Destiny brought these three people together, but why, and for what purpose? Tune in later for the latest dramatic installment of:
"MISCELLANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS: (public comments on non-agenda items)," otherwise known as "public utility questions the egress of the self-appointed."
From left to right, these ships passing in the council's Thursday night are Kevin Hammersmith of Duke Energy; Valla Ann Bolovschak of Valla Ann Bolovschak, and John Rosenbarger, whose surname is regularly mispronounced by council member Steve Price, and who otherwise serves as New Albany’s redevelopment director.
Ms. Bolovschak came forward last evening to report on the progress of her shadow municipal government in taming the recalcitrant railroad, which at her behest is completing a signal at the downtown floodwall crossing. Two other railroad crossings between Main and the floodwall were permanently closed in exchange for this new signal, an achievement that Ms. Bolovschak suggested might place her in line for either a Nobel Prize or an at-large council seat, whichever best suits future political ambitions.
However, Hammersmith begged to differ: According to him, these machinations have had the net effect of depriving Duke from access to one of its electrical facilities, from whence flows power for more than 3,000 local residents, reducing the utility to an imperfect handshake agreement with an existing adjacent business, itself long put out by the closures, and perfectly willing to sell access road frontage to the city at an inflated price.
The latter fact was explained to the council by Rosenbarger, who as usual appeared to have all the possibilities and non-possibilities well within his experienced understanding, including a comprehensive but merry rebuttal of Ms. Bolovschak’s assertion that her shadow regime’s negotiations with the Scharlow family had in fact garnered Duke sufficient access – an apparent non-starter that both Rosenbarger and Hammersmith ("after all, it's been two years") handily rebuffed.
Several council members, including Kevin Zurschmiede and Jack Messer, promptly offered to intervene and redo the somewhat less than tied together aspects of the shadow government’s railroad handiwork, leaving egg to drip publicly in places that almost surely will not include the bile-stained pages of Professor Erika’s blog.
----
Throughout last evening’s council meeting, an eerie patina of civility was palpable in a chamber noted for its fractious infighting. One wag suggested that the presence of a group of Boy Scouts calmed the savage breasts, while another offered “primary-itis” as a more likely source of the incredibly polite demeanors.
(Actually, when I first spotted the uniforms, I wondered aloud: “Which Boy Scout funding request is CM Price slated to vote against tonight?”)
Whatever the source, the council’s ensuing love fest brought us to the land of milk, honey, paving, street and fire department equipment, a sewer utility manager and spanking new Big Chief tablets, with the customarily penurious Price reduced to excitedly suggesting that if the city's building and weights and measures inspectors drove in-house, used, high-mileage, souped-up former police cars instead of driving their own vehicles and being reimbursed for the mileage, that the city might somehow come out a few nickels and dimes ahead in the end in spite of astronomical maintenance costs for the aging fleet that he’s fought so hard against replacing.
File under: Self-parody. At least it was a reminder of past obstructionist glories.
Follow the links below for more information on the gathering. If you’re interested in the council’s pending smoking ordinance, be aware that in light of the Indiana legislature’s dropping of consideration of statewide smoking rules, CM Zurschmiede now will resuscitate the previously moribund council committee charged with making sense of the crusading lame duck council king’s muddled and repetitive first ordinance draft.
And here’s one you can take to the bank: The smoking debate will not be conducted in the calm, civil matter of last evening’s council backscratcher.
Ms. Bolovschak came forward last evening to report on the progress of her shadow municipal government in taming the recalcitrant railroad, which at her behest is completing a signal at the downtown floodwall crossing. Two other railroad crossings between Main and the floodwall were permanently closed in exchange for this new signal, an achievement that Ms. Bolovschak suggested might place her in line for either a Nobel Prize or an at-large council seat, whichever best suits future political ambitions.
However, Hammersmith begged to differ: According to him, these machinations have had the net effect of depriving Duke from access to one of its electrical facilities, from whence flows power for more than 3,000 local residents, reducing the utility to an imperfect handshake agreement with an existing adjacent business, itself long put out by the closures, and perfectly willing to sell access road frontage to the city at an inflated price.
The latter fact was explained to the council by Rosenbarger, who as usual appeared to have all the possibilities and non-possibilities well within his experienced understanding, including a comprehensive but merry rebuttal of Ms. Bolovschak’s assertion that her shadow regime’s negotiations with the Scharlow family had in fact garnered Duke sufficient access – an apparent non-starter that both Rosenbarger and Hammersmith ("after all, it's been two years") handily rebuffed.
