Wednesday, December 31, 2008

OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW

What can I say about 2008? It will certainly not go down as a stellar year for anyone that I know. The economy tanked, financial institutions were given billions of dollars but won't tell what they did with all of that cash.

As always, I look to the new year with hope. Hope that my family and friends will stay healthy and employed. Hope that either myself or someone close to me will win the lottery. Well, a person can dream, can't they?


I am not going to make any predictions myself so if anyone wants to make a few predictions about New Albany or the country, or the world for that matter please do so.




HAPPY NEW YEAR, NEW ALBANY!!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS

Like just about everyone else I have been running around trying to find the perfect gifts, shopping at the grocery for food to prepare the perfect Christmas meal, in general, trying to make this a perfect Christmas for my family.



Every year I tell myself that I won't try to be Martha Stewart, and every year I try and fail. I also try to simplify my life during the holidays. This year I did succeed in that goal.



Tonight I will join my family in the Christmas Eve service at my church. We will sing hymns and celebrate the birth of Christ.



However you celebrate this wonderful holiday season I wish you joy and happiness. And hopefully we will all have a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2009.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

HE'S AT IT AGAIN

Gov. (not my man) Mitch Daniels has decided to "streamline" government.

According to a Tribune article by Rick Callahan Daniels wants to eliminate the three county commissioners and replace them with one county administrator who will appoint the county treasurer, recorder, assessor, surveyor and coroner. And commissioner Steve Bush agrees with him. Mr. Bush thinks this will help insure that we will have qualified candidates.

As for myself, I cannot think of any way to make Floyd County become more corrupt. If one person has that much power how can they stay honest? No matter how good one's intentions, we all know that power corrupts.

We the citizens should decide which candidates will hold these positions. The last thing we need is less power for the citizens. It is bad enough that our Federal Government still has the Electoral College. Floyd County has a lot of concerned people who take an active part in our elections. We should not be forced to live in Daniels' little fiefdom.

Let's not let this happen.

Friday, December 12, 2008

UP AND RUNNING

Hi everybody.

I have been absent from the blog for a while, mainly because we moved last week and it took forever to get my system set up again. Then I had an eye infection. The last week was pretty much a washout but things are looking better.

There is so much going on now that I don't know what to write about. The disgraceful way Barbara Sillings was treated at the council meeting, the death of the LOIT tax, (yea). But I will think of something soon.

Thanks,

Shirley

Friday, November 28, 2008

HAVE A LITTLE RESPECT

I am extremely upset over an article published in the Tribune 11/26/08 concerning our Township Assessor, Barbara Sillings. There was a special meeting of the Floyd County Council to determine Ms. Sillings future.

Since the majority of voters decided to eliminate her office she has been in limbo concerning her status. What bothered me about the article was the way she was portrayed as either a petulant child or a greedy politician. She is neither. Barbara Sillings is an honorable person who would not draw a paycheck for doing nothing.

Larry McAllister, the President of the council was quoted as saying, "I know she wants to work because she wants to run for office again." He went on to say, "I know she would not take a salary and not work, her political future would be in jeopardy." Please, Mr. McAllister, I don't think you meant that the way it sounded. That would imply that Ms. Sillings would draw a salary and not work if it were not her intention to run for office in the future.

Another disturbing part of the article was how Ms. Sillings and Ms. Egge were told to work things out. We are talking about two office holders here, not two kids on a playground. Ms. Sillings and Ms. Egge are adults, Mr. McAllister. They will be able to work together and get through these next two years with with a positive attitude.

I respect Ms. Sillings a great deal. She handled her loss election night with dignity and grace and will continue to act the same way during the rest of her term in office.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

THANKSGIVING WISHES

I want to wish everyone a happy, healthy, joyous and blessed Thanksgiving.


Shirley

Friday, November 21, 2008

HIGH BILLS/LOW BANK BALANCE

As you probably know, the city council passed the budget. The Courier Journal and New Albany Confidential have all of the details so I won't repeat them.

As for myself, I'm just glad we have this behind us. Now that we know what we have, or don't have to work with, we can try to solve all of the rest or our fair city's problems.

Readers, what do you think?

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

IMPORTANT EVENT

Please come to hear Dr. Rob Stone speak about HR676, the John Conyers sponsored single payer health plan.


This event will take place at the IUS Library on the 2nd floor at 7:00 PM this Thursday 11/20.


Healthcare is such an important issue to all of us now with so many people losing their coverage.


Please see John Gonder's blog Gonder for New Albany at Large for more information.

Monday, November 17, 2008

SHE'LL VOTE NO

I saw Carol Shope tonight and she asked me to inform everyone I know that she will vote NO on the LOIT Tax at the December 9th County Council meeting.

Thank you Carol.

Shirley

Monday, November 10, 2008

BUDGET CUTS: WHAT DO YOU THINK?

I will not be able to attend the city council meeting Thursday 11/20 but I did speak out in support of the budget cuts for the police, fire and board of works departments at the last meeting. Everyone listened attentively and there were no negative comments. For that I was thankful.

I have reprinted my notes below. Will these cuts be enough? Are we asking too much of a sacrifice? Please add your opinion.

thanks,

Shirley

"I am here to speak about the ordinance which involves asking the police, fire department and board of works to cut expenses by $70,000 per year.

The police and fire departments budgets take up 84% of the general fund. While the other departments are asked to tighten their belts these two departments are given raises. Every department needs to trim expenses.

I know CM Price has advocated restrictions on the take home police cars and I agree with him on this issue. Fortunately gas prices have dropped by $2.00 a gallon, so the amount the police need to pay for the use of the cars after hours has been cut nearly in half.

