Thank you for joining us.

Okay.

Okay.

Yes, I did.

All right.

So here we go.

Uh Councillor Majok.

Thank you, Madam President.

I have item nine A.

Who's thinking this one?

Mary.

Mary.

Is she here?

Yeah.

She's always.

Mary.

She's talking to Ed, and I just want to figure it out.

Can we have you one minute?

Item nine eight.

I'm so sorry.

Okay.

Um this is uh you look great after your vacation, by the way.

You look great after vacation.

Thank you.

Um this is an easement for Niagara Mohawk at the airport for the um installation operation and maintenance of an underground power line for the consolidated rental facility.

Off of Eileen Hollands Boulevard.

It's our standard.

Yeah.

This this come like regularly, right, Mary?

Because I this couple times a year.

Yeah, right.

Two, three times a year.

Okay.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um and then resolutions, are those ready for Monday?

Yes.

Okay, thank you.

Uh Councillor McDonald.

And I have item eleven through fourteen.

Item eleven is a public hearing on m municipal sidewalk.

And Madam Clark, that's right.

That's the uh normal routine.

Okay, we'll we'll go to item twelve.

Um which is bonding for the same thing, right?

Right.

Um then item for feed is the it's the same thing, right?

Council.

Counselor Major.

Counselor Majouk, can I ask you a quick question?

Yeah, well, I have a question about the whole sidewalk program.

Um DPW.

Oh.

Neil Borough, if you're gonna take care of us today.

All right.

Certainly.

So my question is this.

Is there a master plan?

I've asked for this before of the sidewalk plans because I get calls at least two or three a week.

When do they do on my sidewalks?

Um people want to know.

There is a plan.

A yearly work plan, yeah.

Can we get a copy of that?

So we know what we should be in your in your agenda, but we'll plan a week.

What street chair one for this year?

Sorry, I missed it.

No, that's fine.

You get it every year.

We know you get a lot of questions.

Um, if there's a question about well into the future, we always can't answer that uh succinctly, but we do provide a list, yeah.

Okay, I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Sure.

So are you as you're pulling up the sidewalks?

And I think I'm already started working on some since the snow was that last week.

How are we doing with the trees?

Like those old trees.

So we do everything we can to work with the trees.

Um if there's a tree conflict, we immediately get with our forestry team.

They're always involved, so we won't make the call at DPW.

We're always gonna defer to our friends at parks.

It's a balance approach, you know, but if a tree has to come down, we want to make sure they evaluate it and they make the the call first.

So we don't want to dictate to them.

So we know trees are important.

We like trees too.

Uh we want to make sure our infrastructure plays nicely together.

So in other words, are we finding a lot of like sidewalks that have to replace the trees because a lot of those trees are old, right?

And um they're beautiful, they're protecting house, but they're pull that's why the sidewalks are up because of the trees.

So are we finding a lot that we're gonna have to pull down?

We find some every season, certainly.

Um we've developed a few new techniques to try and weave the trees in place and get a little creative with how we're fixing that sidewalk.

So our goal is to leave it if we can, but that's not always the case for a number of reasons.

And in a meeting with the arborist the other day, he told us that they would replace it in many in most of the cases.

We'll always defer to the arborist and their crew, but um again, we work very closely, so we're out on the site looking at those things together, um, and we're not kind of dictating to them.

You gonna say one more question?

I'm looking through your list.

There's not a lot going on on the west side.

Do you know what year you're gonna get to the west side?

So we we scatter across the city every year.

We have some carryovers from the previous year as well.

We also try to balance this uh with known work, like things from grid, you'll see a lot of grid's already out there doing replacements for sidewalks that they tore up.

So we try and balance the work so we're not overloading one spot, but we also do make sure we're in every quadrant, pretty much every neighborhood every year.

Neil, one question uh for the benefit of the people that are maybe listening.

If you are not if if there's a community that is not in the least, as as uh Donna just said, but still some people would like to to uh fix their their sidewalks, they can submit a request or no?

Uh they know you're you know, if there's a hazard like with the trees, we hear that one a lot, make sure to submit that so we can look at it with the arborist, or if you, the homeowner, you say, you know what, I really want a new sidewalk today.

I want to sell, I want the curb appeal, I want whatever.

We're not gonna stop you from doing that work either, and we'll work with you as well.

But in terms of just calling us up and saying, hey, I want a new sidewalk tomorrow, that's not the current process.

If someone replaces their sidewalk, are you gonna tear it up when you go to replace the rest on the street?

We'd love to leave it if we can.

Um sometimes that's not always possible when we do a block wide replac replacement, but if it's good and we can leave it, we will because that saves us money in the long term as well.

And I have a question for you because you know uh the question was asked, do you replace the sidewalks as people call?

But if there's an emergency situation where a sidewalk is crumbling or bulky or whatever, how does that work?

So we do have some limited ability to make an emergency type repair, but they're free to call it in.

But what a someone may assume it is an emergency for them, may not rise to that occasion for us.

We do have a limited response available, but if it truly needs to be addressed and we can do it, we will.

And again, a lot of the times we hear it, it's with the trees.

But it is a trip and fall hazard.

So, Nil, just following up on that same question.

