Albany City Council held its regular monthly meeting last Tuesday evening, May 5 with all members present.

Mayor Nicky Smith opened the meeting by thanking Clinton County Judge/Executive Richard Armstrong and Jailer Johnny Thrasher for allowing the use of jail inmates and county workers in helping the city do recent clean-up work, noting that 94 bags of litter were picked up.

The mayor also thanked the judge for allowing the use of county equipment to do mowing in some areas of the city limits.

In further attempts to make the city look better, Mayor Smith discussed a proposal for an ordinance–similar to one used by the city of Bellevue, Kentucky–that deals with abandoned and/or blighted property.

Under the proposal, the city could impose the state maximum tax on properties that are abandoned and not cleaned up, that being to the tune of 75 cents per $100 assessed value.

The mayor explained that if such an ordinance was put in place, a three-person committee could be formed to determine locations where such property should fall under and be levied the tax for not being kept up. Once the property is cleaned up, the tax rate would revert back to the regular city tax rate.

The council is still looking into a nuisance ordinance for unsightly property in the city as well.

The council took the proposal under advisement and asked City Attorney Norb Sohm to look into the possibility of such an ordinance and make a recommendation to the council at a later date.

The council approved, on a motion by Councilman Frankie Stockton, an inter-local agreement with the Workforce Development and Opportunity Agency (WIOA), formerly WIA, an agency that assists municipalities in applying for and obtaining grant funding.

A motion by Tonya Thrasher was also passed to give the mayor authority to apply for a U.S. Department of Justice grant through the Cops Hiring Program. The grant, if approved, would be on a 75/25 matching basis (the city to fund 25 percent) over a three-year period to hire a School Resource Officer (SRO).

The council was then presented a copy of the proposed 2015-16 fiscal year budget.

Mayor Smith said the budget was very similar to the current 2014-15 year budget, did include a slight increase in salary for employees and was only $5,000 higher than the current year.

The council is expected to propose any changes and vote on the budget at its regular meeting next month. The motion to approve first reading was made by Stockton and passed unanimously.

The council also discussed removing some speed bumps on some streets that are in bad condition and causing traffic problems with drivers going around the bumps and also possibly placing speed bumps in other areas where speeding is a problem.

Councilman Tony Delk also recommended the water department get estimates on what it would cost the city to run a single water line to a remote area in the Cartwright Community, near Cartwright Mountain.

At last month’s meeting, a resident in that area addressed the council for help in obtaining water to the property. However, apparently it would take the process of removing rocks and other obstacles which the city claims they cannot afford for one water line.

Early estimates are that it would cost the city several thousand dollars to run the line.

A copy of the monthly progress report of ongoing projects was also presented and included the following project updates:

* Albany Bypass Water Service: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has notified the City that it is eligible for funding by USDA. They have requested that a meeting between the City and USDA take place to discuss the aspects of the project, particularly the conditions that will be related to the financing of the project.

The project consists of a 12-inch water line along the new Albany Bypass Highway. The project would begin near the Perry Hay farm and extend south to the intersection of the Bypass and Highway 738. The cost has been estimated to be $1,929,000 and financing would be through a combination of grants and low interest loans. An application for obtaining funds is being developed that would utilize the grant and low interest loan program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through its Rural Development program.

* Water Treatment Plant Finished Water Line: The Pipe Eyes, LLC came to the WTP (Water Treatment Plant) on April 14 to perform a video pipe inspection of the 18-inch finished water line from the plant works building to the clearwell. The 18-inch pipe has experienced flow restriction and it has been determined that a chemical reaction has developed to cause a deposit or buildup of a calcium type substance inside the pipe that is causing the restriction. Portions of this deposit have been sent off to a chemist to determine the type of chemical that may be causing this build up in the pipe. It is assumed that it may be caused by either calcium fluoride or caustic soda, a combination of both. The chemist should be able to determine the cause and recommend a solution. At the present, it has been suggested to relocate the point at which the sodium fluoride is injected into the 18-inch pipe to a point away from the caustic soda which would be at the entrance of the clearwell, and to replace approximately 40 feet of piping where the build up was formed. Monarch Engineering will report the findings and the recommendation once the results are received from the chemist.

* Raw Water Intake Pumps: There still remains an issue with one of the raw water intake pumps. A drive starter has been replaced and fixed but there is still an issue with the motor. The City plans to remove the motor and have it sent off to be fixed.

The next regular meeting of Albany City Council is scheduled for Tuesday, June 2 at 5 p.m. at city hall and is open to the general public.