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City settles with Albany Heights owners
Albany City Attorney Nathan Davis announced just after noon Tuesday that the city has settled its lawsuit over more than $2.1 million in unpaid federal loans it said was owed by the owners of the Albany Heights assisted-living facility.
Source: Albany Herald
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Albany City Manager James Taylor preaches austerity in city budget
While budget time is about self-preservation -- saving my job, funding my projects, purchasing my equipment, protecting my turf -- for many of the people he works with in the city's government, it's a much simpler process for Albany City Manager James Taylor.
Source: Albany Herald
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Student wins essay contest
Merry Acres Middle School 12-year-old Armon Garner shakes hands with Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard, and writing strategies teacher Rhonda Harden, center, as he receives a certificate for participating in the Georgia Municipal Association’s “If I Were Mayor I Would ... “ essay contest Thursday.
Source: Albany Herald
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Blind citizens concerned with street safety
Some 25 blind and visually impaired people gathered Tuesday at the ARC Center for the Blind, 1500-B Gillionville Road, to hear Ward II Commissioner Ivey Hines and to talk about some problems each of them face on a daily basis.
Source: Albany Herald
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City OKs nonbinding local preference policy
Albany City Commissioners gave tentative approval Tuesday to a local preference policy that will give local vendors an option to match bids on goods and services that are within 2 percent of the lowest, responsive and responsible bid submitted by out-of-town vendors.
Source: Albany Herald
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Taylor: City's FY 2014 budget $108.6 million
City Manager James Taylor gave Albany City Commissioners their first detailed look at the city's proposed Fiscal Year 2014 budget during the commission's work session Tuesday morning, and it was a budget that reflects the economic struggles of the region.
Source: Albany Herald
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Black mayors stress teamwork for success
The Georgia Conference of Black Mayors held their spring conference at the Hilton Garden Inn this weekend to discuss a teamwork approach toward their cities and the state.
Source: Albany Herald
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Riverfront eyeing N'orleans feel with expansion
Standing inside the covered building at the corner of Front Street and Broad Avenue, Dale Saunders gets a little nostalgic, remembering the times when he bought tires from a former business that once occupied the space.
Source: Albany Herald
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Fletcher to make bid for City Commission
Businesswoman B.J. Fletcher announced Monday she will seek the Ward III Albany City Commission seat currently held by Christopher Pike in the city’s Nov. 5 Municipal Election.
Source: Albany Herald
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City OKs funding for pedestrian bridge
The Albany City Commission gave non-binding approval Tuesday to utilization of $1.69 million in Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax VI funding to build a pedestrian bridge across South Slappey Boulevard for use by students at Albany Technical College.
Source: Albany Herald
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DCA: Hotel/motel taxes can be used for salaries, with some exceptions
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs, the government arm that oversees administration of hotel/motel tax revenues, says that the Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau can use tax proceeds to fund part of an executive’s salary, but only if the position meets certain conditions.
Source: Albany Herald
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City wants more information on CVB, Chamber relationship
The Albany City Commission wants additional information on the relationship between the Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce following the city attorney’s determination that roughly $86,000 going toward the salary of three chamber officials may run afoul of state law.
Source: Albany Herald
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ADICA delays bid on State Theater improvements
The Albany-Dougherty Inner City Authority board held off on voting to approve Kinney Construction Co.'s low bid of $607,777 to stabilize and renovate the downstairs portion of the historic State Theater on North Jackson Street, deciding instead to wait until requested information was provided before taking the vote.
Source: Albany Herald
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Hearing attendees favor current transit site
More than 40 Albany citizens, most of them regular riders of the Albany Transit System, attended a public hearing at the downtown Government Center here Tuesday to hear an update on a long-delayed multimodal transit site being considered by the Albany City Commission.
Source: Albany Herald
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City asked to finance airport tower
Dr. Bill Mayher, the chairman of the Albany-Dougherty Aviation Commission, told Albany city commissioners Tuesday morning cost for the city to run operations of the air traffic control tower at the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport would come in at around a half-million dollars a year.
