Metro Council - Regular Meeting

I started out as basically a sales intern, did public address, was ticket manager, group sales director, promotions director, marketing director, assistant GM, vice president, even had a stent as part owner and assistant GM of the Louisville River Frogs East Coast Hockey League team, which our Redbirds front office staff ran for three years back in the mid-90s. And we had a great time with that because actually at that time, Promotionally, the Redbirds, we were pretty conservative. The River Frogs kind of became our laboratory to go and do some wild and crazy promotions and we fell in love with a lot of the ideas and concepts we came up with and we actually brought them over to the baseball side and implemented them and actually still use a lot of them here at our ballpark. We actually got into the habit of shooting either boxer shorts or t-shirts at old Cardinal Stadium And the mistake we made when we came down to Louisville Slugger Field our first game is we brought our old T-shirt gun with us, but our promotional staff forgot to recalibrate it. Uh-oh. So it was calibrated for Cardinal Stadium. And you remember how big and cavernous that place was. So you can actually hurt somebody. So we came in here at Slugger Field first night, and we were shooting river frogs, I'm sorry, boxer briefs into the crowd. Unfortunately, the gun was calibrated for Cardinal Stadium. We're shooting underwear out of the stadium. It's going over the roof and coming down on Main Street and landing on cars because it was calibrated so strong. So that's one of the many weird stories that I could tell. Like a boxer brief drone kind of thing? Yep.

It's raining underwear. You've been... well known for some of the creative promotions that you do out here. So what is still to come for folks who are watching Louisville now and they're saying, man, I got to get out to Slugger Field. Tom, you've got some exciting stuff coming.

We do. Each and every week we've got something really unique and new going on. We just finished up with a really tremendous Star Wars promotion where we did a drone show on Saturday night. That was a lot of fun. Coming up, while the team is actually away, we'll be playing Cosmic Baseball. It's kind of a takeoff on Banana Ball, but actually the last four innings of the game, they turn all the stadium lights out, except for the black lights that they will have installed in our stadium. So you're going to have players playing in glow-in-the-dark jerseys, bases, bats, balls for four innings. Unfortunately, both those games are already sold out June 19th and 20th. So that's coming up. But, again, we've got a lot of cool things going on for the rest of the season. The one that really discussed national acclaim was our nothing night. I've heard about this. You've got to do it again. Which is kind of making fun of minor league baseball as a whole because minor league baseball is now known for so many promotions, noise, Everything going on all the time. We basically pulled the plug on all of that. And basically all you hear is organ music. There's no promotions. There's no video board slides. There's just the line score. You hear the crack of the bat, the ball hitting the middle of the glove. There's no walk up music for any players. And it just went viral basically the last homestand.

You know, I can understand the attraction to that for the purists who wants to come out of here and maybe even keep their own score sheet and their stat sheet. And they just, like you said, want to hear the crack of the bat, none of the distractions. So that was something that I guess the old is new again, and it all worked out.

We were getting calls from ESPN, Major League Baseball Network, TV stations in San Francisco, New York, Boston were calling us. So it's become such a hit nationally. We're going to run it back, and we're going to do it Wednesday night, July 8th. So we'll have another nothing night on that night. So if you're hearing this interview, put that date on your calendar. Come out and experience some really interesting baseball.

Yep. July 8th is one of those dates. And I want to talk about another date, if you don't mind, if you would. May 28th, right around the corner. Yep. Okay. A big night for me personally, but a big night for a lot of folks. This is something the bats do so well. Give back. If you can help out a charitable entity, you do that, and you're doing it on the 28th. Yep.

The 28th, we're partnering with our friends with the ALS Association here in Kentucky. And I was fortunate enough to serve on the board of ALS several years ago. And it really opened my eyes to really what those individuals go through in their lives. And so I want to do as much, not only myself personally, but with our franchise that we can to help ALS. Obviously named after Lou Gehrig's disease, it really hits close to home with our entire industry. So it's something that we really take to heart. And not only ALS, but So many other groups here in our community we try to reach out to and be a part of. And we try to be all things that we can to all people because we're very blessed to be in the situation we are in here with this beautiful stadium. And we're always looking to give back if we can.

Greg, as you know, I've told you a long time ago because you're a friend of mine. I have ALS. You're enabling me. I've been honored with it. coming out and throwing the first pitch. Obviously, with my disease, I cannot do it, but my son will do it. So you, as a former pitcher, what advice do you have? I told him, I said, don't embarrass the Rams. Real easy.

If you're going to go up on the mound, because you're going to be up on a little bit of a hill, you want to aim for the catcher's shoulders or his head, because when the ball comes down off the mound, it's going to drop a little bit. Everybody aims for the mitt, and if you do that, it's going to end up in the dirt every time. So that would be the one thing I could suggest.

Yeah, I told him, I said, just don't embarrass me, man.

He won't.

He'll be an athlete just like his dad was. No, no, he'll be much better. But I do look forward to the night and again, a good cause.

And I want to thank you again. You have been the person that kind of brought the champ into the lives of so many people here at our ballpark, both at the old stadium when we were blessed to have him there. And also when you brought him here numerous times to Slugger Field and to be around the champ, it was really cool for me being a native Louisville and to be around such a dominant personality as Muhammad Ali. So I want to again thank you in person and say I feel very blessed to be able to be around him and experience what he does.

Don't give me all that credit, Gray. He liked you. There was an allure there. He knew you. So I think You were a big part of bringing him in as well. And there was something about Muhammad. I found it interesting. I tell people the story all the time. His allure, yes, everyone, of course, they were drawn to him, his charisma. But there was a special kind of relationship with athletes. When you saw him together, when we were down here talking to players, that was kind of interesting, wasn't it?

It was. I could see there was a real... Bond that was initiated, I mean, right off the bat with our players, whether it was here at Slugger Field or back at the old stadium where we were there. And he was just such a special. And what really touched me is when we were at the old stadium, he would walk in or come in unannounced down the left field corner and just hang out down there in that stairwell where people in the press would only park and come up into the stands. And kids would go down there and he'd start making balloon animals for them or doing magic tricks. And he was so great with children and those kids. Oh my God, it was awesome just to watch him interact with kids. Yeah, love kids. Love the game of baseball.

On a high note here, really high note, we mentioned you're winning now. For folks to come out to the park, whatever the night may be, it's always a unique experience, a great family experience. Who are some of the players maybe they should look out for here? They come and go so much.

We have one of the top prospects in the farm system right now, Edwin Arroyo, primarily a shortstop, having a really awesome year right now. We may not have him long. We may not have him long. We've already sent a few pitchers to the big leagues this year. Hector Rodriguez is one of our outfielders who's having a really solid year. It doesn't matter when you come to a ballgame. You're going to see somebody who's probably either played or is on their way back to the major leagues. And that's not only for us. That's for the visiting club. You never know who you might see playing for the visiting club. So that's what's so cool about AAA baseball. We're so close to the major leagues. So many guys have played in the major leagues that are here. So you're basically watching just a smaller version of Major League Baseball, but it's still really good baseball.

Yeah, really good talent. Okay, before I let you go, one more question here. Once again, since we're here at the backstop, let's talk about Whiskey Thief. For those bourbon aficionados who are watching, okay, what do you taste? Tell me about some of the notes you taste.

Well, I learned a little something when I went over and did my initial tasting at their facility over in Antigone Strut, and that is it is straight out of the barrel. So it will... It'll warm you up really quickly. Warm you up is a good way to put it.

You don't have to come out of the bowl.

Bye.

Metro TV will start in 30 seconds. The regular Metro Council meeting of June 11, 2026 will please come to order. The time is currently about three minutes after six.

Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Oh, this meeting will be held pursuant to KRS 61.826 and Council Rule 5A. Madam Clerk, please, a roll call.

Councilwoman Hawkins. Present. Councilmember Shanklin. Present.

Councilmember Parrish-Wright.

Present. Councilmember Herndon. Present. Councilmember Purvis. Present. Councilmember Leninger.

Present.

Councilmember McCraney.

Here.

Councilmember Reno-Weber. Councilmember Owen. Councilmember Raymond. Councilmember Kramer. Here. Thank you. Council Member Joseph. Here. Council Member Syme. Here. Council Member Bast. Here. Council Member Chappell. Council Member Reed.

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-Walridge. Here. Council Member Batshon.

Here.

President Akerson.

Present.

Council Member Owen. Yes, here. Mr. President, you have 23 and a quorum.

I'll let the record reflect that Councilwoman Raymond has an excused absence. So noted. Madam Clerk, are there any addresses to council? Yes, sir, there are. Let me remind those addressing council that the council to please refrain from using profanity, making any derogatory statements towards council members, and that there are a maximum of three persons that may speak with the same position on any particular topic Before this council so essentially if a fourth person wants to speak for or against a particular piece of legislation Regretfully the rules say only three can speak for against all right madam clerk.

Please call the first speaker Joe Brant Bramer Men and women of the Louisville Metro Council, thank you for the opportunity to address you this evening I As a citizen and voter in Louisville, Kentucky, and as a Christian, I do not view the Transgender Safe Haven Ordinance as good for Louisville. In this regard, I am in agreement with about 72% of our state that identifies as Christian. According to the Bible, encouraging transgenderism rejects God and his authority to govern his creation. He created mankind in his image, distinctly male and distinctly female, and called them good. These are the only two genders. Supporting transgenderism leads people to reject God's authority in their lives and away from what is good by affirming and reinforcing them in their sin. A literal reading of this ordinance, taken to its logical conclusions, leads to several dangers by providing protections for one class, roughly 1% of the population, at the expense and danger of the vast majority of the population. First, prohibiting the detention of anyone providing gender-affirming healthcare protects those doing grievous harm, especially when this alleged care is performed on minors. The CAST report published in the United Kingdom outlines how these procedures cause more harm than good for children. Why would we protect someone who does what has been proven to cause harm to those who will make up our future? Second, prohibiting the restriction of the ability of transgender people to access any public accommodations allows men to enter women-only spaces. The prohibitions on men in women's restrooms and locker rooms are in place to protect the privacy and safety of women when they are in the most vulnerable places. Our wives, sisters, mothers, and daughters should not be placed in situations where a man enters the areas where they should expect the most privacy. which the proposed ordinance would do. As a husband, I do not want, and my wife does not want, a man entering the restroom that she is using. Finally, prohibiting anyone from stopping male or female impersonators wearing non-stereotypical dress or costume can easily be twisted to protect someone exposing him or herself indecently in public. This would protect those exposing my son and the 170,000 other children of Louisville to potentially pornographic dress and material. This ordinance and others like it impose great risk and danger on more than 99% of Kentuckians to support the supposed good of less than 1%. As council members, you must protect the vulnerable and uphold righteousness in our city by voting against policies and ordinances that advance transgenderism. truly love the transgender and the gender nonconforming by pointing them to the one who made their bodies as male or female and can provide true peace and rest for them, the Lord Jesus Christ. Please uphold righteousness and holiness for our city by voting against this ordinance or any others like it if proposed. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Ryan Fullerton.

