New Albany Board of Aldermen meeting, January 5, 2016

The first meeting of the New Year of the New Albany Board of Aldermen, Tuesday, January 5, 2016, brought few surprises.

Reports from city department heads included:

–Tourism and Marketing Director Sean Johnson informed the board that New Albany was one of 15 cities in the United States to receive a Levitt Pavilions Grant, which will finance a series of free musical concerts during 2016. New Albany is the smallest city in the country to receive a Levitt Pavilions Grant.  For more information on the Levitt Grant, see: Levitt AMP Awards

–Chief of Police Chris Robertson requested and received authorization to advertise the sale of surplus motor vehicles, including five vehicles confiscated during drug law enforcement and awarded to the city by the courts.

–Fire Chief Steve Coker discussed with the board his efforts to formulate new policies for the fire department regarding the physical fitness of fire fighters. The new policy would deal with indemnifying the city for any injuries firemen might receive when working out while on duty. It would also set policy for physical fitness evaluations. City Attorney Regan Russell said he would like to have time to study the policies before recommending that the board enact them.

The fire chief also discussed with the board acquisition of rescue equipment including an “auto crib” device for stabilizing vehicles when accident victims are being extracted from wrecked cars.

–Building Inspector Eric Nichols told the board five condemned building in the city were demolished last month. At the building inspector’s request the board scheduled a hearing regarding the condemnation of a building at 831 Forest Heights for the board meeting on Tuesday, February 2nd.

During the general business portion of the meeting the aldermen considered a request for the city to pay a $3,000 invoice from Ganger Property Management to the Union County Heritage Museum. The charge was apparently for the inspection of a sewer line somehow involved in the construction of the new addition to the museum. Ganger is the general contractor on the expanded museum building.

City Attorney Russell recommended that the city not make the payment directly to Ganger Property Management but simply make a $3,000 donation to the museum so the museum could pay Ganger. On Alderman Jeff Olson’s motion, the aldermen voted unanimously to donate the $3,000 to the museum.