Jeffersontown council advances annexation of two Chenoweth Run tracts amid residents’ flood and notice concerns

Jeffersontown’s City Council approved the second reading of an ordinance to annex two tracts adjacent to Chenoweth Run Road, advancing the proposal after a lengthy public comment period in which residents raised concerns about flooding, notification and tax/service tradeoffs.

The annexation ordinance, read aloud by a city staff member, describes two tracts contiguous with the current Jeffersontown boundary and explains the statutory process under KRS 81A.425: if the county/metro council does not act within 60 days, the annexation may become effective by operation of law after required publication and processing. The council voted by voice to carry the motion on the ordinance at the meeting.

Residents who live along Chenoweth Run told the council they have experienced markedly higher flood levels in the last two years. “The last two years it’s been going over top of my bridge,” said Matt Ledington, a resident, who urged the city to ensure stormwater retention standards keep pace with recent rain events. A longtime resident and other speakers said developers or MSD (Metropolitan Sewer District) have in some cases paid regional fees instead of installing on-site detention, and that practice has increased downstream flooding and property impacts.

City staff and the public works director responded that the city requires detention for new development and for significant expansions, and noted limitations when a waterway is under the Corps of Engineers’ jurisdiction. Jimmy Franconia, the public works director, said the city mandates detention where it can and that MSD’s regional-fee approach sometimes places detention away from the immediately affected downstream properties.

Several residents questioned whether they had received adequate notice and whether the petition process had been conducted thoroughly. David Reed said he only learned of the annexation a week before the meeting and expressed concern about signature collection and certified mailing. A staff member who handled outreach said mailings and door visits had been made and that the petition effort exceeded statutory thresholds, saying canvassing and phone calls were used to notify affected property owners.

Residents also debated the practical effects of annexation: police response times, garbage pickup and whether inclusion of a vacant lot (4710 Chenoweth Run Road) on the annexation map would force unintended tax or HOA consequences. Staff said Saratoga Woods’ common areas would not be included, and that vacant lots could be removed from the annexation map or added later if residents petitioned.

The council president noted the process does not end with passage at council: after publication the annexation will be transmitted to Metro/County reviewers, who have up to 60 days to act under state statute. The staff member who read the ordinance said the city will publish the ordinance and engage the next procedural steps. No numerical roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript; the motion passed on a voice vote.

Next steps: the annexation moves to the next review stage under KRS 81A.425; residents were advised they can seek map adjustments (removal or later inclusion of specific lots) and staff offered to provide additional documentation and petition records to concerned citizens.