[Music]
yeah
[Music]
he
[Music]
yeah
[Music]
I'd like to all call to order the city
Caucus meeting for Monday February 26
2024 we have 22 items for original
consideration if the clerk would please
read item number one item number one a
public hearing for regarding Central
Parkway sidewalk Improvement project
discussing committee with objection on
consent okay I'm sorry we have three
public
hearings we have three public
hearings one one public
hearing
okay item number one for original
consideration item number one for
original consideration a resolution
calling for a public hearing to amend
city code Chapter 93 civilian police
revie re review board section six term
limits holdovers and vacancy discuss in
committee with objection on consent item
number two item number two for original
consideration a resolution calling for a
public hearing creating a special
assessment District on a portion of
North College Street discussed in
committee with objection on consent item
number three item number three for
original consideration a resolution
supporting assembly Bill a 7652 and
Senate Bill S7 7546 authorizing the city
of skty to establish a speed camera
enforcement demonstration program in
school zones discussed and committee
with objection on consent item number
four item number four for original
consideration a resolution in support of
assembly Bill a 7653 and Senate Bill s
7545 relating to adjudications and owner
liability of traffic control signals
discussed in committee with objection on
consent item number five item number
five for original consideration a
resolution in support of bills A
7656 and S
7547 requiring a petition in summary
proceeding to recover possessions of
real property in the city of SKC to
allege proof of compliance with local
laws requiring rental residential
property registration and lure discussed
in committee with objection on consent
item number six item number six for
original consideration a resolution
supporting assembly Bill a758 and Senate
Bill s 7409 to increase the membership
of the special district operation and
development committee the dsad and dsic
discuss in committee with objection nonc
consent item number seven item number
seven for original consideration a
resolution authorizing the Department of
Finance to make budget amendment to the
2024 operating budget discussed in
committee with the objection on consent
item number eight item number eight for
original consideration a resolution
appointing Christopher Marney to the
ethics board roll call by Mr
Toro item number nine item number nine
for original consideration a resolution
confirming the appointments of Anthony
Fowler as the primary representative and
Arthur Butler as the alternate
representative of the Human Rights
Commission to the civilian police review
board discuss in committee with
objection on consent item number 10 item
number 10 for original consideration a
resolution accepting a donation of a
2021 Ford Mach e fully electric vehicle
from Metro Ford for use by the connect
Police Department discussing committee
with objection on consent item number 11 for original
consideration a resolution authorizing
the mayor to enter into intermunicipal
cooperation agreement with sken County
for the distribution of funding awarded
by the New York state division of
Criminal Justice Services to support
local enforcement agencies discussed in
committee without objection on consent
item number 12 item number 12 for
original consideration a resolution
authorizing the sale of a vacant lot on8
Grand Street for $88,000 discussed in
committee without objection on consent
item number 13 item number 13 for
original consideration a resolution
authorizing the sale of a vacant lot on
8 Wagner Avenue for
$2,500 discussed in committee with
objection on consent item number
13 item number 14 for original
consideration a resolution authorizing
the sale of 504 Page Street for
$35,000 discuss in committee with
objection on consent item number 15 item
number 15 for original consideration a
resolution authorized the sale of 801
Holland Road for
$45,000 discussed in committee with
objection on consent it number
17 item number
16 for for original consideration a
resolution authorizing the settlement of
a claim by State Farm Mutual automobile
insurance company as sube of Sandra
Stapleton thank you item number 17 item
number 17 for original consideration a
resolution recognizing women's three
month this uh item will be taken out of
order and presented by council member
Patrick item number 18 item item number
18 for original consideration a
resolution recognizing David dariano of
Metro Ford Sales this item will be taken
out of order and presented by council
member muin item number 19 item number
19 for original consideration a
resolution recognizing James Griffin for
his 40 years of service in the city of
skincity thank you this item will be
taken out of order and presented by
myself
item number 20 item number 20 for
original consideration a resolution
authorizing the issuance of revocable
permit number 680 toer restaurant for a
sign that will overhang the city's right
of way at 500 State streets connected in
New York discuss in committee without
objection on consent item number 21 item
number 21 for original consideration a
resolution authorizing the issuance of
revocable permit number 681 to pierce
Renewables for a sign that will overhang
the city's RightWay at 155 are
boulevards connected in New York discuss
in committee with objection on consent
item number 22 item number 22 under
