Is anyone interested in crafting a local platform while drinking craft beer?

Winter is coming, and for me, it's a less hectic time compared with warm weather and the many outdoor activities that occur then.

And, there'll be city elections in New Albany next year.

Also, we have the WCTU Reading Room at Bank Street Brewhouse, which can be heated in winter. With luck and enough money, we'll have it air conditioned by the time the weather heats up in 2015.

For a long time, I've wanted to attempt something like the exercise I'm about to suggest. It's been tried before, here and there, and never to any degree of consistency.

Time: Maybe a Wednesday evening, each week, roughly 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the WCTU Reading Room at BSB.

Idea: A weekly open discussion about what is to be done locally, in any and every sense, in preparation for city elections next year. If you will, the development of the ideal civic platform, shaped by weekly chats and brainstorming. Anyone is welcome, and the intent is ecumenical. The result might serve as a blueprint, or a yardstick. There may or may not be a result. I view it as a loosely organized and evolutionary process. Come and go as you please; no mandatory anything.

How do we make this a place where we want to stay, not leave? Can we?

Is anyone interested in such a reverse brain drain? I'm happy to host it, but it's Dutch treat on the beers.

"In Australia, a biddy is a two-for-one McDonald's voucher."

It says so here (number two).

The city has called a special meeting for Thursday morning, to be attended by representatives of the “downtown groups” (will Doug England's re-election team be there?) and coordinated by Tonya Fischer, the city’s new 1Si-trained Economic Development Business Coordinator.

As I take great pleasure in reminding all and sundry, she helped bring us the Ohio River Bridges Project during her 20-year tenure at One Southern Indiana; now she's here to assist the city in coping with the myriad, adverse ramifications of the ORBP.

In other news, an all-points-bulletin has been issued, because Karma has been reported missing and mutilated.

While I exist in a perpetual state of hopefulness, and regularly am reminded of the futility therein, surely Ms. Fischer has no idea as to the size of the too-many-cows pie she's about to step into. As an example, last week, Develop New Albany served notice that downtown is all about it, because it's time for the city to pay back the organization for the farmers market, which it did not originate, and which operates on property it does not own, and for which there exists no plan for future development.

Goodness gracious. How many times must we indemnify DNA's creaking politburo? $108,000, then $340,000 ... and for what? Another spin of the wheel as to what's political and what isn't? If it were up to me, we'd spend the entirety of Thursday's meeting discussing how to remake DNA into something remotely youthful and relevant, and if reinvention is impossible, send it down the river on a hijacked coal barge, the EPA be damned.

Did I mention more youthful?

Anyway, meeting participants have been asked to contribute agenda items, probably because the city can't think of any. I have a few, and just to make the gathering complete, I took it on myself to invite New Albany Clean and Green. Maybe I really should drink gin for breakfast Thursday just to be in the right frame of mind.

Readers, give me a hand. What sort of agenda items would you suggest?

Another special Merchant Mixer meeting at the Grand: Tuesday morning, 8:00 a.m.

I'm told One Southern Indiana's Think Local representative has been invited, and New Albany First will be represented. I have many questions -- what are yours?

Please come and invite other downtown merchants to come to the follow-up meeting at The Grand this Tuesday, Sept. 20, 8 AM sponsored by Develop New Albany and the Merchants Mixer group. Last week's meeting was very helpful. Let's keep it going. Information will be shared about a special advertising blitz. - Curt Peters

Special Merchant Mixer meeting on Tuesday morning.

From the organizers

Everyone, please take note and forward this important meeting announcement on to anyone that you know that might be interested in attending.

When: Tuesday Morning at 8 am

Where: The Grand - 138 E Market, New Albany

Agenda: Determine Remediation Plan to support New Albany Businesses during Bridge Shutdown

Coffee and Tea will be provided by Develop New Albany

The Grand has generously donated their venue for this meeting.

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In New Albany, accentuating the positive during the time of the closure.

Come to the Tolling Authority's public meetings next week and say "no" to bridge tolls.

On Tuesday night, www.No2bridgetolls.org held a public meeting at the Buckhead Mountain Grill in Jeffersonville. The purpose was, "To inform supporters of strategic initiatives in advance of the upcoming June 27 and 28th Bridges Authority Public Meetings."

