Parks and Sustainability Committee Meeting - June 18, 2026
Parks and Sustainability Committee Meeting - June 18, 2026
The Louisville Metro Parks and Sustainability Committee met on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at 3:06 PM (per transcript) or 3:25 PM (per minutes) in Council Chambers/Virtual. Chair Khalil Batshon called the meeting to order, with a quorum established. Six committee members were present, and Council Member Tammy Hawkins (D-1) attended as a non-committee member. The committee considered three pending legislative items, taking action only on one ordinance.
Consent Calendar
- No consent calendar items were presented.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke during the meeting.
Discussion Items
- O-108-26: An ordinance to permit foraging of certain plant material in Louisville Metro Parks, sponsored by JP Lyninger (D-6), was held in committee without discussion.
- O-177-26 (Amended by Substitution): An ordinance amending LMCO Section 42.31 related to issuance of park permits, sponsored by Tammy Hawkins (D-1). Council Member Hawkins explained the intent: to prevent permits from being issued to persons, businesses, or event producers who are on the noncompliant list for Neighborhood Development Fund (NDF) grants administered by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Committee Member Piagentini questioned the scope (only NDF, not other city grants) and the remediation process. Michelle King, Executive Director of Metro Parks, clarified that Parks would rely on a regularly updated list from OMB and check it during permit application review, similar to existing checks (e.g., approved vendors for inflatables). Council Member Chappell suggested adding the word "actively" to clarify ongoing noncompliance, but Assistant County Attorney Amanda Baker advised that such language could create ambiguity. The committee ultimately did not adopt that amendment. Council Member Hawkins affirmed that OMB already sends out the noncompliance list and urged council members to proactively check nonprofits they work with.
- R-142-25: A resolution urging implementation of the Urban Forest Master Plan strategies, sponsored by Jennifer Chappell and others, was held in committee pending additional documentation.
Key Outcomes
- O-108-26: Remained held in committee.
- O-177-26: A motion to amend by substitution (as shown in O-177-26 V.2 CABS 061826 Park Permitting for Events and Compliance.pdf) was made by Committee Member Piagentini, seconded by Committee Member Bast, and carried by voice vote. The amended ordinance was then recommended for approval by a unanimous vote of 6-0 (Batshon, McCraney, Bast, Chappell, Piagentini, Ruhe). It was sent to Old Business for the June 25, 2026 Metro Council meeting.
- R-142-25: Remained held in committee.
- The meeting adjourned at 3:25 PM without objection.
Meeting Transcript
And to garnish it, I'm just gonna take one uh apple wheel and just float it right in the center there, and that is gonna be our bourbon apple pie cocktail. So, Jessica, you know I'm gonna have to do it. How'd you like them apples? I'd like them a lot. Seriously, were they close to your family? Pretty much exactly, I'd say. Yeah. Right. And you had them for breakfast or something. We eat pretty much, I think every time I have fried apples, it's always with pork. Yeah, for dinner. Right. Yeah. And we should do it with breakfast. Okay. We have breakfast, fried chicken, lunch, just whatever. Um, but I thought about there's such a candy taste to them. Like you eat them for dessert, right? Some people like how I say my sweet potato, souple to like a dessert at the end. And that makes me think of apple pie. Yeah. So what do you think? Does this do a pretty good approximation to tasting like apple pie? It really does. I almost thought that you put all spice in it because that initial aroma is like opening the oven. I think that the trick is the black walnut butter with the cinnamon shop. Is what really makes it kind of like a baked good. Okay. Well, yeah, I mean, it is like drinking an apple pie in a glass. Well, it certainly puts me in the fall spirit. Well, cheers to that. Yeah, cheers. We'll see you next time on Bourbons and Biscuits. Cheers. Cheers. I'm a CDL driver. Been her 27 years. Don't want to pick it up, not dump in there. I basically operate an automatic truck. Pick up black cottage pins with this one on machine. He does out of work. And it's very mental and a physical job and dealing with the elements and everything in between. I used to want to be a guy who's man by seeing the guy who's in come down the street and they holler. I've never gotten actually a letter at work, you know, but I've had people, I've had people acknowledge, you know, the appreciation for me doing my job. This is Charlie's No. Dear Sanitation work. Thank you for picking up our trash because if you didn't, there would be litter all over our town. I like watching you when you go by my house and hunt. See you soon. Love Charlie.
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