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[14:12] I'd like to call the city Caucus meeting

[14:14] to order for Monday August 28 2023

[14:18] we have seven items for original

[14:20] consideration if the clerk would please

[14:22] read item number one for final consideration

[14:26] an ordinance pursuant to section 101 of

[14:29] the second class cities law abandoning a

[14:32] portion of large Street

[14:33] discussed in committee with objection on

[14:35] consent item number two item number two

[14:37] under original consideration a

[14:39] resolution adopting the post-issuance

[14:40] compliance policy discussed in committee

[14:43] with objection on consent item number

[14:45] three item number three for original

[14:47] consideration a resolution adopting the

[14:49] amended 2023-2024 annual action plan

[14:52] discussed in committee without objection

[14:54] on consent item number four item number

[14:56] four for original consideration a

[14:59] resolution approving the city's annual

[15:00] Municipal separate storm sewer system

[15:03] ms4 report for 2023 discussed in

[15:06] committee without objecting on consent

[15:08] item number five item number five for

[15:10] original consideration a resolution

[15:12] authorizing authorizing the sale of a

[15:14] vacant land in the town of Rotterdam

[15:16] identify as sbl

[15:20] 60.17-2-26 or twenty thousand dollars

[15:23] discussed in committee with the

[15:25] objection on consent item number six for original

[15:28] consideration a resolution authorizing

[15:30] the settlement of a claim by American

[15:32] state company as severagi of Jeffrey

[15:36] Brier

[15:37] discussed in committee with objection on

[15:39] consent item number seven item number

[15:41] seven under contract and Supply a

[15:43] resolution authorizing an agreement for

[15:45] sludge transportation and disposable

[15:47] disposal 2023 the county wastes

[15:50] recycling services incorporated

[15:52] discussed and committed with the

[15:54] objection on consent if there's nothing

[15:56] more to come before the city council

[15:57] caucus I'd ask for a motion to adjourn

[16:00] moved by Mr motive Aaron second by Mr

[16:02] Williams all those in favor

[16:04] aye we're adjourned I'd like to call the

[16:07] city council meeting to order for Monday

[16:08] August 28 2023.

