[{"_1":2,"_121":-5,"_122":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,97,109],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6471605,"mediaKeyId","5784659-a71231b6aa9d9445e37d45a59f051968","parentId",5784659,"title","Albany council adopts consent calendar with clerical correction to term date","audioSeconds",46,"startMs",219000,"endMs",265000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5784659-a71231b6aa9d9445e37d45a59f051968&start=219&end=265","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5784659-a71231b6aa9d9445e37d45a59f051968/thumbnail_219000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6471605/Albany-City/Linn-County/Oregon/Albany-council-adopts-consent-calendar-with-clerical-correction-to-term-date","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6471605-4f1d9825ed92914302145e394d3e7614/orig.mp4?Expires=1776097062&Signature=alPBnkcaf7W7MeNwuhWISI6Y4RlZye~dy33E8KHZb8-Wl3719Fu3-o7z9GqSt5A4cv2wt-mQgpLmG3mW4zxXDv~Qpgn4SpytwnsnmRFzByBfFCTK88E~PkqUSU6ydw0UytHVVZPTUHBQsxVNSZq3jW~NKKIrLe1z4-~pLBl4VXW948ElSTsVgAShhopOfg7LDtcWUnWU6aDFVjvAh7V6oci1DKZjkIPVVoevR-F2XJDY3b-8kKDupVfFK1ZA0GgnwktBaWpj~KOTUHvljseEO8yqYoXuDoj1s1Ixhgp62swcdlU0qp23NSwABO0vJLdreUvzr90wUjSq48cwyS2qQQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Albany, OR","date","2025-09-13T02:20:26Z","article","The Albany City Council adopted the consent calendar at Wednesday's meeting after staff reported a clerical correction to one consent item.

Staff said item 3a1 contained an incorrect term date and that the correct date should read June 30, 1929, rather than June 30, 1928. A council member moved to adopt the consent calendar as changed; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote.

Provenance: The consent-calendar correction and vote were introduced at the start of the meeting and concluded with the council's voice vote recorded near 257.29498 seconds into the transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","9/10/2025 City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Council adopted the consent calendar Wednesday after staff noted and corrected a term date on an item. The consent calendar was approved by voice vote.","taxTitle","Albany City, Linn County, Oregon","taxId",5057,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6471609,"Council approves installation of flashing beacons in North Albany school zone",24,6161000,6185000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5784659-a71231b6aa9d9445e37d45a59f051968&start=6161&end=6185","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5784659-a71231b6aa9d9445e37d45a59f051968/thumbnail_6161000.jpg","/articles/6471609/Albany-City/Linn-County/Oregon/Council-approves-installation-of-flashing-beacons-in-North-Albany-school-zone","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6471609-99ebae7e325f3f0e8a2efb4022760c23/orig.mp4?Expires=1776097062&Signature=CNymYPUT7STWJ8JmmxFnWFSCNbdgVVx1F--RzFjmkB6hwPVYDA5pi3M7vn738-TwnyXVAp2QZuWqRhQtBEk2ut6~OnYRZ7rhpQZi-DT4VJWJC3sbR5Kehu4IvTEX~ZDKuPUBmOK0b2Cm~JgE7iVJqMBofHAG60~sfi8x7TsZFNG3gBK-7VERwJq7dBikzb8eDnbzor768UENvtCZPgSNXCO4KN9NXdXWaVMJ3E3swk~F9UryIhPdWtqmCn590mYlWbBYfZFuCF5GaD8AGfEF39SsIhDgFaIJRE0mHxEH-FIYLiFFSx5sWA6DO2fiQl7lXtQi~2mN95RLEVD~vL4uSg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Albany City Council voted Wednesday to install flashing beacons in the school zone on North Albany Road.

City staff said earlier work confirmed the existing signage complied with state law and that a contractor could install flashing beacons. Councilor Smith moved to install the lights and a second was recorded; the council approved the motion by voice vote.

City manager and staff said they had met with the vendor who provides automated enforcement and beacons and that the installation was technically feasible. Councilors did not attach conditions to the motion during the meeting; staff will proceed with procurement and installation planning.

