A Demican, or a Repubocrat? Or something else?

Earlier there was a brief discussion on Twitter about candidates for mayor in New Albany during the next election cycle. Democrats include the incumbent, Doug England, and (we think) the city clerk, Marcey Wisman.

It has long been assumed that at-large councilman Jack Messer would (at an undisclosed juncture) switch parties and wrest the mayoral nomination away from whichever super-annuated wannabeen is ceremoniously given the "Weekend at Bernie's" treatment by a local GOP with fewer ideas than there are Lite beers at the Public House.

Anyway, until Jack jumps ship, what's best for referring to his affiliation: Demican, or Repubocrat?

The mascot's a given, as pictured above, as cribbed from here.

New bicycling laws in Indianapolis.

Progressivism in the state capital, and with a Republican mayor, no less.

Indianapolis Has New Bicycle Laws on Books (Associated Press, via WIBC)

Travelers to Indianapolis will need to heed three new bicycle ordinances in the state capital or risk getting a ticket.

The city says the new ordinances that took effect Jan. 1 are intended to improve safety for both bicyclists and motorists and ensure the proper use of bicycle lanes.

“It’s a tourism issue and it’s a specialty item and it’s a true art.”

Yes, yes ... and yes.

By way of the C-J, the Associated Press surveys the Indiana legislature’s progress toward alcohol law changes. One in particular would impact my brewing business.

The study committee also voted against allowing microbreweries — smaller establishments that have limits on how much beer they can make each year — to sell their beer for takeout on Sundays.

But Republican Sen. Ron Alting of Lafayette, chairman of the Senate Public Policy Committee, has filed a bill that would allow such sales. He plans to give it a hearing before his panel.

Alting noted that farm wineries in Indiana are allowed to sell their products for takeout on Sundays and said microbreweries should have the same privilege.

“It’s a tourism issue and it’s a specialty item and it’s a true art,” Alting said.

I've never met Sen. Alting, but his quote above eloquently summarizes why there is no logical reason for using different sets of rules for small wineries and small breweries. Furthermore, rules governing artisanal production of beer and wine are not cut from the same cloth as those governing package store and othe retail Sunday sales.

The Indiana legislature has the opportunity in 2010 to balance this particular playing field, and NABC will have a team on the ground in Indianapolis this Wednesday to join the Brewers of Indiana Guild at the statehouse to meet elected officials and make the point in person. If you agree with me -- in fact, even if you don't -- please contact Rep. Ed Clere and Sen. Connie Sipes and let them know.

"Here's to Beer," two non-credit courses from Indiana University Southeast.

Through the kind offices of Indiana University’s Southeast’s Division of Continuing Studies, there’ll be two offerings of my non-credit beer education class during the spring semester of 2010. The first time we held the class in the spring of 2009, I was inspired to write about it: Beer class tonight.

The 2010 listings are now posted at IUS's web site, where you can register and pay for the course. The price is $65, which includes my time and tales, the venue and numerous beer samples.

“Here's to Beer.”

Description: Once upon a time, beer was just beer. No longer. Beginning with an overview of the brewing process and the history of beer, learn how to distinguish Pale Ale from Imperial Stout through words and samples.

1st session: February: 3, 10, 17, and 24 (all Wednesdays)

2nd session: April 7, 14, 21, and 28 (all Wednesdays)

Times: 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Location: NABC Pizzeria & Public House, 3312 Plaza Drive (just off Grant Line Road), New Albany 47150.

Note: The last class session each month will be moved to Bank Street Brewhouse in downtown New Albany if agreed by the group.

Questions about content can be referred to me at the address in my profile.

Open thread: Best appetizers in downtown NA?

I enjoyed a four-hour lunch at Steinert's Grill and Pub yesterday, and in keeping with my Thursday column theme of dissipation, elected to snack on appetizers so as not to deprive myself sufficient room for beer.

Previously, I'd been tipped off to the Sauerkraut Balls, and after Rick described them as tasting like a Reuben sandwich, there was no avoiding an order. It's an apt description. They're golf-ball-sized, filled with kraut and little morsels of corned beef, deep fried, and served with Thousand Island dressing for dipping.