I don't know if if you have the answer, but previously, before the sidewalk program, if someone did have the city do their sidewalk, they would put it on there, either they make the payment agreement or they put it on their taxes spread out through a few years.

But with the sidewalk program now, is that the same, or is it just I don't know, I don't know.

I'm not sure.

Um you mean, can you still do they still charge that additional fee plus the sidewalk program?

Like if you had it done previously, yes.

Yeah, there was a uh specific provision included that provided exemptions for so many years.

I think it was 10 years and then it would sunset uh for those who are.

No, no, no, no, no, not the exemption.

Not the exemption that happened right before the program.

I'm talking about prior to that.

If you if the city did your sidewalk, you could either pay for it or they would just add it on to your taxes.

But now with the sidewalk program, is that still a fee?

It is exempt.

So do you want to explain that more?

Yeah, I'm happy to defer to the law.

I think we're talking about the same thing, but um, or we can wait for the committee meeting and get into it a little more.

Yeah, we can wait, yeah.

Yeah, I'm not talking about the committee.

I'm not talking about the exemption.

The exemption doesn't exist.

The exemption was what like a year only.

No.

The exemption was proposed prior to the prior to the um sidewalk program.

Once the program went into place, the exemption no longer exists.

No, no, no.

The exemption, yeah, the exemption was for around 10 years.

Yeah, it was a sliding scale that's on the case.

But you can't get it anymore.

Yes if you got it prior.

No, that's what they last year or the year before they told us that they can't do it no more.

That they that where's um Corey?

She's not here.

Or just stepped up.

Okay.

Exemption was if I couldn't be mistaken, because there were we talked about there were situations that they could get to certain neighborhoods and people were worried about trips and all.

So if you could write up and say this is why there was an exemption still, you still could get an exemption because it's the sidewalk process.

I thought it was gonna take up to 10 years, if I'm not mistaken, Joe.

Corey last year, Corey said once the sidewalk program went into place, that was null employee.

But we can we can get the information.

So currently currently people that have are doing the sidewalk and the city is giving them credit.

No, and so we're not the old system is gone, so we're not gonna come penalize you.

I think there's a it's hard to change perception, right?

And so folks are still focused on the old program, which was we came by and you got in trouble, right?

You you have to redo your sidewalk, you're getting a big bill from the city.

That is done.

We no longer condemn you, uh condemn your walk.

We no longer make you the homeowner go out and fix the thing.

Uh we now do it as an entire planning process.

Okay, which again, that's a lot of the the calls we receive because people still have that notion of the old system where I'm gonna get in trouble.

Can you come solve my problem right now?

Or or is there a fee or or what's going on?

So if somebody decides now the sidewalk is so bad and they just go ahead and do it, would they still get billed?

Right?

They will still get a bill.

If they do it themselves, right?

I believe so, but I think we can clarify that.

I thought it was a bill.

You still get it was a lesson.

You still get taxed, right?

Yeah, because it's it's not just about the sidewalk in front of your house, it's about the city as a whole.

Right in front of parks and schools and everywhere else.

So we want to make sure everyone's paying in.

That includes nonprofits and tax extra.

So then so the right thing to do, the right thing is to do, and your sidewalk is bad, call the city, let them come look at it.

Sure.

And if it if it warrants emergency repair, then the city will would take the initiative to do it.

Yes, but it typically does not.

But we're happy to work with them and provide guidance and input, especially if you want to pull a permit or anything like that.

We're always happy to work with you.

Okay.

So one more question.

If someone trips and falls on a sidewalk in front of your house, is the homeowner responsible?

Defer to my friends in the law department.

We should probably talk about that in executive station.

Okay.

Good answer.

So at one point, so at one point, the legislation wasn't amended where um afterwards, uh, if a person did get their a homeowner, they get their sidewalk um done.

Um, that the city didn't charge them the fee for a period of time.

I'd have to go back and look.

Yeah, I know, because it was it was so common.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, we can we can go and do it, yes.

Where the tree and it now the the sidewalk is gone off, or someone can drive.

Like to fix it is an individual use.

If we repair it, does that get built to the property owner?

It doesn't.

Okay, I wanted to clarify.

Thank you.

And again, I agree.

We also defer to our friends of forest will first let them take a look and let us know.

Right.

Okay, we're gonna move on, and if there's any question, we will address it if you're gonna be able to do that.

Right, yes.

I just want to make a statement to the New York Council is that uh the municipal sidewalk program when it came into play, uh, is can you can you talk into the microphone?

Because then this but the municipal sidewalk program is part of the budget, so you would like to see it every year.

You know, um, that's why it's on the agenda now, and it's being held.

Um, it's gonna be held uh until after the budget is voted on it, and then um we run return back to it to vote on the municipal sidewalk because it is part of the budget in the after annual estimate.

So we will be advancing, thank you, Neil.

Yeah, we will be advancing item 11, but holding item 12 and 13 came okay Monday, Monday from holding and Monday.

Okay, gotcha.

So item 14 saw can be done.

I'm here on time this time.

Larry Robinson, city engineer.

This is a revocable permission for Onondaga Environmental Institute to provide, own, operate, and maintain um three air monitoring sensors at Cannon Street Community Center, Cecil Community Center, and Wilson Park Community Center.

