[Music]
yeah
[Music]
yeah
[Music]
he
[Music]
don't
[Music]
yeah
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
yeah
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
you council members
downstairs
car
dep
Okay
so ask him to
take the one sitting there or we can ask
one of the imams it's up to you we have
to do this
quickly yes sitting next to the girl if
he can
ask
he said he doesn't know the huh he said
he doesn't know who the Emil
is
I'd like to call order C City meeting
for Monday April 8th
2024 we have a public hearing tonight if
the clerk could please read public
hearing number one regarding creating a
special assessment District on a portion
of Central
Parkway we have 13 items for original
consideration and one for unanimous
consent if the clerk would please read
item number one item number one for
original consideration an ordinance
amending ordinance
224-3888 Street discussed in committee
without objection on consent item number
three item number three for original
consideration a resolution calling for a
public calling for a public hearing
regarding addition of section 264-1111
of the connect city code regarding the
regulation and location of smoke shop
Vape Shop hooka lounges and vape
consumption businesses discussed in
committee with objection on consent item
number
four item number four for original
consideration a resolution setting forth
the attendance requirements at
acknowledgement by members of the city
of skty board of assessment review
discussed in committee without objection
on consent item number five item number
five for original consideration a
resolution authorizing the Department of
Finance to make a budget amendment to
the 2024 operating budget discussed in
committee with objection on consent item
number six item number six for original
consideration a resolution authorizing
the mayor to accept
$800,000 Crest Grant from the domator
authority of the state of New York
discuss in committee with objection on
cons item number seven item number seven
for original consideration a resolution
declaring the city council as the lead
agency and opening a 30-day public
comment period regarding the update of
the connecties historic ordinance and
related zoning ordinance sections
discussed in committee with objection on
consent item number eight item number
eight for original consideration a
resolution transmitting to the skincity
County Planning Department proposed
changes to the city of SKC historic
commission ordinance and related
historic district and zoning ordinances
discussed in committee without objection
on consent item number nine item number
nine for original consideration a
resolution authorizing the mayor to
enter into a lease agreement for the
beas hill Reservoir residential
unit roll call by Miss Patrick item
number
10 item number 10 for original
consideration a resolution authorized in
sale of 430 huler Street for
$78,000 discussed in committee without
objection on consent item number 11 item
number 11 for original consideration a
resolution authorizing the sale of $949
State Street for $80,000 discussed in
committee with objection on consent item
number 12 item number 12 for original
consideration a resolution authorizing
the sale of a vacant lot located at 1055
Cutler Street and a vacant lot located
at 14026 Avenue for a total of
$3,500 discussed in committee with
objection on consent item number 13 item
number 13 for original consideration
resolution recognizing Pastor Parson for
years of community service this item
will be taken out of order and presented
by council member Farley item number 13
a item 13A for unanimous consent an
ordinance creating a special assessment
District on a portion of Central
Parkway I need a motion to place this on
the consent
agenda Mo by
Mr second by Mr Mr Williams all in
favor
okay is there any objection to this item
since there's no objection um this item
will go on to the
uh consent agenda if there's nothing
more to come before the city council
caucus I ask for a motion to
adjourn moved by Miss Patrick second by
Mr Williams all in favor I we are
adjourned I'd like to call the city
council meeting to order for Monday
April 8th
20124 and I'd like to call on Reverend
Parsons to lead us in the
[Music]
prayer
in Jesus name amen amen I'd like to call
on council member m to Le in the
pledge
indivisible andice for all thank
you if the clerk would please complete
the Roll
Call
Mr
Toro Mr
Farley Mr Mancini here Mr Mutan pres M
Patrick here Mr
Williams M Porterfield
here thank you so before we do our first
uh
resolution I'll wait till you're
finished thank
you before we do our first resolution um
I want there the young people have
come um the young people have come to
present us with a song about Eid and
you're going to hear a little
explanation about the holiday and what
it's about so at this point in time I'd
like to invite you inside the
chamber
for
it's I say yourself one two three and
start honorable mayor Madame President
and members of the council thank you for
giving us this opportunity to share our
e Joy with you for the past 4 weeks two
bill million Muslims from Alaska to
Australia and from Sweden to South
Africa have been fasting from dawn to
sunset on Wednesday we will be
celebrating and giving thanks to Allah
for the countless blessings of Ramadan
the song we're about to sing for you is
in both English and Arabic the Arabic
phrases
are a
happy a joyful day J A Beautiful Day
Allah abbar God is the greatest
there's none worthy of worship besides
Allah and to Allah belongs all praise
thank
[Applause]
you thank you Allah for
bless
[Music]
the B Muslims un to
worship
[Music]
his love is the greatest by PR
thanks to you the joy of only
from only make for
those
[Music]
all
wo wo
thank you very much thank
you next we will have our out of order
resolution it's a resolution recognizing
Pastor Richard Parsons for years of
community service and I'd like to call
council member Farley to present this
resolution
may I have the floor Madame President
you have the floor sir thank you friends
and family please feel uh welcome to
come join the side yeah
please my man you know it okay whereas
Pastor Richard Parson is dedicated
pastor and Community leader in the
vibrant heart of the capital region of
New York State and Pastor Parson a
retiring pastor and throughout his
glorious pastorial Legacy Pastor Parson
devoted his life to serving others
leaving an incredible mark on the
communities he touched and as Pastor
Parson's journey into Ministry began
with a profound sense calling to serve
seeking and saving the Lost he embarked
on his path unwavering dedication
aspiring to make a difference in the
lives of those around him
with a Compassionate Heart a steadfast
commitment to his Faith Pastor Parsons
became an effective figure in the
religious landscape of the Capitol
region and whereas Pastor Parson's
Memorial Church is connecti the church
flourished and and as it became a be
Beacon of Hope in the sanctuary for all
those seeking Refuge from life's
challenges Pastor Parson's sermons
resonated yes they did with wisdom
compassion and profound understanding of
the human Spirit inspiring people to
live lives of purpose and integrity for
40 plus years Pastor Parson served as a
pastor providing spiritual guidance
support food clothing and comfort to
countless individuals families in need
his tenure as a clergy leader in the
community is characterized by empathy
understanding a and a good genuine
desire to uplift those in need and where
as affiliated with refreshing Springs
Church and State Street Presbyterian
Church in concy Pastor Parson played a
pivotal role in fostering a sense of
belonging and unity in the community his
ministry exhibites inclusively a welcome
to all those who sought freedom from
addiction and physical spiritual
nourishment and whereas beyond the
pulpit beyond the pulpit Pastor Parson
was not merely a pastor who led from the
pulpit Pastor Parsons was actively
involved in various initiatives
advocating for social justice food
security equality and compassion he
played a critical part in the
development of the Hamilton hill art
center where working closely to provide
a platform for artistic expression and
cultural enrichment in the community
whereas pastors Parsons went into the
streets drug houses and bars to minister
to those who are in dire need embracing
his faith in his teachings of compassion
and service he's a
Trailblazer he need in the community
into his ministry during his tenure at
refreshing Springs Church he was the
first to bring NAA meetings to the
church providing crucial support for
those battling addition now now
therefore it be resolved that this
connected city council and mayor and
Mayor Gary AR McCarthy do hereby pause
in their deliberations to recognize
Pastor Richard Parsons for his years of
service to the city of connecti and to
congratulate him and wish him well on
his
retirement want to say a CLE Mr Farley
Mr
Farley move the
resolution okay i' uh like to entertain
a motion you you moving the resolution
yes I need a second please second my Mr
M all those in favor uh motion passes
congratulations a few words
ask I'm truly blessed to be here today
I'm going to speak to you and I pray
that it would continue to be within your
hearts and your minds just a simple
thing we are better
