Albany officials approve speed table funding

ALBANY — The Albany City Commission approved almost $19,000 in funding to install traffic-calming devices in two neighborhoods at the board’s business meeting Tuesday night.

Commissioners OK’d $12,400 to install four concrete speed tables on the 2300 block of Friar Tuck Lane and $6,400 for three such structures on the 3200 block of Autumn Drive.

City Engineering Director Bruce Maples told the board citizens in both neighborhoods had requested traffic studies that met the standards for installation of traffic-calming devices and had met petition requirements needed for installation of the speed tables.

“Concrete speed tables are more durable than the composite rubber that we’ve used in the past, but we’ve only now gotten a bid that allows us to use concrete,” Maples said. “In fact, the bids we received are about half the cost of the speed tables we’ve installed in the past.”

Noting that drivers “still speed over those structures,” Ward VI Commissioner Tommie Postell called installation of the devices “a waste of money.”

The board also voted to approve a $55,000 worker’s compensation settlement for firefighter Stanley Ruffin, who was injured on the job.

“Mr. Ruffin is a valued employee who has worked with the city for 28 years and five months,” Joyce Clark with the city’s risk management office told commissioners.

In a report to the board, City Manager Sharon Subadan called the recently added “Ram Rush” transit routes between the east and west campuses of Albany State University a “huge success.”

“That service has gotten off to an exceptional start,” Subadan said. “We opened the routes on Aug. 12, and we’ve already had 8,157 passenger trips. This is what town and gown looks like.”

Ward IV Commissioner Roger Marietta, who is an Albany State professor, said many in the community have mistakenly complained about the added routes.

“The students pay a fee to ride the buses,” Marietta said. “I’ve talked with a lot of students who say they’re extremely pleased with the service.”

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners:

— Approved alcohol license transfers for Z2 Foods at 1801 W. Gordon Ave. and Royal Express at 1701 E. Oglethorpe Blvd.;

— Agreed to renew the city’s $94,240 contract with federal lobbyist Alcade and Fay;

— Approved the purchase of a CNG-fueled paratransit bus for $151,619 to replace a 10-year-old unit. Eighty percent of the funding for the bus will come from federal dollars, 10 percent from the state and 10 percent local;

— OK’d contract renewals with ESRI Software for $164,130 and Microsoft for $247,944.40 and the purchase of omni switches from Lightspeed Technologies for $103,700;

— Agreed to sell unused city property at 2521 Meredyth Drive to the owners of the Cross Keys Place shopping center so that that group could expand its parking lot;

— OK’d the renaming of the Jackson Heights Community Fitness Center in honor of J.C. Odom.

Ward V Commissioner Bob Langstaff voted against the latter matter, saying, “This is absolutely nothing against Mr. Odom, but I believe we’re heading toward a slippery slope if we start making exceptions to the laws we have in place.”