tonini takes the reins as st. matthews mayor · results of the 2014 annual city audit revealed an...
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City of St. Matthews3940 Grandview AvenueP.O. Box 7097St. Matthews, KY 40257-0097Hours: M-Th 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. F 7:30 -11:30 a.m.
FEBRUARY 2015
Tonini takes the reins as St. Matthews mayor
On Jan. 1, Bernard Bowlingtransferred the mayoral mantle toRichard J. Tonini. With 30 years ofexperience on the St. MatthewsCity Council, Tonini brings awealth of knowledge andexperience to the job. As mayor, Tonini plans to meetprivately with each city employeeto discover their thoughts aboutthe city and what ideas they mayhave for improvement. “Ourconstituency receivesexceptionally good services, andwe offer very low property taxes,”said Tonini. “I plan to push our
employees and managers to givethe very best service we can.” Tonini has lived in St. Matthewsfor 57 years and has served thecity as a volunteer firefighter, TaxAssessor, City Treasurer,councilman, and chairman of thePolice Steering Committee. He hasserved on the Tax EqualizationBoard, the Board of Trustees forSt. Matthews Fire District, andwas a member and chairman ofthe Jefferson County Board ofZoning Adjustment for 20 years.He is the co-owner of ToniniChurch Supply Company, and heand his wife Denisehave two children,Lauren (deceased) andAllison. Bowling, a council-man for 22 yearsprevious to his eight-year stint as mayor, willreturn to that role tohave more time tospend with his family.“The office of mayor issupposed to be a part-time job, but it’s reallymore than that,” hesaid, laughing. Tonini is happy thatBowling will remain at
city hall as a councilman. “I haveknown Mayor Bowling almost mywhole life,” said Tonini. “I haveworked closely with him andwith Mayor Draut before him.Mayor Draut was around forBernie and Bernie will be aroundfor me.” Regarding Tonini’s inaugu-ration, Bowling commented,“He’s got the city in his heart,and that’s what it takes –someone who cares about thecity and not the title. I wouldn’thave stepped down if I didn’t feelhe would do a great job.”Richard J. Tonini, former councilman, was
voted in as St. Matthews fifth mayor.
As a couple, Rick and Denise Tonini have been anintegral part of St. Matthews for nearly 40 years.
Results of the 2014 annual cityaudit revealed an overallincrease of $1,000,000 in thecity’s net position. The audit, conducted by DonLawson, David May, and KrisMoore of Stephens and
Lawson PSC, resulted in a cleanopinion indicating no mal-feasance or mismanagement ofpublic funds. Lawsoncomplimented St. Matthewscouncil members on being verygood stewards of public
monies. Specifically, revenuewas greater than theanticipated amount andexpenses came in slightlyunder budget, accounting forthe increase in the city’s netposition.
A Message From…
PAGE 2
Hometown History - 1910
Our new Hometown Historyfeature allows us to rememberour city when it looked a lotdifferent. Do you know wherethis picture was taken in St.Matthews? What business islocated on this spot now? Seep. 11 to solve this issue’sHometown History mystery.
Louisville Water Company502-583-6610
To report emergencies likewater main breaks
or broken fire hydrants.
EmergencyContact
Numbers
Louisville Gas & Electric502-589-1444
Fast path options are: 1-1-1(gas) and 1-1-2 (electric).
A new website has beenlaunched to provide residentsand city visitors withaccessibility to citygovernment at theirfingertips. Website visitors willfind answers to their
questions, including thoseconcerning city parks andreserving park pavilions andother points of interest in thecity. Businesses have the abilityto download forms and learn
what is required to run theiroperation in St. Matthews. Interested in city ordinances,newsletters, or meetingminutes? Not sure who yourcity, metro, state, and federalrepresentatives are? All of thisand much more can be easilyfound on the new site. Explore the new website anduse the Contact Us page to letus know what you think.
New city website up and running
www.stmatthewsky.gov
Recycling is collected every otherweek on the same day as trash onweeks highlighted in red. Holidays
are marked in blue and will delayrecycling and/trash one day.
