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everybody
like to call to order the city council
Caucus meeting for Monday April 10 2023
we have two public hearings this evening
if the clerk would please read public
hearing number one public hearing number
one
the 2023-2024 proposed HUD annual action
plan
public hearing number two amending the
city the Schenectady city code to add
Provisions related to the use of school
bus stop armed cameras
we have nine items for original
consideration if the clerk would please
read item number one item number one
under final consideration an ordinance
to amend section 186 6-16 of the code of
the city of Schenectady discussed in
committee without objection on consent
item number two item number two for
original consideration a resolution
calling for a public hearing on the
abandonment of a portion of Amelia
Street discussed and committed with
objection on consent item number three for original
consideration a resolution calling for a
public hearing on the abandonment of a
portion of Larch Street
discussing committee with objection on
consent item number four item number
four for original consideration a
resolution calling for a public hearing
amending sections 248-18 of the
Schenectady city code to designate Fuller street from South
Church Street to South Ferry Street a
one-way Street discussed in committee
with the objection on consent item
number five item number five for
original consideration a resolution
requesting State legislation requiring
compliance with the city code related to
residential
rental residential property registration
for eviction proceedings discussed and
committed without objection on consent
item number six item number six for
original consideration a resolution
confirming the reappointments of Father
Dominic isopo Lawrence dalke and
Lawrence DeAngelis and confirming the
appointment of Michael Michael Dalton to
the city of Schenectady Board of Ethics
discussed and committed with objection
on consent item number seven item number
seven for original consideration a
resolution approving the increase of the
Schenectady Municipal Golf Course rates
for the golf cart use discussed and
committed with objection on consent item
number eight item number eight for
original consideration a resolution
authorizing the mayor or his designee to
enter into supplemental agreement number
three with New York State Department of
Transportation for the implementation
and funding in the first instant 100 of
the federal aid and state marchaselli
program eight eligible costs
of a Transportation federal aid project
and appropriating funds for replacement
of Kings Road Bridge over CSX New York
State DOT pin number
1758.95 discussed in committee with
objection on consent item number nine under contract and
Supply a resolution awarding the bid and
contract for crack ceiling of city
streets 2023 to Sealcoat USA
Incorporated in the amount of 157 380
dollars
discussed the committee with objection
non-consent if there's nothing more to
come before the city council caucus I'd
ask for a motion to adjourn
my Ms Patrick second by Mr mcvering all
those in favor
aye we are adjourned I'd like to call
the city council meeting to order for
Monday April 10 2023.
and I'd like to call on Pastor Gene
Nicole Simone two for the
prayer invocation
let us pray
Lord we thank you for this day and for
now for allowing us to come together for
the business of the city
Lord as we are coming out of this High
holy season in many Faith traditions
Lord help us to hold on to our faith our
compassion our hope our integrity our
morals the things that we were taught as
kids growing up Lord help us to hold on
to our heart of service
Lord as the council members and others
are serving the community serving this
city Lord may we be guided by you may we
be guided by our compassion and our love
for our fellow brothers and sisters in
the name of Jesus I pray amen amen and
as councilmember Williams who lives in
the Pledge of Allegiance
States of America
and to the Republic which it stands one
nation under God indivisible and with
liberty and justice for all thank you
if the clerk would please complete the
Roll Call
Mr motiveran
Mr Taurus absent
Mr Farley is absent Mr Williams
Miss Patrick
Mr palomini Miss Porterfield here thank
you
we have one out of order resolution recognizing Saint Albert's on
20th anniversary and I'd like council
member palominium to please present this
resolution
may I have the floor you have the floor
this is a resolution recognizing Saint
adelbert's 120th anniversary
whereas the church of Saint Adalbert
Schenectady New York is proudly
celebrating its 120th anniversary on
Sunday April 23 2023 and whereas In 1902
70 Polish immigrant families who had
been drawn by the promise of political
Liberty economic prosperity and
religious freedom to the United States
determined that they needed a place to
