LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – A Metro Council panel approved changes Thursday to the city’s share of COVID-19 relief funds initially set aside for the Louisville Healthcare CEO Council.
The 7-0 vote by the budget and appropriations committee moves the revised spending plan for American Rescue Plan dollars to the full legislative body largely in line with Mayor Craig Greenberg's priorities.
Greenberg rescinded $40 million in grants to the group known as CEOc on October 20 in the wake of the Louisville Metro Ethics Commission’s ruling in the ethics trial of Metro Council member Anthony Piagentini.
Piagentini (R-19th District) was found guilty of six ethics violations connected to his role co-sponsoring an ordinance last year that allocated the money for CEOc, which he began working for after the measure passed.
The plan now at Metro Council includes an additional $10 million for city library projects and $13.3 million for overdue maintenance in Metro parks.
It also would cement $15.8 million to the Russell Station Tech & Training Center, which initially got $9.3 million under the CEOc grant. That project involves building a technology training center in west Louisville's Russell neighborhood being led by the AMPED nonprofit organization.
The $15.8 million allocation also would include work done by entities that had agreements with CEOc: The University of Louisville, Metro United Way, Elderserve and the Louisville Urban League.
Members of the Greenberg administration have pushed for quick council action, but that met with resistance from some budget committee members Thursday, including Councilmember Andrew Owen (D-9). He told the committee he would like to wait until U of L and the other entities submit their revised plans -- as early as Friday.
“I don't want to talk too much about where this started,” Owen said. “But we allocated this money once already, and have now pulled it back for all sorts of reasons. But there perhaps weren't as many questions asked on the first time around as there needed to be, and I don't want to make that mistake again.”
Council member Cindi Fowler (D-14) made a motion to delay a vote by tabling the ordinance, but that move didn't get a majority and failed. The committee then voted 7-0 to advance the spending ordinance.
The proposal also provides $1 million to CEOc to cover expenses that have “already been reimbursed and items that we expect to be submitted for reimbursement, as part of the termination of the contract,” said Ken Hillebrand, director of the Louisville Accelerator Team, which manages the city’s share of the American Rescue Plan funds.
Piagentini is a member of the budget committee. He announced he would be abstaining from any vote on the funds because of his contract with CEOc and then left the chamber as the discussion began.
This story may be updated.
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