City of New Albany Appeals to Indiana Supreme Court to Resolve Former Floyd County Commissioners’ Breach of Longstanding Property Agreement

The Indiana Supreme Court will hear New Albany’s case challenging former Floyd County Commissioners’ attempts to strip ownership of the Criminal Justice Center from New Albany residents on February 20, 2020 in Indianapolis at 9am.

Former Floyd County Government Commissioners have a long history of entering into financial agreements with the city and then refusing to pay for services, passing the tab to the citizens of New Albany. The latest conflict involves similar action from former Floyd County commissioners regarding property and standing agreements within the Building Authority. The building agreements between the City of New Albany and Floyd County date back to the 1950s.

The dispute stems from former Floyd County Commissioners’ attempts to divest New Albany residents of millions of dollars of their equity in the criminal justice building. Mayor Gahan has been actively fighting this case in an attempt to protect New Albany residents’ investment. The Floyd County Commissioners who initiated the case are no longer in office.

A lower trial court and the Indiana Court of Appeals differed in their interpretation of the law. This motivated Mayor Gahan’s decision to pursue further examination of the dispute by the Indiana Supreme Court.

“Only legitimate controversies, areas of unsettled law, and matters of public interest make it to the Indiana Supreme Court,” stated City Attorney Shane Gibson. “This case involved the divesting of jointly owned property, paid for by the taxpayers of the City of New Albany, and giving it to Floyd County officials without compensation.”

The original criminal justice center was jointly funded by both the City of New Albany and Floyd County through a lease with the New Albany-Floyd County Building Authority. The citizens of New Albany paid tens of millions of dollars in construction bonds and maintenance costs to build, renovate, and operate the jail facility. In 2018, Floyd County Government Commissioners passed a Jail Tax and demanded that the Building Authority immediately transfer the title of the jail to them at no cost. Not only was this action by Floyd County officials not consistent with proper statutory requirements, but it ultimately would cost the citizens of New Albany the millions of dollars that they invested into the facility.

“We will continue to protect public investments made by the people of New Albany and resist County officials encroachment on the citizens of New Albany,” stated Mayor Gahan. “As always, we are ready to help Floyd County when feasible, and welcome the chance to help Floyd County prosper. I am excited about working with their new leadership in 2020 and beyond.”

The ultimate decision will have an impact on the financial health of the city of New Albany and many other cities and counties with shared ownership agreements in Indiana.

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.