contract and Supply a resolution
awarding the bid and contract for the
SKC Municipal Golf Course Golf Road
Maintenance building electrical upgrades
to be W Electrical Services LLC in the
amount of
8,855 56 no discuss in committee without
objection on consent if there's nothing
more to come before the city council
caucus I ask for a motion to adjourn
move by Mr mudar and second by Miss
Patrick all in favor we are adjourned
I'd like to call to order the city
council meeting for Monday February 26
2024 if you just please all rise for the
invocation we don't have one anyone here
today so I will be offering the
invocation father we come before you and
ask that you will be here in the
presence Lord as we conduct the business
of the city we thank you for everyone
who has assembled here Lord we thank you
for the public coming out we thank you
for all the staff that is here and ask
that you will um be with us as we
conduct this business Lord and just
watch over us continuously as we go
about our daily lives we thank you for
all that you have blessed us with God we
thank you for the opportunity to
recognize an employee who has given a
number of years of service to the city
we ask that you bless him and his family
and all of his co-workers that he leaves
here in the city that you will continue
to allow them to do the work uh of the
city and thank them we want to thank
them for their service these are all
blessings we ask in your your name
amen I would ask for Nancy D statue to
lead us in the Pledge of
Allegiance United
States stand
Nation
indivisible andice for all thank
you
just before before um U Mr Williams
collects the all of the signature Sheets
if there's anyone who wants to sign up
to discuss the public hearing which is
about Central Parkway if you haven't
signed up on the public hearing we'll
give you an opportunity to do that at
this
time
thank
you if the clerk would please call the
role Mr
Toro Mr Farley's absent Mr manini is
absent Mr Mr Matan
Miss Patrick here Mr Williams here M
pfield here thank you we have three out
of out of order resolutions resolution
number 17 women's women's resolution for
women's History Month I'd like to call
on council member Patrick to present
this
resolution
Madam president may I have the floor you
have the floor ma'am thank
you hello um so March is women's history
month and I'm pleased to be able to
present this resolution to recognize and
celebrate women's History Month whereas
in 1980 President Jimmy Carter
designated the first week of March as
National Women's history week noting
that quote the achievements leadership
courage strength and love of the women
who built America was as vital as that
of men whose names we know so well and
whereas since 1987 women's history month
has been officially recognized by the
United States Congress and celebrated
during March and whereas women's history
month is dedicated to the
accomplishments and achievements of
women of every race class and ethnic
background throughout United States
history that are often overlooked and
whereas the theme for 2024's women's
history month is women who advocate for
Equity diversity and inclusion
recognizing women throughout the country
who understand that for a positive
future we need to eliminate bias and
discrimination entirely from our lives
and institutions and whereas women from
every background have long realized that
an uneven playing field will never bring
equality or Justice and have
courageously advocated for fairness in
our institutions and our social
interactions and whereas recognizing the
achievements of women in all facets of
life science Community government
literature art sports medicine has a
huge impact on the development of self-
respect and new opportunities for girls
and young women and whereas women have
been inspirational leaders not only in
advancing their own rights of suffrage
and equal opportunity but also in other
social justice movements including the
Abolitionist Movement the industrial
labor movement the civil rights movement
and the gay rights movement now
therefore be it resolved that the Mayor
Gary R McCarthy and City Council of the
city of sken do hereby pause in their
deliberations to recognize and celebrate
women's History Month in March 2024 and
acknowledge and salute the critical role
that women have played in the
development success and achievements of
skincity and the United
States so may I make this
motion you need a second
please all those in favor I
congratulation the motion pass thank
you so I'd like to introduce M Kora
schroer who works for representative
Paul tonko and I'd like her to say a few
words about a women's March that's
happening this week and accept this
resolution on behalf of the the city
thank you thank you very much carel
Patrick and thank you city council and
thank you mayor McCarthy so real quick
hello good evening everyone as carmell
so graciously said I am cor schroer and
I want to not take up too much time but
I wanted to make a significant
announcement and that announcement is
that this Sunday which is March 3D the
first Sunday of the month my friend
Tammy and I Tammy say hello we have put
together we got our heads together and
we thought and we thought and we said
hey let's do a March for women for all
that carel said I'm not going to reread
this but take a moment to think of a
woman in your life of women who have
been in your life and women who have
allowed your life to progress over the
thousands of years women have been here
so March 3D which is a Sunday at 9 a.m.