Additionally overtime is another problem. We need to hire more police officers and fire fighters so the current employees can work their normal shifts. Maybe if these ideas are implemented we can come closer to meeting our budget for this year."

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

2008 ELECTIONS

I WANT TO CONGRATULATE EVERYONE WHO RAN FOR OFFICE IN 2008.

IN MY OPINION YOU ARE ALL WINNERS!

Monday, November 3, 2008

CAROL SHOPE FOR COUNTY COUNCIL AT LARGE

I have had the pleasure of working with Carol Shope on her campaign this year. Although Carol and I have been acquainted for some time the past several months have given me the opportunity to really get to know her.

Carol is running for re-election for her position on the county council. During her first term she has proven to be a fair and honest public servant.

She has been a strong supporter of the county youth shelter because she genuinely cares for these children. As a former teacher she has devoted her life to helping children. She has served as a past president of the Floyd County Youth Shelter, and as a Vice Chair on the Silvercrest Child Development Center Foundation.

Additionally she has been involved with many community organizations such as the Business and Professional Women, Southern Indiana Chamber of Commerce, American Legion Auxiliary, and the Democrat Women's Club among others.

Carol wants to continue to serve our community, please vote for Carol Shope on Nov. 4.



Sunday, November 2, 2008

MARIA GRANGER FOR JUDGE SUPERIOR COURT 3

Maria Granger wrote an excellent letter to Freedom of Speech explaining her experience and her ideals so I don't need to expand on that.

All I can add is that while working with her on her campaign this past year has made me admire her even more than before. Maria is the real thing. She truly has the integrity and she treats everyone she meets with respect. These traits a are part of her and I know she will treat every person who comes into her court the same way and will handle each and every case with fairness.

Please vote for Maria Granger on Nov. 4.

thanks,

Shirley

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

PLEASE VOTE NO!!

There have been several articles and columns in the Tribune lately about the referendum to combine the offices township assessors with county assessors. I want to urge our readers to vote NO.



Governor Daniels has been "streamlining" our state government for the past four years, some of it may have been successful and much of it was not successful.



One example that comes to mind is the welfare system. People used to have social workers who knew their circumstances but now they must call an automated system if they have a problem, even if their check is late. We all know how inefficient that system has become.



I just cannot understand how combining two offices in each county will save taxpayers any money. Are the staff of the county supposed to take on this extra work without increasing the number of employees? Are they allowed to work overtime? As Assessor Sillings said to the "Tribune" there will still be the same amount of parcels to assess.



As far as this being an antiquated system, New Albany Township assesses property according to market value. The system has been changed three times since 1816. The General Assembly wanted all property to be valued uniformly, that is a good idea but how can an understaffed, overworked county assessors office make sure this happens?



Sometimes we can go too far with combining offices to save money. I think this is one of those times.

Monday, October 27, 2008

MANY THANKS

Thanks to everyone who made our neighborhood cleanup such a success.

We want to especially thank

Matt Denison

Mickey Thompson and the Street Department

and the Padgett Company



Friends and Families of the West End

Becky Roy

Pat Salisbury

Shirley Baird

Friday, October 24, 2008

NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP

DESPITE THE RAIN THE FRIENDS AND FAMILIES OF THE WEST END WILL STILL DO THE NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP TOMORROW 10/25/08.



THERE WILL BE DUMPSTERS AT THE CORNER OF WEST 7TH AND MARKET AND THE PARKING LOT ACROSS THE STREET FROM PARKWAY BAPTIST CHURCH ON CORYDON PIKE.



ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

THANKS,



SHIRLEY

Friday, October 17, 2008

REALITY CHECK

Well it looks like our Mayor and City Council will have to face the facts. Many of us regular citizens have been trying to tell them for a long time that New Albany is "broke" and now it has hit home.



Daniel Suddeath has an article in the Tribune titled "More money or big problems ahead for New Albany?" Since there does not appear to be any money falling out of the sky it looks like big problems to me.



We all know that the city had to use the rainy day fund to balance the 2008 budget. I hope there is something left for another rainy day because it looks like there is a tsunami headed our way in 2009. There is even talk about "downsizing" the city staff. Please Mr. Mayor and Council find another way. There have been enough jobs lost in Southern Indiana. Maybe if all of the employees agree to work with the same salary for 2009 as the earned in 2008 we could save these people's jobs.



Another issue discussed in the article was raising property tax and sewer rates. YIKES!!! I don't know the answer here except again I hope they find another way. Personally, I have not had a salary increase since 2007 and my husband is on a fixed income. We are stretched to the max now. There are undoubtedly others like us and some in worse shape.



All we can hope for now is for the Mayor and Council to use wisdom and practicality when planning the 2009 budget. My prayers are with them.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

SICK AROUND THE WORLD

Please join us Wednesday, October 15th at 6:30PM at the Library 180 W. Spring St. There will be a showing of Sick Around the World. a film by Frontline and T R Reid.

Healthcare is one of the most important issues today. And the members of Hoosiers for a Commonsense Health Plan support HR676.

See you there.

Monday, October 13, 2008

MEET THE CANDIDATES

COME TO THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS TONIGHT AT 6:00 AND MEET OUR LOCAL DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES!!!!!!!!!!

DINE ON CHILI, HOT DOGS AND TOO MANY DESSERTS TO LIST. ALL FOR JUST $5.00.

SEE YOU THERE.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

SHORT & SWEET

The council meeting of 10/6/08 was quite unusual. First it was quite short and secondly it was extremely pleasant, for lack of a better word.

The first item on the agenda was R-08-41 in which Mrs. Garry requested a loan of 1,000,000 from the TIF fund to cover salaries and other benefits. When asked why she did not borrow from the EDIT or Rainy Day funds she replied that these funds were already depleted. As everyone knows, the tax bills have not been prepared so our tax revenue is down considerably.

