[0:01] [Music]

[0:27] I'd like to call to order the city

[0:28] Caucus meeting

[0:33] I'd like to call to order the city

[0:34] Caucus meeting for Monday April 22nd

[0:38] 2024 we have two public hearings this

[0:40] evening if the clerk would please read

[0:43] public hearing number one regarding the

[0:44] Restore New York round 8 Grant

[0:48] application public hearing number two regarding the

[0:52] addition of Section

[0:54] 26411 3 of The Connect city code

[0:57] regarding the regulation and location of

[0:59] smoke shops vape shops hookah loues and

[1:03] vape consumption businesses we have 14

[1:06] items for original consideration if the

[1:08] clerk would please read item number one for original

[1:11] consideration resolution authorized on

[1:13] the mayor to accept a

[1:16] $3,588 trust building programming Grant

[1:19] from the New York State Department of

[1:21] Criminal Justice Services discussing

[1:23] committee with objection on consent item

[1:25] number two item number two for original

[1:27] consideration a resolution authorizing a 2024 budget reallocation related to an

[1:33] agreement between the city of skty and

[1:34] IBEW Local 236 discussed in committee

[1:38] with objection on consent item number

[1:40] three item number three for original

[1:42] consideration a resolution authorizing a

[1:44] 2024 budget reallocation related to an

[1:47] agreement between the city of skincity

[1:49] and

[1:49] NRC of carpenter Carpenters Local 51

[1:53] Union discuss in committee with

[1:55] objection on consent item number four for original

[1:59] consideration a res solution authorizing

[2:00] a 2024 budget reallocation related to an

[2:03] agreement between the city of skincity

[2:05] and Trade union dc9 painters Brook

[2:08] layers lu2 and Plum plumber

[2:11] lu7 discuss in committee without

[2:14] objection on consent item number five for original

[2:17] consideration a resolution approving

[2:19] change order number two and the increase

[2:21] of okano Electric's current contract

[2:24] with the city of skincity for the

[2:25] Central Park Pool discussed in committee

[2:28] with objection on consent item number six item number six for original

[2:31] consideration a resolution authorizing a

[2:33] contract with young parents United

[2:35] Incorporated in the amount of

[2:38] $98,000 in 2018 Community Development

[2:42] block grant funding discussed in

[2:44] committee with objection on consent item

[2:46] number seven item number seven for

[2:48] original consideration a resolution

[2:50] authorizing the mayor to amend schedu a

[2:53] of the cooperation agreement with the

[2:54] concy urban renewal agency and the land

[2:57] reutilization Corporation of the Capital

[2:59] District to list additional properties

[3:02] discussed in committee without objection

[3:03] on consent item number eight item number

[3:05] eight for original consideration a

[3:07] resolution authorizing and amending

[3:09] resolution

[3:10] 20248 authorizing the granting of a

[3:13] license for a vacant lot on 902 McCullen

[3:15] Street for

[3:16] $2,500 discussed in committee with the

[3:18] objection on consent item number nine for original

[3:22] consideration a resolution authorizing a

[3:24] settlement of a claim by duk T Ro

[3:27] discussed in committee with objection on

[3:29] consent item number 10 item number 10

[3:31] for original consideration a resolution

[3:33] authorizing settlement of a claim by

[3:34] Pamela labre discussed in committee with

[3:37] an objection on consent item number 11 for original

[3:41] consideration a resolution recognizing

[3:43] Friday April 26 20124 as Arbor Day in

[3:47] the city of

[3:49] SKC um discuss the committee without

[3:51] objection on consent this item will be

[3:53] presented at an Arbor Day celebration on

[3:55] February excuse me on April 26th at Bale

[3:58] community garden item number 12 item

[4:01] number 12 for original consideration a

[4:04] resolution recognizing John kuchu for

[4:06] his 35 years of service to the city of

[4:08] SKC discussed in committee with

[4:10] objection on consent this item will be presented at a later date item number

