[0:00] My name is Tapet Sheryl. I'm an attorney with Bill Slydol. I'm here on behalf of the Buffalo Naval Park Committee. We're just requesting this body to authorize

[0:18] the Mayor to enter and put the consent in for three months, and also consent to vote. That during that three month period, we'll continue to go and go and get a longer term.

[0:29] I've been in touch with Mr. Marzole executive director and he said this is important for them, so I would recommend approval.

[0:36] Motion to approve the pre-month extension.

[0:38] Motion to approve three months extension, second by Council President Pigeon. Thank you.

[0:42] Thank you.

[0:43] I don't remember for an Office of Appeal. I don't remember Franklin.

[0:47] Item's open.

[0:48] Motion to table, or the public hearing.

[0:51] I don't know for motion to table.

[0:53] Motion to table, second by Mr. Forlettle, public hearing on December the 4th.

[0:57] I don't remember five special use permit.

[1:00] When I need five grant.

[1:02] Motion to public hearing.

[1:04] Motion to open the public hearing. Second by Mr. Go on back for 195 grant.

[1:07] The lady and gentleman are coming down.

[1:09] And then if you speak, please state your name for the record and me.

[1:13] Mr. Chamberlain.

[1:14] Mr. Chamberlain.

[1:15] Item number six.

[1:17] What?

[1:18] Mr. Chamberlain.

[1:19] Item number six.

[1:20] What did you say?

[1:22] We're not here for item number five. We're here for item number six.

[1:24] What did you say?

[1:26] Item number five.

[1:27] We're here on item number five.

[1:29] One ninety five grants.

[1:31] You're jumping the gun.

[1:34] Item number five.

[1:37] Good afternoon everyone.

[1:39] I'm Mr. Bernard Ramos.

[1:40] Freddie Jay's barbecue. One nine five.

[1:42] Branch Street requesting special use permit.

[1:45] Outdoor dining tab room.

[1:47] Currently just want to change use.

[1:50] We're take out at this point.

[1:52] And we have to convert to the outdoor use.

[1:55] Outdoor dining and tab room.

[1:58] All right.

[1:59] Thank you very much, sir.

[2:02] Chairman.

[2:03] I know the owner.

[2:04] Is it?

[2:05] Fred?

[2:06] Fred?

[2:07] I know the owner.

[2:08] Fred is one of the few people that stayed.

[2:10] And decided to continue to invest in grants.

[2:13] Three.

[2:14] When many people are leaving.

[2:15] I'm looking forward to actually going there.

[2:18] Can you tell me what hours of operations.

[2:20] The hours of operations.

[2:21] We're going to be.

[2:22] Yes sir.

[2:23] On Sundays.

[2:24] Ten to two.

[2:25] Money.

[2:26] The Saturday.

[2:27] Ten to five.

[2:28] Ten to five.

[2:29] Yes sir.

[2:30] Okay.

[2:32] Motion closed public hearing.

[2:33] Motion closed public hearing.

[2:34] Seconded by Mr. Scanlon.

[2:35] Motion to approve.

[2:36] Motion approved.

[2:37] Seconded by Mr. Fujin.

[2:39] Thank you.

[2:40] Item number six.

[2:41] Adaptive.

[2:42] Use permit.

[2:43] Fourthed by.

[2:44] Not over here.

[2:46] Motion opened public hearing.

[2:48] Seconded by Council Member Scanlon.

[2:49] And the item now is as before us.

[2:51] Eight.

[2:52] Andrew Pays from the applicant.

[2:53] Becoming with free.

[2:54] Get with moral link.

[2:55] Order.

[2:56] Becoming with.

[2:57] Okay.

[2:58] We are here for the application.

[3:00] Technical information, especially you permit.

[3:02] Or the point house is the residence and City of Buffalo.

[3:06] We have a pair before the out on those,

[3:08] These in.

[3:09] There.

[3:10] Housing and Historic Preservation, many in.

[3:11] We would be the better support.

[3:13] There run the only mid wifer.

[3:15] In the city of Buffalo and in.

[3:16] What area.

[3:18] That's a very unique.

[3:23] Service and I have heard about all support in the community and.

[3:24] Do you want to.

[3:25] Don't you describe it a little bit how it's going to work.