We are due for installments of TIF and CAGIT from the State in November, this should see us through until the end of the year.

The Resolution was introduced by CM Messer and seconded by CM Coffey and passed unanimously.

Next on the agenda was A-08-13 the $250,000 for storm clean up also passed 9-0. They even agreed to amend the rules and had all 3 readings last night.

The last item was G-08-09 which was to replace G-08-31 which had a few typo's.

For the most part all of the council members were so pleasant to each other and agreeable I thought I was either in the wrong meeting or possibly in an alternate universe. Whichever, it was indeed a rare occasion.

Monday, October 6, 2008

BORROWING FROM POOR OLE PETE AGAIN

Tonight's City Council meeting is short but sounds interesting.

First of all Mr. Messer is sponsoring a resolution to transfer emergency funds to meet the payroll. R-08-41 It seems that since the property tax bills are so late in being prepared and mailed the property owners have not sent any money. Surprise Surprise.

I don't work in the City-County building but for the sake of those who do I hope the Council does not delay his resolution. Somehow I don't think these people's mortgage companies, and other creditors would be especially understanding during these times. And can you imagine going to Kroger with an I.O.U. to pay for your groceries?

As far as A-08-14 and G-08-09 I'm not clear on these two, they will just have to wait until tonight.

I'll be sure to take notes and pass the word along about the meeting. Please come to the meeting if you can, the more the merrier.

Monday, September 29, 2008

HELP FOR NEW ALBANY 101

City Clerk Marcey Wisman conducted a round table discussion today entitled Solutions for Indiana. We were supposed to be joined by some people from Indianapolis but they did not show up. So Marcey, Lloyd Wimp and I had our own discussion which was recorded by Daniel Suddeath of the Tribune.



Marcey was well prepared with many facts, some were familiar but several were new to me and I must admit rather shocking. Following is a synopsis of our discussion.




  • The unemployment rate is the highest in 21 years, 6.4%. In January 2001 it was 3.6%.

  • There was a loss of manufacturing jobs in Indiana of 109,800 from 2001 to 2007. Manufacturing jobs make up 28% of Indiana's GDP, 550,000 Hoosiers are employed in manufacturing jobs.

  • John McCain voted for NAFTA but voted against job training funding bills SIX TIMES!

  • Health care premiums have gone up 42% since 2000 and 13% of Hoosiers are without health care.

  • John McCain wants to tax our employer furnished health care benefit as taxable income.

  • Foreclosures are up 26% this year in Indiana.

  • Barack Obama wants to pay dividends to taxpayers on any profit made by the bailout.

  • Obama wants to create 2,000,000 new jobs for repairs to our nation's infrastructure, ie. roads, highways, bridges. This would add 42,000 new jobs to Indiana.

  • Obama also wants to create 5,000,000 green jobs and establish a National Infrastructure Investment Bank which will enable people to invest in our infrastructure.

We also had a long discussion about our local economy. Marcey suggested that New Albany needs to find it's niche as far as how to market itself. We decided as a group that we are best suited as service orientated town. We may not have enough acreage for a huge auto plant but we have a lot of empty buildings which would work well for customer service companies. The first one that came to my mind was Heartland in Clark County. This is a company which services bankcard scanners and ATM owners. New Albany would be well suited for this type of business. These types of jobs are being farmed out to other countries. Have you ever tried to call your credit card company and talk to someone with an American accent?


We also talked about the condition of our streets and sidewalks. It is hard to walk down many of our streets without tripping over cracks and tree roots. And lo and behold our community development grants have been cut.


Another worrisome issue is home ownership. We all want to improve our ratio of home owners to renters but worry about how these homes will be financed.


Additionally we had a brief discussion about the Greenway project and the flood wall. We need to quit thinking of the flood wall as a barrier. The Clark County residents are very excited about their part of the Greenway. Are we going to continue to be Clark County's little sister?


I know that several groups are trying to put New Albany "on the map". We need the help from our elected officials. Please Mr. England and City and County Council members, we can't accomplish these goals without your help. Let's all work together to make New Albany a destination, not just a pass through to the Horseshoe Casino.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

SPRING ST. HILL

Mayor England broke ground on the Spring St Hill project Friday. I know many people pushed for this street to be opened because it is one of the roads to access Silver Hills. I understand that they need quick access in case of a fire or someone needs an ambulance.

I just wish they had replaced the fire station on West Main which was torn down to accommodate the waste treatment plant expansion.

The Spring St. Hill road repair will cost $1,325,000. That's a lot of TIF money and block grants. How many people will this help? Yes, I know this was a campaign promise. But I can't help but wonder what could be done for the entire first district with ONE MILLION, THREE HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS! I can't even imagine. Just think what could be done to help Pine View School, open a community center, create a park (with a playground), repair/restore/replace dilapidated houses, the list goes on. Call me a dreamer (or a fool).

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

IKE GOES THROUGH NEW ALBANY

Ike is gone but the devastation remains. We finally had our power restored late yesterday afternoon after losing all of the food in our refrigerator and much of our freezer. I know this is a small loss compared to what other residents lost.

My niece and nephew, who live in Sellersburg, told me yesterday that their power may be off until Friday, they said Sellersburg is like a ghost town. And tragically a woman and baby were killed when a tree fell on their car.

My church's steeple was damaged by the wind shortly after we left Sunday. Thank God no one was there, I heard the bell crashed through the roof.

I don't know if this is a fact but I heard that Indiana-American Water wants the power to be turned off again for a time so all of the energy will be diverted to their plant so the water can be purified. If anyone has more information on this please comment. Hopefully if this happens it will be on a schedule and we the residents will be notified so we can prepare.