Provenance: The flashing-beacon discussion and motion were raised after earlier follow-up on automated enforcement and staff recommendations, beginning at about 6161.17 seconds into the transcript and concluding with the vote recorded near 6181.73 seconds.","The council voted Wednesday to install flashing lights in the school zone on North Albany Road after staff confirmed signage compliance with state law and contractors confirmed feasibility.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":79,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":82,"_51":93,"_53":94,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":95,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":96,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6471613,"Council asks staff to draft ordinance codifying diversion program and removing age cap for first-time moving violations",1409,7570000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5784659-a71231b6aa9d9445e37d45a59f051968&start=6161&end=7570","/articles/6471613/Albany-City/Linn-County/Oregon/Council-asks-staff-to-draft-ordinance-codifying-diversion-program-and-removing-age-cap-for-first-time-moving-violations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6471613-81b4a6dac89afb674e974598bcf580d2/orig.mp4?Expires=1776097062&Signature=Lndl-xdLCZxuRnWODj3xysE9Rgqa7yGRu39QOLhGwQdc1aGBu4zyvc2Lb2OSA0aipedAJQGD1WFqfRiMyt8CUqbxWSlb5SIZfPfYJNv45YFJMXOb1OH2ppUz1STRmje1JgZwIC~CG7nsLcuALn~-wd0-QNZxo6yuDK0ZCa9NxzGihqb4HQesvA9GyILUpX0SX1Tx4GNf7GpkN54Fk6Ht5wmfcN5GdzBqnCcHi5IVpLh80GGtPS-CyKjsuXxoeSVgX4AjPYx3jDDsGv7SAplsc~t3BZAQoXNflS8NoKeDc1kRzv00oCgzmPhmJOGDBiaQhkYf4-MZ77g2qwKL88WF9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Albany City Council directed staff Wednesday to draft an ordinance that would codify the city's existing diversion program for moving violations and remove the current 25-year age cap used by the municipal court judge, councilors said.

Councilor Van Dermalen said her intent in bringing the item forward was to enshrine current practice in city code and to remove the age restriction so first-time offenders of any age would be eligible. Councilors McLeod and Newton said the policy goal was fairness and that education, not age, should determine eligibility for diversion.

City staff and the city attorney clarified the scope and limits. September Ridgeway (court administration) and City Attorney Sean Kidd explained that the city's existing diversion practice applies to moving violations that are not criminal offenses; the program generally allows eligible defendants to take a traffic-education course, and completion keeps the violation off the driving record. Prosecutors and court staff said diversion eligibility does not typically apply to criminal offenses such as reckless driving.

Kidd noted the city's judge has an independence clause in the judge's contract, but councilors said legislative codification would set consistent policy going forward; staff said the judge had indicated she could implement whatever the council and code direct.

Action and next steps: Council asked staff to draft ordinance language that codifies the diversion program and removes the age limit while keeping other eligibility criteria intact (first-time moving violations, non-criminal). Staff said it will return with draft ordinance language and implementation details, including any workload implications for court staffing.

Provenance: The diversion discussion began when the city manager introduced the item at 6161.17 seconds into the transcript and concluded after council direction around 7565.8604 seconds.","Councilors asked staff to draft an ordinance to codify the municipal diversion program for moving violations and to remove the existing age limit (25 years) so that eligible first-time offenders of any age could access diversion and traffic-education options.",{"_33":98,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":99,"_41":100,"_43":101,"_45":102,"_47":103,"_49":104,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6471619,"Albany council narrows local fuel-tax outreach to 5' and 7.5' cents per gallon, targets November 2026 ballot timing",3430,2250000,5680000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5784659-a71231b6aa9d9445e37d45a59f051968&start=2250&end=5680","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5784659-a71231b6aa9d9445e37d45a59f051968/thumbnail_2250000.jpg","/articles/6471619/Albany-City/Linn-County/Oregon/Albany-council-narrows-local-fuel-tax-outreach-to-5-and-75-cents-per-gallon-targets-November-2026-ballot-timing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6471619-e19891d26737d8abe9f6610abf44f9a6/orig.mp4?Expires=1776097062&Signature=JYY0w8EE0lM~ZXJl1Uy6fXcrCx4BgEOiUvf0~I-vwB8NoJs0nrgu9SGlNgHKXrfNNLjx~boaqq8l3F2HfQOdOPzFfeua4recmLFTYW2WLPcuAfcY4B8KVwluxlRmyYCru4nZbZg0kVg3JSc~8gJKPMHbKJmYramYi00OHTMgMntNlrMlHzH5NJCYEITcoQ9j256syAu4kmhn5IqUg1p1UbifjR-vAePeay3l1I2XXHH8xSbaVlfGsFvd4cBbZhJbvJXzuPbowPgnMCswJD0ANkSIHAHCTWdspLvH~PhD1V~QIo0KRPOxhYq~ivoxdkvbKJOj35ptVepBqusLcWtKAA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Albany City staff presented options and asked the City Council for direction Wednesday on whether to pursue a local fuel tax to fund street maintenance. After nearly two hours of discussion, councilors agreed to narrow outreach to two proposed rates and indicated a preferred election window and policy approach for public engagement.