We ended up talked about everything from the Russian language to how kids form allegiances to sports teams based on things like uniform color. There's simply no better time than a snow day to sit inside, smoke a cigar, drink good beer (New Belgium 2 Below, on draft) and enjoy good conversation.

It got me to thinking about appetizers and beer: What's the best appetizer being served at New Albany's downtown eating and drinking establishments?

Those Sauerkraut Balls need to be in the discussion, for sure.

Courtesy call: More on El trains.

Those whose mouths watered at the morsels of local El train information shared by NAC recently should take a look at the more comprehensive article author R. David "Ron" Schooling has posted at Broken Sidewalk.

My favorite line:

Even with our modern freeways and fast cars, one cannot duplicate these “point-to-point” travel times today.

And even that fails to specifically mention the wastes of fuel and finance perpetually driving us toward less reason and responsibility that go along with less time to think about the application of either.

When it comes to getting around, we've forgotten more than we know and have thus become as much of a cliché. New Albanians now argue over car parking spots for far longer than it used to take 110 years ago to go between New Albany and Louisville without a car at all.

NA Event Watch: Form Not Function: Quilt Art at the Carnegie, opening January 8.

(submitted)

Form Not Function: Quilt Art at the Carnegie, January 8 - March 6, 2010

Please join us this Friday January 8 from 6-8 pm to celebrate the opening of our new exhibit, Form, Not Function: Quilt Art at the Carnegie, now in its seventh year. This national juried exhibit features 31 contemporary art quilts by artists from across the United States. Enjoy refreshments, live music by the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Quartet, and a chance to meet some of the artists. Free and open to the public. Reception and exhibit sponsored by the Carnegie Center, Inc.

To learn more about this exhibit, please click here.

Today's Tribune column: "Dissipation and revelation."

52 down, a new deck of 52 cut, and the first card turned up ...

BAYLOR: Dissipation and revelation

Of the various ways to define “dissipation,” my favorite is this: “Unrestrained indulgence in physical pleasures, especially alcohol.”

Wired 65 Entrepreneurial Networking Seminars.

Courtesy of Mike Ladd of the the New Albany Urban Enterprise Association. For more information, click this Wired65 web link.

Snow? Fine, except this time, Fassla's not there, right across the alley.

Arriving in Bamberg on December 20, a blizzard was already in progress. Air France spared us the trouble of rolling two pieces of luggage from the train station to our rental apartment, but we still looked like snowmen upon arrival, and it's only a few blocks.

Three days later, all of it was gone. While it lasted, we enjoyed the white-dusted contrast with the reds, golds and greens on many venerable buildings. It made the schnitzel and the beer taste better, even if the outdoor seating areas were battened tight.

Fortunately, back home now and awaiting the next catastrophic snow event, I've taken the precaution of dumping all the milk, using the white bread for school paste, and making sure there's still Beak's Best in the garage keg box.

Neighbors take note, lest actual precipitation occurs. Someone remember to bring sauerkraut, okay?

Bloomington has a neighborhood parking ordinance, too.

How utterly strange that the stated purpose of such a measure dares to "protect motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians," rather than to auction an entitlement for chump change sufficient to make Steve Price orgasmic.

Damned pesky Obamunists.

Neighborhood Parking Permit FAQs

Neighborhood Parking Permit Questions and Answers

City of Bloomington ORDINANCE 92-06 designates University Proximate Residential Neighborhood Permit Parking Zones. Residents in those zones may receive Parking Permits that only allow the vehicles with Permits to park on the street between 8AM and 5PM, Monday thru Friday. Permits expire August 15, of each year. This Ordinance is meant to protect motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians from excessive commuter traffic competing for parking spaces as well as to reduce the amount of traffic in the neighborhoods.

A few notes on last night's council meeting.

1. Newly elected Council President John Gonder followed the law in making committee and commission appointments. As I mentioned to Gonder while expressing thanks after the meeting, this shouldn't be news.

Apparently the Tribune agrees, as they didn't report it or the fact that past presidents failed to follow the law in previous years.