here on the steps of City Hall we will
begin a March we will begin a march to
celebrate women and I would love to see
everybody there you do not have to be
from skty you can be from wherever you
do not have to be a woman you can come
and just celebrate celebrate with a
banner celebrate with your family
celebrate with a shirt celebrate and
remember women for to for March is
women's history month thank
Youk
[Laughter]
s you're woman
[Music]
it's okay it's okay it's okay I'm right
here in the back
everybody
[Applause]
the next out of out of order resolution
is the resolution recognizing James
Griffin for his 40 years of service to
the city of skincity and I ask council
member muar to please take the
Podium I'd like to invite Mr Griffin and
everyone coming with him behind the rail
please com it's his moment
okay may I have the floor yes all right
you can come you can closer right there
could you
hear um well before I read the official
resolution I just want to say a couple
of things um because I've known you for
a very long time and uh you and my
brother friends and so I remember Jim
store and all the stuff in the
neighborhood so you know really gives me
great pleasure and I wanted to be the
person to be able to present this to
you and on top of that the reason that I
actually knew about it is because your
co-workers thought so highly of you that
they reached out and said hey he's
retiring we're going to miss him but
we'd like for the council to du
resolution so I think that speaks very
highly of who you are as a person not
that I didn't already know but the
people that you would spent 40 years not
the entire 40 some of them but the
people that you worked with dayt Day
thought it not robbery to reach out and
to say you know we'd like for him to be
recognized so I know that we talked and
you said give you your flowers while
you're here so tonight you're getting
your flowers not literally we try that
but anyway that's another conversation
but so tonight we'd like to give you the
flowers on behalf of your co-workers who
brought your name forward and also the
city
council whereas James Griffin began his
career with the city of skti on SE
September 17th
1984 and whereas James Griffin served
his country for three years in the
United States Army as a combat engineer
12b 12b before joining the city
Workforce and whereas James Works 28
years in the Bureau of service streets
department Paving streets filling po
holes plowing snow and sweeping streets
and whereas James worked 12 years in the
sewer department his responsibilities
included inspecting condition of sewer
lines for leaks rusts spots and other
defects installing new SE line sewer
lines and repairing existing ones inst
installing new water mains and repairing
existing ones repairs to manholes catch
basins and other structures in the sewer
system and whereas his continuous
commitment to excellent during his many
years of service this city earned him
the respect of his co-workers who had
this to say about him quote I really
enjoyed working with Griff he's funny
conscientious conscientious and a good
guy he's one of the few left from the
good old days and I mean good in Old in
a good way and whereas another cooworker
said I only speak for myself James is a
w a wise and compassionate man who
worked hard and played harder as he
truly enjoys the Finer Things in life
James enjoys joking and laughing as as
much as he loved a good debate whether
for sharing or acquiring wisdom and
knowledge we were blessed to have gotten
to know him over the years and we wish
him all the best as he enters his new
exciting chapter of his life end quote
and whereas the duties James performed
though not glamorous were essential to
the operation of the city he made a
maintained a strong work ethic showed
dedication and hard work throughout his
long career which has been instrumental
to the city City's success
now therefore be resolved that the SKC
city council and Mayor Gary R McCarthy
do hereby pause in their deliberations
to recognize James Griffin for his 40
years of service in the city of skincity
and congratulate him and wish him well
on his retirement I like to move this
can I have a
second um all in favor I motion is
passed
congratulations all right thank you very
much going
say not going
to
spe
app
the next out out of order resolution is
item number 18 a resolution recognizing
David dariano of Metro Ford
Sales I'd like to call on council member
muar toe present this
resolution
Madame President you have the
floor a resolution or recognizing Dave
darano of Metro Ford Sales whereas as
connect the school District wanted to
obtain SKC police engagement officer to
interact positively with student and the
community and whereas to advance the New
York State Police reform and reinvention
collaborative plan as approved by
disconnected e school on March 22nd
2021 and whereas in compliance with
regulation from the commissioner of
Education a written contract between the
connect school district and the connect
police community engagement officer was
drafted and whereas this contract was
signed by mayor K McCarthy and
superintendent Annabel solar
establishing the connect police
Community engagement officer program and
whereas the conc police department
desire to expand this successful program
and develop new Community Partnership to
further the goals of this connec school
