Board of Public Works & Safety Meeting – September 8, 2026

The New Albany Board of Public Works & Safety met on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at 10:00 AM in City Hall. The board approved multiple encroachment permits, a no-parking restriction for East 13th Street, a street closure for the 9/11 remembrance ceremony, and a banner permit for Harvest Homecoming. City officials provided updates on ongoing infrastructure projects, and claims totaling $2,749,589.75 were approved. Two items on the agenda (Duke Energy encroachment permits and the Ma Cherie final plat) were not discussed or were postponed.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public signed up to speak.

Discussion Items

Prior Issue from Last Week

• The board briefly discussed a property issue brought up in a previous meeting. The property has only a portion inside the city limits. The owner emailed that work is not expected until next year, so the matter was deferred to a later date.

Encroachment Permits

• Indiana American Water (IAWC) – Pat Hauersperger (Dave O’Mara Contractors): Three permits were requested:
  1. Emergency water main break repair at Green Valley Road and Knable Lane/Martin Drive, requiring a 5-foot by 2-foot road patch.
  2. Replacement of a water meter set at 315 E. 10th Street, requiring a 4-foot by 4-foot sidewalk repair.
  3. Replacement of a water valve box at 724 W. Main Street, requiring a 2-foot by 2-foot asphalt repair. The board moved and seconded to approve all three; all members voted aye.
• Hutchins Telecomm Solutions: Encroachment permit to install underground fiber optic cable and a vault at 2716 Grant Line Road. It was noted that the work had already been completed without prior permission. The board nonetheless voted to approve the permit (motion, second, all ayes) and stated they would remind Hutchins to obtain approval before future work.
• CenterPoint Energy – Wayne Holt (Miller Pipeline): Encroachment permit to install new gas service at 202 E. Main Street (Bank Street side). Wayne Holt was unable to attend; the board approved on motion and second, all ayes.
• Mario Lopez: Request to remove and replace the driveway at 112 Miede Drive. Mr. Lopez was not present, but the board noted the work would only widen the driveway near the garage on private property, with no change to street access or curb cut. The board approved (motion, second, all ayes).

No-Parking Restriction for East 13th Street

• The board approved a temporary no-parking restriction on the east side of East 13th Street from Spring Street to Market Street, effective September 9 through approximately four weeks (until early October), between the hours of 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM. The restriction is to facilitate water main work (boring and sidewalk repairs). Motion and second carried unanimously.

Harvest Homecoming Banner Permits

• Vicki Glotzbach requested banner permits for the Harvest Homecoming Parade and Booth Days: two full street banners and 36 sponsor banners. Proposed locations included Charlestown Road and Spring Street. It was noted that Charlestown Road is already reserved for Purdue banners starting September 29. After discussion, the board approved:
  • Charlestown Road banners from September 21 through September 29.
  • All other requested locations from September 28 through October 12. They also requested verification that the banner size (4 feet) does not create a problem.

City Project Updates (Communications – City Officials)

• Larry (city official) provided updates:
  • Milling work on Bono Road has begun; elite striping is continuing at completed locations citywide.
  • Trail project: The surface layer of asphalt has been laid; the aim is to complete as much as possible before Harvest Homecoming. Fourth Street will be resurfaced soon; additional concrete work will be completed later in the spring.
  • Oak Street project: Contractor continues work on new storm and sanitary sewers near Bank Street, and inlet installation for bump-outs is underway.
  • Charlestown Road / Slate Run traffic signal modernization: The signal cabinet was moved last week; sidewalks on the northwest corner are being replaced this week.
• Street closure request: Larry requested closure of Spring Street (from the alley to the park) on Friday, September 11, 2026 from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM for the city’s 25th anniversary remembrance of September 11. The program is at Bicentennial Park starting at 9:00 AM. The board approved (motion, second, all ayes).

Claims

• The board reviewed and approved claims totaling $2,749,589.75 for the date range August 25, 2026 through September 7, 2026. Motion and second carried unanimously.

Approval of Minutes

• The minutes from the regular meeting of September 1, 2026 were approved after correcting typographical errors (spelling of Thompson, etc.).

Key Outcomes

• Votes (all unanimous unless noted):
  • IAWC encroachment permits: approved.
  • Hutchins Telecomm encroachment permit: approved (work already done).
  • CenterPoint Energy encroachment permit: approved.
  • Mario Lopez driveway permit: approved.
  • No-parking restriction on East 13th Street: approved.
  • Banner permits for Harvest Homecoming: approved with specific date ranges.
  • Street closure for 9/11 remembrance: approved.
  • Claims: approved.
  • Minutes: approved with corrections.
• Postponed/Not Discussed: The following agenda items were not addressed or deferred:
  • Todd Donahue (Duke Energy) encroachment permits for Spickert Knob Road.
  • Final Plat approval for Ma Cherie (Primavera & Associates).