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okay somebody needs
it I'd like to call to order City
meeting for Monday September 11
2023 we have 20 items for consideration
the CL please read item number one item
number one for original consideration
and ordinance approving and authorizing
the supplemental Bond ordinance in the
amount of
2,275 or
25275 th000 for the North ferry Street
Pump Station discussed in committee with
objection on consent item number two for original
consideration a resolution calling for a
public hearing of the 2022 Consolidated
annual performance and evaluation report
discussed in committee without objection
on consent item number three item number
three for original consent consideration
a resolution calling for a public
hearing of the proposed 2024 operating
budget and the capital budget for the
city of skty discussed in committee with
objection and on consent item number
four item number four for original
consideration a resolution authorizing
acceptance of funding from the New York
State for the purchase of a new fire
truck discussed in committee with
objection on consent item number five for original
consideration a resolution referring the
draft ordinance establishing a six-month
Mor atorium on the submission and
processing of building permits
certificates of occupancy certificates
of use and land use approvals for smoke
shop vape shops and tobacco or vape
consumption businesses within the city
of sken to the sken County Economic
Development and planning department
discuss and committee with objection on
consent item number six item number six
for original consideration a resolution
authorizing an easement to Niagara
Mohawk power Corporation DBA national
grid for the installation of an overhead
electrical service in Central Park for
the new pool splash pad and ancillary
facilities discuss in committee with the
objection on consent item number seven for original
consideration a resolution amending
resolution 2023 029 to modify the time
period for Miracle on Craig Street to
secure required Financial commitments
roll call by Mr palamini item number
eight item number eight for original
consideration a resolution amend in
resolution 2022 224 to modify the time
period for young women's Christian
Association of skty DBA YWCA
Northeastern New York to secure required
Financial commitments roll call by Mr
palamini item number nine item number
nine for original consideration a
resolution amending resolution 2022
024 or 224 to modify the time period for
electric city food Cooperative
Incorporated to to secure required
Financial commitments roll call by Mr
palamini item number 10 item number 10
for original consideration a resolution
amending resolution 2022 224 to modify
the use of funds for SKC Community
Action Program Incorporated roll call by
Mr palamini item number 11 item number
11 for original consideration a
resolution revoking the appropriation of
American Rescue plan act funds for the
stock a Association of New York new
connected New York for a re
revitalization project as authorized by
resolution 2022
224 act funds for
this revitalization project as
authorized by resolution 2022 224
discussed in committee with the
objection on consent item number
12 item number 12 for a original
consideration a resolution revoking the
appropriation of American Rescue plan
act funds for Proctors reopening safety
upgrades as authorized authorized by
resolution 2022
224 discuss in committee with objection
on consent item number 13 item number 13
for original consideration a resolution
authorizing the sale of 4051 Street for
26,1
14851 roll call by Mr
palamini item number 14 item number 14
for original consideration a resolution
authorizing the sale of 874 em Street
for
$553
24.11 roll call by Mr
palamini item number 15 item number 15
for original consideration a resolution
authorizing the sale of 105 Congress
Street for
$2,777 and10 roll call by Mr palamini
item number 16 item number 16 for
original consideration a resolution
authorizing the sale of 1040 wendle
Avenue for
$16,999 7 cents roll call by Mr palamini
item number 17 item number 17 for
original consideration a resolution
authorizing the sale of 1038 Glennwood
Boulevard for
35,500 discuss in committee without
objection on consent item number 18 item
number 18 for original consideration a
resolution authorizing the settlement of
a claim by Nicholas
fio discussed in committee with
objection on consent item number 19 item
number 19 for original consideration a
resolution recognizing the Junior League
of sken and Saratoga
counties this uh item will be taken out
of order and presented
by Mr
palamini item number 20 item number 20
under contract and Supply a resolution
awarding the bid and contract for the
2023 Harley-Davidson police motorcycle
to Brunswick Harley-Davidson
Incorporated in the total amount of
$298.9 this discuss in committee with
that objection on
consent if there's nothing more to come
before the city council caucus I ask for
a motion to adjourn moved by Miss
Patrick second by Mr turo all those in
favor I we are
adjourn I'd like to call the city
council meeting to order for Monday
September 11th
2023 and I'd like to call on Reverend
James Ki for the prayer
invocation let us begin our evening on
this solemn day this 22nd anniversary of
the Attacks of September 11th 2001 in a
moment of
silence September 11th is a day of
remembrance on this solemn anniversary
pause to remember the many people who
died in New York Virginia and
Pennsylvania because of terrorist
attacks recall the trauma and
heartbreaking events that occurred that
day and pray for those who lost their
lives and those that continue to suffer
we turn to you then Lord for the help we
need give us hearts that seek to love
all people regardless of race religion
or nationality strengthen our hands to
do the work that lasting peace requires
help us to trust in you you are
changeless and look after our needs we
listen to these words from the prophet
Isaiah we have a strong City he appoints
walls and bworks for open the gates that
the righteous Nation may enter the one
who remains faithful you will keep him
in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on
you because he trusts in you trust in
the Lord forever for he is God the Lord
we have an everlasting Rock The Way of
the righteous is smooth smooth oh
upright one make the path of the
righteous level
amen like to call on council member D
Tor for the Pledge of Allegiance I
pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the rep
for which it stands one nation under God
indivisible with liberty and justice for
all thank
you
clerk could please read call the
rooll Mr Mutan is absent Mr Toro here Mr
Farley here Mr Williams is absent Miss