But, it is news. Meeting minutes reflect that Gonder is the only one of the four most recent presidents (and perhaps more) to have actually handled appointments properly. Larry Kochert, Jeff Gahan, and Dan Coffey all either failed to read the law or just didn't care. That a council president took the time to familiarize himself with and apply the rules represents an exceptional shift in leadership attitude and aptitude for a body who's been perennially disrespected and avoided owing precisely to the lackadaisical efforts of the past. Hopefully, such diligence is deemed a precedent worth carrying forward.

2. There was continuation of an argument between Dan Coffey and everyone else present at the meeting who's worked on the Coyle property evaluation. The only reason citizens' and officials' time and energy are being wasted on it is because Coffey is falsely trying to distance himself from a process for which he's responsible. He went so far last night as to suggest that he only went to a meeting about the property because fellow Council Member Diane McCartin-Benedetti called and invited him.

As is often the case, the facts and Coffey's protestations have nothing in common. Previous reporting and meeting minutes confirm the following:

During his time as president of the Council, Coffey signed off on the creation of an exploratory committee in conjunction with the administration and county officials to examine the possibilities of the Coyle property. Coffey was also a member of the City's Redevelopment Commission at the time and suggested that body look into the use of TIF funds to finance the property, a process which they started and have continued, which is why it was under consideration by the Council last night. It's also why Carl Malysz has continually reminded that, though the administration is indeed interested in the property, the TIF initiative under consideration came from the council and not them.

Thus, the facts indicate the exact opposite of what Coffey asserted with regard to McCartin-Benedetti.

McCartin-Benedetti (and Kevin Zurschmiede, who replaced Coffey on the Redevelopment Commission after he resigned) became involved with the Coyle property analysis only because Coffey appointed them to the governing body that he himself suggested should handle the situation.

On the whole, McCartin-Benedetti has discovered what many others before her have: Coffey is a liar who can't be trusted with even the most basic facts. Luckily, she's refusing lately to play hapless victim to Coffey's signature intimidation tactics. As it should be wholly unnecessary, it's unfortunate that such refusal functions as an indicator of positive council growth but, owing to the conditions that Coffey regularly inflicts on the community, it's newsworthy as well. Coffey's council presidency is over. His messes, though, still require cleaning.

3. The residential private parking permit request is somewhat confusing. I'll try to provide more in-depth analysis in future but, from looking at aerial photos and driving the neighborhood, it appears as though the large majority of property owners in the Uptown area have sufficient room on their properties to accommodate private, off-street parking if they so desire. There are already so many driveways and garages that having private parking, rather than suffering from a lack of it, is evidently the norm. And, again, most who don't have it could.

As an initial question, why would New Albany citizens want to give over the public street space they finance to restricted, private use in order to appease private property owners who are unwilling to give up their own privately held resource for the exact same purpose?

One suggested answer was that providing additional parking for a particular property would increase its value. I can't argue with that. That's why people spend their money to build driveways and garages on private property. But, each time a single property value was increased with an additional parking spot taken from the shared pool on public streets, there would be a corresponding decrease in available parking for surrounding properties, thus lowering their values with little to no compensation for those who chose to invest based on that pool.

Does it make sense to use public funds to marginally increase the value of one house on a street at the expense of decreasing the value of several others? I don't think so. It goes against the very notion of shared resources and public spaces that define city life. That notion is the reason many of us have chosen to live here and is what will attract many more to do the same.

Here’s my list of favorite 2009 albums.

The fact that I am annually compelled to assemble a “best album” list provides conclusive proof that my time of cultural relevance has passed. I insist on listening to albums, and have (thus far) resisted the temptation to load an iPod and celebrate aural mediocrity. If Thom Yorke wishes me to hear his band’s songs in a certain order, I take him at his word.

So be it.

As noted in past editions of the yearly round-up, the marvelous thing about being a music buff is that there’ll always be time later to pick up on the releases, groups, songs and trends that were previously neglected or omitted. In 2009, I rediscovered the House Martins, purchased a moving Tim Finn solo album, and enjoyed early, re-mastered R.E.M. releases.

As an aside, and in this context, the long-awaited, re-mastered and reissued “complete” Beatles collection of CDs deserves honorable mention on any “year’s” compilation. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, most strands of contemporary rock and pop go through them.

