Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in New Albany public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
50 issues
One Southern Indiana funding appropriation
The council is scheduled to consider a second-reading ordinance directing EDIT, General, and Riverboat funds to One Southern Indiana, the regional economic development organization. Residents may weigh in during the scheduled public comment window before any vote.
Police cars and fire equipment funding
A second-reading ordinance would appropriate and transfer funds for new police cars and fire equipment — an investment in emergency response for the whole city. Public comment is scheduled before the vote.
Historic Preservation Commission re-appointment
Colt Sanders is scheduled for re-appointment to the New Albany Historic Preservation Commission, which reviews changes in the city's historic districts.
Oak Street reconstruction and Charlestown/Slate Run signal
A water main relocation along Oak Street will let stalled sanitary and stormwater work resume. The broken Charlestown Road/Slate Run Road signal should be fixed and striped by the end of the week.
2026 Street Paving Program Progress
Crews are finishing Wellington Drive paving, fixing a Chadwood sidewalk panel, striping, and prepping the temporary salt barn lot; the trail project includes a new HAWK signal at Main and Fourth once delivery issues are resolved.
Lulu's Corner one-year anniversary
The commission plans to take part in Lulu's Corner's one-year anniversary on November 5, with comedy and magic shows planned.
Trail connection to animal care facility
The commission is spending up to $25,000 on engineering design for a trailhead linking the new animal care facility on Grant Line Road to the trail. It will mainly serve volunteers walking dogs, plus accessible parking spots.
2027 Sewer Budget Review Schedule
The board will get its own budget in a workshop format soon, after the city council wraps its budget October 15. There's still time to finish before the end of the year.
Oak Street sewer main replacement delay
The 24-inch sewer main replacement on Oak Street slowed after crews hit an unmapped water main. Indiana American Water's contractor is relocating it in conjunction with the sewer and storm work, with resumption expected around next Thursday.
UV project fund shortfall and $141,824.91 transfer
The Sewer Board was scheduled to act on a contractor payment for the UV Disinfection Improvements project, work that upgrades how the utility disinfects wastewater. Paying the contractor keeps the project moving.
Other potential new district designations
Neighbors are split on whether Silver Hills should get a local historic or conservation district. Supporters see it as the only way to stop teardowns; opponents don't want new restrictions on their property. No consensus yet — the ball is in residents' court.
DePauw Avenue conservation district
The residents' lawsuit over the subdivision approval has put the final plat timeline on hold indefinitely. The city has promised that any final approval will require preservation commission sign-off on the new buildings.
At-large commission vacancies
Three candidates — including a former member interested in returning — want an at-large seat on the commission. Names go to Mayor Gahan, who interviews and appoints.
Fraudulent wire-transfer email targeting developer
Someone sent a sophisticated fake email pretending to be from a Plan Commission member, demanding the developer wire nearly $5,000 for hearing fees. It was caught, reported to police, and staff are warning everyone: the city will never ask for money by wire.
Retention pond and erosion control at new subdivision
A neighbor asked that the water retention pond be finished before more development proceeds, after a heavy rain overwhelmed erosion controls and sent muddy water downstream. The developer gave a direct commitment to prioritize the pond, including seeding it before winter.
Halloween trick-or-treat hours
The board recommends trick-or-treating from 6 to 9 p.m. on Halloween night this year.
Oak Street reconstruction and water main relocation
The Oak Street contractor is relocating the water main before resuming sewer work; a rough gravel stretch near Pearl and Oak is left open with no barricades, raising safety worries.
Construction traffic through Windsor Creek subdivision
Residents of Tudor Trail say heavy construction trucks are using their neighborhood entrance instead of the Camer Miller entrance, damaging a sewer, streets, and parkways. The developer says the main entrance can't handle big equipment until a wider S-curve entrance is built, but committed to redirecting traffic once it's ready.
Slate Run Road geotechnical investigation
The city's federal-aid project to rebuild Slate Run Road from the elementary school to Eakin moves forward with soil borings and pavement cores in early November — done during school hours limits to avoid pickup-time traffic.
Door-to-door solicitor permits for AT&T vendor
Board members flagged ongoing door-to-door solicitation on behalf of AT&T without permits, even after solicitors were told to stop. Figspire Management's permit request died when its representative didn't show, and the board put its concerns on the record.
Passing of longtime planner John Rosenbarker
The board acknowledged the deaths of John Rosenbarger, who worked for the city for 48 years, and Dennis Smith, who worked in traffic and the building department.
2027 City Budget and 5% Employee Raises
Non-union employees, contract-covered union employees, and elected officials all get 5% raises in 2027 — following a 10% raise last year. Supporters say competitive pay keeps quality workers; dissenters want a market study first and worry about future layoffs.
Maker 13 tenth anniversary and STEM funding request
Maker 13, a Jeffersonville maker space, asked the council to match a $5,000 STEM membership from other local councils and support its November 5 anniversary event to fund its maker mobile repairs.
Lafayette Drive sidewalk heaving
A constituent complained a tree was lifting the sidewalk near 1111 Lafayette Drive. Turns out the tree was already removed, so the fix is a sidewalk repair referral to the Board of Works plus a check for other problem trees.