But through is all, I want to thank all of the street department employees for their quick removal of trees and limbs and the Duke Energy employees who worked so hard to restore our power.

I will leave this open for further comments from any readers who wish to post.

Shirley

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

NOISE CONTROL

I don't know about you but we enjoy sitting on our back deck this time of the year except for one thing...NOISY 4 WHEELERS, MOTORCYCLES AND ASSORTED ATV'S!!!!!!

Some of the neighbors have reported this problem but after the police officers leave it all starts up again.

So I decided to look up the ordinance on noise control and see if we have any recourse. I don't want to make enemies of my neighbors but I kind of like having my hearing intact.

So here it is:

LIGHT VEHICLE NOISE CONTROL

96.15 SCOPE

"This subchapter shall apply to the control of all noise caused by light motor vehicles and originating within the limits of the city. (71 Code, 90.10) Ord. G-79-730, passed 2-5-79)

96.16 DEFINITIONS

For the purpose of this subchapter the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning. All terminology used in this ordinance, not defined below, shall be in conformance with applicable publications of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or its successor body.

A-WEIGHTED SOUND LEVEL. The sound pressure level in decibels as measured on a sound level meter using the A-weighting network. The level so read is designated db(A) or dbA.

LIGHT MOTOR VEHICLE. Any automobile, van, motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, motor scooter, or light truck with a gross vehicular weight of less than 8,000 pounds.

MODIFIED EXHAUST SYSTEM. An exhaust system in which:
  1. The original noise abatement devices have been physically altered causing them to be less effective in reducing noise;
  2. The original noise abatement devices have either been removed or replaced by noise abatement devices which are not as effective in reducing noise as the original devices; or
  3. Devices have been added to the original noise abatement devises, such that noise levels are increased.

NOISE. Any sound which annoys or disturbs humans or which causes or tends to cause an adverse psychological or physiological effect on humans.

NOISE LEVEL. The A-weighted sound level produced by a light motor vehicle.

SOUND LEVEL METER. An instrument which includes a microphone, amplifier, RMS detector, integrator or time average, output meter and weighing networks used to measure sound pressure levels. The instrument shall comply with the standard for Type 1 or Type 2 sound level meters as specified in American National Standards Institute Standard ANSI 51.4-1 91, or its successor.

SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL. Twenty times the logarithm to the base ten of the ratio of the RMS sound pressure to the reference pressure of 20 micro pascals. The sound pressure level is expressed in decibels. (71' Code, 90.11) (Ord. G-79-730, passed 2-5-79)

96.17 CAUSING EXCESSIVE NOISE LEVELS.

(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to cause noise levels from the operation of a light motor vehicle in excess of 84 dbA in any area within the corporate limits of New Albany. Measurement shall be made on pedestrian walkways or on other suitable locations at a point closest to the street, but no less than 20 feet from the point of exhaust emission. (71' Code, 90.12) (Ord. G-79-730, passed; AM. Ord. G080-803, passed 5-5-80)

(B) In addition to the prohibition provided for in 97.07, it shall be unlawful for any person to operate a light motor vehicle which causes excessive noise levels as a result of unnecessary rapid acceleration, deceleration, revving or tire squeal. Motor vehicles may not have a modified exhaust system that is equipped with: a muffler cutout; a bypass; or any similar device. At the request of the operator of the light motor vehicle, the officer can administer a stationery motor vehicle noise test. The stationary motor vehicle noise test can provide information as to the extent of defectiveness of the exhaust system or as to whether excessive noise levels were caused by improper operation of the light motor vehicle. ( '71 Code, 89.13) (Ord. G-79-730, passed 2-5-79) Penalty, see 96.99

Cross reference: Vehicle with offensive muffler, see 97.07

96.99 PENALTY

(A) A violation of this chapter for which another penalty has not been provided shall, upon conviction, be in an amount not exceeding $50 for each offense.

(B) Every person convicted of a violation of 96.15 through 96.17 shall be punished by a fine of not less than $25 or more than $100.

(C) A person who violated 96.01 through 96.04 may be fined no more than $25 for the first offence; and no more than $50 for the second and each subsequent offence, and in addition on the second or subsequent offence a law enforcement officer may confiscate any offending instrument used in violating 96.01 through 96.04. ('71 Code, 90.99(B)) (Ord. G-79-730, passed 2-5-79; Am. Ord. A-03-53, passed 8-21-03)"

So the translation is this: If someone keeps driving down your street in a loud vehicle of any type they can be fined. Maybe my husband can yell that instead of "Slow that thing down or better yet park it".


Thursday, September 4, 2008

LIGHT AGENDA/SHORT MEETING?

Tonight's City Council meeting should be quick and fairly painless. The only item on the agenda is the appropriation of the $250,000 in riverboat funds for future use.

I must agree with Kay Garry on this one. She was quoted in the "Tribune" as saying that it would take 40 to 50 days to get the appropriation approved and certified if the council found a need for these funds. And we all know they will.

This money is not going anywhere, I don't see why 4 members of the council Mr. Coffey, Mr. Caesar, Mr. Price, and Mr. Gahan voted against the appropriation plan. It just seems logical that the funds be ready and waiting for future projects. Every project must be voted on anyway.

