The Jeff Gahan Money Machine, Part 16: Last week's minutes from the Board of Public Works and Safety reveal big donors daintily lapping their gravy.

Previously: The Jeff Gahan Money Machine, Part 15: Beam, Longest and Neff -- they're why Jeff Gahan is HERE and awash in cash, 16,500 times over.

Some people canoodle, but during the coming weeks we'll be plucking highlights from eight years of the Committee to Elect Gahan's CFA-4 campaign finance reports. Strap in, folks -- and don't forget those air(head) sickness bags.

After a while, it makes your head spin. You see those donor dollars multiplying up there on Jeff Gahan's campaign finance tote board, then you spin the Wheel of Random Meeting Minutes and see the fats cats eagerly queuing for their treats.

To illustrate this, let's look at the minutes from the March 12 meeting of the Board of Public Works and Safety -- but first, this wonderfully revealing moment as the bored prepare to approve the HWC Beautifies IKEA-ly work currently underway on Market Street between State and Pearl.

Somehow awakened against all odds, board gatekeeper Warren Nash actually asks a good question of city engineer Larry Summers.

Mr. Nash asked if the properties on the south side

(of the street) have been notified.

Mr. Summers stated they will still have access.

You'll notice Summers did not answer the question -- but of course Nash didn't follow up. Who's he think he is, a News and Tribune editor?

This Mr. Oakes works for AllTerrain, which won the Market Street project with a bid far below what had been expected ... so far that David Barksdale envisioned trees outside the project area being felled so they wouldn't block the view of the Fork in the Road, but seeing it was easier just to remove the public art installation without bothering to inform the artist who designed it ...

Stephen Triplett (owner) and AllTerrain Paving have shoveled a whopping $10,750 to Gahan since 2015. Meanwhile, with an emergency situation on Old Vincennes Road, normal procedures are circumvented for the sake of speed (for the repairs, not lead-footed drivers).

Jeff Eastridge (CCE) has donated $5,500 to Gahan's coffers, and various arms of Jacobi, Toombs & Lanz have poured some $33,225 of sugar on Dear Leader since 2011, contributing all eight years.

The beak wetting intensifies on Mt. Tabor Road.

United Consulting (including owners and employees) has accounted for $15,650. However we've saved the best for last.

I've yet to devote an episode of this series to the sheer numbing ubiquity of Clark Dietz, which serves as an unofficial department of city government.

Wanna know a secret? Clark Dietz sits atop Jeff Gahan's campaign finance suction magnet with $34,400 in donations since 2011, including his two largest bursts ever, $7,500 in 2017 and 2018. Still, Clark Dietz is only a whisker ahead of Jacobi, Toombs & Lanz ($33,225) and a combined grouping of John Neace companies and allies ($32,250).

That's still a cool $100,000 between only three power brokers. Think about this, and #FireGahan2019

Hold on ... 2-way streets from State to West 5th? Whatever it is, don't expect it in an election year.

Rebuttals are welcome and will be published unaltered -- so don't forget spellcheck. If you have supplementary information to offer about any of this, please let us know and we'll update the page. The preceding was gleaned entirely from public records, with the addresses of "individuals" removed.

Next: The Jeff Gahan Money Machine, Part 17: Denton-Floyd feels M(ighty) Fine -- and the resulting Reisz Krispies Treats never tasted better to Mayor Gahan.

The Jeff Gahan Money Machine, Part 14: Kentucky-based GRW Engineers and the subtle art of the $200 out-of-state handshake.

Previously: The Jeff Gahan Money Machine, Part 13: United Consulting Engineers rocks Deaf Gahan like a hurricane.

Some people go to the zoo, but during the coming weeks we'll be plucking highlights from eight years of the Committee to Elect Gahan's CFA-4 campaign finance reports. Strap in, folks -- and don't forget those air(head) sickness bags.

Outside firms from other cities and states typically are awarded no-bid planning, design and supervision contracts, then local contractors go bobbing for jobbing.

