General Services, Health and Environment Committee - Regular Meeting

Good evening everyone. Welcome to caucus. Um if I could have someone call the role. Maybe I call the roll. Sorry. Um Adams present. Anan. Valerin. Brody present. Daryl. Flynn is absent. Hoey present. Johnson Jones present. Keegan here. Lumpin present. Powell here. Robinson here. Williamson present.

And Zamer is absent. That is 12 here. And we're also joined by city clerk Chenika Jackson. Um yeah, sorry, senior assistant corporation councel Mark Mahoney, legislative director Brian Jimenez, as well as junior legislative aid Karly Johnson.

Thank you so much. We'll go through the agenda. Um, in local laws introduced, we have a local local law E of 2026 from council member Powell. Uh, local law to um discuss unlawful speed contests, sideshows, and races. That will go to public safety. Council member Pal, did you want to say anything about that?

Sure. Thank you. Um, so as I think many of you know, there's been a longtime issue on Washington EV extension in War 12 near 155 with illegal racing or drag racing. Um, it's probably gone on since I've had my license. Since I'm a Albany native, I know that that's been a problem. Um last year uh last summer we had a lot of community meetings in that neighborhood and a lot of neighbors were concerned about coming home at night. Um a lot of those pine bush neighborhoods have one way in and one way out um because of the pine bush around them and so you sort of have to travel through the area where this activity is taking place. Um, so, uh, the police were doing their best to break up this activity. I had a meeting with Chief Cox and Lee Kinland over last summer. Um, and we talked about legislation that was passed in other areas, um, to combat this issue. So, um, this is, uh, legislation similar to what they have in Suffach County and in New York City, um, to combat illegal racing. Um so this is about the seizure uh without a warrant of uh vehicles used for racing and the process um that the sort of hearing process that they would go through. Um it also would charge anybody related to the racing. So that includes people flagging for the race. Um it includes people who are betting on the race. It includes um people who are there to um participate and just view the race. um so that the police can um have some teeth in order to kind of break up the crowds that are gathering to participate in this activity. So um I just wanted to give a brief overview of

the legislation. Um thank you. I hope you all support me and in passing this important legislation for my district. Thank you very much. And we have from council member Hoey local law f of 2026. This is the establishing the office of violent prevention amending the equity agenda. Um I will note this is something that council member Robinson has talked about when it comes to actual funding. Um I'll let council member Holy talk a bit. Oh well maybe you want to just talk about it and then add a few things potentially after.

Um do you want did you want to sign a committee for the previews or did I miss it? the Oh, I I put it I I assigned it before I had her speak, but it's going to public safety.

Okay. Just want to make sure I wrote down the right thing. Thank you, President Prom. All right. Hope you have your seat belts on because this is a wild ride. Um this is a caucus, so this is a good time to really discuss things and try to uh hash things out. We will have to have a public safety meeting. I'm assuming it's going to go to public safety, but just to give a brief and I'll try to be as brief as I can, but this has been going on for over eight pretty close to six, seven years. We passed the equity agenda back around six years ago in the equity agenda, which by the way never went to committee. It was just kind of I think discharged from committee and just passed. And there was a lot of little pieces in the equity agenda that were really never kind of discussed or thought about. So things got kind of, you know, pushed through. The major portions of the equity agenda are very good and and have been working. There is a section there though about a violence prevention task force that would be the responsibility of the common council. So there was no how many people should be on the task force. there was no saying um you know how long the task force should go on for when the report would come out. What was noted though in the equity agenda was that there'd be a member from or members from the board of uh the school district um from the clergy and it would be concentrated on troubled wards in the city. I mean, it was all good thinking and, you know, kind of forward thinking, but the nuts and bolts weren't weren't put into the legislation. So, when the task force

first met, it was Sonia Frederick and Kelly Kimbro were the representatives from the public safety committee that were on this task force. And the task force was pretty much run by Brian Sheay. Brian Sheay was Mayor Sheen's um chief of staff and he also ran our campaign, I think our first campaign or second campaign. So Brian was there running the task force, you know, making sure the members were doing what what they had to do to to come out the report, come up with like events and and stuff to do and then he could provide the funding to make sure that the stuff happened. So, I know there was some basketball nights where they would have like all night basketball and bring in pizza and stuff like that. Brian was able to get us the funding. Well, after the mayor Sheen was elected the third time, um Brian got a job as supervisor down in Westchester County and left. And when um when the council approached the mayor's office and said, "Well, who's going to replace Brian?" she didn't have anybody to replace. So, the deal was worked out that look, we'll let you hire a violence prevention task force coordinator to do the work that Brian was doing with the task force. And so, we went through a hiring process. We hired um and I can't think of her name now, Raisha. um who she started in like in late May, early June and she only lasted till December because running the task force is not an easy matter and um then we one of the members of the task force stepped up, Eric Thompson said that he would like to run the task force. Um, Eric had an attendance problem and was actually asked by the city HR department to to

turn in his stuff and we ended up so we haven't had a violence prevention coordinator for over a year now. So in the meantime, the police Aubony Police Department has a violence prevention office and when uh Mayor Applers was running said that she wanted to set up an office of violence prevention and many of us who went down to Baltimore witnessed that that down in Baltimore they set up an office, a central office, not silos of violence prevention, but one central violence prevention office. So the discussion came up. I know I discussed it with leadership. I said we're legislators. We pass laws and you know we come up with regul uh recommendations but we don't administer and that was I said why don't we since the mayor is going to have an office of violence prevention excuse me why don't we turn over the task force which was always vague and the report and the coordinator back to the mayor's office. And don't forget what I started with the equity agenda that created this was done when uh Dorsy was the council member from the first first ward. So it just made a lot of sense. In the meantime, I mean this happened before the turn of before the new council started. This was this discussion was going on. So, I know now that there's other ideas that, well, we're we're giving away the money. And I talked to a couple council members today and they're like, well, you know, we're we're giving away our money. Well, number one, it's not our money, it's the

