Homeowners helped with demolition

By Melinda L. Lucas

A lengthy discussion about what to do with $25,000 in CARES Act funding and an update about the city’s rolloff program for abandoned houses took a good part of Monday night’s Albany city council meeting on Nov. 9. 

The resignation of Carolyn Waller, who has served on the council for the past nine years, was accepted “with regrets” and appreciation was expressed by mayor Susan Montgomery for Waller’s dedication to the community of Albany.

Waller is stepping down because of health reasons.

House Demolition

City manager Billy Holson updated the council about the city’s ongoing rolloff program to help landowners tear down dilapidated structures.

“According to our contract with Republican, they furnish us with 26 free rolloffs every year, and although we’ve basically used all those for this budget year, we still plan to provide some for a couple more houses this year at our expense,” said Holson, adding that the rolloffs are $600 each.

The city manager pointed out that the most recent demolition was a structure known locally as the “Rainbow House.”

“The city didn’t tear it down or pay to tear it down; we just provided the rolloffs for the debris,” he said, explaining that the business that is eventually planned for that property will be beneficial to the city and other local taxing entities.

Holson feels that demolition of decaying homes helps the community in other ways as well.

Food Distribution

With approximately $25,000 left in usable funds from the city’s CARES Act monies, council members discussed different ways that it could be used to help local residents who have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The city was allocated a total of $108,000 through the CARES Act funding, and Holson thinks that close to $70,000 is already spent or committed.

Montgomery will check into the possibility of gift cards for specific perishable foods, or volunteers may distribute pre-made boxes of non-perishable foods to citizens at some point before the end of the calendar year.

Eventually, council members approved setting aside the $25,000 to use for public health in some way so that paperwork can be completed by a Nov. 13 deadline, with the details to be decided later.

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