is confident he will get back in. And finally, as you know, on April 3, the Kentucky legislature approved $1,000,000,000 to mayor Greenberg on top of the $1,600,000,000 budget that you approved.

Shortly afterwards, misappropriations of the billion dollars began. One is the $500,000 in for reducing crime. For a government knows well, it's the absence of fathers that leads to crime, and yet you won't promote fatherhood. That's why if I make it to Washington, I will push for the office of infrastructure at the three Mister Cabell? Yes.

There we have a rule here. You cannot electioneer. And so when you start talking about what you're gonna do as a potential elected official, you're electioneering, and you must resist discussing that. You're free to discuss other things during your time, but that violates the rules of this body. Well,

I'm just addressing the problem of the misappropriation of

Address the problem but not tell us about you running or what you're gonna do if elected. Okay?

Okay. Well, you get my point. Okay?

We got your point, but we're gonna limit the

point. Say what?

I said we got your point, but we're gonna limit the point.

Well, you can't limit the point. You already have the information. And now you have to decide what you're going to do. Thank you so much. Okay. Okay.

Thank you. Mister president, that concludes the address of the council.

Next, we have the approval of council minutes for the regular meeting of 04/23/2026. Are there any corrections or deletions? Items provided before us. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Any opposition? The ayes have it. The minutes are approved as written. Next, we have the approval of the following committee minutes, all in 2026. The regular committee of the whole, April 23, the regular labor and economic development, May 5.

The regular public works, May 5, the regular government oversight audit and appointments committee, May 5, the regular equity community affairs, housing, health and education, May 6, the regular appropriations, May 6, the regular public safety, May 6, regular parks and sustainability, May 7, the regular budget, May 7. Are there any corrections or deletions? Can I get a motion and a second? The items propped before us. All in favor, say aye.

Aye. Twenty five and twenty.

In opposition? The minutes are approved as written. Madam clerk, do we have any communications to the council?

Yes, We do.

Please read those into the record.

Dear president Eckerson, in accordance with the Bardstown Road overlay district board, I am appointing the and reappointing the following, Karen Carol Yocum, a new appointment term expires 04/30/2029. Alicia Ariadi, a new appointment term expires 04/30/2029. Erin Gavan, a reappointment term expires 04/30/2029. John Anthony Floyd Jackson, a reappointment term expires 04/30/2029. Kelly Eastep, a reappointment term expires 04/30/2029.

Your protection of these appointments and reappointments is most appreciated sincerely, Craig Greenberg, mayor. Dear president Ackerson, in accordance with the civilian review and accountability ordinance, I'm appointing the following Donald Marlin, a new appointment term term expires May 03/25/2029. Rayshawn Crawley, a new appointment term expires 03/25/2029. Sarah Provenger, a new appointment term expires 03/25/2029. Your protection on these appointments is most appreciated.

Sincerely, Craig Ringberg mayor. Dear president Akerson, in accordance with the human relations advocacy ordinance, I'm appointing the following, Liz O'Sullivan, a new appointment term expires 09/30/2028. Your prompt action on this appointment is most appreciated sincerely, Craig Greenberg, Dear president Akerson, in accordance with the Jefferson County, extends born, I'm reappointing the following. Lisa Hyatt, a reappointment term expires 12/31/2028. Your prompt action on this reappointment is most appreciated. Sincerely, Greg Craig Greenberg, mayor. Dear present action, I'm appointing and reappointing the following to the urban services district board. Nima Mahmoudi, a new appointment term expires 08/13/2027. Casey Doss, a new appointment term expires 08/13/2027. This is to be read into the record.

Mitchell Council approval of these appointments not required. Sincerely, Craig Wingerberg mayor. Read in full.

The appointment sending council approval before the government oversight committee. The next item is a special notice of proposed amendment to the Metro Council rules in accordance with rule 1.01 D. The rules of the council may be amended by resolution adopted by a vote of two thirds of the entire council provided that notice of the vote and a copy of the proposed amendments are given at a previous meeting and appear on the agenda. Madam Clerk, a reading vibe number 21.