city's money, it's the taxpayers's money, and we want to see some kind of action take place, and it has to be coordinated. Do we want to have a violence prevention in the council, a violence prevention in Aubony Police Department, violence prevention in the mayor's office? It just doesn't make sense for creating these silos. And I mean, with this new administration, this is a new day for the city. This is the chance now that we can make up, you know, in the previous administration, I'm going to be honest with you, there was a lot of, you know, back and forth. Historically, I think there hadn't been a veto in this city in like over a hundred years. This council vetoed many times legislation that came out of there were not just rubber stamps, but let's this is a whole new administration, new thinking. This trip down to Baltimore really for me opened up a lot of eyes. I could see what could happen. So, you know, there's a lot of moving parts. Now, today I did get notified that somebody's been hired for this position and um I just verified not by the mayor's office and it could be the and we're going to look into it. I know I talked to um Alfredo earlier today. It could be the Omni Police Department with their violence prevention, which my feeling is that should be under the may well the police department is under the mayor, but you know that's that's here or there, but it just doesn't make sense. So, nothing's going to be done without a committee approval. Everybody will have a chance to talk about it. We can discuss it. Um, again, I'm coming over. I had a bad flu over the weekend, so I do apologize about coughing and talking, but I I think this is a a good

move, but I'm not an expert. I mean, I'm a legislator and I'm here to hear public opinion. I'm here to hear what my colleagues have to say, but we got to do something. We just can't keep saying, "Oh, let's let's let's do this or let's do that." We got to come up with a good plan. We got too many young kids killing each other. You know, I some years ago I I went there was a four-year-old shot and he was in Metropolitan Church, Jamal's church, and I went in there and I broke down in front of him. I couldn't believe the coffin there with a big bow on it, big beautiful white coffin, a little four-year-old kid in there. That's not Aubony is. And we got to do something about it. I hear it all the time from everybody here. You know, we can all have these ideas, but we got to do it coord coordinated. We've got to come up with a plan that involves the whole city, not just downtown, not just uptown. You know, I was embarrassed. I was talking to the council, well, they're going to, you know, they're going to bring up uh the rumor was that the coordinator was going to be this person whoever got hired was for the Uptown Wards. I'm saying there's no violence in the Uptown Ward. And then I actually pulled out the report that came out today and I I couldn't believe it. there is violence all over the city. You know, some of us don't have as much, but it's it moves. I mean, that's the way things are. So, I know I'm I'm carrying on um this conversation. I'm passionate about doing something about the violence. Um and you know, my only aside is and we're dealing also with the CPRB. Every day I have to open the paper and see something putting down what we're doing about the CPB. We're working our tails off. I can't tell you how many times we've been here, you know, at lunchtime trying to work out stuff. But that's what happens when you're trying to administer and try to legislate, but

that was the only option that we had at the time. So, I'm just throwing that in because when this whole thing started with the task force, we didn't have the CPRB under us. They were under the Aubony Law School. This is a recent occurrence. So we got to in my mind that's the bigger responsibility is to make sure that we have the CPB up and running and not having to worry about administering a task force to come up with ideas about violence prevention. So I'll shut up at this point and again if you have you know I know other people I see hands going up. I'll let Jimmy do the call but we will have a meeting on this and it'll be open and let's really discuss it. Thank you. Um, I uh thank you, Council Member Hoey. Um, I see Keegan Johnson, Benerin, and I know Council Member Robinson wants to speak. Um, I just I wanted to note that um there and I know that Council Member Robinson will speak to this much more articulately, but I think that there are a lot of things and a lot of ideas that happened in Baltimore um and exciting things that are happening and council members that went on the trip and maybe even those that didn't go on the trip but are inspired by the success of what's happening in Baltimore. and a desire to bring that here and that is bigger than just this position and so the discussion um I think a lot of it is a lot more about the funding attached to that position than the position itself to ensure that there's support needed because the success in Baltimore is not just one position it's a lot of positions so that's I think a lot of what we're talking about here it's not necessarily

I think where it lands is an important discussion point that we will get into in depth, but one of the things I've asked council member Hoey and the administration is that I think that we need a broader discussion like a broader public discussion about the experience in Baltimore, what's happening like the experience of legislators going to Baltimore, the ideas that they have because I also think that having that discussion at a committee meeting in public. It's important for the public to hear what happened. It's important to for the public to hear some of the ideas that council members have that they're looking to do legislation on because it does take time to build legislation. Um, but it's also the funding attached that we might that it's a valid point to consider that for the future. So, Council Member Keegan, then Council Member Johnson.

Yeah. I mean, for for me, I I love the idea and the concept of having a formal office for violence prevention and the the coordination of violence prevention activities between the council, the administration, and all of our city departments that are are working in various capacities to engage the community in positive pro-social activity versus some of the things that we're seeing. I think my concern as as chair of the finance committee is that when we're talking about establishing an office of violence prevention, it it's not going to run the way we see these activities run in other municipalities on just one position. So when we're doing legislation and we are claiming that it doesn't have a fiscal impact, I think that's a bit disingenuous. And and for me, just as feedback to you as we're having this conversation, what I want to see is a much more flushed out plan of where we anticipate or what we anticipate this office potentially looking like and what the fiscal impact is going to be, not just this year, but five years from now as as that office gets flushed out. and how we anticipate tapping into revenue sources to offset those costs because as we all know the city is running on on what it can run on now. So we're either going to have to look to make cuts in other departments to fill out this particular office or we're going to need to find revenue streams to support that that don't currently exist and aren't currently coming into the city. So that's just in in looking at this. I love this, but I also want to make sure that we can pay for this. And and that's the one thing that I would ask that we

really be thoughtful about because otherwise I think we're overpromising and underdelivering to the public and I don't want to do that particularly on this issue. Thank you. I'mma just get straight to the point. Um, yes, violence is spreading throughout the city, but it's different. The violence that um is experienced in the lower wards is totally different than the um you know, speck here and a speck there that happen in other wards. One of the problems that I have is people voice their concern. People from the lower wards and decisions are being made by people that don't have the same experience, don't have um constituents that are constantly living in these situations. And I just think that um because the CPB and I I brought that um we we there's some answers that haven't been answered and I hope that um someone did some homework to the question that I presented because these are things that are feeding into um us being able to or have to open up the newspaper and and um see these articles. this is, you know, um what is happening and um real time in here is affecting our communities. And so when decisions are made without being without the conversation going through the full council, you're going to have people that are going to be upset. I don't know a a a group of people that are willing to give up money. Um although um things are happening in um Baltimore, we're Albany, New York and uh we gave um the position two people um try um I think that um the equity agenda is been used