[3:27] Just.

[3:28] So currently I have an office in the state of your name for Laura Winkler, currently I have an office in Delaware that we have outgrown so we're

[3:36] intending to move our office space into the courthouse and use that for outpatient appointments. So, you know, basically just regularly scheduled

[3:44] financial and postpartum care and well woman care. And then we intend to do a few births a month in the courthouse. We also do birth home birth and hospital birth as well.

[3:54] So, it will just be however many patients a month decide to give birth at the courthouse. Currently we're doing about 8 to 10 total births a month in all locations.

[4:04] You have nursing staff there, but what a bit more much. We actually really practice true midwifery model care, which means that our patients don't usually see any nursing staff for their regularly scheduled appointments.

[4:18] They're face to face with the midwife the entire time. So, people in an assistant when someone is in labor, but otherwise we don't anticipate having more than a few people in the house than any given time.

[4:30] And you have to be licensed by the state. Yeah, that's what our license might be. I'm also certified nurse midwife and the midwife that works with me Lydia is a certified midwife and we're both licensed by New York State.

[4:42] Very good. Any other questions on this? No? Motion to close the public hearing.

[4:50] Motion to close the public hearing. Second five counts of member go on that motion to approve. Motion to approve. Second five counts of member go on that. Thank you.

[4:55] Thank you. I don't remember seven special use for mid five hundred. Motion to table. Motion to table hearing on twelve four. Second five. Mr. for.

[5:05] I don't remember eight plus naming a job park.

[5:08] Item is open. This item is open. I know that the K9 facility on the Louisiana Street is named in honor of officer leaner.

[5:17] So, I don't know. You know.

[5:23] You think. You'd like to receive. Name another one. We could receive and file it unless I'm many. Motion to receive.

[5:29] Motion to receive and file. Second by Mr. Scandal. I don't remember nine. I'd have to reuse.

[5:34] Motion to table items. Nine and ten and eleven and twelve. Motion to table items. Nine and ten and eleven and twelve. All second by council member for lentil.

[5:44] Twelve is marked actually approve. It's a food store in the university. I was asked to table.

[5:50] This table up to a food including item eleven. All second by Mr. for lentil. And then twelve is request for approval.

[6:00] Oh. They see twelve here marked a food. Well that was the chain. Sorry about that. So that will be on the table also. All second by Mr. for lentil is previously said. Thank you.

[6:13] Item number 13 stop sign.

[6:17] Stop sign at sword and fenton. I don't see Mr. Fontana. So.

[6:22] Option to table list. Motion to table. Second by council president.

[6:27] Take from the table. I know 16 23 27 and 37 and 37. Take from the table. I know 16 23 27 37 all second by council member for lentil.

[6:37] Motion to approve. Second by Mr. Scanner.

[6:46] Item number 23 is only map amendment. Motion open the public motion open the public hearing. Second by council member. Scanner for 64.

[6:56] Fill more. I know where are the folks that are here. They were here. What do they go?

[7:02] We can hold that on vans and go back to it. Motion to hold in the bans. Motion to hold that item in a bans. Second by council member for lentil.

[7:11] Item number 27 up and out.

[7:15] Okay.

[7:17] Item is open Sean.

[7:21] I hear the speaker that.

[7:26] Here's some commotion in the hall.

[7:30] Yeah. Everybody. When you got to go, you got to go as a long meeting.

[7:34] Now you want to speak to that sir.

[7:36] Okay. Sit down. Station name for the right.

[7:40] On the R. P. T. L.

[7:44] We'll property tax law second.

[7:46] The 45. Oh, there is. There's assemblyman Ryan. So floral be his.

[7:57] Good afternoon everybody. Several human members looked like he's had a very long day already.

[8:06] Yeah. I'll try to talk pretty fast.

[8:11] So thanks for having me here today to talk about the New York state real property law section.

[8:16] Or eighty five. This law was supposed to be the upstate city's version of the New York City law.

[8:24] Which was to give an incentive to rehabilitate and repurpose buildings.

[8:30] Whether they're industrial buildings or underutilized office buildings and then turn them into residential buildings.

[8:37] So from the bottom of perspective, you know, think.

[8:40] Lafayette Square. A people were to underutilized office space with high vacancy rate.

