The City of Albany has installed four new city entryway signs that acknowledge Albany is on Ohlone land. This work was set forth after the City Council's adoption of Resolution No. 2021-95 and is one part of the City’s ongoing commitment to prioritize inclusivity and recognize all members of our community. 

Albany Hill is a precious natural resource at the heart of Albany, both as a recreational area for residents to enjoy, and as an essential part of our City's ecological landscape. As a result of statewide drought and climate change, we are seeing that many of the eucalyptus trees on Albany Hill are dead and dying. This poses a long-term serious risk to residents and structures in the area. This issue is not unique to Albany Hill, as many agencies have found similar conditions in eucalyptus groves all over the region and state. Albany staff, Parks Recreation & Open Space Commission, and City Council are working together to plan a solution for hazard mitigation that also protects our Monarch and other wildlife habitat and preserves Albany Hill as a place for everyone to safely enjoy.

Click the "Find Out More" button below to read about the work the City has done in conjunction with local experts and the steps the City will continue to take in service of the Albany Hill landscape.

COMMUNITY SURVEY ON LONG-TERM PARKLETS 

A once in a decade chance to shape the future of housing in Albany.

On December 16, 2021, the City convened a Zoom “Community Conversation” about housing as part of the Albany 2023-2031 Housing Element Update. About 30 residents participated, learning about the update process and sharing ideas about potential local housing policies and programs. The Planning Commission will be considering housing opportunity sites at its meeting on January 12, 2022. Additional meetings and conversations will be scheduled in early 2022. All cities and counties in the Bay Area must adopt an updated Housing Element by January 15, 2023. To provide comments on housing in Albany, please email the Community Development Planning Division.

The Housing Element is the City’s official policy statement for how Albany will meet its housing needs for the next eight years. All cities and counties in the Bay Area must update their Housing Elements by January 2023. As part of this process, Albany needs to demonstrate that it has the capacity to meet its “fair share” of the region’s housing needs, which has been determined to be 1,114 additional units by 2031.

The Charter Review Committee advises the City Council on proposed changes to the City Charter. These proposed changes may be generated by the City Council or recommended to the City Council by the Charter Review Committee.

The Community Media Access Committee advises the City Council on matters related to media access, community engagement and outreach, and information regarding local government matters in the City.

The Arts Committee advises the City Council on cultural and artistic matters within the City including the acquisition and placement of public art. The Committee adheres to the Public Arts Master Plan, the Art in Public Places Ordinance and the Public Arts Project Plan in order to support, develop and promote art in Albany and increase the economic vitality of the City. This opening allows for residents or non-residents representing the local business community to apply.

If interested, please complete an online application or contact the Albany City Clerk Office at 1(510) 528-5710 for more information. 

In June 2021, the Albany City Council voted to set the default electricity option for Albany customers to EBCE’s Renewable 100 service starting in January 2022, furthering the goals of the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan and signaling Albany’s commitment to curbing global climate change. Renewable 100 costs an additional 1 cent per kilowatt-hour above PG&E rates.

EBCE also offers their Bright Choice service, which is priced 1% below PG&E rates and is approximately 5% more renewable energy than PG&E. Customers who prefer to power their home or business with Bright Choice are welcome to do so by visiting ebce.org/albany and selecting “Choose Bright Choice,” or by calling 1-833-699-3223 during business hours (9AM–5PM on weekdays). Take action by December 22 if you prefer to avoid automatic enrollment in Renewable 100. Customers who are on CARE, FERA, and Medical Baseline programs will default to Bright Choice service automatically but can still choose Renewable 100. Customers can change their EBCE service or return to PG&E service anytime.

To learn more about your electric service choices, please visit ebce.org/compare-plans-residential/ or ebce.org/compare-plans-business/. Customers can also contact EBCE’s call center at 1-833-699-EBCE (3223).