[4:14] 13 item number 13 under contract and

[4:17] Supply a resolution awarding the bid and

[4:19] contract for the purchase of solar

[4:22] powered radar speed signs discussed in

[4:24] committee with objection on consent item

[4:27] number 14 item number 14 under contract

[4:30] and Supply a resolution awarding the bid

[4:31] and contract for the Gulf Road water

[4:33] main replacement to Newcastle Paving LLC

[4:36] in the amount of

[4:42] $310,100 consent if there's nothing more

[4:45] to come before the city council caucus

[4:47] I'd ask for a motion to

[4:48] adjourn move by m Patrick second by Mr M

[4:51] Baron all those in favor I we are

[4:53] adjourned I'd like to call the city

[4:55] council meeting to order for Monday

[4:57] April 22nd 2024

[5:00] and I'd like to call on Pastor gnap from

[5:03] the Deeper Life Assembly to uh lead us

[5:05] in the prayer

[5:14] invocation come to you in no other name

[5:17] but the might name of Jesus and Lord

[5:20] today God we lift up our cities connect

[5:23] before you I pray God that you will make

[5:26] this city oh God the head in this are oh

[5:30] God that you have placed oh God great

[5:32] leaders our mayor our president oh God

[5:36] and those who are working diligently oh

[5:38] God to make connect a better place I

[5:42] pray my God that scnc will be a place

[5:44] that is set upon a hill Oh God that

[5:47] cannot be hidden I pray God that good

[5:50] things will come out of connect I pray

[5:53] God that Every curse that is placed upon

[5:55] connect God will be broken in the name

[5:59] of Jesus J I take authority God over

[6:02] every Spirit oh God that is ruling and

[6:05] reigning Inc and I cast it out in the

[6:09] name of Jesus uh Lord today I lift up

[6:12] our leaders before you I pray God that

[6:15] you will give our leaders wisdom

[6:18] knowledge and understanding oh God that

[6:20] they will able to rule oh God in this

[6:23] city I pray father that this city will

[6:26] be a place of Peace of joy of happiness

[6:30] Lord where people will live oh God in

[6:33] the freedom the grace and the favor of

[6:36] you Lord I speak oh God that connect

[6:40] will be a place oh God where the light

[6:43] will shine and many will come oh God to

[6:46] live in Connect Lord I pray God that

[6:49] your spirit will move you will reain oh

[6:52] God you will open up the windows of

[6:54] heaven and you will bless connect God

[6:57] Lord that great buildings oh God will be

[7:00] put up and people oh God will inherit

[7:02] the benefit of this place father I pray

[7:05] today God that your favor will fall your

[7:08] joy your happiness and your peace will

[7:11] move in the lives of your people Lord I

[7:14] pray God that you will bless our mayor

[7:16] oh God Lord that he will make right

[7:18] decisions oh God for our city I pray God

[7:22] that you will send the right people that

[7:24] will surround His Life uh that will back

[7:26] him with his vision Lord I pray that you

[7:29] will send great men and wom that will

[7:31] surround him God I pray God that you

[7:34] will cover his life under your blood

[7:36] cover every leaders our president to God

[7:39] you will cover every local member under

[7:42] your blood I give you praise and I give

[7:44] you thanks bless everyone that is

[7:46] present here God in no other name but

[7:49] the mighty name of Jesus I ask amen and

[7:52] amen praise the

[7:54] Lord amen um I would ask Chief Marino to

[7:57] please Le Us in the Pledge of Allegiance

[8:02] I pledge

[8:04] alleg United States of

[8:09] America

[8:16] stand thank

[8:19] you if the clerk could please complete

[8:22] the Roll Call

[8:30] Mr

[8:32] Soro Mr Farley is absent Mr

[8:35] manini Mr

[8:37] muon Miss

[8:39] Patrick Mr

[8:41] Williams M Porterfield here we have two

[8:45] public hearings this

[8:47] evening and just a reminder that we've

[8:49] extended the public comment period for

[8:51] the public hearing to four

[8:56] minutes want to read it number one

[9:02] public hearing number one regarding the

[9:04] Restore New York round eight Grant

[9:07] application I have eight people signed

[9:10] up to

[9:11] speak the first person is Gloria

[9:22] Kishon good evening uh my name is Gloria

[9:25] kishan I'm the chairperson of SKC

[9:29] heritage Foundation which is a historic

[9:32] preservation advocacy group that covers

[9:34] all of SKC County and we uh first of all

[9:38] want to thank all the government

[9:41] agencies that helped us to get to this

[9:44] point where we can even apply for a

[9:46] restore New York grant for the Masonic

[9:49] group of buildings at the corner of

[9:51] State in Erie uh that includes the

[9:54] historic district commission which we

[9:56] started advocating with and then it went

[9:59] on to the Planning Commission and

[10:02] finally it went on to you the city

[10:04] council and with our vast amount of

[10:07] research that was done on these

[10:11] buildings and what they represented in

[10:14] skc's history we're very happy that you

[10:17] all of those groups supported this

[10:20] initiative and um we hope that you will

[10:23] go on to support applying for a restore

[10:26] New York Grant um it's a critical part

[10:30] of getting the funding together for a

[10:32] project like this um you can see kitty

[10:35] corner from the Masonic temple building

[10:38] the wedgeway building being restored

[10:40] right now and the uh Masonic group of

[10:44] buildings will be a similar situation

[10:47] where it's a historic building um

[10:51] designed by a very important architect

[10:53] in New York state and with a a rich

[10:56] history of the Masons and SK going back

[10:59] all the way to George Washington's time

[11:03] um they have incredible archives that uh

[11:06] perhaps some of these will will come

[11:08] back to the building and be displayed so

[11:11] we're really counting on your support

[11:13] for this grant thanks so much thank

[11:17] you Sylvie

[11:23] Brier hi good evening I'm Sylvie briber

[11:27] and I just want to Simply support the

[11:29] efforts towards the restore uh grant for

[11:32] the Masonic

[11:34] buildings thank

[11:36] you Todd Todd

[11:45] garold my apologies for my

[11:48] handwriting hi I'm uh Todd Gano

[11:50] executive director for discover skty uh

[11:53] we're the County's official tourism

[11:54] promotion agency uh and you really can't

[11:57] talk about tourism without talking about skc's history so I'm very pleased

[12:01] to support this Grand application I

[12:03] think um having this really important

[12:06] Corner uh both with the wedge uh way

[12:08] building and now uh this corner as well

[12:11] restored will do so much just for the

[12:13] beautification of uh of downtown you

[12:15] probably saw recently we uh uh dino

[12:18] alive uh launched at Armory Studios just

[12:21] over five weeks ago in just those 5

[12:24] weeks uh we've had 32,000 tickets sold

[12:27] so 32,000 people coming to this downtown

[12:30] um which is incredible and you may have

[12:32] seen the story about um our current

[12:34] state of tourism in uh in skincity

[12:36] County last Sunday in The Gazette it's a

[12:38] very positive uh story there's people

[12:41] coming to SKC like never before so to

[12:44] have uh projects like this and the

[12:46] opportunity to restore and talk about

[12:47] our history is very important to us we

[12:49] hope you'll support that as well thank

[12:51] you thank

[12:53] you Ray yen

[13:00] evening Ray Gillan I'm the commissioner

[13:02] of planning and economic development in

[13:04] Sky County I also chair Metroplex and

[13:06] I'm a proud City resident want to thank

[13:09] the council for working closely with us

[13:11] in the city Development Department to

[13:13] put in an application working closely

[13:15] with the mayor for ReStore New York

[13:17] round eight Restore New York is a

[13:19] program to help renovate uh vacant

[13:22] buildings distressed properties in the

[13:25] heart of downtown to try to bring them

[13:27] back to life and as glorious said with

[13:30] your support we were really successful

[13:32] at getting the wedgeway project underway

[13:34] it's a $20 million development but you

[13:37] look across the street you've got the

[13:39] empty Masonic building got the empty

[13:41] chamber building and the one that's most

[13:44] painful because I spent a lot of time

[13:45] there shopping as a kid is the empty

[13:48] rednick building which had a terrible

[13:50] fire those three buildings are vacant

[13:53] we're blessed to have a state Grant in

[13:54] hand for the large building the Masonic

[13:57] temple it's under contract with

[13:59] developer who plans to renovate the

[14:00] building we are applying for a $600,000

[14:03] grant to renovate their former chamber

[14:06] and the former RX Building Hope to bring

[14:08] that resolution forward at the next

[14:11] Council cycle and submit the Grant

[14:13] application in uh late May so we really

[14:16] appreciate everyone's support these are

[14:18] three critical buildings downtown and

[14:20] we're really excited that we have a

[14:22] developer in hand we have an opportunity

[14:24] to compete for these State funds and um

[14:27] we are really excited to move this

[14:29] forward and appreciate everyone's time

[14:30] and attention thank you thank you Sam

[14:37] clay bu City business you would like

[14:40] that change to yes sir Moren

[14:51] [Music]

[14:52] Nel good evening I'm Mor newfeld I'm the

[14:55] executive director of the downtown concy

[14:57] Improvement Corporation uh thank you for

[14:59] the opportunity to come here and uh

[15:01] express my support of the revitalization

[15:04] of these properties and downtown

[15:06] skincity uh as we all know the dsc's

[15:09] business is to help promote downtown

[15:11] skty as a vibrant vibrant community and

[15:14] a lot of that goes into uh just how safe

[15:17] walkable presentable our city is and the

[15:20] restoration of these buildings will

[15:21] really help in that uh the situation is

[15:25] they're situated right between a very

[15:28] vibrant Community for Arts uh culture

[15:32] restaurants shops uh and also a

[15:34] Transportation Hub that is a great

[15:37] opportunity to connect the two really be

[15:39] a a vibrant part of this community for

[15:43] residents for new developments for the

[15:46] historic district uh and also to help

[15:49] boost the local economy in providing all

[15:51] of that Commerce as a as a connector

[15:54] along these busy streets so uh thank you

[15:56] for the opportunity and uh I'm voicing

[15:58] my support for this

[15:59] thank you Frank

[16:08] [Music]

[16:10] Wicks well here's the fourth time we'

