Tribune editorial board signs names, troglodytes remain anonymous.

The Tribune editorial board speaks ...

TRIBUNE EDITORIAL: Support safety even at a tough cost

Grant the mayor his request. Use some of the EDIT money for public safety this year and next. Then, when the city does annex, if the extra tax base does not cover the two budgets, then look at layoffs or cutbacks.

... and so do the anonymous character assassins.

No, we are dealing with a group of lazy, fat cops who only care about themselves.

When you have an opinion like that, small wonder you hide. Anyone for a classic Thursday night on the horizon? We may want to rent the video equipment for this one, wear our furry Ceausescu issue caps, and pretend we're in the Carpathians ... except that pastrami hails from Bessarabia.

Open Thread: City council meeting of Thursday, December 17.

The Tribune's Daniel Suddeath provides coverage of last evening's council meeting. It looks like our mercifully outgoing council president fought yet another losing battle with familiarity of his body's procedures ... not to mention the council's.

Council says no to flooding, police funding requests

Council President Dan Coffey — who along with Gahan and McLaughlin voted to allocate the $400,000 for flood victims — said the council has helped developers and businesses and should help residents that have suffered this year.

Messer called for Coffey to either relinquish his president’s chair or follow Robert’s Rules of Order, which frown on the president offering comments while the council is debating an issue.

Robert’s Rules of Order were accepted by the council in 1957 and amended to the form OK’d by the body in 1992.

7th visitation: EDIT for police. Nay to 2nd reading ... but "yes" to the amended (reduced) 3rd reading.

INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS: READING

A-09-09 Additional Appropriation Ordinance from the E.D.I.T. Fund for the Police Department (2 & 3 Zurschmiede)

Well, here it is.

No discussion

No: Caesar, Price, McLaughlin, Gahan, Gonder
Yes: Benedetti, Messer, Zurschmiede, Coffey

Defeated in the 2nd reading.

Messer: Would like to amend the ordinance to $500,000, which would allow for some restaffing.

Benedetti seconds, and a vigorous discussion ensues. Messer mentioned money previously approved but not spent. Coffey says he's been urging to put "police in the pipeline." Coffey compares levels of interest in police, hazardous sites, etc.

Price: Everyone told me 5 wouldn't do it. "I don't play poker ... I don't like politics," when you wait until the last minute to do this ... that's wrong ... "I don't play poker." Upset that he previously asked if 5 would do, but everyone said no. Now he's hurt.

Coffey: "Y'all mind if the chief says something?"

Chief Crabtree: States his case. 13 officers can retire at any moment.

Price: "Hurts the reputation of the department when it says in the paper" that an "officer is eating breakfast" and "I don't even know if it's true ... "

Huh?

Crabtree: Entitled to lunch. Every department allows breaks. "There's no such thing as Robo-Cop."

Haub: "Not an issue of playing politics," but if you remember 2008 and the original presentation, and the DEA's criticism. The city has to grow up and show it's serious about fighting crime. The department has stepped up and followed the DEA's recommendations, but the council has to help meet the other condition: Increased manpower.

Erika and her gnarled friend now stand up and glare toward the chair.

Haub continues. The sheriff pocketed the drug seizure money recently, not the city police.

Price: "If I was a policeman, I'd vote for you."

Haub: Louisville gets money for drug interdiction, NA gets nothing. "I'm not trying to call your bluff."

Price: eyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyfiveeyeydoiteyeyey

Pat McLaughlin: "I don't buy it either."

Acrimony.

Council votes for the amendment: Caesar flips, and the amendment passes 5-4 against.

Final vote on the original wording. Now and only now Caesar asks: Where does the money go if approved.

Now he asks. Before the third reading. Seriously.

Now the council starts talking about when and how the money would be spent.

Price: What is we have to make cuts later?

More acrimony.

KZ: How much notice do the retirement guys have to give?

Crabtree: None.

Coffey: Call for the vote.

Vote, 3rd reading

Caesar flips again from 1st and 2nd readings, and on the 3rd, the council approves the EDIT funding reduced by half. 5-4, Caesar making a majority.

Finished at 10:35 pm. Erika is very unhappy.

A-09-09 ($ from EDIT to the police department) defeated 5-4.

The first reading of A-09-09, an additional appropriation from EDIT to the police department to hire new officers, was defeated 5-4.

