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Record of Proceedings

New Albany City Council Regular Meeting - June 18, 2026

City Council & Boards — Thursday, June 18, 2026
BodyNew Albany, Indiana
SessionCity Council & Boards
DateThursday, June 18, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 40:49

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:26

Good evening.

0:28

We'll gather in tonight's regularly scheduled uh New Albany City Council meeting for Thursday, June 18th, 2026.

0:38

For the record, Miss Collier has texted me and is uh running just a second behind.

0:45

Um so she'll be joining us here in just a minute, but we'll go ahead and begin with our uh moment of uh silent prayer centering or reflection.

0:56

Please join with me.

1:09

Thank you.

1:11

Uh we'll begin uh with the Pledge of Allegiance, so please rise.

1:32

The clerk will call the roll.

1:35

Mrs.

1:35

Collier is not present yet.

1:37

Mr.

1:38

Phipps here, Mr.

1:39

Fitzgerald, Mrs.

1:41

Goldman.

1:42

Here, Mr.

1:42

Blair, Mrs.

1:43

Griffith.

1:44

Here, Mrs.

1:45

Murphy, here, Mr.

1:46

Unruh here, President Dickie.

1:48

Here.

1:49

You have a quorum.

1:50

All right.

1:51

Um we have uh before us several um uh minutes sets uh to review and approve.

2:00

They include the regular meeting minutes for May twenty-first, the public hearing meeting minutes for June first, and the regular meeting minutes for June first uh as well.

2:12

Um assume everyone has read those in your packet, but I'll uh entertain a motion to approve um or uh to correct as appropriate, and I'm looking here to double check and see if everyone here was present or if someone has public meeting.

2:34

Right.

2:35

Okay, so so we may want to break these out accordingly.

2:39

Um I too was not present for the June 1st meeting, so if we could break those out, that would be preferable.

2:46

So let's start then with the May 21st meeting.

2:49

Said is there a motion?

2:50

So move.

2:51

Second.

2:52

Motion by Mr.

2:52

Phipps, second by Mr.

2:54

Fitzgerald.

2:55

Any further discussion?

2:57

Hearing none, uh all in favor signify by saying aye.

3:00

Aye.

3:01

Opposed.

3:03

Show that as approved.

3:06

And that takes us to the public hearing on June 1st, those meetings set.

3:11

Is there uh a motion on that?

3:14

So moved.

3:14

Second.

3:15

Motion by Mr.

3:16

Fitzgerald second.

3:18

I'll give this one to Ms.

3:19

Goman.

3:20

Okay.

3:20

Um all those in favor signify by saying aye.

3:26

Aye.

3:27

Opposed and the abstentions.

3:29

I abstain.

3:30

So show uh Mr.

3:32

Blair and Miss uh Murphy as abstaining, but that passes otherwise.

3:38

And then that takes us to the third meet set for the regular meeting of June first.

3:44

Again, um is there a motion?

3:48

So motion by Ms.

3:50

Golan.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure███████████████████19%
Technology and Innovation██████████████████18%
Procedural████████████████16%
Tourism██████████10%
Parks and Recreation██████████10%
Public Engagement████████8%
Food Security███████7%
Noise Pollution█████5%
Public Safety███3%
Summary of Proceedings

New Albany City Council Regular Meeting - June 18, 2026

The New Albany City Council held its regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The meeting included approval of previous meeting minutes, presentations on active city projects, committee reports, and introduction of ordinances concerning opioid settlement funds and a temporary moratorium on data centers. Council members also made announcements about upcoming community events and expressed support for various city initiatives.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved minutes from three previous meetings: Regular meeting of May 21, 2026 (approved unanimously); Public hearing of June 1, 2026 (approved with abstentions from Mr. Blair and Ms. Murphy); Regular meeting of June 1, 2026 (approved with Ms. Murphy abstaining, Mr. Blair voting present). All votes were voice votes with no opposition.