The locals also stand ready to bid on the daily and weekly gigs, as in this excerpt from sewer board (J. Gahan. president) minutes in late 2018.

These local aspirants also donate to Dear Leader's campaign finance monolith.

AllTerrain and owner Stephen Triplett: $10,750 (three donor years)
Jeff Eastridge (CCE): $5,500 (two donor years)

The acknowledged king of below-the-radar work for numerous city agencies (eight straight years donating) already has been documented.

The Jeff Gahan Money Machine, Part 3: Eight-year donor Terry Ginkins and a consistency of beak-wetting.

GRW is an engineering, architectural and geospatial consulting firm in Kentucky. It opened an office in li'l ol' Nawbany in 2007, and according to a former stormwater board member, gets many stormwater and sewer board contracts, as with the Autumn Grove subdivision on Kenzig Road in 2014 and this random excerpt from sewer board minutes in 2015.

Let's glance at the higher-ups and their snazzy suits.

GRW Engineering
Benjamin D. Fister 200
Ron D. Gilkerson 200
Harvey H. Helm 200
Robert Morrow Hench 200
Joseph Henry 200
James Hilborn IV 200
William Maynard 200
Brad Montgomery 200
Total: $1,600

No, it isn't that much money, but I'm still impressed with the systematic nature of eight GRW employees, each one of them living near Lexington or Frankfort, offering exactly the same sum as though they were business cards -- or, "don't bother shaking my hand if there isn't $200 in it."

Does it work this way at YOUR job?

Of course not. Be the kickbacks large or small, why should Jeff Gahan accept and receive them, apart from sheer greed?

#FireGahan2019

Rebuttals are welcome and will be published unaltered -- so don't forget spellcheck. If you have supplementary information to offer about any of this, please let us know and we'll update the page. The preceding was gleaned entirely from public records, with the addresses of "individuals" removed.

Next: The Jeff Gahan Money Machine, Part 15: Beam, Longest and Neff -- they're why Jeff Gahan is HERE and awash in cash, 16,500 times over.

"Historic Homes of New Albany" book signing is Sunday, Nov. 8 at Destinations.

Inquiring minds want to know if Jeff Eastridge, the mayor's personal historic preservation monetization liaison and a noted local philanthropist, will be there to buy a copy -- for future reference only, because you never know when you'll be called in to save a building by demolishing it.

"Historic Homes of New Albany" Book Signing

Local authors and historians David Barksdale and Greg Sekula will be signing their book "Historic Homes of New Albany" on November 8th from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. at Destinations Booksellers. Stop by a purchase a copy and learn more about our many significant historic homes. Destination Booksellers is located at 604 E Spring St, New Albany, IN 47150 or visit them online at http://destinationsbooksellers.com

Here's a description of the book, as borrowed from an on-line bookstore. There is no need for me to identify it, as you'll be buying your copy at Destinations, anyway.

New Albany's historic homes boast unique histories and fascinating stories of those who inhabited them. Founded in 1813 below the falls of the Ohio River, the city was Indiana's most populous by the middle of the nineteenth century. Many leading citizens built grand mansions and family dwellings that beamed with prosperity and influence. The architectural legacy during these formative years continued into the early twentieth century and produced historic neighborhoods with a rich collection of housing styles. Join authors David C. Barksdale and Gregory A. Sekula as they delve into the history of New Albany's most cherished old homes.

Building Commissioner to council: This round of Bud Light is on the mayor, 'cuz we've created 160 vacant lots in 3 years!

How's that infill program going, Mr. Mayor?

You do know what this means, right?

It's the part where something is built to fill in the hole created by a governmental philosophy of demolition first, sustainability second?

Urban Infill

Urban infill is defined as new development that is sited on vacant or undeveloped land within an existing community, and that is enclosed by other types of development. The term "urban infill" itself implies that existing land is mostly built-out and what is being built is in effect "filling in" the gaps. The term most commonly refers to building single-family homes in existing neighborhoods but may also be used to describe new development in commercial, office or mixed-use areas.

