Albany council

Opening up Vine St. along canal? Not really

Written December 11th, 2022 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 4 responses.

For a moment there, it looked as though the City of Albany was making progress in opening up, for public use, sections of the Vine Street right-of-way alongside the Santiam Canal.

Posted in: Bicycling, Commentary, News
Tags: Albany council, Albany Public Works, canal maintenance, encroachment, right-of-way, Santiam Canal, Vine Street

Demolition meeting ends on a sour note

Written November 28th, 2022 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 17 responses.

Monday’s meeting of the Albany Revitalization Agency was called to award a demolition contract for the former Wells Fargo branch downtown. It ended on a sour note when the chair, Councilwoman Bessie Johnson, formally accused member Dick Olsen of violating the secrecy of an executive session.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany council, Albany Revitalization Agency, ARA, Bessie Johnson, demoliition, Dick Olsen, Laneco Demolition, Wells Fargo branch

With new radar, speeders may get warnings

Written November 4th, 2022 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 10 responses.

Albany police are planning to buy a better type of speed-radar trailer, one that can record the license plates of vehicles it observes to be speeding.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany council, Albany police, Oregon law, photo radar, police radar, speed control, speed limits, speed radar

Livable Albany: Council updates the code

Written October 27th, 2022 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 8 responses.

Albany has lots of laws intended to safeguard the city’s livability, and the city council has just consolidated them in one chapter of the municipal code. The idea is to make it easier to find what’s allowed and what’s not.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany code, Albany council, derelict buildings, livability code, nuisances, violations

After closed session, here’s contract news

Written October 2nd, 2022 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 7 responses.

The Albany City Council missed a chance last week to let people learn about the new contract between the city and the union representing most of the employees in the police department.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany council, Albany police, closed meetings, executive sessions, labor negotiations, police contract, union contract

Seniors make requests about center

Written September 16th, 2022 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 20 responses.

One afternoon this week, I dropped by what Albany now calls its Riverfont Community Center. I hadn’t been inside the place since just before it reopened last winter after being shut down for Covid.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany council, Albany Senior Center, pool tables, Riverfront community center, seniors

Another closed session of Albany council

Written September 14th, 2022 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 13 responses.

The Albany City Council loves executive sessions where the public is excluded and reporters are allowed in but barred from reporting what they hear.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Albany council, executive sessions, labor contracts, Lebanon parcel, Open Meetings Law, real estate transactions