Next "District 12 Dialogue" to feature Code Enforcement chief

The agency responsible for enforcing building codes and proper licenses in Metro Louisville will be featured during March’s District 12 Dialogue. Jim Mims , Director of Code Enforcement, will be the guest of Councilman Rick Blackwell on Tuesday, March 15.

“The Metro Council in the last year has made a forced effort on property owners who do not take care of the properties they own or rent,” says Blackwell. “Mr. Mims will be able to provide updates on that effort as well.”

The councilman is one of many who help place an ad last September in the Courier Journal that highlighted properties owners and the fines they owe Metro Government for code violations. He is also in support of legislation in Frankfort which would help the city get back more of its money involved in foreclosed properties.

“This situation has gotten out of hand financially for some cities and its time to get it under control,” says Blackwell. “Mr. Mims is one of the key people in helping us make these needed changes.”

Joining Mims will be representatives of other Metro Government agencies including MSD, Licensing and Permits, Neighborhoods and Public Works and Louisville Metro Police. A representative of Congressman John Yarmuth’s office will also be on hand.

Greenwood Elementary is located at 5801 Greenwood Road.

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

Big Ern, The Weasel and "Honest" Dick: An inside view of Kentucky's worst

Note: Terry Boyd of Insider Louisville contributed to this report.

Ah, it’s spring, and the scent of corruption and generally poor governance is wafting gently on the breeze here in Louisville. (Certainly more entertaining than the tree pollen to follow.)

LEO’s Philip Bailey got the jump on the Courier-Journal last week with “It’s not easy being Green,” his story about Dr. Judy Green, 1st District metro councilwoman.

Green has, uhm, issues related to very poor judgment – everything from tax evasion to creating a bogus “jobs programs” with her “Green Clean Team.”

Last summer, the Green Clean Team program ground to a halt after the city auditor tried to figure out what happened to the $55,000 grant to fund the program. (Oddly, Dr. Judy and husband James Green owe $55,000 to the Internal Revenue Services, a bill going back to 1998. How does that work?)

The finding – shockingly, a lot of the money went to 12 Green family members “working” in the program. The rest apparently evaporated into the ether, and nothing was accomplished except getting other Metro Council members out of their overall stupor long enough to start ethics proceedings.

The CJ followed up with a story about how the president and treasurer for 100 Black Men confirmed that the group had a side deal with Judy Green to request more city funding than needed, then redirect a portion of the cash at Green’s direction.

Oh, and then there’s the matter of the $25,000 Dr. Judy and her husband ran up on the credit card of Judy Green’s legislative aide, Andrea Jackson, a credit card the councilwoman took out with out Jackson’s consent!

To their credit, CJ reporters did a great job in 2005 of covering Green’s habitual failure to pay taxes - just the trait you want in an elected government official - and much of Bailey’s reporting in “It’s Not Easy Being Green” is built on their work

You can bet there’s more.

Sun Valley VITA Center passes the $1 million mark in refunds for residents in 2010

The Sun Valley Community Center has reached a very important milestone with its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. The Center has provided free income tax preparation services to local residents and has secured $1.2 million in tax refunds.

“We are having an amazing year this year,” says Councilman Bob Henderson (D-14). “We are helping so many needy people, individuals and families this year. I cannot begin to thank all of the volunteers who are helping us bring money back to folks who need it.”

The VITA program at Sun Valley has served as many as 700 clients. It is manned by volunteers and provides free tax preparation for federal and state returns for 2010.

The program has a special focus of tax preparation and tax counseling for the elderly. The key program requirement is that a household makes less than $49,000.00 per year.

Councilman Henderson is a strong supporter of VITA and has been involved with the program since 2008. He is joined this year in helping fund the VITA service at Sun Valley with assistance from Council members Rick Blackwell (D-12) Vicki Aubrey Welch (D-13) and David Yates (D-25). Other Council members who provided funding include Barbara Shanklin (D-2), Mary C. Woolridge (D-3), David Tandy (D-4), Cheri Bryant Hamilton (D-5), David James (D-6), Tom Owen (D-8), Tina Ward-Pugh (D-9), Marianne Butler (D-15), Kelly Downard (R-16), Glen Stuckel (R-17), Jon Ackerson (R-18), Dan Johnson (D-21), Madonna Flood (D-24) and Brent T. Ackerson (D-26).

Joining Henderson and Council members as sponsors are the Internal Revenue Service, Louisville Asset Builders Association (LABC), Metro Government, Metro United Way and many other businesses and organizations in the city.

The Sun Valley Center offers VITA through April 15th.

It is open 5 days a week. Times and dates are:

Tues & Thur 9:30 AM - 7PM
Wed 9:30 AM - 4PM
Fri 9:30 - 3PM
Sat 10 AM - 1PM

Westboro weirdness and Monday updates

Thankfully, this did not happen in Louisville

- The crazy train passed through Louisville yesterday and stopped in front of St. Lawrence Catholic Church in southwest Louisville.