It’s also comforting to know that whether I live three more years or thirty, it won’t be necessary to waste a single moment’s time on the inanity of mass-market country music with hats, trailer trash and jingoism. I’m a rock & pop oriented listener, and unapologetically mainstream in these tastes.

Again, so be it.

My tastes include jazz and classical, although admittedly the past year did not afford as many opportunities as I’d have liked to listen to these genres. I intend to rectify the imbalance in the coming year, primarily by shifting the CD collection at the Public House to home turf. No one there listens to the jazz CDs. It’s i-Pod territory, so why not bring Satchmo, Bix and Miles to the house? In fact, the first box came earlier today.

Also, my annual, shrugging apology is merited: The “no depression” genre completely depresses me, and although snippets of Americana and roots music peep through, it isn’t very often.

As in 2008, my favorite local, live music of the year was played at NABC’s Fringe Fest. From Klezmer to punk, it was exciting, and thanks are owed to John Campbell for another eclectic lineup.

However, there was another contender in 2009: The first annual Celtic Fest on the waterfront, and Brendan Loughrey's tribute to Kenny Chesney. at Bank Street Brewhouse afterward. I’ll never hear Chesney’s name again without thinking of Loughrey’s song.

Also memorable to me was seeing Hugh Bir perform at the new Wick’s on State in downtown New Albany just prior to the Roger Daltrey concert at Horseshoe. More honky-tonk and less Gordon Lightfoot from Hugh, and we’d be even better with it.

Feel free to post your own choices. As I write, Grinderman (2007) is playing. That crazy Nick Cave; he just breaks me up.

---

My top five albums of 2009 are the ones that have made such an impact that most of the songs are sufficiently familiar to me to be recalled on demand without my actually listening to them. Not that my built-in iPod always plays in tune, mind you, but it’s just the way my brain seems to work. The albums are listed according to preference.

1. Manic Street Preachers – Journal for Plague Lovers
With lyrics by the late Richey Edwards and music by the mature, surviving Manics, it’s simply their best fusion in quite a few years of thoughts, hooks and rhythm. All hail Wales.

2. U2 – No Line on the Horizon
Rolling Stone has this in the Top 20 of the Naught Decade, and while I can’t entirely agree, the album shows that for dudes at 50, U2 remains quite capable of producing songs that are deeper than they seem and amply reward repeated listenings.

3. Fastball – Little White Lies
From Austin, Texas, by conceptual way of Liverpool: Great pop songs, plenty of vocal harmonies and sheer exuberance. Fastball is criminally underrated, and it’s the Louisville concert (in May) that I wish I could have attended, but could not because I was in the UK at the time.

4. Cheap Trick – The Latest
That’s right: An unprecedented two American bands in my Top Five. CT’s late period has been an extraordinarily productive one, and I defy anyone to locate an aging rock ‘n’ roll singer with Robin Zander’s gutsy pipes and vocal versatility. Rick Nielson is part owner of the Piece brewpub in Chicago. ‘Nuff said.

5. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
If I were to compile a list of 2009 songs, the first three on this earworm of an album would rank very high. Otherwise, I’m oddly shocked that a French pop band made the list even though Air France came close to losing my luggage. Tolerant of me, eh?

---

The second five are listed alphabetically.

7 Worlds Collide – The Sun Came Out
Eight years later, a second Neil Finn-inspired group project featuring a who’s who of damned fine players, from Jeff Tweedy through Johnny Marr, this time with all of them working collaboratively on two discs’ worth of fresh material. Proceeds to Oxfam, so buy it, don’t burn it.

Cribs – Ignore the Ignorant
With Oasis supposedly shut down (reunion cash, anyone?), I had to find another snarling, fractious English band of brothers. Here they are, with hired hand Marr along for the ride.

Doves – Kingdom of Rust
The band isn’t breaking any new ground, but I just adore the sound, alternately self-absorbed, melancholic and fist-shaking … just like me.

Muse – The Resistance
I never would have predicted this one. It was purchased on sheer whim, and is grandiose to the point of Queen with a sprinkling of Keane. Talk about sweet spots. The back catalog comes next; maybe I can catch them at Stonehenge.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!
A gal and three guys, quirky pop, punky at times … very New York to me. It sounded good one afternoon at Bank Street Brewhouse. The connection is fully intended.