A weekly COVID-19 testing site has recently been deployed at the Albany Community Center at 1249 Marin Ave. Testing is held on Tuesdays, from 9AM-4PM. The test is a self-administered shallow nasal PCR test and results are delivered directly 1-2 days upon receipt at Curative's labs. Visit cur.tv/albany or click the button below for more information. Please bring your ID and insurance card (if applicable) to the site to receive your test.

Please report these issues using our handy Service Request Portal so that City staff can help keep our roads, parks, and business districts as clean and safe as possible. 

·    Seasonal storm drain cleaning (pictured above). 

·    Stocking sand for sandbags at Ocean View Park. 

·    Having additional staff on standby during predicted storms. 

·    Coordinating with the Police Department to pre-stage a truck with barricades and signs for quick deployment in case of power outages or other road hazards. 

·    Responding to calls about downed trees, tree limbs, and flooding to quickly mitigating the worst problems. 

·    Working with the City Arborist and contractors, who manage the larger tree issues with consideration of all factors including the health of the tree and protecting people and property. 

·    During the days following a storm, picking up branches and clearing leaves and debris from storm drains. 

·    Placing sandbags around storm drains in your neighborhood to prevent clogging from debris and leaf litter. 

With Winter comes wet weather and falling leaves on our sidewalks, driveways, and streets. It’s important to keep your storm drain clean and free of obstruction so that the City’s street sweeper can do a good job preventing seasonal flooding.

Please contact the Public Works department for information about available sand and sandbags at (510) 524-9543. Thank you for doing your part to keep our City clean, safe, and free of flooding this season.

The City of Albany Arts Committee invites artists to submit proposals for the Albany Creative Justice Art Project - the creation of a new public artwork that will actively engage residents of Albany in creatively addressing past, present and future issues of social justice in the city and region.

Applications are welcome from individuals as well as teams, collectives, and collaborators.

Effective January 1, 2022, a new California state law (SB 1383) goes into effect requiring that compostable materials be kept out of landfills—including food scraps, paper, cardboard, and plant trimmings—to prevent the production of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. In Alameda County the law is implemented under the Organics Reduction and Recycling Ordinance.

Residents must have curbside compost/organics and recycling collection service and sort materials into the correct bins. Compost/organics and recycling containers are available at no additional cost from Waste Management of Alameda County.

Businesses, institutions, and nonprofits as well as owners/managers of multifamily properties with five or more units must subscribe to compost/organics and recycling collection service, set up color-coded and labeled indoor bins (multifamily properties: common areas only), ensure proper sorting, and educate employees, contractors, and/or tenants about the law at least annually and during tenant move-in and move-out. Certain food generating businesses must also donate surplus edible food to food recovery (rescue) organizations or services instead of composting it.

PROTECT YOUR PIPES THIS HOLIDAY SEASON  

The CDC recommends COVID-19 boosters for all adults who were fully vaccinated with the COVID-19 Pfizer or Moderna vaccines at least 6 months ago and a booster for all adults who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago. People can “mix and match,” or choose a different COVID-19 vaccine than their original series as a booster.

Find a vaccination clinic near you or call 1-510-208-4VAX (1-510-208-4829). Residents can drop by a location near them and don’t need an appointment at County-supported vaccinations Points of Dispensing (PODs) and most pop-ups.

Counter services at City Hall, the Community Center, and Senior Center are available in-person to the community. Appointments are highly encouraged. All individuals, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear face coverings when indoors in public settings.

City offices will be closed from December 23, at 12:30 PM through December 31, 2021. For additional information, visit albanyca.org/departments/city-office-hours-locations.

To sign up for AC Alert go to http://ACAlert.org

Sign-up for the City of Albany’s E-Notification system and get information and updates going on Around Your Block.

City meetings are still virtual until further notice. Please see the City Calendar for all public meeting attendance and viewing options.

Albany City Council | Monday, DEC 20 | 7 PM

Community Task Force on Policing | Tuesday DEC 21 | 7 PM

Planning & Zoning Commission | Wednesday, DEC 22 | CANCELLED

Transportation Commission | Thursday, DEC 23 | CANCELLED