I guess we will just have to wait and see how it goes tonight. See you there.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

NOT JUST RENTAL PROPERTY, BUT ALL HOUSES

There has been much concern, rightfully, about unsafe houses. And there has been some confusion about the authority of the Building Inspector. I have a copy of Code 150.101 and will be posting sections here:




SUMMARY OF CODE 150.101

CLEANLINESS OF PREMISES


BUILDING COMMISSIONER RESPONSIBILITIES


1. Enter premises to determine compliance.


2. Determine the identity & address of landowner


3. Send written notice by certified mail.


4. Have the city remove material & vehicles.


5. File a lien against the property with the County Recorder for all costs incurred by the city for removal.


Following is an explanation of the five steps listed above:


1. To determine compliance with this chapter, the Building Commissioner is entitled to enter upon the premises of any real property within the city.


2. If the Building Commissioner determines there is a violation of this section, he or she shall send by mail, a written notice to the owner(s) of the real estate, and to all other persons holding a substantial interest in the real estate (hereinafter "landowner"), requiring removal of the material and vehicles within 20 days.


3. The notice must also inform the landowner that failure to comply will result in the city removing and disposing of the material and vehicles at the landowner's expense.


4. The notice must also inform the landowner of his or her right to appeal the Building Commissioner's determination, according to the procedures set forth herein.


5. The Building Commissioner will determine the landowner's identity from the duplicate records of the County Auditor.


I was once in favor of rental inspections but after further research I realized that we already have the laws on the books and all we need to do is enforce them. We must keep in mind that unsafe houses are not just rental properties but owner occupied homes as well.


Saturday, August 23, 2008

RENTAL INSPECTION REVISITED

There was a meeting this morning with the committee formed to address rental inspections/registration and code enforcement. The members of this committee are Council Members John Gonder, Steve Price, and Pat McLaughlin and Deputy Mayor Carl Malysz.

It was surprisingly well attended with an estimated 35 to 40 citizens. Mr. Gonder lead the meeting with an outline of goals and objectives.

The first item on the agenda is the hiring of a concentrated code enforcement officer. Resumes have been submitted and the individual will be hired in the next 2 weeks. The committee anticipates a period of approximately 2 months for the individual to become acclimated to the position and to begin to take action.

There were many issues addressed today. One of the main concerns was the cost of the inspections and the fact that rental inspections do not include inspections of owner occupied homes.

Of course another major concern is the problem with absentee landlords. Mr. Hartman, the building inspector, complained that it is often difficult to determine the owner of the property so therefore he cannot confront the owner about the problem.

It is my understanding that if the city needs to mow the grass, remove an abandoned car, or anything along these lines the city can place a lien against the property to be paid along with the taxes. If the lien is not paid the city can seize the house and sell it at a Sheriff's sale.

Many of the attendents expressed their concerns about the drop in property values due to unsafe homes, drug dealers, meth labs, etc. These are very serious issues that are not dealt with in a timely manner. The committee members asked for addresses of these properties.

In all it was an effective start. Hopefully this will be the first of many such meetings and maybe someday New Albany will be a safe and clean place to live.

Readers, if you attended this meeting please add your comments. There was so much information to give but I didn't want this posting to go on forever.

Thanks,

Shirley

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES

Today the country lost a kind and gracious Congresswoman, Stephanie Tubbs Jones.

I had the privilege of meeting Congresswoman Jones this summer when she accompanied Chelsea Clinton to New Albany. She was a special person and a friend to all Americans.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

RENTAL INSPECTIONS

Besides the smoking ban, there is another hot button issue on the minds of many New Albany residents, both property owners and renters. I am referring to rental inspections.


I have been in favor of rental inspections for a few years. But I am not in favor of people being constantly visited by code enforcement officers or the building commission without cause.


We all know which homes are in disrepair and dangerous for human habitation. These are the homes which need to be monitored. As has been mentioned on other blogs, some people do not have enough money for the first month's rent plus a deposit and/or cannot pay very much for their rent. These people are forced to live in sub-standard housing.


I realize a lot of people who own rental property feel that they are being targeted but I don't think this will be the case. The offenders can be fined and this will pay for the code enforcement.


Readers, how do you feel about rental inspections?

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

SMOKING? NON-SMOKING? DO YOU CARE?

After reading the Tribune today I am confused about the smoking ban. There was an article about council members Price, Bennedetti, and Messer visiting the 40 & 8 club to discuss the ban.

It was my impression that private clubs would be exempt from the ban. When did this change?

I was reluctant to write about this issue because as a non-smoker I didn't think it was my place to do so. But after hearing both sides I am inclined to agree with the opposition. While I agree that smoking should be banned in restaurants and work places in general, I think that bars and private clubs should be exempt.

Private clubs are just that, private property. If the members choose to smoke, that should be their right. And bars? As the article said, 90% of people who go to bars to drink will smoke also. I have seen people who do not normally smoke do so in bars.

Well, that is my opinion for whatever it's worth.

The next council meeting is next week. Readers, will you attend the meeting and do you plan to speak?

Monday, August 4, 2008

MAYBE WE COULD CALL IT RIVERSIDE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES

A couple of weeks ago a TV show I was watching mentioned a program called "Mountain Housing Opportunities" in Asheville, NC. The show featured a young couple who had little money but were able to purchase a condo for $150,000 with payments as low as $560.00. Naturally this caught my attention so I googled "MHO" and asked for a brochure. They promptly replied to my email and said that a brochure would soon arrive.



I now have the brochure. It briefly explains the program, it's mission, and which citizens are helped. It is broken down into 10 segments, the last 2 are requests for volunteers and contributions. But MHO is all about volunteerism.



Following are brief quotes from the brochure:



"Mountain Housing Opportunities (MHO) is a private nonprofit community development corporation serving Asheville and Buncombe County. We achieve our mission through.


