Riverview Park Update

July District 12 Dialogue to feature update on Riverview Park from Waterfront Development Corporation

Meeting set for Tuesday, July 20th at 7:00pm

Those who attend July’s District 12 Dialogue will have a chance to learn the latest on the progress at Riverview Park from the organization in charge of making improvements to the facility. “The Waterfront Development Corporation is moving forward with the new playground, splash park and other improvements to Riverview Park. It is an exciting time for everyone who lives in Southwest Louisville,” says Councilman Rick Blackwell (D-12). “These improvements have been a long time coming. It’s nice to see our hard work finally paying off.”

David Karem, President of the Waterfront Development Corporation is the featured guest for the July District 12 Dialogue. He will not only be able to speak on updates for Riverview Park but can also update on projects like the Big Four Bridge, the new U of L Facility on the Ohio River and other aspects of Waterfront Development.

The meeting will take place at 7:00pm at Incarnation Catholic Church, 2229 Lower Hunters Trace. Joining Karem at the meeting will be representatives from Louisville Metro Police, the Division of Licensing and Permits, Neighborhoods and MSD to answer questions about programs. A representative of Congressman John Yarmuth's office will also be in attendance.

For more information about the July District 12 Dialogue, contact Councilman Blackwell's office at 574-1112.

SW Dream Team News

A statement from Southwest Dream Team Board Chairman Robert Price:

After two years of proactive community involvement, the Southwest Dream Team (SWDT) is well on its way to completing the eight original objectives as set forth by its members and board of directors.

To insure the “dream” continues the SWDT Board of Directors was called to a meeting last month for the purpose of discussing the most pressing needs that would position Southwest Louisville for sustainable growth into the future.

It is with great pleasure that the SWDT board of directors release its four newest objectives:

· To hasten the design and build of a new interchange at Manslick Road at Watterson Expressway. This expansion will help save lives by dramatically cutting the commute time for emergency vehicles to reach Louisville’s second busiest emergency room at Sts. Mary and Elizabeth Hospital. It will also attract physicians’ offices to the area and provide the neighboring communities with a shorter commute to I-264, saving time and money while reducing carbon emissions.

· We believe that our schools are the anchor of our community. If Southwest Louisville is to reach its full potential, then Southwest Louisvillians must play an active role in providing solutions that will engage and refocus the our area schools toward complete success. The SWDT will form a “task force” that will work directly with Jefferson County Public School officials, faculty and parents to formulate a strategic plan to effect positive results for the educational well being of our students and families.

· Southwest Louisville is rich in history and unrivaled in culture and natural beauty. Our vision includes that of a fantastic 20-mile “River and Knobs” greenway, extending from Jefferson Memorial Forest. It would connect to other Southwest treasurers such as Iroquois Park and the greater community network of parkways, bikeways and enhanced transportation corridors. Fredrick Law Olmstead would certainly be proud of our achievement.

· The Federal Government, through an 850 million dollar investment is transforming our neighbor, Fort Knox, into an economic bonanza. Thousands of military and civilian workers will soon descend upon the area looking for a place to live, shop and play. The SWDT realizes the potential of Dixie Highway as an “economic connector of development” that could bring sustainable growth to Southwest Louisville for many years to come. We seek to aggressively market Southwest Louisville as the “Corridor of Opportunity”.

The SWDT continues to welcome new businesses to the area. We are also excited to have played a major role in General Motors’ decision to keep a fifty-year-old business, Bob Montgomery Chevrolet on Dixie Highway preserving over 60 jobs.

Of the original eight objectives, the eighth was to “always celebrate our success”. We would like to celebrate by thanking all those who invest their time and talents to make Southwest Louisville the best place to live, work and play. It truly is a great day in Southwest Louisville.

REMINDER: The next SWDT meeting will be Wednesday, July 7 at 5 p.m. at 4919 Dixie Highway Ste E. The guest speaker will be Metro Councilman Hal Heiner, Republican candidate for Mayor of Louisville.

Keep Louisville Bizarro?

In the Bizarro World, the opposite is the norm. For instance, if you said "You look terrible today.", one would take that as a compliment.

I was pondering on the Bizarro status of the Louisville mayoral campaign today after I received an email regarding Hal Heiner's new Southwest Louisville campaign office. The office is located at 10648 Dixie Highway in Valley Station, right next to the post office, and the folks there will be hosting a grand opening on Thursday, July 1st from 5:00 to 8:00PM. It is free and open to the public.

