For essentially $14,000 more than what it currently appropriates for legal representation, the New Albany City Council could have hired a full-time attorney.

But a price tag of $40,000 annually was too steep for the majority of the body, as it defeated an ordinance on final reading that would have resulted in the council hiring New Albany attorney Matthew Lorch.

For 2010, the council had $26,000 budgeted for legal expenses. Last year, counting an $11,000 salary for part-time representation, the council spent about $21,000 in attorney fees.

The measure failed 5-4, with councilmen Steve Price, Dan Coffey, Pat McLaughlin, Jeff Gahan and Kevin Zurschmiede voting against it.

It had passed 6-2 on initial readings.

Councilman Dan Coffey said while he approved of Lorch’s qualifications, he believes hiring a full-time attorney would be an expansion of government when the city should be limiting positions.

“I can just see that ballooning into a larger salary,” Coffey said.

But Councilman Bob Caesar explained the contract would be re-newable each year.

Council President John Gonder rescinded his position as mediator of the meeting to offer his take on the situation.

Looming issues over a sewer rate increase and a proposed $1.8 million funding request for public safety require the attention of a full-time attorney, Gonder said.

“I don’t think we are well served by a part-time attorney,” he said.

The council has been without an attorney since last year. Shane Gibson is the full-time city attorney but he doesn’t represent the council, which has had court cases against the administration in the past.



Trash lids to come out of riverboat funds

By resolution, the council passed using $81,300 of riverboat funds to purchase 4,000 trash can lids for city garbage customers.

The deal will include 2,000 more lids chipped-in by the company, bringing the total to 6,000 lids. The price tag also includes installation fees which will keep the lids under warranty.

While garbage collection is handled by Southern Indiana Waste Systems, the city owns the trash containers according to Deputy Mayor Carl Malysz.

Councilman Steve Price voted against the resolution, which requires only one reading.

He said the request from Mayor Doug England for the council to appropriate the funds seemed to be a “peace offering” for the pending sewer rate increase.

McLaughlin supported the purchases, as he said there have been problems in his district with garbage remains spilling onto streets when the containers are being emptied due to shoddy garbage lids.

The containers collect rainwater from sitting outside and that water spills out of the trucks after being collected, McLaughlin said.

Residents have complained to the council in recent months over the leaks.

“We’re going to have that again if we don’t somehow remedy the situation,” he said.

According to England, only the customers with broken or lost lids will receive a replacement.