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[2:28] he

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[5:07] I'd like to call to order the city C

[5:09] council conf meeting for January 8th

[5:14] 2024 we have two items for original

[5:17] consideration if the clerk would please

[5:19] read item number

[5:23] one

[5:25] number

[5:28] resol

[5:40] transp Federal and appropriating funds

[5:43] foran Street Bridge rehab rehabilitation

[5:46] New York State Department of

[5:47] Transportation pin number

[5:50] 17623 discussed in committee with

[5:52] objection on consent item number two for original

[5:56] consideration a resolution recognizing

[5:58] the contrition of 518 elevated and

[6:02] recognized in January as National

[6:04] mentoring month this item will be taken

[6:06] out of order and presented by councilman

[6:08] Williams if there's nothing more to come

[6:10] before the city council caucus I ask for

[6:11] a motion to

[6:14] adjourn all those in

[6:18] favor I'd like to call for the city

[6:20] council meeting for Monday January 8th

[6:23] 2024 and I'd like to call on Riven Amari

[6:26] to do the

[6:28] invitation

[6:31] Dr Martin Luther King whose birthday we

[6:33] celebrate in the coming weeks is quoted

[6:35] to have said as

[6:46] ear

[6:49] the

[6:51] nonviolence of the

[6:58] Beloved

[7:20] many hopes and aspirations of the

[7:22] community that led struggles for civil

[7:24] rights for all our square a project of

[7:28] the commission of religion and race of

[7:29] the United Methodist Church identifies

[7:32] 25 traits of the Beloved Community First

[7:35] suggested by Dr Arthur Wright As We

[7:38] Gather in prayer this evening there are

[7:40] five of those traits I'd like to

[7:42] highlight to encourage the legislative

[7:44] and governance leadership of this body

[7:46] for our beloveds concy the Beloved

[7:49] Community is expressed in the following

[7:50] ways one exhibits personal authenticity

[7:53] true respect and validation of others

[7:56] two recognition and affirmation not

[7:59] eradication of difference three builds

[8:03] increasing levels of trust and works to

[8:05] avoid fear of difference and others four

[8:08] focuses energy on removing evil forces

[8:11] not destroying persons and five promotes

[8:14] human rights and works to create a

[8:16] non-racist society would you join me in

[8:20] prayer omniscient everpresent and all

[8:24] powerful source of goodness We Gather

[8:26] this evening asking that you bestow on

[8:28] these your children your gifts of Peace

[8:32] wisdom fellowship and strength we pray

[8:36] that these values of Beloved Community

[8:38] those who inspired in Josiah Roy Martin

[8:41] Luther King and Arthur Wright will

[8:43] continue to inspire our work and

[8:45] Leadership with this community Inspire

[8:48] us all I pray and Inspire these your

[8:51] children the president of the council

[8:53] and the council members the mayor and

[8:55] everyone who labors to govern the

[8:58] municipality with with your presence and

[9:01] as Paul the Apostle encouraged the

[9:03] church in Philippi this your servants

[9:06] may be encouraged if anything is

[9:08] excellent and if anything is admirable

[9:10] focus on all your thoughts on these

[9:12] things all that is true all that is Holy

[9:16] all that is just all that is pure all

[9:19] that is lovely and all that is worthy of

[9:21] Praise may it be so in the name of

[9:25] everything that is Holy good and

[9:26] righteous amen amen thank you Reverend

[9:30] I'd like to call on councilman Miss

[9:32] Mancini to Alle in the

[9:34] pledge I pledge

[9:49] aliice thank

[9:53] you if the clerk could please complete

[9:55] the Roll

[9:58] Call

[10:01] Mr muon Mr

[10:04] Toro Mr Farley is

[10:07] absent Mr

[10:09] Williams Miss

[10:12] Patrick M Mancini here and Miss

[10:16] Porterfield

[10:19] here we have one out of order resolution

[10:21] recognizing the contributions of 518

[10:24] elevated and I'd like to call on

[10:26] councilman Williams to present this

[10:28] resolution

[10:32] those of us those are here to accept it

[10:34] please join us behind the

[10:41] rail come behind the rail on the other

[10:44] side yes thank

[10:49] you I beg your pardon oh of course yes I

[10:54] thought you were coming to be

[10:58] a

[11:04] I have the floor you have the floor sir

[11:05] all right before I begin with this

[11:07] resolution I would just like to outline

[11:09] that I am a a direct recipient of

[11:11] mentorship and although not this program

[11:13] to definitely the generosity of a

[11:15] community of individuals that felt it in