district and the community engagement
officer program and whereas Community
engagement officers Sergeant Charles
ronfeld with the goal to increase
positive interaction to raise awareness
to this connected Police Department work
in the schools and to develop new
partnership in the community as Metro
Ford Sales Inc if they were interested
in partnering to support the program and
whereas David diano of Metro Ford Inc
seeing value in supporting the program
and the City of SKC Police Department
provide
to the community generous offer to
donate a 2021 Ford Mustang macki
electric car and whereas on March 20th
2024 the vehicle was brought to the city
connect police department and to the SKC
Council committee meeting for a visual
inspection whereas this donation will
enhance the program provide more
positive interaction with the student at
this connected school district and
increase the efficiency
of Officer response within the school
district ultimately serving student
their family and the community now
therefore be it resolved that the Mayor
Gary AR McCarthy and the city council do
hereby pause in their deliberation to
recognize David darano of Metro Ford
sale Inc for your donation to our Police
Department Community engagement officer
program Madame President I move this may
I have a second second by Miss Patrick
all in favor I motion passes
congratulations I wasn't aware I had to
speak Metro Ford has been in Sky doing
business for 45 years and we've been
protected by the police our children
have been educated by the school
district it's an honor to be able to do
this as a parent a lot of times you
don't get pat on the back for doing
things raising your children and I know
in police force in school district
there's not a lot of pats on the back
but this is our way of just giving
back like he said it came down it was it
was an email that came over to our
office and said would you like to donate
a
car and we we got the email and our our
CPA happened to be there when we got the
email doing some end of the year stuff
and I walked in and I said is is this
possible can we donate a car he did some
numbers and such and he says yeah you're
in a position to be able to do this so
it was perfect timing it was we we
didn't think of it it wasn't us the um
any recognition isn't for me personally
it's it's for all the hardworking people
at Metro Ford and all the hardworking
people here I mean the city it's a great
City we're glad to be part of it
couldn't be couldn't be more proud to
give this and to donate it and a Mustang
Mach e all electric what better car for
the electric
city
thank you and thank you for the
donation what was he
say we have one public hearing tonight
and I just want to remind everyone that
the public uh time for the public
hearing is has been extended to four
minutes and ask everyone to respectfully
only speak on the topic of the public
hearing thank you this time I ask for
approval of the minutes from February
2012th
2024 move by m Mr Williams second by Mr
M all in favor I
okay all right public hearing number
one I'm
sorry would
[Music]
you public hearing number one regarding
the Central Parkway sidewalk Improvement
project I have four people signed up to
speak Florence
mcville hello
everyone um it's been many years since
I've been in here but uh I'm glad to be
back um I live on Central
Parkway and I'm happy that the city is
going to be doing the
sidewalks um my only concern is the
water that gets in front of my house
I've had many serious conditions
excessive water coming into the house my
furnace breaking the house sinking a
little bit and uh the sewer problems but
um I think this will all get fixed with
the
new excitement of putting the side walks
in and fixing the street and the curbs
so that's all I have to say
and I'm happy that the city is doing
this and um I have nothing else to say
thank you very much thank
you uh Janice
Thompson good evening everyone can you
hear me
yes down a little bit
uh yes I'm really glad we're having the
work done on our streets I have a few
questions uh they're not long ones uh my
first question is how much is the city
paying towards
our sidewalks and
curves the city itself how how much are
they paying does anyone know that answer
so ma'am today tonight you just have an
opportunity to be heard publicly on your
comments if you have any questions
specifically we need um email those
questions and though they can be
answered tonight we'd like to hear your
comments we did deliver um packets to
all of the individuals in Central
Parkway but tonight we will not be able
to answer questions from here we'll just
hear your comments you can ask your
questions and we will record them and
get them answered for you okay so all of
my comments are a
question so I can't get any answers on
those not tonight but if you'd like to hand in those questions
we'll make sure that they are answered
for you as long as you have the contact
information there if you want to answer
your questions out loud so everyone can
hear them you're welcome to do that okay
so so my next question is there's a
slight difference between the principal
on the 10-year plan as opposed to the
15-year plan minor but it's $110
difference and I just wondered why that
is my third question is the travel Lane
is 2T shorter than what exists now would
that be narrowed on both sides of the