in the um when it's best for um people. People bring up the equity agenda and they poke holes at it to um support their point. the equity agenda was created is because it wasn't equity in the city and it still isn't equity in the city. And every time it's a conversation about inner city, all I hear is, "Oh, we got to get it right." And we and the only way we going to get it right is when you start listening to people that come from those areas because we know something. I'm here for a reason. I'm here for a reason. And you know, I I say I use myself as a first person ex expert. My brother got shot nine times by two people. So when so when we talking about this stuff, you don't know what goes through my And I'm not just talking to you, um Tom. I'm talking to everyone. People don't know um um my experiences when I talk about parks and wreck. People don't know my experiences because I worked for park parks and w I was one of the only council people of the last two terms that worked for the city of Auburn. So So I bring a wisdom, I bring an understanding, I bring a knowledge set that some people should hear me out. And on this point right here, there's no way that I would support that money um going to the mayor's office. I'm in full support of the mayor. we you know um but we have a job to do and what I hear a lot of times coming from our body is is tough you know difficult conversations I never we we shouldn't shy away from that because that's what we've been elected to do and you know um I don't feel no difference in something that happens in the south end than I do and something happened in the 15th word because it's Albany because it's humans just like I didn't

feel any difference in um signing on to the Israel u call for peace or the Palestinian call for peace because I really stand in in in harmony with peace and it's not one-sided but a lot of times I leave here feeling like it's a one-sided conversation and as far as violence we need at the the the level of violence that Albany is um dealing with we need a violence protector or we We need violence um thinking in the county. We need it in the sheriff's in the APD. We need it in every entity right now because one of us going to get it right. You know, just having one approach to something is not the most effective approach and the money is in our um possession. Um, we have people that are um um um passionate, feel passionate about this because like I said, February 13th, 1993 changed my life forever and and and you when I came home to Albany, I had no um and I had no intentions on being a councilman, but you know um there's a there was a call, there was a need, and you know, I just don't speak up to go against people. I listen to my community and and and my community is sick and tired of, you know, gun play. Um people pulling guns out, using them and not using them because that's another um thing that happens. People pull those guns out. There's no police reported out. It's a lot of gun activity in the city of Albany. We need to have as many violence um um um protection programs going on as possible because our numbers aren't going down, they're going up. And

and I just would feel um better if the conversations, decisions aren't made at the table without us being a part of that decision. I I need to um be a part of those decisions because when y'all make decisions, I get phone calls and I can't answer a a a question to something that I wasn't part of. But as a council, you know, um when whenever part of the group makes a decision, all of us um have to uh carry the weight of it. And I and and again, I'm 100 100% against us giving up that position at this time. Now, if the mayor's office creates something that that that says, "Hey, we may not then that we'll get at that. I I consider that at that fork in the road." But, um, you know, right now we have to do what what we're um assigned to do so we don't rely heavily on the mayor's office. we don't overburden her because um she's trying to address many things and it's just one it's one corner office. So I I I would say that I hope that um people will be open to um the feelings of the members that that violence is is is um it seems like it's an everyday occurrence and and um and understand that we have a job to um be loud and and be um voiceful to make sure that we just don't make a knee-jerk reaction and and um and give away something that um with all 15 people in here, uh we should be able to come up with a um a a a approach to uh make sure that the money isn't being

wasted to make sure that um productive um approaches are are um touched on. So, thank you.

Uh thank you, President B. Uh so two things I just want to um clear clear the clear clear the air as much as I can on on the issue and I appreciate the call from councilman ho this afternoon uh actually this morning um and um I did reach out to the uh mayor office. I did uh I was able to get to speak to somebody afterwards and they did confirm that no one has made any moves on this position that we're talking about. um and that they respect our process to get to get through local law act. Um so that I just want to make sure clear to air with that if there's any information people are hearing the administration has made no action on this position. There are other positions in the police department like the council member Hoy said that have already been filled uh that the person actually went to Baltimore with us. Um, so that position is longstanding, does not affect what we have in front of us today. Uh, so he's going to make sure I clear the air with that. So there's no concern that there's any type of, you know, trying to pull the rule over this body. Um, that's not what's occurring. I also want to make clear that this is something that we will discuss and we will go back and forth and that's good, you know, and that's good government. I do hope we can find some type of compromise on this. Um, and it might mean adding more language or any more uh resources or making some making some compromises elsewhere uh to make it work. But I do think the one thing that I can say I got out of the Baltimore experience was that it's multi-layered

and it's intertwined. Meaning you have people who people saw at the schools were people that people then saw at the streets. um you had people that were working, excuse me, you know, at events or at hat spots were the same people that were working at dismissal and walking kids to classes. So, I'm saying that because I understand the limited resources that we all work with uh and how we all try to maximize what resources we have any kind of authority over. Uh and I say that uh not just with us and the administration. I say that with us and the school district. I say that with us and the county. I say that with us and and the state. uh every entity has their own resources and everyone is trying to maximize what they have uh with their vision. Um I think we need to look at how can we bring as many resources as we can together to maximize the output at our residents. So I'm not going to take any more time. I look forward to these discussions. Um, I know they're going to be passionate, uh, and I know they're going to be a bit intense and that's okay. Um, I think this issue affects everybody and it affects uh, Son of I agree 100% with Council Member Johnson. uh it affects many of our communities much more intensely uh much more personal uh and much more um direct. So um you

know it's going to committee and uh we will have good conversations on it. Thank you. Um, and just to reiterate, we did confirm that that violence prevention position is the position that's going to the police department. It's not the position that we're talking about. So, that hired position is is something that the mayor would have been able to hire regardless. Uh, Council Member Nan. And then if nobody, Council Member Adams, would you Okay. And then uh council member N.

Yeah, thank you. Um, you know, I've I've been the council for about 8 years and you know, when this position was created, um, I had some push back particularly, um, you know, when I worked in the state, it's just more so giving the council a position that you could only hire someone for 53,000 to 76,000. and essentially looked at it as an unfunded mandate because when this individual come up with a recommendation, you need money to execute the ideas and the programs that they have. The mayor's office have all the resources particularly when it comes to how we're spending money to pre um as going towards violence prevention. So, for me, it comes down to money. Um the council has a $1.4 $4 million budget. Um, and some of it goes to council members, some of it goes to our staff, but particularly when it comes to addressing violence in our city, you need more than $53,000. You need more money than that. And I think that the mayor is currently in a position where uh to attract not just public dollars, but also private sector dollars. The council cannot get no private sector dollars. Um, it just hasn't happened. I don't believe that one person could solve all of the city violence. I think it needs to be a coordinated effort. Um, and that's why I'm in support of this legislation. I know there are some council members that said that they want to be part of the conversation. Um, I urge all my colleagues, again, this is going to the public safety committee. Committees is where you also could express uh your support or opposition. So again, it's going to public safety committee for further discussion. there's no decision that has been made. Uh but again, it

comes down to funding and I don't believe that one person in the county council's uh staffer could really make a dent on the public safety concern that we're seeing all across our city. So again, I will be supporting this legislation. Uh it was go to the public safety for further discussion. uh and you know the violence prevention task force it was run by the mayor's office for the past two year two years there was uh Brian Sheay that was running it and when he left there was nobody on the council particularly that were working with the violence prevention task force to get some of the goals that we would like to see accomplished. So again I see this as a no-brainer. I think if you really want to put a dent on a public safety concern, we need all the resources public and private to address it. Thank you.