Previously, a resolution to do this passed 5-4. Changing his vote was 2nd district councilman Bob Caesar. He explained this to me afterward by saying that the reasoning behind a resolution is very different from the reasoning behind an ordinance, although he did not explain the difference.

No Caesar
No Price
No McLaughlin
Aye Benedetti
No Gahan
No Gonder
Aye Messer
Aye Zurschmiede
Aye Coffey

Fails to pass on first reading, 5-4 against. 2nd and 3rd readings next time.

I'm having a beer now.

Live blogging (4): Mayor's bravura performance ends, so it's on to business, and police funding.

Gahan begins by publicly debating whether or not to pull the resolution. Says he will introduce his request alongside the mayor's (garbage rate fee increase) at the next meeting.

R-09-16 is pulled.

A-09-09 Additional appropriation from EDIT to the police department.

Gahan: Wait for the budget process.

Price: Concerned that we might not be able to make payroll. "Watch the money" right now.

Benedetti: Police manpower a necessity. After the annexation (if it happens), there won't be enough cops on the street.

England: Annexation on January 1.

Messer: What you don't see are the prospective retirements, which could be 20 people within the next few years. Have to begin replsnishing now.

Kevin Zurschmiede: Appreciates frankness all around. Real tough issue for him, but crime's a problem. Credits the police proposal for bringing the city back under control. We have to do it right now.

McLaughlin: Holds copy of the Holland (Michigan) Sentinal. Tells story about the fire department there. The firemen there recommended a pay freeze and cut for the next year. Their departments recognize the need for reductions. Expresses fear that if the council raises rates, he'll get more phone calls.

Benedetti now lectures Price on annexation. Price replies that we have to watch the money, because the annexation bonus might be a while in coming.

Coffey supports Messer (gasp) and says, "Jack's right." Bottom line is that the general fund will never have enough in it, which is why the other monies are used. Points to crime stats in Louisville as evidence that crime is out of control.

Price: "We need to do things like Andy used to do 'em." That's a direct, exact quote.

Gonder: A delay of 18 days until budget hearings won't hurt.

Both England and Benedetti pounce on this, as the budget hearing is for next year.

Benedetti: "Protect the public."

Coffey: "We don't want to address" crime?

Here's the vote. $1 million from EDIT for the police?

No Caesar (changed his vote since the resolution - he explains this to me afterward by saying that the reasoning behind a resolution is very different from the reasoning behind an ordinance)
No Price
No McLaughlin
Aye Benedetti
No Gahan
No Gonder
Aye Messer
Aye Zurschmiede
Aye Coffey

Fails to pass on first reading, 5-4 against. 2nd and 3rd readings next time.

G-09-13 Kemper Project ordinance (2nd and 3rd)
Unanimous both times; passes.

Mayor appeals to the council not to let the 5-4 vote sway them from working together.

Comparing police staffing levels.

Due to the Fraternal Order of Police's current request for $1 million in EDIT revenue to temporarily fund an additional 10 officers and 2 crime scene investigators, there have been a lot of figures thrown around concerning proper police officer staffing levels.

Here's a look at some comparative numbers, taken from the FBI's 2007 Crime in the United States:

Officer staffing levels are most often shown as a ratio, the number of officers per 1,000 inhabitants.

New Albany: 1.8 officers per 1,000.

National (for cities with populations between 25,000 and 49,999): 1.8 officers per 1,000.

There are 806 cities reported in this category nationally. The largest group, 283 cities (35.1%), have staffing ranges between 1.5 and 2.0 officers per 1,000 inhabitants. The second largest group, 231 cities (28.7%), have staffing ranges between 1.1 and 1.5 officers per 1,000.

Midwest (for cities with populations between 25,000 and 49,999): 1.7 officers per 1,000.

Nine Indiana cities with populations between 30,000 and 40,000 were reported. They show a broad range of 49 to 114 officers employed. New Albany was reported as having 66 officers for 36,840 inhabitants. The two closest cities in population reported, Portage (36,701) and Richmond (37,129), show 58 and 77 officers employed, respectively.

Jeffersonville: 1.9 officers per 1,000.

Clarksville: 1.6 officers per 1,000.

Have at it.

Live blogging from Hell, Part One: We are called to order, disorder and self-aggrandizement.

We have a connection, so tonight there'll be live blogging.

THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CIVIL CITY OF NEW ALBANY, INDIANA, WILL HOLD A REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING IN THE THIRD FLOOR ASSEMBLY ROOM OF THE CITY/COUNTY BUILDING ON THURSDAY 18, JUNE 18, 2009 AT 7:30 P.M.

