Common Council - Regular Meeting

HAB-Masyn Moyer- Wow yeah so wow.

HAB-Masyn Moyer- That's what.

HAB-Masyn Moyer- Good. HAB-Masyn Moyer- All the regular meeting of the Common Council city positive order. HAB-Masyn Moyer- At 530 these rises, I mean the pledging. HAB-Masyn Moyer- I pledged to buy.

and their God and the visible liberty and justice of the world. Thank you.

Ms. Carlin, could you do the roll, please?

Mayor Hughes?

Here.

Councillor Bond?

Here.

Councillor Evans?

Here.

Councillor Stratton? Here. Councillor Townsend? Here. Councillor Burnett? Here. Councillor Coley?

Here.

Resolved the minutes of the regular meeting of the Common Council held on May 7th, 2026 in the Special Work Session of the Common Council. held on May 14th, 2022, are approved and placed on file among the public records of the city of Clarksville.

Move by Councillor Talon. Second. Councillor Evans. Roll call.

Councillor Vaughn. Yes. Councillor Evans. Yes. Councillor Stratton. Yes. Councillor Talon. Yes. Councillor Colleen. Yes. Hearing.

Is there any public comment on the agenda items this evening? George, you're going to wait until after.

Yeah.

No other comment? We'll move on.

Council approved the payrolls of the various departments of the City of Plattsburgh for the beginning of May 14th, 2026, in the amount of $611,954.43. Council approved the bills on by the Common Council for the week ending May 15th, 2026, in the amount of $535,463.57, and May 22nd, 2026, in the amount of $3,049,137.50.

Any liaison reports this evening?

Yeah, so I have one for the Plattsburgh Public Library tonight. So on Saturday, May 23rd at 10 o'clock a.m., local author Tony Olson will be giving a talk about his Sarah Barney Chronicles series of books and a post-event book signing that day. Then on Thursday, June 18th at 5.30 p.m., there's going to be a plant propagation workshop with Master Gardener volunteers who will lead a hands-on learning session on houseplant propagation, including methods, supplies, and best plants to use for this. The workshop is free to attend and participants can take home a plant. Attendees may also bring a plant they would like to propagate also. So that looks like fun. And also some big news. They have applied for a $10,000 New York State Library LSTA grant to support flexible library access, including portable outreach equipment, mobile technology, including laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots. That's good stuff. All right. And a portable hybrid programming kit to allow the library to provide programs, digital literacy instruction, and library services both inside and outside the building, particularly for underserved populations and community partners. All right. Go team. So that is the library report. Next would be the climate smart task force report. We had our meeting last night, and it was pretty cool. It is now the warm weather month, so we have decided that the next meeting, we're going to do that on June 24, 515 at the Naked Turtle, because sometimes it's nice to have a meeting in an outdoor environment where we can be social, because we're a fun bunch. Come join us if you like. We're a fun bunch.

We have some of the most beautiful parks in the world and the city, too. So I would probably take a run around the city.

This is true. So maybe we'll do that at a July meeting or something. And now we're going to invite the Reality Check students that have participated in the green-up to do a presentation for us.

Emma, would you like to introduce them for us, just so we know who they are? Please. How's that? Emma thought she was getting out of this for free.

This would be the banner. Thank you. Yeah.

So I'd like to welcome Emily and Leigh Ann. They will be presenting about the waste that they picked up during the cleanup event that we did. They focused on picking up tobacco litter of all kinds, and we encouraged everyone that was participating in the event to separate their tobacco waste so that they could kind of gauge how much waste is in our community. So welcome them to speak about that.

Thank you.

Good evening. My name is Emily Mooseman, and I'm the Community Engagement Coordinator for the Commercial Tobacco Use Reduction Network. I want to thank the City of Plattsburgh, the Climate Task Force, and community residents for coming together during Green Up event to make the city cleaner and healthier. C-Turn, along with our youth group program, Reality Check, we have Peyton here representing Reality Check, are honored to participate in this community effort. and focused on litter cleanup and environmental awareness. As a part of the event, we encourage participants to separate tobacco-related litter from waste in order to better understand the types of tobacco waste present in our community and the volume being discarded. Tobacco litter remains one of the most commonly littered forms of waste, with an estimated 4.5 trillion cigarettes littered worldwide. These cigarette filters contain plastic fibers and can release chemicals into the environment over time. During the cleanup, participants collectively filled nearly an 18-gallon tote, and this is a photo that you guys have of all the litter that was collected just from that one day, with tobacco-related litter. Items collected included hundreds of cigarette butts, nicotine pouches, tobacco packaging, cigarilla waste, and 10 vape devices. The vape devices raised an additional environmental concern due to the presence of nicotine, heavy metals, and lithium-ion batteries. If discarded in regular trash, These devices may end up in landfills or waste streams where damaged lithium ion batteries can create safety risks, including fires and explosions. At the event, we shared information with residents about the importance of keeping vape devices out of household trash and the environment. Community members were also informed about the designated vape collection bin that we have at Champlain Center Mall. The cleanup also provided an opportunity to observe the products appearing in our communities. Nine vape devices collected during the green-up were flavored nicotine devices that are not legal for sale in New York State. Additionally, among 130 vape devices we collected in 2026, none were flavors that were legal in New York State. C-Turn and Relay Apple Check appreciate the opportunity to participate in the green-up and look forward to getting the support of the community and our environmental education efforts in the future. One of our Relay Check youth members, Peyton, has a promise she will follow.

