[0:00] [Music]

[0:28] yeah

[0:31] [Music]

[1:28] yeah

[1:30] [Music]

[3:58] he

[4:00] [Music]

[4:58] don't

[5:01] [Music]

[5:58] yeah

[6:01] [Music]

[7:09] [Applause]

[7:09] [Music]

[8:28] yeah

[8:30] [Music]

[10:24] [Applause]

[10:24] [Music]

[11:58] you council members

[12:28] downstairs

[12:58] car

[13:28] dep

[13:54] Okay

[13:58] so ask him to

[14:01] take the one sitting there or we can ask

[14:04] one of the imams it's up to you we have

[14:06] to do this

[14:09] quickly yes sitting next to the girl if

[14:11] he can

[14:28] ask

[14:40] he said he doesn't know the huh he said

[14:42] he doesn't know who the Emil

[14:58] is

[15:01] I'd like to call order C City meeting

[15:04] for Monday April 8th

[15:06] 2024 we have a public hearing tonight if

[15:10] the clerk could please read public

[15:12] hearing number one regarding creating a

[15:14] special assessment District on a portion

[15:17] of Central

[15:18] Parkway we have 13 items for original

[15:21] consideration and one for unanimous

[15:22] consent if the clerk would please read

[15:24] item number one item number one for

[15:26] original consideration an ordinance

[15:28] amending ordinance

[15:49] 224-3888 Street discussed in committee

[15:52] without objection on consent item number

[15:54] three item number three for original

[15:56] consideration a resolution calling for a

[16:01] public calling for a public hearing

[16:02] regarding addition of section 264-1111

[16:06] of the connect city code regarding the

[16:09] regulation and location of smoke shop

[16:12] Vape Shop hooka lounges and vape

[16:14] consumption businesses discussed in

[16:16] committee with objection on consent item

[16:18] number

[16:19] four item number four for original

[16:21] consideration a resolution setting forth

[16:23] the attendance requirements at

[16:25] acknowledgement by members of the city

[16:27] of skty board of assessment review

[16:29] discussed in committee without objection

[16:31] on consent item number five item number

[16:34] five for original consideration a

[16:35] resolution authorizing the Department of

[16:37] Finance to make a budget amendment to

[16:40] the 2024 operating budget discussed in

[16:43] committee with objection on consent item

[16:45] number six item number six for original

[16:47] consideration a resolution authorizing

[16:50] the mayor to accept

[16:52] $800,000 Crest Grant from the domator

[16:55] authority of the state of New York

[16:56] discuss in committee with objection on

[16:58] cons item number seven item number seven

[17:01] for original consideration a resolution

[17:03] declaring the city council as the lead

[17:05] agency and opening a 30-day public

[17:07] comment period regarding the update of

[17:11] the connecties historic ordinance and

[17:14] related zoning ordinance sections

[17:16] discussed in committee with objection on

[17:18] consent item number eight item number

[17:20] eight for original consideration a

[17:21] resolution transmitting to the skincity

[17:24] County Planning Department proposed

[17:25] changes to the city of SKC historic

[17:27] commission ordinance and related

[17:29] historic district and zoning ordinances

[17:32] discussed in committee without objection

[17:33] on consent item number nine item number

[17:36] nine for original consideration a

[17:37] resolution authorizing the mayor to

[17:39] enter into a lease agreement for the

[17:41] beas hill Reservoir residential

[17:43] unit roll call by Miss Patrick item

[17:47] number

[17:48] 10 item number 10 for original

[17:50] consideration a resolution authorized in

[17:52] sale of 430 huler Street for

[17:55] $78,000 discussed in committee without

[17:57] objection on consent item number 11 item

[18:00] number 11 for original consideration a

[18:01] resolution authorizing the sale of $949

[18:04] State Street for $80,000 discussed in

[18:07] committee with objection on consent item

[18:09] number 12 item number 12 for original

[18:11] consideration a resolution authorizing

[18:13] the sale of a vacant lot located at 1055

[18:16] Cutler Street and a vacant lot located

[18:18] at 14026 Avenue for a total of

[18:22] $3,500 discussed in committee with

[18:24] objection on consent item number 13 item

[18:26] number 13 for original consideration

[18:28] resolution recognizing Pastor Parson for

[18:31] years of community service this item

[18:33] will be taken out of order and presented

[18:35] by council member Farley item number 13

[18:38] a item 13A for unanimous consent an

[18:42] ordinance creating a special assessment

[18:44] District on a portion of Central

[18:46] Parkway I need a motion to place this on

[18:49] the consent

[18:50] agenda Mo by

[18:52] Mr second by Mr Mr Williams all in

[18:57] favor

[19:00] okay is there any objection to this item

[19:03] since there's no objection um this item

[19:05] will go on to the

[19:07] uh consent agenda if there's nothing

[19:10] more to come before the city council

[19:12] caucus I ask for a motion to

[19:13] adjourn moved by Miss Patrick second by

[19:15] Mr Williams all in favor I we are

[19:18] adjourned I'd like to call the city

[19:20] council meeting to order for Monday

[19:21] April 8th

[19:24] 20124 and I'd like to call on Reverend

[19:26] Parsons to lead us in the

[19:32] [Music]

[19:57] prayer

[19:59] in Jesus name amen amen I'd like to call

[20:03] on council member m to Le in the

[20:15] pledge

[20:17] indivisible andice for all thank

[20:24] you if the clerk would please complete

[20:26] the Roll

[20:27] Call

[20:29] Mr

[20:31] Toro Mr

[20:35] Farley Mr Mancini here Mr Mutan pres M

[20:40] Patrick here Mr

[20:42] Williams M Porterfield

[20:44] here thank you so before we do our first

[20:48] uh

[20:50] resolution I'll wait till you're

[20:55] finished thank

[20:57] you before we do our first resolution um

[21:00] I want there the young people have

[21:06] come um the young people have come to

[21:09] present us with a song about Eid and

[21:11] you're going to hear a little

[21:12] explanation about the holiday and what

[21:14] it's about so at this point in time I'd

[21:15] like to invite you inside the

[21:27] chamber

[21:57] for

[22:10] it's I say yourself one two three and

[22:16] start honorable mayor Madame President

[22:19] and members of the council thank you for

[22:22] giving us this opportunity to share our

[22:24] e Joy with you for the past 4 weeks two

[22:28] bill million Muslims from Alaska to

[22:30] Australia and from Sweden to South

[22:32] Africa have been fasting from dawn to

[22:35] sunset on Wednesday we will be

[22:37] celebrating and giving thanks to Allah

[22:40] for the countless blessings of Ramadan

[22:42] the song we're about to sing for you is

[22:44] in both English and Arabic the Arabic

[22:47] phrases

[22:48] are a

[22:51] happy a joyful day J A Beautiful Day

[22:56] Allah abbar God is the greatest

[23:00] there's none worthy of worship besides

[23:03] Allah and to Allah belongs all praise

[23:07] thank

[23:09] [Applause]

[23:22] you thank you Allah for

[23:27] bless

[23:41] [Music]

[23:53] the B Muslims un to

[23:57] worship

[24:20] [Music]

[24:24] his love is the greatest by PR

[24:29] thanks to you the joy of only

[24:52] from only make for

[24:57] those

[25:11] [Music]

[25:27] all

[25:56] wo wo

[26:07] thank you very much thank

[26:20] you next we will have our out of order

[26:22] resolution it's a resolution recognizing

[26:24] Pastor Richard Parsons for years of

[26:26] community service and I'd like to call

[26:28] council member Farley to present this

[26:57] resolution

[26:59] may I have the floor Madame President

[27:02] you have the floor sir thank you friends

[27:04] and family please feel uh welcome to

[27:07] come join the side yeah

[27:21] please my man you know it okay whereas

[27:27] Pastor Richard Parson is dedicated

[27:29] pastor and Community leader in the

[27:30] vibrant heart of the capital region of

[27:32] New York State and Pastor Parson a

[27:34] retiring pastor and throughout his

[27:36] glorious pastorial Legacy Pastor Parson

[27:39] devoted his life to serving others

[27:41] leaving an incredible mark on the

[27:43] communities he touched and as Pastor

[27:45] Parson's journey into Ministry began

[27:47] with a profound sense calling to serve

[27:50] seeking and saving the Lost he embarked

[27:52] on his path unwavering dedication

[27:55] aspiring to make a difference in the

[27:57] lives of those around him

[27:58] with a Compassionate Heart a steadfast

[28:01] commitment to his Faith Pastor Parsons

[28:03] became an effective figure in the

[28:05] religious landscape of the Capitol

[28:07] region and whereas Pastor Parson's

[28:09] Memorial Church is connecti the church

[28:11] flourished and and as it became a be

[28:14] Beacon of Hope in the sanctuary for all

[28:16] those seeking Refuge from life's

[28:18] challenges Pastor Parson's sermons

[28:20] resonated yes they did with wisdom

[28:22] compassion and profound understanding of

[28:24] the human Spirit inspiring people to

[28:27] live lives of purpose and integrity for

[28:30] 40 plus years Pastor Parson served as a

[28:32] pastor providing spiritual guidance

[28:34] support food clothing and comfort to

[28:37] countless individuals families in need

[28:40] his tenure as a clergy leader in the

[28:41] community is characterized by empathy

[28:44] understanding a and a good genuine

[28:47] desire to uplift those in need and where

[28:49] as affiliated with refreshing Springs

[28:51] Church and State Street Presbyterian

[28:53] Church in concy Pastor Parson played a

[28:56] pivotal role in fostering a sense of

[28:58] belonging and unity in the community his

[29:01] ministry exhibites inclusively a welcome

[29:04] to all those who sought freedom from

[29:06] addiction and physical spiritual

[29:08] nourishment and whereas beyond the

[29:10] pulpit beyond the pulpit Pastor Parson

[29:13] was not merely a pastor who led from the

[29:14] pulpit Pastor Parsons was actively

[29:17] involved in various initiatives

[29:19] advocating for social justice food

[29:21] security equality and compassion he

[29:24] played a critical part in the

[29:25] development of the Hamilton hill art

[29:27] center where working closely to provide

[29:29] a platform for artistic expression and

[29:31] cultural enrichment in the community

[29:33] whereas pastors Parsons went into the

[29:35] streets drug houses and bars to minister

[29:38] to those who are in dire need embracing

[29:41] his faith in his teachings of compassion

[29:42] and service he's a

[29:44] Trailblazer he need in the community

[29:47] into his ministry during his tenure at

[29:49] refreshing Springs Church he was the

[29:51] first to bring NAA meetings to the

[29:53] church providing crucial support for

[29:55] those battling addition now now

[29:58] therefore it be resolved that this

[30:00] connected city council and mayor and

[30:02] Mayor Gary AR McCarthy do hereby pause

[30:04] in their deliberations to recognize

[30:06] Pastor Richard Parsons for his years of

[30:09] service to the city of connecti and to

[30:11] congratulate him and wish him well on

[30:12] his

[30:16] retirement want to say a CLE Mr Farley

[30:19] Mr

[30:21] Farley move the

[30:23] resolution okay i' uh like to entertain

[30:26] a motion you you moving the resolution

[30:29] yes I need a second please second my Mr

[30:31] M all those in favor uh motion passes

[30:35] congratulations a few words

[30:39] ask I'm truly blessed to be here today

[30:44] I'm going to speak to you and I pray

[30:48] that it would continue to be within your

[30:51] hearts and your minds just a simple

[30:54] thing we are better

[30:56] together thank you

[31:02] Pastor thank you thank you for all your

[31:04] years of service yes please guys I'd

[31:06] love to get a

[31:09] picture usually I can talk but when when

[31:12] it you was a big deal it got me

[31:26] nervous

[31:38] thank you again Reverend Parson for your

[31:39] years of

[31:41] [Applause]