Diseased historic oak at 522 East Market Street
A massive Depression-era oak — one of the city's top trees — is dying from bacterial leaf scorch and dropping large branches. Falling limbs nearly hit cars and neighbors stopped parking on that side of the street, so the board decided removal is safer than waiting for a catastrophic failure. A replacement, likely a willow oak, will be planted.
Playground and flood-zone park planning
The river is at 19.58 feet and dropping, and crews are testing equipment and turning gates ahead of flood season, which starts November 1. The district says it's in good shape going in.
Pageant site Bank Street closure and access
The big Pageant development will close part of Bank Street through December 2028 to use it as a construction entrance while raising the road for a new water main. The board is requiring updated detour plans since Oak Street is also closed nearby.
Prime AE on-call engineering contract
The city keeps Prime AE (formerly JTL) on retainer for small engineering jobs — $30,000 a year, auto-renewing, with emergency work orders possible.
Culbertson Avenue road closure
SoIN Tourism asked for Culbertson Avenue to be closed on October 13, likely to accommodate a local event downtown.
Home ownership and down payment assistance
Two new local homebuyers received assistance through redevelopment funds, and staff noted strong interest in the program.
Alley traffic safety near Reno Avenue
Residents of the 2100 block of Reno Avenue say drivers treat the alley like a racetrack — one child was nearly hit, and a neighbor was allegedly threatened with a gun after reporting speeders. The board installed warning signs and is having the engineer evaluate a stop sign.
riverfront RV park development
New Albany is converting an old petroleum storage site on the riverfront into a city-run RV park. It’s a new public amenity on land that was formerly contaminated, so the big question is whether cleanup and costs pencil out.
Utility finances running strong
The sewer utility is bringing in about $100,000 more than it spends each month — over $700,000 banked this year — and is right on budget in every classification.
Sewer easement for large residential development
A developer's engineer wants the board to approve a sewer easement serving a housing development of several hundred units. Capacity was already certified, but the board held off until staff and the Board of Works review it.
Wastewater campus modernization project contracts
The sewer board hired an engineering and design team for the big plant campus modernization project — Clark Dietz as lead engineers, TowerPinkster on architecture, plus surveying and geotechnical testing. Work starts this month and includes road and sidewalk improvements at the plant's main entrance.
Ditch repair behind apartment complex
An apartment developer had filled in a drainage ditch, and residents' yards were flooding. The stormwater department had contractors re-bridge the ditch, which should fix the problem.
Accessory structure size rules under review
Staff told the board they're still working on a formula — probably tied to lot size — for how big accessory buildings should be by right versus requiring a variance. Rural Chapel Lane keeps generating these cases, with four or five large-structure requests on that stretch alone.
LED street light glare on Center Street
A new LED street light is shining directly into a family's bedroom windows. The board wants neighbor consensus before approving a shield or lower-wattage bulb — a template for how the city handles LED glare complaints.
Handicap parking removal at 1106 Beeler Street
The owner of 1106 Beeler Street asked to have the handicap space in front of his home removed, and the board agreed — the sign comes down.
City claims totaling $2.49 million
The board approved two weeks of city bills — about $2.49 million covering September 22 through October 5.
Downtown event season
Two back-to-back downtown events got permits — the city's All Hallows Eve Celebration on October 24 and the Schmitt Furniture Birthday Bash on October 23, with street closures and a quick overnight teardown before Trunk Retreat.
Cherokee Drive closure for water leak repair
CenterPoint needs to close Cherokee Drive at Grant Line for a day to dig up a leak in the crosswalk, with a detour via Navajo and Wahoo. Two residents at the dead end must be notified.
New water main on E. 14th, Grant and E. 15th Streets
Indiana American Water is replacing an aging, break-prone water main, with no parking along the route for about four weeks starting around October 9 or 12. Residents face a one-day water shutoff when the new main is connected.
Cooling stations and Community Foundation transportation program
Up to $7,500 in unrestricted opioid settlement money will help Culbertson Baptist Church run cooling stations when it's 95°F or hotter — bus passes, water, snacks and a coordinator, centralized at one location this year. Money goes out in two halves with receipt-based reimbursement.
Early voting begins October 6
Council Member Murphy reminded everyone early voting runs October 6-30, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the 4-H Fairgrounds and Nova Park.
Zoning letter to Central Christian Church over alleged on-site occupancy
The city's zoning office sent the church a letter alleging a homeless man had been living under an awning and that allowing it amounted to unpermitted transitional housing. Council members Phipps and Gohmann criticized the letter as heavy-handed, noting police had no incident record and the man has secured permanent housing.
Homelessness and lack of permanent housing options
Council members said New Albany lacks adequate housing for homeless people, and discussed how a man slept outdoors for a week before getting an apartment. Members hope the episode sparks broader conversation about connecting services and resources.
Harvest Homecoming safety and street restrictions
Main Street will again run the State Street garage during the festival, keeping 75% of revenue. A commissioner questioned whether paid parking should start before noon on setup Thursday, since festival-goers may slip in while downtown workers still need spots.
Silver Street park soccer field renovations
The council approved a request for $250,000 in tourism bureau money toward a roughly $2 million synthetic turf soccer field project at Silver Street Park, with lacrosse striping and an auxiliary building planned.
Public Records Lawsuit
New Albany is being sued by the local newspaper for refusing to hand over records about the Providence Mill Dam lawsuit. If you care how the dam fight is being handled behind closed doors, this public-records case is the one to watch.