[11:18] their best interest to impart some

[11:19] wisdom on a young individual like myself

[11:21] so I'm very honored to you presenting

[11:23] this

[11:24] today so today a resolution recognizing

[11:27] the contributions of 518 elevated and

[11:30] recognizing January as National Mentor

[11:32] mentoring month whereas 518 elevated was

[11:35] founded in 1997 as Capital Region

[11:37] sponsor a scholar in Alban New York and

[11:40] whereas 518 elevated now covers all of

[11:43] the counties that Encompass the capital

[11:45] region of New York and has graduated

[11:47] over 350 people through its program and

[11:50] who have earned a post-secondary degree

[11:52] and whereas 518 elevated is now known

[11:55] for its specialized programs mentoring

[11:57] professional guidance and academic and

[12:00] financial support for qualifying

[12:01] participants in the Capitol region and

[12:04] whereas by assembling a network of

[12:05] Business Leaders educational Advocates

[12:08] and dedicated volunteers promising youth

[12:10] are provided opportunities and access to

[12:13] higher education that may be otherwise

[12:15] unid unavailable and whereas 518

[12:18] elevated has promoted mentoring through

[12:20] its partway Pathways to college program

[12:23] engaging members of the community to

[12:25] participate and share networks knowledge

[12:28] and expertise with with students from

[12:29] across the region and whereas January is

[12:32] known as National mentoring month an

[12:34] annual campaign dedicated to raising

[12:36] awareness about the power and impact of

[12:39] mentoring and to recognize and honor the

[12:42] contributions of mentors now therefore

[12:44] be it resolved that the conc city

[12:46] council and Mayor Gary R McCarthy do

[12:49] hereby pause in their deliberation to

[12:50] recognize 518 elevated staff and

[12:53] volunteers for their continued

[12:55] dedication to providing Equitable

[12:57] educational opportunities to St students

[12:59] and work ready adults in the capital

[13:01] region including skty and applaud 510

[13:04] elevated for its accomplishments in the

[13:06] city and county of skty and the capitol

[13:11] region and I'd like to move a resolution

[13:14] I need a second please second all those

[13:17] in favor I congratulations to

[13:24] passes I didn't know I get to say

[13:27] anything thank you very very much um the

[13:30] work that we do is a testament you know

[13:33] as he said um mentoring brings students

[13:37] opportunities exposure and networks that

[13:39] they may not get otherwise so we're

[13:41] happy to continue that in the city of

[13:43] SKC and Beyond and thank you for

[13:45] recognizing um us and the volunteers and

[13:48] the organization we are honored thank

[13:50] you thank

[13:54] you and I'd also like to um thank our

[13:57] director of development Miss Alexandria

[13:59] Carver for bringing this to our

[14:00] attention so we could pass so we could

[14:02] have this

[14:05] resolution any need approval of the

[14:07] minutes for uh December 26th and January

[14:10] 2nd

[14:12] 2024 second by Mr Williams all those in

[14:15] favor I ask the clerk to please read any

[14:18] Communications and

[14:22] petitions Communications presented to

[14:24] the city council for Monday January 8th

[14:26] 2024 under official from the mayor a

[14:28] list of appointments dated January 8th

[14:31] 2024 under General from Thomas Kennedy

[14:34] SKC GOP chair and email regarding a

[14:37] closed meeting held by the Council on

[14:40] December 28 2023 at 5:30 stating that

[14:43] this meeting was a violation of the New

[14:45] York State opens meeting law and under

[14:47] petitions there were

[14:50] none thank you I call on city council

[14:53] members for any committee

[14:57] reports this time we have privilege of

[14:59] the floor um related to the legislative

[15:01] agenda and I have no one signed up to

[15:03] speak so I declare the public comment on

[15:05] the legislative agenda

[15:08] closed as for approval of the

[15:10] legislative consent agenda need a motion

[15:13] Miss Patrick second by Mr muin all in

[15:16] favor

[15:17] I we'll now have privilege of the floor

[15:20] related to the to General City business

[15:23] and again I have no one signed up to

[15:25] speak so if there's someone here that

[15:27] doesn't know the process and wanted to

[15:29] speak okay all right then um if you

[15:33] would just come to the

[15:39] microphone and we would need to state

[15:41] your name and I need to let you know

[15:43] that you have three minutes to speak uh good good uh actually good night my

