Portsmouth City Council 4th Ward incumbent Jerrold Albrecht has been in office for three years. But because he was named in 2004 to replace Jim Kalb when Kalb became mayor, he is running in his first election.

In order to keep his seat, he must get past challenger Wayne Nichols on Nov. 6.

“I think I represent the residents of the 4th Ward well and look at all the issues facing City Council,” Albrecht said. “When I get complaints from the residents, I talk to the department heads and try to solve their problems. I try to be diligent about that.”

One of the problems facing the 4th Ward in general is the drug and prostitution issue.

“Those problems can be solved, but it will take time,” Albrecht said. “The drug problem is rampant all over the city. I don't know of one neighborhood without a drug dealer in it.”

But he said the Police Department is working on curbing the problems.

One thing the Police Department cannot do is decide where to build a new city building. That will be City Council's job.

“The longer we put if off, the more it's going to cost,” Albrecht said.

Several years ago, the city looked at five different options, with some costing about $5 million. At the time, some city officials said that was too much to spend.

But now the city is considering spending $10 million to $12 million for a building at the former Adelphia Communications building on Washington Street.

“I know that the city will not spend any more money than is necessary,” Albrecht said.

Some residents are ag-ainst that op-tion because of the price. That includes Nichols, who said the city first should try to build beside the current city building on Second Street.

“People at the (City Council) meetings said they wanted an independent committee to help us find a place for a building,” Albrecht said. “We agreed to that. Now they don't want that.”

But he said he supports building at the Adelphia site.

“I'm for going forward,” he said. “The city has a problem of wanting to stay in a jam.”

The city must decide by March 2008 what to do or it will lose $1.4 million from the Richard D. Marting Foundation. But Albrecht said there is another reason the city must soon make a decision.

“If we don't do something, the judges have the ability to build their own building at the taxpayers' expense,” he said.

Albrecht said because voters decided not to renovate the former Marting's Department Store building, there is not much the city can do with it. But he did suggest building loft apartments as a possibility.

The referendum voters passed would allow something like that because it wouldn't be for government use.

Albrecht said he would continue serving residents in the ward if returned to office.

He also addressed what he says is a misrepresentation of him.

Nichols and others have accused Albrecht of falling asleep at meetings, a charge he emphatically denied.

“No I don't fall asleep at meetings,” he said. “You know how that started? I yawned once and then people started saying I fall asleep. But no, I have never fallen asleep at a meeting.”

JEFF BARRON can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 236.