RadonprotectionRadon levelscan soarduring the colder months whenresidents keep windows closedand spend more time indoors.As many as 22,000 people diefrom lung cancer each year inthe United States fromexposure to indoor radon. The Environmental ProtectionAgency urges Americans to test
their homes for one of theleading causes of lung cancer inthe country, indoor radon gas.Approximately one home in 15across the nation hasunacceptably high radon levels;in some areas of the country,as many as one out of twohomes has high levels. The EPA recommends thatyou test for radon and followrecommended fixes if yourradon level is 4 picoCuries perliter (pCi/L) or higher. Radon
levels less than 4 pCi/L stillpose a risk, and in many casesmay be reduced. For more information aboutradon testing, call EPA’s hotlineat 800-SOS-RADON or visittheir website at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/hi-winter.htm. For a free kit to test yourradon, contact the KentuckyRadon Program at 502-564-4856 or email [email protected].
FEBRUARY 2015
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Easy Being Green
February 2015S M T W T F S1 2 3 4 5 6 78 9 10 11 12 13 1415 16 17 18 19 20 2122 23 24 25 26 27 28
March 2015S M T W T F S1 2 3 4 5 6 78 9 10 11 12 13 1415 16 17 18 19 20 2122 23 24 25 26 27 2829 30 31
April 2015S M T W T F S
1 2 3 45 6 7 8 9 10 1112 13 14 15 16 17 1819 20 21 22 23 24 2526 27 28 29 30
If you think St. Matthews City Halllooks different but you can’t quiteput your finger on it, you are notimagining things. A new coat ofpaint has the 95 year old buildinglooking like it’s just stepped out ofa salon. In August and September, thegray paint that had covered thebuilding for 17 years was power
washed and chipped off by hand.The concrete was also power
washed, and masonry repair workwas done. In October, professionalpainters applied primer andpainted the building cream withtan trim and black accents. City Clerk Susan Clark said thecity has received multiple callscomplimenting the facelift. If youhaven’t seen it, drive by and takea look.
Paint job gives City Hall facelift
Prescription drugbox updateBy mid-January 2015, just sixmonths after being installed,750 pounds of drugs hadbeen collected in theprescription drug disposalbox, located in the City Hallbuilding near the police
department.Collectingthese drugsprotects theenvironmentand keepsthem out of
the hands of children, teens,and others who should nothave access to them.
Prescription drug drop-offhours are Monday throughThursday from 7:30 a.m.to 9:00 p.m.; Friday from7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.;Saturday from 10 a.m. to5:00 p.m.; and Sunday from1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Pleaseensure your deposit does notinclude liquid medicines,needles, or inhalers.SRT reportThe St. Matthews Police SpecialResponse Team was activated17 times in 2014. Thoseresponses included 11 high risksearch warrants, four protestsor possible protests, a majorcrime, and a multi-agencytraining event at a local school.
How-to for trafficaccidentsWhen you need policeassistance after a trafficaccident, call 893-9000 and beprepared to give your name,location, description of anyinjuries, and description of thevehicles involved. Alwaysrequest an accident report foryour insurance companyunless the damage is sominor that you don't want itrepaired. You can now get the accidentreport online from buycrash.com. The responding officerwill give you a card with theinformation needed to retrieveyour report.
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Police Beat
Community ParkCommunity Park’s marvelousmakeover continues to unfold.As part of a multi-year capitalimprovement program by thecity, the park, located on TenPin Lane, is getting an upgradeto the main entrance andparking lot. A new sidewalk willlink Ten Pin Lane at ShelbyvilleRoad to the main park entranceby the newly finishedrestrooms andconcession stand. Drainage improve-ments as well as newlandscaping areplanned for the eastside of the road. Themain parking lot isbeing reworked to
facilitate more parking spacesand will be broughtup to newer parking standards.The main construction work isgoing very well because of themild weather in January and isplanned to be ready for theopening of the 2015 St.Matthews Little League baseballseason. Final work remains to be doneon the back section of the park.
Design work is almost finishedfor the stream restoration workthat will be started later thissummer on the small tributarythat runs through the park andflows into Beargrass Creek.
