LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Some iconic Louisville neighborhoods are getting ready to pick new Metro Council members.
Nearly half of the Metro Council seats have turned over since Jan. 1, 2023, including Ben Reno-Weber (D-8) joining by appointment in March.
"If we are ever going to make changes in this city, this is the moment," Reno-Weber said.
The Democrat is on the ballot for the first time in November after filling the seat vacated by Cassie Chambers Armstrong. Reno-Weber wants more time to tackle issues facing Louisville.
"People are concerned about public safety, they're concerned about homelessness, affordable housing, they're concerned about infrastructure," Reno-Weber said.
Reno-Weber is facing off against Republican Phil Haming, who grew up in the Highlands.
"Raised five kids, have three grandkids, and I just really care about this neighborhood," said Haming.
Haming said he wants to bring a common sense approach to Metro Council. He is not supportive of zero-tolerance noise ordinance crackdowns on bars and restaurants.
"I think the loud cars and loud radios are a bigger problem," Haming said. "$2,500 fine just seems like a very excessive fine on small bars."
Musicians and some bar owners have pushed back against the ordinance enforcement. Reno-Weber said he's working with the Restaurant Association and neighborhood associations to find the best solution.
"What I really support is a dialogue to see how we can do this well," Reno-Weber said.
Reno-Weber supports expanding deflection services in the city, which uses more mental health professionals in certain emergency responses. It could potentially free up more police.
"The question is how do we provide frontline services that we as a community can be proud of and can be effective, and cost effective," Reno-Weber said. "And free up police to be doing police things."
When Haming spoke to WDRB News, he focused on infrastructure like a walking bridge connecting Bon Air Avenue on both sides of the Watterson Expressway. He wants to put a turning lane from Trevilian Way onto Newburg Road, and connect Newburg Road to Poplar Level Road.
Haming also wants the Bardstown Road bump outs gone.
"I think they have led to a lot of congestion," Haming said. "It's taken away bike lanes and places for emergency lanes to go."
Reno-Weber said bump outs have actually improved safety and wants to continue to make Louisville a more movable place.
"Can we create neighborhoods that are walkable, that are bikeable, that are safe, and I'm not talking about a war on cars," Reno-Weber said. "I want to talk about getting to communities in the place that I live, and that's going to help people stay here and come here."
When it comes to housing, Haming is in favor of building more affordable units. But says those have to include space for parking in the congested district.
"If you want to take a big huge house in the Highlands and turn it into a six unit apartment, that's fine as long as you can provide for parking," Haming said. "Because every time you do something in the backyard, you're taking away greenspace, you're taking away parking."
Reno-Weber wants to not only focus on affordable housing, but also find more housing that is actually affordable. When it comes to the unhoused, he wants to work on homelessness intervention methods.
"First off, we have to prevent people from becoming homeless," Reno-Weber said. "And then people that are really struggling with mental health and behavioral health and substance issues, we have to have appropriate responses for them."
The race for District 8 is one of three Metro Council districts that voters will decide on the ballot on Election Day next week.
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