New Albany Board of Public Works & Safety Meeting - May 12, 2026
New Albany Board of Public Works & Safety Meeting - May 12, 2026
The Board of Public Works & Safety met on Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at New Albany City Hall. The meeting covered several administrative and operational items including a public hearing on sidewalk signage for a local business, approval of temporary street closures for power washing and structural inspections, and approval of contracts and claims.
Consent Calendar
- Claims: Monthly claims totaling $3,156,594.94 and ARP claims totaling $30,602.10 were approved separately.
- Minutes: The regular meeting minutes from May 6, 2026 were approved with corrections.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Amanda McMonagall (owner of a cookie business in a hidden courtyard location on Bank Street) addressed the board regarding her request for sidewalk signage. She asked for permission to place a sandwich board sign at the corner of Bank and Main Streets during her business hours (Fridays 10–7, Saturdays 10–4, plus pop-up hours around holidays) to help customers find her shop. She noted that her business lacks a public-facing storefront and that social media support had led to a very successful weekend. She also requested to keep her existing sandwich board sign outside her courtyard door. The board took the request under advisement pending further review of ordinances, dimensions of the sign, and discussions with planning and zoning. McMonagall was asked to submit a written request including sign dimensions, requested locations, and hours of operation to the city clerk. She was advised not to place any signs on the sidewalk until a decision is made.
Discussion Items
- Sidewalk Closure for Power Washing: Sherri Baker requested temporary closure of the Main Street sidewalk (from Bank Street to the Pedway) and the ADA ramps at the Pedway and City Hall plaza on Monday, May 18, 2026 from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. for annual power washing. The work would use water only and would not affect newly installed landscaping. Coordination with the street department and business owners was noted. The board approved the closure with a request to delay start if residents complain about noise.
- Parking Closure on Market Street: The Redevelopment Office requested closure of seven diagonal parking spaces and a sidewalk section on West Market Street from May 27 to May 29, 2026 to allow a man lift for structural engineering investigation of the parking garage. The garage itself would remain open, and nearby businesses (West Banco and federal courts) had been notified. The board approved the closure.
- Paving Program Update: A city official reported that the outlet pipe on Mount Tabor Road had been corrected, and the pre-construction meeting with MAC Construction for the 2026 paving program had occurred. Paving would begin within two weeks, starting on Mount Tabor Road from west of Kerner Lane to Charlestown Road.
- Professional Services Agreement for Paving: The board approved a professional services agreement with Clark Deeds for program management and inspection of the 2026 annual roadway repair and paving program. The contract is set at a not-to-exceed 10% of the paving program cost, with no changes from the previous year other than the date.
- Touch a Truck Event Feedback: A brief discussion noted that street barricades for the recent Touch a Truck event were placed by the street department but the event host was responsible for placement at the closure time. The board suggested making a note for future events to clarify timing.
Key Outcomes
- Signage Request: Taken under advisement pending submission of written information (sign dimensions, locations, hours) and further review by planning and zoning and the city attorney.
- Power Washing Closure: Approved (motion by Thompson, second by Brewer; all in favor).
- Market Street Parking Closure: Approved (motion by Brewer, second by Cotner-Bailey; all in favor).
- Professional Services Agreement (Clark Deeds): Approved (motion by Cotner-Bailey, second by Thompson; all in favor).
- Claims (Monthly and ARP): Both approved (motions and seconds; all in favor).
- Minutes (May 6, 2026): Approved with corrections.
Meeting Transcript
Yeah, it's all those. I don't know that I can tell you. Like it's like I'm pretty sure it was all in actual or worse. Or it's no. I'd like to call that Tuesday, May 12th, and we'll all meet Board of Public Works and Safety Meeting to order. Surprise for Pledge of Allegiance. Pledge of the I say. If you're not on the agenda and you'd like to be uh just come to the podium sign up, please and get to you under communications for the public. Section of the meeting. Um, yeah, I guess we've got to get to communications public now. That's on you. Give me taking my thing. Okay. Amanda. Am I just not my first name? Um Amanda McMonagall. Uh before I got started, I did want to just mention uh, since it is a matter of public record, my name's misspelled on last week's minutes, and it may be for my handwriting. My L's and my E's can look the same, but it's M C M-O-N-I-G-L-E. Um I wanted to first uh say thank you for letting me come up last week and uh discuss the issue of having with uh our sidewalk signage and our signage and our hidden location over on Bank Street. Uh one of the main questions that I had last week was under Section F in the ordinances as to whether the square footage of signage could be applied across multiple signed signs. Uh Mr. Thompson indicated that is not really a possibility. That was not the intention of what is under uh letter F. So what I would like to ask is a simple uh under section F is a sidewalk or sandwich board sign that adheres to the square footage regulations uh under F to be placed on the corner of Maine and Bank Street. Um adhering to some of the things he mentioned about the ADA regulations. Uh that's something that I would like to work with the city or Mr. Thompson on to tell me specifically what would be acceptable placement-wise there. Um and then also be able to have my sandwich sign outside uh my current uh door front stuff. So without seeing that section that you're referring to, uh I'd like to review that. I think that um I'll also like to have Mickey part of the discussion too. Um unfortunately he's not able to be here today. Yes. Um are you requesting for the one you said at bank in Maine just during the days that you're open? Correct, yes. But you also need the other one that you want outside the fence, is that correct? Well, I think if you if you're located in here, that might just be probably only correct in that courtyard area. Court yards. In front of the courtyard, yes. Now what I did do this past Saturday, because I my understanding is that it uh was in accordance to the ordinances. So my spot is right in the corner. There's the fence between the undergard underground uh courtyard and then the uh sidewalk. And I put it on the sidewalk because it literally is on the corner. Um like next I mean it there's like a drainage thing there. Um and if that's if that's not okay, that's fine. Um it can be placed inside the courtyard, which is fine as well. And remind us again when you're open. Uh my scheduled hours are Fridays 10 to 7, Saturdays 10 to 4. The only additional hours are pop-up hours surrounding like holidays. So for example, Derby Week, I was also open Thursday. Figured there's people in town for Derby.
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