Interesting news insofar as the Mayor pulling the garbage raise off of tonight's Council's agenda.
We, some followers of the sewer utility, are still out on what really is the best option for rate payers. One thing for sure, both newspapers got their facts wrong on when the sewer board became a "hybrid". You may want to look at records from England's Administration when Cindy Winkler was the Attorney.
She created the "hybrid" board, invoking IC 23 and IC 25 and then using "home rule". Susan and I have always questioned legality of same, but were unsuccessful in our challenge of same at the State level.
Don't get me wrong -- it has been monkeyed with under the past two administrations -- nothing new here...only what is best for us as ratepayers?
Seeing this Administration STILL HASN'T TAKEN DRAINAGE AND SANITATION (WHAT SANITATION?) OUT OF THE SEWER MONIES -- one gigantic "slush" fund still exists. Remember when WE HAD TO, WE JUST HAD TO, REMOVE THESE ITEMS FROM THE SEWERS, PER OUR ACCOUNTING FIRM WE ARE PAYING GOOD MONEY FOR, OR ELSE FIVE (5) PEOPLE (WE COULD ONLY ACCOUNT FOR 3) WOULD LOSE THEIR JOBS...AND...AND...AND...?
The vote was 6 to 2 for Mr. Coffey's new Sewer Board make up. Mrs. Crump was absent.
It will be interesting to me as people find out the alliances and allegiances in this town and to whom as the new Council elect meetings play out and how they will react now. Ironically, to me, is the fact that some of the very people harpooned, (and to me), sometimes actually hated, on other blogs are one and the same with the new Mayor Elect.
Susan, thank you for your comments, but they came via e-mail and I can't get them to post. To Jon Faith, I'll let you worry about my "syntax". Thanks for reading.
Nite, New Albany.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
good points Yvonne and what the ESSNA pointy heads who so mindlessly backed England dont seem to understand is that this will give England total control of the sewer board and here we go again back to the sewer problems and all the EPA concerns we had when he was Mayor before.
Take head ESSNA we told you so, look for more high priced legal fees, look for good ole boy sewer contracts to questionable engineers, look for the EPA to come at New Albany this time and show no mercy.
You can forget development to happen its called being blacklisted by the EPA.
let your fingers do the dialing to chicago.
(Just a real click clarification for publishing please Yvonne.)
It's ESNA if you're speaking about the East Spring Street Neighborhood Association.
Also the ESNA, having it's not-for-profit status, is not only non-partisan or neutral making it unlikely and illegal that the association will support any candidate. (we've held pre-election forums in which all candidates for that office were invited), but also I believe that throughout the ESNA roster you'll see several different political persuasions and backgrounds.
You're more then welcome to stop by any meeting. Starting in January the ESNA meets at 7pm on the 2nd Wed at Central Christian Church in the fellowship hall.
Thanks!
PS. I'm really pleading ignorance, as an active ESNA member and committee chairperson, I have no idea who "we" is or what you "told us".
(thanks yvonne)
As I didn't mention ESNA and have nothing personal against same -- the rest of the post the poster posted was pretty durn accurate.
ESNA, as are MSPA, very conscious individuals.
Maybe the "Anon" will clarify. Thank you, Ceece.
Anon probably won't clarify; anon is a coward, or else anon wouldn't be anon.
Of course, anon could prove me wrong by being someone, eh?
More on the garbage - I am wondering about the Tribune stating "the list of things that can't be put in garbage cans, adding yard waste, medical waste, recyclables and batteries among them." I thought I read where everything currently went in together and was then sorted. Is something going to change? Will the option to recycle be made mandatory? What is the definition of medical waste - includes personal medical syringes? Does John Gonder know anything personally about the city's current recycling? His blog says he is a buyer for Smurfit Recycling. Has the state reinstated/extended some of those recycling laws from 1990s? For years we have been for recycling (Thank you, Trash Force). By now the recycling container should be as big as the garbage can and the garbage amount should fit in a very small can. It would be safer and easier for the city to do the recycling-might even make money, if they knew how and where to sell the goods. Will citizens pay extra for pick-up of recycling and yard waste or anything else?
I think collecting debris (out of the creeks) and large household items used to be the street employees job, but disposing and cost of it came out of the sanitation monies. Then it seems Mayor Garner gave pick-up and disposal totally to the street department. Then he stated that the cost of the street department went up--surprise! You just have to follow through on what is said and done. If they start showing numbers and figures, you have to take all the street department and garbage department costs (go back to discussions in the 1990s). I see them leaving something out or contrarily putting something in (recycling, debris, large items etc.) and presenting the numbers as true comparison facts. You know you have to compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges without them making a fruit salad!
I doubt Doug England made any statements about garbage, before the election. Guess he will let Mayor Garner be the 'bad' guy and get this done before the end of the year. I think the pattern is that they start out asking too much from the Council, but then change something so it looks like they are negotiating. I really think they know what their bottom line is and hold to it. They will probably give on the time to leave the trashcans out. Wonder if they will eventually wait for the new Council to discuss the options or does Mayor Garner need to sign the contract now.
Boy, do we remember how the sewers were reorganized in February 2004 using IC 36-9-23, under advisement of Sewer Board attorney Greg Fifer. That Code let the city extend the sewers farther out in the county than the previous Ordinance of 1996 that used mainly IC 36-9-25. Lots of legal debate SHOULD have occurred back in 2004. Remember, sometimes you have to LET things happen. Keep your eyes and ears open. It should be very interesting.
Susan Johnson
I have a few concerns about the one vs. two-way street changes that are being discussed. Randy Hubbard mentioned a previous study. That study really needs to be looked at seriously. We moved to New Albany in 1972 and I believe everyone of the current downtown one-way streets were one way even then. My husband and I started coming across the Sherman Minton Bridge in the early 1960s to go to Frisch's (Dodge dealer now) on Spring St. We believe Spring and Elm Streets were one way then - probably because of the newly opened Bridge. I would think the one way flow of those streets also has to do with evacuation of the city. More than likely, a study also would mention a train derailment (unfortunately still possible). Maybe the population of downtown has declined, since that study, and would change the evaluation of traffic flow. Two-way may help some businesses (probably like Destination Book sellers - do they have a parking lot?), but all potential problems need to be looked at before a reversal to the two-way concept again. Safety concerns should win out over money for businesses, any day. Seems like there might have been a study done during one of England's administrations, but I don't think they change anything. Not sure if they looked at that old study.
Remember those old days in New Albany. Our garbage men brought cans to the back for people. Couldn’t you see the city today, telling the private company their men must bring those big old cans to the back for the elderly and disabled - and at what cost? Neighbors weren't afraid to help each other. You knew most every neighbor with not so many of them moving in and out all the time. What about crime now - could that new neighbor have anything to do with drugs! Citizens picked up the thrown trash in the neighborhoods themselves. Where are those fines for littering, while walking down the street or throwing trash out of cars? People cut grass for neighbors (for free) and on vacant lots - even mowing city owned property and easements with no compensation. With the bad financial housing situation, I feel more vacant housing will be seen everywhere, causing even more problem areas - depressing.
Susan Johnson
Please allow me, dear friend, to digest and go back into history (lol). Hopefully, maybe others can contribute also to the facts
about the past -- and all those good things.
Will respond later, sure do hope you are feeling better!
Be safe.
P.S. The storm water issue is clearly getting ready to raise it's head, again... There was an MS4 meeting held in Jeff last week and IDEM was told (and no, I do not know by whom) that New Albany DID NOT HAVE A STORM WATER BOARD.
Amazing.
Post a Comment