Warwick ParkWork to install a new play-ground for younger childrencontinues at Warwick Park.Drainage improvements andnew landscaping are alsoplanned with work scheduled tobe completed by the beginningof summer. The City of St.Matthews and former MetroCouncilman Ken Flemings’ officemade matching funds availableso the project could moveforward.
Park Place
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FEBRUARY 2015
Personal informationResidents should take care toavoid releasing personalinformation when using onlinetrading services like Craigslist. Inaddition to identity theft, somecriminals will attempt to get yourhome address to come burglarizethe home or rob the resident.
Bank account scamA current, common scam involvesa person contacting you torequest that you deposit one oftheir checks in your bank accountand withdraw that same amountfor them. As their thanks for this“service,” they offer to give youpart of the money. This is always ascam since their check is not real.
Remember, if it sounds too goodto be true, it is.
Attention business ownersSMPD has recently responded toseveral burglar alarm calls. As aresult, SMPD is requesting that allbusinesses contact the policedepartment at 893-9000 toupdate their emergency contacts.
ID ThisPersonCheck outIDthisperson.
com to help identify criminalsanonymously. You may receive a$25 reward. New images areposted every day of unidentifiedsuspects.
Free house watchSt. Matthews Police Departmentprovides free house watches forresidents during vacations andother times they must be awayfrom home. Just telephone SMPDat 893-9000 to schedule.
Crime Buzz
SMPD AnonymousTip Line
If you have seen somethingsuspicious, you can alert
the police anonymously bycalling 498-CLUE (2583),
Option 1. To report a crimein progress, call SMPD
directly at 893-9000. Youdo not have to give your
name.
Jefferson County League of Cities,a not-for-profit organizationestablished to serve the goals andinterests of more than 80incorporated cities withinJefferson County, would likecounty residents to know itsmonthly meetings are open to thepublic. The meetings are held thethird Thursday of the month at7 p.m. in the second floorcommunity room of Central BankHurstbourne, located at 9300Shelbyville Road. Speakers andprogram topics focus on priorityissues for Jefferson County citiesand can be found at jeffersoncountyleagueofcities.com.
Code WordsIf the long Indian summer keptyou from doing so earlier, pleaseremember to store campers,boats and trailers for the winter.City Code section 78.09, “Parkingof boats, trailers, and RVs”,explains what is permissiblewhen storing these vehicles. For those who have parkedother vehicles in front or backyards to make room forrecreational vehicles during thewarmer season, it should benoted that the only place on a
residential lot that any vehiclemay be parked outside is in thedriveway or in the parking lot ofan apartment building. No vehiclemay be parked in the grassbetween a house and the street.For those who live on a cornerlot, this applies to both streets. Where parking is allowed onthe street, the vehicle must beparked parallel to and within thebounds of the curb or edge ofpavement and facing in the samedirection as the traffic. To read these codes in theirentirety, go to the Governmenttab on the stmatthewsky.govwebsite and click on“Ordinances.” You will find theinformation under Title VII,section 78 (Parking Regulations).
JCLC meetingsopen to public
PAGE 6
The Dec. 9, 2014, city councilmeeting was a time forcelebration and presentations. From top left, going clockwise:Councilman Rick Tonini unveils aportrait of Mayor Bowling to bedisplayed on the Wall of Mayorsin the city council chambers ofCity Hall; Andy and Ken Draut
accept a plaque on behalf oftheir father, Arthur K. Draut, forhis service to the city; PoliceChief Norm Mayer presents aplaque to Mayor Bowling onbehalf of the St. MatthewsPolice Department; formerDistrict 7 Metro Councilman KenFleming presents a
proclamation to Mayor Bowling;City of St. Matthews first ladiesMrs. Denise Tonini, Mrs. MaryBowling (Bernard Bowling, Jr.),and Mrs. Jane Bowling (BernardBowling, Sr.) enjoy thefestivities; and CouncilmanMary Jo Nay presents MayorBowling with a gavel plaque.
December council a night for awards
New fire engine purchasedThe St. Matthews Fire ProtectionDistrict purchased a new fire engineto replace a 1993 model that wassold last summer. DesignatedEngine 2636, the truck waspurchased in November from EONEFire Apparatus in Ocala, FL, andcarries 500 gallons of water, rescuetools, medical equipment, and anautomated external defibrillator(AED). The new fire engine was placedinto service at Station #1 on SearsAvenue, which is staffed by fourcareer firefighter/EMTs 24 hours aday.
