[00:00:09] CLOSE MY MOUTH. I JUST THINK. IT WAS. THAT'S ALL YOU CAN TAKE. WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME HOW? LONG THAT'S. TEST. TEST? TEST TEST. YEAH, YEAH. RIGHT THERE. IS SHE HER? YEAH. SO. YOU GOT ONE? I DON'T I DON'T GET MAD AT THIS. BY THE WAY. ANYWAY. THAT'S. WHAT. WE ALL. SIR. OKAY. YOUR WIFE WAS THERE. YOU. HELLO. HELLO. OKAY. OVER. ORAL. ORAL. [00:05:17] EVERY YEAR. WHAT HAVE YOU DID YOU DO YOU ALL DO THE GIFT THING? LIKE YOU KNOW HOW LIKE HERE. YOU WANTED TO GET PAPER. LIKE YOU BUY A PAPER GIFT, LIKE YOU'RE FOR AIR BUYING EACH OTHER OR SOMETHING. OH. YEAH. THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE THAT. OKAY. I DON'T KNOW YOU WEREN'T YOU? METRO TV 20S? [Call to Order] ALL RIGHT. HELLO, EVERYONE. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE. WELCOME TO THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE OF THE EFFICIENCY OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. IT'S WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2025, AND THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO KRS 60 1-826 AND COUNCIL RULE FIVE A I'M THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, JENNIFER [Roll Call] CHAPPELL, AND I'M JOINED TODAY BY MY VICE CHAIR, COUNCILMAN KEVIN BRATCHER. TODAY IN THE CHAMBERS, WE'RE JOINED BY COMMITTEE MEMBERS COUNCILMAN JP LINIGER AND COUNCILMAN KEVIN CRAMER. AND WE'RE ALSO JOINED ONLINE TODAY BY COUNCILMAN SCOTT REED AND MARCUS WINKLER. THAT MEANS THAT WE'VE GOT EVERYONE PRESENT. SO THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH. ITEM NUMBER TWO 00-08525 IS BEING HELD TODAY AND FOREVER FOR ALL WE KNOW. AND TODAY WE'VE GOT A [1. ID 25-0523       BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS OVERVIEW Library Advisory Commission County Law Library Tax Appeals Board Urban Services District Board] FULL HOUSE. SO WE'VE GOT FOUR SPEAKERS TODAY THE LIBRARY ADVISORY COMMISSION, THE URBAN SERVICES DISTRICT BOARD, THE COUNTY LAW LIBRARY, AND THE TAX APPEALS BOARD. WE'RE GOING TO START WITH YOU ALL IN JUST A MOMENT. I BELIEVE SOME OF YOU HAVE PRESENTATIONS. JUST TO LET YOU ALL KNOW, WE ARE JUST HERE AS A FACT FINDING MISSION. NOBODY IS HERE BECAUSE YOU ARE IN TROUBLE IF YOU ARE HERE. WE JUST WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR BOARD AND COMMISSION. WE [00:10:01] ARE NOT TAKING ANY ACTION ITEMS FROM THIS MEETING, BUT WE WILL BE COMPILING ALL OF OUR NOTES LATER ON THIS YEAR, PUTTING THOSE TOGETHER AND MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO OUR ALL OF OUR COLLEAGUES ON METRO COUNCIL IN HOW, IF ANY, CHANGES SHOULD BE MADE TO OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. SO WHAT WE TYPICALLY DO, SINCE WE DO HAVE FOUR PEOPLE AND WE TRY TO KEEP IT WITHIN AN HOUR, THAT'S NOT US. THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. BUT WE WILL TRY TO BE AS MINDFUL AS EVERYONE'S TIME AS POSSIBLE. SO BECAUSE OF THAT, MY VICE CHAIR WILL BE KEEPING A 15 MINUTE TIMER AND SO EVERYONE GETS 15 MINUTES. I RECOMMEND YOU USE HALF OF THAT TIME TO TELL US ABOUT YOUR BOARD AND COMMISSION, WHAT YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON, ANYTHING THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO KNOW, THE ORIGINS OF YOUR BOARD AND COMMISSION, ANY HURDLES THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE, BUT THEN SAVE THE REST OF YOUR TIME SO WE CAN ASK YOU ANY QUESTIONS. AND HOPEFULLY WE'VE GOT SOME ENGAGED COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE SOME READY FOR YOU. SO WE'RE GOING TO START TODAY WITH THE LIBRARY ADVISORY COMMISSION. AND AS THEY MAKE THEIR WAY UP, WE'VE GOT THE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION, ANITA HALL. AND JUST SOME QUICK FACTS. THEY ARE UNDER KRS STATUTE AND A LOCAL ORDINANCE. THEY MEET MONTHLY ON THE THIRD TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH AT THE MAIN LIBRARY, AND THEY HAVE NINE MEMBERS, NO VACANCIES. AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER, MISS HALL. IS THIS WORKING? OKAY? HI, MY NAME IS ANITA HALL. I'M THE CURRENT CHAIR OF THE LIBRARY ADVISORY COMMISSION. SO I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT THE COMMISSION AND THEN BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS. THE LIBRARY COMMISSION WAS FORMED DURING THE 2003 CITY COUNTY MERGER. WE REPLACED THE PREVIOUS BOARD OF TRUSTEES, AND THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND THE ADVISORY COMMISSION THAT WE COULD TALK ABOUT. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED. AS YOU SAID, WE MEET ON THE THIRD TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS SPELLED OUT IN OUR CHARGE AND BYLAWS, ONE OF WHICH IS THAT WE HAVE SOLE AUTHORITY WITHIN THE FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR THE DETERMINATION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS TO BE PURCHASED AND KEPT. THAT SOUNDS VERY FANCY. WHAT THAT MEANS IS, WITH THE FUNDING THAT BELONGS TO THE COMMISSION, WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE HOW THOSE ARE SPENT. THE SECOND, THERE IS AGAIN SOLE AUTHORITY FOR THE DETERMINATION OF EXPENDITURES FROM GIFTS AND GRANTS DONATED TO THE LIBRARY. AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS IN A MOMENT. BUT SO RELATED TO THE LIBRARY MATERIALS, YOU KNOW, I WILL SAY IN PRACTICE, THIS IS A GROUP OF NINE PEOPLE WHO MEET FOR ONE HOUR PER MONTH. AND SO IT IS NOT REALLY FEASIBLE FOR US TO BE, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH EVERY SINGLE TITLE THAT THE LIBRARY MIGHT BE ACQUIRING. IT'S MORE OF A HIGH LEVEL ADVISORY ROLE, RIGHT? FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE LIBRARY IS SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY OUT OF ONE OF OUR FUNDS, WE MIGHT MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE MIX OF PRINT VERSUS ELECTRONIC MATERIALS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. IN GENERAL. AGAIN, JUST BECAUSE OF THE ACTUAL CAPACITY OF HOW OFTEN WE MEET, WE GENERALLY DEFER TO THE COLLECTION POLICIES THAT ARE IN PLACE AND THE EXPERTISE OF LIBRARY PERSONNEL. I'LL MAKE A NOTE HERE, TOO, THAT WE ARE LUCKY TO HAVE NOT HAD A LOT OF BOOK CHALLENGES HERE IN LOUISVILLE HISTORICALLY, BUT THE COMMISSION CAN BE A SUPPORT TO THE LIBRARY IF AND WHEN THAT DOES OCCUR. THAT'S ONE OF OUR SORT OF ON REQUEST DUTIES. SO WE DO HAVE, LIKE I SAID, A NUMBER OF DUTIES THAT WE ARE THAT ARE SPELLED OUT AS UPON REQUEST ITEMS IN OUR, IN OUR BYLAWS. SO UPON REQUEST OF THE MAYOR, WE MAY MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE EVALUATION OF THE DIRECTOR'S PERFORMANCE, EVALUATION OF THE ADEQUACY OF SERVICES PROVIDED TO THE COMMUNITY, ANNUAL AND LONG RANGE GOALS AND PRIORITIES OF THE LIBRARY, ESTABLISHMENT OF A CITIZENS COMPLAINT PROCEDURE AND THE USE AND MANAGEMENT OF VOLUNTEERS NOT SPELLED OUT IN OUR CHARGE, BUT SOMETHING THAT I PERSONALLY THINK IS IMPORTANT, IS THAT I FEEL THAT THE COMMISSION HAS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN COMMUNICATING WITH NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY GROUPS, AS WELL AS OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS. RIGHT. SO I HAVE TRIED TO MAKE A PRACTICE OF EMAILING YOU ALL TO SAY THANK YOU WHEN YOU APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO THE LIBRARY AND THAT SORT OF THING. IDEALLY, THE COMMISSION MEMBERS WOULD BE SELECTED FROM ALL OVER THE METRO AREA IN ORDER TO FURTHER THAT GOAL. THE COMMISSION HAS A STRUCTURE WHERE WE HAVE NINE MEMBERS, A CHAIR AND THEN TWO SUBCOMMITTEES. SO EACH OF THOSE SUBCOMMITTEES HAS FOUR MEMBERS, AND THEN THE CHAIR SERVES AS EX-OFFICIO ON BOTH THOSE SUBCOMMITTEES MEET QUARTERLY, UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING TIME SENSITIVE THAT REQUIRES THEIR ATTENTION. ONE IS THE FINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE, WHICH MONITORS OUR ACCOUNTS IN COLLABORATION [00:15:02] WITH THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION. AND I DO HAVE SOME COLLEAGUES HERE FROM THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION. IF YOU ALL HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. THE FINANCE COMMITTEE COULD ALSO RECOMMEND CHANGES TO THE SPENDING POLICY IF NEEDED. WE ALSO HAVE A PLANNING SUBCOMMITTEE WHICH PROVIDES INPUT AND FUNDING FOR MOST RECENTLY, THE MASTER FACILITIES PLAN THAT THE LIBRARIES PUT TOGETHER. REVIEWING THE CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN THAT IS IN THE WORKS AT THE LIBRARY AS WELL. AND THEN THE CHAIR CAN APPOINT AD HOC COMMITTEES AS NEEDED. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE WERE CALLED UPON FOR ONE OF THOSE OPTIONAL DUTIES, WE COULD APPOINT AN AD HOC COMMITTEE FOR THAT PURPOSE. HOW AM I DOING ON TIME? I CAN KEEP TALKING, BUT I'M ALSO HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. YOU'RE DOING REALLY WELL, OKAY. WELL, GREAT. OH. OH, GOOD. WELL, THEN WHY DON'T WE STOP HERE AND I'LL LET YOU ALL ASK SOME QUESTIONS. SURE. AND JUST SO FOLKS KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I'M SORRY THE PUBLIC CAN'T SEE THIS RIGHT NOW, BUT THERE ARE A FEW ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN SUPPLIED TO US FROM THE LIBRARY ADVISORY COMMISSION. SO IF YOU WANTED TO POKE AROUND AND LOOK IN THERE, I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. AND I HOPE THAT MY COLLEAGUES KNOW, YOU KNOW YOU ALL, ESPECIALLY THROUGH THINGS LIKE CAFE LOUIS, IF ANYTHING. SO A GREAT WAY YOU ALL ENGAGE AS WELL AS THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY, THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION WITH ELECTEDS, IT LOOKS LIKE IN HERE YOU ALL HAVE A BALANCE OF ABOUT A LITTLE, ALMOST $9.5 MILLION. CAN YOU KIND OF SPEAK TO THAT MONEY AND, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T HAVE TO BURN A HOLE IN YOUR POCKET, BUT WHAT ARE YOU SAVING UP FOR SURE? SO I WAS EXPECTING SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. I FEEL LIKE THAT'S PROBABLY A PRETTY BIG DIFFERENCE FOR US VERSUS SOME OF THE OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. SO AS I MENTIONED, THE COMMISSION WAS FORMED DURING THE MERGER AND REPLACED THE FORMER BOARD OF TRUSTEES. AND SO A LOT OF THAT MONEY CAME FROM THE DISSOLUTION OF THE OLD BOARD OF TRUSTEES DURING THE MERGER. AND WE DO STILL RECEIVE NEW FUNDS. SO THERE ARE FOUR WAYS THAT THE LFL RECEIVES MONEY, RIGHT? YOU ALL ALLOCATE MONEY IN THE BUDGET. WE HAVE OUR FUNDS THAT THE COMMISSION, THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION, DOES MORE OF THE SORT OF PLANNED FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGNS AND SOLICITATION OF DONATIONS. AND THEN THE FRIENDS GROUPS DO A LOT OF GRASSROOTS AND SORT OF BRANCH SPECIFIC FUNDRAISING. SO IF YOU WANTED TO GIVE A DONATION TO THE LIBRARIES OR IF YOU, YOU KNOW, PASSED AWAY AND LEFT A BEQUEST, IF YOU LEFT THAT DONATION TO THE LOUISVILLE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY, THAT WOULD COME INTO OUR FUNDS. IF YOU WORKED WITH THE FOUNDATION TO SET UP SOME PLANNED GIVING, THEN MOST LIKELY IT WOULD GO TO THE FOUNDATION. BUT IF YOU JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS IS FOR THE LIBRARY, IT WOULD COME TO THE COMMISSION. AND SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THE LION'S SHARE OF THESE WERE SORT OF IN PLACE ALREADY WHEN THE COMMISSION WAS FORMED. BUT THIS IS MEANT TO BE A STABLE AND SUSTAINABLE SOURCE OF FUNDING. RIGHT. WE NEED TO KEEP THE PRINCIPAL OF THESE ACCOUNTS HEALTHY SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THE LIBRARIES HAVE THIS FUNDING AVAILABLE TO THEM. IT IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR APPROPRIATE FUNDING IN THE BUDGET. RIGHT. THIS IS ENDOWED INTEREST BEARING FUNDS. SO THAT'S PART OF WHY THE BALANCE IS SO HIGH. I WILL SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS. THE BALANCE HAS GOTTEN A LOT HIGHER IN RECENT YEARS BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN GOOD YEARS ON THE MARKET. YOU KNOW, WHEN I JOINED THE COMMISSION IN AT THE START OF 2024, I BELIEVE OUR BALANCE AT THAT TIME WAS IN THE RANGE MORE OF $6 MILLION, AND IT HAS GROWN QUITE A BIT. WE'VE HAD SOME HEALTHY YEARS, AND I DO THINK THAT WE COULD PROBABLY BE A LITTLE BIT MORE PROACTIVE IN OUR SPENDING. YOU KNOW, THERE HAS BEEN SOME TURNOVER WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE COULD PROBABLY SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE. IN PARTICULAR, THERE ARE SOME SMALLER RESTRICTED FUNDS THAT ARE NOT BEING ADDED TO OR GENERATING MEANINGFUL EARNINGS ON THE MARKET. YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS. I THINK IF YOU LOOKED THROUGH THIS SORT OF SUMMARY THAT SUSAN NICHOLSON FROM THE FOUNDATION PREPARES FOR US QUARTERLY, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE THAT ARE PRETTY LOW. THEY'RE NOT GROWING VERY, VERY MUCH. BUT AGAIN, THESE ARE REALLY NOT INTENDED TO BE OPERATING FUNDS. THESE ARE MEANT TO BE, YOU KNOW, ENDOWED FUNDS TO SUSTAIN, YOU KNOW, BIGGER PROJECTS, FOR EXAMPLE, THINGS THAT ARE MORE SORT OF LIKE CATALYZING PROJECTS. SO PILOT PROGRAMS CONTRIBUTING TO THINGS LIKE MATCHING GRANTS. SO IN IN THIS MOST RECENT BUDGET, WHEN YOU [00:20:04] ALL PASSED THAT MATCHING ALLOCATION WHERE IT WAS $1 MILLION FROM YOU ALL, AND THEN THE FOUNDATION AND THE COMMISSION AND THE FRIENDS GROUPS ARE COMING TOGETHER TO MEET THAT MATCH. YOU KNOW, WE WOULD NOT TYPICALLY JUST SAY, HERE'S $300,000 FOR THE COLLECTION, BUT BECAUSE WE FELT LIKE THAT WAS A CATALYZING PROJECT THAT WAS GOING TO, YOU KNOW, KICK OFF AND PROVIDE THIS MATCHING FUNDS. THAT'S WHERE WE DID MAKE THAT ALLOCATION, SOME RECENT EXPENDITURES, WE DID CONTRIBUTE TO THAT MATCH FROM THE BUDGET, AS WELL AS MATCHING GRANTS FOR THE FOUNDATION'S ONE LIBRARY, ONE LOUISVILLE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN, WHICH HAS FUNDED, YOU KNOW, THOSE THE REOPENING OF PARKLAND, PORTLAND, FERN CREEK, THE RENOVATIONS HAPPENING AT MAINE. WE HAVE HELPED FILL SOME GAPS. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN A LOT OF GREAT PRESS ABOUT THE SENSORY BACKPACK KITS THAT THE LIBRARY HAS BEEN LENDING OUT. AND THAT WAS FUNDED PRIMARILY BY A GRANT THAT THE FOUNDATION RECEIVED. BUT THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A GAP BETWEEN THE GRANT FUNDING AND WHAT THEY REALLY WANTED TO DO WITH THE PROGRAM. AND SO WE, YOU KNOW, ALLOCATED A LITTLE BIT OF FUNDING TO HELP BRIDGE THAT GAP. WE CONTRIBUTE TO STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDS FOR LIBRARY STAFF AND OTHER, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES SOME OTHER CAPITAL FUNDS FOR CONSTRUCTION. WE CONTRIBUTED TO FUNDING THE CREATION OF THAT MASTER FACILITIES PLAN, YOU KNOW, THROUGH RECOMMENDATION OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE, THAT SORT OF THING. COUNCILMAN KRAMER, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION TODAY. MADAM CHAIR, I I'M GAINING A WHOLE NEW UNDERSTANDING OF THE BREAKDOWN IN THE WAY THAT THE LIBRARY IS STRUCTURED. I'M HEARING YOU SAY THAT THE LIBRARY ADVISORY COMMISSION IS SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION. AND I WAS ALREADY AWARE THAT THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION WAS SLIGHTLY SEPARATED FROM THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY, ALTHOUGH THOSE TWO I KNOW WORK VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER. I HEARD YOU SAY THAT THE FUNDS, THE THE REVENUE REVENUE ISN'T THE RIGHT WORD. THAT IMPLIES INCOME. BUT THAT THE FUNDS THAT ARE IN YOUR POSSESSION ROLLED OVER TO YOU FROM THE THE PREVIOUS BOARD OF TRUSTEES. I'M TRYING TO GET MY HEAD AROUND WHOSE MONEY IS THIS? IF YOU ARE AN ELABORATE ADVISORY COMMISSION, IT FEELS TO ME LIKE, AND I'M ASKING FOR A CORRECTION, IF YOU ELABORATE ADVISORY COMMISSION, IT FEELS TO ME THAT LIKE THAT MEANS THIS IS OUR FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY, MEANING METRO LOUISVILLE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY. WE HAVE IN SOME WAY THROUGH STATUTE OR HOWEVER WE SET THIS ADVISORY COMMISSION UP, WE'VE ESTABLISHED YOU TO HELP US MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH THIS. SO THE FUNDS THAT YOU'RE HOLDING ARE ACTUALLY METRO GOVERNMENT FUNDS, AND THEY'RE NOT FUNDS. I MEAN, UNLIKE THE LOUISVILLE FOUNDATION, THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION, THEY GO OUT AND RAISE THAT MONEY. AND SO IT MY QUESTION HAS CHANGED AS I'M LISTENING TO YOUR TO YOUR EXPLANATION. YOU KNOW, I WANT TO ASK ABOUT THE FOUNDATION AND HOW MUCH INFLUENCE THEY HAVE OVER DECISIONS ABOUT MAJOR PROJECTS. SO IT'S ONE THING FOR US AS A CITY TO SAY WE WANT TO BUILD THREE REGIONAL LIBRARIES, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT WE WANTED TO DO. AND THEN WE GO TO THE FOUNDATION AND SAY, WILL YOU ALL HELP US DO THIS? THEY HAVE BEEN AWESOME, RIGHT? I'M CURIOUS, LIKE, HOW MUCH OF THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN AND THE DECISIONS TO DO THAT AND ALL THAT, BECAUSE WE KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO RAISE MONEY FOR US. I'M ASSUMING THEY'RE IN THE ROOM AND THAT THEY'RE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS. THAT FEELS VERY DIFFERENT TO ME THAN WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE I THOUGHT I HAD A HANDLE ON IT. THIS ADVISORY COMMISSION IS. I'M TRYING TO GET MY HEAD AROUND THIS. IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT DISCUSSION TO BE HAD. AND IT'S IF IT'S OUR MONEY, METRO GOVERNMENT'S MONEY, IT'S OURS IS IF I HAVE SOME STAKE IN IT, IF IT'S MONEY THAT BELONGS TO TO THE CITIZENS OF LOUISVILLE. WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT BENEFIT YOU USE THE WORD ENDOWMENT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME YOU SAY NOT OPERATING. THOSE ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS. I MEAN, THOSE ARE TO YOU. THE PURPOSE FOR AN ENDOWMENT IS TO COVER THE EXPENSES OF OPERATING IN THE LONG TERM. THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE AN ENDOWMENT. YOU HAVE AN ENDOWMENT THAT'S SET UP THAT GENERATES REVENUE, AND THAT REVENUE IS USED TO COVER OPERATING EXPENSES, AND IT REDUCES THE ONGOING NEED FOR NEW REVENUE. AND THAT'S THE WHOLE REASON YOU HAVE AN ENDOWMENT, BUT THAT'S NOT HOW YOU'RE USING IT. AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU'RE NOT USING IT THAT WAY. YOU'RE GOING OUT TO OUR FRIENDS IN THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION, AND YOU'RE ASKING THEM TO RAISE MILLIONS AND [00:25:01] MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO DO ALL THESE PROGRAMS THAT WE ALL AGREE ARE COOL, RIGHT? LIKE WE'RE HAPPY ABOUT RENOVATING AND BUILDING AND WE'RE HAPPY ABOUT ALL THOSE THINGS. BUT YOU'RE SITTING ON $9 MILLION, SO YOU'RE ASKING THEM TO GO RAISE MONEY SO THAT YOU CAN CONTINUE SITTING ON MONEY AS AN ENDOWMENT THAT YOU'RE NOT USING TO HELP RUN THE LIBRARIES. IT'S. ANYWAY, I'M CURIOUS. YEAH, I'M TRYING TO GET MY HEAD AROUND THIS. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE I'M. SO I WILL SAY FROM THE START THAT I MAYBE USED THE TERM ENDOWMENT INCORRECTLY. THESE ARE FUNDS THAT WERE NOT EVER ALLOCATED BY METRO COUNCIL, METRO GOVERNMENT, OR, YOU KNOW, THE PRIOR LOUISVILLE. WHERE DID THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES GET THIS MONEY? THEY WERE DONATED DONOR FUNDS FROM PRIOR TO THE MERGER. SO LIKE I SAID, IF YOU WANTED TO GIVE A GIFT TO THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION, AND I'M NOT PLEASED IF YOU'RE ON LIBRARY FOUNDATION, I'M A HUGE SUPPORTER OF YOURS. DON'T, DON'T, DON'T THINK THIS IS COUNCILMAN KRAMER COMING AFTER YOU. BUT IF IF THAT'S WHO YOU ARE, RIGHT, THEN WHY DO WE NEED A LIBRARY FOUNDATION? YOU'RE DOING THE SAME THING. WE ARE NOT ACTIVELY FUNDRAISING, SO WE ARE MANAGING EXISTING FUNDS. COULDN'T WE JUST TURN THAT MONEY OVER TO THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING, RIGHT? I MEAN, THEY'RE RAISING MONEY. THEY'RE HELPING US DECIDE HOW TO SPEND IT. THEY'RE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO. I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, AND I'M HEARING YOU SAY THAT THERE THERE'S NO GOVERNMENT LIKE THERE'S NOT TAXPAR DOLLARS THAT WERE BUILT INTO THIS, RIGHT? THAT THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, BEQUEATHED AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. YEAH, I'M TRYING TO GET MY HEAD AROUND THIS. SO I'LL STOP TALKING AND LET YOU. THAT'S OKAY. SO OUR FRIEND CHANDLER GORDON HERE, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FOUNDATION, GAVE ME THIS TEXT HERE. THIS IS THE RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. WHEN THE COMMISSION WAS CREATED, IT SAYS IT'S PROPOSED TO TRANSFER CERTAIN OF THE LIBRARY'S CAPITAL ASSETS TO THE FOUNDATION TO ENSURE THEIR PRESERVATION AND MAXIMUM POSSIBLE BENEFIT FOR THE LIBRARY AND ALL OF ITS PROGRAMS. AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THE FOUNDATION MANAGES AND HOLDS THE ACCOUNTS, BUT THE MONEY DOES NOT BELONG TO THEM. AND I AM NOT I DO NOT HAVE A PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND IN FUNDRAISING. I WILL SAY THAT OFF THE BAT, BUT THESE ARE FUNDS THAT WERE DONATED TO THE