Board of Public Works & Safety Meeting – July 14, 2026
Board of Public Works & Safety Meeting – July 14, 2026
The New Albany Board of Public Works & Safety met on July 14, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at City Hall. The board considered a water main replacement project, an encroachment permit for fiber optic installation, heard a public complaint about recurring basement flooding, and received updates on paving, manhole lining, and trail projects. Several approvals were granted with conditions.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The regular meeting minutes for July 7, 2026, were approved unanimously.
- Claims: The board approved the claims as presented.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Sarah Cardwell & Neighbor (property owner at 225 Village Pine Drive): The residents reported severe basement flooding on July 11-12, 2026, due to a creek overflow behind their homes. They stated this was the third such event and requested city assistance in maintaining the creek. Discussion revealed that the creek likely lies on private property and state (INDOT) right-of-way. The board acknowledged the issue and committed to sending city personnel to inspect the site and coordinate with INDOT if necessary.
Discussion Items
- Shelby Street Water Main Replacement Project (Pat Hauersperger, O'Mara): Hauersperger requested a no-parking restriction on one side of Shelby Street to facilitate water main installation, with half the street closed at a time. The project is scheduled to start the week of July 14 and must be completed by August 4, 2026, per school system requirements. Contractors will use door hangers to notify residents. The board approved the request contingent upon providing the door hanger text for review. Motion carried unanimously.
- Lumos Fiber Encroachment Permit (Tim Phillips, Lumos): Phillips requested a permit to install fiber optic lines in the Klerner Lane, Rainbow Drive, and Mt. Tabor Road areas. Board members expressed concerns about prior restoration issues with Lumos, including complaints from residents and city staff. The board required Lumos to provide a copy of the resident notification letter and to bring their contractor to the next meeting to address past issues. The permit was tabled until July 21, 2026, pending these conditions. Motion carried unanimously.
- Dumpster Request (Joseph McGill, 117 Clay Street): The board approved a dumpster placement at 117 Clay Street from July 14-21, 2026, subject to requiring reflective tape. Motion carried unanimously.
- Paving Project Updates (City Official): The board approved Change Order No. 2 and the retainage release ($92,067.52) for the 2024-2 (2025) paving project, closing out that contract. The paving work on State Street is ongoing with night milling and resurfacing expected to finish by the end of the week. Motion carried unanimously.
- Manhole Lining Notice (Mr. Wallace): The board was informed that BLD Services will line 22 manholes in the east end starting July 20, 2026. Seven manholes will require traffic control, but no road closures are planned.
- Trail Project Update: The board received an update on the downtown trail connecting 8th Street to 4th Street and beyond. Paving is nearly complete, and concrete work is progressing between Market and Main Streets.
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Shelby Street water main project (contingent on door hanger review).
- Tabled: Lumos encroachment permit to July 21, 2026, pending additional documentation and contractor appearance.
- Approved: Dumpster request at 117 Clay Street.
- Approved: Change Order No. 2 and retainage release for the 2024-2 paving project.
- Approved: Claims and minutes from July 7, 2026.
- Next Steps: City staff will inspect the flooding site at Village Pine Drive and contact INDOT if state right-of-way is involved.
Meeting Transcript
Yeah, he's involved in the end. He's having a problem. That's your own parking lot. He doesn't have he didn't get involved in sports room. So I think it is too well as the orange over and everything. Even those guys that do have that. These guys are pressure for it. Right. Yeah, we have to use that with the right one. That's right. Oh, yeah. Yeah. It's one of your contract. It's a business. It's a business, that's for sure. And we're still going to go to the games and stuff and it'll be fine. Yeah. So you go over there. It was a station. Yeah, that's a good thing. And then we should hear that. Well, we thought they were okay with the boat. And then chance. We don't want to do that. So there's the beam of rejected house. And so it's just uh recently. So we just all out. Good morning. Call order July 14th, 2026 meeting of the Board of Public Works and Safety, we can get with Pledge of Allegiance. Sign in, we'll call you later in the week. Good morning. I'm gonna come and give you guys a heads up about a job that we got awarded over off of Shelby Street and Jen Sen Street from the school. We're hoping to start this week. We're gonna start there at Vince and Shelby's the game plan. So on Shelby, we would like to take the parking space in the right-hand tiger and come off Vince for the length of Shelby Street, but we'd only like to do half of it, so that way we set up our warning sheet more down to get that done, and then we'll give up that parking back and move back to the other parking. We want to have two crews, the school, we've been in contact with the school system. They want us to have this job done by all I think it's I don't know if we can make it we're gonna try to have two crews in there. Uh we're hoping to get the main line at least installed by then, and then we can come back and do our tie-ins and stuff like that, uh the meter sets. So I met with uh the uh guys that are going to be running the crews. Yeah, you said they're requesting no parking on Shelby Street uh for the length of it, but only half of the time they'll do half that way people won't be able to park there for parking the other half once they get past that point, then they'll they'll move down and uh switch it, flip it over. Are most of the houses in that area off-street parking? Are most of the houses in that area off street parking? Uh yes. I mean on street parking. And they have and some of them have access to as well. So but there still are people that choose the park out for it's not Whitehall weather anymore, but they have obviously they have their own parking lot also park on Shelby State just because they have access from that uh two other apartments. Okay. And that's the reason for that. Those people will be able to park on the other end towards Tom Street more safe flood. On that on the second half of it, there won't be that many residences.
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