Hmm. Looks like we're only pursuing one of these angles. Given yesterday's revelation that Jeff Gahan has $95,000 dollars in his campaign fund, the most sensible explanation of City Hall's infill "strategy" plays out as follows.

1. Campaign finance optimization is best served by a policy of demolition-first and infill-later, as these extractive bits pertain to neighborhoods. It makes the likes of CCE nice and fat, and then the largesse trickles back.

2. Campaign finance optimization is best served by a policy of TIF-induced incentivization for out-of-town developers, as it pertains to plaque-ready, big-ticket housing developments in election years. See "largesse," preceding.

Of course, it doesn't hurt to have the Democratic Party chairman on a cherry-picked Redevelopment Commission, does it?

As a side note, you'd think that if Jeff Gahan genuinely supported implementation of the Speck plan, at least he'd level with CCE:

Once upon a time, not so long ago, you were the area's primary eco-terrorists; now I've personally rehabilitated you as praiseworthy heroes of capitalist demolition. Now, about the streets: Don't let it go to your head. Shut up, take your mayhem commissions, and be sure not to forget Papa Gah at Christmas.

Here's a look at Louisville infill, courtesy of Broken Sidewalk.

Let's see. Walkability, two-way streets and traffic sense would serve as incentives for this sort of investment ... nah, fugetaboutit. In our skewed system of governance by the "C" students, we just tear shit down. It's both easier, and greasier.

Douglass Boulevard’s insightful infill apartment building rises from the ground

It’s out of the ground. A three-story infill residential building at 2068 Douglass Boulevard in the Highlands has been making some serious construction progress and looks ready for brick once the weather improves.

News and Tribune to sell its building and relocate NA HQ to a handy laptop at Quills.

The Green Mouse reports what may be old news: The News and Tribune's local crew will relocate very soon to offices within Matt Chalfant's National City Bank rehab on Pearl Street, and Chalfant has purchased the building pictured here (but not including the fork-in-road-cheese sculpture).

Chris Morris is expected to write a glowing review about his years in this featureless building, many of which were spent admiring Ted Heavrin from afar. Morris is not expected to mention how, in the 1990s, the newspaper's then-chain owner (three or four times removed from the current chain owner) demolished the historic Park Christian Church building to build a pole barn, which in turn became obsolete a decade later.

Philistines.

I've never forgiven 'em for that one, if you want to know the truth.

FLASH: Building Commissioner David Brewer has announced that if he cannot demolish the former Tribune building or the old National City/Mutual Trust Bank building, could he at least fulfill the city's quota with CCE by letting the city's preferred demolition contractor demolish the fork-in-road-cheese sculpture?

Open thread: Dan Coffey, CCE, shredded tires and barbecued bologna.

Coffey done with New Albany plan, redevelopment commission; City official at odds with boards over business relocation, by Daniel Suddeath (News and Tribune).

In the past two weeks, New Albany City Council President Dan Coffey resigned from two posts on city boards mainly over the relocation of a tire shredding business.

CCE Inc. could soon be moving to 1706 Ind. 111, if the New Albany Plan Commission approves a zone change for the business, which has been in property negotiations with the city’s redevelopment commission.

There are two separate issues here.

First, the merits and demerits of CCE, both at its Silver Street location and the projected new site on Ind. 111. We're fully accustomed to there being two sides of a story, but when it comes to CCE's environmental record on Silver, the stories are nowhere close to reconcilable.

Second, the circumstances that result in an utterly unqualified political personage like Dan Coffey ever coming to serve on boards or commissions that have to do with planning and redevelopment.

CM Coffey says that it's a result of a conspiracy -- Redevelopment's role in CCE's move, not his deleterious presence on planning and redevelopment. I believe it's a boost for the city that he's removed himself from those entities. Meanwhile, very little of a positive nature has been offered to support CCE as a good neighbor. In the best tradition of New Albany's stopped clock, might Coffey be right, though for the usual wrong reasons?

Any clues?