Yeah. Thank you, uh, President Promp. Something I I I would like to call for an executive session for a personnel matter. If somebody would second it, I'd really appreciate it. We got a second. All those in favor? Right. Um I wait but we have to we need

I just like to thank everybody for their dialogue and everybody for their passion. Um Tom, it's apples and oranges. you stated that we have so much on our plate with the CPR with with the um CBR um B money I mean um task force that we don't have time to deal with the violence prevention task force that's applicant you know we legislators we can't put one issue that's affecting a constituency down because we have to deal with another one we have to deal with both of on a parallel on a parallel field. So, you know, that conversation doesn't hold merit. Um, I definitely agree with the finance here about it all boils down to the money, the financing part. I am in total agreement to moving the task force into the mayor's office because I see her vision and I understand her vision and I know that she can move the task force along along where we don't have to worry about uh people showing up to the meetings uh have a quorum. She she she's she's she she's ready for that. That's something that she can do. Okay. But as far as the little 55,000 to 79,000 that's already in our operational budget. Okay. There's legislation coming through, right? That wasn't acted on upon during the last administration, during the last council. Okay? It's being drafted right now. It's not going to go out to public until it goes to the public safety

committee. will go to every council member to every council member build this legislation together because this legislation about the teenage violence and the shooting that's going on, we need the input of all 15 members. I just left a response shooting today, two days in a row, right? On March 11th, there was a shooting, right, involving a 14 years old. Then turn around, there was another shooting. No, these shoot, but this it was another shooting the next day, right? The first shooting for the 14 14 year old assisted in Councilman um Lump Ward. The next shooting assisted in Councilman um um um um um uh what's um Ralin's ward. Okay. 14 years old. Okay. So, the passion that Councilman Johnson is saying that something has to be done. We are legislators. I'm I'm I'm all for moving the task force over there, right? But we have to take the funding that we and like Councilman Anami said, you know, we can't, you know, come up with legislation that doesn't have some type of finance to back it. Okay. The legislation that's coming forward is only going to be a pilot program. is only going to be implemented during the summer during non-school hours, right? We're looking for people, you've been to Baltimore, we're looking for people that live in them zones where you have them high um um balance um um um shootings and everything else. 15 years old and under, it's not the legislation that's coming forward is not 16 and 17. It's 15 and under. And I am also working on legislation on the county level as far as parental responsibility.

That's after the teenagers become involved in the system. But right now on the local level, we're trying to save them voluntarily. We trying to get inside the homes just by having contact with them after hours because there should be nobody 15 years old in the streets at 2:00 in the morning. So, we have to have people there that first of all may know the parents, may know the child because they probably worked on with the child during the school year. Okay? Every child has a telephone. Call your parents. Let's make sure that she knows. So, if the parents working the 500,000 that was ghost money, okay, that's supposed to be for the late night programs or where the assistance, you know what I'm saying? Now, it's a shock to me. That is ghost money because I because again with what um um um the finance chair said if if Dorsy have to chase that 500,000 she have to chase that 500,000. But why take the little bit of money that we have out of our budget that can be some type of seed money for something that we as a council can agree on to attack this balances this summer because it's getting hot. You know, we have to be proactive. We have to stand up. We have to say that we're not going to tolerate this. We can't just continue to wait for it to happen and then just go to the sh responses, go to the hospital. At least we can say we made a concertive effort to try to get into these homes and find out what's causing this behavior of our children. And it doesn't have to be an oral award. Let's just follow the red dots. Let's just follow the red dots. So again, I'm not I'm in total agreement to moving the balance task force to the mayor's office. My only concern is we have to keep that money in the council budget because once we give them that money, we're not going to get it back. We're not going to get it back. You have

four new council members for low wars, man. Let's give us a chance to brainstorm. Give us a chance to sit at the table and say, you know what I'm saying? What is your constituents thinking? We're, you know what I'm saying? We're planning we're planning um um um um um um town halls and all these lower wars. We're not just going to produce this legislation and just pass it out without the community's input because this is some very very um I mean it's it's going to be controversial legislation even down to the words of the word curfew. But if you don't use the word curfew, it's going to be just like that 17-year-old who got caught with that 9 millimeter with the Uzi clip who let go who who the of course let go with the next day with an ankle bracelet. So he's back up in the house on Clinton Avenue telling his friends, "Oh, I'm ain't no repercussions. I got caught with a gun with a nine clip and I'm out here to get another nine clip." We had to be I mean we had to be stern. We had to be fair. We had to be firm. But we have to address this head on. Excuse my language because if we sit back and we passive and pattern, it's it's not going to work. We have to it's 11 o'clock at night. Do you know where your kids are? I grew up off that on my on it used to come on the TV. We need to get to the radio station to the TV. We need to let them know that the city of Aubby is not going to tolerate this. We want to save our youth. You know what I'm saying? But if our youth continue to go down that track down is on the county level and we still going to give them a chance because we need the parents to be involved. We need to know, you know what I'm saying, the structure of the household. Is it single parent? Is it multif parents? If they working, if they if they receiving public assistance, what's the health care? It's it's just so there's a lot of moving parts. There's a lot of moving parts. So, for somebody to say this, come out and say they support this without hearing it out, that's like that's ridiculous. That's ludicrous. You know, you just can't support something on his face.

