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[1:28] yeah

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[1:58] e

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[3:28] he

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[3:58] yeah

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[6:58] yeah

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[9:58] yeah

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[10:28] yeah

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[14:18] I'd like to call the city Caucus meeting

[14:19] to order for Monday October 23rd

[14:23] 2023 we have six items for original

[14:25] consideration if the clerk would please

[14:27] read item number one item number one for

[14:30] final consideration an ordinance to

[14:32] amend section

[14:51] [Music]

[14:57] 248-1829 discuss in committee with an

[14:59] objection on consent item number three for original

[15:03] consideration consideration a resolution

[15:05] authorizing an allocation of

[15:08] $750,000 of arpa funds for the 1913

[15:12] North Ferry Street Pump Station

[15:14] discussed in committee with objection on

[15:16] consent item number four item number

[15:18] four for original consideration a

[15:20] resolution confirming the appointment of

[15:22] Keith St John to the city of skty

[15:24] Civilian review board discussed in

[15:27] committee without objection and on sent

[15:29] item number five item number five for

[15:31] original consideration a resolution

[15:33] authorizing the settlement of a claim by

[15:35] Miguel Palmer discussed in committee

[15:37] with objection on consent item number

[15:39] six item number six under contract and

[15:42] Supply a resolution awarding the bid and

[15:44] contract for installation of Emergency

[15:46] Equipment for police vehicles to

[15:48] Automotive Solutions of New York

[15:49] incorporated in the total amount of

[15:57] $365,500 consent if there's nothing to

[16:00] come more to come before the city

[16:01] council caucus I ask

[16:04] yes well we already passed it so she

[16:07] when I I'll get to that and I'll call

[16:08] her when it's

[16:10] time if there's nothing more to come

[16:12] before the city council caucus I'd ask

[16:13] her a motion to adjourn motion by Mr

[16:15] Williams second by Miss Patrick all in

[16:17] favor I'd like to call the city council

[16:20] meeting to order for Monday October 23rd

[16:23] 2023 and I'd like to call on rever

[16:25] Ronald hunt for the prayer

[16:27] invocation

[16:31] I'm excited to offer this invitation for

[16:33] this meeting of this connected city

[16:34] council this week as I have for many

[16:37] years I moving my Ministry to Ames New

[16:40] York in November and I want to thank the

[16:41] many citizens and City officials that

[16:44] have the pleasure of working for and

[16:46] with over the years this is my wish that

[16:49] we always take something out of each day

[16:50] to be thankful for and something to

[16:53] improve upon tomorrow this opportunity

[16:56] to address our elected officials has a

[16:58] parallel

[16:59] you the citizens have elected them to

[17:00] serve the city you may not always agree

[17:03] with them but they do try to meet and

[17:06] exceed your expectations to do their

[17:08] best for our fellow citizens against

[17:10] many challenges not always of their own

[17:13] making or choosing we are thankful for

[17:16] this opportunity to seek to improve our

[17:17] city and its citizens this is my

[17:19] encouragement to those assembled tonight

[17:22] to not only address the challenges that

[17:23] we all acknowledge are present but to

[17:25] offer Creative Solutions where possible

[17:28] so they can serve you better please

[17:31] remember not only your personal

[17:32] situation but also our neighbors who are

[17:34] unhoused or housing insecure those who

[17:37] need employment or are

[17:39] unemployed those who are hungry or

[17:41] physically and emotionally challenged we

[17:43] must always remember to give thanks that

[17:45] we are healthy enough to be here today

[17:48] we give thanks for the education that's

[17:49] has prepared us for the responsibility

[17:51] of leadership we must find those

[17:53] Creative Solutions for the next

[17:55] generation of our neighbors children who

[17:57] are struggling in school or in

[18:00] struggling schools and pray that we

[18:02] would work to continue to increase

[18:04] access to an education will prepare all

[18:07] our children to succeed in life remember

[18:10] our neighbors who live with debilitating

[18:12] poverty and hope that we would work to

[18:14] increase the pathways at of generational

[18:16] Financial struggle we give thanks for

[18:19] the welcome we received this evening

