Tina Burnell fought and won against developers trying to squeeze a massive complex into her community off of Terry Road.
She formed the Louisville Metro Watchdog Alliance to teach others how to rise up against quiet proposals for developments all around the city.
Now the Louisville Metro Council has sued Tina to, in her words, keep her quiet and exhaust her finances fighting them in court.
We were joined in the interview by Tina's attorney Adrienne Southworth.
She formed the Louisville Metro Watchdog Alliance to teach others how to rise up against quiet proposals for developments all around the city.
Now the Louisville Metro Council has sued Tina to, in her words, keep her quiet and exhaust her finances fighting them in court.
We were joined in the interview by Tina's attorney Adrienne Southworth.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You've raised a protest about this development coming to your neighborhood,
and then.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
You formed Louisville Metro Watchdog Alliance.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Okay, and then tell me what you do.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
So it started a grassroots advocacy group to take the
information and the lessons that I learned through fighting this
development to help other people in our community understand how
to be involved in that process and how to advocate
for their own community.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Good. What's happened since you and I spoke in February
of twenty three.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Well, you know, one of the significant obstacles that I
think really concern people is that our elected council people
are told that they can't discuss these issues with us.
So we're kind of shut out except for at the
Planning commission level, which really doesn't really give people the
impression that their participation is meaningful.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Yeah, that's tough. So did the development come together?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
I know we were able to defeat that development.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Okay, So where are you now? Everything's honky dora and
you're skipping down the path of life right.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
No, there have been some other developments that we have
fought against. And then the ongoing goal is is, you know,
to help keep people educated keep people paying attention to
what's going on, because by the time you see it
being built, it's too late. So we try to teach
people where to find the information, how to look for
(01:26):
what's coming down the pike in your area. Not everybody
appreciates what we're doing, so we've we've gotten some pushback
on that, and one of the most recent and somewhat
shocking events is that Louisville Metro Council has followed a
lawsuit against me to keep me quiet what on some
(01:47):
specific yes, yes, to specifically keep me quiet on some
matters that I believe are of public importance. I currently
have an injunction that prevents me from speaking about the details.
So while I can't go into those details, I will
say that I find it alarming that the whole of
(02:08):
g Louibal Metro Council thought it was a good ideal
to come after me and use the court system in
such a way that seems intended to intimidate me and
exhaust my financial resources.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Of course, but wait a minute, yes, well, citizens are
all they've done this since the beginning of time, have
risen up and said I don't want this here, nimby,
not in my backyard. We've heard all that, like the
pickleball deal over by the Louisville Zoo. You know, that's
what makes America great. People express their opinions and then
people have to either change their plans or vacate them.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Absolutely, So there are some complexities involved that I can't
talk about it this time, but I do you know,
I do fully plan to fight this. I have an
amazing attorney. I expect that it will all come out
in the wash, and at some point in the future
I will able to share what has gone on.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Okay, Attorney Adrian Southworth is with us, So what is
your job at this point? Are you waiting for Metro
Council to make another move or is this just is
this on hold? Is this just sort of a Hey,
I wouldn't do that if I were usual.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Yeah, we're actually pretty hot right now in the beginning
stages of what they've brought. One of the exceptions is
whenever they get a temporary order against somebody, you can
even get it without a hearing if it's short lived.
So we actually had a hearing last week and then
I just filed the written materials for the judge to
(03:38):
be looking at last night. The Metro Council will have
to file their written materials next week and we'll have
a hearing again on Wednesday, the twentieth.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
So this Louisville Metro Watchdog advocacy group can't meet again
until this is resolved.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
No, that's not part of it. The injunction specific just
to things that she's discussing as it relates to this
one particular case, but it doesn't necessarily keep the group
from operating.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Maybe another thing, Okay, another question for the attorney here.
Does that mean that Tina, your client can't like post
something on Facebook or other social media that has to
do with this.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
She can post things, just there are certain topics that
they've said do not post about.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Interesting. Well, you certainly intrigued me, Tina. You're okay, and
you said they want to exhaust your finances. How are you?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
I am a fighter. I will not be intimidated. I
have started to go fund me to help cover legal expenses,
but I'm also prepared to do my part to help
cover those because I believe in the First Amendment. I
believe in public integrity, and I believe that the government
should be of buy and for the people, and that's
(04:56):
something I'm absolutely willing to fight.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
On Okay, well, I guess we have to leave it
there or you've told us as much as you can
right now.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
I can tell you a little bit about what our
group's been doing if you have The most recent meeting
that we had was in July. We had a public
meeting to discuss the proposed hyper scale data center for
Campground Road. That one's a big one that kind of
slipped through fairly quietly in a community where we have
fought development before that's already environmentally devastated. Like other development cases,
(05:28):
we'll find, the public doesn't really get a fair shake.
There's been no public meetings to provide information or to
give people in the community a chance to ask questions
about what this means for us as rate payers, what
it means for us in environmental and health risk. What
we find is that the public is marginalized in these processes,
(05:51):
and that is something we would like to change. And
for that change, you know, people, people have to be
paying attention and get involved, no doubt.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
All right, Where can people find your group online or
any other information about this?
Speaker 2 (06:04):
So people can find us on Facebook at Louisville Metro
Watchdog alliance we have. There are updates on the lawsuit.
