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[0:00]
Hey, hey, hey.
[0:03]
[Music]
[0:46]
Heat. Heat.
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[Applause]
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Hey,
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hey, hey.
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Hey,
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hey, hey.
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Hey, hey, hey.
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[Music]
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Hey,
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hey, hey.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Hey, hey, hey.
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[Applause]
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[5:23]
call to order connected city council
[5:25]
committee meeting for Tuesday September
[5:28]
2nd 2025. We're going to begin uh with a
[5:31]
presentation by our engineer chief uh
[5:34]
Chris Wallen.
[5:38]
[Music]
[5:40]
Thank you. Uh due to the length of the
[5:43]
agenda and all that I would just not
[5:45]
going to be a presentation public
[5:47]
information meeting talk about the
[5:48]
presentation. So as you see in your
[5:51]
legislative request form I have a the
[5:54]
background summary there. So what we did
[5:56]
is this as part of um the infra
[5:59]
infrastructure act a couple years ago
[6:01]
there was a safe streets for all SS4A
[6:03]
grants that came out through the DOS. um
[6:07]
our MO the Capital Region Transportation
[6:09]
Council um applied for one for the
[6:11]
region uh which we participated in. Um
[6:14]
so they uh held the agreement with the
[6:16]
consultant and we were a participant in
[6:18]
that. Um what they did was they looked
[6:21]
at um crash hotspots in the communities
[6:24]
in each community. Um to Skenctity's
[6:27]
credit, they actually came and we met
[6:29]
and I believe Alex was at the meeting as
[6:30]
well and they came through and they said
[6:32]
um here's a list of the hotspots, Crane
[6:35]
Street, Albany Street, um State Street,
[6:40]
Erie Boulevard. We went through and we
[6:41]
went down and said we did a Crane Street
[6:43]
linkage study. We have an Albany Street
[6:45]
project. We have an Erie Boulevard
[6:46]
project. So we actually are working on
[6:49]
most of what their list was, but one of
[6:50]
the streets was also Eastern Avenue.
[6:53]
has seen a lot of
[6:54]
development in various ways and also a
[6:57]
lot of change. So, we decided to focus
[6:59]
on Eastern Avenue. So, the study area
[7:01]
was Eastern Avenue from Not Terrace up
[7:04]
to Elmer Avenue. Um, that area, like I
[7:07]
said, has gone through a lot of changes.
[7:09]
And what it is hard, I'll just try to be
[7:11]
as brief as possible with it, is for
[7:13]
people today to understand why certain
[7:15]
things existed who might not have been
[7:18]
here 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 40
[7:21]
years ago. So if you were to drive the
[7:23]
corridor, you would find two traffic
[7:25]
lights on the corridor. Um, one at
[7:28]
Mcurving and one at Elmer. Both of those
[7:30]
lights were installed when there were
[7:32]
two active elementary schools. So we had
[7:36]
a school at St. Mary's, we had a school
[7:38]
Elmer Avenue. The schools have changed,
[7:41]
neighborhood has changed, but the
[7:43]
signals remain. So part of this was
[7:46]
looking are those signals actually
[7:47]
warranted and to bring something into
[7:49]
more perspective would be um over at
[7:52]
Becker and Brandy Wine we had an
[7:54]
automobile accident that took out a
[7:56]
signal right at that intersection. I'm
[7:59]
working with our signal superintendent
[8:00]
who is not a local person and we're
[8:02]
trying he's looking through he's saying
[8:04]
this signal really doesn't make a lot of
[8:05]
sense. I said well what you don't know
[8:07]
is where the parking lot is where it
[8:10]
seems like a very odd large parking lot
[8:12]
that was a school. So, this is another
[8:14]
signal that was put in during a school.
[8:16]
So, we are looking at putting something
[8:18]
back at that intersection that might not
[8:20]
be a signal. We're looking at a
[8:22]
different uh rapid flashing beacon,
[8:24]
something else so that you can cross the
[8:25]
street. But, as the city changes, we
[8:27]
don't need to develop it the way that it
[8:29]
was 40 years ago or 20 years ago. So,
[8:34]
that is what this is. Um, we will be
[8:36]
holding and I will leave these out even
[8:38]
though this was also developed. Uh, we
[8:39]
are holding a virtual meeting. This is
[8:42]
the preferred venue for this type uh for
[8:44]
this type of project. They've done
[8:45]
virtual meetings for the Albany project
[8:47]
and Saratoga project. So this is
[8:49]
Skenctities. Uh it's a week from now
[8:51]
virtually Tuesday, September 9th, 5:30
[8:53]
to 7:00. And we'll be discussing uh two
[8:56]
concepts that we have. The first concept
[8:59]
is fairly uh simple to implement and
[9:03]
requires um new new crosswalks at
[9:06]
certain areas. U painting some new
[9:08]
crosswalks where we see a lot of
[9:09]
pedestrian activity. the removal of
[9:11]
those signals, insulation of um rapid
[9:15]
flashing beacons and things because, you
[9:17]
know, if you were to if you were to live
[9:19]
in the St. Mary's converted, you know,
[9:20]
that's a timed signal. It's not even
[9:22]
actuated. You just wait. Um and I've
[9:25]
never videoed it. We don't want to, but
[9:26]
you know, people might not wait just
[9:28]
because they're there. And then you get
[9:29]
into are people actually paying
[9:31]
attention to the signals. And that
[9:33]
actually for colleagues of mine who work
[9:35]
at um engineering areas in the DOT,
[9:37]
they've actually noted those signals as
[9:39]
being just completely outdated. Same
[9:41]
thing with Elmer Avenue. Elmer Avenue is
[9:42]
actually green for the entirety until
[9:45]
you activate it on Elmer and then it
[9:47]
will go into a flash system. So now that
[9:51]
it's not there, now it is a senior
[9:53]
housing. Is that really necessary? And
[9:54]
then the second option, which is the
[9:56]
more to a consultant, uh the more
[10:00]
alluring option is to actually turn
[10:02]
Eastern Avenue into a one-way street
[10:04]
from not terrace to essentially ranking.
[10:08]
Um and the idea with something like that
[10:09]
is if you were to do that, then you
[10:11]
could take that real estate second and
[10:14]
you could implement a bike lane for
[10:16]
both. Um and then you would have uh a
[10:19]
neighborhood bike lane and you would
[10:20]
still use Union Street as your two-way.
[10:22]
And most streets then we'd have to, you
[10:24]
know, the side streets would have to be
[10:26]
looked at. But um it gives you a lot of
[10:28]
opportunity. Uh parking on one side,
[10:30]
bike lane on one side and then and then
[10:33]
the traffic uh one way up. But that is
[10:35]
the the interesting uh the interesting
[10:38]
concept. Um I think it does have some
[10:40]
merit and I would look to hear from
[10:42]
people on the corridor what they think
[10:44]
of it. Um you know the corridor has
[10:47]
changed quite a bit. We do have quite a
[10:49]
bit of blocks in between that you would
[10:50]
be able to get on and off of it. the
[10:52]
bike lane would be two-way two-way just
[10:54]
to make sure it wouldn't be just up with
[10:56]
that. It would be an actual two-way bike
[10:59]
lane. And then there's, you know,
[11:00]
multiple ways to do it. You could do it
[11:01]
the way that we're looking on Craig
[11:03]
Street, which is a completely separated
[11:05]
raised bike lane, or you could do it
[11:07]
just through striping, which is similar
[11:08]
to what we did on Washington Avenue with
[11:10]
a a bright painted or delineated thing
[11:13]
uh lane up the side. So, that's what
[11:15]
we'll be uh discussing on September uh
[11:18]
9th. Um there is no implementation
[11:21]
money. This is something that just like
[11:25]
uh the Crane Street projects and Albany
[11:28]
Street and that this is going to you
[11:30]
know it's a study. I know people
[11:31]
sometimes get frustrated with studies
[11:33]
because it you know it took us a very
[11:35]
long time to implement Craig Street.
[11:36]
That's a $13 million project. This isn't
[11:38]
that but we also have to work together
[11:41]
as the council development engineering
[11:43]
and the mayor's office to see what are
[11:45]
our priorities. Um, if the reviews of
[11:48]
something like this are positive and we
[11:50]
think that there is a way to to
[11:53]
implement a one-way cheaply with paint
[11:55]
and we really think it'll have a
[11:56]
positive on the community, we could do
[11:58]
that. Um, if we think that it's
[12:00]
positive, but we want to do the
[12:02]
separated, well, now we're talking about
[12:03]
a multiple seven figure job and then
[12:05]
we'd have to go after funding. But do we
[12:07]
want to do that or we want to work on
[12:08]
Albany Street? You know, we really have
[12:10]
to weigh where we are. Um I don't know
[12:12]
how uh public works projects fit into
[12:14]
the comprehensive plan that we're
[12:16]
working on, but you know that's
[12:17]
something that we do have going on right
[12:19]
now is this comprehensive plan for the
[12:21]
entire city. And I'm hoping that there's
[12:23]
a little bit dedicated to the direction
[12:24]
of public works and where we put uh our
[12:27]
money. But um this is where we are. If
[12:29]
you have any questions, you can ask me
[12:31]
now or I encourage everybody to uh to
[12:33]
attend virtually in a week.
[12:37]
» Okay.
[12:38]
Now, we're going to leave these uh
[12:40]
on the counter outside the clerk's
[12:41]
office and then we're going to be
[12:42]
posting it. I believe there was already
[12:44]
a press release. Uh so, everything's
[12:46]
going to be going through with the
[12:46]
mayor's office and the CRTC going
[12:48]
forward just for public.
[12:50]
>> All right. Thank you.
[12:55]
» Okay. Our first committee is claims.
[12:58]
>> So, I'd like to call to order the claims
[13:00]
committee. We have two items on the
[13:01]
agenda tonight with the inclusion of the
[13:04]
new energy letter of intent to negotiate
[13:07]
at the mayor's request. It was in uh
[13:10]
city development and planning
[13:11]
previously. Um and I believe all three
[13:13]
of those items need to be discussed in
[13:14]
executive session. So I have a motion.
[13:17]
I will second. All those in favor I. Um
[13:20]
we are now in executive session
[13:22]
>> and members of the public will have to
[13:23]
leave. We will be going back into public
[13:25]
session after this.
[13:31]
[Music]
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Hey,
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hey, hey.
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Heat. Heat. N.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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[Applause]
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Hey, hey, hey.
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Heat. Heat. N.
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[Applause]
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Hey, hey, hey.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat.
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Heat.
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Hey, hey, hey.
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[Applause]
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Hey, hey, hey.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Hey,
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hey, hey.
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hey, hey.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Nat.
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Hey. Hey. Hey.
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Hey.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat. N.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Hey,
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hey, hey.
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Hey.
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[Applause]
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Hey,
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hey, hey.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Hey. Hey. Hey.
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Hey,
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hey, hey.
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Hey, hey.
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[Applause]
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Hey, hey.
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Heat.
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Hey, Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Hey, Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat. N.
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Hey.
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Hey.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat.
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Heat.
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Heat.
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Heat.
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[Applause]
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Hey,
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hey, hey.
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[Applause]
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Hey,
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Hey, hey.
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hey.
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Heat. Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat.
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Heat.
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Heat. Heat. N.
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Heat. Heat.
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[Applause]
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Hey,
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hey, hey.
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Hey,
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hey, hey.
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Heat. Heat.
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Hey,
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hey, hey.
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Heat. Heat.
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Hey,
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hey, hey.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Hey, hey, hey.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat. N.
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Hey, hey, hey.
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Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Hey,
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hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey.
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Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Hey, heat. Hey, heat.
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Heat.
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Heat. Heat. N.
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Heat. Hey, Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Hey,
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hey, hey.
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Heat. Heat.
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Heat. Heat.
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Hey, hey, hey.
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Hey, hey, hey.
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[Applause]
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Heat
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up
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here.
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Okay.
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» Okay. I would like to call to order the
[1:16:02]
finance committee and the first item is
[1:16:04]
grant award New York State Highway
[1:16:06]
safety program
[1:16:15]
almost.
[1:16:17]
[Music]
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» Good evening. Uh I'm not quite chief
[1:16:23]
lieutenant Scott. Um so tonight uh here
[1:16:28]
to
[1:16:30]
uh present that the city of connected
[1:16:32]
police department has been awarded
[1:16:33]
$45,600
[1:16:35]
um in state funding from the governor's
[1:16:38]
uh traffic safety committee GTSC.
[1:16:41]
They're in partnership with DMV. Uh this
[1:16:43]
is for
[1:16:46]
um
[1:16:50]
I lost my place. Uh the highway safety
[1:16:52]
program. basically their uh in some
[1:16:55]
substance their initiative and goals to
[1:16:57]
reduce the number of crashes uh injuries
[1:17:00]
and deaths on New York New York's
[1:17:02]
roadways. Um so what this money does
[1:17:05]
we've been uh a recipient of this grant
[1:17:09]
for multiple years. Uh ultimately in a
[1:17:12]
nutshell this is just a supplement to
[1:17:14]
our already uh daily traffic enforcement
[1:17:17]
efforts. Um, this kind of gives us a
[1:17:20]
little bit of flexibility um with some
[1:17:23]
directed attention and patrol to certain
[1:17:25]
areas if we're getting certain
[1:17:27]
complaints in different areas. Uh, it
[1:17:30]
allowed us to supplement the efforts of
[1:17:32]
the speed limit change when that took
[1:17:34]
place. Um, and obviously we'll continue
[1:17:37]
to do so. Um there's also money set
[1:17:40]
aside for training to attend yearly
[1:17:42]
conferences, uh DR training, the drug
[1:17:45]
recognition expert, um things of that
[1:17:48]
nature. And then it also funds
[1:17:50]
specifically
[1:17:51]
um there's a breakdown in there for
[1:17:53]
certain initiatives that the state holds
[1:17:55]
throughout the year like clicking or
[1:17:56]
ticket, um you know, distracted driving.
[1:17:59]
You've all heard these before. Um so
[1:18:01]
during those times, whether they're
[1:18:03]
months, weeks, whatever, certain monies
[1:18:05]
are allotted specifically just for that.
[1:18:08]
It's all in the breakdown under this. Um
[1:18:13]
there's an education portion of this. Uh
[1:18:15]
during pedestrian safety, um typically
[1:18:18]
what we'll do is we'll send out um
[1:18:20]
officers
[1:18:22]
to just educate people, educate
[1:18:24]
pedestrians in some of the high traffic
[1:18:26]
pedestrian areas uh with just pamphlets
[1:18:28]
like you know notifying them that either
[1:18:31]
they were in the wrong or the driver was
[1:18:32]
in the wrong. giving them uh proper
[1:18:35]
documentation and education on the laws
[1:18:38]
um and just sending them on their way
[1:18:40]
without any tickets, just more of a
[1:18:43]
verbal warning. So, there's pieces in
[1:18:44]
place for that.
[1:18:48]
» Any questions?
[1:18:51]
>> Not a question, but a comment. I mean, I really appreciate that the police
[1:18:54]
department has um is getting so many of
[1:18:57]
these grants. um in particular, I
[1:18:59]
appreciate this one um because it is um
[1:19:01]
will add to some of the other traffic
[1:19:03]
calming measures that we've been talking
[1:19:06]
about and and putting into place. So,
[1:19:08]
>> Lieutenant Colin, who's in charge of
[1:19:10]
that division? He's uh there's more on
[1:19:12]
the docket. Things haven't been decided
[1:19:14]
on yet. So,
[1:19:16]
>> thank you.
[1:19:17]
>> Any other questions come in?
[1:19:19]
>> Seeing none, may I have a motion to move
[1:19:21]
this item forward?
[1:19:22]
>> So, moved.
[1:19:23]
>> Second. All in favor? I. Thank you.
[1:19:28]
The next item is amended and restated
[1:19:30]
bond ordinance for the Washington Avenue
[1:19:32]
pump station and the water resource
[1:19:34]
recovery facility.
[1:19:44]
» Hello, good evening. Um, we are looking
[1:19:47]
to amend and restate the Washington pump
[1:19:49]
station and the water resource uh
[1:19:51]
recovery facility. As you can see in the
[1:19:53]
analysis, we're looking to increase that
[1:19:55]
by approximately $7.6 million to a
[1:19:59]
maximum cost of 29 million
[1:20:01]
approximately. Uh we're requesting that
[1:20:03]
the U council approve this. Um it was
[1:20:08]
originally adopted on July 10th, 2023.
[1:20:10]
So we're looking to just continue the
[1:20:12]
process. Um if you need further
[1:20:14]
information, I I do have Commissioner OB
[1:20:16]
with me here to discuss any details with
[1:20:18]
you.
[1:20:20]
>> Any questions coming? Go ahead, please.
[1:20:23]
>> So, um, since we adopted this in 2023
[1:20:26]
and I my question essentially is it's
[1:20:29]
two years and, um, if you just can
[1:20:31]
clarify why we're at this point now and
[1:20:34]
where is the, um, the work that's being
[1:20:37]
done, where are we with that?