Men and women of the Louisville Metro Council, it's my privilege to get to address you this evening. I'd like to share an analogy with you from author Mia Hughes. It's a true story and it makes a true point. In the 1990s, Dr. Robert Smith, the surgeon at Falkirk Royal Infirmary in the UK, performed leg amputations on two perfectly healthy men who suffered from apotemnophilia, a psychiatric condition in which people obsessively desire the removal of healthy limbs because they do not feel whole with four limbs. They do not identify as four-limbed individuals. Dr. Smith argued that the surgeries saved apotemnophiliacs from suicide. His hospital, on the other hand, thought better and banned Smith from mutilating healthy bodies. Now imagine a world where the hospital did not ban amputating healthy limbs. Imagine a world where lobby groups convinced us that everyone who identifies as an amputee is an amputee. Imagine a world where those who consider themselves as amputees say they are oppressed if good doctors will not amputate their limbs. Imagine a world where people who say humans were made to have all four limbs are cultural heretics who might lose their jobs. Imagine if the apotemnophile lobby group was powerful and successful. And coincidentally, there was a 4,000% jump in teens identifying as amputees. Imagine that parents were expected to celebrate their children wanting to remove their arm. where kindergarten teachers help students embrace their identities as amputees. And then, imagine just a few years later, fast forward a few years beyond the decision you will make tonight, to a world where some of those teens begin to regret removing their arm. Imagine a world where teens look back at the doctors who told them this operation would help them and discovered this operation had done them irreversible harm. The city council faces a decision tonight, and they will answer before God for the decision they make. Will you support such a world? Will you be governed by the feelings of those who want to harm their own bodies? Or will you govern in a way that protects those who would do themselves harm? As a pastor in this city, when young women and men suffer from anorexia, I do not tell them. The medical professionals of this city do not tell them that they really are overweight because they feel overweight. We lovingly bring them to the truth and help them embrace the body God gave them. When men and women desire to transition to have healthy bodies God gave them, we do not aid and abet their mutilation. We lovingly oppose it. I plead with the council to protect the vulnerable in our city. Do not make Louisville a safe haven for self-mutilation, but make us a place where men and women embrace their bodies they were given and learn to serve God and their neighbors with the bodies God has made. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Donna Martin.

Hi, my name is Donna Martin, and my husband and I own Apex Massage in Crescent Hill. We are looking forward to celebrating our 25th year in business this fall. Like many massage therapy business owners, we are deeply concerned that the massage facility ordinance will place severe economic and administrative burdens on legitimate small businesses if it is ever strictly enforced with the wording as it stands. Several provisions of the ordinance are simply not practical. For professional massage offices, Requiring front doors to remain unlocked during all business hours, it is not feasible for those who cannot afford a full-time receptionist, nor is it safe for their therapists or their clients. Likewise, requiring the removal of privacy locks from treatment room doors disregards a client's right to privacy and comfort during a healthcare-related service. also requiring oral clients to present identification oversteps the therapeutic relationship and undermines their trust. This ordinance does not consider the needs, privacy, or best interest of clients receiving legitimate massage therapy services. The stated purpose of this ordinance is to address human trafficking and illicit businesses that are falsely presenting themselves as massage establishments. However, these businesses should never have been permitted to open in the first place under the term massage. Kentucky law is very clear. KRS 309 350 states that only licensed massage therapists may use the term massage and practice massage therapy. Please stop referring to the illicit businesses as massage parlors. The word massage belongs to licensed professionals who have invested significant time, education, and resources into building a respected healthcare profession. By grouping legitimate massage therapy practices together with illegal operations, this ordinance is demeaning to our profession. Furthermore, the businesses being targeted will just change their names and what services they offer. At that point, this massage facility ordinance that is supposed to target them will be pointless in its intention. The restrictions contained in this ordinance are aimed at the illicit businesses but will primarily burden legitimate massage therapists. The result will be increased cost, reduced privacy, and greater operational challenges for the businesses that already comply with state law. I urge you to reconsider the provisions of this ordinance and work with licensed massage therapists to develop solutions that target illegal activity without harming legitimate small businesses and the clients we serve. Thank you for your time. Thank you.

Emmett Valentine. Emmett Valentine. Emmett Valentine, last call. Denise Sears.

Thank you members of Metro Council for letting me be here tonight to speak with you. I am with SOS, a nonprofit that keeps surplus medical items out of landfills and transforms them into life-changing resources for our community. We provide medical supplies and equipment to clinics and social service organizations serving the uninsured, and we meet the medical needs of individuals facing insurance and financial barriers. We work with 61 local partners, including UofL Health, Red Cross, JCPS, and LMPD Victim Services. We are serving youth and families victims of violence, senior citizens, and members of our disability community with a reach that spans from West Louisville to Prospect. The SOS Local Health Program helps residents maintain stability in employment, schooling, housing, and food security. Caregivers can return to work and school. Low-income individuals don't have to choose between purchasing medical items and groceries. and we are lowering stress on our healthcare systems by reducing preventable ER visits. Our medical reuse model and large volunteer force allow us to deliver these outcomes at a minimal cost. It is work unduplicated by any regional organization. With the funds received in the 26th budget, we doubled our impact, reaching over 9,000 individuals in need and earned glowing reviews from the Office of Social Services. The needs in our community are escalating. Clinics are facing Medicaid cuts, and the number of individuals being priced out of health insurance to cover or unable to cover out-of-pocket costs is increasing. Last year, we averaged 30 requests for support per month. So far this month, in 11 days, we've received 42, with nine of those just coming in today. These are car accident and house fire victims, fixed income seniors, low income disabled. They're receiving wheelchairs, CPAPs, incontinence products and wound dressings. Despite the escalating need for this program, SOS did not receive any funding in the 27 budget. This is gonna force us to cut the program back in half by eliminating service for thousands. We've been told it's a tough budget year, so we took our original ask of 150,000 and have reduced it to 100,000. We'll have to cut some services, but we'll still be able to serve between 7 and 8,000 individuals. We request that you include funding for SOS in the 27 budget to ensure Louisville residents have the medical support that keeps them stable, working, and healthy. This is not just funding a safety net for the vulnerable, it is building the foundation for a prosperous city by improving community health. Thank you.

Thank you. Catherine Blackard.

Council members, my name is Catherine Blackard. I live in Louisville Metro Council District 8. It's been argued that the protections offered to trans citizens in Louisville under the fairness ordinance are good enough. They are not. The trans safe haven ordinance was proposed specifically in response to a mounting need to be proactive against more complex and targeted oppression than the existing fairness ordinance accommodates. Put simply, In the face of bigoted laws and mandates from federal and state governments, transgender people, their loved ones, and the medical and educational professionals who dare to care for us are subject to different forms of hate crimes than those defended against in the Fairness Ordinance. Different protections are required. I know this firsthand because I'm a fifth-generation Floridian, and in 2023, I was compelled to flee my home, leaving behind my friends and family because of a volley of bigoted laws restricting healthcare access and making it effectively illegal for trans people to exist in public life. I lived in Orlando, a town whose city-level protections are similar to Louisville's under the Fairness Ordinance, but had no protections for me when my health care was taken away overnight. Obviously, state and federal laws preempt city ordinances, but local ordinances provide nuanced guidance that could slow or undermine bigoted and unconstitutional laws that hold entire populations in suspense while they're fought in court. Whether or not the Trans Safe Haven Ordinance is passed in its current form, I hope that it's clear that this ordinance isn't just needed by the few whom it strives to protect, but it is wanted by the many Louisvillians who believe that transgender people deserve the same inalienable rights as their fellow Kentuckians. Louisville is my home now. Since moving here, I've become a wife and mother. My family, my wife who is trans, and my children, they've lived their whole lives here. I can't stand the thought that them or any Louisvillians might ever have to go through what I went through, losing the only home that they've ever known. I hope that none of you ever have to know the pain of your city and your state turning their backs on you, dehumanizing you with bigoted laws that say in opposition to the hospitality of this town, you are not welcome here. The erosion of transgender rights is also an erosion of your rights. Any rights that governmental bodies take from us, they're more than capable of taking from you, unless our elected officials at all levels do their jobs and protect their citizens. and to those who would oppose this ordinance on the basis of religion. Let me remind the Christians among you that Christ's message of love extends to all people. Above all else, Christ asks us to love one another. Transgender people do not exist in defiance of God's will. We exist in the celebration of the truth we know in our heart of hearts. So I ask you, will you hear our hard fought truth? Will you condemn us for our differences? Or will you show us the love and mercy emblematic of Christ's teachings? Thank you.

Thank you, Samantha Davis. Samantha Davis.

Good evening. I appreciate the opportunity to speak today to the members of this council. My name is Samantha Davis. I'm a Kentucky licensed massage therapist. I live in Councilman Piagentini's district. My business, Louisville Prenatal Massage, is located in Councilwoman McCraney's district. Thank you all for your attention today during my time. Massage therapists are adjunctive healthcare providers. Our clients trust us to create safe space to heal from surgeries, trauma, stress, and prepare for labor and birth. They range in age from newborns to seniors. There is no greater compliment we receive than to hear how safe our clients feel with us. As healthcare providers, LMTs are trusted referral sources for surgeons, OBs and midwives, dentists, physical therapists, and mental health professionals because they know our therapeutic modalities support better outcomes for their patients. Kentucky LMTs already go through a federal background check. We take a minimum of education hours from board-certified massage therapy education program, pass a nationally recognized licensing exam, not only to verify our proficiency in our field of practice, but to verify that granting us a license would not harm the public. When we renew our licenses every two years, we're required to submit any new criminal history. We are required to take continuing education hours, three of which are required to be in ethics. We're bound by law to operate within our scope of practice and our professional code of ethics. I have personally earned three other state licenses to practice massage before earning my Kentucky license. I have never experienced this type of oversight because it does not work. In Ohio, under the state medical board, LMTs and all other healthcare professionals are required to take a human trafficking course to renew our licenses. My point here is that massage therapists are acutely aware of the harmful and damaging human trafficking illegally operating under the name massage. We are asking to be treated like the valuable allies we are in the fight against human trafficking. In addition to disrupting the trust our clients place in us, this ordinance wastes valuable tax dollars and personnel hours policing legitimate massage therapists. Because of the way the Kentucky LMT Board validates and licenses us, our clients can trust us. Our referral partners can trust us. And I'm asking this council to also place your trust in the Commonwealth and grant a pathway to exemption for licensed massage therapists. Thank you. Thank you.

Gabriel Vila.