So the equipment's gonna be provided by OEI.

Our city trades are going to install it in the community centers, and then ownership and maintenance after it's installed, we'll go back to OEI.

And and Mary, what'll happen if we determine that the air quality is poor?

I'm going to defer to Amy Samuels from OEI, who's gonna tell you about the purpose of the air monitoring sensors and how they're gonna be worked.

Also, the sensor the data has to be provided to the city and to the community.

Thank you.

Can you repeat the question?

Um here.

You know, we're putting monitoring a monitoring system in, and ideally it comes back that the air quality is good, but what happens if and when we get negative readings?

So um before you start, can you state your name?

And sure.

I'm Amy Samuels.

I'm with Anandaga Environmental Institute.

So I'm gonna give you, I'm gonna answer your question by first providing some background on the project.

So this is a community-based project.

It has multiple partners, including um upstate medical, SUNY ESF, Anondaga Environmental Institute, and Force, which is uh they operate out of the Cannon Street Community Center.

And the purpose of the project um was to essentially in our area, we have an air quality desert, an air monitoring desert.

Um so the one monitor in our region that the DEC operates is out of East Syracuse, and so we have access to regional data, but we don't have access to more local data.

Um and when you're dealing with air quality, you want, you know, we're affected by things coming from far and from near.

Um and so um this project arose out of people's concern about all of the different changing traffic problem traffic issues that are happening around I-81 and particularly impacting um environmental justice neighborhoods.

And um, so we the monitoring, the way that these the selection um process was done by the community via workshops.

So we had a workshop at the Cecil Community Center, we had a workshop at Force, we partnered with Blueprint 15 to do stuff at the community, um the new community health center building and various workshops.

And so, based upon the folks who attended the workshops and also attendees at the Onondaga Earth Core program, um we came up with the locations of these projects based upon people's concerns and priorities.

Um and so on and on to more get to your question, air quality is sometimes good and it's sometimes not.

That's just the the nature of the way things are.

Um, and so what we are trying to understand is one, what is driving those readings, right?

Because we don't, I mean, we could stay ignorant or we could know, but then there's also the public health component of it, and um uh uh we have uh Travis what Dr.

Travis Hobart from Upstate is part of the process, and so we with the monitors we're working with um a company um called Just Air, and what that does is allow people to sign up to receive air quality alerts to their phone, and you can sign up for um you know one monitor or three monitors, and so what for me as someone who has asthma, I love getting the alerts because it lets me know oh you better remember your inhaler today.

Oh, maybe you're not gonna go for a brisk walk in the middle of the day.

So it it allows people to um be responsive to the air quality that exists, and it begins to build that capacity in the community to protect you know their own health and begin to think about well, what is possible for us as a community to act on and what isn't.

So, what would be the radius of this air monitor?

Is it going to be specifically for the center or would it extend so um the monitors that's a good question?

Um we have five, we will have five monitors total.

One is currently um the core, it's um located at Almond and Adams Street, and that one's been up for about a year.

We have another monitor that is along Colvin Street near 81.

Um, and then the three at the community centers.

And so they are just collecting whatever air comes by them.

But by having these strategically located um across the community, and on both sides of 81, we get to over time, and mind you, air quality is complicated.

So to really understand what's going on, it can take five to ten years to understand the regional impacts, the local impacts and the hyperlocal impacts.

Yeah.

So the data is always available, right?

In terms of everyday data, but understanding.

So you know from what I've seen with other hyper local monitoring networks, is that sometimes you can see, oh geez, somebody comes out at 2 p.m.

every day to smoke a cigarette, and that is making the reading go up, right?

Those are our monitors are gonna be higher up, so a cigarette won't do it.

But the um, but you do see these very kind of local things can impact air quality, right?

But then, and that's why you have to sort it out based upon the regional data as well as the local data.

Um, but for somebody who um you know has um well for sensitive populations, so someone like myself who has asthma, um, children, um, seniors, and um pregnant women, it again is a tool for protecting your health.

What is the monitor saying about our hair quality?

Is it the good or bad?

Most days it's good.

Most days good, okay.

Um so but it it it does vary.

Um, and you know, where we the some of the worst quality air we've had were from the Canadian wildfires.

Um and that everybody knew something was going on.

You could feel it, you could see it in the air.

And so we we use um EPA's system called the Air Quality Index, and it's a color coded index, it's very easy to follow.

Um green, obviously, it's all good.

Yellow, maybe caution for somebody, but it's considered moderate.

Orange is when you start um thinking okay, sensitive populations really need to think about doing something.

Red, not good for anybody, and then you get the purple and the maroon, like we saw in California, people wearing those masks and you guys have to do that.

Um I can share stuff with you.

Yeah, and in fact, I'd love to what I'd love to do is email you the QR code so that you all can sign up and start following it because you know I can't, I now know from following this that I have a number, right?

In the summer, if it hits a certain number, I know that I'm not gonna feel as healthy.

And so that's the benefit of the of the following it.

Yeah.

So that's great because sorry.

Make sure we get your contact information and you can channel that.

Eric, would you or Nate?

Somebody, yeah.

Yeah.

Communicate that to them, and we should be able to have access to it once we get it.

Yeah, I'd be happy to.