[1:20:39]
>> I you sent a couple questions, so I'll
[1:20:40]
try and answer them if that's okay.
[1:20:42]
>> Oh, sure.
[1:20:43]
>> Sure. Does um, what what are the
[1:20:46]
projects entail? Okay. Well, there's two
[1:20:48]
projects, the Washington Avenue pump
[1:20:49]
station and the WRF, which is the
[1:20:51]
wastewater treatment plant that pumps.
[1:20:53]
Uh, what this is going to do is help
[1:20:56]
with the resiliency program and increase
[1:20:57]
the redundancy of the city's
[1:20:59]
infrastructure to reduce the inflow to
[1:21:01]
the treatment plant. And that's going to
[1:21:02]
be done by the old Washington Avenue
[1:21:04]
pump house, which is the round building
[1:21:06]
that sits over by county college.
[1:21:08]
>> That has been unfunctioning for years.
[1:21:12]
Okay. It will help with the flooding
[1:21:14]
issues there. It will reduce the flow
[1:21:16]
going to the wastewater treatment plant.
[1:21:18]
Um and it'll be part of the climate
[1:21:20]
water related adoption um report that
[1:21:23]
was done for the city. Now the river
[1:21:25]
pumps uh because the the wastewater
[1:21:27]
treatment plant now takes more flow in
[1:21:29]
to the plant. The river pumps were put
[1:21:32]
in in 1972. They were designed to take
[1:21:35]
roughly 30 some million gallons out of
[1:21:37]
the plant when there's flooding. Well,
[1:21:39]
we now receive up to almost 50 million
[1:21:41]
gallons. So in the times of flooding
[1:21:44]
along the river is high, we force feed
[1:21:45]
the river. On normal days, we gravity
[1:21:47]
feed the river. Water comes in, gravity
[1:21:49]
flows out. But if there's a storm when
[1:21:52]
the river comes up, we have to force
[1:21:53]
feed the river. So that means we have to
[1:21:55]
activate river pumps to come on. So the
[1:21:58]
river homes currently that are there are
[1:22:00]
inadequate cuz they won't pump the flow
[1:22:01]
that's coming into the plant nowadays.
[1:22:03]
So they were installed, like I said, it
[1:22:05]
was with um money on the Clean Water Act
[1:22:09]
in 1972. So they're from 1972. So
[1:22:12]
they'll be upgraded to as part of this.
[1:22:15]
Um the second project was the rice road
[1:22:19]
um treatment plant the water wells and
[1:22:22]
that would be phase two and that's the
[1:22:24]
next phase of the development of rice
[1:22:26]
road is the capital improvement plant
[1:22:27]
utilized um and we put three wells in a
[1:22:32]
couple years ago. So this project is two
[1:22:34]
phases. The wells were put in the well
[1:22:36]
houses are being installed now with some
[1:22:38]
of the piping. In phase two, the
[1:22:41]
$300,000 increase, um, we will apply for
[1:22:45]
bond money. It does have to be applied
[1:22:47]
for in September this month. So, we do
[1:22:50]
have some money out there. We will put
[1:22:51]
in on the grant application. We were not
[1:22:53]
awarded grant money for that. First
[1:22:55]
time, we were awarded over a million
[1:22:57]
dollars to put the wells in. We were
[1:22:58]
awarded um almost 950,000
[1:23:01]
to do the flidation system. So, we did
[1:23:04]
have grant money for that. So, we will
[1:23:06]
be applying for more grant money to help
[1:23:07]
with the $300,000 um difference there.
[1:23:10]
As for the Washington Pump Station and
[1:23:13]
the Ethone Pump Station, um the increase
[1:23:16]
for $7 million is because we've been
[1:23:18]
awarded $26 million in grants. So, we
[1:23:22]
will maximize the expenditure by
[1:23:24]
increasing the bond to to match those.
[1:23:27]
Out of that $26 million that we've
[1:23:29]
already awarded, we're responsible for
[1:23:32]
25% of the $10 million grant, which is
[1:23:34]
2.5 million, and the closing costs on
[1:23:37]
the loan. Um, but that loan because
[1:23:40]
we'll be a um a um
[1:23:43]
we'll get zero interest on the loan. So,
[1:23:45]
that $20ome million, we're only um
[1:23:48]
responsible 2.5 million and at 0%.
[1:23:53]
>> And that will be part of the Washington
[1:23:55]
Avenue.
[1:23:57]
and the WRF which is the river homes. So
[1:24:00]
we have fully, you know, grant money for
[1:24:02]
that up to, like I said, other than 25
[1:24:05]
2.5 million. Um, the projects you would
[1:24:08]
ask when they would be starting,
[1:24:11]
um,
[1:24:20]
[Music]
[1:24:22]
He's
[1:24:38]
here somewhere. Just
[1:24:44]
Washington County Public Station. Um
[1:24:47]
that is the design now. It should be bid
[1:24:49]
in 26 pending regulatory review and
[1:24:52]
approval. I'll have to go through their
[1:24:53]
part of it. Work is anticipated to be
[1:24:56]
completed by December of 27.
[1:25:04]
The rice road project city is presently
[1:25:06]
finishing construction on phase one
[1:25:08]
improvements to at the water plant and
[1:25:10]
the design phase improvements will
[1:25:12]
commence in 26. project in the space of
[1:25:14]
the bid in early 27 pending regulatory
[1:25:17]
review and approval and construction
[1:25:19]
should be completed by the end of 27
[1:25:21]
early 28.
[1:25:23]
That's going to encompass um
[1:25:27]
a totally redundant system. We currently
[1:25:30]
have I know I went over this when we did
[1:25:32]
the bond first time. We currently have
[1:25:34]
one main sort of control building. All
[1:25:36]
the power comes into one main building
[1:25:38]
at the water wells. This will add
[1:25:41]
another uh power service coming into the
[1:25:43]
water wells. The three new wells out of
[1:25:46]
the three new wells, two wells and one
[1:25:48]
old good producing well will be tied to
[1:25:50]
one complete new system with its own
[1:25:52]
power, its own chemical feed system. So
[1:25:55]
if something was to happen to the main
[1:25:57]
building and we lost power there, the
[1:25:59]
city will still be able to provide water
[1:26:01]
to the residents um through the
[1:26:03]
redundant system. So there'll be a
[1:26:05]
separate coronation system, a separate
[1:26:07]
redundant power system. So, um, it'll
[1:26:10]
provide the resilience and the
[1:26:11]
redundancy we need going into the future
[1:26:13]
to keep a water supply to the residents
[1:26:15]
of the city of Scanity.
[1:26:18]
>> Okay.
[1:26:20]
>> Are there any questions?
[1:26:22]
>> So, number one, I just want to say kind
[1:26:25]
of to piggy back off what Miss Patrick
[1:26:27]
said, you are constantly coming forth
[1:26:28]
with like these grants that are really
[1:26:31]
extremely impressive. Um, and and I can
[1:26:34]
imagine us being able to do the things
[1:26:36]
we do without them. So, that's one of
[1:26:37]
the notes. I something that's slightly
[1:26:41]
un is related issues. I I would love to
[1:26:44]
see I remember uh a conversation talking
[1:26:47]
about um helping our residents where
[1:26:51]
when their mainline breaks from the city
[1:26:54]
and I was wondering if there's as you're
[1:26:56]
pursuing any grants is there anything
[1:26:58]
that kind of could fall under that?
[1:27:01]
Well, we do have on the IUP $22 million
[1:27:05]
um and the intended use plan uh for leg
[1:27:08]
service line replacements. So, um it's
[1:27:11]
on the intended use plan. We'll apply
[1:27:13]
for it again. We applied for it last
[1:27:14]
time because we do know the federal
[1:27:16]
regulations change in 26. We will have
[1:27:20]
to have a comprehensive plan of um how
[1:27:22]
we go from 26 to 36. and whatever lead
[1:27:26]
services have to rep be replaced, we
[1:27:29]
have to let them know that if it's a
[1:27:31]
thousand and we got 10 years to do it,
[1:27:33]
you know, we're going to do, you know,
[1:27:35]
100 a year. Um, we have to report the
[1:27:37]
pay. So, we are going to request
[1:27:39]
funding. Again, it's all on the funding.
[1:27:42]
So, um, and there was a time when I did
[1:27:44]
come up with a a program to try and
[1:27:46]
offer,
[1:27:50]
I'll call it an insurance policy years
[1:27:51]
ago, uh, when I first came back as, um,
[1:27:54]
director of water and sewer, that the
[1:27:56]
residents would pay a fee, audits fee,
[1:28:00]
um, for that policy, um, and the city
[1:28:03]
would do some of the work to do some of
[1:28:05]
the service lines or repairs. Um, but it
[1:28:08]
was turned out.
[1:28:11]
>> Thank you.
[1:28:14]
[Music]
[1:28:18]
Oh, it's my
[1:28:23]
» gohead, sir. I just got a wing of that
[1:28:25]
when you just mentioned that it was
[1:28:26]
turned up. It was turned up because we
[1:28:28]
were asking it to be a revolving fund.
[1:28:31]
So you're asking a taxpayer to pay into
[1:28:33]
a fund to repair broken means but at the
[1:28:37]
end of the year that money moved into
[1:28:40]
the general fund and you have to start
[1:28:41]
all over again
[1:28:43]
>> and we ask that it be a revolving um the
[1:28:46]
funding remains throughout the lifetime.
[1:28:50]
>> Mr. Chairman with all due respect I put
[1:28:53]
forth the proposals Mr. Leavon outline
[1:28:56]
so that we would do the repairs and yes
[1:28:58]
it would be treated as a general fund.
[1:29:01]
It's solely the discretion of the
[1:29:03]
council if you wanted to set it up as a
[1:29:05]
revolving fund. So my recommendation was
[1:29:08]
to to get in those first years see what
[1:29:10]
the actual utilization was there would
[1:29:13]
have been a
[1:29:16]
I don't know dollar increase in the fee
[1:29:20]
but that final decision solely the city
[1:29:22]
council in terms of how you account for
[1:29:23]
that how you expend the money and how
[1:29:25]
you retain the money
[1:29:28]
>> I think that was that was the sore point
[1:29:30]
at that point in time why didn't win
[1:29:31]
because of that not being revolving
[1:29:34]
where where it's going to happen Who's
[1:29:37]
how do we fund it? I mean, if you if I
[1:29:39]
have to bring it back and make it a a
[1:29:41]
revolving um fund
[1:29:42]
>> be a little more expensive.
[1:29:44]
>> No, we can revisit it.
[1:29:46]
>> I don't think we we want people to pay
[1:29:49]
into something and they're not getting
[1:29:51]
the benefit.
[1:29:53]
>> And I think that was that was one of the
[1:29:55]
reason why it was it wasn't shut down.
[1:29:57]
It was it was question was asked.
[1:29:59]
>> Well, Mr. Chairman, so my thought was
[1:30:02]
because Mr. So far's been uh relatively
[1:30:05]
successful securing grant fundings for
[1:30:07]
the city. I was thinking that's what my
[1:30:09]
question was along those lines. Is there
[1:30:11]
something that maybe we could even
[1:30:12]
leverage that if there's something
[1:30:15]
existing that aligns with that maybe we
[1:30:17]
could leverage it bring the cost lower
[1:30:20]
even for participants and then and then
[1:30:24]
obviously we can you know talk about
[1:30:26]
what it looks like revolving or not.
[1:30:28]
That's just something that, you know,
[1:30:29]
I'd like to see it come back if indeed
[1:30:31]
there's something out there.
[1:30:32]
>> So, we got $22 million on the intended
[1:30:34]
use plan. We have to see how we score
[1:30:36]
for that. Again, that's a request. They
[1:30:39]
can say you get four. You can say you
[1:30:40]
get one. It's not going to help a lot
[1:30:42]
because we know there's probably quite a
[1:30:44]
few lead services still within the city.
[1:30:46]
>> Um, but also if you have this policy,
[1:30:49]
it's a fund to draw off of rather than,
[1:30:51]
you know, we don't own the services
[1:30:53]
currently. They're owned by the
[1:30:55]
residents. So the thing is is okay we got to replace
[1:31:00]
them but they're not our responsibility
[1:31:02]
but the federal government's going to
[1:31:03]
say they are our responsibility and if
[1:31:06]
we have to do it by 2037 which somebody
[1:31:09]
else here but um it's going to have to
[1:31:12]
get done and the funds are going to have
[1:31:13]
to be found. So I don't know how you
[1:31:15]
know I mean I have my ideas but I'll
[1:31:17]
keep them for myself right now.
[1:31:20]
>> Um how many surveys did we get back in
[1:31:23]
the mail? Um we're still doing it. We're
[1:31:25]
going to start a round of um we'll call
[1:31:27]
boots on the ground because a lot of
[1:31:29]
people have not responded. A lot of
[1:31:31]
people um they um they they just don't
[1:31:34]
want to us in their homes or you know
[1:31:37]
when we have to get into the home uh to
[1:31:39]
determine what's coming through the
[1:31:40]
seller wall, whether it's copper,
[1:31:41]
whether it's lead, whether it's
[1:31:42]
galvanized. Um so there is a um a group
[1:31:47]
that's going to come in put some boots
[1:31:48]
on the ground for us. Leave cards. uh
[1:31:52]
will accommodate them even if it's and
[1:31:53]
we know some people are working u but
[1:31:56]
we've had some guys in the water wells
[1:31:57]
that have gone out after 5:00 to meet
[1:31:59]
with people but it's been very very slow
[1:32:02]
um the response just isn't there
[1:32:06]
>> thank you Mr. I I think that this would
[1:32:10]
be I know I brought this up briefly
[1:32:12]
before. I don't know um if anyone acted
[1:32:14]
on it, but I think especially right now
[1:32:15]
as kids are returning to school, people
[1:32:18]
are coming in, parents are filling out a
[1:32:19]
lot of paperwork, so they we have a
[1:32:21]
little bit of a, you know, a very uh
[1:32:26]
audience that's paying a lot of
[1:32:27]
attention to what these communications
[1:32:29]
are not are like. So, I think that that
[1:32:31]
would be a really good opportunity for
[1:32:32]
the city to kind of work with the school
[1:32:34]
district to say, "Hey, this is the
[1:32:35]
information that we're trying to get.
[1:32:37]
Could you put this in your, you know,
[1:32:40]
registration packets, uh, your back to
[1:32:42]
school type of thing?" I think that if
[1:32:43]
we did it, attached it to that probably
[1:32:45]
have the greatest success rate.
[1:32:47]
>> Probably possibly do some flyers to
[1:32:49]
students to bring home. I mean, just to,
[1:32:52]
you know, get the attention and again
[1:32:55]
scheduling an appointment. Um, you know,
[1:32:57]
and I know a lot of people work, but
[1:32:59]
we're willing to do it, you know, in the early evening hours when we do
[1:33:03]
get home, you know, and we do send two
[1:33:05]
people um to a property.
[1:33:10]
» Any other go?
[1:33:11]
>> Yeah. So, you said you have you're
[1:33:12]
hiring a firm or you have a firm to the
[1:33:14]
boot.
[1:33:14]
>> There is a firm. Yes.
[1:33:16]
>> So, that we've already hired.
[1:33:18]
>> Yes. It's a minority firm local here in
[1:33:20]
Connecticut um that is willing to um put
[1:33:22]
some individuals out to work with us.
[1:33:24]
Yes. And that's been going through Alpha
[1:33:26]
Harbor Associates and interviewed them
[1:33:28]
and we did meet with them um in room 9.
[1:33:31]
So, okay.
[1:33:32]
>> Um, and you said the 22 million
[1:33:34]
requests. Could you just
[1:33:36]
>> 26 million?
[1:33:37]
>> 26.
[1:33:38]
>> Yes. There
[1:33:39]
>> four million. Go ahead.
[1:33:40]
>> There's different grants. There is the u
[1:33:42]
the the bill money, the WEIA money. Um,
[1:33:46]
there's different funding um areas that
[1:33:48]
we got the money. So, out of the $26
[1:33:50]
million um you know, and you know, the
[1:33:53]
loan, we had to increase the bond so
[1:33:56]
that we maximize the loan in a sense.
[1:33:59]
Um, so all the loan will be dedicated to
[1:34:03]
the project.
[1:34:04]
>> Okay.
[1:34:04]
>> So we could, you know, we couldn't have
[1:34:08]
the the project being less than the
[1:34:10]
loan. So we're going to, you know, so
[1:34:12]
that's where it is. And like I said, the
[1:34:14]
last $10 million, the one final grant is
[1:34:16]
for $10 million and that is the 25%
[1:34:19]
match. So we'll be responsible for 2.5
[1:34:21]
million, but uh we'll get a 0% interest
[1:34:25]
because we qualify for hardship loan. So
[1:34:28]
it'll be payback is 0%.
[1:34:31]
>> Thank you.
[1:34:32]
>> Are there any other question on item
[1:34:34]
number two?
[1:34:37]
>> Seeing none, we have a motion to move
[1:34:38]
forward. Item number two.
