New Police Recruit Sworn in Today!

PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER SWORN IN: The New Albany Police Department welcomed a new recruit this morning. Mayor Jeff Gahan was pleased to swear in Mr. Daniel Thurman as a new Police Officer with the NAPD. Mr. Thurman just recently graduated from the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville in May, 2021. He will be attending the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy soon and begin his journey as a New Albany Police Officer.

“New Albany is a very safe community, and it’s because of people like Daniel who step up and choose to serve their City with professionalism and compassion,” stated Police Chief Todd Bailey.

“It was my pleasure to welcome Officer Thurman to the ranks of the New Albany Police Department,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan. “He and his family are from the local area and we discussed the great things Southern Indiana has to offer young professionals. I know Officer Thurman had other opportunities in Law Enforcement, but I am glad he chose New Albany to begin his career. We are lucky to have such a fine young man.”

Are you looking to serve your community? The New Albany Police Department is hiring both experienced and new officers! Applications are open through midnight on December 1st. Applications can be found at https://newalbanycityhall.com/police-applications

Street Maintenance to Prepare for Winter

STREET MAINTENANCE TO PREPARE FOR WINTER

Crews have been performing preventative maintenance on New Albany streets this week to prepare for upcoming winter weather. Crews have been completing crack sealing on many downtown streets as well as major thoroughfares throughout the city in an effort to prevent winter potholes.

As streets are heavily used, cracks can begin to form in the pavement. If those cracks are not sealed, water and moisture can get deep into the asphalt. During winter months, this moisture can freeze and expand about 9% in volume, causing potholes. Preventative maintenance like crack sealing can extend the life of roadways for many years and prevent wear and tear on vehicles that use the roadways.

Please be on the lookout for crews performing this preventative maintenance on our roadways and please drive cautiously and safely through any work areas.

“Other communities have had success with these types of programs, and we will monitor the application and effectiveness of this technique over the coming winter months,” stated City Engineer Larry Summers.

Local Realtors Concur with Housing Data - Call for Increased Supply of Homes

LOCAL REALTORS CONCUR WITH HOUSING DATA – CALL FOR INCREASED SUPPLY OF HOMES

The City of New Albany is currently analyzing how best to improve housing options for everyone in New Albany. Recently, the City completed a housing study to learn more about the current housing stock in New Albany, as well as future projections and needs. The data showed a clear need for all types of housing in New Albany, including affordable housing and market-rate housing, and the City is working on numerous projects to meet those needs.

The Southern Indiana Realtors Association (SIRA) also provided data to the City of New Albany that supports findings from the Housing Study. A recent market analysis provided by the Southern Indiana Realtors Association showed the following trends regarding recently sold homes closing prices and availability:

• In 2019, New Albany had 771 homes closing with an average sell price of $161,016.

• In 2020, New Albany had 790 homes closing with an average sell price of $178,704.

• In 2021, for the first 6 months of sales, 452 homes closed with an average sell price of $196,121.

• The “Days on Market” for each house were close to an average of 60 days during 2019, 2020, and 2021.

According to SIRA, the increase in average sales price is caused by the lack of inventory and buyers willing to go over listed price to secure limited properties.

THE BUSINESS OF RESIDENCY

Cities across America are competing for residents. Over the past decade, the City of New Albany has focused to improve quality of life for all residents. We have invested to create a state-of-the-art parks system, the Ohio River Greenway and New Albany Shoreline expansion, and we have improved schools, sidewalks, and roadways.

People want to reside in New Albany – they want to be near great parks, great schools, and great amenities – and now, we need to develop additional paths to residency and home ownership in New Albany.

“We will continue to improve both the availability and the condition of housing in our historic River City,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan. “Our City has a lot of forward momentum now, and it’s good to know people are looking to make New Albany the place where they want to live.”

To read the full housing study, please click HERE

TRUNK OR TREAT OCTOBER 23RD

The City of New Albany’s TRUNK OR TREAT is set for Saturday, October 23rd along the beautiful New Albany Shoreline!

Put on your best costume and come visit the New Albany Shoreline for a night filled with games, inflatables, candy, magic, and more! Smokin' Frank's BBQ will be on site to keep you fueled with tasty food while you check out the ghost stories, magic show, or visit the many local vendors to trick or treat. This free, family-friendly event is one that you won't want to miss, so make plans to join us for an evening of wicked fun!

MAYOR GAHAN TO MEET WITH HOSPITAL PRESIDENT

MAYOR GAHAN TO MEET WITH BAPTIST HEALTH FLOYD HOSPITAL PRESIDENT

Later this month, Mayor Gahan will meet with Baptist Health Floyd President Michael Schroyer to discuss ambulance services and 911 response times, among other items.

AMR, the City of New Albany’s ambulance provider, supplied city leadership with an update regarding “drop times” for AMR ambulances from September 1, 2021 to October 1, 2021. Drop Times refer to the amount of time it takes for the local hospital to accept the patient being transported by the ambulance.

According to information from AMR, there are times where it takes as long as 290 minutes (almost 5 hours) for Baptist Health Floyd to accept patients from the ambulance. This forces the ambulance to sit idle while they wait for the hospital to have enough rooms and staff to accept the patient, essentially taking the ambulance out of service while they wait on the hospital.

AMR has been in contact with the leadership of the Emergency Department of Baptist Health Floyd. Baptist Health stated that they are experiencing some staffing issues and have need for additional nurses to care for patients.

“I want the people of New Albany to understand that the number of ambulances serving the City of New Albany has not decreased,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan. “I believe this is a temporary situation related to labor shortages due to COVID-19. Baptist Health Floyd leadership reached out to our office earlier this month, and I will be meeting with hospital President Michael Schroyer to discuss the issue. We will work with AMR, Baptist Health Floyd, and our own emergency services to improve response times within the emergency healthcare network in New Albany.”

Mayor Gahan has also asked the City Council President to have the Public Safety Committee meet with his staff and examine the matter. The Mayor looks forward to sharing the findings from his meeting with Baptist officials with the City Council and working together on a solution to ensure New Albany residents have access to rapid and swift emergency services.

New Albany Police Chief Todd Bailey has also been in contact with AMR officials, stating that they are a great city partner. Chief Bailey believes that the delays being experienced are not the fault of the ambulance services, and wants to reassure residents that emergency services continue to operate at a high level, despite staffing issues at the hospital.