Refusing to speak for the city's residents, Coffey makes strange gurgling sounds instead as council members snore through meeting.

Matt Nash's words today in One Southern Indiana Newspaper ring truer than ever following last evening's council debacle.

In recent years, New Albany residents have also continued to send people back to the city council that are incompetent and totally ineffective. This year, some of the least effective members on the council are facing some challenges from worthy opponents that deserve a chance to show us what they can do. With the combination of two of the councilmen not seeking re-election and the challenges to the current group, the next city council could have a drastically different look in 2012.

Apart from the departing Jack Messer, who seems to have lost interest in policing the doltitrude, and John Gonder (the one who reads books), it is obvious that the remainder of the council members are choosing a "prevent" defense as the primary approaches. There was precious little of intelligence to be said about anything last night, just a series of pander-squawks lest a voter might be listening.

Here's the straight dope, courtesy of reporter Suddeath. If I have time later, I'll be back with last night's Five Dumbest of the Dumbest Moments. Until then, can anyone answer this question: Is there a "hidden" ordinance somewhere stating that the Michell, Timperman and Ritz Architects firm must design every project in town?

New Albany City Council tables River View development request; Method for purchasing bicentennial park property approved, by Daniel Suddeath (OSIN)

The council voted to include the purchase of a lot at the intersection of Pearl and Spring streets for a bicentennial park in the TIF zone. The city was awarded a grant from the Horseshoe Foundation of Floyd County to establish a bicentennial park.

The grant stipulates the city must purchase a site for the park, and put up an additional $250,000 toward building the public facility. The $250,000 match was not included in the resolution OK’d by the council.

The measure originally included making a $400,000 expenditure to revamp the downtown Farmers’ Market a TIF eligible expense. But the council voted to remove the request from the proposal.

The improvements would include the construction of a mirroring structure to match the existing pavilion, as well as a building with bathrooms for the outdoor facility.

The Farmers’ Market is operated by the organization Develop New Albany. The construction estimate was provided by the firm Michell, Timperman and Ritz Architects at the request of the administration.