On the other hand, Greg Fischer is kicking off the fall campaign with a fundraiser Wednesday, June 30th at the Olmstead featuring the Louisville elite with a "suggested minimum contribution" of $100. This event starts at 6:00PM.

In the normal world of partisan politics, the Democrat would be opening a Southwest field office and the Republican would be catering to the big-money crowd, but this is Bizarro Louisville. What does this say about the November election? Give me your thoughts in the comments section.

Budget Passes; Hawkins Again Refuses to Be Part of the Process

The vote was 24 "for" the budget and 1 "against". Guess who said no to the Center for Women & Families, Dare to Care, ElderServe, The Healing Place, The Salvation Army, Project Warm and many others? Guess who refuses to take part in the budget process? Guess who DOES NOTHING to advance the cause of the Southwest in Metro Hall? Guess who pays the price for his stubborn, irresponsible behavior?

By a vote of 24 to 1, the Louisville Metro Council has given approval to the FY 2011 Operating and Capital Budgets for Metro Government.

“This was a challenging budget and I want to thank the members of the Budget Committee for their hard work and the amazing effort to work in a bi-partisan way this year,” said Councilman Jim King (D-10) who chairs the Committee. “We have done a thorough review and have found needed revenue for programs while at the same time followed a responsible course to not spend all the additional revenue we have found.”

The Budget Committee identified almost $6 million in additional revenue in the Mayors proposed $489 million Operations budget. Those revenues include $2.9 million in a revised tax revenue forecast; money was also found in a rebate from the Louisville Arena Authority, the proposed sale of properties and additional increases in other revenue areas.

"The changes in the appropriations reflect the differing priorities of the Metro Council compared to the Mayor," says Councilman Kelly Downard (R-16) who is Vice Chair of the Budget Committee.
The Budget also adds an additional $1 million to external agency programs such as the Center for Women and Families, Elderserve, Home of the Innocence and 37 other social service and arts groups. “I am proud the Council chose not to accept the proposed burglar alarm fee and still found ways to fund our priorities,” said Downard. “In addition, we believe the Mayor’s net profits tax projection is under estimated by approximately $3 million, but we did not allocate any projects to that funding. If the revenue materializes, we will determine how the excess revenue will be spent.”

King noted a realistic approach was followed this year in how Community Development Block Grant Funds are to be used in the coming budget. Some $4 million dollars was available in CDBG funding. “What we have done is applied those funds to needed programs rather than have the money idled in a holding account,” said King. “We have identified how the funds can be used and at the same time left a reserve for additional projects that may come in the budget year.”

The two budget ordinances will on the way to mayor Jerry Abramson for his signature.

Residents Rally In Rubbertown

On Sunday, residents and activists gathered in Rubbertown for a rally urging reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976.  This rally was in response to a chemical-leaking rail car at Dow Chemical that affected the neighborhood last week.  Some residents say they weren't notified of the leak, with some saying they heard about it on facebook. The leak was discovered shortly before noon.  Plant alarms sounded between 2pm and 2:05pm. Metro government officials are taking the company's side, saying proper protocol was followed. 

The protocol needs to change.  It isn't working.

WLKY has a story HERE. You can watch the You Tube video below.

Southwest Dream Team Presents Hal Heiner

The following information was received from the Southwest Dream Team:

I wanted to make all our members aware of our next Dream Team meeting. It is going to be held on Wednesday, July 7th at 5p.m. The meeting will feature Metro Councilman Hal Heiner, Republican candidate for Mayor of Louisville. The meeting will be held at 4919 Dixie Highway Ste E. This space is in the same building as the Jefferson County Clerk, just one suite over from Express Employment Professionals. We are allowing Councilman Heiner time to tell us of his vision for Metro Louisville and how we can expand the opportunities of merger to the Sound End and Southwest Louisville. Please come prepared to ask Councilman Heiner questions about what he is prepared to do as Mayor.

We will also update the members on where we are with our 4 priorities for 2010-2011, as well as updates on our second banner, which we are working on raising in Valley Station in the near future. Our group is continuing to have success on raising the awareness of the needs of Southwest Louisville. Please plan on attending and bring a guest!