Discussion Items

  • Communications from Council: Several council members shared updates on community events and concerns. President Dickie announced safety improvements to the amphitheater overlook. Ms. Murphy reminded of Juneteenth celebrations and youth council application deadlines. Mr. Fitzgerald noted continued noise complaints from industrial sites and hospitals, urging attention in the upcoming zoning code. Mr. Phipps echoed support for regulating pet store animal sales in the new zoning code. Ms. Collier arrived late after assisting visitors with restaurant recommendations.
  • Redevelopment Director Claire Johnson presented an update on five major city projects: the new public works facility (site work beginning June 25, substantial completion April 2027), the animal shelter (July start, completion December 2026), Silver Street Park turf fields (bids opening next week, construction July, with $250,000 from tourism fund), the mountain bike park (Phase I earthwork June/July 2026, Phase II completion November 2027), and the RV park (early planning, Phase I targeted for 2027). Council members asked about neighbor coordination, landscaping buffers, and the use of the former gas station lot for staging.
  • Data Center Moratorium Ordinance (Z-2602): Introduced by Ms. Murphy and referred to the Development Annexation Committee. Council discussed the need for proactive zoning regulations given regional interest in data centers. Planning Director Scott clarified types of data centers (edge, enterprise, etc.) and noted that no formal proposal is currently pending for New Albany. A committee meeting was scheduled for June 22, 2026, with a companion Planning Commission public hearing on June 23.
  • Public Health and Welfare Committee Report: Ms. Collier reported that the committee met on June 10, 2026, and unanimously agreed to allocate $15,000 to Hope Southern Indiana for food pantry support due to changes at the Floyd County Library food pantry program. Hope Southern Indiana representative Mrs. Romans attended the council meeting for questions. The committee also discussed potential matching funds from the county’s opioid settlement funds but did not make the city appropriation contingent.
  • Introduction of Ordinance A2603: Designating use of unrestricted opioid settlement funds, referred to the Public Health and Welfare Committee.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved minutes from May 21, June 1 (public hearing and regular meeting) with noted abstentions.
  • Introduced Ordinance A2603 (opioid settlement funds) and referred to the Public Health and Welfare Committee.
  • Introduced Ordinance Z-2602 (90-day temporary moratorium on data center construction) and referred to the Development Annexation Committee; committee meeting set for June 22, 2026 at 2:00 PM.
  • Received and noted the Public Health and Welfare Committee's recommendation to appropriate $15,000 to Hope Southern Indiana; no full council vote taken.
  • No public comments on non-agenda items were registered.
  • Meeting adjourned at an unspecified time following a motion by Mr. Fitzgerald and second by Ms. Goldman, passed unanimously.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. We'll gather in tonight's regularly scheduled uh New Albany City Council meeting for Thursday, June 18th, 2026. For the record, Miss Collier has texted me and is uh running just a second behind. Um so she'll be joining us here in just a minute, but we'll go ahead and begin with our uh moment of uh silent prayer centering or reflection. Please join with me. Thank you. Uh we'll begin uh with the Pledge of Allegiance, so please rise. The clerk will call the roll. Mrs. Collier is not present yet. Mr. Phipps here, Mr. Fitzgerald, Mrs. Goldman. Here, Mr. Blair, Mrs. Griffith. Here, Mrs. Murphy, here, Mr. Unruh here, President Dickie. Here. You have a quorum. All right. Um we have uh before us several um uh minutes sets uh to review and approve. They include the regular meeting minutes for May twenty-first, the public hearing meeting minutes for June first, and the regular meeting minutes for June first uh as well. Um assume everyone has read those in your packet, but I'll uh entertain a motion to approve um or uh to correct as appropriate, and I'm looking here to double check and see if everyone here was present or if someone has public meeting. Right. Okay, so so we may want to break these out accordingly. Um I too was not present for the June 1st meeting, so if we could break those out, that would be preferable. So let's start then with the May 21st meeting. Said is there a motion? So move. Second. Motion by Mr. Phipps, second by Mr. Fitzgerald. Any further discussion? Hearing none, uh all in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed. Show that as approved. And that takes us to the public hearing on June 1st, those meetings set. Is there uh a motion on that? So moved. Second. Motion by Mr. Fitzgerald second. I'll give this one to Ms. Goman. Okay.

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