[16:11] and I'd like to call on Reverend Ronald

[16:13] hunt for the prayer invocation

[16:19] I ask for blessings on the people who've

[16:21] been called to lead this community in

[16:23] which we live work and play

[16:25] members of the councils the employees

[16:27] the mayor and those of you making for

[16:29] and wanting change in our communities

[16:31] help our leaders to just not ask how do

[16:34] we fix this but what do we need to learn

[16:36] how might we need to change and to whom

[16:38] do we need to listen help our community

[16:41] by bringing Creative Solutions to our

[16:43] challenges I was very encouraged at the

[16:46] last meeting of all the Creative

[16:48] Solutions that people brought along with

[16:50] the challenges to the community I remind

[16:53] all of us as Citizens

[16:55] because we all forget from time to time

[16:57] especially in the noisiness of what

[16:59] passes his political debate today that

[17:02] these officials are not only leaders but

[17:04] also servants and that is their

[17:06] responsibility and ours to serve the

[17:09] common good of all a little stability

[17:12] goes a long way at any

[17:15] remind them that no matter where we live

[17:18] everyone is our neighbor our sibling and

[17:20] throughout the ages prophets have called

[17:22] the leaders of our people to respect and

[17:24] protect the least of those among us our

[17:26] children the elderly poor those who are

[17:28] hungry those who have no homes those who

[17:30] are ill and body mind or Spirit

[17:32] strangers and immigrants in our midst

[17:34] those who live on the margins those who

[17:37] are alone those who are somewhat

[17:39] forgotten grant them and us the wisdom

[17:42] and courage to know and do what is right

[17:44] and good and true may they and we speak

[17:48] out when it is time to speak out and

[17:50] listen patiently and receptively when it

[17:54] is time to listen may they and we always

[17:57] be guided by the spirit of community by

[17:59] the spirit of justice and by the spirit

[18:01] of love this we pray in the name of all

[18:04] that we hold sacred regardless of

[18:06] individual deities that all that behold

[18:08] good and right and true may it be so

[18:11] thank you I would like to ask for a

[18:13] moment of silence today we said goodbye

[18:16] to Tammy Bell Lentz she got a great

[18:19] send-off at practice theater I was

[18:21] honored to officiate that ceremony for

[18:24] her she was one of a kind person and

[18:27] when we missed in Schenectady her heart

[18:30] was always

[18:32] in the civility part of what we just

[18:35] discussed thank you very much

[18:37] thank you I'd like to call on Michael

[18:39] zabinski Boy Scout Troop number 357 to

[18:42] lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance

[18:52] I apologies to the flag of the United

[18:55] States

[19:06] thank you

[19:11] the clerk would please complete the Roll

[19:13] Call

[19:14] Mr motiveram President Mr turo

[19:18] Mr Farley

[19:20] Mr Williams

[19:21] Miss Patrick is absent Mr palomini Miss

[19:25] Porterfield here

[19:28] I'd ask for approval of minutes for

[19:29] August 14 2023

[19:32] moved by Mr Farley

[19:33] taken by Mr Williams all in favor

[19:36] aye

[19:37] the clerk would please read any

[19:38] Communications and petitions

[19:45] Communications presented to the city

[19:47] council for Monday August 28 2023 under

[19:51] official there were none under General

[19:53] there was an email from Sophia Golem

[19:56] requesting that the Schenectady city

[19:58] council adopt a budget that prioritizes

[20:01] Community well-being under petitions

[20:04] there were none

[20:05] thank you calling on city council

[20:07] members for any committee reports

[20:12] this time we have privilege over the

[20:14] floor related to the legislative agenda

[20:17] I see no one signed up

[20:20] so I declare the public comment on the

[20:22] legislative agenda closed

[20:26] asked for approval of the legislative

[20:28] agenda

[20:30] moved by Mr motivaran

[20:34] second by Mr Farley all in favor

[20:37] aye

[20:43] this time we'll have privilege of the

[20:44] floor regarding General City business

[20:47] and I see three people are signed up to

[20:49] speak

[20:52] first person is David

[20:56] and Mary and the last time one last time

[20:59] I can read is Gilmore

[21:03] and I'm just for if you've not been here

[21:05] before we do have a three minute time

[21:07] limit you'll hear a timer

[21:10] um we have copies

[21:13] good evening mayor McCarthy and city

[21:15] council we are here this evening to

[21:17] express our frustrations and concerns

