The City Council voted Wednesday to move forward with a plan to videotape council meetings and broadcast them on the Internet and television and make DVDs available to the public.

The project does not include creating a live televising of the meetings. The recording will be shown on TV at a later time on a government access channel.

Copies of the DVD will be available at the Albany Public Library and City Hall.

The broadcast on the Internet will be coupled with an agenda, and viewers will be able to click on an agenda item and go directly to that portion of the meeting.

Councilors Jeff Christman and Bessie Johnson spoke in favor of the recordings.

Johnson said it will allow the public to get details and the "whole story" rather than just what the newspaper is able to report.

"I just think it's an excellent way to get to people who don't want to come to the meetings," she said.

Councilors Dick Olsen and Sharon Konopa had concerns about whether people watching the meetings would be able to understand what's going on.

Konopa was also concerned that councilors would feel the need to explain every decision and give verbal reports on every agenda item.

Two other communities where City Manager Wes Hare had previously worked had televised council meetings.

"It worked," Hare said. "It worked in the sense that people liked it."

The proposal to move forward with the project was passed four to two. Councilors Christman, Johnson, Dan Bedore and Ralph Reid Jr. voted for the recordings and councilors Olsen and Konopa voted against it.

n Farmers' Market: The council voted unanimously to allow the Farmers' Market to move from Water Avenue to the City Hall parking lot and a portion of Fourth Avenue.

n Clover Ridge annexation: The annexation of property near Clover Ridge Road east of Interstate 5 will go before voters in the May election.

The 15.9-acre property is near Clover Ridge Road, north of Dunlap Avenue. The addresses for annexation are 330, 340 and 410 Clover Ridge Road, and tax lot 900, which has no address.

BBF Development of Portland is looking to build about 25 new houses on part of the land. The developers have already constructed houses in the Clover Ridge area and want to build more.

Councilors Sharon Konopa and Dick Olsen voted against the annexation.

n Scravel Hill annexation: A hearing was held on the possible annexation of 43 acres off Highway 20 near Scravel Hill Road. No immediate plans have been made for development on the site.

No one from the public spoke and the council did not vote on whether to put the Scravel Hill annexation before voters.