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.

MAY 2013

When debris from an accident is whisked from thestreet or a walker marvels at the appearance of anew sidewalk, it is not the magic of some localHarry Potter but the sweat equity of Public Worksemployees who not only do their job well but lovedoing it. “When you get up in the morning and likegoing to work, it’s a great thing,” said backhoeoperator and 11-year employee Tim Casey. “It’sthe best job I’ve ever had.”

That’s pretty much the consensus of WorksDepartment employees, where the 10 mensupervised by 36-year veteran Terry Ridgeway doeverything from fill pot holes to plow snow fromstreets. Through the years, Terry has seen somechanges. “When I first came to the department,we didn’t have a plow to clear off the streets – weused a backhoe.” And salting the streets meantstanding in the back of a dump truck slinging salt

with shovels. “It was backbreaking work,” he said.The city has grown, too. “When I got here, therewas still a lot of farm land in St. Matthews and theland for Brown Park had just been donated. Withthe additional growth, there is a lot more to takecare of.” The men Ridgeway has hired are equal to thejob. Among other jobs, Dave Hill (11 years) hascleaned out ditches, cut undergrowth from the

parks, cleared the swamp in Arthur Draut Parkand, lately has been painting trees to keep beaversfrom gnawing them. “I enjoy outside work, even inthe winter,” he said. Frank Tonini (30+ years)supervises community service volunteers whohelp out St. Matthews. Danny Webb (2 years) does many jobs, but isprimarily responsible for irrigation of the parks, ballfields and City Hall. In the winter, Webb blows the

water out of all the lines and removes thebackflow preventers. In the spring, he reinstallsthem and checks all the lines.“I love working here,”he said. Other workers like Moe Hibbard (16 years) andJimmy Bowles (6 years) do landscaping andtrimming, among other jobs. With St. Matthewsboundaries reaching from Westport Road toDutchmans Lane (including Dupont Circle), there is

a lot of trimming and grass mowing. AaronMcCarley (7 years) supervises the summermowing, including the parks, ball fields andcommon areas. As is typical with the multipletalents of the Works crew, McCarley’s metalfabrication and welding skills were used toturn an MSD-donated truck into the City’sSWAT truck. “You can fit 8-10 guys in thereand it holds all the equipment and officer supplies

St Matthews Works Department (left to right): Back Row - Robert Goode, Aaron McCarley, David Hill, Jimmy Bowles, Ray Wheeler, DonDeHaven; Front Row - Danny Webb, Moe Hibbard, Tim Casey, Supervisor Terry Ridgeway, Frank Tonini.

A job well loved and well done

Continued on page 5

A job well loved and well done

A Message FromA

PAGE 2

Washburn crossing improvements move forward

Spring Cleaning: Do you know whereyour litter goes?Littering isn’t just a nasty habit; it’s a real healththreat. Plastic bottles, fast food wrappers and cups thatget tossed on the ground carry germs and bacteria thatcan make you sick. Cups, gum wrappers, cigarettebutts and other litter dropped into gutters and washedinto storm drains affect the watershed. Some of this litter may be coming from uncoveredtrash bins with the help of wind or hungry animals.Trash from a fast-food meal left in the back of apickup truck also quickly becomes litter at 50 milesper hour. Please help keep our outdoors tidy and ourenvironment clean.

Here are some helpful tips:● Put cigarette butts in an ashtray, not on the ground● Make sure truck beds are covered or tightly secured● Pick up water bottles or other litter that falls out of

your vehicle anddispose of it properly

● Participate incommunity trashcleanup events

● Reduce, Reuse,Recycle wheneverpossible

Taking these steps ishealthy, simple andresponsible. Be part of the solution.

The financial audit for the yearending June 30, 2012, for theCity of St. Matthews has beencompleted by Stephens &Lawson Certified PublicAccountants and was presented

to the mayor and city council atthe February 26 council meeting.The audit found that revenuesare up and that, althoughexpenses are up moderately dueto increased spending on public

works and public safety,expenses did not exceed theamount of revenue collected.The audit showed the City of St.Matthews’ financial position tobe in good standing.