Members of the Louisville Metro Council, thank you for the opportunity to speak. My name is Gabriel Vela and I'm a licensed massage therapist here in Jefferson County. I'm here to urge you today to reconsider the application for the licensing ordinance. Sorry, I'm really moved by what's going on over here, so it'll take me a second. The application of the licensing ordinance and to exempt solo practitioners. We are professionals who work alone in single therapist practices and who already hold and maintain state-issued massage therapy license. The core purpose of this ordinance is to combat human trafficking and sex trafficking. That is a goal I wholeheartedly support, but the structure of the ordinance does not distinguish between large multi-room commercial establishments where trafficking risks have historically been documented and solo practitioners who by definition do not present these risks. A solo practitioner has no employees, no back rooms, no rotating staff, and no ability to hide illicit activity behind a business front. We work one-on-one with clients in transparent, highly regulated environments, and we are already vetted, licensed, monitored by the board, and licensed here for massage therapy. The state requires background checks, continuing education, adherence to strict ethical standards, and compliance with sanitation and safety rules. In other words, to the extent this ordinance seeks to address concerns related to cleanliness, professionalism, and legitimacy, those concerns are already fully covered by state licensing. Solo practitioners don't represent the human trafficking risk ordinance seeks to combat. For these reasons, rather than advancing the ordinance anti-trafficking purpose, Application to solo practitioners merely functions as a duplicative and disproportionate tax on the smallest and most economically vulnerable segment of this profession. A $200 annual fee video recording systems, requirement of long-term data management, and other record-keeping requirements. Beyond these, the state licensee or board may be costs that are manageable for multi-therapist facilities that generate revenue from multiple practitioners, but are not for the solo therapist. Someone who earns income from only their own hands-on work That same fee represents a significantly heavier burden for both terms of dollar and time. This is not a matter of avoiding regulation. Solo practitioners are already regulated. This is a matter of aligning the ordinance with its stated intent and ensuring the cost of compliance is fair, rational, and proportionate. If the goal is to stop human trafficking, then the ordinance should focus on the environments where the trafficking actually occurs, not independent state licensed professionals who pose no such risk. So today I respectfully ask the council to exempt solo practitioners, and really all of the practitioners back here entirely, reconsider that we do not fall within the risk profile of the ordinance this is designed to address. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Tyler Rooney.

Hello, my name is Tyler Rooney. I'm a volunteer with Louisville DSA and I'm also a resident of District 15. I came out as queer to my family in 2002. Some relatives were indifferent to the news and others responded with a weaponized version of the Bible and with words and actions that were deeply hurtful and not worth repeating all these years later. We can chalk it up to some really bad theology. Fortunately, I was introduced to the Metropolitan Community Church of Louisville, which became my church home throughout my young adult years. It was there that I first learned not only how to advocate for myself but how to advocate for others when I'm asked to. MCC was the first place where I was surrounded by other LGBTQ plus people and was accepted exactly as I was without conditions. It was also there where I had the privilege of learning from elders who had spent decades fighting for our rights and for our liberation. And one lesson that Reverend D. Dell taught me that has remained constant, historically speaking, LGBTQ people have never benefited from invisibility or from maintaining the status quo to appease the conservatives in the room. Every right we have secured has come through visibility, advocacy, and collective action. Regardless of how you vote today, I am proud to follow in these footsteps as our community brings this important issue before you. While we have little to no expectation that the body will vote in favor of the Trans Safe Haven ordinance today, we are reminded of the wisdom passed down by those that came before us. The rights and protections the community enjoys today were not won overnight. They were won because ordinary people refused to give up, refused to be silent, and continued organizing until justice became impossible to ignore. May we too become impossible for you to ignore.

Thank you. Evan Calvin.

I want to thank the men and women of this council for the opportunity to speak to you today. I want to urge you all to vote no to the trans ordinance. And I want to urge you based on the reality that this council was created to stand for justice and for truth. And to be just is to do what's right in the sight of God, but it's also to do what's right for the people of this city. and if my numbers are correct there was a there was a statistic that was thrown out there there are around 20 000 trans uh people of the trans and lgbt community in this city but in the louisville metro there's around one million people which means that this this trans community is is around two percent of the louisville metro community and so we would devote if you were to vote this ordinance you would actually be voting in for voting for 2% of our community. But when I go back to what's just and what's right, in order to do what's just, you must do what's true. And I want to point out a couple of things about even what we've heard tonight that is not true. Number one, our government is not trying to erase any trans individuals. The laws are not bigoted towards trans individuals. Instead our government is seeking to uphold the reality that there is two genders, male and female. Those genders were given and created by God and that is a true reality and I would ask this court to acknowledge that true reality. Another thing that's not true or that wouldn't be helpful is that if you were to give the trans community, the things that they're asking for, that unless they receive it, they cannot live a normal life. I don't think that's a true reality. I think they're able to live a life just like any other person in this city. And I'll leave you with this. I stand here as an African-American male, and I could say that walking into this room, I feel like this room is filled with a bunch of racists. I wouldn't then call on you to make a law simply because of the way I feel. I would call on you to act based on what is true. Have there been people in this room that are guilty of racism? If they are, they should be prosecuted by the law. But if they haven't, then we should stand on what's true and not how I feel. In closing, I just want to leave with this, that the book of Romans, yes, I am a conservative Christian, the book of Romans says that the unrighteous suppress the truth in their unrighteousness. I want to submit to you that much of the noise is an attempt to suppress the truth by continuing to lift up and celebrate unrighteousness. And if you would be a just counsel, then you must stand with what's righteous, and you must bring out to the open the fact that God has created one gender, two genders, I'm sorry, male and female, and you must stand for what's just and what's true and what's right. Thank you.

Mr. President, that concludes the addresses of council.

Next, we have approval of the council minutes for the regular meeting of May 14th, 2026. Are there any corrections or deletions? Motion to approve.

Second.

All those in favor say aye. Any opposition? Aye. Aye.

The minutes are approved as written.

Next, we have approval of the following committee minutes, all in 2026. The Regular Committee of the Whole, May 14th. The Regular Planning and Zoning, June 2nd. The Regular Labor and Economic Development, June 2nd. The Regular Public Works, June 2nd. The Regular Government Oversight, Audit, and Appointments, June 2nd. The Regular Equity, Community Affairs, Housing, Health, and Education, June 3rd. The Regular Appropriations, June 3rd. The Regular Public Safety, June 3rd. The Regular Parks and Sustainability, June 4th. The Regular Budget, June 4th. The Regular Committee on Committees, June 9th. Are there any corrections or deletions? Motion. Second. Item swapped before us. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Any in opposition? Any in opposition? The minutes are approved as written. Madam Clerk, do we have any communications to the council?

Yes, sir, we do.

Please read those into the record.

Dear President Ackerson, in accordance with the Marchtown Road Overlay District Board, I am appointing the following. Brian Goodman, a new appointment term expires April the 30th, 2029. Your prompt action on this appointment is most appreciated. Sincerely, Craig Greenberg, Mayor. Dear President Ackerson, in accordance with Civilian Review and Accountability Ordinance, I am appointing the following. Albert Hagel, a new appointment term expires March the 25th, 2028. Your prompt action on this appointment is most appreciated. Sincerely, Craig Greenberg, Mayor. The amended appointment for Tanisha Rollins has been withdrawn. Dear President Aggerson, in accordance with the Fire Protection District's ordinance, I am appointing the following to the Fairdale Fire Protection District Board. Jeffrey Donahue, a new appointment term expires June the 30th, 2029. Your prompt action on this appointment is most appreciated. Sincerely, Craig Greenberg, Mayor. Dear President Ackerson, in accordance with the volunteer fire district ordinance, I am reappointing the following to the Fern Creek Fire Protection District Board, G. Henry Ott. A reappointment term expires June the 30th, 2029. Your prompt action on this reappointment is most appreciated. Sincerely, Craig Greenberg, Mayor. Dear President Ackerson, in accordance with the volunteer fire district ordinance, I am reappointing the following to the Jefferson Town Fire Protection District Board, Kyle Reber, a reappointment term expires June the 30th. Your prompt action on this reappointment is most appreciated. Sincerely, Craig Greenberg, Mayor. Dear President Akerson, on May 14, 2026, Trevor Paul was appointed to the Kentucky and a Greater Works Louisville Workforce Development Board. He was appointed to an incorrect term of February the 28th, 2028. The correct term was February the 28th, 2027. Your prompt action on This correction of this term is most appreciated. Sincerely, Craig Ringberg, Mayor. Dear President Ackerson, in accordance with the Landmarks Commission ordinance, I'm appointing and reappointing the following. Lori Straubgen, reappointment term expires November the 30th, 2026. Kate Meador, reappointment term expires November the 30th, 2028. Morgan Ward, a reappointment term expires November the 30th, 2028. Ashlyn Ackerman, a reappointment term expires November the 30th, 2028. William Temple Beam, a new appointment term expires November the 30th, 2028. Your prompt action on this appointment and reappointments is most appreciated. Sincerely, Craig Raynor, Mayor. Dear President Aggerson, in accordance with the Fire Protection District's ordinance, I am appointing and reappointing the following to the Oklahoma Fire Protection District Board. Michael Portman, Jr., a new appointment term expires June 30, 2030. Yolanda Moore, a reappointment term expires June 30, 2029. Your prompt action on this appointment and reappointment is most appreciated. Sincerely, Craig Greenberg, Mayor. Dear President Ackerson, in accordance with the Fire Protection District Ordinance, I am reappointing the following to the Pleasure Ridge Fire Protection District Board. Patrick Starks, a reappointment term expires June the 30th, 2029. Your prompt action on this reappointment is most appreciated. Sincerely, Craig Bloomberg, Mayor. Dear President Ackerson, in accordance with the Police Merit Ordinance, I am appointing and reappointing the following. Khadijah Hayes, a new appointment term expires June the 1st, 2027. Robert Pinta, a new appointment term expires June the 1st, 2030. Cheryl Anderson, a reappointment term expires June the 1st, 2030. Your prompt action on these reappointments or these appointments and reappointment is most appreciated. Sincerely, Craig Greenberg, Mayor. Dear President Ackerson, in accordance with the Fire Protection District Ordinance, I am reappointing the following to the St. Matthew's Fire Protection District Board. Jim Siller, a reappointment term expires June the 30th, 2029. Your prompt action on this reappointment is most appreciated. Sincerely, Craig Greenberg, Mayor. Dear President Ackerson, in accordance with KRS Chapter 273 and Nonprofit Corporations, I am appointing the following to the Brightside Board of Directors. Benjamin Langley, a new appointment term expires December 31st, 2029. This to be read into record only. Metro Council approval of this appointment is not required. Sincerely, Craig Greenberg, Mayor. Dear President Ackerson, I am appointing the following to the Medical Center Commission of Jefferson County, Heidi Margolis. A new appointment term expires January 12th, 2028. This to be read into the record only. Metro Council approval of this reappointment is not required. Sincerely, Craig Greenberg, Mayor. Dear President Ackerson, I am appointing the following to the Tax Appeals Board. Mark England, a reappointment term expires August 31st, 2029. Albert Android, a reappointment term expires August 31st, 2027. Chrissy Bunton, a reappointment term expires August 31st, 2027. Ed Heimbrock, a reappointment term expires August 31st, 2027. Mary J. Saletti, a reappointment term expires August 31st, 2027. Denise Pusateri, a reappointment term expires August 31st, 2027. Darlene Lovely, a reappointment term expires August 31st, 2027. Linda English, a reappointment term expires August 31st, 2027. Catherine Higgins, a reappointment term expires August 31st, 2027. This will be read into the record. Metro Council approval of these reappointments is not required. Sincerely, Craig Greenberg, Mayor. Dear President Akerson, I am appointing the following to the Zoo Foundation Board. Kyle Burns, a new appointment term expires June the 25th, 2029. This will be read into the record only. No approval needed. Sincerely, Craig Greenberg, Mayor.