We have to dig. We have to dig. We have to dig. We have to listen to every council person that's affected for students violence and their wars because like Councilman Johnson said, they got to go back to their communities and they got to hear from their constituents. So, let's let's do these town halls. Let's get down there. Come on down when I have mine at the center. Come on down when Councilman Williamson has it on Delaware. you know, and you telling why you want this to move over and why you want the funding and everything else and you taking everything out of the council that can give a seed money to move this this this this this pilot program forward. So therefore, the chair have to worry about finding this money year and year and year because it's only a pilot program. If we can't make it work from the 57, the 72, whatever's in our B budget, then it don't work. But at the same time, we can we can we can we can we can find partnerships that can buy into it. We can go to the school district. We can go to the county or under that balance. They have some anti-bullying grants over there and see can we have them buy into what's going on because it's going to be a long hot summer, you know, and we want and we want to be proactive. We don't want to wait till it happen again. You know, 14 years old is getting younger and younger. You know, when a corporate counselor called me, yo, counselor, you seven? No, no, not 17 and under. 15 and under. Let's make it where, you know what I'm saying? Because we have to break it down to age groups because 16 to 17 years old is going to be very challenging. Hopefully, we can have conversations with them to have conversations with the 15, 14, and 13 years old. But we have to have people that's from these impacted communities on the ground working and a lot of them work not woring about the pay, but they do need some type of seed money. They need

something. Okay. So, I mean, and what do we get paid? We get paid $30,000 a year. That's gas money. So, we can't say that we sitting here doing this for a livelihood. We all got to work some other type of job. You know what I'm saying? to make our ends meet. I I don't I don't believe not one person on council is living off, you know, what they get for this um for um for for their public service. They do it because they have a passion. They do it because they believe in their community and they believe that, you know what I'm saying? They could they are a voice for the voiceless. They was voted to do a they was voted in the office to do a job and they sitting here and they're going to do the job to the best of their ability. And again, I agree with councilman. When leadership makes decisions, please bring it to the full body because everything calls for discussion. So it won't be though. Oh sh What happened? Why? Just like at the last minute we allowed the um uh uh address of uh public comment. I've been in public service over a decade. Ain't never in county in city. I'm not trying to be here at 2 o'clock in the morning before we and and hot but in hot button topics before we even get to our agenda. Oh my god. I just and even that even even even that issue I think we should you know what I'm saying call for a vote on that and this this instead of implementing that into you know what I'm saying our our daily agenda because it's opened up a can of worms but not but but not to digress you know I am all for moving the legislation out of out of out of out of council to allow the task force to go under the mayor's leadership but that

funding that we have in our budget we ain't getting to 500 000. Thank you.

If I may be allowed to add, for um a long time, the city had one gang prevention worker. His name was Ronald Cook Bear and he was effective. He took that position and he ran with it. And you know um people um asked why is why once Ron Cook Barrett left the um and and you know at at some point they brought me in and I worked alongside him and you know at first I had a you know it's a white guy you know many um questions that I had but once I got in there and I saw the u connections and the relationships that he had and you know um it was phenomenal. So when we look at it and say it's only one person and there's no funding, if you get the right person in there, their passion creates a lot of things. And and I and once again, I'm going to say something. If it's, you know, when we build it, they'll come. If we build something that's effective, the the money will come. Because at the end of the day, many people want a safer Albany. Many people want their kids to be able to move out through throughout the city without some of the things that these kids have to face like with what with what what kids have to face today. If you not in tune with them, you'll never know what's what's on their plate. And I just want to say we have had tremendous success with with a one-person approach. Long as it's the right person. Thank you. So to I think move forward on this topic um first and foremost the town halls please make sure if you're able to share those dates so that you know I know a lot of us would like to go to support and be part of them. So um I think

they're wonderful and I I just make sure that you share them so that we can attend. um and also share them out as as we can. But it might be a good idea for the public safety committee to have a discussion about like a broader discussion about violence and violence prevention. Um and sounds like it needs to be bigger than just what happened in Baltimore. I think that that can inform it, but it just it does seem like that would be a really good idea. And if I could have I want to make sure if we have a show of hands of members that are not on the public safety committee that we'd definitely like to be there so we can make sure staff that is you know if you're not and even if you are on the public safety committee it's probably easier just raise your hand if you want to be there but um but so we can make sure that staff is notice noting who wants to be there so that we can it it likely would be something a full council would do, but sometimes it doesn't always work. But um or put everybody put your hands up high so that Carly can note it down.

Um and then I think that's basically everybody. Okay. So, we'll just see what we can do with that. It might be something that uh maybe we can do that on another Wednesday caucus night. Um and we can check in with the mayor's office. Um, I think if there is anybody that, and I'm council member Robinson, I think you would be a good person, but if there's any council members that have ideas on people that they think should be there, aside from reaching out to the mayor's office, um, and obviously APD, um, please let staff know and we'll see what we can do.

Jim, I'd suggest that we have more than one meeting. this this is going to be I think we should have in my own mind four or five meetings about this topic and that we're going to fully explore but I think the first couple will be definitely heavy duty. Thank you

again. Again, Tom, I'm I'm not against moving the task force into the mayor's office. Let's be, you know, I just want to make that known. I believe that the mayor's office have a vision and I believe that the task force would do well under her administration. My conversation is the funding that's attached to that piece of legis. And we also get to appoint people to the task force in the current legislation three and then they appoint four. So it'll be a sevenperson task force. I also suggested when we did before we had working groups so we didn't have to um worry about open meeting laws and stuff where we could split up some of the topics and have people work independently. You can do it by Zoom just to make things more easy. So I mean Mark I I got to say what a what a passionate you know you should run for president. I mean really

again Tom is not the task force. let her handle that. Like you said, we we we too busy doing something else. We got something more important under our belt. So the task force let her put the people that she feel that she have in play in the push positions that's going to have a quorum that's going to be at the meetings that's going to be that's that's I'm just saying what we're as long as we have that that money in our budget even if we don't utilize it for a position for someone who would be not a silo because everybody would report to the mayor's office but still We're have I'm saying we as a council we can't just without dialogue I I think that is is you know the money's is you know we have it in our budget if if if we move the monies over we're not going to get it back in our budget. Um, and I think that we can start with having a meeting um, at a caucus that I still think it would make the most sense for it to be a public safety committee meeting that starts after caucus. Um, but we can go from there to see additional meetings, things like that. I think that that that discussion will kind of lead itself to next steps for that specific process. Um, and I I would agree. I think council member Johnson said we need every possible thing out there. So I think it's great that there are are town halls happening. I think as many ways that we can look at this um to help as possible is great. So I really appreciate everybody's thoughts and passion about it because that's what makes things happen ultimately. Um so that will go to public safety because I don't think I noticed that. um and

resolutions introduced. Oh, sure. Sure. Yeah.

