And if the clerk doesn't or Alyssa doesn't mind going through the role and telling us all who's here, we'd appreciate it.

Adams.

Anani.

Ballorin.

Brody.

Present.

Farrow.

Flynn.

Hoey.

Johnson.

Jones.

That would have been really brilliant.

Keegan.

Thank you, Mark.

Here.

Lumpkin.

President.

Powell.

Present.

Robinson.

Hi.

Williamson.

Zamer.

13 presents.

Two absent.

We are also joined by Council President Kelly Kimbrough.

Research Council Robert Winner.

Corporation Council Robert McGee.

Excellent.

Thank you so much, everyone.

So we'll go through the agenda.

Tonight from for approval of minutes from previous meetings, we have the January 5th, 2026, I believe.

That is Councilmember Zamer's local law amending Article 3, which provides an increase the maximum exemption percentage levels applicable to the exemption for senior citizens.

That will be referred to finance.

We did have a quick rundown from Councilmember Keegan last week, but Councilmember Zamer, did you want to speak to it briefly?

Nope, not necessary.

Thank you.

This is to provide additional exemptions that are allowed to New York state law.

We do have a timetable for this, which is why we've MC'd it.

We wanted to make sure that it was able to go to committee.

Councilmember Keegan.

Yes, and I know that we had discussed it, caucus last week, wanting to combine all of the finance legislation into one meeting.

However, um given the timing of this, we've proceeded to schedule a meeting for the 29th so that it can be voted on on the second so it has time to age and be signed into law by the mayor by March 1st.

That may mean that we have to have a second finance meeting to discuss the other things that are coming onto the docket for the committee because we just simply have not heard back from the mayor's office or the auditor's office on those staffing bills.

And they may not be available on that date.

But I just wanted everyone to understand and also for those offices to understand why we're proceeding with that meeting on the 29th, no matter what.

Thanks.

Excellent.

We I appreciate the clarification and um and we will, you know, finance loves to meet.

So next in resolutions introduced, uh, we have from councilmember Zamer a resolution of the common council affirming its commitment to sustainability through the reduction of paper for its meetings.

Um that will be a pass.

Um, I believe, and if council members who are interested in co-sponsoring, can put their hands up.

Okay.

Um still say co-sponsor at the end.

I just wanted to see if it was an all play.

Um next, we have from me a resolution confirming the appointment of Miriam Dixon as Commissioner of Administrative Services.

That will go to council operations and ethics.

Um for everyone's awareness, we are looking to schedule a meeting after the next caucus.

Um, and the hope with that is that any members, because this is a confirmation, any members that are not on that committee that want to remain um, they're already you're already here, so you can just stay and um ask any questions.

That's still in the process of scheduling, so that is not something it's necessarily firm.

Um next from also from me, uh resolution approving a transfer of budgeted funds that will change the authorized positions in the 2026 budget, which will affect the salary rate or total, uh, that will go to finance.

Uh, next Ferrell uh resolution approving the transfer budgeted funds in the twenty twenty-six budget, which will affect the salary rate and salary total also finance.

Um, then from Councilmember Flynn, a resolution honoring the life and legacy of Molly Finney Larson, Molly Quinduffy, and James William Larson and renaming a portion of Second War Street in their honor.

That will go to general services that was already passed through in the last council.

Um, but we have to go through the process again.

Um, which is fine, the family wasn't quite ready for it yet.

So it's a great opportunity to talk about them again.

We will also have a resolution introduced via majority consent ferrell, a resolution from the council approving the transfer of budgeted funds, and we'll change the authorized positions in the twenty twenty-six budget, which will affect a salary rate or salary total.

Um, that will go to finance.

That is uh, as people may remember from the last from caucus, that is something that's requested by the auditor.

We're MCing it so that it can be taken with the other salary changes so we can kind of deal with them all together as a finance committee.

Um, normally that's not something that we would MC, we would just allow it to be introduced in the normal way.

Um so that is all of the that's the agenda for tonight.

Does anybody have anything they'd like to discuss?

Councilmember Flynn?

I just want to speak for the record that uh Councilmember Julio said did uh send an email about the resolution uh in reference to the Larson family, but I did speak to uh Jimmy the song, and uh he was fine with the way it was written in, so we're gonna keep it as is because I'm sure Judy's listening.

Hi, Judy.

Um, we always uh appreciate um former council member today's input and um her diligence and also appreciate your diligence in checking into it.