Patrick here Mr palamini here M
Porterfield
here we have one out of order resolution
uh recognizing the junior Leos
connecting Saratoga counties and I call
on Mr palini to present this
resolution
here may I have the floor you have the
floor this is a resolution to recognize
the Junior League of skincity in
Saratoga counties whereas the
association of junor leagues
International is a global women's Civic
leadership organization that was founded
in
19901 by Mary Harman with the support of
elanar Roosevelt and whereas the Junior
League of skty and Saratoga counties J
LSS was founded in 1932 by a group of
SKC women including Katherine s or K
rosendal and whereas J LSS has worked
for more than 91 years to Build a Better
Community by launching lasting impactful
Community programs such as operation
back to school kids in the kitchen
discreet dignity community hospice the
league room at Proctors Dominion house
courta appointed special Advocates and
children's grieving Center at Haven and
whereas the Junior League of skincity in
Saratoga counties is helping lead the
efforts with ajli to launch the
inaugural F the good day on September
14th
2023 and whereas find the good day as a
special day of unity and compassion that
aims to spread kindness uplift others
and Inspire positive change across the
capital region and the nation and
whereas find the good day as an
opportunity for individuals families and
organizations to come together as change
makers and create a ripple effect of
positivity throughout our community it
is a day to reflect on the goodness
within ourselves and find inspiration in
the acts of kindness we have witnessed
and particip ipated in throughout the
year and whereas the Junior League of
skincity in Saratoga County invites
everyone to make a difference on this
significant day whether it is through
acts of service volunteer initiatives or
simply spreading positivity through kind
gestures every contribution has the
power to create lasting change and
whereas the Junior League of SKC and
Saratoga counties is honoring Mohawk
Honda as their first find the good
awarde for their commitment to the
junior League's Mission and whereas
Mohawk Honda serves as a valuable
partner to dozens of community-based
organizations throughout the region and
has provided valuable resources and
support to the junior League's operation
back to school and discreet dignity
programs now therefore be it resolved
that the city of skincity and the city
council and Mayor Gary R McCarthy pause
in their deliberations to encourage all
scadian to celebrate Thursday September
member 14th as the Junior League of
skinc and Saratoga counties find the
good day and encourage all residents to
find the good in our community I'd like
to move this I'd like need a second
please second by Miss Patrick all in
favor I motion passes congratulations
I the councilman just said would you
like to speak so I don't have to I know
that was like a a Hall of Fame level of
uh words there but thank you very much
to councilman palamini to Mayor McCarthy
who has always been a a trusted and good
friend to the Junior League of SKC and
to the entire city council what an honor
this is for us this is our first ever um
do the good day and we thought no better
way than to try to launch it here in
these city council chambers so thank you
all very very much for your ongoing
support of our community programs and of
our Organization for thank you
[Applause]
have six six
roll
sales
one two three four
five six seven eight got it thank
you thank
you the clerk I like to ask for approval
of the minutes of August 28
2023 mve by Mr
Farley second by Mr Turell all in favor
I if the clerk would please read read
any Communications and
petitions Communications presented to
city council for Monday September 11th
2023 under official there were none
under General there was an email from
pety Boris stating that some people are
allowed to speak While others are not
the continuous word of the used
marginalized and her feelings of
betrayal regarding the Public's costs
and why her social security retirement
was cut by 45% under petitions there
were none thank
you this time we have privilege of of
the floor related to the legislative
agenda and I have two people signed up
to
speak first uh Judy W Meer from the
Capital District tobacco free Coalition
hello good evening I'm the director for
the Capital District tobacco free
communities and I just wanted to share
some information I know you are
considering um some work with um smok
and vape shops in the city so I just
wanted to share some information that's
new um I know that you know
that there's more tobacco and vape
retailers in neighborhoods with the
lowest income and we know that this
leads to health disparities I years a
year or so back we presented some
information from neighborhood
conversations that we had um we know
that those with less education and less
income smoke at much higher rates uh the
state rate right now for tobacco use is
about 12% those with education with low
education with just a high school
education smoke at a rate of about
19.4% those with incomes less than
25,000 smoke at
20.4% and those with mental distress at
about 19% so we know that there's these
Health disparities that occur we also
know that tobacco retailers are not
evenly um spread throughout the city and
the county um we we know that
municipalities can do things to address
these Health disparities they can change
how their City looks and I know you all
are very um you know very well aware of
that so by implementing policies that
can limit the time place and manner of
tobacco sales and there's about 19
communities so far across New York state
that have done licensing zoning have
done things to limit where tobacco and
vape retailers are the city of of
Syracuse is the most recent one just
last week they unanimously passed a
resolution to have licensing for all
their tobacco and vape retailers and
with that licensing you they will not be
allowed to have um a tobacco or vape
retailer within 750 feet of a school of
a public park or of another tobacco uh
retailer Vape retailer and they also
will have a process with that licensing
for every two that close only one will
be provided so ultimately the total
number in the city of s Syracuse will go
down um so I just wanted to share that
information with you and let you know
that if you have any questions you can
always reach out to us we have a
wonderful piece that goes through how
municipalities can address um their vape
shops their smoke shops and the like so
thank you very much for the opportunity
thank
you Carol Delamar from The Stockade
Association
good evening mayor and city council um
my name is Carol D marer and I am chair