And likewise, we will be holding another round of workshops to get more people signed up and also to go on to the next phase of education.

So thank you so much.

You're welcome.

I had a question I have to talk about.

Yeah, I no, I was just gonna say that you kind of said it, but when you're um trying to educate people about this, a good place always to reach out to people is at community centers because that's where a lot of our people go.

Exactly.

So going there and sharing this information with them, how they get the alerts would be great.

Totally.

And that's that's you know, it it's kind of it's not surprising that when people voted for where they wanted to, the what came up high was either near at the community center where we had the workshop or near a community center.

Um and so that's that was and it actually the sort of not surprisingly, what also guided people in their decisions was concern for children and concern for seniors, and that came out in what we saw when people chose you know their top locations.

I think it's gonna be important with the 81 project going on in the city shortly that people, especially people at risk know maybe you should wear a mask today when you go outside.

Exactly.

And all of that, once you go on the system, the beauty of the just air system is that it has links to all these other information and steps that you can take.

The 81 situation does lead into my um question because um 81 itself also has the air quality monitors, um, however, in other states, um you're able to go online and ping your location to get that information, but here they don't have that available for us.

Um however, in other states, um you're able to go online and and ping your location to get that information, but here they don't have that available for us.

So are you guys um like once you get certain readings?

If it's um something that you feel cautionary, are you contacting the DOT to find out what their readings are as well?

We have not had that level of collaboration.

So their day they as just like you said, they don't share that data.

We um they what we are sharing is what in the scientific community is called raw data.

So it is not perfect data, but it's immediate data.

They um the state has a policy of not sharing raw data because um sometimes it can be confusing.

But you know, that the feds do share the the data that goes through like our um regional monitor.

So it's just different different levels of government do different things.

Where we have coordinated with 81 is we found at our workshops people had lots of concerns about everything and had lots of questions that were about 81 that clearly we could not answer.

So we began um reserving a spot for them, and so there um generally two folks from the project would come and be available, be you know, they were given 15 or 20 minutes and be available to answer questions, and they were peppered with questions.

I'm sorry.

Um I know you probably met at the um Wilson Park Center, but are you able to do uh education um piece in the uh tool meet abbot?

Because a lot of the seniors that live in that building are highly concerned about their health and air quality.

So if you and they probably not gonna come down to the center.

So if you should of course we can.

And and we yes, yeah, they have to short answer.

They have a uh tenants, tenant union thing in there.

So you can yes, yes, we we um have been connecting with Blueprint 15 to um I don't just contact their tenant association person, because sometimes that stuff gets confusing.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Counselor, you thought you were gonna go quick, huh?

I was banking on today.

Councilor Montalford, Councillor Aaron Rick.

Thank you, President Panagwa.

Uh, Councilor Aaron Rick has item 15.

Hi, Saisha.

Good afternoon, Saiy Shabur, Commissioner Parks.

We have one item author authorizing the payments uh a variety of performance.

It says performances, but it's really like face painting, balloon guy, um, for big rig day, which will be Saturday May 16th at Burnett Park.

People love it.

Good.

Every year thanks.

Counselor Hudson.

Thanks, buddy.

I have item 16.

Good afternoon, counselors.

Uh Vinnie Scipione, Chief Information Officer.

Uh, item number 16 is uh payment to public broadcasting council of CNY.

This is for overage charges from the prior year.

They broadcast our uh you know, council sessions here, and when we normally have an allotted number of hours that we uh pre not necessarily pre-pay for, but subscribe for, and when we go over that due to additional committee meetings or other sessions, uh we have to pay fees for the airtime uh necessary.

So I'm back in 25 years.

Um it's the 25 fiscal, it's it's for the fiscal year.

Yeah, yeah, we get built.

Yeah, the overage is not built on like a monthly basis.

When we do overages, it's uh we receive an invoice for the the year of broadcasting.

Okay, correct.

Yeah, we had separate payments for the monthly fees associated with the broadcasting.

This is separate from it just for overages.

Does this happen every year?

Yes.

And we're there.

Yes.

Any questions?

No.

All right.

Uh yeah, I item 17 is uh just a technical correction uh to amend an ordinance.

Uh the end date referenced in this ordinance uh um was just inferred, it said you know, to end in three years, and there wasn't the the end date that was listed was not accurate, it should uh be May 31st, 2027.

So uh we need this update to be able to continue in our third and final year of the services for our GIS provider.

So is the money increase?

Nope, money was not increased, it's just a technical correction for the end date.

Yeah.

Any questions?

Vinny, you and I talked about um our studio team got a shout out by Edrif.

Can you we did uh uh thanks to the efforts of uh our data team members uh give Joanna Bailey a shoutout, who's our GIS administrator, she uh has um helped foster adoption throughout the city uh and we've got other departments such as uh the water department, parks uh and and more.

And as we recognized us as one of the communities that is uh, you know uh, you know, enabling and uh adopting GIS for the betterment of our operations and uh so it was just a nice recognition that we were able to get uh out of many.

I mean, they have many, uh I think it's hundreds of thousands of clients throughout the world, and this is only given out to a small number uh on a yearly basis, and we were one of them.

So thank you.

Thanks.

Councillor Hudson, are you taking 18 or yes?

Okay.

Good afternoon, Gentiles.