Anything else that anyone has now is in for new council members, um, now is a great opportunity if there's if you have questions, anything like that, we can certainly answer them.

If not, we can wait a few minutes until seven o'clock and people can stretch their legs and all of those good things.

Looks like we get to stretch our legs.

Um as time progresses and we have more of an agenda.

A lot of times we'll be bumping right up into the meeting time, but we have a lot of busy lives, so we should take a minute whenever we can get it.

We'll be back for the meeting.

For our meeting begins.

Just a one quick thing that I missed in our meeting.

We'll also be voting for the majority with the new position, the majority web tonight.

Should there be multiple people that are nominated?

So plan out your vote and vote for that, because we'll if you vote yes more than once, then you might not be voting.

All right.

Welcome everyone to the Thursday, January twenty second meeting of the Albany Common Council.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Adams.

Anani.

Ballorin.

Present.

Brody.

Present.

Farrell.

Here.

Flynn.

Here.

Howie.

President.

Johnson.

Keegan.

Oh, sorry.

Jones.

Present.

Keegan.

Here.

Lumpkin.

Present.

Powell.

Robinson.

Williamson.

Present.

Zamer.

Present.

Fourteen present, one absent.

Thank you.

Will everyone please rise with me for the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a moment of silence.

One nation under God.

Thank you.

Okay, we don't have any public hearings slated for this evening, so we'll move on to our public comment period.

It's a period for the public to come and comment.

You can you have five minutes to speak on any topic you so desire.

And just be informed that this portion of the meeting, council members can't engage.

We're receiving information and comment from you all at this point in time.

If members want to reply later in the meeting during our uh miscellaneous portion, they can do so.

Then with that, Madam Clerk.

Our first speaker is Beverly Lyons.

Well, upon leaving out the center, on the inside gate of the center was two employees smoking cannabis.

Well, upon leaving out of the center on the inside gate of the center, it was two employees smoking cannabis, what they were on the inside of the gate of the community, and that shouldn't happen.

Not when they gotta go back inside and work with these kids, you know, and work amongst other people that's in here.

That's the thing that's supposed to be a safe haven for our kids, and to experience that was disappointing.

You know, we never thought that would happen, and sudden have to happen about it because there's kids there.

You don't want an employee regardless of who it is working with your kids and our kids under the influence of cannabis.

You know, it was shocking what it happened, and it was very disappointing.

So I would because we didn't even get to hold our meeting, and that's a sad thing, something needs to change or to be done about it.

That's all I have to say.

Okay, thank you, ma'am.

Next speaker is Cheryl De Costa and Gates around here.

Hello, I'm Cheryl DeCrosta.

I live in the West Hill neighborhood, and first of all, I would like to uh welcome the honorable Mr.

Mark Robinson as our new council member, and I'd also like to welcome any other new council members here.

I look forward to seeing what you all can do for us for all of us in the city.

Um I also wanted to uh you know, along with Beverly who just spoke, and the other ladies, I'm also a member of the West Hill Neighborhood Association, and we did have a meeting scheduled.

This is my first encounter with the Albany West Community Center new place, and it was quite disappointing to be turned away from a scheduled um meeting.

Uh anyway.

Finally, um I want to talk about ice.

It's alarming what's happening in our nation, and it's also alarming what's happening in our neighborhoods in the West Hill community.

You probably may be aware that we have a very high population of new immigrants, and also of people of color, um, and I think that those are the two communities that really um stand out the most and and that and that are really you know under attack, but really it feels as though we all are.

I mean, I know that ICE has a job to do, but um I don't think that job should be terrorizing our neighbors and snatching children off of the streets, like what has happened in this neighborhood in this in in West Hill.

We have had children on their way to school taken off the streets by ICE agents, and I just want to say, as a sanctuary city in a sanctuary state, you know, we're looking at increased funding in the ICE budget, and we need to think about it.

We should have been thinking about it a long time ago.

How can we all work together?

How can the common council work with the mayor's administration?

How can we work with different neighborhood groups and with different groups of community members who are um doing what they can to try and alert people, I guess.

Um, but but also you know, something has to change, and that's all I have to say.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Next speaker is Dawn Hewitt.

Good evening, everyone.

My name is Dawn Uitt, and I am from the West Hill neighborhood.

I have three issues.

The same is with the community center, and it's disappointing, it's shocking, because the neighborhood is already being talked about and looked down, and then having something to enhance our community.

Now we have city employees.