[18:21] from colleagues and friends who valued

[18:23] our contributions to the life of our

[18:24] city let us dream for just one minute

[18:27] for a larger goal

[18:28] a city and a world where everyone

[18:30] flourishes and where no one knows

[18:33] anything but peace thank you all it's

[18:36] been a pledge thank you I'd like to call

[18:38] on Mary mlan to lead us in the Pledge of

[18:41] Allegiance iedge Al to the flag United

[18:48] States

[18:51] stand God indivisible with liy and

[18:55] justice for all thank you

[19:00] I'd ask the clerk to please complete the

[19:02] roll

[19:04] call Mr muan is absent Mr Toro here Mr

[19:09] Farley is absent Mr Williams here miss

[19:12] Patrick here Mr palamini Miss

[19:15] Porterfield here there was a resolution

[19:18] passed recognized the hearts Family

[19:19] Cleaners at the last council meeting so

[19:21] no motion is needed and I'd like to call

[19:24] on council member Doro to present this

[19:26] resolution thank you madam president

[19:28] have the floor you have the floor I

[19:30] invite uh Sue and Steve and any guests

[19:33] they have to come forward inside the

[19:34] rail

[19:52] here

[19:54] whereas oh I need to make a mo motion no

[19:58] she asked for the

[20:00] floor I asked you ask for the floor go

[20:02] ahead now thank you at the end right yes

[20:04] at the

[20:06] end whereas 1714 Union Street has been

[20:10] home to dry cleaning business for many

[20:12] years before Sue and Steven Harts

[20:14] established Hearts Family Cleaners 25

[20:16] years ago this is a true family business

[20:19] with Steve doing all the operations and

[20:21] Sue handling the front counter marketing

[20:23] and whereas over the years each of their

[20:26] three boys have worked in the cleaner

[20:28] they have employed many people over the

[20:30] years and have always given back to the

[20:32] community and whereas this location has

[20:34] been a staple for people to find out

[20:36] what is going on in the

[20:38] community the community bulletin board

[20:40] is update always updated with services

[20:42] and events in and around concy selling

[20:45] tickets for various not for-profits such

[20:47] as the annual Garden Tour and

[20:51] the oh yeah

[20:54] sophomore sopis sophomores and

[21:00] s Optimus and whereas Hearts Family

[21:03] Cleaners has been recognized by this

[21:05] connected Chamber of Commerce at their

[21:06] annual good news lunch in and whereas

[21:08] they have consistently been awarded best

[21:11] of the best People's Choice from The

[21:13] Daily Gazette as best dry cleaner and

[21:15] whereas Hearts family cleaner has

[21:17] delivered their services in and around

[21:19] connecti serving Office Buildings home

[21:21] delivery and providing their services to

[21:23] Proctor shows and whereas Hearts Family

[21:26] Cleaners has been a collection site for

[21:28] annual coat drive coat for kids

[21:30] supplying coats to underprivileged

[21:32] children and adults now therefore it be

[21:35] resolved that the city of uh that the

[21:37] connected city council and may Mayor

[21:39] Gary AR McCarthy do hereby pause in

[21:42] their deliberations to recognize

[21:44] congratulate and thank Sue and Steven

[21:46] hars for their 25 years of providing dry

[21:48] cleaning services to scenc and wish them

[21:51] well in their Endeavor in their next

[21:53] life I'd like to move this yes I need a

[21:56] second second by Mr palamini

[21:58] motion passes

[22:06] congratulations well we have a lot of

[22:08] customers in this room right now and um

[22:12] the mayor is one of them and as we were

[22:14] going through our stuff I came across

[22:17] this picture of our other mayor with our

[22:20] other president and we didn't dry clean

[22:23] Obama's coat but we did O clean

[22:26] Brian's

[22:28] so thank you very much city of SKC has

[22:30] been very good to us thank you all

[22:33] thanks thanks thank you thank Youk

[22:37] you

[22:52] pictures and thank you for the years of

[22:54] service to our

[22:56] city ask for approval of the minutes for

[22:59] October 10th

[23:01] 2023 I'm sorry approval of the minutes

[23:03] for October move by Miss

[23:06] Patrick second by Mr Williams all in

[23:08] favor I ask the clerk to please read any

[23:11] Communications and

[23:15] petitions Communications presented to

[23:18] city council for Monday October 23rd

[23:20] 2023 under official from the mayor a

[23:22] list of appointments dat dated October

[23:24] 23

[23:26] 2023 from the mayor a letter

[23:28] recommending Keith St John to the SKC

[23:30] civilian police review board under

[23:32] General from Reverend James kikki and

[23:35] email requesting arpa funding for the

[23:38] construction of a halfcourt basketball