together thank you
Pastor thank you thank you for all your
years of service yes please guys I'd
love to get a
picture usually I can talk but when when
it you was a big deal it got me
nervous
thank you again Reverend Parson for your
years of
[Applause]
service we have one public hearing this
evening I just like to remind everyone
that the public hearing comment is
extended to four minutes and also ask
that you respectively respective
effectively um ask that every person
only comment on the subject relevant to
the public
hearing public hearing number one
regarding creating a special assessment
District on a portion of Central
Parkway I have three people signed up to
four people signed up to
speak okay uh soib shikima are you here
you're not here for this public hearing
okay ashar ATA no okay rod
Hubert are you here to speak about the
Central Parkway sidewalk program
no okay sir we will move you to the city
business this is about the public
hearing okay thank
you Lan
Lee good evening
everyone president Porterville and City
Council Members I am here as a a
longtime resident of Eastern Parkway and
Central
Parkway I initiated a petition in
2020 in the midst of covid our sidewalks
have been crumbling um it initially
started out as something personal for me
but then led to something bigger our we
are a throughway to Central Parkway in
the Rose Garden and so I I took the
initiative to go out and petition our
neighbors and I got
75% of
the uh numbers that I needed to create
this hopefully this assessment if this
happens and I'm thrilled um it's been a
long journey I have to say thank you to
John who has been with me the whole time and all the neighbors who signed
the
petition um it's a beautiful area I've
been living in my home since
1997 raised all of my children and I
have three grandchildren and it's a
beautiful area and the sidewalks are in
dire need I know that this is a hardship
for some but for me I mean I I divorced
in 2005 so it would be a hardship for me
too
um but I think it's the best thing uh
for the area and I am a business owner
I'm an entrepreneur 30 years I own two
businesses I own tots Tedy and more
which is a family daycare I've been
serving the community since
1993 I believe in what I do and I'm
hopeful that everyone is in agreement
and we're going to have these beautiful
sidewalks and people are going to be
proud and no one's going to get hurt
um uh walking down our our street um and
I'm all I have to say is um I'm grateful
and I'm I'm thankful for this
opportunity and I hope that you will
consider and everyone will um know that
this is this is a good thing and it's
not something that is meant to hinder
anyone and hopefully you
know it will you
know it will come to fruition and and I
thank you for your time thank you thank
you
[Applause]
yep Steve
Dorfman good evening my name is Steve
Dorman I reside at 811 Central
Parkway um from the proposals for the
parking I'm totally against it they want
to remove my bushes they want to set
back uh approximately two to three feet
into my property uh for four parking
spaces um my my wife is you know is has
mental and physical problems and this is
a stress honor besides that the people
that complained about parking on the
street okay got tickets because they
were parked on the sidewalk it doesn't
affect their property but it affects
mine my my next door neighbor Matt
nelligan uh he sent in a
uh a statement stating that he was
opposed to the project we're not opposed
to the parking uh not the parking let me
correct myself we're not opposed to the
sidewalks we're opposed to parking where
they're penalizing me as a resident for
38
years okay everybody on the block has
parking in the back uh in the alleyway
so they can park their cars in the
alleyway now personally I believe it's
if if they're so enthused about having
parking on the street they could take a
couple of feet away from from the island
which would give them more parking
because they from what I understand they
didn't want to take away their their
shrubs and their and and their trees and
so on and so forth so I'm totally
opposed to it and and I wished instead
of penalizing me that they
if they want to help people on on the
Block as far as parking which they don't
need because like I to be redundant they
can park in the back they all have
garages so that that's that's how I feel
I got a statement here if you if you
would like me to submit it I I sent it
to the uh uh the city clerk's office and
I said to uh the uh uh the people that
would that part of the project so like
uh again I'm not opposed to the
sidewalks I'm opposed to them uh
penalizing me for people because they a
couple of people got tickets because
they were parked on the
sidewalk I thank you for your time thank
you I have no one else signed up to
speak so I declare the public hearing
closed ask for approval of the minutes
for March minutes for March 24th
2024 move by Mr mudar second by Mr
Mancini all those in favor I ask the
clerk to please read any Communications
and
petitions Communications presented to
the city council for Monday April 8th
2024 under official there were none
under General from Nils Hedland of
American Legion Post 1485 a letter dated
March 18th 2024 thanking the city of
skincity for donated
funds from Warren monal an email in
response to the YouTuber the videotaped
City Hall and employees with advice
regarding the situation from Richard
head an email with advice and case law
against videotaping public officials at
work from Dollar tpin
OA an email slandering the mayor for not
allowing an an individual to record
employees from Dave Conley and Michael
Murphy an email with additional
suggestions for the Central Parkway
sidewalk
improvements from Steve and Ingrid
Dorfman an email regarding their
displeasure with the new plan for
Central Parkway sidewalk program they
would rather not have parking directly
in front of their home and offered
alternative plans such as making the
island smaller from Peter fine an email
regarding the Central Parkway sidewalk
program he does not like the
parking
[Music]
does not like losing four to five ft of
their front lawn he has plowing concerns
and suggested making an the island
smaller from Matt nigan and jacine moer
an email regarding the Central Parkway
sidewalk program he and his wife did not
sign up for the program and would like
all repairs to be completed by utilizing
grants since the street is a gateway to
Central Park and and will be used by
many residents from Jean Carney an email
stating her opposition regarding Central
Park sidewalk program assessment and
lack of communication regarding it and
under petitions there was a petition
turned in at the last city council
meeting with 971 signatures requesting a
resolution for an immediate ceasefire to
end civilian Bloodshed and ensure
humanit humanitarian Aid access to
Gaza thank you
I'd ask the clerk to uh excuse me ask
City Council Members to any committee
reports committee
reports seeing none this point in time
we have a privilege of the floor related
to the legislative agenda I have no one
signed up to speak so I declare the
public comment on the legislative agenda
closed ask council members for approval
of the legislative consent
agenda move by Mr mud second by Mr
Farley all those in
favor we do have one item for a roll
call
vote item number
nine the cler please
read item number nine for original
consideration a resolution authorizing
the mayor to enter into a lease
agreement for the beas hell Reservoir
residential unit I need a motion moved
by Mr Williams Reserve second second by
Mr manini
is there any discussion on this
item discussion on this
item okay okay if the clerk would please
call the
role Mr Toro
no Mr Farley yes Mr manini yes Mr M yes
Miss
Patrick I'm voting no
um I think that uh as I've stated at the
committee meetings and discussions about
this item um I think that um changing
the the outline of what we have had this
um employee um in the middle of his
employment um is is not really right um
this is you know part he he does a lot
um on the property to maintain the
property I think it would be more
expensive to hire a caretaker for the
property so I am voting no
Mr
Williams
yes Miss Porterfield yes motion passes 5
to
two this time we'll have privilege of
the floor regarding General City
business I have a number of people
signed
up 23 people signed up to
speak the first person and I'm going to
if I pronounce your name incorrectly
when you come to the rail please um
pronounce your name for us and and I
just want to remind everyone that this
portion of the um privilege of the floor
is only three minutes three minutes and
you will you are being timed so first
person I have signed up is taore AI
Naji
good evening thank you for your time my
name is tamour n I am a longtime
resident of the Capital District born
and raised I'm currently the vice
president of alh Center in laam we are
the largest mosque in the greater
Capital District I am here to support
some of my colleagues who have come
before you previously calling for the
city council to pass a resolution
calling for immediate and permanent
ceasefire in Gaza you may be wondering
why we are so adamant to have a local
political entity pass a resolution that
ultimately will not have a meaningful
effect on American foreign policy at the