I saw it.

I walked past them.

It's right.

This is the fence, and this is the sidewalk.

So there is no way that you can miss these two young men who were smoking, and then our kids have to go back in there.

The other thing I want to talk about, I live on 2nd Street for the longest.

And we have alternate parking.

The community has changed.

It's there are a lot of tenants, landlords, and there's so many cars in the street.

Tonight I took a ride from one of my neighbors from Miss Sherry.

Because if I go back home, I wouldn't get a parking.

The parking is from 6 p.m.

this evening to 6 p.m.

tomorrow afternoon.

And that's today, and then it's tomorrow.

So if you go home at a certain time, you cannot find any parking.

You have to go all the way over on Lark Lake Street to the other side.

Because now they're tenants, they're not single family owned.

And so people have more than one cars.

And so it's I'm a senior citizen.

I'm 69 years old.

That's not fair to homeowners that we you can come home.

Can it not change right over on Third Street between Lake and Judson?

It's 6 or 7 p.m.

in the afternoon to 7 a.m.

in the morning.

The cleaning trucks pass by 1 a.m.

But we are just stuck on one side of the street for 24 hours.

So that's one that's my one other issue.

The other issue is ice.

Again, I lived in the same neighborhood.

I am I looked in Hispanic, but I'm not.

I'm an American citizen.

Since this started, when I got my passport, I got a passport card that I carry with me all the time.

Because if today I was in Los and somebody taught that I was Hispanic.

So if people are thinking that I am Hispanic and I look Hispanic, which I'm not, then I could be one innocent American being grabbed off the streets.

And it's not fair for us, it's not fair for because I was an immigrant and I came here.

We all came here for a better living.

And immigrants put a lot into our communities.

The immigrant community has always worked.

So now that you're we're being, because I still think of myself as an American, also as an American, and it's just not fair.

So better it's with a governor or whoever, if you guys could please help our brothers and sisters who are coming here for a better living, and also or working very hard.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Next speaker is Sharon Davis.

Good evening.

My name is Sharon Davis, and I'm the vice president of the West Hill Neighborhood Association.

I'm here because we were turned away.

We were actually turned away from the community center.

This is a center that the West Hill community, and there's a number of us here who actually fought to have that community center established.

It was supposed to be a safe haven for our children.

Was actually turned away.

We were told we were a liability.

Seven women.

We were not even allowed to sit in the lobby to hold our meeting.

But this is our community.

This is a community center that we fought to have.

If we were a liability, then how are you holding programs there?

You have a senior program there, and you have an after-school program there.

But our children in West Hill are put on waiting lists.

We are not allowed in that community center.

Now tell me that that's right.

This is something that we again fought to have for not only our seniors, but also a safe haven for our children.

And it's not.

Again, we were seven women who asked to hold a meeting there.

We were told prior to this that we would actually have a meeting room.

But when we made the phone call, we were asked, did we want to rent a room?

Rent a room.

Explain that to me.

Again, where was that money supposed to go?

Who's gonna collect it?

And if we were a liability then, when we were not going to be a liability.

So what I'm asking is the fact that we as West Hill people, I think we need an apology.

It was seven women who actually asked to sit in a space.

I mean, if you couldn't give us a room, there's the lobby.

But again, we were turned away.

And what makes that right?

Now, again, our children can't go there because they are now on a waiting list and they are actually occupants, or they live in West Hill, but we're being put on a waiting list where there are other programs being held there for other children.

There are being programs being held there for seniors that are not part of West Hill.

What makes that right?

Again, we fought very hard.

We sat in a lot of meetings to make sure that that community center was there, and that we had the programs that our children and our seniors and the community could be involved in.

But we're being turned away.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Our next speaker is Shakuna Lewis.

Good evening, my name is Chikwana Lewis.

I am a I'm coming from DGS, City of Albany Sanitation Driver.

I am originally an A driver, but right now I'm utilizing my B license.

I have absolutely no problems with you.

You want to say this building has at least a rate of a thousand employees or more.

I have a problem with only one person, and um it seems to me that this person has a problem with me because I actually don't have a problem with this person, and um, the person in reference is the labor relation manager, Kathy Igo.

Um I really don't know where to start because I literally went out for surgery that was causing me a lot of life uh hurting pain that I've been struggling with for over two years.

Um somehow in that time that I was out in a 90-day period, my FMLA was never approved.

It was approved upon the surgery because papers were given upon the surgery.