[23:39] court in the small pocket park on Main

[23:42] wing and pearl streets in Mount Pleasant

[23:45] and under petitions from the residents

[23:47] of Bedford Road a petition of 74

[23:49] signatures for installation of traffic

[23:52] calming devices such as speed bumps and

[23:55] stop signs and for stricter enforcement

[23:57] of city ordinance for violation of pet

[23:59] waste

[24:01] disposal thank you ask call on council

[24:04] members for any committee

[24:07] reports Mr Toro thank

[24:11] you so as I I as the uh chairperson of

[24:15] the public service and utilities

[24:16] committee I'd just like to announce some

[24:18] upgrades at the a diamond um as of right

[24:21] of today two 90 foot lighting poles were

[24:25] installed on the first Baseline two 90

[24:27] foot lighting poles were installed on

[24:29] the third Baseline and four 80 foot

[24:32] poles in the

[24:33] Outfield this lighting was chosen by the

[24:36] city is connec because it's approved for

[24:38] collegate play and each year in addition

[24:41] to the a diamond being home to Brian and

[24:43] Stratton it also hosts over seven

[24:45] tournaments a year each tournament

[24:48] believe it or not bringing 60 to 100

[24:50] teams a year to our city so not only is

[24:54] it a revenue to our city but also uh

[24:56] provides ancill support to our local

[24:59] econ economy and just as a side note um

[25:02] the SE diamond is undergoing some major

[25:04] Renovations now which will allow more

[25:07] play in 2024 but with the uh polls going

[25:10] up and utilities I just wanted to bring

[25:12] that to everyone's attention thank you

[25:14] thank

[25:15] you this time we have privilege of the

[25:17] floor related to the legislative agenda

[25:20] I have no one else signed up signed up

[25:22] to speak so I declare the public comment

[25:25] on the legislative agenda

[25:26] closed

[25:28] I ask for approval of the legislative

[25:30] consent agenda motion by Miss Patrick

[25:33] second by Mr Williams all in favor

[25:40] I now we will have privilege of the

[25:42] floor regarding General City business

[25:45] and I have five people who are signed up

[25:47] to speak just want to remind speakers

[25:49] that you have three minutes you will

[25:51] hear a

[25:54] timer first person is Bruce shell

[26:01] good evening I'm here to discuss a

[26:04] resolution um that went out for public

[26:06] comment in April but it's a resolution

[26:09] associated with property that borders

[26:11] our property over in uh the skn city of

[26:15] connected eastern boundary I think it is

[26:18] um it's a milia Street currently it's a

[26:20] paper Street um an Amilia Street our

[26:23] back property of our lot borders that

[26:27] street uh currently the proposal has

[26:29] kind of shut us out to have access to

[26:31] that back property because we have a

[26:33] structure on that back property that we

[26:36] mow and

[26:37] maintain um it was I guess public

[26:41] comment goes into the Gazette I would or

[26:43] notification goes in the Gazette the

[26:45] legal notification I don't read the

[26:47] legal notices in The Gazette every day

[26:50] but um my mother-in-law who is nice

[26:52] enough to pay her taxes on the

[26:54] throughout the year she's approached the

[26:57] city numerous times on this property on

[26:59] what the status of the property would be

[27:01] and every time she was told that nothing

[27:04] would be done with this street because

[27:06] first of all it was a secondary access

[27:09] to the Old City

[27:10] Landfill and it was just a paper Street

[27:14] in its history would remain that way uh

[27:17] recently a neighbor who just took over

[27:19] the trustee of his mother who has a

[27:22] house um that borders aelia Street uh

[27:26] put a proposal in or resolution

[27:57] of all partial owners that surround that

[28:00] property and we were never notified

[28:02] through the mail or anything so the only

[28:04] way I found out as a neighbor um found

[28:08] out and said hey Bruce you know this

[28:10] person's trying to purchase this

[28:11] property and you're not going to have

[28:12] access to it so I called Maurice uh Mr

[28:16] Maurice Brown immediately last Monday

[28:18] when I heard that and um he told me to

[28:21] come and speak to the council about this

[28:23] issue uh I've revi I've got a couple

[28:27] revisions to his proposal which should

[28:29] keep everybody happy you know including

[28:31] him um I think it's real important to

[28:34] him more than me because his driveway is

[28:36] actually on the paper Street and it's

[28:39] been there for 50 years that way that's

[28:41] where they've parked their cars um so if the paper street is not not sold to

[28:47] him he's not going to have a driveway

[28:49] for his house so um my proposal would be

[28:51] to divide the paper Street in half for

[28:53] the length of it that goes to the Old

[28:55] City Landfill and um

[28:58] we would get one half he would get the

[28:59] other half or because of the fact that

[29:02] we've maintained twoth thirds of the

[29:04] property for 33 years um that we would

[29:07] get the back 2/3 and split the front um

[29:11] third so I think that's fair I think

[29:13] it's fair to him it gives him access to

[29:15] what he needs and it's I think it's fair

[29:17] to us that gives us access to the

[29:19] property we maintain behind our our shed

[29:23] which has been there for probably over a

[29:24] hundred years my the neighbors tell me

[29:26] at one point it was a chicken cpop it

[29:28] was there when we bought it we didn't

[29:30] tear it down or modify it or anything

[29:32] but it still exists there and we still maintain the 2/3 of the

[29:35] property we mow it on on Saturday you

[29:38] know so I think just a fair proposal for

[29:41] this resolution would be to divide it up

[29:44] where we have access to our back

[29:46] property from 1870 Grey Street because

[29:48] we drive around with our riding mower

[29:50] and do the Mowing and the raking and

[29:52] cleaning the garbage and unfortunately

[29:54] for us the backside or the two-thirds of

[29:57] the of the property is where the wind

[29:59] blows all the garbage and all the leaves

[30:01] and each year we take a full-size dump

[30:04] trailer out of there of leaves and the

[30:06] proposer approached us actually in the

[30:08] spring when we were doing our spring

[30:10] cleanup and said boy this is a lot of

[30:12] work and then went back to his mother's

[30:14] house so okay I'm going to need you to

[30:15] summarize please so I would like to give

[30:18] a revision to his proposal I have a

[30:20] written revision here um for you guys to

[30:23] um look at and decide whether you know

[30:26] this is fair than his proposal or that

[30:30] we could still have access to our

[30:31] property all right thank you thank you

[30:34] very

[30:39] much Ed Leen Jr good evening news

[30:43] connectivty same corruption it's not

[30:45] Captain Nora of the police department

[30:47] it's the mayor three corrupt judges and

[30:49] the city council

[30:50] members I can throw in the Gazette and

[30:52] Times Union and news stations I've been

[30:55] to all of them the mayor who was

[30:57] supposed to enforce the laws of the city

[30:59] and to ensure Justice refuses to meet

[31:01] with me after I have given him and the

[31:04] council members proof of my

[31:06] allegations city council members are

[31:08] supposed to help citizens when they have

[31:09] problems with the government Farley has

[31:12] tried to get a car with a flat tire and

[31:14] no plates returned with no fine imposed

[31:17] palamini has told me you can't do

[31:19] anything to us I spoke to an attorney it

[31:22] is your job to help me you swear an oath

[31:24] to the Constitution it's a color of law

[31:27] violation conspiracy to deprive someone

[31:30] of their constitutional rights and you

[31:32] were all complicit after the fact of

[31:34] pho's crimes and tus Frost I SOA denies

[31:39] my ethics complaint without a

[31:41] hearing just like valo who vacated my

[31:44] default judgment before hearing any

[31:45] evidence it's called due process I've

[31:48] been to Sheriff's Department City police

[31:50] five six times

[31:51] each they fail to uh meet with me so

[31:54] I'll do my report online Mr Mayor I have

[31:58] a problem with isopo denying my ethics

[32:00] complaint without a hearing I also have

[32:02] a problem with all council members in

[32:04] the paper says I must go to the mayor

[32:06] when would you like to meet with me you

[32:09] are running for reelection don't tell me

[32:11] you don't have to meet with me that is a

[32:13] mayor's job valo is running for Supreme

[32:16] Court keeping his crimes of obstruction

[32:18] of justice is a crime that is if

[32:21] convicted of you can no longer hold

[32:23] public office I will expose all of you

[32:26] that do nothing I am not going away I

[32:29] will start going to new stations in

[32:31] different states and to YouTubers that

[32:33] have 3 to 500,000 views

[32:35] daily again how do you justify doing

[32:38] nothing about pho Frost and Hoffman at

[32:41] least Hoffman was smart enough to

[32:43] retire I will make this my life's

[32:45] mission to nail you Mr Mayor Pho Frost

[32:49] and the city

[32:50] council thank you thank

