Did you know that in New Albany, a Traffic Commission is stipulated by ordinance?

A search of the city's ordinances offers no evidence of repeal, and the official municipal website yields no hits.

What is/was the Traffic Commission, and what happened to it?

I don't know the answer. If you do, please step forward.

§ 70.41  TRAFFIC COMMISSION.

   (A)   There is established a Traffic Commission to serve without compensation consisting of the city's Traffic Engineer, Chief of Police, a member to be chosen by the Common Council, the Mayor, the City Engineer and the City Attorney. The Mayor shall be the Chairperson of the Commission.

   (B)   It shall be the duty of the Traffic Commission, and to this end it shall have authority within the limits of the funds at its disposal, to coordinate traffic activities, to carry on educational activities, to carry on educational activities in traffic matters, to supervise the preparation and publication of traffic reports, to receive complaints having to do with traffic matters and to recommend to the Common Council of the city ways and means for improving traffic conditions and the administration and enforcement of traffic regulations.

(Ord. 4139, passed 11-27-1939)

Feature: Jeffersonville knows what to say to small business, while New Albany says nothing.

Let's say that you'd like to start a small food and drink business, or even a taproom. Having heard that Southern Indiana (specifically, what used to be called the Falls Cities) is a good place for this sort of thing, you hit Google and search, using the term "economic incentives."

You begin with New Albany.

Not much to work with there, except references to the regional industrial park authority. Maybe Jeffersonville?

That's better. Clicking through ...

The introduction sets the requisite tone; we understand, and we can help:

"The City of Jeffersonville understands how difficult it can be to start and run a small business. To encourage the entrepreneurial spirit and help drive new businesses in the area we offer a number of incentives aimed at small businesses, new restaurants, and improved building facades. For questions about incentives contact our office at (812) 285-6406."

But you really want to give the city of New Albany a chance, and so after a few minutes refining search terms -- omitting "incentives" and using "economic development" -- you land here:

Okay, good enough start, although the prelude lacks the warmth of Jeffersonville's intro:

"The City of New Albany’s Economic Development Department is committed to serving the community by aggressively pursuing new job opportunities and quality of life amenities for our citizens. We will accomplish this goal through both increased economic development and community development projects. Our department focuses on providing necessary leadership to our existing business community to ensure a vibrant business environment in all economic climates, while aggressively seeking new companies for our community."

It;s MBA-standard bureaucratese, but that's not uncommon, and as we scroll down, looking for some meat ...

Wow.

It's probably a safe bet to doubt whether prospective small business owners have appreciable interest in CDBG rules of engagement, but even if they do, a quick glance at the calendar shows that we're arrived at 2014, not 2012.

Yes, it may be the case that the city of New Albany expects such inquiries to be directed to Develop New Albany, but even in the most charitable interpretation imaginable, how would one not already in the know glean from the city's website that prospective small business operators should check with a non-profit not directly connected to the city, and largely unfunded by it?

And if they did, what and whom among the volunteers at DNA would be helping them? Is it DNA that should be devising the incentives, and if so, with what? Confetti?

I've been pointing to this strange, perennial detachment for quite some time, and quite frankly, I'm angrier today than ever. At least Jeffersonville knows what a small business entrepreneur would like to hear, which is that the city is engaged in its prospects and ready to help. One simply cannot view New Albany's bumbling, non-informational outreach without concluding that the city doesn't really get it at all, and until a change occurs, faith in something better only reminds me of the old revolutionary slogan: Men can't eat constitutions.

Currently, the truth is this: Jeffersonville is lapping, and we're napping.

The city's "Economic Development", as vague and undefined and last year's model.

The web site's only a year behind. In the context of New Albany, that's almost progress ... but of course, not really.

I'm no slave to mission statements like the one below, seeing as their default usage in modern times is designed to render inexact gibberish. However, I'll repeat my familiar theme of late: Isn't it possible, and in fact, preferable, for the city's economic development apparatus to be able to define and delineate its policies (if any) to distinguish between job creation in the industrial park and exurban settings (i.e., those receiving the lion's share of local government subsidy) and those in indie retail and services in the historic core -- you know, those receiving virtually no assistance from traditional economic "development" arms of local government?

Is there a plan? It isn't that we don't trust city hall ... but might we actually see the plan with our own eyes? Keeping it hidden under vests makes it difficult to discern shape and size.

And can it be next year's plan, and not the one from 2012 (below)? Perhaps the city's web site content provider for-hire has been too busy appending exclamation marks to every one-way social media utterance to have time for an update.


Economic Development

David Duggins
Director, Economic Development and Redevelopment
311 Hauss Square, Room 325
New Albany, IN 47150-3586
(812) 948-5333, phone
(812) 948-5329, fax
dduggins@cityofnewalbany.com

The City of New Albany’s Economic Development Department is committed to serving the community by aggressively pursuing new job opportunities and quality of life amenities for our citizens. We will accomplish this goal through both increased economic development and community development projects. Our department focuses on providing necessary leadership to our existing business community to ensure a vibrant business environment in all economic climates, while aggressively seeking new companies for our community.

STAFF

David Duggins, Director of Economic Development and Redevelopment

Community Development Block Grant Program & Schedule

The views of citizens, public agencies, and other interested parties are solicited to ensure reasonable and accessible involvement of the citizens of New Albany in the drafting, implementation, and assessment of the City of New Albany's Fiscal Year FY2012 One-Year Action Plan.

Participation shall be solicited through a Public Information Meeting, Public Hearings and the Department of Redevelopment. The full draft of the Citizens Participation Plan shall be made available at various community centers throughout the City, including the Redevelopment office and the New Albany-Floyd County Public Library.

The current schedule for 2012 public information meetings, public hearings and key dates is as follows. Annual meetings are scheduled thereafter. The Public information meetings are held at arious locations and all public hearings are held in the Assembly Room, Room 331 City-County Building, (unless otherwise noted)

Tuesday, March 6, 2012, 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
NARC meeting to conduct two Public Hearings to accept input into the development of the FY2012 One-Year Action Plan.

Saturday, March 10, 2012
Publish in Tribune the DRAFT FY2012 One-Year Action Plan.

Monday, March 12, 2012 through Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Thirty-day comment period commences and concludes.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012, 2:30 p.m.
NARC Meeting to ADOPT the Final FY2012 One-Year Action Plan.

Thursday, April 19, 2012 or Monday, May 7, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
New Albany Common Council will adopt a Resolution formally authorizing submittal of the FY2012 One-Year Action Plan to the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Thursday, September 11, 2012, 2:30 p.m.
NARC will conduct a Public Hearing to report the Grantee’s performance for FY2011.

Please verify meetings due to possible dates, rooms and/or time changes. Questions and/or written comments shall be received in the Redevelopment Department, Room 325, City-County Building, New Albany, Indiana or by contacting 812-948-5333.

Does it really take months to add a link?

Or does the time required to make a simple change have something to do with push-back from the usual endowed suspects at you-know-where? The city's doing a better job of communicating, to be sure, but too much of the communication to date is one-way only (for instance, has anyone else tried to interact with the city's Twitter and Facebook accounts?) As for the web site, in short, an organization is missing: