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Council
of Meeting Minutes
Lauren Pierce of the City Office of Special Events
announced that volunteers are needed for this year’s Tulip Festival.
The deadline for vendor space applications has passed.
Minutes
of the FROM:
“The City agreed to consider revising its website to include code
violations and a flow chart that updates progress in complying” TO:
“The City is currently considering revising its website.
The Code Committee will explore the feasibility of developing an on-line
capacity to search for code violations and status of code enforcement by
building address and by owner name.” With
that change, the minutes were accepted.
Albany
Common Council President Helen Desfosses Helen
Desfosses was elected President of the Albany Common Council in 1997.
She is the first woman and the first independent candidate elected to
that office. She is not seeking
reelection for another term. Common
Council president is one of the most important positions in city government
because the individual elected to that office succeeds the mayor if s/he is
unable to serve. And like the
position of mayor, the president is elected by the citizens’ votes.
During
Ms. Desfosses’ tenure in the position, the council has used powers it had but
did not previously exercise as the cases of the Board of Assessment Review and
IDA appointments. Citizens have
become more participatory in the Common Council process and are encouraged to
share their views. Ms.
Desfosses discussed several of the issues that she would like to see addressed
by the Council after her departure. §
The Council needs an office and full-time staff. §
The Council chamber is in need of a sound system, and the feasibility of
including that item in the upcoming cable television contract is being
investigated. §
The Council receives between 70 and 100 calls, letters and emails per day,
yet the Council has no public relations director to act as a contact point for
citizens and neighborhood associations. §
The City would benefit from a “311 system” to facilitate rapid
response from agencies and give residents the ability to check on the status of
any request made through that system. §
Continued strengthening of the link between the universities will benefit
the neighborhoods. Ms.
Desfosses is opposed to legislation that would eliminate the election of an
individual as president of the Common Council.
She feels Ms.
Desfosses discussed some of the issues about which she has been vocal and hopes
the City and Common Council will continue to address; namely, neighborhood
development; archeology and historical development; and the decline in the
city’s population. Ms.
Desfosses plans to mentor her successor. To
date, two people, Sara Curry Cobb and Shawn Morris have expressed interest in
running for the office. She
opposes a reduction in the number of members on the Common Council and feels it
would be costly and limit representatives’ abilities to be responsive to
residents. She feels that the
Council needs one full-time staff person and one half-time attorney.
Her
plans for the future include international consulting similar to what she did in
the past, more writing, and she plans to stay involved in media such as
newspapers and television.
§
Associations who have not done so were reminded to pay their 2005 dues. §
Grant applications have been forwarded to member neighborhood
associations. §
Topics at the next three §
The §
Friends of the §
2005 National Night Out will be held on August 2.
It was suggested that neighborhood associations band together to have
one, city-wide function. Howard
Stoller will write to the Department of Public Safety about this suggestion. §
§
Community Realty: Eric Dahl
presented information about Community Realty, a new resource in the Capital
District to assist first time and existing homeowners. The
agency is composed of seven not-for-profit agencies, and the focus of the
organization is to strengthen neighborhoods.
It is not government funded or affiliated and services are not limited by
purchasers’ income or geography. Community
Realty promotes city living and does not represent sellers.
They match buyers with homes, conduct seminars, assist purchasers with
applications and paperwork, and leverage assistance and public purchasing
programs.
§
Codes Committee Five
properties have been identified as being in violation of city codes, and a
letter was sent to Valerie asking for the properties to be researched.
Members will be submitting ideas to define the goals of the committee.
The committee will meet on Monday evening from §
Cable Television Committee Committee
members met with George Stoney in §
Budget Committee The
Committee met on March 1 to plan for the coming year.
The plan to address the issues of 1.
City employee health insurance benefits 2.
Public access television 3.
Financial borrowing 4.
Community development §
University and Community Relations The
next meeting will be held §
Zoning Committee The
committee will meet on 1.
Summary of any zoning/land use issues that need to be addressed as well as
examples of how these issues are addressed in other municipalities. 2.
Recommendations in regard to a database “tickler system” for ensuring
that conditions and reviews are observed. 3.
Zoning ordinances, notices, applications, etc. from other municipalities 4.
Information about how other municipalities run their meetings. All
members are urged to attend or send an alternative representative as this should
be a very productive meeting. Questions
may be directed to David Phaff at 469-8984.
The
meeting adjourned at Meeting Attendees
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