New Albany Flow Park - Now Open!

The City of New Albany, in partnership with the Carnegie Center for Art and History, is proud to announce the completion of the New Albany Flow Park, a one-of-a-kind skate-able work of art on New Albany’s waterfront, enhancing the Ohio River Greenway. The New Albany Flow Park is a unique and ambitious project that integrates art with healthy living and quality of place initiatives.

Carnegie Director Eileen Yanoviak says, “The park is now a destination for locals and tourists alike, highlighting our shared Ohio River history in an unexpected way. It really removes the barriers to arts access, bringing free, interactive arts experiences directly to people in the community.”

The concept originated with Carnegie Center curator Daniel Pfalzgraf, a lifelong skateboarding enthusiast. “The New Albany Flow Park is a dream come true that will have a positive impact for many years to come,” says Pfalzgraf. He credits City of New Albany Mayor, Jeff Gahan, and the community for the “vision and commitment to bring this intersection of art, history, and physical activity to life.”

“This truly is an authentic park that will add to our growing list of amenities along the New Albany Shoreline, and it would not have been possible without the support of some outstanding organizations,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan.

The $500,000 New Albany Flow Park renovation is possible with support from SoIN Tourism, Develop New Albany, Carnegie Center for Art and History Inc., Humana Foundation, Community Foundation of Southern Indiana, Duke Energy Foundation, Caesar’s Horseshoe Foundation of Floyd County, and Samtec Cares.

In early Spring, a full ribbon cutting and celebration for the New Albany Flow Park will take place, including a memorial for beloved local skater Matt Brewer.

Details about the New Albany Flow Park

The New Albany Flow Park is a non-traditional public art project that rehabilitated an underutilized and outdated skatepark along New Albany's waterfront into a skate-able and playful work of art. Located between the Amphitheater and the Sherman Minton Bridge, the park has been transformed into interactive, stylized Ohio River scene that celebrates the robust history of the region.

Complete with a steamboat and symbols of Ohio River bridges and land- and waterscapes, the design is the result of a collaborative process between the community, the Carnegie Center, and Hunger Skateparks, a nationally-recognized design and build firm based in Bloomington. The design is aesthetically pleasing, historically significant, and functionally interactive as a skate- and playpark.

The project provides a diverse community gathering space that integrates art and creativity with healthy living and the ongoing riverfront beautification efforts of the Ohio River Greenway Project. The Ohio River Greenway has been underway since the 1970’s, intending to highlight a multi-community River Heritage. The New Albany Flow Park project and site enhances the recreational and artistic amenities of New Albany and the region, improving quality of life and economic development.

New Albany is 1 of 300 Cities to Receive Federal Safety Grant

The City of New Albany recently received a $2.5 million Federal Grant from the Department of Homeland Security that will allow the city to hire additional fire fighters and safety personnel to serve the citizens of New Albany. The city of New Albany is one of about 300 communities across the United States selected to receive the “Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response Grants (SAFER).”

At Tuesday’s Board of Public Works and Safety Meeting, the board approved a streamlined hiring process that will allow personnel to be placed in the community sooner.

“New Albany is definitely a safe place to live, work, and raise a family, and this grant will help us continue that trend for years to come,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan.

Soon, these new safety positions will be posted to the city’s website for residents to apply. When posted, applications will be available here: https://cityofnewalbany.applicantpool.com/jobs/

City Receives Best Independent Financial Audit in Years

At last night’s city council meeting, Mayor Gahan’s administration presented the State Board of Accounts Financial Audit to members of the council. Each year, the State Board of Accounts, an independent state agency, audits the city’s financials. The agency is “dedicated to providing the citizens of the State of Indiana with complete confidence in the integrity and financial accountability of state and local government.”

This audit received was “one of the best audits ever” for a city the size of New Albany, according to State Board of Accounts officials. The audit had zero “findings,” which is what the board uses to track recommendations or changes to financial practices. The financial audit also showed no “material weaknesses,” “deficiencies,” or “noncompliance” with respect to financial practices and/or laws.

“This is the best audit we could have asked for,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan. “It proves the financial strength of the city, and should give residents confidence that their tax dollars are being responsibly used to provide support and services to the people of New Albany.”

A link to the full report can be found here: https://www.in.gov/sboa/WebReports/B53141.pdf

Mayor Gahan Vetoes Fireworks Ban

I hereby Veto recent action by the city council to ban legal fireworks in New Albany.

The proposed ban would limit the use of fireworks to only 4.5 days (107 hours) per year, without first obtaining a government permit.

The 5-4 split council vote to ban legal fireworks is an intrusion into the private lives of our citizens and could silence the joy of many important occasions, like weddings, birthdays, and holidays.

As written, the proposed ordinance is impossible to enforce and introduces confusion between New Albany police officers and the people of New Albany.

Indiana State Law has already addressed the use of fireworks in IC 22-11-14.

Mayor Gahan Shares Information About Opioid Crisis

Today, Mayor Gahan shared information about the opioid crisis:

Over the last few years, concerns of heavy opioid prescription use in the area prompted the City of New Albany to enter into a class action lawsuit (2017) against the major distributors of opioids. Later, the lawsuit was modified to include some major and minor retailers in and around Floyd County and beyond.

In late July, The Washington Post released a study which confirmed Floyd County, IN is one of the worst Counties in the United States for prescription opioid use.

Link to full Washington Post Article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/investigations/dea-pain-pill-database/

47.1 Million (47,106,936 to be exact) is the number of prescription pain pills that entered Floyd County from 2006 to 2012. That is 91.6 pills per person per year. In 2016, Floyd County had the highest prescription rate for opioids (132 prescriptions per 100 residents) when compared with Clark and Harrison counties (in.gov/recovery/1054.htm).

The City of New Albany has already taken an important step by bringing legal action against the manufacturers and distributors. Floyd County officials, unfortunately, have opted to not join the lawsuit against opioid distributors. I am urging county leaders to recognize this problem and join the lawsuit. Now that we have solid data concerning the problem, we need to do more as a community.

Yesterday, an Oklahoma judge ruled that Johnson and Johnson helped fuel the state’s opioid drug crisis, and fined the company $572 million. This landmark decision is expected to have impacts on other lawsuits throughout the country, including our own.

Over the past few weeks, I have met with public and health officials, industry professionals, and attorneys, including Dr. Tom Harris with the Floyd County Health Department, Dr. Daniel Eichenberger with Baptist Health Floyd, our local public safety team, and others. I have also reached out to the head pharmacists of Walgreen’s and other local distributors.

This is a county crisis and a national epidemic, brought on by reckless distribution of opioids which possess properties that bring addiction to some of our most vulnerable family members and friends. To help bring attention to this issue, our Board of Works has approved 2 awareness walks - one in September, and one in November.

If you are suffering from addiction brought on by prescription use, please contact your physician. If someone you know is addicted to prescribed opioids please encourage them to contact their doctor or call for help. Here are some additional resources that may be of help:

Services:

Indiana Addiction Hotline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Call 2-1-1. (2-1-1 is a simple way to connect to food, shelter, and housing assistance, counseling resources, and more throughout Indiana)

Our Place Drug and Alcohol Services: https://www.ourplaceinc.org/

EVENTS:

Saturday September 14 @ 1pm - The Breakaway / Our Place: SoIN Faces of Addiction Walk in Downtown New Albany.

Saturday November 9 @ 9am – Floyd Memorial Foundation’s 3rd Annual Stop Addiction Walk at the Riverfront Amphitheater