Albany City Council, meeting in special session Monday, February 12 with all members present, reversed course on a pair of resolutions pertaining to the Duvall Valley water line project, as well as discussing other items of business.
City Attorney Jeff Hoover was unable to attend the called meeting.
During the council’s regular meeting earlier this month, the council had delayed voting on the resolutions approving grant assistance agreements, authorizing budget amendments, and authorizing Mayor James Bray as representative to sign documents related to the process.
Without finalizing the resolutions, it could have possibly caused a delay in the water line construction process on the project.
On Monday night, the council–on five to one votes–approved each resolution under the Clean Water Act.
Mayor Bray said the issue of the “loan” that was discussed as part of the overall funding for the project “is not on the table tonight.”
Councilman Leland Hicks made a motion to approve the first resolution, numbered 21CWW314, pertaining to parts of the grant funding. A motion on the second similar resolution involving other parts of the funding, number 22CWW197, was made by Councilwoman Rene York.
Both votes passed with Hicks, York, Randy Speck, Tim Norris and Junior Gregory voting yes and Councilman Reed Sloan casting a no vote on each.
In August of 2023, the city council had voted on the total $6.8 million funding package, which includes a $3 million AML Economic & Community Development Grant; $400,000 ARC Grant; Cleaner Water Program Grants of $375,267 and $562,071, as well as a Kentucky Infrastructure Authority (KIA) fund loan of $2.5 million.
The total project funding comes to $6,837,338.00. However, it was also learned late last year that the total project area covered in the funding amount only covers 60 percent of the total area.
Monarch Engineers and the contractors on the project, however, have said that  the amount of lines being run and a pump station being installed should definitely help get water pressure issues improved for all the affected area.
As of now, construction of the water line project is going forward as scheduled and is around half way completed.
The council also approved second and final reading on the Fire Recovery Service Agreement, which has been reviewed by city attorney Hoover.
The agreement will allow the local fire department to bill insurance companies for costs involving vehicle accident responses, add-on services, water incidents, and so forth.
According to documentation in the agreement with the fire recovery company, mitigation rates are per hour on average billing.
For example, for a Level 1 motor vehicle accident, the insurance company could be billed $584, which would include the fire department providing hazardous materials assessment and scene stabilization.
The amount increases per level of service provided by each fire department.
The Fire Recovery company would receive 20 percent of each payment collected for insurance with 80 percent of the funds recovered from insurance collections going to the local fire department to cover its costs.
The same percentage rates would apply to add-on services such as extrication  from vehicles, creating a landing zone (for air ambulance), Hazmat service, water incidents and special rescues when fire department members are called to respond.
Councilman Junior Gregory had been working on getting a Fire Recovery agreement in place for some time in hopes of helping an already financially strapped fire department obtain additional revenue for things such as equipment.
Gregory made the motion to approve second reading of the Fire Recovery Service agreement, which passed unanimously.
In other business Monday, the council:
* On a motion by York, approved authorizing Mayor Bray to sign all documents relating to the  funding of the Albany Police Department Mobile Data Terminal Project;
* Delayed discussion or any action pertaining to changes in the city’s nuisance ordinance until the city attorney could be present to give input;
* Council members received water bills from neighboring Cumberland County to review and possibly consider changes and due dates to Albany’s bills. The matter is expected to be discussed more at a later meeting.
The council held yet another special called meeting Wednesday of this week (too late for press deadline) to discuss and/or take action on some unfinished items of business.
(Details of that meeting will be published next week.)
The next regular meeting of Albany City Council is scheduled for March 5 at 5 p.m. in the conference room at City Hall and is open to the public.

The above map shows the location of the Duvall Valley waterline improvement project.