Albany Commission’s SPLOST list big on infrastructure

ALBANY — While city officials are quick to point out that they’re not taking city and county voters’ approval of the Nov. 8 Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax VII referendum for granted, they note that they have compiled a projects list that will address vital infrastructure concerns throughout the city.

If the vote passes as the previous six did, city and county finance staff project income of $92.5 million over the six years of the special 1 percent tax. The city would use $59.2 million of that money and the county $33.3 million, based on the 64-36 percent split that has been in place for the past two SPLOSTs. The city and county commissions must jointly pass a resolution to continue that split.

“The citizens of Albany and Dougherty County have made it clear, and I believe the City Commission feels the same way, that we need to address the infrastructure issues that are a concern in all sectors of the city,” City Manager Sharon Subadan said. “If they approve SPLOST VII, we have what I believe is a mandate to make infrastructure improvements below the ground, at street level and above the ground.

“We have compiled a list that we believe prioritizes projects that need immediate attention.”

One such project, the often-discussed Holloway Basin stormwater project that has plagued the city for decades and is in dire need of more than the Band-aid attention it has gotten in the past because of funding issues, is such a concern, Subadan sought and received approval from the City Commission to apply for a $40 million GEFA (Georgia Environmental Finance Authority) loan that would allow the city to start work on that project, and other sewer projects, immediately.

“The thing with SPLOST funding is it comes in in monthly installments based on tax collections,” Subadan said. “By procuring this loan, we’ll be able to make necessary improvements right away and pay the debt service on the low-interest loan as the tax is collected.”

The city’s SPLOST VII wish list also includes $10,000,000 in funding for street resurfacing.

“We believe that, with this $10 million and with the increase in LMIG (Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant) funding from the state Department of Transportation, we’ll be able to get our street resurfacing projects on a 15-year life cycle that is required for optimal maintenance of roads,” Subadan said during a recent joint city/county discussion of the special tax.

More than $30 million of the city’s projected $59.2 million in SPLOST VII collections would be used to fund infrastructure projects. Some of the most costly include:

— Third Avenue Outfall Storm Sewer improvements: $4 million

— Underground cable installation: $3.5 million

— Alley-paving program: 2 million

— Extension of North Washington Street: $1.9 million

— Railroad crossing improvements: $1.6 million

— City paved alley reconstruction: $1.5 million

— Streetlight upgrade: $1.5 million

— Three sidewalk and streetscape projects: $1 million each

Some non-infrastructure projects on the city’s list include:

— Transportation center: $5 million (although Subadan announced at a recent City Commission work meeting that the city has been awarded a grant to cover around half of that cost)

— P25 emergency radio project: $4.6 million

— Software upgrades and integration: $4.1 million

— Recreation improvements: $2.9 million

— Aviation terminal building: $2.3 million

— Hardware: $1.545 million

— GPS mapping: $1 million

— Improvements to Chehaw park infrastructure: $1 million

“We hope we’ll be able to leverage federal funding at the airport to make even more significant improvements there,” Subadan said. “And the funding we plan to use at Chehaw should help them to continue their move toward becoming self-sufficient.”

Among the projects requested but not recommended (because of funding) are an $18.5 million utilities meter data project; $15.1 million in sewer extensions; $3.6 million for an upgraded traffic signal system around the Albany Mall; $3.45 million to replace an aerial firetruck, and $3.26 million to convert Washington and Jackson streets for two-way traffic.

The city and county must OK an intergovernmental agreement on SPLOST revenue sharing by July 29, and the county must pass a resolution calling for the special tax by Aug. 1 so that the county Elections Board can call a special election on that same day.

“July 29 and Aug. 1, those are the two critical dates we have,” County Attorney Spencer Lee told the two boards at their joint meeting.

If the intergovernmental agreement, resolution and special election are approved and city and county voters approve SPLOST VII in the Nov. 8 general election, the 1 percent tax will remain in place for the next six years.