Mayor Gahan's Emergency Resolutions All Approved by New Albany City Council

Two days ago, Mayor Gahan called a special meeting of the City Council for Friday, March 27th to address 5 resolutions relating to the COVID-19 crisis.

Council members virtually met over the “Zoom” platform and passed all five resolutions.

The first resolution gives flexibility to the administration during the declared disaster crisis, allowing the administration to waive certain formalities related to managing the crisis and protecting the citizens of New Albany. Per state statute, oversight and reporting still apply and expenditures are only allowed if they are related to the emergency.

“We wanted to be transparent and open in our handling of this emergency and sought approval of the city council in seeking the means to do so, whereas other cities and communities have waived statutory requirements addressing this emergency for without council approval,” stated Mayor Gahan. “This simply gives us the flexibility to respond to the crisis appropriately and swiftly, and I appreciate the council’s support as we work to slow the spread of COVID-19.”

The resolution passed 8-1.

The second resolution waived late fees for payments to the sewer utility for a period of time during the duration of the crisis. Sewer bills are still owed, but this action allows residents to be flexible when making payments and budgetary decisions. The resolution passed unanimously 9-0.

The third resolution allowed city workers to continue working from home and “on-call”, where possible, during the crisis. The resolution passed 9-0.

The fourth resolution supports the Caesars Foundation’s COVID-19 Small Business Emergency Forgivable Loan Program. The council approved $50,000 towards the fund which assists local businesses with 50 employees or less. The money approved will be made available to New Albany businesses regardless of age. The resolution passed 8-1.

The fifth resolution asked the council to support our local school’s effort to feed children 18 and under meet their nutritional and health needs. The council approved $10,000 to assist the New Albany-Floyd County School Corporation feed children for the duration of the crisis. The council approved the resolution 9-0.

Mayor Gahan thanked everyone for their effort and stated, “We will get through this. But it will take cooperation and teamwork from every Hoosier and every business to get back on track.”

Mayor Gahan Calls Special City Council Meeting Regarding COVID-19

Mayor Jeff Gahan has called a special City Council meeting regarding COVID-19. The official notice is posted below.

NOTICE OF SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING CALLED BY THE MAYOR OF NEW ALBANY, JEFF GAHAN, PURSUANT TO INDIANA CODE 36-4-5-3(5) TO AUTHORIZE RESOLUTIONS RELATED TO COVID-19 AS OUTLINED BELOW.

THE MEETING WILL BE HELD VIRTUALLY ON FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2020 AT 4:00 P.M. THROUGH ZOOM.COM

ADDITIONAL DETAILS FOR VIEWING THE VIRTUAL MEETING WILL BE SUPPLIED VIA CITY SOCIAL MEDIA AND WWW.NEWALBANYCITYHALL.COM

RESOLUTIONS:

1. A RESOLUTION WAIVING CERTAIN PROCEDURES AND FORMALITIES DURING DISASTER EMERGENCY PURSUANT TO I.C. 10-14-3-17

2. A RESOLUTION WAIVING SEWER BILLING LATE FEES DURING DISASTER EMERGENCY

3. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING EMERGENCY STAY HOME

4. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING FUNDING FOR CAESARS FOUNDATION COVID-19 SMALL BUSINESS EMERGENCY FORGIVABLE LOAN PROGRAM

5. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING FUNDING FOR NEW ALBANY FLOYD COUNTY SCHOOL CORPORATION AND CITY OF NEW ALBANY SPRING BREAK STUDENT FEEDING PROGRAM

ZOOM Meeting Information:

Join the Zoom Meeting Via Link: https://zoom.us/j/166804123

Call Into Zoom Meeting at 301-75-8592 or 253-215-8782

Meeting ID: 166 804 123

Reminder from Mayor Gahan

REMINDER FROM MAYOR GAHAN: The Governor’s statewide STAY AT HOME order is in effect now through April 7th. Unless you work for an essential business or are doing an essential activity, you must stay home. By staying home, you protect your personal health, as well as help slow the spread of COVID-19 and ensure our hospitals, health care workers, and first responders are not overrun with patients.

A list of frequently asked questions about the stay-at-home order can be found here: https://www.in.gov/gov/3232.htm

Tips to Avoid Coronavirus Scammers

Scammers are taking advantage of fears surrounding the Coronavirus. The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) is doing their best to stop scammers in their tracks, and they’ve issued some key guidelines and tips to help keep scammers at bay.

Checks from the Government

Firstly, there has been a lot of talk about the government sending money by check or direct deposit to each of us. Details are still being worked out at the federal level, but the FTC has stated the following that residents need to know:

1. The government will not ask you to pay anything up front to get this money. No fees. No charges. No nothing.

2. The government will not call to ask for your Social Security number, bank account, or credit card number. Anyone who does is a scammer.

3. These reports of checks aren’t yet a reality. Anyone who tells you they can get you the money now is a scammer.

If you spot one of these scams, please immediately tell the Federal Trade Commission at: www.ftc.gov/complaint

Avoiding Other Coronavirus Scams

Here are some additional tips from the FTC to help keep you safe from Coronavirus Scammers:

• Hang up on robocalls. Don’t press any numbers. Scammers are using illegal robocalls to pitch everything from scam Coronavirus treatments to work-at-home schemes. The recording might say that pressing a number will let you speak to a live operator or remove you from their call list, but it might lead to more robocalls, instead.

• Fact-check information. Scammers, and sometimes well-meaning people, share information that hasn’t been verified. Before you pass on any messages, contact trusted sources. Visit What the U.S. Government is Doing for links to federal, state and local government agencies.

• Know who you’re buying from. Online sellers may claim to have in-demand products, like cleaning, household, and health and medical supplies when, in fact, they don’t.

• Don’t respond to texts and emails about checks from the government. The details are still being worked out. Anyone who tells you they can get you the money now is a scammer.

• Don’t click on links from sources you don’t know. They could download viruses onto your computer or device.

• Watch for emails claiming to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or experts saying they have information about the virus. For the most up-to-date information about the Coronavirus, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

• Ignore online offers for vaccinations. There currently are no vaccines, pills, potions, lotions, lozenges or other prescription or over-the-counter products available to treat or cure Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) — online or in stores.

• Do your homework when it comes to donations, whether through charities or crowdfunding sites. Don’t let anyone rush you into making a donation. If someone wants donations in cash, by gift card, or by wiring money, don’t do it.

Statewide Stay at Home Order In Effect. Mayor Gahan Urges New Albany Residents to Help Slow Spread of COVID-19.

“Today, we had some important developments in the fight against COVID-19. Please see a release from Governor Holcomb’s office detailing his “Stay-at-Home” order for all Hoosiers: https://calendar.in.gov/site/gov/event/governor-orders-hoosiers-to-stay-home-in-fight-against-covid-19/

This is a stay-at-home order, and it is important for everyone in New Albany. For all who can, it is critically important that they stay at home for the next two weeks. Increased testing will reveal a dramatic increase in those diagnosed with COVID-19 in Indiana and the United States. Your personal health should be a priority at this time. By following this order and remaining home as much as possible, you can help protect yourself, slow the spread of COVID-19, and help ensure that our hospitals, health care workers, and first-responders are not overrun. We need everyone’s attention and effort to slow the spread of this virus.” – Mayor Jeff Gahan

To read the full executive order, click here: https://www.in.gov/gov/files/Executive_Order_20-08_Stay_at_Home.pdf

For questions regarding the Stay at Home Order, click here for FAQ and Hotline.