[1:34:42]
>> So moved.
[1:34:42]
>> Second. All in favor?
[1:34:44]
>> I
[1:34:46]
next item is amended and restated.
[1:34:51]
First supplemental bond ordinance for
[1:34:52]
Rice River Road.
[1:34:55]
I think I believe commissioner fond
[1:34:57]
every ready to tackle this issue.
[1:35:00]
So we talked about them together.
[1:35:02]
>> Yeah.
[1:35:03]
>> Are there any question regarding this?
[1:35:05]
>> Seeing none may have a motion to move
[1:35:07]
forward.
[1:35:07]
>> So move second.
[1:35:08]
>> All in favor?
[1:35:09]
>> I thank you. Um
[1:35:12]
>> thanks for coming.
[1:35:14]
>> Mr. Chairman, I just want to bring to
[1:35:16]
the council's attention the bond
[1:35:17]
ordinances both for items two and three
[1:35:20]
were previously prepared by bound bond
[1:35:22]
council for next week's uh meeting and I
[1:35:26]
think you got that a couple weeks ago
[1:35:28]
just for the record. Thank you.
[1:35:31]
>> The next item is the 2026 budget calling
[1:35:34]
for public hearing. Mr.
[1:35:37]
>> Can you believe it's that time of the
[1:35:39]
year again? Um, we're looking to uh do a
[1:35:42]
public hearing October 14, 2025 for the
[1:35:45]
2026 uh budget.
[1:35:50]
>> This is straightforward.
[1:35:52]
Are there any question? Seeing no, may I
[1:35:54]
have a motion to call for public hearing
[1:35:55]
October 146
[1:35:58]
budget?
[1:35:58]
>> So moved.
[1:35:59]
>> Second.
[1:35:59]
>> All in favor? I
[1:36:02]
>> may I have a motion to adjourn?
[1:36:04]
>> Can I ask a question?
[1:36:06]
>> Go ahead, please.
[1:36:09]
This is um actually kind of it's about
[1:36:11]
finances. So um
[1:36:16]
I I this is kind of I just saw this
[1:36:19]
recently and it has to do with how we're
[1:36:21]
collecting um a certain amount of money
[1:36:23]
and how I want to know how that figured
[1:36:25]
into our budget where it showed on the
[1:36:26]
line. But the um stickers that we're
[1:36:28]
selling for trash. Yes.
[1:36:31]
um the the infant leads I came to get to
[1:36:36]
some to hand out to people because they
[1:36:37]
weren't doing it properly and on the
[1:36:39]
bottom it says that you can only pay for
[1:36:41]
those in cash. So I wasn't really clear
[1:36:44]
on why that is.
[1:36:46]
>> Not 100% sure on that. Um I talked to
[1:36:49]
receipts
[1:36:51]
on um wasn't aware of that. Um, I wasn't
[1:36:55]
until the other day when I was trying to
[1:36:57]
give it to someone and they were like,
[1:36:58]
"Well, you know, I want would prefer to
[1:37:00]
pay it by credit card and do all that,
[1:37:01]
but it clearly says you can only buy it
[1:37:03]
with cash." So, and then and I didn't
[1:37:06]
know how that showed up in the budget.
[1:37:09]
>> There's a budget. There's a line item in
[1:37:10]
the budget um for that specifically. I
[1:37:15]
sent that to you.
[1:37:17]
>> So, there's a line item for the
[1:37:18]
stickers.
[1:37:20]
>> Both items
[1:37:22]
for the bold items.
[1:37:23]
>> Yes. Okay. All right.
[1:37:26]
So, who should I ask about or or will
[1:37:28]
you ask about the cash?
[1:37:30]
>> Well, I could ask ours department issue.
[1:37:34]
>> All right. If you would let us know.
[1:37:36]
>> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[1:37:39]
>> Motion to adjourn finance.
[1:37:41]
>> So move.
[1:37:41]
>> Second.
[1:37:43]
>> All in favor?
[1:37:45]
>> I.
[1:37:45]
>> Thank you.
[1:37:46]
>> Good time.
[1:37:48]
>> Like to call to order government
[1:37:50]
operations. We have one item on the
[1:37:51]
agenda that is announcing the court
[1:37:53]
order council.
[1:37:55]
>> Thank you. Uh so I'm very excited to be
[1:37:57]
before you all at this juncture. Um I'd
[1:37:59]
like to say definitely had it uh
[1:38:03]
growth uh for me specifically with uh
[1:38:06]
respect to identifying select group of
[1:38:09]
individuals to take on a task that's
[1:38:11]
never been like identified before and
[1:38:12]
just grow together. Uh so I'm pleased to
[1:38:15]
announce that uh I received uh five
[1:38:18]
votes um from the committee who is
[1:38:21]
looking to select Adonis Richards as
[1:38:24]
this connect's inaugural pro laureate.
[1:38:26]
Um before I get into the background of
[1:38:28]
how they arrive at that juncture, I
[1:38:30]
would say at this point what I'm asking
[1:38:32]
of the council is to support that
[1:38:34]
nomination and then it would continue
[1:38:36]
along to our council meeting for a full
[1:38:39]
vote next week. Um, sincerely, I am not
[1:38:42]
one that says that they know everything.
[1:38:44]
Um, I think it started with an idea of
[1:38:46]
how do we capture another voice for our
[1:38:48]
community. Um, I think in identifying in
[1:38:51]
all of our roles, how do we get into
[1:38:53]
that uh absent any bias I think from all
[1:38:56]
of our seats and positions and that was
[1:38:58]
creating a space with community
[1:38:59]
representation from our local academic
[1:39:01]
institutions and then some community
[1:39:03]
members. Um, one of the takeaways that I
[1:39:06]
noticed was doing that with our academic
[1:39:09]
institutions during the summer where
[1:39:10]
they have time off and then as they get
[1:39:12]
back to school made the timeline uh a
[1:39:14]
little more challenging. Um, but I would
[1:39:16]
say is throughout the discussions it has
[1:39:18]
been nothing short of just very
[1:39:20]
authentic collaboration. Um, and all the
[1:39:23]
members were understanding that this is
[1:39:25]
a process that is meant to grow and
[1:39:26]
develop over time. Um
[1:39:30]
I would say uh the intent never was to
[1:39:33]
start with a perfect process but was one
[1:39:35]
of how do we just continue to move and
[1:39:38]
position the efforts forward. Um so one
[1:39:42]
of the key takeaways was communication
[1:39:44]
and I think naturally that is an area of
[1:39:46]
concern we've always identified um with
[1:39:48]
any of our efforts just how do we
[1:39:49]
properly inform the community and the
[1:39:51]
hope is with this position uh they would
[1:39:53]
serve as an additional just century with
[1:39:56]
just communicating things um providing a
[1:39:58]
different perspective um but also one of
[1:40:01]
the takeaways was expectation and I
[1:40:03]
think that is something that doesn't
[1:40:05]
fall short of anyone um it's going to be
[1:40:08]
essential that this individual although
[1:40:09]
it is currently unpaid um understands
[1:40:12]
that this is a multi-directional
[1:40:14]
opportunity, one that allows them to
[1:40:16]
leverage the title of Pope Lori um but
[1:40:19]
also one that comes with a series of
[1:40:21]
expectations because you'd be taking on
[1:40:22]
a role that allows you to speak to a
[1:40:24]
lesser degree for this city of Skenctity
[1:40:27]
in certain efforts. Um so I'm happy to
[1:40:30]
answer any questions or concerns. Um but
[1:40:32]
sincerely I think uh from where this
[1:40:36]
started to where we arrived uh I can
[1:40:38]
confidently sit here before you all and
[1:40:40]
say that this is uh I think the best
[1:40:43]
candidate out of who applied and I would
[1:40:45]
like to say out of the individuals who
[1:40:47]
were presented with the opportunity. I
[1:40:48]
think it was nothing um was recognized
[1:40:52]
of a missed opportunity. It was more or
[1:40:53]
less of how do I stay engaged throughout
[1:40:55]
this process? how do I contribute in
[1:40:57]
different facets to ensure that they are
[1:40:59]
supporting whoever uh the council elects
[1:41:02]
to further support moving forward. Um
[1:41:05]
that was one thing that I noticed uh was
[1:41:08]
very ethic that everyone had the best
[1:41:11]
intent for the city at their hearts. So
[1:41:14]
I just want to say congratulations
[1:41:17]
>> Mr. Williams. I think that this and I
[1:41:19]
initially I um wasn't necessarily a
[1:41:22]
naysayer but I didn't really appreciate
[1:41:24]
I understand the gravity of this which
[1:41:26]
is saying a lot you know as you know I
[1:41:28]
do my one of the largest poetry shows in
[1:41:30]
the state here right here in Skenctity
[1:41:32]
but I couldn't understand um how it
[1:41:36]
would really um what it would look like
[1:41:38]
in this capacity but going through this
[1:41:41]
process and and and and learning more
[1:41:43]
about it this is this isn't just
[1:41:45]
something that is really for um you
[1:41:48]
know, you know, expression, but it's
[1:41:51]
also this is like a a a way that you
[1:41:54]
what they call keepers of culture in the
[1:41:57]
city. And I think that that is a is
[1:41:59]
something that is extremely valuable.
[1:42:01]
So, I really appreciate that this is um
[1:42:04]
something that's happening and I'm proud
[1:42:06]
of the entire council and and and
[1:42:08]
supporting this. Patrick,
[1:42:12]
>> congratulations on coming to a decision.
[1:42:14]
I was just wondering how many people did
[1:42:16]
apply um for the position.
[1:42:19]
>> So, I'd say four. Um and I think that is
[1:42:22]
a number that's not missed on um I think
[1:42:25]
the
[1:42:27]
that is very very new. Um what I would
[1:42:29]
say is it was not surprising but
[1:42:32]
definitely a point of consideration for
[1:42:35]
two individuals who stayed tuned in
[1:42:37]
throughout the duration of all these
[1:42:38]
discussions. I thought that that
[1:42:40]
identified that there are people that
[1:42:42]
continuously watch our council meetings
[1:42:43]
which I thought was a very important
[1:42:46]
fact to underline but one that showed
[1:42:48]
their deep rooted just interest in
[1:42:50]
seeing this forward. Um I was very
[1:42:52]
intentional at keeping um boundaries
[1:42:55]
between um interested parties and
[1:42:57]
ensuring that my only comments to them
[1:43:00]
was uh keeping them breast of moving. Um
[1:43:03]
but even myself I have not looking
[1:43:05]
looked at the packets. I think truly
[1:43:07]
wanting to trust the process and trust
[1:43:09]
that the committee members made these
[1:43:11]
decisions based on uh the materials that
[1:43:13]
put before them and also the criteria
[1:43:15]
that they were looking to grade these
[1:43:16]
individuals on. Um what I've seen in
[1:43:18]
other municipalities is there's been a
[1:43:21]
very key uh structure and I think that
[1:43:24]
is one that we can build here should
[1:43:26]
this position be as viable as I know it
[1:43:28]
can be but one that the community is
[1:43:29]
going to receive also. So I think with
[1:43:31]
some renditions in mind I think we can
[1:43:34]
get to the level that uh St. Louis was a municipality looked at a lot. We had a
[1:43:38]
very well structured polaroid program. I
[1:43:41]
think Saratoga is there as well. So I
[1:43:43]
think we can get there.
[1:43:46]
>> A couple more comments. Um I do think um
[1:43:49]
obviously we have to see how successful
[1:43:51]
this is. Um, but I we had talked about
[1:43:54]
this earlier, but I think if we want to
[1:43:57]
move forward with this in future future
[1:43:59]
years, and that was my other question is
[1:44:01]
when when will we officially like start
[1:44:03]
doing some work and really be in the
[1:44:05]
schools and and that kind of thing, but
[1:44:07]
I think in the future again I think a
[1:44:09]
small stipend um almost like an
[1:44:13]
honorarium. I know the budget's really
[1:44:15]
uh bad, so we're not talking about a lot
[1:44:17]
of money. And again, it's something
[1:44:18]
where you might be able to get we might
[1:44:19]
be able to get grant funding for
[1:44:21]
something like this. Um, so I just want
[1:44:24]
to be on the record saying that as we
[1:44:26]
move forward and then um, also I hope
[1:44:29]
that in the f I mean I think it's really
[1:44:31]
important we should reach out to the New
[1:44:32]
York State Writers Institute who handles
[1:44:35]
our state poet laurate and our state uh,
[1:44:39]
author and at least you know say hey
[1:44:41]
we're on record we've got this uh, young
[1:44:44]
person that's going to be our poet
[1:44:46]
laurate and you know who knows they may
[1:44:48]
want to have um, Adonis come and you
[1:44:52]
know be part of their schedule at some
[1:44:54]
point as well.
[1:44:57]
» I I I would add that I think that what
[1:45:00]
was really helpful what I saw as far as
[1:45:02]
how the council operated this process
[1:45:04]
was that there were um questions and
[1:45:08]
rooted in genuine interest in ensuring
[1:45:10]
that this was something that is really
[1:45:13]
uh
[1:45:14]
valuable for the city. And I think that,
[1:45:17]
you know, when Miss Patrick brought up a
[1:45:20]
question before around like being like
[1:45:22]
published author and that, you know,
[1:45:24]
initially that was like I think that
[1:45:26]
that's something cuz I wanted to make it
[1:45:28]
inclusive and then it it it developed
[1:45:30]
into the dialogue of like well what does
[1:45:32]
publish mean and really added depth and
[1:45:34]
value to the conversation. So again, I'm
[1:45:36]
really happy the way that that happened.
[1:45:37]
Um, I think that this is something that
[1:45:39]
we could grow and and and to grow and
[1:45:42]
adapt and I think that there is some
[1:45:44]
unforeseen pro value as once this once
[1:45:46]
it went gets wrong and I think that
[1:45:48]
we'll see. So I just want to add that
[1:45:50]
and we'll close up. So uh so I do want
[1:45:52]
to go on record saying I was not opposed
[1:45:54]
to having an honorarium. I think having
[1:45:56]
that expectation be in addition to the
[1:45:58]
magnitude of this I think that would
[1:46:01]
>> unfortunately I think it would be a very
[1:46:03]
big expectations going into this. I
[1:46:05]
think for me personally and my
[1:46:07]
perspective wasn't included. This was
[1:46:09]
truly the the committees wanted to have
[1:46:11]
someone that was authentically uh in
[1:46:13]
this this mode of communication and it
[1:46:15]
was one that the two applicants that it technically boiled down to that
[1:46:20]
they both possessed. Um, but I also
[1:46:23]
wanted to add in what I thought was very
[1:46:25]
organic was uh the desire to after this
[1:46:29]
selection was publicized or or made
[1:46:31]
public that the committee would invite
[1:46:34]
to hear from the selected polar in a
[1:46:38]
social gathering
[1:46:40]
>> just to have that um um I think natural
[1:46:44]
development of communication under
[1:46:47]
underway. uh in our legislation
[1:46:49]
identified like uh touch points of 6
[1:46:52]
months
[1:46:53]
>> looking for an assessment back and they
[1:46:54]
were like we can't be effective if we
[1:46:56]
wait 6 months like we would like to do
[1:46:57]
much. So it was it was beautiful to see
[1:46:59]
them understanding the expectations and
[1:47:01]
then developing these along the way and
[1:47:04]
I'm happy to let them kind of take this
[1:47:05]
and run with it and I look forward to
[1:47:07]
what they're going to report back in 6
[1:47:09]
months.
[1:47:11]
Um my question is so will we get like
[1:47:14]
some timeline or expectation or how this
[1:47:17]
is going to move forward where this
[1:47:18]
person will present you know those kind
[1:47:21]
of things is that that kind of timeline
[1:47:23]
been u worked out or will it be worked
[1:47:26]
out so we have a way to like put it out
[1:47:28]
there for people to let them know it's
[1:47:30]
connecting out poet Lauren who will be
[1:47:32]
performing here or doing or what's where
[1:47:34]
do they do their interural thing and if
[1:47:36]
you don't have those answers that's fine
[1:47:37]
but I just want to know if that kind of
[1:47:39]
thing is going to be mapped out uh as as
[1:47:41]
we move forward.
[1:47:42]
>> I can take that note. What I've
[1:47:44]
identified in other municipalities is
[1:47:46]
there's like a formal ask for them to
[1:47:48]
create uh a body of work to speak at
[1:47:51]
certain engagements. Um but I think
[1:47:53]
there was also an intentionality to uh
[1:47:55]
having um partnerships with the school
[1:47:58]
districts um and our academic
[1:48:00]
institutions naturally. Um but to answer
[1:48:02]
your point, I think we can develop a
[1:48:04]
calendar or I'll present that to the
[1:48:05]
committee and they can have discussions
[1:48:08]
with the lawyer and then report back to
[1:48:09]
us.
[1:48:10]
>> Thank you.
