Good evening, everyone.

Today is Monday, April 6th, 2026.

Welcome to a meeting of the Finance Assessment and Taxation Committee.

With us this evening, we have committee members Farrell, Keegan, Ballorin, and Brody, our council staff members, Brian Jimenez and Robert Wener.

We have representation from Corporate Council's Office, Martha Mahoney, and Councilmember Jack Blenn.

We are here tonight to discuss ordinance 6326, an ordinance authorizing the lease of a portion of 520 Livingston Avenue.

Tax Map parcel number 6536-1-19 to the Black Nurses Coalition Incorporated.

And at this time, I would like to welcome Dr.

Brenda Robinson up.

If you want to hop on to the mic in front of us.

Okay.

Again, I'm Dr.

Robinson, founder and CEO of the Black Nurses Coalition.

We have a strong mission and vision to eliminate health care disparities and improve health outcomes, especially for black and brown folks, underserved, low economic folks.

As we know, black brown, other minorities have the worst health outcomes in almost any disease that you can think of.

And the work that the Black Nurses Coalition does is very, very important.

We're a boobs on the ground organization.

We are out and about making things happen.

Oftentimes we have policies, health care policies, and things of that nature, and the work is not actually getting done, but we do a lot of writing.

So the Black Nurses Coalition does a lot actual work in the community.

So it's so important for us to do our best to improve health outcomes.

We have a health care gala every year to highlight health disparities, health inequities, and also support those who are certainly doing the work.

Being in a community, working hard in the community, being that resource for the community.

Initially we had so many health care providers who said when you screen that person with high blood pressure, we'll definitely take care of the folks.

All these different excuses came about.

Moving forward, I became a family nurse practitioner.

Um and I opened a clinic 692 North Pearl Street in 2022.

The first black female actually to have a primary care independent committee clinic.

It might be 30 minutes, might be 45 minutes.

It depends on that person's needs, and everyone is certainly not the same.

So 692 North Pro study open in 2022.

I joined Dr.

Emil Poe, who is a graduate of Howard University, and he's a gastroenterologist.

I love him.

Our office is wonderful.

We work well together.

He has his clinic, I have mine, he has behavioral med, and he's absolutely excellent.

It works out good because people of color are disproportionately impacted with colon cancer as well.

So we were very, very, very, very well together.

I love the space.

Some of the things that came out of the many, many, many, many outreach events was health care in the West Hill area, which is so important.

In those discussions, I remember one of my first meetings that I had, and we was on a Zoom, and the mayor was there and I inboxed and said, Oh, I'm interested in that area.

I'm born and raised in the Arbor Hill West Hill area.

I actually live on Livingston Avenue, same street as the community center.

I am very well invested in the community.

So when we think about a primary care clinic and how important it is, especially being on a private side, we have so many folks who are uninsured, underinsured, some have high deductibles.

A lot of our folks have high premiums, and many of them have large co-pays as well.

These are barriers and it eliminates access to care.

A lot of people think as long as the door is open, oh no, you can go there.

No, not necessarily.

If folks don't have money for a copay or the care is not specific to that particular person, that's not access to care.

So when New York level up, that's what we focus on.

We focus on improving the health care, the marginalized folks.

We of course we see everyone.

I have folks who I have law officers, I also have people who just getting out of uh jail.

I have the whole uh gamut, and I think that's very important as well.

But I find that oftentimes people who look like me, people who are in certain communities, especially marginalized communities, don't get that preventative care because those barriers, such as a copay, such as how I'm treated, or you know, that provider looks at me a certain way, or I'm not treated with the dignity that I receive, and that's what you get at New York level up.

And we're gonna go that extra mile.

Um, I should get optimal care regardless of the color on my skin, regardless of my zip code, all those things, uh superficial things should not impact how you treat me and how you engage with me as a health care professional.

So I just wanted to share uh some of that.

Uh New York level up is very unconventional.

I have unconventional hours.

I do that regular uh nine to five or ten to four, but um I also see patients on Saturdays and I do home visits still, um, as well as Dr.

Poe.

Still have a few people who have that little bag going to the house, seeing some folks who are sick and really, really shut in, and that's important as well.

Um, but I'm looking forward to uh West Hill.

I'm looking forward to the clinic.

It's so walkable.

Um I've just got so much great uh feedback.

Um, folks are very happy that some health care is coming there, especially health care that reflects the community in which it stands.

So that's my spill.

And one more thing before I sort of turn things over to the other committee members.

Um of the things that we also talk about in terms of behavioral health and primary health care is the lack of one-stop shopping.

So when we have folks who are already stressed, already overburdened, working multiple jobs, the expectation that they're going to be able to go to point A to get health care, point B to get behavioral health care, point C to get CANF benefits, um also adds to that stress.

So I was hoping you might be able to speak a little bit to the importance of having a clinic contained within a community center where people are naturally going to recreate to begin with and are naturally going to as a gathering space to begin with.

Right.

Um when it when it comes to primary care, I think, or I know when we're speaking about marginalized communities, almost any community though, having other resources right there is very important in behavioral health is one of them.

A lot of people don't realize that the primary care provider is the first person who diagnosed any mental health conditions more than any other provider.

So primary care provider needs to be well versed in behavior health as well.

But we have a couple of people on our team too who feels the same way I do, and that's their area of behavioral health.

Some folks I work with uh for a long time who are very invested in the community as well.

Um other things when you talk about one stop shopping, is um I have done this myself, and I find it to be a barrier oftentimes is when getting blood work done is so important, and oftentimes we don't get it done.

A lot of times you go to a provider back in the days, they give you the slip of paper, and next thing you know is crumbled up in a car, crumpled up in your bag, you didn't go get the blood work.

Having yearly blood work is so important.

So we draw our labs right on site.

So I'm not sending the patient down the street, round the corner.

Um, oh, go here, go there, here's the hours, the place is open.

No, we're gonna get the blood work right there, so we know it's done.

Um long as it's testing within our realm, we do that routine testing right there, and I think that is a huge service because blood work is so important, not just one example of what we do.

Um I just want to note that uh council president Kimbrough has joined us, and so has Councilmember Powell.

Um questions from the committee.

Councilmember Valoran.

Thank you, Dr.

Robinson.

Thank you, Sheridan, and thank you, Dr.

Robinson, for being here with us today.

Uh, and thank you for all that you've done for our city.

Uh I mean, you used you started in 2022.

I mean, you completely skipped over all the work you did in 2020 and 2021 to get to 2022, right?

Uh, to keep a lot of people probably alive for your efforts uh during COVID.

Yes, during the um the educational and the uh implementation of the vaccine.

Yes.

Uh so uh thank you for thank you for your dedication uh to our city and uh to making sure people get health care they need.

Um I'm starting with that because uh I think it's important for people who may be watching to know your history with our city, and it goes beyond 2020, but I'm I'm starting.

I'm starting at 2020.

I I I think I met you, I didn't meet you in 2020, but I saw you in many, many Zoom meetings in 2020, uh when we started talking about uh about COVID and those issues that we were facing.

Um I'm excited to hear about your work here and about uh providing additional health care resources uh to the community that does not have uh many uh opportunities for health care.

Uh and I think you were very right uh in the fact that you know individuals I'm one to blame uh may take a recommendation from a doctor and put it in their car and not look for it until like you know you got your check up in a couple weeks, and you're like, oh, I was supposed to take care of that between the last six months.

Um so I'm glad you you you you're providing those resources.

Can you go down a little bit more detail about what additional resources you're gonna have?

Um you have behavior, you have the labs, is it gonna be screenings?

Um how would someone can anyone walk in to start the process to try to get health care?

Like, how would that work if I assume they used urgent care as their primary care for many years?

And our city doesn't have too many urgent cares.

Right, right.

And this community specifically has no urgent cares uh in a walking distance.

Um, how would someone who was just one walk in?

How would they be able to get help?

So for us, um, we're not an urgent care, we're a primary care clinic with appointments.

Um someone does walk in, depending on what the situation is, if it's something that is urgent that we can take care of, we certainly will.

Um that is our motto also uh at 692 North Pearl Street.

So I have encountered situations where folks have had some urgent needs, although we're not a walk-in clinic.

You can always come in, you can schedule an appointment, things like that, but I've had had situations case by case where we took care of someone right then and there for sure.

And you have to be open to that.

If you're gonna be in this in this community, West Hill Arbor Hill, you have to be open-minded and be willing to sometimes take things as they come.

Everything is not uh black and white, so they may not have an appointment.

I'm still gonna take care of that person.

That's good to hear.

Uh, and I look forward to supporting this uh and supporting the good work you've done and continue to do.

Thank you.

Councilmember Brody.

Thank you, Dr.

Robinson for being here.

This is definitely exciting, not just for this particular neighborhood, but for the whole city.

The work you're doing is incredibly commendable, and I um in echoing what my colleagues have said, um, I'm excited to see your resources coming to a very place specific setting.

Um, one of the things I was also really um sort of excited about uh in reading through the agreement was the opportunity to look through um sort of on an annual basis the type of reporting and um sort of summary of what you're able to what you've been providing, who you've been seeing, those types of things.

I would just say preemptively that we'd love to work with you when those um data and that report is ready to see how we can further support the work you're doing and make sure if you need um things that are different or better from the council or other um city partners, uh we'd love to to dig in with you once you've had a chance to open the doors and and serve the community.

Sounds wonderful, sounds great.

Although we're not a city clinic, just let's be clear.

Thank you so much, Dr.

Robinson.

Um, I do not have any questions.

I've been fortunate to see the facility, and it is beautiful.

You've done an amazing job there.

Thank you.

And um, I I wanted to kind of echo the sentiments of my colleagues and uh note that um one of the things that I appreciate about you, and that you are we have our own personal superheroes and you are one of mine.

Thank you.

Um is because it's not you have saved probably thousands of lives personally, and um as council member Ballorin said, one of the well, there's many ways that you have done that.

Um the pandemic is notable, and not just because you went to people's homes and vaccinated them, but at that time and in black and brown people with very good reason have a lot of apprehension and fears about the health about health care, and they should.

Um there has been a lot that has been done to hurt black and brown people, and there's been a lot that's been overlooked, and when the vaccines came out, it wasn't just the issue of access, it was an issue of trust and understanding the process.

And what I what mattered so much to me when watching you do that, it wasn't just that you went out and vaccinated people, you went and explained the science.

You explained why it mattered, why it was important, and that made a difference not just for the people you personally vaccinated, but it opened up a lot of people to getting vaccinated and saved.

I I can't even fathom how many lives.

And I see this um this facility as an extension of that because that's um one of the things that I really appreciate about you.

It's not just that you're actually doing the work, but you take the time to explain larger issues that people are worried about, people are concerned about, and that knowledge and that accessibility to health care, those are that is just as important as everything else.

So I um and to bring that into a neighborhood, there are so many studies that show that the more localized health care is, the better the outcome is.

If somebody can easily get there and they have a comfort level to it, they're more likely to get that primary health care, and that preventative, those preventative measures are what matter.

So I just thank you for continuing that mission.

And um, because I I just know that it will continue to save lives by people you directly touch and by people that you touch by spreading really important education.

And I am currently happy with my health care provider, but should that change?

I'll be knocking on the city.

Thank you.

So, and the only thing I want to say in wrapping up is that you know, those of us who went through the ARPA process, I was one of them, um, and who read through all of those applications.

There were a number of applications that talked about projects like the ones that you are bringing to the West Hill Community Center.

And when we talked about the funding for both Albany West and Albany South, one of the things that we talked about as a council body was the desire to see those community centers at least create space for the folks who may not have gotten some of those grant funds to be able to operate those programs and those proposals within those community centers.

And so I am very, very pleased to see that Albany West has has made that very much a reality.

So unless we have any other questions, do any of our council members have questions?

Jack?

I just have a quick comment.

I'm just uh I mean first of all, I'm amazed that it's taking us long to get this service in the West Hill.

This should have been done 30, 40, 50 years ago.

So thank you for uh stepping up for this.

Council President.

Yes, I can hear me.

Yes.

I'd just like to add that I fully support this.

Uh you've always been a trusted voice.

That makes a big big difference uh in our community.

Uh being able to trust and seeing a person that looks like them serving them.

Um you've always been great with that.

And also harking back to uh a couple of years ago, you are also a part of the the public safety discussions around tear gas and all of that stuff too.

So you've you've kind of been a part of everything.

Yeah, I've been around the last couple of years, so I fully support you.

Thank you for being willing to do this, and good luck.

Thank you so much.

I appreciate that.

Anybody else?

All right, do I have a motion?

Motion favorably on you, say the ordinance number.

Yeah.

Motion to move ordinance uh six dot 32.26.

Favorably out of committee.

She did all in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Ordinance six, three, two, twenty-six smooths out of committee for a positive recommendation, and I believe we are voting on that this evening.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

We have a motion to close or adjourn.

Second second.

All in favor.

So they can find the two massive.