[31:48] service we have one public hearing this

[31:50] evening I just like to remind everyone

[31:52] that the public hearing comment is

[31:53] extended to four minutes and also ask

[31:55] that you respectively respective

[31:58] effectively um ask that every person

[32:00] only comment on the subject relevant to

[32:02] the public

[32:03] hearing public hearing number one

[32:05] regarding creating a special assessment

[32:07] District on a portion of Central

[32:10] Parkway I have three people signed up to

[32:13] four people signed up to

[32:15] speak okay uh soib shikima are you here

[32:20] you're not here for this public hearing

[32:22] okay ashar ATA no okay rod

[32:29] Hubert are you here to speak about the

[32:31] Central Parkway sidewalk program

[32:34] no okay sir we will move you to the city

[32:37] business this is about the public

[32:39] hearing okay thank

[32:41] you Lan

[32:49] Lee good evening

[32:51] everyone president Porterville and City

[32:54] Council Members I am here as a a

[32:58] longtime resident of Eastern Parkway and

[33:01] Central

[33:02] Parkway I initiated a petition in

[33:07] 2020 in the midst of covid our sidewalks

[33:11] have been crumbling um it initially

[33:14] started out as something personal for me

[33:18] but then led to something bigger our we

[33:21] are a throughway to Central Parkway in

[33:24] the Rose Garden and so I I took the

[33:28] initiative to go out and petition our

[33:32] neighbors and I got

[33:35] 75% of

[33:38] the uh numbers that I needed to create

[33:42] this hopefully this assessment if this

[33:46] happens and I'm thrilled um it's been a

[33:50] long journey I have to say thank you to

[33:54] John who has been with me the whole time and all the neighbors who signed

[34:00] the

[34:01] petition um it's a beautiful area I've

[34:04] been living in my home since

[34:07] 1997 raised all of my children and I

[34:11] have three grandchildren and it's a

[34:13] beautiful area and the sidewalks are in

[34:15] dire need I know that this is a hardship

[34:19] for some but for me I mean I I divorced

[34:23] in 2005 so it would be a hardship for me

[34:27] too

[34:28] um but I think it's the best thing uh

[34:32] for the area and I am a business owner

[34:35] I'm an entrepreneur 30 years I own two

[34:37] businesses I own tots Tedy and more

[34:40] which is a family daycare I've been

[34:42] serving the community since

[34:44] 1993 I believe in what I do and I'm

[34:49] hopeful that everyone is in agreement

[34:52] and we're going to have these beautiful

[34:53] sidewalks and people are going to be

[34:56] proud and no one's going to get hurt

[35:00] um uh walking down our our street um and

[35:05] I'm all I have to say is um I'm grateful

[35:07] and I'm I'm thankful for this

[35:09] opportunity and I hope that you will

[35:10] consider and everyone will um know that

[35:12] this is this is a good thing and it's

[35:14] not something that is meant to hinder

[35:17] anyone and hopefully you

[35:19] know it will you

[35:23] know it will come to fruition and and I

[35:26] thank you for your time thank you thank

[35:29] you

[35:33] [Applause]

[35:36] yep Steve

[35:42] Dorfman good evening my name is Steve

[35:45] Dorman I reside at 811 Central

[35:48] Parkway um from the proposals for the

[35:52] parking I'm totally against it they want

[35:54] to remove my bushes they want to set

[35:56] back uh approximately two to three feet

[36:01] into my property uh for four parking

[36:04] spaces um my my wife is you know is has

[36:12] mental and physical problems and this is

[36:13] a stress honor besides that the people

[36:16] that complained about parking on the

[36:19] street okay got tickets because they

[36:22] were parked on the sidewalk it doesn't

[36:24] affect their property but it affects

[36:26] mine my my next door neighbor Matt

[36:29] nelligan uh he sent in a

[36:32] uh a statement stating that he was

[36:36] opposed to the project we're not opposed

[36:39] to the parking uh not the parking let me

[36:42] correct myself we're not opposed to the

[36:43] sidewalks we're opposed to parking where

[36:46] they're penalizing me as a resident for

[36:49] 38

[36:50] years okay everybody on the block has

[36:54] parking in the back uh in the alleyway

[36:57] so they can park their cars in the

[37:00] alleyway now personally I believe it's

[37:04] if if they're so enthused about having

[37:07] parking on the street they could take a

[37:09] couple of feet away from from the island

[37:12] which would give them more parking

[37:14] because they from what I understand they

[37:16] didn't want to take away their their

[37:18] shrubs and their and and their trees and

[37:20] so on and so forth so I'm totally

[37:22] opposed to it and and I wished instead

[37:25] of penalizing me that they

[37:28] if they want to help people on on the

[37:29] Block as far as parking which they don't

[37:31] need because like I to be redundant they

[37:35] can park in the back they all have

[37:41] garages so that that's that's how I feel

[37:45] I got a statement here if you if you

[37:48] would like me to submit it I I sent it

[37:51] to the uh uh the city clerk's office and

[37:57] I said to uh the uh uh the people that

[38:01] would that part of the project so like

[38:04] uh again I'm not opposed to the

[38:07] sidewalks I'm opposed to them uh

[38:10] penalizing me for people because they a

[38:12] couple of people got tickets because

[38:14] they were parked on the

[38:16] sidewalk I thank you for your time thank

[38:21] you I have no one else signed up to

[38:23] speak so I declare the public hearing

[38:26] closed ask for approval of the minutes

[38:28] for March minutes for March 24th

[38:32] 2024 move by Mr mudar second by Mr

[38:35] Mancini all those in favor I ask the

[38:38] clerk to please read any Communications

[38:40] and

[38:42] petitions Communications presented to

[38:44] the city council for Monday April 8th

[38:46] 2024 under official there were none

[38:49] under General from Nils Hedland of

[38:53] American Legion Post 1485 a letter dated

[38:56] March 18th 2024 thanking the city of

[38:59] skincity for donated

[39:01] funds from Warren monal an email in

[39:05] response to the YouTuber the videotaped

[39:07] City Hall and employees with advice

[39:09] regarding the situation from Richard

[39:12] head an email with advice and case law

[39:14] against videotaping public officials at

[39:16] work from Dollar tpin

[39:19] OA an email slandering the mayor for not

[39:22] allowing an an individual to record

[39:25] employees from Dave Conley and Michael

[39:27] Murphy an email with additional

[39:29] suggestions for the Central Parkway

[39:31] sidewalk

[39:33] improvements from Steve and Ingrid

[39:35] Dorfman an email regarding their

[39:37] displeasure with the new plan for

[39:39] Central Parkway sidewalk program they

[39:41] would rather not have parking directly

[39:43] in front of their home and offered

[39:45] alternative plans such as making the

[39:46] island smaller from Peter fine an email

[39:49] regarding the Central Parkway sidewalk

[39:51] program he does not like the

[39:56] parking

[39:58] [Music]

