Albany City Council dealt with various items of business at its regular monthly meeting last Tuesday, October 6 with five of six members present.

Albany Mayor Nicky Smith first presented council members with some good news about the city’s new ISO classification, which may mean lower insurance rates for Albany and Clinton County residents following a recent Public Protection Classification (PPC) survey by ISO, which reduced the city’s and county’s classification from a Class 5 to a Class 4 status.

ISO completed the analysis of the structural fire suppression delivery system provided to the community. ISO ratings are often used by insurance carriers in helping determine insurance rates for residents in cities and counties.

Mayor Smith said the reclassification down to a four could help residents and commercial businesses on insurance premiums. He went on to thank Albany Fire Chief Robert Roeper and the fire department, Lanny Bowlin with the water department, and the local Emergency Management for their assistance with the ISO survey.

In a letter addressed to the mayor, judge-executive Richard Armstrong and others, ISO Manager-National Processing Center, said in part, “ISO’s Public Classification Program plays an important role in the underwriting process of insurance companies. In fact, most U.S. insurers–including the largest ones–use PPC information as part of their decision-making when deciding what business to write, coverage to offer or prices to charge for personal or commercial property insurance.”

“PPC is important to communities and fire departments as well. Communities whose PPC improves may get lower insurance prices. PPC also provides fire departments with a valuable benchmark, and is used by many departments as a valuable tool when planning, budgeting and justifying fire protection improvements.”

“ISO appreciates the high level of cooperation extended by local officials during the entire PPC survey process…the classification is a direct result of the information gathered, and is dependent on the resource levels devoted to fire protection in existence at the time of the survey.”

“ISO is the leading supplier of data and analytics for the property/casualty insurance industry. Most insurers use PPC classifications for underwriting and calculating premiums for residential, commercial and industrial properties.”

The council approved a measure to create a School Resource Officer (SRO) position by voting to accept a 75/25 matching grant from the U.S. Department of Justice COPS program in the total amount of $131,844.11.

The three-year grant will see a SRO position created with the officer being an employee of the city with the Albany Police Department and serve with the department when not in a school setting. The city received funding of $98,883.00 from the DOJ, and will fund the remaining $32,961, or just under $11,000 per year over a three-year period to employ the School Resource Officer.

The council also dealt with the annual “Halloween” issues, including voting to set trick-or-treat hours in the city limits from 5-8 p.m. and will have its fourth annual “trick-or-treating” on the square. Residents (city or county) who wish to set up a booth on the square to pass out treats to children in one central location can reserve a spot by calling City Clerk Melissa Smith at 387-6011.

The city is also asking residents to adhere to the Little Princess Resolution, adopted in 2012, “suggesting and encouraging safe participation” in Halloween “trick-or-treat” festivities. The resolution was passed in honor and in memory of Aleigha Duvall, a little girl who lost her life in a tragic vehicle/pedestrian accident on Halloween night four years ago.

The resolution says in part that the city “strongly suggests and urges parents and caretakers of our future trick or treaters to require some safety measures such as reflective material or other safety equipment such as glow sticks or artificial light which would be visible around the child from all directions which would provide said child a visibility to all motorists and others which may be on the streets and byways.”

Following last week’s meeting, council members also went around downtown Albany placing purple ribbons on store front doors in commemoration of Duvall as a way to remind the public of the importance of Halloween safety.

In other business, the council:

* Heard a note of thanks from Water Department Supervisor Lanny Bowlin following a recent illness;

* Voted to declare a 1998 Chevy 3/4 ton 4×4 as surplus property to be sold via sealed bid;

* Approved a budget amendment to reflect a $7,500 contribution from the city toward the track and other repaving work at Mountain View Park;

* Held a 10-minute closed session on possible litigation with no action being taken;

* Discussed ways to possibly improve sidewalks and parking in the city limits and downtown with no action being taken.

Due to the next regular meeting of Albany City Council falling on general election day, the meeting date has been changed, making it a special call meeting.