---

Ten others I liked, although not as much.

Black Crowes – Before the Frost/Until the Freeze
The Brothers Robinson and their own version of Exile on Main Street.

Jarvis Cocker – Further Complications
Formerly of Pulp, still lyrically obsessed with sex and status in Gordon Brown’s UK.

Gomez – A New Tide
Nice effort, but strikes me as a sideways step, one lacking the songwriting cohesion of the previous release.

Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
Sprawling, noisy and plain weird, rather like a Newer Age bid for Her Satanic Majesty’s Request. Consequently, I like it.

Morrissey – Years of Refusal
Mozz’s comeback has been much appreciated. It seems to be stalling, and while I find moments of interest, the latest offering had me diving back into the singer’s Nineties catalog – and longing for the Smiths.

Pearl Jam – Backspacer
Love the band’s sound. The songs are less memorable. With Pearl Jam, it’s the overall vibe that counts.

Pink Martini – Splendor in the Grass
Odd quasi-Formica-inspired mood music designed to make you desire obsolete Pacific Rim cocktails like the Singapore Sling, and groove to Sixties post-WWII imperial Americana.

Bruce Springsteen – Working on a Dream
A quick follow-up to Magic, which the intervening time is proving to be the better of the two.

White Lies – To Lose My Life
It’s a retro English group that lands somewhere in the vicinity of Echo & the Bunnymen, The Cure and Joy Division. One to watch, but understand that a dollop of grimness goes with the territory.

Fourth and final live blogging missive: Price says, "Here's the problem that I got." Ain't it the truth.

Ordinances and Resolutions

R-10-01 Coyle TIF

Benedetti defends the TIF area inclusion for Coyle and rebuts McLaughlin's (and Price's) claim that no one on the council initiated the idea. Coffey denies that he heard anything while seated on the Plan Commission; Benedetti disagrees.

She now is outlining the importance of the property.

Coffey now offers "my synopsis" of the situation. Coffey says that if Coyle could be purchased through the TIF "no problem with it." When the county said it didn't care, he quit going to meetings because he is opposed to money coming fomo other funds.

Obstructionist norms are being met and exceeded.

Benedetti again speaks the obvious: It's an important part of downtown irrespective of use. And, the same council people who oopse spending are telling people that there is sufficient EDIT monies to do other projects. They presumably should be consistent.

Malayz: Many possibilities. Critical piece of downtown real estate. Discussions about buildings, whether it should be cleared or preserved ... never a decision on the exact form of redevelopment, but the staff was requested to do legwork with appraisals and potential acquisition. If we don't identify the property as potentially do-able, it passes by and the current work in getting it ready cannot be funded. And: At least pass the resolution to keep the ball rolling to get to the point of seeing what the appraisals show.

Again and again: You are not voting for a done deal. You are voting to establish the preconditions for some future deal to be done.

McLaughlin: Was the committee formed by the council? Yes.

Malayz: Operating in good faith and in limbo now, with redevelopment commission doing what it can to keep it moving pending something happening.

Coffey denies being on redevelopment during the time that any of this was discussed. Probably denies appointing himself to it. Does remember voting against a few things, like Hoosier Panel.

Caesar: Why can't redevelopment cut a check for the appraisal?

Malayz: Because it is not in the TIF district, it can't qualify. It's just making it possible to consider it in the future.

Price: "Here's the problem that I got."
"Is it the best way to go for their money?"
"Do you all ever wonder when we're going to be taped out?"
"We fixed Spring Street Hill, how much did that cost?"
Price starts free-form association with any and all expenditures before the council. "This and this and this."

Benedetti: "This is just putting it in the TIF area."

Messer: It's an investment.

Price: "Some people question Spring Street hill."

Messer: "We're not talking about Spring Street hill ... a good example is the YMCA."

Price: "I think it's great ... but I didn't approve of the funding."

Gahan: If just to expand a TIF area, why the language implying that it WILL be purchased. Malayz says you can delete that language if you wish. He only added it as an attempt at clarification.