It was a planned surgery.

Um, but within that time, literally four doctor letters were sent to her.

One was picked up by a supervisor, which I believe at that time he was a captain.

Um these papers went missing.

I returned back to work January 10th, my FMLA was approved January 5th of 2000 and um five.

The problem with that is I have a mental health child that looks up to me to take care of her.

I I don't receive any public assistance, SSI, nothing of that sort.

Um, this situation caused me to not only go through a financial hardship, but it caused me to move.

It was never no compassion from her.

Later, right around the time I returned, I had a deaf in the family, ended up taking a leave of absence for five days after that.

Asked her for a paid leave of absence.

She called me with the commissioner Sergio on the phone.

She told me, hey, this leave of absence is, you know, we're gonna approve it.

Then I was never paid for it.

Um, you know, the hostel work in uh the hostel work retaliation that she is giving off to me is not just to me, this is to every minority that works at sanitation.

People are fearful to come here based off of the retaliation.

I myself will be at sanitation for three years as of September 21st.

I grieved her for my FMLA back in August.

I was written up 30 days after having an actual accident.

Cambers are being used for disciplinary instead of training and prevention of accidents.

I don't even think DOT allows that.

Every vehicle down there is a DOT regulated truck.

DOT does not allow you to get suspended for things that you were not trained or trained to be prevented of.

Um, in fact, that's gonna cause even more drivers to get in accidents because if we're only suspended and we're never brought back to the accident to see the error to fix that error, to acknowledge the error.

How do you know where the error started?

How do you know who caused the accident?

Um, another problem that I have with her position is there's no such thing as a disciplinary section in any building being ran by one person, even the president can't just make a decision without the House of Representatives.

I've never heard of a woman put in a position by a commissioner, not one she was hired in, not one she qualified for just because I wanted to put you there, and none of her work is being overlooked.

So it's just like I could just not like Miss Lewis and just suspend her three times in a month, which she's tried to do.

So, how do you go from an outstanding record, a perfect attendance, to getting suspended three times in a month for just all sorts of different reasons?

Anything I can get you on.

She's running hearings without explaining the actual reason of the misconduct.

To me, that is unperfect.

I I don't even know how can you run a hearing.

If you serve me a disciplinary action paper, and I come in with my union, and we're here to hear about this disciplinary.

How are you silent more silent than me, and you're the one that served me the action?

You had to find it somewhere in order to serve it to me.

Um instead of actually explaining things, she feels that being unpleasant, being rude, and being disrespectful is the proper way to hold her job.

Um being biased, being having favorites and being racist is the way that she continues to go.

For me, I'm not gonna have it.

I filed a federal report against her, I filed a city EEO report against her and a state one.

And every hearing that I have, I'm fighting her on every hearing.

But I come to the council now to aware you guys that this is the woman that's bringing down DGS.

You're not gonna get a crowd full of people in here because people got things to lose.

On the other hand, I'm an A driver.

I can get a job in the next day.

Some people down there, they just really can't do that.

Um, unfortunately, the work time has expired.

Oh, thank you.

The next speaker is Michael Um Simelee.

I'm sorry about that.

How are we doing?

I'm Michael Simonelli.

Uh I've been a resident of the city of Albany for about three years now.

I've moved here from Long Island.

I'm also an employee over DGS as well.

Um, my complaint is some is similar to pretty much Mrs.

Lewis about cave IGO.

Um pretty much I've been there like I said for about almost three years now for so where it'll come up to April, I'll be there about three years.

Um obviously I understand every you know everybody has lives after the job and everything like that, and things do happen.

I mean, there have been times I've been late, but I've had doctor's notes that I've handed in, and none of them has gotten in.

And like Ms.

Lewis has mentioned before, pretty much previously paperwork has been missing.

Um also the other thing my issue is pretty much the discrimination.

I feel personally I've been targeted because at the time I've had my CDL, I went to CDL school, got my license through the through the city where they paid for it at TGS.

And pretty much what I was obtaining the uh labor position at the time.

I didn't have a driver position.

I've recently got the driver position in March of 25.

Um, but I was still a laborer prior before that.

Um according to DOT, pretty much, you have to obtain the driver position in order to have a random drug test.

And they randomly gave me one where there was also a couple of my colleagues have gone to the driver's school, which is CDL school, and they were also laborers as well, but they've never been randomly drug tests.

But since I know federal federally, you have to obtain the position first in order to get random.

I got random when I was a laborer and I denied it.