end of the day local politicians don't
control American foreign policy the
reason why we are here and the reason
why we have gone before other local
entities including the Albany City
common Council and the Albany County
Legislature is because as we've seen
throughout American history through
different struggles whether through the
Civil Rights era whether through the
fight for women's voting rights symbolic
gestures symbolic actions can have a
profound impact on a controversy or
issue and in turn it can have a profound
impact on the perception of a
controversy or issue by the public
currently we are six months into what
can only be described per un regulations
as a genocide occurring in Gaza
according to statistics right now as of
today 33,000 people have been killed
more than 13,000 children are among them
and that also includes 8,400 women
75,000 Palestinians have been injured
and 8,000 have been missing thanks to
social media we are seeing horrific
images coming out of Gaza
including excuse me the bombing of
hospitals the bombing of hospitals the
bombing of refugee centers attacks on on
Aid workers the blockade of a
humanitarian aid for people in need the
list of atrocities goes on and on and on
and what we are asking you to do
essentially is be on the right side of
History because 20 30 40 years from now
the history books will be talking about
this conflict and the question before
you the question you have to ask
yourself as human beings is did you
stand on the right side of History even
though you yourself could not ultimately
change the conditions on the ground did
you do your part as leaders of the
community to voice your support or
opposition to a genocide we certainly
hope and pray that you are opposed to
the genocide in your hearts and in your
minds but the way that you can show the
general public that you are opposed to
it is through your powers as City
legislators through your powers to pass
resolutions because ultimately those
resolutions will have a profound effect
ultimately voting no on the ballot which
occurred very recently in our uh
Democratic primaries has a profound
impact on perception and so that that is
why I'm here as a local member of the
Muslim c community as a member of the
Muslim Community leadership in the
Capitol District I hope and pray that
our
message hits a tone with you and that
you would consider sincerely and pass a
resolution calling for a permanent
ceasefire in Gaza thank you very much
for your time than
you
William
nman thank you uh my name is William
neaman I live on Parkwood Boulevard in
SKC in October of last year the League
of Women Voters submitted my name to the
mayor to be their representative on the
civilian police review board the mayor
has not forwarded that recommendation to
the council for confirmation as required
by law the civilian police View Board
was created in 2002 as an independent
body to provide civilian oversight of
internal police complaint procedures and
investigations and to help improve
relationships between civilians and the
police in the two decades since we've
witnessed a growing professionalization
of our police force however it's the
nature of police work that there will
inevitably be conflicts between
civilians and police and some conflicts
will result in accusations Justified or
not of police misconduct
the board is not a body of the city
council or the mayor's office in fact
the city council only directly appoints
one member all other members are
appointed by the mayor and confirmed by
the council from candidates recommended
by a defined list of Civic organizations
including the
NAACP the Human Rights Commission this
connected United neighborhoods
Association connected inner city
Ministries the connected Municipal
Housing Authority the city council
itself has one appointe and the League
of Women Voters by specifying these
Community organizations the city council
by code made sure that the board would
represent a cross-section of City
communities the mayor is required by law
to appoint members from recommendations
made by the organizations named in the
code he has no discretion this is not
the mayor's body nor is it the councils
it is the city's body it is a body that
usually works in the background
inevitably though there will be an
incident that will result in accusations
of police
misconduct while the Civ while the
civilian police review board does not
have the power to directly discipline
police officers it does have the ability
to review internal police procedures and
make
recommendations this is a valuable check
on the police as well as a way to assure
the public that police internal review
procedures are undertaken properly the
League of Women Voters is represented on
the board by Julia hul whose term
expired last June in accordance with the
city code in October of 2023 the league
recommended me a member of the league to
be Julia's replacement in November the
mayor's office asked me for a resume
which I promptly submitted to date the
mayor has not forwarded the
recommendation to the council for
confirmation with no explanation to the
league or to the council again the mayor
must appoint representatives from among
the names submitted by the organizations
named in the legislation
his office has been contacted numerous
times by the league and has not even
provided the courtesy of a response this
body usually works in the background and
provides an essential service to the
city its members receive no compensation
and do it as a civic duty so we asked
why the mayor has not followed the law
and forwarded the League's
recommendation to the city council thank
you thank
you Ann haty
thank you uh my name is Annie haty I'm
the uh president of the League of Women
Voters of SKC County I'm here just to
Second the words of bill
neaman um we have been on the uh
civilian police review board uh for many years we've had a chair on this
board um for several years and we would
like to see our uh our nominee appointed
as soon as possible we don't take this
lightly um this is an important position
in the community and we have chosen our
nominee very
carefully uh thank you thank
you Cheryl
recen I live on Parkwood Boulevard I've
been on the board for the League of
Women Voters for 14 years and usually
our challenge is finding someone who
wants to serve on the civilian police
review board we found a
nominee and we are just mystified as to
why the mayor has not sent that uh uh
appointment to the city council and I'm a little disappointed that the mayor
is not here tonight but really if
there's an issue we'd like to know what
it is thank you thank
you Dr
Chima
I wanted to start by thanking you for
allowing our Muslim kids sing the joyful
Aid song I assure you that the children
of Gaza are spending the saddest Aid in
their lives while more than 13,000 of
them don't get to celebrate it simply
because they were killed during the
genocide it breaks my heart that we are
back here asking you to add your voices
to those to those who are standing
against Genesis
while you are still insisting on
including those who are championing
genocide between the time we were here 2
weeks ago and now many lives were taken
away by the IDF including that of a US
Aid worker along with six of his
colleagues I ask this question would we
set a Ukrainian and a Putin supporter
and have them discuss the war before we
call for a ceasefire Let It Be set on
record that we have done our due to
elligence by emailing you links to
educate you about the reality on the
ground of the US taxpayers funded
genocide of Palestinians by the Israeli
occupation forces this genocide is
funded by each and every working adult
in this room are you comfortable funding
a genocide for the African-Americans
here did you forget our history in this
country we all know that slavery is not
part of the history of this country
simply because we know it has not end Ed
it evolved for the Irish Americans here
who are not disconnected from their
history you know the genocide and
man-made famine is a generational trauma
that is still felt till this day the
Italians Chinese Japanese Catholics Jews
Muslims and the list goes on do you know
why did each group suffer and why many
continue to suffer till this day it is
because of the attitude that most have
the attitude of my
problem the suffering and genocide of
the Palestinians is a mere reflection of
our own State our lack of Bravery tells
me that you don't have my back as an
American citizen your subjectivity on
this simple issue of Human Rights is a
reminder for our system or reminder of
our system of Supremacy your silence is
a deafening betrayal of the values we
hold dear to our hearts if you choose to
do nothing your names will go down in
history on the opposite side of those
who believe and Fight For Freedom it's
not too late to add your names next to
Nelson Mandela Gandhi Martin Luther King
and others like the US Airman Aaron
bushnel who died refusing to be
complicit with our government's direct
participation in the genocide and Jacob flingr a US citizen who was killed
in Gaza while feeding the starving
Palestinian men women and children who
are being starved to death by the IDF
Jacob and six other Aid workers were
killed while you were being sensitive to
the feelings of those who believe the
genocide should
continue last time we asked you to