[32:56] you Tom cap

[33:05] capano Mr Mayor and City Council Members

[33:08] my name is Tom capuano I'm here about

[33:11] the Hans Groot kill I addressed you last

[33:14] month on the same subject but since then

[33:17] I've learned a lot more about the feal

[33:21] contamination of that Creek and what I

[33:24] learned is really really disturbing

[33:27] because I attend Sunday services at a

[33:30] church right on the banks of the Hans

[33:33] group kill now granted my personal

[33:36] exposure is

[33:39] minimal but imagine the consternation of

[33:42] those whose homes border the creek and

[33:45] of those who live Downstream and of

[33:48] those who drink Mohawk River water

[33:51] tinged with polluted Hans Gro kill

[33:54] outflow if they only knew what I just

[33:57] learned

[33:59] recently that the federally established

[34:02] regulatory limit for

[34:04] ocus is 60 parts per sampling I repeat

[34:08] the limit is

[34:10] 60 while the presence of Interra

[34:14] cookus a fecal indicator pathogen has

[34:18] been measured on the Hans group

[34:22] kill at

[34:25] 40,000 parts per

[34:27] sampling now those are extreme days of

[34:30] heavy rain but even so it is chronically

[34:34] in excess of the 60 parts for sampling I

[34:39] fear that this may indicate a disaster

[34:41] just waiting to

[34:43] happen especially with all the heavy

[34:46] rains that we keep getting as the

[34:48] climate keeps

[34:50] warming now I also learned that the city

[34:55] is taking this threat serious

[34:57] seriously that's a good thing and that

[35:00] further testing has been and is being

[35:03] conducted and that results are

[35:05] anticipated soon maybe even as soon as

[35:08] the end of this

[35:10] month I and my fellow congregants here

[35:14] with me today we do not expect the

[35:17] findings to be pleasant or reassuring at

[35:21] all but we do continue to insist that

[35:25] they be made public as soon as they are

[35:28] available so that the city and The Wider

[35:31] Community can address this problem head

[35:34] on and maybe begin to look at other

[35:36] Creeks such as the cow horn

[35:39] Creek and work to bring about

[35:41] remediation of The Chronic discharge of

[35:44] sewage into the creek Creeks that flow

[35:48] through this

[35:50] city thank you thank

[35:55] you

[35:57] Tom

[36:10] Kennedy good

[36:15] evening just a couple notes I was going

[36:17] to do something different tonight but

[36:20] after a coming here I found out some

[36:21] things that were said in the news today

[36:24] about last uh last uh week's meeting and

[36:28] I I have to say this that I've been

[36:32] through a lot of budget type

[36:35] meetings and I got to tell you that one

[36:37] was the biggest joke that I've ever

[36:40] seen uh you know if you're going to had

[36:44] the fire chief and the police chief

[36:47] there at least ask him questions on what

[36:50] is the best way to handle

[36:53] overtime you know we had one councilman

[36:56] who said he want want to digest it well

[36:58] here's the thing I I can I can lay this

[37:01] down just as quick as possible 500 grand

[37:04] out of the police budget 500 grand out

[37:06] of the firefighter budget and another

[37:09] $100,000 out of the police digest

[37:13] that the problem you have is you have

[37:16] seasoned professionals with the fire

[37:19] chief and the police chief bringing

[37:21] numbers to this Council they're not

[37:25] fluff they are based Bas upon available

[37:27] Manpower contractual obligation Trends

[37:31] special events in the needs of our city

[37:34] they're not there padding anybody's

[37:36] pension or trying to uh spend money that

[37:40] they don't have I hear another C

[37:42] councilman say he's tired he doesn't

[37:43] want to throw bodies at it well those

[37:45] bodies happen to be police officers

[37:48] those same people who protect our city

[37:51] so to even mention them in that way I

[37:53] thought was a disgusting U uh a

[37:57] disgusting way to to refer to these these

[38:01] professionals and just make another

[38:03] Point U the city council doesn't throw

[38:08] bodies at anything the only people who

[38:10] assign police officers and firefighters

[38:12] are the Chiefs under direction of the

[38:14] mayor unless there's something else that

[38:16] I don't know what's going on that's the

[38:18] way things go

[38:20] so if we are going to have any kind of

[38:24] credibility going forward into a budget

[38:26] that they're already calling for a

[38:27] shortfall we're going to have to start

[38:29] taking realistic views of this and to

[38:33] make a million.