So even though I denied it at the place and I was reading it over my phone when I was at the uh drug access place, I denied it to them.

It came it came up as a negative, and I wound up losing my license.

I didn't even have my license within probably like a month.

Prior to that, I wind up going through a program to get my license back in order to do the right steps, whatever, so I can get back to work.

Um Kathy also was in charge of pretty much going through this uh program which is called clearing house where you go through the steps into getting your license back.

Um I've completed everything, and on her end into her job, she has not completed my status, where even though it's clear for me to drive, my status is not clear where everything's completed, where she's supposed to be doing that.

Also, like I said, I've been late a couple times, but I've had proof that for reasons of it.

Um she suspended me a couple times where personally um pretty much I've been suspended every time before holidays where it screwed me over because my kids don't live with me.

Like I said, people have stuff outside of the job.

Uh but every time when there was an issue and I had a hearing, and I've asked for just for her to look up in a book or some kind of policy or even a pamphlet of the handbook to just kind of read over to me so I see that the stuff that she's saying to me, where oh I'm gonna suspend you because for example, she said I'm suspend you for two weeks.

So I was I was out for 20 days from Christmas till past New Year's.

That affected me heavily.

And ever since that was going on, it's it's messed up with me with rent, it's messed up with me with my bills and all the other stuff.

Um, and the other thing is because since the fact that I had the denial prior to what I was talking about with my license, I've been targeted about getting drug tested pretty much.

I've had about 10 drug tests, and they say that at DGS that it's random through an algorithm.

But me and a similar, another employee are always picked at the same time throughout the within a year.

So for me, if it was random, then why would I be getting picked with the same employee that I've been going with all the time for the past 10 times within this year?

Um, so like I say, and the reason why I'm bringing the sub is I feel like I'm being targeted, and also you know, she only specifically does this with African American pretty much uh employees at the place because there's employees that's been there that's been there for years and they're late every day, and not one person that's been late every day gets suspended of a different color.

So this is a big issue that I'd like to bring bring bring up.

I'm not afraid to sit there and come up in front and tell everybody about it because it something needs to be changed, because like I said, for the three years I've been here, I love this, I love uh the job, jobs great, it's got great benefits and everything, but it's just the fact that it's a hostile uh environment she creates and the just uncomfortableness that the employees have to have where they're walking on eggshells, it shouldn't be.

Especially when you know in the sanitation department where we wake up at four o'clock in the morning, we're throwing everybody's trash out, we're dealing with a lot of hazards and all that other stuff, whatever.

It's gonna be tough sometimes to wake up in the morning, yeah, to get there on time, whatever, because people get in accidents, you know, the train track is right there, sometimes the train comes by.

And we gotta wait for like 15 minutes for the train to go past once we get to the DGS department.

But we get penalized for it.

So there's one thing we're trying to work on with the union is because they have like a 10-minute grace period where we get supposed to be there at 3 53, and 4 o'clock's the deadline where we're trying to work on getting that whereas if it's past you have a 10 10-minute grace period after 400%.

Time is up, so thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, with that, uh is our last public comment speaker.

So we'll public comment is now closed.

Okay, moving on, uh Ms.

Farrell to approval of minutes from a previous meeting.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I offer the January 5th, 2026 minutes for approval.

Second.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Motion passes.

Okay, moving on to consideration of local laws.

Ms.

Zamer.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I notice local law A of 2026 and ask for its introduction and passage by majority consent.

We'll have to order add it by majority consent.

So Ms.

Ms.

Farrell.

Okay.

Oh, you do that first.

Okay.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I move that local law A of 2026 be added to the agenda by majority consent.

Second.

All in favor.

Aye.

Okay.

Motion passes.

Now Ms.

Zamer.

Apologize.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I notice local law A of 2026 and ask for its passage by majority.

No, I don't even need to do majority consent.

Ask for its passage.

Madam Clerk.

Local law A of 2026, a local law amending Article 3, Senior Citizens Tax Exemption of Chapter 333 taxation of the Code of the City of Albany to increase the maximum exemption percentage levels except applicable to state to the exemption, excuse me.

That will go to finance.

Thank you.

And the rest of the resolution, the rest of the local laws are well, there aren't any other ones.

So but they're all held.

They're all held.

Okay, thank you.

We have reports of standing committees.

I think we may have had one.

Mr.

Flynn.