follow the lead of Albany city council
but today we are asking you to follow
the lead of you Albany student Senate in
passing the resolution adopt bring to
the floor and pass the ceasefire
resolution now thank you thank
you
ashar
ATA good evening I actually put my name
there twice one was I was registering
for Dr insaf and you call my name
earlier yes that was for the public
hearing but you said no no because yeah
so I chose the wrong options it was two
entries I'm just letting you know one is
me the other is Dr insa Who sitting here
so can I ask her to speak she is already
on the sheet sir oh she's there that's
good okay so I'm going to start your
time because we were having a little
conversation for okay thank you very
much so good evening again and um just
to bring the isue that uh as Dr Chima
said that we are requesting this Council
to take up the resolution for ceasefire
in Gaza and occupied Palestine by the
occupying aarth regime of Israel these
are not my words when I'm calling them
aarth because this is what lots of
humanitarian organizations across the
world are
saying uh we are also being told that
the council wants to hear both sides so
there are no both sides in an occupied
and occupying situation when one for one
part of the people are occupied and the
other is the occupier there is no both
sides and by the way there were no those
both sides in slavery and the
enslavement of the black people there
were no both sides in the occupation of
the Indian lands there were no both
sides in the British colonization of the
subcontinent and there were no both
sides in the aparti in South Africa we
all know that there were no both sides
although the the the occupying forces
they always made the case that the
others deserved it that there was always
a reason for that discrimination for
that occupation for the genocide and so
on the other case that's often being
made or that's being asked of us what
would a city council why would it
matter how would a local city council
matter all like I said it said that all
um issues are
Global so I'll give you an example I'll
read something I hope it doesn't take a
lot of time it's a news article talks
about Joseph Zuma 71 he was forly
indicted in couple of weeks after
October 7th on three counts of first
degree murder one count of attempted
murder two counts of AG battery and two
counts of hate crime he pleaded not
guilty at his
arrangement however the prosecutors have
said the
zuba this is what he was accused of he
stabbed a
6-year-old Wadi alfi 6 26 times 26 times
a six-year-old was stabbed 26 times and
here's why and his mother a 32-year-old
Hanan Shaheen was stabbed more than than
a dozen times because of their religion
and nationality wadii was laid to rest
and his mother remained in hospital and
could not participate in his son's
burial but investigators determined that
the victims were targeted I quote were
targeted by the suspect due to them
being Muslim and the ongoing Middle
Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the
Israelis this is this happened in
Chicago so this is the realities we live
in our cities are are we
are composed of all kinds of people and
we do get affected by what happens
overseas and this is the reason we are
requesting you to pass this
resolution so now let's quickly talk
about who is being bombarded and and
indiscriminately killed in Palestine it
is it is being done by an apartheid
state and occupied it is done on people
who are occupied for three generations this is not a
recent conflict it does not stop start
on October 7th this is being inflicted
on people who have been occupied for
more than three generations right now
84% of the health facilities are damaged
water and sanitation system has
collapsed 100% of education system has
collapsed and millions of people are
without home and 75% of the population
is displaced while they are being told
that they actually deserve it they
actually deserve it sir your time is up
and I just wanted to let you finish that
statement but your time is expired so I
think I have made my case I thank you
very much for the time for allowing me
the time thank
[Applause]
you Jamaica
miles SKC mayor though not here this
evening in city council please join the
National and International Community in
its pleas for a permanent ceasefire
release of all hostages those held by
Israel and Hamas an end to Us weapons
being shipped to Israel and the
immediate and unencumbered access to
humanitarian Aid so desperately
needed we stand here on colonized
land this land is colonized
land the blood still seeps into the
ground here from enslaved Africans and
the genocide of indigenous people on
this
land two weeks ago one day after the
last city council meeting there was a
report of the Special Report tour on the
situation of human rights in the
Palestinian territories occupied since
1967 by Franchesca albanes to the U
Human Rights Council it is titled
anatomy of a genocide and I quote after
5 months of military occupation Israel
has destroyed Gaza over 30,000
Palestinians have been killed including
more than 13,00 th000 children over 12
12,000 are presumed dead and 71,000
injured many with lifechanging
mutilations 70% of residential areas
have been destroyed 80% of the whole
population has been forcibly displaced
thousands of families have lost loved
ones or have been wiped out many could
not B bury or mourn their relatives
forced instead to leave their bodies
decomposing in homes IND the street or
under the rubble thousands have been
detained and systematically subjected to
inhumane and degrading treatment
the incalculable collective trauma will
be experienced for generations to come
by analyzing the patterns of violence in
Israel's policies on its Onslaught in
Gaza this report concludes that there
are reasonable grounds to believe that
the threshold indicating Israel's
Commission of genocide is met the
overwhelming nature and scale of
Israel's assault on Gaza and the
destruction destructive conditions of
life it has inflicted reveal an intent
to physically destroy Palestinians as a
group this report Court finds that there
are reasonable grounds to believe that
the threshold indicating the commission
of the following acts of genocide
against Palestinians in Gaza has been
met killing members of the group causing
serious bodily or mental harm to groups
members and deliberately inflicting on
the group conditions of Life calculated
to bring about its physical destruction
in whole or in part genocidal Acts were
approved and given effect following
statements of genocidal intent issued by
senior military and government officials
end quote every single day every minute
while we stand here people are being
murdered and starved to death as an
ongoing attack an act of genocide which
can be stopped the hostages could be
returned immediately if Israel agreed to
a ceasefire and return of their hostages
the federal government moved as little
as it did because they were forced to
move the majority of US citizens support
this the pressure from every we wear is
still needed an important message is not
just for the International Community but
to the connec residents that all life is
valuable and no one gets to build their
homes on the bones of the children that
they murdered thank
you thank you
vat
Madame President and members of the
council I am a proud resident of the
city of
SKC and I'm here to support the
ceasefire
resolution in the late 18th century my
grandparents moved from colonized India
to colonized Africa and now here I am in
colonized North America how many more
times do we have to move from continent
to continent only to keep witnessing
people stealing land from others
oppressing them tormenting them
dehumanizing them and killing them in
the
thousands Madame President members of
the council at present there is a
fullblown genocide taking place in Gaza
to fully appreciate what is going on
there I quote Israeli writer Alon
Mahi the genocide has seen innumerable
atrocities and
massacres but what happened at asifa
hospital in Gaza deserves a study a
university course and a Wikipedia page
of its own I have never seen anything
like this ever I don't think even Isis
accomplished anything like this this
looks like the work of death squads high
on drugs on a long
orgy armed with 21st century
weapons it is so insane we cannot even
understand what it means yet and it will
take us years to grasp that particular
episode in the
genocide I have no idea what Israel did
to the soldiers to prepare them for this
but it just doesn't look possible that
normal humans even the most hateful can
perform this and it went on for 3
weeks I'm at a loss for an
explanation even in the context of the
utter depravity we've witnessed this
stands out as extremely extremely
Sinister my God we have sunk so low end
of
quote city of skincity let us make our
children proud let them look back at
sked city council one day and say when
world leaders and politicians decided to
look the other way when over 30,000
people in Gaza were killed with our tax
dollars our city was one of the first in
New York state to call for a ceasefire
we did not wait until we had no choice
but to admit that war crimes were being
committed that ethnic cleansing was
taking place that colonizers controlled
the world
we the people of SKC had the courage and