[16:12] been here talking on behalf of a SE fire

[16:15] in Gaza excuse me Mr Wix th this is for

[16:19] the public hearing on the restore Grant

[16:21] okay I will move your name I'm not the

[16:22] wrong list yes I'll move your name to

[16:24] City business okay thank

[16:27] you suzan

[16:38] anger hi um my name is Suzanne anger I'm

[16:42] the former president of the stock a

[16:44] Association I'm a member of the board of

[16:47] the SKC Heritage Foundation of which

[16:49] Gloria is the president and I'm about to

[16:52] join the board of the sked County

[16:54] Historical Society so clearly I have an

[16:57] interest in history

[16:59] but um I'm very pleased to stand up here

[17:02] in favor of this proposed application

[17:05] for ReStore New York funding um that's a

[17:09] wonderful program that really makes the

[17:12] difference between success or failure

[17:15] with these older buildings this

[17:17] intersection is probably one of the most

[17:18] prominent ones in connec thousands of

[17:21] cars go by there every day and for years

[17:24] they've looked at two

[17:26] deteriorating neglected forgotten

[17:28] appearance appearing so anyway buildings

[17:32] the fact that the wedgeway building is

[17:33] now being restored is so exciting and uh

[17:37] this would just be a wonderful

[17:39] compliment to that project so um we've

[17:43] lost so much of our downtown already

[17:45] nicla building um I think it's time that

[17:48] we save what we have left thank you

[17:50] thank

[17:52] you I have no one else signed up to

[17:54] speak so I declare the public uh public

[17:56] hearing number one closed

[17:59] public hearing number

[18:00] two public hearing number two regarding

[18:03] the addition of section 264-1111 of the

[18:07] connect city code regarding the

[18:09] regulation and location of smoke shop

[18:11] vape shops hookah lounges and vape and

[18:13] consumption businesses I have one person

[18:16] signed up to see speak Robert

[18:26] Sanders good morning madam speaker good

[18:30] morning council members mayor protm I'm

[18:33] here to talk about the vape shops cigar

[18:36] shops and other places if this was

[18:39] constitutionally legal I might go along

[18:41] with it but I see you you left

[18:43] cigarettes out of here when cigarettes

[18:47] are taxed at

[18:48] 55% cigars are taxed at 75% a piece and

[18:53] marijuana smoked tax at

[18:56] 16% but the second highest offender

[18:59] there cigarettes steuarts other plac

[19:02] that Salem you're not counting that in

[19:05] okay it is illegal to do this okay just

[19:09] for the fact that it's constitutionally

[19:13] a legal substance stolen Sten in connec

[19:17] the next thing you're going to do is

[19:19] move all the bars into one section that

[19:22] you think are good for you but alcohol

[19:25] is legal it's the 18th Amendment

[19:29] now all I got to say about this is you

[19:32] know this is just going a little bit too

[19:34] far because I don't know what the

[19:35] council will do

[19:37] next okay we went down this rapit Hall

[19:39] once and then Mr muda might know with

[19:43] councilman koser when he ran for

[19:45] assembly he tried moving all sex

[19:49] offenders in one spot that was found

[19:52] illegal you cannot do that so they got

[19:55] sex offenders got spread out all

[19:58] throughout the county and the city to do

[20:02] this is illegal if you like it or don't

[20:04] like it I understand that I completely

[20:07] can understand it I understand not

[20:09] smoking in parks and things like that

[20:11] but when you go and you start affecting

[20:14] someone's personal ability their

[20:17] freedom you cannot do that okay so I ask

[20:21] you to vote no against this if you don't

[20:25] vote no and I'm not threaten you I will

[20:28] follow file a referral for judicial

[20:30] intervention in the county of conc and I

[20:33] will bring you to court thank you thank

[20:36] you I have no one else signed up to

[20:38] speak for public hearing number two so I

[20:40] declare this public hearing

[20:42] closed ask for approval of the minutes

[20:44] from April 8th

[20:47] 2024 move by Mr Williams second by Mr

[20:50] Mancini all those in favor I if the

[20:53] clerk could please read read any

[20:55] Communications and petitions

[21:06] Communications presented to the city

[21:08] council for Monday April 22nd 2024 under

[21:12] official from the Mayor Gary R McCarthy

[21:14] a list of appointments dated April 22nd

[21:16] 2024 under General from Robert S Alby of

[21:20] the concy veterans of World War 2

[21:23] Incorporated a letter dated March 24th

[21:25] 2024 thanking the city of skty for Don

[21:28] ated funds to help maintain their home

[21:31] from Teresa crane an email regarding

[21:33] parking issues at her home on Union

[21:34] Street and asked the city to place a

[21:37] sign at the end of her driveway from

[21:39] Allison Williams an email regarding the

[21:41] need of signage to prevent big trucks

[21:44] from going down her street citing safety

[21:46] reasons and concerns under petition

[21:49] there were none thank you I'll call on

[21:52] council members to provide any committee

[21:57] reports not we uh next we have privilege

[21:59] of the floor related to uh the

[22:01] legislative agenda and I have 15 people

[22:04] signed up to

[22:08] speak just a reminder it's three minutes

[22:10] for this particular portion Imam Jamal

[22:18] sha thank you Madame President honorable

[22:21] council

[22:22] members uh I was here last month was

[22:26] here two weeks ago uh guess I did make

[22:29] the call list but in any case I come to

[22:32] you tonight just to remind you guys of a

[22:34] few things over the last two months

[22:36] we've had two children small

[22:40] children die murdered in SKC for one

[22:45] baby Halo Bron 11 months old died due to

[22:48] the freezing cold temperatures on the GE

[22:51] Campus number two 5-year-old Charlotte

[22:54] buski was killed due to starvation

[23:00] don't have to ask you guys how you feel

[23:01] about that I already know because we're

[23:03] all human beings and we all have good

[23:05] intentions and we all principled these

[23:08] children died right here children are

[23:11] dying for the same reasons 7,000 Mi

[23:14] across the world just as we look at the

[23:16] children who are murdered in our own

[23:20] neighborhoods as abhorent and evil the

[23:24] actions that were taken to take their

[23:26] lives we also want our city council our

[23:31] elected officials there's no one better

[23:33] to speak on behalf of the residents of

[23:35] this city other than this body I speak

[23:38] on behalf of not just the Muslim

[23:40] Community but the general community of

[23:42] residents within this city not talking

[23:45] about Albany not talking about nkuna

[23:48] talking about the city of

[23:50] skty we would like to see the ceasefire

[23:53] resolution that was proposed be passed

[23:56] and for what it's worth

[23:59] myself I've been convening with

[24:01] Community leaders all over the city

[24:04] Faith leaders General Community Action

[24:07] leaders

[24:09] and I have yet to come across

[24:12] anyone that takes a stance against a

[24:16] simple principle upon which this

[24:18] resolution is based all life is worth

[24:23] preservation and it's a symbolic gesture

[24:26] to pass the resolution but it's been

[24:28] done in 70 cities Across America as of

[24:30] February we're now sitting in April so

[24:34] even more cities have signed on this is

[24:36] an effective tool to demonstrate to our

[24:39] federal government what the people on

[24:42] the ground myself yourselves what our

[24:46] sentiments actually are so that way they

[24:48] can act accordingly I will also mention

[24:53] that for some of

[24:54] you we've heard responses as to indicate

[24:58] that this is something not meant for the

[25:00] city council we've also heard it from

[25:02] other people speaking in the public

[25:04] forum I will say

[25:08] again it's not that we can change the

[25:10] world just by passing a resolution but

[25:13] more so to demonstrate the principles

[25:15] that we share this is a United call for

[25:18] peace and Justice and I would say I

[25:21] would

[25:23] really be difficult and dumbfounded it's

[25:26] difficult for me to to comprehend how

[25:28] any anyone can interpret it as anything

[25:30] other than that and again in this room I

[25:33] don't have to ask and I don't want to

[25:35] ask because I would like to assume

[25:37] everyone is on the same page every life

[25:40] is worth the same there is no one group

[25:43] that's worth more than the other there

[25:46] is no one body that's worth more than

[25:48] the other as human beings as residents

[25:50] of a diverse City and diverse Community

[25:53] this is our call to action to

[25:55] demonstrate that near or far this is The

[25:58] Stance of this city and its residents as

[26:01] echoed by the elected officials chosen

[26:04] by the residents of this city to speak

[26:06] on their behalf we can pray and we can pray but we do need

[26:12] something formal and symbolic from our

[26:14] elected officials to formally recognize

[26:18] a shared principle that exists within

[26:20] all of our hearts thank you very much

[26:22] thank you

[26:25] [Applause]

[26:28] ladies and gentlemen I need to step back

[26:30] um we I'm sorry we didn't have anyone

[26:32] signed up but I need to um we we have we

[26:35] should have had the legislative agenda

[26:37] but no one signed up that name was

[26:38] crossed off so I have no one signed up

[26:40] to speak for the a public comment on the

[26:42] legislative agenda so that's open and

[26:44] now closed so now I need approval of the

[26:47] legislative

[26:48] agenda moved by Mr Williams second by Mr

[26:51] mudaron all those in favor

[26:54] I okay then I will call the next person

[26:57] for General City

[26:58] business Edmund Leen

[27:02] Jr not

[27:06] here

[27:10] okay FMA

[27:14] Isa

[27:24] oh good evening good evening

[27:31] the death and destruction in Gaza have

[27:33] continued unabated the horrors are

[27:37] unprecedented Gaza is hungry and Gaza is

[27:41] thirsty and it is you and I who are

[27:44] responsible there is blood on our hands

[27:47] a great deal of blood there are those

[27:49] who say Gaza is not our problem that

[27:52] Gaza is too far away that nothing that

[27:55] we say or do is going to stop the Terror

[27:58] and the pain that is currently being

[28:01] experienced over

[28:02] there I would like you to remind you

[28:04] here

[28:05] today that there was a time when the

[28:08] same was said about South

[28:10] Africa I remember my own Uncle

[28:13] saying there is no way white South

[28:17] Africans are going to give in to the

[28:19] African National

[28:21] Congress well as we all know now

[28:25] apartate South Africa is no more this

[28:28] Saturday April 27th will be the 30th

[28:32] year of South Africa's first ever

[28:35] democratic

[28:36] election an election which resulted in

[28:39] the African National Congress coming

[28:40] into power and Nelson Mandela becoming

[28:43] the president 30 years I cannot even

[28:47] believe it myself I lived through it

[28:50] seemed like just the other day students

[28:53] at campuses all over South Africa were

[28:56] rallying protesting

[28:59] boycotting organizing and fighting to

[29:02] dismantle the aparted regime today right

[29:07] here in New York state at the University

[29:10] of Columbia in New York City American

[29:13] students are fighting for an end to the

[29:16] genocide and the

[29:18] brutality by demanding that their

[29:21] University Diest from aparted state of

[29:25] Israel this morning the university

[29:27] cancel in person classes more than 100

[29:30] students have been arrested and now

[29:33] students at other campuses across the

[29:35] country are settling are setting up

[29:38] encampments in support of the students

[29:41] of Colombia today at Yale 47 students

[29:46] were

[29:47] arrested there is no going back the

[29:50] world has not only seen the sheer

[29:53] brutality of the

[29:55] IDF but it has also seen how the

[29:58] departed state of Israel manipulates the

[30:01] media and tells outright lies to gain

[30:06] the sympathy of the

[30:08] world it took them only one Theory which

[30:12] was a false claim about rape on October

[30:16] the 7th to get immediate support from

[30:20] the world without any

[30:23] evidence in fact it was the Israeli

[30:26] forces themselves who recently raped a

[30:29] pal a pregnant Palestinian woman in

[30:33] front of her children husband and

[30:35] relatives at ashifa

[30:38] hospital they threatened the family with

[30:41] death if they closed their

[30:44] eyes then they killed the woman and her

[30:48] unborn

[30:50] child there is a great darkness that has

[30:53] overcome the world the very least that

[30:56] we can do is say please stop ceas fire

[31:01] now thank

[31:03] [Applause]