[8:47] We wanted to give an incentive to turn buildings like that into apartments while still keeping a first floor commercial residential retail to keep the

[8:57] the vibrancy going or think like an elephant street something like with a sea bar restaurant is.

[9:03] You know, landing industrial space that is now restaurant first floor.

[9:07] Pop two floors of apartment buildings.

[9:11] So these are the types of projects that my research show that this law was created to develop.

[9:18] And the help that we're supposed to give is to keep the assessed amount for taxation purposes at the pre-conversion level.

[9:27] So if a building is worth a hundred thousand dollars, it's assessed that.

[9:31] Something comes in and puts a million into it.

[9:33] The owner would keep the taxable level at a hundred thousand for eight years.

[9:38] And then step it up for the next four years, eight to twelve.

[9:41] The get to a hundred.

[9:43] But cities around the state have been struggling with this law.

[9:47] Albany is currently undergoing a review of their entire program and investigations taking place there.

[9:53] Serious is that awful troubles wrestling this law into the onto the ground and implementing it.

[10:02] So in my interest in how it's being applied in Buffalo occurred after the public accountability offer.

[10:09] Our office released a study of their own looking at how it's being applied here.

[10:14] So I had some familiarity with the problems in Syracuse and Albany.

[10:18] But now I'm looking at how it's being applied here.

[10:21] But around the state, you know, landing machines were put in bodies of residential buildings.

[10:30] And they were then qualified as a mixed use building.

[10:34] The basement of an apartment building was called a commercial space, which then said,

[10:39] Europe qualified for the tax abatement.

[10:42] People have called rental offices, commercial space.

[10:46] We've had people renting out lobbies of apartment buildings for birthday parties.

[10:51] And that qualifies for a tax abatement or, you know, one small apartment in a large building.

[11:00] So around the state there's been all sorts of these types of applications.

[11:06] The program also seems to have morphed into something much differently than we originally envisioned.

[11:12] In the early years around the state it was applied only to conversions of existing buildings.

[11:17] You know, turning them into mixed use buildings.

[11:19] But now it's being used for new builds.

[11:22] I guess under the argument that they're converting vacant land into a building.

[11:27] Even after some cases that properties were demolished to make the land vacant and then to have it be rebuilt upon.

[11:36] So I think it's ready to take this program ready to have a book taken at it to see if reform is in the air.

[11:46] So it's pretty clear that they're looking at the statute and how it's been implemented.

[11:51] That some change needs to be placed.

[11:54] Take place.

[11:55] That's the council to keep in mind that this law was put in place in 2002.

[12:00] It was really the only tool in the toolbox for urban redevelopment.

[12:05] In 2002 there was no tax credit and there was no brownfield tax credit.

[12:10] So, you know, this was the only tool we had to spur development in the urban core.

[12:16] But now that we've implemented these other subsidies programs, it's time for us to take a look at the 45.

[12:23] To see how it fits in today's subsidy landscape.

[12:27] So I've had meetings under subject with developers, financiers, attorneys.

[12:34] And I'm setting up small group meetings with small scale developer and large developers.

[12:40] But I'm here today to inform you what I'm doing but also to see if you have any feedback on this.

[12:49] So what I'm looking at from my perspective is those the programs still made sense.

[12:56] Do you feel the program is operating the way it should?

[12:59] Should it be reviewed?

[13:01] Should it be repealed?

[13:03] Should it be reform?

[13:04] Well, we just didn't.

[13:06] What you folks have to say about this piece of legislation.

[13:11] Now, Sean and Council President Prickson's resolution.

[13:15] He says that before he 5A should have an element or some level code on code of affordable housing.

[13:22] Your issue is that in that Benderson project, the only had one unit over all project.

[13:28] And I don't know if Mr. Mahapere, I don't know what are you here for?

[13:32] Marty, are you here for this group?

[13:34] So now we would have to change that we would have to memorialize something here and send it to you guys, right?

[13:42] Well, it's not necessarily a whole rule item Council Member Franz Axel.

[13:47] What we'd like to do is to do the review to hear input.

[13:52] Not just from Buffalo, but from Syracuse and other cities to try to come up with a unified.

[13:57] A version of how we would like to have this law change.

