All city employees were given not only a pay hike for the work they do, but an added bonus thanks to a reimbursement for safety from the city’s insurance carrier.
Albany City Council, meeting in regular session last Tuesday, October 1, unanimously voted to give all city employees–with the exception of the mayor, council members and city clerk–a $2 per hour raise effective with their next pay period this month.
Albany Mayor James Bray, as part of his new business reports to the council and others present, noted that KEMI Insurance, the city’s insurance carrier, has allotted the city a $15,000 “safety” bonus for the low number of claims filed over the past year.
The mayor said that if split among the council members and city clerk, the amount of the bonus would be $325 per person and excluding the aforementioned, the amount for the remaining employees would be $395 per person.
Councilman Reed Sloan made a motion to give city employees, with the exceptions noted, a one-time $395 bonus, which passed by unanimous vote.
The mayor also noted that city expenses have gone down an average of $9,000 per month and credited each department and employees for that decrease and further proposed the $2 per hour wage hike, effective with their next paycheck.
The motion to grant the pay increase was made by Councilman Junior Gregory and also passed without opposition.
The mayor had noted earlier in the meeting that a rate study had not yet been completed, as officials with Rural Kentucky did not have enough accurate and complete data compiled to make a recommendation on pay rates at this time, saying that would take time.
However, he said he hoped that after the study is complete, the city would hopefully be able to increase wages for employees even more.
The council also took up ongoing issues, such as back taxes to the IRS and state, as well as hearing project updates and other matters.
The 45 minute meeting opened with a Foothills Festival representative requesting the city close off the usual streets for the upcoming event.
Councilman Sloan moved to close off Jefferson and Washington Streets all day and night on Friday and Saturday, October 18 and 19, the two primary days of the festival. All members voted yes.
After approving minutes from the previous meeting, on a motion by Councilman Leland Hicks, the mayor announced that the clean water excess funds of $777,338 has been reallocated toward other projects, including going in part to much needed water plant generators.
He also gave several totals on back taxes owed to the state and IRS from the years of 2020 and 2021, saying a total of $241,000 had been owed collectively.
He continued that the city was able to cancel some debt owed from health care retirement withholding on some employees in the amount of $13,743.98, adding the city was actively working to get information on persons whose retirement was not paid in and the city should have that corrected by the end of this year.
Bray also claimed that many local vendors had “cut the city off” and would no longer allow credit and bills have been backtracked to 2022. He said that situation with vendors was being taken care of at present.
The council, on a motion by Councilman Tim Norris, then voted to set the annual “Trick-or-Treat” hours in the City of Albany from 5 to 8 p.m. on Halloween night, unchanged from previous years.
Since the next regular meeting of the city council was scheduled for general election day, November 5, the council opted to change the meeting date to Monday, November 4, which will make the session a special called meeting by law.
The motion to change the date was made by Councilman Gregory and passed unanimously.
The council then discussed declaring three old police department firearms as surplus and possibly allow other officers currently on the force an opportunity to acquire those weapons if legally possible.
Albany Police Chief Mark Bell noted there were only three guns remaining because when some other officers left or retired, they retained their weapons or, in some cases, had used their own guns.
Councilwoman Renee York moved to declare the guns surplus property, which received unanimous approval.
Following a brief discussion, Councilman Norris made a motion to allow the mayor to dispose of the guns “according to Kentucky law,” with the motion passing by unanimous vote.
The mayor informed the council the city was at a current surplus of over $314,000 in the current budget, after bills were paid.
He said that the surplus is up 19 percent from January to August of this year and up 59 percent compared to 2022.
It was then announced that bids on master meters would be advertised this week. Also, bids will be advertised for generators. The mayor said he has asked the county for some assistance on a generator at one of the plants.
APD Chief Bell then gave the monthly report for September, with a separate article on that report published elsewhere this week.
Jeff Conner gave the monthly water distribution and treatment plant report, noting plants A and B had produced over 135.2 million gallons of water, again saying that is about all the plants could produce.
A water department representative also gave an update, noting there had been 10 meter installations and also reported on the number of water leaks found and repaired, along with other services water department employees provide.
It was also noted the new GPS mapping system would soon be in place, allowing for water leaks to be detected more frequently, making repairs quicker.
Street Department Supervisor Brooks Ferguson then presented the monthly street department report, including the amount of trash collected from city streets in the past month, along with street sign repairs and other work.
Toby Church of Commonwealth Engineers then gave the monthly progress report, first touching on the bidding for new master meters and residential water meters.
Church noted the new meters would more correctly gage the amount of water actually flowing through the meters that the city charges for, noting there are about 4,000 such residential meters that will be installed.
The engineer estimated the city could see a 30-36 percent revenue increase once the meters are installed and operational.
He also asked the council to let some local bidders, who may be qualified in doing the work of setting meters, to submit bids on the project.
Finally, Church said there were some findings in a recent water plant inspection report, but added there was “nothing concerning” and that the findings should help the city be closer to the top when it comes to applying for funds for upgrades.
Lastly, a water department office employee thanked the council, not only for the increase in pay, but giving up their part of the insurance bonus money to spread out among the remainder of city employees.
The council held a special called meeting last Thursday afternoon for a bid opening and consideration of actions to take on old police department firearms that had been declared surplus property. (A separate article on that meeting can be found on page 1.)
The council will hold its November meeting on Monday, November 4, at 5 p.m. in lieu of its regular monthly meeting. Although the meeting will be a special called session, the same regular business items will be on the agenda.
The meeting, which will be held in the conference room at City Hall, is open to the public.