District 7 MetroCouncilman KenFleming reportedthat thePreliminaryEngineering

Agreement for the WashburnAvenue quiet zone has been

approved. Over the next couple ofmonths, CSX will review const-ruction plans. “Meanwhile,”Fleming said, “we are getting theproject logistics worked out so weare ready to begin work as soonas we receive the requiredapproval.”

This project requires WashburnAvenue to be widened at thecrossing, as well as installing newbarrier medians and upgradingsignal equipment. Constructioncosts will be split between District7 Capital Infrastructure Funds, St.Matthews and Lyndon.

May 2013S 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 31

June 2013S M T W T F S

12 3 4 5 6 7 89 10 12 12 13 14 1516 17 18 19 20 21 2223 24 25 26 27 28 2930

July 2013S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 67 8 9 10 11 12 1314 15 16 17 18 19 2021 22 23 24 25 26 2728 29 30 31

Recycling is collected every other week on the same day astrash on weeks highlighted in red. Holidays are marked

in blue and will delay recycling/trash one day.

Easy Being Green

MAY 2013

PAGE 3

Park Place

Upcoming improvements to St.Matthews parks will include a newrestroom pavilion at CommunityPark. Located at the end of Ten Pin Lane,Community Park was updated duringthe winter with the addition of a newplayground surface. The design forthe new restroom has been approved

and the construction contract will beout for bid soon. The structure willbe built beside the large parking lot,making restroom access moreconvenient. Building will notcommence until the Little Leagueseason has ended. The last project in the multi-yearcapital improvement for CommunityPark will be the redesign and pavingof the parking lot. In other improvements, the non-native plant removal program atDraut Park on Bowling Boulevard iswrapping up. The KentuckyDepartment of Forestry willrecommend native Kentucky trees tobe planted in the park in November. The beavers that took up residencein Draut Park several years ago are

taking a bite out of most any treethey see. Many of the trees alongBowling Blvd. were painted brownwith sand in the paint to keep thebeavers from cutting them down andbuilding a log cabin. The City is stillevaluating the effect the beavers arehaving on Draut Park and thesurrounding neighborhood.

Eco-Tech donates tree

Beargrass Creek bank stabilization work inBrown Park held up well during the firstmajor rainfall since improvements weremade last year.

Eco-Tech, a provider ofrecycling collection anddisposal services, donated awhite oak tree to St.Matthews. The tree wasplanted near the pavilion inBrown Park. As part of itscommitment to theenvironment, Eco Techdonated trees to all smallcities within MetroLouisville.

St. Matthews has a regulartree planting programwhereby residents canrequest a free tree be plantedalong the front of theirproperty in the easementarea. It is estimated that morethan 1,800 red sunset maples,ash, ornamental pear andother species have beenplanted since the programbegan in 1995.

St. Matthews has pavilions you canreserve at Brown, Community andWarwick Parks for a specific dateand time at NO CHARGE. St.Matthews’ residency is not required.To reserve, visit the city administrativeoffice during regular business hoursand complete a reservation form. Youwill need a photo ID.

Likewise, if you have a ball teamand need a field, St. Matthews hasseveral options. A brochure regardingreservations of park pavilions orball fields is available at City Hall,the library or online atwww.stmatthews.org under theEntertainment section.

St. Matthews baseball, softball starts upCome out and support your local boys and girls, eat ahot dog andrevel in theGreatAmericanPastime.St. MatthewsBabe RuthBaseball andSoftball hasbegun at Community Park at the end of Ten Pin Lane.For a schedule of games and other information, seetheir website athttp://www.eteamz.com/stmatthews/.Games are free, and teams are on the field!

Reserve ballpark, pavilion

Police Beat

PAGE 4

St. Matthews Police: Helping youhelp your communityEvery day of the year the professionalmen and women of the SMPDprevent and solve crimes committednot only in our city but in other citiesand counties as well. Part of theirprogram is crime preventioneducation. Citizens can take action tolessen the opportunity for theft andvandalism:● Lock car and home doors● Don’t leave belongings like

purses, briefcases, packages, GPSdevices visible in parked cars

● Use outdoor lighting at night

● Report unusual activity inneighborhood and work places

● Close and lock doors while you doyard work

● Lock parked bicycles and don’tleave them in the yard overnight

● Store yard tools like mowers inlocked garages and storage sheds

● Close windows, even if you arerunning a quick errand

● Cut back bushes and shrubs toprovide visibility of windows fromthe street (don’t give a burglar ahidden entrance to your home)

● Be alert to door-to-door solicitorswho may be in the neighborhoodto learn which residents are away

from home or what timeresidents return home from work

● Use SMPD FREE house watchwhen you need to be away fromhome

SMPD officers are trained and readyto help you any time you call. Be sure toask them how you can do your part tohelp prevent crime in your community.