[38:36] one uh budget cut is only going to make

[38:39] a structural deficit that you're going

[38:41] to pass on when you don't have the

[38:44] Democratic slush fund uh AR the arpa

[38:46] money that's gone so then the only thing

[38:49] that could is out the old back pocket of

[38:51] the

[38:52] taxpayers so you know we got to stop

[38:55] this rhetoric and these these these you know bodies and you oh

[39:01] you know I'm going to digest this and

[39:03] all you know the bottom like that that

[39:05] councel wasn't even at the meeting all

[39:06] whole time and and again we look back to

[39:09] what what kind of messag are We given uh

[39:11] by people not being here tonight so I

[39:14] mean if this is going to be a real thing

[39:16] we got to start we have to start uh

[39:19] listening to the people who are

[39:22] responsible for protecting us and that's

[39:25] the police chief and the fire chief and

[39:27] cutting a million1 out of our budget for

[39:30] that that's only going to pass a budget

[39:32] on a deficit next year is a disgrace and

[39:35] as far as you want to be leaders take a

[39:37] pay cut you guys take a pay cut take

[39:41] your health insurance take that off the

[39:42] board you don't have to pay for your

[39:43] health and maybe that pension that you

[39:45] get so I mean a lot of people don't

[39:47] realize uh the city council gets that

[39:49] those things and they do so why don't

[39:51] you push them to the side until we get

[39:53] the budget fixed and then take a pay cut

[39:56] instead of taking a pay raise as far as

[39:58] I'm concerned you don't deserve a dime

[40:00] thank you thank

[40:02] you Mary

[40:13] mlan good

[40:15] evening I know the city like the palm of

[40:19] my hand for 40 years I regularly

[40:24] attended City Council

[40:26] meetings regarding the council race the

[40:31] office comes with a salary medical

[40:35] coverage and a pension plan when I ran

[40:39] for City Council in

[40:42] 2011 one of my issues was to raise the

[40:47] salary and eliminate the medical

[40:51] coverage for Council Members it costs

[40:55] the tax payers less to in salary than it

[41:00] does for medical insurance medical

[41:05] insurance

[41:07] increases every year there is also

[41:11] another

[41:12] perk if the council person has coverage

[41:17] from another source the office holder is

[41:21] given the cash instead of the

[41:24] coverage as for the noise maker

[41:27] unfortunately he is not here tonight Mr

[41:31] Farley he says he reads

[41:35] contracts I too read the contract I was

[41:39] given my own

[41:41] copy the contracts are filled with

[41:46] pork I was told the SKC firemen have the

[41:52] best Pension Plan of any group group in

[41:57] the country on another item a policeman

[42:02] does not retire on his base salary he

[42:07] can use the last three years of his

[42:12] income for his retirement

[42:15] benefit therefore a potential

[42:20] reti can approve unlimited overtime

[42:25] toward retirement benefits

[42:29] unfortunately many of these workers do

[42:33] not live in

[42:36] SKC which brings me to another Point

[42:42] residency must be

[42:45] mandatory for anyone who wants a job in

[42:49] the city your recruiting methods are

[42:54] flawed you can not recruit in Albany or

[42:59] Glen PS and expect people to

[43:04] relocate recruit in

[43:06] Ohio Virginia Maine they have no choice

[43:11] but to move to the

[43:13] city on another note I was interested in

[43:18] the dialogue printed in The Gazette

[43:22] between Mr goem and Mr Gillan

[43:26] on the night that the forer resigned

[43:30] from

[43:31] Metroplex Mr Gillan insisted that

[43:36] Metroplex job is to bring businesses to

[43:40] the city sadly the businesses are not

[43:45] required to keep their businesses

[43:50] clean this is an item where council

[43:54] members have been remissed the litter

[43:57] problem in sceny has gotten worse since

[44:01] you have been here if I can see the

[44:04] litter on the streets When I visit the

