21-03-2025
Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful reorganization vote delayed by Dougherty Commission
ALBANY – The Dougherty County Commission is looking at a redo for the organization that helps spearhead community cleanups, recycling, blight reduction and special events centered around beautification and litter reduction.
The commission tapped the brakes on Monday, deciding to delay a vote set for that day until later in March over the issue of the proposed changes to Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful. KADB is a joint effort backed by the county and city of Albany.
Some of the proposed changes apply to funding and trimming the number of members on the group's advisory board by more than half.
The county began examining the KADB board after Albany City Manager Terrell Jacobs brought it to the attention of city commissioners last year that although the county funds the small number of paid positions, those personnel are paid through the city's Human Resources Department.
'I just think it's best, considering Assistant County Administrator Barry Brooks has been working on this and Commissioner (Clinton) Johnson wants to be included,' Commissioner Russell Gray said when he asked for a delay on the vote. 'We haven't properly discussed this.'
One change in the reorganization proposal is reducing the number of advisory board members from 26 to 14. If approved by the city and county, the two entities would each appoint seven advisory board members to two-year terms.
Deemed a 're-establishment' of the organization, the proposal would have KADB operate within the county's Solid Waste Department, which would fund KADB's payroll through its solid waste enterprise fund.
The proposal calls for the Dougherty County administrator to appoint the KADB executive director through recommendations of the advisory board. KADB's executive director also would operate under the supervision of the Solid Waste Department.
Initial appointments to the advisory board are set for April under the proposal.
