Dear Fellow Residents,

Hopefully the weather has decided to make up its mind by the time you receive this. I can’t recall the fluctuation in temperatures from day to day being this drastic. The good news is that I have already seen buds on trees and plants sneaking up from below the soil. Spring is right around the corner and I can’t
wait. Someone told me just the other day, that it has been 50 days since Louisville had 3 consecutive days without snow or rain. I am ready for some dry
ground and green grass.

As we move into spring, our city engineer will be doing a coring project. This will allow us to check material depths and observe the existing conditions of our roads. That way, as we plan financially, we will know exactly what needs to be done to repair our roads correctly, all the way to the sub-structure.

The Tree Board will be streamlining the tree maintenance program this spring. This will allow the city to save money and respond more quickly to citizens’ requests. The tree maintenance program has proven to be very successful in our effort to take care of the trees we currently have.

You will see on our agenda and minutes an ordinance to increase the tax on insurance policy premiums in St. Regis Park. The city is considering this increase
only because Metro Louisville has proposed raising its rate from 5% to 12.5%. If St. Regis Park does not raise its current rate of 5% to match Metro Louisville,
any increase generated by Metro Louisville goes directly to Metro Louisville, not the city of St. Regis Park. We have no control over whether Metro Louisville raises its tax on insurance premiums and by law, that increase must be paid by St. Regis Park residents. However, because state law allows St. Regis Park insurance premium taxes to offset against Metro Louisville’s insurance premium taxes, we do have the power to make sure the money stays in St. Regis Park. The ordinance we are considering does nothing, unless Metro Louisville changes its rate. If Metro Louisville does change its rate, the city of St. Regis Park’s rate will change along with it, thereby keeping the money in St. Regis Park’s budget, not Metro Louisville’s.

Last, but not least, I would like to take a moment to honor Councilman John Amback. John was recognized as “Outstanding School Volunteer” for the Archdiocese of Louisville for his service at Ascension. From the Ascension website -- “For many years, John has volunteered his time tutoring students in math before school, as well as spending six hours per week in our 4th and 5th grade math classes as an assistant. John also offers a summer Microsoft Excel class for middle school students with textbooks donated by him. As John shares his knowledge and love of mathematics with our students, they witness a man of integrity, character, passion, patience and kindness. As a result of his dedication, we have seen math scores soar and students growing in confidence: no longer saying, “I’m no good at math” or, “math is not my best subject.” We all know it takes a special kind of person to give so much without expectation and John exceeds that, “special kind” as he has become an absolute treasure to the Ascension community and beyond.”
Thanks John for all that you do for Ascension and our city!

Remember, the city of St. Regis Park is a great place to live. Together, we will make it even better!

Sincerely,
Brandt Davis, Mayor

Dear Fellow Residents:

As I write this, 2019 is just a few short weeks away. Where has the time gone? As 2018 draws to a close, we will be welcoming two new council members, Craig Theis and Don Fountain, beginning
in January. We will make sure they get acclimated quickly and we will hit the ground running. Please mark your calendar to come join us at one of our council meetings this year. They are always the 1st Tuesday of each month at 7 P.M. - January’s meeting will be on the 8th because of the New Year’s Holiday. The meetings take place at the Jeffersontown Fire Department, located at 4318 Taylorsville Rd. We would love to see you there and introduce you to our two newest council members.

Our annual Holiday Party at St. Andrews UCC was successful yet again. We saw many of our citizens come out and enjoy themselves and their fellow neighbors. If you haven’t been, you should plan on joining us next year. Also, any suggestions on what we could be doing to continually improve the Holiday Party would be greatly appreciated. We are always wanting to increase the number of citizens that annually attend. So, please let us know.

On behalf of the City Council, and indeed, all the citizens of St, Regis Park, I’d like to thank St. Andrew United Church of Christ for their generosity in providing space for the Holiday Party. They are always willing to lend a hand in our endeavors to improve our community. THANK YOU!

Also, I wasn’t able to personally visit the live nativity at Ascension this year, but I hear that was spectacular as well. My family and I have attended in the past and we really enjoyed it.

On December 10th, Councilman Louie Schweickhardt, Councilman John Amback, Citation Officer Jason Lewis and myself were able to give a Civics Presentation to Mrs. Disselkamp’s 4th and 5th
grade Social Studies classes at Ascension Elementary. We really enjoyed ourselves and loved talking to the kids. The students amazed me with their well thought-out questions. I was reminded once again, that Ascension Church and School are tremendous assets that we have in our city.