Read in full. Those appointments needing council approval will be forwarded to the government audit and appointments committee. The next order of business will be the consent calendar. The consent calendar currently comprises of items 30 through 45. Are there any additions or deletions?

Mr. President, I'd like to move item 56 to the consent calendar, please.

Any objection to 56 being moved to consent? Without objection, so moved. From there, Madam Clerk, a second reading of these items.

The following legislation was forwarded from the Budget Committee, item 30, an ordinance amending ordinance number 092, series 2025, relating to the fiscal year 2025-2026 capital budget by transferring funds from the traffic calming project and adding language pertaining to this project. The following legislation was forwarded from the Committee on Committees, item 31, a resolution amending the rules of the Legislative Council of the Jefferson County Metro Government regarding presiding officer at committee meetings. The following legislation was forwarded from Equity Community Affairs, Housing, Health, and Education Committee, item 32, a resolution authorizing the mayor to accept $59,357.92 of funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Summer Feeding Service Grant Program to be administered by the Department of Public Health and Wellness. Item 33, a resolution honoring Reverend Dr. Leonard Ramsey by naming the corner of Dixie Highway and Goldberg Avenue as Reverend Dr. Leonard Ramsey Way in his honor. The following legislation was forwarded from the Government Oversight Audit and Appointments Committee. Item 34, appointment of Carol Yochum to the Bardstown Road Overlay District Board. Term expires April 30th, 2029. Item 35, appointment of Alicia Aready to the Ariadne, to the Bardstown Road Overlay District Board. Term expires April the 30th, 2029. Item 36, reappointment of Aaron Gavan to the Bardstown Road Overlay District. Term expires April the 30th, 2029. Item 37, reappointment of John Anthony Floyd Jackson to the barstow road overlay district board term expires april the 30th 2029 item 38 appointment of kelly east step to the barstow road overlay district board term expires april the 30th 2029 item 39 appointment of donald marlin to the civilian review and accountability board term expires march 25th 2029 item 40 appointment of dr ray sean crawley to the civilian review and accountability board term expires march 25th 2029 item 41 APPOINTMENT OF SARAH PROVENGER TO THE CIVILIAN REVIEW AND ACCOUNTABILITY BOARD TERM EXPIRES MARCH 25, 2029. ITEM 42, APPOINTMENT OF LIZ O'SULLIVAN TO THE HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION ADVOCACY BOARD TERM EXPIRES SEPTEMBER 30, 2028. ITEM 43, REAPPOINTMENT OF LISA HEIGHT TO THE JEFFERSON COUNTY EXTENSION BOARD TERM EXPIRES December 31st, 2028, the following legislation was forwarded from the Parks and Sustainability Committee. Item 44, a resolution authorizing the mayor to accept funds totaling $265,000 from the United States Tennis Association, USTA, for the reconstruction of 10 tennis courts at Seneca Park to be administered by the Department of Parks and Recreation. Item 56, an ordinance amending the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government Code of Ordinances, LMCO, Section 42.41, to set greens fees at Louisville Metro golf courses. The following legislation was forwarded from the Public Safety Committee. Item 45, a resolution authorizing the mayor to accept $19,942.31 from the U.S. Department of Justice through the International Association of Police, IACP, grant program to be administered by the Louisville Metro Police Department. Right-hand pole.

May I have a motion? Motion. Second. Second. All right, this requires a roll call vote. Madam Clerk, open the roll. One moment.

One second. Did you record it? Thank you. Council Member Kramer?

Yes.

And Council Member Reed?

Yes.

Mr. President, you have 24 yes votes.

And the consent counter passes. Let's see here. Bump me off. Colleagues, we're going to take some things out of order. We're going to start off with item number 54. It's going to be the first item on old business. Madam Clerk, reading item 54.

In ordinance amending chapter 39 of the Louisville Metro Code of Ordinances to create new sections 39.400, 39.401, 39.402, 39.403, 39.404 to be known as the safe haven law. Red and full.

Is there a motion?

Motion.

Second.

Second.

The item is proper before us. Councilman Simon, this came out of your committee. You have the floor, sir.

Thank you, Mr. President. This measure was forwarded from the Safety Committee to full council with an unfavorable recommendation with the vote of six against and one for. I'll turn this over to a councilman from the 6th District, and he can explain it to you. Councilman Leninger, you have the floor.

Thank you, Councilman Siam. Thank you, Mr. President. Before we discuss the main motion, there is an amendment in the system that I would like us to take up before we move forward. This makes some changes largely in definitions, tightening these up. There are a few changes that if you look in the system where this amendment can be found, that are changes that were asked for by members of the community, changes that largely include protections for people that work with advocacy groups. So I would just ask your support that we take these amendments and move forward to discuss the legislation regardless of your position on the main motion so that we're considering the legislation that the people who have organized for this would like to bring forward.

Do you need a motion to amend?

Motion.

Second. We have the amendment before us. Is there a discussion on the amendment? We're on item 54 right now, madam. Okay, Councilman Winkler, your first of my queues is on the amendment?

Yes.

Okay, you have the floor.

Do we have a version that highlights what the changes are? Because, I mean, it's a little challenging to compare the two documents side by side. So I don't really know what we're voting on.

Sorry, I accidentally exited out when I went to close the document. This was the amendment that came out of our consultation with the county attorney's office. Is there a version that highlights the changes?

This is an amendment by substitution, so it would not have underlines, but I can read into the record or outline the changes if that would be helpful to the council. Thank you. Assistant County Amanda Baker for the record, by the way.

Just a second, Ms. Baker. Madam Clerk, are we clear that presently we have an amendment by substitution before us? Okay. Madam Clerk, please continue.

Sure. So first up is under Section 3 of the proposed legislation under the definitions, which would become Section 39.401. If passed as a one definition, which is public safety official which was not in the original motion, which defines them as Employees of LMPD the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections and other Metro government peace officers if you turn to page four under section five and The amendment by substitution adds section 39.403, which has mandatory documentation of bias-motivated incidents. Section 39.404, protections for advocates. And then section seven of the legislation adds a section 39.405 for foster care protections. Section eight, of the legislation outlines has one change to what was previously the complaints and discipline section under the original legislation, clarifying that it applies to contractors of Louisville Metro government and could be grounds for termination of contract. And then finally, if you turn to page six of the legislation, section 11 makes an amendment to section 37.28, which is the procurement ordinances, which adds a requirement that procurement contract participants would have to agree to the provisions of the Louisville Jefferson County Metro government ordinances relating to the safe haven law in order to do business with Louisville Metro government.

Councilman Winkler, does that answer your question?

I mean, it does. I'm sorry. I was trying to read them at the same time and understand them. So I missed a few, but that's fine. I'll read them and try to. All right.

The next in my queue is Councilman Kramer. Councilman Kramer, you have the floor.

Sorry, Mr. President. I did not intend to be in the queue.

Okay. Folks, I've got no one else in my queue. So this is a vote on whether or not to accept the amended version that has just been offered. A yes vote would put the amended version before us. A no vote would keep it to the original version. Madam Clerk, let's roll with a roll call on this one.

Council Member Kramer.

No.

Council Member Reed.

No.

Mr. President, you have 11 yes votes, 13 no votes, and one present vote.

The amendment by substitution fails. We now have the original version that came out of committee before us. Does anyone else care to speak to this? I've got no one in my queue. No? Councilman Leninger.

Yes, now that we have the main motion before us, I wanted to motivate if that's acceptable, Councilman? What was that? Now that we have the main motion before us, I wanted to motivate. You'd like to speak to it? Yes. Speak to it, sir. Get the floor. Thank you. I want to thank, first of all, members of the public who have organized on this piece of legislation. We have been at it for the better part of a year, organizing in the public, working in the public interest. And I want to really highlight that it's regular, everyday people that have contributed to the drafting of this legislation, particularly trans people in Louisville working on their own behalf fighting for themselves, joined by their neighbors, their coworkers, their loved ones, and people fighting for people that they don't know, which is the absolute core of my political beliefs. And I really want, from the bottom of my heart, to thank everyone's efforts in that organizing. For those of you who are not with us at committee, There are nearly 4,000 signatures in support of the Trans Safe Haven ordinance. Three dozen businesses, three dozen organizations that have signed on to what amounts to basic civil protections for transgender people in the city of Louisville, protecting them from harm from their own government. I emphasize that this was legislation that was crafted by the people who are impacted, democratically voted on, deliberated, debated. because I understand that there are people who disagree with the political direction of going forward with this legislation. At the committee level, I was called irresponsible for continuing with this piece of legislation. I've already mentioned this to the person who called me irresponsible, but I believe it would be irresponsible to pull this legislation in the face of the organizers' clear democratic votes to continue with all of the information in front of them, aware that it's likely to be voted down tonight by this body. I, from the bottom of my heart, believe that real change is only possible through the power and organization of everyday working class people here in Louisville, the state of Kentucky, and in the United States. Every piece of civil rights legislation, landmark civil rights legislation, has come from the organizing outside of the walls of city, state, and federal governments first. and they did not always pass on the first time through. And I want to make a very public promise to the trans people in the city of Louisville who have been fighting for this, that I will never stop fighting beside you. Thank you all for being here tonight.

