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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
[22:15] [Music]
[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
[25:06] [Music]
[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