President Gahan keeps his foot on the gas and an eye on the hourglass.

Odd.

Tonight’s council meeting clocked in at 42 minutes, flat, and I’m not sure whether to demand my money back or dance naked in the street – and even the latter’s no longer a safe bet, seeing as (perhaps) we’re finally beginning to enforce an ordinance or three.

New Albany revives suit over bids; Sewer, storm-water contracts challenged, by Dick Kaukas (Courier-Journal).

The major move of the evening came when the council voted 7-2 (CMs Jack Messer and Kevin Zurschmiede dissenting) to rescind resolution R-08-04, which had been approved 5-4 at the second January meeting.

R-08-04 was the resolution to drop the council’s lawsuit against the sewer and stormwater boards over the legality of those boards awarding no-bid "professional services" contracts to EMC in 2007.

In reversing course tonight, CMs Bob Caesar, Pat McLaughlin and Steve Price insisted they were influenced to change their votes by the dramatic resurfacing of new information. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I can’t recall this new information ever being introduced at any point during the session. All Caesar had to say was to deny that it was aimed at any one person.

Chalk this one up to heavy behind the scenes lobbying of the two council newbies by the faction that favors a court decision.

As it stood, and without the mercifully retired Larry Kochert to chime in, Zurschmiede yet again defended his role in negotiating the EMC contract, and CM Dan Coffey yet again damned Zurschmiede with faint praise and vowed to place his paws around the wastewater spigots post haste.

In short, it was a rerun.

Coffey also used the opportunity offered by the debate over sewer board and related legal fees to suggest that the battle three years ago against New Albany DVD, the generally empty porno front on West Main Street, was worth every penny it cost the city because it prevented a slew of similar businesses from locating along the strip.

As with the “new” information about sewer-related legal action, no documented claims for any of this were offered by Coffey.

Apparently Bazooka Joe U. offers no courses in pornography forensics; either that, or pumpkin patches just aren’t in season.

They sell wax ones, you know.