Albany Common Council Public Safety Committee and Regular Meeting - September 15, 2025

The meeting began with a public safety committee meeting to interview two candidates for the Community Police Review Board (CPRB), followed by a common council caucus and regular meeting where multiple ordinances, resolutions, and public comments were addressed.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of minutes from September 4, 2025, was passed unanimously.
• Ordinance authorizing the sale of 27 Alexander Street to Rosemary Courtney was introduced and referred to the finance committee.
• Ordinance amending the sale of Ash Grove Place Common Alley passed 14-0.
• Ordinance amending garbage collection (862-25) passed 14-0.
• Ordinance amending the plumbing examining board membership (148125) passed 14-0.
• Ordinance repealing chapter 303 on sidewalk cafes passed 14-0.
• Resolution honoring Dennis Lee Edney and renaming a portion of Washington Avenue was introduced and referred to General Services.
• Resolution recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month passed by voice vote with all council members as co-sponsors.
• Resolution honoring Sherry Archie Jr. (street renaming) passed 14-0.
• Resolution honoring Destiny Green (street renaming) passed 14-0.
• Resolution honoring Vella Madeir Nelson (street renaming) passed 14-0.
• Resolution appointing Malik Dare to the CPRB passed 14-0 after being added to the agenda.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Marlon Anderson (community advocate, Albany resident) spoke against the proposed youth curfew, arguing it would introduce youth to institutionalized control and urged the council to remove curfew from the legislation. He stated that without the curfew, the rest of the proposed plan would be positive.
• Jay Coltaire (director of sales for Discover Albany) reported that the CrossFit Games held August 1-3, 2025, generated over $5 million in direct visitor spending for Albany County, including $1 million in lodging. The city's support (Pearl Street closure, banner hanging) was critical in securing the event.
• Alexis Brown (Clinton Avenue resident) complained about noise disturbances from the SEC community and asked what steps the city is taking to enforce noise regulations and quality of life issues.
• Julia Long (executive director of Alternative to Economic and Housing Displacement Inc.) requested funding for her organization, which provides legal assistance to small landlords and tenants in housing court. She noted that 84% of those with legal representation remained housed, and that federal cuts to DEI and HUD have hurt her services.
• Fidelia Rodriguez (grandmother of Destiny Green) thanked the council for the resolution to rename Wilbur Street in honor of her granddaughter and mentioned a scholarship fund established in her memory.
• Warren Hamilton (Albany resident) discussed a $20 million federal grant for climate resiliency that was rescinded by the Trump administration. He urged the council to fill the gap, noting the projects are shovel-ready and would benefit underserved communities.
• Adam (speaker name not fully given, Albany resident) presented an analysis of the school speed camera contract with Gatso, claiming the city is losing $10 million over five years. He stated that Gatso receives 66% of gross citation revenue, while peer cities pay 23-42%, and the contract lacks a termination-for-convenience clause.

Discussion Items

• Public Safety Committee (CPRB interviews): The committee interviewed two candidates for the Community Police Review Board.
  • Jacqueline Cheryl Richards (15 years nonprofit public service, former Human Rights Commission appointee) expressed interest in the board's autonomy. She answered questions on confidentiality, holding APD accountable, and handling public scrutiny. She asked about community engagement, mentorship for new members, and the board's strategic vision. Chair Howe noted the board has a backlog of about 60 cases, some going back four years, and that the board is getting back to hearing cases after a hiatus.
  • Warren Hamilton (Albany resident, 34 years in area, previously served on the board) emphasized a policy-over-politics approach. He criticized the creation of a separate investigative process, arguing it delays resolution and wastes resources. He advocated fixing the complaint form to improve police investigations. He defined independence as having integrity and not being influenced by appointing authorities. He noted his previous resignation was due to perceived dysfunction.
• Inclusionary Zoning: Councilman Ballorin disputed claims that affordable housing production dropped 50% under the new policy. He cited planning department data showing an average of 167 units built per year between 2018 and 2022, compared to 99 units in the first full year of the new policy (2023), and argued the drop was less than one unit per year on average. He urged using accurate data for ongoing discussions.
• Speed Camera Contract: Multiple council members expressed concern over the contract terms. Councilman Howie emphasized the cameras' safety purpose. Councilman Johnson questioned inflated fines and high costs to residents. Councilman Anani called for transparency in future agreements. Council member Frederick recommended questioning the treasurer's office at the upcoming budget meeting.

Key Outcomes

• The public safety committee interviewed two CPRB candidates but took no vote; later in the regular meeting, the council appointed Malik Dare to the CPRB via resolution (14-0).
• All ordinances and resolutions on the agenda were passed as noted in the consent calendar.
• The council will consider a proposed inclusionary zoning ordinance at its next meeting.
• Council members agreed to investigate the speed camera contract, with the treasurer's office invited to discuss it during budget season.
• Councilman Ballorin pledged to provide written data on inclusionary zoning for comparison.
• Councilwoman Love announced the street renaming ceremony for Vella Madeir Nelson will take place on October 3 at noon.