[31:08] you Maybel

[31:14] Leon Maybel

[31:21] [Music]

[31:25] Leon good evening

[31:28] my name is Mabel Leon I sent a letter to

[31:32] city council a month ago and I spoke at

[31:36] the last city council meeting two weeks

[31:39] ago to support a resolution calling for

[31:42] a ceasefire in

[31:45] Gaza now what's happened uh in Gaza

[31:49] since I was here

[31:51] last the bombs supplied by the United

[31:55] States continue to fall on Gaza

[31:58] with civilian deaths reaching more than

[32:02] 34,000

[32:05] 77,000 people are

[32:08] wounded and

[32:10] 14,000 children have died these are

[32:14] numbers but each of these numbers

[32:17] represents a human

[32:21] being the famine continues for babies

[32:26] and the most vulnerable

[32:28] while the delivery of humanitarian Aid

[32:31] continues to be limited and not

[32:34] sufficient to stem the tide of

[32:38] famine the United States is not a

[32:42] bystander in this war in this conflict

[32:47] it is implicated in this continuing

[32:51] Carnage our president asks the leaders

[32:54] of Israel to lessen civilian casualties

[32:58] increased humanitarian aid but our

[33:01] government continues to send

[33:04] bombs and offer no consequences to the

[33:08] Israeli government when they pay no

[33:13] heed there must be decisive action no

[33:17] more bombs to the Israeli government

[33:20] until humanitarian Aid increases there's

[33:23] a ceasefire and there are efforts to

[33:27] lessen civilian

[33:30] casualties the American people do not

[33:33] want to see babies and their mothers

[33:35] dying and opposition to this madness

[33:39] grows with each day is seen by spreading

[33:42] protests and unrest on college

[33:46] campuses my message to President Biden

[33:50] from his

[33:52] wife stop it now

[33:56] Joe message to city

[33:59] council do your part and pass the

[34:05] resolution for a ceasefire now thank

[34:15] you Imam Montas

[34:31] Madame

[34:32] speaker beloved

[34:34] counselors it is an honor and pleasure

[34:37] to be here this evening I'm Imam mtas

[34:40] Ali I represent the

[34:44] gyes the last count we had was

[34:48] 33,000

[34:49] and I'm no stranger to the city council

[34:54] because this city council

[34:58] believe in

[34:59] God and once we put our trust in God

[35:03] everything will go good say

[35:06] Amen I'm here this evening to represent

[35:10] the

[35:12] gyes

[35:13] and I'm no strange as I told you to this

[35:17] city council to this city because I have

[35:21] been

[35:22] presented with the from the mayor our

[35:25] beloved mayor as s

[35:28] certificate from honorable Paul tono a

[35:32] certificate and from the city council

[35:35] because they recognize me as an Imam it

[35:39] is said those who have God have

[35:44] everything those who don't have God has

[35:48] tell me

[35:50] nothing and I put my trust in this city

[35:54] council this this this is a the Beloved

[35:58] or we have one of the

[36:01] most honorable and beautiful Mia he has

[36:04] a lot of respect for elders and and the

[36:09] and so so I

[36:11] before I leave I want to make a special

[36:16] prayer for all of us and for the city of

[36:21] connected in the name of God most

[36:23] gracious most merciful oh almighty God

[36:28] I want you to

[36:31] have to people must respect one another

[36:36] I want you that we must have peace and

[36:39] love in our

[36:41] families I want we must have peace and

[36:44] love in

[36:47] Connected we want peace and love around

[36:51] the

[36:51] world amen amen thank you thank you

[37:01] Karine

[37:11] carmelli hi my name is uh Karen carmelli

[37:14] and I'm not a resident of the city of

[37:17] sked I'm a resident of Albany and so I

[37:19] didn't really think that it was

[37:20] appropriate for me to come I've been

[37:22] following the ceasefire resolution uh

[37:24] proceedings very closely but I was

[37:27] watching previous meeting where uh there

[37:29] were lots of folks here who who made a

[37:31] particular claim that um an organization

[37:34] that I belong to called Jewish voice for

[37:36] peace uh did not represent Jews and that

[37:39] in fact its members were not Jewish and

[37:41] our opinions did not uh factor into the the broader Jewish conversation so