Director Chris Bailey (presented as \"Director Bailey\" in the meeting packet) told councilors the city has completed extensive outreach and technical work on street condition and funding and asked whether staff should focus outreach on one or two cents-per-gallon options. Bailey said internal analysis and ODOT sales data suggest Albany would generate about $400,000 in revenue per penny.

Council direction: Councilors coalesced around two outreach options — 5 cents per gallon and 7.5 cents per gallon — for staff to use in the public education and polling work ahead of a possible ballot measure. Bailey said the city estimates roughly $400,000 per penny, translating to about $2.0 million at 5 cents and about $3.0 million at 7.5 cents; staff also showed a 10-cent example that would produce about $4.0 million and a 15-cent example at about $6.0 million.

Timing: Council discussion ranged widely. Several councilors urged the city avoid a special election because of cost and short lead time. After debate about voter turnout, political timing and competing state initiatives, staff recorded consensus to pursue a November 2026 general-election target for outreach purposes and to work backward from the county's August 2026 ballot-title deadline. Some councilors said they would consider May 2027 if November proved impractical; staff emphasized the earlier the ballot-title deadline passes, the less staff can legally communicate about the measure.

Sunset: Staff reported focus-group feedback that many residents prefer a time-limited (sunset) tax; about 65 percent of research participants preferred a five-year sunset. Councilors generally rejected a short sunset, with multiple members saying a five-year expiration would be too short to deliver visible results and that the council could repeal a tax later if revenue were no longer needed. The prevailing direction to staff was to not include a short statutory sunset in outreach options.

Equity and messaging: Councilors and staff discussed regressivity (a fuel tax applies equally regardless of income), the need for clear reporting on how funds would be used, and the importance of showing concrete outcomes if voters approve a measure.

Next steps: Staff will focus outreach and community education using the two chosen scenarios (5 cents and 7.5 cents per gallon), prepare financial estimates tied to those numbers, and bring refined materials and a proposed ballot title back to the council if the council later votes to put a measure on the ballot. Bailey emphasized that tonight's direction was not a final vote to place a measure on the ballot.

Provenance: The local fuel tax discussion began with staff remarks at 2250.48 seconds and concluded with staff's wrap-up around 5668.8647 seconds.","After extended discussion, councilors directed staff to use two rate options for public outreach — 5 cents and 7.5 cents per gallon — and indicated a preference to pursue a November 2026 election timeline while advising staff that final decisions would return to council. The council also signaled opposition to a short sunset provision.",{"_33":110,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":111,"_41":112,"_43":113,"_45":114,"_47":115,"_49":116,"_51":117,"_53":118,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":119,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":120,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6471624,"Albany council exempts purchase of automatic water meters from competitive bidding; $6.3 million plan approved",1368,878000,2246000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5784659-a71231b6aa9d9445e37d45a59f051968&start=878&end=2246","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5784659-a71231b6aa9d9445e37d45a59f051968/thumbnail_878000.jpg","/articles/6471624/Albany-City/Linn-County/Oregon/Albany-council-exempts-purchase-of-automatic-water-meters-from-competitive-bidding-63-million-plan-approved","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6471624-04fca09c3ee053c92b8c72d7aab29f6f/orig.mp4?Expires=1776097062&Signature=muy6TjIucwJV9INQKo2c-6Cw9E34u5PIiXx0csK4FHDMJ8z4yI70JFMeZrVrA55lYxR8hlfe4A8hFVjS4JtuIAwsAaL5ntw9A6PBYdLQxp8SuKZMWznPLF3XInU3rzQlTBVMOwgJseLt-nwoz66NqloKezfpr-VluSZPIVAmsiDQD1uR3R2GuJnMHQatYvpJcOu0Px2wl~2KeKW8mEJbTa-SGbX2Zeh2a1xjbPSj3VCEilPVVUwUnKaKO-37YHW0S1b6rlCahDGANisxQX4jQjA9-xlKWyOlhuuVDPCi9PWclWEwZILS3KCNC77x~llV0VfYbrp54cOuqTfD08fxSQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Albany City Council on Wednesday approved a resolution exempting the purchase and installation of automatic metering infrastructure, or AMI, for the city's water system, a project staff said will cost roughly $6.3 million over five years.

