Sharon Subadan calls for nimbler approval of utilities projects

ALBANY — There is an old saying about things “moving at the speed of government.” It’s not a euphemism for speed. Nor is it a compliment.

Albany City Manager Sharon Subadan is all too familiar with the expression. That’s why she says she will ask the Albany City Commission Tuesday for the authority to sign off on potentially time-sensitive utilities projects without the typical wait made necessary by the city’s process of doing business.

At a special called meeting, Subadan plans to ask commissioners to grant the city manager authority to enter into utilities-related contracts of greater than $40,000 without prior approval by the board. The city’s charter currently allows its chief administrative officer to do so on projects up to $40,000.

“The Utility Board and City Commission lose any competitive advantage when they’re forced to go through the process of board approval before a project can move forward,” Subadan, who became Albany’s city manager in June, said. “While we’re discussing a matter at a work meeting, then waiting up to three weeks for the business meeting and ultimate approval, a private business can just stroke a check.

“What we’ll be asking the commission to do is give approval, only in utilities cases, for the city manager to proceed within certain parameters to extend a contract that can move a project forward nimbly and without a lot of bureaucracy. And, of course, anything we ask for will fall within budgetary authority.”

Subadan confirmed that the city is working on “several projects” that would fall under the requested legislation, but she refused to name them.

“It’s fair to say that we’ve talked with people about some burgeoning projects in the region,” she said. “And it’s also fair to say we’re actively pursuing those projects. With the City Commission’s permission, we could expedite these projects that would give us the opportunity to increase revenue.

“With the charter change enacted by the commission in January, we already have the authority to expand our services outside the Albany and Dougherty County limits. Now we’re looking for the authority to move quickly on some of these projects.”

Other city officials contacted about the proposed legislation and regional utilities projects deferred comments to Subadan. The city manager said discussing proposed projects prematurely would erase any competitive advantage the city had. She also said any revenue increase on projects outside the Albany and Dougherty limits would benefit local citizens.

“What people fail to understand is that (government-regulated) utilities like ours help offset the cost of local government,” the city manager said. “Profit from privately owned utilities go to the shareholders. Any money we make goes into our general fund to reduce the cost of government-provided services. (With the addition of such funding), we don’t have to raise the millage rate.

“People talk about the utility as a business, and it is run like a business. But it’s a business meant to benefit the city as a whole. And even though we’re expanding our reach to communities outside the city and county limits, we’re not excluding our citizens. Any revenue that’s produced (on outside projects) will benefit our city.”

Subadan points to “intellectual capital” supplied by city staff in support of the South Georgia Regional Information Technology Authority, which supplies high-speed wireless Internet services to seven area rural counties, as an example of how the city’s expanded utilities reach can impact the region.

“That project demonstrates that we can do what we say on a broader level,” the city manager said. “And the projects we’re discussing now should supply an even greater return for the city.”

The $14 million federally-funded SGRITA project, which supplies high-speed telecommunications services to parts of Baker, Calhoun, Early, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole and Terrell counties, successfully launched Thursday morning.

Subadan has also called a special meeting of the Albany Utility Board Monday in an effort to have that body recommend that the City Commission approve the utilities authority proposal.