Harrods Creek, St.Matthews collaborateIf you see a big red pickup drivingaround St. Matthews you might bewondering if the Harrods Creek FireDistricts Battalion Chief is lost.Upon closer observation, you willnotice that the truck is actuallylettered for both Harrods Creek andSt. Matthews Fire Districts. Sincefall of 2013, both fire districts havebeen working and training together.To cover the three-day rotation, St.Matthews provides two battalionchiefs and Harrods Creek providesone. This work rotation allows a
chief officer to beon duty 24 hours aday to commandemergency scenesand providepersonnelmanagement. In January of2014 Harrods
Creek moved a paramedic fireengine into St. Matthews FireStation #2 at the corner ofHubbard’s Lane and BrownsboroRoad. The relocation of this engineallows for a faster response to theareas in Harrods Creek that are inthe western sections of its firedistrict as well as the northernsection of the St. Matthews District.While the Harrods Creek firefightersuse their paramedic engine torespond to calls in the afore-mentioned sectors, St. Matthewsfirefighters use a 100-foot laddertruck to respond to other sectors inSt. Matthews.
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FEBRUARY 2015
Mar. 10,4:00 p.m.Shakespeare’sfamouscharacters arebrought to life inthis magical
two-person performance of TheTempest. The audience will beengaged with professional actors ina creative performance that focuseson the importance of leadership,teamwork, and conflict resolution.All ages welcome.
Mar. 31, 2:30 p.m.Mildred and Patty Hill, Susan LookAvery, Mary T. Meagher, and ToriMurden McClure are just a few ofthe legendary women of Louisvillewho will be the focus of adiscussion by local architect andhistorian Steve Wiser.
Apr. 16, 2:30 p.m.Join local authorKevin Gibson ashe discusses thehistory of beer inLouisville.
First Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m.Family Storytime, with varyingthemes, is held the first Tuesday ofevery month at 6:30 p.m.
For more information on manymore library programs and classes,visit http://www.lfpl.org.
Hot Off the Press
Eline Library: Check it out
Games for the 2015 season ofSt. Matthews baseball and
softball begin Apr. 14 forages 4-12. The opening dayparade will be held Apr. 18 at8:30 a.m., departing from St.Matthews Baptist Churchand concluding at St.Matthews CommunityCenter. Picture day isApr. 25. The organization still needsumpires, scorekeepers, andconcession workers, ages 14
and up. Training will beprovided for these paidpositions. For umpirespositions, contact WayneKraus at 777-1617; forscorekeeper positions, DickFarmer at [email protected]; and forconcessions worker positionsand any other information,[email protected].
PAGE 8
St. Matthews Baseball and Softball
Alexander Hamilton Historical Society of KentuckyFeb. 14, 10:30 a.m.The Society’s annualsymposium, The President’sExecutive Power: When Is ItConstitutional?, will be held atBellarmine University in theBrown Center/Frazier Hall. Thesymposium will be moderatedby Aaron D. Hoffman,Associate Professor of PoliticalScience at Bellarmine, and issupported by several campusorganizations. For the balance of the year,the Society will meet the thirdSaturday of each month in thesecond floor meeting room of
the St. Matthews/Eline Libraryat 10:30 a.m. All meetings arefree and open to the public.
Mar. 21Dr. William Nash will reviewJohn Quincy Adams, written byFred Kaplan. One of our mostoverlooked presidents, JohnQuincy Adams was a leader ofsweeping perspective. Hisprogressive values helpedshape the course of the nation.
Apr. 18Jack Bramer will speak on BenFranklin and the 1754 Plan ofUnion. The Albany Plan of
Union was a proposal to createa unified government for the13 colonies. The plan wassuggested by Ben Franklin,then a senior leader anddelegate from Pennsylvania, atthe Albany Congress of July1754.