the moral conviction to stand with
people whose land has been stolen who
are imprisoned indefinitely and without
trial who are being starved to death and
whose limbs are being amputated without
anesthesia thank
[Applause]
you thank you
Ed Leen
Jr good evening last meeting I left
proof of my allegations that two corrupt
judges committed the crime of conspiracy
depr me of my constitutional rights yet
again none of you have contacted me
mayor is chief law enforcement officer
in concy council members are supposed to
help taxpaying citizens you're all part
of the conspiracy now and all of you
have committed obstruction of
governmental administ ministration if
convicted none of you can hold office
again the mayor as an executive if
prosecuted I believe it's a mandatory
sentence now that Shawn rays of YouTube
Long Island audit has been falsely
arrested by the mayor's nonsense
executive order I believe 500,000 people
will know all your name
soon by the end of the month I would say
you keeping my ethic complaints out of
the Gazette that's for the mayor who is
not here and off the news channels
doesn't much matter except to prove you
were covering up for Frost and Pho Long
Island audit has more viewers than the
TV news and a Gazette will only print
what you tell them to print as I said
before 10 million people will know your
name and how corrupt you are that
includes the city police chief the
sheriff the judges County attorney the
district attorney and United States
Attorney
Barnett have Clear Proof of these crimes
you've done nothing you've done nothing
for the pensioners at St Claire's what
the hell did you run for you've done
nothing for the Humphrey
family all belong in jail thank
you Michael
zfairy president miss Porterfield city
council good evening my name is Mike
Superior 21 um your property owner
connected hope you're having a good even
good evening one two issues I want to
talk about one um two years ago December
of 2022 I was honored to do um two
plaque present presentations one for the
SKC Police Department the other one for
the rer police
department um to this day I want to tell
you how much I honor we honor them and
we respect them and love
them um an officer recently I think it
was about a week and a half ago Long
Island Brooklyn New York Jonathan Diller
was tragically killed the person who
killed him who shot him had 21
arrests something needs to change in
this state regarding his police officers
any kind of law enforcement every day
they go out there and they put their
lives on the line it's time we put our
lives on the line for them and we
respect them and give them the
protection they
need
um every day they leave their homes and
I have relatives in the police
departments connect reram friends every
time time they walk out that door they
say they say goodbye to their wives and
their loved ones they don't know if
they're coming home but they put their
lives on the line every day and God I
respect them I pray for them every day
and I hope everybody here does the same
thing and I wanted to honor them and
think of Jonathan Diller and his and his
wife Stephanie and their family and all
the officers out there bless them every
day and my closing note is I want to
respond to Four City c three city
council persons and Mrs pfield Mr
Williams Miss Patrick Mr Toro
Miss pfield every time I call you and
text you you always come back to me you
always get stuff done I want you to know
that I respect that I'm fed up with the
rhetoric of how you people get trashed
enough is enough they say you people
don't do things you do and I know you do
and people out there know you do so
needs to stop people know who they are
out there just stop we respect you thank you very much thanks for
letting me talk thank you
mayel
Leon my name is Maya Leon and I come
before you tonight to ask your support
for a resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza
and an end to weapon sales to Israel all
over the United States resolutions are
being supported and adopted by local
councils to bring awareness and support
for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza an
immediate delivery of humanitarian Aid
and a return of the hostages you may ask
why am I coming before city council a
local government entity and bringing
before you an international
issue uh in a democracy when our
national government does not not listen
to the citizens who are crying for
justice and Humanity we must use every
peaceful strategy to change that
government
policy a democracy demands action from
its citizens and all government bodies I
will not be silent and I hope you as my
governing body will not be silent
either I stand stand before you to
Proclaim in a loud voice that I am not a
sorter of Hamas that I was horrified by
the Hamas attack on Israeli
civilians and I will tell you
criticizing the government of Israel
does not make me an
anti-semite today as of today
people in Gaza have been killed with the
majority being children and women 100
journalists have been killed 200
humanitarian workers and we can add the
seven from uh the Central Kitchen every
hour in Gaza 15 people are killed and
six are children 35 are injured every hour and 42 bombs fall on them the
camps that they've been forced from
their homes to live in are
overcrowded water is scarce and unclean
toilets are nonexistent or
unsanitary severe injuries are
untreated and disease is
rampant and now famine has set in and
there are deaths due to starvation we
all know this it is on our TVs it is on
our phones it is in our
newspapers this is an elimination of a
people the Palestinian people anyone who
believes in human rights would demand an
end to this
madness permanen SE fire open all roots
for Humanity Arian Aid return the
hostages and work for a
resolution for the
Palestinians and for the Israelis thank
you thank
[Applause]
you Robert
sandals oh Robert Sanders Mr s Sanders
yes I can see who you are now good
evening how are you um I want just want
to talk to you on two of the um original
consideration things one was about the
vape shops smoke shops and things to
that nature to make it very quick I hope
every steart in cumland farms isn't
going to be selling cigarettes either
because the Vape and cigars are legal
products last I knew we followed the
Constitution of the United States of
America okay uh as for the stockade and
historical district that was on the
zoning board for eight years 92 to 2000
okay that's a special area by the Dutch
okay that was settled by the Dutch you
know the history I don't have to tell
you about SKC but there shouldn't be any
changing to build new buildings and
destroy the history of the city of SKC
um let me just go on a little bit uh I
don't think we should be giving Aid to
Ukraine
Russia um Gaza Palestine or Israel okay
there there's a thing that every
politician knows all politics is local
it was like the little child who died
over on 12th Street okay I came across I
said to this councel we need something
for children and families in this
city no one paid any attention to me
councilman member moodon said I tried to
get it on the agenda no one listen we
have a dead child now Lord knows how
that's going to come out what's
happening 7,000 miles away has nothing
to do with the United States okay we got
veterans we got homeless people we got
drugs coming across the Mexican border
we have big time issues but this is the
city of connecti you are elected by the
people of the city is connecti that's
what you swore to the Constitution of
the city is connec and the state of New
York okay that's where your due
diligence lies okay now I totally
understand how these people feel cuz how I feel all these tax dollars going
to Ukraine to Russia to Israel here and
there why don't we get them why aren't
we getting those dollars I got it I
understand it but this is the United
States we got to take care of our own
house first what's the old saying a
house of cards will not stand something
like that that's where we're at
everybody's picking a box I'm black I'm
Indian I'm white you know I'm Muslim I'm
this I'm that okay no no no we're
Americans we're Americans here I
understand Irish German okay there's
people from African descent there's
people from all over but right here this
is the city of SKC this is what the city
of SKC is all about okay so we address
those situations those problems first
then move on if we can move on there's a person too Madam president I'm
gonna end it right here his name is
Congressman Paul tono call him talk to
him okay we we have state senators
people like that talk to them the city
is connected he is the city of SK thank
you very much and have a good day thank
you B
hakeim and please correct me your name
for me sure I didn't get that
right uh hello good evening uh my name
is aim and I'm one of the Muslim
community members so uh first of all uh
thank you for having me here uh I would
like to start uh with the Holy verses of
the Holy Quran which says in
Arabic so the translation would be uh oh
mankind indeed we have created you from
a me male and female and made you
Nations and tribes that you may know
each other indeed uh the best of you in
the sight of God is the the one who most
regards God so we are all here for the
uh ceasefire resolution in this Hall we
are gathered from different nations and
