January 10th, 2022
5th District Newsletter
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Hello Neighbors,
I hope that you and your loved ones were able to stay safe and warm during this weekend's historic snow storm! Our road crews and public safety officers worked around-the-clock to keep our roadways clear and safe. I greatly appreciate the hard work done by our dedicated employees.
Council is now back from winter break and will resume formal meetings this week. Due to the recent rise in COVID cases, all meetings will be held virtually for the week of January 10th. The meetings may be viewed on LexTV Spectrum channel 185, MetroNet channel 3, Windstream channels 3 and 20, or via live stream at lexingtonky.gov/lextv.
Anyone who wishes to provide public comment at the January 11, 2022 Council Work Session or January 13, 2022 Council Meeting may sign up www.lexingtonky.gov/public-comment.
Tomorrow at 5:00pm there will be a confirmation hearing to appoint LFUCG's first Commissioner of Housing Advocacy & Community Development. Charlie Lanter, the current Director of Grants & Special Programs, has been nominated by Mayor Linda Gorton. You can view the hearing on all of the available channels listed above.
Council also expects to reschedule our next Committee of the Whole meeting to discuss the American Rescue Plan Act. With meetings being virtual this week, we would like to find a time that the public can join us in-person if at all possible. I will keep you updated on any developments regarding this meeting. Be sure to follow my social media pages for updates.
Believe it or not, budget season is upon us again! My colleagues and I are preparing for another marathon of meetings to allocate funds for the Fiscal Year 2023 budget. I'll keep you in the loop as this process moves forward. Creating and passing a balanced budget that adheres to our community values is our biggest responsibility as your representatives. I look forward to hearing from you and your neighbors about how you'd like to see us move forward as a community.
For those of you who have been following the city's ongoing negotiations with Kentucky Utilities, we are still awaiting to hear the results of the environmental study commissioned by KU. The Mayor's administration continued to have conversations with them during the winter break. We will hopefully have news to report on these efforts soon.
If you're able, please get vaccinated and get your booster shot. In addition to all of the other effective ways we know to prevent COVID-19, vaccines represent our best tool to beat this virus. We have seen a dramatic rise in the number of cases of COVID-19 over recent weeks. I know this can feel overwhelming and exhausting, but by working together, we will get through this.
Take care,
Liz
Upcoming Meetings:
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NEIGHBORS HONORING NEIGHBORS
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Mayor Linda Gorton presented the Emma Tibbs Neighborhood Hero Award to Carolyn Plumlee at the Fayette County Neighborhood Council annual meeting. Congratulations!
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HOLIDAY TRADITIONS CONTINUE
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The family and I had a great time giving back at the Catholic Action Center Christmas Store. This has become one of our most treasured holiday traditions!
After redistricting, the Catholic Action Center is now located in the 1st Council District.
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MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY CELEBRATIONS
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The University of Kentucky and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government invite you to join us on Monday, January 17 for the 2022 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration. This celebration will be held at the Central Bank Center in downtown Lexington (High Street Entrance) and is an annual day of events that everyone can participate and support. The MLK Holiday Planning Committee highly encourages the community to safely participate in these scheduled events, and to become involved in activities that commemorate the legacy of Dr. King. All events are free and open to the public.
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LEXINGTON & LOUISVILLE TO HOST VIRTUAL ADU CONFERENCE
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On February 1st and 2nd, AARP, LFUCG's Division of Planning, and the City of Louisville will host a virtual conference about Accessory Dwelling Units. Speakers will cover a range of topics from impacts to the construction industry, lending options, how to appraise and sell properties with an ADU.
This conference is intended to offer national expertise on multiple areas that are critical to the success of Accessory Dwelling Units as an emerging housing type. Our guest speakers include leading experts on urban design, construction, financing, appraisals, real estate sales, and more!
The conference will feature six sessions:
Tuesday, February 1
• Kick-Off Session: 8:30AM – 9:30AM - Mornings with Planning: ADU Edition
• Seminar 1: 9:45AM – 10:45AM – Design & Construction
• Seminar 2: 11:00AM - Noon – Appraisal
Wednesday, February 2
• Seminar 3: 8:30AM – 9:30AM – Lending & Financing
• Seminar 4: 9:45AM – 10:45AM – Real Estate
• Keynote: 11:00AM - Noon – ADUs & Missing Middle Housing
Register for this event here!
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What is plogging? Great question! It's a combination of jogging and picking up litter. Why plog? It's a fun way to both exercise and improve your health while also making a positive impact in your community! That's why we're partnering with Keep Lexington Beautiful to rally our community for a morning of plogging!
We'll provide you with trash bags and have different routes with varying distances so we can hit all parts of the city while accommodating for your intended run distance. At the end of the run, we'll weigh everyone's trash bags and the winners will receive some awesome prizes! So join us on January 15th at 10:00 am and help us beautify Lexington!
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PARKS DEPARTMENT HIRING RECREATION LEADERS
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Our Extended School Program (ESP) is hiring recreation leaders for our after-school program for winter and spring! Hours are Mon-Fri, 2pm-6pm. We have programs in schools across Lexington, convenient to UK, BCTC, Transylvania & EKU! Experience is preferred, but not required. If interested, contact ESP Manager, Harold Kouns at hkouns@lexingtonky.gov
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WELCOME TO DR. JOEL MCCULLOUGH!
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Dr. McCullough will be moving to Lexington to be our new Commissioner of Health! His extensive background will continue our City's legacy of having a strong public health commissioner.
Dr. McCullough, who previously served 8 years as Public Health Director and Health Officer for the Spokane, Washington Regional Health District, will begin the post in early 2022. He earned an undergraduate degree from Stanford University and a medical degree from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He has a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Washington.
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IS YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION UP TO DATE ON THE LFUCG WEBSITE?