Beargrass Historical SocietyWednesdays, 10 a.m. to noonThe Historical Society iscollaborating with John Findingand Tom Morton to assemblestories and photos for theirproject, Images of America:Louisville’s St. Matthews. Theyare available each Wednesday,
10 a.m. to 12 p.m., in theHistorical Society room on thesecond floor of City Hall.During these times theywelcome interested persons tobring questions, answers, andmaterials to be scanned.Contact Tom Morton at
[email protected] or396-9406.
Feb. 8, 2 p.m.A meeting will be heldconcerning the Imagesof America: Louisville’s St.Matthews project.
Seasons Greetings
Bryce Dreher swings away during alittle league baseball game.
FEBRUARY 2015
PAGE 9
The Woman’s Club of St. MatthewsMembership is
open for theWoman’s Club ofSt. Matthews,
which funds various communityprojects, provides scholar-ships, and enjoys social eventsand educational programs. Formore information, check thewebsite at wcsm.org or call FranEvola, President, at 445-3040. Allprograms are free of charge andare held at 11 a.m. at the St.Matthews Community Centerwith a $5.00 optional lunchfollowing the program.
Feb. 3, 11 a.m.A Kentucky Refugee Ministriesrepresentative will speak aboutthe non-profit organizationdedicated to providing
resettlement services torefugees.
Mar. 23The speaker topic is the roleeducation plays in helpingcitizens become active, usefulmembers of society.
Apr. 27The speaker will provideinformation about organ andtissue donation in Kentucky.
Scholarship for 2015 highschool seniorGraduating seniors currentlyattending Waggener, Trinity,Sacred Heart, Ballard, or Waldonmay apply for one of five $2,500scholarships being awarded bythe Woman’s Club of St.
Matthews. The applicationdeadline is Apr. 17. For moreinformation and to accessapplication forms, visitwcsm.org.
Scholarship for adultwomanAdult women who are residentsof St. Matthews and arereturning to school for the firsttime or after an absence of yearsmay apply for a $5,000 scholar-ship. Theapplicationdeadline isApr. 17.For moreinforma-tion and to access applicationforms, visit wcsm.org.
Good NeighboringDisposalcontainersGarbage andrecycling containersshould not be setout until 5 p.m. the day beforepickup, and containers should beput away the same day they areemptied. Ensure all garbage canshave lids. During snow events orwhen sidewalks are icy, garbagecans should be set out at thestreet.
Pot hole reportingTo report a pot hole that needsfilling, you may dial the Call St.Matthews System at 498-CALL(2255) and select option 2 for
services, then option 2 again. Leavea message with the exact locationof the pot hole.
Snow removalWhen it snows, remove cars orother obstructions from the streetsso that Works Departmentsnowplow drivers can get throughto clear snow and treat streets.
Turn off your ignitionDon’t leave your vehiclerunning while you’re not in it.It’s illegal, wastes precious fuel,pollutes the air, and makes yourvehicle an easy target forthieves.
Street lightsLet’s remember our youngercitizens who are crossingstreets and waiting on cornersfor school buses in darkeninghours. To report an out-of-service street light or one thatburns all day, phone the Call St.Matthews line at 638-4STM(4786) and select option2, thenoption 4.
PAGE 10
ConstructionConstruction crew projectsover the past few monthshave included sinkholerepairs on Alton Road,Colonial Drive, andNorbourne Blvd.; catchbasin and drainage pipeinstallment on Bauer
Avenue and Elmwood Court;drainage repairs onPrimrose Drive and StaeblerAvenue; and installing benchswings in Warwick Park. Thecrew also investigateddamage by an LG&Econtractor to a large pipealong Browns Lane andprepared the right-of-wayfor a drainage projectscheduled for spring 2015on Williamsburg Court.Major work was performedon Winchester Roadbetween Browns Laneand Del Ray, includingcompleting drainageimprovements, pouringdriveway aprons,resurfacing the street,and placing sod asweather permitted.
