Albany City Council held a brief special meeting last Thursday evening, May 30, with five of six members present and three items of business on the agenda.

The council approved first reading of budget amendments adding $428,233 into the current 2012-13 fiscal year budget to deal with various water projects.

On a motion by Councilman James “Smitty” Smith, they then voted unanimously to transfer the city’s share of a deed to a parcel of property in the Clinton County Industrial Park back to the Industrial Development Authority.

Mayor Nicky Smith explained to the council that the particular area in the industrial park had initially been deeded by the IDA to the city and county as a location of the Wellness Center. However, the site location was later changed and that facility was constructed elsewhere.

Although the city and county jointly applied for and was approved funding for the Wellness Center project, when the school district, which owned the property near the EMS and Air Evac locations across from the high school, deeded the property for the fitness center at its current location, the deed was to the county only.

Earlier last week, Clinton Fiscal Court took the same action in voting to deed the property in the industrial park back to the Industrial Authority, citing the fact that there is a potential industrial client that may be interested in the portion of property to locate a business there.

Mayor Smith indicated that since the site location in the industrial park had not been used for its original purpose, it would be better to deed the property back to the IDA.

The council then entered into an approximate 20-minute executive session to again discuss possible acquisition of property but took no official action upon returning to open session.

The council also held its regular monthly meeting this past Tuesday, June 4 but was too late for press deadline. Details of that meeting will be published in next week’s Clinton County News.