Um yeah, but uh that's the one uh we don't know for the thing.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

No, yeah.

So we only have a question.

I am high.

I don't want to wait for the path.

Yeah, okay.

Oh my god.

Hello, everyone.

If we could get to our seats and for caucus.

Um we have a couple of things tonight.

Um first we I'll run through the meeting quickly and then welcome up Paul Collins Hackett Hackett, who will be saying hello to us and answering some questions.

He's a familiar face.

Um will be joining us on the commission on human rights.

Um but we'll quickly run through the agenda and then invite up Batman and go on.

So tonight um we have two public hearings.

We have a public hearing on ordinance four thirty-one twenty-six by council member Adams.

That is the ordinance um the sunshine school that we've been discussing.

We also have an uh public hearing on ordinance five thirty-one twenty-six by council member Ballorin.

That's our inclusionary zoning ordinance.

A reminder that in a public hearing it is different than regular public comment for regular public comment.

Council members can't ask questions or anything like that.

Um during a public hearing, we actually can ask questions to whoever is coming up.

And sometimes that's needed, sometimes people are just sharing their opinions.

Uh, but sometimes you would like more information.

And in that situation, in a public hearing, you are welcome to ask questions of the people coming up.

In local laws held, we will have one local law introduced by by a majority consent.

That's local law G of 2026 by Councilmember Howie.

That will go to public safety.

Councilmember Hoey, did you want to say anything on that?

Did you want to say anything on that?

Yeah, uh, thank you, everyone.

Um, you know, public local law G is pretty much similar to local law F.

Um, and one of the reasons was in the committee.

We didn't have some of the uh amendments printed up, and we felt we could add it later, but then we found out that it's it would be better to do it as local law G, and then have the committee look at it, and then come back on the 20th when both of them could be voted on and figure out which one we want to go.

There's a few amendments, they have been approved by the uh mayor's office, and um we put in there was a request for a lot of detail, and we felt that it would be better to put those um actions into the supporting memorandum.

Um telling the administration what we expect, but not to tie their hands that they couldn't get the uh office of public safety up and running.

And I think that's the main concern for many of us.

We want to get this office up.

We know there's been three stabbings, well, I'm sorry, well, at least two stabbings and and and a shooting with young people under under the age of 15.

So we need to get something going.

I know the mayor has ideas, and you know, I feel we need to be supportive.

Thank you.

That will be assigned to public safety and local law is held.

We have uh councilmember Powell's local law e of 2026, um, which is the beating the local law to amend um it gives APD the authority to investigate unlawful speed contests, I chosen races.

Um we did have a full discussion on that.

Did you want to say anything on that?

Councilmember Powell.

Um, sure, thank you.

Um, this has been a long-standing issue in the 12th ward, um, particularly on 155.

Um, there's been a lot of drag racing that has gone on there as long as I can remember.

So this um local law will give the police and the district attorney more tools to um hold those accountable, and it's really meant to be a major deterrent of this activity.

Um this is a really dangerous um for the people who live in the 12th board in that area, but also um for everyone who lives uh in the city of Albany as it's a major roadway in and out of our city.

So thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Powell.

Next in ordinances introduced from Councilmember Williams.

We have an ordinance authorizing a lease of a portion of 239 2nd Avenue.

That will be that will go to finance.

An ordinance is held.

We have ordinance 4312 from Councilmember Adams.

That's the ordinance that we're having a public hearing on this evening, and that is on the Sunshine School.

Also, we have um ordinance 6326 for myself, um, which is an ordinance authorizing the lease of a portion of 520 Livingston AV to the Black Nurses Coalition that was just passed through the finance committee meeting this evening.

Next in resolutions introduced, we have uh from councilmember Keegan a resolution of the Common Council commemorating April as autism awareness month.

Um, I'm assuming this will be all sponsors.

If I could get hand is there anybody that would not want to sponsor this.

So, Mr.

President, that will be a voice vote.

Um, from councilmember Robinson, resolution 214126R, resolution of the common council declaring April 2026 to be minority cancer awareness month in the city of Albany.

I would assume that this is there anybody that would not want to sponsor this.

Then I we will do this as a voice vote as well.

Um from councilmember Ballorin uh resolution 224126 are resolution of the common council recognizing and celebrating April 2026 is Arab American Heritage Month in the City of Albany.

And I am assuming that we will all want to sponsor this as well.

This will also be voice vote.

Yes.

Another voice vote from Councilmember Johnson Resolution 244126R, resolution of the Common Council accepting the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad New York Scenic Byway nomination and corridor management plan adoption.

This is less of the the large broad month things that I usually just assume everybody wants to do.

But I would also assume that everybody would is this something that people would want to do and all right.

Let's do that as a voice vote too.

I do like to say that you know, usually when it's specific people or not like that, I don't take that as much as a liberty, but that one seems pretty that we all want to be in favor of that.

So that will also be a voice vote.

Um from Councilmember Ballorin resolution 254126R resolution of the Common Council declaring itself to be lead agency for CICRA of ordinance 531 26 declaring such action to be a type one action.

Um councilmember Ballorin, did you want to say anything on this?

Not at the moment.

Next from Councilmember Ballorin, resolution 264126R, a resolution of the Common Council appointing Paul Collins Hackett as a member of the Commission on Human Rights.

We'll be voting on that this evening.

Then from Councilmember Zamer, resolution 274126R, that will be an introduction and it will go to planning.

In resolutions held from Councilmember Ballorin, we have resolution 153126R, which we'll be voting on.

That's a resolution reappointing Thomas Mueller as a member of the Commission on Human Rights.

And from Councilmember Zamer, resolution 1632 26R, a resolution of the Common Council reappointing Donald Tyman to the public to the Peg Access Board.

We'll be voting on that this evening as well.

And with that, if I could welcome Mr.

Paul Collins Hackett up to say hello.

Um for our newer council members, um, we usually go for boards and commissions, we go through a process in the committees where we interview different candidates, but then we like to have um particularly new members to a specific body come in and say hello to the full council for uh council members to ask any questions or even to just say thank you for your service.

Um but it it gives um council members an opportunity to get to know people a little bit.

So um Mr.

Collins Hackett, if you wouldn't mind saying a few words about yourself and your interest in serving in the commission on human rights.

Um yeah, I'm Batman.

Um, and that means I I run around helping as many people as possible because I love the city the way Batman loves Gotham.

I have young people that I mentor, that's the whole Batman and Robin part of it.

I don't have superpowers, but I know some incredible people that do, and we pull off miracles, right?

So I'm just very happy that with the human rights position, I have other people that share the same values that we can move, and there's more flexibility to build and create and just offer more for the people of Albany.

So for the common council members that I've worked with and I'm familiar with, hey guys, thank you.

You know, and everyone who's new, hey, welcome, and I look forward to working with you and building and however I can help, please let me know.

I'll do whatever I can.

Does anyone have any questions for Batman?

Mr.

Williamson.

Good evening, Batman.

Thank you.

Um thank you so much for um coming out here.

We appreciate it.

Um look forward to working with you.

Um the city of Albany in a uh I I think that we uh made a great choice of selecting you as well.

So we look forward to working with you as well.

Thank you so much.

Are there any other questions?

Um I would say I just to say a few words.

Um I've been fortunate to know Batman for many, many years in many different iterations, and I've it's just been an opportunity to see somebody serve our community in any way he can.

So I it's been an honor to serve with you on a board.

It's been an honor to have you in the community, and I really appreciate your willingness to continue service.

I think that especially because when we brought in that evening, we had um Tom come in and talk a bit about who's currently the chair of the commission on human rights, and we asked him what what are you really looking for?

And he mentioned that he really wanted somebody that was willing to like think outside the box to kind of meet people where they are to um to just be willing to look at things in different ways and to bring people together in unique ways, and that's basically who you are as a person.

So it's we had some great people apply, and I hope that they will continue to apply to not just the Commission on Human Rights.

Should there be more openings, but to other boards?

But it just thank you for being willing to continue to serve and for being who you are to fill these roles so importantly.

So thank you.

Um so thank you so much.

That's it, and uh we appreciate your service.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

Everybody, have a good night.

Oh, you're right, we do usually.

I we will go through your we do usually do a roll call for caucus.

Um I will I'm going to note one thing in the in the agenda that um in ordinances held.

We're also going to be amending councilmember Ballorin's ordinance 531 26.

Um, so that just to add that into our process.

Um Brian, would you mind running through who's here?

Yeah.

Adams.

Present.

Anonor?

Present.

Ballarin.

Here.

Brody.

Present.

Farrell.

Here.

Here.

Are we?

Here.

Johnson.

Jones.

Present.

Keegan.

Here.

Womkin is absent.

Powell.

Here.

Robinson.

Williamson.

President.

And Zamer.

Here.

13 present.

We're also joined by Council President Kelly Kimberly, City Clerk Shinkle Jackson, Senior Assistant Corporation Council Martha Mahoney, Legislative Director Brian Menes, and Research Council Robert Winner.

Thank you so much.

Sure.

Councilmember Ballorin, can you clarify the amendment?

I think he'll go through it tonight, but it did would you mind clarifying what the amendment is?

The amendment was basic word snack snipping and cleaning up some of the language on it.

It didn't change any of the act from the change any of the actual structure of the document.

It just changed some of the words to make it uh structured.

Let me take that back.

Change some of the words, but didn't change any of the content.

Meaning it's all all the uh compromises are still on there, how it was.

Thanks.

Uh and I I just wanted to note briefly.

Um leadership and the finance chair have been meeting with the administration on finances for the city of Albany.

There's been a lot of focus and discussion on it.

Um the administration has been working with their state partners in depth to really make sure that they can bring in as much money as they possibly can from the state budget, um, which we deeply appreciate.

And there is also because we are home to the state, we are uniquely impacted by the state being here.

Uh we love our partners at the state, but we also are highly recognize the amount of non-taxable land that is there.

So appreciate their work on that.

They've also been working with department heads to identify um different potential cost savings throughout the city, and they expect to be done with that by the end of the week, at least the majority of the process.

Um it is unknown uh when the state budget will be done.

There is an extender that's gone out.

There is money for specifically for the city of Albany in each in both the assembly and the Senate one houses, so that does look good.

But we don't know when the state will actually finish the budget.

For anybody that works for directly for the legislature or state, we are even more anxious than anyone else.

But it should be done by the end of the month.

However, we do we have scheduled in order to give time for focus on really making sure that this year is the finances are addressed as much as possible.

We want to give the administration as much time to do that.

But at our next caucus, uh, we will have an update because there will still be some unknowns.

We don't really know exactly the full scope of that, but there should be at least a basic update on some idea from the departments.

But at least the we don't know if the state revenue will be in.

First of all, you can always ask questions.

Um any of the questions you have, you can send them to staff.

We are working on prioritizing that.

We have a list of over 80 questions right now, and um we're trying to not overwhelm them.

So we're trying to kind of prioritize that so we can make sure that we get some more timely questions answered, but then questions that we don't need immediately that are not immediate, we can have answered later.

Um, but always can ask questions that way.

But um, we would ask that questions that happen at the April 15th meeting really be directed to what there can be answers to, which again, there's a lot of unknowns, so there's not a lot of things that we won't know what answers to.

Um and then we'll see, we might need to cancel the other two finance at least the 22nd finance committee meeting.

Um, we can always schedule more, but because of noticing, we wanted to make sure we had these on the calendar as an opportunity to have them there if we did have more answers, but just to keep things in mind for all council members, we may be canceling meetings if we don't have more information because the updates will not be that substantive.

Councilmember Keegan.

And and I would just say that's that's not to say that we may not schedule something for May once the budget passes, and we have a better handle on what the actual deficit is and um what our path forward is from there.

Um just wanted to note that.

It's my anticipation that we will have plenty of well, we we're always fortunate to have plenty of finance committee meetings, and um it's my guess that we will have plenty on this subject in the future.

Um I know that are there any questions on that on the process or anything like that.

Councilmember Brody.

Thank you.

Um, just noting that obviously the passing of the state budget is where we're anticipating potential solvency to come from, but I think there's still merit and understanding the current situation, uh, what comprises the shortfall, the dollar value attributed with that, and thinking through what that would look like next year as well.

That is probably separate and apart.

I mean, the inputs into the deficit are I think separate, almost separate math from the dollar amount that could potentially be coming from the state.

So I would just encourage the conversation to be open about not just what's coming from the state, but how we're fixing our current budget with accurate data about the line items that comprise that shortfall so that we can not only fix it this year and then think about out years as well.

Absolutely, and I I think it's something, however, though, when we talk about prioritization, some of those pieces we have to kind of delineate because there's the immediate addressing of the budget shortfall, and then there's also the looking forward, and right now we're focused on the immediate budget shortfall piece.

I think the next phase will be the moving forward, which will happen in short order.

Um, but I'm not sure how many of those questions will be able to be answered on the 15th, but we can talk more about that.

Um Councilmember Rhodi wanted to talk about a separate subject.