[37:46] um I felt a particular need to come here

[37:48] tonight to talk about that um like I

[37:50] said I'm a member of the organization

[37:52] called Jewish voice for peace and um

[37:55] what we advocate for is a world where

[37:58] all people from the US to Palestine live

[38:00] in freedom justice equality and dignity

[38:02] like generation of Jewish leftists

[38:04] before us we fight for the liberation of

[38:06] all people we believe that through

[38:08] organizing we can and will dismantle the

[38:10] institutions and structures that sustain

[38:12] Injustice and grow something new joyful

[38:15] beautiful and life sustaining in their

[38:17] place um I also want to acknowledge that

[38:19] tonight is the first night of passover

[38:22] and so I I had Passover with my family

[38:25] last night so that I could be here today

[38:27] Passover is a holiday where we talk

[38:29] about un oppressed people who yearned

[38:33] for freedom and achieved their own

[38:36] Liberation um and we've also heard about

[38:39] the student protests that have been

[38:40] taking place all over the country there

[38:43] is a valedictorian at the University of

[38:45] Southern California she's a Muslim woman

[38:48] and she has been barred from speaking

[38:50] even though she is top of her class at

[38:52] USC USC also has something called the

[38:56] USC showa foundation and uh that was a

[39:00] initiative to collect the testimonies

[39:03] from Holocaust Survivors show us

[39:05] survivors one of those people that gave

[39:07] testimony was my grandfather his name is

[39:09] ysf his his given name was ysf invent he

[39:13] then changed his name to carmelli when

[39:15] he immigrated to Palestine in the

[39:17] mid-40s um I watched his testimony the

[39:20] other day and if you're interested I'm

[39:21] happy to share it's a three-hour

[39:23] testimony and it's very moving to me but

[39:25] I watched it the other day and and um I

[39:28] was so struck by the similarities of his

[39:31] experiences in the ghettos near

[39:34] Warsaw uh and the comparisons to what

[39:36] people are experiencing in Gaza right

[39:38] now and just to share one small story um

[39:40] when he was 10 years old in

[39:42] 1940 um there was a a a German uh

[39:46] dignitary who was assassinated and so

[39:48] the Nazis rounded up 200 intellectuals

[39:52] and Business Leaders and the the people

[39:54] from his community and they disappeared

[39:58] um right before he was taken away my

[40:01] grandfather's father his name was pesak

[40:03] interestingly enough which translates

[40:05] into

[40:06] Passover he came to him and kissed him

[40:08] goodbye and that was the last time my

[40:10] grandfather ever saw his father in 1984

[40:14] 40 years later he learned that his

[40:17] father was shot in the palmir forest

[40:19] outside of

[40:21] Warsaw and buried in a mass grave and

[40:24] just yesterday a mass grave on a

[40:27] additional Mass grave was discovered at

[40:29] the Nasser Hospital in um in conun in

[40:33] Gaza and they pulled up hundreds of

[40:35] bodies from this Mass grave so I want

[40:37] you to understand that there are Jews

[40:39] like myself who are advocating for

[40:42] Palestinian rights for a ceasefire

[40:45] specifically because of our experiences

[40:47] of genocide it is exactly because of my

[40:49] family story that I stand with a

[40:51] ceasefire and I think you should too

[40:53] will this make a difference no but would

[40:55] have would I have appreciated if the

[40:57] city of skty said something about the

[41:00] Nazi Holocaust while my family was being

[41:02] exterminated I would have please pass

[41:04] the ceasefire resolution thank you thank

[41:11] you Michael zephy Michael

[41:18] zephy honorary Chief city council Mrs

[41:23] pfield president good evening Mike

[41:26] Superior

[41:27] there's just a couple things I want to

[41:29] say first of all I've listened to the

[41:31] last two Council meetings I want to say

[41:35] that every person that has come up up

[41:37] here I respect for what they say they

[41:39] have they're entitled to their opinion

[41:41] they're individuals how they feel is how

[41:44] they feel I respect that I

[41:47] do my feeling and what really touched me

[41:51] was October

[41:53] 7th I stood by and I watched Hamas

[41:58] Fighters parachute into a music

[42:01] festival

[42:03] killing innocent Israelis killing

[42:07] children I watch ATV's barricade into

[42:10] that country killing innocent people

[42:13] killing innocent

[42:16] children my heart breaks

[42:19] today my heart also breaks what ha what

[42:22] is happening in

[42:23] Gaza there are so many innocent people

[42:26] in

[42:27] children out there that that are in in

[42:30] the in the midst of this that are

[42:32] getting killed and are getting hurt and

[42:34] it's

[42:35] terrible my god when is this going to

[42:37] stop our world and our country right now

[42:40] we are not in a good

[42:42] place I pray to God every day we can we

[42:45] can find some kind of peace I'm

[42:49] so sick of hearing the rhetoric on the

[42:51] news it's it's just breaking me it

[42:54] breaks so many of us that talk about it

[43:00] I'm sorry I'm lost for my words right

[43:02] now but I'm just I just want peace I

[43:04] want peace in this country in this

[43:07] world it's just a travesty that's going

[43:09] on right now it's just awful the

[43:12] innocent children both sides it's awful

[43:14] I see Iran bombs Israel Israel bombs

[43:17] Iran when's it going to stop is it ever

[43:19] going to stop we're ever going to have

[43:20] peace in this world in this

[43:22] country we need to every every day I

[43:25] pray to God and I just every day I say

[43:28] please make this stop make it stop I'm just sick of the Lost lives the

[43:33] children break my heart the innocent

[43:35] people break my

[43:36] heart I I I understand everybody's

[43:40] opinion we're all entitled to it but God

[43:42] we need peace in this country in this

[43:43] world it just got to stop I hope it

[43:46] stops soon thank you thank

[43:52] you Jamaica miles

[44:08] good evening I wasn't actually quite

[44:10] sure if I was going to speak tonight so

[44:12] I didn't write anything you're getting

[44:13] me off the

[44:15] cuff we are in a moment in

[44:18] history and I hope that at this point

[44:21] everyone's able to see

[44:22] it for those of us that actually study

[44:25] history

[44:27] Civil Rights era the fight against

[44:29] slavery there are reoccurring

[44:32] themes college campuses across the US

[44:35] are standing up and boycotting and

[44:38] protesting we saw that during the Civil

[44:40] Rights era we saw that the call to end a

[44:43] part tide in South

[44:46] Africa we are facing many challenges in

[44:49] this country and there is a

[44:51] convergence just like we've seen in the

[44:53] past we're fighting for women's rights

[44:55] again

[44:57] just like we did then we're fighting for

[44:59] an end to a part tide just in someplace

[45:02] else just like we did then we're still

[45:05] fighting for housing and workers rights

[45:08] and all of these things yet

[45:10] again so my question to each and every

[45:14] one of

[45:15] you which side are you

[45:18] on which side are you

[45:24] on because the books will be written the

[45:28] stories will be

[45:30] told and where will your name fall on

[45:32] that

[45:33] ledger thank

[45:40] you thank you Paul

[45:49] Milton Madam president I'm going to

[45:51] change topics a little bit just for a

[45:53] second I'll be brief sure um my name is

[45:56] Paul Melton I'm the president and CEO at

[45:58] Ellis medicine uh I do want to do two

[46:01] things tonight uh one I went to the

[46:04] website and looked at the committee

[46:06] agenda for last week and there was a an

[46:09] item that said encouraging St Peter's

[46:11] Health Partners and Ellis medicine

[46:13] Administration to settle a fair contract

[46:16] with uh Nisa I just want to make it

[46:20] clear for you that Ellis and St Peters

[46:25] are separate entities

[46:27] uh they're not working together on this

[46:31] topic here uh we have a management

[46:33] agreement approved by the state

[46:35] department of health of the state of New

[46:37] York uh Ellis gets a chief medical

[46:40] officer and a chief operating officer

[46:42] from that we have three things we're not

[46:44] allowed to talk about one we're not

[46:47] allow allowed to do joint programs

[46:49] together and message that to the public

[46:52] number two we're not able to talk about

[46:54] rates with insurance companies that's

[46:57] off limits and number three we're not

[46:59] allowed to talk about wages that would

[47:01] be collusion so those are three things

[47:04] that are very specific that we're not

[47:06] allowed to talk about in a management

[47:08] agreement we are two separate

[47:12] entities um so I want that to be clear

[47:15] wasn't represented correctly in the

[47:17] media as well but I wanted you to know

[47:19] that the second is and this goes back to

[47:24] co I thank you and our team thanks the

[47:28] uh Council for all of your support uh

[47:31] it's a privilege for us to take care of

[47:33] the people of skincity and try to meet

[47:35] their health needs and it's the whole

[47:38] team it's Tech it's therapists it's Food

[47:42] Service workers it's nurses and doctors

[47:45] it's the board it's the management team

[47:48] so I really appreciate your interest to

[47:51] support Ellis as we take care of people

[47:54] in this community in addition to the

[47:56] nurses I do orientation with new

[47:59] employees every two weeks and one of the

[48:02] first things I say is that the nurses

[48:05] are the backbone of Ellis they're the

[48:07] backbone of any Hospital in this country

[48:10] every every hospital in this country is

[48:13] struggling to find enough nurses we're

[48:16] very proud of the blander School of

[48:18] Nursing we have our largest class coming

[48:21] in this year 91 students we also in the

[48:26] last 8 18 months have had 50 nurses

[48:29] return to Ellis to work that had left

[48:32] we're proud of the wages we pay which

[48:35] are some of the highest in the region

[48:37] and we're very proud of the benefit

[48:39] package that we have which is also very