[44:06] city so can you please clean it up thank

[44:10] you thank

[44:11] you I have no one else signed up to

[44:14] speak so I declare public can I

[44:17] speak I'm going to make an exception

[44:19] this time but I you know the rules and

[44:21] you were supposed to sign it when you

[44:22] first came in sorry that I didn't get a

[44:24] chance to write down my my name I

[44:26] apologize I'm Karen Zuki junis I live in

[44:28] the city and I want to just congratulate

[44:31] my friend Sue hars and her husband Steve

[44:33] for their 25 years of uh longevity in

[44:37] the city and their on to their

[44:39] retirement um I'd also ask that each and

[44:42] every one of you take a hard look at the

[44:45] budget and what you're doing with the

[44:47] budget in reference to the police

[44:50] department and the fire department the

[44:52] overtime is something that should not be

[44:54] cut I think that we need to really dive

[44:58] deep into this and understand that we're

[45:00] at the fourth quarter of the year and

[45:02] those funds are going to be used very

[45:04] quickly over the next several months so

[45:06] cutting the budget by NE by a

[45:08] significant amount and overtime for next

[45:10] year I think is not prudent so I would

[45:13] instill you to all look at those numbers

[45:16] and you know have faith in what the

[45:17] mayor puts forth I think he's done a

[45:19] good job I think the commissioner's done

[45:21] a good job and I would hope that there

[45:23] would be some sort of consensus made

[45:25] where the police and fire time overtime

[45:28] is not cut thank you thank

[45:31] you I have no one else signed up to

[45:33] speak so I declare public comment of

[45:34] City business

[45:36] closed miscellaneous business of council

[45:42] members Miss

[45:45] Patrick yes I'd actually like to um talk

[45:49] about our police and our fire um our

[45:52] fire department I know that this weekend

[45:55] was particularly

[45:56] um tough for both our police and our

[45:59] fire department um actually between

[46:02] Friday morning and uh this morning there

[46:05] were 144 calls that our fire department

[46:08] responded to um obviously needed to use

[46:11] overtime for for some of that um it's

[46:14] only going to get worse for the next

[46:15] couple of months which is one of their

[46:17] busiest times of year and then also the

[46:19] police department dealt with a homicide

[46:22] and actually made arrests um in that

[46:25] homicide so I think that really it's our

[46:27] duty to um respect the work of um all of

[46:31] the folks that are in the police

[46:32] department and the fire department um

[46:35] and I just want to thank them for

[46:37] everything that they do uh the service

[46:38] that they that they provide to keep our

[46:40] residents safe thank you thank you Miss

[46:44] Patrick Miss

[46:46] Doro thank you so I just want to um

[46:49] congratulate uh the city of connec and

[46:51] the dsic for the Spooktacular event this

[46:53] weekend that uh Proctor

[46:56] um it happened to coincide with Encanto

[46:58] and I happened to be at the fire uh

[47:01] house station one and um they were

[47:03] running back for all kinds of supplies

[47:05] because they were just running out of

[47:06] everything uh also coming up this week

[47:08] is Union College they're doing an event

[47:10] for all our little ones and big ones uh

[47:13] at the college uh trick-or-treating and

[47:15] of course scarcity which will happen on

[47:17] Thursday night and I'm thankful for the

[47:20] uh Fire Department police department and

[47:22] for us uh supplying that money in the

[47:24] budget so that they're able to do the

[47:25] things with our community so I think

[47:28] that's it thank you thank

[47:30] you

[47:34] mayor thank you Madame President uh

[47:38] follow to council member Doro this

[47:40] Thursday we'll have a scar NEC which is

[47:45] uh coordinated with the uh fire

[47:46] department and the police department