Director of strategic initiatives.

Thank you very much.

It's a beautiful day, it turned out to be.

Um anyhow, uh good to see you all.

So 18 is uh is a request to apply for a grant.

Um the state that so that this is through the same program we're currently working with to do some of the expansion of our um municipal broadband infrastructure.

The state has um apparently a lot of additional funding um that they want to try to spend.

Um they have a really tight deadline, so they have to um spend their funds by the end of this calendar year, so by December of 2026.

And so they've asked essentially all of their existing grantees to take a look and see if we could propose additional infrastructure investment.

Um obviously they think it's gonna be quickest for them to just work with folks that they're already working with.

Um, and so we did some really quick planning.

I'm working obviously super closely with Vinny Um Scipione and Dave Proac on this to basically identify city buildings.

So you'll see a list in the letter um here, but essentially city buildings that we can directly connect to fiber, they will become a part of the physical um uh broadband network that we're that we're owning.

Um and so that creates better redundancy and throughput for the network, but it also then has the added benefit of giving those specific facilities direct fiber-based internet connectivity.

Um and so that's really it.

It's it's really an infrastructure build.

And so obviously, if we um we still need to apply for the grant, the grants are due at the end of this month.

Um, we will come back to council to ask for permission to accept the grant agreement and get into all of the details with you all.

So um, if we do hear we're successful with getting the grant, we'll have to come back and get approval to execute.

But um, but this is just for permission to apply.

Jen, did they did they say why the money's left over?

Other municipalities just not spend it the way we did.

So they they designated a large portion of funds for this program.

Um they're actually using um federal ARPA money as well.

Um it's a different kind of ARPA than what municipalities had direct access to.

So they're um they had, I think, designated um close to a billion dollars for this program like three or four years ago.

Um I think part of it is they haven't had subscription from as many municipalities.

Um there's maybe a dozen of us, you know, statewide that um you know that decided to do this kind of a thing.

Um and so yeah, I think it's just under subscription.

So the buildings that you chose, will it brought it'll make our reach bigger?

No, so to be clear, the the facilities that we selected for this, it has no uh there's no requirement for us to serve like more residents.

Okay.

The the buildings are in the essentially the footprint that we're already serving.

Um we didn't necessarily want to take on too much additional scope in terms of um, you know, signing up thousands of more households or that kind of thing.

So we essentially are just taking uh infrastructure resiliency approach, so trying to shore up the network that we currently have versus really expand it.

Um speed would get better probably.

Correct.

Okay.

Correct.

Yeah.

They do, yeah.

They're they're continuing to improve.

We're seeing actually just in the last four weeks, um uh bit of an uptick in terms of just weekly conversion.

So we're seeing um somewhere between like 30 and 60 new signups a week, um, which is a bit more than what we've historically seen, frankly.

That's because those big companies bills keep going up.

Well, part of it is honestly that.

And and the name recognition is just getting stronger.

I mean, it definitely has been a you know, it's been a learning opportunity, right?

We we've recognized it's harder to break into a market as a new entrant.

This is not something cities normally do, right?

Um, and so it's really about name recognition and just kind of continually getting the word out there.

Um, and so hap happy to share more information about all of that.

Again, this this particular grant really doesn't have anything to do with um direct service delivery per se, but um, but again, another opportunity for us to get you know the state to help invest in our network, then that gives us the ability to do more with it in the future.

I think it being faster makes the reputation better, word of mouth alone, probably it does.

Yeah, it does.

And um the other thing I'll just say is, and we can kind of talk talk through all of this with you all as we move forward because we're gonna have to obviously make decisions about what we do longer term.

Um, but we are you know continuing to actively evaluate um you know how we change the current structure with you know the city as kind of owner of the infrastructure and possibly um you know move into more of like a leaser type of an arrangement, um which helps us, I think, for lots of reasons in the long term.

But um, but yeah, I think it's it's a good opportunity to just um invest in the in the physical network.

And Jim, based on the um direct service, I know this doesn't have anything to do with it.

Yeah, but um have we done like a push for our own departments like DPW parks department employees, like employees that you know we know are under a certain threshold um that would qualify.

Have we done pushes in those departments to get those um our own to take advantage of the uh we've done a little bit of it.

Honestly, it it's been several months since we've done internal communication sharing.

So I think we can obviously continue to do that.

I think you're right.

City staff are a great, you know, a great potential source of um of users for the service.

So we'll definitely um do that.

I'll I'll talk to the team about getting a communication out to the um to the city staff folks.

Um and we're also kind of talking about the opportunities um even in the next several weeks, which we can kind of um get you get you all more information before we do anything.

But we do have the ability even now to start offering services to small businesses and to offer different um tiers of service.

You know, we we tried to keep it very simple.

We didn't want to um get too complicated with what we were doing.

So, you know, as you all know, we still have a single tier of residential service, just a hundred over a hundred internet.

Um, but we do have the ability through our um through our contractor to actually do multiple tiers um and to create packages where we can offer um higher download packages, for example, um, that will make this more competitive, um, frankly.

And so I think we'll look to try to um test some of that to see if we get additional response when we introduce maybe a higher um tier package and or a small business package.

