Louisville Metro Council Regular Meeting Summary - March 2, 2023

The Louisville Metro Council met in hybrid video teleconference on Thursday, March 2, 2023. President Markus Winkler called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m.; 25 members were present, one seat was vacant, and the meeting adjourned at 7:09 p.m. The Council approved the consent calendar, adopted several amended ordinances, approved zoning cases, heard one public speaker, and took first readings on new business.

Call to Order, Recognitions & Page

• District 17 page Scarlett Eatherly was introduced.
• Council Member Baker recognized the National Pan-Hellenic Council (the 'Divine Nine'); Council Member McCraney also spoke and presented lapel pins.
• Council President Winkler and Council Member Baker recognized Le'Roy Ford, a Louisville Metro Public Works equipment operator, for rescuing a father and daughter stranded in a vehicle during the December 22, 2022 snowstorm on Six Mile Lane and directing traffic until EMS arrived.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Jared Randall, a Tilleryberry neighborhood resident, asked the Council to consider city park rangers, later community-center hours and youth programming, better public transportation access, and computers/printers at the South Louisville Community Center. He cited a June 7, 2021 park shooting and said 'bullets don't know no color.'

Communications & Appointments

• The Clerk read Mayor Craig Greenberg's appointments to the Louisville Downtown Management District Board, KentuckianaWorks/Greater Louisville Workforce Development Board, Landbank Authority, NuLu Review Overlay District Committee, and Louisville Regional Airport Authority Board. Appointments requiring Council approval were referred to the Government Oversight/Audit and Appointments Committee.

Consent Calendar

• The Consent Calendar, Items 19-24, was approved 24-0 (Council Member Flood absent). Approved items included:
  • O-025-23: transfer of $100,000 from the District 7 Neighborhood Development Fund to the District 7 Capital Infrastructure Fund (Ordinance 018-2023).
  • O-029-23: $50,000 from District 2 Neighborhood Development Funds to the Jefferson County Public Education Foundation for Newburg Middle School football field repairs (Ordinance 019-2023).
  • R-002-23: local incentives for LDG Multifamily, LLC under KRS Chapter 154, Subchapter 32 (Resolution 011-2023).
  • R-004-23: local incentives for Eberspacher North America, Inc., n/k/a Purem Novi Inc. (Resolution 012-2023).
  • R-011-23: $307,478 for a noncompetitively negotiated Trauma Assistance and Management Program contract with Crossnore Communities for Children (Resolution 013-2023).
  • O-021-23: closure of unnamed alleys adjacent to S. 23rd and Maple streets, approximately 0.068 acres (Ordinance 020-2023).

Special Legislation

• R-019-23, a resolution directing initiation of an ethics complaint against Council Member Anthony Piagentini regarding ARP funding, was listed on the agenda but was not called; an attachment indicated the sponsorship was withdrawn.

Discussion Items

O-321-22: Contractor Sexual Harassment Reporting and Nondisclosure Agreements

• Council Member Arthur presented technical amendments developed with Greater Louisville Inc., explained by Assistant County Attorney Kathryn Meador. The amendments allowed an employee to voluntarily seek a settlement agreement if they have a right or claim and clarified that reporting applies to employees who live in Louisville Metro.
• The amended ordinance passed 25-0 as Ordinance 021-2023.

R-010-23: Metro Council Social Media Policy

• Council Member McCraney said the updated policy in the Employee Handbook addresses Metro Council's specific social media use, state data retention, ethics compliance, and First Amendment protections.
• The resolution was adopted by voice vote as Resolution 014-2023.

O-030-23: American Rescue Plan Amendments

• This ordinance amended ARP Round 2 and Round 3 projects: extending the Outdoor Safe Space timeframe (LAT-0050), expanding homelessness-resources authorization to include a Community Care Campus (LAT-0053), extending public safety reform implementation (LAT-0061), and accelerating public safety hiring incentive payments (LAT-0069).
• Council Member Arthur moved to strike Section 2/LAT-0061, arguing that the mayor's same-day LMPD announcement did not align with the ordinance's public safety reform description. Council Members Piagentini, Owen, and Blackwell supported the amendment for transparency; Council Member McCraney asked whether other funding would be available later. Council Member Baker abstained because his father's church is near a project and he was uncertain about effects on property values and return on investment.
• The amendment passed 24-0-1 and the final ordinance passed 24-0-1 as Ordinance 022-2023.

O-028-23: Mental Health Lou & You Neighborhood Development Funds

• The ordinance originally totaled $5,250, then was amended to $10,000 for a mental health speaker and personnel series in Louisville Free Public Library branches. Sponsors and members added NDF contributions, including $2,000 from District 25, $1,000 each from Districts 17 and 20, $500 from District 18, and $250 from District 16, with earlier District 2, 4, and 19 funding retained.
• Council Members spoke in support of mental health resources; Council Member Flood named the planned library branches, including Southwest Regional, Northeast Regional, Main, Newburg, Western, and Bon Air.
• The amended ordinance passed 24-0, with Council Member McCraney present, as Ordinance 023-2023.

O-019-23 and O-020-23: Hurstbourne Parkway/Bardstown Road Zoning

• Council Member Flood recused herself because the properties are owned by the Archbishop of Louisville and she serves on the Catholic Charities board. Council Member Blackwell abstained because he is an Archdiocese employee.
• O-019-23 (4700 S. Hurstbourne Parkway, about 19.70 acres) passed 23-0-1 (Flood absent, Blackwell abstained) as Ordinance 024-2023.
• O-020-23 (4900 S. Hurstbourne Parkway and 5119/5201 Bardstown Road, about 28.42 acres) passed 22-0-2 (Flood and Parker absent, Blackwell abstained) as Ordinance 025-2023.

New Business and Committee Referrals

• The Clerk gave first readings for Items 32-41 and assigned them to committees:
  • Budget and Appropriations: O-043-23, appropriating $6,330 from District 6 Neighborhood Development Funds through Metro Parks to Luv-It Landscaping.
  • Government Oversight/Audit and Appointments: O-041-23, amending LMCO Chapter 21 regarding the Ethics Commission's lobbying-ordinance implementation timeline.
  • Planning and Zoning: O-031-23 (Barret Avenue/Breckinridge Street), O-032-23 (814 Vine Street PDO and Pattern Book), O-033-23 (East Washington Street closure), O-034-23 (1239 S. Clay Street), O-035-23 (4500 S. Hurstbourne Parkway), O-036-23 (10001 Vista Hills Boulevard), and O-037-23 (7717/7721 St. Andrews Church Road).
  • Public Safety: R-020-23, calling on the Kentucky General Assembly to enact House Bill 325 and Senate Bill 168 to allow Louisville Metro to permanently destroy abandoned, confiscated, or forfeited firearms.
• No vote was taken on these first-reading items at this meeting. Note: the action summary lists enactment numbers for some of these new-business items, but the agenda and transcript show only first reading and committee referral on March 2.

Key Outcomes

• Approved council and committee minutes by voice vote.
• Consent Calendar approved 24-0.
• O-321-22 passed 25-0.
• R-010-23 adopted by voice vote.
• O-030-23 amendment and final passage both 24-0-1 (Baker abstaining).
• O-028-23 passed 24-0 (McCraney present).
• O-019-23 passed 23-0-1 (Flood absent, Blackwell abstained).
• O-020-23 passed 22-0-2 (Flood and Parker absent, Blackwell abstained).
• R-019-23 was not called.
• Council President Winkler announced the next Metro Council meeting for Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 6:00 p.m.