New Albany Sewer Board Meeting - August 13, 2026

The New Albany Sewer Board met at 9:15 a.m. on Thursday, August 13, 2026, in Room 100 of New Albany City Hall. The board approved the July 23, 2026 minutes, a replacement pump purchase, five sewer billing adjustments, and the periodic claims, and received an informational report on a proposed bank lockbox for mailed payments.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public signed up to speak.

Approval of Minutes

• The board approved the July 23, 2026 regular meeting minutes after adding a correction on page three to clarify that the sentence about waiting on an actuator part referred to the UV project. The motion passed by voice vote.

Bids & Contracts

• Mike Wallace presented a quote from BBC Pump and Equipment for a new Hidrostal pump for the IPS station at the wastewater plant. The 168-horsepower pump costs $245,205.81 and would serve as a backup for existing pumps from 2005; two pumps had recently been out for service and the last rental invoice was $65,000. Delivery is expected in six to seven months, placing the expense in next year's budget. The board approved the purchase by voice vote.

Communications – City Officials

• City official Linda reported that the sewer utility is considering re-establishing a bank lockbox for mailed check payments. Since the bank change, the utility has no lockbox and receives four to five hundred checks per day during peak payment season. The proposal would route mailed checks to Stockyards Bank's processing hub in Newburgh, Indiana, where checks would be processed twice daily and deposited directly. The fee would be based on processing volume and was historically about $2,000 per month. Linda said about 7,000 customers currently pay by mail and recommended moving forward with the setup while also encouraging more customers to use cloud auto-pay. The board took no vote, but asked for a written agreement with the final fee schedule before proceeding.

Sewer Adjustments

• Tanner Spalding: adjustment of $1,421.11 approved for a crawl space leak that went into the dirt.
• Traci Silva: adjustment of $3,693.57 approved for a leak under gravel; sump pump water was carried 75 feet from the house and did not enter the sanitary sewer.
• Stephen and Susan Reed: adjustment of $1,079.23 approved for a main line leak in the street that wet the front yard and was not entering the sewer.
• John Tedesco: adjustment of $1,643.65 approved for an underground leak on the right side that was repaired.
• Nicole Sanchez Moran: adjustment of $2,112.05 approved for a leak where the service line enters the house; board discussion confirmed the property is billed as residential despite the account name River House.

Financial Report

• The financial report showed revenue and expenses running at budget levels. A $300,000 insurance payment in the current period was described as normal. No extraordinary items were reported.

Utility Report

• Mike Wallace reported that the UV actuator part is in route; installation is planned for Monday, and the project should conclude in the next couple of weeks. The actuator issue is a warranty repair because a gear stripped within a month.
• The Oak Street 24-inch sewer main replacement is ongoing, with 160 feet completed.
• Requests for qualifications for a bond project are under review, with a recommendation expected at the next meeting.

Claims

• Claims covering July 23 through August 12, 2026 were approved in the total amount of $980,652.49. The total included a $44,000 manhole rehabilitation project by BLD Services covering 21 manholes, mostly on the east side of downtown.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the July 23, 2026 minutes as amended.
• Approved the $245,205.81 IPS Hidrostal pump purchase.
• Approved all five sewer adjustments.
• Approved claims totaling $980,652.49.
• Deferred action on the proposed lockbox pending written agreement and fee information.
• No tabled items or old business were reported.