Yeah, the general service committee meet will meet February 2nd at 6 p.m.

to discuss resolution 6126R in reference to the Larson family.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Flynn.

Anyone else?

No.

Okay.

Ms.

Keegan.

Thank you.

Finance will be meeting on January 29th to discuss local law A of 2026, as well as hold on one second.

Um resolution 712-26R.

Um resolution 4126R.

Resolution 5126R.

And I believe that's it, just those three staffing.

Um resolutions.

We have um invited both the auditor's office and the mayor's office.

If they are not in attendance on the 29th, those three resolutions will be held and discussed at a later date.

Thank you.

Okay.

Anyone else?

No.

Okay.

All right, moving on.

To consideration of uh resolution.

Who's my first?

Uh Ms.

Zamer.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I notice resolution 2.12.26R and ask for its passage.

Thank you, Madam Clark.

A resolution of the Common Council affirming its commitment to say to sustainability through the reduction of paper for its meetings.

Any discussion?

Ms.

Zamer.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, just to be clear, there's nothing binding about this resolution, obviously.

It's it's not a law, but it's it's sort of um a strong shows a strong commitment by this body to try to lessen the amount of paper we use.

I want to thank our legislative aide Carly Johnson for for working on this and bringing this uh to my attention.

The fact that our staff prints out hundreds of sheets of paper every week um materials that we all have readily available to us in our email.

Um so hopefully we can all including myself do better at trying to lessen the burden of how much paper is is printed in this office, and we can try to uh set an example uh to the city about our commitment to uh environmental sustainability and lowering our paper usage.

Thank you.

Any further discussion?

No.

Okay.

Anani.

Yes, Ballorin.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Brody, yes, Merrill.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Flynn.

Yes, co-sponsor.

Hoey?

Yes.

Johnson.

Yes, Jones.

Yes.

Keegan.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Lumpkin.

Yes, co-sponsor.

Powell?

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Robinson.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Williamson.

Yes, called Wilson, please.

Zamer.

Yes.

14 in the affirmative.

Motion passes.

Thank you, Ms.

Zamer.

Okay, moving uh right along.

Ms.

Farrell.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I notice resolution 3126R and ask for its introduction.

A resolution of the Common Council confirming the appointment of Maryam Dixon as the Commissioner of Administrative Services.

Thank you.

Um it's that hard.

Ms.

Farrell.

That will go to council operations and ethics.

Thank you.

All right.

Ms.

Farrell, again.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I notice resolution 4126R and ask for its introduction.

Madam Clerk.

A resolution of the Common Council approving a transfer of budgeted funds in the 2026 city budget, which will affect a salary rate or salary total.

Ms.

Farrell.

That will go to finance.

Thank you.

Ms.

Farrell yet again.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I notice resolution 5126R and ask for its introduction.

Madam Kirk, please.

A resolution of the Common Council approving a transfer of budgeted funds and a change in the authorized position positions included in the 2026 city budget, which will affect a salary rate or salary total.

Ms.

Farrell.

That would go to finance.

Okay.

All right, uh moving right along.

Uh Mr.

Flynn.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I notice resolution 6126R and ask for its introduction.

A resolution honoring the life and legacy of Molly Finney Larson, Molly Quinn Duffy, and James William Larson, and renaming a portion of Sycamore Street in their honor.

Ms.

Ferr Ms.

Farrell.

That will go to General Services.

Thank you.

Back to Ms.

Farrell.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I would like to add resolution 7126R to the agenda by majority consent.

Second.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Okay.

Motion passes.

Ms.

Farrell.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I notice resolution seven twelve twenty-six R and ask for its introduction.

Madam Clerk, please.

A resolution of the Common Council approving a transfer of budgeted funds in a change in the authorized positions included in the 2026 city budget, which will affect a salary rate or salary total.

Ms.

Farrell.

That will go to finance.

Thank you.

Yep.

So okay.

With that, uh the end of uh our resolutions in the agenda will move on to the majority whip uh consideration nominations.

So with that, I will open nominations for I nominate Osu Anane for the majority whip position.

Second.

Okay.

All right, so any other nominations.

None?

Okay, seeing none, uh nominations are closed.

All right.

So we want to vote.

Yeah, right.

So uh with that is only one person.

Uh we can do a voice vote for it.

You want to say something?

Yeah.

Should say something.

No, just want to thank my colleagues and just also um congratulate all the new council members and thank my colleagues for the vote of confidence.

Um I look forward to working with all my colleagues to really make sure that our voices are heard, not just in city hall, but all across uh the city.

