Albany Common Council Meeting Summary - November 17, 2025
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Albany Common Council Meeting - November 17, 2025
The Albany Common Council convened a combined caucus, work session, and regular meeting on November 17, 2025, to address the 2026 budget, public safety incidents, housing policy, and several ordinances. The meeting opened with a Housing and Community Development Committee session focusing on housing set-asides, followed by a report from the Police Chief regarding an internal investigation into officer conduct at the library, and a presentation from the Citizens Police Review Board (CPRB) on its operational status. The bulk of the meeting focused on the contentious 2026 budget adoption, public hearings on various ordinances, and a heated discussion regarding the amendment of the inclusionary zoning law to allow opt-outs for developers.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes: Approval of the November 3, 2025 meeting minutes was approved unanimously.
- Local Law C (Salary Amendments): An amendment to include salary lines for the President Pro Tem and Majority Leader was passed, though it requires aging and a future vote.
- Local Law D (Curbside Fee): The amendment to double the curbside waste collection fee was approved (12-3), with Councilman Johnson and others expressing concern over the 'one-size-fits-all' nature of the fee.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Julia Long (Alternative to Economic and Housing Displacement Inc.): Expressed strong support for allocating the existing housing budget set-aside to tenants and small landlords facing eviction. She stated her organization saves tax dollars by keeping people housed. She argued that federal cuts to DEI, HUD, and SNAP have devastated her ability to serve low-income Black women and seniors.
- Kenyon Ryan (United Tenants of Albany): Echoed Long's position, stating the organization has lost $120,000 to HUD and faces further $100,000 in hold-ups. He expressed that the city has a responsibility to directly invest in organizations supporting tenants displaced by federal neglect. He requested funds be distributed widely rather than to a single entity.
- Tim Sarber (United Tenants of Albany): Expressed agreement that funding must be directed to organizations and tenants needing assistance due to rising rents and federal cuts.
- Carl Yurick (Citizen): Expressed concern that the budget relies on speculative revenue and unsustainable debt. He argued the city must cut expenditures by four to six million dollars in general expenditures to avoid financial stress within two years.
- Maureen Macaulay: Expressed opposition to the full-time funded Deputy Mayor position, citing a potential conflict with the City Charter, and noted that the Corporation Council office was the only department with a flat budget despite increased workload.
- Keith Irish: Expressed that the trash fee increase was not accompanied by sufficient waste reduction incentives, such as clear bags or mandatory recycling bins. He argued that the administration's proposal to cut property taxes from 3% to 2.5% required budget cuts that could have been found elsewhere, such as in the Mayor's office staff.
- Isabella Kakushko (Attorney for Simon Family): Expressed opposition to the eminent domain process for the Rap Road property, stating the urgency is self-imposed by the city and that fair valuation requires an independent appraisal and more time. She urged the council to table the resolution until the appraisals are complete.
- Kimberly McCoy (Retired Councilwoman): Expressed deep concern regarding the near-total failure of the CPRB, calling for the recruitment of new members to restore its teeth and authority. She also expressed concern about the use of speed camera revenue as a tax trap rather than a safety measure.
- Andrea Williamson (Property Owner): Expressed that her property taxes doubled, placing her in a position where she must pay them or face foreclosure. She expressed strong opposition to the lack of services in the South End and demanded the city address drug infestation and sanitation issues there.
- Gary Price (National Union of the Homeless): Representing the National Union of the Homeless, he expressed that homelessness is worsening and called for a designated point person on the subject for the next administration.
- James Gio Cologne: Expressed strong opposition to repealing inclusionary zoning, arguing it will shift costs to low-income renters to subsidize middle-class homebuyers and increase overall housing costs.
- Krista Edroy: Expressed that tenants cannot afford luxury apartments without regulation, stating that inclusionary zoning is the only way to protect residents from price gouging and prevent homelessness.
- Tandra LeGrone (Inner Own Voices): Expressed support for the Transgender Day of Remembrance resolution and highlighted the safety crisis for the LGBTQ+ community in the current political climate.
- Ms. Love (Unidentified speaker): Raised concerns about the zoning classification of 540 Morris Street and the lack of beneficial ownership disclosure for LLCs holding residential property.
Discussion Items
- Budget & Tax Levy: Councilmember Frederick (Finance Chair) proposed a compromise to reduce the property tax levy by 0.5% (from 3% to 2.5%) to avoid a veto. This required specific cuts: $100k in street light utilities, $100k in DGS hourly wages, $50k in motor vehicle repairs, $40k in county elections, and $28k in equipment. Councilmember Keegan opposed any revenue reduction, while Councilmember Farrell supported the 0.5% cut due to its impact on elderly homeowners, though she preferred a 2% levy.
- Inclusionary Zoning Amendment: A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to amending Ordinance 24-101-25 to allow developers to opt-out of inclusionary zoning requirements by paying a fee ($5,000 per unit) rather than building affordable units. Councilman Ballorin and Councilman Adams urged a 'No' vote on the amendment, expressing concern over the lack of public process and the low fee amount. Councilwoman Zamer and Councilman Johnson opposed the rushed process and the potential for developers to shift costs to tenants. Conversely, Councilman Adams and Councilman Robinson argued the amendment provided a necessary, tangible step forward to generate housing funds.