[1:48:10]
>> Uh so we think that we have to think
[1:48:13]
about what as we our expectation should
[1:48:17]
at least be close relative to our
[1:48:20]
investment, right? So if we're having
[1:48:22]
this person and having an expectation
[1:48:23]
for them to
[1:48:25]
have this level of commitment, then we
[1:48:27]
have to really start asking ourselves
[1:48:28]
like what are you know how are we going
[1:48:30]
to be able to come up with you know some
[1:48:32]
level even if it's not maybe like even
[1:48:34]
grants like you were saying like
[1:48:35]
something to at least be active to make
[1:48:36]
sure that there's some level of
[1:48:37]
compensation. I know we're not there
[1:48:39]
yet. I'm just saying something to keep
[1:48:40]
in mind while we start to have
[1:48:42]
expectations for people. You know that's
[1:48:45]
a lot of time and preparation to do it.
[1:48:48]
Any of Mr. Sir,
[1:48:50]
>> thank you. So I guess my how many I
[1:48:53]
forget how many individuals were on the
[1:48:55]
board to select that. You had five votes
[1:48:57]
for Adonis. How many?
[1:49:00]
>> So I'd say there were originally six.
[1:49:01]
One of the areas of concern or one of
[1:49:04]
the areas that we noted was trying to
[1:49:06]
look at it from a unique lens from the
[1:49:07]
perspective of union. Uh so they
[1:49:09]
identified a student that was in the
[1:49:11]
loyal uh program. It's very very
[1:49:13]
prominent. Um, I think the nature of the
[1:49:17]
bases, they were a student that did not
[1:49:18]
live in the area and they went through
[1:49:21]
some tough circumstances. So, it made
[1:49:23]
their ability to weigh in on these
[1:49:25]
discussions very difficult. And what I
[1:49:27]
didn't want to do was to replace someone
[1:49:29]
mid discussions. Um, especially without
[1:49:31]
having that discussion with the council
[1:49:33]
because we are we were already in a
[1:49:35]
tight deadline. Um, I think with
[1:49:37]
consideration to the process, I think
[1:49:39]
having an odd number was uh valuable.
[1:49:42]
Um, but I would like to have discussions
[1:49:44]
again with Union to see if that is
[1:49:46]
something that we can replace, which I'm
[1:49:47]
confident we are. I just wanted to be
[1:49:49]
respectful of the natural or the organic
[1:49:52]
chemistry that already happened absent
[1:49:54]
their uh feedback and then not just want
[1:49:56]
to throw them into the process last
[1:49:58]
minute just to fill a seat.
[1:50:01]
>> Thank you. So, I guess my other question
[1:50:03]
was I had put forward about copyright uh
[1:50:05]
Adonis comes up with this big uh has
[1:50:08]
that been addressed was
[1:50:10]
>> uh copyright. So with that put comes up
[1:50:13]
well he's the poet laurate for the city
[1:50:15]
of Skenkity um and he writes a poem
[1:50:18]
that's or you know puts a poem out there
[1:50:21]
that goes
[1:50:23]
big time he gets accreditation for it um
[1:50:26]
a lot of royalties
[1:50:28]
who's deserving of those royalties in
[1:50:31]
addition to himself because he wrote it
[1:50:33]
for the city
[1:50:34]
>> um question I had put that forward prior
[1:50:37]
I I I don't know I'm just saying
[1:50:40]
>> I would say it wasn't presented to
[1:50:41]
formally. I think it was just a matter
[1:50:42]
of discussion at and then I we laid in
[1:50:44]
on it. Uh
[1:50:46]
>> uh in all of my review I've never seen
[1:50:49]
it as a point of concern. Uh so I
[1:50:52]
naturally haven't recognized an instance
[1:50:54]
in which that would be a matter of
[1:50:55]
issue. Um to me personally it would be
[1:50:58]
the body of work of the the author. But
[1:51:00]
I think if something rose to that level
[1:51:02]
where we were requesting to be a
[1:51:05]
recipient of truly something that was
[1:51:08]
their work, I think that that could be a
[1:51:10]
disc or I would imagine that'd be a
[1:51:12]
discussion with the committee to to
[1:51:13]
discuss internally and then we would
[1:51:15]
kind of hear back from them. I I would
[1:51:18]
think that
[1:51:22]
when you if the city we had requests for
[1:51:27]
um an artist to I I guess in our world
[1:51:29]
sometimes you can hire artists to
[1:51:31]
commission some work like we can say or
[1:51:33]
we can request that you know there's a
[1:51:35]
piece of work that's done that is um
[1:51:40]
done for a specific reason for something
[1:51:43]
that's for the city and I think that might sometimes land outside the
[1:51:47]
scope of what we're talking about here.
[1:51:49]
A poet um often times isn't necessarily
[1:51:53]
always reciting their own original work.
[1:51:55]
Depending on what the circumstance is, a
[1:51:57]
poet could you know recite another piece
[1:52:00]
that is relevant to whatever uh event or
[1:52:04]
with whatever happens is going on. Um,
[1:52:07]
so I think that to I would say
[1:52:10]
I would give a a high level of caution
[1:52:13]
have to consider like ourselves as a
[1:52:14]
city as someone who can take ownership
[1:52:17]
of any level and anyone's like art or
[1:52:19]
intellectual property for that matter. I
[1:52:21]
have this Patrick and I right.
[1:52:24]
>> Yeah, I guess that's something that I
[1:52:26]
guess could involve, but I'd want to
[1:52:28]
hear from councel and I mean will we be
[1:52:30]
having a letter of commitment to Mr.
[1:52:32]
Richards?
[1:52:33]
>> Um,
[1:52:35]
you know what I'm saying? like I mean he
[1:52:37]
obviously would have to be told that
[1:52:39]
he's going to become the poet laurate he
[1:52:42]
was accepted he was selected um so that
[1:52:44]
would probably be something in writing
[1:52:46]
but I don't know and I guess also what do other municipalities you know
[1:52:50]
since we do have other models out there
[1:52:53]
um
[1:52:54]
but I think that's a good point about
[1:52:56]
they could be reading somebody else's
[1:52:57]
poem depending on the ceremony that we
[1:53:00]
invite them to read at
[1:53:03]
>> um Mr. Chairman, I mean this was, you
[1:53:05]
know, looking at your legislation, this
[1:53:07]
is an or honorary designation, neither
[1:53:09]
an employee nor
[1:53:12]
an officer of the city of Skenctity. And the legislation doesn't say that
[1:53:17]
there was any commission works.
[1:53:19]
>> Correct.
[1:53:20]
[Music]
[1:53:22]
>> If this was a comm if if if you
[1:53:24]
commission then that would be, you know,
[1:53:26]
then the ownership would be from the
[1:53:28]
person who's commissioning the work.
[1:53:30]
>> Absolutely. Mhm. Yep.
[1:53:33]
>> Um the only thing the thing that I can
[1:53:35]
um compare this to is like several years
[1:53:38]
ago there was someone who wrote a new
[1:53:40]
song, the city song.
[1:53:42]
>> Um so the question what else can I call
[1:53:44]
it? So who owns that work? I guess
[1:53:48]
becomes my question and my understanding
[1:53:50]
is the person that wrote the song. They
[1:53:51]
were just writing it about city. So I
[1:53:53]
think this is a similar circumstance but
[1:53:55]
we certainly can take a look at who owns
[1:53:57]
that particular song. And when you come
[1:54:00]
back and tell us, could you please sing
[1:54:01]
it as well?
[1:54:02]
>> That wasn't a song. I wasn't here song.
[1:54:04]
I think that song was commissioned by
[1:54:06]
the city and the official song has been
[1:54:08]
adopted through the city code.
[1:54:10]
>> So that was a city song. Okay.
[1:54:12]
>> Wasn't commissioned, but it was written
[1:54:14]
by there was some formal adoption.
[1:54:19]
So,
[1:54:19]
>> so the city owns
[1:54:20]
>> we should be singing that every
[1:54:22]
>> Yes, we should.
[1:54:28]
» So there's I think that's then it shows
[1:54:30]
the difference between what's been
[1:54:32]
discussed here and what happened with
[1:54:33]
the song.
[1:54:35]
>> Okay. Any further questions, comments on
[1:54:39]
that? We don't need to take a number of
[1:54:42]
them.
[1:54:43]
>> I'm sorry. I just want to point CL.
[1:54:45]
>> Yes, if I can just follow. Do you have a
[1:54:47]
name? The resolution calls for at your
[1:54:50]
first council meeting, the council
[1:54:51]
designates the person. So, a brief
[1:54:54]
resolution. I can do a brief resolution
[1:54:58]
formally doing that.
[1:55:00]
>> Okay. I entertain the motion. Oh, did
[1:55:02]
you have questions?
[1:55:03]
>> No. I entertain a motion to
[1:55:07]
>> I will um
[1:55:08]
>> second
[1:55:10]
>> I'll make the motion that we uh accept
[1:55:12]
the committee's recommendation of Adonis
[1:55:15]
Richards as the uh inaugural poet
[1:55:18]
laurate for the city of Sket.
[1:55:21]
>> All those in favor
[1:55:22]
>> I
[1:55:26]
nothing else to come before government
[1:55:27]
operations
[1:55:29]
motion to close.
[1:55:30]
>> So move second. Those in favor, you're
[1:55:33]
return.
[1:55:34]
>> Thank you. I'd like to call to order
[1:55:37]
city development and planning. We have
[1:55:39]
11 items on the agenda now. And the
[1:55:42]
first one is review proposed 202526 HUD
[1:55:45]
annual action plan. The public hearing
[1:55:47]
was uh held on August 25th. We did have
[1:55:51]
one speaker.
[1:55:54]
Good evening, city council mayor. I'm
[1:55:56]
here before you asking for you to accept
[1:55:59]
the proposed final um the proposed
[1:56:01]
annual action plan allocations as our
[1:56:04]
final
[1:56:06]
>> allocations.
[1:56:08]
Are there any questions? Yes, M.
[1:56:11]
>> I I have several. I'm sorry I wasn't
[1:56:12]
here last week, although I did watch it,
[1:56:14]
so I did see the person that that spoke.
[1:56:17]
Um so I have a couple of general
[1:56:19]
questions and I have some specific
[1:56:21]
questions about the source the uh
[1:56:23]
funding allocations.
[1:56:24]
>> Sure. Um so the first is um when we talk
[1:56:28]
about Habitat for Humanity which is on
[1:56:30]
um well page 15 of our packet I guess
[1:56:34]
was the second page of the the grid. Um
[1:56:38]
I was just wondering it says funds will
[1:56:40]
be used to construct one twostory house
[1:56:43]
but then later it says both houses will
[1:56:46]
meet Energy Star standards. So I just
[1:56:48]
wasn't sure if it was one house or two.
[1:56:50]
>> It's a typo. originally was two, but
[1:56:53]
they got funded for one because they
[1:56:56]
went into a contract for one of the
[1:56:58]
units which is which is a choice
[1:57:00]
limiting action and not allowed for the
[1:57:02]
funding source being used.
[1:57:04]
>> Okay. So the $239,232
[1:57:09]
is for one.
[1:57:10]
>> No, it was cut in half, right?
[1:57:12]
>> No, the Let me get to the page. My
[1:57:15]
apologies.
[1:57:16]
>> That's okay. The I can tell you that the
[1:57:17]
requested funding was 47.
[1:57:19]
>> Yes. So that is half of Yes. So that is
[1:57:21]
correct. That is for one. Okay. Do we
[1:57:24]
need to um
[1:57:26]
Oh, I guess we need to change the
[1:57:28]
description or are we okay?
[1:57:30]
>> I can I can change I can change that
[1:57:32]
directly.
[1:57:33]
>> And then um under city property rehab
[1:57:36]
and ownership program. Um well no now
[1:57:40]
that question I don't need to ask
[1:57:42]
because so that money is okay for one
[1:57:44]
house $200,000.
[1:57:46]
>> That's correct. have as a party it's
[1:57:49]
earmarked for one particular project.
[1:57:51]
>> Okay. And then um under on page the next page um
[1:57:59]
so the Hamilton Hill Arts Center went from
[1:58:05]
last year 40,000 to 150,000. Um is so is
[1:58:10]
it because of the number of children or
[1:58:12]
um
[1:58:13]
>> the number of children their record with
[1:58:15]
they have they had a one of the top
[1:58:17]
applications okay submitted.
[1:58:20]
>> Okay very thorough they've shown
[1:58:22]
significant um improvement in reporting
[1:58:25]
and spending now.
[1:58:27]
>> Excellent. Excellent. And then uh the
[1:58:29]
next one
[1:58:31]
same thing. It was a a very large um
[1:58:34]
increase for the um Skencti Youth
[1:58:36]
Coalition and I just was wondering if we
[1:58:39]
had a sense of again is it because
[1:58:42]
numbers served or what the
[1:58:44]
>> So with the youth coalition which serves
[1:58:46]
12 organizations they had organizations
[1:58:49]
apply outside of the youth organization.
[1:58:51]
So what we did was we didn't separate
[1:58:53]
them from the youth organization. We
[1:58:55]
just increase the youth coalition amount
[1:58:59]
to fund.
[1:59:00]
>> Okay. Great. So they had about four
[1:59:03]
organizations that are part of youth
[1:59:06]
coalition that applied separately.
[1:59:08]
>> Excellent. Okay. Um sorry, I just wanted
[1:59:11]
to get this
[1:59:12]
>> absolutely the number. So the next page
[1:59:14]
on the mom starts here program. I
[1:59:18]
actually just hadn't heard of that um
[1:59:20]
program yet. And um
[1:59:23]
is it out of the hospital? Is it is it
[1:59:26]
with another healthcare organization?
[1:59:28]
And is it a 501c3 or
[1:59:30]
>> It is a 501c3 and is in the city's
[1:59:33]
connected me. They do partner with the
[1:59:34]
hospital but it is not part of the
[1:59:36]
hospital.
[1:59:37]
>> Thank you. Um
[1:59:38]
>> and that is a new that is a new fund a
[1:59:40]
new
[1:59:41]
>> Yes. I I I and the same with the next
[1:59:43]
one, Strong Owls. That's a new
[1:59:45]
organization also, right?
[1:59:46]
>> Yes, it is.
[1:59:47]
>> Okay. I look forward to hearing more
[1:59:49]
about about these
[1:59:50]
>> new
[1:59:53]
>> Oh. Oh, not a new organization
[1:59:56]
just
[1:59:57]
>> meaning like newly established but a new
[1:59:59]
organization for the city supporting the
[2:00:02]
funds.
[2:00:02]
>> Okay. And then um
[2:00:06]
this is a minor point but for the boys
[2:00:08]
and girls club you know I was just
[2:00:11]
wishing that we could have found the
[2:00:13]
other 3,860.
[2:00:15]
It's such a small amount of money that I
[2:00:16]
was kind of hoping we
[2:00:17]
>> you know what it is a small amount of
[2:00:19]
money but we have cats. They're public
[2:00:21]
service caps. So, we have to once we
[2:00:23]
find the amount we take from where to
[2:00:26]
kind of make to make it work.
[2:00:27]
>> Okay, that was good for me to know. Um,
[2:00:30]
and that is all of my specific
[2:00:34]
questions. Um, my other questions just
[2:00:37]
um are more general around um do we help
[2:00:40]
the organizations that we didn't fully
[2:00:43]
fund? Do we try to give them any
[2:00:45]
technical assistance in terms of grant,
[2:00:47]
you know, trying to look for other
[2:00:48]
grants? Um, I was kind of thinking does
[2:00:52]
do you think that your office might
[2:00:53]
sometimes do like a grants development
[2:00:55]
workshop and invite the invite
[2:00:57]
nonprofits to come and and maybe
[2:01:00]
>> we we currently do not do that. I would
[2:01:03]
say that would be something our
[2:01:04]
affirmative action officer could
[2:01:06]
possibly do as far as development, but
[2:01:10]
we currently don't do that. And most of
[2:01:12]
the organizations that didn't get
[2:01:14]
funded, the amount that were asked are
[2:01:17]
they have multiple funding sources. That
[2:01:19]
was actually one of my other um
[2:01:21]
questions was whether there was some
[2:01:23]
divers, you know, if they were
[2:01:24]
diversifying their funding. So great.
[2:01:26]
Thank you. I Good work and I appreciate
[2:01:29]
all the work that goes into this. So uh
[2:01:31]
thank you very much. you knew about
[2:01:36]
the other side of it.