Um totally shifting gears and uh something I'm actually really excited about.

So our our very own veteran, um Alyssa Kamara is um very actively um excited to seek nomination for this year's tulip queen.

Um and as somebody who dedicated uh a great part of her career and was an enormously effective staff member as part of the team uh for the city council.

I am happy to uh be nominating her and uh writing that letter in her support and would welcome any uh other fellow council members who also uh appreciate her um you know dedication to the council, what she's doing in public service that she continues on uh in her not-for-profit role now.

Um I'll be circulating a letter later, and if you'd like to be a signatory to that and sponsoring her um nomination for the the role of Tulip Queen, I know she would appreciate it.

So just wanted to mention that to everybody today.

Thank you so much.

So we can look out for that.

And I she did serve on the tulip court this year, and she would like to be not just a lady in waiting, but the actual queen.

So um, and with that, I'll turn it over to you, Mr.

President.

Thank you, Miss Thank you, Ms.

Farrell.

Okay, meeting welcome everyone to the Monday, April 6th meeting of the Albany Common Council.

Um Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Adams Adams Anani Present Ballorin Present, Brody, Present, Farrell, here, Hoey, Present Johnson, Jones, present, Keegan, here, Lumpkin, Powell, here, Robinson, here, Williamson, present, Zamer.

Here.

Thirteen present to absent.

Okay, we have a quorum and can conduct business.

Um again, welcome.

Uh, please join me in saying the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a moment of silence.

Thank you.

Okay, this evening we'll begin with two uh public hearings.

I will uh ask that Madam Clerk read the notice.

Notice is hereby given that the Albany Common Council public hearing will be held on April 6th, 2026 at 7 p.m.

and will be held in advance of the potential passage of the following ordinance.

This meeting will be an in-person meeting in the common council chambers, city hall, and will be held on the following matters.

Ordinance 43126, an ordinance amending chapter 375 of the code of the city of Albany, unify sustainable development ordinance by changing the zoning classification of partial of a portion of partial, currently known as 164 Delaware Avenue and PT 164 Delaware Avenue for land conservation LC to mixed use neighborhood edge, M U N E in amending the zoning map accordingly.

Okay, so okay.

So what what I'd also like to do is uh we tip typically recognize other elected officials officials uh our county comptrollers who resolves here.

Did you wish to speak on anything on the upcoming ordinance?

Excuse me.

Okay, okay, okay.

Okay, thanks.

Do we have public comments on the given time?

Okay, ordinance 53126 and ordinance amending chapter 375, unified sustainable development ordinance of the code of the city of Albany in relation to adjusting the affordable housing requirement and adding exemptions, excuse me, exceptions to the affordable housing requirements.

Documents may be inspected between the hours of 8 30 a.m.

and 5 p.m.

Monday through Friday in the Office of Common Council, 24 Eagle Street Room 206, Albany, New York, 12207.

Efforts will also be made to make documents available for viewing online.

This public hearing will be held pursuant to guidelines established in open meeting law, and anyone wishing to be heard can submit written comments at Common Council at Albany NY.gov or provide in-person testimony on the ordinances before the Common Council for consideration.

The public hearing will be live streamed on our YouTube page.

And we'll also we also encourage all interested parties to submit written comments by April 6th, 2026.

Anyone wishing to be heard will have an opportunity to be heard at the above stated time and location.

Thank you.

Okay, so speakers for our public hearings are allowed a lot at five minutes uh speaking time.

You can speak on the ordinance.

That's at issue uh at the time you're speaking.

When you come up, please uh give your uh name and city of address.

Excuse me, city of residence, and um and then you may speak.

Okay, first speaker for ordinance 531 26.

I'll just backtrack.

We don't have anyone signed up for ordinance 431 26.

So ordinance 5312, the first speaker is Eliza Smith.

Yes.

Yeah, they're so pretty.

My name is Eliza.

My city of residence is Albany.

Um was that was that all the like info?

That's fine.

Yeah, we have your.

Thank you so much.

I really appreciate this this opportunity um to speak with y'all and to provide comment on um the ordinance 53126.

Um yeah, and I appreciate the reminder of the numbers.

Um, so happy spring, everyone.

Um I hope you're enjoying our waking critters, melodic birds, and budding plants.

So our city is alive and well.

Out of winter's bitter cold comes spring's warm embrace.

Very welcome.

Um, maybe you can feel the soft hello of the blossoming orchid and the busy buzzing bee.

We didn't die in winter, just rested.

Rest is important and it's necessary for growth.

Rest requires peace and quiet, a safe haven from our city grind.

I'm here today to speak with you all about the proposed inclusionary housing ordinance.

This ordinance undoes critical progress toward dignified housing for all by attempting to legalize bribes for housing developers seeking to bypass affordable housing safeguards by paying just $50,000 a unit.

As a young professional struggling to make ends meet, I'm scared, saddened, and dismayed by this proposal.

How can we hope to revitalize our city when we continually undermined and displace our core population?

This isn't development, it's a sellout.

And we, the very people who elected you and pay your salary are the collateral.

Um here's your chance.

Prove this administration puts people over profit and vetoed this bill.

We're worth the investment.

When we work together, we move mountains.

We amass generational wealth, break cycles of poverty, and topple authoritarian regimes.

Together we win, like when we passed good cause eviction protections, becoming the first upstate city to do so again.

Uh, like when we unanimously passed the Invest in Our New York resolution, demonstrating incredible tenderness and trust in our local community.

I'm forever grateful to y'all for the honor of fighting alongside you and achieving these pivotal victories together.

And now we must go to battle once again for our community.

Upholding these affordability protections may temporarily slow housing development, but the rewards will outweigh the cost.

A 2023 study on housing costs and homelessness by the Pew Research Center found that rent stabilization and ample affordable housing mitigate homelessness.

For example, in Chicago, Houston, Minneapolis, and Philadelphia, rents rose slowly between 2017 and 2022 at an average rate of 12 percent, and homelessness decreased in these cities at an average rate of 21%.

On the other hand, in Austin, Fresno, Phoenix, Raleigh, Sacramento, and Tucson, rent hikes uh increased rapidly from 2017 to 2022 at a rate of 46%, and homelessness also spiked in these cities at a rate of 75%.

So without a home, caring for ourselves and our loved ones becomes near impossible, let alone holding down a job and boosting our local economy.

I personally bounced around from house to house, couch to couch, in search of temporary shelter and respite.

I currently live with my parents because I can't afford an apartment, and I feel stressed, sometimes shame about the financial and emotional strain this places on them.

My parents worry what I will do if they can't support me any longer.

This housing decision isn't uh about feasibility, it's about decency.

This is a question of unity or division, inclusion or exclusion, separate or equal, because we can't have both.

Choose us or lose us, make Albany and surrounding municipalities more than glossy illusions of prosperous city life.

Make this area the home we know exists between our twin stories, the home we build simply by showing up today.

Thank you so much, and I hope that you'll have a lovely evening.

Thank you.

Hold on one second, ma'am.

Any members?

I left off the part about council members asking questions, unlike public comment during the hearing.

We can ask questions anyone.

Cool.

Anyone have questions?

Questions?

You have a question, Mark?

Mr.

Robinson.

I think we're all set.

All right, thank you so much.

Thank you.

That's cool.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Andy Kyer.

Okay.

Good evening.

Uh my name is Andy Kyer.

I live at 97 Chestnut Street in the 6th ward, and I'm a PhD student in sociology at the University of Albany where I study housing and inequality.

I urge you to vote no on ordinance 53126, which dramatically weakens inclusionary zoning requirements.

Albany's housing audit conducted by then city auditor Dorsey Apliers' office has documented the extent and severity of the housing affordability crisis faced by Albany tenants.

Half of the city's tenants are rent-burdened, and my research at the University of Albany showed that just last year more than 2,000 Albany residents faced eviction proceedings in Albany City Corps.

Inclusionary zoning is a critical tool for the construction of permanently affordable housing.

And with Governor Hochel's $200 million plan to invest in downtown Albany recently released a repeal or gutting of inclusionary zoning could have disastrous impacts for Albany's tenants.

Unfortunately, Albany has a history of major government initiatives that have been harmful to low-income communities, immigrant communities, and communities of color.

We must consider a couple of these examples, examples of this history in order to not repeat the mistakes of the past.

Firstly, throughout the 1940s and into the 1970s, massive federal investment into the Federal Housing Authority yielded a nationwide suburban building spree and brought homeownership into reach for many men did I lose my microphone?

Okay.

Pull back?

Okay.

Okay.

Throughout the 1940s and into the 1970s, massive federal investment into the FHA yielded a nationwide suburban building spree and brought home ownership into reach for many middle class class white Americans.

Black Americans, however, were effectively excluded through this process of wealth creation through the discriminatory practice of redlining.

Secondly, when New York State Governor Nelson Rockefeller launched his own downtown Albany revitalization and planned a massive state office complex downtown in the 1960s, thousands of predominantly poor and immigrant residents of 98 acres within the South End of Albany were displaced.

To the benefit of wealthier suburban commuters who could now work downtown and easily commute via 787 in the South Mall arterial.

Partly because of these historical policy choices, the city of Albany today has the second largest black-white homeownership gap of any city in the country, according to a 2023 report.

Nearly 70% of white families in Albany own their homes compared to just 20% of black families.

Governor Hochel's recently released downtown Albany strategy makes no mention of this racist history, nor does it mention the affordable housing crisis being felt in Albany's downtown neighborhoods.

Her strategy, which is effectively a subsidy plan for outside real estate developers runs serious risk of continuing the pattern of harming lower lower income communities, especially if the common council acts to gut inclusionary zoning protections.

Without strong inclusionary zoning protections, state investment will subsidize the construction of higher end luxury apartments and condos favored by developers, not the affordable housing units that Albany desperately needs.

The housing audit shows that of the more than 1,600 new housing units Albany will need by 2030, nearly three quarters is needed for households earning under $50,000 annually.

While some have argued for housing at all levels or suggested that luxury construction will trickle down into affordability, the audit shows that Albany's needs are for affordable, not luxury housing units.

Previous debates about inclusionary zoning haven't accounted for this major incoming state investment.

Gutting inclusionary zoning will prevent the downtown revitalization investment from having a meaningful impact on the Albany's affordability, affordable housing crisis.

Such investment without affordability guarantees runs the risk of displacement and gentrification within the communities that have already struggled from histories of redlining, poverty, and disinvestment.

And the dollars brought in from this bill's proposed inclusionary zoning buyouts will never compensate for the permanently affordable units inclusionary zoning creates.

Affordable housing is not a byproduct of development, it's a public necessity.

I urge the council, do not weaken inclusionary zoning.

With hundreds of millions of dollars of state investment coming into downtown Albany, and with a crisis of affordable housing eviction and homelessness ongoing, we simply cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past.

The council can choose a different path and ensure that new investment produces housing that Albany residents can actually afford.

Thank you.

Any members have questions for Mr.

Cairo?

No.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Ian Butler.

Good evening.

I see some old faces, some new faces.

My name's Ian Butler.

I live in the city of Albany, have for a little over a decade now.

Prior to that, I was a U.S.

Air Force officer.

And I've lived all over this country.

I've seen a lot of what this country has to offer and a lot of its worst areas too.

I spent a stint in Mississippi, so I can tell you a bit about that.

Imagine my surprise coming home to Albany, a place where I grew up and I chose to make my home after I left the Air Force only to find it one of the worst segregated cities in the United States.

It's shameful.

And I think that all of us should feel that shame that it is 2026, and we are recognized as one of the most segregated cities in the country.

That's embarrassing.

We're upstate New York.

New York, the place, you know, right across the river where Harriet Tubman helped free escaped slaves from captivity.

We're still one of the most segregated cities in the country.

It's an embarrassment.

And we spoke a bit, and I started this process thinking it's all about affordable housing.

And really that that's we'll talk about that in a minute, but where this inclusionary zoning regulation I think really hits home is in fighting that legacy of redlining, and that's something that were your words, Ms.

Keegan.

Uh was to fight that legacy of redlining in the city.

The proposal that we have before us today undoes that.

If anything, it actually enforces it again because it offers developers who want to spend a little extra money to ensure that their building remains rich and white, a buyout to where they'll be able to spend some money and that might go to more affordable housing, which may be of no surprise to anybody here, will end up in neighborhoods that have been traditionally redlined, and these affordable units will continue to end up in those neighborhoods, continuing that segregation.

Because like I've spoken to this council before, Albany's white residents in median income terms make double that of its black residents.

So, regardless of the terms of the compromise or whatever we want to call it that's in this amendment, let's call it what it is.

It's implicit redlining.

Again, so we end up with these 400 million dollars that are coming from the state, right?

We want to make sure that that's capitalized.

I understand that ESD is pushing the mayor's office has pushed this council very hard to repeal the inclusionary zoning ordinance because they believe that it will lead to more development.

I think that's hilarious.

Uh I have a background in economics, uh, and I thought that we debunked supply side economics back with Reagan.

