[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
I'd like to call to order the city
Caucus meeting for Tuesday o for Monday
October 28th
2024 we have three public hearings this
evening if the clerk could please read
public hearing number one regarding
establishing a temporary moratorium
until February 11 2025 on the submission
and processing of building permits
certificate of occupancy certificate of
use and land use approvals of cannabis
establish ments within the city of
SKC public hearing number
two public hearing number two regarding
creating a new section 24811 n of the
SKC city code and amending section
22819 of the SKC city code vehicle and
traffic matter matters and streets and
sidewalks public hearing number
three public hearing number three
amending section 138-can
138 43b of article 8
13884 h of Article 15 15
1519a of article
21-9 e of Article 2
1674 D of Article 2 18310 of Article 2
210- 14a of article 3 of the connected
city
code thank you we have 16 items for
consider for original consideration the
clerk could please read item number one for final consideration
an or ordinance pursuant to section 36
of the second class City's law and
article six of the charter of the city
of skincity approving and adopting the
proposed operating budget for 2025 and
authorizing the Appropriations therein
enumerated Miss tuturo roll call please
roll call by Miss
tutoro item number two item number two
for final consideration on ordinance to amend section
2482 article one of the SK city city
code vehicle and traffic General
Provisions discusting committee with
objection on consent item number three for final
consideration and ordinance to amend
section 927 of the charter of chap of
chapter 92 of disconnected city code
discussed in committee with objection on
consent item number four item number
four final consideration and ordinance
amending city code
chapter 144 of disconnected city code
discussed in committtee with objection
on consent item number five item number
five for original consideration a
resolution calling for a purple for a
public hearing to amend section chapter
161 of the connected city code to
include specific fees for the collection
of solid waste items and the
requirements for collection discuss in
committee with objection on consent item
number six item number six for original
consideration a resolution calling for a
public hearing for a Resto New York
Grant application for the former St
cla's hospital at 600 mclen streets
connected in New York discuss in
committee with objection on consent item
number seven item number seven for
original consideration a resolution
authorizing the mayor to accept $5,000
in Justice action Grant award monies for
the SKC Police Department discuss in
committee without objection on consent
item number eight item number eight for
original consideration a resolution
authorizes the mayor of the city of skty
to conduct research analysis on wages
for City management employees discuss
the committee without objection on
consent item number nine item number
nine for original consideration a
resolution authorizing the sale of 28
Sten Street for
$3,000 discussed in committee with
objection on consent item number 10 item
number 10 for original consideration a
resolution authorizing the sale of 609
Bluff Avenue for
$118,000 discuss in committee without
objection on consent item number 11 item
number 11 for original consideration a
resolution authorizing the sale of 8 to
Pennsylvania Avenue for
$20,000 discussed in committee with
objection on consent item number 12 item
number 12 for original consideration a
resolution authorizing the sale of 2406
Campbell Avenue for $102,500
discussed in committee with objection on
consent item number 13 item number 13
for original consideration a resolution
authorizing the settlement of a claim by
Progressive as sub agree of Renee sjak
discussed in committee with objection on
consent item number 14 item number 14
for original consideration a resolution
authoriz authorizing settlement of a
claim by Foremost Insurance Group as sub
agree of Pauline philipson discuss in
committee with objection on consent item
number 15 item number 15 for original
consideration a resolution recognizing
the M musicians of Malick this item will
be taken out of order and presented by
council member Patrick item number 16 under contract and Supply
a resolution awarding the bid and
contract for the purchase of personal
protective equipment to turn up gear
discuss in committee with objection on
consent and I just want to remind
everyone there is another uh ceremonial
resolution that we pass the last cycle
would be presented tonight to Mr James
Thomas if there's nothing more to come
before the city caucus I ask for a
motion to
adjourn moved by Mr Miss Patrick second
by Mr mudaron all those in favor I we're
adjourned thank you I'd like to call the
city council meeting to order for Monday
October 28th 2024
and tonight we do not have anyone here
for the prayer invocation so I just ask
any anyone to stand and just have a
moment of silence and commune with the
god of your
understanding thank you very much I'd
like to ask uh Chief Marino to lead us
in the Pledge of Allegiance
I to the FL of the United States of
America and to the for it stands Nation