[15:48] name is Andre Gerard uh some people know

[15:51] me as AKA uh triple

[15:54] OG um I am uh the founder the CEO as as

[15:58] well as the executive director of a

[16:01] business called gang affiliated

[16:03] nonviolent guidance over here in

[16:06] skincity um I'm making a diligent effort

[16:09] um to give back to the community of

[16:12] which once I I was um part of

[16:16] Destruction um at 51 years old uh my

[16:20] calling is to reduce violence um I am

[16:23] very active in the community they know

[16:25] me um I haven't I have issues with find

[16:29] financing uh my business I have been

[16:31] recently attacked by um you know um the

[16:35] sheriff department they decided to take

[16:37] away the community

[16:39] Unity um you know I I purchased a

[16:42] community Unity truck to help you know

[16:45] um provide food you know and uh hats and

[16:48] shirts you know to to the community that

[16:50] I'm reducing violence in and uh I have a

[16:55] lot of support but I noticed that I get

[16:58] I'm loved and I'm hated you know I I

[17:00] just and then I I don't know or I'm not

[17:04] properly um I would say um I know

[17:08] there's money and there's resources that

[17:11] would be much happy that I am taking uh

[17:14] a leading role in uh reducing violence

[17:17] in conc and when I say violence I am

[17:20] promoting hugs no slugs and you know I

[17:23] had just have a way of you know

[17:26] interacting with the youth when they see

[17:28] gang affiliated nonviolent guidance I

[17:31] mean they just they just come to me and

[17:35] just explain to me the things that is

[17:37] going on I have stopped a lot of murders

[17:40] violence uh stabbings I can tell you

[17:43] that there's a lot of domestic violence

[17:45] in connecti and all I am striving to do

[17:48] is my part and um my name is Andre

[17:52] Gerard um I am rightwing working class I

[17:56] am GOP my business other business is

[18:00] called uh black Republican movement

[18:03] ww.com you can go and lo log on and find

[18:06] out more about black Republican

[18:08] movement.com here in skan in the

[18:12] 518 um uh I I'm just grateful to be able

[18:16] to uh you know do cookouts and reach out

[18:20] to the people out here in skincity who

[18:22] are homeless who are veterans uh who are

[18:25] going through issues with addiction and

[18:28] stuff like that I just I'm out in the

[18:30] streets and I also have secular

[18:33] knowledge on a different level so it's

[18:35] just you know I just know how to uh

[18:37] interact with the people I just that you

[18:40] know um it's just terrible what's going

[18:43] on it's a very crisis is a terrible

[18:45] crisis of violence in uh skan and uh if

[18:49] it's not addressed properly um it's

[18:51] going to end up like another you know

[18:53] Albany or you know Troy and hopefully uh

[18:57] you know um I can help with you know get

[19:00] some resources to reach out to the youth

[19:03] because you know when they don't have

[19:04] activities on recreational things to uh

[19:08] participate and they just uh you know

[19:11] find you know themselves in

[19:13] trouble thank

[19:19] you Elizabeth

[19:25] Walsh good evening all my my name is

[19:28] Elizabeth Walsh I reside in The Stockade

[19:30] neighborhood I come before you today not

[19:32] only as a resident of The Stockade

[19:34] neighborhood but also as a planner who's

[19:36] committed to advocating for walkable

[19:38] vibrant neighborhoods and climate

[19:40] resilient regions where everyone can

[19:42] Thrive a little over a year ago I moved

[19:45] here from Denver Colorado where I taught

[19:46] Community Development at the University

[19:48] of Colorado University of Denver this is

[19:51] the first time in 25 years of living in

[19:53] urban neighborhoods that I've not been

[19:55] able to safely walk bike or take a bus

[19:57] to meet all of my we basic

[19:59] needs uh thankfully with your

[20:02] collaborative leadership with uh all

[20:04] sorts of public sector Civic and private

[20:07] Partners uh and your strategic

[20:09] Investments a future of Transit oriented