Um, all of those things honestly um just I think kind of help meet um the demand that we know is out there since I I don't think we're um always seeing a ton of demand for just uh 100 over 100 service.

Um that that really has become the new kind of minimum normal.

So um we're seeing other other providers in the community offer that pretty much universally.

And just to touch on the small business, um, I know I know you're ready to go, but uh on the small business part, uh just a question for myself, basically.

Um say uh uh real estate investor um want to provide service for their rental property an entire building.

Is that uh small business or is that under residential?

So we would actually treat that um totally separately, and I think we do this now just in like one or two cases.

That would be kind of considered like enterprise service.

So um, and and all of the other commercial providers have the same thing where if you're um an MDU developer or owner, you would basically go under contract for a year, multiple years, whatever, and you would pay a bulk rate basically for the entire building, and you could then offer service to your tenants as a part of their rental agreement.

Um but you would not be able to service like a any kind of a significant size MDU if you just sign up for like business service, for example, because you're gonna get a single router basically to put in your business office.

Um, and so you'd have to do something more extensive.

Um, and like I said, we we have gotten a a couple business owner like uh residential unit owners interested in that, um, but we haven't really marketed that at all.

So I do think that's another again, another opportunity for revenue from this program, but we've not really attempted to tap into it yet.

But um, but that's it's a great idea.

Is that a commitment fee?

Is that a one-time commitment fee?

This commitment fee would be one time, yeah.

More questions.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'll appreciate it.

Counselor Moore.

Thank you, madam president.

I have item 19.

Good afternoon, counselors.

Michael Layman with the Department of Assessment, Deputy Commissioner.

We are here requesting uh to accept a donation from Huber Brewer uh to the city.

It's a monument sign which will be installed and located outside of the 1153 new public safety building.

Um that will be celebrating um the officer Michael Jensen and firefighter Ethan Cunningham, and also as a means of describing the building and its location.

Awesome.

It's a nice sign.

Is it gonna be wooden or um don't you know?

Chief, do you know the composite?

Composite, okay.

That looks nice.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Counselor uh William Sormontil, who's kind of taking numbers.

I'll take it.

Thank you very much.

Um item 20 is a local law that would ban the utilization of biometric technologies in our city.

Um we live in an era where there is widespread widespread collection utilization of biometric data um by you know private entities.

And the legislation that we're putting forth is uh it mirrors legislation being developed by Senator Rachel May, um, that is at the committee level in Albany.

And essentially um, you know, what it would do is it would prevent the capture of fingerprint handprint, retina and iris scans, DNA, voice gate, and facial geometry.

Um I believe Councillor Monto and I are planning on holding a committee meeting to make sure that both you know our our colleagues and the public have more information about what we're putting forward, the rationale and kind of the concerns all around it.

Um you will notice you do not have the final language in your in your packet today.

Um it's with our attorneys for one final legal review.

Um, but we can give you all a draft copy and make sure that you have access to the final edge language when we're there.

Um but we just wanted to bring this in front of the body and let you know that you know.

So why are you talking about what are you can you give a little insight on what it is?

Because I look right to back.

What do you mean?

Like what is the whole proposal, like you're saying?

Yep.

Biometric is that's be that's big.

What is it?

Yep.

So it's taking place in public accommodation, which think about them as your stores, right?

You know, this really came to a head after that again, I'm sorry.

Uh stores.

You know, you're going shopping.

Okay.

Um, you know, we all remember the incident with Wegmans in New York City, and there's a little media hype around that.

Um, you know, they have in New York City a law which requires disclosure saying that if you're utilizing biometric technologies, you have to tell your patrons that you're doing so.

Uh the county is moving towards that level of protection for disclosure.

Um, what we're proposing is to take it that next step and say in the city you cannot do that.

And I guess kind of going into a little of the information around probably what we're gonna hear in the committee meeting, is that um you know the the algorithms that are that are written for facial rec are much better at identifying individuals properly that look like me.

You know, middle class white men uh are you know typically recognized at a very high rate.

Individuals of color, um women, our transgender and non-binary neighbors, the percent of proper identification is significantly lower amongst those groups.

And you know, what are private companies doing with this data?

Um one, you know, we remember all the conversation we had about data protection, data privacy as it relates to city and what we capture.

Uh when we start to talk about private entities when we talk about businesses, we have no insight into what they're doing, what their protections are.

Um, you know, the capture of this data leaves them vulnerable to hacking attempts.

And if you know your biometric indicators are leaked or are stolen, um, you know, you can never change the way your face looks.

And so you can't.

So when you mean by biometric indicators, are you just talking about facial recognition?

Um so facial rec is one of them.

Um gate pattern recognition, how you walk, how you move the things that you do, um, the way that your voice sounds, potentially DNA, retina and iris scans, um fingerprints, all of those things are you know what we're gonna hopefully.

So, what does that do with cameras?

And are you working with the police with this?

Yep, we have um we've had conversations with Chief Rustin to make sure that you know, from SPD's perspective that we're in a safe place.

So we'll have that language by Monday.

Um how is that?

We will imagine we'll be able to have final language for you uh shortly, like I said to kind of last legal review, but then um it has to be tabled anyway, so we have counselor.