God indivisible withy andice for all
thank
you if the clerk could please complete
the Roll Call
Mr
Toro Mr Farley Mr Mancini here Mr mcaren
pres M Patrick here Mr Williams Miss
Porterfield here uh this time we'll do
our out of res out of order out of order
resolutions I ask Mr M dear to please
take the
d thank
you thank you
I'd ask Mr Thomas to please join me
behind the
rail right over here where I
am should have we my heels tonight may I
have the floor yes thank you tonight
it's um uh there's a resolution
recognizing James D Thomas Jr whereas
James D Thomas Jr was born and raised in
connectic New York and graduated from
hardgrave military academy in t tatham
Virginia and whereas James was an
extremely Valuable Player as a junior on
the 1998 SKC high school championship
basketball that finished with a record
of 21 to to one James averaged 14 points
and 12 rebounds securing a place on the
all all area first team and the 1998 NYS
psaa all tournament team and whereas
James forged a stellar collegate
basketball career as a four-year starter
at the University of Texas where he was
selected as one of the 15 best Longhorns
of all time becoming only the second
player in the history of school to of
the school to record 1,000 career points
and 1,000 career
rebounds and whereas as a junior James
Led Tech to number three ranking in the
ESPN USA Today final coaches poll and
was the 10th leading rebounder in the
nation leading Texas to its first final four appearance in 56 years as the
team finished the season with an overall
record 26
to7 and whereas following his college
career James became the
2004-2005 National Basketball
development league rookie of the year
one year later the 20052 2006 NE n C CBA
newcomer of the year and whereas James
played in 33 NBA games with the p uh
Portland Trailblazers Atlanta Hawks
Philadelphia 76ers and the Chicago Bulls
in addition to having a successful
career playing professionally overseas
in Italy Israel and Turkey and whereas
Upon returning to his hometown of
connected New York James coached girls
basketballs is connected high school for
two years and is currently the diversity
Equity inclusion manager for SKC
County now therefore be it resolved that
the connected city council and Mayor
Gary R McCarthy do pause in their
deliberations to express our gratitude
to James D Thomas Jr for being an
excellent Ambassador for this city and
to recognize and congratulate him on a
successful basketball career and being
inducted into the skin School District
athletic Hall of Fame on Monday
September 2 September 16th
2024 I'd like to move the resolution may
I have a second all in favor I
congratulations the motion is
F you're
welcome well I do I do want to say one
more thing that um he didn't he doesn't
want to say anything but I also want you
to know that right now he's currently
also working on his PhD so he's just
continuing his education so we're taking
up I'll be
done oh you got it okay
oh okay it's
cook I just want to say thanks once
again and and what are you saying about
your PhD what you said you're almost
there I'll be done next October okay
it's going to be an education education
any
questions just want to say thank you
once again all right thank you very much
and thank you appreciate what you do
protect on the football field the most
anyone I
thank you councilman mudaron our next uh
out of order resolution is resolution
recognized of the musicians of Malick
and I'd like to call on council member
Patrick to present this
resolution thank you
come right
here thank you thank you
hello oh okay hi Madame President may I
have the you have the
floor well I'm excited to have
representatives from the musicians of
Malick with us this evening and I'll be
reading the resolution
a resolution in recognition and
appreciation of the musicians of Malick
whereas the musicians of malwi a chamber
music Ensemble with a mission to bring
history to life was founded in 2000 by
violinist anarie Bara Schwarz and
whereas the ensemble's core musicians
are anarie Barker Schwarz artistic
director and violinist Norman liido
flute Sten isacson guitar and Andre
lauron O'Neal cello and whereas
throughout their history musicians of
malwi has enjoyed residencies at the
Skylar man Mansion since 2000 and Sunni
SKC since 2005 and whereas The Ensemble
was originally founded to present music
that might have been heard in early
Albany but today they've expand expanded
their Repertory to include contemporary
works new commissions operas and
multi-disciplinary performances and
whereas the musicians of Malick performs
Five concert programs per season and
have brought hundreds of classical music
events to life in unique venues provided
opportunities for numerous upand
cominging and masterful musicians and
are an important piece of the capital
region did I just and whereas The
Ensemble frequently collaborates with
local National and international artists
and organizations from A diversity of
backgrounds and Artistic Styles
including Albany Pro mus glimmerglass
Festival Sand Lake Center for the Arts
Sunni skty and Union College among many
others and whereas among their past
performances in 2009 the musicians of
Mack presented georgeon favorite op or
Soldier to capacity audiences at Sunni
connected in celebration of New York