[40:04] does not like losing four to five ft of

[40:06] their front lawn he has plowing concerns

[40:09] and suggested making an the island

[40:11] smaller from Matt nigan and jacine moer

[40:15] an email regarding the Central Parkway

[40:17] sidewalk program he and his wife did not

[40:20] sign up for the program and would like

[40:21] all repairs to be completed by utilizing

[40:23] grants since the street is a gateway to

[40:26] Central Park and and will be used by

[40:28] many residents from Jean Carney an email

[40:31] stating her opposition regarding Central

[40:33] Park sidewalk program assessment and

[40:36] lack of communication regarding it and

[40:39] under petitions there was a petition

[40:41] turned in at the last city council

[40:42] meeting with 971 signatures requesting a

[40:46] resolution for an immediate ceasefire to

[40:48] end civilian Bloodshed and ensure

[40:50] humanit humanitarian Aid access to

[40:55] Gaza thank you

[40:57] I'd ask the clerk to uh excuse me ask

[40:59] City Council Members to any committee

[41:01] reports committee

[41:03] reports seeing none this point in time

[41:06] we have a privilege of the floor related

[41:08] to the legislative agenda I have no one

[41:10] signed up to speak so I declare the

[41:13] public comment on the legislative agenda

[41:16] closed ask council members for approval

[41:18] of the legislative consent

[41:20] agenda move by Mr mud second by Mr

[41:23] Farley all those in

[41:25] favor we do have one item for a roll

[41:28] call

[41:36] vote item number

[41:39] nine the cler please

[41:41] read item number nine for original

[41:44] consideration a resolution authorizing

[41:46] the mayor to enter into a lease

[41:47] agreement for the beas hell Reservoir

[41:49] residential unit I need a motion moved

[41:53] by Mr Williams Reserve second second by

[41:56] Mr manini

[41:59] is there any discussion on this

[42:01] item discussion on this

[42:04] item okay okay if the clerk would please

[42:09] call the

[42:10] role Mr Toro

[42:14] no Mr Farley yes Mr manini yes Mr M yes

[42:22] Miss

[42:25] Patrick I'm voting no

[42:27] um I think that uh as I've stated at the

[42:30] committee meetings and discussions about

[42:31] this item um I think that um changing

[42:36] the the outline of what we have had this

[42:39] um employee um in the middle of his

[42:44] employment um is is not really right um

[42:47] this is you know part he he does a lot

[42:50] um on the property to maintain the

[42:51] property I think it would be more

[42:53] expensive to hire a caretaker for the

[42:55] property so I am voting no

[42:58] Mr

[42:59] Williams

[43:01] yes Miss Porterfield yes motion passes 5

[43:06] to

[43:09] two this time we'll have privilege of

[43:12] the floor regarding General City

[43:14] business I have a number of people

[43:16] signed

[43:26] up 23 people signed up to

[43:29] speak the first person and I'm going to

[43:32] if I pronounce your name incorrectly

[43:33] when you come to the rail please um

[43:36] pronounce your name for us and and I

[43:38] just want to remind everyone that this

[43:40] portion of the um privilege of the floor

[43:42] is only three minutes three minutes and

[43:45] you will you are being timed so first

[43:47] person I have signed up is taore AI

[43:56] Naji

[44:01] good evening thank you for your time my

[44:03] name is tamour n I am a longtime

[44:06] resident of the Capital District born

[44:08] and raised I'm currently the vice

[44:10] president of alh Center in laam we are

[44:14] the largest mosque in the greater

[44:15] Capital District I am here to support

[44:19] some of my colleagues who have come

[44:20] before you previously calling for the

[44:23] city council to pass a resolution

[44:26] calling for immediate and permanent

[44:28] ceasefire in Gaza you may be wondering

[44:32] why we are so adamant to have a local

[44:36] political entity pass a resolution that

[44:40] ultimately will not have a meaningful

[44:42] effect on American foreign policy at the

[44:44] end of the day local politicians don't

[44:46] control American foreign policy the

[44:49] reason why we are here and the reason

[44:51] why we have gone before other local

[44:52] entities including the Albany City

[44:54] common Council and the Albany County

[44:56] Legislature is because as we've seen

[44:58] throughout American history through

[45:00] different struggles whether through the

[45:01] Civil Rights era whether through the

[45:03] fight for women's voting rights symbolic

[45:06] gestures symbolic actions can have a

[45:08] profound impact on a controversy or

[45:10] issue and in turn it can have a profound

[45:13] impact on the perception of a

[45:15] controversy or issue by the public

[45:18] currently we are six months into what

[45:20] can only be described per un regulations

[45:23] as a genocide occurring in Gaza

[45:25] according to statistics right now as of

[45:28] today 33,000 people have been killed

[45:31] more than 13,000 children are among them

[45:34] and that also includes 8,400 women

[45:37] 75,000 Palestinians have been injured

[45:39] and 8,000 have been missing thanks to

[45:42] social media we are seeing horrific

[45:44] images coming out of Gaza

[45:47] including excuse me the bombing of

[45:52] hospitals the bombing of hospitals the

[45:54] bombing of refugee centers attacks on on

[45:57] Aid workers the blockade of a

[45:59] humanitarian aid for people in need the

[46:02] list of atrocities goes on and on and on

[46:06] and what we are asking you to do

[46:08] essentially is be on the right side of

[46:10] History because 20 30 40 years from now

[46:13] the history books will be talking about

[46:15] this conflict and the question before

[46:17] you the question you have to ask

[46:18] yourself as human beings is did you

[46:21] stand on the right side of History even

[46:22] though you yourself could not ultimately

[46:24] change the conditions on the ground did

[46:27] you do your part as leaders of the

[46:30] community to voice your support or

[46:33] opposition to a genocide we certainly

[46:36] hope and pray that you are opposed to

[46:38] the genocide in your hearts and in your

[46:41] minds but the way that you can show the

[46:43] general public that you are opposed to

[46:45] it is through your powers as City

[46:48] legislators through your powers to pass

[46:50] resolutions because ultimately those

[46:52] resolutions will have a profound effect

[46:55] ultimately voting no on the ballot which

[46:57] occurred very recently in our uh

[46:59] Democratic primaries has a profound

[47:01] impact on perception and so that that is

[47:04] why I'm here as a local member of the

[47:05] Muslim c community as a member of the

[47:08] Muslim Community leadership in the

[47:09] Capitol District I hope and pray that

[47:12] our

[47:12] message hits a tone with you and that

[47:15] you would consider sincerely and pass a

[47:17] resolution calling for a permanent

[47:20] ceasefire in Gaza thank you very much

[47:22] for your time than

[47:25] you

[47:30] William

[47:36] nman thank you uh my name is William

[47:38] neaman I live on Parkwood Boulevard in

[47:40] SKC in October of last year the League

[47:43] of Women Voters submitted my name to the

[47:45] mayor to be their representative on the

[47:47] civilian police review board the mayor

[47:50] has not forwarded that recommendation to

[47:52] the council for confirmation as required

[47:54] by law the civilian police View Board

[47:57] was created in 2002 as an independent

[48:00] body to provide civilian oversight of

[48:02] internal police complaint procedures and

[48:05] investigations and to help improve

[48:07] relationships between civilians and the

[48:09] police in the two decades since we've

[48:11] witnessed a growing professionalization

[48:13] of our police force however it's the

[48:16] nature of police work that there will

[48:18] inevitably be conflicts between

[48:19] civilians and police and some conflicts

[48:22] will result in accusations Justified or

[48:24] not of police misconduct

[48:28] the board is not a body of the city

[48:30] council or the mayor's office in fact

[48:32] the city council only directly appoints

[48:34] one member all other members are

[48:36] appointed by the mayor and confirmed by

[48:38] the council from candidates recommended

[48:41] by a defined list of Civic organizations

[48:44] including the

[48:45] NAACP the Human Rights Commission this

[48:48] connected United neighborhoods

[48:49] Association connected inner city

[48:52] Ministries the connected Municipal

[48:54] Housing Authority the city council

[48:56] itself has one appointe and the League

[48:58] of Women Voters by specifying these

[49:01] Community organizations the city council

[49:03] by code made sure that the board would

[49:05] represent a cross-section of City

[49:08] communities the mayor is required by law

[49:11] to appoint members from recommendations

[49:13] made by the organizations named in the

[49:15] code he has no discretion this is not

[49:18] the mayor's body nor is it the councils

[49:21] it is the city's body it is a body that

[49:23] usually works in the background

[49:25] inevitably though there will be an

[49:27] incident that will result in accusations

[49:29] of police

[49:30] misconduct while the Civ while the

[49:32] civilian police review board does not

[49:34] have the power to directly discipline

[49:35] police officers it does have the ability

[49:38] to review internal police procedures and

[49:40] make

[49:41] recommendations this is a valuable check

[49:43] on the police as well as a way to assure

[49:46] the public that police internal review

[49:48] procedures are undertaken properly the

[49:51] League of Women Voters is represented on

[49:53] the board by Julia hul whose term

[49:55] expired last June in accordance with the

[49:58] city code in October of 2023 the league

[50:02] recommended me a member of the league to

[50:04] be Julia's replacement in November the

[50:07] mayor's office asked me for a resume

[50:09] which I promptly submitted to date the

[50:12] mayor has not forwarded the

[50:13] recommendation to the council for

[50:15] confirmation with no explanation to the

[50:17] league or to the council again the mayor

[50:20] must appoint representatives from among

[50:23] the names submitted by the organizations

[50:25] named in the legislation

[50:28] his office has been contacted numerous

[50:30] times by the league and has not even

[50:32] provided the courtesy of a response this

[50:35] body usually works in the background and

[50:38] provides an essential service to the

[50:39] city its members receive no compensation

[50:42] and do it as a civic duty so we asked

[50:45] why the mayor has not followed the law

[50:47] and forwarded the League's

[50:48] recommendation to the city council thank

[50:50] you thank

[50:54] you Ann haty

[51:02] thank you uh my name is Annie haty I'm

[51:05] the uh president of the League of Women

[51:08] Voters of SKC County I'm here just to

[51:11] Second the words of bill

[51:14] neaman um we have been on the uh

[51:18] civilian police review board uh for many years we've had a chair on this

[51:25] board um for several years and we would

[51:30] like to see our uh our nominee appointed

[51:35] as soon as possible we don't take this

[51:39] lightly um this is an important position

[51:43] in the community and we have chosen our

[51:47] nominee very

[51:49] carefully uh thank you thank

[51:54] you Cheryl

[52:03] recen I live on Parkwood Boulevard I've

[52:06] been on the board for the League of

[52:07] Women Voters for 14 years and usually

[52:12] our challenge is finding someone who

[52:14] wants to serve on the civilian police

[52:16] review board we found a

[52:20] nominee and we are just mystified as to

[52:24] why the mayor has not sent that uh uh

[52:28] appointment to the city council and I'm a little disappointed that the mayor

[52:32] is not here tonight but really if

[52:35] there's an issue we'd like to know what

[52:36] it is thank you thank

[52:44] you Dr

[52:55] Chima

[53:01] I wanted to start by thanking you for

[53:02] allowing our Muslim kids sing the joyful

[53:05] Aid song I assure you that the children

[53:07] of Gaza are spending the saddest Aid in

[53:10] their lives while more than 13,000 of

[53:13] them don't get to celebrate it simply

[53:16] because they were killed during the

[53:18] genocide it breaks my heart that we are

[53:20] back here asking you to add your voices

[53:22] to those to those who are standing

[53:25] against Genesis

[53:27] while you are still insisting on

[53:28] including those who are championing

[53:31] genocide between the time we were here 2

[53:33] weeks ago and now many lives were taken

[53:36] away by the IDF including that of a US

[53:39] Aid worker along with six of his

[53:43] colleagues I ask this question would we

[53:46] set a Ukrainian and a Putin supporter

[53:49] and have them discuss the war before we

[53:51] call for a ceasefire Let It Be set on

[53:54] record that we have done our due to

[53:56] elligence by emailing you links to

[53:58] educate you about the reality on the

[54:00] ground of the US taxpayers funded

[54:03] genocide of Palestinians by the Israeli

[54:05] occupation forces this genocide is

[54:08] funded by each and every working adult

[54:11] in this room are you comfortable funding

[54:13] a genocide for the African-Americans

[54:17] here did you forget our history in this

[54:19] country we all know that slavery is not

[54:22] part of the history of this country

[54:24] simply because we know it has not end Ed

[54:27] it evolved for the Irish Americans here

[54:30] who are not disconnected from their

[54:32] history you know the genocide and

[54:34] man-made famine is a generational trauma

[54:37] that is still felt till this day the

[54:40] Italians Chinese Japanese Catholics Jews

[54:42] Muslims and the list goes on do you know

[54:45] why did each group suffer and why many

[54:49] continue to suffer till this day it is

[54:52] because of the attitude that most have

[54:54] the attitude of my

[54:57] problem the suffering and genocide of

[54:59] the Palestinians is a mere reflection of

[55:01] our own State our lack of Bravery tells

[55:04] me that you don't have my back as an

[55:06] American citizen your subjectivity on

[55:09] this simple issue of Human Rights is a

[55:11] reminder for our system or reminder of

[55:13] our system of Supremacy your silence is

[55:16] a deafening betrayal of the values we

[55:18] hold dear to our hearts if you choose to

[55:21] do nothing your names will go down in

[55:24] history on the opposite side of those

[55:26] who believe and Fight For Freedom it's

[55:29] not too late to add your names next to

[55:31] Nelson Mandela Gandhi Martin Luther King

[55:34] and others like the US Airman Aaron

[55:37] bushnel who died refusing to be

[55:40] complicit with our government's direct

[55:41] participation in the genocide and Jacob flingr a US citizen who was killed