of the preservation committee for the
stockid
association
um I I wanted to I'm here to comment on
item number 11 um on the agenda which
has to do with the revoke revoking of
the arpa funds that were originally
awarded to The Stockade Association um
for a revitalization project
what I want to make sure everyone who is
aware of is that revitalization project
is for the historic pumps northberry
Street Pump Station I see on the agenda
there's also the $25 million bond for
the new building that new building bond
does not include any funds for the his
preserving protecting revitalizing
making use of the historic pum station
so but I want you to know that this the
Stu associ a fully supports the money
returning to the city because it is a
city-owned building property and while
was stock Association has been very
active in in pursuing and making
recommendations about this building we
aren't in a position to do any work
within within that so I want to make
that want to make that clear um and but
since the initial award was made back in
September 2022 The Stockade Association
preservation committee has been meeting
with the city's staff
about how this how to carry this project
forward um we are aware that city city
staff has begun discussions with an
outside consultant to create bid
documents for exterior maintenance work
um restoring the historic windows in
that building and for any of the
exterior sort of repair of the the
stucco and all that stuff the intent was
that was coming out of the
750,000 but the other part of this
um need is for an evaluation of the
interior of this of this building um
because in order to order in order to
fulfill sort of the feasibility of the
ReUse of that building that was spelled
out in a in a report two years ago
through technical assistant Grant from
the preservation League that the city
got it required quite a bit of work in
understanding what needed to be done on
the inside um so I want to so a lot of
those tasks are outlined in that report
that the city generated two years ago
um so so back in March the stockage
association preservation committee
worked with the development office um to
secure a grant from the preservation
League to create a building condition
report on the interior of that building
the funds did not come to the city for
that but we feel even though that um
that that that funds
$34,000 should come out of the 750 so we
can move this project along the purpose
of the condition report was to create
planning documents because this is an
extraordinary detailed
project and so I want to make sure that is on clearly on the agenda of the
people that are that are working on this
at the city level it's a
$34,000 grant proposal that was received
by preservation AR from preservation
architects who did the original re reuse
feasibility study of that of that
property and we just feel it's like it
they're very familiar with the property
and it would be a good use of 34,000 out
of the
750 to to move that project along I need
you to summarize please the the our
original proposal and award from the
city was to seek funding to repurpose
this historic Pump Station into a
community interpretation Center event
space similar to what's in some of our
other Parks I'm sorry I really hate to
interrupt you again but your time is
I've let you go over your time so
where's the lights for all this oh we
don't they I don't know what that
happened to the lights anymore I
apologize thank
you I have no one else signed up to
speak for public on the public comment
on the legislative agenda so I declare
that public comment
closed I at this time I ask for approval
of the legislative consent
agenda motion by Miss Patrick second by
Mr
Farley all in favor I okay we have eight
items for roll
call First is item number
seven if the clerk would please
read item number seven for original
consideration a resolution amending
resolution 2023 029 to modify the time
period for Miracle on Craig Street to
secure required Financial
commitments is there any
discussion
call all right move I need a motion to
move that Mr Po second by Mr turo all in
favor okay so this point in time we'll
have the roll call Mr Toro no Mr Farley
yes Miss Patrick
yes Mr palamini no Miss Porterfield yes
so the motion
fails okay item number eight for original
consideration a resolution amending
resolution 2022 224 to modify the time
period for young women's Christian
Association of SKC DBA YWCA North
Eastern New York to secure required
Financial
commitments I need a motion to move that
Mr palamini to the agenda second by Mr
Turell all in favor
I roll call yes we need a roll call
discussion oh is there any discussion
for the roll call all right okay Mr Toro
no Mr Farley yes Miss Patrick yes Mr
palamini no Miss pteri yes so we need
just for for the audience we need at
least four votes to pass it so that
motion that motion also
fails item number nine need a motion to
move this Mr
palamini second by Mr tur all in favor
I any
discussion the clerk would please read
the call the
role Mr turo
no Mr Farley yes Miss Patrick yes Mr
palamini no Miss Porterfield yes motion
the item fails item number
10 need a motion to M Mr pal movees it I
need a second second by Mr Turell all in
favor
I is there any discussion on this
item the clerk would please call the
rooll Mr Toro no Mr Farley yes Miss
Patrick yes Mr
palamini I want to explain the votes on
these last several resolutions including
this one so I'll speak to this one in
particular we had an arpa process put in
place uh last year uh and quite frankly
it was never followed we had a review
process asked people to go through the
process of taking their their time and
reviewing
applications in which we were supposedly
going to look over those and talk over
them that never happened uh we came
together and all of a sudden money was
being doled out at that time or shortly
later I should say a series of
contingencies were put in place to
actually designate the money to various
organizations such as um the connect the
action Community Action
Program the contingencies were put in
place for basically a year to allow the
organizations to meet the requirements
to get the
money some of these organizations came
back asking for more time uh others
didn't may not even know that they could
do that um there's other applications
where the original application has been
changed completely from what has been
now given money
for or allowed money for that that's not
fair to organizations who've put in
applications whose uh funding might not
have happened if you change your
application from the initial to the end
you should be put back into the pile and
looked at with the entire group none of
that happened everything here has been