A resolution amending the rules of the legislative council of the Lowell Jeffers County Metro Government regarding presiding officer at committee meetings read in full. There's no motion.

We don't need a motion. This is merely giving notice to the community. It's been read in the record. It is in the record and thus we can deal with the next time. The next order of business is the consent calendar. The consent calendar comprises items 22 through 43. Are there any additions or deletions? Madam Clerk a second reading of those items.

The following legislation was forwarded from the appropriations committee. Item 22, an ordinance appropriating $10,000 from District 6 neighborhood development funds to the office of management budget to Kentucky Shakespeare Inc. For costs associated with the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival and such a work we held May 27 through 08/09/2026, item 23, an ordinance appropriating $6,550 from District 6 neighborhood development funds through the office of management budget to Old Louisville Community Coalition Inc for costs associated with the twenty twenty six Old Louisville Farmers Market to be held in Central Park, 05/09/2026 through 11/14/2026, an ordinance item to 24, an ordinance appropriating $39,650 from neighborhood development funds in the following manner, $9,912.50 from Districts 121314, and 25 to metro parks for costs associated with the Southwest Music Series to be held June 30, August 1, and 09/21/2026. The following legislation was forwarded from the budget committee. Item 25, an ordinance amending ordinance number zero nine one series twenty twenty five related to the fiscal year twenty twenty five, twenty twenty six operating budget by transferring $4,000 from the neighborhood development fund district five to the Louisville Metro Council general operations district five.

I'm 20 six at Ornix amending ordinance number zero seven two series twenty twenty relating to the fiscal year twenty twenty twenty twenty one capital or just number zero eight eight series twenty twenty one related to fiscal year twenty one twenty two capital budget and ordinance number zero eight four series twenty twenty two related to the fiscal year twenty twenty two twenty twenty three capital budget by transferring $24,550 between existing District 6 projects. Following The legislation was forwarded from the Equity Community Affairs Housing Health and Education Committee. Item 27, a resolution honoring mister Fred t Stoner senior by naming the corner of Rose Lane Street and South Hancock Street as Fred T Stoner Senior Way in his honor. The following legislation was forwarded from the government oversight audit and appointments committee item 28 in ordinance of the Louisville Jefferson County Metro Council to approve the annexation of the city of Glenview of a portion of Orion East of Lime Kiln Road Lime Kiln Lane and the lots located there in contiguous to the present boundary of said city, but not contiguous to the boundary of the former city of Louisville and being in the unincorporated area of the former county of Jefferson.

Item 29, appointment of Keon Scott to the board of zoning adjustment. Term expires 06/30/2027. Item 30, a reappointment of Matthew McMahon McCodd to the Jefferson County extension board. Term expires 12/31/2028. I am 31, appointment of Brianna Kelly to the Juneteenth Jubilee Commission. Term expires 04/29/2029. Item 32, reappointment of doctor Terry Davenport to the Juneteenth Jubilee Commission. Term expires 04/29/2029. Item 33, appointment of Trevor Paul to the Kentuckiana Works Greater Louisville Workforce Development Board. Term expires 02/28/2028.

Item 34, appointment of doctor Nicole Cobb to the Kentuckiana Works Greater Louisville Workforce Development Board. Term expires 07/28/2028. Item 35, appointment of Tim Hovall to the Kentuckiana Works greater Louisville workforce development board. Term expires 06/30/2028. Item 36, appointment of Gail Dickerson to the Kentuckiana Works, greater Louisville workforce development board.

Term expires 09/21/2028. Item 37, reappointment of Christy Robinson to the Louisville Convention of and Visitors Bureau, term expires 02/28/2029. Item 38, appointment of Opry Gregory to the Louisville Downtown Management District Board, term expires 12/02/2027. Item 39, reappointment of Andy Treanan to the Louisville Downtown Management District Board term expires March 2029. Item 40 appointment of Carol Timmons to the Revenue Commission term expires 10/01/2028.

