From the Jeffersonville News and Tribune:
The New Albany City Council elected to form its own parks department, and approved on initial readings disbanding its joint venture with Floyd County for recreational services Thursday night.
By resolution, the council voted 5-4 to re-establish a New Albany parks department. The measure only required one reading.
The ordinance to abolish the joint New Albany-Floyd County Parks Department — which has been in operation since 1994 — was approved 6-3 on first and second readings. The final ballot will be cast during a Nov. 5 meeting.
Thirteen people, including state and local officials, parks board members and residents addressed the council about the Mayor Jeff Gahan-backed proposal to end the joint agreement. Only one person, Matt Nash, who writes a regular column for the News and Tribune but is not an employee of the newspaper, spoke in favor of forming an autonomous city parks system.
From higher operating costs to the threat of losing recreational programs for the youth and elderly, the other 12 public speakers offered reasons as to why the move could damage the community.
“This is a mistake, and I don’t know what’s going to happen to the city and the county when it happens,” said Letty Walker, a New Albany resident and long-time parks volunteer.
See the full article here:
http://newsandtribune.com/floydcounty/x1200636890/Parks-split-approved-in-New-Albany