street and is it because of something
with the curves and the sidewalks that
are making it necessary to to narrow the
travel
Lane those are my questions and I just
wondered how many people from Central
Parkway are here
tonight every everyone from Central
Parkway could raise your
hand there they are I'm just going to
count
them okay if you'd like to hand in your
looks like 16 about thank you if you'd
like to hand in your question so we
actually have them in writing we'll take
them from you I'll do that you want me
to do that now yes okay well it's on the
front of my sheet so it's okay as long
as they you can get it back
okay right three thank you thank you
very much thank
you Julie
peretto hello good evening I'm Julie
parado I'm here with my husband we both
own a house together Central Parkway um
and I'm really really happy that this
initiative is moving forward um we love
the neighborhood we've lived there for
about seven years and I think it's
really going to increase the walkability
of the neighborhood and really help with
safety for the people who walk um so and
I really appreciate also the payment
plan I think that's going to be very
helpful but I did have some concerns
about the concept and the plan that was
chosen that I wanted to voice um we
noticed that it's taking away the street
parking
and um that is and it's narrowing the
driving and taking away the on street
parking and I know that for us when we
went to purchase our home we took street
parking into consideration for when we
had family gatherings and holidays um
and it's just going to be an
inconvenience for us to have to have our
friends and family park a block or two
down and then walk to our home um and
you know that was a big factor as well
when we were home buying so I it we
don't want to move we love our
neighborhood but when we go to resell
our house in the future I just worry
about how that may impact our the cost
that we will get for our house um not
having that street parking available um
so I guess my question is you know I
want the the sidewalk initiative we want
the upgrade um but is there a way that
we can be looking at other Concepts and
plans to be able to keep the on street
parking and that was it thank you so
much for your time thank
you Jessica padulla
hello I'm not used to not facing all the
people usually when I lead things um so
I've never been to anything like this
before um I live at 875 Central Parkway
so right on the corner the very first
nice house ma'am you have to F you have
to address that the very first nice
house over on the side
um when I was asked to sign the petition
for this project I'll be honest I wasn't
paying attention because I'm not used to
people coming to my door I keep to
myself and you know whatever she was
proposing seemed fine enough signed it
the end um I what I didn't realize is
that I was being asked to pay for my own
sidewalk uh and I'm not in a position to
be able to do that if I had that amount
of money I would probably fix my garage
over the summer there was um someone
stole a vehicle and then parked it in my
three-car garage so I got called while I
was out of my home by the police to ask
me to come home and see what this stolen
car was about I didn't have the money to
fix the um garage door and so there's uh
wood in front of
it and
um yeah I'm all for like improving the
neighborhood certainly certainly we all
want to have a nicer neighborhood but
what I'm concerned about is one I can't
pay for another sidewalk two are we
going to make it so welcoming for people
to be walking down the street that
they'll have uh more packages stolen
from my front porch am I going to have
my car broken into more times than it
already has been in the last eight years
so yeah I'm pretty upset about it I'm 42
years old and I've never voluntarily
come into a government building to speak
publicly and here I am I guess it's
that's all I have to say thank you oh
wait no no I have another thing because
I still have four minutes I am a single
mother and I am a widow to a active duty
Navy serviceman and I was able to
purchase this home from the settlement
that I received from his active duty
death that was my introduction to
Central Parkway and here we are eight
years later I don't have any money left
thanks thank
you I don't have anyone else signed up
to speak at this public hearing so I
declare the public public hearing
closed I'll ask the clerk to read any
Communications and
petitions Communications presented to
the city council for Monday February 26
2024 under official from Mayor Gary AR
McCarthy a list of appointments dated
February 26
2024 under General from Dave Connelly
and Michael Murphy an email with
questions then suggestions for the
Central Parkway sidewalk Improvement
program and from Rich and Mary Joe homic
an email in support of the Central
Parkway sidewalk Improvement program
under petitions there were none thank
you ask on council members to provide
any committee
reports this time we'll have priv
privilege of the floor related to the
legislative agenda and I have no one
signed up to speak so I declare the
public comment on the legislative agenda
closed
this time I ask for approval of the
legislative consent
agenda move by Mr Williams second by Mr
M all in favor I we do have one roll
call vote
resolution resolution number
eight if the clerk would please read
item number