The media was there, and the News and Tribune's David Mann summarized next week's two critical public meetings:

Group urges members to voice toll opposition

... Tuesday’s meeting was held in advance of two public meetings of the bridges authority, scheduled for next week. The first meeting is 4 p.m. Monday at the Holiday Inn Lakeview, 505 Marriott Dr. in Clarksville; the second meeting is 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Holiday Inn Hurstbourne, 1325 Hurstbourne Pkwy. in Louisville.

It's simple: If you are opposed to tolls, you need to do whatever you can to arrange your schedule and attend one of these meetings. We have the facts, and we need bodies to back them up. Speaking for myself, I can attend the Monday meeting in Indiana for a bit at the beginning, and will be there for all of Tuesday night's Kentucky session.

Other coverage at the C-J is here: Anti-tolls group rallies supporters ahead of bridges meetings

Other sites of interest:

Say No to Bridge Tolls: http://www.youtube.com/user/saynotobridgetolls

No2BridgeTolls at YouTube: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/pages/No2BridgeTolls/160386417337040

No Tolls on the Sherman Minton or Kennedy Bridges Ever: http://www.facebook.com/pages/NO-TOLLS-ON-SHERMAN-MINTON-OR-KENNEDY-BRIDGES-EVER/308004181768?ref=ts

Slumlord obfuscation remains the best anti-annexation strategy.

The agenda for Thursday evening's special presentation of Annexationpalooza, starring the city council and Pat Harrison, is reprinted below. Does the proposed annexation include the One Southern Indiana headquarters site? If so, that's some delicious irony, given that 1Si seeks to annex civil authority.

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AGENDA

THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CIVIL CITY OF NEW ALBANY, INDIANA, HELD A SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING IN THE THIRD FLOOR ASSEMBLY ROOM OF THE CITY/COUNTY BUILDING ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2010 AT 7:30 P.M.

CALL TO ORDER:

PRAYER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

ROLL CALL:

COMMUNICATIONS-PUBLIC:

COMMUNICATIONS-CITY OFFICIALS:

COMMUNICATIONS-MAYOR:

INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS:

R-10-31 Resolution of the Common Council of the City of New Albany, Indiana, Adopting a Fiscal Plan for the Annexation of Property Contiguous to the City of New Albany, Indiana ... Messer

G-10-19 An Ordinance Setting Salaries for the Year 2011 for Non-Bargaining Unit Employees ... Messer 3rd

X-10-01: An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of New Albany, Indiana, annexing certain territory to the City of New Albany, Indiana, placing the same within the corporation boundaries thereof and making the same part of the City of New Albany ... Messer 3rd

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS:

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES WHO MAY REQUIRE SPECIAL ASSISTANCE TO ATTEND THE ABOVE MENTIONED MEETINGS MAY MAKE THEIR REQUEST KNOWN BY CONTACTING THE CITY CLERK IN ROOM 332 OF THE CITY/COUNTY BUILDING OR BY CALLING 948-5336.

It's not enough. It's never enough. How much is enough? Can someone pass the salt?

Here's a wonderful headline followed by a masterful understatement.

New Albany masterplan must be funded to work, officials say; Drainage plan calls for $22.4 million in projects, by Daniel Suddeath (Tribune)

... But officials realize the city can’t afford to fund $22.4 million in projects within a few years, (Stantec project manager Steve) Hall continued.

How did the expected CFA self-immolations proceed, anyway?

Another gem, this one of the legal bagel/copperhead variety, comes packaged within Suddeath's account of the city council's shiny new 5-4 progressive majority, which held long enough to pass two 3rd readings at yesterday's special conclave. It seems that even though the council president and city clerk scrupulously obeyed the law as it governs placement of agenda items for such a gathering, it did not please the resident reptilian polymath:

New Albany council passes sewer loan; Full-time attorney, grant writer also OK’d by council

“It is the law, yes. But to me, it’s not enough,” (Dan) Coffey said.

That's a world classic quote, perhaps sufficiently profound to be printed on the front of the tickets required to visit the Open Air Museum.

Skullduggery is always in fashion at the Councilcabana.

Local convenience stores report a sudden increase in sales of purportedly illegal novelty lighters. Is the barely existent Citizens for Accountability planning a mass self-immolation on Hauss Square tonight?

Can the flames thus engendered be doused with iced tea flavored Kool Aid? Will councilmen Jeff Gahan and Pat McLaughlin, the latter possessing the only known copy of the city's financial report, continue to excel in political spelunking?