worship God in the Roman Catholic
tradition educate their children to be
contributing members of the American
society and maintain their cherished
polish culture and whereas two
committees were formed one was to select
the site for the church while the other
was to seek approval to establish the
parish on December 1st the first
committee placed the deposit on seven
Lots between Crane and Lansing streets
when Spring weather allowed it they
began clearing trees and preparing the
site for Three Wooden buildings a church
a school and the rectory and whereas in
the meantime this second committee
approached Bishop Burke who gave his
approval and suggested that the parish
be named for Saint adelbert and whereas
on March 30th 1903 the first mass was
celebrated in the parish on the newly
completed Foundation of a parishioner's
house on June 4th 1903 the certificate
of incorporation of the church of Saint
Adalbert was signed
uh where whereas on July 4th 1903 the
foundation of the wooden church was
completed in a temporary floor installed
by Autumn the church school and rectory
were completed and whereas on October 9
1909
the wooden church was destroyed by fire
arrangements for a new Brick Church
building were being planned and the
Cornerstone was laid in the spring of
1910 and whereas on April 7 1911 the
completed
brick structure was dedicated
it's long and whereas created on a hill
stands the church of Saint adilbert its
magnificent steeple spiraling heavenward
a reminder of the shrine of Our Lady of
chenstahova
I practiced the spiritual and cultural
focal point of Poland thus located it
offered a panoramic view of the city of
Schenectady and whereas Saint Alberts is
today under the spiritual guidance of
Father Matthew h forzoni and whereas
Saint adelbert stands stand stand stands
prepared to meet the challenges of the
coming decades while retaining the
spiritual resolve which characterizes
its past now therefore be it resolved
that the Schenectady city council and
the Mayor Gary R McCarthy do hereby
pause in her deliberations to call on
all schenectadians to celebrate the
120th anniversary of Saint adalberts and
learn more about the church's enormous
contributions to the city of Schenectady
this was previously moat passed so we
don't have to do that again no prairies
congratulations
thank you
and would you like to introduce your
colleagues
okay first John I want to thank you
because he was my contact person thank
you so much
I do want to thank the city of
Schenectady and everybody for being here
mayor McCarthy thank you Gary the
president of the city council Miss
Porterfield thank you Marion and all the
city council people over here I think I
know most of you not everybody here I do
want to thank all our parishioners we
have we have more but we you know they
wanted like two or three hundred people
wanted to come here I said no we we're
not going to do that that's that's way
too much you know father for Sony
couldn't make it he had other things
going on he's got a lot of things on his
plate anyway
um
our church is not hard to believe I've
been going to church there for 70 years
you know I haven't been going there for
120 just 70 years but unbelievable our
church I also I always want to say I
think it's one of the best looking
structurally in the city of Schenectady
and I also think it's one of the best
looking Churches in the Capital District
but that's my own personal point of view
you know for sure no it's a beautiful
church if you ever get a chance if
you've never been in Santa Barbara's you
should come over there come over for the
mass and if you can make it to the mass
you should just come over and look to
see what you are missing and it's always
we always have great greeters here and
things like that everybody's always
smiling look at that you know it's
always like that okay listen I'm gonna
stop talking thank you so much and your
father for his only viewers here he
would say God bless you and God bless
America
okay thank you thank you
yeah in Polish you would be saying
thank you everybody thank you have a
good evening
Philadelphia
thank you
we have two public we have two public
hearings this evening and I just want to
remind you that we've extended the
comment a public comment for the public
hearing to four minutes and they also
respectfully ask that you only make your
comments relevant to the public hearing number one the 2023-24
proposed HUD annual action plan
and I see that
I have no one signed up to speak
so I declare the public hearing closed
um
is there anyone here that has signed up
to speak to the public hearing regarding
the Schenectady city code to add
Provisions to relating to the use of the
school bus code camera
okay so that's public hearing number two
so I have no one else no one signed up
to speak so I declare that public
hearing closed
I'll ask for approval of the minutes
from March 27 2023.