[21:19] over the activities that are allowed to

[21:21] take place in and around the grounds of

[21:23] grout Park athletic field and Northern

[21:25] River School

[21:27] located on Amsterdam Ave and Hamburg

[21:29] Street in the city of Schenectady we

[21:31] have been homeowners of 239 Abbotsford

[21:33] Road in the city for 18 years and have

[21:35] tolerated and endured excessively loud

[21:37] music emanating from the athletic field

[21:39] and school grounds for many years

[21:41] however the last four to five years the

[21:43] sheer volume and multiple sources of

[21:46] Music have become absolutely unbearable

[21:49] with at least six Vehicles playing

[21:51] different songs simultaneously at

[21:53] deafening tones

[21:56] the music again bird and a five to eight

[21:58] block radius as well as across i-890

[22:00] over to Watt Street

[22:02] it is so loud it hampers the Sirens from

[22:05] emergency vehicles in the area

[22:07] known only has the Music Volume reached

[22:09] a climax the tailgate block party like

[22:12] atmosphere has become dangerous and

[22:14] unlawful

[22:17] we have reached our limit Our lives our

[22:19] mental and physical health and our right

[22:21] to peace and happiness are heavily

[22:23] impacted by the inconsiderate and

[22:25] dangerous behaviors of the groups of

[22:27] people that have taken over grout Park

[22:29] and Amsterdam Avenue as a whole we feel

[22:32] mentally exhausted anxious from this

[22:34] going this ongoing and ever worsening

[22:36] situation as there is no way to block

[22:38] out the noise and know where to escape

[22:40] from in search of quiet as it permeates

[22:43] every corner crevice and square inch of

[22:45] our home

[22:46] no we no longer host Gatherings of

[22:48] family and friends in our yard due to

[22:50] the severity of the noise and related

[22:51] behaviors coming from Amsterdam Avenue

[22:53] our guests no longer enjoy coming over

[22:55] weekends or feel safe overall we are

[22:58] physically affected experienced nausea

[23:00] and headaches from the incessant

[23:01] pounding and shrieking of the music One

[23:03] literally cannot hear oneself think we

[23:06] experience elevated blood pressure from

[23:08] the stress frustration and agitation the

[23:10] situation causes we call the

[23:12] non-emergency police number every time

[23:14] these behaviors take place and become

[23:15] too difficult to tolerate we have been

[23:18] informed by responding officers upon

[23:20] their follow-up to our complaints and

[23:22] concerns of multiple tickets and arrests

[23:24] as well as their recognition of the

[23:26] large unruly Gatherings of people and

[23:28] number of vehicles on Amsterdam Avenue

[23:30] there was a large police response

[23:32] dispatched to grout Park the weekend of

[23:34] June 18th with body camera footage that

[23:37] confirms our concerns and what we

[23:39] experience throughout the spring and

[23:40] summer

[23:41] which also sparked a one-day police

[23:43] detail of grout Park on June 25th

[23:46] however no matter how many times the

[23:48] police respond to curtail the noise and

[23:50] conduct of the groups occupying grout

[23:52] Park athletic field and Northern River

[23:54] School parking lots they start right

[23:56] back up within a few minutes of the

[23:58] police leaving often to a more menacing

[24:00] and defiant level

[24:01] to us this feels like harassment torment

[24:04] and assault on our senses we are

[24:06] pleading for change regarding the

[24:08] utilization of grout Park field as well

[24:11] as changes in enforcement of the city's

[24:13] noise ordinance code 360. and increased

[24:16] Patrols in this area of the city

[24:18] respectfully

[24:20] thank you

[24:26] Ed laven Jr

[24:30] good evening

[24:33] when a crime of obstruction of justice

[24:35] perpetrated by three judges against the

[24:37] citizen is brought before the city

[24:38] council meeting and citizen ask for

[24:41] their help what is their Duty the

[24:43] council has a duty to investigate the

[24:45] matter and take appropriate action if

[24:47] the citizens claim is substantiated

[24:50] the mayor is committing obstruction of

[24:52] justice and treason and if foul guilty

[24:54] cannot hold public office

[24:56] and you must meet with me I've already

[24:59] voiced the crimes that have been

[25:01] committed at this council meeting

[25:03] it's not a choice

[25:05] your chief law enforcement officer in

[25:08] the city of Schenectady

[25:11] same for all council members you all

[25:12] swear an old to the Constitution when

[25:15] you do nothing it is obstruction of