Um particularly when it comes to legislative priorities, making sure that we're working with the administration uh as well.

Um I've been with council for the past uh eight years going on my knife here, and I think that was my experience and over the description of this position.

I think it really fits well.

So I just want to thank my colleagues again for the vote of confidence.

I look forward to working with everyone.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Anani.

So with that, uh by voice vote.

Uh yeah, yeah.

Okay, all right.

So with that, congratulations.

Uh the motion passes.

Okay.

So that's uh we're on to uh Ms.

Farrell on the resolutions.

The rest of the resolutions are held, although I don't believe we have any other ones.

Okay.

All right.

Uh no additional public comment.

We're into Mr.

Flynn and then Mr.

Donald.

Yeah.

I just want to mention I'm glad the lady talked about parking regulations because um last few Sundays I've refereed basketball at uh House of Hoods on First Street.

And Jamelhood always says to me, why is there no parking on the one side?

And I said, Well, I'll look into it.

And I emailed um parking authority, got no answer.

So I really think we need to do better on signs and times.

I think we need a commission or committee to look at the city as a whole when it comes to our parking regulations.

A lot of the signs are faded, they're not up to data, like the lady said 24 hours.

Why do you need 24 hours?

If it's because the garbage is getting picked up, maybe you know, 12 12 to 4, or whatever.

I just think we just need to uh listen to her comments and do uh something with the parking going forward.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Flynn.

Mr.

Johnson.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um as I said at the last meeting, I think that is um important for us to respond to people who come down and speak during the public um speaking uh period.

And two of the things that um I was gonna mention, one of them, both of them um were mentioned tonight, which is ice.

Um this is something that I'm watching um up close and personal because some of the um things that are happening are affecting my students.

Um I got a phone call today, and well, I didn't get a phone call, I got Texas today, and um very strong text about their opinion um and we're looking for our body to take a stance to make a statement to help them organize, and you know, um I just told her, you know, I was I was watching, and and I just say um when they come in here and they bring it to our attention, they they're they're looking for us to um make a response.

And as far as the other thing that I wanted to talk about was parking, because on a lot of um the streets in the second ward, uh people are moving their cars and the the uh street sweeper is is not coming through, and I think it's just a time for us to take a look at the uh the hours because many neighborhoods have grown uh from um renters and from people having um multiple cars, so you know people pay to be able to park in in um areas, and I think that we should uh revisit and take a look at uh what's best for not only the city to be able to service um the communities, but what's uh best for the residents that um live in those um communities and you know we don't want to have um senior citizens having to um walk a long way if they don't have to, and I just think that um it's time for us to take a look at that and also address when um council people call uh transportation, they should get a uh return phone call.

And I know um you know I've gone years without getting a um return uh call, and I shouldn't have to call the chief to get somebody to respond back to me from um from uh this uh streets, whatever that um department is, and I I'll just say from Bill Trudeau, he should be um responding to uh people's calls.

It shouldn't be uh uh citywide thing that knows that he's not gonna respond.

And I don't I'm not trying to call anybody out, but you know, this is um something that's important.

People are um complaining about uh issues that they're having on their streets, and I would like to see those um calls get returned.

Thank you.

Okay, Ms.

Keegan and then Mr.

Robinson.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um I I'm glad that we're finally having a discussion about parking because that has been an issue of mine since I was elected um last session.

Um I just wanted to note for some context and background that we did attempt in the engineering department bill to curtail the parking rules in the city of Albany, and it was decided in a tournament at the time that we were working on that bill, that um it it it was gonna get vetoed if we included that information, but I I already have a bill that would put the city in the position to only be able to do alternate side parking in accordance with um street sweeping, and I am one of those districts where almost every single street requires that people move their cars every single day for alternate side parking.

Um just for background and context, um the parking authority did provide the city with a quarter of a million dollars in 2019 to do a parking study, so the data on the parking rules exists somewhere, they just have not done anything with that data.

And one of the other major issues that I have identified and noticed is that while we allow for ADA parking for those with um certain types of disabilities in proximity to their home when there is alternate side parking or snow emergencies, that ADA parking is not accessible on the opposite side of the street to those individuals, so they are um at least once a week and more often in the winter um unable to be able to take advantage of the accommodation that the city has already identified and provided.

So that is also uh an issue that I have been trying to work on and rectify with the city.