State's Quadra Cent centenary Quadris
and tenery didn't say that right I think
I did and whereas in 2018 they
commissioned Nuna composer Max Kaplan to
write an opera on a true episode from
the women's suffrage movement which they
performed at clink in Glenville and
whereas in 2020 they published their
first video project and have since
produced 16 short films combining
musical performance with narrative
storytelling most recently the 23 short
film The Hollow based on Washington
Irving's tale of the headless horsemen
very timely for Halloween week star uh
starring stranger things actor Gabriela
pitolo has been featured in several film
festivals a film adaptation of the
Robert Burns poem tamos Shanter is
currently in production slated for
Premiere in
2026 and whereas there two CDs music in
the Skylar Mansion 2017 and and Hyde
Hall and the silver goddess 2021 were
both recorded in situ at historic sites
and whereas they've been nominated five
times for a capital region music award
and have been featured on wmht and wamc
radio stations and whereas in October
the musicians of Malick began performing
its 25th anniversary season now
therefore be it resolved that the Mayor
Gary R McCarthy and city council do
hereby pause in their deliberations to
celebrate the 25th season of The
Musicians of Mack recognize the diverse
talents of its musicians and show
appreciation for their contributions to
the cultural arts in SKC New York and
Beyond um I'd like to put that motion
forward I need a second please second by
Mr Farley all those in favor I I
congratulations motion passes
thank you so much would you like to say
a few words
sure first of all we're just deeply
honored to have this Proclamation I
can't really believe it I can't believe
that we've been doing this for 25 years
and it's such a rich Historical Area and
it's really just a thrill to bring music
and history combined to people and I'm
working here with my old high school
friend norm and I grew up together and
came back to the area and it's just it's
wonderful to make music with friends and
people who are from this area and who
share our passion for the
[Laughter]
area unexpect I never expected to uh
come before the city
council uh and uh I'm just very grateful
it's a it's like a you know a holiday
surprise thank you very much
I'll just add you know reiterate what
Amry said that it feels so special to be
recognized by our home Community you
know this this means more than any other
probably thing we've had been recognized
for so you know we're proud proudly you
know from SKC and and love it here and
love to play here I'm not a musician
myself but they love to play here and I
love to be part of it as well
so we we do marinate ourself in the
artistic history of the area and it goes
into almost every program in some shape
or form so it's very very gratifying to
have that
recognized we can't thank you enough oh
no I I mean you add so much to what
already you know we have such a vibrant
music scene in skincity and you guys are
just such a big part of it so thank you
for everything that you bring to our
residents love great thank you thank
Youk you very
[Applause]
open the floor
okay right we have three public hearings
this evening uh just a reminder that the
public hearing time for the public
hearing is four
minutes so public hearing number one
establishing a temporary moratorium
until February 11th 2025 on the
submission and processing of building
permits certificates of use and land use
approvals of cannabis establishments
within the city of skincity I have no
one signed up to speak on this public
hearing so I declare public hearing
number one
closed public hearing number two
regarding creating a new section 28-11 n
of the connected city code and amending
section
28-9 of the connected city code vehicle
and traffic matters and streets and
sidewalks I I have no one signed up to
speak to this public hearing so I
declare public hearing number two
closed public hearing number three
regarding amending sections
138-a C of Article 1
138-139 D 43b of article
838-8471 d9e of article Article 2 16714
D of Article 2
18310 d10 of Article 2 and 12410
d4a of article 3 of the SKC city
code I have no one signed up to speak to
this public hearing so I declare public
hearing number three
closed I would ask round for the
approval of the minutes of October 15
2024 moved by Mr Williams second by Miss
Patrick all those favor
I if the clerk could please read any
Communications and
petitions Communications presented to
the city council for Monday October 28
2024 under official from the mayor a
list of appointments dated October 28th
2024 under General an email from
rosemary Stewart regarding trash being
dumped in the east alley behind KN
Street and Woodward Avenue and under
petitions that there were none thank you
I call on council members for any
committee
reports this time we would have
privilege of the floor regarding the
legislative agenda I have no one signed
up to speak so I declare public comment
on the legislative agenda
closed I'd ask for approval of the
legislative consent agenda motion by Mr
Williams second by Mr mudaron all those
in favor I we do have one resolution for
roll call this evening evening if the
clerk could please read item number
