OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

New Albany Sewer Board Meeting - March 26, 2026

City Council & Boards — Thursday, March 26, 2026
BodyNew Albany, Indiana
SessionCity Council & Boards
DateThursday, March 26, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 35:00

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Maybe uh we can just make some copies for the council, I mean for the uh board members uh if you don't have it.

0:07

We've got okay, okay.

0:10

You gotta read okay.

0:11

I'll just have one up all meeting orders.

0:14

Return it over here.

0:15

Just whatever.

0:19

See it.

0:21

I'm good to go over here to all our agents.

0:26

You ready to go?

0:27

I just got a slide.

0:28

We'll start.

0:31

Yeah, yes, we're ready to go.

0:33

Yes, sir.

0:34

Okay, all right.

0:36

Welcome everybody.

0:37

Uh called it uh remotely.

0:39

Uh thanks everybody for being here when we get the meeting uh with the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:45

Uh and then uh after that we'll I'll turn the chair of the chip over to Ed and he'll take it from there.

0:52

Thanks everybody for being here.

0:54

Certainly appreciate it.

0:55

Again, we'll begin with the pledge.

0:58

Letterly just say one individual.

1:14

Thanks very much.

1:16

Uh again, uh this is an important meeting because we're trying to get this done at uh we had a little bit of delay last meeting.

1:24

I understand that Dave's got an application in two weeks.

1:27

But uh we're good to go.

1:29

So you're good, Ed.

1:31

I'm gonna turn this over to you and uh uh let's take it away.

1:34

Okay.

1:35

Were you ready?

1:35

Hey Ed, if I can add one thing, obviously Mayor's indicated that he's he's called in uh that I'd like just to reference the fact that he is uh able to be seen and heard uh from the meeting.

1:47

Now it's back to you.

1:51

I'll call for approval for correction of the minutes, the last committee.

1:56

Make a motion to approve the minutes from uh March 12, 2026 as presented.

2:03

I'll second that.

2:05

All those in favor signify with A.

2:08

Aye.

2:17

We have any bids or contracts?

2:19

Uh none today, sir.

2:24

Got some new business, Mike, you're gonna present?

2:27

Yes, sir.

2:27

Uh so today I'm gonna present the resolutions, uh, sewer improvements and bond projects.

2:33

So Larry's gonna help me out here with the the screen, so if you want to go to the next page.

2:38

I'm just gonna kind of go through this presentation.

2:41

Uh so long-term problems.

2:43

So for over 20 years, New Albany sewer systems had severe overflow issues.

2:49

Uh the problem led to a sewer ban in 1991, which halted new connections and a federal consent decree with the EPA in 1993.

2:58

Uh the breaking point was a massive storm in January of 2000, which cost 15 million a gallons.

3:05

15 million gallons were about 750 to 800 average size swimming pools of sewage overflows.

3:11

This became the benchmark storm the system had to handle.

3:14

So anything that we're gonna talk about now, this is a storm that um we're gonna relate back to so next is the response from 2001 to 2021.

3:28

Initial major investments from 2003 to 2005, the city executed a 44 million dollar capacity assurance plan to transport and treat the excess water by expanding the treatment plan and upgrading pipes and pump stations.

3:44

So if you look at the if you look below at the table, you can see kind of 2004, there's 25 SSOs.

3:54

Those are sanitary sewer overflows, so it's any time sewer actually came out of the manhole.

3:59

And then 2009 we reduced it to 11 with actually more rain and more volume.

4:05

Um actually the volume went down, sorry.

4:08

So you had 31,600 average overflow volume in 2004, and then we got it down to uh 2093, so pretty significant there.

4:22

Next page.

4:25

Uh so adapting the strategy after reoccurring overflows in 2007-2009, the city launched an amended plan.

4:32

This plan did this plan shift shifted focus to removing sources of clean water, which we call I and I, uh, from the sewer pipes themselves to address the remaining SSOs.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Water And Wastewater Management█████████████████████████████████████████████71%
Procedural██████████16%
Economic Development████████13%
Summary of Proceedings

New Albany Sewer Board Meeting - March 26, 2026

The New Albany Sewer Board met on March 26, 2026, via remote participation. The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance and approval of the previous meeting's minutes. The primary business was the presentation and approval of a $24.8 million bond-funded capital improvement plan for the wastewater utility, along with two related resolutions for fund transfers and property acquisition. All actions were approved unanimously with no rate increases anticipated.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes Approval: The board unanimously approved the minutes from the March 12, 2026, meeting as presented.