Uh, we know that that didn't work then, it hasn't worked now.

So supply side housing economics also doesn't work.

Uh, especially when you have these developers who have a history of always asking for more.

You know, we talk about uh I won't name names, but there's plenty of developers out there who have said in the past, oh, we won't build unless we get these big tax abatements.

So we gave them the tax abatements.

And they said, Oh, well, we won't build unless we get some uh some grant funding for these historical buildings.

Well, they got the grant funding.

And then the council, this council said, you know what, we're gonna be giving you all of these concessions to to come build in what should be a desirable place to live, right?

Uh, this the capital city of New York.

We're gonna give you these concessions.

We want a little something back.

We want you to help us desegregate this city.

We want you to help us keep some measure of affordability alive in this city.

And we put aside a paltry at the beginning, I believe it was five percent.

And then later we said, okay, well, five percent really isn't enough, and also we have no enforcement means on this right now, so let's let's do seven and we'll make it progressive, and maybe we can add some enforcement criteria later on.

And now they come to us with grant money out their ears.

400 million dollars in possible state investment here, and they say, no, we're not gonna do it unless you lift that requirement.

Because uh, well, we're we're not gonna get returns.

Well, that's that doesn't make any sense.

Because they build elsewhere where there are inclusionary zoning laws and they get returns.

They build elsewhere around here and they get returns.

But not like they will in Albany if they actually build housing that we need, like the previous speakers talked about.

So we end up with this sort of impasse where we keep getting asked for more, and as the citizens of Albany, and as this council, we keep getting used by these developers out of area money that is just going to live outside of the city.

400 million dollars coming to this city, it's gonna go right out the door.

It would be a lot better if it stayed here.

We got a thousand vacant properties across Arbor Hill, West Hill, South End, and the rest of the city that could use that money better than anything else.

And I know my time is up.

Any questions?

Please, sir.

Mr.

Adams.

Thank you for your time and thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Um when you speak about the black residents here in the city of Albany and the history of redlining.

Um, can you please one?

Give me a suggestion as to where in today's time are black residents supposed to get the money for a down payment for a house, understanding the climate that a lot of the black residents live in.

Where would they get the money from?

Absolutely.

You know, this is something that we need to work on.

And this bill definitely doesn't do it.

There's a set aside for a little bit of money for a housing fund, but as I'm sure you're aware, housing prices in this city are astronomical.

It's insane.

Single family homes are bought up by large, you know, frankly, you know, we call them slum lords here.

You look at Pine Hills, you look at all the old student housing there.

You can't even get a decent one-bedroom apartment in this city for you know $800 a month.

If you want a single family home, you're looking at a quarter million dollars at this point.

The amount of money that that's in Councilman Ballarin's bill is a carve out for the the fund to for first-time homebuyers, which by the way already exists in the city.

Uh it is paltry in comparison and is not going to ultimately help.

I encourage this council to expand efforts to try and build that fund up and help those residents, our residents, who need that ability to buy a home and build that generational wealth that we talk about.

But this isn't it.

Just a follow-up question.

Of course.

Um, can you explain to me as to how does inclusionary zoning, this bill correlate to single family homes in ownership?

Uh the carve out for buying out of the inclusionary zoning requirement has or at least it did have last I read the bill, provisions for a portion of that per unit buyout to go towards the fund for first-time home buyers.

Um, like I said, it's paltry and truly not enough.

And ultimately, if we're going to prevent redlining in the city, we need to integrate neighborhoods.

So instead of just building housing, big box luxury housing downtown for way more money than anybody in their right mind can afford.

We need to start looking at how we develop areas into more desirable neighborhoods and spread that cap money out across all the neighborhoods rather than just downtown.

All right.

Thank you.

Anytime.

Thank you.

Sir.

Mr.

Robinson.

You speak about redlining.

Yeah.

Do you feel that these developers are going to come in communities that have been redlined and billed?

Do you think that white folks is going to come in Arbor Hill and live?

So it had to be a complomise somewhere.

By all means, there should have been a community benefits agreement, right?

To the communities that was impacted through this development.

But no white folks is going to build in Arbor Hill.

No market rate housing.

And you know, that it's just not going to happen.

So when you speak about redlining, how historically it's been redlined, we are redlined, and the developers is not coming to communities that has been redlined and billed.

It's not going to happen.

I'm sorry, sir.

Was there a question?

That's just a statement.

Because you mentioned red line and you saying that you know historically communities is going to be impacted, you know what I'm saying, by this development.

I beg the difference.

I believe we can be better, and I would hope that this council chamber does too.

Any further questions?

Okay.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Aidan Rinda, I believe it is, or Randa.

Hello all.

Um, I'm Aidan Renda.

I live at in the Pine Hills area of Albany.

Um I am also a young professional that lives with my parents, and I'm also from uh the armpit of the South where I grew up thinking if I moved to New York things would be a lot more progressive, and in some ways, yes, in a lot of ways, sometimes regressive.

Um I'm probably not gonna say anything that different than than all these beautiful speakers have said before me, but um, you know, hopefully we we've all had some time in the last two weeks to read through the downtown Albany Strategy Report and the grant guidelines to see the state's 400 million dollar plan and that what that means is gentrifying some of the poorest neighborhoods in Albany without providing any protection for the communities that live here.

Um I understand that some of you may view the inclusive housing law as a stick and feel that if we want mixed income housing, we should instead be providing developers carrots for building it.

Perhaps that is the case theoretically.

Perhaps incentives for building inclusive housing would be more effective than a prohibition.

But right now, the state is providing a huge carrot for housing of any kind in Albany.

Few better incentives exist than not having to pay for up to 40% of your development cost for for-profit developers.

Maybe the stick does need to be replaced with the carrot in the future.

But right now, there is a big incentive to build, but without the inclusive housing requirement, it comes with no incentive to fight the segregation that ails the city.

If you believe that achieving integrated city requires incentives and not prohibitions, that's something the council can consider once this money has been committed.

But if you roll back the protection now, at the beginning of what will be a decade of the biggest community investments Albany has ever seen, you'll be pushing back that integation process by at least a generation.

The money is coming here.

It's going to be spent on building housing.

The inclusive housing law is the only thing making sure that people do not get exploited and we do not continue this cycle of the rich getting richer and the rest of us left out to hang to dry.

Um I think really just the only last thing I want to say is, you know, as people before me have said, we want this money to stay in the city and provide a better quality of life for people that live, spend taxes, buy goods, you know, build connections in the city, not to just go to people in New York City and Connecticut.

Um that's just that's just my comment, and I thank you guys for your time.

Okay, any questions for this gentleman, folks?

Okay, thank you, sir.

Our next speaker is Canyon Ryan.

Hello, good to see you all.

My name is Kenyon Ryan, and I'm uh I live at uh 25 North Pine, and I'm the executive director of United Tenants of Albany.

To start, I want to send a belated uh congratulations to those of you who are new to the council, those of you who were re-elected, and those of you in new positions.

And it's incredible for those of you who have been here to know that I haven't been in this spot um in 2026 yet, which means two things.

One, uh nobody's proposed anything that's harmful to tenants.

Great job.

And two, nobody's proposed anything that's very helpful to tenants, but that's okay, we can work on that.

Um that note, I want to apologize that the first meaningful legislation that you're considering for housing and tenant issues in the city.

This term is one that not only reduces the amount of affordable housing that will be developed during an unprecedented period of investment, um, but is also uh, you know, it reduces the degree of impact that the affordable housing that is developed will have on our working class neighbors by increasing the area median income.

Uh a lot of you know the storied history of inclusionary zoning going all the way back to 2017, so I'm not going to get into it.

And I will say that Mara Pleas made meaningful efforts to get everyone with the vested interest in this subject at the table to hash out a deal.

And we didn't want to deal.

We didn't want to roll back um this landmark legislation, but we also knew it was important to be at that table and participate in those conversations because they would happen with or without us.

And while there's many aspects of this legislation that I'm really happy to see in there, uh it's not a project product that we could really endorse.

Uh like all of you, hope that whatever happens here puts inclusionary zoning conversations to rest.

Uh, and I, like all of you, know that inclusionary zoning's impact is considerably small when we analyze the larger housing uh issues that are present in our community.

We live in a majority tenant city where six in ten residents rent, more than half of them spend more than 30% of their monthly earnings on rent, and half of those folks spend more than 50% of their income on rent alone.

We are faced with a housing emergency that disproportionately impacts low-income communities of color, and it's essential that we work to resolve the affordability crisis.

Uh on March 30th, I sent all of you a sign-on letter for the housing access voucher program.

It's a statewide bill, kind of like a statewide run Section 8, and asked you all to sign on.

Shout out to the three of you that have.

Uh, 12 more to go.

I will resend that link because I think that this is one way that the city can at least say we want to address the affordability crisis.

Um so I'll send it out later tonight.

Uh Albany County is currently number two in eviction filings as a percentage of its population behind only Bronx County right now.

In 2025, we were number four behind Bronx, Kings, and New York.

And it was the same in 2024.

Those years are not anomalies since 2019.

Albany has consistently been top five evictions per or as percentage of its population, save for 2021 during the eviction moratorium.

And since 2020, while incomes have risen a whopping 17%, the fair market rent has increased 66% for one bedrooms and 61% for two bedrooms, meaning that rent increases according to the fair market rent, which is the 40th percentile of the going rate, um, rent increases are outpacing income increases by more than three to one.

And there's not much to debate on on that issue alone, and there's no use in sitting on our hands or complaining about the magic market mechanisms that are making life more and more impossible for tenants.

We have to step up with urgency to confront this crisis.

Um this year, the legislature is considering the rent emergency stabilization for tenants act, a bill that would make it easier for us to opt into rent stabilization and expand protections to tenants in buildings with four or more units.

Many of you remember that in 2024 when the city conducted its vacancy study, it determined that there was indeed a housing emergency in Albany, just one that didn't qualify as such under New York state law.

Well, this law would change that law and enable you all to address some of these runaway rents.

There are a lot of issues in the city, and a lot of them start at home.

And we are looking over the edge right now with federal subsidies and grants being slashed, utilities skyrocketing and code blue ending.

A lot of folks in the city are looking for options, and um they're at a loss for words.

And yet, tenants are still getting organized.

Uh there are 10 tenant unions in the city right now fighting for safe, decent, and affordable housing, and yet we have landlord developers with projects coming before the planning board that are refusing to negotiate with their tenants and failing to address poor conditions.

One of those landlords was at the negotiating table on inclusionary zoning.

Are these the type of characters that we want to revitalize our city?

A term that's often synonymous with gentrification and displacement.

Shall slum lords be the primary beneficiaries of the championing Albany's potential initiative and additional tax breaks from the city.

I would imagine that you like me know that the answer is no.

Inclusionary zoning has always been about supporting the tenants that live here, work here, and make this city a special place, the special place that it is right now.

If we're going to water down inclusionary zoning, we have to take decisive action.

And this body needs to get its housing hands dirty and find the root causes of poverty, high rents, and poor housing, and tear them out of the earth for good.

And I'm here to fight for that with you.

Lastly, with my last four seconds, thank you, Alfredo Balleron for being such a champion on this.

I know you're not happy with what's being proposed, and I know you fought really hard for it.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Any questions?

Mr.

Adams.

Always a pleasure to see you.

Likewise.

Thank you for your feedback and thoughts and opinions regarding the inclusionary housing matter.

But just to touch on that last statement that you made there, would you agree that the way out of this is probably to help people increase their wages?

Yes.

Okay.

So in order to do that, would you also agree that maybe like workforce development also attracting other higher pay industries to the city of Albany would probably benefit individuals at a lower economic status to be able to move up the ladder and afford um rents?

Yes.

Okay.

Thank you.

Ms.

Farrell.

Thank you very much for your continued advocacy and your participation in the process.

It absolutely made something better, even though I know it is something that we're all disappointed in.

I am just noting that as I said to you in by email, unfortunately, not every council member is able to sign on to letters at the state level because some of us have uh ethics violations.

So if you can just make sure that that is known that sometimes members do not sign on because we can't, because we unfortunately don't make enough money in this job to pay for it.

So our other job does not allow us to sign on.

But our hearts are with you.

So just to wanted to say that to everyone here.

And if I may just say I appreciate that, feel free to let me know so I don't bother you with more emails uh to sign on to letters, but thank you.

Ms.

Zamer.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

And thank you, Canyon, for being here as always.

Um it's always good to hear your perspective.

My question for you is since inclusionary housing has been so widely debated over the last few years, and and the housing audit, which some interpret to say did not shows that the the law that we passed several years ago, it did not have the requ the desired impact that we're hoping, and that most of the housing that has been built in the city of Albany has been um a hundred percent affordable.

That the real missing piece is mixed income housing.

Is that correct?

I think you could one aspect.

That's definitely one aspect of the city.

Yeah.

