Government 101 classes give Albany residents insight into city operations
Staff Photo: Alan Mauldin
By Alan Mauldin
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ALBANY — Whether it’s a sheet of paper that is used within a short period of time, a giant dirt-moving machine, the building that machine is housed in or a utility pole expected to last decades, Albany’s Central Services Department has a hand in the purchase or construction of those items.
In addition, the department provides purchasing services for the Dougherty County government.
That department and the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) were the focus of the fourth Government 101 session for the second cohort taking the course.
The six sessions are intended to give city residents an idea of how their government works and provides services. Other topics include government structure, public safety, fleet and transit, recreation and parks, and city services.
During the most recent class on June 13, held at the Arthur K. Williams Micro Business Center, representatives from the two departments gave a brief overview on what they do and how their work benefits the city and those who live there.
The information wasn’t just given in lecture form, as a video from DCED spiced up the presentation with testimonies of residents who had benefited from the department’s programs. Participants also had the opportunity to ask questions and had further discussion over dinner.
“Our job is to get the right product at the right time at the right price” for the various departments, Joshua Williams, a buyer with the Central Services Department told the audience of about 20. “We work with the big corporations all the way down to mom and pops.”
Once a product is purchased, the work doesn’t stop there. The department also is involved in maintaining storage of supplies and tools for all city departments and for the county when requested, provides forklift support for all departments and disposes of surplus goods.
“(The city is involved) From the inception of an idea we need something, to purchase, to when it gets to the end of its life cycle and how we get rid of it,” buyer Tina Strassenberg said.
New City Manager Steven Carter also tasked Central Services with monitoring the compliance of city grants.
Officials with DCED highlighted some of that department’s responsibilities and successes in the short video that featured organizations and businesses that have benefited from loans and other support.
The department’s programs cover a number of areas, from affordable housing, rental housing and assistance, loans, flood mitigation initiatives, loans to businesses, and emergency repairs that assist low- to moderate-income residents in fixing or cleaning up unsafe or unsanitary housing conditions.
“This class is just phenomenal, to see how all the departments work,” Shauna Motley, president and CEO of the United Way of Southwest Georgia said at the conclusion of the program. “It has been a wonderful opportunity.”
As someone who has been mulling an idea for a small business herself, the DCED presentation was particularly interesting for Motley.
“I’m actually going to sign up and see if my business dream is (feasible) and how it can benefit the community,” she said.
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