Councilman Page and Cheney, you're next to my queue and you have the floor.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. I appreciate everybody who spoke about this at the committee. I thought people did a great job, and I want to compliment the committee chairman, Dan Syme. I thought he did a great job making sure all sides were heard. Here's the fact of the matter. We have done, I believe, to be an outstanding job in this city through legislation like the Fairness Ordinance. It is and should be one of the most welcoming cities in America. I do not want anybody who is walking into a business or coming into a place of public accommodation to be questioned as to who they are or what they believe or do you look like this or do you act like that when they're just going about their daily business. And we've been able to accomplish that. And when organizations like the Fairness Coalition, like the ACLU, groups I agree with some of the time on and some of the times I don't agree with, But those that have been at the forefront of passing some of this legislation that I just mentioned, including the Fairness Ordinance, come out against this and say this is not right, this is not helpful, this is not what we need, then I think we need to take serious heed of that. This is what we have, you're right, there's a democratic process, everybody can be heard. But we already have not only the Fairness Ordinance, but a Human Rights Commission. And when there is evidence of individual discrimination, we have a whole process, a whole system set up to investigate that and to take action if it is an issue, if there is proof that that is a problem. I support that wholeheartedly. But to pass this, Okay, which if you read the ordinance, I would argue it puts us in violation of state and federal law. Puts us in scenarios where the people that the sponsor purports to want to support could become even more targeted because of, then we need to stand up and say no. We do not have a safe haven ordinance or any of the like for any other identity that you can imagine. I'm Italian American, I'm Catholic, pick whatever else. We do not have safe haven ordinances for any one of these groups, identities, genders, races, et cetera. We do have anti-discrimination laws. We should support them. We should support the process we've created. I do believe wholeheartedly, and I think this whole council does, that people should not be discriminated against, and this is not what that is set out to do. This actually, in my estimation, damages the hard work that has been done to get us to where we are, which is one of the most welcoming cities in the United States of America. I'd appreciate if my colleagues, along with Ivo, know on this. Thank you very much, Mr. President.

Colleagues, I have no one else in my queue.

I should be in the queue.

You're not in there, but you can have the floor, madam.

It says I've requested, sir. Sorry, it's not showing up. All right, thank you. I just didn't want to, I totally agree with Councilman Leninger, and not just because I trust him and the work that he's done, but because many of you have approached me and you've asked for this. I do want you to know, no matter the outcome, your voices have been heard. I live to serve, and if I wasn't serving in this role, I would be in the audience with you. I also have supported fairness. Councilman Herndon helped start fairness, but just because we have an organization that has worked on things doesn't mean that they've covered all the grounds that matter to you. My job is if somebody tells me they're unsafe, then it's my role to do what I can while it's my turn. It isn't against anything that has happened that has been good, But every council meeting you hear us in here amending and updating and changing legislation because guess what? What was written a long time ago might not fit what we're dealing with today in 2026. So it's important for us to be your watchdog here because that is our job. Not our personal feelings about what we think about your religion or how you choose to show up. It's what you have as constituents have told us. I've seen constituents from every one of our districts in support of this. I've seen you come here meeting after meeting, holding your signs and letting us know what matters to you. This is why I am in support of this. This is why I did not remove my support because I know just like the many resolutions we do and all the other legislation, it matters to who it matters to. I'm never going to take your voice away no matter what my personal issues are. I just think it's interesting that we deal with all the things that matter to people because there's a lot of personal agendas happening within this council that are not about their constituent needs. and when constituents show up here and tell us what their needs are then it's our job to work with them even if we don't agree we're not going to agree on all legislation but if it means something if people are showing up here time after time to say this is what it means and i've heard that you all are willing to go to the table and work this out now i don't want to put anybody in harm out of our decision making. But the reality is those of us who actually are marginalized understand that we're in danger no matter what we do. And so As somebody who can't speak for all black people and all women, but as somebody who's been a human relations commissioner, I've seen how these issues also get buried and not get the full light it deserves. As people here are celebrating that we may lose our ethics commission, I just find it hard to believe that they're really identifying with what you've showed up to tell us today. So I'm telling you, do not stop. Keep going. You have my support, and I know that It saddens me that the vision has been cut off because people don't understand what you're experiencing, because that's really what it is. It's ignorance. It's because they don't experience it. They don't understand it. So whatever comes out of this, you still have support. and me and many people. So don't give up. Keep showing up. We are here for you. You pay for us to be in these roles. Every one of us receives money from your tax dollars. So how dare we tell you what matters and what don't matter. Thank you for being here.

Councilman Pagentini, your next smack cue and you have the floor, sir.

Thank you, I would just say, related to what was just said, I don't impugn Councilman Leninger's motives. I think they're pure and he's doing what he wants to do. I would appreciate it if my colleagues don't accuse the rest of us as having alternative motives beyond serving the people we represent. There's many people out here, both sitting out here as well as in our districts, who disagree with this ordinance. That's why I'm voting against it. There's no other motives. To insinuate otherwise is to impugn all 26 of us, or all 25 of us, coming from one person. And I don't believe that any one of you, or I have no evidence, and I would never purport that there is, that any of you are doing anything other than what you believe you are doing to represent your districts and the people you represent. Thank you, Mr. President.

Councilman Hawkins, you're next in my queue. You have the floor.

I just want to echo off my colleague, I want to say I don't think that anybody has any hidden agendas or any personal matters. You know, all 26 of us, you know, vote on behalf of how our constituents ask us to. I don't think that it has anything to do with my colleague who worked diligently hard on this for the constituents that he represents, and that's okay. But I do not agree with my colleague who stated that we have all different agendas. I don't agree with that. We are here as elected officials to support the people that we all individually represent. Thank you.

Ben? Nope.

I've got no one else in my queue at the moment.

Madam Clerk, this is an ordinance that requires a roll call vote. Open the roll.

Council Member Kramer?

No.

Council members, read.

No.

Mr. President, you have two yes votes, 21 no votes, two present votes.

The ordinance fails. Madam Clerk. Madam Clerk, reading by number 46.

In order to relate to the zoning in a property located at 3827 Poplar Level Road containing approximately 0.22 acres and being a Louisville Metro, case number 26, zone 0025. Right in full.

The item is brought before us. Councilman Owen, this came out of your committee. You have the floor, sir.

Thank you, President. Item number 46 caught me off guard. Okay. So... This is located in District 10. It is an existing one and a half story single family home with an attached ADU. They're simply splitting the single family home into a duplex to create three total units. It is in Council District 10. Councilwoman Raymond, she reached out to me to ask me to tell you all that she supports this wholeheartedly and asks for your support as well. Thank you.

I've got no one in the queue. This is an ordinance requiring a roll call vote. Madam Clerk, open the roll, please.

Councilmember Kramer?

Yes.

Councilmember Reed?

Yes. 24 yes votes.

Councilmember Owen? Thank you. Mr. President, you have 25 yes votes.

The ordinance is adopted. Madam Clerk, a reading of item number 47, please.

In ordinance relating to the area-wide zoning, a property located at 1901 R. Payne Street containing approximately 3.09 acres and being a Louisville Metro case, number 26, zone 0030. Red and full.

I'm Ms. Proctor. As Councilman Owen, you are on the floor again, sir.

Thank you, President. So most people have heard me speak about this Givadon explosion and this change of the zoning from heavy industrial to a little lighter industrial zoning over the last, what, year and a half, 18 months, two years. So I'm gonna keep my comments fairly short here. First thing I want to remind people that I've said since the beginning that I do not think that we should proactively as government go and change the zoning that are grandfathered in. We have situation all over the county, frankly, where we've got industrial zoned properties very close to residential zones. And I do think it's a very slippery slope to start proactively going and rezoning these properties. So I do not think that this should set a precedent that we should continue to do this around the county. And the reason I say that is I think it's unfair to the businesses that are operating in those zones. And I think it's also would be ignoring the fact that not all of them, but many of those companies operating in those zones do the best they can within the situation they're in. I do believe that that's the case. That doesn't mean that problems don't happen. They do. But for the most part, we get pretty good response from those companies when we report issues and they respond. In the case of this property, as most of you know, this was the second major explosion at the property, both where fatalities occurred. And we found out later because of investigation that was done at the state level that there were multiple other very close calls that were narrowly avoided at this location. And so shortly after this explosion occurred, and frankly, you know, it could have been a lot worse, the mayor and I said, enough is enough at this property. We do not think that this property should continue, that this company should continue operating this property as an M2 heavy industrial situation. And so we asked the Planning Commission to go look at this and to make a recommendation. They came back with what I think was an excellent recommendation that still allows for a light industrial development to take place there, but along with some other options, including multifamily housing and residential and that sort of thing. So I think there's an argument to be made, and it was made at the Planning Commission, that we... Because we took away a heavy industrial zoning and and the recommendation was and and the recommendation was to replace it with a light industrial zoning there's there's some people saying that we're devaluing that property because of that and Normally, I would say that that's potentially the case in this case because I think we've made the what can be happening on this property more flexible going forward I think we have kind of offset what could be a devaluing of the property, and at worst, probably made it more flexible who they could sell the property to. Last thing I wanna say, or two things I wanna say is, we have gone to the owners of this property on multiple occasions, the planning staff, and asked them, what is your opinion about this proposed change in zoning? And while they haven't stepped forward and said, you know, it's okay for us if this occurs. They didn't weigh in either way. And I just, I think it's important we reached out or the planning staff reached out five or six times to the company and not one time did they ask us, don't do this, this is reducing the value of our property, it's gonna make it hard to sell. They did not do that one time in all of those times that they reached out. And then the last thing I wanna say is, This was a very traumatic event for Clifton. And there have been people near this explosion that have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. I mean, this was an explosion that reminded people of a war zone, and people have had a hard time moving forward. And I'm hoping that if you guys join with me and change the zoning of this property, that it will provide closure for the residents of Clifton and will allow people to move forward with their lives. And I really appreciate if you would support this change in zoning.

Thank you.

Councilman Batchon, you're next in my queue. You have the floor, sir.

Thank you, Mr. President. Chair Owen, I hear you loud and clear, and I understand both perspectives. Colleagues, I want to be straight with you. I'm opposing this ordinance. I understand why folks in the neighborhood are upset. What happened out there is serious, and people were genuinely shaken. Nobody is dismissing that. But the question in front of us today is about the zoning process and how we apply it. Our job as council members is to protect the integrity of that process. The same process every other property owner in the city has to follow, whether it's this situation or not. And here's something we all know. If the property owner had come in and said, hey, I wanna down zone this, In my opinion, the council would have approved this without hesitation. It would have flown through the planning and design. It would have come to us with a unanimous recommendation and I would have supported it. And most of you would have supported it as well. But that's not what's happening here. What we're being asked to do is skip the line, skip the process, down zone a property by ordinance, even though the owner didn't request it and the established process wasn't used. That's not how zoning works, and that's not how we should make decisions that affect the entire city. And here's where it gets even more concerning for me. If we do this, we're creating a developer loophole the size of a freight train. Because the second we show that we can downzone a property without application, without public process, we've basically handed every developer in town a new playbook. And we know exactly what they'll say. Why should I go through the process? Why should I meet with the neighbors? Why should I file anything at all? I'll just wait for council to do it for me. And once that loophole exists, they will use it. Not just the responsible developers, the ones we trust, but the ones who absolutely should not be getting shortcuts. There's another issue here as well. We're stepping into territory the council has never stepped into before, a neighborhood initiated down zoning rather than one brought by the owner. That is the line we have never crossed, and once we cross it, we will not be able to walk it back. Because if we legitimize that today, we have no way, none, to push back when another neighborhood demands the exact same thing. And that brings me to the real question. What do we say when Butchertown comes in and says, we don't like JBS, downzone it? What do we say when the South End points at Riverport? What do we say when Rubber Town neighbors say, we're tired of the smell of the explosions that we've had in Rubber Town for dozens of explosions and dozens of deaths? If we do this once, we'll be asked to do it again. And we have no consistent defensible reason to say no. Zoning is a long-term land use framework. It only works if we apply it fairly consistently. The minute we start making exceptions because we don't like the outcome of the process, the process stops meaning anything. I hear the community, I understand the frustrations, but I cannot support the ordinance that undermines the zoning system, creates a loophole for developers, and sets a precedence where neighbors can force zoning changes onto businesses that oppose them. For that reason, I'm voting no. Once we cross that line, we cannot uncross it. And protecting the integrity of our zoning system matters more than pressure to do something in the moment. So I vote no.