[2:01:36]
>> So, I want to just say and I hope I
[2:01:37]
don't steal any thunder from anyone else
[2:01:39]
aside from them being a really nice polo
[2:01:41]
and city council
[2:01:44]
as well. That's my plug. Um I I know we
[2:01:48]
heard from BC and I at our last council
[2:01:50]
meeting and I know that they do good
[2:01:51]
work within the city. Um but I think
[2:01:53]
it's important to make a clarification
[2:01:54]
and then also just a statement. I think
[2:01:56]
the one it's um no is not a no. It's
[2:02:00]
making room for others. And I think you
[2:02:02]
did a really good job at snapshotting
[2:02:04]
one new program or organization that was
[2:02:07]
funded. Uh what I've come to appreciate
[2:02:09]
about our city is that it's about
[2:02:11]
opportunities. So sincerely, I
[2:02:13]
appreciate the work that you and your
[2:02:15]
leadership um with your your team has
[2:02:19]
identified um creative approaches to
[2:02:21]
offer people those opportunities. I know
[2:02:23]
you spoke sincerely about uh the YW.CA
[2:02:26]
CA during our ARPA application
[2:02:28]
discussions and how do we empower other
[2:02:32]
lesser known organizations to get to
[2:02:34]
that level. Um uh and I think it starts
[2:02:38]
by just gradually. Um so I know some
[2:02:41]
targets were short of what they were
[2:02:43]
asking. Uh but I think it presents the
[2:02:45]
question to them of
[2:02:47]
>> who else or what other steps can you
[2:02:49]
take because the expectation cannot
[2:02:50]
continuously fall on the city.
[2:02:53]
it will short change some other
[2:02:55]
organizations. Not to discredit the work
[2:02:56]
that those that have been doing it for a
[2:02:58]
long period of time. I think part of it
[2:03:00]
is just how do we provide some
[2:03:02]
additional opportunities to some new
[2:03:03]
people. Um and I think you did well with
[2:03:05]
that. So sincerely I think this was the
[2:03:06]
first year that I've recognized those
[2:03:09]
efforts coming to fruition. So thank you
[2:03:11]
and I look forward to what this means
[2:03:12]
for the city moving forward.
[2:03:15]
>> Um so yeah and I want to um you know
[2:03:17]
we've had these discussions before in
[2:03:19]
terms of CDBG and I do remember once Mr.
[2:03:21]
Rudon was saying that we should be
[2:03:23]
looking at different organizations doing
[2:03:25]
similar things and why aren't we trying
[2:03:27]
to make sure that we ask them to come
[2:03:29]
together and it sounds to me like you
[2:03:31]
did that with the coalition that even
[2:03:32]
though they applied outside of that that
[2:03:35]
you said you know working together works
[2:03:37]
better
[2:03:39]
I'm going to take the county uh so thank
[2:03:41]
you for that and for all the work and I
[2:03:43]
appreciate the fact that you didn't just
[2:03:45]
do this based it on just your staff but
[2:03:48]
you asked other people to um to actually
[2:03:51]
to take a look at some of the
[2:03:52]
applications. I don't know if you were
[2:03:54]
all aware of that process and and uh a
[2:03:57]
couple council members did so and and
[2:03:59]
others as well and other me staff in the
[2:04:01]
city outside of department of
[2:04:02]
development. So there was a broad look
[2:04:05]
because you know what happens in
[2:04:06]
development happens you know impacts the
[2:04:08]
entire city. So I appreciate you know
[2:04:10]
how you address that. We're excited
[2:04:12]
about what we're doing and I feel really
[2:04:14]
proud of the equitable process that was
[2:04:17]
put before this year. When I came into
[2:04:20]
this role 18 months ago, I said we're
[2:04:22]
going to do we're going to have
[2:04:24]
everything online. We're we're we're
[2:04:27]
building our own CRM, customer relation
[2:04:30]
management system. And this year we have
[2:04:33]
done that from start to finish, meaning
[2:04:35]
our applications were online. how the
[2:04:38]
applicants were scored was online, how
[2:04:41]
it was um randomly selected and matched
[2:04:44]
with a person was online, our risk
[2:04:46]
assessment. So, we're really proud of
[2:04:47]
that um approach this year.
[2:04:50]
>> Great. Any other questions or comments
[2:04:54]
on this Mr. B? I was just um
[2:04:58]
I I think about like kind of like a I
[2:05:00]
know that doing this process in an
[2:05:02]
equitable manner is something that is
[2:05:04]
extremely difficult to do
[2:05:06]
>> and also um it doesn't leave everyone uh
[2:05:10]
cheering it. Honestly, it just is what
[2:05:11]
it is. Um and I know that in process you
[2:05:14]
know sometimes there there was a saying
[2:05:16]
that around that equity can feel like
[2:05:20]
restriction to those in positions of
[2:05:24]
privilege. Meaning that if that
[2:05:26]
privilege is that you've been um
[2:05:29]
supported historically from the city,
[2:05:33]
when that time comes where you know we
[2:05:36]
are owning up to our values of equity
[2:05:38]
and opening the door for other people to
[2:05:40]
kind of take some of that opport to get
[2:05:42]
some of that opportunity to build the
[2:05:44]
organization as well. That can that can
[2:05:47]
feel, you know, people can feel
[2:05:49]
slighted, but that's really the price
[2:05:51]
you pay to do the job the way that
[2:05:53]
you're supposed to be doing it. saying
[2:05:54]
we do it and based on our express value.
[2:05:56]
So I I greatly appreciate that. And my
[2:05:58]
question is how many how many new uh
[2:06:02]
first time I guess recipients do you
[2:06:05]
know I know
[2:06:06]
>> we had five new in total and three were
[2:06:10]
funded. The other two were incomplete
[2:06:13]
applications. So we didn't have all of
[2:06:14]
the information needed to score them
[2:06:17]
properly.
[2:06:19]
In total we had 39 applicants this year.
[2:06:22]
So 12 applicants 12 applications were
[2:06:26]
not scored but of those 12 applications
[2:06:28]
nine had other applications that receive
[2:06:31]
funding.
[2:06:31]
>> Oh okay. Okay.
[2:06:34]
>> Thank you.
[2:06:35]
>> Are there any other questions Mr.
[2:06:38]
>> um page 14A
[2:06:41]
house homeless homeless housing and
[2:06:43]
eviction prevention.
[2:06:46]
>> Do you have the 2024 outcome report for
[2:06:49]
this program?
[2:06:50]
>> Yes. Would you mind sharing to the
[2:06:52]
council?
[2:06:52]
>> Yes. Yes.
[2:06:54]
>> And just a follow up on on the new uh
[2:06:57]
agency that we're funding. Are all the
[2:07:00]
agency have based?
[2:07:02]
>> Yes. All agencies are have based. Yes.
[2:07:07]
>> Thank you.
[2:07:09]
>> Any other questions, concerns?
[2:07:12]
>> All right.
[2:07:13]
>> See no m I move this.
[2:07:15]
>> All right. It's moved by Miss Lair.
[2:07:17]
Second. Second. Second by Miss Patrick.
[2:07:20]
All in favor?
[2:07:21]
>> I I thank you very much.
[2:07:26]
» All right. Our next item is discussion.
[2:07:29]
City of Connecticut Metroplex parking
[2:07:31]
services agreement. Lasal mobile payment
[2:07:34]
technology. Mr. Wall is present.
[2:07:40]
» Hello. As some of you may know, the city
[2:07:43]
of Sky uh utilizes a payment of cash
[2:07:46]
called Passport. um it is our mobile
[2:07:49]
paying app. We are utilizing it through
[2:07:52]
a mutual agreement with Metroplex.
[2:07:54]
Agreement's been in place for 5 years.
[2:07:56]
Metroplex I have David can't believe me
[2:08:00]
has uh gone out for a new RFP uh done an
[2:08:03]
evaluation and is looking to move
[2:08:05]
towards a new platform called Glasgow um
[2:08:08]
which is outlined briefly in your
[2:08:09]
legislative request. So um I wanted uh
[2:08:12]
Dave to come over here today and explain
[2:08:14]
uh where Metroplex is. Um the city uh
[2:08:17]
has the option to continue to work with
[2:08:19]
Metroplex and have a unified parking at
[2:08:22]
downtown or the city could go off and
[2:08:24]
continue to use Passport um as it as it
[2:08:28]
is. Um but that's what we're here to
[2:08:29]
talk with you about uh today. Um and
[2:08:32]
just so you're aware the kiosk would
[2:08:34]
remain kiosk would be remaining in both.
[2:08:36]
So uh David, if you'd like to just give
[2:08:37]
a recap of
[2:08:39]
everybody. Uh yeah, we're here to talk
[2:08:41]
about uh Lazo. So I I think most of you
[2:08:45]
know Metroplex has operated downtown
[2:08:47]
parking system since 2004. Uh you know
[2:08:51]
system was operated by the city the
[2:08:53]
parking garage uh there's a $4 million
[2:08:55]
debt on it. We signed it over to
[2:08:57]
Metroplex and took it over and then we
[2:08:59]
had the service lots uh uh taken over as
[2:09:02]
well. So you know really proud of our
[2:09:03]
parking operation. It's important to our
[2:09:05]
downtown services providing uh downtown
[2:09:08]
businesses residents. We have a
[2:09:10]
residence program now as well. Um and
[2:09:12]
then visitors to uh destinations like
[2:09:15]
Proctor's Clean, efficient parking. Uh
[2:09:17]
since we were resumeing up for an RFP
[2:09:19]
park services uh to manage the parking
[2:09:22]
lot in 2005, Les Parking has been our
[2:09:25]
provider. Uh periodically through time,
[2:09:28]
we keep going out asking new uh folks to
[2:09:31]
uh take a crack at it. Uh and um we did
[2:09:34]
this in May and uh Laz again u came
[2:09:38]
forward with a a strong proposal for us.
[2:09:40]
uh and their proposal included uh their
[2:09:43]
own uh payment technology. Uh payment
[2:09:46]
technology does a few things. One, it
[2:09:48]
gets rid of uh the need to download an
[2:09:50]
app which is uh sometimes difficult for
[2:09:53]
people. Uh a lot of people, you know,
[2:09:54]
you do that QR code now and just hit it.
[2:09:57]
A lot of people have Apple Pay, so that
[2:09:59]
new technology exists. They've
[2:10:00]
incorporated that. Uh and then it's also
[2:10:03]
just uh cheaper for us, too. the less uh
[2:10:06]
administrative costs um so that we can
[2:10:09]
continue to offer good quality parking
[2:10:12]
uh for us on our uh off street locations
[2:10:15]
and then if you approve it we continue
[2:10:17]
to offer the same service uh for the on
[2:10:20]
street locations as well. Um, Lasco is
[2:10:23]
one of the biggest uh parking providers,
[2:10:26]
44 states, 639 cities. Um, great uh
[2:10:29]
company. Their local presence and
[2:10:31]
management has done a terrific job
[2:10:33]
taking over some of our landscaping and
[2:10:35]
property maintenance activities. So, um,
[2:10:37]
we're very pleased that they uh um
[2:10:40]
responded to the RFQ and uh that the
[2:10:42]
metroplex board would like to move
[2:10:43]
forward with it. Any questions?
[2:10:46]
>> Yes. my um in ter now there's right now
[2:10:48]
if you have the the app on your phone
[2:10:50]
and you your time runs out you can add
[2:10:52]
money with the scanning this QR code is
[2:10:55]
that still an option
[2:10:56]
>> it still works the same way it'll still
[2:10:58]
push updates to your phone uh you won't
[2:11:00]
need to know your zone anymore once
[2:11:02]
you're in ask you yeah that would be
[2:11:04]
nice right uh but you can still the same
[2:11:07]
pricing you know we met with all the
[2:11:08]
department heads about this uh the
[2:11:10]
backend enforcement side uh still stays
[2:11:12]
the same for them so they're they're all
[2:11:14]
in good spirits about this But yeah,
[2:11:16]
it'll have do those same services uh
[2:11:18]
that passport has.
[2:11:20]
>> Okay, that's a question that was raised
[2:11:22]
from me. Um, Miss Patrick, just want to
[2:11:25]
say I was in uh Buffalo last week and
[2:11:28]
had to download their app and it turned
[2:11:31]
out I didn't have to download their app
[2:11:33]
really because I did, but it was
[2:11:35]
actually the passport.
[2:11:36]
>> Okay. So, because all my information was
[2:11:39]
already in my phone for Skenctity, um it
[2:11:43]
just was a and I was able to pay for the
[2:11:46]
parking in Buffalo.
[2:11:48]
>> But you still have to kind of figure
[2:11:49]
that out. The nice thing about Laso is
[2:11:50]
if you just um you can there is still an
[2:11:53]
app there. People are comfortable using
[2:11:55]
apps. Uh but it really is you just look
[2:11:57]
up there's a sign.
[2:11:58]
>> Uh and then you just point your phone at
[2:12:00]
it and then you don't even have to store
[2:12:02]
your you talked about your credit card
[2:12:03]
information being stored. People don't
[2:12:05]
like that. uh you can do that or it's
[2:12:07]
just if you have Apple Pay, you double
[2:12:08]
click on the side or Samsung Pay or you
[2:12:10]
download on this side of your phone uh
[2:12:13]
tap on your phone and then it's taken
[2:12:15]
care of. So LZ is a great company. They
[2:12:17]
have you know a great track record and
[2:12:20]
um making sure the technology is safe
[2:12:22]
and and secure for everyone as well. So
[2:12:24]
they would um you know no cost to to the
[2:12:26]
city to make this uh transition. Uh some
[2:12:29]
of the devices that the enforcement team
[2:12:31]
uses will continue to work on the
[2:12:32]
enforcement side. Um, so we'd love to
[2:12:35]
have one system. I think that people
[2:12:37]
appreciated that both on street and off
[2:12:38]
street. Uh, uh, you know, we are going
[2:12:41]
to be moving forward with Lazo. Uh, you
[2:12:43]
we'll start making that transition on
[2:12:45]
the off streetet locations, the
[2:12:47]
metroplex lots in the fall. And then,
[2:12:49]
you know, making sure that there's a
[2:12:51]
good uh, public campaign, people
[2:12:53]
understand it. We'd look sometime around
[2:12:55]
January 1 uh if you approve to enter
[2:12:58]
into management agreement to make that
[2:13:00]
change over on the um on that street
[2:13:03]
locations.
[2:13:04]
>> Mr. Farley then
[2:13:06]
>> so
[2:13:08]
partnering with partnering with
[2:13:09]
Metroplex and it saves seems like it
[2:13:11]
saves the city some money. Um and I was
[2:13:13]
just wondering what is this like what is
[2:13:14]
our contribution to this as for the city
[2:13:17]
cost like right now? So we have covered
[2:13:20]
all of the administrative costs to have
[2:13:24]
um the technology and uh what we do is
[2:13:28]
it gets um allocated into where does the
[2:13:31]
funding come uh where does the revenue
[2:13:33]
come from city controlled uh areas on
[2:13:37]
street and then what is allocated
[2:13:39]
because it's all geoloccated uh from the
[2:13:41]
metroplex facilities and at the end of
[2:13:43]
each month we reconcile it and send it
[2:13:45]
over to finance for the check for your
[2:13:47]
share. So, we cover all the costs. Um,
[2:13:50]
you know, it's it's minimal work for us.
[2:13:53]
Um, and we want to offer this service
[2:13:56]
anyways and make it an efficient place
[2:13:57]
to go downtown. So, um, you know, we
[2:14:01]
don't pass any cost on to the city.
[2:14:04]
>> One more question.
[2:14:05]
>> Yeah. So, Miss Patrick made me think of
[2:14:08]
something. Um, do we know like what Laz
[2:14:11]
goes does with people's information? Is
[2:14:13]
there like as when we're cuz I know
[2:14:14]
they're a large company and anytime that
[2:14:17]
you do that you sometimes do you know
[2:14:19]
like if they like do they sell
[2:14:21]
>> they sell it or something like that?
[2:14:22]
>> Yeah. Like
[2:14:23]
>> yeah we'll check through the their
[2:14:25]
policies to make sure we're comfortable.
[2:14:26]
You know we only contract um you know
[2:14:30]
obviously uh by law there's only certain
[2:14:33]
things you can do. If that is a a
[2:14:35]
concern, we'll address it and before we
[2:14:37]
enter into the management agreement, um
[2:14:39]
we'll just make sure that it meets all
[2:14:41]
city guidelines of what you can do with
[2:14:43]
uh uh individual information.
[2:14:45]
>> Thank you,
[2:14:46]
>> Mr. Toro. Thank you. So, the kiosk will
[2:14:50]
stay,
[2:14:51]
>> correct?
[2:14:51]
>> So, people can put uh change into there?
[2:14:55]
>> Yes.
[2:14:55]
>> Okay. Um because my my passport app on
[2:14:58]
my phone has about 15 different license
[2:15:00]
plates from people standing there in
[2:15:01]
front of the machine going like this and
[2:15:03]
I put their license plate on my on my
[2:15:06]
phone so I can help them out. And I'm
[2:15:08]
just worried because there's so many uh
[2:15:10]
individuals that I encounter daily uh
[2:15:13]
walking around that have no clue um how
[2:15:16]
to work a passport or download an app or
[2:15:19]
how to even probably hold a phone up to
[2:15:21]
anything and Apple Pay or some type of
[2:15:25]
payment. I mean um
[2:15:28]
>> yeah. So all the the kiosks, we have
[2:15:30]
some in our main uh lots as well. Those
[2:15:32]
will continue to be there. They'll
[2:15:33]
accept cash. Um yeah, you know,
[2:15:36]
downloading an app is not for everybody
[2:15:37]
and uh not only can you uh take pictures
[2:15:40]
with the QR code, but you can also just
[2:15:42]
text and most people do text now. It'll
[2:15:44]
say text this number and then the link
[2:15:46]
will pop up on your phone. But yes, you
[2:15:48]
know, people who don't have a
[2:15:49]
smartphone, uh they'll continue to be
[2:15:51]
able to use the kiosks that are around.
