Albany City to reissue $340 settlement to retired firefighter’s estate

Albany City placed a $340 legal settlement for the estate of a retired firefighter on the March 18 Board of Estimate agenda, and staff told the board the payment will be reissued to the named beneficiary.

A staff member described the item as a settlement to address a reimbursement issue for a retired firefighter’s private insurance premiums. The staff member said the original check had been issued with the wrong payee name and that the payment would be reissued to Marlene Semarad, identified in the record as the sole beneficiary of the estate of Mark Abel, the retired firefighter.

The staff member said the check was originally prepared for Mark Abel but was made out incorrectly; the record notes the correction will go to Marlene Semarad so the estate receives the funds. No additional details about the underlying claim, the retirement status beyond the description “retired firefighter,” or the precise administrative steps for reissuing the check were recorded in the provided transcript excerpt.

The settlement item was included on the agenda that was later moved and approved during the meeting. The transcript does not record a separate roll-call vote or additional discussion specific to the settlement beyond the administrative clarification about the payee name.