so
um second by Miss Patrick all those in
favor
aye
ask for the clerk to please read any
Communications and petitions
Communications presented to city council
for Monday April 10 2023 under official
there were none under General
from members of American Legion Post 21
a thank you note for the much needed
donation under petitions there were none
call on City Council Members to provide
any committee reports
this time we'll have privilege of the
floor related to the legislative agenda
I have no one signed up to speak
so
for the legislative agenda for things
that are on the agenda you you signed up
on an on City business sir
we we have no one on that sheet so if
there's something on the agenda that
someone like to speak to this is the
opportunity
is it on the legislative agenda
yes yes then you can come at this time
you're welcome
I apologize
say okay
and again I have four minutes is that
you have three three okay good evening
um I'm Reverend Nicole John Simone
president of the Schenectady NAACP and
as president of the local branch of the
NAACP I often hear the concerns of the
people of this community
both black and white young and old these
concerns don't always come in the form
of rank complaints sometimes people stop
me in the grocery store stopped by my
church call me on the phone to voice
their concerns and they trust me to
bring those concerns to you so I want to
bring to your attention this evening
something that I have now received
several complaints about the community
is greatly concerned with the way that
the board of Ethics is being used by
members of this Council
in 1971 the Schenectady city council
recognized the fundamental principle
that officers and employees of the city
hold their positions to serve and
benefit the public and not for obtaining
unwarranted personal and private gain in
the exercise and performance of their
official powers and duties with that
principle in mind clear and reasonable
standards of ethical conduct were
established with the City Board of
Ethics being charged with the obligation
to review issues and render opinions
relative to the administration of these
standards this is the overview as stated
on the city's websites website the board
was formed for this reason in 1971.
it was not formed to be used as a weapon
against your colleagues
and that is what people are seeing right
now that is the complaint that they're
bringing forward
and that concern is further affirmed
when you go to the city's website and
the only other complaint to be found is
one made against another
African-American council member 10 years
ago
so
is it correct
that although the ethics board has been
in existence for 52 years the only time
it's been used to make complaints was
against two African-American city
council members of which there have only
been four
maybe I'm missing something
perhaps older complaints have been
removed from the website but the truth
remains is that the last time the board
was used was to bring a complaint
against an African-American council
member
no wonder why people are stopping me in
the stores calling me on my phone
I'm taking their concerns seriously and
I hope you will do the same
I hope you will take a close look at how
this board is used who serves on this
board the diversity of this board the
mission of this board
and view the original intent of this
board
thank you for your time and attention to
this matter
thank you
I have no one else signed it to speak on
the legislative agenda so I declare the
public comment close
ask for approval of the legislative
agenda
movement second by Mr Williams all those
in favor
aye
this time oops one second
is metal sheet okay as for privilege of
the floor regarding General City
business
I have eight people that are signed up
and the first person is Bailey Gardner
and I just want to remind you it is
three minutes for this part of it okay
thank you you're welcome good evening I
am Bailey Gardner I am from Schenectady
County connects which many of you may
know has connected a job training agency
so we operate the Summer Youth
Employment Program and last year believe
it or not for the 2022 program we
received 479 applications of Youth who
are eager to work throughout the county
and from that 479 applications we have
the ability to fund 190 positions and
that was until just before the program
when the city and the school district
came together and we just need to thank
you for your support of an additional 75
youth last year it was tremendous that
we were able to then take on those 75
youth individually interview them place
them at work sites throughout the county
and they got their six weeks of work
experience through the county and City
partnership with the school district
support on the administration in the
school district has been tremendously
supportive of our programming we now
have an inter internship partnership
that is also a part of the city
partnership and we thank you for that as
well we have some of our youth here
tonight to speak to you about their
experiences and just to share with you
