The one you really need to have. If you don't have it, that's why you need it.

With the senior editor engaged elsewhere, NA Confidential handily sidestepped council president Kochert's attempted coup d'schedule by dispatching Bluegill to the mayoral forum and Lloyd to the last-minute city council meeting. Lloyd is first past the post with his council comments below, but first, here are links to forum coverage.

Mainstream media: Candidates see different paths for downtown; Hubbard, England also agree often, by Dick Kaukas (Courier-Journal)

NA Shadow Council blog: Who's Looking Out For Whom?

Take it away, Lloyd ...

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A word of caution; DO NOT attend any of this year’s remaining New Albany Common Council meetings without first shoring up your resolve with a minimum of three pints of NABC's Hoptimus brew its equivalent. In that setting, low alcohol content can lead to permanent brain damage. I now know how the Aflac duck felt in the commercial with Yogi Berra, when the duck came waddling out of the barber shop talking to himself.

At any rate, President Kochert started last night’s event off properly at 7:30 p.m. and went through the opening ceremonies with speed and clarity. There were no CF-1 Forms, Public Communications, City Official Communications, Mayoral Communications, or Committee Reports.

So, the council proceeded right into “Appointments to the Storm Water Board.” Of the three candidates on the list, only Ms. Bolovschak was present. She took the podium, declared herself a facilitator, and promised to serve under the direction of the Council and report directly to them if chosen. She stated that although Mr. Coffey should feel free to attend the Storm Water Board meetings, it would not be necessary, as she would be diligent in keeping the council informed (paraphrased). She then went on to read aloud from several letters of recommendation that she had acquired from former employers and associates. She requested that these be entered in the official minutes of the meeting.

As neither of the other two candidates was present to defend himself, council moved directly to a discussion and the vote. The general consensus was that two engineers on one board would result in a conflict of interest, so Nathan Grimes was out before he left the gate. There being no other discussion (at least none that made any sense) the vote was called for.

With the first ballot, Grimes got 4 ayes & 5 nays, Bolovschak 3 Ayes & 6 Nays, and Kessans 4 Ayes & 5 Nays. On the second ballot, although some members changed their votes, the numbers for all three remained the same. At this point I predicted it was going to be a long night and began to regret only having one beer prior to attending. Finally on the third ballot, even though they switched votes again, Kessans got the nod with 5 Ayes and 4 Nays.

Next came two resolutions from the same applicant for tax abatements. This prompted a typically rowdy discussion about the merits/demerits of such policies (Coffey against them, Price wanting to look at the "big picture" and Zurschmiede wanting to support the small businessman), and it eventually was resolved that from this day forward abatements on real property would be allowed the customary ten year lease on life while additional equipment purchases only will merit a five year period. Both passed unanimously.

This was followed by an ordinance concerning setting the salary for a NA Parks Department employee, which passed without ado.

Then came G-07-14, the one we had been saving the video camera battery to record: The redistricting plan ordinance. The room held its collective breath as it was introduced by CM Gahan. Discussion was called for. There was none. A motion was made and seconded to vote on the first reading. With a couple of the council persons stipulating a yes vote on the first reading only, it passed with 8 Ayes & 1 Nay (Zurschmiede).

The room exhaled, and Karen Carmickle and I looked at each other and berated ourselves for not having filmed the Valla Ann show earlier. You live & learn.

About this time the room began to fill up with the attendees of the mayoral non-debate across the street.

The rest of the evening’s agenda consisted of three ordinances to amend zoning for their respective projects, two of which passed on first reading, and the third failing on both the second & third readings.

Motion was made to adjourn, was seconded, and His Highness dropped the gavel with a thud.

Editor’s note: The council’s action last evening on G-07-14 was to approve a first reading of the redistricting ordinance known as the “Schmidt (Anna) Plan,” which (a) was not written by CM Schmidt himself, and (b) reflects the council’s previous contentious vote to endorse a lawsuit settlement mechanism that the plaintiffs have made perfectly clear is entirely unacceptable.

That’s why Lloyd’s account of last night’s meeting ends like this:

Sing along now: "A courting we will go, a courting we wil … "