  1. Affordable Homeownership

  2. Rural Home Rehabilitation

  3. Community Rental Investments

  4. Emergency Home Repair

To revitalize neighborhoods, restore the environment and build the local economy, MHO works with local volunteers, churches, businesses and individual donors. By providing an improved home environment to working families and individuals, retirees, and people with disabilities, we're giving them something even greater: the opportunity to help themselves and others."


MHO helps low and moderate households purchase a home using flexible mortgage financing. The homeowners "earn' their downpayment with sweat equity, helping to build or rehab the home themselves. The financing is through the US Department of Agriculture.


In addition to home owners, MHO also has a "Community Rental Investment program...develops safe, attractive, afforadble rental homes and apartment communities for working families and individuals, retirees and people with disabilities". "Each development offiers for its residents a unique setting in a good neighborhood, with innovative architecture and design, site planning with beautiful landscaping, floor plans that are spacious and flowing, and superior amenities such as play areas, walking trails and community centers"


There is even an "Emergency Home Repair" section which makes repairs for lower income people. The repairs include electrical repairs, unsafe furnaces, handrails, plumbing or roofing problems, ramps, etc.


"MHO is North Carolina nonprofit corporation with tax-exempt status, approved by the US Internal Revenue Service to receive tax-deductible contributions under sec. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations to HMO are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law"


I don't know how to go about implementing something like this in New Albany but I plan to talk to as many people as possible who do have the needed knowlege. It all comes down to volunteers. Yes, many of us do a lot of volunteer work but I think we have an untapped resource. This organization will help a lot of people who maybe did not think they could buy a home. Yes we have Habitat for Humanity and CHODO but there is always room for another place for people to go for help. I believe this organization would be less restrictive and depend more on the contribution of the very people it helps. We all want to reduce the ratio of renters/homeowners. This is just another way to accomplish this goal.

I must clarify something. The condo mentioned in the first paragraph was valued at $150,000.00 but the amount of the mortgage was not mentioned. I thought at first that MHO helped with the down payment but possibly they helped with repairs or updates which raised the value of the condo. Either way this is a wonderful organization which helps a lot of people.






Thursday, July 24, 2008

COMPUTER PROBLEMS

I will not be posting a new article for a few days. We moved my computer to a different room and now we are having problems with the internet.

We decided to change our phone and internet to Insight. I will post my new email address as soon as it is created.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

A TERRIBLE LOSS

I just read this on a blog called the Hoosierpundit.



Baron Hill's son in law, Josh Huddleston, has lost his long and painful battle with leukemia.



A group that I belong to, Hoosiers for a Commonsense Health Care Plan, met with Baron a few weeks ago to ask for his support for bill HR676. As we were discussing the problems with healthcare, Baron mentioned Josh. A few of us knew about Josh, but Baron went in to detail about his ordeal. He was scheduled for a bone marrow transplant. Unfortunately the procedure was unsuccessful.



Please pray for the Hill and Huddleston families.

Friday, July 18, 2008

COUNCIL MEETING 7/17/08

Sorry everyone. I was unable to attend last night's City Council meeting (no I was not in Evansville). I had a meeting at church.

When I arrived at the meeting room everyone was just getting ready to leave. I was able to corner a couple of councilmen and learned that the bill on redistricting failed and President Gahan will appoint a committee of some of the council members. That's all I learned.

If anyone wants to contribute, please do so.

Thanks

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

FINALLY, A WEST END NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

A group of west end citizens met last night to reorganize our neighborhood association. The correct name is the West End Community Council and we will be meeting monthly in the New Albany Library. I will be posting the next meeting date later.



Our first order of business will be a cleanup of our neighborhood tentatively set for Augt 2.



Our thanks to Carl Malysz and Matt Dennison for your participation.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

RANDY & KAREN

I just want to add my best wishes to the Stumler family. This is a wonderful opportunity for Randy and everyone.

Although I will miss you I am glad that you will be able to pursue this dream. The pictures on the website for the Azores were really beautiful.

We will be patiently waiting for your return. You will have a million stories to tell and Randy will certainly be happy to tell them all.

Be safe, Stumler family and God Bless You.

Shirley

Monday, July 14, 2008

TOWN HALL MEETING 7/12/08 PART II

Continuing with the report from the Town Hall meeting:



Sewers and Sewer Billing: Mayor England is not happy with the city's contract with EMC. He is bringing the sewer billing back to City Hall. This should bring $5 to $10 Mil. back in fees. I agree with this decision, I thought the council should have opened the contract for bids instead of just signing with EMC. With sewer billing back in NA there may possibly be an added plus of additional job openings, this was not mentioned at the meeting.



The privatization of Sanitation: Another idea the Mayor disagrees with. He wants to re-negotiate the contract with the garbage company so they will pick up trash and yard waste in addition to garbage. The street dept. can't make needed repairs to our streets because they are running around picking up trash and yard waste. The lines in the streets need to be painted and the stop signs need to be replaced.



Jesse Ford spoke about the Tri County Health organization. He said AIDS and HIV infections are growing in the 50+ population. There will also be an AIDS walk on the last Sunday in September. Please contact Jesse Ford 945-7265 if you want to participate or volunteer.



Joe LaRocca, Executive director of YMCA of Sou. IN spoke also. He was asked how the low income families will be able to afford a membership in the "Y". He discussed the "Open Doors" financial assistance program. He said no one would be turned away regardless of income. There will also be a program for childcare and day camps. They will have day passes but Mr. LaRocca wants everyone to purchase a membership. I am glad that people will be able to buy a day pass if they want to. Sometimes it is hard to commit to a membership because it makes you think that you have to attend almost every day to make it worth it. It is also good for families who have visitors.

He went on to discuss the financing:
  • $20,000,000 from Caesar's.
  • $160,000 yearly from EDIT funds.
  • A steering committee raised $7,300,000.
  • A challenge grant from Kresge for $1,000,000 which was matched by 50% with private donations.