ID That PersonIf you believe you can identify aperson involved in criminal activity,check out theIDthisperson.com website.New imagesare postedevery day ofunidentified

suspects or persons of interest.Anonymous tipsters who helpidentify criminals may receive a$25 reward.

House WatchesFree house watches are availablefrom SMPD when residents areaway from home. Telephone themat 893-9000 to schedule yours.

Anonymous Tip LineIf you have seen someone orsomething that seems suspicious,you can give the police a heads upanonymously by calling 498-CLUE(2583), Option 1. To notify thepolice of an action in progress,telephone SMPD directly at 893-9000. You do not have to give yourname.

Crime Buzz

St. Matthews Street Festival tobe held May 18The St. Matthews Street Festival,sponsored by the St. MatthewsArea Chamber of Commerce, willbe held Saturday, May 18. The day-long festival is held on FrankfortAvenue between Lexington Road

and Bauer Avenue and highlightsthe community’s business, history,cuisine and style. It also showcasesthe area’s retailers, restaurantsand live entertainment. Family funand activities include the Kidz Zoneand Wellness Fair.

Historical St. MatthewsThe Alexander Hamilton HistoricalSociety of Kentucky meets on thethird Saturday of each month at10:30 a.m. on the second floor ofSt. Matthews City Hall. For moreinformation regarding programs,call Lynn Olympia at 709-5070 oremail her at Olympia1231@aol.com.

Following are the meetingtopics:▪ May 18 AHHS member, Dr.

Karl Kuhl will present a paperon Athenian Democracy vs.American Democracy.

▪ June 15 AHHS treasurer willreview Robert Morris, Finan-cier of the American Revolu-tion by Charles Rappley.

▪ July 13 AHHS member Attor-ney Jim Hill will review Mr.Adam’s Last Crusade, JohnQuincy Adam’s ExtraordinaryPost-Presidential Life in Con-gress, by Joseph Whalen.

Seasons Greetings

MAY 2013

they need for a SWAT emergency,” saidMcCarley. Besides the yearly leaf pickup and snowremoval and the daily potholes, mowing, treeplanting and landscaping, the WorksDepartment is responsible for remodeling CityHall and maintenance work on municipalproperties owned by the City of St. Matthews.Don DeHaven (15 years) has done much of thiswork, including remodeling the women’s lockerroom in City Hall. Decisions regarding which projects to includeon top of regular work are agreed upon by theWorks Department and the City Council. One of

the projects this year was to pour a concretebase for bleachers at Community Park’s Voll ballfield. “You can’t beat working with MayorBowling,” said Ridgeway, who also worked withBowling’s dad before him. Ray Wheeler (16 years) feels just the sameway about Ridgeway, who he says never standsover them. “He does his job and lets you doyours,” said Wheeler, “yet he’s a really goodsupervisor, always making sure things are donethe right way.” Wheeler continued, “I love St.Matthews and the people here. I rememberwhen I used to mow for the City and a ladywould always bring me homemade sugar

cookies and lemonade. People are just like thathere.” Robert Goode (10 years) couldn’t agree more.“When I’m out working storm damage at 2 a.m.,[Councilman] Rick Tonini comes out to work withme,” he said. “They actually care about their Cityand about us. Most of the guys who work herelive here. I love working for a department whereno job is done halfway, but everyone goes aboveand beyond what they are asked to do.” Some might call that attitude magic in today’sworld of me, me, me, but, truly, it just comesnaturally to the good people of the St.Matthews Works Department.