Five (5) members of the infamous attention whores from Westboro Baptist Church held a laughable demonstration, proving once again that not all religions are interested in "loving one another".

The counter-demonstrators are said to have numbered around 400 and were articulate, peaceful and promoted a positive message. 

It was a good showing from the community. [CJ]

- Deborah Koch, who lives in District 13, has been awarded a $15,000 METCO loan for her new business in Valley Station. Deborah will open an art gallery in the shopping area at the corner of Bethany Lane and Dixie Hwy. She has 47 artists who will participate in the gallery. Eventually she hopes to offer art classes at this location also. Deborah led the efforts and organized the teens who painted the pool house mural at Hornbeck Park in Fairdale. Thanks to Councilwoman Vicki Welch and The Local Weekly for this news.

- The Southwest Pride Community Cleanup 2011 is upon us. This year there will be two starting locations thanks to the Valley Station Area Business Association to help serve our community on Saturday, March 26, 2011. Both locations will start with registration at 8:30 am and begin the cleanup promptly at 9:00 a.m. Come early and enjoy coffee and donuts. All the supplies you need will be available at these sites.

The two locations are 7053 Dixie Highway next to Fairleigh Pet Center in PRP and 10719 Dixie Highway next to Kroger’s in Valley Station. *If you received a yellow Southwest Pride t-shirt from a previous cleanup, please wear it again so that we will have an ample supply for our new volunteers**

We hope that you will be a part of this community event. Your support of this cleanup effort is greatly appreciated and we encourage you to spread the news of this event. If you know of a school, church, business, sports team or anyone interested in helping, please call 367-3880 or email prpaba@insightbb.com.

Once again, cash prizes will be offered to the largest groups who participate in this event. Volunteers must be present at the sign-in booth and list their group they are volunteering to qualify for this prize. Completed forms for Community Service Hours will be available upon request.

Yates to partner with SW Dems to open regional office, talks of new library

David Yates (D-25)

In a small second-floor office inside Metro Hall, Councilman David Yates is brimming with enthusiasm about the future of Louisville's 25th District. "We have a lot going on, and it's exciting to be a part of it.." he says. "Things are definitely looking up".

The view from the office isn't bad, either.

But the view, like all things, will change soon as Yates and Legislative Assistant Marty Meyer move into new digs on the third floor in the coming weeks.

Yates is currently the only council Democrat on the second floor.

As I sit suffering through the tyranny of scalding-hot government coffee, the three of us recount the days leading up to Yates' win over the previous occupant, which saw fit to run off with - among other things- the batteries to every remote control in the office.

We quickly tired of such inconsequential nonsense and switched gears to the future, which happens to be quite bright.

Councilman Yates will be partnering with his fellow south-end Democrats on the Metro Council to open a Southwest "regional office" where constituents from districts 12, 13, 14, and 25 can go to access government services, ask questions and get information without having to make the trip downtown. The office should be operating within the next several weeks and will cost taxpayers next to nothing. Marty Meyer explained as thus: "We are getting a desk from surplus. We are getting a computer from surplus. The costs, which will be split among the participating councilpersons are very, very minimal and the return on that investment will be huge."

"It certainly makes us more accessible to those we serve," says Yates.

As the talk turns toward the new Southwest Regional Library, Yates hands me a list of impressive highlights:

• 40,000 square feet - twice the size of the current branch, second in size only to the main library
• The popular children's section will be the largest in the library system
• The library will save $200,000 in rent they currently spend for the smaller, existing branch

Yates says he "cannot wait" for the project to get started and calls it the "crown jewel" of the library system.

Speaking to resident concerns about new and expanding retail development, the councilman promises to pursue, to the extent possible, all options to bring better stores to the community and pledges to build consensus through outreach towards neighborhood associations, saying "We want everyone at the table,"

Both Yates and Meyer stressed the importance of communicating to the residents of District 25, particularly among those grown accustomed to regular email updates. You can subscribe to the District 25 E-Newsletter by clicking HERE, or by visiting the District 25 homepage.

Please take the time to sign up and get involved. You will be glad you did.

District 12 Coffee with your Councilman set for Saturday March 5th

March signals the coming of spring and many people are gearing up to get out and about on the weekend to shake off the cold of winter. Councilman Rick Blackwell is offering the chance to have a chat over a warm drink at the District 12 “Coffee with your Councilman” on Saturday March, 5th.

“We have made it through another winter and I am sure there may be those folks who have an idea or a suggestion for Metro Louisville to look into,” says Blackwell. “That’s why I want to make myself available in a very informal setting to listen to what anyone might have to say. I’ll even buy the coffee.”

The event will take place at Sister Beans, 5225 New Cut Rd beginning at 10:00am. There is no formal program, just stop by and talk with the Councilman.

For more information about the March “Coffee with your Councilman”, contact Councilman Blackwell’s office at 574-1112.