STATEHOUSE WATCH: Mayor Gahan Condemns SB477 as Political Attack, Supports SB134 for Comprehensive Water Management

STATEHOUSE WATCH: Mayor Gahan Condemns SB477 as Political Attack, Supports SB134 for Comprehensive Water Management

Mayor Gahan today voiced strong opposition to SB477, a bill cosponsored by current State Representative and former failed New Albany Mayoral Candidate Ed Clere, calling it a politically motivated attack against the City of New Albany and an attempt to bypass established permitting processes. In contrast, Mayor Gahan expressed support for SB134, a comprehensive water management bill that would create regional water management councils to ensure responsible stewardship of Indiana’s waterways in an accountable and transparent way.

"SB134 is a great step forward in resolving the uncertainty surrounding Indiana’s water resources," said Mayor Gahan. "Unfortunately, instead of working toward real solutions, Ed Clere is pushing SB477 as a personal favor to out-of-town special interests, allowing private corporations to sidestep permitting laws and remove infrastructure without legal ownership or oversight.” 

SB477, authored by State Senator Justin Busch and cosponsored by Clere, is “special legislation” that would grant permission to individuals to remove water infrastructure despite having no legal ownership. This legislation is widely seen as an effort to advance the interests of Origin Park and Ecosystems, a company hired to demolish the historic Glenmill Park Dam for a whitewater rafting project and the privatization of our public waterway, Silver Creek. Current state law requires proof of ownership before issuing such permits, a requirement that Clere’s SB477 would undermine and sidestep.

It is also worth noting that Origin Park, a private out-of-town corporation, has received over $37 million in public taxpayer funds through a special earmark in the 2024 Indiana State General Fund Budget. This non-elected and unaccountable group has been using these public funds to bash public office holders and fight extended lawsuits in the pursuit of their Adventure Park and privatization of natural, public resources and lands.

Locally, the City of New Albany has actively worked to preserve and improve the historic Glenmill Park Dam, including emergency maintenance last summer to eliminate the "hydraulic roller effect" that tragically claimed the life of a child. Many of the issues surrounding the Glenmill Park Dam arose because there is no known ownership of the structure, meaning there is currently no legal entity responsible for upkeep, maintenance, or the safety of the structure.

“With no known owner, and no one taking responsibility for the clear danger that the hydraulic roller effect caused, I did what any Mayor would do – we fixed the dam and eliminated the public danger to our community,” stated Mayor Gahan. 

With no legal ownership of the dam established, SB477 creates further uncertainty, bypassing due process and potentially leading to extended lawsuits and wasted taxpayer dollars. 

"I'm disappointed, but not surprised, that our State Representative, Ed Clere, is focused on political attacks that benefit out-of-town corporations rather than addressing real issues affecting New Albany residents," Mayor Gahan continued. "This sloppy legislation prioritizes out-of-town special interests and earmarks over public safety, historical preservation, and responsible water management." 

The City urges lawmakers to reject SB477 and instead support SB134, which would establish regional councils to oversee Indiana’s waterways, ensuring transparency and accountability to voters.

Mayor Gahan's Key Initiatives for 2025 Move Forward

Earlier this month, Mayor Gahan put forward a proposal that would improve services across three key areas: a new animal shelter to better serve the needs of residents and animals, a new public works facility to improve equipment and services, and new developments aimed at improving Health and Wellness as well as initiatives to help preserve the New Albany Shoreline.

At their last meeting, the New Albany City Council voted 6-2-1 in favor of moving these projects forward. Today, the New Albany Redevelopment Commission also unanimously voted in favor of advancing these projects.

“It is great to see that both the City Council, your body of local elected representatives, as well as the New Albany Redevelopment Commission, composed of business leaders, residents, and stakeholders have all agreed on the need for these improvements,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan. “We are excited to break ground on these initiatives this year so that we can continue improving the quality of life, health, and public services for the people of New Albany.”

NEW ALBANY ANIMAL SHELTER

The City of New Albany is committed to providing high-quality care, adoption services, health services, and more to the animals in our community. In 2024 alone, the New Albany Animal Shelter served over 1,000 animals, pushing the limits of the current facility. The need has been increasing in recent years, and this new animal shelter will help meet the growing demands for adoptions, health services, training, and other services.

“New Albany has a tradition of providing high quality health care and services to our furry friends, and this new Animal Shelter will continue and add to that tradition for years to come,” stated Mayor Gahan.

PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY

The current public works facility is over 50 years old, but this new initiative will refresh, modernize, and expand the facility to house more materials and equipment, as well as provide more space for training. These new improvements will help better prepare for the high level of demand that can be placed on public works departments during emergency response and inclement weather response events, as well as improve day-to-day services and operations like pothole repair, improving roadways, and training.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS: Preserving our Shoreline

Over the past decade, New Albany has improved many of its shoreline and recreational facilities and areas, but feedback from surveys, public meetings, and talking with residents and businesses shows that there is a strong desire for people to have opportunities to stay fit, be outdoors, and enjoy natural amenities.

“It’s clear that people want more local opportunities to improve their health and wellness, but they also want to be in spaces where they can enjoy our wonderful natural resources,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan. “These public improvements will unlock new opportunities to stay healthy and fit, while protecting some of the most beautiful, natural areas of our Shoreline for all of our residents to enjoy.”

Two of these improvements are along the western Shoreline, and include both a Recreational Vehicle Park and a Mountain Bike Trail. These new areas will expand opportunities for people to use our Shoreline, protect the natural beauty of the area for all to enjoy, and encourage additional growth and private investment in our city.

Other planned health and wellness improvements include the addition of new turf fields at Silver Street Park. This new surface will replace existing grass fields, and will allow the fields to be used for an addition 190 days per year! Not only will there be more days for leagues, practices, games, and more, but the maintenance cost of the fields will reduce significantly.

"These initiatives reflect our dedication to the people of New Albany. These types of improvements and investments will provide the groundwork for a more vibrant, resilient, and thriving community. Together, we are ensuring that New Albany remains a city where every resident can afford a high quality of life, today and well into the future," stated Mayor Jeff Gahan.

Welcome Wendy!

WELCOME WENDY:

The City of New Albany is pleased to introduce our newest Animal Shelter Director, Wendy Byrn! Wendy began with the City of New Albany shortly after longtime shelter director David Hall announced his retirement, and she has hit the ground running.

Wendy is a southern Indiana native that grew up on a small, local farm. Her father was a thoroughbred blacksmith, so she spent many of her younger years at farms and surrounded by horses.

She started working at a veterinary clinic early in her career, and spent several years there before moving into an animal welfare position. After some time, she returned to veterinary medicine, but she always had the goal of working with and leading an animal shelter.

“I felt like I could do more to help animals and people in a shelter than at a veterinary clinic,” stated Ms. Byrn. “These shelter animals are of a much higher need than the typical animal in a home, and I wanted to help where I could have the most impact. I’m thrilled to be here at the City of New Albany and look forward to serving in this new role.” 

“Wendy is a great addition to the City of New Albany, and her expertise and care for animals will be a huge benefit to the people of our River City,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan.

MAYOR GAHAN RESPONDS TO ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS ORDER CONCERNING HISTORIC GLENMILL PARK DAM

MAYOR GAHAN RESPONDS TO ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS ORDER CONCERNING HISTORIC GLENMILL PARK DAM

On Memorial Day Weekend, a young man lost his life at the Glenmill Park Dam. He lost his life because of what is known as a “hydraulic roller effect” at the dam, which is a recirculating current that can trap swimmers underwater.

This came after three years of ongoing court battles regarding what to do with the dam, with zero resolution of any kind. The City of New Albany and my administration have made dozens of attempts to gather all parties involved in this dispute to sit down at a table and discuss solutions that would benefit everyone, and every time, we have been refused. We even tried to get a court ordered mediation, and they still would not sit down at a table with us to discuss. 

Some would say, “why not just let them take the dam out?” Well, the truth is, the area serves thousands of people each year. People who want to fish, people who want to swim, and others who just want to enjoy a scenic view of nature. Completely removing the dam would be a disservice to those people who utilize this area regularly.

These are people that I, as Mayor, and the City Council, were all elected to serve. No one else would stand up for these people to protect their assets. Just recently, the Department of Natural Resources authorized a court filing calling the dam a “drowning machine” that will “continue to risk public safety” if it remains as-is. This was the first time that DNR had acknowledged in court that this was a severe public safety risk.

I was not going to have another person lose their life in our City because no one would take responsibility to solve this immediate public safety risk as identified by DNR. We declared a state of emergency and mobilized crews to eliminate the dangerous hydraulic roller effect. We accomplished this through restoring the dam to its original condition, seen in the historic photo above. Rock fill was used to eliminate the dangerous hydraulic roller effect.

Now, outside agencies are asking that we remove the fill. They are asking us to recreate a dangerous situation where someone else can lose their life. They are asking us to restore the dam to an unmaintained and dangerous condition.

This is now a legal matter, which limits some of the comments I can make. However, because of this action, not another person will drown because of the hydraulic roller effect at our historic Glenmill Park Dam on Silver Creek.

MAYOR GAHAN AUTHORIZES EMERGENCY MAINTENANCE TO IMPROVE SAFETY AT HISTORIC DAM – ENCOURAGES SIMILAR MAINTENANCE AT BLACKISTON MILL DAM

MAYOR GAHAN AUTHORIZES EMERGENCY MAINTENANCE TO IMPROVE SAFETY AT HISTORIC DAM – ENCOURAGES SIMILAR MAINTENANCE AT BLACKISTON MILL DAM

The City of New Albany has mobilized a crew to perform maintenance to the historic Glenmill Park Dam at Silver Creek Landing.

The historic Glenmill Park Dam was placed into service 108 years ago to maintain water supply, provide habitat for wildlife, reduce flash flooding, protect the ecosystem, and create recreational opportunities for the popular Glenmill Park.

The New Albany City Council has voted twice in favor of resolutions that encourage modifications to the dam to improve safety. Additionally, in a recent court filing, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources authorized a filing that indicated the “drowning machine at… Providence Mill Dam, will… continue to risk public safety” if it remains as-is.

Due to these factors, Mayor Gahan has authorized emergency maintenance to be conducted at the site to eliminate the hydraulic roller effect caused by the current condition of the dam. The site is currently closed while this maintenance is underway.

Recent weather patterns have interrupted the work, but the City of New Albany plans to resume the maintenance at Silver Creek Landing once the weather permits. DNR personnel have visited the maintenance work site.

“For years, we have been improving water safety in the City of New Albany through our improvements to the New Albany Shoreline and other waterways, and this maintenance at the historic Glenmill Park Dam is another example of our commitment to safe recreation,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan. “I would encourage Origin Park and other Clark County neighbors to follow our lead and pursue similar action at their own Blackiston Mill Dam, so that everyone in our region can experience safe recreation in Silver Creek.”