Must the NAACP wait to protest a council meeting until after Jack Messer formally becomes a Republican? Is uncouncilman Price filling his rental properties with air mattresses and cans of pork and beans, and announcing a spring gala sale on room and board?

Is the Open Air Museum really this entertaining, or are we just that bored?

Business still to be decided for New Albany council; Council to take final vote on $7.4 million sewer loan Tuesday night, by Daniel Suddeath (Tribune)

The final piece of a sewer-rate increase puzzle will be vetted by the New Albany City Council today.

At 5 p.m., the council will convene to take a final ballot on a loan ordinance that would allow the sewer utility to accept a $7.4 million state loan. The second reading of the measure passed 5-4.

The third reading was delayed so sewer attorney Greg Fifer could finalize the rate structure and other details of the loan.

Council: Budgets and the art of french fry cookery.

At the behest of president Dan Coffey, 2nd district councilman Bob Caesar kicked off last evening's special council session by advocating as cure for the city's budget problems the sort of systems procedures that would mimic those put into place by the late McDonald's mogul Ray Kroc. The result for New Albany, as for McDonald's, would be grease temps, portion control, and consistent fries every single time.

That's really all you need to know.

Really. Fries.

The participants repeated their standard council speeches word for word, not a soul from City Hall was in sight, a handful of vapid pieties were dispensed, future candidates preened and postured, former council representative Schmidt attended (and so did her husband), ex-Mayor James Garner kicked off his next electoral campaign with an explnatory appearance, and to their credit, a good number of the council persons appeared at the Block Party afterward -- not Coffey, and not Steve Price, but you already knew that.

As for the details, Daniel Suddeath's piece in today's Trib will be linked below as soon as it appears, or as soon as I care -- whichever comes after lunch.

Confusion mounts over past loans, city’s financial obligations

Live blogging continued: Special meeting begins, as does the nonsensical Coffeyist grandstanding..

Special meeting now called to order. Apologies for spelling errors and the like. I'm a poor typist.

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Dan Coffey asks for public communications and city official communication, which means that Carl Malysz distributes estimates for paving costs and implications. Cost has risen. The November 2008 estimate is on the table; Coffey believes that the estimate is padded because gasoline is so much cheaper now, and says the bottom line is that contractors are cutting bids to the "bare bones." Doesn't believe that it's gone up like that. Thinks his charm and experience obviously would do a better job.

(We look it up: Price of oil was below $50 in November 2008, and it was $64.76 today. Coffey's at sea)

Steve Price decides to grandstand on the two-way street issue. Carl reminds him that the original $10 million was for paving. We now argue semantics about paving and two way streets. We must decide whether someone is going to pull the rug out and turn a street around ... gads.

Kevin Zurschmiede still wants specific bids, and says there is no hurry, as this is the first reading.

carl notes that this is about more than paving. There's also milling.

John Gonder: Why are you worried about it not being used for paving?

Coffey: It's happened before!! We have to be careful with "them people" (not exact quotes, but body language)

Price: Paving's a necessity, not a want.

Jack Messer: $2 million won't go anywhere. The plan, please? Needs a plan before he'll consider a bond issue.

Carl: Not quite true. Streets graded 6 through 1 are the ones being targeted. Speaks of the specifics of the giant binder that contained the whole plan, and the administration wanted to rasie the capital to get it done, and might be able to do quite a bit given the hunger of contractors. With only $2 million, we're not sure how to spend it. They haven't gone there yet. $10 million does it all; $2 million doesn't dent it.

Council: Where's the list? Communication?
City Hall: Mayor communicated, said he was interested in priorities.

No one trusts anyone ... too many petty ambitions ... no one will take the lead in consulting with the other.

He said/she said/he said/he said/she said/he said/she said/he said/he said/

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Price: If we do the $2 million, 15th street, Jo-Lar pet store, sewers wordswordswordswords.

Coffey: Seems to be supporting something, just not sure what. Something between this reading and the next one? Something with numbers showing the order of paving priorities?

How much EDIT money is being wasted on sewer subsidies?

Jeff Gahan: Public wants streets paved. $2 million is a start. Appropriate and start paving.

Messer: Public wants to know what will be paved.

Mickey Thompson explains that some time, they can't pave a bad road because of utilities planning to come through later.