Benedetti: Been working on this for seven months. "It needs to go forward, or be done."

JAY-sus.

Motion to strike the 3rd paragraph passes unanimously.

All in favor except ... Price.

He is a civic embarrassment.

G-10-01 Individual Resident Only Parking Permits, 1st and 2nd

Benedetti says she has looked into it, and is willing to send it to committee. Would not cause police to enforce unless someone violates it, then the permit holder can call and have them towed. She's had other calls about day cares in neighborhoods causing problems with parking. Do we have rules for that going beyond the state's?

Messer: The police would have to investigate and write the ticket. 20-ft probably is a problem.

Price: "An extra $15,000 is definitely not nickels and dimes."

Bizarrely, Price supports it.

Scott Wood: Provides erudite background on day cares. A series of day cares is different than when it is operated in the home.

McLaughlin: Now people have more than one vehicle.

Chief Crabtree would have loved to be consulted before it comes up.

KZ: So many issues -- fire hydrants, duplexes, frontages ... should go to committee.

Caesar: Who gets the money?

IF REVENUE IS THE OBJECT, HOW MUCH WOULD RENTAL PROPERTY REGISTRATION BRING INTO THE CITY? HOW MUCH WOULD OTHER CONSISTENT ENFORCEMENT MEASURES BRING IN?

1st reading

For: all except ...
Against: KZ, JoG

2nd reading - same result.

Now off to committee.

Z-10-01 Robert Lynn zoning, 1st and 2nd

Favorable recommendation from Plan Commission.

Gahan: Questions about two lots that are shown being in the flood plain. What are they?

Wood: Outlines the plan. It's in the two-mile fringe area. Flood elevations, sewer easements, no-build line. Narrow slivers buildable, the rest retained in vegetative state, meaning (I believe) that the flood plain stays as is. Also a retention basin.

Coffey begins tracing drainage, working his way toward Prosser and eventually the Mississippi Valley drainage basin, which Coffey studied once at Bazooka Joe U.

Gahan wants to guarantee restrictive language, but Wood says it already is there.

1st reading - Coffey and Caesar no, the rest say yes.
2nd reading - same results

Z-09-10 Neace-Sprigler, 3rd reading

Corner of Green Valley and Daisy -- the medical office doing temporary (?) duty as furniture sales.

3rd reading - yes all the way around the board.

One hour 38 minutes. Out.

The third stanza of live council blogging:

Public officials speaking time

Benedetti: Still looking for a council attorney.

Gonder: One applicant; would like to keep it open for a bit longer, until next meeting.

Coffey: Wants the attorney to come from Floyd County at the very least. Not right to hire outsiders.

Caesar: Wants to get it going.

Mayor's time

Mayor England is not here, but Carl Malasz speaks in his stead. Asks for consideration of R-10-01 (Coyle TIF). Gonder says go ahead and speak. The resolution is step 3 in the process toward acquiring Coyle, which is a key property, and will require funding beyond the TIF, but no final deals will be struck without the council's input. Mick Ward is here representing the Coyles and can be consulted a bit later tonight.

Appointments

(Gonder's being a bit indecisive)

Honestly: It's very difficult to tell what's being considered in terms of the committee votes. Jack Messer mentions an appointment of Matt Bergman as a non-council member appointment to Redevelopment. Gonder concedes a point (?) to Messer and says he thinks Bergman would be good.

Individual votes ... Jeff Gahan says that work might prevent his attendance at some Plan Commission meetings.

Plan: Gahan is approved.

Redevelopment: Benedetti approved, but the Luddites topple Bergman, who'll have to come in and audition instead so Coffey can insult him.

Horseshoe: Caesar and Zurschmiede approved.

That's all the voting on appointments, folks. Part four coming shortly.

More live council blogging (2): Committee appointments and public communications.

Dan Coffey calls the meeting to order and demands both prayer and allegiance.

Nominations for president: Steve Price nominates Pat McLaughlin, Diane Benedetti nominates John Gonder.

Gonder wins 5-4 and assumes the chair. Coffey reclaims his old seat. The world spins on its axis, and somewhere, a dog barks.

VP: Coffey nominates McLaughlin. No other nominations, as the fix was probably in on that one. He wins.