[55:48] in Gaza while feeding the starving

[55:50] Palestinian men women and children who

[55:52] are being starved to death by the IDF

[55:56] Jacob and six other Aid workers were

[55:58] killed while you were being sensitive to

[56:00] the feelings of those who believe the

[56:02] genocide should

[56:03] continue last time we asked you to

[56:06] follow the lead of Albany city council

[56:08] but today we are asking you to follow

[56:11] the lead of you Albany student Senate in

[56:13] passing the resolution adopt bring to

[56:16] the floor and pass the ceasefire

[56:18] resolution now thank you thank

[56:25] you

[56:29] ashar

[56:36] ATA good evening I actually put my name

[56:39] there twice one was I was registering

[56:41] for Dr insaf and you call my name

[56:44] earlier yes that was for the public

[56:46] hearing but you said no no because yeah

[56:49] so I chose the wrong options it was two

[56:51] entries I'm just letting you know one is

[56:53] me the other is Dr insa Who sitting here

[56:56] so can I ask her to speak she is already

[56:59] on the sheet sir oh she's there that's

[57:01] good okay so I'm going to start your

[57:02] time because we were having a little

[57:03] conversation for okay thank you very

[57:05] much so good evening again and um just

[57:09] to bring the isue that uh as Dr Chima

[57:12] said that we are requesting this Council

[57:14] to take up the resolution for ceasefire

[57:17] in Gaza and occupied Palestine by the

[57:19] occupying aarth regime of Israel these

[57:22] are not my words when I'm calling them

[57:24] aarth because this is what lots of

[57:27] humanitarian organizations across the

[57:29] world are

[57:30] saying uh we are also being told that

[57:33] the council wants to hear both sides so

[57:36] there are no both sides in an occupied

[57:39] and occupying situation when one for one

[57:42] part of the people are occupied and the

[57:44] other is the occupier there is no both

[57:47] sides and by the way there were no those

[57:50] both sides in slavery and the

[57:52] enslavement of the black people there

[57:54] were no both sides in the occupation of

[57:56] the Indian lands there were no both

[57:58] sides in the British colonization of the

[58:00] subcontinent and there were no both

[58:02] sides in the aparti in South Africa we

[58:05] all know that there were no both sides

[58:07] although the the the occupying forces

[58:10] they always made the case that the

[58:12] others deserved it that there was always

[58:15] a reason for that discrimination for

[58:17] that occupation for the genocide and so

[58:20] on the other case that's often being

[58:22] made or that's being asked of us what

[58:24] would a city council why would it

[58:27] matter how would a local city council

[58:30] matter all like I said it said that all

[58:34] um issues are

[58:36] Global so I'll give you an example I'll

[58:39] read something I hope it doesn't take a

[58:41] lot of time it's a news article talks

[58:44] about Joseph Zuma 71 he was forly

[58:47] indicted in couple of weeks after

[58:49] October 7th on three counts of first

[58:52] degree murder one count of attempted

[58:54] murder two counts of AG battery and two

[58:57] counts of hate crime he pleaded not

[59:00] guilty at his

[59:01] arrangement however the prosecutors have

[59:04] said the

[59:05] zuba this is what he was accused of he

[59:09] stabbed a

[59:10] 6-year-old Wadi alfi 6 26 times 26 times

[59:16] a six-year-old was stabbed 26 times and

[59:20] here's why and his mother a 32-year-old

[59:23] Hanan Shaheen was stabbed more than than

[59:26] a dozen times because of their religion

[59:28] and nationality wadii was laid to rest

[59:32] and his mother remained in hospital and

[59:33] could not participate in his son's

[59:35] burial but investigators determined that

[59:38] the victims were targeted I quote were

[59:40] targeted by the suspect due to them

[59:42] being Muslim and the ongoing Middle

[59:45] Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the

[59:48] Israelis this is this happened in

[59:51] Chicago so this is the realities we live

[59:53] in our cities are are we

[59:57] are composed of all kinds of people and

[1:00:00] we do get affected by what happens

[1:00:02] overseas and this is the reason we are

[1:00:04] requesting you to pass this

[1:00:07] resolution so now let's quickly talk

[1:00:10] about who is being bombarded and and

[1:00:12] indiscriminately killed in Palestine it

[1:00:14] is it is being done by an apartheid

[1:00:16] state and occupied it is done on people

[1:00:19] who are occupied for three generations this is not a

[1:00:24] recent conflict it does not stop start

[1:00:26] on October 7th this is being inflicted

[1:00:28] on people who have been occupied for

[1:00:30] more than three generations right now

[1:00:32] 84% of the health facilities are damaged

[1:00:35] water and sanitation system has

[1:00:36] collapsed 100% of education system has

[1:00:39] collapsed and millions of people are

[1:00:41] without home and 75% of the population

[1:00:43] is displaced while they are being told

[1:00:47] that they actually deserve it they

[1:00:49] actually deserve it sir your time is up

[1:00:52] and I just wanted to let you finish that

[1:00:54] statement but your time is expired so I

[1:00:56] think I have made my case I thank you

[1:00:58] very much for the time for allowing me

[1:00:59] the time thank

[1:01:03] [Applause]

[1:01:05] you Jamaica

[1:01:18] miles SKC mayor though not here this

[1:01:20] evening in city council please join the

[1:01:23] National and International Community in

[1:01:25] its pleas for a permanent ceasefire

[1:01:27] release of all hostages those held by

[1:01:29] Israel and Hamas an end to Us weapons

[1:01:32] being shipped to Israel and the

[1:01:34] immediate and unencumbered access to

[1:01:36] humanitarian Aid so desperately

[1:01:39] needed we stand here on colonized

[1:01:43] land this land is colonized

[1:01:47] land the blood still seeps into the

[1:01:50] ground here from enslaved Africans and

[1:01:54] the genocide of indigenous people on

[1:01:56] this

[1:01:57] land two weeks ago one day after the

[1:02:00] last city council meeting there was a

[1:02:01] report of the Special Report tour on the

[1:02:03] situation of human rights in the

[1:02:05] Palestinian territories occupied since

[1:02:08] 1967 by Franchesca albanes to the U

[1:02:12] Human Rights Council it is titled

[1:02:15] anatomy of a genocide and I quote after

[1:02:18] 5 months of military occupation Israel

[1:02:20] has destroyed Gaza over 30,000

[1:02:23] Palestinians have been killed including

[1:02:25] more than 13,00 th000 children over 12

[1:02:28] 12,000 are presumed dead and 71,000

[1:02:30] injured many with lifechanging

[1:02:32] mutilations 70% of residential areas

[1:02:35] have been destroyed 80% of the whole

[1:02:37] population has been forcibly displaced

[1:02:39] thousands of families have lost loved

[1:02:41] ones or have been wiped out many could

[1:02:43] not B bury or mourn their relatives

[1:02:46] forced instead to leave their bodies

[1:02:48] decomposing in homes IND the street or

[1:02:50] under the rubble thousands have been

[1:02:52] detained and systematically subjected to

[1:02:54] inhumane and degrading treatment

[1:02:56] the incalculable collective trauma will

[1:02:59] be experienced for generations to come

[1:03:01] by analyzing the patterns of violence in

[1:03:03] Israel's policies on its Onslaught in

[1:03:05] Gaza this report concludes that there

[1:03:08] are reasonable grounds to believe that

[1:03:10] the threshold indicating Israel's

[1:03:12] Commission of genocide is met the

[1:03:14] overwhelming nature and scale of

[1:03:16] Israel's assault on Gaza and the

[1:03:18] destruction destructive conditions of

[1:03:20] life it has inflicted reveal an intent

[1:03:22] to physically destroy Palestinians as a

[1:03:24] group this report Court finds that there

[1:03:26] are reasonable grounds to believe that

[1:03:28] the threshold indicating the commission

[1:03:30] of the following acts of genocide

[1:03:32] against Palestinians in Gaza has been

[1:03:34] met killing members of the group causing

[1:03:37] serious bodily or mental harm to groups

[1:03:39] members and deliberately inflicting on

[1:03:42] the group conditions of Life calculated

[1:03:44] to bring about its physical destruction

[1:03:46] in whole or in part genocidal Acts were

[1:03:49] approved and given effect following

[1:03:51] statements of genocidal intent issued by

[1:03:54] senior military and government officials

[1:03:57] end quote every single day every minute

[1:04:02] while we stand here people are being

[1:04:04] murdered and starved to death as an

[1:04:06] ongoing attack an act of genocide which

[1:04:09] can be stopped the hostages could be

[1:04:11] returned immediately if Israel agreed to

[1:04:13] a ceasefire and return of their hostages

[1:04:16] the federal government moved as little

[1:04:19] as it did because they were forced to

[1:04:21] move the majority of US citizens support

[1:04:24] this the pressure from every we wear is

[1:04:26] still needed an important message is not

[1:04:29] just for the International Community but

[1:04:31] to the connec residents that all life is

[1:04:34] valuable and no one gets to build their

[1:04:36] homes on the bones of the children that

[1:04:39] they murdered thank

[1:04:47] you thank you

[1:04:54] vat

[1:05:02] Madame President and members of the

[1:05:03] council I am a proud resident of the

[1:05:06] city of

[1:05:07] SKC and I'm here to support the

[1:05:09] ceasefire

[1:05:11] resolution in the late 18th century my

[1:05:14] grandparents moved from colonized India

[1:05:17] to colonized Africa and now here I am in

[1:05:20] colonized North America how many more

[1:05:23] times do we have to move from continent

[1:05:26] to continent only to keep witnessing

[1:05:29] people stealing land from others

[1:05:31] oppressing them tormenting them

[1:05:34] dehumanizing them and killing them in

[1:05:37] the

[1:05:38] thousands Madame President members of

[1:05:40] the council at present there is a

[1:05:43] fullblown genocide taking place in Gaza

[1:05:46] to fully appreciate what is going on

[1:05:49] there I quote Israeli writer Alon

[1:05:53] Mahi the genocide has seen innumerable

[1:05:58] atrocities and

[1:05:59] massacres but what happened at asifa

[1:06:02] hospital in Gaza deserves a study a

[1:06:07] university course and a Wikipedia page

[1:06:10] of its own I have never seen anything

[1:06:14] like this ever I don't think even Isis

[1:06:18] accomplished anything like this this

[1:06:20] looks like the work of death squads high

[1:06:23] on drugs on a long

[1:06:26] orgy armed with 21st century

[1:06:30] weapons it is so insane we cannot even

[1:06:33] understand what it means yet and it will

[1:06:36] take us years to grasp that particular

[1:06:39] episode in the

[1:06:40] genocide I have no idea what Israel did

[1:06:43] to the soldiers to prepare them for this

[1:06:47] but it just doesn't look possible that

[1:06:50] normal humans even the most hateful can

[1:06:53] perform this and it went on for 3

[1:06:58] weeks I'm at a loss for an

[1:07:01] explanation even in the context of the

[1:07:03] utter depravity we've witnessed this

[1:07:06] stands out as extremely extremely

[1:07:11] Sinister my God we have sunk so low end

[1:07:15] of

[1:07:16] quote city of skincity let us make our

[1:07:19] children proud let them look back at

[1:07:22] sked city council one day and say when

[1:07:25] world leaders and politicians decided to

[1:07:28] look the other way when over 30,000

[1:07:32] people in Gaza were killed with our tax

[1:07:35] dollars our city was one of the first in

[1:07:38] New York state to call for a ceasefire

[1:07:41] we did not wait until we had no choice

[1:07:45] but to admit that war crimes were being

[1:07:48] committed that ethnic cleansing was

[1:07:51] taking place that colonizers controlled

[1:07:54] the world

[1:07:56] we the people of SKC had the courage and

[1:08:00] the moral conviction to stand with

[1:08:03] people whose land has been stolen who

[1:08:07] are imprisoned indefinitely and without

[1:08:09] trial who are being starved to death and

[1:08:13] whose limbs are being amputated without

[1:08:17] anesthesia thank

[1:08:20] [Applause]