I love the idea of a series of these. We had one last summer in six w county crime victims, we had the chief of police, we had neighborhood representation. Um we had all manner of different people speak. Um, I think the lesson at least we learned from from that specific opportunity to to bring people together was as much structure and as uh defined an agenda as possible um helps facilitate people feeling like they're getting something out of it. They're not just going to a session to to vent. And I think we know what the problems are. We get the data. We have the lived experience. we need to do better. Um, and I think one of the things we still are struggling with is understanding the data that needs to inform this and the relationships with non city people. So the school district, the county, including both mental health, you know, and the health side, DCFS, and all of the prevention and raise the age funding that they have and spend tens of millions of dollars every year, uh the sheriff who actively patrols in the city of Albany now as well. Um I think taking this on as a city specific problem is actually narrowing our focus way too early in the process. And there are people who get a lot of taxpayer funding who have similar responsibilities and we need to not just coordinate with not just ask to come to the table and like give a report out but actually take some accountability in helping us collaboratively solve these problems. And I don't you know the the mayor and the county executive or the previous mayor and the county executive I know

that was not a there's no love lost there. Um my hope is that we are moving forward for the benefit of everybody who lives in the city and the county. Um but I would just urge that the whatever the public forums are, whether they're meetings of the public safety committee, which I'm very much looking forward to because I think it's incredibly important, but I don't think it can just be putting the mayor on the hot spot. It's got to be it's got to involve all levels of law enforcement. And in Albany, that includes state police, the sheriff, and the city APD. And it includes all of the other folks who have responsibilities to either prevent or intervene in the social determinance of violence, the aftermath of violence, and the prevention of violence. So, I'm happy to take on any of those roles, having worked in those, you know, with those departments directly at the county level. Um, I just I don't want us to think this is a city problem only to solve. We need more help than we've been able to.

I think that that makes a lot of sense. I I will say with this first meeting um I think there's potential for growth in different directions to kind of make the decisions on what following meetings could look like, where the who's invited, things like that. Um because council member Brody, you're right. There's a lot of different group agencies and groups that are involved in public safety and they don't all coordinate. Um, and there's a lot of different supports that are out there that um are not under control of the city and that can be very problematic. Um, but they do support people within the city. Um, but I maybe we can start things focused on the city and then grow from there to see exactly what makes the most sense so that we can kind of move things forward. And also just not for nothing, it's probably easier to get just city people quicker to a meeting and then we can go from there. Um, thank you. We will keep moving through the uh through the agenda. Ordinances are all held, resolutions introduced. Um we have council member Zamer appointing um reappointing Donald to the PEG board. Um that will go to the PEG board, but this does highlight that we do need uh one more person, although we could have more than one too, that would be willing to serve on the PEG board. Uh currently it's council member Zamer. Are you still willing, council member Balon, to serve on the PEG? Is there anybody else that would be willing to serve on the council PEG? You're not actually serving on the PEG

board itself. You're just on the council ad hoc committee for it. Not this is the council ad hoc committee, not the not the so he would have to be a council member. Um but I did see council member Anan's hand and so thank you very much. Um so that will go to the council peg ad hoc committee. Um, Council Member Adams, resolution 17326R, uh, resolution of the common council declaring city of Albany to be a lead agency for a secret review for ordinance and declaring it an unlisted action. Uh, council member Adams, do you want to speak on this or it might be something that we need Martha to speak on? So this is an unlicit action under Seeker and uh therefore the council would declare a lead agency and the resolution says that there's a negative declaration in that there wouldn't be a negative impact on the environment by changing the zoning of from land conservation to mixed use commun mixed use input edge. to clarify for um those council members that were at the planning meeting or um listening in. Again, this is just a another confirmation of the legislation to change the zoning inside of Lincoln Park of the Sunshine School um to the uh from the land, excuse me, uh to the MEC um zoning uh from the um land conservation uh title. So, this is just uh letting

people know that environmental studies um good, no issues, no um impacts to the environment or the surrounding area. So um hopefully when it comes to that side of things, people feel a lot more comfortable. That's something that we will be voting. Council member Powell,

thank you. I just wanted to mention that I wasn't able to come to committee. I actually wanted to come down on Monday um to be present, but I wasn't able to. And I tried to view the meeting on my phone and on my computer and I couldn't get the sound to work. I don't know if it was working in general. I just wanted to say that because I really wanted to listen to the conversation but it it was not happening and I see kind of others nodding. So maybe there's something with our sound here.

Yeah, I I can speak on that. Um we the city is switching over IT networks for greater security. Uh we have been we were kind of grandfathered in but that's been that's going to be disappearing very soon. Um I sent an email about the the same email I sent about the COA employees the COA employees managed is is the same reason why we've been having a couple of tech issues. Um, tomorrow morning we're going to be trying to resolve them with it. Uh, and then I believe we'll be having a tech coming or we'll have a new PC um, next week which should hopefully resolve some of these issues. But it is an active we we are aware of the situation. We're actively working to resolve it. That's one of the reasons why Brian is there because he's had to kind of get creative with things and his personal computer. So, thank you, Brian, for that. Um, next, and and just a note for any council members that are not aware of Review, when you hear that it's a negative ruling, that sounds like it's bad, but that actually is a good thing. It means that there's no negative impacts on the environment, which Martha did say, but it gets confusing. I every time I hear that, I think, oh, that's bad. And it's actually a good thing. Um, next we have council member Lumpkins resolution 18326R, a resolution of the common council commemorating the centennial black history observance and celebrating the 91st anniversary of the NAACP Albany branch. Would you like to say anything on it, Council Member Lumpin? Not at this time, but I'm putting together a statement I'm going to make at the time that is uh appropriate.

Excellent. And I'm guessing this is something that all members will want to be co-sponsors for. If I could get a show of hands. Yes. So, we'll note that as um all sponsor will be voting on that at that meeting. And next we have council member Hol's resolution 19326R, a resolution of the common council approving a transfer of budgeted funds and a change in the authorized positions included in the 2026 budget which will affect the salary rate or salary total.

Well, that's the part that so what we're originally talking about and I I messed up but this is what people are concerned about. So you know that's what I Yes. So this is the finance that will go to the finance committee. This is the finance portion of that. Um, I would recommend, I mean, I think it's something that we'll have a broader conversation with the administration on, but Council Member Keegan, I would perhaps hold to move this until the other one is moved through public safety,

particularly after this evening's discussions. That is going to be my plan. So, you know, and and I'm happy to coordinate time to make public safety meetings to talk about the other piece of legislation in tandem to the best of my ability to be physically present for those so that this can run as smoothly as possible. Um, but I I don't feel it would be appropriate to move that at this time until further discussion. Great. So, that will go to finance, but um we will be holding on that. And it could also be something that should council members think it's appropriate, maybe it's something that we have after we go through a process and we've discussed things might might even do them on the same evening, something like that. Um, in resolutions held, council member Zamer's resolution 143126R um that passed through the planning committee on the 9th. So, we'll be voting on that.

Go ahead.

