Barring unexpected breaking news, NAC is taking a quick breather. See you on the 1st.
I find it devilishly hard to keep up with the local news during the period around Christmas and New Year’s. The holiday season is prime time for our business; many hours must be spent at work; and, even if things are running smoothly, there'll always one or the other Progressive Pint to "consider" during the down portion of the daily schedule.
Incoming mayor Doug England was sworn in on Friday, as were the other municipal winner's from the November election. Mayor England has spent recent weeks making pertinent appointments, and here are a few of the media links detailing them.
England names Carl Malysz deputy mayor (Tribune)
(Mickey) Thompson to run New Albany Street Department (Tribune)
(Kay) Garry returning as New Albany controller (Tribune)
England appoints campaign manager (John Wilcox) operations director (Courier-Journal)
Meanwhile, with the Gang of Four council faction obstructionists finally torn asunder, it is time to begin speculation as to the new council’s potential impact and its internal alignments, which will go a long way toward shaping the legislative entity's work. We turn to the NA Shadow Council blog for this conversation starter, which is reprinted here in its entirety.
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A Blueprint? or Just a List?
At least a "rump" segment of the incoming council has pledged to seek the following goal:
To help make New Albany a more productive and progressive city.
The document making this declaration is making the rounds, at least in the progressive community, and is the result of numerous pre-term discussions among the incumbent and newly elected council members. It comes with a list of concerns to be addressed in the next few months and in the next four years. From what I've been told, it's not intended to be exclusive, but the council members want to start the discussion forthwith and are actively seeking public comment and assistance in addressing them.
Without further ado, here it is:
Accountability
City Beautification
Enforcement/Laws
Education/City Off
Image/City
Sewers
Communication
Re-organization/Dept
Traffic Flow
Environment
Public Involvement
Parks
Service
Size of Gov
Industrial
Leadership
Business
Revenue
Constituents
Spring St. Hill
Housing
Streets
Drugs/Crime
Manpower
Budget
Empty Space
Railroad
Teamwork
Dept. Heads
Infrastructure
Downtown
City Hall
Rental Prop
The people (your representatives) who generated this list want YOU to rank these concerns and start the conversation. Do it here, do it there, do it anywhere. Call your council member, post on this or another blog, attend the Jan. 7 organizational meeting of the new council. But DO participate in this. I think it's admirable that the council is already at work on a new vision for New Albany.
Over the coming weeks, we'll give you our thoughts. If you find the "concerns" list a little cryptic or if you never knew these were concerns, we'll try to edify you, "to the best of our ability."
I too think that it is admirable that the new City Council is already starting to take a look
ReplyDeleteat the various issues that face them, however, I do hope that in their eagerness to get the "new blood" of change flowing, that they do not make the same mistake that many new
administrations make, from the City Council levels all the way to Presidential levels of Government.
That mistake is trying to tackle too many projects at the same time, and not being able to fund everything at the same time...thus the "where's the money gonna come from for this one" argument.
The list that has been presented, in part could be set up with a main category, with sub categories
including other topics on the list. Others are stand alone issues that would need to be dealt with as such.
It's a four year term, tackle the most urgent issues first, then move on to the next. The idea of mine from early in the year of holding a monthly district town hall meeting
to keep constituents up to date on issues would be a very useful tool in having good relations
with the City Council/Administration and the
residents.
Category One - Accountability
To Include - City Hall - Size of Gov. - Dept. Heads - Budget - Enforcement/Laws - Drugs/Crime-Public Involvement/Constituents
Category Two - City Beautification
To Include - Budget - Parks -* Streets - *Railroad - Image/City - Environment - Sewers -Public Involvement/Constituents
*Streets & Railroad could also be under an unlisted category- Public Safety. The streets in New Albany,
almost all of them, are in gross disrepair, and the 15th Street Railroad corridor needs to be properly repaired,
not just patched up. It is a hazard to residents who live on 15th Street, as well as the entire city if chemical
cars would derail. The city should work with state and federal trade commissions to require the railroad to do proper repair and maintenance on this stretch of track, or find another route.
Category Three - Enforcement/Laws
To Include - Budget -Leadership- Traffic Flow - Drugs/Crime - Manpower - Re-organization/Dept. - Teamwork - Service
Category Four - Business
To Include - Budget - Industrial -Revenue-Empty Space-Infrastructure-*Downtown-Teamwork
*I still think the idea of having a downtown Spring Festival, like around Derby time, would bring
added revenue to town...draw some of the Derby goers/tourists. Booth space could be sold to vendors
to include both the Spring and the Harvest Homecoming Festivals. I think that the city should consider
buying the downtown parking lot where the old post office used to be...turn it into a green space, have a large gazebo/bandstand, and have summer concerts like Jeffersonville does in Warder Park. This would
draw more people downtown not only to the concerts, but to the restaurants, stores, Speakeasy...etc.
The following could also have been included in the accountability category, but are listed as stand alone issues that need to be addressed.
1. Rental Properties - With regard to landlords who have leased homes without a signed document. There should be a requirement that all landlords must have a signed agreement with a tenant for at least 1 year, with the option of renewal. This requirement also would need to require that landlords be responsible for all upkeep, upgrades, repairs, to all rental property they own, and that they can not use their position as landlord, or any other standing that they may hold in New Albany, over a tenant, to evict them. All landlords need to be responsible for meeting all city ordinances. Violators would be fined, and if tenants are unlawfully harassed, the landlord would be subject to charges and/or jail time.
Absentee Landlords should be required to clean up/fix up and rent properties that they own within a period of six months, or the city should be able to condemn such property and tear it down at the landlord's expense.
2. Housing - The idea of having the upstairs condos in downtown buildings has merit. Looking into grants for this type of project, and/or possibly riverfront condos, would be worth looking into.