So my question is do you and your does your organization or um any of your colleagues in the housing advocacy world, have you focused on efforts to try to change state regulations in order to be able to direct subsidies towards mixed income development, which right now the subsidies are available for 100% affordable or a hundred percent market, not for mixed.

So I'm just I'm wondering if that has been part of your advocacy or will be.

One of the one of the platform by housing justice for all, which is statewide coalition that United Tenants of Albany is part of, um, has been the Social Housing Development Authority.

Uh it can be misconstrued as creating like a statewide public housing, but the intention of the Social Housing Development Authority is both development and rehabilitation of existing properties that would be composed of mixed income residents of one twenty percent, the area median income down to below 30 percent.

And the idea is that by having that mixed income um tenant representation, it would be able to balance the cost of the Social Housing Development Authority by providing good safeties and housing.

So there is a bill that we're working on.

Um, Emily Gallagher is the lead sponsor of the assembly, um, and Julia Sells are in the Senate.

So it is part of our platform, but we we mostly focus on um tenant protections and preventing evictions.

Okay, thank you.

Um hopefully, if that effort does come become you know uh stronger, I think that's that's something that certainly the council and our residents would be able to be supportive of.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you.

All right.

Thank you.

All right, our next speaker is Maria Markovitz.

Maria Markovich.

Still at 38 Myrtle Avenue.

This will be 48 years, so thank you.

You should have gotten a letter.

Did you all get the letter?

In opposition to the bill.

Was that circulated?

You got individually got mailed.

It's in the written public comment printout.

The two later.

Oh, that's when it'll come out.

Okay.

I just want to mention that when you read the letter, um there are 10 organizations that signed on in opposition to the bill.

Housing for all, United Tenants of Albany, the Community Development Alliance of the Capitol District, the National Home Reform Congregation, Citizen Action of New York, the Working Families Party, Capitol District, the Albany Justice Coalition, and the Albany and ACP.

Why the opposition?

The main reason is that this bill stops short of achieving what the primary goal of inclusionary housing is, and that's economic integration.

He worked tirelessly to get the affordable set aside uh mandate uh kept in the bill.

Um but there was really no changing the administration's positions that developers have must have that option to opt out of providing affordable housing.

Some developers uh there may be some developers who will do uh the affordable set aside units.

Our guess is that many will not.

And it just seems to us that the city has put all their eggs into the wrong basket.

Um you know, there's a sense that if we build this new luxury housing, they will come.

Uh whoever they is or are, I don't know.

Anyway, and that the city will become this uh vibrant mini New York City.

And you know, the question you gotta ask is how many three thousand dollars a month apartments do we really need?

I mean, I I check online, not that I'm looking for a three thousand dollar a month apartment, but I always like to see what the availability is.

And if you really want to pay 3,000 a month, you can certainly find an apartment now.

That makes you happy paying 3,000 a month, you can do that.

But the real question is what what are we gonna do about our neighborhoods and the folks um who work here and who are getting priced out.

Uh we think we can do better than that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh any questions?

Uh Mr.

Balleran.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um I'm gonna put this in a phase of a question.

Uh, did you know, Maria, how appreciative we are of your almost 50 years of commitment for housing?

Oh, thank you.

And uh how appreciative I am of all your work uh and the guidance that you've you've given myself and your willingness to put yourself in these rooms and make yourself vulnerable in these situations and have these difficult conversations.

Um, and I know you and uh everyone else, and I don't want to say everyone else, but I know you and others are not uh disappointed with what we have.

And I get that.

Um I truly fully do, but I I want to let you know that I appreciate all the work you've done.

I know others appreciate all the work you've done.

And I also want to make people know that even though this appointment was in front of us, it's a much better position than we were 90 days ago.

Yes.

And I just I think it's important to say that uh because I know it's not where we want to be, but it's a lot better than we were 90 days ago when we were looking at this issue.

And it wouldn't be here if it wasn't for your efforts and everybody else's efforts that has pushed this issue.

Um so I just wanted to say that uh in the best way I could in a question.

Well, thank you for being the advocate for this.

You tried very hard.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Mr.

Adams.

Thank you.

Good evening.

Um thank you for sharing your your feedback and questions and for being the fierce advocate you always have been.

Um, just a question just to get your feedback on the inclusionary, right?

So in previous conversations, we've had discussions about the amount of units built over the last like four years.

So I believe we built, let's say, 1,200 units in the city of Albany over the past four years.

And with the inclusion area that was previously in place, only about 14 units were made affordable out of that 1,200.

No, I thought there was like 80 some units.

Roughly, roughly.

So we'll scale it.

80 affordable units out of the 1,200 units that may have been built.

When we look at this policy, one of the biggest things that I think about is the thousands of other renters and how they will be able to find affordable housing in this.

Because not everyone is going to be able to get, you know, um inclusionary units to live in.

But at the same time, those people who are not living in those inclusionary units are still subjected to their rent increasing because of private landlords, which are more dominant here in the city of Albany than our bigger developers.

So while we are building and trying to fight for affordable units, we are still recognizing that there is a large gap of people who would not even benefit from either legislation.

But what I will say is that with this legislation that's on the table, the funding that we're getting back from developers are going back directly to the individuals and people who you've been serving, your organizations have been serving, to make sure that they have a fighting chance to not get evicted, to make sure that their units have funds to be able to get repaired so that way they're not in the cold during the winter time.

It's also allowing for the segregation part with helping assistance, first-time home buyer assistance to get those black residents and individuals into their first homes.

So I guess if I had to ask you a question at the end of this, is would this not be considered a bigger step forward than what we've been doing?

Well, you know, nobody said this inclusionary was the answer, you know, it's going to uh the you know, it's one tool in the toolbox for affordable housing.

But let's say a developer puts 200,000 into the housing fund, all right?

That's the equivalent of basically one unit of housing instead of the four house units of housing that uh are would be gone.

So I mean it does have an impact on the number of affordable housing units out there.

One, and secondly, it's it's in integrated housing, you know.

I mean, this thought you said, well, there's no white developers are gonna come to Arbor Hill.

But the reverse is you know, this luxury housing is going to be segregated housing, and there are going to be very few modest wage earners, I mean, there aren't going to be any who can afford it unless those affordable housing unit set asides are there.

I agree with you there, and again, but with that first point that you made, we still have to recognize that we may lose those two affordable units for affordable units for for a long term for the long term.

And at the same time, uh we have to recognize that the wages here in the city is the biggest issue because even if you put these mixed units in these neighborhoods that really really need it, if the people still can't afford it, they still don't have the opportunity to live there.

We have people who are in Albany public housing who are having a hard time paying rent there, where the authority is in financial crisis as well.

And they have a line, a list of over 5,000 people waiting to find housing.

We have to do something in order to help those people, and these dollars that we're getting from developers will actually help those individual people.

So I appreciate the advocacy.

I appreciate everyone coming in here and sharing their feedback.

And yes, we can always do better.

And with this legislation, we have shown that we can always revisit this in the future to make the proper adjustment to make sure we're moving in the right direction.

Okay.

Thank you.

Okay.

Sure, Mr.

Bellman.

I gotta I gotta end on a better note than that one movie.

I'm sorry.

Uh so you know that's those the old statement.

Sometimes you got to take a step back to take three steps forward.

Say that again.

Oh it's an old saying.

Sometimes you gotta take a step back to take three steps forward.

Have you ever heard that old saying?

No.

No.

Maybe it's a new saying.

Maybe.

Okay.

So I'm sharing that because I know a lot of people feel like this is taking a step back, but I think uh just like it was said by council member Adams.

This is a living document and all of our housing issues, a living document.

And sometimes we got to take a step back to take three steps forward in the future.

So that was the same.

I hope we uh continue to live until we take that step forward.

I'm gonna try very hard, okay.

I'm eighty now, so you think it'll be to wait till I'm 90 or what?

I I I I hope I hope you're here to I hope I look forward to blowing out a cake and a candle at your 100th birthday here.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, with with that, that was our last speaker for uh public hearing.

We'll start our uh public comment right now.

Our first speaker is Albany County Controller Sue Rizzo.

Okay, for uh public comment, you'll have five minutes to speak.

Um council members can't reply to you, so okay.

Thank you, Ms.

Rizzo.

Hi.

My name is Susan Rizzo, and I live at Whitehall Road.

Been there.

It's a family home for over 60 years.

I'm not going to tell you how exactly how many.

I am the Albany County Comptroller and previous city auditor of the as a chief city auditor.

Thank you, council, chair, and the council members, to give me the opportunity to speak.

I'm here to give a history lesson.

Previous to 2009, the City of Albany had both a controller as well as a treasurer.

The controller position was not only had the right to audit, but it was also the checks and balances regarding the financials.

I understand that we're in a situation right now that we're addressing our shortfall.

But my concern is now that I'm a forward thinker, and I think we need to bring back the controller position.

The charter was changed.

I think that the council needs to look back to see what was done in the past, because I think we had more checks and balances.

Right now, they say you can only do performance audits.

But the auditor doesn't have any teeth.

They took it away from that position.

So the controller position would then help be the voice to let people know where do we really stand on these financials, and to be able to have the opportunity to audit.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Carl Yorich.

Good evening.

Uh Carl Yurick.

I live on uh Lennox Avenue.

I'll be speaking about the budget today.

So this is the fifth time I've spoken about the 2026 budget uh in front of the common council.

Just wanted to kind of walk through the history here.

Uh so I came here in October after the 2026 proposed budget was put out, and I came before the common council to say that the 2026 proposed budget was incredibly sloppy, both in context, explanation, and content.

In November, I came back and I spoke and I quantified the potential gap that I saw in the budget.

At that time, I advocated for budget cuts of four to six million in operating expenditures, four to five million in capital expenditure cuts.

In December I came back again, informed by the treasurer's release of the Q3 actuals.

I suggested the need for cuts had increased dramatically to eight to twelve million dollars of operating expense cuts, ten to twelve million at capex cuts.

I stated, quote, the current trajectory of the city's finances suggests the strong potential for a fiscal collapse.

And then January 29th, before the Finance Committee, just to re-emphasize things, I came in and spoke and emphasize the need for fiscal prudence.

So my point in laying out this history is that 2026 budget crisis was incredibly foreseeable.

I'm not an accountant.

That the city's crisis was not foreseeable to me is disingenuous.

And here's here's the impact.

You know, the impact is avoiding the problem, kick the can down the road, three months.

We've lost three months.

The mayor's first actions on January 1st or 2nd should have been to address the city's number one problem, which is our solvency.

As I stated before, you know, we're current trajectory of the city's finances suggest the strong potential for a fiscal collapse.

I mean that has not changed at all.

So we we missed an opportunity.

We missed an opportunity to start looking at our precarious fiscal position starting on January 1st.

We missed the opportunity to start gathering the data, though to inform our decisions.

It's very discouraging and distressing that as Councilmember Farrell said, the common council has asked for 80 bits of information.

I assume that's debt reports, 2025 financials, capital asset work, I don't know, probably a few other things, cash flow, reserves, and that that information isn't forthcoming.

So here we have the mayor leading a committee to see what we can do as a city.

The common council is asking for information that would help all of us understand what can we best do in this precarious position.

I don't even know what data that the mayor in the administration is using to make decisions.

And these are going to be very difficult decisions.

You know, when I do some back the napkin, this is hey, is property tax going to increase by seven, nine or thirteen percent?

Are we going to have to cut our streets allocation from 25 to 30 million of capital repairs down to 15 million?

Are we going to have to cut 50, 75 or 155, 150 head count?

I mean, these are horrible decisions to have to make, and we need the data to help us all make and understand the decisions.

We can't accept this.

We need citizen and common council engagement powered by information, powered by data, data that the mayor's office must make available now.

Ask the common council to continue to put pressure on the administration to release all relevant data on our current financial position, and to release that data to the citizens of Albany so we know the reality that's in front of us.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Maureen McCauley.

Four steps precede the death of a city.

Number one, people don't feel safe from crime.

Can you state your name and your Oh, my name is Maureen McCauley, Albany, New York?

Number two, city schools underperform spectacularly with associated astronomical costs.

Check that box.

Number three, taxpayers feel robbed.

Check.

Taxes get higher and higher.

Taxpayers get less and less for what they are getting, which is almost nothing.

The fourth step is that corruption becomes a norm.

Cities are hollowed out because those who can move do.

In the spirit of learning from history, and since we are already at DEF CON three, um, let me list some prominent budget anomalies.

One, red flags, particularly unrealistic revenue projections were not addressed.

Two, taxpayers said ouch, proposed tax and fee increases on top of the gotcha taxes, masquerading as camera fees, and the recent reassessment was too much.

The response, a lot of I feel your pain, but no action.

Three, the issue was raised about who would be accountable for the budget, the current mayor or the mayor-elect who was invited to participate in the budget process, or both.

The issue was never addressed.

The addition of six positions and about eight hundred thousand dollars in cost to the mayor's office was not subject to a cost analysis, despite the fact that the budget office has as a stated goal examining expenses to ensure necessity.

