New Albany Common Council Regular Meeting - August 20, 2026

The New Albany Common Council held its regular meeting on Thursday, August 20, 2026, in Council Chambers at New Albany City Hall. Eight council members were present; Councilman Greg Phipps was absent due to a family matter. The Council approved the August 3 minutes, received council and mayoral updates, heard the annual One Southern Indiana economic development presentation, introduced an animal sales ordinance on first reading, and advanced the Oxbow Mixed Use alley vacation on second reading. No administrative items, CF-1 forms, third readings, resolutions, or board appointments were on the agenda.

Opening and Routine Approvals

• The meeting opened with a moment of silent prayer, centering, or reflection and the Pledge of Allegiance; the clerk confirmed a quorum.
• Minutes of the August 3, 2026 regular meeting were approved with six ayes and two abstentions (Councilors Collier and FitzGerald).

Council Communications

• Councilman Unruh announced a New Albany Parks Department volleyball clinic for ages 5-7 on Wednesdays in September from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Silver Street Park ($50; registration by Aug. 26); a library financial literacy session on dealing with debt on Aug. 25 from 1-2 p.m.; and New Albany’s high school football opener against Providence on Aug. 21 at 7 p.m.
• Councilwoman Murphy reported that New Albany Main Street’s SIP at Culbertson Mansion event will feature local restaurants and vendors from 3-6 p.m., with tickets available online or day-of. She also reported Head Start is at full enrollment (64 in Early Head Start; 160 in Head Start) and expressed concern that proposed federal guideline changes could mean fewer teachers, larger class sizes, fewer hours of service, fewer home visits, and fewer health and dental services for children.
• Councilwoman Griffith praised the brickwork on the new South Monon Trail section through the city, saying it was beautiful.
• Councilman Blair asked residents to donate food and hygiene items to Hope Southern Indiana, noting supplies are very low.
• Councilman FitzGerald thanked Fourth District paving crews for recent paving and restriping work related to traffic calming.
• In response to DePaul Avenue neighbors’ request for an update, the city attorney said a tabled matter involves two issues: a legal-description concern and pending litigation filed by the petitioner against the city and the planning commission over the commission’s November approval. The developer filed a motion for summary judgment on Aug. 11; the other parties have 30 days to respond, and the court will rule after briefing.
• Councilwoman Collier noted the new Parthenon event space and wished everyone a safe Labor Day. President Dickey reminded council members of the River Hills annual dinner on Aug. 27 at 300 Spring in Jeffersonville (cocktails at 5:30, dinner and program at 6:30) and the AIM Idea Summit from Sept. 29 through Oct. 1 in French Lick; interested members were asked to contact him about registration.

Mayor and City Official Communications

• A representative of the mayor’s office said the new trail section should be completed in the next couple of months, with news expected on northern and middle trail components.
• Council members were invited to a groundbreaking at the Public Works site on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 10 a.m.; a formal invitation was to be emailed by Claire.
• No other city department or city official communications were offered.

Public Health & Welfare Committee Report

• Councilwoman Collier reported that the committee met Aug. 7 to review another round of restricted opioid fund submissions but received none. Members agreed not to extend the submission window, noting unrestricted funds were recently given to Hope Southern Indiana’s food pantry and the cooling station, along with other appropriations earlier in the year.

One Southern Indiana Annual Presentation

• One Southern Indiana staff gave its annual update and asked the Council to continue supporting the organization.
• For FY26, the organization reported 82 new projects, down from about 110 in recent years and below the 130 high in 2022 but above 2019 pre-COVID levels. It conducted 320 company visits, with 99 in Floyd County and 90 in New Albany.
• The manufacturing alliance continues to grow, with Manufacturing Week set for Sept. 22-24 and expected to engage about 600-700 high school students from about four counties, including New Albany High School.
• Small-business services: 177 unique businesses received 697 consulting sessions, including 54 in Floyd County and 37 in New Albany. The Caesars revolving loan program awarded $130,000, with $100,000 going directly to New Albany businesses; an FY27 loan of $75,000 was approved for Industrial Fitness.
• Retention/expansion results: regionally, 77 new jobs, $4.3 million in added annual payroll, and $58.5 million in capital investment. New Albany accounted for 47 jobs, $2.7 million of payroll, and $43.5 million of capital investment, including McCray Enterprises, Sazerac, and Cop Design Group.
• Attraction results: regionally, 279 new jobs, $25 million in added annual payroll, and $95 million in capital investment. New Albany’s project at the former Hitachi campus accounted for 147 jobs, $15 million in added payroll, and $80 million in capital investment.
• Since 2006, One Southern Indiana has awarded 244 projects and reached the $5 billion capital-investment milestone. The presenters cited a return of $85 in added annual payroll and nearly $400 in capital investment for every dollar invested.
• The presentation also highlighted the region’s four doors (rivers, rails, roads, and runways), which allows suppliers to reach nearly three-fourths of the U.S. population within an 11-hour truck drive; the privately funded marketing campaign; Site Selection magazine’s ranking of the metro as the top Ohio River corridor area; and state-level regionalism efforts, including an invitation for Jefferson and Washington counties to join the regional economic development structure. The presenters also noted that Greater Louisville Inc. has been dissolved and replaced by a new Kentucky-focused organization.
• President Dickey said a special appropriation for One Southern Indiana would likely be brought to the Council in the coming weeks at the same level as prior support and finished before the end of the year.

Ordinances – First Reading

• G-26-05, an ordinance regulating the sale of animals and establishing standards for animal sales establishments, was introduced by Councilwoman Gohmann and Councilman Blair and referred to the Public Health & Welfare Committee. Gohmann noted that Clarksville has sued the pet store at Green Tree Mall and urged moving the ordinance quickly. Councilwoman Collier said the committee will meet Friday, Aug. 28 at 1 p.m. in the council conference room and expects to have a recommendation by the next meeting; the animal shelter director also plans to attend.

Ordinances – Second Reading

• Z-26-01, the Oxbow Mixed Use LLC public-way vacation ordinance, was recommended unanimously by the Public Works Committee earlier in the evening. No members of the public signed up for the public comment period. Petitioner representative Jake Smith said the partial vacation of a 20-foot alley is needed for a dumpster enclosure at the back of Oxbow’s parking lot; only the southern/back half is being vacated, while the northern section of the alley will remain an active public alley. The city will retain a permanent utility easement; adjoining property owners have consented through a memorandum of understanding; and the city attorney reviewed the legal description with no concerns. The Council approved the second reading on a roll-call vote of 8-0, with Councilman Phipps absent. The ordinance will come back for third reading and final passage on Sept. 10, the next regular meeting after Labor Day.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comment was signed up for the Z-26-01 public comment period.
• In non-agenda public comment, Daniel Harris of 200 Alley Road asked the Council to require future developments with dumpster enclosures to include enough space for trash and recycling, citing a Starbucks on State Street where an additional recycling dumpster sits outside and overflows with cardboard. He also asked the Council to consider assigning to a committee an ordinance that would let the city fix dangerous potholes in private parking lots and private drives, potentially through liens, using the earlier tree ordinance as a model. He said a Nashville firm that owns a State Street lot has not prioritized repairs.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes approved: six ayes, two abstentions.
• G-26-05 referred to the Public Health & Welfare Committee; committee meeting scheduled for Aug. 28 at 1 p.m.
• Z-26-01 passed second reading 8-0; third reading and final passage set for Sept. 10.
• A special appropriation for One Southern Indiana is expected to be introduced in coming weeks at the same level as prior support.
• No immediate action was taken on Daniel Harris’s public-comment requests.