[2:15:54]
Uh you know, Metroplex the garage also
[2:15:56]
accepts uh cash as well. Also, you know,
[2:15:59]
Metroplex lots are free nights and
[2:16:00]
weekends as
[2:16:01]
>> I was going to ask you. I just wrote
[2:16:02]
down free here. So to to make sure you
[2:16:05]
advertise that that you know I I yell at
[2:16:07]
people all the time you know after 4:00
[2:16:09]
you don't have to pay and
[2:16:10]
>> I don't pay
[2:16:12]
>> I think it's later than that
[2:16:13]
>> nights and weekends are free
[2:16:15]
[Music]
[2:16:17]
cuz they go off but they go off duty at
[2:16:19]
4. So I'm figuring that's safe
[2:16:22]
for but that needs but people need to I
[2:16:25]
see people all the time just you know
[2:16:27]
trying to put money in or pay when it's
[2:16:29]
night. So we're going to do that's huge
[2:16:31]
for our city with everything we have
[2:16:34]
that's going on here.
[2:16:35]
>> Yeah. And so Laz will do some uh they've
[2:16:37]
done some customer appreciation events
[2:16:38]
where they come out they'll table. Uh we
[2:16:40]
also have parksconnecty.com our website.
[2:16:43]
We'll update all the information of how
[2:16:44]
to use it. There's a good promotion
[2:16:46]
video. Uh and then uh some of the
[2:16:48]
signage for passport is uh faded now. So
[2:16:51]
it'll be all new fresh signage. We'll
[2:16:53]
work with the city team to make sure it
[2:16:54]
has the look and style that uh that the
[2:16:56]
city would like.
[2:16:58]
>> Sounds good,
[2:16:59]
>> Mr. Williams.
[2:17:00]
>> Uh so I definitely want to say um thank
[2:17:02]
you and kind of expanding from your
[2:17:05]
point just point of reflection. I've
[2:17:07]
never met anyone who's gone. I've loved
[2:17:09]
passport. So I think it's a struggle
[2:17:11]
even to to meet myself. Um, so I think
[2:17:14]
it's very appreciative to find uh
[2:17:16]
applications that take away the burden
[2:17:18]
of like downloading a software. Um, but
[2:17:21]
I do want to add to M to point about the
[2:17:23]
kiosk. I when I also have catch people
[2:17:27]
and it is just you feel so bad and
[2:17:29]
you're glad you're not in that position
[2:17:31]
yourself but going to help them. Is
[2:17:33]
there any considerations for more
[2:17:35]
streamlined kiosk? And then uh my second
[2:17:38]
question was how do we map to identify
[2:17:41]
to tell people you're in this area here
[2:17:43]
is where you can pay if you want to pay
[2:17:45]
with money. I feel like that's always
[2:17:46]
been a challenge as well.
[2:17:49]
>> So this is an on street question. I'd
[2:17:53]
like Chris handle you know off street
[2:17:55]
you know we're going to do some uh
[2:17:57]
additional banners that draw attention
[2:17:59]
to you know free nights and weekends and
[2:18:02]
things like that. The point is to try to
[2:18:05]
parking is expensive. This used to be an
[2:18:07]
annual million-doll deficit in 2004. I
[2:18:09]
think above what that's valued now for
[2:18:11]
the city. So, um you know, we don't run
[2:18:14]
it as a money making business, but we do
[2:18:17]
try to get as close to being um you
[2:18:20]
know, revenue neutral on it so that we
[2:18:21]
can keep it nice and and make sure it
[2:18:23]
meets the standard that we want. Um
[2:18:26]
we'll continue to look at our kiosk. I
[2:18:28]
think that there are some things you can
[2:18:29]
do to make it a little bit more
[2:18:31]
efficient. Um, you know, but the more we
[2:18:34]
can get people comfortable with this
[2:18:35]
technology, just the, you know, the
[2:18:37]
better it would be for for everyone
[2:18:38]
while still supporting our last given
[2:18:41]
data on on street.
[2:18:44]
Um, you'll see more of a presentation on
[2:18:47]
the kiosk come budget time. Um, we are
[2:18:50]
looking to purchase some upgraded
[2:18:52]
kiosks. Um, you know, the screen
[2:18:54]
technology gets better every year. I'm
[2:18:56]
not saying we buy kiosks every year. Um
[2:18:58]
there's also um we do have to start
[2:19:02]
transitioning. One of the things that
[2:19:03]
we're always at um odds with is
[2:19:07]
technology itself. So I like this
[2:19:10]
transition, but I would just advise that
[2:19:12]
you know going to Glasgow that the
[2:19:13]
commitments how many years?
[2:19:15]
>> Uh it's 5 years.
[2:19:16]
>> So five I would you always advise we
[2:19:18]
don't go less than 5 years unless
[2:19:20]
there's some reason to just because it
[2:19:22]
is hard to keep up with technology. Um,
[2:19:24]
you know, we've had to invest in the
[2:19:25]
kiosk to replace all the 3G antennas
[2:19:28]
with 4G antennas because of the switch.
[2:19:31]
And now what we're looking at is making
[2:19:33]
sure that they have chips uh chip
[2:19:36]
readers. So, the new ones will have chip
[2:19:38]
readers because swiping is going away in
[2:19:41]
the next
[2:19:41]
>> within the next 5 years. I believe it's
[2:19:43]
going away. We've opened kiosks last 10
[2:19:45]
years. We're also looking at kiosks that
[2:19:47]
are underperforming and moving away from
[2:19:50]
having kiosks that cost us $40 a month
[2:19:53]
and service fees that generate $5 a
[2:19:55]
month. So, that is something and but
[2:19:57]
those areas we still are looking at
[2:19:59]
pushing trying to push people to the app
[2:20:01]
and that's kind of the conversation is
[2:20:03]
that um where we want to go also maybe
[2:20:05]
reducing the amount of kiosk but trying
[2:20:07]
to make it so that you do know where
[2:20:09]
they are. loan for instance. We do have
[2:20:11]
four in this area right in front of city
[2:20:13]
hall where it could we get away with two
[2:20:15]
just trying to get more efficient. And
[2:20:17]
you know we do get requests for cash for
[2:20:20]
people to actually use cash at the
[2:20:22]
kiosk. Cash is complex. Um you get into
[2:20:26]
using golf dollar coins as as change.
[2:20:29]
You get into counting differently now.
[2:20:30]
You just don't have a change box. You
[2:20:32]
have something else. So it does add that
[2:20:34]
complexity. And I don't know, you know,
[2:20:36]
we've made a decision to go away from
[2:20:37]
cash 10 years ago. And if you've gone to
[2:20:39]
any event centers or public locations,
[2:20:41]
you know, they're going totally away
[2:20:43]
from cash, credit card only. Um, so I I
[2:20:46]
think that we stick with where we are
[2:20:47]
because coin is simpler, but I do know
[2:20:49]
that we have uh people that are and I do
[2:20:51]
know Metroplex uses cash at theirs, but
[2:20:54]
I think it's less kiosks than what we
[2:20:56]
have. So, I just want to point that out
[2:20:58]
that the the kiosk when I propose them
[2:21:00]
right now, they're still coin and
[2:21:02]
credit, not not cash, but it could be
[2:21:05]
added if it was needed. But once again,
[2:21:07]
you'd be left you'd be left with some
[2:21:09]
habits, some not. So you might get some.
[2:21:12]
>> That's perfect. As the technology
[2:21:14]
continues to evolve, is there a way to
[2:21:17]
Miss Doro's question where after I
[2:21:22]
thought it was 6 p.m. but okay 5:00 p.m.
[2:21:25]
that you wouldn't be able to actually
[2:21:28]
input anything into uh you know I feel
[2:21:32]
like I feel like I've experienced that
[2:21:33]
also on a night or a weekend where it's
[2:21:36]
not going to let you use the app um
[2:21:39]
because you don't have to pay. So
[2:21:43]
>> there that may be possible. I haven't
[2:21:44]
looked into it. May be possible, but
[2:21:47]
yeah, we would be
[2:21:49]
>> not receiving ancillary revenues.
[2:21:53]
>> That's true.
[2:21:55]
>> Yeah, I do think the app will have it
[2:21:58]
not anymore, right? It'll just say it's
[2:22:00]
not. You don't want to confuse people
[2:22:02]
more cuz I've been there in places as
[2:22:03]
well where I'm like, well, it worked and
[2:22:05]
it didn't work and you just don't know
[2:22:06]
cuz the sign's not around. So,
[2:22:09]
>> um, you don't want to just say it's not
[2:22:10]
functioning at this time.
[2:22:11]
>> I need that ding when it tells me that I
[2:22:14]
made my payment. Ding.
[2:22:16]
>> So, um, Mr. Well, you you you talk about
[2:22:19]
coin versus cash. Are you just talking
[2:22:21]
about people putting in dollar bills or
[2:22:23]
like dimes and nickels?
[2:22:27]
» Yeah. Um, the other thing is, um,
[2:22:30]
because this happens, and this might be
[2:22:31]
what you're experiencing, um, Miss
[2:22:32]
Patrick, there are times when coins will
[2:22:35]
not go in because I never download the
[2:22:37]
app and so I use coins on my credit
[2:22:39]
card. But there's times when coins go
[2:22:41]
in. Is that because it's full or that it
[2:22:42]
won't set?
[2:22:43]
>> It could be a jam.
[2:22:44]
>> Yeah, they get jammed.
[2:22:45]
>> Yeah, they do get jam and then Mike and
[2:22:47]
our department will go and and do it.
[2:22:49]
But yes, that that happens. Or someone
[2:22:50]
tries to put something in. It might not
[2:22:52]
be a coin to try to trick it and then it
[2:22:54]
gets in because it is a it is you know
[2:22:56]
you put something a little bit bigger
[2:22:57]
and it can get caught and I'm sure if uh
[2:22:59]
Mike Fa was here he would tell you all
[2:23:01]
about
[2:23:03]
operating the kiosk.
[2:23:05]
Um my other uh thing is this is actually
[2:23:07]
a concern because you talked about
[2:23:09]
reducing the number of kiosks perhaps
[2:23:11]
and my concern in that is that um that
[2:23:14]
people who are have mobility problems
[2:23:17]
have you know in the distance they may
[2:23:19]
have to walk now from their car to the
[2:23:20]
kiosk and then back again. So I just
[2:23:23]
want to make sure we take into
[2:23:24]
consideration as we're reducing this and
[2:23:27]
I know we're trying to make it more
[2:23:28]
efficient but I believe we're also
[2:23:30]
trying to make things okay for our
[2:23:32]
residents. So that would be a concern
[2:23:33]
for me especially around city hall where
[2:23:35]
a lot of people come to pay their taxes
[2:23:38]
do various things that they don't do
[2:23:40]
online they come and pay it. So I just
[2:23:42]
want to you know that's something you
[2:23:43]
can take. So to that point, right, like
[2:23:47]
as we're reooking at things, if you're
[2:23:49]
saying trying to guess, so you could put
[2:23:51]
one key, we have, let's say, seven
[2:23:53]
kiosks around city hall because we're
[2:23:55]
trying to pick you up. Instead, we could
[2:23:57]
put a kiosk at the entrance to city hall
[2:23:59]
and a kiosk at the entrance pedestrian
[2:24:01]
jet. There's two.
[2:24:03]
>> Now, you might say, "What about the post
[2:24:05]
office?" Then you put one at that
[2:24:06]
corner. There's three,
[2:24:08]
>> you know. So I that's what I just want
[2:24:10]
to look at. instead of two and two and six, you know, if if we think
[2:24:16]
the generator is city hall, then I mean
[2:24:18]
to the point of metroplex, when you go
[2:24:20]
to the metroplex, the kiosk is usually
[2:24:22]
at the entrance exit.
[2:24:23]
>> Mhm.
[2:24:23]
>> Um now they're not trying to bet what
[2:24:25]
entrance exit you're going to. They
[2:24:27]
don't have, you know, one at every side.
[2:24:29]
Correct. And you have usually one
[2:24:30]
>> kios. Yeah.
[2:24:32]
>> Right. So you walk to that and then you
[2:24:34]
go
[2:24:34]
>> a sign.
[2:24:36]
And and this is just, you know, once
[2:24:38]
again me putting on my engineer hat and
[2:24:40]
trying to do things efficiently. If the
[2:24:42]
government and government is so
[2:24:43]
efficient, I know it's terribly
[2:24:45]
efficient government. Uh if we want to
[2:24:47]
put them all over the place, put them
[2:24:49]
everywhere. It's great. We'll put them
[2:24:51]
wherever you want. I'll buy more kiosks.
[2:24:53]
It's not a problem. We'll just have more
[2:24:54]
kiosks. We just have to budget for more
[2:24:57]
kiosks. And they do come with fees cuz
[2:24:59]
they're cellular. And so, you know, and then once again, if you put two
[2:25:03]
kiosks where one is, they're going to
[2:25:04]
split the revenue and, you know, it just
[2:25:06]
it is what it is. But I have no problem,
[2:25:08]
you know, accommodating people and
[2:25:10]
putting them out there. I would just,
[2:25:12]
like I say, I get the revenue reports
[2:25:13]
and we're looking and we're trying to
[2:25:15]
just find where we can put them to make
[2:25:16]
them more efficient.
[2:25:18]
>> I understand. And let me just be be
[2:25:19]
clear, I'm not advocating for more. I'm
[2:25:21]
just also not advocating for less. just
[2:25:24]
want to make sure that people have what
[2:25:25]
they need uh in terms of being, you
[2:25:28]
know, um you compared to Metroplex, but
[2:25:30]
they have parking lots and you pull into
[2:25:31]
the parking lot and there's the kiosk
[2:25:33]
and then you park in the lot. That's a
[2:25:35]
little bit different for us. So,
[2:25:37]
>> well, I mean, so the zoo lot, the
[2:25:38]
Liberty Lot, you're going to pull into
[2:25:40]
the lot and park, right?
[2:25:41]
>> And the kiosk is at the entrance. So, if
[2:25:44]
you pulled into that lot and wanted to
[2:25:46]
go to 20 north,
[2:25:48]
>> that is over here. The kiosk is over
[2:25:50]
here. So you will have to walk over to
[2:25:52]
pay to go. So just like it's it's very
[2:25:55]
similar to off street. There will be a
[2:25:57]
little bit of a little bit of a walk
[2:25:59]
either way to do it.
[2:26:02]
>> Um
[2:26:03]
>> yeah. So I could have misunderstood
[2:26:06]
this. Isn't like so people who like who
[2:26:08]
have mobility issues who like um like
[2:26:11]
stickers or facts on their car on their
[2:26:12]
license plate um they are required to
[2:26:15]
pay the same fee that everyone else
[2:26:17]
pays.
[2:26:19]
>> Yeah. I wasn't sure. Not everybody
[2:26:20]
thinks they do cuz I've seen they put
[2:26:22]
their flashlight up and walk away like
[2:26:23]
I'm good. Mary, did you have something
[2:26:25]
you want to add to this?
[2:26:26]
>> It's part of the change in technology.
[2:26:29]
When people go to the kiosk, they don't
[2:26:31]
have to go back to their car,
[2:26:32]
>> right?
[2:26:33]
>> You put your license plate in, it goes
[2:26:35]
in the system and enforcement knows that
[2:26:38]
you paid for it. That's even like
[2:26:41]
>> some businesses are very gracious. They
[2:26:43]
may be paying for more than just their
[2:26:45]
tie. you know, restaurants, other things
[2:26:47]
that say they uh it's a problem for
[2:26:50]
people having to pay to park. If they
[2:26:53]
want to pay the 50 cents or the dollar,
[2:26:57]
they can put in the license plate, pay
[2:27:00]
for that car, and
[2:27:03]
>> it is something that we can do
[2:27:06]
>> off street. I would never broadcast it
[2:27:09]
to take away from revenue from the city
[2:27:11]
though. So, but if there's a business
[2:27:13]
that wants to maybe they have a great
[2:27:15]
lunch crowd or um you know there's
[2:27:17]
certain events going on, it is something
[2:27:19]
that we we have uh one business that
[2:27:21]
already has expressed interest and is
[2:27:22]
going to move forward with they'll have
[2:27:23]
a promo code. You can go into their
[2:27:25]
business, you can snap, you can maybe
[2:27:27]
you've already paid there and like I'm
[2:27:28]
going to go have lunch and uh I can get
[2:27:30]
my 2 hours of free parking. So, it is
[2:27:32]
something that we can certainly do to um
[2:27:34]
with this new technology and again it's
[2:27:37]
just easier and more simpler and you
[2:27:39]
know I think everyone's texting
[2:27:40]
nowadays. So if you see you know text uh
[2:27:43]
you know 421 to this number and then it
[2:27:45]
snaps in much easier than downloading an
[2:27:47]
app and making sure you downloaded the
[2:27:49]
right app.
