New Albany Common Council Regular Meeting - November 2, 2026

The New Albany Common Council held its regular meeting on Monday, November 2, 2026, at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers at City Hall, with President Adam Dickey presiding. The meeting covered approval of prior minutes, council communications, committee-of-the-whole budget and finance discussions, second readings of two appropriation ordinances, and a board reappointment. All actions were approved unanimously.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The regular meeting minutes from October 15, 2026, were approved via a motion by Elaine Murphy, seconded by Louise Gohmann. Council member Scott Blair abstained; all other present members voted aye.

Communications from Council

• Louise Gohmann announced the second annual "Operation Waverly" campaign to collect hats, gloves, scarves, blankets, and jackets for homeless and inadequately housed veterans, supporting Liberty Place in New Albany. She also encouraged citizens to vote on Election Day, noting the historical struggle for voting rights.
• Stefanie Griffith thanked the mayor for attending a local merchants' meeting and praised the upcoming "Trails to Rails" project, with work already visible near IUS and the chicken house.
• Elaine Murphy reminded attendees of Veterans Day (November 11) and urged voting. She also promoted the "Jingle Walk" downtown event on November 14 from 2:00 to 6:00 PM, featuring local merchants.
• President Adam Dickey reported that the city's Halloween candy line saw strong community participation without incidents, thanked city departments, and also noted the annual costume carnival at the 4-H Fairgrounds had lighter attendance. He reiterated voting information, including polling locations and ADA accessibility.

Budget & Finance Committee (Committee of the Whole)

The Council, sitting as the Budget & Finance Committee, considered two ordinances on first reading:

• Ordinance A-26-08 – Appropriation for One Southern Indiana: Proposed a $30,000 appropriation from EDIT, General, or Riverboat funds to support One Southern Indiana, an economic development organization. Council member Don Unruh described it as a long-standing agreement and noted the organization's work in business recruitment, expansion, and talent recruitment. Scott Blair, the council's appointed member to One Southern Indiana, commended the organization for rejecting a company offering below-average wages. The motion to move the ordinance to second reading was made by Chris FitzGerald and seconded by Greg Phipps; it passed unanimously.
• Ordinance A-26-09 – Appropriation and Transfer of Funds for Police Cars and Fire Equipment: Proposed $626,930 from the Public Safety Tax Fund—$248,000 for new police patrol cars and $378,930 for replacement firefighter turnout gear to meet OSHA standards. Fire Chief Juliet explained that gear has a 10-year lifespan and is custom-made with an eight-week lead time; the department maintains common-size backups. Police Chief Bailey noted that patrol cars are replaced based on condition rather than a set mileage, with typical turnaround of a few weeks after approval. Council members confirmed sufficient fund balances. The motion to advance to second reading was made by Chris FitzGerald and seconded by Jennie Collier; it passed unanimously.

Second Readings

• A-26-08: The ordinance for One Southern Indiana was introduced for second reading by Don Unruh, seconded by Chris FitzGerald. Roll call vote: All nine members present (Collier, Phipps, Fitzgerald, Gohmann, Blair, Griffith, Murphy, Unruh, and President Dickey) voted aye. Passed to third reading.
• A-26-09: The ordinance for police cars and fire equipment was introduced by Jennie Collier, seconded by Elaine Murphy. Roll call vote: All nine members present voted aye. Passed to third reading.

Board Appointments

• New Albany Historic Preservation Commission: The Council confirmed the reappointment of Colton Sanders, who has served since July 2019. Council member Scott Blair praised Sanders' work on his own historic home and his contributions to the commission. A motion by Elaine Murphy, seconded by Chris FitzGerald, was approved unanimously.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned by a motion from Jennie Collier, seconded by Elaine Murphy, after no further discussion or public comments.