Public documents have been posted. There's a full interview with
my attorney. There's recent zoning cases and helpful information regarding
some of the development going on in our city.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
All fascinating. I appreciate the input, and we'll just keep
an eye on this and talk again down the road.
Thank you, Adrian, thank you, thank you, Erry, Tina, thank
you so much. All Right, we'll talk
You've raised a protest about this development coming to your neighborhood,
and then.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
You formed Louisville Metro Watchdog Alliance.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Okay, and then tell me what you do.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
So it started a grassroots advocacy group to take the
information and the lessons that I learned through fighting this
development to help other people in our community understand how
to be involved in that process and how to advocate
for their own community.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Good. What's happened since you and I spoke in February
of twenty three.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Well, you know, one of the significant obstacles that I
think really concern people is that our elected council people
are told that they can't discuss these issues with us.
So we're kind of shut out except for at the
Planning commission level, which really doesn't really give people the
impression that their participation is meaningful.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Yeah, that's tough. So did the development come together?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
I know we were able to defeat that development.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Okay, So where are you now? Everything's honky dora and
you're skipping down the path of life right.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
No, there have been some other developments that we have
fought against. And then the ongoing goal is is, you know,
to help keep people educated keep people paying attention to
what's going on, because by the time you see it
being built, it's too late. So we try to teach
people where to find the information, how to look for
(01:26):
what's coming down the pike in your area. Not everybody
appreciates what we're doing, so we've we've gotten some pushback
on that, and one of the most recent and somewhat
shocking events is that Louisville Metro Council has followed a
lawsuit against me to keep me quiet what on some
(01:47):
specific yes, yes, to specifically keep me quiet on some
matters that I believe are of public importance. I currently
have an injunction that prevents me from speaking about the details.
So while I can't go into those details, I will
say that I find it alarming that the whole of
(02:08):
g Louibal Metro Council thought it was a good ideal
to come after me and use the court system in
such a way that seems intended to intimidate me and
exhaust my financial resources.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Of course, but wait a minute, yes, well, citizens are
all they've done this since the beginning of time, have
risen up and said I don't want this here, nimby,
not in my backyard. We've heard all that, like the
pickleball deal over by the Louisville Zoo. You know, that's
what makes America great. People express their opinions and then
people have to either change their plans or vacate them.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Absolutely, So there are some complexities involved that I can't
talk about it this time, but I do you know,
I do fully plan to fight this. I have an
amazing attorney. I expect that it will all come out
in the wash, and at some point in the future
I will able to share what has gone on.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Okay, Attorney Adrian Southworth is with us, So what is
your job at this point? Are you waiting for Metro
Council to make another move or is this just is
this on hold? Is this just sort of a Hey,
I wouldn't do that if I were usual.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Yeah, we're actually pretty hot right now in the beginning
stages of what they've brought. One of the exceptions is
whenever they get a temporary order against somebody, you can
even get it without a hearing if it's short lived.
So we actually had a hearing last week and then
I just filed the written materials for the judge to
(03:38):
be looking at last night. The Metro Council will have
to file their written materials next week and we'll have
a hearing again on Wednesday, the twentieth.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
So this Louisville Metro Watchdog advocacy group can't meet again
until this is resolved.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
No, that's not part of it. The injunction specific just
to things that she's discussing as it relates to this
one particular case, but it doesn't necessarily keep the group
from operating.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Maybe another thing, Okay, another question for the attorney here.
Does that mean that Tina, your client can't like post
something on Facebook or other social media that has to
do with this.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
She can post things, just there are certain topics that
they've said do not post about.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Interesting. Well, you certainly intrigued me, Tina. You're okay, and
you said they want to exhaust your finances. How are you?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
I am a fighter. I will not be intimidated. I
have started to go fund me to help cover legal expenses,
but I'm also prepared to do my part to help
cover those because I believe in the First Amendment. I
believe in public integrity, and I believe that the government
should be of buy and for the people, and that's
(04:56):
something I'm absolutely willing to fight.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
On Okay, well, I guess we have to leave it
there or you've told us as much as you can
right now.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
I can tell you a little bit about what our
group's been doing if you have The most recent meeting
that we had was in July. We had a public
meeting to discuss the proposed hyper scale data center for
Campground Road. That one's a big one that kind of
slipped through fairly quietly in a community where we have
fought development before that's already environmentally devastated. Like other development cases,
(05:28):
we'll find, the public doesn't really get a fair shake.
There's been no public meetings to provide information or to
give people in the community a chance to ask questions
about what this means for us as rate payers, what
it means for us in environmental and health risk. What
we find is that the public is marginalized in these processes,
(05:51):
and that is something we would like to change. And
for that change, you know, people, people have to be
paying attention and get involved, no doubt.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
All right, Where can people find your group online or
any other information about this?
Speaker 2 (06:04):
So people can find us on Facebook at Louisville Metro
Watchdog alliance we have. There are updates on the lawsuit.
Public documents have been posted. There's a full interview with
my attorney. There's recent zoning cases and helpful information regarding
some of the development going on in our city.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
All fascinating. I appreciate the input, and we'll just keep
an eye on this and talk again down the road.
Thank you, Adrian, thank you, thank you, Erry, Tina, thank
you so much. All Right, we'll talk
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