[1:08:24] you thank you

[1:08:27] Ed Leen

[1:08:31] Jr good evening last meeting I left

[1:08:35] proof of my allegations that two corrupt

[1:08:37] judges committed the crime of conspiracy

[1:08:38] depr me of my constitutional rights yet

[1:08:41] again none of you have contacted me

[1:08:44] mayor is chief law enforcement officer

[1:08:46] in concy council members are supposed to

[1:08:48] help taxpaying citizens you're all part

[1:08:51] of the conspiracy now and all of you

[1:08:53] have committed obstruction of

[1:08:54] governmental administ ministration if

[1:08:56] convicted none of you can hold office

[1:08:58] again the mayor as an executive if

[1:09:01] prosecuted I believe it's a mandatory

[1:09:03] sentence now that Shawn rays of YouTube

[1:09:06] Long Island audit has been falsely

[1:09:09] arrested by the mayor's nonsense

[1:09:11] executive order I believe 500,000 people

[1:09:14] will know all your name

[1:09:19] soon by the end of the month I would say

[1:09:22] you keeping my ethic complaints out of

[1:09:23] the Gazette that's for the mayor who is

[1:09:25] not here and off the news channels

[1:09:27] doesn't much matter except to prove you

[1:09:29] were covering up for Frost and Pho Long

[1:09:32] Island audit has more viewers than the

[1:09:34] TV news and a Gazette will only print

[1:09:36] what you tell them to print as I said

[1:09:39] before 10 million people will know your

[1:09:41] name and how corrupt you are that

[1:09:43] includes the city police chief the

[1:09:44] sheriff the judges County attorney the

[1:09:47] district attorney and United States

[1:09:49] Attorney

[1:09:50] Barnett have Clear Proof of these crimes

[1:09:53] you've done nothing you've done nothing

[1:09:55] for the pensioners at St Claire's what

[1:09:58] the hell did you run for you've done

[1:10:00] nothing for the Humphrey

[1:10:04] family all belong in jail thank

[1:10:11] you Michael

[1:10:16] zfairy president miss Porterfield city

[1:10:19] council good evening my name is Mike

[1:10:20] Superior 21 um your property owner

[1:10:23] connected hope you're having a good even

[1:10:25] good evening one two issues I want to

[1:10:27] talk about one um two years ago December

[1:10:31] of 2022 I was honored to do um two

[1:10:34] plaque present presentations one for the

[1:10:37] SKC Police Department the other one for

[1:10:40] the rer police

[1:10:41] department um to this day I want to tell

[1:10:44] you how much I honor we honor them and

[1:10:46] we respect them and love

[1:10:48] them um an officer recently I think it

[1:10:51] was about a week and a half ago Long

[1:10:52] Island Brooklyn New York Jonathan Diller

[1:10:55] was tragically killed the person who

[1:10:58] killed him who shot him had 21

[1:11:01] arrests something needs to change in

[1:11:04] this state regarding his police officers

[1:11:07] any kind of law enforcement every day

[1:11:08] they go out there and they put their

[1:11:10] lives on the line it's time we put our

[1:11:12] lives on the line for them and we

[1:11:13] respect them and give them the

[1:11:15] protection they

[1:11:17] need

[1:11:19] um every day they leave their homes and

[1:11:21] I have relatives in the police

[1:11:22] departments connect reram friends every

[1:11:25] time time they walk out that door they

[1:11:26] say they say goodbye to their wives and

[1:11:28] their loved ones they don't know if

[1:11:29] they're coming home but they put their

[1:11:31] lives on the line every day and God I

[1:11:32] respect them I pray for them every day

[1:11:35] and I hope everybody here does the same

[1:11:37] thing and I wanted to honor them and

[1:11:38] think of Jonathan Diller and his and his

[1:11:41] wife Stephanie and their family and all

[1:11:42] the officers out there bless them every

[1:11:44] day and my closing note is I want to

[1:11:47] respond to Four City c three city

[1:11:49] council persons and Mrs pfield Mr

[1:11:51] Williams Miss Patrick Mr Toro

[1:11:56] Miss pfield every time I call you and

[1:11:58] text you you always come back to me you

[1:12:01] always get stuff done I want you to know

[1:12:03] that I respect that I'm fed up with the

[1:12:05] rhetoric of how you people get trashed

[1:12:07] enough is enough they say you people

[1:12:09] don't do things you do and I know you do

[1:12:12] and people out there know you do so

[1:12:14] needs to stop people know who they are

[1:12:17] out there just stop we respect you thank you very much thanks for

[1:12:22] letting me talk thank you

[1:12:29] mayel

[1:12:39] Leon my name is Maya Leon and I come

[1:12:42] before you tonight to ask your support

[1:12:44] for a resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza

[1:12:48] and an end to weapon sales to Israel all

[1:12:52] over the United States resolutions are

[1:12:54] being supported and adopted by local

[1:12:57] councils to bring awareness and support

[1:13:01] for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza an

[1:13:04] immediate delivery of humanitarian Aid

[1:13:06] and a return of the hostages you may ask

[1:13:09] why am I coming before city council a

[1:13:12] local government entity and bringing

[1:13:15] before you an international

[1:13:20] issue uh in a democracy when our

[1:13:23] national government does not not listen

[1:13:25] to the citizens who are crying for

[1:13:29] justice and Humanity we must use every

[1:13:33] peaceful strategy to change that

[1:13:36] government

[1:13:38] policy a democracy demands action from

[1:13:42] its citizens and all government bodies I

[1:13:46] will not be silent and I hope you as my

[1:13:50] governing body will not be silent

[1:13:53] either I stand stand before you to

[1:13:56] Proclaim in a loud voice that I am not a

[1:13:59] sorter of Hamas that I was horrified by

[1:14:04] the Hamas attack on Israeli

[1:14:07] civilians and I will tell you

[1:14:11] criticizing the government of Israel

[1:14:15] does not make me an

[1:14:18] anti-semite today as of today

[1:14:25] people in Gaza have been killed with the

[1:14:29] majority being children and women 100

[1:14:34] journalists have been killed 200

[1:14:37] humanitarian workers and we can add the

[1:14:41] seven from uh the Central Kitchen every

[1:14:45] hour in Gaza 15 people are killed and

[1:14:50] six are children 35 are injured every hour and 42 bombs fall on them the

[1:15:00] camps that they've been forced from

[1:15:03] their homes to live in are

[1:15:05] overcrowded water is scarce and unclean

[1:15:09] toilets are nonexistent or

[1:15:12] unsanitary severe injuries are

[1:15:16] untreated and disease is

[1:15:19] rampant and now famine has set in and

[1:15:24] there are deaths due to starvation we

[1:15:27] all know this it is on our TVs it is on

[1:15:32] our phones it is in our

[1:15:36] newspapers this is an elimination of a

[1:15:41] people the Palestinian people anyone who

[1:15:45] believes in human rights would demand an

[1:15:48] end to this

[1:15:49] madness permanen SE fire open all roots

[1:15:54] for Humanity Arian Aid return the

[1:15:57] hostages and work for a

[1:16:00] resolution for the

[1:16:03] Palestinians and for the Israelis thank

[1:16:06] you thank

[1:16:07] [Applause]

[1:16:13] you Robert

[1:16:22] sandals oh Robert Sanders Mr s Sanders

[1:16:26] yes I can see who you are now good

[1:16:29] evening how are you um I want just want

[1:16:31] to talk to you on two of the um original

[1:16:34] consideration things one was about the

[1:16:36] vape shops smoke shops and things to

[1:16:39] that nature to make it very quick I hope

[1:16:42] every steart in cumland farms isn't

[1:16:43] going to be selling cigarettes either

[1:16:45] because the Vape and cigars are legal

[1:16:48] products last I knew we followed the

[1:16:50] Constitution of the United States of

[1:16:51] America okay uh as for the stockade and

[1:16:55] historical district that was on the

[1:16:56] zoning board for eight years 92 to 2000

[1:17:00] okay that's a special area by the Dutch

[1:17:03] okay that was settled by the Dutch you

[1:17:05] know the history I don't have to tell

[1:17:06] you about SKC but there shouldn't be any

[1:17:08] changing to build new buildings and

[1:17:10] destroy the history of the city of SKC

[1:17:13] um let me just go on a little bit uh I

[1:17:17] don't think we should be giving Aid to

[1:17:20] Ukraine

[1:17:22] Russia um Gaza Palestine or Israel okay

[1:17:26] there there's a thing that every

[1:17:28] politician knows all politics is local

[1:17:31] it was like the little child who died

[1:17:33] over on 12th Street okay I came across I

[1:17:37] said to this councel we need something

[1:17:39] for children and families in this

[1:17:42] city no one paid any attention to me

[1:17:45] councilman member moodon said I tried to

[1:17:48] get it on the agenda no one listen we

[1:17:51] have a dead child now Lord knows how

[1:17:53] that's going to come out what's

[1:17:55] happening 7,000 miles away has nothing

[1:17:58] to do with the United States okay we got

[1:18:01] veterans we got homeless people we got

[1:18:04] drugs coming across the Mexican border

[1:18:06] we have big time issues but this is the

[1:18:09] city of connecti you are elected by the

[1:18:13] people of the city is connecti that's

[1:18:15] what you swore to the Constitution of

[1:18:17] the city is connec and the state of New

[1:18:20] York okay that's where your due

[1:18:22] diligence lies okay now I totally

[1:18:26] understand how these people feel cuz how I feel all these tax dollars going

[1:18:31] to Ukraine to Russia to Israel here and

[1:18:34] there why don't we get them why aren't

[1:18:37] we getting those dollars I got it I

[1:18:39] understand it but this is the United

[1:18:41] States we got to take care of our own

[1:18:43] house first what's the old saying a

[1:18:46] house of cards will not stand something

[1:18:48] like that that's where we're at

[1:18:49] everybody's picking a box I'm black I'm

[1:18:51] Indian I'm white you know I'm Muslim I'm

[1:18:53] this I'm that okay no no no we're

[1:18:56] Americans we're Americans here I

[1:18:59] understand Irish German okay there's

[1:19:02] people from African descent there's

[1:19:04] people from all over but right here this

[1:19:06] is the city of SKC this is what the city

[1:19:08] of SKC is all about okay so we address

[1:19:12] those situations those problems first

[1:19:15] then move on if we can move on there's a person too Madam president I'm

[1:19:19] gonna end it right here his name is

[1:19:22] Congressman Paul tono call him talk to

[1:19:27] him okay we we have state senators

[1:19:29] people like that talk to them the city

[1:19:32] is connected he is the city of SK thank

[1:19:34] you very much and have a good day thank

[1:19:40] you B

[1:19:43] hakeim and please correct me your name

[1:19:46] for me sure I didn't get that

[1:19:51] right uh hello good evening uh my name

[1:19:54] is aim and I'm one of the Muslim

[1:19:57] community members so uh first of all uh

[1:20:00] thank you for having me here uh I would

[1:20:03] like to start uh with the Holy verses of

[1:20:06] the Holy Quran which says in

[1:20:23] Arabic so the translation would be uh oh

[1:20:27] mankind indeed we have created you from

[1:20:30] a me male and female and made you

[1:20:33] Nations and tribes that you may know

[1:20:36] each other indeed uh the best of you in

[1:20:39] the sight of God is the the one who most

[1:20:42] regards God so we are all here for the

[1:20:46] uh ceasefire resolution in this Hall we

[1:20:49] are gathered from different nations and

[1:20:51] different backgrounds but mostly we are

[1:20:53] residents of SKC

[1:20:55] uh City uh everyone is United here for a

[1:20:58] very valid and important cause that is

[1:21:01] the ceasefire as every day we see a lot

[1:21:04] of innocent people including uh men and

[1:21:07] women and children who are dying uh in

[1:21:11] Palestine this oppression and Injustice

[1:21:14] should be end as soon as possible if we

[1:21:16] are supposed to be in such conditions

[1:21:19] just if we imagine ourselves in in that

[1:21:22] conditions imagine how we would seek

[1:21:24] Justice for ourselves the same we seek

[1:21:27] Justice for our brothers and sisters in

[1:21:30] Palestine I would say that you shouldn't

[1:21:33] be belonging to any particular religion

[1:21:36] to stand for this important cause but as

[1:21:39] a human being and living in a free

[1:21:42] Democratic world this is a cause which

[1:21:45] is very important and uh must be present

[1:21:49] to everybody and this is to bring peace

[1:21:51] and stability to those oppressed people

[1:21:54] on the other side of the world uh this

[1:21:57] resolution should be passed as soon as

[1:21:59] possible thank you for your attention

[1:22:00] and for having me here thank

[1:22:03] [Applause]