The final legislation was forwarded from Parks and Sustainability Committee. Item 41, a resolution renaming Ballard Park to South or Smoketown Ballard Park. Item 42, a resolution authorizing the mayor to accept a total of $6,500 from Humana, Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District, and the Brown Forman Corporation for the sponsorship of the Earth Fest to be honored and administered by the office of sustainability. The following legislation was forwarded from the public safety committee. Item third 43, an ordinance amending the Louisville Metro Code of Ordinances chapter 30 chapter 91, definition to remove certain restraints requirements read in full.

The items profit before us, this requires a roll call vote. Madam clerk, open the roll. I'm going to take a point of privilege. The new system which is the old system back in place, you'll love it.

Mister president, you have 24 yes votes.

The consent calendar passes. The next item of business, we owe business. Madam clerk, I read of item 44.

For reconsideration, an ordinance appropriating $11,200 from neighborhood development funds in the following manner. $1,700 from District 3, $1,500 each from Districts 2, and nine $1,000 from District 1, $500 each from Districts 810, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, and 24 to the office of social services for first neighborhood place for backpacks and school supplies to be distributed at their annual backpack for school festival to be held 07/18/2026. Right in full.

Item is brought before us. Councilwoman Shanklin, have the floor.

I just want district two want to add a thousand dollars. Thank you.

No hold on second here, District 26 is going to add a thousand to that also.

Thank you.

Alright. I see in my queue on item 44 I have Councilman Purvis in my queue.

2 50 from five.

I've got no one else in my queue. We have the proposed amended ordinance before us. All those in favor? Motion? Second?

Second.

All those in favor say aye. Aye. In opposition. We now have the amended ordinance before us, which will require a roll call vote. Madam Clerk, open the roll.

Parish Wright, councilwoman Parish Wright. Mister president, you have 24 yes votes.

The ordinance is adopted.

Thank you.

Madam clerk, reading by number 45, please.

An ordinance appropriating $26,600 from District 26 neighborhood development funds to the Louisville Metro Police Department for a two year lease agreement and installation of four flat cameras to be installed in various locations within Metro Council District twenty six. Right in full.

Items popped before us. Councilman Joseph, this is from your committee. You have the floor.

Yes. Thank you. This was on old business because of a present vote with this being District 26. Mister president, I turn it back to you.

Well, I'm gonna yield the floor to the president pro tem for a second as I speak to this. Madam clerk of the record reflect I'm yielding the floor.

So noted.

Not only did I get the floor, but I got some Reese's here. She told me don't eat her stuff.

Colleagues,

this is an appropriation for District 26. This will be four flock cameras that are replaced in District 26. I think they're for the greater security and safety of the entire of Louisville, not just District 26. And I appreciate your support of this.

May I have a motion? Oh, anybody in the queue?

Roll call vote.

Alright. Can I have a motion?

Hold on. Any any anybody for discussion? No. We've already got it. We're good. Okay. Do you want me to open up the voting? There we go. Alright. Hearing none, this is the ordinance requiring a roll call vote.

And let the record reflect that I'm voting yes for councilman Hawkins and she can vote however she wants for me.

Of course. Councilwoman Pierce Wright. Yes. No

worries.

Madam president Pro Tem, you have 21 yes votes and three present votes.

Alright. The audience is adopted. Do you wanna leave here to the floor now?

Alright. Yes. I will leave

it to

the floor. Back. Trade to the floor for the receipts. How about that? There's a trade for you.

I told you. Our family come over to the living room. When we get a second, I need something.

Madam clerk, reading of item 46.

In order to appropriating $6,650 from District 20 neighborhood development funds to metro Louisville Metro Police Department for a two year lease agreement and installation one block camera be installed near the Grand Lakes subdivision in District 20.

Motion. Councilman Joseph.

Thank you. This was also placed on old business due to a present vote. And can I yield the floor to councilman Benson?