how impactful this has been not only for
the summer experience where some of
these youth get their first jobs some
have the job coaching that they need to
be successful and learn the foundational
skills that they may not have learned
had they just started a job showed up
late and then got fired so we're there
to be that intermediary where we really
support the youth and teach them those
skills and really help them to learn the
foundational skills that will help them
on a career pathway towards
self-sustainability which I know is a
city school district and County priority
for all of our citizens here so I just
wanted to thank you again for your
support we would love to have a
conversation about how we may be able to
further this partnership for the 2023
Summer Youth Employment Program and some
of our youth are also signed up for
privilege of the floor so thank you so
much and have a wonderful evening thank
you
Ronaldo Guerrero
hello my name is Ray and I would like to
start with thank you for giving me a
chance to actually start my first job
and now also like to thank my job coach
for teaching me a lot of
skills that I will need later on in my
career
I work at the Mount Pleasant Boys and
Girls Club and
hopefully
thank you guys thank you for coming
Mariah Jacobs
it it says Jacob's here
hi my name is Mariah and I'm interning
as a media specialist for Schenectady
County School District
My overall experience so far in this
internship has been very pleasant and I
am very happy I got this opportunity I
really enjoy working
with the student voice and documenting
other people's experiences likes
dislikes and changes they would like to
see happen in Schenectady I would
recommend this internship to others I
actually have there's great connections
opportunities and experiences with the
youth program and I would like to thank
my job coach and my supervisor Dr Cottle
even though he's not here but I still
like thinking and I like thank you guys
for listening thank you thank you
Brian Hernandez
hello my name is Brian Hernandez and I
would like to start off by saying thank
you for your contribution to this
program and I'd also like to thank my
job coach I speak on the behalf of me
and many other kids that we are truly
grateful for this opportunity
um but more on me it I work at
ring of Hope boxing club which some of
you may have heard of it's on Erie
Boulevard it's an amazing boxing program
where we teach kids from all ages even
adults yes
just stop by
um
but
I don't really have like a certain
position I work as a coach sometimes I could be the janitor
to help out but um
my experience in the program has been
great I've been going to this gym for
two years and I've only been working for
the gym for like about two months but I
built an attachment before I started
working so it's been great I got to I've
been my coach is my boss so
sometimes sometimes he get uh
ordered me to do something in like a
coach way
but it's it's been great
I get to basically work with my second
family and get paid for it and um it
feels very rewarding
and
at the current moment I I just turned 16
like last month so
um I just got my permit and soon enough
I'll get my license so this program
and hopefully I get a car but this
program is could eventually help me fund
for that car
and any suggestions no
um
and I recommend that kids join it it's a
it's they're they take care of you and
yeah we're taken care of if we need
anything we could ask them they make
sure that we are doing what we are
supposed to and
um
and they work very well with our
supervisors my supervisors Kenneth
Brooks which some of you may know so and
he tells me that it's super easy for him
it's very and it's super easy for me too
and I think it's super easy for anyone
who wants to join but um that's all for
today and uh thank you for hearing me
thank you for coming thank you
and I have heard of Ring of Hope and
I've been there
Ed laven Jr
I'm sure you all remember me from the
March meeting prior to St Patrick's Day
that's where you told me the mayor
doesn't deal with judges
I just would like to read you the statue
the mayor also signs all commissions and
appointments and approves all official
bonds unless an ordinance otherwise
prescribes at 79.90 statutes direct the
mayor to be active and Vigilant in
enforcing all laws and ordinances for
the government of the city and to
properly deal with any neglect or
violation of Duty by a subordinate that
statute 79.200
so now I would like to ask that question
again what do you intend to do about
these three corrupt judges and city
clerk's office that deprive me of my
civil rights the due process and a fair
hearing
as I explained before sir this is your
opportunity for public to come and to
speak but this is not where we there
will be a dialogue you would have to
make an appointment to speak with the
mayor if that's your desire
will be about both of you
thank you
Mariah Lopez
hello
um I had plans to read notes
um but I'm not
um my name is Mariah Lopez I am the
volunteer executive director of the
oldest trans Rights group in the nation