LIBRARY, NOT TO THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION. AND SO EVEN THOUGH THEY MANAGE THE ACCOUNTS, I THINK IT'S NOT QUITE SO SIMPLE AS JUST SAYING LIKE, OH, HERE, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL TAKE THAT MONEY FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I WILL ALSO SAY AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT A BOARD OF TRUSTEES. THIS IS SORT OF AN UNUSUAL SETUP FOR PUBLIC LIBRARIES. OTHER PLACES, EVEN, YOU KNOW, OUR SURROUNDING COUNTIES AND ELECTED BOARD OF TRUSTEES WOULD DO THINGS LIKE SET TAX RATES. WE DON'T HAVE A LIBRARY TAX HERE. I KNOW FAMOUSLY THEY'VE TRIED A COUPLE TIMES AND IT HASN'T WORKED. BUT, YOU KNOW, IF ANYTHING LIKE THAT WERE EVER TO HAPPEN, THEN WE PROBABLY WOULD NEED TO LOOK AT THE STRUCTURE. I'LL ALSO JUST ADD BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE THE MONEY SIDE OF THINGS, ONE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE HAD, WHILE I THINK THAT OUR CURRENT BOARD IS FAIRLY GEOGRAPHICALLY REPRESENTATIVE AND, YOU KNOW, A NICE, DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE, WE HAVE HAD TROUBLE FINDING PEOPLE FOR THE BOARD WHO HAVE LIKE A FINANCIAL BACKGROUND TO SERVE ON OUR FINANCE COMMITTEE. AND I'M SURE THAT THAT'S NOT SUPER UNIQUE TO US. YOU KNOW, WE GO THROUGH THE SAME APPOINTMENTS PROCESS THAT EVERYONE DOES. YOU HAVE TO HAVE FILLED OUT THE APPLICATION. YOU HAVE TO BE IN THE POOL. AND YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR TIME COMES UP, COME IN AND STAND. WE CAN'T JUST SAY LIKE, HEY, WE NEED SOMEONE WHO HAS THIS BACKGROUND IF THEY'RE NOT IN THE POOL. BUT IT IS PERHAPS LIKE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A CHALLENGE FOR US THAT WE DON'T HAVE SOMEONE WITH THAT BACKGROUND. SO SEPARATE FROM THE FUNDS AS WE MOVE OFF OF THAT FOR A MOMENT. AND YOU, I THINK YOU YOU STARTED INTO A BIT OF THE CONVERSATION. THEN I THINK WE GOT SIDETRACKED WITH THE MONEY. THAT MIGHT BE MY FAULT, NOT YOURS, SO I APOLOGIZE. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE? AND AGAIN, YOU HAD STARTED AND I MAY HAVE INTERRUPTED YOU. CAN YOU CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT YOU GUYS DO ON A DAY TO DAY TO DAY VERSUS WHAT THE FOUNDATION DOES? SO IF I'M LOOKING AT WHAT THE ADVISORY BOARD IS ACTUALLY INVOLVED IN, YOU GUYS ARE INVOLVED IN A DIFFERENT YOU MAY BE ON A PARALLEL PATH, BUT YOU'RE NOT CROSSING OVER. SO IF YOU DON'T MIND SPEAKING JUST A LITTLE BIT TO THAT. SURE. AND SO IN YOUR PACKET WAS OUR MOST RECENT MEETING PACKET FROM ACTUALLY WE MET YESTERDAY. AND SO YESTERDAY WAS SORT OF A LIGHT MEETING. BUT THERE'S NOT A LOT ON THE AGENDA. BUT TYPICALLY YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HAVE UPDATES FROM THE SUBCOMMITTEES THAT HAVE MET QUARTERLY. WE WOULD HEAR REQUESTS FROM EITHER PEOPLE WITHIN THE LIBRARY THEMSELVES OR THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION FOR PROJECTS WHERE THEY'RE REQUESTING FUNDING. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT SENSORY BACKPACK KIT PROPOSAL, RIGHT. THEY WOULD COME ONE MONTH PRESENTED AS NEW BUSINESS, AND THEN WE WOULD [00:30:05] CONSIDER IT THE NEXT MONTH AS OLD BUSINESS AND VOTE ON IT. THAT THAT'S SORT OF THE TYPICAL PRACTICE. WE DO RECEIVE AN UPDATE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND, YOU KNOW, WOULD HAVE DISCUSSION ABOUT ANY TOPICS OF INTEREST. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY ARE IN THAT STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS RIGHT NOW. AND SO WE'VE BEEN GETTING UPDATES ON THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS AND GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THAT. CAN I ASK ONE MORE? I'M GOING TO LET YOU ASK ONE MORE. AND COUNCILMAN BRATCHER HAS ONE MORE. BUT WE ARE WAY OVER ON TIME. SORRY. SO ARE YOU GUYS OFFERING ADVICE ON THINGS LIKE PURCHASES OF SUPPLIES LIKE BOOKS, NOT WHICH BOOKS TO BUY, BUT BUT LIKE ON HOW MUCH OF IT SHOULD BE ELECTRONIC VERSUS, YOU KNOW, REGULAR BOOKS VERSUS AND LIKE, HOW MUCH MONEY SHOULD WE BE SPENDING THIS YEAR VERSUS LAST YEAR? AND THEN ALSO ARE YOU OFFERING ADVICE ON LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, STAFFING IS PROBABLY NOT THE BEST WORD, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER WORD TO USE IN TERMS OF OPERATIONS, YOU KNOW, OFFERING ADVICE ON THAT KIND OF STUFF AS WELL. SO UPON REQUEST, WE WOULD IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, MATERIALS THAT WE WOULD ONLY HAVE TO GIVE A RECOMMENDATION IF IT WAS ON SOMETHING THAT WE ARE FUNDING OURSELVES. IF IT'S COMING OUT OF THE OPERATIONS BUDGET. YOU KNOW, THAT IS ONE THING. FOR EXAMPLE, THE PLANNING OR FINANCE COMMITTEE COULD TAKE UP, AS, YOU KNOW, AS A PROJECT, RIGHT, AS LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THE PROPOSED BUDGET REQUEST FOR THE COMING YEAR, THAT SORT OF THING. MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT THAT MIX. BUT WE WOULD ONLY REALLY HAVE AN AUTHORITATIVE ROLE IN ADVISING ON THINGS THAT ARE BEING PURCHASED WITH OUR FUNDS, WHICH WOULD HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN REQUESTED FROM US. SO GREAT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, I APPRECIATE IT. YOU'RE WELCOME, COUNCILMAN BRATCHER. WELL, WE DON'T HAVE TIME. I'M QUITE CONFUSED, REALLY, BUT I KNOW I WORKED WITH SANDRA. IS SHE STILL HERE? YEAH. AND THANK YOU FOR THE FERN CREEK LIBRARY. I DON'T I'M CURIOUS. YOU MADE HALF $1 MILLION IN THE STOCK MARKET THE LAST 90 DAYS. WELL, LAST 90 DAYS. IS THAT TRUE? I DON'T I DON'T BELIEVE SO. INTERNATIONAL INDEX FUND THAT'S PLAYING THE STOCK MARKET. THAT'S NOT SAFE SECURITIES. I MEAN, THAT COULD GO EITHER WAY, YOU KNOW, BUT. AND THAT AND I'M NOT COMPLAINING. HALF $1 MILLION IS GREAT. SO IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS I WOULD DEFER TO SUSAN NICHOLSON FROM THE FOUNDATION. COME VISIT HER SOMETIME. BUT WE DO FOLLOW, YOU KNOW, THE FOUNDATION BOARD SPENDING POLICIES AS A GENERAL RULE, ALTHOUGH THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE COULD CHANGE IF WE FELT LIKE THE FOUNDATION BOARD WAS BEING A LITTLE TOO LOOSEY GOOSEY, WE COULD, YOU KNOW, AND RECOMMEND A CHANGE. MADAM CHAIR, ONE LAST $9 MILLION IS A LOT OF MONEY TO BE HANGING AROUND WITH. AND WHO'S WATCHING YOU ARE THE MEETINGS ARE OPEN. EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO ATTEND THE MEETINGS. WE DO SOMETIMES HAVE CITIZEN ATTENDEES AT THE MEETINGS. I WILL SAY, I THINK I CANNOT RECALL OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. I THINK THAT ABOUT $1 MILLION OF THIS IS ACCOUNTED TO THE ONE LIBRARY, ONE LOUISVILLE, OR HAD IT ALREADY COME OUT ONE LIBRARY, ONE LOUISVILLE. YES. SO THIS WAS OUR END OF LAST FISCAL YEAR REPORT. SO THE 300,000 FOR THE MATERIALS MATCH IN THE BUDGET HAD NOT COME OUT OF HERE YET. AND 1 MILLION TOWARDS THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN. YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS GET AUDITED. YES. YEAH. YEAH. AND THE THE FOUNDATION BOARD HAS A VERY HEALTHY FINANCE COMMITTEE. FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE. THANK YOU CHAIR. NO PROBLEM. AND WHEN WE GATHER OUR MEETING NOTES, BE SURE THAT YOU REPORT BACK ON WHAT YOU FIND WHEN YOU MEET WITH THEM INDIVIDUALLY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND JUST I GUESS MAYBE A REQUEST AND THIS MIGHT HELP ALSO WITH SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT COUNCILMAN KRAMER HAD IN YOUR MEETING NOTES. I WILL SAY MEETING PACKET FROM YOUR SEPTEMBER MEETING YESTERDAY. IT'S 69 PAGES LONG. SO I MEAN, IT'S IT'S PRETTY THOROUGH, BUT MAYBE IF YOU COULD GET US A BREAKDOWN OVER THE LAST LIKE FIVE YEARS OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ALL HAVE INVESTED IN AS THE COMMISSION, YOU WERE MENTIONING SOME OF THOSE THINGS. AND MAYBE THAT'LL HELP US BECAUSE MAYBE YOU HAVE $9 MILLION, BUT YOU'VE GIVEN OUT 4 MILLION OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, LIKE HELP US UNDERSTAND THAT, BECAUSE WE CAN ALSO SEE YOUR FUNDS DO FLUCTUATE, GOING FROM 6 MILLION TO 9 MILLION IN THE LAST QUARTER, YOU HAD HALF A MILLION OF LOSSES. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF BIG NUMBERS HERE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. SO THAT MIGHT HELP PUT THAT PIECE IN THE PUZZLE. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO GET THAT TOGETHER TO YOU AND SEND IT OVER. THANK YOU. THAT PREDATES ME. BUT I'M SURE WE HAVE IT. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. AND NEXT UP WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE URBAN SERVICES BOARD. AND WE'VE GOT, I SUPPOSE, [00:35:05] AARON JACKSON COMING TO SPEAK ON THIS. SO THIS IS UNDER CRS STATUTE. AND IT IS ALSO A LOCAL ORDINANCE. THEY INTERESTINGLY MEET ONCE A YEAR, USUALLY IN SEPTR. SO WE'LL GET SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THAT. AND THEY HAVE FIVE MEMBERS, ONE OF WHICH IT LOOKS LIKE JUST OF NOTE, I LIKE TO POINT OUT ANY TIME ONE OF OUR ELECTEDS OR ADMINISTRATIVE FOLKS IS ON HERE, AND IT LOOKS LIKE DEPUTY MAYOR DAVID JAMES SERVES ON THIS BOARD. SO. OH, MARCUS HAS BEEN HERE. WELL. OH, I THOUGHT HE WAS A WALL FOR A WHILE, BUT HE'S HERE. YEAH. SO, MR. JACKSON, IF YOU WANT TO GO ON. SURE. YOUR 15 MINUTES STARTS NOW. ALL RIGHT. AARON JACKSON WITH OMB. I DID PROVIDE A COUPLE DOCUMENTS, ONE BEING THE PRESENTATION THAT I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH RELATIVELY QUICKLY DUE TO TIME. AND THEN ALSO ATTACH THE OR PROVIDED THE ORDINANCE THAT AUTHORIZED THE URBAN SERVICES DISTRICT BOARD. SO I WILL WALK THROUGH THESE, THE PRESENTATION PRETTY QUICKLY, AND I'LL PREFACE MY COMMENTS BY SAYING THAT I AM NOT A BOARD MEMBER. I AM I SERVE IN A COORDINATING OR ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS THAT WAS CLEAR. SO THE USD BOARD WAS ESTABLISHED BY ORDINANCE TWO, SERIES 2003, AND THAT WAS PURSUANT TO CRS 67 C .147. AND THAT'S THE ORDINANCE THAT I WAS REFERENCING THAT I DID PROVIDE PRIOR TO THIS MEETING. IN TERMS OF THE MEMBERSHIP AND STRUCTURE, LIKE YOU SAID, THEY THERE ARE CAN BE UP TO FIVE MEMBERS, ONE APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR AND FOUR BY METRO COUNCIL MEMBERS ON A ROTATING BASIS. AND ALL MEMBERS MUST RESIDE IN THE URBAN SERVICES DISTRICT. IT IS A VOLUNTEER OR UNPAID BOARD APPOINTMENT. AND WHAT I FAILED TO INCLUDE IN IN THE. THE PACKET HERE IS THAT THEY DO SAY SERVE TWO YEAR TERMS. IN TERMS OF THE POWERS OF THE DISTRICT BOARD. THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ESTABLISHING THE ANNUAL TAX RATES ON HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS AND TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY WITHIN THE DISTRICT. METRO COUNCIL SHALL BE AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHED LIMITS OR PARAMETERS WITHIN WHICH THE BOARD MAY SET THE TAX RATES AND THE BOARD CONTRACTS WITH METRO GOVERNMENT TO PAY THE TO TAKE THE THE REVENUE THAT'S GENERATED AND COVER PAY FOR THE SERVICES PROVIDED, WHICH ARE LOUISVILLE FIRE FOR FIRE PROTECTION, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, WHICH IS FOR GARBAGE COLLECTION AND PUBLIC WORKS, AND ASSETS FOR STREET LIGHTING. AS YOU HAD ALREADY INDICATED THAT WE TYPICALLY TYPICALLY MEET ONCE A YEAR IN EITHER LATE AUGUST OR EARLY SEPTEMBER, AND WE ACTUALLY JUST HAD OUR MEETING, WHICH WAS HELD LAST MONDAY ON SEPTEMBER THE 8TH. AND I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE WANTED TO SHARE SOME OF THE DOCUMENTS THAT ARE PROVIDED OR DISCUSSED DURING THAT MEETING. THE USD BOARD MEETING AGENDA THE PRIOR YEAR MINUTES, THE TAX LEVY ORDINANCE, WHICH BASICALLY SPELLS OUT THE AD VALOREM TAX ON TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY, BANK DEPOSITS, DOMESTIC LIFE INSURANCE COMPANIES, OCCUPATIONAL LIFE AND OCCUPATIONAL LICENSE FEE ON HEALTH INSURERS. AND THEN ONE OF THE OTHER DOCUMENTS WE DISCUSSED IS THE ESTIMATES ON BOTH REVENUES AND ESTIMATED EXPENSES WITHIN THE URBAN SERVICES DISTRICT. AND THEN THERE'S A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WHICH BASICALLY STATES THAT THE REVENUE THAT'S GENERATED WILL COVER THOSE SERVICES THAT I PREVIOUSLY. MENTIONED. AND THEN, LIKE I SAID, I AM NOT A BOARD MEMBER, BUT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT I HAVE. AS IT PERTAINS TO THE URBAN SERVICES DISTRICT BOARD. SO I SCHEDULED THE MEETINGS. SO I REACH OUT TO THE REACH OUT TO THE BOARD MEMBERS CONFIRMED THEIR AVAILABILITY. I'LL SCHEDULE THOSE MEETINGS AND THE LOCATION, WHICH IS TYPICALLY HELD IN METRO HALL, ROOM 106. I PREPARE AND DISTRIBUTE THE MEETING MATERIALS, WHICH I DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY, ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR RECORDING AND FINALIZING THE MINUTES. AND THEN THERE'S A FEW FORMS THAT WE HAVE TO SEND OUT. SEND BACK [00:40:01] TO THE TO TO THE KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE. THAT BASICALLY VALIDATES THE RATES FOR BOTH THE FOR THE URBAN SERVICES DISTRICT. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT I HAVE AS THE BOARD LIAISON. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. OKAY. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. VERY CONCISE. MY QUESTION THE USD IS SOMETHING THAT ALWAYS KIND OF PIQUES MY INTEREST BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY DISTINCTIONS, RIGHT? NOT ONLY IS THERE UNIQUENESS IN TRASH AND RECYCLING, BUT ALSO SNOW ROUTES PARK. THEY ONLY OPERATE WITHIN THE USD. AND YOU KNOW, THAT IS AN INTERESTING RELATIONSHIP. THERE'S ALSO LOUISVILLE FIRE VERSUS SUBURBAN FIRE AND, YOU KNOW, STREET SWEEPING, WHICH THIS WAS REALLY INTERESTING WHEN WE WERE HAVING OUR BUDGET MEETINGS AND YOU WERE PRESENT FOR THEM ALL. BUT I HAD ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT STREET SWEEPING AND HOW MANY MILES WERE IN SUBURBAN AREAS VERSUS THE USD, AND PUBLIC WORKS SAID, OH, THERE'S MORE CURB MILES IN THE USD. AND IT ACTUALLY TURNED OUT THAT THERE'S ABOUT 63 MORE CURB MILES IN SUBURBAN AREAS. RIGHT. THE REASON THAT I BRING THAT UP IS BECAUSE ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE VERY IMPORTANT, AND ESPECIALLY AS A REPRESENTATIVE WHOSE DISTRICT IS ONE OF, I THINK, FIVE, THAT THE MAJORITY OR THE ENTIRETY OF MY DISTRICT IS IN THE URBAN SERVICES DISTRICT. SO I'M ALWAYS GOING TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR THE URBAN SERVICES DISTRICT. DON'T GET ME STARTED ON MY OPINION ABOUT MERGER, BUT WE'LL SAVE THAT FOR ANOTHER DAY. BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THIS URBAN SERVICES DISTRICT BOARD, AND THE FACT THAT THEY ONLY MEET ONCE A YEAR, IT'S KIND OF DISHEARTENING. SO I KNOW THAT I SAID A LOT, BUT I GUESS COULD YOU KIND OF SPEAK TO THE THE REGULARITY OF MEETING AND THE EFFECTIVENESS THAT YOU ALL HAVE AS A BOARD? IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE JUST RUBBER STAMPING. SO AS I SAID, I'M NOT A BOARD MEMBER, BUT I, I CAN SAY THAT WE, GENERALLY SPEAKING, MEET ONCE A YEAR. THERE ARE OCCASIONAL YEARS WHERE BOARD MEMBERS MAY WANT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BEFORE THEY VOTE ON ANY OF THE DOCUMENTS THAT I'VE DISCUSSED, BUT. LIKE I SAID, GENERALLY SPEAKING, IT'S ONCE A YEAR, ONCE, MAYBE TWICE, TWICE A YEAR. BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, IT'S IT'S THAT'S THE TIME PERIOD IN WHICH WE TYPICALLY MEET. AND THEY VOTE ON THE, THE VARIOUS DOCUMENTS THAT ARE PROVIDED IN PREPARATION FOR THE MEETING. SO IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT TAKES MORE TIME FOR US TO APPOINT THESE PEOPLE THAN THEY ACTUALLY TAKE MEETING. IT'S SILLY, AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT ON THE BOARD AND YOU DIDN'T MAKE THE RULES. I'M JUST SAYING THAT OUT LOUD. AND UNFORTUNATELY, I'M LOOKING AT YOU AND I SAY IT, BUT I'M GOING TO GO TO MY CUE. COUNCILMAN. OH, ACTUALLY, I'M SO SORRY, COUNCILMAN LINDNER. VICE CHAIR BRASHER, YOU HAD A QUESTION. THANK YOU. CHAIR. THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. WHAT? SO, YEAH, I WAS THERE WHEN THE MERGER HAPPENED, AND THIS WAS PART OF WHAT WAS NEEDED TO MAKE SURE IT PASSED. YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOME PEOPLE SAY, WHY WAS THIS MERGER SO SCREWY? IT WAS TO GET ENOUGH PEOPLE TO VOTE FOR IT. THAT WAS THE LEADERS AT THE TIME, BOTH PARTIES, THEY WERE ADAMANT ON GETTING THIS MERGER PASSED IN THE LEGISLATURE AND ON THE BALLOT HERE. AND THEY MADE THESE FUNKY AGREEMENTS AND STUFF. BUT I, I HAVE A QUESTION. IF YOU IF YOU WOULD KNOW THIS, CAN THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT ANNEX. THAT I WOULD HAVE TO DEFER TO THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE POINT LIKELY. I DO NOT HAVE YOU KNOW THAT INFORMATION. I, I DON'T KNOW. I WILL GIVE YOU THE ANSWER THAT I I'LL GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION I KNOW AND IT MAY NOT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. HOW'S THAT? THE MERGER LAW PROHIBITED OR PREVENTED ANY SUBURBAN AREAS FROM ANNEXING OR CREATING NEW SUBURBAN AREAS FOR X NUMBER OF YEARS? I FORGET WHAT THAT WAS. IT WAS 12 OR 15 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WE'VE EXCEEDED THAT. SO SUBURBAN AREAS CAN NOW ANNEX. WE ALSO HAVE AN ORDINANCE, A STATUTE ON THE BOOKS THAT ALLOWS FOR AREAS TO CREATE, AND THAT HAS BEEN THERE A LONG TIME. AREAS CAN CREATE ANY NUMBER OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF TAXING DISTRICTS. SO YOU CAN CREATE IF YOU CAN GET ENOUGH PEOPLE TO AGREE, YOU CAN CREATE TAXING DISTRICTS TO DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO. THAT'S BEEN TRUE FOR A [00:45:04] LONG TIME. THE STATE STATUTE RECENTLY CHANGED. THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR CITIZENS WHO CHOSE TO TO INCORPORATE AND CREATE A NEW SUBURBAN CITY OR NEW HOME RULE CITY WITHIN METRO LOUISVILLE. SO THERE'S A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY BUILT IN FOR FOLKS. WHAT? I DON'T HAVE A DIRECT RESPONSE AS FAR AS THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICTS ANNEXING. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY CAN OR NOT. IT WOULD SEEM LIKE WITH ALL OF THE OTHER FREEDOM THAT THAT WOULD BE A POSSIBILITY. THE REAL CHALLENGE IS THE BENEFIT THAT THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT WOULD OFFER TO THOSE WHO WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE IN THE ANNEXATION, AND THERE THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY. THERE'S REALLY NO BENEFIT THAT THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT WOULD OFFER TO SOMEONE. THEY ANNEX AT THE VALUE THAT THEY'RE CHARGING, BECAUSE IT COSTS THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT MORE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT THEY ARE OBLIGATED TO PROVIDE THAN THE REVENUE THAT THEY GENERATE. SO SO TAKING ON ALLOWING SOMEONE TO ANNEX AND THEN PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES WOULD COST THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT MORE THAN THEY WOULD GENERATE IN REVENUE. SO THERE'D BE NO REASON FOR THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT TO EVER CONTEMPLATE. AND I HAVE ONE JUST ONE SMALL MORE QUESTION, CHAIR, IF YOU DON'T MIND THE SO YOU GUYS MEET ONCE THEY MEET ONCE A MONTH OR ONCE A YEAR AND THEY SET THESE, IT SAYS HERE THEY LEVY A TAX LEVY ORDINANCE. CAN CAN YOU RAISE THE OCCUPATIONAL FEE DURING THAT? I WOULD HAVE I WOULD IMAGINE THEY PROBABLY COULD. THEY HAVEN'T DONE IT IN THE DURING THE TIME I'VE, I'VE BEEN IN THIS CAPACITY, WHICH I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR OVER TEN YEARS. I WOULD IMAGINE THE COUNCIL WOULD ALSO HAVE TO, WOULD HAVE SOME SAY INTO INTO THAT AS WELL. SO I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT WILL WORK BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN DONE. BUT WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ON THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND I DON'T KNOW MY $0.02. AND I'M GOING TO KICK IT OVER TO COUNCILMAN WENINGER. BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THE FUTURE LOOKS SO MUCH LIKE ANNEXATION AS IT DOES THE URBAN SERVICES DISTRICT. BEING STARVED OUT OF SERVICES. IN OTHER WAYS, BUT, COUNCILMAN WENINGER, IS THAT. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. ON SLIDE THREE OF THE PRESENTATION DESCRIBING THE MEMBERSHIP AND STRUCTURE, IT STATES THAT FOUR OF THE MEMBERS ARE APPOINTED BY METRO COUNCIL ON A ROTATING BASIS. THE COUNCIL MAY ONLY APPOINT PERSONS THAT RESIDE IN COUNCIL DISTRICTS, WHICH HAVE A PORTION OF THEIR TERRITORY THAT LIE WITHIN THE URBAN SERVICES DISTRICT, AND THEN THE NEXT BULLET POINT. ALL MEMBERS MUST RESIDE IN THE URBAN SERVICES DISTRICT. DOES THAT MEAN THAT ALL COUNCIL MEMBER, ALL COUNCIL APPOINTEES THAT ARE COMING FROM COUNCIL DISTRICTS THAT HAVE A PORTION OF THEIR URBAN SERVICES DISTRICT, ALL OF THOSE APPOINTEES MUST BE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT RESIDENTS? THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING IN THIS SPECIFIC LANGUAGE DID GET REVIEWED BY THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. SO I WOULD IMAGINE THAT IS TRUE. OKAY. AND. AND ALSO THEREFORE, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE HAS LITERALLY A SINGLE BLOCK WITHIN THE URBAN SERVICES DISTRICT, THEY WOULD HAVE A ROTATIONAL APPOINTMENT, BUT IT COULD ONLY BE A RESIDENT OF THAT BLOCK. YES. I'M HEARING OUT THE JACKSON SAY SHE DOESN'T BELIEVE THAT'S THE CASE, BUT WE CAN. THAT IS TRUE. I'M SORRY. CAN IF IF IF MISS JACKSON IS WEIGHING IN, CAN SHE CAN GIVE THAT ANSWER ON THE RECORD? NO, NO, I DON'T WANT TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT TO BE TRUE, BUT I DIDN'T THINK SO. I CAN SPEAK TO THAT FROM EXPERIENCE, IF THAT COUNTS. A SMALL PORTION OF WHAT USED TO BE JUST OKAY. SO WE ALL KNOW I'VE BEEN REDISTRICTED AT LEAST TWICE NOW. THERE WAS A PORTION OF MY TENURE HERE WHERE A PORTION OF MY DISTRICT WAS IN THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT, AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, I HAD A MEMBER ON THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT BOARD, THAT PERSON THAT WAS ON THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT BOARD HAD TO LIVE IN THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT WITHIN DISTRICT 11. WHEN I GOT REDISTRICTED OUT, I NO LONGER HAVE ANY OF THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT IN DISTRICT 11, AND THEREFORE NO ONE IN MY CURRENT DISTRICT SERVES ON THIS BOARD. IN ORDER TO SERVE ON THE BOARD, YOU HAVE TO LIVE IN THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN KRAMER. THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO A COUPLE POINTS OF CLARIFICATION. AND AARON, THANKS FOR BEING HERE. YOU KNOW, IN THE IN THE INTRO [00:50:04] PIECE, IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER TAXING DISTRICTS, THERE'S FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT IS NOT A FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT. BEFORE ANYBODY GETS ANY FURTHER AWAY FROM THIS, PRP IS A FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT. JEFFERSON TOWN IS A FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT. SAINT MATTHEWS FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT. THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT IS NOT A FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT. INCLUDED IN THE SERVICES PROVIDED WITHIN THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT IS FIRE PROTECTION. BUT THAT'S THEY ARE NOT A FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT. IT'S ONE OF THE SERVICES THEY PROVIDE. THIS IS A VERY DIFFERENT DISTRICT THAN A FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT OR A WASTE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, OR, YOU KNOW, ANY OTHER, ANY NUMBER OF TYPES OF DISTRICTS. THIS DISTRICT WAS CREATED SPECIFICALLY TO ASSURE THAT SERVICES WOULD CONTINUE TO BE PROVIDED IN THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT, ACCORDING TO STATUTE THAT HAD ALWAYS BEEN PROVIDED BY THE FORMER CITY OF LOUISVILLE. INCLUDED IN THOSE WERE FIRE PROTECTION, GARBAGE COLLECTION, AND I WANT TO SAY, STREETLIGHTS. THOSE ARE THE THREE THINGS THAT THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT BOARD MAKES SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE REVENUE TO, TO TO THAT THEY'RE, THAT THEY'RE GENERATING REVENUE. THE REALITY IS, YOU KNOW, YOU ASK THE QUESTION, COULD THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT BOARD RAISE TAXES? THEY CAN PROPOSE THAT, I BELIEVE. BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS METRO LOUISVILLE IS COVERING BECAUSE OF THE REVENUE. WHEN THE REVENUE COMES IN, THE REVENUE THAT COMES IN FROM THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT GETS MIXED INTO OUR GENERAL FUND, AND THERE IS NOT A CLEAR. AND AARON CAN SPEAK TO THIS FROM THE FROM THE FROM HIS POSITION WITH THE CITY MORE SO THAN FROM THE BOARD. ONCE THAT MONEY COMES IN FROM THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT, IT ENDS UP IN THE GENERAL FUND. AND THERE IS NO DISTINCTION ABOUT WHERE THAT MONEY COMES. THERE'S NO EFFORT TO MATCH UP AND MAKE SURE THAT THE MONEY THAT CAME IN FROM THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT, IN FACT, WAS SPENT ON FIRE DEPARTMENT. THERE'S NO EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT MONEY IS SPENT ON GARBAGE COLLECTION. AS A MATTER OF FACT, WHEN WE LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS, WHAT WE FIND IS WE SPEND MORE ON GARBAGE ON, I WON'T SAY GARBAGE COLLECTION. WE SPEND MORE IN THE AREA OF WASTE MANAGEMENT THAN WHAT WE GENERATE FOR GARBAGE COLLECTION, BECAUSE OUR OUR WASTE MANAGEMENT FOLKS DO MORE THAN JUST THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT. IF THERE'S A MAJOR STORM EVENT, OUR WASTE MANAGEMENT FOLKS WILL GO OUTSIDE THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT. SO IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT. AARON KNOWS WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR THIS FOR A LONG TIME. IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO MATCH THOSE NUMBERS UP. AND SO, I DON'T KNOW, I HEAR THE CHAIR SAYING, YOU KNOW, THEY ONLY MEET ONCE A YEAR AND IT FEELS LIKE A RUBBER STAMP. BUT I WOULD ANSWER THAT WITH A QUESTION LIKE, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO? BECAUSE THIS BOARD DOESN'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DECIDE HOW MANY FIRE TRUCKS THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE. IT DOESN'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DECIDE WHERE OR IF WE'RE GOING TO BUILD NEW FIRE DEPARTMENTS OR CLOSE FIRE DEPARTMENTS. IT DOESN'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DECIDE WHERE THOSE TAXES THAT ARE GENERATED ARE GOING TO GO. IT BASICALLY JUST HAS THE ABILITY TO SAY, YEAH, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE WITH TAXES. AND I DON'T KNOW THAT BECAUSE THE MONEY IS FUNGIBLE. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THEY CAN DO WITH THE TAX RATE EVEN. AND I THINK THAT'S THE MINIMUM THING IS THEY HAVE TO LOOK AND SAY, YOU KNOW, ARE WE GENERATING REVENUE? AND THEY ARE JUST NOT ENOUGH. THANK YOU FOR REINFORCING WHAT I SAID EARLIER, COUNCILMAN. SO. WE'RE OVER ON TIME JUST BECAUSE THAT BLUESY LITTLE TUNE THAT YOU ALL HEAR, THAT IS OUR TIMER. SO I DO WANT TO SAY THAT I KNOW ONE OF THE MEMBERS THAT SERVES ON THE BOARD, AND HE'S NOT YET REFLECTED ON THE LIST OF BOARD MEMBERS, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THAT TAKES FOR IT TO BE UPDATED. BUT THIS IS A VERY ENGAGED CITIZEN, AND I WON'T READ HIS FACEBOOK STATUS JUST BECAUSE HE PROBABLY WOULD BE DELIGHTED BY THAT. BUT I WOULD WANT TO GET HIS APPROVAL FIRST. BUT HE WAS A MEMBER WHO VOTED NO. ON RENEWING THE 22 YEAR OLD URBAN SERVICES DISTRICT TAX. AND SO LAST WEEK, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE WAS A IN THE ONE BOARD MEETING. ONCE A YEAR, THIS BOARD OF FIVE FOLKS DID HAVE A CONTENTIOUS BOARD MEETING, AND SOME OF THE REASONS CITED FOR THIS NO VOTE. COUNCILMAN RAISED TWO. THE WAY THAT WE COUNCILMAN REED IS UNMUTED, THE SPEED WITH WHICH WE DO IT, THE CADENCE ALL TELLS ME ABOUT HOW THAT PORTION OF [00:55:01] THE NERVOUS SYSTEM IS WORKING. PAGING SCOTT REED. PAGING SCOTT REED. IS THE CLERK ABLE TO MUTE HIM? IF WE ACCOMPLISH THIS TASK? NOT READ MUTE. ALL TELLS ME THAT PORTION OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM IS WORKING AS WE DEAL WITH THAT. SO. BUT THE PERSON HAD CITED THAT RECYCLING SERVICE HAS BEEN REDUCED OVER THE YEARS, THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE AN INDEPENDENT AUDIT AND CITES FIRE DEPARTMENT TAX. LG LIGHTING IS POOR QUALITY OF POOR QUALITY. AND I CAN ALSO SAY THAT I'M BOTHERED EVERY TIME THAT ONE OF THE COUNCIL OFFICES HAS TO BUY A SHIELD TO PUT ON A LIGHT THAT LG INSTALLED, BUT RENEWAL WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. SO I SAY THAT JUST BECAUSE THERE'S NO WORK GROUP, THERE'S NO ONE TO, LIKE, SIT HERE AND TALK ABOUT THESE ISSUES UNTIL THEY MEET AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER OF NEXT YEAR. AND WHAT HAVE THEY ACCOMPLISHED IN THE 364 DAYS SINCE? SO THIS IS DEFINITELY ONE THAT I'M MARKING, AS YOU KNOW, NEEDS REFORM. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO YOU ALL ABOUT THAT. SO ALSO, WHY WASN'T THERE A BOARD MEMBER HERE TODAY? I DON'T KNOW, I'M NOT SURE IF THEY WERE IF THEY WEREN'T INVITED OR NOT. YEAH, SURE. ALREADY MET ONCE THIS MONTH THIS YEAR. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILWOMAN. HOW MANY COUNCIL MEMBERS REPRESENT SOME PORTION OF THE URBAN SERVICE DISTRICT? THAT I WOULD HAVE TO DO AN OVERLAY, BUT LIKE I SAID EARLIER, I THINK I USED TO BE ABLE TO DO. BUT I'M LIKE, JP, I WOULD BE COUNTING THEM. FIVE THAT HAVE THE ENTIRETY OR MOST, I BELIEVE. ALSO, I CANNOT THANK YOU, SCOTT. MR. REID, I CANNOT FIND MEETING MINUTES ONLINE ANYWHERE FOR THE URBAN SERVICES DISTRICT, SO I CAN DEFINITELY SEND THAT SEND THAT INFORMATION TO YOU. WERE WE SINCE SINCE I SINCE I'M TALKING HERE, I DON'T HAVE MY MIC ON. I BELIEVE IT IS TEN. I THINK IT'S 123456789 1026. OH AND 15. YEAH. SO 11 THEN. YEAH IT'S JUST 21. HAVE A PORTION. YEAH OKAY. YEAH. THEN THERE YOU GO. THAT'LL BE 12. YEAH BUT NOT QUITE. INTERESTING THE WAY THAT MAKEUP SHAKES OUT. ANYTHING ELSE. THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. JACKSON. THANK YOU. NEXT WE ARE GOING TO GO WITH THE COUNTY LAW LIBRARY. ALL RIGHT. SO HAMID KHAN IS HERE. SO THIS IS UNDER CRS STATUTE ALSO LOCAL CODE. THEY MEET MONTHLY ON THE THIRD MONDAY. THEY HAVE A MAXIMUM OF SIX MEMBERS AND NO VACANCIES IS WHAT I'M SHOWING. SO, MR. KHAN, GOOD EVENING, MADAM CHAIR. MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. MY NAME IS MOHAMMAD KHAN. I AM A PROSECUTOR IN MY 9 TO 5. BUT ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, I SERVE AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF MAYOR CRAIG GREENBERG. AS THE CHAIR STATED, THERE ARE SIX MEMBERS ON THE JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC LAW LIBRARY BOARD THAT CONSISTS OF THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR, AMY HILLIARD, EX-OFFICIO MEMBER, CIRCUIT COURT CLERK DAVID NICHOLSON, A MEMBER OF THE JUDICIARY WHO IS RETIRED. JUDGE MCKAY CHAUVIN, A REPRESENTATIVE OF JEFFERSON COUNTY COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY OFF GERINA WHETHERS HIS OFFICE, WHO IS REPRESENTED BY ANDREW REINHARDT. OFFICER MIKE O'CONNELL, COUNTY ATTORNEY, IS REPRESENTED BY THE HONORABLE ANNE CORSON. AND AS I STATED, I AM REPRESENTING MAYOR CRAIG GREENBERG. WE ALSO HAVE AN AT LARGE MEMBER, ROBERT SMITH, WHO REPRESENTS THE BAR, THE LOCAL BAR AT LARGE. OUR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE PURSUANT TO STATUTE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THAT IS KRS CHAPTER 172. I INVITE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY. IT LAYS OUT IN FAIRLY PLAIN LANGUAGE AS FAR AS WHAT OUR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE. BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT TODAY, THIS EVENING, AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE. IS THE ESTABLISHMENT LAST YEAR OF THE LEGAL HELP CENTER THAT HAS AIMED TO HELP INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD NOT OTHERWISE QUALIFY FOR LEGAL AID SERVICES. THEY SORT OF FALL IN THAT UNFORTUNATE GAP WHERE THERE ARE LOW INCOME, BUT NOT [01:00:02] POOR ENOUGH TO GET APPOINTED FOR CIVIL LEGAL HELP. AND SO THE LIBRARY OFFERS THE SELF-HELP CLINIC EACH MONTH, WHERE ATTORNEYS VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME AND THEIR TALENT TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS FROM ISSUES SUCH AS LANDLORD, TENANT, FAMILY LAW AND OTHER CONSUMER PROTECTION ISSUES AS WELL. IN ADDITION, THIS PAST YEAR, WE UNVEILED THE CONSTRUCTION AND THE COMPLETION OF THE MOOT COURT COURTROOM. I WAS NOT IN FAVOR OF SAYING COURT TWICE, BUT HERE WE ARE. AND THAT RESOURCE IS ANOTHER, YET ANOTHER OPTION FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, NOT JUST FOR THE LOCAL BAR, BUT EVEN THE PRO SE LITIGANTS, THE CITIZENRY TO COME BEFORE A MOCK SETUP OF WHAT AN ACTUAL COURTROOM WOULD LOOK LIKE AND TO AND TO PRACTICE THEIR CASE. WE ALSO ONE ONE REALLY INTERESTING AND IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF THAT COURTROOM IS THE JOB SYSTEM, WHICH IS THE SAME SYSTEM USED AT THE COURTHOUSE. AND SO AGAIN, THAT ALLOWS LITIGANTS TO REFINE THEIR SKILLS AND GO IN MORE PREPARED TO REPRESENT THEIR CLIENTS OR TO REPRESENT THEMSELVES IF THEY SO CHOOSE. IN ADDITION, WE EACH YEAR WE DO AN EVENT CALLED LAW DAY IN THE PARK THAT HAPPENS IN JEFFERSON SQUARE PARK. EACH YEAR THERE IS A THEME THAT IS PRESENTED, AND WE HAVE SPEAKERS WHO THEN SPEAK ON THAT THEME. WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THE KENTUCKY SUPREME COURT IN ATTENDANCE, AS WELL AS OTHER MEMBERS OF THE JUDICIARY AND THE COMMITTEE AT LARGE. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE LIBRARY LUNCH SERIES, WHICH OFFERS HIGHLIGHTS, ACTUALLY VARIOUS AUTHORS WITH KENTUCKY ROOTS WHO WILL TALK ABOUT VARIOUS EXPERIENCES THAT THEN GENERATE SORT OF THEIR THEIR WORKS, THEIR LITERARY WORKS, AND WE PROVIDE LUNCH TO OUR ATTENDEES. AND IT'S A GOOD WAY TO GET IN TOUCH, NOT JUST WITH THE LOCAL LAW LIBRARY, BUT TO ALSO LEARN OTHER ASPECTS OF THE LAW, NOT JUST KENTUCKY LAW, THAT IMPACT OUR LIVES TODAY, AND WHY THINGS ARE SORT OF, SORT OF THE WAY THAT THEY ARE. IN ADDITION, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE STATUTE DOES HIGHLIGHT AND ONE OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT WE HAVE ARE THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS OF THE LAW LIBRARY. SO PURCHASING MATERIALS, MAKING SURE OUR TECHNOLOGY IS UP TO DATE AND FUNCTIONING, IN ADDITION TO OVERSEEING PAYMENT OF SALARIES, THINGS OF THAT SORT. AND SO I AM VERY, VERY HAPPY TO BE ON THAT BOARD. THIS PAST YEAR, IN 2004, 2024, WE SERVED APPROXIMATELY 700 LITIGANTS THROUGH OUR LEGAL HELP CENTER. AND I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THAT IS ONLY GROWING SUCH THAT WE HAVE HAD TO IMPLEMENT ONLINE SCHEDULING SO THAT LITIGANTS CAN THEN ACCESS ATTORNEY HELP TIMELY. IF YOU VISIT OUR WEBSITE JCPL.ORG, YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT US AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. I WILL ALSO STICK AROUND THIS EVENING IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. FOLKS DON'T HAVE THIS, BUT I PICKED IT UP BECAUSE YOU ALL HAVE PROVIDED THEM TO MY OFFICE BEFORE. ABOUT YOUR LEGAL SELF-HELP CENTER. YES, MA'AM. AND AND IT IT SPEAKS ABOUT WHAT YOU ALL DO, BUT ALSO THE KENTUCKY ACCESS TO JUSTICE COMMISSION. SO THAT IS A COMMISSION WITHIN THE LAW LIBRARY. IT'S KIND OF A COMMISSION OF A COMMISSION THAT WE'RE KIND OF TALKING ABOUT. I BELIEVE THAT, AND I WILL LOOK INTO THIS ANSWER FURTHER. JUST TO CLARIFY, MADAM CHAIR, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THAT IS A SEPARATE COMMISSION AND THAT THEY'RE NOT THEY'RE WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH US BECAUSE OUR AIMS AND OUR GOALS ARE SIMILAR. BUT BUT WE HAVE NO CONNECTION OFFICIALLY WITH THAT COMMISSION. THANK YOU. AND IN THAT 700 FOLKS, LITIGANTS THAT YOU HAD SEEN, I THINK LAST YEAR, WERE THOSE ALL INDEPENDENT OF YOU ALL, OR IS THAT ALSO FACTORING IN WITH THE COMMISSION. SO I BELIEVE THE WAY THAT SO THERE ARE VARIOUS STREAMS OF HOW THE WORD GETS AROUND ABOUT THIS SELF-HELP CENTER. WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA, WHICH IS THE PRIMARY SOURCE. BUT THEN WHEN LITIGANTS ATTEND, YOU KNOW, IT'S SORT OF A LOT OF IT IS WORD OF MOUTH. AND SO WHO THOSE PEOPLE ARE WHO COME FOR ASSISTANCE CAN BE WIDE RANGING OF WHERE THEY COME FROM. AS FAR AS THE VOLUNTEERS, WE HAVE ATTORNEYS WHO WHO ARE PART OF THE FRIENDS GROUP OF THE LAW LIBRARY, WHICH IS A SEPARATE 500 1C3. SO WE HAVE VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS FROM THERE. WE HAVE A WE HAVE A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BRANDEIS LAW SCHOOL HERE IN TOWN, AND WE ARE LUCKY TO GET VOLUNTEERS FROM THERE AS WELL, WHO CAN PRACTICE WITH THE LIMITED LAW LICENSE UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF AN ATTORNEY. SO THERE ARE VARIOUS STREAMS THAT WE HAVE VOLUNTEERS AS WELL AS LITIGANTS. AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE ARE HURTING FOR VOLUNTEERS AND WE WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET CERTAINLY MORE OF THOSE. SURE. AND VOLUNTEERS NOTED, HOPEFULLY THIS MIGHT DRUM ME UP A COUPLE, BUT ALWAYS HARD TO COME BY. SO CAN YOU KIND OF HELP ME UNDERSTAND? WHAT DO YOU SAY [01:05:06] THAT THERE'S THE PEOPLE THAT USE THE PUBLIC LAW LIBRARY. KIND OF. WHAT IS THE PERCENTAGE OF THOSE WHO ARE LAWYERS OR ASPIRING ESQUIRES THAT ARE LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, PEER HELP VERSUS HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE COMING IN FROM THE STREET WHO ARE SELF-REPRESENTING OR LOOKING FOR WAYS THAT THEY COULD MAYBE HELP A FAMILY MEMBER OR SOMETHING IN A LEGAL SITUATION? CAN YOU KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE? SURE. AND MADAM CHAIR, I DON'T WANT TO PUT PUT A PERCENTAGE ON THE RECORD THAT THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE ACCURATE BECAUSE TO MY KNOWLEDGE, WE HAVE NOT KEPT TRACK OF SORT OF WHO'S BACK, YOU KNOW, WHAT SORT OF BACKGROUND SOMEBODY HAS WHEN THEY'RE COMING IN FOR LEGAL ASSISTANCE. I WILL TELL Y, THOUGH, THAT LITIGANTS WHO WE SEE A LOT AND AGAIN, THEY'RE THEY'RE INDIVIDUALS WHO'VE EITHER BEEN TURNED AWAY FROM THE LEGAL AID ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THEY DON'T MEET THAT FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINE. AND SO THEN THEY'RE REFERRED TO US FROM THERE. THEY'RE ALSO INDIVIDUALS FROM THE LOCAL BAR ASSOCIATION WHO CAN WHO OTHERWISE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD COUNSEL. THEY CAN COME THERE AS WELL. SO AGAIN, ERE ARE VARIOUS STREAMS OF HO THOS THOSE PEOPLE COME IN. NOW WITHEGARD T A NOT AWARE, IS LOCATED AT14 WEST LIBERTY, A LITTLE BIT UP THE STREET, SAME BUILDING AS THE COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AS WELL AS WHERE THE GRAND JURY RESIDES IN JEFFERSON COUNTY. SO. AND NOW, MOST RECENTLY, THERE ARE THREE PROSECUTORS FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE WHO WORK IN THAT BUILDING AS WELL. AND SO YOU HAVE BUILT INTO THAT BUILDING AN ARRAY OF ATTORNEYS, MOSTLY PROSECUTO GRANTED, BUT WHO WORK IN THAT BUILDING. AND SO WHO DO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT LAW LIBRARY FOR TRAININGS, NOT JUST TRAININGS FOR TRIAL, BUT EVEN TRAININGS ON DIFFERENT CONCEPTS WITHIN, YOU KNOW, CLS, THINGS OF THAT SORT. AND SO THAT IS DEFINITELY ONE STREAM WHERE THE ATTORNEYS SIDE OF THAT LAW LIBRARY IS UTILIZED. WE ALSO HAVE SOLO PRACTITIONERS WHO COME IN TO DO RESEARCH AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE WHO MAY NOT HAVE OFFICE SPACE, ESPECIALLY THOSE STARTING OUT, COULD COULD UTILIZE THEM, UTILIZE THAT FACILITY FOR THAT PURPOSE AS WELL. SO WHILE I DO NOT HAVE A PERCENTAGE FOR FOR THIS COMMITTEE THIS THIS EVENING, I WILL SAY THAT THERE ARE THERE'S A WIDE ARRAY OF WHERE INDIVIDUALS WOULD COME TO THAT LOCATION IN ORDER TO AVAIL THEMSELVES OF THEIR SERVICES. AND REALLY, SOMETIMES SOME PEOPLE WILL JUST COME TO MAKE A COPY, BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE THERE, THEY GET TO SEE THE LIBRARY LUNCH SERIES, THEY GET TO SEE THE SELF-HELP CLINIC. AND SO OR USE NOTARY PUBLIC SERVICES. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE DIFFERENT REASONS WHY A PERSON WALKING UP LIBERTY WOULD WANT TO COME INSIDE, AND WE CERTAINLY WELCOME THAT. BUT AS FAR AS A PERCENTAGE, MADAM CHAIR, I DO NOT HAVE THAT FOR YOU THIS EVENING. PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE ANSWER, HONESTLY. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU. MA'AM. COUNCILOR. COUNCILMAN BRATCHER, THANK YOU. I SEE HERE ON YOUR WEBSITE THAT YOU HAVE AN EXPUNGEMENT CLASS FREE OF CHARGE FOR A CERTAIN CLASS D FELONIES AND MISDEMEANORS. WHEN I WAS IN THE LEGISLATURE, I, I PASSED BILLS ON EXPUNGEMENT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE IN SECOND CHANCES AND NOBODY IF YOU HAVE TO PUT DOWN YOU HAD A FELONY ON YOUR APPLICATION. IT'S HARD TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE. BUT WHAT DO YOU GUYS DO WITH THAT? ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THAT? YES, SIR. AND I BELIEVE THAT THE FRIENDS GROUP, WHICH IS AGAIN, AS I STATED, A SEPARATE 501C3 WITH ORGANIZATION, THEY RECEIVED A GRANT FROM METRO COUNCIL TO DO THIS EXPUNGEMENT CLINIC. AND THE IDEA THERE IS THAT AND AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO THIS IDEA THAT PEOPLE WHO WOULDN'T OTHERWISE QUALIFY FOR SERVICES THROUGH THE LEGAL AID HERE IN TOWN, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO HIRE COUNSEL ON THEIR OWN. THEY CAN COME THERE AND GO OVER THEIR EXPUNGEMENT PAPERWORK. THE ATTORNEYS WILL HELP THEM FILL THAT OUT. WE DO HAVE ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT, COMPUTERS, THINGS OF THAT SORT WHERE THE LITIGANTS OR THE ATTORNEYS CAN LOOK UP, YOU KNOW, RECORDS THINGS OF THAT SORT, ORDER THEIR KSP REPORT, WHICH IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE EXPUNGEMENT. AND THE OTHER THING ABOUT THE EXPUNGEMENT. AND, COUNCILMAN ROGER, AS YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THE EXPUNGEMENT IS TRICKY. IT'S A TRICKY PROCESS TO NAVIGATE AS A PRO SE LITIGANT, AS AN ATTORNEY. IT'S IT'S COMPLICATED FOR ME SOMETIMES TO SEE IF IT TO SEE IF A CHARGE QUALIFIES OR NOT OR IF A CONVICTION QUALIFIES OR NOT. AND SO AND THE COST I MEAN THERE, THERE IS A VERY REAL COST OF GETTING, GETTING ONE'S RECORD EXPUNGED. AND SO IF SOMEBODY CAN WALK IN AND THEY'RE TRYING TO GET THEIR RECORD, YOU KNOW, CLEANED UP SO THAT THEY CAN AVAIL THEMSELVES OF OF THE WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES THAT OUR CITY OFFERS, I THINK HAVING THE PRESENCE OF AN ATTORNEY TO LOOK AT A CONVICTION AND SAY, OKAY, [01:10:06] THIS IS A CLASS D CONVICTION FOR A CONVICTED FELON IN POSSESSION OF A HANDGUN. YOU'RE NOT GETTING THAT EXPUNGED VERSUS YOUR CONVICTION IS FOR FLAGRANT NON SUPPORT. YOU COULD POTENTIALLY GET THAT EXPUNGED. AND SO A PRO SE LITIGANT IS NOT GOING TO NECESSARILY KNOW THAT THERE ARE WITHIN A CLASS D FELONY CLASS D CONVICTIONS. THERE ARE SORT OF SOME THAT ARE ELIGIBLE SOME THAT ARE NOT. AND SO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE ATTORNEYS PRESENT WHO ARE, AGAIN, WILLING TO GIVE OF THEIR TIME AND TALENT TO HELP LITIGANTS WHO ARE TRYING TO TURN THINGS AROUND, THAT THAT IS A VERY, VERY CRUCIAL ROLE THAT THE LAW LIBRARY PLAYS FOR OUR CITIZENRY. AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES IS HAPPY TO SUPPORT THAT. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME SIR. ANYONE ELSE? AND IF YOU'RE VIRTUAL, I CAN'T SEE YOU. SO GIVE ME A HOLLER IF YOU DO HAVE A QUESTION. BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE DONE RIGHT ON TIME. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS FOR US. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION. AND I'LL STICK AROUND FOR ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND ALSO, BECAUSE THIS IS THE MOST RIVETING COMMITTEE ON METRO COUNCIL, WE APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. AND NEXT WE HAVE THE TAX APPEALS BOARD. LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, LET'S GET EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT TAXES. AND HERE TODAY WE HAVE JASON HANCOCK THE CHIEF OF STAFF WITH THE PVA. IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. SO I HOPE COLLEEN, SINCE WE'RE MAKING YOU GO LAST, IS PAYING YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT. BUT IF NOT, THAT'S YOUR BUSINESS. BUT THIS IS UNDER KRS STATUTE. THEY MEET ONCE A YEAR FOR 2 TO 5 WEEKS. AND I'M SURE WE'RE GOING TO DIVE INTO THAT BECAUSE I HAVE QUESTIONS. MEMBERS ARE COMPENSATED $100 A DAY. THERE'S TWO VACANCIES A MAXIMUM OF 13 MEMBERS. AND WITH THAT I WILL HAND IT OVER. BUT THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN. IT IS JASON HANCOCK, JEFFERSON COUNTY PVA OFFICE OF COLLEEN YOUNGER. I DO WANT TO MAKE KNOWN THAT THE PVA OFFICE IS COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM IS BOARD. WE DO. WE ARE INVOLVED HEAVILY IN THE APPEAL PROCESS, BUT THE LOCAL BOARDS IS COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT FROM THE PVA OFFICE. SO JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR. THE FIRST STEP IN THE APPEAL PROCESS IS JEFFERSON COUNTY PVA OFFICE ASSESSES EVERYTHING. AS OF JANUARY 1ST. WE'VE GOT IT BROKEN UP INTO DIFFERENT QUADRANTS. WE APPROXIMATELY DO ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE COUNTY EVERY YEAR. WITH THAT, WE SEND OUT THOSE NOTICES THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF APRIL. ANYBODY THAT DISAGREES WITH OUR ASSESSMENTS CAN APPEAL THOSE. THEY CAN DO THAT ONLINE. THEY CAN COME TO OUR OFFICE, THEY CAN CALL IN. THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN APPEAL YOUR PROPERTY VALUE. IT USUALLY THEY WILL SUPPLY PICTURES, WHICH REALLY HELPS US UNDERSTAND THE CONDITION OF THE PROPERTY TO HELP THEM. YOU KNOW, EITHER BE SUCCESSFUL WITH THEIR APPEAL. IF IT IS INCORRECT, I WILL SAY THAT THE PVA OFFICE WANTS TO GET THESE VALUES RIGHT. SOMETIMES ON THE MASSIVE HILL PROCESS, WE JUST NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE HELP TO GET THOSE VALUES CORRECT. BUT DURING THAT APPEAL TIME, IF YOU ARE UNSUCCESSFUL OR YOU'RE UNSATISFIED WITH THE RESULT OF THE PVA OFFICE, YOU THEN WOULD GO TO THE LOCAL BOARD OF TAX APPEAL. IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT PROCESS FOR THE TAXPAYERS OF JEFFERSON COUNTY TO HAVE THAT VOICE HEARD, COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT OF OUR OFFICE. TYPICALLY, THAT IS DURING THE RIGHT AFTER JULY 4TH, DEPENDS ON THE NUMBER OF APPEALS, IS HOW MANY BOARD MEMBERS THERE WILL BE. THOSE ARE APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. IT IS IT IS IN THE STATUTE THAT THEY HAVE TO BE QUALIFIED. THEY HAVE TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE REAL ESTATE MARKET, EITHER THROUGH REAL ESTATE AGENT, APPRAISER, CONSTRUCTION BANK LOANS. THEY HAVE TO HAVE SOME UNDERSTANDING OF THE REAL ESTATE MARKET TO BE ON THAT BOARD. AND WITH THEIR EXPERTISE, THEY DO HEAR WHAT THE TAXPAYER HAS TO SAY. THEY ALSO HAVE THE PVA OFFICE THERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AS TO SQUARE FOOTAGE SALES, OR ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD MIGHT HAVE TO HELP IN THE THAT APPEAL. AND THAT BOARD WILL THEN MAKE A DETERMINATION OF THAT PROPERTY VALUE. IF AT THAT POINT, THEY ARE STILL DISSATISFIED WITH THE RESULT OF THE LOCAL BOARD OF TAX APPEALS, THEY CAN APPEAL TO THE STATE. IT IS A LITTLE MORE FORMAL, BUT THERE IS THAT NEXT LEVEL AND THEN AND SO ON. IF YOU'RE STILL DISSATISFIED WITH THE STATE APPEAL, YOU CAN'T GO TO THE COURT OF APPEALS AND SO ON. THAT IS KIND OF THE OVERALL GIST OF THE APPEAL PROCESS. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I CAN ANSWER THEM NOW. SURE. FIRST OFF, WHY ARE YOU HERE TO SPEAK ON THE BOARD'S BEHALF? I CAN SPEAK FOR I'VE DONE THIS FOR 26 YEARS NOW. I'VE BEEN INVOLVED [01:15:01] IN THE APPEAL PROCESS. NOW I CAN'T SPEAK FOR WHAT THE BOARD MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY CONVENED IN PRIVATE WHAT THEY SAY. BUT SINCE I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN PRESENTING EVIDENCE ON THE PVA SIDE, WE DO HEAR AND WE GIVE THAT EVIDENCE TO THE BOARD. AND WITH THEM BEING, YOU KNOW, REAL ESTATE AGENTS, APPRAISERS AND THINGS ALONG THAT NATURE, THEY CAN MAKE THAT DETERMINATION. AND YOU HAD SAID THAT THIS PERSON THAT EVERYONE SERVING ON THE BOARD. SO ALL 13 MEMBERS HAVE TO HAVE A RELATION OR KNOWLEDGE OF REAL ESTATE SALES, IS THAT WE SAID UNDERSTANDING THE REAL ESTATE MARKET, MARKET, MARKET. THAT'S JUST MY ERROR. IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THAT'S OUTLINED IN THE ORDINANCE. IT SHOULD BE IN THE KRS 130 3.0. YEAH, 030I CAN GIVE YOU I GOT A COPY OF THE PACKET WITH ME IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THAT, BUT IT IS ON ALMOST IS. I DO HAVE THE ACTUAL TWO PAGE DOCUMENT THAT YOU HAD SUPPLIED. IT IS. IT'S ON WHAT. PAGE FIVE. IF YOU WANT THE ACTUAL PAGE SIX. SIX HAS THE BUT THE ACTUAL QUIZ IN FULL IS IN THE BACK OF IT, AND IT WOULD BE ON. WELL, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP ANY OF YOUR. NO NO NO YOU'RE OKAY. BUT IT WOULD BE ON PAGE LIKE IT IS ON PAGE 3434. OKAY. AND SO YOU ALL ARE COMPENSATED $100 PER DAY. AND YOU MEET ONCE A YEAR FOR 2 TO 5 WEEKS. THAT DEPENDS ON THE NUMBER OF DEALS DIFFERENCE. RIGHT. SO OKAY THEN MAYBE MY NEXT QUESTION WAS LIKE ON AVERAGE HOW MANY APPEALS DO YOU HAVE A YEAR WITH THE PVA OFFICE? THE ORIGINAL CONFERENCES THAT WE HOLD IS ROUGHLY 3200 A YEAR. THAT APPEAL TO THE LOCAL BOARDS IS ROUGHLY A THOUSAND. AND BASED ON THAT NUMBER, SOME YEARS IT WILL BE HIGHER. SO OF COURSE, SOME YEARS IT'LL BE LOWER. BUT BASED ON THAT NUMBER, ALTHEA WILL CAN SET A NUMBER OF BOARDS. I'LL SAY TYPICALLY THERE'S FOUR BOARDS THAT WILL MEET DURING THAT TIME FRAME TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY CAN BE HEARD. SO SO WAS IT 3200 OR 1000. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THE INITIAL APPEALS ARE WITH THE PVA OFFICE. IF YOU'RE DISSATISFIED WITH THOSE, THEY CAN GO ON. AND USUALLY ABOUT A THOUSAND WILL GO ON TO THE LOCAL BOARD OF TAX APPEALS. AND SO HOW MANY CASES ARE THEY HEARING A DAY ON AVERAGE DO YOU HAVE. LIKE IT REALLY DEPENDS IF IT IS A MULTIPLE I DON'T WANT TO BECAUSE EVERY CASE IS DIFFERENT. IF YOU OWN A A CONDO COMPLEX AND EVERY CONDO IS VERY SIMILAR, YOU KNOW, SAME SQUARE FOOTAGE, SAME, AND THEY'RE MAKING THE SAME ARGUMENT, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO HEAR 100 OF THOSE IF YOU'VE GOT TYPICALLY THERE'S ONE APPEAL EVERY HALF AN HOUR THROUGHOUT THE DAY FROM 8 TO 4. IF THAT'S AN INDIVIDUAL TAXPAYER, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE COMING IN TO APPEAL THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME, YOU WOULD HAVE A HALF AN HOUR AND THEY WOULD HEAR THAT IN THAT HALF AN HOUR. SO BUT WITH THE NUMBER OF COMMERCIAL ONES AND OTHER THINGS, IT IT VARIES. YEAH. THIS IS A LOT OF NUANCE TO THIS. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO COUNCILMAN BRATCHER. THANK YOU SIR. SO LET ME I'LL SAY SOMETHING. YOU TELL ME IF I'M RIGHT OR WRONG. BUT PVA IS RUN BY THE STATE. IT HAS NO REAL LOCAL CONNECTIONS AS FAR AS OPERATION COLLEEN IS A LOCAL JEFFERSON COUNTY PVA ELECTED OFFICIAL. SO WE ARE GOVERNED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, THOUGH. YES. OUR YOU'RE GOVERNED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE. BUT WHAT WHAT DID YOU SAY, COLLEEN, IS THE JEFFERSON COUNTY PVA. SO SHE'S AN ELECTED OFFICIAL FOR THE JEFFERSON COUNTY. OH, I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH COLLEEN, BUT. BUT YOU GUYS OPERATE LIKE YOU SAID, THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, RIGHT? YES. SO LET'S SAY YOU EVALUATE A PROPERTY AND THEN THAT THE SAY IT'S MY PROPERTY AND I DISPUTE IT. I'LL GO TO YOUR OFFICE FIRST. YES, SIR. AND SEE AND JUST KIND OF HASH IT OUT AND SEE WHAT, WHAT WE CAN NEGOTIATE. AND IF YOU SAY GO AHEAD. NO, IT IS ONLINE. I WILL SAY THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH GREAT LENGTHS TO MAKE SURE IT IS VERY EASY FROM YOUR MOBILE DEVICE, ANY COMPUTER. SO THAT WAY FOR MOST PEOPLE TO PROVIDE PHOTOS OF THE INTERIOR. ONE OF THE THINGS SINCE IT IS MASS APPRAISAL, WE DON'T GET ON THE INSIDE OF YOUR HOUSE. WE INSPECT FROM THE EXTERIOR OF YOUR HOME AND WHAT CAN BE GOING ON THE OUTSIDE COMPARED TO THE INSIDE. WE JUST DON'T KNOW. SO IN IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE WE'RE COMPARING COMPARABLES TO COMPARABLES, YEAH, THOSE PHOTOS ARE VITAL. SO FROM YOUR MOBILE DEVICE, IF YOU CAN SUPPLY US WITH THOSE, WE HAVE THE SALES AND WE CAN USUALLY MAKE THOSE [01:20:01] ADJUSTMENTS, AS YOU SAID, TO GET THAT PROPERTY MORE IN LINE WITH MAYBE YOUR OPINION OF VALUE, WHAT THAT IS. SO THAT'S BETWEEN YOUR OFFICE MISS YOUNGER AND AND THE HOMEOWNER. YES, SIR. IF THEY DON'T AGREE, IF THE HOMEOWNER DOES NOT AGREE WITH THAT OR THE PROPERTY OWNER, THEN THE PROPERTY OWNER CAN GO NOW TO THIS TAX APPEAL BOARD. IS IT CALLED TAX APPEAL BOARD. YEAH, IT IS A LOCAL BOARD OF TAX APPEALS. YES, SIR. AND THAT THEN WHAT HAPPENS. THOSE LIKE THOSE USUALLY MEET DEPENDS ON THE NUMBER OF APPEALS. YOU'LL HAVE AN APPOINTMENT SET BY THE JEFFERSON COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE. THEY'LL SEND YOU A TIME AND DATE. THEY'LL TELL YOU WHAT TIME, AND THEN THAT IT'LL BE ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR CONFERENCE, WHICH YOU WILL COME IN. THERE WILL BE THREE MEMBER BOARD THAT YOU WILL GO IN FRONT OF. YOU WOULD PRESENT YOUR INFORMATION. THE PVA OFFICE WOULD ALSO BE IN ATTENDANCE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, CONFIRM, HEY, I'VE GOT 1200 SQUARE FEET, 2000FT■!S. WE WOULD SAY YES, THAT INFORMATION IS CORRECT. WE WOULD VALIDATE THAT INFORMATION. BOTH PARTIES WOULD THEN LEAVE, AND THEN THAT BOARD WOULD GO INTO, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSION AND DELIBERATION TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION. THOSE ARE KIND OF THE MINUTES FROM THERE. THEY WOULD SEND THAT TO THE PROPERTY OWNER, THOSE THAT RESULT OF THEIR DELIBERATION. WHAT THAT HOW MANY ARE ON THE THE THE TAX APPEAL BOARD. THE MAIN BOARD HAS THREE MEMBERS. BUT TYPICALLY THERE ARE WE HAVE FOUR BOARDS AND EACH ONE OF THEM HAS THREE MEMBERS. SO A TOTAL OF 12. WE WOULD LIKE TO YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR ALTHEA, BUT I DO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KIND OF MENTIONED THAT THE PAY FOR FOR THOSE MEMBERS, I DON'T THINK IT'S CHANGED SINCE 1976. DON'T HOLD ME TO THAT EXACT DATE. BUT THAT $100 HAS BEEN ON THE BOOKS FOR SOME TIME. WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO GET THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT WE DO. I KNOW ALTHEA HAS HAS THE STRUGGLE SOMETIMES TO GET ENOUGH BOARD MEMBERS. HOW MANY DAYS IS THAT WITH THE 32 OR 1000? TYPICALLY IT. I WILL SAY THAT THE CLERK'S OFFICE APPOINTS THE LARGER VALUE ONES, THE COMMERCIAL ONES, TO BOARD ONE. THEY TYPICALLY WILL GO FOR FOUR WEEKS. BOARDS THREE AND FOUR ARE TYPICALLY MORE OF THE INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS, AND THOSE TYPICALLY WILL GO ABOUT TWO AND A HALF WEEKS. EVERY DAY. THEY YEAH, THEY GO MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM EIGHT TO, YOU KNOW, ABOUT 330 EVERY HALF AN HOUR. WELL, THEY'RE DOING THAT SO MUCH. WHY COULDN'T THEY BE HERE THEY ARE. IT IS HERE. SO I WILL SAY THAT WHY COULDN'T ONE OF THE MEMBERS OR THE IS THERE A CHIEF MEMBER, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD? THERE IS A CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD. COULD SHE SHE OR HE BE HERE THAT WE COULD REQUEST? I MEAN, IF IT'S IF IT'S AN INCONVENIENCE. I MEAN, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND IF THEY'RE THAT ACTIVE, WHY THEY COULDN'T COME HERE FOR A FEW MINUTES. TALK TO US. I DO KNOW, YOU KNOW, IN THE STATUTE THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN MEET AFTER THEY CONVENED AND MADE ALL THE DECISIONS, THEY BASICALLY DISBAND AND ARE DONE FOR THE YEAR. I THINK THERE'S ALWAYS A SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE THEY CAN BE RECALLED, BUT I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR IF THEY WOULD OR WOULD NOT SHOW. THANK YOU. AND SO THAT $100 IS THAT PAID THROUGH THE PVA BUDGET? IT IS NOT. IT IS. SORRY, I'D HAVE TO LOOK AGAIN I. YEAH, IT'S HALF FROM THE STATE AND HALF FROM METRO THAT I THINK THAT IS ALSO IN THAT 133 .030. WHAT. WHERE IS THAT IN THE LIKE. WHAT DEPARTMENT DOES THAT COME THROUGH? THE. EACH BOARD MEMBER SHALL BE PAID $100 FOR EACH DAY. SERVES THIS COMPENSATION BE PAID ONE HALF OUT OF THE COUNTY LEVY AND THE OTHER HALF OUT OF THE STATE TREASURY. WILL FIGURE THAT OUT. AND JUST CURIOUS, OUT OF THOSE 1000 APPEALS THAT MAKE IT TO THE BOARD, WHAT'S HOW MANY OF THOSE? TYPICALLY, I GUESS THE RESOLUTION IS THAT THERE SETTLED OR LIKE HOW MANY ARE CHANGED VERSUS HOW MANY ARE. NO. THE PVA GOT THIS RIGHT. YOU KNOW, I WILL SAY THAT IT REALLY IS DEPENDENT ON THE EVIDENCE PROVIDED. IF SOMEONE SUPPLIES PICTURES, ESTIMATES AND A LOT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THAT INFORMATION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST NOT MADE AWARE OF. IF THAT IS SUPPLIED, THEN WE'RE ABLE TO GET THOSE CORRECTED. AND I THINK TO RESOLUTION, IF YOU'RE ASKING FOR HOW MANY ARE SATISFIED, I DON'T KNOW. BUT HOW MANY ARE CORRECTED. THAT'S THE QUESTION CORRECTED I, I CAN'T I KNOW ANOTHER 300 WOULD GO TO THE KENTUCKY BOARD OF TAX APPEAL. SO OF THOSE THOUSAND 300 NOW ARE AT THE STATE LEVEL. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THOSE PEOPLE ARE STILL DISSATISFIED OR THERE [01:25:02] ARE A NUMBER OF ONES THAT APPEAL YEAR AFTER YEAR. THERE IS. I DON'T WANT TO GIVE BUSINESS NAMES OR ANYTHING, BUT UNTIL IT'S RESOLVED, WE'VE GOT SOME CASES THAT ARE STILL OUTSTANDING FOR FIVE YEARS AND THEY COULD HAVE 20 TO 30 OF THOSE PROPERTIES. SO A LARGE NUMBER OF THOSE COULD BE AN INDIVIDUAL TAXPAYER. THIS IS A WIGGLY LITTLE, LITTLE BOARD. WE'VE GOT COUNCILMAN LEININGER. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I GUESS I'M ON A SIMILAR LINE OF QUESTIONING. ONE OF MY QUESTIONS JUST GOT ANSWERED. BUT DO WE SEE ANY TRENDS, EITHER FOR THE NUMBER OF APPEALS OR THE NUMBER THAT ARE THEN SENT UP TO THE STATE? I WAS NUMBER OF PEOPLE? APPEAL IS USUALLY SOMEWHERE AROUND 3% OF THE ASSESSMENT NOTICES SENT OUT. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE ASKING, YOU KNOW, IF WE SEND OUT 90,000 NOTICES AND 3000 PEOPLE OR DISSATISFIED, OF WHICH I KNOW WITH US, ABOUT 65% GET LOWERED. I THINK THAT'S FANTASTIC BECAUSE WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB. HE'S DONE A GREAT JOB OF GOING OUT INTO THE PUBLIC AND SAYING, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO APPEAL AND PROVIDING PEOPLE THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO KNOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL. I WILL TELL ANYBODY PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE SALES, WE'VE GOT THE DATA, BUT WHAT WE DON'T HAVE IS THE INTERIOR HOME. SO PEOPLE ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL, WHICH I THINK IS A GREAT THING BECAUSE WE WANT TO AT THE END, WE WANT TO GET IT RIGHT. AND THAT'S REALLY WHEN I SAY 65% OF THOSE 3000 ARE SUCCESSFUL. I THINK THAT'S FANTASTIC BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE MORE PROCESSES. SO WE'RE WE'RE STATIC IN THE NUMBER OF APPEALS, THE GROSS NUMBER OF APPEALS IN TERMS OF A PERCENTAGE OF HOW MANY ASSESSMENTS GO OUT. THAT'S NOT REALLY CHANGING OVER TIME, BUT WE ARE HAVING AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ASSESSMENTS THAT ARE LOWERED AS PEOPLE HAVE GREATER ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY FOR DOCUMENTATION. I'LL SAY THAT IN THE BEGINNING, LIKE I SAID, I'M SORRY, I'M GIVING YOU 26 YEARS OF DATA BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THERE QUITE A WHILE. I MEAN, IT USED TO BE ABOUT 10%. SO NO, I WOULD SAY WE USED TO HAVE SIX, SEVEN, EVEN A YEAR, 10,000 APPEALS. THOSE HAVE COME DOWN EVEN WITH MORE OUTREACH, BECAUSE PEOPLE NOW UNDERSTAND OUR PROCESS ON HOW WE GET THE SALES, HOW WE CAPTURE THIS DATA AND IF IT IS WRONG, HOW TO GET IT RIGHT, AND IF WE GET GET IT RIGHT NEXT TIME, NEXT FOUR YEARS WHEN WE COME AROUND, MORE THAN LIKELY WE'VE GOT ALL THOSE, RIGHT? YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THAT SAME ISSUE COME UP AGAIN. SO IT'S AS WE GET THIS BETTER. IT'S BEEN BETTER FOR EVERYBODY. AND AND THAT PERCENTAGE IS TAKEN WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT IT USED TO BE ABOUT 10% OF ASSESSMENTS CAME BACK WITH AN APPEAL. NOW WE'RE DOWN TO ABOUT 3%. THAT IS LITERALLY ANY INITIATION OF HEY, I DON'T THINK THIS IS RIGHT. ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THEY'VE THEY'VE CROSSED ALL THE T'S AND DOTTED ALL THE I'S CORRECTLY. THAT IS I DON'T THINK IT'S RIGHT. YOU KNOW, ANYBODY THAT'S DISSATISFIED, SOME WILL COME AND APPEAL TO US YEAR AFTER YEAR AND JUST WANT TO GO TO LOCAL BOARDS. AND THAT'S THEIR RIGHT. THEY DON'T HAVE TO PROVIDE US WITH ANYTHING. I JUST THEY WANT TO GO THE NEXT STEP. BY ALL MEANS. THAT'S YOUR RIGHT. I'LL SAY IT'S A LITTLE EASIER IF WE CAN GET YOU CORRECTED AND LET'S MOVE FORWARD. BUT EVERYBODY IS ENTITLED TO THEIR OPINION. AND I WILL SAY THAT, COLLEEN, WE WE HAVE EXTENDED FROM 13 STATUTORY DAYS TO APPEAL TO 23. WITH IT BEING ONLINE, IT IS 24 SEVEN. YOU CAN BE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND APPEAL THIS. WE'VE OPENED IT UP MORE TO, TO ACCOUNT FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR EVERYBODY BEING ABLE TO DO THIS. AND IT'S TO SEE THOSE NUMBER APPEALS COME DOWN, YOU KNOW LESS AND LESS IT'S IT'S BEEN REALLY SURPRISING BUT A GREAT THING. SO EVEN WITH THAT, WITH THE OUTREACH, THE EXTENDED DAYS, THE MORE ACCESSIBILITY TO APPEAL. AND THAT NUMBER IS COMING DOWN, I THINK SOME VOLUMES TO HOPEFULLY THE JOB THAT WE'RE DOING. GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU GOT ME ON THE KENTUCKY STATE BOARD OF TAX APPEALS. YES. THAT BOARD ONLY HAS THREE MEMBERS. YES, I SAY THAT I'M NOT REALLY THAT SURPRISED BECAUSE OF 300 ARE COMING FROM JEFFERSON COUNTY. I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT MANY COMING FROM THE REST OF THE STATE OUTSIDE OF IF THEY GET ONE AND SOME OF THOSE OTHER COUNTIES, I'LL SAY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO GIVE EXACT NUMBERS, BUT I DON'T THINK ANY HERE CAME FROM FAYETTE COUNTY. SO THEY SO THEY GET 1 OR 2. OKAY. SO THAT BOARD IS HEARING LESS APPEALS THAN YOU ALL ACTUALLY ARE. SO BUT HERE NOR THERE UNLESS ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE TAX APPEALS BOARD. YOU'RE GOOD. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. INFORMATIVE. AND WITH THAT WE ARE ADJOURNED. WE'LL SEE YOU IN [Adjournment Note: Agendas are followed at the discretion of the Chair. While an item may be listed, it does not mean all items will be heard and/or acted upon by the Committee.] [01:30:04] TWO WEEKS. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.