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With the start of the new year, now is a perfect opportunity to verify that your neighborhood association or HOA has accurate information listed on the city website!
To correct any information listed email: neighborhood@lexingtonky.gov.
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BLUEGRASS 10K AND FUN RUN REGISTRATION OPEN
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Registration opens today for Lexington’s July 4 Bluegrass 10,000 and Fun Run races through downtown.
The 46th annual races will use the updated courses rolled out last year that proved popular with runners.
“Our Bluegrass 10,000 and Fun Run races have been a favorite Lexington tradition for 45 years. Many families participate together, across multiple generations,” Mayor Linda Gorton said. “Our Parks & Recreation team is already hard at work planning to make sure 2022’s race is the best one yet!”
Learn more and register here!
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KENTUCKY UPDATES "CALL BEFORE YOU DIG" LAW
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Revisions to Kentucky’s Dig Law that requires excavators to contact 811 before digging to avoid hitting an underground utility line, went into effect on Jan. 3, 2022. Among the revisions to the law is a requirement for utility operators to provide positive response – either through Kentucky 811’s positive response system or directly – to excavators to provide assurance that lines in the excavation area have been marked. Similarly, excavators – professional or homeowners – are required to wait for that positive response before beginning any excavation work.
The “tolerance zone,” or area where excavators must hand-dig around marked utility lines, has increased from 18 inches to 24 inches.
While excavators are still required to contact 811 at least two working days prior to beginning their work, the timing of those working days has shifted and the first working day is now that which follows the day the locate request was made. For more details on this and other components of the revised law, visit https://kentucky811.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Upcoming-KY-Law-Changes-for-Excavators.pdf.
Kentucky 811 will host a virtual Town Hall meeting to review changes to the Dig Law on Wednesday, Jan. 12 at 9:30am ET. To participate, visit Kentucky811training.org to RSVP and receive the Microsoft Teams link.
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COLUMBIA GAS RATE CHANGES
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Columbia Gas of Kentucky implemented new delivery rates on Jan. 2, 2022 following a decision by the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC).
With the Dec. 28 PSC Order, the monthly customer charge for residential accounts has increased from $16 to $19.75 and the volumetric delivery charge for residential accounts has increased from $3.5665 to $5.2528 per 1,000 cubic feet (Mcf) of natural gas consumed. These changes apply only to the delivery charge portion of a customer’s bill and translate to an increase of $6.97 on an average residential customer’s monthly bill. Delivery charge changes were also implemented on commercial accounts, translating to an increase of $21.34 on an average commercial customer’s bill.
While some rates are increasing, customers will see a decrease in other charges as a result of the PSC’s Order, including:
- Reconnect Charge – decrease from $25 to $20
- Returned Payment Charge – decrease from $15 to $14
- Seasonal Reconnect Charge – decrease from $128 to $20 for residential accounts and $357.52 to $20 for commercial accounts.
Along with these changes, the current charge for Columbia’s Safety Modification Replacement Program (SMRP) was reduced to zero. The SMRP is Columbia’s proactive approach to improving its system through programs designed to replace aging infrastructure, etc.
The PSC’s Order and other records in the case are available at the PSC’s website.
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USED CAR VALUES INCREASING
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A message from Lexington's PVA, David O'Neill:
"As many of you already know or will discover when you renew your car tags, the property tax portion of your vehicle registration costs have increased (see attached examples). Here's why.
The property tax you pay along with your registration fees is based on the value of the vehicle - known as an "ad valorem" tax. Per Kentucky statute (KRS 132.485) automobile values are derived from the trade-in value published by a "standard manual" which for many years has been NADA book values as determined by J.D. Power.
The NADA values come directly from actual sales data collected nationally and are direct reflections of recent supply and demand. For the last two years or so, the supply of vehicles has been compromised due to manufacturing shut downs and various supply chain issues. Since fewer new cars are available for purchase, the existing supply of used cars have increased in value. The result is a significant increase is used car prices. Below is a link to a recent USA Today story that suggests the average price of a used car is now $29,000. I have no opinion on the efficacy of the values in the USA Today story, but can confirm that increased vehicle values are reflected in the most recent data uploaded to Kentucky's motor vehicle database from J.D. Power.
While the PVAs administer the valuation process, we have very little discretion in terms of automobile values on an individual basis. However, if you can document excessive miles on the odometer, or have repair estimates for damage to your vehicle, the PVA office may be able to make a value adjustment.
If you have any questions please direct them to PVA@FayettePVA.com."
You can read the USA Today article here.
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GET ON BOARD APPLICATIONS FOR SPRING OF 2022 OPEN
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Over the course of an eight-week session, participants will learn about everything that a nonprofit board member needs to know, ranging from fiduciary responsibilities to how to run an effective meeting. Get on Board is free of charge to those who apply and are chosen by the advisory committee.
Trainees begin taking the first steps to become trained, informed and active board members for Central Kentucky nonprofits. Get On Board continues to be an initiative to strengthen the community through the cultivation of a widely diverse pool of candidates for greater nonprofit governing board effectiveness.
So, what's stopping you from taking the next step to growing good in your community? Apply today!
Email questions to Director@Plantory.org
All applications are due by January 20th!
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PARTNERS FOR YOUTH GRANT PROGRAM
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Applications for grant opportunities through Partners for Youth are due on Thursday, January 20th, 2022 at 5:00pm.
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LFUCG BOARD AND COMMISSION VACANCIES
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Joining a board or commission is a great way to have your voices heard on local issues that matter to you. If you're looking for a way to give back and help to shape the direction of Lexington's future, I encourage you to review this list and apply! You'll find the current list of vacancies for the City's boards and commissions, application deadlines/requirements, and meeting schedules.
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Learn more about all current job openings here!
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