Number five, there was an assertion that a full-time deputy mayor position was stated to be required by law.

It was not.

So what was the basis for saying it?

The assertion was challenged but never addressed.

Six, during the budget hearing, the mayor-elect said this.

Living in a city means tax increases.

It is not realistic to think otherwise.

There was no inquiry about future application of that philosophy.

I could go on, I'm still perplexed by how when there is an allotted salary of a hundred and thirty-three thousand dollars, and someone says not enough, I need an extra thirty thousand, the response is not next.

Or how a minority went position was created and funded despite a minority-less council.

However, my question is, how do we avoid deficits and likely tax increases in double digits as the natural order of living in Albany?

Given what I've outlined, I think there is only one way, and that is we vote on the budget.

The people vote on the budget.

Approve or disapprove.

We eliminate the dysfunction and the lack of representation, taxation without representation by doing that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Marlin Anderson.

Does anybody have a question?

Good evening, members of the public, members of the council.

My name, of course, is Marlin Anderson, residing at 214 Lark Street, uh, former candidate for mayor in the city of Albany, long-time community advocate in the city of Albany.

And while it wasn't what I came here to speak on, I'm gonna address it.

What went through the last public hearing because they didn't give the opportunity at the end of the public hearing for anybody else to speak.

So basically, for what I've heard and listened to, it seems that it's just giving trusting the fox in the head house not to eat the chickens.

You're giving them you're trusting the landlords to do the right thing.

And if I have an opportunity to pay a thousand dollars to make a million, what do you think I'm gonna do?

So, as far as that legislation goes, you need to deal with that.

We've dealt with it, people have been here for decades.

Uh the current council president's been here for a very long time, others have been here for a long time.

We've had negotiations, ordinances that ain't worth the paper they're printed out.

We've had plans, 2030 plan, uh the uh the park style plan, that all these plans we're supposed to create affordable housing and everything, and if you go to any of them, you see the luxury brand planet right on the building.

So to think that landlords are going to be responsible and do the right thing in the city, and another issue that you have to deal with, which nobody seems to want to push, is the fact that the county mount the county market rate cannot, should not be supported in applying towards city housing when the county market rate is based on county income, and as the gentleman sat here and told you, the city income is less than half of the county income.

So, how is the county market value going to drive city housing?

There's many nuances that need to be addressed.

But again, to try to trust the landlords to do the right thing, that's ridiculous.

They never have, they never will.

Now, what I came forward to speak about, and it's just very simple.

There's been an ongoing online debate about curfews in the city.

And I spoke about it here before, and it's very simple.

It's a nuanced situation.

I would love to debate the situation and have the same amount of participation that was here today for the housing situation.

There's nuances, there's ideas that have to be floated, the discussion that need to be had.

But we can't just go out and use a curfew as a blunt instrument.

True.

We have to get ahead of what's to come.

We have to get ahead of this suburb, what's to come, but it has to be a full discussion.

We can't just have a curfew as a blunt instrument, as a blanket over this city.

That's dysfunctional and it's not going to work.

But I look forward to the debate.

I look forward to any and all hearings, public discussions that the common council is going to have.

I would love to see the leadership of the common council publicly on the issue of saving these kids from the violence that is coming this summer for saving lives in the city.

But we have to realize we can't just blanket the city.

We can't victimize youth because of the irresponsible of other youth.

That's just not right.

And we have to find a better way to do that.

I like the idea.

I like hearing the voices that we want to be concerned with that, but there have to be other ideas that have to be entertained to address that issue.

So I look forward to the debate and the discussion led by the council on this issue.

Because as the young lady talked about about no representation, that's what you are, the representatives of the community.

It's your responsibility and duty to take leadership on the issue before the public.

Because if the public don't see leadership, they will know that there's no leadership out there to be had.

But as I say, I want to thank you about that, but again, going back to the point that has been pressed all night to believe that landlords are going to be responsible.

That's ridiculous.

And if they to give them an opt-out, a financial opt-out of all things, a financial opt-out.

That is crazy.

Again, if I have an opportunity to pay a thousand dollars to make a million dollars, here goes your thousand right here.

I'm out.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, sir.

Our next speaker is Stefan Ivanov.

Hi everyone, good evening.

My name is Stefan Ivanov.

I'm uh here today speaking in the capacity of vice chair for the Albany Community Policing Advisory Committee, also known as ACPAC.

For some background on me, I'm a resident of Ward 6.

I am uh I've lived in Albany since 2018 when I moved here for graduate school.

Last year I received my PhD in criminal justice from the School of Criminal Justice at U Albany, and I currently work as a research scientist for the Division of Criminal Justice Services.

I've been on ACPAC since December 2023 and have served continuously since.

For those who may not know, ACPAC was founded in 2009 following the resignation of Albany's then police chief for making racist remarks about a homicide investigation.

The committee was formed with the explicit recognition that the trust between APD and Albany residents had been seriously eroded, and that the real work was required, real work was required to regain this trust and improve police community relations.

To that end, ACPAC's membership structure was designed to facilitate input from each ward of the city, with each member of Albany Common Council appointing someone to represent their ward.

The committee also includes four at-large members, one mayoral appointee, one appointment by the Common Council president, and four members of APD for a total of 25 members.

As I understand it, ACPAC was highly active and effective in its first decade.

However, with the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, operations slowed, and convening the committee proved difficult.

As a result, ACPAC became largely dysfunctional.

For the last several years, the committee has worked hard to return to prior operations and regain legitimacy.

Right now, our main output has been to host public forums in which Albany residents can learn more and share their opinions about APD policies and practices.

Perhaps our most impactful work, or at least that of which I am most proud, has been convening public forums on APD's social worker initiative, which resulted in the formation of CART, a co-responder program of which the city should be proud.

As chair and vice chair of ACPAC, Amy Whitman and I have made it a primary goal to regain ACPAC seat at the table when it comes to public safety discourse and policy in Albany.

To that end, my purpose in speaking here today or tonight is fourfold.

First, we ask that you ensure your ward is represented on ACPAC.

As of today, we still hold vacancies for two wards.

Second, as a city struggles to deal with issues of public safety and violence, we want to remind you that we're here and eager to be part of the solutions in whatever manner may be most helpful.

The seemingly intractable issues of gun violence and public disorder will require multifaceted solutions, but no solution will be complete when police community relations are weak or fractured.

Third, I'd like to invite you to our public forum on April 30th on the U Albany downtown campus.

The topic will be APD technology and will include discussions about APD's drone program and automatic license plate readers, among others.

We hope you'll be able to attend.

I will share the flyer with you all via email because I couldn't get any printed for tonight.

Finally, I'm here to ask for your support on a new ACPAC project.

As I mentioned before, ACPAC was formed in 2009 to address long-standing issues in the historical relationship between the Albany Police Department and the citizens of Albany, particularly residents in neighborhoods that have suffered the dual harms of high crime and aggressive policing tactics.

Following the murder of George Floyd in May of 2020 and subsequent nationwide protests, the issues of historical harm and police community relations have again become salient.

Relatedly, members of law enforcement have voiced their own concerns about the deterioration of community relationships, the difficulty this deterioration presents for their work, such as the lack of witness cooperation investigations, and the psychological effects of feeling distrusted, unappreciated, and scorned by some sectors of the public.

As a member of ACPAC's evaluation committee and as a social scientist who had studied public opinion of criminal justice policies, I've been dismayed by the lack of contemporary data on Albany citizens' views of policing.

While the mayor's recent survey included some questions about public safety, the last systematic survey of Albanians' views on crime and policing was conducted over 20 years ago by the Finn Institute.

Without comprehensive, rigorous and reliable data, public discussions and policy decisions about crime and public safety are liable to rely on anecdotal evidence and ignore the true concerns of Albany residents, especially those from marginalized communities whose voices are often underrepresented.

To address these pressing and timely issues, ACPAC is proposing a citywide survey to assess residents' views towards policing, public safety, and community police relationships in the capital city.

We believe that the only way to true reconciliation first requires a clear understanding of the issues at hand.

This survey will give Albany leaders a direct look at what Albany residents want from law enforcement, where improvements can be made, and how to move forward.

To conduct this survey with appropriate academic rigor, we've been in discussions with the Hindelang Research Center at the University of Albany to leverage their expertise on survey design and sampling.

However, designing and administrating a survey is costly, with Comperal Community Surveys costing approximately $50,000.

By utilizing local expertise and volunteer participation, ACPAC is seeking to raise approximately $20,000 to conduct our survey, a significantly smaller but surely sizable sum.

We're asking that the Common Council allocate 10,000 to fund this timely and necessary survey.

While we recognize that the city's fiscal situation has recently become a point of concern for the council, we firmly believe investing in the survey is reasonable and prudent to ensure that public safety policies are calibrated to the needs and wants of Albany citizens.

Thank you for your time, and I'm happy to answer any questions later.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Keith Irish.

Good evening, members of the Common Consul.

As you know, my name is Keith Irish, lifelong city resident, currently residing in the ninth ward.

Lots to talk about tonight.

Let's first start with the budget issues.

For the benefit of the new six members, let me just say that I told you so last year at the budget meetings held before you your previous colleagues left office and left you with the supposedly $15 million hole.

If I remember correctly, the previous mayor said the same thing 12 years ago, and she was an auditor as well.

The problem started with the request for six new staff members in the corner office.

Then it was the salary increases for the commissioners, the assistant commissioners, and the assistant assistant commissioners, as well as other management level workers that got raises while the rank and file got nothing.

The departments are way too top-heavy with a administration getting top-heavy salaries.

But you, new members had no control over that as you were not serving your current positions yet.

Your previous colleagues voted 14 to 1 to adopt the increased budget with the increased taxes on your fellow residents.

You were warned and ignored it.

Since then, there have been salary adjustments even after the budget was adopted.

There have been lobbying firms hired that the previous mayor and ones before her did on their own for the city's benefit.

But the new mayor can't do that.

And some wonder why the deputy mayor, after one of those salary adjustments, is making more than the real mayor's position.

Making makes the citizens of Albany take note and wonder why all these changes are warranted.

Next, let's mention the pothole issue.

I suppose that new the beast truck was ordered last year, so we can't say that that caused the issue.

But I'm going to assume that it was bonded out to pay for it.

Again, bad news for the city.

Way too much bonding is going on, and I hear it's going to be even worse of the debt service in two to three years.

I'm no financial wizard, but I and others know creating more debt is not good for your wallet and your budget, and you will be paying more in interest than actually everyday expenses.

For sure, heading down the wrong path for city for the city.

I know I'll be calling them the uh DGS on day 11, finding potholes that they didn't fill within the 10 days.

Next, I want to discuss resolution 16.32.26R.

The reappointment of a person to the public education government acts as oversight board or the peg board for short, and way before the current term even comes up for review.

First, you must vote no on this item.

Why?

It is not the person, it is the procedure that is the issue.

First, for the benefit of the six new members, in years past, an ad hoc peg committee was created to address these and other similar issues.

But this time the resolution went to the planning, economic development and land use committee, the wrong place for sure.

Second, just because the person currently holding that board position expressed interest in being reappointed does not in any way mean that they should.

When it is time to re-evaluate the current position holder to an appointed position by the common consul, you must have it in your best interest to appoint the best possible city resident to fill that position.

So you should be should go through the call for application or CFA process to solicit any other residents that would want to be part of the Peg Board.

Without doing this process, you are missing out on a possible much better candidate to be appointed by you.

You must even ask the current position holder what they have done in their current term to make better the board they are appointed to.

Something the consul does not do now and must in the future.

Let me note also that to my knowledge, the last person you appointed to the peg board did not even have a CFA issued.

The peg board is oversized and misguided to begin with, but for now that's enough topic needing discussion.

So when resolution 1632 24R 25R, sorry, comes up for vote tonight, vote no.

Thank you for your attention in these matters, and please contact me for more details on the issue.

Since I got 15 seconds, uh I'm just going to sit here.

Thank you, Mr.

Thank you, Mr.

Irish.

I got two seconds.

Ms.

Farrell, can I get a motion to extend?

Of course, Mr.

President.

Motion to extend for half hour.

30 30 minutes, half an hour.

30 minutes.

We're not gonna use it all the way.

Yeah, but we've got it.

Can I get a second?

Second.

All in favor.

Okay.

Motion passes.

Time's extended.

Our next speaker is Tamika Freeman.

Good evening, Mr.

President, Council members.

My name is Tamika Freeman.

I reside at 55 Peter Schuyler Court East here in the city of Albany, which is off of Lark Drive, right behind the Arbor Hill Community School across the street from the Whitney M.

Young Health Center.

I am here for a very selfish reason that I wanted to share.

As a homeowner, um, I will be brief.

As a homeowner, as many of you may be, I value cleansliness.

I literally go to the entrance of the cul de sec with my gloves in my trash bags, and I do nothing but clean and pick up with pleasure, as I was raised that way by my grandmother to always keep clean where you live.