- Eminent Domain & Rap Road: The Council debated the resolution to authorize a public hearing for the eminent domain taking of the Simon family's property for a solid waste transfer station. Councilman McGee explained that negotiations had stalled and the city needed to maintain leverage. Despite opposition from property representatives regarding the timeline and valuation, the Council proceeded with the resolution.
- CPRB Operations: Chief Brendan Cox reiterated that an internal investigation regarding a November 4th police incident was underway. Mr. Shaff stated the CPRB is operational, accepting complaints, and interviewing prospective members despite a lack of full membership.
Key Outcomes
- Budget Adoption: Ordinance 27-101-25 (2026 Budget) was approved 14-1 (Councilman Johnson voted No). The budget includes a 0.5% reduction to the property tax levy (total 2.5% increase) and a $315,000 reduction in general fund expenditures as agreed upon with the administration.
- Curbside Collection Fee: Local Law D (doubling the curbside fee) was passed 12-3, with Councilmen Johnson, Howell, and Anani dissenting.
- Inclusionary Zoning Amendment: The amendment to Ordinance 24-101-25 (allowing opt-outs) was passed 9-6, allowing the bill to proceed to the Albany County Planning Board for review in December.
- Eminent Domain Hearing: Resolution 121-101-25R authorizing a public hearing on the Rap Road eminent domain was passed 13-2.
- Street Renamings: Resolutions to rename portions of North Pearl Street (Maggie Massinelli Cahill) and Washington Avenue (Dennis Lee Edney) were passed unanimously.
- Transgender Day of Remembrance: Resolution 131-112-25R recognizing Transgender Day of Remembrance passed unanimously.
- CPRB Appointments: The Public Safety Committee recommends two new members for the CPRB to help establish a quorum.
- Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned after the adoption of the budget and other ordinances.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening and welcome to the Common Council meeting, housing and committee development committee. So committee two times, but uh it's Monday, November 17th. Today I'm joined by Councilmember Kimbrell, Councilwoman Zamer, and I'm your chair of Derek Johnson. Today we will um be speaking about budget set aside for um housing related activities, and we will start with um public comment. Uh first, can we have Julia Long speak? You can come up right here and I'll turn on your mic. So good evening. I was here before I'm gonna say the same thing. Oh, can you hear me? How's that? Okay. So good evening, esteemed legislators and neighbors. My name is Julia Long, an Albany resident, and I am the founder and executive director of the Alternative to Economic and Housing Displacement Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit organization serving tenants as well as small landlords in Albany City Housing Court. Um the people I help in Albany Housing Court are tenants as well as small landlords who cannot afford to pay me. Most people find themselves in housing court due to their non-payment of rent. Therefore, they depend on the generosity of my neighbors for support. Small landlords who struggle to pay their mortgages, pay taxes and other obligations, even when tenants failed to pay rent. These folks are also uh people who I helped. So, first I want to thank you for the work that you're doing around housing. I know it's not easy, and I appreciate you. To this end, I'm here to offer assistance in your efforts to address Albany housing crisis. To popcorn on various housing initiatives, quite simply our neighbors need you. I need you, the City of Albany residents, almost 70% of whom are renters need you. As a black woman business owner, federal cuts to diversity, equity and inclusion, DEI, as well as cuts from housing, urban and development HUD, and most recently SNAP have hurt the services I provide to small landlords tenants in the City of Albany, the majority of whom are either black women, head of households, most of whom have school age children under their care, and many are caring for their elderly parents as well. The housing crisis can't wait. As the winter solstice approaches, so too is the increasing number of evictions. Statistics show that almost 90% of those facing evictions whose cases are calendared in housing court, and if they have legal assistance to inform them of their rights as tenants, they remain housed. Let me repeat that. Almost 90% of families, mostly black women and children facing eviction, kept their homes, remained housed when they had legal assistance. And when people stay housed, they are not a burden on city taxpayers who would otherwise have to pay to house them in city shelters. There is money set aside for a vacancy study that wasn't studied. So I'm asking, I'm not asking for new money. I understand in these tough economic times as legislators, sometimes you have to borrow from Peter to pay Paul, so to speak, and I applaud your efforts. But this time I'm here to ask for funding because your uh before your budget is enacted. I'm sorry. The money is already there, and I'm not asking for all of it, because I know there are other organizations like United Tenants behind me who do this work as well. So I'm not here to be greedy. The work that my organization does saves tax dollars while saving our residents from homelessness. Let me help you close the gap in Albany's housing crisis. So thank you for your work, and I really appreciate you all and have a good evening. And next we have Kenyon Ryan. Good evening. I'm here to really just echo what Ms. Long spoke about today or just a moment ago. When we fought for this money after the housing vacancy study determined that there was not a sufficient vacancy rate for the city to opt into rent stabilization. At the time we were advocating for 125,000 to be set aside so that the city could redo the vacancy study if it was so inclined to do. And after a careful consideration, the council decided that that was not the direction that they wanted to go with this money. And that housing initiative, well, we think what makes the most sense is for this money to go to tenants in the city of Albany who are at risk of eviction uh due to their low income status, due to neglect of the property, due to an eviction proceeding, et cetera. Um the United Tenants of Albany has about $650,000 that have been impacted by federal HUD cuts, pauses, or you know, grants that were just unofficially terminated, um, including money that is owed back to the organization due to a city of Albany and HUD substantial amendment from last October that still hasn't been resolved. So 120,000 that was expended as contracted and expected and never repaid due to the way that HUD is managing the City of Albany contract.
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