Councilman Leninger, you're next on my queue and you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to thank my colleague from across the chamber who has made a lot of the points that I would like to raise on my own behalf. I believe that we should be setting a precedent here. I have served over 20 years as a auctioneer and appraiser of commercial and industrial equipment. I just recently this spring gave up my auctioneer's license because I'm doing something else with my time now. Sorry for you guys. And I guarantee that I have been in more industrial facilities than anyone else in this room. I would wager that the only person who could possibly come close, Councilman from District 20, while I appreciate his experience, I've been all over the country, all sorts of different industrial facilities. I have been in industrial facilities in Rubber Town. I have been in those industrial facilities that have had terrible safety records, that have had explosions, where the residents of those neighborhoods are in fear, and you see them every time you go to a Cafe Louis, they come and they'll talk to you. They'll say, what about our neighborhood? Why can't we be safe? Why can't I be sure that my children are gonna be safe? So I think we should be setting a precedent here. I've been in more industrial facilities. I have seen more dangers. Right in the midst of areas that would affect residents in our city. I don't think that we should wait until there are deaths or more deaths before we act because we have a duty to protect the public. Specifically, there are industrial facilities in the West End that people have been asking for years. have their lives protected from because there have been explosions and fires. We should be doing more of the same across the city. Also, unlike many of the rest of my colleagues, and this is no shame, but we all have to serve in different areas or else we wouldn't have a Metro Council. Unlike most of you, I live in an EPA sacrifice zone. I think that there is a compelling public interest to give further regulation to industry that is seriously impacting the health and longevity of our residents, including my children. So not only do I support this, I will support future efforts, especially those that address systemic environmental racism. Thank you.

Congressman Reed, you're next in my queue and you have the floor, sir.

Thank you, Mr. President. I wanted to explain my yes vote. I think this situation is so totally unique. I have not seen anything like this in nine years of being on the council. And I think that we are all very reasonable people. I think that we are very, hopefully, intelligent people on the council that we can take these situations as they come. We are charged by the public to vote and to use reasoning in voting. And I think that this situation is so unique. I understand the arguments, truly I do, of slippery slope, precedence, that kind of thing. But I also believe that we as an elected body can take these situations as they come The simple truth is that we've had issues with this site for years and the property owner was given ample opportunity to come in and oppose what we're trying to do here, but they have not. So that to me was what convinced me that this is the right thing to do, to go ahead and vote yes. Personally, I don't think that this is any sort of trendsetting situation So I'm going to vote yes, and I would encourage my colleagues to do the same. Thank you.

Councilman Herndon, you're next in my queue.

Thank you, Mr. President. I agree with Councilman Reed on the uniqueness of the situation, but it wasn't just Clifton that was affected by this. It is unique because there were deaths again at this facility. But beyond that, in Clifton, a member of my staff lives quite a ways up Brownsboro Road past Ewing Avenue, and the explosion caused the concrete steps at his condo building to crack. My partner and I live at Main and Clay, seventh floor. My partner was home that day. He not only heard it, but a couple of seconds later, he felt a wave of energy pass through the apartment. So this went way beyond just Clifton. So I'm going to vote yes.

I've got no other speakers in my queue. Madam Clerk, this is an ordinance that requires a roll call vote. Please open the roll.

Council Member Kramer.

No.

Council member Reed.

Yes.

Mr. President, you have 20 yes votes, five no votes.

The ordinance is adopted. Madam clerk reading item number 48.

In ordinance relating to the detailed district development plan for the properties located at 9718 Dixie Highway and 5308 Citation Road containing approximately 2.7 acres and being a Louisville Metro case number 25 DDP 0085. Right in full. Motion.

I'm just properly before us. Councilman Owen, you have the floor again, sir.

You caught me off guard again. I'm falling down on the job here. This is number 48. Thank you. um okay so this was a revised district development plan i want to just make sure everybody knows that it came it came as a unanimous vote from the planning commission but because it was revised and it had the standard binding element on that before it still has to come in front of us for a vote it's a I want to say it is a Chick-fil-A development, and it was a revised district development plan, so it has to come in front of us again. It is in District 14, so Councilwoman Best, if you would like to weigh in. Thank you. You have the floor, Madam President.

Thank you. Before that, I don't know. I was looking at the ordinance here. It may need to be amended. They have Taylorsville Road in here.

Yeah. Laura Ferguson, Assistant County Attorney. I see it, too. There's a typo on the second page in Section 1. It's a citation, but after citation, it is Taylorsville, and Taylorsville should be deleted. Okay. All right. Thank you.

Yeah, so this property actually butts up to my neighborhood. It was actually held up originally. They wasn't aware that the church that had been long standing there empty was a historic, so I had to go back through the process for an additional 80 days for people to weigh in on it. It did pass unanimously in planning and zoning. This is gonna be great for the area and we've had no kickbacks or anyone that's disappointed in it. So we support this in District 14 and we're looking forward to having Chick-fil-A in our area.

I've got no one else in my queue. Councilman Winkler. Do we need to make an amendment to correct that?

Yeah, I would move to amend to strike the word Taylorsville. I'd make that as a motion.

Actually, actually, that is, it is clear, I think, throughout that it could be a technical correction, right? Like we agree, it's very clear. I'll make it, I'll change it. Thank you.

Councilman Hawkins.

I just want to say that I will be in support of this. I will be at Chick-fil-A every day.

Seeing no one else in my queue, this is that requires a roll call vote. Madam clerk, open the roll.

Council member Kramer.

Yes.

Council member Reed.

Yes. Someone missing.

Councilman Simon. Mr. President, you have 25 yes votes.

The ordinance is adopted. Madam Clerk, read by number 49.

In ordinance amending ordinance number 95, series 2025, in order to amend the project adopting an amended and reinstated development plan, approving entering into an amended and reinstated local participation agreement and authorizing the payment of the release amount pursuant to the terms and conditions of the amended and restated local participation agreement requiring the submission of regular reports to Louisville-Jefferson County Metro government and authorizing the execution and delivery of other documents and the taking of any other actions necessary to accomplish the purposes authorized by this ordinance right in full.

I was probably the poorest, Councilman Owen. I'm joking, Councilman Ben Reno-Weber. I wanted to get you a third time. Councilman Reno-Weber, it came out of your committee.

Now you got me in this one. This is the... Item 49. It's new loop. Oh, this is new. Okay. Yeah, thank you. This is on old business because we had one no vote in it. This is the TIF for Newly Crossing. This is the third TIF in this thing. Neither of them were activated. Just as a reminder for everybody, TIF, is a revenue share for the additional tax revenue that is generated through a building, through an improvement in an area. This is a $275 million investment, involves 340 net new multifamily units, of which 10% are considered 80% AMI affordable, which is an upper level JCPS teacher, for clarity of people who don't speak acronym. There's also gonna be a 214 room hotel, additional retail space. The key piece here is that this is adding 340 multi-units of housing to our community to continue to address our incredibly acute housing crisis. So I will be voting in favor.

Councilman Herndon, this is in your district. I'm going to tend to the floor to you, sir.

Yes, thank you, Mr. President and Mr. Chair, Councilman Reno-Weber. I supported this before when it was before us for all the reasons that was just stated, but the star of the show for me, again, as I said then, is the several hundred space parking garage, publicly accessible, and even in a successful neighborhood like Newloo, in order for continued success, folks who want to visit need to know that they can find a place to park. I hope this is not the last one, because as we learned in the short north, learned in the short north in Columbus, when you have, where they have several garages and you know you're gonna find one when you leave home, you're more likely to go there, visit, have a nice time, spend money, raise, not raise taxes, spend money, get taxes, so we can do better things for more people. So I support this, thank you. Councilman Piccinini, you're next in my queue and you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. I just want to speak in support of this. I love to see this type of innovative urban development going on in the city. I think we have a great partner here who's doing wonderful work. This is just a small amendment, actually. This has already been approved. This is just really adjusting sort of a hotel space or something that was originally gonna be essentially executive apartment hotel space to regular hotel space, but keeping all of the housing that was there, plus parking and just increasing all the great work we see in Newloo. I'm happy to see that area of the city explode, including more residential, I think it's wonderful. And I just wanted to speak, I think what's happening here and other investments that we see from people looking to move this city forward should be supported. So I just wanted to support, and I just sent out the housing numbers, by the way. D-19 is still crushing everybody on housing numbers, but glad to see that Councilman Herndon's trying to catch up, so. We're coming for you.

All right, I've got no one else in my queue.

Madam Clerk, let's open the roll.

Councilmember Cramer.

Yes.

Councilmember Reed. We didn't hear you, sir. Council Member Reid. You're not unmuted. I am going to say that you're going to say yes. Can you give me a thumbs up if that's the case? Thank you, sir. I have you as a yes. Mr. President, you have 24 yes votes and one no vote.

The ordinance is adopted. Madam Clerk, reading by number 50.

In order, it's appropriating $5,000 from neighborhood development funds in the following manner. $5,000 from District 6 through the Office of Management and Budget to Louisville Tool Library, Inc. for rent and utilities for the Louisville Tool Library. Read in full.

That item is properly before us. This came out of Councilman Joseph's committee. You have the floor, sir.

I am ready to go.

Thank God someone is for once.