eight item number eight for original
consideration a resolution appointing
Christopher Marney to the ethics
board I need a
motion move by Mr Williams
second it has to be
seconded second by Miss Miss
Patrick any discussion on this
item Mr
Williams uh so I I really want to make
sure I my comments are received in kind
I think it is a poor show of sound
judgment to refuse an individual that is
volunteering to assist in filling a
vacancy especially in committees and
Boards throughout our city where we've
highlighted that uh participation is an
ongoing challenge uh to this this point
I have still not heard any uh comments
or feedback with respect to why uh this
individual would not be an appropriate
member of this board um but again I feel
as local officials it is our
responsibility to make sure we are not
only advocating to the community and the
residents alike but to make sure we also
justify our opinions and decisions when
they in fact uh go against uh something
with respect to to to this so I think
displaying our uh lack of consideration
to why this individual would not be a
good fit I think is not the
collaborative government that I seek to
be a part of and I would hope that as a
body uh we can understand the
ramifications of sayings the community
no and not offering a resolution forward
or identifying what areas make this
individual not an appropriate candidate
to fulfill that
position is there any further discussion
seeing none I'll ask the clerk to call
the role Mr
[Music]
Toro Mr muin yes Miss Patrick
no Mr Williams yes Miss Porterfield yes
the item fails you need we need four
affirmative votes to pass piece of
resolution so the item fails it's
3-2 this time we have priv privilege of
the floor regarding General City
business I have three people signed up
to speak first person is Fred de
roer hello hello my name is uh Fred roer
I'm a nurse at Ellis Hospital I've been
a nurse for GR on 28 years now I worked
at St Claire's first and then came over
at L's Hospital in 2008 so I've been a
nurse in this community for a long time
and what I'm coming up here to talk
about as a member of Ellis Hospital but
also as a member of the executive
committee for the nurses Union at Ellis
Hospital I want to make you all here
aware of what's going on with our
negotiations that are currently um going
on over the last year we've been
negotiating and we normally negotiate
with Ellis Hospital management and it's
just simply Ellis Hospital it is
different now they have upper management
is Trinity Healthcare a billion dollar
company that's Nationwide um their point
person Deb
Solomon comes around she told us at a
meeting that basically Trinity brings
her around when they need help with
labor problems so apparently the nurses
now are a labor problem to Trinity um
this we have a lot of great managers at
Ellis but this upper management with
Trinity is very much a problem they're
trying to they're very they're cutting
services you can look to rents their
County um with the bdet Women's Center
they've already cut services at Ellis Hospital that you may not even
know about we don't you know since the
pandemic they've cut the pediatric
department they've cut Med surge beds
there's less beds there than just four
years ago when we had this pandemic
there's less beds there there's less
beds in the emergency room there's half
the Adult Psychiatric beds um they have
done this with no remorse or no
conscious of the community that's why
when you know their idea they're not for
profit and they don't act like that
they're acting for profit even though
there's less beds in that hospital right
now there's less nurses than there was
four years ago too so the nurses now
take care of more patients I work in a
crisis unit the nurses in the ER when I
work through the pandemic in the ER we
had less patients then than we do now um
there's less beds in the ER so there's
more people waiting there's longer wait
times than I've ever over 20 years in
the ER there's longer wait times than
I've ever seen um
they do not listen with negotiations
they're very much trying to um they
aren't offering us anything to be quite
honest they're they're talking about
retaining nurses and they're cutting our
benefits saying that they are they've
looked throughout the community and ours
are above average so they need to cut
them um they've cut them for their other
workers who don't have a voice but we're
not going to let that happen to us talk
about I was a former St Claire's person
we all know about the St Claire's
pension so they are asking us to sign
off on selling out our pensioners that
was frozen in 2006 and they want as part
of negotiations us to write that off so
they can sell that up they it's not a
problem to them financially they want to
get rid of it to clear the books for
Trinity to fully take over because they
aren't not for profit they are for
profit and they aren't good for this
community and we are going to need
everybody to be aware of this as we go
forward and that's what we're here for
today thank you thank
you Don zip
good evening I my name is Donn zip I am
actually a resident here in skincity
city um I am also an Lis employee but I
am a Belle Women's Center employee I am
um the president of our bargaining unit
for nna I sit at the um negotiation
table I stand on the line for all my
fellow nurses and even more so for my