[2:27:54]
» Any further discussion?
[2:27:56]
So this is just just informing us this
[2:27:58]
is just up to the secondary end as well.
[2:28:00]
>> Yeah, this is to have an upgraded
[2:28:02]
updated management agreement now that we
[2:28:04]
moved from passport to the last system.
[2:28:07]
>> So you you ask for res this to be move
[2:28:10]
forward because it's on the agenda
[2:28:12]
simply as discussion. So that's why I
[2:28:14]
wanted to be clear.
[2:28:15]
>> So the next step would be we would have
[2:28:17]
a res agreement
[2:28:21]
parking service agreement. It's a
[2:28:22]
professional services agreement and
[2:28:23]
follows the same pattern that was put in
[2:28:26]
place in 2020.
[2:28:28]
>> But you um I'm just I'm curious.
[2:28:31]
>> Do you want to send that out first? I
[2:28:34]
mean after this and this was kind of a
[2:28:36]
broad overview of what what the plan is.
[2:28:38]
I don't and there was some questions by
[2:28:40]
council members regarding some
[2:28:42]
specifics.
[2:28:43]
>> Um perhaps next cycle we'll have to
[2:28:47]
draft for the council's consideration.
[2:28:49]
This was this is still going to
[2:28:51]
metroplex board correct.
[2:28:53]
>> So we wanted to get in before that and
[2:28:54]
we wanted to make sure that the council
[2:28:56]
was
[2:28:57]
>> amable to going this way if there were
[2:28:59]
any concerns so that we could look this
[2:29:01]
is the next step would be after there
[2:29:03]
that we would come back okay
[2:29:04]
>> with agreement for so this was just
[2:29:07]
informing the council in principle
[2:29:09]
what's going on so that everybody's on
[2:29:11]
the same page and then the agreement
[2:29:13]
after Metro it then we'll take a look at
[2:29:16]
it and then for final council action.
[2:29:18]
>> All right. Okay. Okay. All right. Thank
[2:29:20]
you very much, Mr. Lion.
[2:29:22]
>> Thank you.
[2:29:22]
very much for coming.
[2:29:24]
Appreciate it.
[2:29:26]
>> Uh the next item number three is the
[2:29:29]
issuance of a revocable permit number
[2:29:31]
691 to Synthesis Architects
[2:29:34]
for a sign that will overhang the city's
[2:29:36]
rights.
[2:29:37]
>> Synthesis Architects is a longtime
[2:29:40]
architecture firm on J Street. Um they
[2:29:43]
have a old uh sign attached to their
[2:29:46]
building. Um, we looked to see and they have a revocable permit that's very old. Uh, insurance expired
[2:29:54]
under different formats. So, they were
[2:29:56]
amicable to coming in and getting a new
[2:29:58]
revocable permit for their new sign,
[2:30:00]
which will hand you a similar location.
[2:30:02]
So, we'd like to move forward with that.
[2:30:06]
>> Any questions or concerns? I'll move it.
[2:30:08]
>> Second.
[2:30:09]
>> All those in favor? I
[2:30:10]
>> Thank you. Uh item number four is uh
[2:30:14]
award bid in contact with the city's
[2:30:15]
connecting fire station number three and
[2:30:17]
number four generators.
[2:30:19]
Mr. Wallen.
[2:30:21]
So uh in an effort to increase the
[2:30:24]
city's resilience in emergency
[2:30:25]
situations. Um we are trying to or
[2:30:29]
looking to fix a a thing that we have
[2:30:31]
which is no emergency backup power at
[2:30:34]
two of our fire stations or two of our
[2:30:35]
older fire stations. Um, you know, the
[2:30:38]
city, we're fortunate where we actually
[2:30:40]
don't lose power very often. We have a
[2:30:42]
strong grid here. However, um, one of
[2:30:45]
the things that's brought to light is we
[2:30:47]
have new doors at the fire stations.
[2:30:50]
They are called screw style doors that
[2:30:52]
use, uh, almost exactly what it is, like
[2:30:55]
a screw. You go like that. Uh, and
[2:30:57]
they're slower open. Um, if your house,
[2:30:59]
you would have a pole with a spring and
[2:31:01]
your door would slide open. These are a
[2:31:04]
screw style door because how much we use
[2:31:06]
they're more wearable. However, when
[2:31:08]
there is no power,
[2:31:09]
>> they are extremely tedious to open
[2:31:12]
>> and it's brought to light that it really
[2:31:14]
should have it. And so we uh did a
[2:31:16]
review of the facilities and agreed that
[2:31:18]
they uh they should have backup power.
[2:31:20]
The facilities aren't large. Um so the
[2:31:24]
generators are just slightly larger than
[2:31:27]
uh you would have at home, maybe double
[2:31:29]
the size of that. Uh we put out a bid
[2:31:31]
for these and uh we got three bids from
[2:31:34]
three engineers that we work with. Uh
[2:31:36]
and the low was Burke Engineering. Um so
[2:31:38]
we're comfortable going with Burke for
[2:31:40]
the installation of these generators and
[2:31:42]
uh I really think um those that are
[2:31:44]
stationed at station three and four
[2:31:46]
would appreciate it.
[2:31:49]
>> Any questions or concerns?
[2:31:51]
>> I'll second. All those in favor?
[2:31:55]
>> Thank you.
[2:31:55]
very much for coming.
[2:31:58]
Uh we moved item number five. It's a
[2:32:00]
claim. So that's already been discussed.
[2:32:02]
And item number six is ceremonial
[2:32:04]
resolution for the honor of veteran. Uh
[2:32:07]
the person that we received the letter
[2:32:08]
from Mr. Frank is Michelle Johnson. So
[2:32:12]
um we finally got our information. Did you put a copy of the final
[2:32:17]
resolution? Okay. I did print that.
[2:32:20]
>> All right. So the um what was in the
[2:32:22]
packet was not the final resolution. So,
[2:32:30]
but that's
[2:32:38]
everybody else.
[2:32:41]
Okay. So, um we just uh got the final
[2:32:46]
information. We did get some things, but
[2:32:47]
I knew it wasn't complete because most
[2:32:49]
many of you may even know who this is.
[2:32:51]
Um, so I knew there was some things in
[2:32:53]
English and rather than us presenting
[2:32:54]
something that didn't have all the
[2:32:56]
information asked for u her to fill in
[2:32:59]
the blanks. So um it just it tells you
[2:33:03]
about her and this is a ceremonial
[2:33:05]
resolution that will be resetted I
[2:33:06]
believe 13 when the county is doing
[2:33:08]
their honor program. So just looking for
[2:33:12]
a motion for
[2:33:16]
second.
[2:33:17]
>> All right. Thank you very much. Uh all
[2:33:18]
in favor?
[2:33:19]
>> I.
[2:33:21]
>> Okay. Item number six, uh excuse me,
[2:33:23]
item number seven is the moratorium for
[2:33:25]
health and wellness spas. Mr. Toro.
[2:33:27]
>> Yes. Thank you. So I I'd like to propose
[2:33:30]
a six-month moratorium on um health and
[2:33:34]
wellness spas uh here in the city. Um so
[2:33:38]
that the uh code department um I'd like
[2:33:41]
to uh put forward that the uh the
[2:33:44]
specific health and wellness spas be
[2:33:47]
issued a certificate of occupancy to
[2:33:49]
what that does is it ensures that the
[2:33:51]
businesses and facilities are operating
[2:33:53]
safely legally and in compliance with
[2:33:56]
zoning
[2:33:58]
building fire and health codes. Um
[2:34:01]
they're not currently required at this
[2:34:03]
time uh to have a CEO. Um
[2:34:08]
other businesses in the city um
[2:34:12]
have to have a CEO. Uh barber shops um I
[2:34:16]
do have a list of them here. I can't
[2:34:17]
find them at this moment. So I'll just
[2:34:19]
continue with why it's important. So
[2:34:22]
some of the key points are um these
[2:34:24]
spawn wellness centers frequently
[2:34:26]
provide services um involving direct
[2:34:29]
physical contact and using specialized
[2:34:31]
equipment, massage oils and treatments
[2:34:34]
of things uh for skin treatment. Um
[2:34:37]
without oversight through a co there's
[2:34:40]
no guarantee that the facilities meet
[2:34:42]
the basic health, fire safety,
[2:34:44]
ventilation, sanitation, and structural
[2:34:48]
requirements.
[2:34:49]
Uh the CO would also require facilities
[2:34:52]
to demonstrate compliance with safety
[2:34:54]
codes uh protecting both patrons and
[2:34:58]
employees. Um some of the consumer uh
[2:35:02]
protection would be inquire uh requiring
[2:35:04]
a certificate of occupancy
[2:35:07]
um is a signal to our residents that
[2:35:09]
this particular building uh and this
[2:35:12]
particular business has been uh visited
[2:35:15]
by um our code department, fire
[2:35:17]
department, the mayor's office and a
[2:35:19]
certificate of occupancy is issued um
[2:35:22]
fostering um and encouraging um u
[2:35:26]
business growth for that particular for
[2:35:28]
that particular particular business. Um,
[2:35:31]
other here it is. Other uh
[2:35:33]
establishments that have a seal that
[2:35:35]
require a seal in our our our city are
[2:35:38]
um salons, barber shops, tattoo parlors.
[2:35:42]
So those are all um businesses that
[2:35:44]
require a certificate of occupancy.
[2:35:47]
Um
[2:35:50]
uh many uh another another reason is
[2:35:53]
professional accountability. So many of
[2:35:56]
the spa and wellness uh centers uh use a
[2:35:59]
massage uh therapist. So by um a
[2:36:03]
certificate of occupancy being issued by
[2:36:05]
our code department, it also um
[2:36:09]
uh ensures that the professionals who
[2:36:12]
work there um meet proper city
[2:36:14]
standards.
[2:36:16]
um at at the moment um our uh our code
[2:36:23]
for massage parlors um and that's what
[2:36:25]
it is uh in our in our our code book um
[2:36:29]
is just for massage parlors and there's
[2:36:32]
nothing in here um saying that they need
[2:36:35]
a certificate of occupancy. Um we've
[2:36:38]
noticed that there's quite a few just
[2:36:39]
popping up in the city. um one in
[2:36:42]
particular in in almost a residential
[2:36:44]
area with a small sign in the window
[2:36:47]
that says uh spa that's kind of lit and
[2:36:51]
um encouraging people to go there. So, I
[2:36:54]
think it's important at this time that
[2:36:56]
the um we we have a a 6-month moratorum,
[2:37:01]
a pause on uh all spa, health and
[2:37:04]
wellness spas in the city um and
[2:37:07]
prohibit any from opening until we can
[2:37:10]
uh uh go in and ensure uh that these
[2:37:12]
buildings and these places are safe um
[2:37:15]
and issue a certificate of occupancy
[2:37:17]
through our code department.
[2:37:20]
>> Yes, Miss Patrick.
[2:37:21]
>> Um
[2:37:22]
interesting. I I didn't know that we
[2:37:24]
didn't have to have the CO in these in
[2:37:27]
these places. So, this is good
[2:37:28]
information to know. Um I'm wondering if
[2:37:30]
they have to be licensed by New York
[2:37:32]
State. I mean,
[2:37:34]
>> like a like a what?
[2:37:36]
>> Yeah, I just want to chime in on
[2:37:38]
clarification. I I think clarification
[2:37:41]
before anybody who's masseuse
[2:37:44]
>> has to be licensed by the state
[2:37:46]
education department. Yeah, the legend
[2:37:48]
you know chapter 177 of the city code
[2:37:51]
defines massage paras any establishment
[2:37:55]
or business by whatever name call where
[2:37:57]
massages are administered. It's a broad
[2:37:59]
definition
[2:38:00]
>> and it also goes into you know it also
[2:38:03]
uh has some exceptions there. Um, but
[2:38:06]
you know, a licensed mass or a license
[2:38:08]
masseuse is any person that's licensed
[2:38:10]
to practice massage in accordance with
[2:38:12]
the provisions of article 155 of the
[2:38:14]
education law
[2:38:16]
>> to vi to do the violation of this city
[2:38:18]
code regarding that is an unclassified
[2:38:21]
misdemeanor subject to a penalty of up
[2:38:22]
to $500. It's also it's a it's a
[2:38:26]
licensed profession under the state
[2:38:28]
education law which makes it a classy
[2:38:30]
felony which may if somebody's
[2:38:31]
practicing that profession. Mhm.
[2:38:34]
>> Um, so there's a broad definition in in
[2:38:38]
chapter 177. Now, if there's going to be
[2:38:41]
a certificate of use, you know, there's
[2:38:43]
a certificate of use. Um there are
[2:38:46]
certain businesses over the years that
[2:38:48]
have been added to the certificate of
[2:38:51]
use which is a banquet facility, bar
[2:38:53]
business, cannabis or tobacco retailer
[2:38:55]
consumption or convenience store or
[2:38:58]
drugstore, private club or lodge,
[2:39:01]
restaurant or secondhand dealer store.
[2:39:04]
So um the the issue is the definition we
[2:39:08]
don't know the definition is broad for
[2:39:11]
our massage tolerance but whatever it's
[2:39:14]
called and and there's certain ex
[2:39:16]
exceptions regarding that.
[2:39:18]
>> Um but
[2:39:21]
>> the the you know the spa definition you
[2:39:26]
know what does that include?
[2:39:29]
>> What does that include? Because if you
[2:39:30]
if we're going to regulate something,
[2:39:33]
>> we got to define it,
[2:39:34]
>> right?
[2:39:35]
>> And such a definition isn't in our
[2:39:37]
zoning code. The only thing we can find
[2:39:40]
here is, you know, the massage parlor in
[2:39:42]
chapter 177. So
[2:39:47]
if if it's if we're going to do a
[2:39:49]
certificate of use procedure as well as
[2:39:53]
want to incorporate this into our zoning
[2:39:55]
code, we probably should have one
[2:39:56]
definition.
[2:39:59]
So
[2:40:02]
you in talking with planning and talking
[2:40:04]
to the zoning officer we don't you know
[2:40:07]
the health and and this as defined here
[2:40:10]
or or not defined here but uh health and
[2:40:14]
wellness spa establishments is not
[2:40:16]
defined in our code.
[2:40:17]
>> Okay.
[2:40:18]
>> So we need to define that and then work
[2:40:21]
from there because do you include gyms
[2:40:24]
in that? You know what do you include in
[2:40:26]
that? cuz they
[2:40:27]
>> I mean but the thing is if it's massages
[2:40:30]
that you're you're you've already got a
[2:40:32]
broad
[2:40:34]
>> brought something already in the code
[2:40:37]
that covers that.
[2:40:38]
>> Mhm.
[2:40:40]
>> That covers that and makes it you know
[2:40:42]
if if you're it says you know if you're
[2:40:44]
if if you're if if you're uh it shall be
[2:40:48]
unlawful this is 177-2. It should be
[2:40:51]
unlawful for any person to practice a
[2:40:53]
massage in a massage parlor who's not a
[2:40:55]
licensed mass or licensed masseuse.
[2:41:00]
>> So um that's that's a broad definition
[2:41:04]
but it goes on to you know talk about
[2:41:06]
this you know who doesn't practice
[2:41:07]
medicine etc etc.
[2:41:10]
>> This our code in chapter 177 mirrors
[2:41:14]
what's in the state education law as far
[2:41:16]
as the licensing exceptions what the
[2:41:19]
requirements are. So, um, if it's adding
[2:41:22]
a certificate of use to those list of
[2:41:25]
businesses,
[2:41:27]
we've got to figure out how we're going
[2:41:30]
to do that. And if you want to add that,
[2:41:32]
I would suggest you also add that
[2:41:34]
definition to the the zoning off the
[2:41:36]
zoning code as well. Um and
[2:41:42]
uh regarding you know application for a
[2:41:44]
certificate views has a whole laundry
[2:41:46]
list of requirements that have to be you
[2:41:48]
know um various you know security licenses
[2:41:56]
etc etc. There's a whole under 183-6
[2:41:59]
there's a whole list of requirements
[2:42:02]
that when somebody's applying for a
[2:42:04]
certificate of use has to provide the
[2:42:07]
city in order to get the certificate of
[2:42:08]
use.
[2:42:10]
>> So I just wanted to kind of in broad
[2:42:11]
brush say that 177 if if it's illegal
[2:42:16]
massage parlors the definition is is
[2:42:19]
very it doesn't have to be called a
[2:42:21]
massage parlor under our city code. It's
[2:42:23]
a very broad definition.
[2:42:26]
>> All right. So, let me just um So, let me
[2:42:28]
just clarify. So, don't don't all
[2:42:30]
businesses have to get a certificate of
[2:42:32]
occupancy for the building that they're
[2:42:33]
in?
[2:42:34]
>> Well, yeah, they have to use.
[2:42:35]
>> So, they have this certificate of use,
[2:42:37]
>> but they don't necessarily need a
[2:42:38]
certificate of use for that particular
[2:42:40]
purpose.