one item number one for final
consideration an ordinance pursuant to
section 36 of the second class cities
law and article six of the charter of
the city of skincity approving and
adopting the proposed operating budget
for 2025 and authorizing the
Appropriations therein
enumerated need a
motion move by Miss Patrick second by Mr
mudar any
discussion on this item Mr
Williams thank you so I was wanted to
take a moment just comment on what the
budget um proceedings kind of uh
represented to me uh definitely in
contrast to our discussions last year I
wanted to start off by saying I
appreciate everyone's uh thoughtful
dialogue uh and I wanted to point out
that one of the biggest takeaways for
myself from the public safety uh
committee is how each member around the
table understood the importance of um
fully accepting the proposed budget
lines for both the police and fire
department it was a very real um
understanding not only from their
presentations but also from the
responsiveness in our community to make
sure they had the resources that they
need to move forward uh I know in
response to discussions last year that
was a point of contention
but I think as a whole it's safe to say
that we want to ensure that they are
well supported um both in the equipment
that they have and also in the funding
that they request um as we uh
transitioned into conversations
regarding City staff and their proposed
uh increases I would like to highlight
that again if this becomes an ongoing
topic of discussion we did not proceed
in any manner that we are not allowed to
um we continue these discussions with
Corporation Council present and
everything that we enact acted on was
within our legislative ability now as we
have the conversations of is it
practical or is it pragmatic in response
to the mayor and how he manages the city
I think that'll always be a conversation
uh of discussion but I also would like
to highlight within today's agenda we
passed um an item that is going to see a
market evaluation for um many members
within uh City Hall staff specifically
management so I think um there's never a
perfect budget
um but very much this was one in which
there were a number of consolations or
compromises and I'm confident in the
budget that we proposed to the city uh
there are still some ongoing items
regarding uh the responsiveness to
ongoing increases to trash specifically
and how we've received a number of
emails regarding that and I'd like to
highlight to anyone that's watching or
has been um passively listening uh those
discussions are still continuing so
continue to to to share your thoughts
and opinions on the matter um but in
regards to the 2025 budget uh I I look
forward to hearing um any other comments
or proceeding any other comments or
concerns from our council members and
hopefully see this go into uh effect
thank you thank you any other discussion
Mr
muan thank you Madame
President um this evening we're voting
on almost um
$116.7 million in in the 202 5 budget
and again I want to commend uh my
colleagues for a um outstanding U budget
hearing our department here the mayor
his STA and all his staff who
participate in in the budget hearing um
we can always say and you know Echo the
same thing from last year into this year
we all should be proud of ourself that
uh we have turned the page and we're
decide to to move forward in a positive
direction all of us and to work for the
tax for the city of connected and we
have delivered that in this budget
presentation this year and our work for
the last
two thank you so yes um you know commend
everyone for working so hard to to bring
us here at this point in time with this
budget here and it's not an easy budget
I can recall this is my 11th budget and
I recall if I'm not mistaken when I
started here was about 50 or $60 million
we were dealing with at that time and
now it's almost almost $117 million so
the city have grown tremendously over
the last 11 years and we can just look
at the budget and we can U testify to
that I just want to highlight some of
the changes that we did regardless of
the the size of the budget this Council
has only proposed was
78,3 24 in changes and that has to do
with some adjustments that um we as a
council feel that it was the right thing
to do and to make these adjustment and
some of these were correction that we
need to address as we go into 2025 and
not kick it down the road as you know
into the next year so some of the want
to highlight is that the adjustment that
we made was from the deputy register
salary to the city clerk salary and that
was an that was a correction that was
made it was not an increase on that part
and then the senior center was not
funded in the mayor's proposed budget
and that is something all of us are so
heartened to support all of us so we
allocated $40,000 there and then one of
the other Senior Center is funded by
cdbg so we continue to support our
senior center as we go forward into the
years to come and that is something we
intend to make permanently into the line
into next year's um 2026 um budget then
there was another correction from the
Law Department of the great pay to deal
with some judgment and claims and some
work there in terms of the record access
and then the public safety Foundation