patients and for my babies that I take
care of in the ncu um I am here because
as we are um embarking upon this merger
my real concern is Woman's Health it
seems to be under major attack within
the United States if anybody has been
paying attention to the news across the
country it is very scary and it is now
hitting the capital region um I was
applaud the um stand for women and for
women's rights and for women and what
they've done in um um history well it is
our time to stand as the women at
Belleview woman's Center and as a
hospital that takes care of women and
that is something that is really
important one of the things that I want
to bring to the Forefront is that Paul
mlon actually spoke yesterday at a local
church in The Stockade and spoke to the
community there and when he was
addressed and asked about the services
that he was going to be um that have
been taken away and continue to be
discussed and being taken away his
phrase on quote was we can't be
everything to everyone the problem is is
we need to be what is important for the
people of this community we cannot
afford to lose any more services we need
to watch what they've done with berett
because the Health Care Health the
Catholic Health Care system is literally
dismantling Health Care for Women across
the country and in New York state down
on Long Island they've closed maternity
Wars in New York City they're attempting
to close maternity Wars these are the
Catholic Health Care Systems again we
cannot afford he said that don't worry
women who are in labor don't take the
cabs to the
hospitals I have to tell you women in
labor take anything that they can I have
actually caught babies in the circle in
front of Belleview in a in a taxi cab so
you know what Paul Milton women take
cabs when they're in labor and if we
keep reducing the the things that we
need in our community we are going to be
at a great loss we are putting mothers
and babies at risk by doing this Trinity
is actually sitting at our table looking
to take more and more and more away from
us the nurses and for our patients we
have a deficit of approximately 20% on
nursing staffing that means your nurses
are taking on anywhere from six to 10
patients when they should only be taking
four and that is a very scary thing
because it's our family members that are
in the hospital that are being taken
care of and they are being they're not
getting the quality care that they
require so I'm begging and I'm coming to
you guys to stand on our behalf and and
advocate for the nurses and for the
patients and the people of SCCY thank
you thank
you Jennifer
Lipman hi my name is Jenny um I'm not
from this a but my family is firmly
planted here my husband works at Union
College I'm a nurse in the same
Department as Fred the emergency room at
Ellis Hospital and our kids are in
school here and we mean to be here um
I'm just joining this group and wanting
to talk about Staffing uh you know I'm
mostly focused just on the day-to-day
taking care of people as a nurse Fred
has been actively involved in the
negotiations but it's gone on for more
than a year that they're trying to get
our contract negotiated and for me I I
started like when the pandemic was just
beginning to unfold in 2020 and
um about a year into my job we lost a
tremendous percentage of our nurses it
was like the travel boom when nurses
could make three to four times as much
as a staff nurse and I was so upset to
see the the just this beautiful teamwork
when in the emergency room people come
in with heart attacks and people run
together and and they know each other's
strengths and they're you know literally
saving people's lives working together
and
when I saw my staff the the staff people
that I really looked up to that I need
to learn from disappearing I wrote to
like all the top leadership but the
hospital and our board and everything
and I heard back from one person which
was the department um the head of our
department the emergency department he
said well these things kind of come and
go it'll it'll iron itself out this High
money it's going to P pedal out and
we'll kind of get a stable staff again
but you know two two and a half years
later we are heavily dependent on travel
nurses and they're bringing in some
lovely nurses they're really experienced
great nurses but they have no connection
to skincity they don't know our people
they'll be here for a short time then
they move oh I'm going to go do skiing
and Colorado next and that's really not
what we need we need a stable body of
nurses to take care of our community I I
see my neighbors all the time in the Ed
and what we lost just during my short
time here at Ellis with so much staff
synchronicity that got broken up and the
hospital has not managed to put it back
together we're just heavily dependent on
nurses that have no connection to this
place and if it takes us more than a
year and the nurses that are negotiating
this contract say they are insulting us
when we're asking about our they're
taking benefits away they're they're
trying to talk their way out of these
Staffing ratio things I mean I've barely
known anything but you run for 12 hours
you don't pee you don't eat you you feel
so guilty because you can't take good
care of people because you're so
overloaded it's dangerous you know and I
mean that's kind of basic if we don't
have enough nurses like you'd think we'd