Motion to recess so that committee appointments can be considered. We're waiting to see if these will be voted on (see preceding post). Are you a betting man or woman?

I'm particularly interested in seeing the outcome for the Cesears Board appointment. When I saw it on the agenda, I thought it meant a salad, and then I mistook it for seesaw. Only then did I realize that it should be the Horseshoe Board.

We spend our recess time joking about the measure being proposed tonight that would allow residents to buy a street parking permit in the neighborhoods. More on that later. The man sitting near me says that they do it in Jeffersonville without difficulty, but my personal opinion is that unless we get a canal like Jeff is soon to have, I'm against it. Boat parking permits are another matter entirely.

Dig it: The Omnibus Gondola Parking Permit of 2010.

We have returned. Gonder begins reading appointments. There are too many to list here, given that I could not copy from the web site (it wasn't there).

I just noticed that according to the agenda, the appointments are supposed to come after many of the items on the agenda. At this point, I'm confused.

Gonder notes that there are many more committees than the code calls for, roughly 22 instead of the 10 stipulated.

Now, he returns to the agenda order and commences correction and approval of minutes, and with haste, December 7 hearing and meeting minutes are passed.

Public communications (agenda items):

1. Jameson Bledsoe - Remembering Charlemagne, and representing the Uptown Neighborhood Association, he supports G-10-01, the parking ordinance.

2. Randy Bulleit - 2000 block of East Elm. Mentions the home tour in September. Surprised that the home tour was a success. Delighted. This leads to the ordinance (?) that would establish a residential parking permit. Those with limited or no off-street parking would be able to purchase a yearly permit for $100. He points to Jeffersonville, not Bardstown Road (which doesn't do it) as an examplar. Makes $15,000 per year for Jeff. Says it will enhance quality of life and lead to more owner-occupied homes. He has passed out a packet of information supporting his position. He went so far as to solicit bids for the striping of these spaces. He now reaches the five minute mark and Pres. Gonder warns him. Again, Bulleit cites Jefersonville as a model program, ignoring other places where no such program exists.

3. Vicky Nugent - Also with Uptown. Ekin Avenue. Supports the same ordinance. Raised where you can park in front, and is willing to pay for it.

4. Randy Smith - Not read the ordinance, but discussed with Mr. Bulleit. Opposed to it on the basis of philosophy, with practical problems as well. Invites everyone to Studio's to discuss it. Objections: 20-ft space poses practicality problems, i.e., street widths differing. Market forces would suggest paying more for a house with driveway or off-street; it would take a long time to equalize costs at a clip of $100 a year. He's willing to consider things, but would like for there to be more discussion. Enforcement of sidewalk parking? Asks to put it before committee.

(enforcement in general?)

Non-enforcement remains the city's prime issue. Back in a bit as we continue.

Gads -- live council blogging returns as the succession is plotted.

As Gomer Pyle once observed: "Surprise, surprise."

We have a signal, and can broadcast to the world. Not that the world cares very much.

Earlier today, Bluegill offered a quick primer before the council meeting. He quoted this passage from the city's rulebook:

§ 30.20 ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF COMMISSIONS AT FIRST MEETING EACH YEAR.

The Common Council member of the city's Plan Commission and of any other special body to which the Council shall be entitled to name a member or members, shall be elected by the Council at its first meeting in January of each year, to serve until the end of the current calendar year.(Ord. 4600, passed 3-4-1957)

Will code enforcement begin at home? Stay tuned as tempers flare and blood alcohol counts dip to dangerous levels.

A quick primer before tonight's council meeting.

It's the council's first meeting of the year. A new president and vice president will be elected. According to New Albany law, here's what's supposed to happen after that:

§ 30.20 ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF COMMISSIONS AT FIRST MEETING EACH YEAR.

The Common Council member of the city's Plan Commission and of any other special body to which the Council shall be entitled to name a member or members, shall be elected by the Council at its first meeting in January of each year, to serve until the end of the current calendar year.

(Ord. 4600, passed 3-4-1957)


Note that it clearly does not say that the president shall appoint members. It says they are to be elected by the council.