different backgrounds but mostly we are
residents of SKC
uh City uh everyone is United here for a
very valid and important cause that is
the ceasefire as every day we see a lot
of innocent people including uh men and
women and children who are dying uh in
Palestine this oppression and Injustice
should be end as soon as possible if we
are supposed to be in such conditions
just if we imagine ourselves in in that
conditions imagine how we would seek
Justice for ourselves the same we seek
Justice for our brothers and sisters in
Palestine I would say that you shouldn't
be belonging to any particular religion
to stand for this important cause but as
a human being and living in a free
Democratic world this is a cause which
is very important and uh must be present
to everybody and this is to bring peace
and stability to those oppressed people
on the other side of the world uh this
resolution should be passed as soon as
possible thank you for your attention
and for having me here thank
[Applause]
you thank
you s Ahmad
no respected brothers and sisters uh I
agree to you all with this Islamic
greetings assalam
alaykum this means uh peace be upon you
all uh my name is S Ahmed N I am
resident of skti city I'm here to
support uh ceasefire resolution for
Palestine
today uh one of the heartbreaking events
on social media I saw was uh the
children's cloth Roots were put to put
side by
side uh by the numbers of
thousands uh children
killed and it was picturized by a
drone and the scene was in
Miles the question here is how many more
children have to be
murdered to
seize uh the
fire
although in Quran chapter 5 verse 32
Allah says
that whoever kills in innocent human
beings it means that he has killed the
whole
humanity and whoever Saves a Life of a
human
being he saves the whole
Humanity so Allah here in this wor
mentions human beings not a specific
group of peoples or
religion
so what we believe is that each
innocent Soul being
killed is that like the humanity is
being
killed again the question is how many
times the Community has to be killed to
reach to the point to seize the
fire uh let's put ourselves in the shoes
of Palestine
people what if we were the family member
of those innocent people
killed will we still
be will we still not stop the ceasefire
and support the ceasefire
resolution and at the
end I would like to mention on the
speech of our president when he was not
elected by that time he he repeated uh a
Hadith the saying of prophet Muhammad
peace be upon
him so the prophet said
stop the wrong with your hands if you
cannot stop it with your tongue and if
you cannot do that then hate it in your
hurs so I again request you all to
please join me in the ceasefire
resolution for Palestinians thank you
very much for your time thank
you
[Applause]
Frank
wicks
you those are all hard speakers to
follow but one point to make is along
with the siege fire uh we're we're we're
using our tax money to send weapons to
Israel and uh Israel tells us we can't
tell them what to do with them so the
way to cut it off is to stop using our
tax money to send the
weapons
uh
the historians of the Holocaust are
comparing Israel
today with Germany in the
1930s what are the similarities the
Nazis and Israel claimed to have special
people based on their
Birthright if if you don't have the
right birth right you don't
matter uh Nazis then and Israel Israelis
now are committing genocide
and ethnic cleansing to get rid of the
others Israel Israeli leader shows a
triumphant map with only Israel between
the river and the sea in other words
there's no such thing as
Palestinians uh illegal settlements in
the West
Bank by Israel are terrorizing and uh
killing the Palestinians for many
years uh Christmas Eve
Israelis attack the birthplace of Jesus
in
Bethlehem didn't get much attention but
it
should uh Israelis
attacked Israeli continues to kill and
thousands of Palestinian babies
children women Innocents in
Gaza Israel was also committing genocide
by
starvation of Palestinians in
Gaza Israel is
also Israel continues to kill hundreds
of uh human of
humanitarian work Aid
workers uh members of the press and
doctors in
Gaza uh Israel in the past uh encouraged
the United States to start a war in uh
in h Afghanistan for 20-year war and
also the war in Iraq for the regime
changed
uh now they're trying to get United
States to start a war with
Iran and that has to be
resisted
uh and again this could not happen
without our weapons the president can
stop the can can can stop everybody
stopping the weapons any day now he
could have from the start and israeli's
best hope for survival is a actually to
make make peace with their neighbors
rather than using our weapons for
continue war and this is what Albert
Einstein had in mind when he encouraged
the creation of Israel back in the
1940s thank you thank
[Applause]
you Ed
varno
good evening my name is Ed varno I'm the
newly elected treasurer of the city of
SKC GOP tonight on behalf of all our
constituents who couldn't be here but
are tired of petty politics we see being
played at every city council meeting I
take exception with the all the time the
city council is focused on scoring
political points surrounding the city
renting property to a city employee at
beas Hill this started with your
claiming that this was about generating
revenue for the city now it looks like
it's increasing the rent by $2,400
annually will cost the city
approximately
$400,000 or more to bring up the code
the Porterfield way of raising revenue
we'd be bankrupt within weeks if you
were our mayor I recognize that
councilman Williams is fond of telling
everyone he has an MBA the same council
member who was put in charge of the city
budget that for the first time in 30
years wasn't adopted on time and his and
your budget would have put us on the
FastTrack to
bankruptcy I may not have an MBA like Mr
Williams as I went to work protecting
our city and its citizens As A
Firefighter but I know the difference
between trying to save taxpayer in
perpetuating a political ruse by certain
council members bent on creating
division attacking the administration
that in the end taxpayers will pay the
price for but the whole rent situation
reminded me that you miss Porterfield
rent space from the
county and looking at your rent history
I found that you the only time you paid
your rent on time for the past seven
years was the F the three months in a
row during the past mayor or primary
which you lost I also found your rent
hasn't been increased in six years so if
you want to talk about responsibilities
and costs associated with renting from
either the city or in your case the
county going five six and sometimes
seven months overdue and never paying
your rent on time with no penalties for
being late is unacceptable by any metric
if this city council is truly looking
for ways to generate funds
Andor just as important saving taxpayer
dollars the city GOP is willing to help
thank you thank
you Tom
Kennedy
honorable Matt Dy City
Council
uh I Rise my name is Tom Kennedy I'm the
chair of the Republican party
uh it was mid-march when the city GOP
first sorry I got to take these cheaters
off when the city GOP first became aware
of the legal dumping that was being done
along i890 West between Exit 4 Michigan
Aven exit 5 Broadway we first called
upon the city to clean up the areas
where The Dumping had been occurring we
called attention to the health hazards
near the illegal dumps and how these
areas were embarrassing sight as it was
an entryway into our city we also
identified health and safety concerns
for the residents who liveed near these
illegal
dumps this was the first time that we
had mentioned using American Rescue plan
act funds to address these legal dumps
and tackle the conditions they left
behind in our
city over the course of the next two
weeks we attempted to find out the
process of how to apply for these arpa
funds it was during this time that we
also
introduced uh also introduced using
these funds for surveillance videoing of
the area fencing increased lighting to
save off these would be illegal
dumpers we were advised that we would
have to go through the city council to
find out the process to apply for arpa
funding we continue to try to get
answers from the city council finally I
wrote you the city council president a
letter to request the process but
instead of you advising me on how to
apply for an arer proposal you chose to
accuse me and others in Republican party
of bigotry and personal
bias the city GOP was trying to help wly
Street residents clean up their
neighborhood and find ways to help the
city address their concerns while at the
same time trying to make our city
cleaner and more presentable place to
live for everyone your message
responding to my letter requesting an
answer on submitting an art proposal was
both shocking disappointing and quite
honestly frankly ma'am uh you should be
ashamed of
yourself but on another note more
positive be advised we have been meeting
with the residents of Wy Street and we
have just begun to help these citizens
find solutions to their issues whether
it's with arpa funds CBG or raising
funds in other areas we will get the job
done for the Wally Street residents
thank you very much thank
you right some someone only put their
first name and it looks like chantis or
stantis it's only a first name or only