As I'm getting a little bit older, the task of going, my house is here, right across from my house.

There's a hill, brush, lots of beautiful trees where the deer like to hang out.

But on top of the hill, there's Albany Housing Authority houses.

Now, mind you, forgive me, I'm not sure if I need to address this, and I hope someone uses my email address.

I prefer phone calls.

I could be barking up the wrong tree.

I'm not sure if I should reach out to OGS or DGS.

Top of the hill is Albany Housing Authority houses.

I go out, I clean, I clean, I clean.

Some of the things there are heavy.

I cannot get that stuff.

I'm here to find out who I need to reach out to as a proud homeowner, where I live, I don't mind cleaning.

I don't mind picking up, don't get me wrong.

I go to the main street on Lark Drive, I clean the gutter.

I don't mind.

Because when I have contractors that come and do things in my home, they go, oh wow, it's so nice over here.

I like that reputation.

I'd like to maintain it.

But I'm getting to a place to where I'd like someone, and again, I don't know who that is, to come and clean up the brush area.

And this is the main part.

I beseech you.

I would love a fence at the top of the hill.

The fence would catch all the trash and the debris from coming down the hill that I have to clean up.

I would really appreciate it if someone could look into the matter and again help me with this as a proud homeowner, keeping clean where I reside.

I wish I could take you home with me so that you can see what I'm talking about.

I love where I live.

I'm very selfish where I live.

And again, I know I'm repeating myself, but I would love some help.

If you can give me a name of the OGS or DGS or whoever, please let me know.

I'm happy to make phone calls and ask for some assistance.

Thank you.

We'll get that information for you.

Okay.

Okay.

Well, we the members can't respond.

We don't usually respond in public comment.

We'll get uh the current member uh contact information, but then also me and you have to reconnect.

Okay.

All right.

Okay.

And thank you.

I appreciate you.

Our next speaker is Cardeer.

Good evening.

Hope you all had a productive and restful weekend.

My name is Khir Islam, president of Universal Concepts, a 501c3 taxes and business.

We have eight properties here.

We're about to get three more.

And I like to give you quite a bit of information, but we can't do it in five minutes.

But if you need to get any additional information about who we are and what we do, ask Miss Susan Cottner.

Hmm 255 Orange Street.

Albany County Land Trust.

We've been serving that office with her the last 15 years.

We stay on the down low.

We don't like to get all out in the noise and all that other kind of stuff.

But I need to just let you know though, Albany is progressing.

And it's been progressing for a long time.

We just don't see it because of all the noise.

We thank God for our president of the United States of America, Donald Trump.

He has brought us together.

He listened he has opened the door for us to see it live and in color.

And if we don't sober up now, the same way I feel about the council, I have a sober admiration for the council.

A sober admiration as president of Universal Concepts.

We have a property of 206 Clinton Avenue.

26 Quail.

439 South Pearl, Crossman Family Dollar.

30 McNoya Terrace.

So we have about five or six council people here.

We have properties in.

Chief Cox informed us.

Most of the crime shootings, violence, one two two oh six.

Those individuals coming out of prison.

We do the work.

How many states in the United States of America still have the 13th Amendment in place?

My passion.

Since I was born in when I became 15, born and raised in Harlem, place called Sugar Hill before I was drafted in the Army.

Didn't go to Vietnam.

Was to help this African American male because he has it the worst in the world.

African American male, boy, man, has it the worst in the world because of the 13th Amendment.

Do I have a gripe?

Absolutely not.

Revenge?

We have a place in one of our properties, but it's a safe house.

So that is a crime in the area here in the Capitol District.

We want to do what?

Help that individual, family that want revenge to leave the area.

Not to Syracuse, not to Schenectady or to Syracuse to get out of the state because otherwise it's gonna filter.

We want to amplify the positive prevention.

It's all about prevention.

This is all about amplifying the positive.

Well, the housing or the salaries and all the other stuff that's going on.

If you don't understand it now, you will understand it later.

We have a slew of Sergio.

Individuals as in college.

That's in high school.

We work primarily in school suspension, high school.

We're now working with probation.

One of the four trips that we take with the provision youth that we have 10 youth that have ankle bracelets.

You shouldn't know how many students in the high school that are on probation.

So prevention.

Thank you for your prevention is what we're talking about.

Prevention is what's necessary, and that's what we do.

And we want to make sure that we continually doing this work to help dignify our capital district.

Any questions?

Thank you much.

Stay sharp, stay safe, stay healthy, stay out the way.

Thank you.

Our last speaker is uh Minister Justin Barnes.

Justice Barnes.

Good evening.

My name is Minister of Justice.

I live at 306 First Street.

Long resident of Albany, community activist, educator.

I just wanted to go on record.

I'm gonna coming back to Albany.

I've been gone nine years.

When I analyze the city, I see what's going on.

My thing is I'm concerned about the initiative that the common council and the mayor want to push in regards to anti-gang initiative.

That's what I'm about.

I want to put my sweat equity in the community.

I'm not gonna come up here and talk about what we should be doing.

I'm ready to roll my sleeves up and get in the community and put my work in.

I've been active in this community over 30 years before I left.

So I I want to get an idea of what's going on with the gang initiative because I want to be a part of it.

Um I have a wealth of experience, and I just want to do my part in regards to my community.

Thank you.

Any questions?

At this point in our meeting, we don't we don't ask questions.

Oh, okay.

Yeah, it's a public comment.

Okay.

I just wanted to go on record and make that statement.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Okay.

That concludes our public comment.

Period.

Now on to our the rest of our agenda.

Uh this uh any comments from members regarding the public comment?

No.

No?

Okay.

Moving on.

Next, uh, do we have any minutes from our last meeting at this point?

I don't think we do.

It's like the 16th, I think.

Yes.

Um, I offer the and I apologize.

The March 20th.

The March 16th minutes.

2026 minutes.

For approval, can I give a second?

Second.

All in favor.

Nine.

Minutes accepted.

Thank you.

Okay, uh reports of standing committees.

Ms.

Damer.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Planning committee met um March 18th, and we discussed resolution 1632 26R, which was voted out of committee with a favorable uh recommendation.

After I will add a very thorough and lively discussion with the nominee who is uh who we are voting on to to reappoint to the Peg Access Board, and we voted on ordinance uh uh council member Ballorin's ordinance, ordinance five thirty-one twenty-six on the affordable housing, the new affordable housing legislation, which was also voted out of committee with a favorable recommendation.

Okay, thank you, uh Mr.

Howie.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

The uh public safety committee had met on March 30th, and uh we looked at two pieces of legislation and actually I I got the dates wrong, but um we did meet and we discussed the um uh council members bowels um drag racing um ordinance and that was passed unanimously and then we met also um and discussed local law F, which did pass, but we do want to make some there is gonna be some changes made with local law G to that legislation.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Hoyer.

Ms.

Keegan.

Yes, the finance committee met this evening to discuss ordinance 632 26 um regarding the lease for the Black Nurses Coalition at Albany West, and that was moved out of committee with a positive recommendation.

Thank you.

Uh Mr.

Ballor.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh the human resources and human rights committee met on March 23rd.

Uh we uh passed with unanimous uh with unanimous consent uh or unanimous favorable the uh resolution 15.31 that 26 R for Thomas Muller, which you will uh will be voting on today.

We also passed uh we also interviewed uh several excellent candidates uh for the commission of human rights and we move forward uh with uh Paul uh Batman uh that we also have a vote on for today.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, seeing no further Mr.

Robinson?

Yes, um council president.

I'm just asking for clarification.

Um when the public safety committee met, we met to move this legislation out as is, and the amendments supposed to have been addressed on the floor.

I you know I was brought to my attention that it was amendments made without my knowledge, and it wasn't brought to the floor.

And I you know, and um and I just want to know is that protocol.

I will let our research council address that, but I don't think that right the legislation was amended.

It created another that's correct.

Local law F has not been amended since it was passed out of committee with a positive recommendation.

Local law G was introduced tonight.

That is a yes, sorry, we'll be introduced tonight.

That is a different version of legislation covering the same topics, but with amendments that had been contemplated but not passed at committee.

If uh that is introduced by majority consent tonight, that will go to a public safety committee meeting as well where the uh differences between local law F and G can be discussed and the committee can determine what should be advanced.

Thank you.

Okay, um one else.

Okay, uh local laws, consideration of local laws.

Ms.

Farrell for the thank you, Mr.

President.

Um I notice local law G of 2026 and ask for it to be the agenda to be amended to add it by majority consent.

I believe we have a message of necessity from the mayor.

Do we have that it's so we're just looking we're looking to add it by majority consent?

Okay, so can I get a second on that?

Second, all in favor of adding local law G uh by majority consent.

Okay.

I can't tell.

I think everyone said aye.

Any opposed?

Okay.

Mr.

Robinson's opposed.

Okay.

All right.

We're gonna do a roll call vote now.

Uh Adams.

Yes.

Anani.

Yes.

Ballorin.

Yes.

Brody.

Yes.

Farrell.

Yes.

Lynn.

Yes.

Howie.

Yes.

Jones.

Yes.

Keegan.

Yes.

Powell.

Yes.

Robinson.

Williamson.

Yes.

Zamer.

Yes.

12 yes.

Uh one no.

Okay.

The motion passes.

So with that, Mr.

Howie.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I'd like to um I notice local law G of 2026 and ask for it to be introduced.

Thank you.

Uh Ms.

Farrell.

I gotta read.

Oh, oh, you gotta read the law.

Local LG of 2026, a local law establishing an office of violence prevention and amending to Chapter 183 equity agenda of the Code of the City of Albany in relation to the violence prevention task force.

Thank you, Ms.

Farrell.

That will go to public safety.

Thank you.

Okay, next, uh Ms.

Powell.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I notice local law E of 2026 and ask for its passage via roll call.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Will you please read the local law?

A local law amending chapter 359 vehicles in traffic of the code of the city of Albany by adding a new article 16, there to establish the authority to investigate and penalize certain conduct related to unlawful speed contests, side shows, and races.

Discussion, Ms.

Powell?

Thank you, President Kimbrough.

As I've stated before, this has been illegal racing has been a significant public safety issue in the 12th ward, particularly on Washington Avenue extension.

Last year, I last summer started working with Chief Cox and our DA Lee Kinlin around ways to address this issue.

This bill uh implements harsher penalties for those involved in this illegal racing, um, from the drivers to the flaggers, even spectators.

Um, and it also um criminalizes the car.

So we can seize the car, we can move to keep the car, sell the car.

There's a uh civil proceeding to do so.

So again, uh these harsher penalties are being hopefully implemented as a major deterrent for this really unsafe um activity that's happening um in this area but throughout other areas of the city.

Um I just want to recognize that last year um Chief Cox and his team um were really working on trying to stop that activity in that area, and I also want to um thank uh on the record Lee Kinlan and his team of uh attorneys and uh legal interns who did a lot of the research to see what other municipalities were doing in order to combat this issue.

So um thank you.

Thank you for the discussion Mr.

Flynn.

I just want to thank the sponsor for this.

Uh this is not only just a city issue, it is a probably county wide issue, so I hope the county takes this up as a lot of the uh uh people that are doing this act are not city residents.

I just want to make that for the record.

And a lot of these people are people from the hilltowns or from other counties, so this is good legislation, and I appreciate that.

Thank you, Mr.

Howie.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um we did have a very good discussion.

Um we had the district attorney Kenlin come in and talk, the chief and his staff come and talk.

And the only thing I want to add is what we discovered um during that meeting where I discovered and many of us is that some of these cars cost well over a hundred thousand dollars.

And this is like professional racing that you know there's gambling going on, my car can beat yours.

So um that's why if we seize these cars, that it people are gonna stop because they don't want to lose that type of investment.

So I think this is a good move, and I I encourage all my colleagues to vote yes.

Thank you, Mr.

Hoey.

Ms.

Farrell.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, I I echo my colleagues' gratitude to Councilmember Powell for working on this.

Um I I've heard about I think we've all heard about the racing issues um throughout the city.

It's not just a Washington Avenue extension, but it's really bad at Washington Avenue extension.

And um just to I was also really surprised um as council member Howie said, they actually bring the cars in.

So this when I heard of drag racing, I thought that it was just kind of bone-headed teenagers kind of I don't know, living their like lives of like a movie, not something where it was people that were systematically investing and working on vehicles that they then bring in flatbeds to the city of Albany racing on roads that people are just trying to go home on.

Um so this is something I deeply appreciate Councilmember Powell's work on this along with Chief Cox and the DA and also County Legislator Daniel Glasby, um, because it it really hopefully will solve a huge safety issue um in the city.

So thank you.

Okay.

Seeing no further discussion, clerk, please call the roll.

Adams.

Yes, Anani.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Ballorin.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Brody, yes, co-sponsor, please.

Farrell.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Yes, co-sponsor.

Hoey.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Jones.

Yes, Keegan.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Powell.

Yes.

Robinson.

Yes, Williamson.

Yes, co-sponsors, please.