[14:02] So, Buffalo housing is certainly one of the items people have called for in reform.

[14:09] But that's just one of the many things that I'm going to take.

[14:13] Right now they have this as a matter of, right?

[14:15] Except as my discussion with the law department is that they come for especially use permit.

[14:20] They still have to go through this body.

[14:22] And you don't like what we see, we can say go back and do something that's more in the harmony of this act.

[14:29] Surely one of the options on the table is to not make it a matter of right to make it a but four program,

[14:37] which is the development could not take place.

[14:40] But for this program, recall the new programs that we have in place, the Brownfieldment Historic,

[14:47] which is sometimes created situations where developers layer several different subsidies,

[14:54] often without the other player even knowing that this subsidy.

[15:00] And so you're introducing, are you have something that will speak to this on the state level?

[15:07] I will, I don't know, but before I act that I wanted to get a good idea, certainly from the council, let them know what I was doing and to get their input before we went forward.

[15:22] There's some basic housekeeping items that you would probably do if you were to do this today.

[15:27] You know, one is you would have yearly reports going to the state Department of Taxation of Finance, which is common for a lot of subsidy programs.

[15:36] The program under the purview of the authorities budget office in most other subsidies programs go under that purview.

[15:44] So it's a state entity that can look at the application and then items like guaranteeing a certain percentage of residential space, a certain percentage of commercial space.

[15:59] And if one of the things we wanted to do was to incentivize ground field retail ground floor retail would be to make sure that the commercial space had it on the ground floor as opposed to tucked into a larger building.

[16:15] And then the other house gate would be to perhaps target specific areas rather than having an entitlement that's available in the anywhere in the municipality.

[16:27] You could focus it like like for example on downtown core as opposed to anywhere you want in the city.

[16:36] But it is good to keep in mind, the problem is that we have with this law, they're not individualized to any municipality.

[16:46] Any municipality that's adopted this statute has had problems with the statute.

[16:52] Thank you. Marty, did you want to speak to this?

[16:58] Thank you Mr. Chairman, I'm Martin Kennedy.

[17:01] Commissioner of Assessment and Tax.

[17:04] I'm here with a friend of a half the executive doctor of strategic planning as well as Moses Robinson, our principal assistant.

[17:13] Obviously our role is not to create the law.

[17:17] Our role is to implement the exemption when it presented to us and we see that it qualifies.

[17:24] We put on the assessment rule.

[17:27] I can assure the Assemblyman that we agree with you that there are items that you mentioned about things like vetting machine or anything of that nature has not happened in the city of Buffalo.

[17:46] The one apartment in a building is once, maybe twice.

[17:57] I think that this exemption has been a catalyst in the city of Buffalo in the redevelopment we see today.

[18:04] We had 85 properties on the 2018 assessment rule that are certainly benefiting from this exemption.

[18:15] This exemption right now.

[18:18] It just struck me as the Assemblyman was speaking that this law came on the books in 2002.

[18:26] That's 16 years ago.

[18:29] It burns a half in 12 years.

[18:32] So in the very beginning we had small participation.

[18:37] There's a word which is getting out.

[18:40] So I'm sorry.

[18:42] I didn't think of it until just now.

[18:44] I don't know how many of these were approved and have already burned out.

[18:49] I'm sure there's some.

[18:51] Probably not a lot.

[18:55] People come in today and they are converting these buildings to a next use and it works very, very well.

[19:03] I think again it's been a catalyst to that redevelopment of Buffalo that we see today.

[19:09] We're all thrilled to see.

[19:12] There's obviously some changes that can be made.

[19:17] We don't agree with everything in the law.

[19:20] The law requires.

[19:23] Not the conversion of a building, but the way the law is written.

[19:30] It's the conversion of non-residential real property.

[19:37] And we've gone through this.

[19:39] We've investigated this.

[19:41] We want to be sure in what we say to people and what we do.

[19:46] But non-residential real property is.

[19:52] Any property, vacant land or with the building on it.

[19:57] It doesn't say it improved you.

[20:00] That's the law.

[20:01] And that's where we have to be.

[20:03] We can't change it.

[20:05] When I say we.

[20:06] I mean in my department.

[20:08] We cannot change something.

[20:11] You're home with.

[20:12] We can't tell one person.