CALL TO ORDER ... PRAYER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ... ROLL CALL

Dan Coffey makes sure people know to sign in if they want to speak. All council persons are in attendance tonight.

APPROVAL OR CORRECTION OF THE FOLLOWING MINUTES: New Albany Common Council Regular Meeting Minutes June 1, 2009

Approved.

COMMUNICATIONS – PUBLIC:

1. Paul Haub - FOP Lodge 99, and a police officer. In favor of R-09-15, which would add ten officers and ancillary civilian personnel. Reiterates importance to community. Perspective offered -- two years ago tonight was when Paul was called to the scene of the Denzinger ambush. He spoke to the officer's widow today. Another phone call was from the wife of a fellow officer with whom Paul doesn't usually get along. She thanked him for telling the story and noted that she can live without pay and perks, but not her husband. Emotional rendering. Tying the families and spouses into the issue of safety, which suffers because of the thinness of the ranks. Reiterates the absence of information previously, allowing this to "get out of hand." Police department has been compromised, and crime statistics are grim. Paul says: "It's our failure."

Editor: That's not entirely the case; too many people take the penny-wise, pound foolish Coffey/Price approach to the social conditions that preface this problem.

Notes that if you're not a victim of violent crime, you'll not be getting very much service. Additional manpower will permit the implementation of proven programs. Council actually will be helping prevent crime by this appropriation. Now pits police funding against paving.

He made it almost all the way through before resorting to either/or.

Casts this vote as epochal, and warns the council that to not approve it is to be complicit in the problem. Less than ideal. Not talking long term. The annexation will correct the funding difficulty -- in essence, indicates officials support for annexation, but NOT WITHOUT extra police to provide extra service. Vote against, and "blood is on your hands too."

Get crime rates down, and all will correct itself. Things will be cleaner, the economy will take off, and the middle class will reappear. The cops will take care of the recividists if given the resources to do it. Has nothing to do with the union, but an investment in "all 37,000" people in the town.

Paul's pull quote: "Until these crime rates are under control, this city is going to fail."

Had 10 minutes to speak, this coming after Coffey's reminder last time that the five minute limit would be enforced regularly. Odd. Given what the police are asking, and we have something like $9 million in economic development money disappearing down the sewer rate subsidy rathole ... never mind.

2. Randy Smith - supports the money for police officers. Laments the history of police-council relations. We are, in effect, asking criminals to come here. Thinks that this is a "Katrina moment" for New Albany, and a rare opportunity to do the right thing.

Also a comment about economic development revenue bonds - they should be extended. Unsure of the exact case referred to.

3. Maury Goldeberg - "Tired of handing over the key of the city" to miscreants and criminals. Lists several unresolved criminal cases, rapes and murders. "Don't gamble with our lives," and "take our city back." Denounces child molesters.

On R-09-14: Difficult to tell what's going on, but ... notes that Exhibit A is missing. Unclear. What is the Redevelopment Commission doing? Also, R-09-13 (Jones Popcorn): What are you doing for this company? Begins talking about another ordinance, also noting that the council isn't explaining itself. Comes back to child molesters again, and says that irrespective of what the council is doing on the ordinances that he doesn't know about ...

... sorry, I'm lost. The 3rd district electoral slate in 2011 just became crystal clear to me. Meanwhile, Coffey says that it's okay to contradict himself tonight on comment length because they're passionate issues. These words could come back to haunt him, like most things he says.

4. Officer Higdon (I think): Describes the situation on the ground for the police night shift. "If the funds are there, it's an investment in the city." Could get the city going in the right direction. It would scare you to know what happens at night. Many of his officers are here at the meeting. "Horrible" if it doesn't pass, but no one will quick. Hard pressed to be comfortable if a family member worked at night. "We protect the best we can," but could do better ... "invest in us, and invest in the city."

Coffey asks for people wishing to speak about Coe's Lane project. None volunteer.

COMMUNICATIONS – CITY OFFICIALS:

Marcey Wisman makes clear that some information was received late for the agenda attachments.

Price wants to know if additional appropriations require a public hearing. Apparently for 15, not 14. Stan Robison is not here.

Coffey expresses confusion about resolution vs. ordinance forms of "we will support" something, because resolutions don't need to be advertised. Has to come back in ordinance form. No one understands any of this, least of all Price. Gonder tries to clarify. Resolutions indicate support only.

Back shortly.