Zamer, yes, co-sponsor, please.

13 and affirmative.

Okay, the motion passes.

Congratulations, Ms.

Powell.

Okay.

Uh moving on, uh Mr.

Williamson.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Ordinance 74126.

Um axe for uh introduction, please.

An ordinance authorizing the lease of a portion of three excuse me, two thirty-nine second avenue tax map parcel number seventy-two.

To sprint com LLC, a Kansas limited liability company.

Ms.

Farrell, please that will go to finance.

Okay, uh moving right along.

Um, Mr.

Adams.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I'd like to notice um ordinance for 3126.

That's first reading.

Thank you, madam clerk.

Please read.

In ordinance amending chapter 375 of the code of the city of Albany, unify sustainable development ordinance by changing the zoning classification of a portion of parcel currently known as 164 Delaware Avenue and PT 164 Delaware Avenue from land conservation LC to mixed use neighborhood H M U N E and amending the zoning map accordingly.

Discussion, Mr.

Adams.

Um Ms.

Farrell.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh I just wanted to commend my colleague, Councilmember Adams on this.

Um this the Sunshine School has been an issue since I was on the school board, which was a really long time ago now.

Um so it's really exciting to see that that building, which also has a very historic side to it, really be put to good use.

So I look forward to supporting this.

Thank you.

Any further seeing none?

Please call the roll.

Adams.

Yes.

Anani.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Ballorin.

Yes, cool sponsor, please.

Brody.

Yes.

Farrell.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Lynn.

Yes, co-sponsor.

Hoey?

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Jones.

Yes, co-sponsor.

Keegan.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Powell.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Robinson.

Please.

Williamson.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Zamer.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

13 informative.

The motion passes.

Thank you.

Moving on.

Uh Mr.

Ballorin.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I asked that uh ordinance five to be one that uh 26 uh be uh introduced and read as amended.

We need one of the second.

We need a second.

Can I get a second?

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Aye.

Okay.

Amendment passes.

Ms.

Farrell.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I notice ordinance 6326 and ask for its passage.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

An ordinance authorizing the lease of a portion of 520 Livingston Avenue, tax map parcel number 65.36-1-19 to the Black Nurse Nurses Coalition incorporated.

Discussion, Ms.

Farrell.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I just wanted to note that while it was my distinct honor to carry this legislation, even though it was not in my ward because of just conflict of interest with Councilmember Robinson.

So I'm very honored to carry it and I look forward to voting on it.

Okay.

Any further discussion.

Thank you.

Just want to echo the sentiment that was shared.

The Black Nurses Coalition do such a phenomenal work here in the city of Albany and the Capitol region as a whole.

Even many of my constituents in Pine Hills didn't know where to turn to.

And I was able to reach out to Dr.

Brenda Robinson, and she pointed me to the right direction and came to the aid of many of the residents who needed uh testing kits and uh mass, a whole host of other things.

So I want to thank the Nurser Coalition for all the work that they do and the first leader, uh Dr.

Brenda Robinson for our continued leadership.

And if you're proud of her, you haven't seen nothing yet.

Uh the best is yet to come.

Thank you.

Okay, any further before we we vote, I'd just like to point out uh again, Ms.

Farrell mentioned the recusal of Councilman uh Robinson, he's been recused from the from the beginning through the vote.

So we're about to vote.

Okay.

Just let the director reflect that.

Okay, with that.

All right.

Adams.

Yes, co-sponsor.

Anani.

Yes, co-sponsor.

Ballerin.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Brody.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Farrell.

Yes.

Yes, co-sponsor.

Howie.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Jones.

Yes, co-sponsor.

Keegan.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Powell.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Williamson.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Zamer.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

12 in the affirmative.

The motion passes.

Dr.

Robinson's not still here.

Okay.

Ms.

Keegan, onto resolution.

Oh, excuse me.

Are we already into resolutions?

No.

Ms.

Farrell.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

The rest of the ordinances are held.

Thank you.

Ms.

Keegan.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I notice resolution 2041-26R and ask for its introduction and passage.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk.

A resolution of the Common Council commemorating April of 2026 as autism awareness month.

Okay, any discussion?

No.

We're all you're all co-sponsors on this, so could I get a uh voice?

Right.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Okay.

The motion passes.

Uh next, uh Mr.

Robinson.

Madam Clerk.

A resolution of the Common Council declaring April 2026 to be minority cancer awareness month in the city of Albany.

Any discussion?

Mr.

Robinson.

No.

Any discussion?

No.

Okay.

All right.

Um all co-sponsors.

All in favor?

Aye.

Okay.

Motion passes.

Next, uh Mr.

Ballarin.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I ask that resolution 22.41.26R be read and passed today.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk.

A resolution of the Common Council recognizing and celebrating April 2026 as Arab American Heritage Month in the City of Albany.

Thank you again.

All co-sponsors.

No discussion.

Any discussion?

Okay.

All in favor.

Aye.

Aye.

Okay.

Motion passes.

Okay.

Next, uh, Ms.

Zymer.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I notice resolution 2341 26R and ask for its introduction and passage.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

A resolution of the Common Council in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Discussion, Ms.

Zimer.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Next week, we observe a day of remembrance of the over six million Jewish people, one million of them children, and countless other marginalized people who were systematically murdered in the Holocaust just over 80 years ago.

During the Holocaust, my grandmother escaped from Austria, and my grandfather fled from Czechoslovakia.

Many of their family members, including my great-grandparents, and many of my aunts and uncles were murdered.

The stories of how my grandparents survived have always loomed largely in my life.

It's given me a unique perspective on government and civil society and my personal responsibility as a citizen.

The story of my family resonates for me every time I hear of yet another immigrant being disappeared from their homes or from the street.

Every time I read mis information spreading conspiracy theories about minority groups, especially related to Jews, and every time I read about the horrors occurring under authoritarian governments across the globe.

Okay, all co-sponsors.

Aye.

Okay.

Motion passes.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um I'd like to uh introduce legislation and passage on behalf of Council Member Johnson.

Uh 244126R.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk, please read the resolution.

A resolution of the Common Council accepting the Harriet Tutman Underground Railroad New York Scenic Byway nomination and corridor management plan adoption.

Any discussion?

Yep.

Mr.

Nanani?

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I rise in support of this resolution to the acceptance of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad nomination plan.

This plan represents a meaningful commitment to preserving the legacy of Harriet Tubman and recognizing Albany Road in that history.

It ensures these important sites are protected, accessible, and used to educate and inspire future generations.

By adopting this resolution, we honor the past while strengthening our community understanding and connection of it.

I want to thank all my colleagues and the sponsor for introducing this legislation.

Thank you, Mr.

Anani.

Any further discussion?

Not um we'll co-sponsors.

Um all in favor?

Motion passes.

Okay, next, Mr.

Baller.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I ask that resolution 25.41 that 26R be introduced and put on the floor for a vote.

Okay.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Please read the resolution.

A resolution of the common council declaring itself to be lead agency for the state environmental quality review of ordinance 53126, declaring such action to be a type one action and making it a negative declaration to as to the environmental impact of such ordinance.

Discussion.

So just to uh yes, just to execute Mr.

Bell.

Thank you.

I got just just to make sure people understand.

So for us, uh we well, we learned from last time there's several steps that we have to go through when we make uh change to uh the zoning law.

So this this is part of those process.

Uh the amendments that uh we voted on uh did go to committee.

Uh so it took me a second to remember uh uh but we have planning come in and explain the word changes uh for that and that they go to committee and uh that will be voted on our next meeting.

So we will not voting on the inclusion of exchanges at this meeting will be at the next meeting.

This is part of the process, and then it's also going to the county for approval so that when it comes to this table, we'll only have to do it once this time, uh, and and we'll move on.

Um but I wanted to make that clear because I know I didn't speak about this before.

Thank you, Mr.

Ballorin, Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Adams Anani?

Yes, Ballorin, yes, Brody, yes, Barrell, yes, Flynn, yes, Powie?

Yes, Jones, yes, Keegan, yes, Powell, yes, Robinson, yes, Williamson, yes, Zamer, yes, 13 and affirmative.

Motion passes.

Okay.

Um, Mr.

Ballorin back at you.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I asked the resolution 26 that 41 that 26 are be uh moved forward.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk, please read the resolution.

A resolution of the common council appointing Paul Collins Hackett uh as a member of the Commission on Human Rights.

Discussion, Mr.

Ballorin.

I'll be quick just like I stated before.

The committee passed uh false name out uh and uh would pass the recommendation.

We had a lot of excellent applicants.

I mean, this was really a strong pool of applicants, and we're very lucky as a city to have uh so many people willing to volunteer on these committees.

Uh so thank you to the committee for their work on this.

Thank you, Mr.

Ballorin.

Any further discussion?

Okay, Madam Clerk, please call the role.

Adams.

Yes.

Anani?

Yes, co-sponsor.

Ballorin?

Yes.

Brody, yes.

Barrel?

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Flynn.

Yes, co-sponsor.

Hoey?

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Jones.

Yes.

Keegan.

Yes.

Powell?

Yes.

Robinson.

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Williamson.

Yes, co-sponsors, please.

Zamer.

Present.

Uh 12 in the affirmative.

One presence.

Okay.

The motion passes.

Okay.

Ms.

Samur.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I notice resolution 274126R and ask for its introduction only.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

A resolution of the Common Council consenting to the appointment of Jill Delaney as a member of the Albany Convention Center Authority Board.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

That will go to planning.

Okay.

Um Mr.

Baller.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I ask that resolution 15.31 that 26R be voted on today.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk.

A resolution of the Common Council reappointing Thomas Muller as a member of the Commission on Human Rights.

Discussion, Mr.

Bower.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

So the committee met with Tom again on the 26th, and we move forward with a unanimous consent to move out with favorable recommendations.

He is the current chair of the uh human rights commission and uh nothing but good things have we had about it.

So thank you.

Further discussion.

Clerk, please call the vote.

Adams.

Yes.

Anani?

Yes, co-sponsor.

Ballorin?

Yes.

Brody?

Yes.

Farrell?

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Flynn?

Yes.

Howie?

Yes.

Jones?

Yes.

Keegan.

Yes.

Powell?

Yes.

Robinson?

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Williamson?

Yes.

Zamer.

Yes.

Third sending affirmative.

The motion passes.

Okay.

What'd you say?

Ms.

Zamer.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I notice resolution 1632 26R and ask for its introduction and passage.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

A resolution of the common council reappointing Donald Hyman to the public education and government access oversight board.

Discussion, Ms.

Zamer.

Mr.

Hyman, had we had a very lively and thorough discussion with him.

He has served in his capacity quite well.

And uh we're we're very happy that he wants to continue, and he passed out of committee with uh unanimous favorable recommendation.

So I ask for you all to support this, please.

Thank you, Ms.

Zamer.

Ums Bauer.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I also want to just address I know there's a public comment concern brought up that it went to planning versus the the Peg Access PEG ACHAC board.

Um just for full disclosure, two of the current members, it's a three-member board, uh, and three of those members were on planning last term.

Two of the current members are on planning this this term.

So uh go into planning actually gave it to them.

More members had an opportunity to uh ask the questions versus a going to an ACHA committee that consists of just two individual members at this time.

So I understand the concerns that were brought up, but I I think this was a method that allowed more members to ask back and forth questions.

Uh and Donald again uh that Mr.

Hyman has served for many years and uh has uh you know uh definitely has my support and I hope the body supports him as well.

Thank you.

Ms.

Farrell, just to slightly further um explain that during the beginning of the term, we have not yet act um authorized the peg access ad hoc committee.

It has to be reauthorized, um, which we do have as a discussion point at a future caucus to see if that's something that we want to reauthorize or if we want historically when it didn't go through the PEG access ad hoc committee, it would have gone to planning, um, which is why we assigned it to planning.

And as council member Ballorin pointed out, it does allow more members to participate in questioning people, but that's something that we can all look forward to talking about in upcoming caucus.

Mr.

Holy, yeah, thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, I did bring up some of the acquis accusations that have been late uh you know um put on uh Mr.

Hyman and the Peg Access Board, and we had a very lively discussion, and I'm very confident in his leadership, and I will be voting and supporting him, and I hope the rest of the council does too.

Thank you.

Okay, for further discussion, clerk, please.

No, no, Anani.

Yes, Ballorin, yes, co-sponsor, please.

Brody, yes.

Farrell?

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Flynn?

Yes.

Hoey?

Yes, co-sponsor, please.

Jones?

Yes, Keegan, yes.

Powell?

Yes.

Robinson?

No.

Williamson.

Yes.

Zamer, yes.

12 in the affirmative to no.

Okay, the motion passes.

11 in the affirmative to no.

Okay.

Still in the cloud.

We're still good.

Okay, with that, uh, Ms.

Farrell.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

The rest of the resolutions are held.

Okay, uh miscellaneous.

I'm finished.

Motion.

Motion to adjourn.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

All right.

I need a nap.