Several council members, including Kevin Zurschmiede and Jack Messer, promptly offered to intervene and redo the somewhat less than tied together aspects of the shadow government’s railroad handiwork, leaving egg to drip publicly in places that almost surely will not include the bile-stained pages of Professor Erika’s blog.
----
Throughout last evening’s council meeting, an eerie patina of civility was palpable in a chamber noted for its fractious infighting. One wag suggested that the presence of a group of Boy Scouts calmed the savage breasts, while another offered “primary-itis” as a more likely source of the incredibly polite demeanors.
(Actually, when I first spotted the uniforms, I wondered aloud: “Which Boy Scout funding request is CM Price slated to vote against tonight?”)
Whatever the source, the council’s ensuing love fest brought us to the land of milk, honey, paving, street and fire department equipment, a sewer utility manager and spanking new Big Chief tablets, with the customarily penurious Price reduced to excitedly suggesting that if the city's building and weights and measures inspectors drove in-house, used, high-mileage, souped-up former police cars instead of driving their own vehicles and being reimbursed for the mileage, that the city might somehow come out a few nickels and dimes ahead in the end in spite of astronomical maintenance costs for the aging fleet that he’s fought so hard against replacing.
File under: Self-parody. At least it was a reminder of past obstructionist glories.
Follow the links below for more information on the gathering. If you’re interested in the council’s pending smoking ordinance, be aware that in light of the Indiana legislature’s dropping of consideration of statewide smoking rules, CM Zurschmiede now will resuscitate the previously moribund council committee charged with making sense of the crusading lame duck council king’s muddled and repetitive first ordinance draft.
And here’s one you can take to the bank: The smoking debate will not be conducted in the calm, civil matter of last evening’s council backscratcher.
----
Earlier this morning:
As caffeine-inspired work continues toward our in-house council meeting commentary, the senior editor refers impatient readers to these links for coverage of last evening’s city council meeting:
For understated coverage from the Louisville newspaper:
New Albany street repairs coming, by Dick Kaukas (short shelf life for some Courier-Journal links).
It looks as if some New Albany streets will finally be repaved and repaired. The City Council voted unanimously last night to use about $950,000 for the work.
For insightful coverage from 3rd district council hopeful (and former councilman) Maury Goldberg:
$2,012,325 to Get Re-nominated? and Todd Solomon Resigns from Sewer Board.
And don’t forget: It’s already Day 45 of our ongoing Steve "Nickels 'n' Dimes" Price blogwatch. The 3rd district incumbent’s last blog posting appeared on March 6. How will the CM explain last night's multi-million dollar "yes" votes to his guru, Dave Ramsey? Perhaps swimming against the cart is too stressful for the horse's tide.
There may be more on the way. Have a happy pre-Thunder Friday.
For understated coverage from the Louisville newspaper:
New Albany street repairs coming, by Dick Kaukas (short shelf life for some Courier-Journal links).
It looks as if some New Albany streets will finally be repaved and repaired. The City Council voted unanimously last night to use about $950,000 for the work.
For insightful coverage from 3rd district council hopeful (and former councilman) Maury Goldberg:
$2,012,325 to Get Re-nominated? and Todd Solomon Resigns from Sewer Board.
And don’t forget: It’s already Day 45 of our ongoing Steve "Nickels 'n' Dimes" Price blogwatch. The 3rd district incumbent’s last blog posting appeared on March 6. How will the CM explain last night's multi-million dollar "yes" votes to his guru, Dave Ramsey? Perhaps swimming against the cart is too stressful for the horse's tide.
There may be more on the way. Have a happy pre-Thunder Friday.
1 comment:
OK, we've made it thru round one and got the $$$ appropriated to do something.
Now how long is it going to take for the administration to move on the items and actually get them started?
I asked CM Blevins last evening what the staus of the packer truck was that came up months ago.
He referred me to Kay Garry who stated that yes the council had approved the purchase, yes the money was in the bank, and yes the vechicle has been ordered.
This conversation stared in November of 2006. What's the delay.
I have stated previously elsewhere that with few exceptions, one can order a new truck from a manufacturer and expect deliver in 90 days.
Come on Mayor Garner, pick up a telephone and light a fire under someone!! This is rediculous!
Post a Comment