More of the same: Fischer appoints crew that is part of the problem in Louisville

This morning Mayor-elect Greg Fischer announced some disappointments to his upcoming administration, confirming everyone's suspicion that his term will be a complete and total extension of Jerry Abramson's.

“These leaders will bring new faces and fresh ideas to Metro Government, and I am honored that they have agreed to serve the citizens of Louisville. They are a diverse group of dedicated people who bring both knowledge of government, as well as outside perspective.”

The appointments are:

* Ellen Hesen as Chief of Staff, who will manage interactions between all city departments and the mayor’s office. Hesen, 52, of Louisville, is currently General Counsel for Gov. Steve Beshear. She also has served as General Counsel for the state auditor and was a former Deputy Secretary of the Cabinet for Health Services. Hesen earned a JD from the University of Louisville School of Law and has held several positions in private sector law firms. She lives in the Highlands.


* William E. Summers IV will serve in the Fischer administration for six months as senior advisor to the Mayor and Chief Administrative Officer. Summers is currently Deputy Mayor for Mayor Jerry Abramson. He will help ensure a smooth transition between governments, provide counsel to the new administration, and share the significant institutional knowledge he has from his more than two decades of experience in the city government.


* Pat Mulvihill as Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and General Counsel. Mulvihill will manage relations between the state and federal governments and between the mayor and the Metro Council and serve as General Counsel to the Mayor. Mulvihill, 40, was a member of the Greater Louisville Merger Transition Task Force and Co-Director of the Merger Transition Office. He is currently a litigator and legal advisor with the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office and has previously worked at several Louisville law firms. He has been the legal representative for several city government agencies, and he earned a JD from the University of Louisville. He lives in Audubon Park.


* Sadiqa Reynolds as Chief of Community Building. Reynolds, 38, will oversee numerous agencies including the Department of Health & Wellness, Housing & Family Services and cultural attractions, such as the Louisville Zoo and Louisville Science Center. Reynolds is a former District Court Judge and has been on the board of the Home of the Innocents, Maryhurst, Habitat for Humanity and the Bates Community Development Corp. She earned a JD from University of Kentucky and lives in Glen Oaks.


* Ron Weston as special assistant to the Mayor and as a member of the Intergovernmental Affairs team. Weston, 62, is a current state representative from Southwest Louisville and was the first president of the Louisville Metro Council. He will join the Fischer administration in a part-time role and, along with others to be named later, will manage relations between the state and federal governments and between the mayor and the Metro Council as well as special assignments as they arise. He lives in Fairdale.


* Steve Rowland as Chief Financial Officer. Rowland, 58, was the former Chief Financial Advisor to Jefferson County Government from 1990 to 1998 and worked under four governors in the Office of Policy and Management. He is currently a co-owner of SKP Properties, which manages apartments and homes. He earned a BA from Eastern Kentucky University and lives in Pewee Valley.


* Kellie Watson as Director of Human Resources. Watson, 36, is currently executive director of the Office of Human Resources Management at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. She is also acting director for the Office for Civil Rights and Small Business Development in the Cabinet. She also is a former executive director of the Louisville Metro Government Human Relations Commission. She earned a law degree from Vanderbilt University and has been involved in the Louisville Urban League Young Professionals, Jack and Jill Inc. and the Ignite Louisville program through Leadership Louisville. She lives downtown.


* Adria Johnson as acting director of Housing and Family Services. Johnson is currently that department’s assistant director and was hired into Metro Government in 2005. She has significant private sector experience, including at Brown & Williamson, LG&E and Humana.

Besides Sadiqa Reynolds, there are no "fresh faces" in this group. Reynolds recently lost a reelection bid for District Court and her talents are thoroughly underutilized in this position. She deserves more than an empty title.

What do you think of the appointments thus far? Do you trust Fischer's judgment? Do you really believe Fischer is the one calling the shots here? Sound off in the "Comments" section.

Hundreds brave cold for Dixie Corridor plan meeting

The following is brought to you courtesy of my friends at The Local Weekly, the South End's only paper:

Despite extremely cold temperatures a crowd of around 250 people gathered at the Southwest Government Center to learn about initial plans for an "extreme makeover" of the Dixie Highway corridor.

The informational meeting gave area residents a chance to hear about results of a study completed by Mohammad Nouri of the HNTB Corporation and give their input about what they considered to be the most important issues of the plan.

The extreme makeover would mean big improvements for the southwest area.