Pet careSt. Matthews has a leash law requiringpet owners to keep their cats, dogs andother animals on a leash when not onthe resident’s property. If the animal is inan unfenced area on the owner’sproperty, it must be under the control ofthe owner at all times. Owners may notsubstitute an electric collar for a leash.See Ordinance 91.02 at www.stmatthews.org for more information.

MowingWith warmer weather comes grassmowing. When cutting grass, don’tblow clippings into a neighbor’s yardor the street.

SidewalksSidewalks are built for the use ofpedestrians. When they are blocked,pedestrians are forced to walk in thestreet or on someone’s privateproperty. Neither cars nor motorcyclesshould be parked, either partially orfully, on sidewalks or in such a way thatblocks a sidewalk from use. Likewise,debris should not be stacked onsidewalks. To report a damagedsidewalk 24/ 7, access the “Call St.Matthews” service line at 498-2255and select option 4.

Yard wasteFree stickersfor yourdesignated yardwaste cans areavailable at CityHall.

Catch basinsDon’t pile debris in or over a catchbasin, which will cause floodingduring heavy rains.

Slow down!This time of year, St. Matthewsneighborhoods fill up with playingchildren, making it especiallyimportant to obey traffic laws.Observe speed limits and come to afull stop at signals and stop signs.

PAGE 5

Good Neighboring

continued from page 1

Check It OutJoin friends at the St. Matthews-ElineLibrary for a special technology series. Tech Talk will take place onThursday mornings at 10:30. Thetopics are listed below:▪ May 9 Digital Scrapbooking▪ May 23 Free ePublishing

▪ June 13 3D Printing & Modelingfor Beginners

▪ June 27 Party Planning For more library happenings, go tothe St. Matthews branch page onlfpl.org and click on Programs at St.Matthews.

Job well loved

Your Works at WorkYourYour

PAGE 6

Tornado ReadinessWe may not be inKansas, butKentucky has seenits fair share oftornados,especially whenthe seasonschange and air

temperatures rise and drop rapidly.Louisville’s sirens cycle every threeminutes and are tested at noon thesecond Tuesday of every month. To be ready for a tornado, be alertto the onset of weather by knowingwhat’s going on outside and signingup for the Code Red phonenotification system. To sign up, callMetroCall 311 and have a cityemployee enter your information. Askabout the new app for cell phones.Code Red has the ability to alert 1,500numbers per minute.

Create a family plan for safety andcommunication. If you have abasement, go to its interior, awayfrom west and south walls. Otherwise,go to a small, windowless, first floor,interior room like a closet orbathroom. Bathtubs are anchoreddirectly into the ground, andsometimes are the only thing left inplace after the tornado. Getting intothe bathtub with a couch cushion overyou gives you protection on all sides. If you are at school, follow theirtornado drill plan. If you are in a highrise, go to an interior stairwell or thebasement. Do not stay in a mobilehome or a car. Look for a sturdybuilding. A ditch may be the safestchoice when in a car, unless there isdanger of flooding from hard rain. Make sure you have a plan whereyou will meet up with your family

after the tornado has passed. Conductdrills to rehearse your family plan. The Red Cross suggests yourfamily put together a disastersupplies kit including:▪ A first aid kit with essential

medication in addition to theusual items.

▪ A battery powered radio,flashlight and extra batteries.

▪ Canned and other non-perishable food and a hand-operated can opener.

▪ Bottled water (3 days supply).▪ Sturdy shoes and work gloves.▪ Written instructions on how

to turn off your home’sutilities.

Don’t let severe weather sendyou whirling – have a plan in placeso that you are able to helpyourself and your neighbors.

Project updatesThe St. Matthews Works andConstruction Departments have beenhammering out several projects.Updates on the projects are as follows:▪ Briarwood Road drainage

improvement is approximately 50percent complete.

▪ Ridgeway Avenue at Westport Roaddrainage work is complete exceptfor some ditch grading that will bedone when the weather improves.

▪ Sidewalk repairs on NorbourneBoulevard and Wallace Avenuewere scheduled to be completed byApril 15.

Other continuing projects include:▪ Constructing concrete pads for

bleachers at Voll Field inCommunity Park

▪ Mulching landscape bedsthroughout the city

▪ Remodeling the SMPD women’srestroom/locker room at city hall

▪ Planting trees throughout the city,in the city parks and in front of cityhall

Extreme weather debrisIn the event of a tornado or straightline winds, all debris will be picked upby the Works Department if it is placedat the street edge. It does not have tobe bundled. In most cases, WorksDepartment crews are outimmediately after extreme events,clearing and picking up debris through-out the city.