[48:42] competitive and highest in the region so

[48:45] I just want to clarify that for the

[48:47] record as we go forward and thank you

[48:50] for your support of Ellis as we take

[48:52] care of people in this community thank

[48:54] you thank you

[49:03] Tom

[49:19] Kennedy good

[49:21] evening Chief Marino City Council

[49:24] Members I said I would be back um to

[49:28] talk about an issue

[49:31] um of garbage along with W Street and

[49:35] Strong Street I've been meeting with the

[49:38] residents of Wy and uh they've told me

[49:42] uh quite a few stories about the ongoing

[49:45] dumping that's been going on there the

[49:47] different problems that they're having

[49:49] on their street uh interesting enough I

[49:52] received the call yesterday that uh Miss

[49:55] Porterfield you've been interested in my

[49:57] whereabouts on Wy Street and talking to

[50:00] people funny um I I thought that was

[50:04] kind of interesting you could have

[50:06] called me if you were wondering who I

[50:08] was meeting with and when but you chose

[50:10] not to and I understand that uh but one

[50:14] of the things

[50:15] that well not one there's a few things

[50:18] that would resolve this problem very

[50:20] quickly video surveillance more lighting

[50:24] and enforcement when people see people

[50:26] dumping

[50:27] on that street pretty simple stuff um

[50:32] there's been some talk and Mr Williams

[50:34] contact he's here tonight Williams

[50:36] contacted me to want to talk about this

[50:39] we haven't had finished those

[50:41] conversations yet but um one of the

[50:44] things that I disagree with this is not

[50:47] a resident issue uh we agree with mayor

[50:51] McCarthy mayor McCarthy very clear is

[50:54] that could be dangerous this garbage has

[50:57] been dumped there for years and years um I would not send any

[51:01] Resident down on that embankment or

[51:04] anywhere around there because we don't

[51:05] know what's down there um the residents

[51:08] tell me there's all kinds of huge rats

[51:09] running around uh we don't know what's

[51:12] been dumped there whether it's hasm

[51:13] material whether it's uh dangerous to

[51:16] people uh trying to pick it up so it's

[51:18] not as simple as rolling in these roll

[51:21] tops and filling them up full of crap

[51:23] you know it's it's garbage and it's it's

[51:25] dangerous some some damage carment so um

[51:28] I would say that as we advocated before

[51:32] uh you have money in the leftover from

[51:35] arpa I know you have some pet projects

[51:37] you're trying to get across the board

[51:39] however um I really believe that this

[51:43] could be money spent that would help all

[51:47] of city of skincity whether it's you

[51:49] know the the the look coming into our

[51:51] city in the winter as you as we all know

[51:54] it's going to be overgrown pretty soon

[51:55] and people aren't going to see it but

[51:56] that doesn't mean the garbage ain't

[51:58] there and not only that that um

[52:02] the the people on Wy Street deserve a

[52:05] decent place to live as well as strong

[52:08] Street and tomorrow we're going to be

[52:10] releasing some more pictures of that

[52:12] area um to the media and

[52:16] uh I just think that if there is a ways

[52:20] and means of fixing this we do it now we

[52:23] have the funding let's get it done and

[52:26] I'm calling on this city council to put

[52:29] aside their pet projects and put the

[52:31] people of sanctity first thank you thank

[52:35] you Dr

[52:47] shakima good evening um just like

[52:50] Jamaica I don't have anything uh

[52:52] pre-written uh but I would like to bring

[52:56] all the faith together and this is

[52:58] something that we believe in as Muslims

[53:00] God says and whoever Saves a Life as if

[53:04] it save the entire humanity and this was

[53:07] stated by one of our previous speakers

[53:10] who happens to be a Jew and then I'm

[53:12] going to quote Dr May who happens to be

[53:15] the executive director for the churches

[53:17] for Middle East peace she said it seems

[53:20] that we're not winning the battle of the

[53:24] hearts and she calls it the prophethood

[53:29] message meaning the clear message that

[53:32] we're all here trying to save lives some

[53:34] people

[53:35] unfortunately in the political

[53:38] Arena the heart is not there the

[53:41] conscience is not there I mentioned this

[53:43] before I said this resolution will tell

[53:45] us who are the representatives and who

[53:48] are the

[53:49] politicians and as we are here the third

[53:52] time it seems like we are getting a

[53:54] better image and I'm going to paraphrase

[53:57] what was mentioned earlier it's very

[53:59] interesting that people came here and

[54:00] spoke at the podium and refer to saving

[54:03] what we have left of

[54:05] buildings yet this is the third time

[54:08] we're coming here talking about saving

[54:11] what we have left of human lives our

[54:15] message is clear we are here asking for

[54:19] the lives to be saved and I'm going to

[54:22] mention this it's an honor to work with

[54:25] everybody from all walks of life but one

[54:28] thing that has been a little

[54:31] bit hijacked I would say but some who

[54:35] are still saying this is not our call

[54:37] and they're saying this is a one-sided

[54:40] thing let's pretend that there are no

[54:42] Palestinians in Gaza you have Israeli

[54:45] hostages who are starving you have

[54:48] Israeli hostages who are being

[54:51] bombed can you dare and stand and say

[54:53] this is not my

[54:55] business to the Jews to the Israelis and

[54:58] dare I say even to the zionists who say

[55:00] we are here more interested in the

[55:03] hostages who are being held in Gaza

[55:05] because if there's no ceasefire these

[55:08] same hostages have been and will

[55:10] continue to be sharing the same fate as

[55:13] the Palestinians who are being killed in

[55:16] the

[55:18] thousands and for anyone who is using

[55:20] the Border as an excuse that's the most

[55:24] cowardly call to say

[55:26] this is not a connected issue this is a

[55:30] very connected issue because we as

[55:33] taxpayers we are paying for the bombs

[55:36] that are being used to kill everyone in

[55:39] Gaza Palestinians and Israelis who are

[55:43] being held hostages our tax money is

[55:46] being used to blockade and Siege Gaza

[55:51] where we have Palestinians and Israelis

[55:54] sharing the same fate

[55:56] and this impacts each and every one of

[55:58] us in this same city because when we

[56:02] preach we tell people to care about

[56:04] everyone and if you say that the Border

[56:07] makes somebody

[56:08] different I don't know where Humanity

[56:10] will be thank you thank

[56:14] [Applause]

[56:17] you Melissa

[56:19] McKennon Melissa mcon

[56:26] good evening and thank you um I am here

[56:29] tonight just to offer an appreciation

[56:33] for the Arbor Day resolution and um the

[56:37] Arbor Day event that's coming up this

[56:39] Friday I work as Farms Outreach

[56:42] coordinator for the Sycamore

[56:45] collaborative uh so I'm part of veale

[56:47] urban farm and um we're happy to have

[56:51] people come by Friday between 5: and 700

[56:54] p.m. in into Veil Farm which is right

[56:57] off of Brandy Wine Avenue you turn into

[57:00] veale Cemetery so I'm we're excited the

[57:03] city will be there DEC relief will be

[57:05] there retri SKC EOS SKC Soil and Water

[57:10] SKC Master Gardeners and we'll be

[57:13] talking to people about how to take care

[57:15] of trees what to think of when planting

[57:18] trees answering people's questions will

[57:21] have people doing tree

[57:22] identification and I guess I was just

[57:24] thinking about two in light of what

[57:27] folks have been sharing

[57:29] tonight uh you know trees are important

[57:31] for so many reasons and our fruit and

[57:35] nut Orchards they're Community Orchards

[57:38] so they're fairly newly

[57:40] planted and we are an Interfaith

[57:43] organization doing this work and we've

[57:46] seen how powerfully it can be when we

[57:49] work together growing far um on these

[57:51] farms and raising fruit and nuts in The

[57:54] Orchards the opportunity ities for

[57:56] building uh

[57:58] conversations um and for providing space

[58:01] for that too so thank you and we're just

[58:04] we're looking forward to

[58:06] Friday thank

[58:08] you Robert

[58:18] Sanders good evening Madame President

[58:21] good evening council members my name is

[58:24] Robert Sanders um I just want to touch

[58:27] on a couple things one gentleman who

[58:30] spoke was very eloquent about what's

[58:32] happening over in the Middle East and

[58:34] two weeks ago you might have heard me

[58:35] speak and one gentleman who just got up

[58:39] who's talking about the Border over a

[58:41] million us people have died from drugs

[58:45] coming across that border and he said

[58:47] that's not an issue that's an American

[58:50] issue okay and then I hear about

[58:53] genocide how this is genocide okay okay

[58:56] now I know if we go into Africa and

[58:58] Sudan and to other countries we got a

[59:01] half a million people dying right now I

[59:03] don't see America pledging Aid going

[59:05] over there I'm not for aid for Russia

[59:08] for Ukraine for Israel or for Palestine

[59:10] anyone that money needs to stay here in

[59:14] the United States you know we had 20,000

[59:18] people die in one day in

[59:22] Normandy okay and I know there's

[59:25] terrible things happening and I

[59:28] understand that but I do understand that

[59:31] this is the United States of America

[59:34] people came here because they wanted to

[59:36] be free they wanted to have their right

[59:38] to speak their you know their own choice

[59:41] if you want something in Palestine if

[59:43] you want something in Israel Ukraine or

[59:45] Russia go there help them that's how a

[59:49] lot of people feel about it we have

[59:51] problems right here in this very Country

[59:55] and you

[59:57] know that that's the root to everything

[59:59] is I don't want to see anyone die nobody

[1:00:02] wants to see War I'm totally against War

[1:00:05] I don't know why people just can't live

[1:00:07] in peace and like one gentleman said you know just put this in God's hands I