arbitrary four months here 6 months
there it it it's completely pulled out
of the air and yes the organizations
asked for some of those but again the
fairness and and the process here
following our procedures just didn't
happen and to those organizations that
didn't get funded you should look into
this
seriously I mean you you've been not
awarded money other organizations were
awarded money for a a a proposal that
was put in that was completely changed
and still allowed the
money this entire arpa procedure has
been screwed up from the the start and
it's really Troublesome I understand
these resolutions will pass likely in
two weeks when other members of the
council
attend but the reality is there's a process that we need to to
hold to and we just didn't do that we
didn't even come close it was just
willy-nilly
here's I like this
group I'm going to give money to that
group and so forth and just completely
arbitrary So my answer is
no Miss Porterfield thank you I just
like to lend some clarification to the
statement that was just made first of
all there was a process and let's also
keep in mind that during this all of
this um there things change people's
timeline change things in increased so
for people to come for to ask for an
extension just makes sense for us to
consider that and that have this hard
and fast role the two hard and fast
dates that we have are from the um from
the federal government which say by the
end of sept by the end of 2024 we must
have allocated all of the money and by
the end of 2026 all of that money must
be spent one of the things we did with
this arpa was to try to make sure that
organization who don't normally get an
opportunity to be funded or have that
opportunity to be funded and we are
working with those those organizations a
large amount of the money as you all
know has gone to the city and the city
has the capacity to do those things and
every council member who sits here today
had an opportunity to participate in the
process and if they felt that the
process wasn't all they wanted it to be
had an opportunity to uh instead of
offer criticism to offer some solutions
to the things they thought were not
working well so our staff has been
working with the um and we have our
staff has a lot to do and this is
additional on top of what they already
do so our staff has been working
diligently with these organizations and
let me also State these are
organizations that have been serving our
community for a very long time and doing
a very lot a lot of good work in the
community and serving people who really
need the help one thing I've said from
the beginning of these coid funds is it
h Co impacted every single person in
this world not just in this country so
when this money came
in we had discussions about how that
money should be spent and I was very I
feel felt strongly then I feel strongly
now that not all of it necessarily had
to be spent on City projects but those
organizations who lost funding uh lost
staff and all all those things during
coid would have the opportunity to do
move forward the projects that they
needed to move forward so that is what
we did I still feel that we did that
properly and um I will vote Yes on
this the motion fails we don't have
enough votes thank
you item number
13 I need a motion to move it Mr
palamini second by Miss Patrick all in
favor by okay um any discussion on
this
discussion all right then we'll have the
vote Mr Toro
no Mr Farley yes Miss Patrick yes Mr
palamini no Miss Porterfield yes motion
fails item
number
that was number seven right 14 item
number 14 that's
right I need a motion moveed by Mr
palamini second by Mr Toro all in
favor any discussion on this
item the clerk would please call the
role Mr Toro no Mr Farley yes Miss
Patrick yes Mr par
no Miss Porterfield
yes the resolution
fails item number 15 any a motion to
move this to the agenda move by Miss
Patrick second by Mr palamini all in
favor
I any discussion on this
item the clerk could please read the
role call the role Mr Toro no Mr Farley
yes Miss Patrick yes Mr palamini no Miss
Porterfield
yes and item number
16 motion by Miss Patrick second by Mr
palamini all in
favor is there any discussion on this
item the clerk please call the role Mr
Toro no Mr Farley yes Mr Patrick or M
Patrick
yes Mr
palamini so just so the the audience and
people watching at home understand
usually housing sales go relatively
smoothly no issues at all these four are
quite different these houses were
foreclosed on by the
city um and to me this sets a very bad
precedent now just because we've done
something in the past doesn't mean we
need to continue doing that but in this
particular case
we're creating an incentive not to pay
your taxes what we have here is four
houses that were foreclosed and and I'll
speak to this one on Wendel Avenue for
example and it went through the
foreclosure process it has started the
city has the
property so now the council has decided
that they want to allow the homeowners
or some family member the ability to
purchase the home back by paying the
back taxes any fees and $1,000 on top of
that now some might say well hey this makes the city whole well does it
the fact is in order to get a
foreclosure it takes generally speaking
3 years some of these houses were much
longer uh certainly because of coid that
not the um the problem with the
homeowners in this particular case but
during that time we've always been told
that if you pay your taxes if everybody
paid their taxes and did it on time we'd
have a 10% tax cut so what we have now
is people who haven't paid their taxes
now having their house financed or their
lifestyle financed by the city and that
city is paid by the rest of the
taxpayers so as taxpayers we are now
financing the lifestyle the housing of
these individuals who've had their house
foreclosed
on because for several years they didn't
pay their taxes so instead of having
extra money the city had to either
borrow which in case the city has to uh
pay interest on that and the rest of the
taxpayers instead of getting addition
services or a tax cut now didn't get any
of that because we have a a number of
individuals not paying their
taxes so what we have is the rest of the
city
financing individuals the city as acting
as a bank in
essence that's just not right but it
gets
better at least one of the individuals
if not more wants to sell their house so
now we've acted as essentially a pseudo
morgage company where we've
paid interest we've not allowed they
didn't pay their taxes so we've taken
that and they've lived there for free
and now we'll profit on the
sale where's the fairness in that to the
rest of the city
taxpayers
and the other issue is we haven't
created any sort of policy we are doing