Source: Albany Herald
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Battle to make WG&L a city department grows heated
The Water, Gas & Light Commission here may inevitably be reaffirmed as a proper department of the city, but if Tuesday night's first-reading discussion and vote on the matter by the Albany City Commission is any indication, it won't happen easily.
Source: Albany Herald
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City on lesbian and gay rights: 'We follow state's lead'
As the U.S. Supreme Court begins weighing the issue of gay marriage at both the state and federal level this week, officials at in Albany say, for the meantime, that their lesbian and gay employees will have as many rights as the state gives them.
Source: Albany Herald
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Vote favors WG&L as a city department
The Albany City Commission voted at its regular meeting Tuesday night to amend the city's charter as reaffirmation that the Water, Gas & Light Commission is a department of the city and its general manager will be hired and fired by the city manager.
Source: Albany Herald
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National leaders hear Albany post office, airport appeals
Dougherty County Commission Chairman Jeff Sinyard said Wednesday afternoon the lines of communication between United States Postal Service officials and local leaders had been opened after a meeting at U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop's office here earlier in the day.
Source: Albany Herald
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City-based Job Investment Fund agreement hits snag
The Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission approved a policy and criteria plan for the Albany City Commission-financed Job Investment Fund at the EDC's monthly meeting Wednesday, but discussion of the plan indicated it is far from ready for implementation.
Source: Albany Herald
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City votes for tighter reins on Aviation, WG&L
Albany City Commissioners voted Tuesday to take a more active role in the running of the city's Aviation and Water, Gas & Light commissions, but the non-binding vote in each case was only 4-3, leaving open the possibility that the outcome could change at the commission's night business meeting next week.
Source: Albany Herald
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City awards $500,000 in HUD funds to Bethel CHODO
There was obvious reluctance on the part of the Albany City Commission, but in the end commissioners gave non-binding approval that would allow AME Bethel Housing L.P. to use $500,000 in federal HOME Investment Partnership Program funds to upgrade and manage an apartment complex in East Albany.
Source: Albany Herald
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County, city officials to make post office pitch
Dougherty County Commission Chairman Jeff Sinyard and Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard are making one more direct pitch today to encourage U. S. Postal Service officials to consider allowing a local vendor to maintain a "village" post office concept at the downtown post office at 345 W. Broad Ave., which has already dodged one closure deadline.
Source: Albany Herald
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Hotel/Motel tax passes on second vote
A hotel/motel tax increase that has lingered in the Georgia House of Representatives for the last week thanks to some political maneuvering among Republicans and Democrats, overwhelmingly passed Wednesday.
Source: Albany Herald
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Fulton County spat prompts lawmakers to table Albany Hotel/motel tax bill
A bill that was originally passed by the Georgia House of Representatives but then lumped into a package that was up for reconsideration Monday has now been tabled by lawmakers in a move one local representative says is akin to holding all of the state's local legislation "hostage."
Source: Albany Herald
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Hubbard: MCLB, post office topics of D.C. trip
Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard told members of a local civic club Monday that city and county leaders’ recent trip to the nation’s capital to meet with the region’s legislative delegation should pay dividends for the community.
Source: Albany Herald
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City prepares for LOST arbitration
The showdown for the 1 percent local-option sales tax funds that pour into Albany and Dougherty County every day, a showdown that has been acrimonious at times as city and county governments seek every crumb of the multimillion-dollar pie, has moved to the next and final stage.
Source: Albany Herald
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City ponders next multimodal transit step
Just when it seemed the city of Albany's drawn-out, decade-plus-in-the-making transit center was on the verge of actually moving from drawing board to reality, another in a long line of monkey wrenches was thrown into the works.
Source: Albany Herald
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City paves way for new businesses
The Albany City Commission paved the way for a pair of new businesses in Northwest Albany Tuesday night by approving rezoning requests on property located along Ledo and Dawson roads.