But it can it can draw it can draw uh it can get down to your posture, the way you tilt your head if you put your hand in one pocket generally when you walk, like it's and so you know that that this law would not affect SPD, they would be it wouldn't affect them.

It's just private entities.

So wegments, for instance, there's not a wagons in the city, but if there was, they would not be able to use the technology of the city.

No, it would does affect them, but that's why I wanted to make sure because a lot of times uh SPD gets information from private intimes to figure out things that they solve, right?

A lot of times it's not coming directly from them, it's coming from a wegman's because that person went in there and did so.

So I just wanted to make sure you guys were in with them so that communication with us counselor.

I just want to add that um that if we um that maybe uh requested that it be held and um and to get with laws so the legislation can get together because like we're looking at Monday.

Um if you're gonna table it, it got to be as is.

Yep, yeah, understood.

And so we'll you know, I think a hold is probably likely if we have rushed the process.

No, I think it's a good good step away, step in the right direction to have these conversations and put some um parameters on what people can and cannot do.

But I my only thing is that we also make sure that we don't put parameters in that eventually causes and effect where they can't use something because we put something in effect that says it is not omissible or something, you know.

It's terrifying how often they misidentify someone with the technology, and 9.99 times out of ten, they're misidentifying somebody that looks like troll versus someone like me, because the technology is built on a Caucasian face.

So when a non-caucasian face is there, the technology doesn't know what to do, and suddenly they're misidentifying somebody that was never never arrested, never a criminal has never had police interaction.

But because of the way that person either walks, talks, whatever they're doing, it misidentifies them.

Absolutely.

AI is even more, so it's even deeper than that, unless y'all got something to block AI, yeah.

It's in trouble.

So we will make sure we get final language to y'all as soon as we can.

Um, but we're likely gonna hold this item on Monday.

Thank you.

Thank you all.

Can you want to continue on, Councillor Williams?

All right, moving to items 2123.

Good afternoon, counselors.

Evan loving budget director.

Item 21 is a budget transfer.

Um we are moving money uh into our demos line.

We had an unexpectedly large demo expenses here, and so this should just cover us to the end of the year.

The money is coming from uh costs we avoided in paying leases.

Yes, it was.

No, this is separate from the you're talking about the fan garage?

Yeah, this is separate from the fake garage.

So this is our regular normally they're doing houses that have had fires, things like that.

This was an unexpectedly large project for them.

Thank you.

Thank you.

22 is the advertisement of a public hearing for our annual estimate.

Um essentially our budget, and then 23 is the budget.

So 22, 23 will be held.

Okay, 23 will be held, 22 will be voted on.

Thank you, Madam President.

Uh councillor James Crash.

Thank you, Madam President.

I have item 24 through 27.

Item 24 is um the public hearing for next Monday, um, immediately following our um meeting for at one o'clock to um get some feedback on the uh transfer of funds to for CDBG year 51.

Item 25.

Did you want her to um talk on that?

Or was that now?

Hi, Counselor Smith okay, commissioner of assessment.

Um sorry.

Um two minor changes, uh, these two items looking to change uh amend ordinances 163 and 164 of 2024, just reflecting the subsequent council authorization uh physical characteristics have changed former um houses now both vacant lots.

Oh, from houses to vacant lots, yeah, and the lot sizes also tweaked slightly, right?

I'll double check.

I don't think it's a good idea.

Yeah, I think it was a little slight difference.

Yeah, and that could have been correcting an error the first time.

Um, but in each instance, yeah, uh improvements were demolished.

Okay, all right.

Any questions?

Thank you.

All right, item 27.

Good afternoon, council, Jake Dish, Deputy Commissioner of Code Enforcement Zoning.

Item number 27 is uh Mary, don't leave it out.

She's trying to it's uh so it's an encroachment uh permission request for the century club to put a uh poll sign.

I think this I don't have it in front of me.

I think it's 32 inches by 18 or 16 inches on a poll sign, it's commemorative of the history of the century club um on the James Street side out in the right-of-way.

So in the notes um from the different departments, that's why I actually married not to leave.

Um the engineering and DPW, they would like to see it move to a second location.

Um proposed locations on the on the drawing, they highlighted actually says proposed location one, proposed location two.

Is that what you're referencing?

Yeah, because they're concerned about some obstruction, visual obstruction for vehicles.

Yeah, did I I think I put a preference for an option?

I'd have to look at it.

The both located uh uh number two versus number one.

Um, but I didn't see the location.

So is that are they both on James Street?

Both locations are on street.

Okay.

All right, so I guess the concern I'd have to go look at this um counselor.

It's been a while and I got a lot going on.

Okay, but um I'm pretty sure my concern was we're planning this James Street corridor project.

Um, and the signs may need to be relocated as a result of that project.

Okay.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Uh I spoke with Bob Moore from Colton Permits last month, and as a district counselor, I did approve of this encroachment.

I needed approvement.

So it's not the it's not the not approving it, it's the approving which location.

Got it.

There's a location A and Oak Location B, and the two departments specifically said location B is going to be better um than location A.

So I just want to make sure that's the first one.

My question was we were gonna have it in front on James Street that was near the walkways, sidewalks.

Well, we can we can have the information for Monday.

Oh, for sure.

That's fine.

Okay.

Yeah, Jake and I are just talking offline.