[25:16] justice it is in your duty to help me

[25:19] not three corrupt judges that are

[25:21] impressing for jail time

[25:22] is this what you signed up for

[25:24] the cover-up for corrupt judges

[25:27] and do nothing for citizens

[25:29] your affecting change

[25:31] thank you

[25:35] Wayne Harper Schenectady

[25:40] what do I say

[25:43] I have the right and if you folks have

[25:46] the privilege you say we have the

[25:47] privilege to speak

[25:49] um

[25:51] I want to talk about something that

[25:54] bothers me greatly because I Endure it

[25:57] every day

[25:58] about code enforcement and Bellevue is in Decline and Gary you and

[26:05] I have talked some time ago

[26:07] I say to police when they do their

[26:10] patrol should be able to log

[26:12] the more blatant

[26:14] code issues people parking on the front

[26:17] lawn

[26:18] debris in the yard garbage can you know

[26:21] those kind of things that you can

[26:22] visually see they should be able to

[26:24] enter that into their computer and let

[26:27] that go to code enforcement

[26:29] and they should be acted on

[26:33] them and the other thing I'm noticing

[26:36] once you're cited and you don't address

[26:39] the situation

[26:41] there needs to be a harsher penalty

[26:43] because that's the that's the only thing

[26:45] that some people understand

[26:47] uh they think they live on an island

[26:49] they're only ones they don't care

[26:50] whatever they do is fine

[26:53] uh and I shouldn't have to go out like I

[26:56] did the Fourth of July and confront

[26:58] somebody about the fireworks and I told

[26:59] them look I'll give you to 11 o'clock I

[27:02] won't call the police

[27:03] but after that I'm gonna have to call

[27:05] him because you're doing it right in

[27:06] front of my house and then he threatens

[27:08] to set one off in front of my door so

[27:11] this is what that's why you hate to have

[27:13] to confront these people because it

[27:14] could have been worse than that and I'm

[27:16] not as young as I used to be I can't be

[27:18] fighting with these people and neither

[27:19] should I have to

[27:21] so I think and I've said 24 26 2428

[27:27] Campbell Avenue that guy works for

[27:28] Niskayuna or a contiguous town I don't

[27:33] know if it's Niskayuna or or wherever

[27:36] and he parks that truck in the front of

[27:38] his house and you can see the rut where

[27:41] he's been doing it and I've mentioned

[27:42] this how many times now and you would

[27:45] think somebody would address it because

[27:47] Bellevue is going fast that's the only

[27:49] way to put it and I'm not looking for

[27:51] Perfection believe me when I tell you

[27:53] I mean I do the best I can and I have my

[27:55] own issues but I don't park on my front

[27:58] lawn and Hillary bugs me about mowing

[28:00] that lawn more than I'd want to mow it

[28:02] uh but you know this stuff it needs to

[28:06] be there's a lot of things in this city

[28:07] that needs to be looked at and they need

[28:09] to crack down on it and get everyone

[28:11] involved I called a man that's supposed

[28:14] to head the Bellevue neighborhood

[28:16] association I don't feel that uh he may

[28:20] I said I'll give you a week to think

[28:21] about it but maybe we ought to do it

[28:23] right along and we'll note the biggest

[28:25] violators or the most blatant and see

[28:28] what city hall will do about it but I

[28:30] don't know that he'll call me because

[28:32] I'm just a lone voice down here and in

[28:35] closing Marion I want to thank all those

[28:38] veterans that I ask that come and help

[28:40] me when I was picketing the Albany VA

[28:42] hospital because not a one showed up and

[28:45] I expected a little more than that

[28:46] especially for any first cab veterans

[28:49] first Cavalry that may have been out

[28:52] there but you know what I don't know no

[28:53] they're probably only what 10 or 20

[28:55] people that watch these meetings what do

[28:57] you figure Doreen 10 or 20 on a good day

[29:01] thanks Marion thank you

[29:05] I have no one else signed up to speak so

[29:07] I declare the public comment of City

[29:08] business clothes

[29:11] this time any missed

[29:16] musumotiver

[29:20] thank you just an announcement

[29:23] um

[29:23] regards to the Narcan trading we're

[29:25] having um this Wednesday from 6 to 8 pm

[29:28] at the bridge Christian Church

[29:30] 735 Green Street so just a shout out to

[29:33] our community if you have the time

[29:34] please attend this training and equip

[29:36] yourself with the knowledge and a kit so

[29:39] that you can assist our neighbors in