this without any policy put into place
so therefore anybody who wants to write
a letter in and says hey my property
taxes I'm at
foreclosure I had circumstances you
should uh look at these and allow me to
purchase my house back
well we have no grounds now to turn
those individuals
down because we didn't create a policy
first so if the casino decides not to
pay their property taxes or some other
business owner and a bunch of property
owners what does that put the financial
situation of the city in it puts us in
complete chaos and on the verge of
bankruptcy the argument will be well we
don't want to create
homelessness that argument holds no
water if these individuals are coming up
with the money whether it's themselves
or from somebody else to pay off the
mortgage um the uh foreclosure
costs then they had money presumably to
live
elsewhere several of these individuals
also had
opportunities to get help and they
refused so this is just a bad precedent
it sets a bad example and it really
creates a situation where we're now
acting as a
bank and that's just not fair to the
rest of the city and I vote
no thank you Miss Porterfield thank you
just want to add some clarity to the
statements first of all I just want to
say there were extenuating circumstances
where the individual idual who were
forclosed on are not the ones that the
property is being sold back to so I just
want to make that 100% clear and most of
them were elderly people and their
families found out the situation they
had gotten themselves into and I will
say I don't want to create a homeless
situation for anyone but especially for
elderly people so I don't think it's
beyond reason that a city council would
get them all of the taxes back so it's
not as Mr palamini has stated that we're
not getting the taxes and they have a
free ride they are paying every dollar
that they owe and we've also as added
additional money that they have to pay
in addition to court costs so this is
not a free ride and we are not asking
tax payers to pick up the dime for for
individuals yes we did consider these
PKS they came to us and as I told you
they had extenuating circumstances there
were older people they didn't do what
they should have done their family found
out didn't want to see their family in
the street and we did take that in
consideration didn't give them any kind
of deal or anything like that to but you
have to pay every single penny so um we
have done this in the past and Mr
palamini knows and he probably voted for
it yes at the time because there was an
extenda circumstance so um you know Mr
palamini talks about you know we the
taxpayer when frankly Mr ta Mr palamini
is now paying his taxes in roddam so you
know that's all of us that are here that
are taxpayers as well are to consider
this so I just want the public to know
that is although it sounds like we're
asking you to pay something for someone
else we are not they are asked to pay
that and another thing is they will
never be able to be in this situation
again it is not something that can
happen over and over and over again so
we in we I beg your
pardon okay I'll something no no when it's your time you certainly can so
that the city council did decide to do
that to take into consideration the
extenuating circumstances for these
families and to all allow them to retain
their um property by paying back all of
the taxes not some not a portion and in
addition to that they have to pay every
closing cost that goes along with it and
there's an additional that the city
council put with it so I think that in
trying to keep people in their homes
it's some it's a good thing that we're
doing we talk about the shorting hous uh
excuse me the housing shortage that we
have and all of those things so all of
that take in consideration that we've
gone through coid people have gone
through all of this yes we did allow
these people to return have these homes
returned to individuals but not the ones
that they were foreclosed on so just
want to make that 100% clear with that I
vote
Yes the measure fails we do not have
enough votes to pass it thank
you this time it's privilege of the
flooor regarding General City business I
have five people who have signed up to
speak uh Mark and Marge laqua I always
I'm not sure if I say that
properly good evening um honorable mayor
and honorable city council uh I'd assume
that we come up here to to give thanks
to everybody um I'm one of the people
the last one that Mr pal just spoke on
number 16 um and you know when someone's
on disability when someone's not able to
pay their things they going through a
pandemic and they're living paycheck to
paycheck even less than that to the
point she can't pay for her own diabetic
medication you have to consider people
Mr pal Mar and rest of the city council
consider people you may not have that ex
that extenda circumstance you never been
there never felt it but consider people
have a heart there's an underbelly in
this world world but people are trying
to do the right thing we were scrambling we got the money to pay
everything back plus whatever they added
on so I was I thought it was going to be
a
congratulatory and thank you to the news
connecti but Mr pal Mar I I really am
disheartened to hear what you had to say
you don't consider people and I hope you
do from this point I pray to God for you
and everyone us I pray to God for you to
that you open your hearts up we are as
connected Deans we've been here for 12
years and for one one small time when
people could not afford to pay their
taxes so that they could survive and you
want to throw them out their houses on
the on outside it's not right I ask you
open your hearts up open your eyes up
and see what's going on in Connected you
want to change you put Billboards for
news connecti let it be that there can
be policy there can be precedent but let
it start now and as our dear president
said these are other people who are
stepping in to help the family it's not
that they're abandoning them we're not
saying forget you I don't I'm not
putting a dime out for you the taxpayers
are not seeing anything and truly
speaking if you took a a a whole
countywide vote they would vote in favor
because they don't want to see people on
the streets the homelessness I just came
from Texas the other day for a funeral
homelessness all over the country is
egregious but for a place like Upstate
New York the place that hous the people
that takes care of people you need to
show that you're here to help the
people I have nothing you know else to
say I thank you I love you all with my
heart and God bless you all thank you
thank
you Ed Le
Jr good evening Mr Mayor chairwoman
Quarterfield council members I'm here
for another council meeting knowing full