I just wanted to uh to add on to um the two pieces of legislation, right? uh by no means possible that I want to hold up the first piece of legislation because I know the mayor's office is want to hit the ground running with this um task force and if we can release it out of the committee with a positive recommendation maybe she can um begin to find resources to actually staff up the particip positions that she want to fill within that um that violence coordinator committee. So, you know, I just wanted to make sure that I don't want to hold up, you know, any legislation dealing with moving the task force to the mayor's office.

So, that's something that and and we can absolutely do that. So, Council Member Keegan can hold on moving the finance piece, but Council Member Hoy wants to move forward with that, we can do that. And I I think we'll still move forward with um our next available Wednesday caucus. I'm not I'll have to connect with the staff to see when that can be. But um just quickly just because the next Wednesday caucus is actually was scheduled for April 1st, which is Passover, but we are have three weeks into our next one. So we could do the 25th which is two weeks from today if like I'll send you guys out all the scheduling reminders tomorrow with for like the broad conversation as well as these pieces of legislation that can be discussed touch base but I just want to inform you that we don't have that.

Thank you very much for that because yes we do not want to have a council meeting on a major religious holiday. Um so why don't we plan on having caucus for the on the 25th? What I would really like if you could just touch base with send an email out tomorrow. Any council member that is unable because this is not a meeting that's on our schedule necessarily. Um please check your schedule. If you're not able to attend a caucus public safety committee on the 25th, please um let staff know as soon as possible. Council member Keegan. And I I just wanted to note one of my thoughts, Council Member Hoey, is that maybe we um and this is also perhaps a discussion for leadership with respect to the transfer of funds bill for the violence prevention coordinator that that may be the opportunity that we have to have them give us a more fully fleshed out finance concept. Um because I do I do hear Council Member Robinson's concerns, too. I mean, it does make sense that we might have a position in the council body that is there to also support um our work on on that effort and the conversations that we need to have at at the community level. So I think perhaps we this is one of those cases where we may ask them to provide significantly more information in the legislative intent memo as to where where this whole process is going from their point of view um so that we have a better idea and understanding of how those funds are really going to be utilized if if we should give them up.

That is an excellent point. So, we could potentially have a committee meeting on it without necessarily planning on passing it through, but to have broader discussion. I do think if we're going to schedule that meeting that that they should be sending us that perspectus in advance. You know, I don't want to schedule it without having those materials, which to me would be a discussion we'd we'd have in leadership.

Agreed. And um yeah, and I I think that there might be council members that we want to make sure are able to attend that as well. So, it it might be a good idea to if we do move in that direction um to look at a Wednesday for that as well that more council members can attend and be part of that conversation because we if we're having a broader look at those finances, um I think that that's something that a lot of council members want to talk about where that where is that $500,000? What does it look like? Is there anything there for it or are the funds that is in the council line is that the main funding for it? Um, in which case we do have to be very careful of the choices that we make with that. So, thank you for that because that is an excellent point and it is something a discussion that we should definitely be having. Council member Brody,

sorry. We're talking about having a meeting on the evening of the 25th specifically to talk about public safety. That's not on the calendar, right? No, not the this because it's just it's not introduced till Monday. So, we really can't have it. I just want to make sure I've got my Sure. ordered here. Yeah. What we're considering doing is having a caucus. So, we are unable to have a caucus on April 1st because that is Passover. Um, that wasn't that was never understood. Right.

Correct. Because because of Passover, but in order to keep this conversation moving to Council Member Robinson's point, things are heating up already and it's not something that we should delay with. So the next instead of doing, you know, if if it just so happened that the month fell differently, we would have had a caucus on the 25th. Okay.

Um or on that Wednesday, I should say. Um so just that's why I'm flagging it because it's not something that's in council members schedules currently and it would be good for everybody to look because we our evenings fill up quickly. So there's an excellent chance that someone's not able to attend. Council member Johnson. Thank you. Um I wanted to talk about two different um issues. Um one is the uh school bus uh cameras. We have two schools that have no students in it but the lights are flashing outside those schools and if you travel up there some people driving fast and some people driving slow. Um I don't understand um the need for um the lights to be on. Um the one school is on Western A and I believe the second school is on uh Central A and um I believe both of those schools are closed down and so but when I ride by them that those lights are still um flashing like they're open. And so um I I would love to um know um why is why on that. And then the second thing that I want to talk about that everybody's talking about is these potholes in the city. Um I've seen a uh uh someone made a video and put it on Facebook and they they put a a a cone in the in the and and people are calling me saying, "Hey, my tire got bust." And so I I just think that um our services I have watched our services get cut for the last eight years. um they're pulling back on on on um street sweeping on a number of things and it's and it's really starting to show in the streets like in even in neighborhoods that you normally don't um see this type of wear and tear. So um I don't know what we can

do and I hope that when um things are brought up, we're we're looking into it because um I don't just ask questions because this is what I'm thinking. you know, these are the things that people are bringing to us and they wa I'm finding out that people are watching these meetings because they say, "Thank you for bringing that up and and that's what it's all about." So, um I would love to find out answers as to why those cameras are still flashing there. So, oh, I will say the one on Western Avenue, the camera is not operational. has not been but I council member Hoey now represents it

because I had I had Bill cover the sign up with a bag and I'm waiting for him to take the sign down but the story on that camera it's also a red light camera so if you go through a red light there you still will get a ticket but it is not doing the speeding I'm not sure of the central avenue school if you could get me that info I'd really appreciate it yeah I don't I I don't I haven't heard because I know blessed

sacment yeah blessed Sacramento is still open. Yeah, it's still a school. Um, and I I will say though, even though All Saints is, people speed like 60 miles an hour down that road. So, from my perspective as the formal coun former council member, if there's anything that we can do to slow down people through there, I'm thrilled for it. So, like it's that is a place at people's speed. They don't get tickets, the sign will come down. But honestly, like if those yellow lights slow people down, that's a good thing cuz people go fast.

We still have APD. APD has, you know, um authority over traffic and and we've um taken that back, but good old um fashion police work is still effective in this city. It's it's not as effective with speeding, unfortunately. But regardless, it's something just a yellow flashing light. doesn't you can't get a ticket with it there.

I'm sorry. I'm on the same brain brain wave tonight as Derek. Um with the police and and the speeding um I was talking to Dear Girl at our last meeting and you know she explained to me about what's going on in Lark Avenue. We can reach out to the chief. We know specific areas and times they will send extra patrols for us. And on the potholes, I got a call. I had to go right before this meeting to a lady in my ward. She tripped in a pothole, broke her nose, has damage to her elbow, maybe cracked her teeth, and so I sent the picture of her to Sergio and Frank Zoli saying, you know, somebody got hurt and the potholes right in front of the school. So, can you imagine kids running across tripping on the pothole? I agree with you. We need to really kind of address the pothole situation, but we're on the same brain on that tonight.