Lastly, on behalf of the council and myself, I wish
you and your family a Happy and Healthy New Year
2019. Remember, the City of St. Regis Park is a great
place to live. Together, we will make it even better!

Sincerely,
Brandt Davis, Mayor

Dear Fellow Residents:

The Holiday Season is officially upon us! I so love this time of year! I hope this finds all of you and your families doing well. We have so many exciting things going on, so let’s get right to it.

First, please mark your calendar for December 9, from 4-6 p.m. The St. Regis Park Holiday Party will be taking place at Saint Andrew UCC, 2608 Browns Ln. Join your friends and neighbors for pizza, subs, snacks, music, and door prizes. There is no cost for citizens to attend this event. Don’t forget to bring your cameras for pictures with Santa!!

Next, Ascension Parish at 4600 Lynnbrook Drive, is hosting an outdoor LIVE NATIVITY. It will be December 9 from 6:00-8:00p.m. immediately following the City Holiday Party. There will be “living” characters, live animals, music, and refreshments. This family-friendly event has been very popular as participants gaze in wonder at the scene of this very first Christmas. ALL ages are welcome to enjoy this inspiring and moving experience!

In other business, we are getting ready to plant approximately 20 new trees by the End of this year. It is very encouraging to see residents continue to make
our tree canopy and our wonderful city remain Parklike. I will say, it is discouraging when I have seen large trees being taken down and removed for what seems to be no apparent reason. Please remember that trees offer shade and other environmentally sound attributes. However, in addition to that, one of the main reasons our City continues to have high demand real estate and increasing values is the curb appeal of the properties and the mature trees. When large trees are removed, not only does it harm the environment, it harms our property values. Please be mindful.

As far as capital improvements, we will be fixing the pothole on the 4400 block of Mt. Vernon by the end of this month, if it hasn’t already been fixed by the
time you are reading this. Also, the Council spoke with the City Engineer last night and we plan on re-paving some of the roads this spring that have become worn. In addition to re-paving several of the roads, we will also repaint all yellow curbs at that time as well as repaint the chevrons on the speed humps on Woodmont. In the spring we will also tackle our signage project where we will be updating the signs throughout the city to have an updated look and better curb appeal.

Last, but not least, a citizen brought to our attention the idea of allowing golf carts on our roadways assuming several legal criteria are met. After research and conversation, we have decided that next month we will have our first reading to create an ordinance to allow this to occur. It will be an asset for our residents that are members at Oxmoor Country Club and for residents that go to the Upper Highlands Swim Club. It is pretty neat to continue to see our City evolve by listening to new ideas and implementing them when warranted.

On behalf of the council and myself, I wish you a very Happy Holiday Season! Have a wonderful time with your friends and families and may you make memories that last a lifetime.

Sincerely,
Brandt Davis, Mayor

Dear Citizens:
I hope this finds all of you doing well. To be candid with you, this will be the shortest Mayor’s letter that I have ever written. Everything in the city seems to be going well. We have an excellent council and city employees, processes are in place and things are running smoothly.

As the Holidays quickly approach I would like to remind you of a few items. This year’s annual St. Regis Park Holiday Extravaganza will be held on Sunday, December 9th, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM at St. Andrew United Church of Christ, 2608 Browns Lane. Food, Refreshments, a visit from Santa and good old family fun and fellowship will occur.

Also, as some of you new to the neighborhood may not know, Boy Scout Troop 386 annually sells live Christmas Trees at St. Andrew United Church of Christ. Sales run from Late-November through mid December.

If you’re planning to purchase a cut tree, support the Boy Scouts of Troop 386. Proceeds go for summer camp, adventure trips and camping gear.

As Thanksgiving approaches, it provides us the opportunity to be thankful for what we have and to support those less fortunate. I encourage all of you to enjoy your friends and family as you gather around the dinner table. Life is short and you may have a chance to be with people this year that won’t be here next year. On a personal note, I am very thankful to our City staff and Council Members, all of whom are committed to working together to make a positive and lasting contribution to the City of St. Regis Park. I am indeed fortunate to serve with such dedicated
individuals who truly care about our community. I am confident that together we will continue to achieve remarkable things.

On behalf of the City of St. Regis Park, I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and Remember, the City of St. Regis Park is a great place to live. Together, we will make it even better!

Sincerely,
Brandt Davis, Mayor