I understand that I have three minutes
uh
I'm gonna try to keep it within that but
I'm not sure a trans woman of color has
ever addressed this body and I want to
give you a little bit of my background
that's going to inform hopefully my
brief comments that we can all follow up
during normal business hours I have
brought some of the most meaningful and
important landmark cases for Trans
rights in the state of New York
I have been bringing litigation against
the city of New York which has
considerable more resources than the
city of Schenectady since at least 1999
the most recent Landmark case I settled
was in 2021 because of that the city of
New York is now committed to opening
trans and disability-friendly shelters
in every Borough
on the way over here I had a friend in
the Comptroller's office do a little
back of the envelope math and we believe
that I have cost the city more than 20
million dollars
so I'm going to ask that this Council be
responsive I am now a local resident of
the city of Schenectady
that gentleman and I come from entirely
different backgrounds but I will say
unlike that gentleman my organization
and myself have access to some of the
best constitutional lawyers in the
country
I do not believe a lot of what I have
observed here on the city level
on the local city government level is
entirely ethical as it pertains to poor
and disabled people and so I will be
following up with my city council folk
here about bringing local legislation to
fill the gaps to protect poor and
vulnerable people
I can guarantee you though that if I
decide to start making noise oh and
vocal and why and hrx send their regards
I guarantee you if we decide to make
noise here
it will be a noise that can drive the
Democracy I hope
that is someone that has been as
consequential as I've been
with the expertise in human and civil
rights that I have that will be easy to
plug some of the sort of holes and gaps
and with that I'll give several examples
and then see my time
New York State's change to the scoff law
s are allowing local the local
Schenectady traffic division and SPD to
Target certain groups or to recklessly
enforce in a way that disproportionately
negatively impacts poor and minority
communities
the city council knows that the city has
a surplus financially you do not need to
be going after poor people with a gotcha
game so that they're forced to move
their cars to the other side of the
street and by the way this is hyper
local government I get it but living
here coming from New York City
it is apparent that one of the sort of
one of the one of the draws is that
government is local and small and it
should be more responsive I have raised
issues about I hear my time ma'am uh
with regard to some of the executive
agencies and SPD and I haven't got that
much of a response from the mayor's
office and Corporation Council Perhaps
it is
time for city council to act and finally
I'm going to ask that city council
consider legislation for right to
counsel for poor minority folk here
facing landlord tenant court some people
can't even read
those people should not be expected when
it's one of the most consequential
decisions in their life to stand at Pro
Se and landlord tenant Corps thank you
for being considerate and allowing me to
go over ma'am and rest you enjoy the
rest of your evening thank you
Wayne Harper
yeah
you know you can be poor minority
but you could get someone to read to you
if you can't read sick and tired of
hearing people that can't follow the law
and then when you try to enforce the law
it's about race and I'm getting sick and
tired of hearing about race everything's
racial today and it's mainly
Marion black on white now
uh it's a Reverse Racism
and let me just say right now call Wayne
Harper racist call me anything you want
but I'm getting fed up with it and uh
and it seems like we just keep taking it
and taking it and taking it and um
if you're not a law breaker you have
nothing to fear you can't read and write
my father couldn't read and write
but he knew what the law was you get you
learn it from other people now
I don't know if you could rescind that
10.1 million it'll probably go above
that for that swimming pool
that to me is sickening when I read that
kind of stuff that makes my blood boil
and I noticed at that committee meeting
I happen to catch it on TV
Carmel and Doreen they sat across from
one another in the commit in their heads
as the two salesmen for this pool their
heads were going in unison
uh we could better spend that 10.1
million on sidewalks curbs roads
bellevue's a mess a National Grid tour
up Bellevue to put in gas lines as a lot
of the other the rest of the city
uh there's so many area lead pipe we
have lead pipes going into homes people
are bathing drinking water that may be
contaminated that money could be spent
better someplace else
the other thing they said that that pool
is going to be a destination oh how
laughable I can hear people now I was
going to go to Lake George or sagin dog
or maybe Saratoga Lake but you know what
I think I'm going to go to Schenectady