IN MEMORY - DORIS FISHER

St. Matthews City HallBusiness License Clerk DorisFisher passed away March 9,

following a short illness.Fisher had just completed 12years of service. She will be

sadly missed.

MAY 2013

In the Kitchen The kitchen is one of the more dangerous rooms in thehouse. Open flames, sharp knives, hot pots and scaldingliquids can cause serious injuries. Look at your kitchen fromthe perspective of an accident waiting to happen. Are papersstacked too close to the range or cooktop? Are knives easilyaccessible to children? Here are some suggestions toconsider in relation to preventing burns and/or a fire:▪ Keep the gas cooktop away from open windows where

wind could extinguish the cooking flames.▪ Keep the handles of pots and frying pans turned inward

on the kitchen range so that they cannot be knockedover by accident.

▪ To prevent grease fires, keep the stove clear of anythingflammable, including pot holders, napkins and towels.

▪ Keep baking soda on hand to extinguish fires.

On the GrillBarbeque▪ Never leave a barbecue grill unattended.▪ Place the grill well away from siding, deck railings and

out from under eaves and overhanging branches. Don'tuse or store grill on a porch or balcony.

Charcoal▪ Purchase the proper starter fluid and store out of reach

of children and away from heat sources.▪ Dispose of charcoal coals only after they are cool. Empty

the coals into a metal container with a tight-fitting lidthat is used only to collect coals. Place the containeraway from anything that can burn. Never empty coalsdirectly into a trash can.

Propane Grills▪ If you smell gas while cooking, immediately get away

from the grill and call the fire department. Do notattempt to move the grill.

▪ Light a propane grill only with the cover open.

Friend Lyndon Fire on FacebookLyndon Fire Protection District, which covers partof the city of St. Matthews, is asking everyone to“friend” them on their new Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/Lyndon firedepartment. Thesite promotes fire safety. You do not have to live intheir district to participate.

Code WordsSpring has sprung! St. Matthewsresidents can be part of the rejuvenationand revitalization associated with Springstarting now by checking the conditionof lawn and outside maintenanceequipment. Having a lawn mowerserviced and the blade replaced orchecking on pruning and cuttingtools will make yard work easierduring the growing season. What, you may ask, does this haveto do with “Code Words”? It ispertinent because one of the mostcommonly heard complaints madeto the Code Enforcement section atthis time of year is that someone isnot keeping up with their grass orother plant growth. The majority ofour residents regularly keep theirgrass cut, but circumstances have led tothe grass on a resident’s propertyexceeding the eight inch height limit setby city code. After receiving a callregarding the property, Code

Enforcement performs an inspection. Ifthere is a violation, the CodeEnforcement officer will attempt tocontact the resident and/or owner ofthe property to have the grass cut. If no

one can be contacted or the request isnot acted upon quickly, a formal noticeof violation (including the penalty fornon-compliance) is sent to the propertyowner. This step is the exception rather

than the rule because most of ourcitizens act quickly to rectify thesituation. Similarly, but apparently not as widelyunderstood, is the obligation of property

owners to keep grass cut and toremove any voluntary growth ineasements and adjoining alleyways,whether the alley is improved or not.Many of the drainage facilities withinthe city are on easements, and thismeans that the property owner isresponsible for keeping the easementarea free of any trees, shrubs or othergrowth unless specifically authorizedby the City. Obviously, depositing ofany kind of material in the easementarea is not allowed. The failure ofproperty owners to maintain these

easement areas is more often an issuethan is high grass in the yard itself. Do your part this Spring by making aconscious effort to keep St. Matthews abeautiful place.

PAGE 7

Hot Off the Press

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 Bernard F. Bowling

City CouncilArthur K. Draut

Frank Flynn

Stuart Monohan

Mary Jo Nay

Martha Schade

Richard Tonini

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.stmatthews.org.

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 atwww.stmatthews.org or call city

offices. Email addresses will not beshared with other parties.