[20:12] sustainable development is on the

[20:14] horizon thank you for all you have done

[20:16] in collaboration with County officials

[20:18] to support Transit oriented development

[20:20] one of the key priorities from the scnc

[20:22] 2020 comprehensive

[20:24] plan

[20:26] um pardon me

[20:28] which was adopted in 2008 it's been so

[20:32] exciting to see the Gateway Mobility Pub

[20:34] the Region's first major M multimodal

[20:37] Transportation Hub adopted at State and

[20:39] Church Streets now it's easier than ever

[20:41] for SKC residents and visitors to

[20:43] conveniently and comfortably access A

[20:46] diversity of Mobility options including

[20:49] access to over 10 major bus lines as

[20:51] well as a bike and scooter share program

[20:54] and parking for electric vehicles and

[20:55] personal bikes now people can get get

[20:58] off a bus hop on to a bike and access

[21:00] all of what downtown SKC has to offer

[21:03] well the new Gateway Mobility Hub is

[21:05] really exciting it's also important to

[21:07] remember that activating multimodal

[21:09] Mobility hubs like these requires a

[21:12] larger Equitable Transit oriented

[21:14] development strategy people are only

[21:17] free from dependence on automobiles

[21:19] where they can easily access all their

[21:21] basic weekly needs near Transit stops

[21:24] for instance commuters are much more

[21:25] likely to use a bus when they know that

[21:27] they can make a quick stop at the

[21:28] grocery store before they hat back and

[21:30] the bus at the end of the day to go home

[21:33] surely that's one of the many reasons

[21:35] that the 20120 comprehensive plans

[21:37] implementation strategy recommended to

[21:40] make it a priority to quote identify

[21:42] locations and complete a feasibility

[21:45] study for an inner city grocery store

[21:48] although we all know that downtown skd

[21:50] has not had a downtown grocery store in

[21:51] 20 years more than 20 years it's

[21:54] important to recognize that City staff

[21:55] and elected leaders have been really diligent in moving that plan

[22:00] forward there have been several

[22:01] completed uh feasibility analyses that

[22:03] reveal that a grocery store located very

[22:06] close to the mobility Hub is not only

[22:08] feasible but would also significantly

[22:10] contribute to our local economy and to

[22:12] the Community Health of surrounding

[22:14] neighborhoods thankfully we also know

[22:16] that there's tremendous momentum under

[22:18] the way thanks to the Thousand Members

[22:21] Plus of the Electric City Co-Op and you

[22:25] all for investing in the co-op a million

[22:27] dollar of arpa money along with the 3

[22:29] million committed from the county the

[22:32] other great news is that the county of

[22:33] SKC now owns an impressive assemblage of

[22:37] parcels oh that's time yes you can

[22:42] finish your sentence but then I need you

[22:43] to summarize and an impressive

[22:46] assemblage of parcels immediately next

[22:48] to the Gateway Mobility Hub um which is

[22:51] an unparalleled opportunity to

[22:53] collaborate to attract the uses that can

[22:55] really support Equitable Transit

[22:57] oriented development

[22:58] thanks thank

[23:00] you I have no one else signed up to

[23:02] speak so I declare the public comment of

[23:04] City business

[23:06] closed any miscellaneous business of the

[23:09] council Mr

[23:18] Williams uh good evening thank you

[23:20] although we haven't experienced a lot of

[23:22] snow I thought it was important to just

[23:23] take a moment uh to appreciate the uh

[23:26] Investments uh that have been made um

[23:29] yesterday there was a lot of that was uh

[23:32] present within our city and I want to

[23:34] remind the residents that it wasn't a

[23:35] coincidence that our roadways and

[23:37] streets were paved in most instances

[23:39] Equitable fashion I wanted to take a

[23:41] moment to I think it's easier to

[23:43] criticize uh sometime so I wanted to

[23:45] deliberately take a moment to just

[23:46] appreciate the uh investment uh that our