[20:14] Yes.

[20:15] And another person.

[20:16] No.

[20:17] Because we don't like what's going on.

[20:18] We have to go.

[20:21] So that's where we're at.

[20:23] I think that it can be approved.

[20:25] I don't think it should be eliminated.

[20:29] But there can be some changes made that is making improvement for the city,

[20:34] as well as keeping it reliable.

[20:37] Sorry.

[20:38] Before I go to Council, President Bridget Brendan,

[20:41] we do have anything to do.

[20:51] President, I have the Executive Director of Mayor's Office of Strategic Planning.

[20:55] You know, I will say that in my observation,

[20:58] Commissioner Kennedy and his staff have been extremely diligent in the application of this law.

[21:03] There are many questions raised by the initial drafting in the adoption of how it was written quite frankly.

[21:10] And Commissioner Kennedy has been very diligent in the interpretation of that to ensure that.

[21:18] People who are entitled to something as of right arm back receiving it.

[21:23] So that is again another.

[21:27] The portion of the law that's that's how the law is is written.

[21:31] So we this has become certainly a much more popular option,

[21:37] but it's not simply because people just learned about it,

[21:40] but it's because.

[21:41] Although it's changing and there still needs to be base rents that are in place in order for.

[21:45] These projects to go forward.

[21:47] So this is a compliment to many other tools that are out there to achieve the redevelopment of our land and our buildings.

[21:53] And I think as the assembly member was saying,

[21:55] welcoming the dialogue of understanding how these all fit within the broader context of the full suite of tools that are out there and understanding how we are achieving.

[22:06] Objectives that certainly for the conversion of many underutilized and even taken in abandoned properties.

[22:13] This has been a very important tool for the city of Buffalo.

[22:16] Have you given any thoughts of how we should change it.

[22:21] Well, I think clarification probably is one of the things straight out of the bat and some of the process as well that the assembly member has talked about.

[22:32] The outcomes in terms of one residential unit being in a building that is otherwise commercial and or retail.

[22:42] I think there's certainly a question to be asked about whether one is enough and does that meet the original intent of the law as it was drafted.

[22:51] It certainly needs it as is written and again that is commissioner Kennedy in his diligence reading language as it is written before him.

[22:59] So I think these are all questions that can be discussed to see that it is meeting how it is meeting to virtual intent and it can be improved.

[23:10] How's the president of Virginia?

[23:12] I'm going to share some of the things if probably need to receive and file this item and then file it again and it would have different heading because it says acting out.

[23:23] And I do support 45 a.

[23:27] And if you read the resolution it talks about making amendments to it not opting out.

[23:35] That's number one.

[23:37] And maybe we just amend this so that it does talk about what we're talking about now about how we adjust it.

[23:44] Just because something is on the books doesn't mean that it should never be looked at as how do we tune this up for what's happening.

[23:52] Happening currently in our community in our city.

[23:57] I want to make it plain that the city doesn't have the ability to change 485 a.

[24:05] This is state.

[24:06] So our state representatives are the ones that have so if something is not right with it and we have discussion earlier.

[24:14] It's up to our delegation to make that clarification and make the changes to 485 a.

[24:22] The one thing that I discussed earlier with you some of the number is that I think it's important to work with city government to work with.

[24:33] But Mr. Mahafi's office the administration the council in advance of making any changes because you know this was.

[24:43] My idea just based on really on my fight for affordable housing.

[24:49] I know when sometime you talk about inclusionary zoning affordable housing people go you're going to stop development.

[24:55] So government has a responsibility in its legislation to take care of all people and especially those who are most vulnerable.

[25:05] And so that's why in just our searching for how else can we ensure that we have affordable housing and buffalo.

[25:15] This was just a option to talk about so going forward and I did talk to the mayor earlier today.

[25:23] The mayor has been in touch with the assembly and I think that together.

[25:29] Although we didn't write it any any ambiguities in the law.

[25:34] We didn't the city didn't write we just utilizing what is in front of us.

[25:38] But I do think that there needs to be further meetings so that these things are discussed and we end somewhere.

[25:45] We're not always going up on the same page but somewhere in the middle to book thanks Mister.

[25:50] Thank you very much.