[29:41] need so once again at 7 35 Crane Street

[29:45] a bridge Christian church and that is

[29:46] this Wednesday August 30th from 6 to 8

[29:50] P.M thank you

[29:54] yes training is free and the kit is free

[30:03] thank you madam president I just want to

[30:04] remind everyone that um kids are getting

[30:06] ready to gear up to get back to school

[30:08] so you know just to be a little more

[30:10] diligent paying attention to you know

[30:11] speed limits stop signs things like that

[30:13] you know our streets are going to be

[30:15] crowded with young anxious people um

[30:17] going to and from school so it's just

[30:19] going to take a community effort to keep

[30:21] them safe so just want to remind our

[30:22] people that thank you thank you

[30:25] Mr palomini

[30:28] we're entering budget season or getting

[30:31] prepared for Budget a number of holes

[30:33] have been created in the budget from

[30:37] last year that need to be addressed as

[30:40] we move forward throughout the rest of

[30:42] the year we're very likely to have a

[30:46] significant recession which will impact

[30:50] all of us will impact the economy

[30:53] will impact our budget for sure the

[30:56] rising interest rates will also continue

[30:59] to

[31:00] be a factor in our budget negotiations

[31:03] that we need to consider

[31:06] we've tried to change the at least when

[31:09] I was a finance chair to try to change

[31:12] the approach to budgets of looking

[31:14] Beyond just what we have in front of us

[31:17] looking at it as more of a policy

[31:20] approach looking as more of a multi-year

[31:22] approach and I would hope that we would

[31:26] do that this particular year in General

[31:29] given the economic situation given that

[31:33] inflation is very unlikely to go away

[31:37] anytime soon

[31:38] there's billions if not trillions of

[31:40] dollars still in the economy that hasn't

[31:43] been spent

[31:44] and will factor into inflation for some

[31:48] time so those are all factors that we

[31:50] need to consider like I said we've we

[31:53] created some holes in the budget last

[31:55] year creating deficit situations if not

[31:59] for the fiscal management of the mayor

[32:02] but those are things that we'll need to

[32:05] address and try to consider as we take

[32:07] hopefully take a multi-year approach

[32:13] mayor

[32:17] I didn't appreciate everyone who came

[32:19] out tonight good to see the Boy Scouts

[32:21] here

[32:22] next week we have Monday off because of

[32:26] Labor Day hopefully everybody will enjoy

[32:29] the last weekend of the summer and as Mr

[32:31] Farley pointed out kids are going back

[32:34] to school so use a little bit of extra

[32:36] caution when you're driving or

[32:38] going throughout the community

[32:41] in in the weekend after that we have one

[32:45] of the best weekends in Schenectady

[32:47] where you have the Caribbean fest you

[32:50] have the Greek Fest have the sons of

[32:53] Italy

[32:55] uh Stockade art show and we also do a

[32:58] health fair around City Hall so

[33:00] hopefully people will start to mark that

[33:01] on their calendar

[33:03] they've put me in charge of the weather

[33:07] I hope it's going to be a very nice day

[33:09] but want people to come out and enjoy it

[33:12] and see all the good things that are

[33:13] happening in our community thank you

[33:15] madam president

[33:18] thank you everyone for coming as well

[33:19] and thank the Boy Scout Troops and

[33:21] especially thank Michael zabinski I

[33:23] asked you after you got here actually

[33:24] asked your mom

[33:26] so thank you for leading Us in the

[33:28] pledge really appreciate that as the

[33:30] mayor has already stated and so to the

[33:33] folks that regarding grout Park I would

[33:35] just like to have a minute to talk with

[33:37] you after the meeting if you don't mind

[33:40] so as the mayor stated this Monday is a

[33:43] holiday that means our committee meeting

[33:44] will be on Tuesday at 5 30 so there will

[33:47] not be a committee meeting this coming

[33:48] Monday will be Tuesday so with that I

[33:50] will wish you all a happy labor day and ask for a motion to

[33:56] adjourn

[33:58] ing

[33:59] no sir I'm I'm sorry

[34:03] how you do I will I will explain it

[34:06] we'll have one someone explain to you

[34:07] how it happens in the per in the future

[34:09] sorry about that

[34:10] ask for a motion to adjourn

[34:13] second by Mr Williams all in favor

[34:16] aye we're adjourned have a good weekend

[34:19] ask for a motion to let us speak

Schenectady City Council Meeting, August 28, 2023

Transcript