Albany City Council’s first meeting of 2022 turned out to be a special call meeting last Tuesday, January 11. This was due to its regular meeting, scheduled for the week prior being cancelled.

All council members were present last week for the half hour session, with only limited items of business on the agenda and few official votes being taken due to the fact that only specific items listed on a call meeting agenda can be voted on.

The meeting opened with several congratulations and appreciation being handed out by Albany Mayor Lyle Pierce and the council.

The mayor first thanked Tyson Foods, Sun Pools, local churches and individuals who participated in the 2021 Christmas at Home program, as well as city employees who made deliveries.

Mayor Pierce said that some 171 homes were served, including 47 nursing home residents through the Christmas at Home annual event.

The mayor also thanked the VFW, Clinton County Fair Board and Wellness Center for access to their buildings during the most recent winter storm.

Further, he thanked the city street department as well as the county and state road departments for their dedicated work at keeping roads clean during the recent storm.

It was also noted that a Bald Rock area resident, Ray Vibbert, had thanked the city for keeping water supplied to that area over the past months.

Following approval of previous meeting minutes, Councilwoman Sarah Wilson-Browning brought up a couple of items for discussion, including possible fire hydrants to the fairgrounds and questions about fire membership dues and sewer bills appearing on monthly water bills to city residents.

Browning first told the council the county was currently working with the Clinton County Fair Board to change the location of distributing commodities to the fairgrounds twice a week in a drive-through type setting. She then questioned the availability of fire hydrants to the fairgrounds.

David Guffey, with the Albany Water Department, said there was an active hydrant near the fairgrounds entrance, but there are no good hydrants left.

Browning said one was needed around the ring area on the fairgrounds property and Guffey said the water department would need to know the exact location and amount of area where water lines needed to be run.

This led to a discussion of the cost of a hydrant, plus the cost of line to run to hook up water to it.

After some further discussion, Mayor Pierce requested that an estimate on the cost be obtained as well as the location of where a hydrant would be needed and go from there.

Browning then brought up the issue as to whether or not city water customers pay fire membership dues on their monthly water bills, which City Clerk/Treasure Melissa Smith said city customers were not charged such a fee on their monthly bills.

Browning, however, said she had seen or talked to multiple people who said they had fire membership dues on their water bills each month. “Some do and some don’t,” she inferred.

City legal advisor Norb Sohm said residents who pay city taxes can pay annual fire membership dues–which is $48 per year, but if they choose not to participate, they can sign a waiver not to pay the fee.

Smith then asked Browning who in the city pays fire membership (on their water bills), with Browning saying she had seen copies of some bills that had the membership dues listed.

The councilwoman also claimed some people paid sewer bills that did not have access to city sewer.

Smith said if someone has a bill with a sewer fee attached and did not have access, they should contact the water department to have the fee removed.

Pam Allred, a former water department employee who was present at the meeting, said water bills have to be coded and if someone gets a bill that has a voluntary fee they do not wish to participate in paying should contact the water department as well.

Browning concluded by saying “There is no real clarity” to the situation.

Since the items discussed by Browning were not specifically listed on the call meeting agenda, no official action could be taken on either issue at this time.

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