According to my own firsthand observations and the minutes of the meeting, here's what happened last year after Dan Coffey was elected president and produced a list on paper of his own designees:

FIFTEEN MINUTE RECESS:

Mr. Coffey called for a recess at 7:35 p.m. to discuss committee appointments.

Mr. Coffey called the meeting back into session at 7:41 p.m.

Then newly elected President Coffey's first official act was to call a recess so that the entire council could privately discuss the positions. No public discussion and no elections took place.

The appointments were made contrary to city law and the recess was at least questionable under the auspices of state sunshine law. Tribune reporter Daniel Suddeath had to track down officials after the meeting to even get a list of the appointments.

As we're all aware thanks to the senior editor's reporting, that was just the first of Coffey's consistent rule violations as president.

Some council members have since claimed that they voted on those appointments but the minutes from last year's meeting show otherwise. An excerpt from the minutes of the second January '09 meeting provides further evidence:

Mr. Caesar stated that Mr. Coffey appointed him to the Horseshoe Board but he is unable to attend all of the meetings and he suggested that he re-appoint Mr. Gonder to that board.

Mr. Coffey re-appointed Mr. Gonder to the Horseshoe Board.


The council could take a step towards credibility this evening by correcting one of Coffey's many missteps. A straightforward election as mandated by law is neither difficult nor costly. It requires only a desire to follow the rules and set a better example.

We'll see.

Develop New Albany's "First Tuesday" at Bush Keller Sporting Goods, January 5.

For those of you who always ask ... no word on catering options (food, beer, wine, etc.)

N.A.B.cieged begins this Friday, January 8, at the Public House & Pizzeria.

In early December, the NABC brain trust (huh?) hatched a scheme variously intended to celebrate the arrival of a new year, deplete inventory prior to Gravity Head and tout the fact that our own house-brewed beers are taking an ever larger share of the beer sales at the original NABC Pizzeria & Pub even as they invade surrounding territories in Indiana and Kentucky.

Consequently, this one's about us -- our NABC beers being brewed in two New Albany locations, not the great ones from all over the planet that we continue to vend and enjoy, but the ones that we feel are the future of the business (and aesthetic) enterprise.

It's called N.A.B.cieged, and we ask the English majors among you to forgive the spelling. It's not a Black Eyed Peas contributor. The idea is to have as many as possible of our own NABC beers on tap at one time at the Pizzeria & Pub. The event will last as long as the kegs do, and then the remaining kegs from Saturnalia will be put on tap alongside the customary guest regulars and what has become a permanently expanded NABC repertoire.

Obviously, we're undertaking this at the Pizzeria & Public House because there are far fewer available taps at the Bank Street Brewhouse, where a dozen or so NABC beers are on tap all of the time, with no guests.

Here's more from David Pierce on the forthcoming spectacle. There'll be more comments from me as the week progresses, so stay tuned. And, given the amount of work required to swap all these kegs of beer around, say a silent prayer for Jared, Mike Bauman, Ben Minton and Eric Gray, who'll likely be doing the heavy lifting, literally.

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Watch for this celebration of the work of our own brewers - Jesse Williams, Jared Williamson and David Pierce, Director of Brewing Operations - to begin on January 8th. Our goal is an NABC beer on every tap at the NABC Public House & Pizzeria.

Jared has been holding back some treasured kegs for this special event. The final lineup is still in the works and may include a secret cask or two.

A list of strong prospects follows:

Regulars:
Abzug
Beak's Best
Bob's Old 15-B
Community Dark
Elector
Hoptimus
Kaiser 2nd Reising
Mt. Lee
Tafelbier
Tunnel Vision

Seasonals:
Anniversary Ale V., Oak Aged, '07
Anniversary Ale VII., '09
ConeSmoker
Le Douche Mental
ELI
Elsa Von Horizon
Farmhouse Saison
Jenever
Malcolm’s Old Setter's Ale, '09
Naughty Claus
Phoenix Kentucky Kommon
Solidarity '09
Sour Red
Strathpeffer
ThunderFoot '09
WeeFoot Session Stout

Possibles:
Dry Knobs
Dubbel
Nugget APA
Smoked Abzug

Artwork by Tony Beard.