New Albany Board of Public Works & Safety Meeting - June 9, 2026
New Albany Board of Public Works & Safety Meeting - June 9, 2026
The Board of Public Works & Safety of the Civil City of New Albany, Indiana, met on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at 10:00 AM in City Hall. The meeting covered street and utility work permits, special event permits, a handicap parking request, traffic management plans, and approval of claims and minutes.
New Business
- Hutchins Telecom (for Charter Communications): Kathleen Ford of Yates Engineering Services presented a request to overlash fiber optic cable on existing utility poles along Hausfeldt Lane from Progress Boulevard to Park Place to serve a business at 999 Park Place. The work uses flaggers but does not require road closures. The board approved (motion made, seconded, all ayes).
- Miller Pipeline (for CenterPoint): Wayne Holt presented a request to install 400 feet of new gas main on Pearl Street north of Culbertson Avenue to Oak Street and retire the existing gas main, as part of the city's Oak Street project. The work is within an existing road closure area. The board approved (motion made, seconded, all ayes).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Nicholas Redmark: Recalling a prior meeting, Redmark presented a revised version of his project at East Main Street between 4th and 5th Street. He eliminated the need to bore under Main Street, adjusted aerial and barrier placements, and provided updated footage on the permit application. The board noted that the previous issue (boring under Main Street) had been resolved and approved the revised permit (motion made, seconded, all ayes).
Communications from City Officials
- Oxbow Development – Maintenance of Traffic Plan (presented by Jared Talley of Denton Floyd Real Estate Group and Lindsay): Request for a temporary closure of Bank Street for a water main tap, with work scheduled from Monday, June 15, through Friday, June 19, 2026. Steel plates will cover cuts overnight. Sidewalk closures on both sides of Bank Street are expected. The board discussed the need for face-to-face notification of affected businesses (including those on Main Street), signage indicating businesses remain open, and a written notification with contact information. The applicant agreed to hand-deliver notices and provide a record. Approved subject to these notification and signage conditions (motion made, seconded, all ayes).
- Special Event Permits (presented by Krystina Jarboe):
- Cardinal Ritter Birthplace Foundation – S. Ellen Jones Neighborhood Street Fair: Scheduled for Saturday, September 12, 2026, from 9 AM to 3 PM. Includes road closures on East 13th Street and East Oak Street, with New Albany Police and Fire Department presence as in prior years. Approved (motion made, seconded, all ayes).
- American Discovery Trail Society – American Discovery 250 Relay: For America's 250th birthday, a cross-country relay. They request use of the amphitheater on Saturday, October 17, 2026 (4:45–5:15 PM) and Sunday, October 18, 2026 (morning departure) with 5–10 participants. Organizer Dave Whiteson will provide a follow vehicle and reflective gear. No concerns from Police Chief Bailey. Approved (motion made, seconded, all ayes).
- Handicap Parking Request (presented by Mickey Thompson): A request for a handicap parking space at 1572 Mona Vista Court. The site visit revealed a driveway with closer access, and the issue was related to an Airbnb taking parking spaces. The board entertained a motion to deny the request. Approved denial (motion made, seconded, all ayes).
- Dumpster Permit – Dr. Oliver at 613 East Spring Street: Request for a dumpster in front of the property for two weeks starting June 19, 2026, due to renovation. The applicant expects to complete work in one week but requested two weeks as a precaution. The board approved for two weeks with the understanding that an extension would require returning to the board (motion made, seconded, all ayes).
- Street Department Update (Mickey Thompson): Reported that construction on Camp Avenue and Cherry Street is ongoing but delayed by rain. Majority of full-depth patching complete; milling and overlay pending dry weather. Also, sewer repair on Mount Tabor phase one will receive a partial-depth patch. The Oak Street project is awaiting gas company relocation work. The board noted the need to press the gas company to start.
Claims Approval
- Claims for May 26 to June 8, 2026: First set of claims totaling $2,515,677.83 approved (motion made, seconded, all ayes).
- **Second set of claims for same date range totaling $10,621.00 approved (motion made, seconded, all ayes).
Key Outcomes
- All permit requests were approved, the Oxbow traffic plan with conditions, the handicap parking request was denied.
- Claims totaling $2,526,298.83 were approved.
- The regular meeting minutes for June 2, 2026 were approved (motion made, seconded, all ayes), and the meeting adjourned.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, you're on. Thank you. Good morning. We'll call one of the June 9th, 2026 meeting of the Board of Public Works and Safety. We'll begin with the Pledge of Allegiance. We'll call on you later in the meeting. Hutchins Telecom. Anyone here from Hutchins Telecom? Good morning. No, I'm here on behalf of Scott Hewen for Hutchins Telecom. Um we are the con uh consulting engineering firm that they use. Uh my name is Kathleen Ford of Yates Engineering Services. Um and basically Hutchins is proposing to build for charter communications some fiber internet to a local business at nine ninety nine Park Place. Um they're wanting to overlash their fiber to existing strand. It's a very simple and easy um process. They basically have their fiber and they run a lashing uh somebody walks a lashing uh machine across the fiber on the on the existing poles. Um very minimal um flagging will be used along the roadway of uh Hausfelt and begins at uh the pole at one thirty one Hosfelt and continues to park place. There's photos attached of the sign that starts there as you said at one thirty-one Hosvel continues down around goes to uh park place where it comes down the pole and goes underground to the uh business. What kind of cable is it? Uh last photo show is where it can't underground there from that phone. Uh flaggers are though you use flaggers where they have to be uh well, but hospital is wide enough that uh that they can go without closing anything. Okay traffic on you see the issues there. No, it's like you say it's pretty this one's pretty simple, it's overlash an existing uh cable that's already there, so the machine just goes wraps it. So they don't affect any resonance or anything. No, no. Make a motion to approve second. Motion's been made to move by second. All those in favor signify by saying aye. All right. Thank you. Anyone from another pipeline or send a point? Do you want to be the response? Yeah. Okay. This is for um a uh gas main relocation, uh retired, uh, old main gas main and installing a new one on uh Pearl. This is part of the city's uh O Street project. Photos are attached. This was part of the um extended uh closure request that I had a week or so ago on Pearl was for for this activity. It just is a 400 feet of new guys, but it's in that closure already. Yes, it's that there is a little bit of it that's outside, and you can see from the first picture of it uh it'll start about that driveway, which is before the closure, but they'll be able to do it without closing that section. Second motion's been made to move by second. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. All right, that will oppose motion carries. Thank you. It's not the same because I think Jared Towns, Jen More. We're also item number three on the agenda. Am I getting out of order here? We're item number three on the agenda. I signed in.
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