Councilman Benson, you have the floor.

Thank you, mister president. I appreciate you all. Like you once said just a few minutes ago, one of the things is to help people be safer and if we know who's coming and going sometimes in different places, we can help monitor the situation. So these people have never had it before, so we're trying to help out and afterwards I think they'll take over the cameras. So thank you.

I've got no one else in my queue. No one's flagging me down. This requires a roll call vote. Madam Clerk up in the roll.

Miss let me just make sure I've got everyone. I'm missing someone.

Looks like 20

That's 26 to me. Mister president, you have 21 yes votes, three present votes.

The ordinance is adopted. Madam clerk, read item number 47.

An ordinance appropriating $1,000 from neighborhood development funds in the following manner, $1,000 from District 6 through the office of management and budget to Volunteers of America Midstates Inc for cost associated with its twenty twenty six hero run to be held 05/30/2026 right in full.

Motion. Second. Obvious profit for us. Councilman Joseph, you have the floor again.

Thank you. This is a a piece of or a piece that is coming from District 6 and councilman Lenninger and I yield the floor to him.

Councilman Lenninger, give the floor.

Thank you, mister president. Thank you, mister chair. This is here on old business because we are inviting other members of the council to give to a worthy cause. We already had a speaker from public, out live just how important, it is that we support veterans. I will say that, you know, we bring all of our discretionary spending in our district to our advisory council.

They were enthusiastic about wanting us to bring this forward and ask you all to chip in. I'll say for myself personally, I'm proud to do this in honor of my father, a veteran of the United States Navy. And I think that it's really wonderful what they're doing. We're proud to host it here in District 6. I think it also runs through District 15 somewhat as we share the University of Louisville.

But truly, this is a cause that supports people across our county and people that I think we all understand that we owe a lot to for the sacrifice that they've made to our country who I think that we might all all agree about everything about the US military, about things that, you know, people, you know, in the suits make the decisions. But I think we can all agree that our service members should be honored. And I think we can all agree that there are a lot of ways that we'd we've let them down. And I think this is a great way for us to help support those people. So I I would ask everyone to consider joining in. Thank you.

Councilwinkler, you're first in my queue.

Thank you. I was proud to sponsor this event the last couple of years. I'm glad that councilman Linninger has taken it over. And please add District 17 for two fifty.

Councilwoman Chappell.

Two fifty from D 15.

Councilwoman Pigentini.

Thank you. If I could just a quick moment, first of all I rarely and I'm not going to change my rule for the rest of the NDFs tonight and the ones that were at last meeting, rarely contribute to these things because I have to use almost all of my money for CAF dollars. With that said, Memorial Day is coming up. I appreciate what you're doing here and because we're not going to have a meeting between now and Memorial Day, I would like for everybody on Memorial Day to remember all fallen service members but if you wouldn't mind I would appreciate if you could specifically remember a guy by the name of Vincent Forsetto. Vinny Forsetto we went to boot camp together served in the same platoon in Parris Island.

We coincidentally deployed together or deployed with the same battalion to Iraq. And just as I was leaving, he left about two weeks before I did, he was killed by a roadside bomb in Ramadi, Iraq. And I think he was 19 years old. He was a private first class. So there was I mean there's literally at this point hundreds of thousands of people like Vinny who have been killed in the line of duty. And I would just appreciate if you remember him and others and so district nineteen will contribute a thousand dollars.

And the one thing you left out was Semper Fi.

Semper Fi.

Counselor Reed, you're next to my queue. Have the floor.

Along those lines, in honor of Sergeant Howard E. Reed, my grandfather killed in action World War II, 500 from District 16.

Councilwoman and veteran Rueh.

In in honor of all the veterans out there and for my time in service, would like to put in $500.

Councilor Bradsher.

District 22, a thousand dollars in honor of Claiborne Ashby. It was a VP sailor shot down, and they couldn't even rescue him. It was so top

secret. Councilman Bass.

