NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) -- New Albany councilmembers say they're still being kept in the dark about how much the mayor has spent on emergency maintenance on the Silver Creek dam.
In August, Mayor Jeff Gahan ordered rock and boulders to be dumped next to the dam, but he did so without state or federal permits.
It stems from the death of 14-year-old AJ Edwards, who drowned in the area on Memorial Day this year.
In August, Gahan ordered emergency maintenance done to the dam in the form of tons of rocks dumped next to it. Because the work was done without state or federal approval, Gahan received a citation from the Indiana Department of Resources to appear in court. The U.S. Corps of Engineers then ordered the work at the dam to be stopped
The city posted a link on its website with limited information about the dam project. Gahan has not, and refuses to tell the council, public, and WDRB how much he spent on the emergency maintenance project and in legal fees.
"The main things we want to know is how much money has been sent," Councilperson Louise Gohmann, D-5th District, said. "I'm pretty sure they are not using a $50 an hour attorney, so I really don't have any clue."
Two months ago, the U.S. Corps of Engineers ordered the city to develop a plan to remove the rocks from the Silver Creek dam. So far, neither the city or Gahan's office have presented a plan.
The Corps of Engineers could now turn the case over to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The fight over the Silver Creek dam didn't start on Memorial Day.
It's been an ongoing issue since 2020, when the River Heritage Conservancy and Ecosystems Institute applied for and were granted a permit to remove the dam.
But the city, specifically Gahan's office, sued the River Heritage Conservancy, the developers of Origin Park, to stop it. The group has been up front about how much they've spent on the legal battle. In October, a chairman of the conservancy's board said they had spent $592,741.41 so far.
The group said the park will be built regardless of the efforts to stop it, including whether the dam is removed or not.
Previous Coverage:
- New Albany councilmembers demand answers from mayor about cost of Silver Creek dam legal battle
- New Albany councilmembers kept in the dark over how much the mayor has spent on Silver Creek dam
- Court orders temporary injunction against New Albany to stay away from Silver Creek Dam
- New Albany misses deadline for Silver Creek Dam restoration plans amid controversy
- New Albany's mayor takes to social media to defend emergency work at Silver Creek Dam
- Federal government issues warning to New Albany mayor for 'emergency maintenance' at Silver Creek Dam
- Indiana DNR orders city of New Albany to stop emergency repair work at Silver Creek dam
- New Albany mayor proposes safety improvements at Silver Creek dam where teen drowned on Memorial Day
- Family of 14-year-old who drowned in Silver Creek joins renewed calls for removal of dam
- 14-year-old boy's Memorial Day death reignites controversy over future of Silver Creek dam
- 14-year-old boy found dead after swimming in Silver Creek, New Albany police say
- City of New Albany files lawsuit to stop removal of dam on Silver Creek
- New Albany to object to dam removal for southern Indiana parks project
- After burying son who drowned in Silver Creek, family wants action from New Albany leaders over dam
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