Albany City Council approved the Lake Cumberland Area Development District Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan as the official plan for the City of Albany, among other matters, at its monthly meeting last Tuesday evening, October 4. All council members were present for the brief session that lasted only about 20 minutes.

Mayor Nicky Smith opened the meeting that thanked the handful of volunteers who helped around the downtown area Saturday, October 1 for the first annual City of Albany Cleanup Day. Those few volunteers picked up about four bags of trash from around the downtown area.

Although participation for the pilot event was light, it is hoped the Cleanup Day will become an annual event the first Saturday of October and that participation, especially among businesses, will pick up in future years.

David Bowles of Monarch Engineers then gave the monthly progress report on ongoing projects.

Bowles said he was working with city water employees on some issues but otherwise, all projects were complete and everything was going well.

The engineers are still awaiting the approved from the Department of Transportation as to when to proceed with relocation of utility lines from near the radio station west of Albany southward, eventually to the Tennessee state line in correlation with the Albany By-Pass project.

The council, on a motion by James “Smitty” Smith, voted to declare a vehicle, a 1998 Crown Vic with no working transmission and a Power Boss Street Sweeper as surplus property and sell “as is” via bids, which will be opened at next month’s meeting.

On a motion by Tonya Thrasher, voted to approve the AD District’s updated Hazard Mitigation Plan. The plan, which deals with how counties and municipalities deal with disasters, such as floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc., is updated every five years and administered through the Area Development District.

The city approved the measure by resolution, which reads in part:

“Whereas, certain areas of the City of Albany are subject to periodic flooding, tornadoes, severe winter storms, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, landslides and other natural hazards that have potential to cause damages to people and properties within the area…the city desires to prepare and mitigate for such natural hazards.

“Under the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), requires that local jurisdictions have in place a FEMA-approved Mitigation Action Plan as a condition of receipt of certain future federal mitigation funding after November 1, 2004.

The Lake Cumberland Area Development District Regional Mitigation Plan was developed in accordance with the regulations of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 and the guidance provided by FEMA, the City of Albany fully participated in the prescribed mitigation planning process to prepare this Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan.

“The Kentucky Division of Emergency Management and Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region IV officials have reviewed the LCADD plan five-year update (September 2011) and approved it contingent upon this official adoption of the participating governments and entities.

“To assist cities and counties in meeting this requirement, the Lake Cumberland AD has facilitated the development of a multi-jurisdictional hazard Mitigation Plan covering member jurisdictions of the Lake Cumberland Area District, including the City of Albany and the city has participated in the planning process.”

In other business, the council:

* Voted to close off the usual streets in down town Albany during the Foothills Festival.

* Set official trick-or-treat hours on Monday, October 31 in the city limits from 5 to 8 p.m.

* Discussed whether the city had an ordinance in place to deal with areas in the city limits that aren’t cleaned up by property owners. A couple of council members questioned an area in south Albany where they had some concerns.

City Attorney Norb Sohm said the city had in place an ordinance that allows the city to clean up some properties, when necessary, and send the property owner the bill. If the bill for the cleanup isn’t paid, the city could put a lien on the property.

Mayor Smith noted the area in south Albany that was being questioned didn’t relate to any local ordinance and no official action was taken.

* Council members also discussed blacktopping that will be added to Allen Street; moving Maple Street, next to Burger King and requesting the state Department of Transportation consider a turning lane be put between the Exxon station and Nolan Street due to heavy traffic congestion in that area.

The next regular meeting of Albany City Council is scheduled for Tuesday, November 1 at 5 p.m. at city hall and is open to the public.