In honor of all the veteran District 14 will do $500.

Councilman Herndon.

District 4 $500.

Councilman Batshawn.

District 25 will do $500

I've got no one else in my queue. Okay, now the hands go up. In order of the quickness, Councilman Parrish Wright, I'm sorry, gentlemen, it's faster on the draw. You have the floor, madam.

Thank you. I want something. For 1,300 for District 3 in honor of all veterans. Thank you.

Councilman Dan Simon, Jr.

You. We're running short on India but I got to give $2.50.

JJ you're up.

In honor of Donald Dixon, 500 from District 12.

Councilman Owen. Wait, You

said 500.

I got you.

I'm just kidding.

500 from nine please. Thank you.

Councilwoman Parker. Will you will you

say that on your thing for me? 500 from D18. Thank you.

Councilwoman Benson.

250 from District 20.

Alright. I'm looking around Councilwoman Hawkins.

There is a the Oh, the veterans two fifty from District 1. Okay. Great. Very good. There we go.

How we doing the balance?

$450 left. We're at 9,550.

450 left. I'm looking around. Any other council people? In the queue. No one else? Oh, councilman Craney.

Certainly in honor of all veterans, but particularly my father, mister EJ Stafford. And in honor of what takes place every year with the people who serve our country, I'm gonna bring it up from the rear and make the balance $4.50 so that they can have all that they request.

That brings our balance to a full. And let's not also forget, it's Council McCrane that every year, sure that our veterans at the Zachary Taylor Cemetery get wreaths and other things on their graves to honor them. Councilwoman, we appreciate you. We have a full balance.

Motion to amend.

We've got a second. All those in favor of the amended ordinance, say aye. Aye. Any opposition? We now have the amended ordinance before us. Madam Clerk, open the roll.

We're getting there. One second. Too late. Don't don't you change that. Council council president, you have 24 yes votes.

The ordinance is adopted. Madam clerk, revival number 48.

An ordinance appropriating $2,000 from neighborhood development funds in the following manner, $2,000 from district six to the office of management budget to forecastle festival inc for a cost associate associated with the twenty twenty six forecastle festival to be held May 2026. Right

in full.

Lotion.

Item is property for us. Councilman Joseph.

Hello again. This is a piece that has came from District 6 and councilman Langer and I yield the floor to him.

Thank you again. This is another item that you know we're happy to bring forward to everybody to give a chance to support. I know this is a festival that you know is a long standing tradition in Louisville you know supporting local artists, local art. It's recently moved into District 6 into a new location and while the business that is hosting the event is not a recipient of NDF funds obviously they can't be. I think it's also great that they're able to host this event.

This is a business that has been extremely adversely affected by the sixty five closure. They're on Burnett. And right now they, you know, they opened right before Burnett closed for the next two years. They're not able to get a lot of a lot of traffic to their business. And so they're thrilled to be hosting this festival.

And I think it's also a great chance for us to support local business in that way. But what's really important is Port Castle, great local festival. They're this fund the funds that they are able to raise at the concert benefit the Louisville Leopard percussionists, Out Loud Louisville, and Amped. This is something that's able to support local music, local music vendors. And and I think it's really important that we, you know, with everything that we do as a city to support really big events, and I'm glad that we have these big events.

Right? Everybody loves a party and Louisville is a party town. A lot of that money that comes in is not with local acts. A lot of that is not supporting the development of local the local music scene, which is really important culturally for our city. That's something Poor Castle does. And I'd and I've mentioned it on the committee floor. I think it's neat that Poor Castle, you know, outlived the reference to the the larger music festival in town that they were kind of mentioning. You know, may we all outlive our enemies, but good for you, Poor Castle. But I would invite everyone to help support. I know this is something that an area that benefits a lot of different districts and I think a lot of different people are gonna enjoy this.

So thank you for your support.

Councilwoman Chapel, you're first in my queue.