Happy birthday, Mom. I had to throw that in there. Hey, well, I'm going to take this time that I've been waiting for since 6.03 p.m. and turn it over to Councilman Leninger. Councilman Leninger, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Chair JJ. The Louisville Tool Library, NDF, that you have before you was one that rather than this organization approaching our office asking for money, the residents of my district and my advisory council where all of our discretionary spending goes through independently said, hey, what can we do to support the Louisville Tool Library because the work they do is incredible in our city. For those of you who aren't aware, the motto of the Louisville Tool Library is there's enough if we share. What they want to do is to make the access to tools for people to do DIY projects, to improve their homes and their neighborhoods accessible to everyone. so that everyone is able to be a member of the tool library, to go and get these tools, and to use them, and bring them back. They don't need to keep them in their garage, in their basement, where they'll use them once or twice a year maybe, because there's enough if we share. And if we just get these tools into the library, everyone can have access to do these projects. And so we talked about, well, this is what the process would be. We'd invite them in, we'd ask them what they need, and that's what we've done here. And why I've left this with a $5,000 appropriation, even though that the Tool Library filled out more when they applied through the office, is I really want to emphasize that this is not something that stays in District 6. The Tool Library has had people from every single Metro Council district come and visit their facility, get tools, use them, bring them back. And then many of these people have become volunteers at the Tool Library because they were inspired by how easy the process is, how much help they offer. There's education programs. They teach people how to do things. And this is something that's really improving everyone's lives in the city of Louisville. I think it's an incredible program. So I invite everyone, if they want to add to this, I think this is a great thing that our city is leading on.

Councilman Chappell, you're first in my queue.

Thank you. We love the Louisville Tool Library, and we've actually partnered with them for our Bob event. So just not only borrowing tools, but they also have great things. So if you want to throw an event, you might be able to get a PA system or large lawn toys or games. Been hoping that, since I got into office, that we could do a Louisville Tool Library NDF. That never came to fruition, so I will be giving $1,000 today to the effort, and 1,000. And thank you for leading this charge, Councilman Leninger.

Councilman Owen, you're next in my queue. You have the floor. Yep, thanks for bringing it forward, Councilman Leninger. 500 from D9.

Councilman Rui, you're next in my queue, you have the floor.

I've known about the tool library for years and I must say there's a bag of tools in the back of my car and a great big gasoline auger in my shed that need to get down there. So I'll put in $500. Now, can somebody help me get that stuff out of my house?

Councilman Hawkins, you have the floor.

All right, 500 District 1.

Councilman Rita Weber, you have the floor.

500 from D8.

All right, let's see what we've got here. Councilman Benson, you have the floor. Thank you, Mr. President. I'll give $1,000. Hold on, hold on, hold on.

Can we have you give $967? Yep, that's going to tap us out. Okay. Okay.

Thank you, sir. All right. Thank you. All right. I have other people in the queue. However, your thunder was just stolen. This allocation has been fully funded. And so let's have a roll call.

We need a motion.

A motion for the amended version. All those in favor of the amended version? Aye. Any opposition? Aye. We now have the amended version before us. Let's do a roll call.

One moment. Are you back on the main motion?

Yes.

One moment. I'm getting you, sir. We're getting back on the main motion. There we go. Councilman Kramer, I've got your yes. Thank you. Councilman Reed?

Yes.

I've got some more people that haven't voted. Councilman Herndon? I didn't get Kramer. Oh, there we go. Councilman Reid, I didn't get him either. Mr. President, you have 25 yes votes.

The ordinance adopted. Madam Clerk, reading item number 51.

An ordinance appropriating $5,000 from neighborhood development funds in the following manner. $5,000 from District 6 through the Office of Management and Budget to the Bardstown Theater, Inc. for costs associated with its new works and production program. Read in full.

Motion. Items properly before us, Councilman Joseph.

Yes, sir, thank you. We are also turning this over to Councilman Leninger for more funding.

Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is a really fantastic opportunity for us to support the arts, which is something that's been very important to our Advisory Council. A lot of people are familiar with the former Bards Theater that was on Bardstown Road in District 8. There were some unfortunate circumstances that led to the closure of the facility, and the Subsequent reopening by people that wanted to carry on that mission They found a new facility in an old church on in the Merriweather neighborhood in district 6 right across the line from Councilwoman chapels district and The people there were really excited to continue not only being a place that put on productions of community theater in the city of Louisville, but also broadening their purpose to include education places and and really one of the fundamental things that the Bard provided in both locations is you know a place for artists throughout the city to have a place of their own where they could meet and talk to each other after shows share ideas and so we're really happy to help support their programming here at the new bard and we open it up to everyone else if they want to help support that councilman batchon mr president thank you i will be abstaining from this vote um out of an abundance of caution my business has done business with this organization before okay councilman chapel

Another NDF that we were wanting to do through my office, but as it sits in District 6, thank you so much, Councilman Leninger. This is a great organization and also one that is in an area that's been impacted heavily by the 65 shutdown, so not only the shutdown that's been happening in June and July, because Hill Street has been closed since October, I believe. So them and the businesses around them could certainly use the help. So 7.50 from District 15.

I've got no one else in my queue. All right, so now I have more people in my queue. Councilman Owen, 2.50 from D9.

Councilman Reno-Weber. Despite their treacherous defection from Bardstown Road, they still retain a wonderful place in my heart, 500 from D8.

All right, I've got no one else in my queue. We have amended ordinance before us. All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

All those in favor say aye. Aye. All right, all those opposed? Aye. All right, we now have the amended ordinance before us. Let's open the roll call vote.

One second, Councilman Cramer.

Yes.

Okay, one second.

Hold on, hold on. Hold on one second. Just open up a whole new, oh, that's okay. We're on, we got a good motion open. Councilman Cramer, I've got your yes. Councilman Reed?

Yes.

Mr. President, you have 24 yes votes and one abstention.

The ordinance is adopted. Madam Clerk, reading item number 52.

In order, it's appropriating $4,000 from neighborhood development funds in the following manner. $3,000 from District 9, $500 from District 8, and $500 from District 15 through the Office of Management and Budget to Crescent Hill Community Council, Inc. for costs associated with the 2026 Crescent Hill Fourth of July Festival. Read in full. Motion.

Items brought before us, this came out of Councilman Joseph. Thank you. This is for the Crescent Hill 4th of July Festival. I'm just excited with all the 4th of July Fest that we have going around in the city. So if I can before, can I go ahead and give money in this point? Okay, 500 from District 12. I want to thank your support for my 4th of July event too. So thank you so much. Councilman Owen.

Is that in the form of an amendment?

Well, hold on here. You know, I'm This is item 53? 52. 52. All right, Councilman Owen, you have the floor.

Thank you, Chair. So this is the primary event for the Crescent Hill Community Council, community event and fundraiser every year. If you haven't been to the Peterson-Dumineau House on Peterson, the brick street, for this Fourth of July Festival, I encourage you to come. It is a wonderful, wonderful neighborhood festival. kind of the right size, you know, to enjoy 4th of July. They've requested $7,500 for security, portable restrooms, dumpsters, tables, chairs, grounds, maintenance equipment, stuff like that. So we need a little bit more to try to top them up. I would really appreciate your support. Thank you.

All right. I've got no one in my queue. All right, councilman sign.

D-13, 250.

Councilman Bain, Renew-Weber. D-8, 250. Councilwoman Mulvaney-Wilrich.

District 24, 250.

All right, I've got no one else in my queue. We have an amended ordinance before us, so I have a motion.

Motion.

Second. The amended ordinance is properly before us. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Did you take the opposition? We now have the amended ordinance before us. Madam Clerk, open the roll, please.

Councilman Kramer.

Yes.

And Councilman Reed.

Yes.

There's someone missing. Councilman Reno Weber. Mr. President, you have 25 yes votes.

All right, the ordinance is adopted. Madam Clerk, I'm number 53.

An ordinance appropriating $6,000 from Neighborhood Development Funds in the following manner. $6,000 from District 6 through the Office of Management Budget to Prominent Youth of America, Inc. for costs associated with its Jackson Woods Summer Program to be held June the 22nd through July 31st, 2026. Right in full. Motion. Second.

I was brought before us, Councilman Joseph. You have the floor again. Thank you, President Ackerson. I'm gonna defer to Councilman Leninger. Councilman Leninger, you have the floor.

When I ran for office, one of the things I heard consistently across my district is we don't have enough for our kids to be doing. When kids get out of school, There aren't places for them to go anymore. Kids can't even go to the mall anymore. Parents are working two jobs. They get out of school for the summer. They spend entire months with not a lot of positive adult interaction, constructive places for them to go. This is a program that looks to address that, doing their part. This was brought to our advisory council by LaVon Clack. who runs a really excellent program that looks to get kids real-world experience, get them exposed to some things, but most importantly, gives them a little bit of that positive adult interaction that I mentioned before that's really missing for a lot of our kids' lives outside of school. So our advisory council is excited to support this, and I'd appreciate any support that you all would have for these kids.

All right, colleagues. I see Councilman Bass, you're first in my queue.

14 will do 500.

She said 500. Councilman Marie, you're next in my queue.

D21, 500.

All right, I've got no one else in my queue. We have a proposed amended ordinance before us All right. All those in favor say aye. Aye.

Any opposition?

We now have the amended ordinance before us. Madam Clerk, open the roll.

Do you have a motion open? I don't have a motion open. Council Member Kramer?

Yes. Yes.

Council Member Reed.

Yes.

Council Member Kramer did not record. Hold on. Thank you. Mr. President, you have 25 yes votes.

The ordinance is adopted. Madam Clerk, a reading of item number 55.

In ordinance amending the Louisville Metro Code of Ordinances, LMCO, and creating a new section of Chapter 32 regarding the issuance requirements and execution of search warrants, amendment by substitution, right in full.

Motion.

Second.

13 and 24. Item's probably before us. Councilman Sime, this came out of your committee. You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. This item's been worked on back and forth several times, and I've asked Robbie Howard if he would speak to the item, please.

I can, Robbie Howard, Jefferson County Attorney's Office. In essence, it's an ordinance that would, we already have the legal justification for issuing administrative search warrants, but we don't have a basis for doing so. There's not a state statute or local ordinance currently that would allow us a framework for issuing these search warrants, and this would set forth that framework and puts forth all the requirements for an administrative search warrant.

All right, I've got no one in my queue, no one with questions or concerns. This is an ordinance that requires a roll call vote. Madam Clerk, open the roll.

Council Member Kramer?

Yes.

And Council Member Reed?

Yes.

Council Member Weber? Thank you. Mr. President, you have 25 yes votes.

The ordinance is adopted. The next item of business is new business. As you leave the chambers, please do so quietly so the clerk may read the new business. I would ask those council members that wish to make announcements to please stick around in chambers and flag me down and we'll get you there. New business comprises of item 57 through 90. Madam Clerk, a reading of those items.