under the police um department they were
asking only for five
$5,000 that is something that we had
talked over the years and and support by
all council member to fund that um
$25,000 to the police department and
$225,000 to the fire department to help
with our community outreach when we pass
to the police reform we talk about
Outreach and we are allocating These
funds so that they can help to with the
Outreach in our community and to bre app
and to work with our Community Partners
to share information and whatever needed
and then also we also added um the
anti-racism training of $115,000 that
was not in the budget but it was added
and then there were some small um
adjustment to a few um dep um department
head and some other staff nothing
significant to talk about and then there
were an adjustment um to the Comm Deputy
Commission of finance and then to the
mayor
salary the I want to touch on the mayor
salary because um they I've been
receiving um some emails and things like
that this is a correction that we're
making
since 2019 as per the city Charter we as
a council have never addressed it
properly as for the charter in terms of
I'm giving the mayor raise and spell so
clearly in in the charter here that once
we are giving management raise the mayor
is entitled to that raise that
percentage what we did last week when we
moved the budget is more of a correction
from previous years that we didn't
address or it wasn't bring to brought to
our attention to address it so so what
we're doing here is the correction as I
mentioned so when you look at it at
$118,000 it's going back to
2019 the correction has to happen from
2019 to
2025 so yes it's $188,000 but it it's a
several years of correction that we're
making there to address the
shortfall and I just want to to kind of
address in in the mayor's um proposed
budget um in terms of the was increase
it's $1 per week per unit for non-exam
property and the exam property is $1.75
per week per for the entire
house and then the mayor's proposed
budget call for a 3% tax increase these
things yes we talk about increase and I
a stick low when it comes to increase in
property tax and fees but at some point
we if we are to maintain the service
that we're providing currently in the
city we need to address the costs are
going up and we can see that across the
entire country the cost is going up how
do we address that we at this point in
time connec is growing so we we have a
we have we have an obligation to
maintain these Service as our city grow
and this is the reason why these costes
are going up and they're not going up
significantly 3% property tax and a175
or a dollar per week will help take us
in the next year to address the
shortfalls thank you thank you any other
discussion okay if clerk could please
call the
role are we going to vote now uh yes
we're going to vote unless you wanted to
have some discussion then now we'll vote
okay so I'll just I'll I'll make my
comments brief um so uh I I want to Echo
a lot of what I heard here tonight um
with my colleagues I do appreciate um
the process for our budget hearings um I
think that one Testament around the
effectiveness of a body is not always
when they agree but how they disagree
and what I want to say is that I know we
had some very you know definitely had
some varying difference of opinions um
at the table but the process um itself I
think really highlighted you know our
ability to try to you know work closer
together and keep uh the people's
connecti the um best interest in mind um
with that said I think for me you know
as the budget is existing right now um
there are just a few things that to me
that I just couldn't get to a place of
agreement with um some of my council
members um especially in the fiscal
position that we're in right now I think
how we find ourselves to do uh pay
increases has to be done um with more
intentionality than what it was done
throughout this process um I also feel
that you know our youth service lines
um you know being less than 1% of the
total overall budget is another area
that I just couldn't I just can't get
them behind um right now I can't support
for those reasons I do want to make
clear not misrepresent what's happening
um we as a city do fund um lots of other
uh nonprofits and uh through our
community block grant money and other
Grant funds that we receive to make sure
that you know we are um supporting youth
in those ways but even with that uh
consideration made I just think that I
personally cannot support a budget where
our Youth Services line um is less than
1% of the budget um that's why I brought
forth to my council members to um we
should at minimal double um that uh that
budget line and we did have a lot of
support in order to do it and some of
the council members were saying that
they support the increase in um uh youth
support however just like to see it
funded um through a different um uh
different funding stream through some of
the arpa money um being that I was
unable to get that Comm commitment full
commitment from the full Council
guarantee that's why um that's one of
the reasons probably the second reason
why I just can't find myself to
supported budget I think it just sends a
wrong message right now um with uh how
we got to the raises in the um in our
