Council approves budget with little fanfare and no live adult entertainment.

The Highwayman attended last evening’s city council meeting and files this report. He begins by addressing a point referenced previously by the senior editor: Did he do it? Can they do it? Do it to us one more time?

Also from Thursday: Live adult entertainment ordinance: The words stir passions, but is foreplay enough?

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Sad to say Dan Coffey said nary a word about this issue between gavels. However, I approached him prior to the meeting to confirm that such (a live adult entertainment ordinance) had been passed in 2001.

He replied in the affirmative, and I went on to inform him that rather than being enforced, it is firmly ensconced on the city attorney's desk awaiting a rewrite.

At that he shook his head and sighed.

As luck would have it, (city attorney) Shane Gibson was present, so I approached him to inquire as to the why's & wherefore's.

He responded that on review of the ordinance, it had been determined that in part, the fee schedule would not hold up in court, a conclusion based on similar attempts by surrounding communities that had previously failed to pass muster.

I passed that information along to CM Coffey after the meeting. His response was that it isn't the administration’s shot to call. Enforcement should be attempted, and if it fails, the council would then address it!

As for the rest of the meeting, the Mayor (oops! -- I mean Deputy Mayor) Malysz reported that based in part on the work of the council's committee on housing, the administration has a (another) plan in the works to deal with code enforcement.

He further stated that this plan would be revealed in the near future by Mayor England. No further details were offered.

Following that, the council buzzed right through the "Floyd County All Hazards Mitigation Plan", a variety of annexation & tax abatement resolutions and the Tourism Fund Revenue Bond.

Then came the real entertainment for the evening: Final passage of the 2009 budget.

There were three separate ordinances pertaining to 2009 salaries for various departments. Prior to the vote, all three of them were amended to reflect further cuts in dollars even though all departments had met the trimming request of the council since the last meeting.

After the amendments were passed 8-0, CM's Price and Zurschmiede still voted “no” on the final version. I suppose the cuts still weren't deep enough to satisfy them.

The one that still boggles the mind, however, is how the $6,800 that was trimmed from the city clerk’s budget ended up being added to the common council’s budget. The explanation I got from city controller Kay Garry was that the council had already trimmed $20,000 from their bottom line and needed the boost. I ain't buying it, but there it is.

It should be noted that the 5th District councilwoman was not present.

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Editor's note: Courier-Journal coverage is here: New Albany council approves budget. For the record, the C-J records CM Price voting in favor of the budget.