WorksThe Works crew also had itshands full. Projects includedremoving trash and otherdebris from creek banks andremoving graffiti fromArthur K. Draut Park,removing trash and otherdebris from creek banks in
Brown Park, andopening up adrainage ditch andsodding a ditch onTrinity Hills Lane. Thecrew transplantedbushes from aconstruction area toa site around thepatio at theCommunity Center
and to a land-scaped area inWarwick Park. The crew alsocleaned graffiti from signs,sidewalks, light poles, andstreets in the Fairmeadearea and from a citymaintenance building onThierman Lane. Finally, thecrew installed and removedChristmas lights fromHolzheimer Park at thecorner of Westport Roadand Chenoweth Lane and onTen Pin Lane.
GeneralGeneral crews convertedthe leaf pickup vehicles forsnow treatment, plantedwinter pansies at City Halland in Brown Park, andwinterized bathrooms atCommunity Park. InNovember they began thecity leaf pickup program andsnow treatment. They alsorepaired the retaining wallat the corner of Brown Parkand the Baptist Healthentrance, due to a trafficaccident, and patchedpotholes.
Your Works at Work
Get a Free TreeResidents may request
a free tree to beplanted along the front
of their property bycalling City Hall at 895-9444 or filling out the
Contact Us form on thecity’s website at
www.stmatthewsky.gov. Over 1,600 trees
have been planted withthe species varying
each year.
FEBRUARY 2015
PAGE 11
Hometown History - 2015THENHeskamp & Bauer WagonManufacturers, 1910. Accordingto St. Matthews – The Crossroadsof Beargrass by Samuel W.Thomas, “An advertisement inThe Jeffersonian, February 17,1910, read, ‘Heskamp & Bauer,St. Matthews, Ky., Blacksmiths &Wagon Makers, Rubber Tires aSpecialty. Manufacturers of allstyles of Buggies . . . Spring,Platform, Farm and Light FamilyWagons and Road Carts. Also
Horse Shoeing and Repairing donein the best manner.’ The structurewas ‘unroofed and. . . decoratedwith tarpaulin covering’ followinga violent storm in 1912.”
NOWSt. Matthews Car Wash andMichel Tire Plus at 108 and 116Chenoweth Lane, respectively.
The Kentucky ConsumerProtection Act protectsKentucky from “unfair, false,misleading, or deceptive acts orpractice in trade or commerce.”The Attorney General’s Officeof Consumer Protectionenforces the Act by bringinglawsuits in the public interest ina range of matters including
but not limited to automobilesales, telemarketing salesincluding the Do-Not-Call list,business opportunities,charitable solicitations, debtcollection, truth in lending,privacy, recreation andretirement land sales, Internetsales, pharmaceutical drugs,and for-profit schools.
The Office of ConsumerProtection also helps resolveindividual consumertransaction complaints andprovides educational programsto community groupsconcerning scam artists andbeing better consumers. For more information, contactthem at 429-7134.
KY Attorney General provides consumer protection
VP Joey Porter and Coach Bob Beatty proudly displaytheir street sign as 2014 marks the 23�� time Trinity HighSchool Football has won the state championship.
TRINITY ROCKSState
Championship
City of St. Matthews3940 Grandview AvenueP.O. Box 7097St. Matthews, KY 40257-0097
STD PRSTU.S. Postage
PAIDLouisville, KYPermit #976
Your Elected Officials forthe City of St. Matthews:
Mayor Richard J. Tonini
City CouncilBernard Bowling
Frank Flynn
Tim Holland
Stuart Monohan
Mary Jo Nay
Martha Schade
Tony Weiter
Patrick Wissing
Council meetings begin at 7 p.m. onthe second and fourth Tuesday ofeach month.
City Council meeting minutes areonline at www.stmatthewsky.gov.
Government AccessCity Hall Office: 895-9444
Code Enforcement: 899-2512
Police Department: 893-9000
City Engineer: 899-2518
Property Taxes: 899-2511
Police Records: 899-2537
Anonymous Tip Line:498-CLUE
(2583)
Emergency: 911
Need to know?Call St. Matthews
Automated Service
24/7 Information Line
638-4STM (4786)Administration Press 1
Services Press 2
News Press 3
Police Press 4
E-CONNECTIONTo submit your email address toreceive important St. Matthewsupdates, visit the city website at
www.stmatthewsky.gov or call cityoffices. Email addresses will not be
shared with other parties.