one name I'm not sure if it's the first
or the
last okay
Abdul Baku
no
okay no so this person uh I'm going to
spell this because I'm I'm not sure a d
a b d a l r a h m a
n and what is your first name okay
that's
you
so hello everyone my name is ABD rman
and I'm here today representing the um
the University at Albany chapter of
student for justice in
Palestine and I'm also here today as a
Palestinian Jordanian
woman so being a part of our campus as
student for justice in Palestine means
that my peers and I must set aside our
different our pride and differences for
one common goal The Liberation of the
Palestinian people one of the goals was
to passed the BDS um ceasefire
resolution and on Wednesday April 3rd
the our student Senate passed that
resolution and one of the main things
that we had to argue was that this is a
genocide we all know standing here I
hope that we know that this is a
genocide with the death toll being over
40,000 plus people Palestinian people
including children women elderly people
being murdered
every single day standing here today A
Palestinian is being murdered at the
second right now so I call for the city
council of skincity to call for an
immediate
ceasefire and also one of the points
that was made by the Zionist on campus
that also spoke to not get this
resolution to pass was that Palestinians
are not being murdered they're
dying how are they dying you how are
they dying they're being murdered by the
IDF sold they're being bombed innocent
people are being bombed um and one of
the other points
was that this is not a fight against the
Palestinian residents this is a fight
against Hamas but the this point has
been brought up a few times in this um
in in this meeting and that
was um there was a US citizens who was
bombed by the Israeli soldiers including
an Australian one these people do not
have a single drop of Palestinian blood
in them they are not Palestinian people
and they still got bombed for being in
Palestine to Aid Palestinians to give
them humanitarian Aid to be medical
assistance for for injured Palestinians
because the Medical Aid in Palestine
doctors right now are struggling they do
not have the resources women do not have
the resources for their cycle for their
monthly cycle us as women we we are
grateful to go stop by CBS a drugstore
to get pads to get tampons they do not
have that resource this is a humanly
function thing that women go through
every single month and we all know this
they don't have those resources doctors
don't know how to deal with um with a um
with injured people anymore they are
using anything that they can because
they do not have those resources and the
people who were trying to give them
those resources they got bombed by the
ADF soldiers so as a Palestinian
Jordanian woman as a pales jordanan
student as a 17-year-old I am standing
here in front of you guys to call for an
immediate ceasefire cuz what is
happening is not okay the U Albany um
student Senate passing the BDS
resolution is not enough it's not enough
this is the and we inshallah we are also
not the first uh not the only school
that passes this this resolution but
what we are doing is not enough me
standing here is not enough with the
United States Israel needs to call for a
ceasefire and they're not doing that so
as as a resident of leam New York I'm
standing here to call for a SE um to um
please understand to call for a Seas SP
thank you thank
[Applause]
you
[Music]
jedah P oh here you
come say your name please hello my name
is j
PCO um journalist bassan once said the
will of the people cannot fail if we
can't shape the world we live in if we
cannot stop a genocide so miserable is
our life I am an exhausted but
persistent organizer in many capacities
for the U Al Community I used to
understand the sentiment that we are far
away from the atrocities and brutal
attacks on the people in the West Bank
and Gaza but I recall a video I once saw
of a little girl who had said that she
is the last surviving girl in her
Elementary School I think back to
another girl my age who said before the
occupation she was studying in
University I'll bring my emotions to a
very small part of my identity because I
have many
identities I can talk about how this
occupation has not only inflicted a
genocide but an ecocide how the land
will take generations to even start
healing I can talk about how women in
Palestine are giving birth without
proper C-section materials dying in the
process or how women if any Aid reaches
them at all are not given the proper
Sanitary products they need there are so
many intersections but the disruption of
Education the very thing we all should
recognize is a human right is what has
been keeping me up at night more than
the projects that are do past past do in
school more than that final that I have
coming up it's all very minuscule to me
although I should be glad that these are
where my stresses and as a student I
want to remind this body that there are
no universities left in Gaza
that at the very least as lovers of
Education standers that knowledge is
power this the very thing that brought
you to this role that you are sitting in
today that you must move to action that
education is the greatest gift a person
can have and our systems have
Partnerships with occupied Palestine who
are facilitating Terror we've seen it we
have watched it and the people of
Palestine are watching us watch them I
call you to take lead as adults on
passing a permanent ceasefire resolution
and not to say to say not on what our
watch we must agree at the very least
just we we must agree on this at the
very least just last week my school U
Albany was the first Sunni School Senate
to pass the ceas fire resolution if the
students saw the saw this call to action
SKC can can do it too it is possible we
are not powerless and I need you all to
believe and understand in your power I
stand here
today to call for a resolution to pass
for this body to stand unshakably
besides the oppressed people of the
world if not for anything else then for
the love of Education you cannot let
yourself sit in these seats and that
with the education that brought you all
here and allow this to continue we
cannot accept that we we have to take
care of our own house first because our
struggles are all connected and if we
fail Gaza we will fail ourselves because
what are we really free people if we
cannot do everything we can I go I'll go
back to my campus dorm tonight open my
laptop in the dark and try to do
assignments while forces have destroyed
this experience for Palestinian students
Palestine has called on us the U albony
students to pick up the call so pick up
the
call we will not be bystanders we should
all do everything we can and we should
all feel empty because of this fact
shame on us if we do not speak and shame
on you if you do not proceed with
tangible action thank you thank
[Applause]
you
marabel if you could State your last
name because it's not legible sorry my
name is mirbel
Stantler I a student organizer at U
Albany I am Jewish and I grew up
learning that every person is an entire
world there's a Jewish teaching that
anyone who saves a life saves an entire
world and whoever destroys a single soul
destroys an entire world and the the
Zionist fascist parias state of Israel
using the false cover of Judaism has
destroyed more than
41,46 Worlds by murdering more than
41,46
Palestinians I unequivocally reject any
assertion that calling for a ceasefire
or demanding Liberation for the
Palestinian people is anti-Semitic I
emphatically reaffirm that anti-zionism
is not anti-Semitism and that the
illegitimate state of Israel is not to
be inflated with the Jewish diaspora or
Judaism I understand that Zionism
anti-Semitism and islamophobia are
manifestations of white supremacy and
colonialism all of our oppressions are
interconnected and true Liberation is
dependent on fighting white supremacy in
all its forms because of this I am moved
to action one part of that meant
organizing for months to get our student
government to pass the historic
resolution demanding that U Albany and
Sunni divest from genocide and call for
a ceasefire this resolution passed last
Wednesday making you Aly the first but
not the last Sunni to demand divestment
the students United will never be
defeated which is why we knew we would
not fail as students we understand our
unique obligation as individuals in the
belly of the Beast to use our privilege
to ensure our universities and the
institutions we are a part of not be
complicit in genocide apartheid and
colonization and the people United will
never be defeated which is why skty must
pass a CE fire resolution as our your
and my tax dollars continue to fund the
Zionist entity that is actively starving
the people of Gaza and paying for the
weapons that are murdering Palestinians
daily demanding a ceasefire and the
unimpeded entry of Aid to Gaza in every
way you can is the absolute least you
can do none of us can ever be doing
enough as we simultaneously fund a
genocide but we must try to do as much
as we can it is shameful that the U
Albany student government has shown more
courage and steadfast Fess in their
commitment to humanity and morality than
the body of this than this body of
elected officials you all have tangible
power and if you are not brave enough to
