Published: October 07, 2008 10:47 am            

New Albany City Council approves emergency cash flow

New Albany City Controller Kay Garry should be able to pay the bills — at least for now.

As Garry waits for tax money to be released from the Floyd County Auditor’s office, the City Council voted unanimously Monday to provide her with $1 million for cash flow purposes.

The money, transferred from tax-increment financing funds, will go toward the city’s payroll and compensate vendors who file monthly claims.

“We still don’t have a tax rate. I request tax money from the auditor and the treasurer every month,” Garry said. “People are not paying their taxes.”

She was given a check for $14,000 from the auditor’s office Monday, merely a drop in the bucket compared to what the city needs to operate.

The council has been forced to appropriate $3.5 million since June in order to keep the city running with

much of the prior allotment coming from the Economic Development Income Tax, or EDIT fund.

Though there was murmuring that the appropriation is similar to the economic bailout recently passed by Congress, the money borrowed from TIF funds will be paid back as soon as tax money is received.

Garry said the biggest advantage to appropriating money versus borrowing from a bank is the amount saved in interest and financing fee costs.

The appropriation will still require three “yes” readings and a public hearing.



Coffey questions England for addressing safety board

Councilman Dan Coffey wasn’t pleased after finding out Mayor Doug England will address the Board of Public Works and Safety on storm damage efforts today before he speaks with the council.

Carl Malysz, deputy mayor and director of development for the city, told the council England will attend today’s board meeting to give an update on storm damage and talk about “quality of life issues.”

The council took all three readings of a vote to provide $250,000 for contractual services used to clean-up storm damage, and the measure was unanimously approved.

But before the vote was taken Coffey said England — who was not in attendance — should have addressed the council before a board of members he appointed.

“I find it a little discerning that I have to go to the board of works or wait and read it in the paper” to find out about the update, Coffey said.

“I feel like he should have addressed the council first.”

Malysz said England promised to provide the council with a dollar-for-dollar accounting of how the money would be spent, and he would do so.

He said he would relay the message to England.

“I don’t think there’s any prototype of how to deal with this kind of emergency,” Malysz said.



Storm debris drop-off closed

City officials have decided to close the site at the old Farmers Market that was being used for residents to leave storm debris.

Residents are now asked to take any debris to the Street Department, which is located at 627 E. 4th St.

“The temporary site worked great for our citizens and city crews,” England stated in a news release.

Street crews will continue to pick-up debris via curbside service, but England said the amount of debris now being brought to the location was minimal.

To request curbside service, call the department at 812-948-5352.



Grant Line West annexation hearing scheduled

A public hearing for the proposed Grant Line West Industrial Park annexation will be held before the next council meeting, at 7:15 p.m. on Oct. 16.

The council passed a measure to approve the annexation on first reading last month, but additional readings and a public hearing will be required.

The council will not be required to pass a fiscal plan for the proposed annexation due to state regulations which define it as non-contiguous.

But even if approved, the annexation is likely at least 200 days away from happening. The land that will be used for the industrial park is 40 acres donated from the New Albany company SamTec Inc., and is located south of Indiana University Southeast.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.