Metro Council adopts emergency zoning ordinance for 8107–8119 Minor Lane, adds $56,000 relocation fund

The Louisville Metro Council on Jan. 9 adopted an emergency ordinance rezoning properties at 8107 through 8119 Minor Lane (case 24Zone0110) and added language creating a $56,000 discretionary relocation fund to assist residents with moving-related expenses.

Councilman Adam Syme, who sponsored the ordinance, said the item had been “a tough” case the council had been working on. Travis Shuster, the county attorney, read the amendment the council added to binding element 6(b): “The housing counselor shall also have a fund of $56,000 to provide assistance to residents for relocation expenses, including temporary lodging, food, or other expenses residents would not have incurred, but for the relocation.” Shuster said the new fund is separate from existing owner and renter assistance amounts and would be administered at the housing counselor’s discretion.

The amendment was moved and seconded and adopted. The ordinance as amended then passed on a roll-call vote; the clerk announced 24 yes votes, 1 no vote and 1 present vote. The ordinance was read in full at the meeting and taken up under emergency consideration after a two-thirds motion to treat the item as an emergency passed.

During discussion Councilmember Chappell asked who would serve as the housing counselor and how that role would be defined. Shuster said the planning commission had discussed an applicant employee initially serving in the role and that the applicant may have since contracted with outside individuals with “more professional housing experience,” working with Planning & Design Services staff to ensure the binding elements are followed. No specific individual was named at the meeting.

Council documents read into the record note that approximately 56 families will be relocated as part of the project. The ordinance adds the discretionary $56,000 fund to binding element 6(b) to cover expenses tied to relocation beyond the existing owner and renter assistance amounts identified earlier in the record ($6,000 for owners and $2,400 for renters, as described in prior proceedings). The council did not specify a schedule for distribution beyond placing administration authority with the housing counselor.

The ordinance text and the amendment were entered into the record as part of case 24Zone0110 and will be reflected in the formal ordinance file.