On the Board of Public Works tablings.

Let's be honest about this.

A couple of weeks ago, the Board of Works approved NABC's request to use the Amphitheater for our July 22nd shindig. It's hardly controversial to acknowledge that a different standard is being used to judge Matt "Irish Exit" McMahan's interest in using the facility, primarily because Matt himself is controversial.

Then again, so am I, and I've yet to be asked whether NABC has insurance for our forthcoming event (note: we do). In all such matters, a policy approximating constructive engagement seems sensible to me.

A big part of the city's problems with Amphitheater management during past administrations stemmed from the tendency of a small controlling elite to judge the facility's use by exceedingly narrow standards of appropriateness. By all means, there should be a usage policy, one that includes a fee structure (as previously suggested), but it should be a flexible formula that enables the greatest amount of diversity when it comes to the use of the Amphitheater by entrepreneurs, while ensuring the basic are covered.

Just because wrestling isn't my preference doesn't mean there isn't an audience for it.

Wrestling event proposed for New Albany amphitheater; Live@5 to remain on Bank Street this week, by Daniel Suddeath (N and T)

NEW ALBANY — Two requests for use of the Riverfront Amphitheater in July were tabled by the New Albany Board of Public Works and Safety on Tuesday.

UPDATED again: Yeah, but will the doors be unlocked?

The City Council will meet tonight at 7:30 with two items on its agenda: a resolution for a transfer of funds and an annexation of non-contiguous property for the impending Grant Line Road Industrial Park West.

CM John Gonder will also update the Council on the work of the Housing Committee he chairs.

1:36 Update: Gordy phoned over lunch to retract his earlier organizational assertion in the paragraph below. There may yet be a head-to-head but, according to Gordy, "it ain't happening tonight." All the more time, then, to print tickets and build a proper cage. We were wrong about tonight's meeting. That's no reason to begrudge a grudge match. Our economy's at stake.

Intrepid reporter Gordy Gant wires that there's a public hearing at 6:00 as well, with One Southern Indiana, Develop New Albany, and the Urban Enterprise Association all making pitches for their respective organizations. I personally think they should wrestle for it, with ticket receipts going to fund an expansion of NABC's Fringe Fest.

Update: The pre-meeting meeting, more of a work session than hearing, will include a short presentation about the Historic Preservation Commission and its positive, criminally undefunded role in the city. Given that Coffey's last mention of "them people" was a complete fabrication (he claimed a citizen was forced to remove $40,000 in vinyl from her house and lost the property due to the expense), another grandstanding opportunity shall not go wasted.

Considering the city legal department's near total dereliction of duty in enforcing the historic standards made law by the council, this writer would like to personally invite the city attorney to the session. We'll be checking on you, Shane, and the pool of attorneys your boss promised the community to deal with enforcement.

One wonders if the County will bother to unlock the building for business today or if city employees will again be left to fend with the influx of county residents and questions as they try to direct storm recovery in town.

Has there been a public explanation as to why county offices were closed this week? Was there even an announcement, other than random citizens standing dejectedly around Hauss Square shrugging at each other after their door knocking failed to produce a live person? It seems an odd strategy in an election year.

Another meeting will keep me from Council attendance. If they decide to move the wrestling match to the Brewhouse, let me know. It'll have more of an impact on the city than county government anyway.