pool so who's going to pay for the
additional policing the upkeep of the
grounds you know there's a lot of
expense that's going to go with that and
I didn't see and are we going to charge
a fee
and then I'm telling I'm thinking we
could probably smell the chlorine up in
Bellevue to counteract the urine that
goes in the swimming pool I mean I
wouldn't swim in a swimming pool today
I'm too conscious of disease and I think
we lost sight that covet is still alive
and well
and it may be coming back around with
other illnesses and here we're going to
congregate people in pools so that's my
two cents worth if you could rescind it
because I didn't know there was a I
didn't get the comment period on that
maybe I was in the hospital
now lastly
City ethics board repairs Farley probe
I watched I happen to catch that
committee meeting
when um
Mr palmetti raised that issue
you Marion went after him like you were
damani's attorney
and I think it's more than reasonable
based on what was said in the paper and
if it's not true I'm sure you're going
to ask for a retraction
but when you come to the receipts
and you owe back taxes you don't qualify
you've got to be squeaky clean to sit in
these or you should be
and then to see that you're double
dipping
with the school system which are joined
at the hip by the way to teachers union
with you folks
so that needs to be looked at and not by
a an Ethics board I don't trust that
ethics board the people and I see where
Michael Dalton was just your time has
expired what's that your time has you're
over your time oh okay so lastly then to
close I think
um I think Damani you should have
resigned quite frankly and we're going
to have 86 000 new according to the
National Democrats IRS agents maybe one
of them should be assigned here let's
find out what's really went on okay
thanks
thank you
I have no one else signed up to speak
for public comment in the city business
so I declare it close
this time any miscellaneous business of
the council
Mr Williams
thank you
I definitely want to start off by
thanking the youth that were present
here tonight I hope they understand that
the power of their voices is something
that they're learning to express and
hone definitely these obstacles that you
are learning are going to absolutely
follow you for the rest of your life and
it is a an amazing opportunity for
Schenectady to be such a pivorable
experience for them as they go down that
journey I wanted to take a moment to
thank a few agencies that hosted a
housing form a few weeks ago I would
like to thank the New York state
division of Human Rights the Schenectady
County Human Rights Commission The Legal
Aid Society and all of us Community
ethic group for hosting a successful
conversation for housing protections on
March 30th one of the underlying tenets
that we addressed was knowing your
rights and understanding the resources
that are available for you
it's important that you either take down
this address this website or pass along
to someone that you think might be best
uh in in use of this but
dhr.ny.gov is your way to be able to
submit complaints against discrimination
uh in respect to renting or purchasing
of a home and this agency will
investigate and potentially present your
case in court now I know we're talking
or heard a lot about uh funds or being
able to understand or have the
wherewithal to recognize what is
available to you and honestly it begins
with understanding what your rights are
so please get smart again I would like
to respond that website is
dhr.ny.gov second I would like to to
thank for the continuous work of the
Schenectady any inner city Ministry for
hosting this form I'd like to
acknowledge that their food program is
doing the Abundant work of making sure
that everyone has access to healthy and
nutritious meals in Schenectady if you
are looking for an opportunity to
dedicate your time or monetary
contributions this is an excellent
opportunity again this agency is doing
the good and tough work of making sure
that food is accessible to scantalians
whether you've been here your entire
life or you just arrived this is
available to you uh second I wanted to
take an opportunity to announce that in
partnership with braver angels we will
be hosting a workshop at Union College
to address skills for Bridging the
Divide which is a workshop to provide
resources we're talking about political
issues in a constructive and empathetic
way there will be more information to
come but that event will take place on
May 18th from 6 to 8 30. there will be
more information again and flyers and
sign ups that will be presented to the
community
next I'd like to acknowledge that as we
look forward to warmer climate please enjoy your time in your backyard
or in the park in a considerable manner
definitely music and excess noise is
something that we continuously deal with
please be respectful of your neighbors
and also individuals that are sharing
those safe spaces because as much as we
pride ourselves on the benefits of this
community we cannot over enjoy at the
expense of others and I thought it was