KZ: Tell us the worst ones we can pave this year, and that's where we start.

John Rosenbarger: "This is the most systematic approach in the history of the city of New Albany." First was cataloguing, second step pricing, and third step determining a total. Federal money available for some matters of signalling, et al. Explains that decisions have to be made when all can't be done at once. If there was $10, the strategic planning can begin, but without, piecemeal is the only available choice.

John yet again explains the concept of a draw bond, i.e., spend only what is needed. 100th time?

Coffey: Still a lot of questions. We did not procrastinate!!! Coffey doesn't understand why two separate studies were done ... wait, there were not. John says that it was updated. Veering off the point.

Gonder: Why are we not using the bond option when we don't pay it back until it is used? Why discuss these other options? We haven't done the maintenance, which got us into trouble.

YES!! COFFEY NOW RETURNS TO THE SEWER SYSTEM!! IT'S THE FAULT OF SEWER REPAIRS! NO TAXPAYER BURDEN!!

Gonder: Won't we be depleting EDIT funds?

Meeting on Monday. June 1. Carl says there'll be a list of the first $2 million.

Vote asked for. 1st reading only; 2nd and 3rd Monday.

Unanimous in favor.

End of an error (this time we really mean it) for the wannabeens.

The garlic has been dispensed, wooden stakes duly deployed and Van Helsing is jetting back to private practice, so we turn to Lloyd for coverage of yesterday's special city council session at his blog, View from the Highway.

Go there and peruse the whole report: The King is Dead...Long Live the King!!

Well it's officially over! The gang of four is now one and a half; (ooops, make that two!)

The call to order came at precisely 1600 hours with an admonition by his majesty that the meeting be short, sweet, and to the point as he had houseguests coming in from afar.

In unrelated news, the Pants Down Pot Luck Port Drinkers Circle had its annual holiday meeting at the Public House last night, and a good time was had by all 30 tipplers in attendance. Special merit goes to Steve and Laura, whose munchies topped the charts ... and kudos to Floyd County's own Huber Winery & Distillery. Ted's Knobstone compared quite favorably to the Portuguese and Australian ports, and that's high praise indeed.

Gang of Four finale today; debarkation at 4; scalpers now paying passers-by to attend.

The C-J’s Dick Kaukas sets the table for today’s special city council meeting.

New election districts up for vote; New Albany issue on today's agenda

Despite a federal judge's concern about population differences, the New Albany City Council will consider taking final action today on an ordinance to redraw its six voting districts.

With the gathering slated for 4:00 p.m., it’s a safe bet that few if any of our regular blog reporters will be making an appearance. Jobs and duties, you know, but that won’t stop us from offering a final tribute to the dispersing Gang of Four. Take it away, World Party ... and for heaven's sake, someone get that gavel back from King Larry.

We're setting sail
To the place on the map from which no one has ever returned
Torn by the promise of the joker and the fool
By the light of the crosses that bur-urn
Torn by the promise of the women and the lace
And the gold and the cotton and pearls
It's the place where they keep all the darkness you meet
You sail away from the light of the world

Listen baby - you will pay tomorrow
You're gonna pay tomorrow-ow-ow
You will pay tomorrow-ow-ow-ow-wow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow

Save me, save me from tomor-orrow
I don't want to sail with this ship of foo-ools, no no
Oh-oh-oh, save me, save me from tomor-orrow
I don't want to sail with this ship of foo-ools, no no
I want to run and hide
Right now - ri-ight now-ow yeah-eah-eah

Avarice and greed are gonna drive you over the endless sea
They will leave you-ou drifting in the shallows
Drowning in the oceans of history-y-y-y
Travellin' the world, you're in search of no good
But I'm sure you're philosophic like I knew you would
Using all the good people for your gallant slaves
As your little boat struggles through the the warning waves

But you will pay, you will pay tomorrow
You're gonna pay tomorrow-ow-ow
You gonna pay tomorrow-ow-ow-ow-wow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow

Save me-ee, save me from tomor-orrow
I don't want to sail with this ship of foo-ools, no no no no
Oh-oh-oh, save me-ee, save me from tomor-orrow
I don't want to sail with this ship of foo-ools, no no no no

Where's it comin' fro-om or where's it goin' to?
It's just a - it's just a ship of foo-oo-oo-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ools

Yeah, oh Lord

(Lyrics from “Ship of Fools,” 1987)