Finances and Operations on Track and Under Budget
/The City of New Albany continues to make progress in both the operations and finances of the City. The City continues to hold an A+ financial rating from Standard and Poor’s, and has maintained nearly five years of operations under budget. While maintaining the finances, the City has continued to invest in equipment, including a recently purchased fire ladder truck which firefighters recently used to help save a citizen’s life from a burning home. In addition, New Albany has also replaced the fire department’s training facility and has opened and remodeled fire houses to provide better protection for citizens.
Earlier this year, a renegotiated contract with trash services provider Ecotech allowed for increased personnel to be allocated to the street department. This increased personnel has been hard at work on beautification and street improvement projects, like painting, pothole repair, and street sign replacement and repair.
Recent investments have also been made to the Flood Control District. Nineteen pumps and motors were repaired or replaced, marking the first major improvements made to the project since its completion in 1953.
Last summer, New Albany completed construction on the City Square expansion at the corner of Market and Bank streets. Not only will this provide much-needed space to the growing and thriving Farmer’s Market, but the site will be used for other community events as well, including the Boomtown Ball and Festival and the joint Harvest Homecoming-New Albany Restaurant and Bar Association’s Biers on Parade event.
New Albany’s final stretch of the Ohio River Greenway Project is set to begin this summer. When finished, this project will connect the three communities of New Albany, Jeffersonville, and Clarksville through one continuous, riverfront path that can be utilized by pedestrians and cyclists.
Work also recently began on improvements to both Fairview and West Haven Cemeteries. The project calls for shoring up and repairing the decorative stone retaining wall, replacing and installing new metal fencing that will match the historic iron, the installation of a new arched gateway entrance at West Haven, and milling and resurfacing roadways.
Additional infrastructure improvements include numerous changes to local roads and streets. McDonald Lane is being expanded and improved to allow for better traffic flow. Spring Street in downtown is receiving major improvements at dangerous intersections to help improve both safety, traffic, and pedestrian accessibility.