[25:54] I just wanted to just a couple quick comments and I think it's important to note that the city.

[25:59] For what I have talked to the law department city has two options when it comes to the 485A either opt in or opt out.

[26:07] So if we're out.

[26:10] No project could use it and I think we all agree there's tons of a lot of great projects that use it whether the hotel.

[26:18] So it's a lot of the ads.

[26:21] I just walked through proper terminates project on Chandler Street where in council number the long back district.

[26:28] I think he's doing hundreds of thousands square feet of a building that had been taken for three years.

[26:35] I think it's also important to recognize that when we want to preserve historic buildings.

[26:44] The amount that developers are getting from federal tax cuts is from federal tax credits has decreased significantly.

[26:53] So when people are when developers are going to rehab and bring a federal historic building back to mixed new building.

[27:06] This is probably needed to do a lot of those projects because of where.

[27:11] Because the credits much less I think the credit before was about ninety three cents on the dollar now it's down to sixty eight cents on the dollar.

[27:18] I was talking to a developer who's preserved many buildings and said the 485A is needed now more than it ever has to preserve buildings.

[27:28] So I think that's one important thing to look at and I think it's I think it's also.

[27:35] Very important to get as these something when we're saying to get the input from the local municipalities because I actually saw this reported before and someone was asking me they were criticizing the city and saying,

[27:47] Oh, I can't believe the city gave a tax break or the city was giving taxpayer money to this project and the city is following the rules that the state gives us.

[27:58] So a lot of I know a lot of my colleagues have both said publicly and privately they'd like to see.

[28:04] Some changes with this lot.

[28:06] Someone was saying how ridiculous that the state doesn't have MWBE requirements for this.

[28:12] And I think it's important and it's I'm happy that you came here because I think a lot of my colleagues have concerns and it's there's some frustration because.

[28:22] Council members in the local government don't have the ability to make these changes and it's kind of completely states.

[28:28] I think it's very important that you're getting input from the local bodies all over the state.

[28:34] Thank you.

[28:35] Council members gather.

[28:37] Thank you Mr. Chairman.

[28:38] I just have kind of one kind of kind of like a word of caution moving forward as you look to maybe tinker this law or and some people calling for us to eliminate it all together.

[28:49] I got out all together but moving forward I would caution against eliminating it absolutely but just I'm concerned how much we do tinker because you didn't mention.

[29:00] And 2002 when this was implemented was kind of the only tool we had we didn't have the historic tax credit the Brownfield credits but obviously with the kind of the temperature and the environment in Washington we obviously know there's been an attack on the historic tax credits and things of that nature.

[29:16] So I'd hate to see us go down the road alter this program a terrible amount or eliminate it and then have the tax credits or things of that nature eliminated and then not have any sort of program to rely on.

[29:27] So moving forward I just love to see us take all that stuff in consideration as well because we know obviously if we're going on this road we all know how difficult the New York state tax is to change so to have to come back and trying to do it again.

[29:38] I think it'd be rather difficult so that's just by one word of caution.

[29:43] Thank you very much.

[29:45] I want to commend our assembly member from drawing attention to this and we do attention to it before.

[29:51] Assembly member even came to us and we thank you for highlighting it.

[29:56] It's certainly something that needs to be looked at.

[29:59] When I need with the right.

[30:00] Residents, as a matter of fact, I just met with them in the omelette village, not too long ago, and many day residents were concerned about layers and layers of subsidies and tax write-offs in 485A. I was surprised at how many people were aware of what was happening in the subsidies and they asked you point blank, what are the benefits to the city?

[30:27] So, certainly, there has to be some benefit if we're giving subsidies and tax write-offs, 485A, we have to somehow make sure that there is a benefit to the public, and I thank you for that, because that is exactly what you're looking for.

[30:44] And highlighting perhaps some of the things that weren't intended to be, but yet if you find anybody worth this salt, any attorney worth this salt or developer, or folks that know how to find money, anywhere there is, they'll find ways within this line.

[31:02] There's enough room in this law for them to do exactly that. You mentioned perhaps not here in Buffalo, but perhaps in other places where you put machines and that makes it eligible.

[31:12] One apartment in a building that makes it eligible. So, certainly, we need to go back and you need to know that the city needs to pay a roll in this as well.

