Albany City Council held its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, July 1, with five of six council members present.
The council again dealt with ongoing water related projects, as well as current and proposed grant funding possibilities to upgrade the water system and eventually construct a new water plant.
After approving minutes from two previous meetings, the council first agreed to declare an old fire department vehicle, a 1969 American LaFrance truck, as surplus and advertise the truck for sale.
Under old business, at the June council meeting, the mayor and council had discussed the upkeep of lift stations and other water related items in the old industrial park on Hwy. 90, and the amount it was costing the city to maintain.
The council agreed it would be more feasible for the city to opt out of maintaining the equipment and let the businesses bear the cost.
City Attorney Jeff Hoover updated the council on that issue after researching the matter, saying the property had originally been deeded to Fitzgerald Trucking many years ago, but now “has various individuals” listed as owners.
Due to that, he said the city was limited in what they could do, but he would continue to explore options since it is not feasible for the city to maintain the upkeep of the lift stations.
The council then moved on to new business items, with Councilman Reed Sloan making a motion to close off a portion of West Cumberland Street between the Foothills Building and Cash Express for the “All For Benny” fund raising event to be held in September. The motion passed by unanimous vote.
Various department reports were then given, as Albany Mayor James Bray gave the water treatment plant report.
The mayor said Plant A had treated 52.1 million gallons of water, or 87 percent of its capacity last month, which Plant B had treated 65.9 million, or just 73 percent of that plant’s capacity.
A total of 118 million gallons of water were treated and it was noted the capacity percentage of treatment has gone down significantly over the past several months.
Albany Fire Department Chief Robert Roeper then gave the monthly fire department run report for the month of June. (A copy of that report appears elsewhere in this issue.)
The fire chief also said that Wisdom Dock, which is apparently associated with Safe Harbor, offered to purchase a fire rescue boat the department could use in case of water rescue emergencies, and could be taken from one area to another.
A discussion then ensued, with Mayor Bray asking about the liability issues if the equipment is owned by the dock owners rather than the city, with Roeper saying the firemen would apparently be covered by workers compensation.
Attorney Hoover noted the first line of coverage would fall on the city and secondly on the dock owners. The dock owners would have to list the city on its policy in order to use the equipment.
It was agreed that Attorney Hoover and the fire chief would get together and decide what to do about the offer.
Albany Police Chief Mark Bell then gave the monthly Albany Police Department report for June, with a copy of that report also appearing elsewhere this week.
The police chief also thanked the mayor and council for their continued support of the APD.
David Guffey then gave the council a brief water distribution report for June, which included the water department having installed nine meter boxes and repaired 28 water leaks.
The engineer’s monthly report was then given by Toby Church and Travis Harper, of Commonwealth Engineers
Church noted the short term loan to fund design work on a new water treatment plant had been applied for, as the city needed to have something done by December 31 of this year to get a permit from the Kentucky Division of Water.
It was indicated last month this is a first step in getting a water plant project “shovel ready.”
The primary engineer also made a request from the council asking for them to amend payment to the engineering firm for an extra $60,000 due to the high volume of work that the company has put in thus far, including the time worked on water related projects.
Church said about $30,000, or half of the amount requested had already been used in expenses and work time.
A great deal of the work has been done on applying for various grants to fund projects, primarily that of locating money to put toward a new water treatment plant, which is apparently the most crucial infrastructure need the city has at present.
The company has also worked to help fund the new master meter and residential water meter project, which got underway across the county this week.
Following the request, Councilman Junior Gregory made a motion to amend the payment to Commonwealth Engineers to increase their fees by $60,000 for work and expenses. The motion passed without opposition.
Church then presented the council with an Economic Development Grant opportunity, due to disasters that occurred in the state in late winter of 2023 and the spring of 2024.
Although Albany and Clinton County were not declared disaster areas by state or federal officials, they were contiguous to areas that had been declared as disaster areas, apparently making Albany eligible for assistance up to $20 million in the form of an 80/20 matching grant funds.
The engineer and the City of Albany are asking the public for help in supporting such a grant application by sending photos of damage to forward to proper funding agencies, to support the need for the money.
The city and engineers are asking that if anyone has photos of damage related to storms that occurred on March 3 and 4 of 2023 and May 20 and 21 of 2024 to forward them to the City of Albany.
“We need pictures, newspaper articles, etc.,” of the damage from those storms to present with the grant application, Church noted.
(Anyone with such photos who would like to share to help with the grant application may bring them to Albany City Hall or call 606-387-6011 for more information.)
Apparently, if such a grant is approved, the money could be used for the water system, including the new proposed water plant project.
Church also said engineers and the city are currently working on “zoning” the areas where the new — 33 total — master meters will be installed.
Approximately 4,000 new residential meters are also being put in place this summer and early fall.
Mayor Bray praised Commonwealth Engineers for their tireless work and efforts to obtain funding and put in place much needed water system upgrades in the city and county.
Travis Harper, also with Commonwealth, said funding for the total new lift station project, at the corner of Hospital and East Cumberland Streets, has been approved and officials have met with homeowners to obtain easements, with the project to be advertised for bids beginning this week.
Harper also discussed the residential meter project, noting that door hangers would be put up this week in areas of the county where the new meters will be installed first.
He added once the meter installation project begins, it would be “full speed ahead.”
Mayor Bray said he feels like the city is doing “extraordinarily well,” and also added money has been allocated in the budget for new generators and that overall, water production is down drastically.
The city council’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 5,at 5 p.m. at City Hall.