[2:42:41]
>> Okay. Just to be clear, oh, Miss Patrick
[2:42:44]
and then uh cuz she wasn't finished, Mr.
[2:42:46]
And then Mr. Ma, Miss Patrick.
[2:42:49]
>> Yes. Um so, I guess I think there I
[2:42:52]
think what we're talking about right now
[2:42:54]
is a moratorum. Um I think there's a lot
[2:42:57]
of questions and a lot of research and a
[2:42:59]
lot of uh things that will have to be uh
[2:43:02]
discussed. So I think having the
[2:43:04]
moratorum on new
[2:43:07]
businesses of this sort um I could
[2:43:10]
support um because I think there's a lot
[2:43:13]
of questions. I mean I think when you
[2:43:14]
think about all the independent salons
[2:43:17]
that might have somebody coming over and
[2:43:18]
massaging I mean there's a lot of stuff
[2:43:21]
that can get
[2:43:24]
involved here. So I think the moratorum
[2:43:27]
would be okay while we try to
[2:43:29]
investigate all that stuff.
[2:43:30]
>> Well, I'm going to ask Mr. M to speak,
[2:43:32]
but I'm not sure how we do a moratorium
[2:43:33]
on something that doesn't really exist
[2:43:35]
yet. So Mr. M.
[2:43:36]
>> Yeah, just what I was going to ask on
[2:43:38]
the legal side, can we do something like
[2:43:40]
that? The council recommends something
[2:43:42]
like talking to the planner and the
[2:43:44]
zoning officer. If you recall, if you
[2:43:47]
recall, you know, our moratoriums for
[2:43:49]
the vape shops and and and the to, you
[2:43:51]
know, the cannabis shops, we had a
[2:43:54]
definition.
[2:43:55]
>> Mhm.
[2:43:55]
>> You had a definition in which to say
[2:43:58]
this is the type of estab, you know,
[2:44:00]
that that that's going to be um the
[2:44:04]
subject of a moratorum for 6 months or
[2:44:06]
we we work out what the zoning code is.
[2:44:09]
>> What I'm you know, I've got to get you
[2:44:12]
know, we've got you've got to get you
[2:44:14]
know, get a definition
[2:44:15]
before we even get to the moratorum
[2:44:17]
stage and
[2:44:20]
do we work off of what's in chapter 177
[2:44:24]
do we look at other localities we don't
[2:44:26]
mean we like I said you know how we
[2:44:29]
don't want to put gyms in this but you
[2:44:30]
know what how do you define what you
[2:44:33]
want to do and then once we get a
[2:44:36]
definition
[2:44:37]
>> that's that's workable
[2:44:39]
um then you can look at putting a
[2:44:43]
regulatory scheme in various chapters of
[2:44:46]
the code. But I am I I you know I talked
[2:44:49]
to the planners today. I talked to the
[2:44:50]
zoning all we don't have a definition of what is referred to here that
[2:44:56]
wellness and spot is not definition in
[2:44:59]
our code but we can work one out.
[2:45:03]
>> Yeah just follow Mr. Torio mentioned
[2:45:05]
during your presentation certificate of
[2:45:08]
occupancy and certificate of use. It is
[2:45:11]
my understanding that once a permit is
[2:45:12]
pulled, inspection is done, then a
[2:45:14]
clearance is given to occupy that space
[2:45:17]
or building. So if you're opening a
[2:45:19]
business, that should follow the
[2:45:21]
protocol. So I'm not sure if a
[2:45:24]
certificate of occupancy or are you
[2:45:26]
requiring a certificate of use?
[2:45:28]
occupancy because
[2:45:30]
>> not a certificate of use.
[2:45:31]
>> The certificate of use is the more
[2:45:33]
detailed detail
[2:45:34]
>> more detailed one, but at this time I'm
[2:45:36]
being told that a lot of them are
[2:45:38]
popping up without a certificate of
[2:45:40]
occupancy.
[2:45:42]
>> But I think the certificate of use may
[2:45:43]
get you where you want to go. Yes.
[2:45:45]
>> So that's why I want to clarify
[2:45:47]
certificate of occupancy. the permit
[2:45:48]
pull that protocol in place for
[2:45:50]
inspection approval
[2:45:53]
>> and then um the certificate of user
[2:45:55]
follows in terms of the regulation once
[2:45:57]
it's adopted
[2:45:58]
>> right
[2:45:59]
>> I just want to clarify
[2:46:00]
>> absolutely yes because I don't think the
[2:46:02]
mayor you wanted to make a point Mr.
[2:46:04]
here.
[2:46:05]
>> Thank you, Madam Chair. Uh
[2:46:09]
these businesses that are popping up are
[2:46:12]
creating
[2:46:13]
really some adverse situations and
[2:46:15]
there's been some arrests made in some
[2:46:17]
of these some adjacent communities. So
[2:46:20]
that I would encourage the council to
[2:46:23]
uh go forward on this and is it Mtor
[2:46:27]
what you're outlining is like a two-step
[2:46:29]
process. you have to come up with a
[2:46:31]
definition, but could you come up with a
[2:46:34]
definition and incorporate it in the
[2:46:37]
moratorum? So, it's a one-step process
[2:46:40]
where it's not reflected in the code
[2:46:42]
until the end of the moratorum,
[2:46:45]
>> right, mayor? I mean, you could do it
[2:46:47]
all one. The point we can do a moratorum
[2:46:50]
legislation which you all did before and
[2:46:52]
in that it can have the definition but
[2:46:56]
what I want you know and that's the
[2:46:58]
moratorium langu which we can build off
[2:47:00]
of what we used previously that's
[2:47:03]
>> but I I what I'd like to do is for a
[2:47:06]
couple of weeks you know for our next
[2:47:07]
cycle to work on that definition give
[2:47:10]
you a definition maybe work that into a
[2:47:13]
moratorum piece of legislation where
[2:47:15]
this is all going to fit and give you a
[2:47:17]
working draft,
[2:47:18]
>> right?
[2:47:19]
>> To look at
[2:47:20]
>> that.
[2:47:20]
>> Just just as a working draft, so you
[2:47:22]
have a the definition we can you can add
[2:47:24]
to it, subtract to it, whatever.
[2:47:27]
>> That makes sense to me. Um, Mr. Barley.
[2:47:30]
>> Yeah. So, I think the mayor is talking
[2:47:33]
about some things that were happening.
[2:47:34]
You said in some adjacent communities.
[2:47:36]
>> Yeah.
[2:47:36]
>> Um, and I think that that was some real
[2:47:39]
>> sky police and the state police have
[2:47:40]
made similar arrests in the city of Sky.
[2:47:43]
>> Okay. At a spot. Um my so I my my
[2:47:46]
question would be um where's this
[2:47:48]
where's the spa at that you're talking
[2:47:50]
about that you were saying that
[2:47:51]
>> I haven't reported it to a co our code
[2:47:53]
department.
[2:47:54]
>> Okay. All right. So
[2:47:56]
>> do you not want to say
[2:47:58]
>> no there's a number of them throughout
[2:48:02]
which you don't want to say which ones
[2:48:04]
you're reporting.
[2:48:04]
>> Yeah. Exactly. I don't think we should
[2:48:07]
Sorry. I don't think we should do that
[2:48:08]
publicly call one or two because there's
[2:48:10]
a lot.
[2:48:12]
>> Sorry.
[2:48:13]
me.
[2:48:14]
>> Well, I just when we had a smoke shop
[2:48:16]
conversation, we were pretty descriptive
[2:48:18]
actually. We were saying there's one
[2:48:19]
here and there's one here and one here.
[2:48:20]
We were talking about that. So, that's
[2:48:22]
why I was asking about that. I'm trying
[2:48:24]
to get a better understanding. Okay.
[2:48:27]
>> All right. Um, so and and the other
[2:48:29]
thing I want to add to this conversation
[2:48:30]
is that we we're mentioning spas and so
[2:48:32]
there are places that you go that people
[2:48:33]
they call them spas and people women and
[2:48:36]
men go get their toes done, their nails
[2:48:37]
done and they're calling those spas. So
[2:48:39]
I think that we have to be clear that
[2:48:42]
what we're talking about otherwise you
[2:48:44]
know you're not going to be able to get
[2:48:44]
your nails done.
[2:48:46]
>> So um you know because it was mentioned
[2:48:48]
massage pallet and spas. So I think in
[2:48:51]
our whatever we put into the code you
[2:48:54]
have to be
[2:48:55]
>> or or you can I'm just thinking you just
[2:48:58]
use the definition that you've you know work off of the definition in
[2:49:02]
chapter 177.
[2:49:04]
>> Okay.
[2:49:05]
>> That will narrow it down to what you
[2:49:07]
want to do. Okay.
[2:49:08]
>> And it's already a regulated field via
[2:49:10]
our code and as well as the state.
[2:49:13]
>> Right. Right.
[2:49:14]
>> So we can work off of that and maybe
[2:49:16]
narrow it down so it doesn't go into
[2:49:19]
areas that you you all don't want to go
[2:49:21]
into.
[2:49:22]
>> Right. And I want to ask one other
[2:49:24]
question, Mr. O'Brien. So um for
[2:49:26]
individuals who are there their license
[2:49:28]
muse in wherever they work, uh does that
[2:49:31]
particular place need the health
[2:49:33]
department to come in and inspect at
[2:49:35]
all?
[2:49:37]
I I can't speak for the county health
[2:49:39]
department, but they, you know, they
[2:49:40]
have to have a state a licensed masseuse
[2:49:43]
is is is licensed and has to, you know,
[2:49:46]
by the state ed education department,
[2:49:48]
they have to keep their requirements up
[2:49:50]
and and and maintain to be licensed.
[2:49:52]
>> Okay. to them and if they're doing
[2:49:55]
something without
[2:49:56]
>> some of these businesses, madam chair,
[2:49:58]
are positions of convenience which
[2:50:00]
technical review might require the
[2:50:03]
department of health might require the
[2:50:06]
department of state some I think are
[2:50:09]
department of education some of the
[2:50:11]
licenses
[2:50:12]
>> right I mean this is all department of
[2:50:13]
education with sus it's all it's it's
[2:50:16]
one of the listed professions by state
[2:50:18]
ed or so there
[2:50:20]
>> yes Mr. Sure.
[2:50:22]
>> Thank you. So, I just want to say, you
[2:50:23]
know, when we do what spas you were
[2:50:25]
talking about, we all went to spas, you
[2:50:27]
know, we get our nails done or whatever,
[2:50:28]
but always on the wall are their
[2:50:30]
certificates, you know, from New York
[2:50:32]
State Department of Health, uh, county
[2:50:34]
health department, the New York State
[2:50:36]
Health Department. Um, so everyone has
[2:50:39]
their picture and things on there. So
[2:50:40]
again, we don't want to,
[2:50:43]
you know, implement this on businesses
[2:50:45]
that are doing uh, you know, better or
[2:50:50]
have certificates of use and
[2:50:52]
certificates of occupancy. This is just
[2:50:54]
to prevent um, businesses from popping
[2:50:57]
up in the city that aren't aren't quite
[2:51:00]
legal
[2:51:02]
and legal in the sense that they're not
[2:51:04]
registered with us. That's the only
[2:51:06]
thing that I mean, absolutely.
[2:51:09]
I didn't think you met anybody else. Mr.
[2:51:12]
M, do you have a hand up?
[2:51:13]
>> No, no. Because I mean, we can't blame
[2:51:15]
them because we don't have it in.
[2:51:18]
>> So that's okay because I mean I'm glad
[2:51:21]
that it's being brought forward now in
[2:51:22]
terms of moving forward for a certain
[2:51:24]
views.
[2:51:25]
>> Well, we don't have that in the unlisted
[2:51:27]
this kind of business.
[2:51:29]
>> Well, we do.
[2:51:31]
>> So then why are we even Well, we do, but
[2:51:34]
it's not under certificate of use. if
[2:51:36]
you want to take it up and and then put
[2:51:37]
into zoning area and what about areas
[2:51:41]
that there is a license masseuse that's
[2:51:43]
you know where you want to have that.
[2:51:45]
>> So he's saying that we have massage pol
[2:51:48]
in her code already. So but Mr. Toro
[2:51:51]
says so it's a so the certificate of
[2:51:53]
occupancy happens but she's asking for a
[2:51:55]
certificate of use
[2:51:57]
>> and it's not a bad idea to put that in
[2:51:59]
the zoning code. So I mean between the
[2:52:03]
certificate use and and put that
[2:52:04]
definition into the code the zoning code
[2:52:06]
as well
[2:52:07]
>> and but right now we don't have that
[2:52:09]
there. So
[2:52:10]
>> it's just it's just in that one chapter
[2:52:12]
>> the next step is your hand up.
[2:52:14]
>> Yeah. question. And so like and then we
[2:52:18]
just talking about actual brick and
[2:52:19]
mortars or are we talking about people
[2:52:21]
who like go to people's houses like what
[2:52:24]
if that's also illegal
[2:52:27]
if they're
[2:52:29]
any p practice massage
[2:52:32]
um it doesn't you know um any person's
[2:52:36]
it is the application of scientific
[2:52:39]
system of activity to the it goes
[2:52:41]
through a whole definition
[2:52:43]
Um,
[2:52:45]
but it also has certain exemptions under the code.
[2:52:49]
>> I'm pretty sure that in New York State
[2:52:51]
that they have traveling mass. There's
[2:52:52]
people who pack up and go to people's
[2:52:54]
houses. That's traveling masseuse. Um,
[2:52:56]
>> right. But they need to still be
[2:52:57]
licensed.
[2:52:58]
>> Oh, 100%.
[2:53:00]
Without question. Because the issue is you've got to be licensed,
[2:53:06]
>> right?
[2:53:07]
>> That's the that's the key under our code
[2:53:09]
and under the state law.
[2:53:10]
>> See, that's my question. So, but we're
[2:53:12]
not So,
[2:53:14]
obviously, are we saying that that
[2:53:16]
there's people who are doing this right
[2:53:18]
now? The question is that they're not
[2:53:19]
licensed massage therapist. Yeah. And they're
[2:53:24]
doing this and I and there's is there a
[2:53:26]
difference between massage therapist?
[2:53:28]
True. Is that is that a important
[2:53:31]
distinction to make?
[2:53:32]
>> Well, the arrests have been made on
[2:53:33]
prostitution.
[2:53:36]
>> Well, that's where Okay. and and
[2:53:39]
>> we're already pretty clear that that's
[2:53:42]
right and Mr. Finally to mass mass or
[2:53:45]
massage shed service or pursuant to the
[2:53:48]
state education law are all grouped
[2:53:50]
together under uh under the uh practice
[2:53:54]
they're interchangeable.
[2:53:59]
» Yes.
[2:54:00]
>> Oh yeah.
[2:54:02]
>> That's okay.
[2:54:02]
>> So since we're we're we're talking about
[2:54:04]
reforming this to zoning should we
[2:54:06]
consider location like how we did with
[2:54:09]
the smoke shops and you know business? I
[2:54:12]
think
[2:54:12]
>> in terms of zoning location for these
[2:54:14]
type of business.
[2:54:15]
>> I think what we need to do is probably
[2:54:17]
work with the planners and the zoning
[2:54:19]
officer and then work with the
[2:54:21]
definition and then get a moratorum uh
[2:54:24]
framework together then come back to
[2:54:26]
you.
[2:54:27]
>> Okay. All right. Miss Patrick again.
[2:54:29]
That's exactly what I was going to I was
[2:54:31]
just going to remind us that
[2:54:33]
um council that had suggested suggested
[2:54:37]
that I think it's important to remember
[2:54:39]
that we're trying to um this would be to
[2:54:43]
try to um make sure that folks are legal
[2:54:47]
and also I think the health aspect is
[2:54:49]
very important. Um that those two things
[2:54:52]
that institutions
[2:54:56]
» and so Mr. So Brian, what what time
[2:54:57]
frame would you um
[2:54:59]
>> um let's let's give it a go for two
[2:55:01]
weeks.
[2:55:02]
>> I mean, you know, the next one uh next
[2:55:05]
month committee cycle. We give it a go
[2:55:07]
and see if what we can present to you.
[2:55:11]
>> Okay. So, Mr. Tro, this is going to come
[2:55:13]
back in two weeks.
[2:55:14]
>> Thank you. Okay. Thank you.
[2:55:15]
>> You're welcome.
[2:55:17]
>> All right. The final items have to do
[2:55:19]
with property sales and uh so therefore,
[2:55:22]
we'd have to go into executive session.
[2:55:26]
Um I make a motion to executive session.
[2:55:29]
All right.
[2:55:31]
>> I need a second for the executive
[2:55:32]
session.
[2:55:33]
>> So
[2:55:34]
>> all those in favor? We are in executive
[2:55:36]
session and members of the public will
[2:55:38]
have to leave. I will be right back.
[2:55:40]
Okay.
[2:55:50]
Heat. Heat.
[2:55:55]
[Music]