[1:22:07] you thank

[1:22:10] you s Ahmad

[1:22:18] no respected brothers and sisters uh I

[1:22:23] agree to you all with this Islamic

[1:22:24] greetings assalam

[1:22:28] alaykum this means uh peace be upon you

[1:22:32] all uh my name is S Ahmed N I am

[1:22:35] resident of skti city I'm here to

[1:22:39] support uh ceasefire resolution for

[1:22:42] Palestine

[1:22:45] today uh one of the heartbreaking events

[1:22:48] on social media I saw was uh the

[1:22:53] children's cloth Roots were put to put

[1:22:56] side by

[1:22:58] side uh by the numbers of

[1:23:02] thousands uh children

[1:23:04] killed and it was picturized by a

[1:23:09] drone and the scene was in

[1:23:13] Miles the question here is how many more

[1:23:17] children have to be

[1:23:19] murdered to

[1:23:21] seize uh the

[1:23:23] fire

[1:23:26] although in Quran chapter 5 verse 32

[1:23:31] Allah says

[1:23:33] that whoever kills in innocent human

[1:23:38] beings it means that he has killed the

[1:23:42] whole

[1:23:43] humanity and whoever Saves a Life of a

[1:23:47] human

[1:23:49] being he saves the whole

[1:23:52] Humanity so Allah here in this wor

[1:23:55] mentions human beings not a specific

[1:23:59] group of peoples or

[1:24:03] religion

[1:24:04] so what we believe is that each

[1:24:10] innocent Soul being

[1:24:13] killed is that like the humanity is

[1:24:17] being

[1:24:18] killed again the question is how many

[1:24:23] times the Community has to be killed to

[1:24:27] reach to the point to seize the

[1:24:33] fire uh let's put ourselves in the shoes

[1:24:38] of Palestine

[1:24:41] people what if we were the family member

[1:24:46] of those innocent people

[1:24:49] killed will we still

[1:24:53] be will we still not stop the ceasefire

[1:24:57] and support the ceasefire

[1:25:01] resolution and at the

[1:25:04] end I would like to mention on the

[1:25:08] speech of our president when he was not

[1:25:12] elected by that time he he repeated uh a

[1:25:17] Hadith the saying of prophet Muhammad

[1:25:20] peace be upon

[1:25:22] him so the prophet said

[1:25:25] stop the wrong with your hands if you

[1:25:30] cannot stop it with your tongue and if

[1:25:34] you cannot do that then hate it in your

[1:25:38] hurs so I again request you all to

[1:25:44] please join me in the ceasefire

[1:25:47] resolution for Palestinians thank you

[1:25:50] very much for your time thank

[1:25:53] you

[1:25:54] [Applause]

[1:25:57] Frank

[1:26:23] wicks

[1:26:30] you those are all hard speakers to

[1:26:31] follow but one point to make is along

[1:26:34] with the siege fire uh we're we're we're

[1:26:37] using our tax money to send weapons to

[1:26:41] Israel and uh Israel tells us we can't

[1:26:45] tell them what to do with them so the

[1:26:47] way to cut it off is to stop using our

[1:26:49] tax money to send the

[1:26:51] weapons

[1:26:53] uh

[1:26:56] the historians of the Holocaust are

[1:26:59] comparing Israel

[1:27:01] today with Germany in the

[1:27:04] 1930s what are the similarities the

[1:27:08] Nazis and Israel claimed to have special

[1:27:11] people based on their

[1:27:14] Birthright if if you don't have the

[1:27:16] right birth right you don't

[1:27:18] matter uh Nazis then and Israel Israelis

[1:27:21] now are committing genocide

[1:27:24] and ethnic cleansing to get rid of the

[1:27:28] others Israel Israeli leader shows a

[1:27:32] triumphant map with only Israel between

[1:27:35] the river and the sea in other words

[1:27:37] there's no such thing as

[1:27:39] Palestinians uh illegal settlements in

[1:27:42] the West

[1:27:44] Bank by Israel are terrorizing and uh

[1:27:47] killing the Palestinians for many

[1:27:51] years uh Christmas Eve

[1:27:55] Israelis attack the birthplace of Jesus

[1:27:57] in

[1:27:58] Bethlehem didn't get much attention but

[1:28:01] it

[1:28:02] should uh Israelis

[1:28:05] attacked Israeli continues to kill and

[1:28:08] thousands of Palestinian babies

[1:28:12] children women Innocents in

[1:28:15] Gaza Israel was also committing genocide

[1:28:18] by

[1:28:19] starvation of Palestinians in

[1:28:22] Gaza Israel is

[1:28:24] also Israel continues to kill hundreds

[1:28:28] of uh human of

[1:28:32] humanitarian work Aid

[1:28:34] workers uh members of the press and

[1:28:37] doctors in

[1:28:40] Gaza uh Israel in the past uh encouraged

[1:28:45] the United States to start a war in uh

[1:28:48] in h Afghanistan for 20-year war and

[1:28:52] also the war in Iraq for the regime

[1:28:53] changed

[1:28:55] uh now they're trying to get United

[1:28:57] States to start a war with

[1:28:59] Iran and that has to be

[1:29:02] resisted

[1:29:07] uh and again this could not happen

[1:29:09] without our weapons the president can

[1:29:12] stop the can can can stop everybody

[1:29:15] stopping the weapons any day now he

[1:29:17] could have from the start and israeli's

[1:29:21] best hope for survival is a actually to

[1:29:25] make make peace with their neighbors

[1:29:27] rather than using our weapons for

[1:29:29] continue war and this is what Albert

[1:29:32] Einstein had in mind when he encouraged

[1:29:35] the creation of Israel back in the

[1:29:38] 1940s thank you thank

[1:29:41] [Applause]

