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City budget talks continue

• The city of Albany's final budget presentation is scheduled for May 13.

Barbara Rivera Holmes

ALBANY — While hearing budget presentations from a variety of department heads, Albany city commissioners Tuesday delved into other conversations, including the lease of some of its property and, as tenants in at least two county-owned buildings, additional maintenance fees.

Commissioners learned Tuesday while initially discussing fiber-optics that while it owns the building occupied by the Water, Gas & Light Commission, it charges the agency no tenant fees. Meanwhile, the city pays the commission for fiber-optics in certain areas.

“We also don’t charge for the 600-acre Lily Pond (Drive) site they (WG&L) occupy,” City Attorney Nathan Davis said during the commission’s work session Tuesday.

Commissioners learned Tuesday that they pay maintenance fees on top of tenant fees for the buildings at 222 Pine Ave. and 240 Pine Ave., which the county owns and in which the city rents space.

As Information Technology Director John Antoniewicz spoke to commissioners about a new major system that will connect the individual city data systems, the board was told that WG&L has access to the city’s data server, but the city cannot access the utility’s, in part because “there is no direct integration of their system (to the city’s),” Antoniewicz said.

At the time of the software purchase, said Antoniewicz, there was not a utility package that matched the city’s system.

In keeping up with demand for the services, Antoniewicz asked commissioners to allow for another two staff members to join his department of 16, which includes 14 full-time employees, one part-timer and one contract employee.

Commissioners also mulled creating an information technology department that would integrate WG&L. Already the city and Dougherty County share the department.

“Maybe it’s time to look at consolidation” of city/county and WG&L IT departments, Mayor Willie Adams said.

“If we are going to swallow that department, I don’t think we can accomplish that in two months,” Commissioner Bob Langstaff said in reference to the current fiscal year that ends June 30.

In the meantime, City Manager Al Lott, who had initially denied Antoniewicz’s request for the additional staff, said, “I’d like to go ahead and hire these two people and if at some point there is a consolidation, we can make adjustments.

“I want to give our IT department the opportunity to do their job today,” Lott said.

Others asking for extra personnel are the city attorney’s office and the Municipal Court. Assistant City Manager for Public Services James Taylor asked for administrative help for Downtown Manager Don Buie.

Judge Willie C. Weaver from the Municipal Court said he needs a part-time employee “to help with the backlog.”

Davis asked for $10,000 raises for two staff members, as well as a third attorney, a total request of about $150,000.

Davis’ last request fueled conversation as to the office’s efficiency. Davis said he needs a third attorney so he can focus more on code enforcement, which the city has been aggressively targeting for months.

Code Enforcement has identified 131 dilapidated structures in the city’s six wards.

“If another attorney is going to expedite this ... we have to put our money where our mouth is,” said Commissioner Jon Howard.

Questioning the need in future years, not all officials were receptive to the idea of a third attorney. Instead, some preferred hiring an attorney under a renewable three-year contract.

Following Albany Civic Center Director John Mazzola’s presentation, commissioners were receptive to Langstaff’s idea of creating a fund that could provide assistance to potential tenants who contribute positively to quality of life or further economic development.

“The Civic Center was never intended to break even, just like the (Albany Municipal) Auditorium and (the Parks at) Chehaw,” Langstaff said.

“These are quality-of-life issues and economic development tools,” he said. “It’s the value you are getting for every dollar you are spending. That’s what matters to me.”

“We could easily put aside $100,000 for a fund like that,” Adams said. “We can at least give it a try for a year or two.”

Commissioners also heard from Finance Director Kris Newton, who said the city has “a healthy fund balance and cash.”

After Newton’s presentation, which included a request for additional departmental funding in part due to increases at the city/county tax department, commissioners questioned their 18 percent contribution to the latter and whether the extra costs were due in part to the contested county tax digest and county litigation.

Final budget discussions are set for 8:30 a.m. May 13 at the government center at 222 Pine Ave.

The budget for fiscal year 2009, which starts July 1, budget must be adopted by June 30.

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