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[17:00] I'd like to call to order this special

[17:02] student council meeting for Sunday

[17:03] October 30th at 20 um 2022.

[17:09] um just before we uh have the there's

[17:11] one item on the agenda and uh so this

[17:14] item um was discussed in committee on

[17:17] Wednesday October 26th and it passed on

[17:19] the same night and special counsel

[17:21] council meeting

[17:23] um after three and a half hours of

[17:25] deliberation and waiting

[17:27] um and discussion for the actual

[17:29] ordinance to reflect what was agreed to

[17:31] in the operating budget unfortunately

[17:33] there were some errors in the text of

[17:35] the ordinance and that's the only place

[17:37] there's no change in the actual numbers

[17:39] and what we agreed on and the budget if

[17:41] any of that it's only in the text of the

[17:43] ordinance and didn't probably reflect

[17:45] the budget as was passed by the council

[17:47] So today we're here for to do an

[17:49] amendment that only to correct the

[17:51] language you all have that in front of

[17:53] you

[17:54] um so operating budget has passed and

[17:55] the language of the ordinance are in

[17:57] agreement with each other um and this is

[17:59] indicated in an email that was sent by

[18:01] our Corporation Council uh Mr Colden so

[18:04] at this time if the clerk would please

[18:06] read

[18:09] item number one for final consideration

[18:12] an organs amending ordinance number

[18:14] 22-10 which approved the proposed

[18:17] operating budget for 2023 and authorized

[18:20] the Appropriations therein in numeric

[18:22] enumerated

[18:24] this was discussing committee no Acosta

[18:27] and Mr fell maybe would like to have a

[18:29] roll call

[18:30] so before the roll call is there any

[18:31] discussions to be done between two State

[18:34] your positions on anything what has gone

[18:36] on and then we should have the actual

[18:37] votes any discussion

[18:41] foreign

[18:42] sure sure I just I just want to say that

[18:46] last year just last year I campaigned a

[18:48] campaigned on improving the quality of

[18:50] life issues here in the city and I

[18:53] believe that the cuts to the police

[18:54] department will directly impact any

[18:57] efforts made at that time especially if

[18:59] our residents don't feel safe and secure

[19:01] in their neighborhoods

[19:03] and again I just want to I want to state

[19:05] that we must make fiscally responsible

[19:08] decisions so we can continue

[19:11] any effort

[19:12] to move our city into the future

[19:16] and I'm you know I'm not voting yet

[19:18] right no but no no you're not the

[19:20] discussion is really about the amendment

[19:21] could we wear

[19:24] I voted as I did the other evening in a

[19:27] good faith effort to acknowledge the

[19:29] rigorous discussions that the council

[19:31] had during its budget deliberations

[19:33] however as I stated then I was unhappy

[19:36] with several items in the budget

[19:37] specifically the substantial funding

[19:39] cuts to the Schenectady Police

[19:40] Department

[19:41] I'm worried that the cuts were that were

[19:44] made to over time in particular will

[19:46] negatively affect public safety

[19:47] especially during a time when we are

[19:49] battling increased crime rates

[19:52] since the vote the other evening I was

[19:54] very unhappy to hear council president

[19:56] Porterfield tell Channel 6 that police

[19:58] don't stop crime they simply handle it

[20:01] after it's done I disagree completely

[20:03] with that statement and I understand how

[20:06] civilian positions like the information

[20:07] processing specialist that was also left

[20:10] unfunded can help prevent crime before

[20:13] it happens by providing crucial data for

[20:16] investigations and I hope this isn't the

[20:18] beginning of a trend by the council's

[20:20] majority to defund the police

[20:22] we are really fortunate in Schenectady

[20:24] to have a police department that is

[20:26] considered one of the best in the state

[20:28] smart and compassionate leader Like

[20:30] Chief Clifford and men and women in the

[20:33] department who care so much about the

[20:35] safety of residents in all of our

[20:37] neighborhoods

[20:38] but we're not voting right now