I mean, we could approve it now with the condition that if it needs to be temporarily removed or relocated, that you would we would then come to you to revoke it and have them relocated.

How soon does that project start the excavation there?

Probably 20 28.

Oh, we just do it right now.

Like, why don't we why can't we just put it on the so you can put it in now, but they have to understand that this project they may have to relocate it with this project.

Does he know that?

Yeah, that's it.

Yeah, maybe we went asking.

Yeah, let's put that out.

Yeah, yeah, because we are uh we'll come back to that.

Yeah, I think we're gonna have to discuss the location for the case.

And then we'll discuss it with him.

Yeah, okay.

Okay.

One thing I would add is like all encroachments are revocable permissions.

So even if you approved it, uh it doesn't mean like they have to execute on it.

Um maybe between now and Monday we can we can talk to him and see what he wants to do.

If he's willing to do it, understanding that it could have to come out temporarily or permanently.

Um we can update you on that.

Does that work?

Yeah, I think we should just do it.

We should even if it needs to put it in the right spot the first time it'd be go back and forth is just a little bit more than a little bit.

Yeah, well, I don't think Mary.

Is she still here?

On the right side, then we'll have to do that.

After the work is done, if it could potentially be an okay location.

You're just saying the work would interfere with its current proposed location.

I'd have to re-look at it, but I know we're in we're in preliminary design right now, so we don't have final design, so we can't say one way or another how much it interferes, but it potentially will interfere.

That's why we should probably just do the other side of potential, right?

Okay, we'll come back.

Yeah, we're gonna have to have some further conversation on this.

Okay.

Thank you.

This is off not on the agenda, but did we take the appointment?

Are we still yes?

So the all the all the trash got cleaned up around the dumpster.

Our violation and fines from the BA remain because they didn't enclose it yet.

But the issue around it, I just got photos from our inspector uh the third time a couple days ago, it was all cleaned.

Okay, you're talking about inside.

Um we can talk, but any tenants we want them to call us to set up uh scheduled appointments.

Okay.

No, I no, I we have it.

I gave it to our inspector, but I'll I'll take it again.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

Jake, you're gonna give me that link.

Yes, I saw your email.

Sorry, I was I was at the skyline all morning, so behind on email.

What's that?

Put you on vacation.

No, it's not online.

No, no, that's not a resort, right?

Yeah, maybe always counselor Monte.

We don't need it, we have just kidding.

Counselor Monte.

Uh, thank you, President Panny Aqua.

I have item number 28.

Uh thing to repeal the local law from last September that authorized the sale of 1039 East Fiat Street.

Couldn't you have the agreements?

Negotiation, and it didn't work out.

So as it is, if it comes back, it's gonna be different than this.

So we need to repeal this.

So it didn't come to agreement, so that means you guys aren't moving forward with this.

Not in this with these details, right?

So, it's being withdrawn.

Yes.

Thank you.

Thank you, withdrawing.

No, not being withdrawn, but the sales being withdrawn, but not the item.

Exactly.

So yeah.

Um, and I'd just like to note I know it doesn't uh hold, but the the short title says rescind instead of repeal.

The same, same thing.

Okay.

Thank you.

I know we're gonna go, but can we get query real quick?

Just yeah, we got exactly a second, but we're here all day anyhow.

Oh, I think we call back in.

Really quick.

Um question about sidewalks.

Go ahead, Patrono.

Um, so last year or the year prior, we discussed the proposal that was put in place prior to the sidewalk program going into implementation about um if someone did their own sidewalk and then they got like a seven or ten year tax uh it was built into the taxes waiver or something.

Um because we brought up a couple people who had done their sidewalk last year, and then they weren't were not uh they were still being fined for it and they didn't know.

Did we put that back into play, or did we just do that on a case by case?

So it's my understanding.

Um Corey Dunham uh what do I am I deputy mayor?

Um so I did I heard the question, Counselor, so I I left to go get the letter.

So it does look like as you said in October of 24.

Um a ordinance was passed that um lot owners who obtained a sidewalk permit through a certain period of time, you know, outside of the municipal sidewalk program um would be granted an exemption.

I am finding in my email that that part portion of it happened.

Um what I'm confirming with the permit desk, which I believe is in place, but I'm confirming with them, is that it's also that if somebody applies for a permit that they're receiving information on the sidewalk program, and that also anybody who who elects to replace their permit outside of our program would get an exemption.

So I'm just confirming with the permit desk that that's that that's what's came the case.

I remember fact when you did the research, there wasn't a whole lot of people.

Yes, right, yes.

Right.

Yeah, I don't think yes, exactly to your point.

I don't think there are as many people pulling sidewalk permits as perhaps there was prior to the municipal sidewalk program, but I'm confirming with the permit desk, and as soon as I have that information, I'll reach out to the council.

I remember so anyone needing an emergency sidewalk replacement, they can go ahead and get it done, and then they get the tax uh waiver so they would get the exemption.

Yeah, exemption from the from the sidewalk fee.

But there's a process first, they have to make that first call so that you guys know and then see the process.

Yeah, they got a point.

Thank you, Corey.

Thank you, Counselor Sandy.

Thank you.

Okay, motion to go into executive session.

So discuss potential legislation.

Illegal virus.