[31:21] We just can't sit back and say, okay, we're just going to give it out. We have to find ways in this has to work for the city as well.

[31:29] We need an office of strategic planning that's going to say, hey, Assemblymember, we're willing to work with you out there. There should be a benefit to the community.

[31:39] We should eliminate all those things that are weren't intended, but somehow they made their way through.

[31:46] But I think we have to be a part of that conversation, because it does affect us.

[31:51] We are, by right giving out these benefits that state allows, and I agree, it's in state law. It has to be changed.

[31:59] But we should be part of that as saying encouraging the state, hey, look at it. Perhaps not eliminated, but let's correct some of the things that are wrong in that law, because there are things wrong with the law.

[32:11] So, I encourage the city of Buffalo offices of strategic planning that's our economic ground.

[32:15] To be engaged in this process as well, and work with the Assemblymember, work with this common council to look at some places where we can make the law even better.

[32:25] Not necessarily, I've dealt with, but make the law even better. So I commend the Assemblymember for drawing attention to that. Thank you very much.

[32:32] Councilmember Wingball.

[32:34] Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don't disagree with with my colleague, but I do believe that any law that is drafted written past.

[32:45] No, there's no perfect law. There's no perfect law. And to the credit of the developers who have the ingenuity to ensure that these packages are benefiting them, that's their thing.

[33:00] And that's what they do. There are want to be components of all of these bills and legislation that need to be tweaked.

[33:08] There's always going to be a situation where you're going to find a developer who is taking advantage per se of a loophole or a component of the bill that doesn't address a certain issue.

[33:24] So I do agree that there are some things that need to be considered as a relates to this bill, so that the taxpayers are receiving a major benefit.

[33:31] Nonetheless, I think that we've seen benefits across the board as all of this development has spurred because of this bill.

[33:37] And if this legislation is a part of a package that encourages the developers to continue to come to the city, I agree with my colleague, Councilman for a little with the constituents who had concerns regarding the MBBE,

[33:51] and WBE practices, as it relates to the folks who are being hired for some of these out of who actually receive the district's credit.

[34:00] So I do see the need for the bill, though. I do see the need for the bill, but I do also see the need for some revisions.

[34:09] And if the Assemblymember is, if the Assemblymember, Assemblymember Ryan is correct, then his concerns, then we should be seeing some type of amendment.

[34:24] How to this bill coming through a pipe pretty soon that we can need to show our support for or our lack of support for.

[34:32] Thank you, Secretary.

[34:33] Thank you very much. Any other councilmember? If not, Assemblymember Ryan, did you want to have a wrap up?

[34:38] Sure. Thank you for welcoming me to your Cambridge today.

[34:43] And I look forward to moving forward on a review of this bill in partnership with the city of Buffalo.

[34:51] You know, what documents we do have revealed that nobody uses this program as much as the city of Buffalo.

[34:58] So in some ways, the city is a super stakeholder based on the fact that they've used it much more than Syracuse or Albany or cities like Rochester who didn't opt in.

[35:12] I look forward to working in partnership with this body and with the city of Buffalo. Once again, thanks for having me in today.

[35:19] Thanks, Sean. Thanks, like you guys, good.

[35:22] Marty.

[35:25] Thank you, Mr. Joe, and I'd like to just point out one more thing that I hear all the time that the city is losing a lot of text dollars because of 45A.

[35:37] I look at it the other way around that these projects are 85 projects here.

[35:42] I can't say all of them are in the same category, but I don't know how many of these projects are these teleappinated persons would have been converted to anything.

[35:55] So, and as a summary, I'll correctly point it out in the beginning.

[36:02] When you use the analogy of $100,000 building in a million dollars through it, that $100,000 continues to be tax.

[36:11] It's the improvement that is exempt only the improvement.

[36:16] So, if that improvement isn't there, $100,000 continues to be exempt, and there will be never anything there.

[36:26] So, in the future, as these burn off, the city will be far better off.

[36:32] And one more thing is that these projects, even though we're exempting the improved value, are creating jobs.

[36:43] They're creating construction jobs, and all the peripheral things that go with it.

[36:50] The one thing I'd like to see, you know, as we've discussed this before, if there was a way in the law, whether or not just for Buffalo,

[37:00] or for any municipality that uses this legislation, we talk about employment.