well none of you will do anything for me
the criminals are not in the streets
they're in the office and for the work
for the city of skincity because it is
far more important to cover up for the
crimes of these three judges that
corruptly deprive me of my
constitutional rights and committed
obstruction of justice in the process
the same crime the mayor is guilty of by
not meeting with me and acting on the
crimes and proven in these meetings it
makes all of you and the mayor complicit
after the fact especially when the mayor
keeps my ethic complaints out of the
Gazette the mayor is responsible for the
enforcement of laws in the city of his
concy and to ensure Justice is provided
kind of hard to do his job when he is
covering up for the
criminals same thing you council members
are doing you all swear an oath to the
Constitution when all of you do nothing
it becomes a conspiracy to deprive me of
my constitutional rights and the mayor
is keeping me out of the Gazette no
matter there are other ways to expose
you I knew before I came to the first
meeting all of you would do nothing for
me what have any of you done for the
1100 St Clair pensioners who have worked
10 to 50 years at St clar's why would
the mayor do anything for me he has done
nothing for the 1100 innocent workers
victimized in concy by the Catholic
church has the Mayor found some money
from the budget has the mayor City
Council Members held a fundraiser
started to gofund me
anything what did you do have I sh say a
prayer for
him the mayor and City Council Members
want to distance themselves from the
criminals and will do nothing for the
innocent victims maybe because someone
will find out the mayor and council
members are not here to help they are
only here to cover up and keep it out of
the news you are all part of the problem
not the
solution thank you thank
you Tom
capano hope I didn't really mess it up
too
bad Mr mayor council members I'm here
tonight Tom capuano to express my
concern about the leaking sanitary sewer
pipes that have been contaminating the
Hans Groot kill the levels of bacteria
are dangerous for everyone living in the
area along that Creek and even more
dangerous for those taking drinking
water from sources
Downstream I attend Sunday services at a
church right next to this Creek and our
ministers shared with us a letter from
the city of
skincity written several months ago that
reads in part like this quote sample
collecting and testing for the Hans gr
kill will continue through July the
samples will be collected from a
selection of storm structures in the
watershed
area it goes on to say that MJ
engineering and the city with closed
circuit TV and dieet testing will come
up with some answers about about where
the pollution is coming from most
significantly the letter closes like
this I quote a report summarizing the
results will be prepared and provided to
the city in late August 2023 end quote
I've looked on the website it could be I
just didn't find the results but if they
have come in uh I would like to know how
to how to access them and uh uh I urge
the city to make those results public
and that way discussions can begin
immediately on how to address the
contamination thank you thank
you Tom
Kennedy
good evening
everyone uh I wish I can better terms
but I
can't uh first like to start off with
the tax thing you overheard me say why
not when you said well they can't do it
again unless I know unless there's a
policy that's been established then why
can't they do again but I would like to
thank uh councilman P manyi for at least
looking out for the taxpayers in the
city uh there's a lot of people out
there who can't pay their taxes they
scrim there's a lot of older elderly
people that go out eating so they make
sure that they pay their tax for I know
a lot of them so there's a lot of people
out there that are
hurting let's let's face it Biden's uh
Biden's America is not putting food on a
table for many people so I don't want to
hear about you know I I understand we
everybody has to have a heart and you
want to have uh you want you want to do
this establish a policy cuz then
everybody can be not just the your
friends and your donors and your buddies
everybody in the city is connected so
that's what I got to say about that and
we'll deal with we'll deal with the
media and the rest of it um I by the way
I'm the chairman of the Republican party
as far as the uh arpa money I want to be
very clear uh I heard the the uh
Council president's uh I don't I don't
know how to describe it but uh her U
remarks her take there thank you I
appreciate it I'm kind of a little
remarks I'll give that to you um what
we're going to do as a party is we're
going to ask for United States Treasury
Department to look into your process I
think again there's a lot of people have
a lot of problems with the way you
didn't follow the rating of the things
you pick Cherry Picked again your
friends donors buddies people who work
on your campaigns etc etc so we're be
asking for them to take a look at it and
uh we can you can uh give them your
remarks I'm sure they will Enlighten uh
the fellows in DC secondly uh another
issue it seems like we got a lot of
them I think we can all agree that the
emergency uh Communications in the city
is essential for the safety of our
people I think when you look at the U
our heroes are out there every day
firemen or First Responders our officer
our police officers uh that is their
Lifeline many times in a terrible
situation it's also Lifeline of our city
residents that are in trouble so when we
get reports that
councilman Farley hared and
harassed a city employee responsible for
the communications because some car that
either he owns or doesn't own or knows
or whatever car was towed let me see if
I can get this
right words to the effect do you know
who I am Iden then identifies himself as
councilman Dean fary now I don't know if
these things are true I I can just say
the reports that we got from people
who've been affected by this now what I
would ask for is simply the city du a
investigation you
have you know Gary who I think about
today Charlie Mills I used to see him
for lunch every once in a while great
guy tell you like it is so I think of
him today
uh I called my congressman three times
the Washington office when I was over
there in Albany
picketing never heard from
Paul I didn't really expect to he's not
really good at getting back to Veterans
World War II veteran disabled combat
veteran myself went to try to see him
never could accomplish it so I hope that
well he's another
darling of of the political
system so the only way he'll leave is if
he
expires or he decides not to
run I want to read I got a fan club
going well it's the same person two