[20:42] Ms Williams I find it extremely alarming

[20:44] some of the comments that are made here

[20:46] tonight out of which was just made by

[20:50] Miss Patrick regarding defund the police

[20:52] just for clarification by the community

[20:54] and all those listening and watching the

[20:56] I.T position is still going to be

[20:58] staffed be specifically chose a majority

[21:02] that this position would not be staffed

[21:04] by the police department however we've

[21:07] taken into considerations to make sure

[21:08] that their it needs are continuing to be

[21:10] met in addition to the overtime budget

[21:13] if you would happen to reference their a

[21:16] lot of budget item for last year we did

[21:18] Implement a increase

[21:21] so we have made correctly can actually

[21:24] speak just for myself I think taking

[21:27] into consideration some of the cost

[21:29] effective savings that are coming

[21:32] looking at the number of police officers

[21:33] that are being hired the slight increase

[21:36] in the overtime budget I am confident

[21:38] that the police will be able to make due

[21:40] and also leading off of the Investments

[21:43] that the police department are making

[21:44] into the community it is not far for us

[21:47] to think that by the time that our axon

[21:50] program comes into play

[21:53] we will allow ourselves to be able to

[21:56] recognize some savings specifically in

[21:57] the overtime budget

[21:59] but for myself I'm confident that the

[22:01] entire budget items that were spoken of

[22:05] are something that the community can get

[22:06] behind and I look forward to seeing

[22:08] those improvements

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[22:18] so I guess I just I told them like this

[22:22] is fun yeah so I just you know want to

[22:25] adjust the fact because you know sign up

[22:27] for some of the comments that were made

[22:28] here today so far as well you know I

[22:31] think that it's a very uh slippery slope

[22:34] and I think that you know even using um

[22:36] you know

[22:37] statements like defund the police on can

[22:41] be disingenuous and misleading

[22:44] um the reduction was to the police

[22:47] overtime budget

[22:50] not just the overtime budget

[22:54] and

[22:55] the chief himself was here not too long

[22:59] ago talking about

[23:02] positions being added

[23:04] should reduce overtime we have

[23:08] adequately funded

[23:10] um them to

[23:11] fill uh new positions I believe it's 10

[23:14] officers but you know somewhere around

[23:16] there so

[23:19] naturally increasing officers

[23:23] should decrease over time and I

[23:28] think that when you frame things a way

[23:31] we have to be really intentional in our

[23:32] language because

[23:34] it could be a bit of a dog whistle and

[23:37] people can respond to things

[23:39] if they're not clear in the words that

[23:41] you use

[23:42] so that narrative around you from the

[23:45] police is this is the furthest thing

[23:49] um

[23:49] from the truth and it just doesn't

[23:52] represent accurately any of the

[23:54] decisions that we've made as a council

[23:57] so I just want to be clear about that

[23:58] and I think that maybe you might want to

[24:01] clarify what you say what you're saying

[24:03] unless that's what you need

[24:10] procedurally when you end the discussion

[24:13] debate you move the previous questions

[24:15] happy emotionally removed the previous

[24:16] question okay

[24:18] um can I answer clarification from you absolutely so

[24:22] we're just here to a man language

[24:23] correct so it's an ordinance to have

[24:26] been what was previously the best right

[24:28] correct okay

[24:30] right any further discussion

[24:34] right if the clerk please call the world

[24:37] you have to make a motion for us okay a

[24:39] motion to

[24:40] uh yeah

[24:42] make a motion to oh I can't make

[24:43] permission right I'll let you pay the

[24:45] motion to uh

[24:48] move this to the agenda

[24:50] advice too

[24:52] oh man yeah no it's a Italian first okay

[24:56] there's is there anything

[24:59] emotions were in the debate so

[25:02] all in favor

[25:04] aye

[25:06] um

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[25:15] uh okay this is a roll call to