Sure. I think well said and this is a wonderful festival. It used to be held in District 9 in Breslin Park, and we're really excited for it to be in Jubilee Field. I think it's gonna be a fantastic space for this and a business that has been impacted so much already by '65 closure because that work started with underpasses months ago. So really excited about this festival again, May fifteenth through seventeenth. Doors are at one and goes until about 11PM all three days. So go out and support some local music and and get to know the community but District 15 will be in for $1,500 and I hope that I've got that but $1,500 I know it.

Councilman Rhee.

D 21 is in for 500.

Councilman Simon.

D 13, 250 please.

Councilman Owen.

250 from nine please.

I've got no one else in my queue. I see hands going up. You're up first, sir.

500 for me.

Councilman, parish Wright.

A thousand from District 3.

Councilman Herndon, did I see your hand? Nope. Anyone else? Alright. We now have the amended ordinance before us.

Motion. Second.

Item spot before us. It requires a voice. Put all those in favor, say aye. Aye. We now have the amended orders before us. It requires a roll call vote. Madam Clerk, open the roll. Councilman Bass. You're up. There we go. The order is adopted. Madam Clerk, read by number 49.

An ordinance appropriating $12,000 from the neighborhood development funds in the following manner. $4,100 from District 2, $1,750 from district 3, $1,500 from District 9, $1,000 each from District 7 and eight, $750 from District 15, $500 each from Districts 12 And 20, $350 from district twenty four, $300 from district six, $250 from district four seventeen through the office of management and budget to Louisville Independent Business Alliance for cost associated with the twenty twenty six y local fair to be held 05/31/2026 as amended right in full.

I'm just

right before us. JJ is your night. You have the floor.

Well, thank you. Yes. This ordinance was brought to appropriations and I believe that this is also the ordinance that councilwoman Shanklin gave the $4,000 for but meant $400 for. I'm correct. And so there was a discrepancy here. But I wanted to to yield the floor to councilman Owen to discuss this.

Councilman Owen.

Thank you, chair. I think this is the fourth year that we've sponsored this. If I if I was on top of my game, I would give you the exact stat. But I'll remind everyone that money spent at local businesses, a much much larger portion of that money tends tends to stay local as opposed to going somewhere else. It's one of the many reasons why I think Liba is such an important organization and why I continue to support them and hope you guys will as well. So we do need to do an amendment here. How do we so we need to

Subtract 3,100 because councilman wants to get in

the past.

So we should do should we do that separately? Should we do that first? And then we can do it all at once. So so part of that will be for for council district two to do what's the new number?

She's gonna 1,000.

She's gonna amend hers to 1,000. And then we're hoping so so with that

That's not

what I have here, Oh, but

that's what's given. We have $3,100

Okay. So we're still hoping there the total request for this, and this I I didn't say it, but it's this is their Louisville Independent Business Alliance twenty twenty annual by local affair fair. So we're hoping that we can get to 12,000, which was their total request. Thank you.

Councilman Syme, you're first in my queue. Withdrawn. Councilman Herndon, you're next in my queue.

A thousand dollars on District 4.

Councilman Bass, you're next in my queue.

300 from District 14.

Councilman Rui, you are next in my queue.

$7.50 from D 21.

I have no one left in my queue. I'm looking around for hands. I see see Councilman Simon was out and now he's back in.

I got permission to give 250 from my LA. So, 250 from D 13.

I've got no one else in my queue.

There

is a

Motion to amend.

We have a motion to amend.

Second.

Second. All those in favor of the amended ordinance say aye. Aye. In opposition. In opposition we now have the amended ordinance before us. Madam Clerk let's open up

for a roll call vote.

Mister president, you have 24 yes votes and that's it. 24 yes votes.

The ordinance is adopted. Madam clerk, read by number 50.

A resolution approving the grant team of local incentives to Wheeland North American Inc and any subsequent assignees or approved affiliates there pursuant to KRS chapter one fifty four sub chapter 32 read in full.

Say that again. The items properly before us councilor Rena Weber this came from your committee you have the floor.