Preliminary plans include a signature gateway entrance at the Dixie Highway - I-264 interchange, tree lined streets, new light poles, new traffic signals and poles, enhanced landscaped medians, and new pedestrian walkways. Also a re-design of traffic patterns to make it easier to access both sides of Dixie Highway and improve traffic congestion. On average 60,000 cars traverse the Dixie Highway – I-264 interchange daily.

The area studied begins at Oak Street and ends at Greenwood Road. The study area was divided into two sections. The North section includes Oak Street to I-264. The South section includes I-264 to Greenwood Road. The purpose of the study is to develop a unifying and distinct character for the Dixie Highway corridor while creating a safe and functioning corridor for all users.

In August 2010 advisory groups met to give Mr. Nouri recommendations of what they thought would improve the biggest problems they see every day along the corridor. The advisory group consisted of area residents who live with the daily problems on Dixie Highway. The advisory group stressed safety and creating an environment for the area to thrive. On average five people lose their life every year somewhere along Dixie Highway. Mr. Nouri suggests that this is due to a host of issues that have plagued Dixie Highway for years. Some of the reasons Mr. Nouri pointed out were lack of lighting, too many lane variations where 7 lanes transition to 4 lanes, which transition to 2 lanes, and poor signal timing and synchronization of traffic signals. Within the North and South sections of the Dixie Highway corridor plan there are 26 traffic signals that need to be updated and brought online to control remotely.

The Dixie Highway Corridor Master Plan is broken up into three parts which are land use, transportation, and urban design. Those who attended were able to give their input and vote on which issue they thought was the most important part of each plan. Residents thought the top priority for land use was a new look for the area which would include a unifying makeover with matching utility and light poles, landscaping, enhanced medians, signage, and making better connections for public access. Mohammad talked about the area lacking a sense of character and defined “places”. A makeover of this scale would breathe a breath of fresh air down the Dixie corridor something that is long overdue. Transportation recommendations most favored by meeting goers were to reconstruct Dixie Highway to improve safety, access, and pedestrian traffic through I-264. Also to study the feasibility of a P & L commuter line from downtown Louisville to Fort Knox. Top urban design recommendations included burying or relocating overhead power lines and poles along the Dixie Highway corridor. Also installing matching trash receptacles, pedestrian lighting, benches, TARC shelters, bike racks, and tree lined streets to create a unifying theme and character for the area.

This is the first step in the Dixie Highway Corridor Master Plan which is still in its infancy. Money is the biggest roadblock but the plan creates a vision of what Dixie Highway could look like in the next ten to fifteen years. Top planner, Mohammad Nouri said, “I’ am not worried about the money. The money will come. The commitment is more important than the money.”

Something unique that I would personally like to see happen along Dixie Highway is a safer way to cross the road on foot. Pedestrians are gambling when attempting to cross the busy stretch and drivers, especially once the traffic lights are timed, have no patience for foot traffic. We, as a community, should look at the feasibility of constructing overhead walkways in the busiest locations, similar to ones in use on the Las Vegas strip.

Another item of interest: The master plan stops at Greenwood Road. Fix that.

David Yates to be sworn into office on Wednesday, Dec. 15th

David Yates will take the oath of office for Metro Councilman for District 25 before family, friends and supporters on Wednesday, December 15th at a public ceremony at the Southwest Government Center at 6:00pm.

Jefferson District Court Judge David Holton will administer the oath of office.

The ceremony is open to residents of District 25 and refreshments will be served following the ceremony.

Yates will officially take office on January 3rd.

I noticed Doug Hawkins stopped sending out emails since he lost the election, proving my point that he was only using them for political gain and not for the stated purpose of communicating with district residents.

The games are over. The district moves forward starting Jan.3.

In other district news, it is being reported Yates has hired Marty Meyer as his Legislative Assistant. 

Reminder: Public input sought for Dixie Corridor Project

Dixie Highway Corridor Project Public Input Hearing Scheduled

Hearing set for December 7th at Southwest Government Center

Councilman Rick Blackwell (D-12) and Councilwoman Mary C. Woolridge (D-3) will host a public hearing on the Dixie Corridor project at the Southwest Government Center on Tuesday, December 7th at 7pm.

Joining the Council Members at this hearing will be Councilman-elect David Yates (D-25) and Mayor-elect Greg Fischer.

The Dixie Highway Project is a study on the Dixie Highway Corridor that integrates land-use, transportation, economic development, and environmental concerns. The goal is to develop a unifying but distinct character for the corridor. The plan will promote the pedestrian environment and promote the strategic economic development goals for the community.

The Southwest Government Center is located at 7219 Dixie Highway.

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