The potholes are horrible right now. Uh, and I I know that they have this time of year is tough to fill them, but it's just unacceptable for them to be as I mean, it's unsafe. It's not like to your point, people are getting pop tires, things like like there can be a major thing that happens with the depth of the potholes. Um, I do highly recommend reporting. I encourage everybody to report them as much as possible, but we need to go beyond just reporting them to Council Member Johnson's point. Um, does anybody else have anything? I did want council member Balorin to go through our leadership discussion with the mayor's office.

I just had one question. Council Marian, you were talking about the finance hearing, the second part of the transfer only when we receive additional information on the budget implications. Did I hear that right?

Not just the budget implications, but what is the plan? Right? because you're asking us to give up a staff position to sort of shift the task force over. But for to me, you need to also flush out what is the Office for Violence Prevention look like? What is the staffing plan going to look like two or three four years down the line as as we build out that program? and are are we going to be utilizing existing positions that then come under one roof from various places? Um are have we identified potential revenue sources to offset those costs? Like what what is the real picture? Because again, you know, when you look at Boston, when you look at Baltimore, um, all who are ver doing very similar work, um, they are not funding that work through the property tax levy. They are receiving state funds to be able to pay for those programs and they are acting as a coordinator amongst a range of nonprofit and other government agencies that are working in tandem together to provide services. We typically as a city are not eligible for that money. That money goes to the county. So, I need to have an understanding of what we're trying to build, what we're trying to con to commit ourselves to um and and to ensure that as we move forward with this that we are not promising the community something that we don't have the fiscal means to to deliver to them. And that that's my big concern is knowing where we are fiscally in the city and the

reality. I you don't have $500,000750,000 in the budget to to move over here unless we make significant sacrifices in other places and I could not agree more with the the intent. I think there's a almost like a logistics part of that too. I think understanding the importance the gravity of the situation at hand I think it's absolutely appropriate for us to have a more fleshed out approach rather than you know individual pieces of legislation here and there. What I would also ask is that in the future we sort of take that sentiment and apply it more robustly to all asks that go out of uh you know anything that comes out of committee when we have followups of any of the parties who are going to be required to um produce that to either pass it out of committee or to go um to vote on the floor scheduling once we have that information I think is a reasonable full request because of late we've been getting a lot of things like literally two hours before a meeting and that is not enough time to consume that information and then have the requisite conversations about it. So, uh for all of the reasons you said I completely agree with that that I will say and I agree with you council member Brody but um it is We can try but and this is a new administration so perhaps things will be different.

Yeah, I would rather we try and set a standard and let people negotiate rather than never set a standard, never ask. And then if I could just finish my thought, um it is something that we it is a new administration and we still need to move legislation. So I I agree we have to move forward and I also agree we need to have things especially when it comes to in-depth things like finance ahead of time. Um sometimes it's difficult to do that but agreed with the endeavor of doing it. Council member Robinson

again we cannot hold up the process. She has a vision. We have to support her in her vision. I totally agree that $55,000 is a drop in the bucket. This is a massive undertaking. Cannabis revenue. The task force that was created before the city ever even touched a piece of cannabis revenue. A task force was created to see how this money is going to be spent. is not being spent the way the recommendations came from this can from the um cannabis task force. So this is new generated income. So that is something that maybe the mayor's office should look into tapping in to take this program to the success level that I know she can take it in.

Council member Keaton. Um, again, I'm just going to jump in on the fiscal piece of that. So, again, the county has critically failed the city when it comes to providing housing and homeless prevention services. They have failed. And so, we are spending three4ers of a million dollars to provide things that the county is supposed to provide. And that threearters of a million dollars is offset by our cannabis revenue. So if if if we take that revenue and we allocate it someplace else, that means that we cut that team.

So again, you're saying that this body didn't even take into consideration of a task force in their recommendations. Is that

that is not true? Is that the reality of it? because again those services are directed at addressing housing and homelessness and specifically working on issues that are impacting um districts that were disproportionately impacted by cannabis. So I'm just saying it comes with a cost. Again, housing is not the only thing that's impacted through the war in cannabis. So again, this cannabis revenue should not just be earmarked for housing. So again, like I say, that may be something that the mayor's office can look to tap in. If we got the tilted tit, the money has to come from somewhere.

Council member Johnson.

Can can can I request right two to to the today how much cannabis revenue has came to the city? Is there anywhere I can get a number? We get roughly $500,000 per year. Excuse me. We get roughly $500,000 per year in growing. We get roughly $500,000 per year. We have not seen that in the cannabis. The cannabis revenue has grown. We have not seen significant growth in the last two years in that revenue.

If I may, this might be something that is worth as a request with that broader discussion. I just want to say it's in a budget book too like all the revenue that we have collected from uh cannabis revenue. So in 2020 2024 it was 345,000 uh 2025 has been 575,000. So again, again, I'm curious to see what the cannabis report just for everyone to share so everyone's on the same page, but again, I don't um I think that everyone has to see the cannabis report as it relates to where that money is going. Um we can have further discussion, but thank you.

Thank you for that, Council Member. Council member Balor, do you mind speaking to the leadership discussion with the mayor's office? I'm going to be brief. Uh so we did uh discuss local law f and resolution 193236R. Uh we did talk about different viewpoints on this issue uh by our members and then it will be going to committee and will be discussed there and flushed out. Um so uh that was part of our conversation. And we also talked about uh maximizing our resources and the the the resources that we currently have and how we can maximize those as well. Uh we uh did also learn about the appointment of a new member for CBR CPRB. Um that that was going to be announced this week and it was announced uh yesterday if I'm correct by Dr. Jones. Um so that um gives us another member to the C um community police review board. Um but as many of you may also be aware we did have a member resigned from the board. Um so hopefully we can fill that position because that was a council member that was council uh appointee uh that we signed. Hopefully we can get some applications and fill that as well as hopefully the mayor can also fill the one remaining slack that they have open uh on on that body. And that's about it.

Thank you very much. Um we also just we got new coun commissioner of deeds oaths that need to be signed. Um, so you can see Brian, if you would like to fill out your Commissioner of Deeds thing to help really with petitioning. Um, or any other thing that Commissioner of Deeds do, but I'm not sure what those are, honestly. Um, does anybody else have anything else this evening? A motion to adjurnn. Motion to adjurnn. Thank you so much, everyone.