Um so if anybody wants to talk with me offline about um what we were working on in that legislation, I'm I'm happy to work with folks behind the scenes on the parking issues.

Thank you.

Uh Mr.

Robinson.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Before I begin my discussion with the West Hill Center, I definitely want to um actually reflect on Councilman Johnson's sentiments about when constituents come and they take their time out of their busy lives to come in front of us and speak their concerns, it's very important for us to take them concerns serious.

You know, we are a body of 15 Democrats.

Um, and working together is very important, really, to move our city forward.

Um when I got the call as far as what took place at the West Hill neighborhood, I mean the West Hill Center.

Um my first conversation was the outgoing mayor, that was her project.

So she wanted to see that ribbon cutting.

Um as far as the programs, as far as the staff, wasn't no new programs to do it, wasn't a new staff institute.

They just move staff from one part of um parks and recreations to get them there to get that center open.

Um there's a lot to do.

Um it's a blessing that we do have a center.

I grew up in that center when it was called the Albany Boys and Girls Club.

I know how important how pivot is in that particular neighborhood to make sure that that center is ran by those who live in that neighborhood.

I know how important it is because you don't want our children to come to that neighborhood and see um employees, and then once they leave the neighborhood when they leave the center, they don't have inter reaction with them employees.

You know, when when when you know when I was young and I was at the center, I knew Mr.

DeLittle.

I knew you know the um the staff there.

So not only did I see them in the boys' club, I seen them when it when the boys' club hours was closed.

So when you have people that's from that neighborhood, you know, employed within that center, you know, the results from child development and you know I'm saying in building character is you know, you know, you it will happen.

Um so yeah, we would we would definitely keep an eye on the programming.

Um we would definitely keep an eye on the the growth of the center, is very important.

Like I like the um residents said they said and they thought hard for this to happen.

And um, first of all, I like to apologize, you know, for the city to the neighborhood.

Um, because yeah, we could do better.

Um that center was open prematurely, but that's then.

But we as a body we have to make sure that we hold the incoming commissioner accountable.

We got to make sure that we visit that center frequently.

We got to make sure that you know the stab there know who we are and know that we represent the city as a whole.

Um, and also I like to address there was a shooting right on second and um Judson a couple days ago.

I didn't know about it until I seen on the news, and I don't think that's right.

No, I think that when there's anything that's dealing with violence or shooting, the chief of police need to call the council person of that area immediately.

Because the community is looking for, you know, first of all, is it's not right for me to turn on the nose and see that as a shooting in the district that I represent.

Um, we need to have the conversation with the chief of police just to make sure that when things like take take place like that in our districts, that we are notified immediately.

And when press conferences, we are notified, you know, we need to be there.

You know what I'm saying?

Because we have a constituency that voted for us to represent their best interest.

So when there's a shooting and then the news people come and then there's nothing, everything else is pushed under the rug, it's like a norm, and that's not right.

In order for you to address violence, you have to put the people in front of the cameras who know the neighborhood.

And like I say, just moving forward, I think that you know, we really need the um have the chief of police understand that we are represented, we we are elected for a reason.

And and whenever violence takes place in our community and the re in the neighborhood that we represent, we need to have a phone call, we need to have a sit-down, we need to know you know what happened, where we go from here, and how can we address this issue in public?

And like I say, when someone who represents the community is in front of the cameras and telling the community that we can do better, I think the impact to combat to combat violence in our communities will be at a softer pitch than what it is right now.

Thank you, Mr.

Robson.

Mr.

Holy.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um I got notified today.

Uh I got a poster, and I just forwarded on to common counsel and to Shinequa to share with everybody.

Um there's gonna be a protest tomorrow um at Capitol, West Capitol Park at 4 o'clock about ice.

Um it's ice out of Albany.

Uh they say bring your um bring your posters, banners, voices, uh, support, join us as we stand against deportation and separation of families.

And um apparently there's two Albany uh school district uh children that were picked up in their parents.

So um this is why the uh citywide PTA put out this um poster.

So I just want to let everybody know.

Thank you.

Anyone else?

And so Mr.

Howie as our public safety chair, I would ask that um you get uh follow up with Chief.

I will and I was notified craft to get her to recreate that list because we we all received and that's what it might be that it wasn't on the list because I know it went out to the council, but maybe they Megan doesn't realize that there's been changes.

And I'll take care of that, um I promise you all tonight.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um Ms.

Farrell.

Motion to adjourn.

Second.

All in favor?

I motion.