This is here this is a fairly standard incentive package that we offer to employers who have particularly those who have wage above a certain level which this does. I believe the average wage is $93 And it is before us because of a no vote.

So Councilman Lininger, would you want to explain your vote or no?

I'm not next.

Oh, sorry. Well I've got Councilwoman Rui is first in my queue.

I withdraw.

Withdraw on councilman Lininger you're next in my queue.

Hey everybody and sorry to end our evening of holding hands. We've we had a good run. We've just started our budget hearings. And even before the hearing started at the budget address, there's been a lot of talk about the need for us to make tough choices, that the budget is going to require tough decisions, that we're all going to be like a family gathered around a table. You know, as the bills come in, you know, there's the single light bulb swinging above us. It's getting late. How are we gonna pay these bills?

The

overall budget is down. We're gonna be spending less on the needs of the people of the city of Louisville this year. And in a time where we are considering a squeeze on the services that we're offering to

the city of Louisville, to

the people of Louisville that need these services, when we're talking about making cuts in the future to the benefits to our employees and having to you know make those cold hard decisions which that's what we all signed up for right? Some of these decisions are hard. I cannot in good conscience vote for a corporate tax cut, which is what this amounts to. You know, this is for occupational the occupational license tax. That is our major source of revenue for the city of Louisville.

That is how we pay the bills. And we have, in my opinion, a track record in the city of Louisville of offering a lot of corporate incentives through tax increment finance districts, know, aiding in the development of a lot of different industry, a lot of give outs to corporations. At the end of the day, this is a corporate headquarters. This does not create manufacturing jobs. Their manufacturing facility is not within Jefferson County.

And I think that this corporation can figure out a way to compensate its corporate executives, the people who work in the offices in these white collar jobs. I'm happy to have these jobs in the city, but the primary way that the jobs in the city benefit us as a governmental institution is that they pay taxes. And this is giving away our tax base. So I will be voting no. Thank you.

Councilman Reid. Thank

you, mister chair. And so just to be clear, this is a state program, okay? And what we're doing is we're providing incentives for the expansion potentially of a company that wants to move to Louisville. So what we're doing here is this company, Weiland Industries, will be creating jobs, will be contributing to the tax base and simply we're taking advantage of a program that already exists. So to me it's kind of a no brainer. Thank you.

Counselor Pugetin.

Yeah all of these incentive this is not corporate giveaways. All of these incentives are predicated on the idea that a percentage of something is better than a percentage of nothing. We are competitive we must be competitive with other jurisdictions. And this is, whether we like it or not, part of how jurisdictions compete to retain and grow businesses. And these companies, all of these are scrutinized significantly.

Not to mention, the letter of support here that goes back to Interim Secretary Larry Hayes was signed by Greg Fischer. I mean that's how long we've been working on this company to build and expand here. So we're not giving away anything. Nobody in the public should think about it that way. That does not happen here. We simply compete to bring new jobs here and part of that is incentivizing it by saying, hey, a percentage of some growth here is better than nothing happening. So just wanted to clarify so the public is not confused about that what's really happening here. Thank you, Mr. President.

I've got no one else in my queue. This is a resolution that calls for a voice vote. All in favor say aye.

Aye. Any

opposition? In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. The next item on business will be new business. As you leave chambers, please do so quietly so the clerk may read new business. I would ask those council members wishing to make announcements to please remain in chambers and request to speak on your on your system under announcements. New business comprises of item 51 through 70. Madam clerk, will you have a sec I have a reading of those.