[47:49] where uh their uh Personnel will go to

[47:52] uh seven different locations in the time

[47:55] available on the city website uh want to

[47:59] have people come out have a safe

[48:01] Halloween season it kicks it off uh

[48:03] recently learned that Halloween is the

[48:07] second most decorated event so people

[48:11] spend Christmas is the first one and uh

[48:14] Halloween has now moved up to be number

[48:16] two and so when you go around the city

[48:18] you get to see a lot of uh great

[48:20] displays that are uh very festive and

[48:23] some are just downright scary so that

[48:26] want people to come out and be able to

[48:28] enjoy that this weekend uh Mr Toro M

[48:32] Patrick myself had the opportunity to

[48:34] meet with the uh Representatives the Red

[48:37] Cross Fire Department for Sound the

[48:41] Alarm they have uh pretty much made that

[48:43] an annual event where they come into

[48:45] scnc to work with the fire department in

[48:48] terms of messaging the replacement of

[48:51] batteries and smoke and uh carbon

[48:54] monoxide sensors and then to actually go

[48:56] out in buildings where people don't have

[48:59] the proper equipment in place and

[49:02] actually install it so I think they did

[49:04] 32 different uh residences this weekend

[49:09] uh then pointed out we had uh number we

[49:12] had four fires in the last three days uh

[49:16] again everybody that is here people that

[49:19] are watching this it is a cheap

[49:21] investment it's common sense but make

[49:24] sure that your smoke alarm your carbon

[49:26] monoxide sensor is

[49:29] operable then this morning we also had

[49:31] the opportunity to do a ceremonial

[49:33] opening for FW web it's a plumbing

[49:36] supply house that's located uh just off

[49:40] Broadway and uh it's just another great

[49:43] addition to our commercial activities

[49:45] that's going on in the city of SKC thank

[49:47] you Madame President thank you mayor uh

[49:50] first of all I'd like to offer my

[49:51] condolences to council member Farley and

[49:54] the loss of his father Herman

[49:58] Farley and um you know I was with the

[50:00] family today so it's it's a difficult

[50:02] loss for them and so um my prayers go

[50:05] out to

[50:06] them I'd like to thank everyone for

[50:08] coming tonight to giving for giving your

[50:11] input and letting us know about things

[50:12] that are going on in the city and what

[50:14] your concerns are greatly appreciate it

[50:16] we definitely listen to what's going on

[50:19] and uh Mr Shell is it pronounced I think

[50:22] so um I'm asking our Corporation counsel

[50:24] if he could just kind of go over that

[50:26] particular um resolution with you all

[50:29] right so if you if you just wouldn't

[50:30] leave okay thank you um and in terms of

[50:35] uh you know our police and fire I just

[50:36] want to say and just make it clear that

[50:38] we all do have respect for the work you

[50:40] do the difficult job you do and we do

[50:42] appreciate that and um so any you know

[50:45] as we're making these decisions we're

[50:46] taking into consideration all of the uh

[50:49] the services all over the city and our

[50:51] residents as well so we still have one

[50:54] more meeting and before before we pass

[50:55] this budget so just keeping that in mind

[50:58] and uh want to thank council members for

[51:00] their input and for um you know the

[51:03] opportunity to have discussions around the budget so we will be meeting

[51:07] tomorrow to for our final budget meeting

[51:10] and with the hope that we will pass the

[51:12] budget but keep in mind we have till

[51:14] November 1st but our goal is that we

[51:16] will be able to pass the budget

[51:19] out uh with that I have nothing else and

[51:22] I would ask for a motion to adjourn

[51:23] moveed by Miss Patrick second by Mr

[51:25] Williams all those in favor I we're

[51:28] adjourned have a good

[51:30] night you got all your

[51:38] papers

Schenectady City Council Meeting, October 23, 2023

Transcript