The following legislation was assigned to Appropriations Committee. Item 57, an ordinance appropriating $6,160 from neighborhood development funds in the following manner, $2,860 from District 14, $2,200 from District 12, and $1,100 from District 25 to Metro Parks for costs associated with the 2026 South End Movies Under the Stars to be held summer and fall of 2026. Item 58, an ordinance appropriating $8,000 from neighborhood development funds in the following manner, $4,000 from District 25, $1,500 from District 14 and $1,250 each from Districts 12 and 13 through the Office of Management and Budget to Southwest Community Ministries, Inc. for sponsorship of their teacher supply giveaway to be held July 25th, 2026. Item 59, an ordinance appropriating $1,000 from neighborhood development funds in the following manner. $1,000 from District 9 through the Office of Management and Budget to St. Joseph's Catholic Orphan Society for costs associated with St. Joseph's 177th annual picnic for the kids. Item 60, an ordinance appropriating $1,000 from neighborhood development funds in the following manner. $1,000 from District 9 through the Office of Management and Budget to Stage 1, the Louisville Children's Theater for costs associated with this 2026-2027 Play It Forward program. Item 61, an ordinance appropriating $3,000 from neighborhood development funds in the following manner. $3,000 from District 9 through the Office of Management and Budget to St. Matthew's Fire and Rescue Bonilla. Benevolence Fund Corporation for costs associated with its first annual Freedom Fest to be held July 3, 2026. Item 62, an ordinance appropriating $16,680 from neighborhood development funds in the following manner. $6,680 from District 20 and $5,000 each from Districts 11 and 22 through the Office of Management and Budget to 21st Century Parks, Inc. for costs associated with installation of a new geothermal HVAC unit. Item 63, an ordinance appropriating $19,000 from District 5 neighborhood development funds to Metro Parks for costs associated with the Dirt Bowl Derby Showcase held April 29, 2026, and the 2026 Dirt Bowl Tournament to be held June 6 through August 2, 2026. Item 64, an ordinance appropriating $175,000 from District 7 neighborhood development funds through the Office of Management and Budget to the City of St. Matthews for costs associated with the installation of a pavilion at Warwick Park and associated improvements. Item 65, an ordinance appropriating $1,000 from Neighborhood Development Funds in the following manner. $1,000 from District 15 through the Office of Management and Budget to the Louisville Independent Business Alliance, Inc. for costs associated with the South Points by a local player to be held July 12, 2026. Item 66... An ordinance appropriating $8,000 from neighborhood development funds in the following manner. $8,000 from District 12 to Metro Parks for costs associated with the Riverview Independence Festival to be held June 27, 2026. The following legislation is assigned to the Budget Committee. Item 67, an ordinance approving the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget for local tourism. Item 68, an ordinance approving the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget for the transit authority of River City TARC. item 69 an ordinance amending chapters 38 of the louisville metro code of ordinances lmco to establish subclassifications of real property for purposes of ad valorem taxation with that in the urban services district item 70 an ordinance of the local louisville jefferson county metro government kentucky one authorizing the issuance of its health care of its health system revenue bonds norton healthcare inc Series 2026 in one or more series in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $750 million. The proceeds of which shall be loaned to Norton Healthcare Inc. to pay A, to A, pay or reimburse Norton Healthcare Inc. and Norton Hospitals Inc. for the cost of acquiring, constructing, renovating, and equipping certain healthcare facilities of Norton Healthcare Inc. and certain affiliates, and B, refinance certain outstanding indebtedness, and two, take part taking other related action. Item 71, an ordinance relating to the fiscal year 2026-2027 operating budget for the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro government, including appropriations and authorizations for operation, maintenance, support, and functioning of the government and its various officers, departments, and commissions, institutions, agencies, and other Metro-supported activities. Item 72, an ordinance relating to the fiscal year 2026-2027 capital budget for the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro government, including appropriations and authorizations of funds for general construction, maintenance, repair, and improvements of facilities and assets of the government of Louisville, Jefferson County, and other Louisville Metro supported activities. The following legislation is assigned to committee on committees. Item 73, an ordinance repealing, amending, and creating certain chapters of Title III of the Louisville Metro Code of Ordinances pursuant to KRS 83A.060. Item 74, resolution pursuant to the capital... in operating budget ordinances approving the appropriation to fund the following professional service contract for Louisville Metro Office of Internal Audit for Workplace Investigation Services, Bowles, Stouffer, and Graves, LLP, $20,000. The following legislation was assigned to Government Oversight, Audit, and Appointments Committee. Item 75, an ordinance amending section 50.24 to the Louisville Metro Code of Ordinances, LMCO, to amend the debt service adjustment. The following legislation is assigned to the Labor Economic Development Committee. Item 76, an ordinance A, amending the local arena zone to remove the new development area. B, establishing a new development area pursuant to provisions of the KRS 65.490 through 65.499 to be known as the baseball arena. new development area approving entering into two grant contracts authorizing the payment of the released amount pursuant to the terms and conditions of the grant contracts requiring the submission of regular reports to the louisville jefferson county metro government and authorizing execution and delivery of any other documents and the taking of any author Any other actions necessary to accomplish purposes authorized by this ordinance. Item 77, a resolution pursuant to the capital and operating budget ordinances approving the appropriation to fund the following amendment to the sole source contract for this Office of Management and Budget for consulting services to assist analyzing and reporting costs, public consulting group LLC, $190,000. for a new not-to-exceed amount of $550,000. Item 78, a resolution ratifying and approving a collective bargaining agreement from the date of its approval through June 30, 2030, between Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, Local 3425 AFSCME, relating to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment of its employees in the Louisville Free Public Library Department. Item 79, an inducement resolution of the Louisville-Durham County Metro Government, the issuer, authorizing the execution of a memorandum of agreement between the issuer and MGI Louisville LLC, its affiliates, and the assigneds, collectively the company, relating to the acquisition, construction, equipping, and installation of facilities at 501 through 504 and 503 Franklin Street, unaddressed East Witherspoon Street, parcel ID number 18D, slash, 0025-0000, unaddressed Franklin Street parcel ID number 18E-0020-0000, unaddressed Franklin Street parcel ID number 18E-0064-0000, unaddressed Jackson Street parcel ID number 18E-0016-0000, unaddressed Jackson Street parcel ID number 18E-0063-0000, 501 East Main Street, 300 through 304 Jackson Street, and 100 North Hancock Street, Louisville, Kentucky, including the acquisition, construction, equipping, and installation of one between 225 and 300 multifamily dwelling units, two, a parking structure to support the residential units containing approximately 89 parking spaces, three, a hotel containing between 134 and 180 rooms, four, between 300... between thirty eight thousand eight hundred and fifty thousand square feet of office space five between eighteen thousand and twenty two thousand square feet of retail space six a garbage a garage to be owned and operated by Park contained no fewer than five hundred seventy five parking spaces and seven other public infrastructure improvements the project agreeing to undertake the issuance of one or more series of industrial building revenue bonds at the appropriate time to finance the costs of acquiring constructing equipping and installing set of facilities and taking other preliminary action item 80 a resolution determining real properties located at 53 503 franklin street parcel id number 18d dash zero zero zero one dash zero zero zero zero unaddressed east weather spoon street parcel id number eighteen d dash zero zero two five dash zero zero zero zero five zero one through five zero four franklin street parcel id number eighteen e dash zero zero two two dash zero zero zero zero unaddressed franklin street parcel id number eighteen e dash zero zero six four dash zero zero zero zero unaddressed jackson street parcel number i id number 18E-0063-0000, 501 East Main Street parcel ID number 18E-051-0000, 304 Jackson Street parcel ID number 18E-0053-0000, 302 Jackson Street parcel ID number 18E-0055-0000, 100 North Hancock Street, parcel ID number 18E-0050-00, 300 Jackson Street, parcel ID number 18E-0054-0000, unaddressed Franklin Street, parcel ID number 18E-0020-0000, and unaddressed Franklin Street, parcel ID number 18E-0016-0000 as surplus not needed for the governmental purposes of Metro government in authorizing their transfer. The following legislation was assigned to Parks and Sustainability Committee. In ordinance submitting section 42.31 of the Louisville Metro Code of Ordinances, LMCO related to issuance of permits. The following legislation is assigned to Planning and Zoning Committee. Item 82, an ordinance submitting Louisville Jefferson County Metro Code of Ordinances, LMCO chapter 153 regarding the processing of applications for zoning map amendments and conditional use permits if there are delinquent taxes or valid liens held by Louisville Metro that are unpaid. Item 83, an ordinance relating to the zoning of property located at 524 Baxter Avenue containing approximately .36 acres and being Louisville Metro. Case number 25, zone 0097. Item 84, resolution nominating Wolf Penn Branch Road, which runs from River Road to Chamberlain Lane, to be designated as a scenic corridor and requesting the Planning Commission to review such nomination. The following legislation is assigned to Public Safety Committee. Item 85, an ordinance amending Chapter 123 of the Low Metric Code of Ordinances, LMCO, regarding secondary metals. recycling to conform with the new kentucky revised statutes as amended by the 2026 general assembly the following legislation is assigned to public works committee item 86 and ordinance one declaring mermaid lane as dedicated to louisville jefferson county metro government for public use as a public way and two accepting such dedication item 87 a resolution authorizing the office of the jefferson county attorney to bring a condemnation against the property owner of certain property parcel number two in jefferson county in connection with the gagel avenue sidewalk project item 88 a resolution authorizing the office of jefferson county attorney to bring condemnation action against the owner of certain property parcel number 17 in jefferson county in connection with the blatant lane sidewalk project item 89 a resolution office authorizing the office of jefferson county attorney to bring condemnation action against the owner of certain property parcel number 37 in jefferson county in connection with the blatant lane sidewalk project Item 90, a resolution authorizing the Office of the Jefferson County Attorney to bring condemnation action against the owner of certain property parcel number 30 in Jefferson County in connection with the Blanton Lane sidewalk project read in full.

All right, Councilman Parrish-Wright, I believe you've got some announcements.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. I have two announcements. We are having our monthly district advisory board meeting for District 3. This is where we invite all residents of all 13 of our neighborhoods to come, share about your needs, concerns, If you can't join in person, we have a virtual option, so make sure you call us at 502-574-1103, or we'll email or text you the virtual link. Again, 6 o'clock right here at City Hall, 601 West Jefferson Street. All are welcome. You should have received a mailing from District 3 by now. that mailing went out in the last week or two, and that has all of our events on the back of that mailing. It also has a magnet that you can put on your refrigerator to stay and to know about events we're having in District 3. The other event we're having this month in June is our own version of the Building Our Blocks, the Bob, a Hallmark Bob. This one is a family-friendly event. It's going to be focused on our seniors and meeting the things that they need. There'll be community organizations, Metro Louisville departments, kids activities, a resource fair. It's at New Horizon Baptist Church, 2202 Dixie Highway. from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 27th. There'll be free food, games, door prizes, and more. Hallmark Building Our Blocks. It's our Hallmark Bob. Saturday, June 27th, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at New Horizon Baptist Church, 2202 Dixie Highway. Thank you.

All right. That concludes our meeting. Our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 25th, 2026 at 6 p.m. Without objection, we stand adjourned.