use it you have failed as an institution
and as individuals I would expect that
you all share in this OB obligation to
humanity and are moved to action thank
you thank
you Ron
Hubert my name is Rod Hubert I'd like to
address the council good evening um I'm
not going to be up here and be negative
and attack the members that's just not
the right thing to do we're here to
discuss City business I feel bad that
everything has happened
but this is what we got to do well
anyways I Carl Williams has helped me
with the potholes he's called me and
gotten in touch with me and
today there was somebody on my street
actually patching the hole so we're going the right way you know and
uh I'm very
grateful the next thing I think each
council member should pick a project in
the
city clean up the park clean up uh crank
Street other things but uh I finally got
something to help me and that's really
nice
okay good seeing you and uh we'll keep
going thank you thank you
Carl thank
you and the
[Applause]
last Dr
Ina good evening and thank you for
allowing me to speak speak on this
unparalleled human tragedy of our times
and thank you uh for allowing me to
speak with the confusion in the sign up
um we are asking you to adopt a
resolution supporting Cesar in Gaza I'm
an epidemiologist and a public health
worker my research area is Health
disparities but I come to you as a
mother as a fellow human being Beyond
race and religion I come to speak
because I need to be able to look my
kids in in their eyes and say that I was
not quiet I need to be true to my
profession and speak against Injustice
and racism everywhere because today
being silent is being complicit you say
why here what does this stragedy
unfolding have to do with us the reason
is our tax dollars they fund the weapons
being used against children against Aid
convoys against hospitals our tax
dollars that could be put to much better
use in communities like skincity Prov
providing Healthcare access after school
programs eliminating food desert
building conditions things we've heard
tonight funding Medicaid Medicare Social
Security I come here because you are our
representatives and you have public
platforms available to you to speak up
and speak out I will speak up here I
will call my federal representatives and
I will talk to anyone who listens and we
ask that you do as well what we are
seeing unfolding is an unhal of a People
Israel launched the war immediately
after October 7 Terror attacks by Hamas
at that time the Israeli government said
the operation had two goals eliminating
Hamas and bringing back hostages taken
by the militants to Gaza over 1.7
million people in Gaza have been
displaced since October 7 over 33,000
civilians have been killed of them 40%
are children 25% are women at least Le
200 Medics and more than 135 un staff
have been killed hospitals doctors Aid
workers journalists are all specific
targets none of these dead could be
possibly called combatants how much
collateral damage justifies killing so
many children why is the scale of this
oppression so disproportionate that
makes thousands of children
offense the who has issued dire warnings
that the threat of epidemics as
displayed Palestinians are crowded
together in tents and makeshift shelters
without sanitation facilities and clean
water there are conditions of starvation
and famine unfolding before our eyes the
who has called for orders of protection
of humanitarian Personnel following
detentions of medical personnel at
checkpoints when did we become a nation
that stays quiet as children are killed
and starved when did we start looking
the other way when clearly marked eight
convoys that were being coordinated with
Israeli are specifically targeted and
blown to smithin where is your outrage
where is the accountability for public
servants where are the rules of war and
engagement you want me to condemn
violence here I condemn all violence can
we all just stand for Humanity for our
children for those that have been
subject to systemic racism here and in
the world we want you to take up this
resolution on our behalf there are no
two sides to humanism ceasefire now and
ceasefire for the sake of humanity
please pass this resolution please
adopt thank you I have no one else
signed up to speak for the public
comment of City business so I declare
this public comment
closed at this point in time
miscellaneous business of the
council I called all the names that were
on the
sheet at this time any Miss business of
the
council um the mayor is not here as we
can all see and so Matt Daly is sitting
for in for the mayor this evening Mr
Daly okay yeah yeah so the mayor has
asked me to sit an in for him tonight
which is an absolute pleasure for me and
uh I see the temperature in the room is
a little bit high at the moment and so
uh my name is mat dy I am the golf
professional at sked Municipal Golf
Course and I can't tell you about world
issues but I can tell you that I can
bring uh a lot of people in our
community some Joy if you would come up
to our facility and and and see what we
have to offer uh tomorrow we're going to
open the golf course for the season uh
mayor McCarthy traditionally opens the
golf course uh against a sitting member
of the SKC High School golf team uh
there's a little competition that they
have done over the years and the
American Red Cross including the
skincity fire department will be on hand
to sort of educate us on uh the
importance of smoke detection in
people's houses and there's a great
program that they have we run a raffle
for the American Red Cross and all the
proceeds that we raise go directly back
to them in which case we'll be back in a
few months to present that uh to uh the
Red Cross in front of all of you um but
I I certainly hope that you take the
opportunity because it is a public golf
course and it is open to not just uh the
city residents but non-residents alike
and it is a very incredible benefit if
you were a city resident to come up
there and uh the doors always open and
we hope to see you thank you thank you
Mr daily so I'd like to thank everyone
for coming out this evening I've s heard
some very impassioned speeches and um
concerns and and I don't you know I
heard some things said but I believe
that we all are believe in in
humanitarian Aid and we all believe that
there should be no violence against
everyone so as I stated before and I'll
say it again I'm always open to that
conversation so send emails and I'm just
waiting for for someone to say yes we'd
like to sit down and talk I only speak
for myself I cannot speak for other
council members it's up to other council
members if they want to engage in
conversation I would hope that we would
want to because without communication
then we really cannot understand what um
what everyone wants to say and the
communication needs to be a dialogue as
you come here you get to speak to us but
we do not get to speak in return that's
just the way the process is here but
again I'm open for open to dialogue too
with anyone who is um Dr shakima
initially sent that email I'm still open
to that I just want to say that I'm also
I'd like to thank the children for
coming tonight that was it was very nice
to hear them I appreciate uh Dr isad for
uh asking for them to come and it's
always great to hear um from from
children always but also to hear of all
the cultures that represent our
city I I want to thank the firefighters
for their uh Cancer Foundation run this
week uh this weekend and I had an
opportunity to uh to be with them
actually it was not it was past this
last weekend before and it was very cold
yet you know people were out supporting
the Cancer Foundation so I want to thank
everyone that came
out um just want to remind folks that
first of all there was one thing that
was said in in terms of city council
versus administrative the city council
is not the body which you submit in uh
request for for funding that is an
administrative function the city council
is a legislative body so we then decide
once it's gone through the
administration if that funding then gets
um delivered so just to clear what there
was a speaker who said that they
submitted something to the city council
it does not get submitted to us it gets
submitted to the
administration and this coming weekend
excuse me the 27th there's going to be
cleanups we've been talking a lot about
the cleanup of the city you heard a
little bit about it tonight um on the
27th the north side will be having a
cleanup as well as Hamilton Hill on the
North side uh you it's probably on the
city's web page by this time but Mike
aragosa you can reach out to him and in
Hamilton Hill you can reach out to the
Dury Amy Zion church and also the veil
community on the um 22nd of March is
also dur during their cleanup so if
there are other neighborhoods who are
interested in organizing a cleanup on
the 27th or the 22nd but on the 27th a
lot of communities will be doing cleanup
so I just want to let people know that
hopefully people will join in we do have
a little bit of work to do in terms of
our uh cleaning up our
city if nothing else I would ask for a
motion to adjourn move by Miss Patrick
second by Mr manini all those in favor I
we are adjourned have a good
night
you
got get home to the big game
yeah for meide I almost
made hopefully I'll make it home
okay
he