Albany legislation includes code updates

The City Council unanimously passed two pieces of housing and code enforcement legislation that Mayor Kathy Sheehan unveiled earlier this year.

The laws give the city’s chief building official expanded powers to regulate and stop work on private properties being done illegally and the ability to recover some of the costs for when the city needs to step in to remediate buildings that private owners haven’t taken care of.

The city also now has the ability to charge property owners with an aggravated violation for repeated offenses.

Additionally, the legislation gives the city’s chief building officer clearer authority to act on buildings that constitute an imminent safety threat and makes it easier for the city to recover the cost of stabilizing buildings.

The council has not yet voted on the most controversial piece of that legislation package, a law that would create the state’s first “good-cause” eviction statute. That legislation recently underwent minor amendments and will likely come up for a vote at the next council meeting

The council also approved an ordinance expanding the city’s outdoor café seating for restaurants until October. The sidewalk café program was initially created as a response to the coronavirus pandemic and allows restaurants to apply to expand their outdoor seating areas during the summer months. The ordinance pushes the sunset date on the program until October and the the city’s goal is to make the program permanent.

The council also approved upgrading its audio/video system to broadcast its meetings. The council will spend about $76,000 in labor and equipment costs. It will be roughly two months before the system is installed and staff members are fully trained on its use.