[23:48] office of General Services makes to

[23:50] ensure that our roadways are always uh

[23:53] clean and drivable for our residents um

[23:55] but I also wanted to identify that as as

[23:58] I was putting out trash out front of my

[23:59] house today uh regardless of the weather

[24:02] conditions heat rail heat rain hail or

[24:05] snow um our uh sanitation department uh

[24:09] does an exceptional job with removing

[24:10] all of that and uh I know during our

[24:13] budget season uh we definitely

[24:15] deliberated at length about how to fund

[24:17] that resource but I think it's safe to

[24:18] say at no point do we undervalue uh that resources ability to meet the needs

[24:23] of our growing city uh to both uh our uh

[24:26] Street um plowing efforts during our

[24:28] winter seasons and also to our

[24:30] sanitation department I sincerely wanted

[24:32] to just say thank you for the hard work

[24:34] I think we're do another snowfall either

[24:36] today or tomorrow uh so everyone please

[24:38] be safe uh and also intentionally if you

[24:41] live around a school zone please make

[24:43] sure you are cleaning your Pathways uh

[24:45] in a lot of instances there are um

[24:47] families that are transiting into

[24:49] schools uh by foot and what makes it

[24:51] more difficult during our seasonal

[24:53] weathers is having ice or unpaid

[24:55] walkways so although it might be in

[24:58] consideration to yourself please make

[24:59] sure you are not inhibiting um or or uh

[25:03] putting in place any more obstacles that

[25:05] are preventing our younger uh students

[25:07] from reaching and getting a formal

[25:09] education daily thank you thank

[25:13] you

[25:16] mayor thank you Madame President uh and

[25:19] followup to uh councilor member Williams

[25:22] uh had the uh snowstorm got through that

[25:25] pretty good the forecast for tomorrow has uh some snow starting in

[25:30] the afternoon changing to rain there may

[25:33] be an inch or two so it could be

[25:35] significant but they're also

[25:37] forecasting uh wind gusts that may

[25:39] approach 50 mil an hour so there's a

[25:42] chance for trees to come down power

[25:44] lines to come down and we just have

[25:47] people be cognizant of that and be

[25:50] cautious always treat a utility line as

[25:53] it being a live electric line and if you

[25:56] do lose power see down uh telephone poll

[26:01] trees or anything to make sure you call

[26:03] National Grid or

[26:06] 911 thank you madam president thank you

[26:08] mayor I'd like to thank everyone that

[26:10] came out this evening to um make their

[26:13] concerns uh known to the city council

[26:16] and um I also want to thank all the city

[26:18] council members I I think we're off to a

[26:20] good start and welcome to Mr manini and

[26:23] thank you for leading the pledge today

[26:25] so um you know I'm looking forward to

[26:27] all the work that we'll be able to do

[26:28] collectively and collaboratively with

[26:30] the mayor for the city of scetti so I'm

[26:32] excited about

[26:33] 2024 just want to remind everyone that

[26:35] next Monday is Martin Luther King is

[26:37] Martin Luther King day is observed so we

[26:39] will not be having our committee meeting

[26:41] on that Monday but instead on Tuesday so

[26:44] Monday's a holiday so would and there's

[26:46] a few observations around the capital

[26:48] region for those of you who want to take

[26:50] out the time to um to do that and let's

[26:53] just as we um celebrate Martin P King's

[26:56] birthday let us just remember what he

[26:58] stood for and that it's not just a day

[27:00] to observe but absolutely to believe in

[27:03] what he preached in terms of um working

[27:06] together and the Beloved Community thank

[27:08] you very much and with that I'd ask for

[27:10] a motion to

[27:13] adjourn I move by move by Mr Williams

[27:17] second by Mr Mancini all those in favor

[27:20] I we're adjourned have a good

[27:23] evening oh I kept them longer than they

[27:25] wanted to

[27:26] stay

[27:28] you're not us a chance

Schenectady City Council Meeting, January 8, 2024

Transcript