[1:29:45] you Ed

[1:29:53] varno

[1:29:59] good evening my name is Ed varno I'm the

[1:30:02] newly elected treasurer of the city of

[1:30:04] SKC GOP tonight on behalf of all our

[1:30:08] constituents who couldn't be here but

[1:30:10] are tired of petty politics we see being

[1:30:13] played at every city council meeting I

[1:30:17] take exception with the all the time the

[1:30:20] city council is focused on scoring

[1:30:23] political points surrounding the city

[1:30:25] renting property to a city employee at

[1:30:28] beas Hill this started with your

[1:30:31] claiming that this was about generating

[1:30:34] revenue for the city now it looks like

[1:30:36] it's increasing the rent by $2,400

[1:30:39] annually will cost the city

[1:30:42] approximately

[1:30:43] $400,000 or more to bring up the code

[1:30:46] the Porterfield way of raising revenue

[1:30:49] we'd be bankrupt within weeks if you

[1:30:51] were our mayor I recognize that

[1:30:54] councilman Williams is fond of telling

[1:30:55] everyone he has an MBA the same council

[1:30:59] member who was put in charge of the city

[1:31:01] budget that for the first time in 30

[1:31:03] years wasn't adopted on time and his and

[1:31:07] your budget would have put us on the

[1:31:10] FastTrack to

[1:31:12] bankruptcy I may not have an MBA like Mr

[1:31:15] Williams as I went to work protecting

[1:31:17] our city and its citizens As A

[1:31:19] Firefighter but I know the difference

[1:31:21] between trying to save taxpayer in

[1:31:24] perpetuating a political ruse by certain

[1:31:28] council members bent on creating

[1:31:30] division attacking the administration

[1:31:33] that in the end taxpayers will pay the

[1:31:35] price for but the whole rent situation

[1:31:38] reminded me that you miss Porterfield

[1:31:41] rent space from the

[1:31:43] county and looking at your rent history

[1:31:45] I found that you the only time you paid

[1:31:48] your rent on time for the past seven

[1:31:50] years was the F the three months in a

[1:31:52] row during the past mayor or primary

[1:31:55] which you lost I also found your rent

[1:31:58] hasn't been increased in six years so if

[1:32:01] you want to talk about responsibilities

[1:32:03] and costs associated with renting from

[1:32:06] either the city or in your case the

[1:32:08] county going five six and sometimes

[1:32:11] seven months overdue and never paying

[1:32:13] your rent on time with no penalties for

[1:32:16] being late is unacceptable by any metric

[1:32:20] if this city council is truly looking

[1:32:22] for ways to generate funds

[1:32:24] Andor just as important saving taxpayer

[1:32:27] dollars the city GOP is willing to help

[1:32:30] thank you thank

[1:32:33] you Tom

[1:32:46] Kennedy

[1:32:48] honorable Matt Dy City

[1:32:52] Council

[1:32:54] uh I Rise my name is Tom Kennedy I'm the

[1:32:57] chair of the Republican party

[1:33:02] uh it was mid-march when the city GOP

[1:33:05] first sorry I got to take these cheaters

[1:33:07] off when the city GOP first became aware

[1:33:11] of the legal dumping that was being done

[1:33:14] along i890 West between Exit 4 Michigan

[1:33:17] Aven exit 5 Broadway we first called

[1:33:20] upon the city to clean up the areas

[1:33:22] where The Dumping had been occurring we

[1:33:25] called attention to the health hazards

[1:33:26] near the illegal dumps and how these

[1:33:29] areas were embarrassing sight as it was

[1:33:32] an entryway into our city we also

[1:33:34] identified health and safety concerns

[1:33:36] for the residents who liveed near these

[1:33:39] illegal

[1:33:40] dumps this was the first time that we

[1:33:43] had mentioned using American Rescue plan

[1:33:45] act funds to address these legal dumps

[1:33:48] and tackle the conditions they left

[1:33:50] behind in our

[1:33:51] city over the course of the next two

[1:33:53] weeks we attempted to find out the

[1:33:55] process of how to apply for these arpa

[1:33:59] funds it was during this time that we

[1:34:01] also

[1:34:02] introduced uh also introduced using

[1:34:05] these funds for surveillance videoing of

[1:34:07] the area fencing increased lighting to

[1:34:10] save off these would be illegal

[1:34:13] dumpers we were advised that we would

[1:34:16] have to go through the city council to

[1:34:17] find out the process to apply for arpa

[1:34:20] funding we continue to try to get

[1:34:23] answers from the city council finally I

[1:34:25] wrote you the city council president a

[1:34:27] letter to request the process but

[1:34:29] instead of you advising me on how to

[1:34:31] apply for an arer proposal you chose to

[1:34:35] accuse me and others in Republican party

[1:34:37] of bigotry and personal

[1:34:40] bias the city GOP was trying to help wly

[1:34:43] Street residents clean up their

[1:34:45] neighborhood and find ways to help the

[1:34:47] city address their concerns while at the

[1:34:50] same time trying to make our city

[1:34:51] cleaner and more presentable place to

[1:34:54] live for everyone your message

[1:34:56] responding to my letter requesting an

[1:34:59] answer on submitting an art proposal was

[1:35:01] both shocking disappointing and quite

[1:35:04] honestly frankly ma'am uh you should be

[1:35:08] ashamed of

[1:35:09] yourself but on another note more

[1:35:12] positive be advised we have been meeting

[1:35:14] with the residents of Wy Street and we

[1:35:16] have just begun to help these citizens

[1:35:18] find solutions to their issues whether

[1:35:21] it's with arpa funds CBG or raising

[1:35:24] funds in other areas we will get the job

[1:35:27] done for the Wally Street residents

[1:35:29] thank you very much thank

[1:35:34] you right some someone only put their

[1:35:37] first name and it looks like chantis or

[1:35:41] stantis it's only a first name or only

[1:35:44] one name I'm not sure if it's the first

[1:35:45] or the

[1:35:48] last okay

[1:35:51] Abdul Baku

[1:35:57] no

[1:36:01] okay no so this person uh I'm going to

[1:36:04] spell this because I'm I'm not sure a d

[1:36:06] a b d a l r a h m a

[1:36:13] n and what is your first name okay

[1:36:16] that's

[1:36:22] you

[1:36:25] so hello everyone my name is ABD rman

[1:36:28] and I'm here today representing the um

[1:36:31] the University at Albany chapter of

[1:36:33] student for justice in

[1:36:35] Palestine and I'm also here today as a

[1:36:37] Palestinian Jordanian

[1:36:40] woman so being a part of our campus as

[1:36:42] student for justice in Palestine means

[1:36:44] that my peers and I must set aside our

[1:36:45] different our pride and differences for

[1:36:47] one common goal The Liberation of the

[1:36:49] Palestinian people one of the goals was

[1:36:52] to passed the BDS um ceasefire

[1:36:55] resolution and on Wednesday April 3rd

[1:36:58] the our student Senate passed that

[1:37:03] resolution and one of the main things

[1:37:06] that we had to argue was that this is a

[1:37:10] genocide we all know standing here I

[1:37:13] hope that we know that this is a

[1:37:14] genocide with the death toll being over

[1:37:16] 40,000 plus people Palestinian people

[1:37:20] including children women elderly people

[1:37:22] being murdered

[1:37:24] every single day standing here today A

[1:37:26] Palestinian is being murdered at the

[1:37:28] second right now so I call for the city

[1:37:32] council of skincity to call for an

[1:37:34] immediate

[1:37:36] ceasefire and also one of the points

[1:37:40] that was made by the Zionist on campus

[1:37:43] that also spoke to not get this

[1:37:46] resolution to pass was that Palestinians

[1:37:49] are not being murdered they're

[1:37:52] dying how are they dying you how are

[1:37:56] they dying they're being murdered by the

[1:37:58] IDF sold they're being bombed innocent

[1:38:01] people are being bombed um and one of

[1:38:04] the other points

[1:38:06] was that this is not a fight against the

[1:38:09] Palestinian residents this is a fight

[1:38:11] against Hamas but the this point has

[1:38:15] been brought up a few times in this um

[1:38:17] in in this meeting and that

[1:38:19] was um there was a US citizens who was

[1:38:22] bombed by the Israeli soldiers including

[1:38:25] an Australian one these people do not

[1:38:27] have a single drop of Palestinian blood

[1:38:29] in them they are not Palestinian people

[1:38:31] and they still got bombed for being in

[1:38:33] Palestine to Aid Palestinians to give

[1:38:37] them humanitarian Aid to be medical

[1:38:40] assistance for for injured Palestinians

[1:38:43] because the Medical Aid in Palestine

[1:38:45] doctors right now are struggling they do

[1:38:47] not have the resources women do not have

[1:38:49] the resources for their cycle for their

[1:38:51] monthly cycle us as women we we are

[1:38:54] grateful to go stop by CBS a drugstore

[1:38:57] to get pads to get tampons they do not

[1:38:58] have that resource this is a humanly

[1:39:01] function thing that women go through

[1:39:03] every single month and we all know this

[1:39:04] they don't have those resources doctors

[1:39:07] don't know how to deal with um with a um

[1:39:11] with injured people anymore they are

[1:39:12] using anything that they can because

[1:39:15] they do not have those resources and the

[1:39:17] people who were trying to give them

[1:39:18] those resources they got bombed by the

[1:39:20] ADF soldiers so as a Palestinian

[1:39:22] Jordanian woman as a pales jordanan

[1:39:24] student as a 17-year-old I am standing

[1:39:26] here in front of you guys to call for an

[1:39:29] immediate ceasefire cuz what is

[1:39:30] happening is not okay the U Albany um

[1:39:33] student Senate passing the BDS

[1:39:35] resolution is not enough it's not enough

[1:39:37] this is the and we inshallah we are also

[1:39:41] not the first uh not the only school

[1:39:43] that passes this this resolution but

[1:39:45] what we are doing is not enough me

[1:39:47] standing here is not enough with the

[1:39:49] United States Israel needs to call for a

[1:39:52] ceasefire and they're not doing that so

[1:39:55] as as a resident of leam New York I'm

[1:39:58] standing here to call for a SE um to um

[1:40:03] please understand to call for a Seas SP

[1:40:04] thank you thank

[1:40:05] [Applause]

[1:40:13] you

[1:40:15] [Music]

[1:40:16] jedah P oh here you

[1:40:22] come say your name please hello my name

[1:40:25] is j

[1:40:26] PCO um journalist bassan once said the

[1:40:30] will of the people cannot fail if we

[1:40:32] can't shape the world we live in if we

[1:40:34] cannot stop a genocide so miserable is

[1:40:36] our life I am an exhausted but

[1:40:39] persistent organizer in many capacities

[1:40:41] for the U Al Community I used to

[1:40:43] understand the sentiment that we are far

[1:40:45] away from the atrocities and brutal

[1:40:47] attacks on the people in the West Bank

[1:40:49] and Gaza but I recall a video I once saw

[1:40:52] of a little girl who had said that she

[1:40:54] is the last surviving girl in her

[1:40:56] Elementary School I think back to

[1:40:58] another girl my age who said before the

[1:41:01] occupation she was studying in

[1:41:03] University I'll bring my emotions to a

[1:41:05] very small part of my identity because I

[1:41:07] have many

[1:41:08] identities I can talk about how this

[1:41:11] occupation has not only inflicted a

[1:41:12] genocide but an ecocide how the land

[1:41:15] will take generations to even start

[1:41:16] healing I can talk about how women in

[1:41:18] Palestine are giving birth without

[1:41:20] proper C-section materials dying in the

[1:41:22] process or how women if any Aid reaches

[1:41:24] them at all are not given the proper

[1:41:26] Sanitary products they need there are so

[1:41:28] many intersections but the disruption of

[1:41:31] Education the very thing we all should

[1:41:33] recognize is a human right is what has

[1:41:35] been keeping me up at night more than

[1:41:38] the projects that are do past past do in

[1:41:41] school more than that final that I have

[1:41:43] coming up it's all very minuscule to me

[1:41:45] although I should be glad that these are

[1:41:47] where my stresses and as a student I

[1:41:49] want to remind this body that there are

[1:41:51] no universities left in Gaza

[1:41:54] that at the very least as lovers of

[1:41:56] Education standers that knowledge is

[1:41:59] power this the very thing that brought

[1:42:01] you to this role that you are sitting in

[1:42:03] today that you must move to action that

[1:42:06] education is the greatest gift a person

[1:42:08] can have and our systems have

[1:42:10] Partnerships with occupied Palestine who

[1:42:12] are facilitating Terror we've seen it we

[1:42:15] have watched it and the people of

[1:42:16] Palestine are watching us watch them I

[1:42:19] call you to take lead as adults on

[1:42:21] passing a permanent ceasefire resolution

[1:42:23] and not to say to say not on what our

[1:42:25] watch we must agree at the very least

[1:42:28] just we we must agree on this at the

[1:42:30] very least just last week my school U

[1:42:33] Albany was the first Sunni School Senate

[1:42:35] to pass the ceas fire resolution if the

[1:42:38] students saw the saw this call to action

[1:42:40] SKC can can do it too it is possible we

[1:42:44] are not powerless and I need you all to

[1:42:46] believe and understand in your power I

[1:42:49] stand here

[1:42:50] today to call for a resolution to pass

[1:42:53] for this body to stand unshakably

[1:42:54] besides the oppressed people of the

[1:42:56] world if not for anything else then for

[1:42:58] the love of Education you cannot let

[1:43:00] yourself sit in these seats and that

[1:43:02] with the education that brought you all

[1:43:03] here and allow this to continue we

[1:43:06] cannot accept that we we have to take

[1:43:08] care of our own house first because our

[1:43:10] struggles are all connected and if we

[1:43:12] fail Gaza we will fail ourselves because

[1:43:15] what are we really free people if we

[1:43:16] cannot do everything we can I go I'll go

[1:43:19] back to my campus dorm tonight open my

[1:43:22] laptop in the dark and try to do

[1:43:23] assignments while forces have destroyed

[1:43:25] this experience for Palestinian students

[1:43:28] Palestine has called on us the U albony

[1:43:30] students to pick up the call so pick up

[1:43:32] the

[1:43:33] call we will not be bystanders we should

[1:43:36] all do everything we can and we should

[1:43:38] all feel empty because of this fact

[1:43:41] shame on us if we do not speak and shame

[1:43:43] on you if you do not proceed with

[1:43:44] tangible action thank you thank

[1:43:47] [Applause]

[1:43:52] you

[1:43:59] marabel if you could State your last

[1:44:01] name because it's not legible sorry my

[1:44:04] name is mirbel

[1:44:06] Stantler I a student organizer at U

[1:44:08] Albany I am Jewish and I grew up

[1:44:11] learning that every person is an entire

[1:44:13] world there's a Jewish teaching that

[1:44:15] anyone who saves a life saves an entire

[1:44:18] world and whoever destroys a single soul

[1:44:20] destroys an entire world and the the

[1:44:23] Zionist fascist parias state of Israel

[1:44:25] using the false cover of Judaism has

[1:44:28] destroyed more than

[1:44:30] 41,46 Worlds by murdering more than

[1:44:34] 41,46

[1:44:36] Palestinians I unequivocally reject any

[1:44:39] assertion that calling for a ceasefire

[1:44:41] or demanding Liberation for the

[1:44:43] Palestinian people is anti-Semitic I

[1:44:45] emphatically reaffirm that anti-zionism

[1:44:48] is not anti-Semitism and that the

[1:44:50] illegitimate state of Israel is not to

[1:44:52] be inflated with the Jewish diaspora or

[1:44:55] Judaism I understand that Zionism

[1:44:58] anti-Semitism and islamophobia are

[1:45:00] manifestations of white supremacy and

[1:45:02] colonialism all of our oppressions are

[1:45:05] interconnected and true Liberation is

[1:45:07] dependent on fighting white supremacy in

[1:45:09] all its forms because of this I am moved

[1:45:12] to action one part of that meant

[1:45:14] organizing for months to get our student

[1:45:16] government to pass the historic

[1:45:17] resolution demanding that U Albany and

[1:45:19] Sunni divest from genocide and call for

[1:45:21] a ceasefire this resolution passed last

[1:45:24] Wednesday making you Aly the first but

[1:45:26] not the last Sunni to demand divestment

[1:45:29] the students United will never be

[1:45:31] defeated which is why we knew we would

[1:45:32] not fail as students we understand our

[1:45:36] unique obligation as individuals in the

[1:45:38] belly of the Beast to use our privilege

[1:45:40] to ensure our universities and the

[1:45:42] institutions we are a part of not be

[1:45:45] complicit in genocide apartheid and

[1:45:48] colonization and the people United will

[1:45:50] never be defeated which is why skty must

[1:45:52] pass a CE fire resolution as our your

[1:45:55] and my tax dollars continue to fund the

[1:45:57] Zionist entity that is actively starving

[1:46:00] the people of Gaza and paying for the

[1:46:02] weapons that are murdering Palestinians

[1:46:03] daily demanding a ceasefire and the

[1:46:06] unimpeded entry of Aid to Gaza in every

[1:46:08] way you can is the absolute least you

[1:46:10] can do none of us can ever be doing

[1:46:13] enough as we simultaneously fund a

[1:46:15] genocide but we must try to do as much

[1:46:17] as we can it is shameful that the U

[1:46:20] Albany student government has shown more

[1:46:21] courage and steadfast Fess in their

[1:46:23] commitment to humanity and morality than

[1:46:25] the body of this than this body of

[1:46:27] elected officials you all have tangible

[1:46:30] power and if you are not brave enough to

[1:46:32] use it you have failed as an institution

[1:46:34] and as individuals I would expect that

[1:46:36] you all share in this OB obligation to

[1:46:38] humanity and are moved to action thank

[1:46:41] you thank

[1:46:51] you Ron

[1:46:56] Hubert my name is Rod Hubert I'd like to

[1:46:59] address the council good evening um I'm

[1:47:03] not going to be up here and be negative

[1:47:05] and attack the members that's just not

[1:47:07] the right thing to do we're here to

[1:47:08] discuss City business I feel bad that

[1:47:11] everything has happened

[1:47:15] but this is what we got to do well

[1:47:17] anyways I Carl Williams has helped me

[1:47:21] with the potholes he's called me and

[1:47:23] gotten in touch with me and

[1:47:25] today there was somebody on my street

[1:47:28] actually patching the hole so we're going the right way you know and

[1:47:34] uh I'm very

[1:47:36] grateful the next thing I think each

[1:47:38] council member should pick a project in

[1:47:40] the

[1:47:41] city clean up the park clean up uh crank

[1:47:46] Street other things but uh I finally got

[1:47:50] something to help me and that's really

[1:47:52] nice

[1:47:53] okay good seeing you and uh we'll keep

[1:47:58] going thank you thank you

[1:48:00] Carl thank

[1:48:03] you and the

[1:48:04] [Applause]