City water operations manager Scott LaRocque told the council the system would move the city from once-a-month manual meter reads to near-real-time reads. The AMI meters, LaRocque said, allow earlier detection of customer-side leaks and provide better data to measure system water loss.

LaRocque said Albany has been installing AMI-ready Sensus iPerl meters for more than a decade, but those units require an additional transmitter and can be large enough that older meter boxes must be replaced. He recommended switching to smaller Camstrup meters, which he said fit older boxes, include built-in transmit capability and include per-meter leak detection that helps locate leaks on mains.

The council heard details and examples from neighboring Beaverton, which LaRocque said is about halfway through its AMI deployment and reported finding large leaks with Camstrup meters, including one the city estimated at 11 gallons per minute (about 5.8 million gallons per year).

LaRocque said Albany produces about 3,000,000,000 gallons of water annually and currently estimates water loss at about 9 to 10 percent. He said reducing loss even by 1 percentage point would save around 30,000,000 gallons a year and that the city estimates a production cost on the order of $10,000 per million gallons.

Cost and funding: LaRocque presented a five-year cost of about $6.3 million. He said roughly $370,000 of that would be equipment purchased for the city of Millersburg, which contracts with Albany for distribution services and would reimburse Albany for that portion. He said the city set aside about $1 million in a reserve fund last year and budgets annual meter replacement spending (about $250,000) that would also contribute to the program. He said the AMI vendor subscription is roughly $58,000 per year and that meter units in the procurement package average about $319 for a commonly used 3/4-inch model. The city has purchased about 30 Camstrup meters for field testing, he said.

Council questions focused on timing, meter life and staffing. LaRocque said the city hopes to complete the rollout in five years using city crews, noting Camstrup's smaller meter footprint should reduce the need to replace meter boxes. He said Camstrup meters typically are warrantied up to 20 years and that large-diameter Camstrup meters allow battery replacement without pulling the full meter in some sizes.

Action: Councilor Smith moved to adopt the resolution exempting the AMI purchase and installation from competitive bidding; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote.

Why it matters: City staff and multiple councilors framed AMI as a long-term investment to reduce treated water loss, speed customer leak notification and extend the useful life of treatment and distribution assets. LaRocque said better data would also make the city's calculation of water loss more precise and could reduce recurring operating costs.

Implementation and next steps: LaRocque said procurement would piggyback on Beaverton's competitive process, allowing Albany to avoid a full separate procurement. He said antennas and some installation work would be performed by a contractor partner and that vendor training for utility billing and field crews is included in the package. LaRocque also said Camstrup meters for small sizes are manufactured in the U.S. (Georgia) and that the vendor offers a system to aggregate reads and leak alerts for staff use.

Provenance: Council discussion of the AMI resolution and staff presentation began with the meeting's agenda item introduction at 878.25995 seconds into the transcript and concluded with the council vote recorded at 2242.825 seconds.","The Albany City Council approved a resolution exempting competitive bidding to buy and install an automatic metering infrastructure system for the city's water meters. Staff said the $6.3 million, five-year program will improve leak detection and billing accuracy; Millersburg would reimburse about $370,000.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Albany council adopts consent calendar with clerical correction to term date

Council approves installation of flashing beacons in North Albany school zone

Council asks staff to draft ordinance codifying diversion program and removing age cap for first-time moving violations

Albany council narrows local fuel-tax outreach to 5' and 7.5' cents per gallon, targets November 2026 ballot timing

Albany council exempts purchase of automatic water meters from competitive bidding; $6.3 million plan approved