youth services line being less than 1%
of our overall budget thank you all
right if the clerk would is there any
further discussion any further
discussion okay if the clerk could
please call the
role Mr Toro no Mr Farley no Mr Mancini
yes Mr Mutan yes Miss
Patrick yes I'm going to vote Yes um I
think that I first want to thank the
mayor and um our finance department and
our department heads I thought that we
were presented with a very fair
reasonable budget um I think the
presentations uh were very informative
very educational to us as well um and I
appreciated all the work that they put
into the the budget um and I too just
wanted to thank my colleagues um clearly
we had um quite a different process this
year in coming to making our decisions
uh than we had last year um and I really
felt great about the fact that I thought
people um here around our table uh that
we collaborated we communicated we
treated each other with respect um and I
wanted to thank you all for um for that
I thought it was uh really a good
discussion and a good way to be able to
come up with uh the compromises that we
did so um I vote
Yes Mr Williams yes Miss Porterfield yes
and I just want to um just make a well
just clarify my vote I was first of all
I'm excited that that we were able to
move forward I want to thank Mr mudin
for your leadership on this and I want
to thank all of the those of you who um
were able to compromise and get us to
this place and yes it's decidedly
different than last year and no budget
process is perfect uh it took you know
it takes time and effort it takes people
trying to see things from other people's
viewpoints as I always like to say how
you see it depends on where you sit so
uh overall it's like I said it's not a
perfect budget but we do we're going you
know we we're having a deficit that's
just a Frank way of saying that and so I
think that this Council the majority of
this Council work together to put
forward and pass a budget that will you
know keep our city moving forward and um
I know that no one wants a tax increase
but sometimes especially with the cost
of things going up that that is what
happened so I just again want to thank
the council thank Mr mugan for his
leadership and thank all of you and
moving forward the commitments that we
made in terms of funding um especially
I'm let me speak to the youth program I
believe that everyone was on board with
that and I just want to just know when
to have the takeaway that we're not
interested in our youth because we are
we just have to figure out different
ways to make those things happen so I
would like vote Yes on this so the mo
motion passes 5
to2 right this time I have privilege of
the floor regarding General City
business I have no one signs up to speak
so I declare the public comment of City
business
closed any miscellaneous business of the
council Miss Patrick um just wanted to
uh mention that today is National First
Responders day I know uh Chief Marino is
here from our wonderful SKC fire
department I just wanted to publicly
thank um both our SKC police department
and our SKC fire department and you know
celebrate you guys uh all today on First
Responders
day any other council members
mayor thank you madam president I
appreciate the council's deliberation in
time on the budget uh it is First
Responders day it's always much better
to see the fire chief sitting here at a
council meeting and having him out
actually managing an active situation
within the city uh also you know council
president Porterfield did a presentation
Mr Thomas uh you know great career there
uh again one of those proud uh exciting
stories and this connected I just got
word that Matt Dy is just warn in is the
president of the Northeast Regional
PGA uh Association so again it uh part
of our golf staff again bringing
recognition and uh appropriate uh
stature to this community thank you
madam president thank you and just want
to well the council uh council members
we just had a presentation on this conet
clean heat tour so just want to remind
folks about it it sounds like very
exciting and a way to improve um the
comfort in our homes and reduce our
energy costs so uh there's well there's
one today between 700 and 9 if you're
listening now you've missed most of it
but there will be uh additional
presentations on October 29th from 5: to
7: pm at the mount P Pleasant Library
which is located at 1036 Crane Street
and on October 30th operations and
maintenance and Workforce opportunities
and that will be uh on October 30th from
6:00 to 8:00 pm. and that will be at
styman Park which is 2114 Linux Road in
skincity and finally I just want to
remind everyone it is
um Halloween is this week so be safe out
there and you know be careful there's a
lot of there's a couple Trunk or Treats
so whatever you're doing out there be
careful and um I'm sorry there's one
other thing I just want to offer my
condolences to Mark Thompson who is uh
comes here sometimes to pray but he lost
his mom so just want to offer my
condolences to him and he's also I'm
think a member of one of our committees
and a just a person who does a lot in
our community so condolences to him his
family and with that I would ask for a
motion to
adjourn second by Mr Williams all those
in favor I thank you we're adjourned