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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