New Street Sweeper Routes to Begin April 4th

Spring is just around the corner in New Albany.  After a long winter, its time to break the warm-weather clothes out of storage and do some Spring Cleaning. In that same spirit, city staff is hard at work improving the cleanliness of our city. 

New street sweeper arriving at the Street Department HQ.

Recently, a new street sweeper was acquired by the Street Department, allowing for additional street sweeping routes to be created.  These new updated routes will begin on April 4th. To make it easier for residents to identify when the sweeper will arrive in their neighborhood, a series of daily maps have been created.  Please click below on each day to view the full sweeper schedule maps.

MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY

Streets outlined in GREEN are swept from 8 am - 10 am.
Streets outlined in BLUE are swept from 10 am - 12 pm.
Streets outlined in RED are swept from 1 pm - 3 pm.

In the maps above, you can search your address in the search bar to see how the routes will affect your home or business.  We ask that residents and businesses avoid parking vehicles along these routes during the scheduled street sweeping times so that this important maintenance can be performed..

Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance Update

At the last City Council Meeting (March 7th, 2016), the New Albany City Council unanimously passed a rental registration program on its first and second readings.  The City Council is set to vote on final approval of the rental registration program this Thursday, March 17, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.  The ordinance will require landlords to register any properties within the city limits that will be rented to tenants.  

New Albany is now over 200 years old, and the city needs to be proactive in its approach to protecting the housing stock. By passing this ordinance, we have taken a huge step forward for the city of New Albany. The passage of a rental registration program will allow our building commissioner and his team to address issues that may arise in a timely manner and immediately contact the owner to remedy the situation. 

However, at the March 7th Council Meeting, the council voted to remove the inspection portion of this ordinance. The inspection component of the ordinance would have aided in setting minimum housing standards to improve safety for residents, and protect the character and stability of the City's homes and neighborhoods. The pictures below help illustrate some of the issues that inspection can help address.

According to the 2010 census, there are nearly 7,000 rental housing units in New Albany that serve approximately 44% of the city population. With such high rental demand, situations can occur where a portion of the city population becomes vulnerable as they are forced into sub-standard housing, by necessity. The city acknowledges that most of the landlords in our community are very responsible, but we all must agree that some do not maintain their rental property to code and are unresponsive to tenant concerns. The inspection portion of the rental registration ordinance would help expedite these issues, and help protect some of our most vulnerable members of our community.

Emergency Notification System

The City of New Albany recently launched an emergency notification system that allows residents to sign up and receive timely emergency alerts directly to their cell phone, home phone, e-mail, or whichever device is most convenient.  This system will allow us to provide residents with critical information during an emergency, such as a severe weather event or a boil water advisory.

To sign up, please visit the link HERE

Photograph by Eric Bartley.

For more information, please read the most frequently asked questions about the program.

FAQ

What is the Emergency Notification Program?
This service allows you to opt-in to receive notifications about severe weather warnings or other emergencies via phone calls, text messaging, e-mail and more. 

When will it be used?
This system will be used to notify you about severe weather warnings or other emergencies. When you sign up for the service, you can specify the type of notifications you would like to receive, along with dictating which platforms you receive notifications on (e-mail, text, cell phone, home phone).  

Will I still get emergency notifications if I don't sign up?
You will not receive any notifications via this system without signing up.

Why do you ask for my address and location when signing up?
This allows us to send out targeted alerts.  For example, say a water main breaks near Spring Street, putting the surrounding residents into a boil water advisory alert.  With this system, the City is able to notify those residents affected directly and timely. 

What if my phone number or email address changes?
The system can only contact you through the information that you provide. If your contact information changes, you can always visit your profile and update your information.

Will my contact information be shared with others?
No. The information that you provide will be used only for notification purposes. We will not give or sell your contact or location information to any vendor or other organization.

"Rental Housing Ordinance a Must for New Albany" - Mayor Gahan

Working with my staff and other city council members, New Albany City Councilman Greg Phipps will introduce G-15-05, Ordinance Adopting Chapter 160: Rental Housing Code at the regularly scheduled Council meeting on Monday, March 7, 2016.  The purpose of the ordinance is to provide for the registration and inspection of rental residential property within the city.

