Common Council - Regular Meeting

Yeah, in the next meeting the tree will be down to the flag of America and the republic for it stands one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Alderwoman Mars here. Alderman Holiday here. Alderwoman Collins. Alderman Carpenter here. Alderman Martisella here. Make a motion to adopt the agenda with one resolution. All the other decorations. Alderman Carpenter. Hi. Alderman Marticello. Hi. Alderwoman Quamar. Hi. Alderman Holiday. Hi.

We have no proclamations today. No communications or presentations. Nobody here from the public speak. We are here to do one thing and that is to pass the resolution authorizing the sale of our auction properties. Um, you know, I want to take the opportunity to thank um the amount of labor that everybody in city hall put together uh to make this thing happen. um our city's codes team uh you know Robin Raldron and Michelle Jackson and our Luis Byron and Cassandra Kowski and the people in the treasury's office and it has been a process. It's a brand new law. Uh changed the way things were done. Um and you know with Attorney Cassali, Ker City auctions, everybody worked together and I think the result is um is is proven that that they did an outstanding job. So I want to thank them all. I want to thank the county council for their support in this entire effort. Louise, do you want to say anything about the proceeds or anything? We'll let the council. Do you have any questions about the what we're about to vote on

out of the 2.7? What does the city actually get? Because I know that there's some because of that law. Yeah. Cassandra uh and Louise have been working on a very explicit um distribution of the money and I'll let Louise, you want to do that, Louise? I have it in front of me.

Okay. Yeah. The um Oh gosh. The total proceeds were somewhere in the 2.6 2.7. Total proceeds were 22 27625 2,762,500. The taxes, the base taxes on those properties with principal and interest were $1,428,737. The interest in penalties I'm sorry. Yeah, I'm sorry. That was just the back base taxes. The interest in penalties were $646,955. And Louise, these included all of the fees that we are permitted to

Yes, there uh so the city I believe and I apologize I don't have a copy of that in front of me. I should have brought one. Um the believe the the column to the far right represents the amount that the city is correct. Yeah, I'm going to get there. Okay. Okay. But Chris asked one so our base taxes what we were owed the city in back taxes was 1428. Um we uh pen interest and penalties on top of that was $646955 which brought our total uh owed $2,75,000. Um so that we have surplus funds. This is the amount of funds going to the state supreme court. Correct. They're going to hold it in escro. Correct. Yes.

Of $83 thou $893,730. This will stay in escrow for up for two years. Correct. Three years. Thank you. Three years. And if no one claims it in three years, it reverts back to the city. Correct. Right. Um we have we already have had notifications that people want to claim their money. So sure it's going to happen. Um due to the county, we owe $163,575 due to the school district, which would be this the taxes that we had not yet paid uh for this year is $88,531. Uh, no. I believe I'm sorry I correct you, but I do the

highest biders that we're the people that we're approving today, they have to pay the school taxes for the current year directly this year. So, that just represents probably, you know, a portion from the past. From the past. Yes. Okay. I got to note that which leaves the city share at 1,616,662. Luis, would you make sure the council gets a copy of this? Absolutely. So, 1.6 6 million is our share. 1.6 million is our results. Wow. And what fund would that be going into, which are what the back and their backode taxes, right?

Well, I'm I mean there's going to be user fees mixed in there. So, it's going to be I'm sure Casey is there's there's a lot of work behind the scenes with manipulating these numbers, but the a big chunk of it will go to the general fund for obviously taxes and then the sanitation, water, and sewer will also be recipients of portion of that as well. Okay. So, all all the funds will get a portion of 1.6 million. Very good. Thank you.

And we'll have more numbers as more time passes, but yeah. [laughter] And we have already started the process for the next auction. We have a notification to the people who are due to [clears throat] uh have their homes go for foreclosure warning them, letting them know that now is the time to get in here. The other the other uh the other factor in this auction was the redemptions that came in very late. I was, you know, very very important that people understand uh that now is the time. Don't wait till the last minute because at the last minute all you can do is pay your total bill. But if you do it early, the treasur's office will sit down with you and they'll talk to you about a plan.

We've had a great response so far to our first round of letters and the amounts fortunately are much smaller now. [clears throat] So, correct. More manageable, but that's it. And so, um, well, congratulations through that effort because this is about as smooth as I ever seen it. [clears throat] Really, the numbers are seriously impressive. You had a smooth process. I thought it went pretty well. Very good. Congratulations. Thank you. It was a learning process for me as well. I enjoyed it.

Um, one question I had on the last whereas was um, we went to the second highest bidder on that was that the homeowner or was there reason I mean it was only 1k difference. I just didn't know what the reason was. That was the u the 3038 Eagle Street. Mhm. We rejected the highest bid. We We had to reject the highest bid because that bidder had a previous foreclosure when ineligible to bid. That's okay. Fair enough. That's which [clears throat] is the other great thing about this process, right? Is that we do have like one Yeah, we can deny any that we

And all of these all of these will have reverber clauses. Yes. every every deed. Uh in the event that we someone did get through and it does turn out to be uh not a bonafide um in the best interest of the city, we can take the property back if nothing happens. That's it. So why don't we vote on it? Want to make somebody want to read it? I haven't even read it. [laughter]

Boy, it's going to take a while. Resolution 2526-91, resolution authorizing sale of auction properties by Alderman Marticello. Whereas pursuant to C-133 of the city charter an online auction for parcels acquired by the city of Amsterdam in the Supreme Court state of New York County of Montgomery in rem under article 11 of the real property tax law of the state of New York said auction having been concluded on December 2nd 2025 and whereas in addition to other marketing efforts undertaken by or on behalf of the city pursuant to C-133E of the city charter. The fi the notice of auction for subject parcels was published at least once per week for three successive weeks in the Amsterdam recorder with said notice having contained a reservation of the right of the common council to reject any and all bids. And whereas pursuant to C-133E of the city charter, the common council being desirous to authorize the sale to the highest bidder file the following parcels as follows. You don't you don't have to name the parcels just to brief.

Whereas pursuant to the-133E of the city charter as it pertains to 30 through 38 Eagle Street, the common council exercises its right to reject the highest bid in the amount of $22,000 and being desirous to award the sale to the second highest bidder as follows. Angela Aano in amount of $21,000. And now be it hereby resolved that the sale of the parcels as set forth here and above is hereby authorized. So moved. Any discussion? Call the role please. Alderman Marticello. I alderwoman Quar. Hi. Alderman Holiday. Hi. Alderman Carpenter. Hi. Anything else?

I think that's it. Anybody? Motion to [clears throat] adjourn. Okay. Alderman Carpenter. Alderman Martisello. Hi. Alderwoman Questar. Hi. Alderman Holiday. All right. Good day. Thanks everybody. Stay warm. You're welcome. How you doing? How you doing, sir? Good. How are you, sir? Good. Very good.