Louisville Metro Council Committee of the Whole Meeting - March 2, 2023
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Louisville Metro Council Committee of the Whole Meeting - March 2, 2023
Council President Markus Winkler called the meeting to order at 5:23 PM on March 2, 2023. The meeting was held pursuant to KRS 61.826 and Council Rule 5A, with 24 members present (one excused) and two members attending virtually. The session focused on reviewing the Metro Council agenda for the upcoming full council meeting, discussing several legislative items, and receiving presidential updates. The meeting adjourned at 5:34 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Items 19–24 were placed on the consent calendar with no objections or removals.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were heard during this committee meeting.
Discussion Items
- Recognitions (from transcript): Council President Winkler noted that Councilman Baker would recognize the National Pan Hellenic Council, and later both would recognize Mr. LaRoy Ford, a public works equipment operator who helped a stranded father and daughter during a major snowstorm late last year.
- Old Business – Items 26–31:
- Item 26 (O-0321-22): Councilmembers Mulvihill and Arthur spoke about the NDA legislation, which had been held earlier. Councilman Arthur confirmed it was ready for passage after amendments suggested by Greater Louisville Inc. were incorporated and loaded into the system.
- Item 27 (R-010-23): Councilwoman McCraney highlighted the resolution updating the employee handbook to include a social media policy, noting it aligns with First Amendment protections and provides guidance for proper use of Metro Council social media accounts.
- Items 28 (O-030-23) and 29 (O-028-23): Councilman Blackwell described the budget items—item 29 as regular appropriations due to an amendment for additional support, and item 28 as an amended Schedule A adjusting dates for previously approved expenditures. Councilman Arthur expressed concerns about pushing the items forward, referencing an announcement from the mayor regarding unspecified elements not detailed in the ordinance; he stated he would seek clarification from the administration and, if needed, move to hold or send the items back to committee.
- Items 30 (O-019-23) and 31 (O-020-23): Councilwoman Flood reported that these planning and zoning items were companion pieces; she would abstain from voting due to a conflict of interest (board membership with Catholic Charities, which is related to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Louisville ownership). Councilman Reed noted both passed unanimously in the planning and zoning committee.
- New Business – Item 33 (O-041-23): Councilwoman Fowler introduced a lobbying ordinance amendment extending the timeline for the ethics commission to meet their deadline, as they had requested more time to gather information.
- Other Updates: Councilman Mulvihill addressed the labor and economic development item (NDA) as noted under old business.
Key Outcomes
- District 8 Vacancy: Applications closed March 3 at 5:00 PM (with postmark allowance). As of the meeting, 14 applicants had applied. The County Attorney will review eligibility; the list of eligible candidates will be sent to members. A special Committee of the Whole for interviews is scheduled for March 13 at 4:00 PM, with a vote to fill the vacancy at the March 16 regular council meeting at 6:00 PM. All candidates will be briefed together before interviews to streamline the process.
- Sexual Harassment Training: Employee training is due by March 20; council members and managerial staff must complete supervisory training by March 30. Council members must complete both trainings.
- Professional Photographs: A photographer will be available on April 13, 2023 for individual and group photos.
- Art in City Hall: The application deadline closed February 27. Councilwoman Chappell and Councilman Hudson are reviewing 40 artists' works; they will narrow to 10, then select 5 finalists who will each receive a $500 honorarium. Art is expected to be installed by the March 13 council meeting.
- Birthdays Recognized: Councilman Fowler (March 7), Amy Luckett (March 11), and Sophia White (March 15).
- Adjournment: Without objection, the meeting adjourned at 5:34 PM.
Note: The meeting transcript includes remarks on mental health, gun destruction, and lead testing, which appear to be from a separate event or presentation and are not part of the official committee proceedings.
Meeting Transcript
We are grateful for you. If you haven't experienced some kind of anxiety or depression or mental health issue in the past few years, you're pretty lucky. We've definitely seen an increase in depression and anxiety. Trauma and also an increase in grief and loss. Your mental health and your physical health are so closely tied together. We know that, you know, when we have a better uh state of mental health and wellness, uh, we're maybe more likely to be able to monitor some of our chronic conditions or prevention of those chronic conditions. And we want to make sure, you know, with our partnership with public health that we are able to help the community access the resources they need to help with healing. And they will go to find a provider. We're not alone. And we don't need to be hopeless. There are many community partners. We are a community filled with providers and community partners who are ready, willing, and able to support our mental health. Barriers that we see, one is really just lack of knowledge, which is why this directory is so great to give people a direct point of access to go look providers in their community or people that look like them, or people that specialize in certain things, such as anxiety or trauma or depression. And if they aren't able to find who they need on the database, they can connect with us directly so that we can help demystify this process. That was not Raphael, man. He fought with me. For you. So I don't know what we're trying to prove with 10 in the record books already. But I'm telling you, there's no coming back from that. I'm willing to work with anybody as long as you are on the side of the team. People who have small and large organizations that are working to stop the violence. If you are part of one of those off those organizations, we ask you to call the mayor's office at 5027403. Good morning. I would like to welcome and thank our guests. Others for coming to support our school with the efforts and becoming a purple star award school. Do you have anyone in your family? People that you're care about who are in the military or have been in the military. Please raise your hand. Look around you. Isn't that impressive? We have cousins, we have aunts, we have uncles who get deployed around the world with the military. And that affects children more than anything. Thank you. Oh, say and you see. They've been in a few wars and stuff, so I think they're really great. Being a military child is hard. Uh moving from school to school, this is actually their fourth elementary school. This is an opportunity for the community to embrace military families. When we support our military and their families, we are thinking when win because we support them and they support us. We're really proud to be here today and to see Bates be part of the Purple Star program. Knowing that the boys will have the support that they need at the school. That's amazing. Under current state law, that gun is then auctioned off by the Kentucky State Police. These guns that are used to commit crimes end up back on our streets. And too often, guns that are used to commit crimes are used to commit another crime. That needs to stop. This gun was used by a 17-year-old child in Louisville who attempted to kill another 17-year-old child. Right now, state law forbids us from outright destroying these guns. That's frustrating, disappointing, and dangerous. When we seize drugs in our city, we don't put those drugs back on the street and give them to a different drug dealer.
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