The Rental Housing ordinance will help facilitate in the prevention of deterioration of residential housing, assist in compliance of minimum rental housing standards to improve safety for residents, protect the character and stability of residential neighborhoods, and preserve and increase property values throughout the City.  This ordinance continues my administration’s focus on Quality of Place initiatives regarding the business of residency, while focusing on four main goals:

1.    Increased Safety for tenants and surrounding properties
2.    Improved Cleanliness
3.    Historic Preservation  
4.    Increased property values

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By improving and maintaining our housing stock, in addition to quality of life initiatives like strong schools and parks, our entire community becomes a more attractive place for private investment of money, time, energy, and enthusiasm.

The ordinance has two major components which will assist in accomplishing the goals outlined.  

1.    Registration of any property in the city which will be rented to tenants
The registration process will require the owner to obtain a rental permit for each property and supply current contact information of the owner to the City.  This will allow the appropriate city officials to immediately contact a rental housing owner of any potential violations or issues with the property should they arise.  The registration will facilitate the timeliness and ability of the City to work with owners to address or fix any issues that may exist.  

2.    Inspection of rental housing properties  
All rental housing properties may be subject to an annual inspection or inspection based upon a complaint as permitted by ordinance and state statute.  

The Rental Housing Ordinance will immediately be of benefit to the community, residents, tenants, and rental property owners.  

We are committed to improving the residential experience for those who have long ago decided to make New Albany their home, as well as those people who are determined to find a great new place to live and grow.

New Albany Parks Update for March

The New Albany parks and Recreation Department is gearing up for a fun-filled March!  Check out the events and programs below.

Family Easter Festival

Mr Bunny at Silver Street Park, 2015.

Saturday March 19th from 11am-1pm.  The egg hunt will follow shortly after.

Join the fun at Silver Street Park for a fun-filled day! Activities include performances, inflatables and prize giveaways by “Mr. Bunny." Come prepared to stretch out on the turf. 

Leagues and Camps

Click the name of each league or camp below to view the registration flyer.

Adult Slowpitch Softball - Begins March 21.  REGISTRATION DUE: March 14. Location: Anderson Park

Adult Kickball - Begins March 21. REGISTION DUE: March 14. Location: Silver Street Park

Adult Dodgeball - Begins March 24. REGISTRATION DUE: March 18.  Silver Street Park

Little Sluggers Pre-Tee Ball League (3-4 yr olds) - Begins March 22. REGISTRATION DUE: March 11. Silver Street Park.
This league allows 3-4 year olds to work on motor skills and cognitive ability while learning basic fundamentals of the game of baseball/softball.  Equipment used includes a tee and whiffle ball bat & ball.  The league will be hosted indoor at Silver Street Park but while move to BIlly Herman Ball Park when the weather permits.

Redeem the Dream Soccer Camp (6-14 yr olds) - March 23-25 @ Silver Street Park.

Golf Adventures

This class teaches beginning junior golfers the basics of the game.  Safety, grip, aim, stance, posture, rules, short game, putting, and long shots are covered.  NO CLUBS REQUIRED!  We supply necessary golf equipment!  Ages 8-15.  Cost is $30.

Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays (March 8th, 10th, 15th, and 17th) 5:15pm-6:15pm at Silver Street Park Indoor Facility

Gymnastics Schedule

Dates: Mondays (March 7th, 14th, 21st, April 4th, 11th)
Location: Griffin Recreation Center
Cost: $35 per session, must pre-register
(Please note, there is no class on March 28th due to Spring Break)

Tiny Tots 4:00-4:45pm
Beginners 4:00-4:45pm or 5:00-5:45pm or 6:00-6:45pm
Intermediate 5:00-5:45 or 6:00-6:45pm
Advanced 7:00-7:45pm
Elite 7:00-7:45pm

Free Adult Open Gym

Open/Drop-in Basketball is offered at the days and times listed below.  Individuals must be from Floyd County.  Teams form as participants show up and sign in.

Monday & Wednesday - Fairmont School Gym from 6:00pm-8:00pm
Tuesday & Thursday - Slate Run School Gym from 6:30pm-8:30pm
Tuesday & Thursday* - Griffin Recreation Center from 6:30pm-8:00pm *(TEENS ONLY)*