letters I want to read the
letter I got it Saturday morning I tell
you I get a good chuckle out of it keep
those letters coming if you're watching
Mr busy person shows up at committee
meeting council
meeting knows knows nothing
issues knows nothing issues are dumb
Dum well I'm not so dumb that I don't
know that dumb ends with a be stay home
nobody cares what you say senior said I
got to laugh at this the senior centers
are centers are
open I probably will run into them there
if I was to go and who knows you know
you never know what's in your future so
come on down introduce yourself now
where is 12309 that that's that's a
better neighborhood isn't it you and who
somebody here in 12309 that's where it
comes from I'm thinking they're over
there in nkuna or some place but I'm
glad they're watching me and they know
where I go when it comes to the meetings
and I'll continue to do it because it's
my civic duty and there's a lot that
could be corrected the only thing thing
is they need to line up here can't do it
by myself an army of one it's hard to
pull off thank you
Mariam thank you Mr
Harper I have no one else signed up to
speak for public comment on City
business so I declare this
closed this time any miscellaneous
business of the
council I'm Miss Patrick
well I just wanted to say I'm
disappointed that those measures failed
this evening I think that we had uh
quite a lengthy discussion at our
committee meetings last week uh where we
went through all of this and certainly
we all uh can disagree on issues but I
also think that as public servants it's
important for us to understand that
sometimes you can make arbitrary
decisions I think also we discussed
setting policy around the um notion of
foreclosure um and I'm sure that that
discussion will happen uh in a future
committee meeting I'd like to see that
happen um but I think that we all
discussed the fact that um they were
extenda uh circumstances with those
foreclosures I think we all understood
and as uh the gentleman here said I
think we all were trying to have a heart
and understand that um you know like it
is it's not black and white everything
that happens um we talked about the fact
that we might have been setting
president but we also um did say that we
needed to make sure that we were um you
know thinking with our hearts thinking
with our heads but also understanding
that we were going to need to have some
guidelines going forward but also have
some flexibility as city council people
and as public servants um I'm very
disappointed about some of the arpa
decisions that that failed this evening
especially in light of the fact that one
of them in particular is preventing
homelessness another one is preventing
food insecurity and another one is um
working with people who are victims of
domestic violence so I have to also say
I didn't think the process was a good
one necessarily uh that we followed
right from the start of the Opera funds
but I do think that last week we put a
lot of consideration into these uh
decisions and again um I can think in
one of those instances where the
organization itself had actually had to
wait so long for us to make a decision
that they had actually taken care of um
what they needed which was in fact coid
supplies um so in changing their
proposal to something that all of us
actually voted on for a few weeks ago uh
to give them money for that very same
project um you know which is going to
prevent homelessness um it's just
disappointing so I just wanted to say
that uh thank you anybody
else Mr
palamini so in regards to the
Foreclosure certainly nobody wants to
have anyone kicked out of their house
that's absolutely The Last Resort and is
a horrible
situation but the fact
is we didn't create a
policy it is
arbitrary and without the policy anyone
can now come
forward what do you tell the elderly
lady in Hamilton Hill that says to me
John I have to pay my taxes you know I'm
struggling food costs are up but I'm
doing
it the Widow the widower in the north
side who John come look at my
property look I'm keeping it up nice I
want the neighborhood to be
proud but I'm struggling
too or the Widow in Belle viw
who to even though it's been years since
her husband
died
is at the mere mention of him
cries and is struggling
to pay the
bills but is making sure she pays the
mortgage we have to consider those
individuals as
well that's having a heart too
and without the policy in place prior to
doing these
things we've now created a bad
situation
period now you want to mention paying
taxes in reram I also pay taxes on my
address in
skety unlike you who accepted benefits
you shouldn't have received so if we
want to go down that road we can
mhm but the reality
is people are struggling they're doing
the right
thing and we should have created a
policy
first that would have prevented anything
going forward in terms of unequal
treatment or unethical
Behavior probably not the right word but
I'll stick with
it so here we have a situation where yes
we have a heart for people but we also
have a heart for those individuals that
I spoke about who are paying their taxes
and are
struggling
this the arpa situation you want to say
oh well you could have put things
forward we did you just ignored them
just like the application the of the
review process we told you some things
you chose to go forward with
anyway that's fine
but if you want to correct things at
least get it
right Mr
Farley not even sure where to start here
okay so I guess we'll start talking
about the arpa funds um you know the ARA
funds that the city has received was a
response to a once in a generational
crisis that did impact the entire world
that's why that money showed up um when
you have that type of uh money show up
to the city it's really important that
we
recognize the money doesn't belong to
City
Hall the money belongs to the people and
the effort that you
saw the unprecedented effort that you
saw to engage the community in a way
that hasn't happened before was a way to
respond to be be responsive to the needs
of the community and include their voice
in the
process and if it didn't go
perfect guess what that's what happens
when you try to be Innovative and you
don't allow tradition to stifle
Innovation when you're welcoming people
into a
process I find it
troubling to hear Mr Palin's point of
view on
extensions for
nonprofits who apply for this funding
knowing that he was a part of the same very governing body that voted
unanimously to double the price of the
Central Park Pool to almost to the $210
million and we did that in good faith
understanding that during the process
price of materials have gone up as well
as availability for those materials so
it's important that when you give these
type of statements that you provide