Source: Albany Herald
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SPLOST funds can't be used for multimodal station, officials say
Albany city commissioners learned Tuesday that $4 million in special sales tax proceeds originally designated to help build a new transit facility near downtown likely can't be used for that project, threatening the future of the project and leaving commissioners with more questions about the controversial project.
Source: Albany Herald
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Vinson report presented to city
Asked about the Albany City Commission's expressed desire to have more of a say on operations of the city's Water, Gas & Light Commission, city and WG&L officials have offered virtually the same reply: We're waiting for the report from the Carl Vinson Institute.
Source: Albany Herald
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Big Daddy’s loses alcohol license
Big Daddy’s Lounge owner Gilbert Udoto became the “odd man out” Tuesday afternoon when Albany city commissioners voted 5-0-2 not to renew the alcohol license of one of his clubs.
Source: Albany Herald
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City makes board appointments
The Albany City Commission took care of some of its mandatory housecleaning chores at its first business meeting of 2013 Tuesday night, appointing (or reappointing) local citizens to a number of boards and commissions.
Source: Albany Herald
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Charley B's, Club Xscape keep licenses
By virtue of a lack of four votes in support of an amendment not to renew alcohol licenses at Charley B's Sports Bar and Grill and Club Xscape, the Albany City Commission, in effect, renewed both nightclubs' licenses at its business meeting Tuesday night.
Source: Albany Herald
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Care home ordinance expected to progress
Barring some unforeseen, last-minute snafu, the Albany City Commission is expected to pass an updated personal care home ordinance at tonight's business meeting, lifting a 120-day moratorium that has kept operators of such homes from moving forward with plans to open the facilities in residential neighborhoods.
Source: Albany Herald
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City to WG&L: No cleanup money
The Albany City Commission effectively drew a line in the sand in its ongoing power struggle with the city's Water, Gas & Light Commission Tuesday, refusing to contribute requested funding in the initial phase of the cleanup of an environmental hazard site.
Source: Albany Herald
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Rawson Circle residents fight personal care home
A large contingent of residents in the historic Rawson Circle neighborhood asked the Albany City Commission Tuesday to not allow a personal care home to be located in their neighborhood, saying such facilities will, among other grievances, devalue their homes.
Source: Albany Herald
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Taylor: Get ready for budget cuts
Albany City Manager James Taylor offered an early warning to department heads Tuesday as they prepare to dive headlong into the 2013-14 budget process: Get ready to make cuts.
Source: Albany Herald
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GDOT official: State must maximize resources
The Georgia Department of Transportation's director of planning told officials in Albany and Leesburg Thursday that DOT will be looking for projects that "move the needle" as the agency more closely scrutinizes "scarce resources."
Source: Albany Herald
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City to start eviction process against airport restaurant owner
Following a brief executive session at which members sought legal advice from the assistant city attorney, the Albany-Dougherty Aviation Commission voted Monday at a special called meeting to begin eviction proceedings against the owners of a restaurant/bar located at the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport.
Source: Albany Herald
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WG&L crew provides Sandy relief
There's an old saying that circulates among the unheralded utilities linemen who keep the electricity flowing into our homes and businesses: God created linemen because firemen need heroes, too.
Source: Albany Herald
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ADICA OKs loft conversion program
Addressing what board member Phil Cannon called the “missing element” downtown, the Albany-Dougherty Inner City Authority board approved a loft conversion program Thursday that could soon bring residents into the district.
Source: Albany Herald
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Legislators meet with local officials
Members of the area’s state legislative delegation got an earful and then some Tuesday during all-day meetings with the Dougherty County and Albany City commissions, the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce, the presidents of Darton State and Albany Technical colleges and representatives of the local judicial delegation.
Source: Albany Herald
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City OKs amended occupational tax increase
The Albany City Commission tabled for a second month a planned public hearing on a rezoning request and decided not to vote on alcohol license applications and a proposed intergovernmental agreement with the Flint RiverQuarium that would have included funding for the aquarium because of the absence of three commissioners from Tuesday's business meeting.
Source: Albany Herald
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