Louisville Metro Council Meeting - October 15, 2026

The Louisville Metro Council held its regular meeting on Thursday, October 15, 2026, beginning at 6:00 PM and adjourning at 7:02 PM. President Brent Ackerson called the meeting to order at 6:09 PM. All 26 council districts were represented; Council Member Scott Reed participated virtually. The minutes record a full roll call, but the consent-calendar vote tally lists Council Member Jeff Hudson as absent.

Special Recognitions & Pages

• Council Member Parrish-Wright introduced District 3 pages Lorelei Frederick and Aiyia'Joy Deverre Parrish.
• Council Members Reno-Weber and Owen recognized Officer Juliano Lutz as Louisville Metro Police Department 5th Division Officer of the Year and Officer Jon Cornett as 5th Division Rookie of the Year.

Communications & Appointments

• Appointments requiring Council approval were assigned to the Government Oversight/Audit and Appointments Committee: Cindy Morris (Civilian Review and Accountability Board, new appointment) and Scott Davenport (Transit Authority of River City Board, new appointment).
• Appointments read into the record without Council approval included new Brightside Board members Jeremy Priddy and Adam Caperton; Community Action Partnership reappointees John Young and Kennedy Bibb; Kentucky Science Center reappointees Henry Eng, Andrew Renda, Dr. Christien Russell, and Christine Rieser and new appointees Dr. Douglas Craddock, Jeff Hudson, Megan Metcalf, Sara McAninch, and Kyle Lanoue; and Zoo Foundation Board new appointee Jennifer Cave.

Consent Calendar

• The Consent Agenda, items 20 through 29, was approved by a 25-0 vote, with Council Member Hudson recorded absent on the vote. It included:
  • R-126-26, recognizing October 2, 2026 as Wrongful Conviction Day and urging state compensation for wrongfully convicted Kentuckians, adopted as Resolution No. 081-2026.
  • R-127-26, honoring October 2 as Nonviolent Louisville Day, adopted as Resolution No. 082-2026.
  • R-130-26, authorizing acceptance of up to $2,000,000 from the Community Foundation of Louisville for the Home for Good Initiative, administered by the Office of Housing and Community Development, adopted as Resolution No. 083-2026.
  • O-265-26, amending Louisville Metro Code of Ordinances Section 32.130 on administration of the Policemen's Retirement Fund, passed as Ordinance No. 190-2026.
  • Reappointments of Larnelle Harris, Meredith Allard, and John Rippy to the Housing Authority Board for terms expiring August 15, 2029.
  • O-285-26, amending LMCO Chapters 97 and 115 to expand roadway safety and cleanliness powers, passed as Ordinance No. 191-2026, with technical corrections made in Section 115.456.
  • R-120-26, authorizing acceptance of $38,000 from the Kentucky Fire Commission Training Facility Grant Program for the Louisville Fire Department, adopted as Resolution No. 084-2026.
  • AP100626NL, appointing Nancyanne Lerner to the Complete Streets Coalition for a three-year term.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Bridget Hittepole, an internal medicine physician, expressed support for the Plant Based Treaty, citing research that plant-based dietary patterns are associated with a 10% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, nearly a 25% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and a 10-25% lower risk of certain cancers, and urged attention to Louisville health disparities.
• Ahmed Alrazi urged the Council to put the hospital bedside violence-prevention program into ordinance, fund it from the general fund, and require independent public evaluation, warning that federal funding for the current program runs out this year and calling it a fiscal cliff. He noted KRS 65.8870 preempts local firearm regulation, referenced Scotland's homicide decline as a model, and questioned an unverified 60% violence-reduction claim.
• Desiree Barker of Community Covenant Connections announced the C3 Evergreen Gala on October 23 and highlighted the organization's 24/7 community hotline, participation in more than 71 community events, and work in Parkland, Park DuValle, Hazelwood, and Shively.
• Tronda Graham, a licensed massage therapist and owner of A Line Total Wellness, voiced opposition to the massage-therapy ordinance, saying it burdens licensed professionals, confuses human trafficking with legitimate health care, and affects a profession in which approximately 80% of licensed massage therapists are women.
• Jared Randall called for universal health care and dental care and urged young people to vote, also criticizing police union political endorsements made while in uniform.
• Jill Higginbotham, owner of J. Michael Spawn Salon in District 9 and a Republican, opposed the massage-therapy ordinance, citing existing state and local licensing requirements and warning that added restrictions could drive business and revenue out of Jefferson County.
• Noriah Roche, a junior at J. Graham Brown High School, invited Council members to the youth civic forum Young Voices Speak on October 17 from 10:00 to 11:30 AM at Baxter Community Center, and noted that an estimated 1,260 to 1,890 JCPS high school seniors could be eligible to vote in November.

Discussion Items

• Council Minutes for September 24, 2026 and committee minutes were approved by voice vote.
• O-281-26, a zoning ordinance for 211 South 41st Street, approximately 0.1 acres, would change zoning from R5 to R7 to allow three residential units after a home was found improperly zoned for a triplex. Council Member Owen presented the item and Council Member Purvis raised concerns; Council Member Batshon moved to postpone. The Council postponed the ordinance by voice vote until the October 29, 2026 meeting.
• R-136-26, approving local incentives to MedVantx, Inc. under KRS Chapter 154, Subchapter 32, was presented by Council Member Reno-Weber. Council Member Owen abstained, citing an overabundance of caution due to his employment with One Louisville. The resolution was adopted 25-0-1.
• NDF100726LMPDm, originally titled as a $1,000 appropriation ($500 each from Districts 2 and 24) for LMPD 6th Division's annual Christmas with a Cop program on December 12, 2026, was amended from the floor. Council Member Mulvey-Woolridge said the program works with 10 elementary schools to identify about 25 to 27 students and plans to spend approximately $300 per child. The final appropriation totaled $3,500: $500 each from Districts 2, 21, 22, and 24; $450 from District 7; $300 from District 5; and $250 each from Districts 1, 18, and 19. It was approved 23-0-3, with Council Members Parrish-Wright, Lyninger, and Chappell recorded as present.
• New Business items 33 through 49 received a first reading and were assigned to standing committees, including appropriations for Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana ($7,250), Forest Fest 2027 ($18,250), and Wreaths Across America ($10,000), a District 1 budget transfer of $10,000, the Plant Based Treaty resolution, honorary street naming resolutions, economic development incentives, several planning and zoning matters, a FEMA firefighters grant authorization of $74,700, and a Recreational Trails Program grant authorization of up to $250,000.

Key Outcomes

• Meeting called to order at 6:09 PM and adjourned at 7:02 PM.
• Council and committee minutes approved by voice vote.
• Consent Calendar approved 25-0, with Hudson absent on the vote.
• O-281-26 postponed to October 29, 2026, by voice vote.
• R-136-26 adopted 25-0-1.
• NDF100726LMPDm amended and approved as a $3,500 appropriation for Christmas with a Cop, by a 23-0-3 vote.
• New Business introduced and assigned to committees for further consideration.
• Council Member Parrish-Wright announced the District 3 Good Neighbor Awards ceremony on November 28, with nominations due November 21, and a clothing drive at City Hall.

Notes and Discrepancies

• The agenda version of item 32 listed a $1,000 total; the minutes and transcript show that a floor amendment increased it to $3,500.
• The roll call in the minutes states all members were present except Council Member Reed, who attended virtually, but the consent-calendar vote tally records Council Member Hudson as absent.