I was a supporter of the YMCA but not the $17,000,000 swimming pool. But it is done and we must move on. I hope the "Y" is a success and helps a lot of children have a place to play and learn. Our kids need someplace to go where they will be safe and have a good time.

We may not agree with everything this administration is doing but I appreciate the fact that all of these city officials took the time to attend this two-hour meeting and listen to us. The next meeting is scheduled for the fall. I will give everyone the details as soon as I learn them.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

TOWN HALL MEETING 7/12/08 (PART I)

I am happy to report that the Jones Memorial Church hosted another Town Hall meeting yesterday. The meeting was presided over by their Pastor, Rev. Evans, and Mayor England.



I am also happy to report that many city officials were in attendance including 2 city councilmen, a county council representative,our Deputy Mayor, Chief of Police, Fire Chief, heads of Redevelopment and Community Housing.



The first order of business was to address concerns expressed by the residents present at the first town hall meeting:




  • Streets torn up by utility companies: The Mayor reported that he always tries to work with utility companies and not surface a street only to have it torn for repairs of utility lines or pipes. He has a plan to resurface State St. from 265 to Arni's but the water company will be installing a 30in. pipe. So the resurfacing will have to wait. He also stated that the streets belong to the people not the city.

  • Police cars should be parked in high density neighborhoods when the officers are writing their reports: Chief Applegate replied to this issue. He asked everyone to report sightings of police cars which are on duty but are sitting in parks. He went on to say that our police force is down to 54 offices with 5 in the Academy and 2 serving in Iraq. With 3 shifts that only leaves 4 or 5 officers on the street at one time. He also went on to say that 85% of the city's budget goes for public safety. They also rely heavily on block watch groups and neighborhood associations. He asked everyone to watch for cars that are not normally in the neighborhood. Yes, everyone has guests but look for unusual activity.

  • Flooding in neighborhoods: This is the responsibility of our Storm Water board. They are trying to clear the creeks of debris so the water can flow to the river. Their number is 948-5320 ext. 26 if anyone wants to report any problems.

  • Trash on Hwy 64 in view of West St.: This falls under the responsibility of INDOT and they have been contacted.

  • Repairs to Spring St. Hill: Scheduled for August.

  • Code Enforcement: A new person will be hired to help Pam Badger. They intend to make a sweep of the entire city and address all of our problems.

Mr. Bob Lane from the Housing Authority spoke at length giving a profile of the average resident of public housing. He said that 57% of residents are on Social Security or SSI and the average rental rate is $158.00 per mo. He went on to say that 45% of the residents are very young mothers aged 17 and under. The residents also must pass both a criminal background check and credit check. He went on to answer several questions.


Q. Are people coming to New Albany from other cities and moving into our public housing?


A. Although it is illegal to discriminate, preference is given to Floyd County residents. Also many people are losing their homes and forced to move into public housing for the first time.


Q. Aren't a lot of people just spending a short time in our projects? And don't their children spend a short time in our schools?


A. This is true, some residents are transients.


Q. Louisville has a plan to convert their public housing to single family homes or duplexes, can we do that here?


A. There is no federal money to do this, it would require a huge investment from the city.


Q. Do we have off duty police officers to guard the streets? People are afraid to let their children play outside.


A. Although some police officers do act as security for the Housing Authority, they are already stretched so thin that they don't have the time. Surprisingly the worst time in the day for crime is 2:00PM to 10:00PM.


This covers about the first hour of the meeting. If I continue this article will be way too long.


All in all it seemed to be a productive meeting. I think people appreciate that our city officials are taking the time to listen to our concerns. I know that I did. The heavy presence of city officials showed that they are interested, and this is not even an election year!


Part II will be posted in a couple of days. Thanks for taking the time to visit.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

APPLES, ORANGES, ETC.

My husband, Jim, wrote the following article and asked me to post this for him since his typing skills leave a lot to be desired. Since I wanted to post this article in this decade I typed it myself, but the words are his.


To Mr. Apples & Oranges,


To separate them, you need to know which is which. But in your case, I don't think you do. But we will let the people decide.


You use words so unusual that someone must have to tell you what they mean.


You talk about being physically fit but since you own a hot dog and pizza stand, I don't see how you can eat this food and stay fit.


I don't know if the city gives you a tax break, but the regular people in New Albany don't get one. But the taxes paid by the people of New Albany are what keeps Community Park going, not the taxes paid by people from Louisville.


If you were going to a picnic at Community Park you would probably stop on Grantline Rd. to buy everything you need, but me, I'm not stupid, I would bring everything I need from home.


Your friend,


Jim Baird
(HA HA)


Jim didn't mention this, but he did tell me July 4th that if Community Park collected just one dollar from every out of town visitor we would have the funds to pave our streets and do everything else we need to do. I must agree. A water park paid for by the kind citizens of Louisville, what a concept.


BTW I pay taxes for the privilege of working in Louisville.

Shirley

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

4TH OF JULY ALL OVER AGAIN

If you were looking for excitement and continuing fireworks last night's City Council meeting did not disappoint.



There was a capacity crowd, some probably remained after the smoking ban meeting, but that is a different story. The residents and some of the council members had a lot to say and did not hold anything back.



The first speakers were residents who had taken part in the redistricting committee. One resident was offended by an article he read in the Courier Journal in which a council member was concerned that he was being forced out of office because part of his district had been merged with another council member's district. This resulted in two council members living in the same district. Of course they will have to face each other in the next election or flip a coin to see who will run "at large". As it turned out, this happened in another district also. So there will be four council members living in two districts. The 2011 race could be quite interesting.