[1:00:13] mean God has always helped us through

[1:00:15] things and no matter who you are what

[1:00:18] color you are race color creed or

[1:00:20] religion you know God will be the

[1:00:23] determining Factor here but it goes to

[1:00:26] the bar back to every everything here I

[1:00:28] pledge allegiance to the flag of the

[1:00:30] United States of

[1:00:33] America okay and I don't have to say the

[1:00:35] whole thing we already did that but we

[1:00:37] know what's what I do believe that

[1:00:41] everybody has the right to speak but

[1:00:44] America is and connecti needs to put

[1:00:48] itself first thank

[1:00:49] you thank

[1:00:52] you Sam clay

[1:01:00] hello city council my name is Sam CL

[1:01:03] lifelong resident skty former employee

[1:01:05] of

[1:01:06] skincity I was uh unjustly terminated

[1:01:09] back in 2003 after a cooworker struck me

[1:01:13] with a truck in 2001 I've been putting

[1:01:17] applications getting no responses from

[1:01:19] anyone

[1:01:22] um I had a u my last application I put

[1:01:25] in was

[1:01:26] in October 20 on October 20

[1:01:29] 2023 I had a brief interview with uh

[1:01:31] Chris who's the acting um commissioner I

[1:01:34] think he is we had a brief interview

[1:01:37] haven't heard anything back from him

[1:01:39] I've called the mayor I've come to the

[1:01:41] mayor's office and left messages for him

[1:01:44] to contact me no response from him

[1:01:46] either I've spoken to

[1:01:49] um I think it's his direct secretary

[1:01:52] Michelle Carr and she told me the city's

[1:01:56] not

[1:01:57] hiring and I said I put my application

[1:01:59] in last year I was here two weeks ago I

[1:02:02] didn't get a chance to speak CU I was

[1:02:03] late but I went over to the finance

[1:02:06] department they still have a posting for

[1:02:08] the position that I appli

[1:02:11] to

[1:02:13] so I would like someone to contact me

[1:02:16] and let me know what's going on why I

[1:02:17] keep getting to runaround about getting

[1:02:19] employment with the city that unjustly

[1:02:21] terminated me they also told me Carl

[1:02:25] Olen to be exact back in uh

[1:02:28] 2004 he told me I was returning back to

[1:02:31] my employment with the city never gave

[1:02:34] me a a start date back to work so what

[1:02:36] am I supposed to do just sit and wait

[1:02:38] for somebody to call me my life doesn't

[1:02:40] stop no one's life

[1:02:42] stops so I have to keep moving forward

[1:02:46] but at the same time I will keep

[1:02:47] applying because I could have retired

[1:02:50] after 20 years working for this city but

[1:02:52] I would have continued because I was not

[1:02:54] of age to retire then

[1:02:56] so all I'm asking is for someone to call

[1:02:59] me back whether it's City Council

[1:03:01] Members the mayor someone in the uh

[1:03:04] Department there and we sit down and

[1:03:06] have a meeting discuss everything thank

[1:03:08] you thank

[1:03:11] you Frank

[1:03:22] Wicks okay yeah thank you and appreciate

[1:03:26] the ability to be

[1:03:28] here uh ear October 7th could not have

[1:03:34] happened if Israel had know guarded the

[1:03:39] wall that they built to enforce the

[1:03:43] apartheid uh better security would keep

[1:03:46] it from happening again so this entire

[1:03:48] war in Gaza is a blood bath that's not

[1:03:52] necessary uh

[1:03:57] the the the the war in Gaza is is

[1:04:01] actually to steal all the

[1:04:04] territory from the uh Jordan River to

[1:04:07] the Mediterranean which requires just

[1:04:10] killing uh the Palestinians or forcing

[1:04:15] their forcing them to live somewhere

[1:04:17] else where they have nowhere to

[1:04:21] go just additional comments here uh

[1:04:25] here's the fourth time I've been here at

[1:04:27] this meeting no calling for the uh unit

[1:04:30] for concy to be on the right side of

[1:04:33] History to support a ceasefire in uh in

[1:04:37] Gaza and

[1:04:40] Palestine mean we've written four

[1:04:42] letters to The Gazette and over things

[1:04:46] keep on getting

[1:04:49] worse and note I'm I'm not Jewish I'm

[1:04:52] not Israeli I'm not Muslim I'm not

[1:04:55] Palestinian

[1:04:56] uh is more a matter of no right it's a

[1:05:00] matter of right or

[1:05:04] wrong and I I've been active in

[1:05:08] connecting for 62 years I say

[1:05:11] anti-Semitism may happen here but in my

[1:05:14] 62 years here I've never observed it

[1:05:17] know I think find people and disconnect

[1:05:18] to get along with each

[1:05:23] other okay so the opposed resolution to

[1:05:27] stop our country from supplying the

[1:05:30] weapons and support to Israel for

[1:05:33] killing and starving and forc relocation

[1:05:36] of innocent Palestinians and murdering

[1:05:38] the courageous members of the press and

[1:05:42] peacekeepers uh should be should be

[1:05:45] simple uh in fact our Jewish no

[1:05:49] secretary leader of the Senate is now

[1:05:52] noted that Israel has lost its way

[1:05:58] uh and

[1:06:01] uh so I'd say and I also say the most

[1:06:05] effective you know persons for resolving

[1:06:08] the situation are the uh members of the

[1:06:11] Jewish Community the uh Jewish voices

[1:06:14] for peace uh not in our name there a 16

[1:06:18] anti

[1:06:19] Zion

[1:06:21] uh Jewish organizations listed in

[1:06:24] Wikipedia so there the people that know

[1:06:26] best what know the situation and what

[1:06:28] they're saying and finally the the

[1:06:32] future ought to be ultimately take down

[1:06:34] the wall what is what happened in

[1:06:36] Germany and what happened in South

[1:06:38] Africa okay thank you thank

[1:06:45] you I have no one else signed up to

[1:06:47] speak so I declare the public comment of

[1:06:49] City business

[1:06:51] closed this time we'll have any

[1:06:52] miscellaneous business of the council

[1:06:55] Mr

[1:07:06] Williams thank

[1:07:08] you just for

[1:07:10] tonight

[1:07:12] statement thank you to everyone who

[1:07:14] shared their thoughts opinions and

[1:07:16] concerns tonight I'd like to take a

[1:07:18] moment to address the ongoing comments

[1:07:20] related to calls for a ceasefire within

[1:07:22] Gaza from

[1:07:23] body this is one that has deep religious

[1:07:27] and emotional connections with many

[1:07:29] residents in our community requiring

[1:07:31] attention in detail when identifying and

[1:07:33] appropriate and effective course of

[1:07:35] action from the onset divides have

[1:07:38] lengthened amongst pro-israeli and pro

[1:07:40] Palestinian supporters often

[1:07:42] categorizing opponents as antic

[1:07:46] respective there is undeniably true pain

[1:07:48] being Afflicted on innocent lives whose

[1:07:51] suffering I can't I can't

[1:07:53] capture and yet that statement alone

[1:07:56] solicits varying responses based on your

[1:07:59] personal connection and

[1:08:01] recents let me be clear I emphatically

[1:08:04] stand with the preservation of life

[1:08:06] especially those of innocent children

[1:08:08] and it's apparent that there is immense

[1:08:10] suffering on both sides in the

[1:08:12] conversations that I've had with local

[1:08:14] Advocates I've recognized that third

[1:08:16] party accounts and our inability As

[1:08:18] Leaders to move Beyond st's positions

[1:08:20] toward the point of civil discourse has

[1:08:22] not

[1:08:23] been whatever respons as a community it

[1:08:27] must the dialogue dialog crafting a true

[1:08:30] resolution persective of our diverse

[1:08:33] Community or dialogue and calling for

[1:08:35] Progressive conversations from our

[1:08:37] faith-based leaders that protects the

[1:08:39] sanctity of life for all

[1:08:41] santies the ongoing conflict within the

[1:08:43] Middle East is one of immense complexity

[1:08:46] and although my words counter resolve

[1:08:49] this International tragedy my position

[1:08:51] remains with those actively engaging to

[1:08:53] forge a path of

[1:08:57] thank

[1:08:58] [Applause]