[25:18] um amend the ordinance number 2022 which

[25:21] approves the proposed operating budget

[25:22] since 2023 and they're in authorizing

[25:25] Appropriations they're in enumerated

[25:28] okay Mr Williams yes

[25:31] Mr Farley yes

[25:33] of this country so Mr Golden I can't

[25:37] vote no then

[25:39] yeah I can't tell you how to vote well

[25:41] no but I mean this is emotion this is

[25:44] long and about no for the for the

[25:46] reasons that I stated earlier ended up

[25:48] having the opportunity to vote again I'm

[25:51] going to vote no

[25:53] Mr Winterberry

[25:55] thank you

[25:57] uh

[25:58] I'm glad that we were able to pick up

[26:01] this uh

[26:04] a few of the narrative that was

[26:06] incorrect yes I can speak before I do it

[26:10] okay

[26:13] I'm glad that we're able to pick up some

[26:15] of these uh the narrative that was

[26:17] incorrectly stated originally

[26:20] um excuse me and Mr um called and said

[26:22] we had to talk during the debate

[26:25] is that correct

[26:27] typically that's what would happen

[26:29] during a discussion about explaining my

[26:32] vote

[26:34] I'm making money

[26:37] huh

[26:40] so no I'm just stating the obvious

[26:42] reason why here and I want to thank Mr

[26:44] Golden for working with us to change the

[26:46] documents to whatever was passed less

[26:50] mentally

[26:53] and we're here to focus on the amended

[26:55] version I just want to clarify something

[26:57] for me and we'll talk about

[26:59] when the police chief was here let's

[27:00] stay with us this year talking about

[27:02] adding new

[27:04] officers and the journals of cost

[27:07] savings some of the things I've

[27:09] mentioned my police chief was adding new

[27:12] officers will help a new technology will

[27:15] help reduce over time so I think that's

[27:18] one of the consideration was we took I

[27:21] took we took into looking at reducing

[27:24] all the time but we're not cutting it

[27:26] below what was approved last this year

[27:28] so there's a there's an increase on that

[27:31] amount from this year into next year so

[27:34] I'm not sure where we're you know we're

[27:36] talking about Narrative of cutting and

[27:37] defunding police and things like that we

[27:39] just need to be careful what we're doing

[27:41] with that said I'm voting yes

[27:44] Mrs

[27:46] no Mr palomini

[27:50] um first I'd like to correct some

[27:51] incorrect information that's been going

[27:53] around specifically that there are 15

[27:55] openings in the police department and

[27:58] that will lead to a savings of a million

[28:00] and a half dollars in salaries that's

[28:02] completely untrue there are 13 openings

[28:05] nine of which will be filled on January

[28:07] 1 and the other field likely by July 1st

[28:11] the salary savings for those four

[28:13] officers was built into the overtime

[28:15] budget request for 1.8 million dollars

[28:18] which is 300 to 400 000 less than what's

[28:22] typically spent

[28:24] even if we're talking about this year

[28:25] when asked Commissioners Ferrari stated

[28:28] we he's projecting a nearly two million

[28:31] dollar loss

[28:33] my comments the other night still stand

[28:35] this budget's not sustainable and let me

[28:38] make it clear to homeowners this budget

[28:40] will lead to a substantial tax and fee

[28:42] increase sooner rather than later

[28:45] making matters worse this budget has cut

[28:48] Police Services more than two hundred

[28:50] fifty thousand fifty six thousand in

[28:52] overtime requests and taking an officer

[28:55] off the street by not funding a I.T

[28:57] position in the police department yes

[28:59] that I.T position is funded in I.T as a

[29:04] separate piece of employment but that

[29:07] does not help the police department the

[29:10] data tells us that the crime is up 30

[29:12] percent violent crime is up 13 and we've

[29:16] had the most homicides in the city this

[29:18] year than we've had in the last seven

[29:21] crime is out of control every

[29:24] neighborhood's getting hit

[29:26] who suffer the most from these Cuts

[29:28] however history and research tells us

[29:30] the most marginalized or the one's most

[29:32] impacted these are the same people our

[29:34] colleagues tell us are most concerned

[29:36] with but I guess that's just lip circs

[29:39] other than throwing ARCA money around

[29:41] money that could have been spent

[29:43] significantly to help the budget even

[29:45] further and ensure additional costs

[29:48] going forward on water sewer and capital

[29:50] projects could be reduced or eliminated

[29:53] additionally we've been told that the

[29:55] money for outside legal services for the

[29:58] cprb is requested this is not true

[30:01] talking to the leadership of the CB cprb

[30:05] we find that it was discussed by the

[30:07] board but was not approved by the board

[30:10] so our colleagues who said they didn't

[30:12] want to fund the police even ran

[30:14] campaign ads saying the team won't

[30:17] defund the police despite comments made

[30:19] publicly that are contrary to that

[30:22] statement and called many of us on the

[30:24] Council of others names because we

[30:26] correctly stated what they wanted to do

[30:28] which is to fund the police have not

[30:31] done exactly that to fund the police

[30:34] I'm being intentional here in my

[30:36] comments once again they have proven to

[30:39] be untruthful

[30:40] adding to that we saw just the other day

[30:43] a complete lack of understanding of what

[30:45] the police do on the council chair

[30:47] stated the police don't prevent crime

[30:49] seriously

[30:51] we have heard terms thrown around like

[30:53] this was a compromised budget let's be

[30:55] clear there was no compromise the only

[30:58] reason the budget was changed from the

[31:01] proposed budget that our colleagues put

[31:03] forward was the numbers just didn't work

[31:06] there's no way they could have worked

[31:08] and this is what you get when activists

[31:10] are put in positions that meet people to

[31:13] govern I vote no

[31:16] it's important oh yes

[31:19] passes four to three

[31:22] insane emotions

[31:26] [Music]

[31:28] all in favor

[31:44] foreign

[36:07] thank you

[36:14] foreign

[39:08] thank you

[39:13] leave her alone

[43:22] oh yeah

[44:39] [Music]

[44:42] foreign

Schenectady City Council Special Meeting - 2023 Budget, Sunday, October 30

Transcript