[1:48:08] last Dr

[1:48:19] Ina good evening and thank you for

[1:48:21] allowing me to speak speak on this

[1:48:23] unparalleled human tragedy of our times

[1:48:26] and thank you uh for allowing me to

[1:48:28] speak with the confusion in the sign up

[1:48:30] um we are asking you to adopt a

[1:48:33] resolution supporting Cesar in Gaza I'm

[1:48:36] an epidemiologist and a public health

[1:48:38] worker my research area is Health

[1:48:40] disparities but I come to you as a

[1:48:42] mother as a fellow human being Beyond

[1:48:45] race and religion I come to speak

[1:48:48] because I need to be able to look my

[1:48:50] kids in in their eyes and say that I was

[1:48:53] not quiet I need to be true to my

[1:48:55] profession and speak against Injustice

[1:48:57] and racism everywhere because today

[1:49:00] being silent is being complicit you say

[1:49:04] why here what does this stragedy

[1:49:06] unfolding have to do with us the reason

[1:49:08] is our tax dollars they fund the weapons

[1:49:12] being used against children against Aid

[1:49:14] convoys against hospitals our tax

[1:49:17] dollars that could be put to much better

[1:49:19] use in communities like skincity Prov

[1:49:22] providing Healthcare access after school

[1:49:25] programs eliminating food desert

[1:49:27] building conditions things we've heard

[1:49:29] tonight funding Medicaid Medicare Social

[1:49:32] Security I come here because you are our

[1:49:35] representatives and you have public

[1:49:37] platforms available to you to speak up

[1:49:40] and speak out I will speak up here I

[1:49:43] will call my federal representatives and

[1:49:45] I will talk to anyone who listens and we

[1:49:48] ask that you do as well what we are

[1:49:50] seeing unfolding is an unhal of a People

[1:49:54] Israel launched the war immediately

[1:49:56] after October 7 Terror attacks by Hamas

[1:49:59] at that time the Israeli government said

[1:50:01] the operation had two goals eliminating

[1:50:03] Hamas and bringing back hostages taken

[1:50:06] by the militants to Gaza over 1.7

[1:50:09] million people in Gaza have been

[1:50:11] displaced since October 7 over 33,000

[1:50:14] civilians have been killed of them 40%

[1:50:18] are children 25% are women at least Le

[1:50:23] 200 Medics and more than 135 un staff

[1:50:26] have been killed hospitals doctors Aid

[1:50:29] workers journalists are all specific

[1:50:31] targets none of these dead could be

[1:50:34] possibly called combatants how much

[1:50:36] collateral damage justifies killing so

[1:50:39] many children why is the scale of this

[1:50:42] oppression so disproportionate that

[1:50:44] makes thousands of children

[1:50:45] offense the who has issued dire warnings

[1:50:49] that the threat of epidemics as

[1:50:50] displayed Palestinians are crowded

[1:50:52] together in tents and makeshift shelters

[1:50:55] without sanitation facilities and clean

[1:50:57] water there are conditions of starvation

[1:51:00] and famine unfolding before our eyes the

[1:51:03] who has called for orders of protection

[1:51:06] of humanitarian Personnel following

[1:51:07] detentions of medical personnel at

[1:51:10] checkpoints when did we become a nation

[1:51:12] that stays quiet as children are killed

[1:51:14] and starved when did we start looking

[1:51:16] the other way when clearly marked eight

[1:51:19] convoys that were being coordinated with

[1:51:22] Israeli are specifically targeted and

[1:51:24] blown to smithin where is your outrage

[1:51:27] where is the accountability for public

[1:51:29] servants where are the rules of war and

[1:51:31] engagement you want me to condemn

[1:51:33] violence here I condemn all violence can

[1:51:36] we all just stand for Humanity for our

[1:51:39] children for those that have been

[1:51:41] subject to systemic racism here and in

[1:51:43] the world we want you to take up this

[1:51:45] resolution on our behalf there are no

[1:51:48] two sides to humanism ceasefire now and

[1:51:51] ceasefire for the sake of humanity

[1:51:53] please pass this resolution please

[1:52:01] adopt thank you I have no one else

[1:52:04] signed up to speak for the public

[1:52:05] comment of City business so I declare

[1:52:06] this public comment

[1:52:08] closed at this point in time

[1:52:10] miscellaneous business of the

[1:52:15] council I called all the names that were

[1:52:18] on the

[1:52:20] sheet at this time any Miss business of

[1:52:23] the

[1:52:26] council um the mayor is not here as we

[1:52:29] can all see and so Matt Daly is sitting

[1:52:31] for in for the mayor this evening Mr

[1:52:37] Daly okay yeah yeah so the mayor has

[1:52:41] asked me to sit an in for him tonight

[1:52:43] which is an absolute pleasure for me and

[1:52:46] uh I see the temperature in the room is

[1:52:48] a little bit high at the moment and so

[1:52:51] uh my name is mat dy I am the golf

[1:52:54] professional at sked Municipal Golf

[1:52:56] Course and I can't tell you about world

[1:52:59] issues but I can tell you that I can

[1:53:01] bring uh a lot of people in our

[1:53:03] community some Joy if you would come up

[1:53:04] to our facility and and and see what we

[1:53:06] have to offer uh tomorrow we're going to

[1:53:09] open the golf course for the season uh

[1:53:12] mayor McCarthy traditionally opens the

[1:53:14] golf course uh against a sitting member

[1:53:17] of the SKC High School golf team uh

[1:53:20] there's a little competition that they

[1:53:22] have done over the years and the

[1:53:24] American Red Cross including the

[1:53:26] skincity fire department will be on hand

[1:53:28] to sort of educate us on uh the

[1:53:31] importance of smoke detection in

[1:53:32] people's houses and there's a great

[1:53:34] program that they have we run a raffle

[1:53:37] for the American Red Cross and all the

[1:53:40] proceeds that we raise go directly back

[1:53:42] to them in which case we'll be back in a

[1:53:44] few months to present that uh to uh the

[1:53:47] Red Cross in front of all of you um but

[1:53:51] I I certainly hope that you take the

[1:53:53] opportunity because it is a public golf

[1:53:55] course and it is open to not just uh the

[1:53:59] city residents but non-residents alike

[1:54:01] and it is a very incredible benefit if

[1:54:04] you were a city resident to come up

[1:54:06] there and uh the doors always open and

[1:54:10] we hope to see you thank you thank you

[1:54:13] Mr daily so I'd like to thank everyone

[1:54:15] for coming out this evening I've s heard

[1:54:17] some very impassioned speeches and um

[1:54:20] concerns and and I don't you know I

[1:54:22] heard some things said but I believe

[1:54:23] that we all are believe in in

[1:54:26] humanitarian Aid and we all believe that

[1:54:29] there should be no violence against

[1:54:30] everyone so as I stated before and I'll

[1:54:32] say it again I'm always open to that

[1:54:34] conversation so send emails and I'm just

[1:54:38] waiting for for someone to say yes we'd

[1:54:40] like to sit down and talk I only speak

[1:54:41] for myself I cannot speak for other

[1:54:43] council members it's up to other council

[1:54:45] members if they want to engage in

[1:54:47] conversation I would hope that we would

[1:54:49] want to because without communication

[1:54:51] then we really cannot understand what um

[1:54:54] what everyone wants to say and the

[1:54:56] communication needs to be a dialogue as

[1:54:57] you come here you get to speak to us but

[1:55:00] we do not get to speak in return that's

[1:55:01] just the way the process is here but

[1:55:03] again I'm open for open to dialogue too

[1:55:06] with anyone who is um Dr shakima

[1:55:09] initially sent that email I'm still open

[1:55:10] to that I just want to say that I'm also

[1:55:13] I'd like to thank the children for

[1:55:14] coming tonight that was it was very nice

[1:55:16] to hear them I appreciate uh Dr isad for

[1:55:21] uh asking for them to come and it's

[1:55:23] always great to hear um from from

[1:55:25] children always but also to hear of all

[1:55:27] the cultures that represent our

[1:55:30] city I I want to thank the firefighters

[1:55:32] for their uh Cancer Foundation run this

[1:55:34] week uh this weekend and I had an

[1:55:37] opportunity to uh to be with them

[1:55:39] actually it was not it was past this

[1:55:40] last weekend before and it was very cold

[1:55:43] yet you know people were out supporting

[1:55:45] the Cancer Foundation so I want to thank

[1:55:47] everyone that came

[1:55:48] out um just want to remind folks that

[1:55:51] first of all there was one thing that

[1:55:52] was said in in terms of city council

[1:55:55] versus administrative the city council

[1:55:57] is not the body which you submit in uh

[1:56:00] request for for funding that is an

[1:56:03] administrative function the city council

[1:56:05] is a legislative body so we then decide

[1:56:08] once it's gone through the

[1:56:09] administration if that funding then gets

[1:56:12] um delivered so just to clear what there

[1:56:14] was a speaker who said that they

[1:56:15] submitted something to the city council

[1:56:17] it does not get submitted to us it gets

[1:56:19] submitted to the

[1:56:21] administration and this coming weekend

[1:56:23] excuse me the 27th there's going to be

[1:56:25] cleanups we've been talking a lot about

[1:56:27] the cleanup of the city you heard a

[1:56:29] little bit about it tonight um on the

[1:56:31] 27th the north side will be having a

[1:56:33] cleanup as well as Hamilton Hill on the

[1:56:36] North side uh you it's probably on the

[1:56:38] city's web page by this time but Mike

[1:56:40] aragosa you can reach out to him and in

[1:56:42] Hamilton Hill you can reach out to the

[1:56:44] Dury Amy Zion church and also the veil

[1:56:47] community on the um 22nd of March is

[1:56:51] also dur during their cleanup so if

[1:56:53] there are other neighborhoods who are

[1:56:54] interested in organizing a cleanup on

[1:56:56] the 27th or the 22nd but on the 27th a

[1:57:00] lot of communities will be doing cleanup

[1:57:02] so I just want to let people know that

[1:57:04] hopefully people will join in we do have

[1:57:06] a little bit of work to do in terms of

[1:57:08] our uh cleaning up our

[1:57:10] city if nothing else I would ask for a

[1:57:12] motion to adjourn move by Miss Patrick

[1:57:16] second by Mr manini all those in favor I

[1:57:19] we are adjourned have a good

[1:57:21] night

[1:57:51] you

[1:58:00] got get home to the big game

[1:58:06] yeah for meide I almost

[1:58:13] made hopefully I'll make it home

[1:58:21] okay

[1:58:24] he

Schenectady City Council Meeting, April 8, 2024

Transcript