Let's just the following legislation was sent to the proportions committee. Item 51, an ordinance incorporated $5,000 from neighborhood dwelling funds and following matter, $5,000 from District 6 due to office of management and budget to Louisville Tool library incorporate for the rent and utilities of Louisville to library. Item 52, an ordinance appropriated $5,000 neighborhood development funds in the following amount of $5,000 from district six due to office of management and budget, the bars town theater incorporated for costs associated with its new works and production programs. Item 53 in order to appropriate $4,000 from the neighborhood development funds in the following amount of $3,000 from district nine, $500 from district eight, $500 from district fifteen, 2,000 for management budget to the Carson Hill Community Council Incorporated for the cost associated with twenty twenty six Carson Hill fourth of July festival. Item 54, the orders appropriated $6,000 from neighborhood development funds in the following and $6,000 from District 6 to the office of management budget to prominent youth of America incorporated for costs associated with this Jackson Woods summer program to be held June 22 through 07/31/2026.

The final legislation was assigned to the budget committee. Item 55, an ordinance amendment ordinance number zero nine two, series twenty twenty five, related to fiscal year twenty twenty five, twenty twenty six, kept the budget by transferring funds from the traffic common project and adding language pertaining to this problem. Item 56, a resolution approving in the budget economic improvement plan for the greater Louisville Lodge and management district DMV doing business as Global Hotel Partnership for the period July 2026 through 06/03/2027. The following legislation was sent to equity community affairs, housing health, and education committee. Item 57, a resolution authorizing the mayor to accept $59,357.92 of funds from the US department of agriculture to the summer feeding service grant program to be administered by the Department of Public Health and Wellness.

Item 58, a resolution honored reverend Leonard Ramsey by her name in the corner of Dixie Highway and Garbett Avenue as the reverend doctor Leonard Ramsey weighed his honor. The following legislation was assigned to labor economic development committee. Item 59, the order submitted ordinance number 59, series twenty twenty five, in order to amend the project adopting and amend to restatement development plan approving entry into and amending a restatement local participation agreement and authorizing the payment of the release amount pursuant to terms and conditions of the amendment and restating local participation agreement requiring the submission of regular reports lower just in county metro government and authorizing execution and delivery of any other documents and taking any other actions necessary to accomplish the purpose authorized by this ordinance. The following legislation was assigned to the parks and sustainability committee. Item 60, an order submitted lower Justin County metro government code of ordinance LMCO section 42.31 to prevent the forging of certain plant material in lower metro parks.

Item 61, an order submitted lower Justin County metro government code of ordinance, LMCO section 42.41 to set green fees at Louisville Metro golf courses. Item 62 for reintroduction of resolution urging the information of urban forest master plan strategies actions to ensure Louisville Jackson County metro government's tree canopy protection is sustainable. Item 63, a resolution authorizing the mayor mayor to accept totaling $265,000 from The United States Tennis Association for the reconstruction of 10 tennis courts at Seneca Park to be administered by the Department of Parks and Recreations. The following legislation was sent to the planning and zoning committee. Item 64, an onus relating to the zoning of property located at 3827 Park Level Road containing approximately point 22 acres and being a little metro case number 26 zone zero zero two five.

Item 65 are orders imposing temporary on rezoning conditional use permits and plan certain category two b and three development plan applications relating to telecommunication, hotels, and data centers pending a review and recommended changes by planning commission. Item 66, an ordinance relating to the area wide zoning of property located at 1901 Rear Payne Street containing approximately 3.09 acres and Benelux, Metro case number 26, zone zero zero two three zero. Item 67, an ordinance relating to the detailed district development plan for the property is located at 9718 Dixie Highway and 5308 Citation Road containing approximately 2.7 acres in Beneluxville Metro. Case number 25DDP0085. Item 68, an ordinance amendment to lower metro land development code regarding digital display off premises science billboards case number 25LDC0006.

The following legislation was assigned to the public safety committee. Item 69, a resolution order authorizing the mayor to accept $19,942.31 from the US Department of Justice through the international association of chiefs of police grant program to be administered by the Louisville Metro Police Department. The following legislation was assigned to the public works committee, item 70, and the ordinance amended Louisville Metro code of ordinance, LMCO, chapter 99 regulating noise. Ready in full?

Ready in full.

This concludes the Metro Council meeting. The next meeting is on June 6 at 06:00PM. Thank you.