The general consensus was that the proposed redistricting plan is perfectly fair as far as the population per district but splits precincts and disrupts neighborhoods. In general it leaves people without a sense of community.



This theme was repeated when the west end residents spoke about the Lopp Real Estate company who are trying to develop the west end. Some of the residents were afraid that they would be forced to sell their property at a loss. Several council members assured them that no one can force a homeowner to sell. It is totally up to them to take or reject any offers. It was brought up that some of the residents are being offered an incentive to talk their neighbors into selling their property. This is has the effect of pitting friend against friend and neighbor against neighbor. One resident spoke eloquently about older people who had lived in the same house for decades and were confused about all of the talk. She asked for the same respect as would be given to a homeowner in a more affluent neighborhood.



Another resident said that he was offered $18,000 less than his property appraised for twelve years ago. He too was assured that he is not obligated to accept any offers. One of the council members asked if the rezoning would help or hurt his property value. The gentleman did not know the answer but said that if his property value stayed the same as it was 12 years ago he would be OK with that.



This resolution passed after a little tweaking from a few council members with a vote of 7-1, one member was absent.



The sparks really started flying when it was time for the city officials to speak. As I said earlier a few of the council members were not happy with the proposed redistricting plan. One member said that per state law the council is responsible for drawing the district lines. Another said that the city was obligated to do something quickly because of the law suit which was filed earlier. All three of the council members who were members of the committee agreed that there was no regard to politics and that the decisions were solely based on population numbers from the 2002 Census.



Between the council members trying to out talk each other and comments from the crowd it was hard to keep up with what was happening. But the final vote was 4-4 on the first reading. Certainly more to come at the next two readings.



I am sorry to admit that I left at 9:30 so I did not hear the votes on the other Ordinances which included additional funds to hire more police officers. This is a very important issue but I just could not stay any later.



My feeling about the redistricting is this: yes the numbers are as fair as possible but there are other things to consider. People do consider themselves part of a neighborhood. If they have a problem they want to be able to rely on their council representive. It makes it difficult when the precints are split and some residents don't feel that they are part of their own neighborhood. It will also be very confusing at election time when people are told to vote elsewhere. Some may even be given the wrong information and refuse to vote out of general disgust.



I also think that the council members should have been considered in this plan. If the people of a certain district vote for a council rep they want that person to represent them. Council reps should not be pitted against each other as they try to work together. Objectivity is fine but some things are subjective and should be considered.

Friday, July 4, 2008

WE NEED OUR THREE MILLION DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There was an interesting comment posted July 3 in regard to a previous posting. It gave the entire explanation to the debt owed to the EDIT fund from TIF.


I wish to thank the person who contributed this valuable information.


"Minutes from New Albany Redevelopment Commission, dated November 12, 2001 (page 2) states, IN PART.


The Director (Carl Malysz) brought attention to the State Street Parking Garage and stated general concerns regarding the Bonds. One concern the Director stated was that the bond payments are accelerating and becoming substantial. The Director explained that there will be a greater implication on EDIT funds. The Director also stated certain complications with TIF and EDIT revenues, as follows:
  1. The Parking Garage finished a year or two prior to the bank building. The TIF proceeds started later than anticipated in the underwriting. From '98 thru '01 there was an accumulated TIF shortage of $256,000.

  2. The bank was originally to have five floors completed and occupied. There are two floors that were left unfinished so that the assessed value (av) of the building is less than what was estimated, resulting in less TIF funds. (BTW, sure looks as if they finished those two top floors now; as they being taxed now?)

  3. The original assessed value included a bank drive-through, but the site could not accommodate it. The New Albany Redevelopment Commission should add the drive-through to the TIF district to capture additional TIF proceeds.

  4. EDIT funds are budgeted to be payable for a particular year. The Director suggested that the city budget the EDIT funds and have them available to Redevelopment Commission before the payments are due. This gives the resources available on time without scrambling around for the funds to make the payments. In order to get on a valid schedule, an appeal has to be made to the Council and the Controller to receive the EDIT funds available not to be current with the payment.

  5. A lease Rental Reserve was required in the bond agreement. This costs around $40,000 a year for five years or $200,000.

The Director noted that in order to be current by the end of this year, there needs to be approximately $580,000 or EDIT funds allocated to the Redevelopment Commission. The Director also stated that by the time the project is paid off, WE WILL PAY APPROXIMATELY $3,696,350 OF EDIT INTO THE PARKING GARAGE PROJECT. The Director stated that once the bonds were paid off, THEN TIF FUNDS CAN BE COLLECTED TO REFUND THE CITY THE EDIT CONTRIBUTED, IN RETURN, "THE CITY CAN USE THOSE FUNDS FOR OTHER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS".

Other documentation includes a document dated 8/21/07 from Cyndi Kraus, Financial/Compliance Manager and John Rosenbarger, Director of NARC to the CITY COUNCIL stating IN PART:

Per your request received August 17, 2007 I'm providing the following State Street Garage Operating and TIF information.

1. State Street Parking Garage Operating Fund

Year 2005 Receipts $82,874.65 Expenses $69,118.24

Year 2006 Receipts $76,772.71 Expenses $54,306.52

Year 2007 (thru 7/07) Receipts $32,828.40 Expenses $22,651.74


2. Total TIF captured between 1999 and 2006 is $1,004,949.31

3. Total Debt Service paid with EDIT is $3,613,698.46

Please pay the monies back of England can have some money to work with Redevelopment. PLEASE?"

I must add an additional "PLEASE" to this request. There are so many important projects in the works and the $3M+ is desperately needed.







HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

TODAY IS JULY 4TH. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO EVERYONE.