important to just address The Continuous
conversations and topics that have been
directed at my Council Peter Damani Farley at this
present time these are allegations
and there have been other
well-positioned bodies that have looked
into these matters for myself I've
respected and appreciate the
contributions councilman Farley has made
not only to the Schenectady city council
but also to the work he continuously
does at the Schenectady City School
District I think it is more than
appropriate to have defenses in place to
ensure that he is not taking on this
conversation alone I understand that the
work of the board of exit the the ethics
board is important but as we have heard
um
if something Walks Like A Duck
quacks like a duck
what is it
so I'm confident that as this
investigation in whatever manner it
conducts itself I know that the
respectable and ethical manner that Mr
Farley conducts himself will be present
and I look forward to a retraction being
issued to the paper and I hope that he
continues to do this positive work in a
manner that is most befitting of his his
uh his his ethics thank you
Mr Farley
I guess it's only right so
um
you know politics a lot of politics is
about managing Optics and you know I'm
not the best at that
um and
it's not lost on me that um you know
when you take strong positions and you
call out things like you know bias
discrimination and systemic racism and
you call them exactly what they are you
know
um and you do so explicitly
um and on record you make enemies
and that's okay with me because I didn't
come here to make friends I came here to
make change
and that's what I'm going to continue to
do
um it's also not lost in the public that
this ethics board that has not convened
and
um to to deal with the issue in 10 years
uh was last brought together
to investigate
another
person of color
um on on the city council and none of
this happened until I sat here and
called out a certain pattern of behavior
and not my opinion just a pattern a fact
pattern or behavior that um
really just cause things what they are
and I'm going to continue to do that if
you know people of color have been used
to historically systems being weaponized
against them as a way to buy their
silence you know I know it just burns
your biscuits that you can't keep this
boy in this place
um I didn't come here
um to dance to whatever music that you
guys been playing for years and years Schenectady is not a great
place for everyone it is a great place
for some it's a good place for some and
it's full of great people however we
cannot be afraid of better and if as
politicians or elected officials when
someone who tries to reach out to you
privately to bring things to your
attention and say let's fix this if you
won't engage in those conversations and
then you have to bring it on the floor I
am who I say I am I'm like everybody
else as far as my state taxes that's the
real thing that's not the only bill that
I have that I have to pay that I'm
working on uh after uh a financial
hardship that so many people have
explained and have experience
um but outside of that
you know I'm so proud of the work that
I've done in the community and the large
team of people that I've done and done
that work with it speaks for itself and
so I there's I I don't scare that easy
um my I don't have that type of brittle
spirit I am who I say I am we're going
to continue to work we're going to
continue to call out systemic racism and
until we as a city take a hard look at
who we are and not and and start to
allocate funds in a way that's aligned
with Equity not just saying it like
saying like we're not just going to give
the money to the people
um of this big box agency because they
play golf with us and they've been
getting money for 20 years and so we
take it a step further to say let's talk
to the people that the services are
being provided to let's talk to the
people that are the line workers the
people that are engaging in the
community in this work
and when we start to ask ourselves those
hard questions we might not always like
to answer but that's okay it's about
asking the right questions so I'm here
for it and I'm gonna continue to do it
what I do and I'm going to continue to
fight and advocate for the people and
you don't have to be perfect through
that thank God because I wouldn't be
here if that was the case thank you
Mr palamini
yeah there's a systemic pattern here
every time something
happens that
someone makes a mistake somebody screws
up
here comes the racism charges
yes the Ethics Committee hasn't been
in in play in 10 years
probably should have
been if there was something
but here we have a situation where we
have contracts that are nearly identical
six hundred thousand dollars of money
that could have gone to Children went to
an individual and employees the school
district says well it looks like it's
probably not illegal where to trust the
school district who's had cover-up after cover-up who are just
covering up for themselves
we have unpaid taxes we don't know about