Discussion Items

  • Sewer Improvement Bond Projects (Resolution SB-01-2026): Mike presented a comprehensive overview of the wastewater utility's long-term challenges and planned improvements. Since the 1991 sewer ban and 1993 federal consent decree, the city invested approximately $49.6 million to modernize the system, resulting in termination of the consent decree in May 2021. The new bond issuance of $24,825,600 is divided into three categories: plant improvements, collection system improvements, and site/lab/office improvements. Key plant projects include repairing the press room and phosphorus building, replacing 35+ year old screens and pumps at the preliminary treatment facility, upgrading the 30+ year old motor control center, renovating wet weather clarifiers, installing floating mixers in the oxidation ditch, removing a disused 610,000-gallon overflow basin, adding a 26 MGD UV system to eliminate chlorine, and constructing a new office/lab building. Collection system projects include capacity improvements at Basin 17 (parallel sewer or underground storage), a lift station condition assessment across major stations, and a Falling Run interceptor rehabilitation study. Officials emphasized that these projects will be funded within current cash flow, with no rate increase needed for the next 6–10 years. The board discussed the economic development benefits of local control after the consent decree. The resolution passed unanimously.
  • Transfer of Funds (Resolution – Transfer to Capital Improvement Fund): The board approved a resolution transferring $1.25 million from the operating cash balance into a capital improvement fund to better track and fund future capital projects, including property acquisition. Unanimously approved.
  • Acquisition of 44 West Fifth Street (Resolution – Property Purchase): The board approved the purchase of 44 West Fifth Street, adjacent to the sewer plant, to provide operational and security benefits and allow for future expansion. The city already owns approximately 13 acres in the area. Unanimously approved.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved Resolution SB-01-2026: Authorized $24,825,600 in sewer improvement and bond projects (all ayes).
  • Approved Fund Transfer Resolution: Moved $1.25 million to the capital improvement fund (all ayes).
  • Approved Property Purchase Resolution: Authorized acquisition of 44 West Fifth Street for sewer utility use (all ayes).
  • Approved Payables: The board approved the list of payables from March 12 to March 25, 2026, totaling $634,562.90 (all ayes).
  • Financial Report: Monthly billing was reported at $1,211,000, within budget. The utility's December summary showed full compliance, and the UV system startup was delayed but expected to be turned on that day.
  • No Public Comments: There were no comments from the public.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned following a motion and second.

Meeting Transcript

Maybe uh we can just make some copies for the council, I mean for the uh board members uh if you don't have it. We've got okay, okay. You gotta read okay. I'll just have one up all meeting orders. Return it over here. Just whatever. See it. I'm good to go over here to all our agents. You ready to go? I just got a slide. We'll start. Yeah, yes, we're ready to go. Yes, sir. Okay, all right. Welcome everybody. Uh called it uh remotely. Uh thanks everybody for being here when we get the meeting uh with the Pledge of Allegiance. Uh and then uh after that we'll I'll turn the chair of the chip over to Ed and he'll take it from there. Thanks everybody for being here. Certainly appreciate it. Again, we'll begin with the pledge. Letterly just say one individual. Thanks very much. Uh again, uh this is an important meeting because we're trying to get this done at uh we had a little bit of delay last meeting. I understand that Dave's got an application in two weeks. But uh we're good to go. So you're good, Ed. I'm gonna turn this over to you and uh uh let's take it away. Okay. Were you ready? Hey Ed, if I can add one thing, obviously Mayor's indicated that he's he's called in uh that I'd like just to reference the fact that he is uh able to be seen and heard uh from the meeting. Now it's back to you. I'll call for approval for correction of the minutes, the last committee. Make a motion to approve the minutes from uh March 12, 2026 as presented. I'll second that. All those in favor signify with A. Aye. We have any bids or contracts? Uh none today, sir. Got some new business, Mike, you're gonna present? Yes, sir. Uh so today I'm gonna present the resolutions, uh, sewer improvements and bond projects. So Larry's gonna help me out here with the the screen, so if you want to go to the next page. I'm just gonna kind of go through this presentation. Uh so long-term problems. So for over 20 years, New Albany sewer systems had severe overflow issues. Uh the problem led to a sewer ban in 1991, which halted new connections and a federal consent decree with the EPA in 1993. Uh the breaking point was a massive storm in January of 2000, which cost 15 million a gallons. 15 million gallons were about 750 to 800 average size swimming pools of sewage overflows. This became the benchmark storm the system had to handle.

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