ARPA
ARPA, the American Rescue Plan Act, has granted $121 million to Lexington. The Urban County Council opened a portal so that citizens could submit their ideas as to how to best fulfill community needs. More than 1500 proposals were received. After winter break, Council will continue with final decision making and consensus for allocation. Allocations are expected to be announced in February of 2022.
Fully approved projects include:
- $17.9 million for premium pay for LFUCG staff and first responders
- $10 million for Affordable Housing
- $1.4 million for a COVID-19 Winter Shelter
- $1 million for VisitLex
Leaf it!
The city’s Environmental Services office has hired a contractor to remove honeysuckle and Bradford pears from the Falling Leaves Greenway (LFUCG Greenway at Polo Club and Falling Leaves). Below are some project updates from Environmental Services:
- LFUCG Tree contractor is removing hazardous dead/dying trees within the greenway and stacking this wood up to create habitat for woodland creators. There will be some dead trees still standing as ‘snags’ and great habitat for the area.
- Greenway buffer signs will be posted indicating no-mow zones. Please do not mow these areas – the goal is to seed wildflowers for local pollinators to use.
- LFUCG contractors will be using some of the tree logs to create an edge along a walking trail from Polo Club/Falling Leaves down to Sunflower Street. This will be a dirt path marked with logs and greenway trail fiberglass stakes. Once completed this trail will be GPS’d and overlaid on the local map.
Where do you live?
In December, the Lexington Urban County Council unanimously approved a new Council district map proposed by Lexington’s Redistricting Committee.
Redistricting is the redrawing of congressional and legislative district lines following the census to adjust to how communities grow and change. Every 10 years, local governments use new data from the Census to redraw their district lines to reflect how local populations have changed. The final district map created through this process determines the Council district boundaries for Lexington for the next 10 years.
You can find the new district map here: https://data.lexingtonky.gov/pages/redistricting
Forty-six precincts in all have been moved. If you live in Kingston you are now in the 12th Council District, represented by Kathy Plomin – 12th District Council Member. The 12th district lost three precincts and gained two. If you live in Crystal Falls, you are now in the 7th Council District, represented by Preston Worley, 7th District Councilmember.
Recess!
Lexington Fayette Urban County Council has recessed until Tuesday, January 11th when they return with the General Government Committee and Work Session.
Streets and Roads
What do you want from Kentucky’s transportation system? Smooth roads? Less congestion? More multi-modal travel alternatives? Share your priorities with us by participating in our Statewide Transportation Survey at GetThereTogetherKY.org.
Tornado Relief
The American Water Charitable Foundation (AWCF) a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created by American Water announced it is providing grants totaling $20,000 to assist communities impacted by December’s devastating tornadoes in Kentucky and Illinois, two of the states where the company operates.
“The American Water Charitable Foundation is pleased to join the many others who have contributed their time and resources to support the hundreds of thousands of people impacted by these devastating storms,” said Carrie Williams, president, American Water Charitable Foundation. “We understand how critical clean, safe drinking water is in our daily lives and in times of emergencies. We hope this contribution can provide some assistance to the residents of these affected communities.”
Walk it Off!
Lexington has signed on to the 10-Minute Walk Campaign, joining cities across the country who are pledging to make sure 100% of their residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park or green space by 2050. The campaign underscores the city’s commitment to the campaign’s goal, which promotes a vision of expanding safe and equitable access to parks and green spaces.
This article also appears on page 6 & 7 of the January 2022 print edition of Hamburg Journal.
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