their appropriate context so if you're
going to make those type of
considerations and understanding for the
city then you are morally I would say
obligated to make the same type of
considerations if not more for those
small nonprofits who are doing the very
work on the ground in the community
every
day I would also
say to this conversation around
foreclosures
what I would say to
the people that you talked about and the
lady in Hamilton Hill and the Widow in
Belleview I would like to
say you have a body a governing body
that not only is responsive to your
needs but takes into
consideration the fact that there was
just a
pandemic and that if you are in a
position to now pay your taxes in full
that's the part that we need to talk
about this is not a hand out this is a
hand up which makes our city
whole and keeps people's in their house
while we heard our entire city talking
to us about the housing crising that
crisis that we're facing right
now so I would like to tell them that we
listen to you we care and based on the
information that you've given us we're
being responsive but unfortunately I
can't say that to the theoretical person
that you're making up your head or the
really real person that is listening
today I'm not really
sure how
we get to a place where someone
is putting together the resources to
save their home in the midst of a
housing crisis and we prioritize our
commitment to bad
practices that will only amplify the
very housing crisis that's on our hand
when we don't have
to I invite you to be really clear about
when you make these statements and sound
like it's some fiscally irresponsible
thing when you know it's not the city
the the first thing here is that the
city is made whole and people get their
home that's called a win-win doesn't
happen often in politics but when it
does we really should grab a hold of it
and celebrate the fact that we are being
Equitable responsive to the needs of the
people that live in the city the people
that live in the city because it's their
money thank
you
mayor thank you Madame President it's a
always interesting to come to us
connected city council
meeting uh just on the Central Park pool
the pool cost really didn't didn't
double uh it was additions to the pool
that drove it up so I think the actual
pool costs were up about 30% but uh
Community input and uh investment in the
future brought the price tag up and uh
it'll be something that I think when we
look back in 10 years and 20 years that
people will say we made the right
decision to make that investment on the
uh sampling of the creek through the GE
plot uh we did map out a timeline for
that to be done by the end of August uh
High Water Events dilute the
effectiveness of the
sampling and so the uh rain uh this
summer has slowed that process down but
uh the report is being compiled put
together uh and again that condition has
existed for decades uh we're working on
it to identify where the sources are
coming into that Creek uh they could be
in the city uh they could be one of our
neighboring communities uh but it's a
slow methodical process to track it back
and then to be able to put in place uh a
solution for that uh want to thank
everyone who came out this weekend we
did the health fair around City Hall
Stockade art show the Greek Fest the
Italian Fest council member Doro thank
you for that the uh Caribbean fest uh I
think that was the maybe the largest
crowd I've seen in Central Park since
I've been there uh I know Mr Mutan spent
a lot of time on that apparently had to
take tonight off to rest up from uh all
his uh efforts on that but uh again it
is really a great day for the community
where we get to see uh the strengths we
get to see the diversity people come out
have a good time and generally the
weather was cooperative uh little bit uh
warm but not as warm as it has has been
and so I thank everybody who made that
possible uh especially the city staff in
terms of supporting it but again it's a
uh just a good Collective message for
the city of SCCY thank you madam
president thank you mayor and I I want
to Echo those comments it was a
wonderful I I made almost all of them uh
events we had around the city and it was
just really wonderful to see all the
diversity that we um have within our
city and people who came to to be a part
of that it was just a great great
weekend um all the different foods and
you know people just having a really
good time and I heard no incidents and
sometimes you know when there's MTH
crowds you think perhaps but people were
just enjoying themselves so much it was
wonderful to see and really wonderful to
be a part of so I congratulate all the
groups that put those things together
because they clearly took a lot of work
um so thank you for that I just wanted
to just remind folks that this Council
uh operates by majority rule so anything
that passes as though sometimes it's
presented as though uh Madam president did that it takes a majority
of people on the council to make move
these things forward we have discussions
we move them forward or as you saw
tonight sometimes things don't move
forward so this is a a group decision
that we make um and to Mr Kennedy's
point if you have a person who has a
concern please have them uh give their
concerns directly to City Hall I
appreciate you bringing that here um but
we can't operate on hear say so if that
person would like to make that um
complaint certainly um ask them to do
that so we could look into
it um and also in in terms of uh people
that um in terms of council members and
people saying that you know they they
have different needs we all or most of
us know about the different programs
that are out there so when someone comes
to you I encourage you to say if you're
in need of food there's this program to
help or that program to help so that we
can make sure that we direct them to
that we know that we have a lot of needs
in our city which is why we also have
those programs in our city which is also
why we fund those programs in our city
so I encourage people to do that I know
that people have needs and the reason
that these particular properties came to
our attention is because not because
they're our friends or our donors or all
the other things that are said but there
are people that came to us that said
this is my
situation um so I just you know want
people to understand that we are a
council that
listens and addresses
issues and there are people who would
want you to believe otherwise but one
thing I can say about us is we come up
with Solutions and not just problems so
I thank you again all for coming and
with that entertain a motion to adjourn
mve by Miss Patrick second by Mr Farley
all in favor we are adjourned have a
good
night