[1:09:02] you any other council

[1:09:05] members hey chief Marino is sitting in

[1:09:08] for the mayor

[1:09:09] tonight

[1:09:11] Chief I would like to just uh talk a

[1:09:14] little bit about an event that will be

[1:09:16] happening on May 18th of this year it's

[1:09:19] called sound the alarm and sound the

[1:09:22] alarm is uh sponsored by the Red Cross

[1:09:25] red C uh the SKC fire department will be

[1:09:28] working with the Red Cross and with many

[1:09:30] volunteers on that day going to a couple

[1:09:34] of designated neighborhoods in the city

[1:09:37] to people that have signed up uh to have

[1:09:40] us go to their homes do an assessment of

[1:09:44] their home to see if they have the

[1:09:46] proper number of smoke alarms and then

[1:09:49] we will install free of charge smoke

[1:09:52] alarms to those homes and then also sit

[1:09:55] with the residents to have a little uh

[1:09:59] education of fire safety this year we'll

[1:10:03] be going to the Hamilton Hill

[1:10:05] Neighborhood and the veale neighborhood

[1:10:07] it is a great event I encourage anyone

[1:10:10] that is interested in

[1:10:11] participating either as a

[1:10:14] volunteer or someone that would like

[1:10:17] their home to be evaluated to uh uh

[1:10:21] check the connected fire department's

[1:10:24] Facebook Facebook page within the next

[1:10:26] week we'll have more information or go

[1:10:28] directly to the Red Cross page and

[1:10:32] they'll have information on sound the

[1:10:33] alarm now we are doing the two residents

[1:10:36] the two neighborhoods Hamilton Hill and

[1:10:39] Vale but that doesn't mean that other

[1:10:42] families in the city are not eligible

[1:10:45] they can contact the uh Red Cross

[1:10:48] directly and they will make an

[1:10:50] appointment to come specifically to that

[1:10:52] home

[1:10:55] so smoke alarms save lives fire doubles

[1:11:00] every minute so it is extremely

[1:11:03] important for anyone that has an issue

[1:11:06] in their home to be notified

[1:11:09] quickly you have an adequate number of

[1:11:11] smoke alarms your chances of getting out

[1:11:14] of a home that's on fire increase

[1:11:17] tremendously so

[1:11:19] please go to the Red Cross check out

[1:11:22] connected's home page or Facebook page

[1:11:25] and if you would like to volunteer

[1:11:27] please do so if you need a smoke alarm

[1:11:29] please go there and sign up thank you Chief uh first of all I have a

[1:11:35] few Community announcements as was uh

[1:11:38] previously said there's a Arbor Day

[1:11:40] celebration at the veil Farms on Fair

[1:11:42] Avenue from 5: to 7: where our

[1:11:45] resolution will be presented and also on

[1:11:48] Saturday there's multiple cleanups

[1:11:49] across the city uh there's four

[1:11:52] neighborhoods that have sent in

[1:11:53] information so I'm just going to provide

[1:11:54] you with that uh Goose Hill Neighborhood

[1:11:57] um cleanup will start at Simon's park at

[1:11:59] 8:00 a.m. for you early risers they'll

[1:12:02] be there from 8 to two the Hamilton Hill

[1:12:05] Neighborhood will be doing a cleanup as

[1:12:06] well that starts at 10: and ends at 2

[1:12:09] and the meeting place is Jerry barell

[1:12:11] Park the boulevard appreciation

[1:12:13] neighborhood association bana uh will be

[1:12:15] cleaning up the centeral alley east

[1:12:18] alley and west alley and that begin the

[1:12:20] they begin at 10:00 a.m. and their

[1:12:22] meeting place is the Cal Calvary

[1:12:24] orthodox presid larian Church on Rugby

[1:12:27] Road and then finally the Upper Union

[1:12:29] Street will also be doing a cleanup from

[1:12:31] 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and they are

[1:12:34] going to be meeting at BR breuggers

[1:12:35] Bagels on uh Union Street and that will

[1:12:38] be rain or shine so anyone can come out

[1:12:42] to help with that that would be great

[1:12:44] and uh then I'd like to thank everyone

[1:12:46] for coming out to tonight to speak to

[1:12:48] whatever the um topic was that you came

[1:12:50] to speak about and we some of us in any

[1:12:54] case have been talking and meeting with

[1:12:56] members of the community regarding the

[1:12:59] proposed resolution and first of all I

[1:13:01] want to make one thing clear it was

[1:13:03] stated by people from uh both

[1:13:06] perspectives that we were open or I I'll

[1:13:09] speak let me speak for myself that I was

[1:13:10] open to only speaking to one group

[1:13:13] versus the other well that in fact is

[1:13:15] not true and so I am open and have been

[1:13:18] having those conversations with

[1:13:19] individuals who represent uh different

[1:13:22] viewpoints on this particular issue it's

[1:13:25] what I said from the beginning it's what

[1:13:26] I'll continue to say that I'm always

[1:13:28] open for

[1:13:30] conversation and what I will say also is

[1:13:33] I'm if you haven't already are you

[1:13:35] speaking to your federal Representatives

[1:13:36] your congressmen your two senators I

[1:13:39] believe that all of us locally don't

[1:13:41] want any more bombing we want the

[1:13:42] release of

[1:13:43] hostages and we definitely want human

[1:13:46] humanitarian Aid there was a speaker

[1:13:49] tonight that talked about President

[1:13:50] Nelson Mandela and what he was able to

[1:13:53] do and part of the reason that he was

[1:13:54] able to to do that was because he spoke

[1:13:56] to the people who would have been

[1:13:58] considered his

[1:14:00] enemies so what I am asking and

[1:14:04] imploring you to do you've asked us to

[1:14:06] sign a resolution for um for a ceasefire

[1:14:09] and just so you know I did read through

[1:14:11] the resolution entirely and a lot of it

[1:14:13] calls for humanitarian Aid every council

[1:14:15] member was sent that um was that sent

[1:14:17] that resolution it called for

[1:14:19] humanitarian Aid and many things there

[1:14:21] are some amendments to it that I would

[1:14:24] make and and um but at this point in

[1:14:26] time we're not there where uh the

[1:14:28] resolution has actually been presented

[1:14:30] as to go on the agenda of of the

[1:14:34] council more

[1:14:36] locally through the these discussions it

[1:14:38] seems to me there's a very large divide

[1:14:40] in our community something we have

[1:14:43] worked for over the years that I've been

[1:14:45] a member of the council and even a

[1:14:46] member of the community even before that

[1:14:48] when my mother was working in the

[1:14:50] community and that's went for that goes

[1:14:51] a number of years back where the

[1:14:53] community collectively were working

[1:14:55] looking for a common

[1:14:57] goal and what is what's going on right

[1:14:59] now I'm seeing a more of a divide in our

[1:15:01] community

[1:15:03] locally which is troubling because after

[1:15:06] it's all said and done we're all going

[1:15:07] to still live here and we're all going

[1:15:09] to have to start still work

[1:15:11] together so as you as I often say how

[1:15:15] you see it depends on where you sit and

[1:15:17] from where I sit I'm

[1:15:19] imploring individuals who have the

[1:15:21] different perspectives I can't I can't

[1:15:23] force you in the room together but I

[1:15:25] implore you to really try to um have

[1:15:28] those discussions there that is creating

[1:15:31] this deep divide

[1:15:33] locally I spoke to uh an individual here

[1:15:36] this this afternoon who's working with

[1:15:38] clergy against hate and I know that all

[1:15:39] of you know that group uh who said that

[1:15:42] they are trying to uh and have spoken

[1:15:45] with the Imam as well as the rabbi in in

[1:15:48] order to try to bring people together to

[1:15:50] discuss

[1:15:53] this I know that you're looking for a

[1:15:55] resolution from the city

[1:15:58] council I know that there are there is

[1:16:01] some consideration of if if the

[1:16:04] resolution spoke to ending violence and

[1:16:07] giving humanitarian Aid which is

[1:16:08] something actually that pres excuse me

[1:16:10] that Congressman tono um was asking for

[1:16:13] in a press release that he recently sent

[1:16:15] out sent out I cannot commit to you that

[1:16:18] there will be a um resolution that will

[1:16:21] specifically speak to ceasefire I cannot

[1:16:23] commit that commit um to that from this

[1:16:26] Council based on just the input all of

[1:16:29] you most most of you have spoken to

[1:16:32] someone and have made your positions

[1:16:35] clear

[1:16:37] so um we if you want to continue to come

[1:16:39] and I know that Imam Jamal said they

[1:16:41] will continue to come and we will

[1:16:42] definitely um continue to listen but

[1:16:45] again if I if there would be an opportunity and I

[1:16:50] know the city council can't convene this

[1:16:52] and I think it needs to be convened

[1:16:53] among Faith leaders to actually have

[1:16:55] this conversation so locally we can work

[1:16:59] together to come to um a common

[1:17:04] understanding and I and you know I'm not

[1:17:06] saying that

[1:17:09] um that it's going to be perfect but I

[1:17:12] definitely think we have to try to work

[1:17:14] together right now because I feel like

[1:17:16] our community is becoming more and more

[1:17:17] divided as we try

[1:17:20] to come to a place where we can

[1:17:23] understand each other's pain because

[1:17:25] there's a lot of pain right here there's

[1:17:27] a lot of pain locally there's a lot of

[1:17:29] pain overseas but I can't ask you enough

[1:17:32] that we really have to come together and

[1:17:34] have this these discussions to try to

[1:17:37] come to a a consensus of what we are

[1:17:40] willing to provide in terms of

[1:17:43] support for the for what is going on in

[1:17:46] Gaza in the Middle East so um I I had

[1:17:50] some uh remarks that they had prepared

[1:17:53] however this is from what I'm hearing

[1:17:55] today what is in my heart that we really

[1:17:57] have to work together people um I I I

[1:18:00] don't know what else to say about that I

[1:18:03] um again welcome any the continued

[1:18:05] conversations and to see what we can do

[1:18:08] to work through this as a council

[1:18:10] because I think maybe we should have

[1:18:12] discussions as well um and see you know

[1:18:16] where where it I don't want to say where

[1:18:19] it ends up because that's probably not

[1:18:20] the best use uh the best term but what

[1:18:23] we can do collectively to support our

[1:18:26] local community and support the people

[1:18:28] who live here who are feeling the pain

[1:18:31] as we are of what's going

[1:18:33] on and with that um I'll entertain a

[1:18:37] motion to adjourn move by Miss Patrick

[1:18:40] second by Mr Williams all those in favor

[1:18:42] I we are adjourned thank you

Schenectady City Council Meeting 4 22 24 FINAL

Transcript