that's for 16 17. we don't know about
any years after that we don't know about
workers compensation we don't know about
disability
Insurance there's a lot of questions
that aren't answered and for ethics
board to look at this and say nothing
wrong or something wrong or to have a
district attorney or the the attorney
general or the Comptroller look at it
and say hey there's nothing here
is a legitimate question hundreds upon
hundreds of people have asked me about
this and say stand up
so I will continue to stand up and try
to do the right thing
and if that means calling out
individuals who have done something
as I expect I will stand up
but this every time something happens
it's you can play the record over and
over again
and that's what it is
so I'm going to stand up
you can compare yourself to whoever
compare yourself to more like George
Santos or to Donald Trump tactics that
you're using
that's what's going on here
and I will continue to stand up for
taxpayers they've constantly said
keep up
and I will continue to do so
mayor
you madam president
and we're starting to see the weather
shift for hopefully we'll be warmer
weather going forward
there are still some potholes that will
be appearing I would encourage people to
use c-click fix so that we can get them
identified get them on a schedule to get
them filled it's the batch plants open
up that will be able to respond in a
more timely manner and again appreciate
the council approving the cracked
ceiling contract tonight for roads
because that's one of the cheaper ways
to maintain Street surface and to
prevent some of the more expensive
maintenance
Mr Farley will be opening the golf
course
this Saturday I don't get to play with
those big bucks vendors
hopefully get out once or twice this
year and hope other council members
would get the opportunity to enjoy the
golf course it's one of the things that
we learn from covid that more and more
courses are using now is that when the
course opens on Saturday we will not
allow the carts to go out
in the superintendental make that
decision like a week or 10 days out and
what we found is by allowing that brief
period of time for the grass to get
better established
it allows the course to go through the
summer in a much higher quality it's
Greener you don't have the brown spots
and the overall visual aspect of the
course is much better and so it was a
learning experience one of the odd
things from covid that we picked up and
are now using as a standard practice
thank you madam president thank you
mayor I'd also like to thank everyone
that came out tonight to speak and to
the young people we're appreciative at
least I am and that this Council was
able to be able to fund the program and we can see some of the benefits and
I'm sure there's more so it was really
great it's always great to hear that
something that you did with had a
positive impact and for people to come
back and tell you because God knows that
we hear enough of other things
so I just you know I just can't ignore
the elephant in the room the
conversation about the ethics board and
um it was spoken of tonight and it's
clear that the ethics board has said
that it refers to employees or officers
of the city at the time the things that
we're talking about about council member
Farley occurred prior to that so I just
want to make that clear for everyone so
that there's no mistake about my comments regarding whether or
not it should be coped before the ethics
board and
let's just State the facts it is a fact
that the last time the ethnic ethics
board was called it was about against an
African-American person that's not
racism that's a fact you can look it up
you can go see it it's a fact so uh I am
very clear because of the climate that
we're in not to call things racism when
they're when it's a possibility that
they're not but you can't argue with the
facts
and if we want to talk about it I want
to just mention what happened in
Tennessee where there were lawmakers who
stood up for children getting killed and
talking against guns and two of those
lawmakers were African-American and the
third was not and the two
African-Americans were expelled and the
third was not so you can come to your
own conclusion on that
so it's not sometimes and it's racism
and I one of the speakers said that
they're getting tired of it I think we
are all getting tired of it and those of
us who have lived with it for years are
tired of it as well and I think that if
we just we can try to work together and
overcome it but recognize other people's
situations if you've never walked in
their shoes
and respect that and have conversations
about it and I'm hoping that this is our
last debate on the floor
um against and between two council
members because as people say that I'm
hearing from the public I hear as well
about the in those particular
interactions maybe it's time for a
private conversation gentlemen
if there's nothing to come before the
city council
tonight I'd like to ask for a motion to
adjourn
second my move by Mr Farley move second
by Mr all those in favor
have a good evening