[37:07] If there was some way to incorporate, if for example, in Buffalo, using a certain percentage of Buffalo residents in the jobs,

[37:16] like you do for city-owned persons, when they're, if I'm not mistaken, a certain number of the workforce has to be from Buffalo.

[37:27] I think I'm right on that, exactly positive, but if there was some way to incorporate that thinking into the law, we'd be on that.

[37:36] Thank you very much, Mr. Forlettle.

[37:38] And I'd add to what Commissioner County said, I think that's a really good point.

[37:42] I know any time the city is selling, selling property like with the, and we did something with the Aubrey Knox, who did the amendment to transfer the land,

[37:54] to them for their expansion. There was a clause in there to have local fires.

[38:00] I think they were, there were some negotiations for the Gates circle, parking ram, and that was part of it too.

[38:08] So I think that it's great that the city does that, and I'm sure, I'm not sure if other cities do that too.

[38:14] But I think that would be very good to do, stay wide and close, thank you.

[38:19] Thank you.

[38:20] No one else did, there is, did you say you wanted to receive and file that one and put it on?

[38:25] No.

[38:26] I think we can, can we admit, I just want the title omitted, because we have to receive and file it and put it in a whole new item.

[38:33] I think you got to put it in a new item.

[38:35] Well, we'll leave it on, and I'll file it.

[38:38] Okay, we can table it, and then you can table.

[38:40] Motion to table.

[38:41] Second fight, Council Member Scanlan. Thank you for coming in, Sean.

[38:44] Thank you.

[38:45] I don't remember 23, zoning map on that meant 64, come on.

[38:49] That's a public hearing.

[38:51] That's a public hearing, emotional.

[38:53] Motion open the public hearing, second-by-mister.

[38:55] Go on back for 64.

[38:56] Fill more.

[38:57] Please come on down.

[38:58] Did that.

[39:00] State your name for the record.

[39:02] We're going to change the zoning of the building from N2R to N2E.

[39:16] Is a commercial building we're going to purchase it.

[39:20] We're going to change the zoning of the building from N2R to N2E.

[39:29] It was a commercial building we're going to purchase it.

[39:32] But was inverted to residential and the green code started,

[39:36] and we are converting it to a mixed use since it's at historically commercial building.

[39:42] Right.

[39:43] And that's, I've been to your facility, which is a teaching facility for people.

[39:50] And how would you describe it?

[39:52] I saw like, I always think I served this all day when I go in there,

[39:55] but maybe you could explain it better.

[39:59] The building is used for the bird's nest circuits.

[40:03] It's a circuit studio where we teach partner acrobatics, aerial arts and balancing yoga

[40:12] and have a number of community practices and classes every week.

[40:18] Yeah, you've been here before.

[40:20] I think it's a great project and we just think the way the zoning is now

[40:25] and to E next use edge is better than the DC-plets commercial, which is too broad.

[40:32] So we think this kind of narrows it down to do to accommodate what you want to do.

[40:36] So I would be in support of this project.

[40:39] Motion close public hearing.

[40:41] Motion close public hearing.

[40:42] Second by council president, president.

[40:44] Motion through.

[40:45] Motion approved.

[40:46] Second by council member.

[40:47] One back.

[40:48] Thank you very much.

[40:49] Item number 37, we start license.

[40:51] 15.22.

[40:52] Motion through.

[40:54] Motion through.

[40:55] Motion through.

[40:56] Motion through.

[41:00] Stetheric.

[41:04] Item.

[41:05] 25.

[41:07] 20.

[41:08] 25.

[41:10] I don't remember 25.

[41:11] If you.

[41:12] Motion through.

[41:13] Motion due.

[41:14] Second by.

[41:16] Motion through.

[41:18] Motion due.

[41:23] I'd like to take Chris Lainer off the table, I think this is her last meeting, so thank you very much, Chris for everything.

[41:31] Kudos.

[41:32] Thank you.

[41:46] God bless us. God bless us.

[41:48] I wish you had a partner.

[41:50] Okay, the second to adjourn is by Mr. Bridges.

[41:52] Happy Thanksgiving.

Legislation Committee Council Committee Meeting

Agenda

Transcript