want to try to make it decent that
nurses could take good care of people
and and having a contract where there's
decent Staffing and and and wages that
people agree are reasonable seems like a
great place to start so that's what I
wanted to speak in support of thank you
thank
you I have no one else signed up to
speak so I declare the public comment of
City business closed
any miscellaneous business from the
council Mr
muin thank you madam president I would
like to um thank all the homeowners from
Central Parkway who showed up here
tonight thank you um for your effort and
I want to especially thank the organizer
who has brought us to this point here to
make Central Parkway sidewalk and Street
Improvement a reality so thank you to
the organizer thank you to all the
homeowners for um gra this um this
evening and to voice your concern all
the questions on the email that was
submitted our city engineer will address
those and as we move forward the next
couple of week we will share more
information and uh we will um get you
involved in terms of um getting that
message over to you as we move forward
uh to make this happen for you in
Central Parkway um just a reminder um
for the seniors exemptions are due um
before March 1st so don't wait on March
1st to file your exemption does the
enhance um senior um exemption and also
um the senior lwi income exemption we
recently um um increased the um the
exemption so to give more um advantage
to the seniors in our city and I hope
that they take advantage of it so please
file your enhan exemption and your
senior exemption before March for us
thank you madam president thank you Mr
mutar Miss Patrick thank you um I just
wanted to remind folks um and I hope
that the mayor will mention this as well
but um I've had calls from several
different residents in different
neighborhoods over the last just the
last few days uh talking about the
litter issue and the fact that people
are passed that information on to our
office of General services but really um
I just really implore folks to uh think
about the trash schedule put your trash
out only when you're supposed to put
your trash out um and make sure that
it's secure uh especially right now
during the during the winter months
although it doesn't seem like winter
right now uh given our weather our
beautiful weather this week but please
uh pay attention to that thank you thank
you
mayor thank you madam president I again
appreciate everyone coming out tonight
in the uh consensus seems to be for
Central Parkway to leave it basic
basically the way it is the discussion
has been to narrow the travel Lane by
approximately 2 feet that has not been
cast in stone and part of this process
is to have your input tonight and uh
just ongoing discussions for that final
design that'll service the needs of the
residents and again make it attractive
and uh hopefully increase the value of
the
properties uh for Council member uh
Patrick yes encourage people to follow
the litter schedule uh appreciate uh
council member Doro and council
president porterfield's time as we're uh
working on reviewing the trash policies
in the city and trying to uh make
modifications to uh appropriate allocate
some of the cost the people that abuse
the system and it doesn't take much
effort to pick up a little bit of litter
make sure your cans are sealed and
tightened up because everybody Body
Benefits from
that also the sky Police Department uh
is going to start another uh civilian
police academy on March 5th and there
are still slots available in that so
that people who may want to participate
in that uh gain a greater knowledge of
the police operations and their
Community involvement should uh contact
uh officer Andrew danal at the SKC
Police Department thank you m president
thank you mayor uh I'd like to thank
everyone for
coming
appointments you said that we need four
you need four yes correct that is
correct okay thank
you it's a majority for to pass anything
there are some things that take five but
it takes a simple
majority uh again I'd like to thank
everyone for coming out tonight I
appreciate you coming bringing your
concerns forward and for this showing
from people from Central Parkway I
believe it was 16 is what Miss Thompson
said so thank you for coming out and the
mayor has already spoken about the
process um I want to thank the um
individuals that came from Nisa today to
talk about the concerns that are going
on there appreciate you coming and
bringing these things to our attention
yet we've been reading about we know
about it but appreciate you coming out
and coming to speak to us regarding
that uh Mr muan talked about the um star
exemption so just so just so you know
March 1st is this Friday I know it
doesn't sound it sounds far away but
it's Friday so if you know seniors that
need to get their exemption in it's this
Friday and lastly as uh Miss schroer was
here to talk about the women's March
this Sunday I guess it starts on City
Hall steps at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday so
those of you that want to March I don't
know what the weather's going to be like
so check before you come whether you
need to bundle up or dress
down if there's nothing else to come
before this Council I'd like to ask for
a motion to adjourn mve by Miss Patrick
second by Mr Williams all those in favor
I we are adjourned thank
you