Good evening. My name is Peyton Dominey and I'm a member of the C-Turn Reality Check Group for about four years now. I currently attend Beavontown High School as a senior and I also live in West Union. I wanted to discuss to the council today about the use of tobacco-free signs. When participating in the Green Up event, our RC club observed zero smoke-free signage in the parks. New York State law also requires that public parks and playgrounds must have visible smoke-free signage to promote healthy smoke-free places for our local families. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

In 7.1, I'm sorry, 7.97, authorized refund for canceled event, Operation Valor Horizon. Move by.

HAB-Masyn Moyer- Down to calling i'm sorry i'm really i'm sorry now so talent how's that. HAB-Masyn Moyer- Any discussion.

HAB-Masyn Moyer- roll call. HAB-Masyn Moyer- Yes, yes. HAB-Masyn Moyer- Yes, yes. HAB-Masyn Moyer- Yes, I think it's a nice way.

HAB-Masyn Moyer- I think I seriously saw a squirrel. HAB-Masyn Moyer- three.

Item 7.98, Travel Request, Police Department.

Move by Councillor Bond. Second, Councillor Evans. Any discussion? Roll call.

Councillor Bond.

Yes.

Councillor Evans.

Yes.

Councillor Stratton. Yes. Councillor Townsend. Yes. Councillor Colleen. Yes. Here. Item 7.99, Authorized Street Closure for Couch Street Block Party, June 14th, 2026.

Move by Councillor Townsend. Second. Councillor Stratton. Discussion.

Hope they invite us.

We'll call.

Councilor Bond.

Yes.

Councilor Evans.

Yes.

Councilor Strach. Yes. Councilor Talon. Yes. Councilor Culley. Yes. Here it is. Item 7.100 authorize the Mayor and or Director of Community Development to execute documents related to the New York State Community Development Block Grant Agreement.

Moved by Councilor Bond. Second. Councilor Talon. Any discussion?

HAB-Masyn Moyer- Roll call. HAB-Masyn Moyer- Yes, yes. HAB-Masyn Moyer- Yes, yes. HAB-Masyn Moyer- That's a really big one.

I'm listening. This is going to be. We're going to take this on waves will get more information out later as we can, but really happy about that last real solution. HAB-Masyn Moyer- Any new business before this council. HAB-Masyn Moyer- I will Jared. HAB-Masyn Moyer- Oh, come on up. Yes, sir. Yeah, we have no need for an executive session.

So.

We have to leave though.

Oh, that's true. Good morning. Good morning. Good evening where he was members of the common council city staff and everyone here tonight. I came here tonight to say something we probably don't say enough of. Thank you. It is easy to show up when you are angry. It is easy to point out what is broken, but tonight I want to recognize what is good because there's still a lot of good in Plattsburgh. Over the last several months, the city has continued working to improve the quality of life for the people who live here. From investing in infrastructure, sidewalks, recreation, public spaces, and places like the city beach, to trying to protect taxpayers while still keeping services moving. These things matter. They may sound like budget items on paper, but they are not just numbers. There are kids playing. There are families walking safely. There are seniors having a place to go. There are people feeling like their city still cares. And that is why I also want to talk about Edward. Anybody know about Edward? Yes, no? Okay. On May 8th, Edward was evicted from PHA. It took all day. It was one of those days that could have made a person lose faith in the system. But instead, I saw something that gave me hope. Early in the morning, a social worker was there trying to help him, trying to connect him with resources, trying to reach him when he may not have been ready to be reached. Later that afternoon, a city police officer stayed with Edward for about an hour. He did not rush off. He did not treat him like a problem to be moved along. He stayed. He talked. He tried. And before he left, he made sure Edward had an emergency bag. That is humanity. That is compassion. That is what public service is supposed to look like. And finally, around 5 p.m., after people kept trying but did not give up on him, Edward agreed to go to the hospital where he is now getting help. That day was heartbreaking, but it was also beautiful in a way, because it showed that even when the system is imperfect, that there are still people inside with a heart. A social worker showed up, an officer stayed. People kept trying, and because they kept trying, Edward was not left alone. That is a plastic I believe in. A city is not just roads, budgets, buildings, or meetings. A city is people. It is the child at the playground. It is a senior on a fixed income. It is a person struggling with housing. It is an officer who stayed a little longer. It is a social worker who shows up early. It is every person who refuses to look away when another human being is hurting. So tonight, I want to thank the council for the good work that has been done. But I also want to ask you to keep going. Keep investing in our city. Keep fighting for housing. Keep supporting public spaces. Keep protecting the people who are easy to overlook. And please never forget that the true measure of Platford will never be just what we built. It will be who we refuse to leave behind. Thank you.

Thanks, sir.

Thank you. Hey, no problem.

Anything else before we adjourn? concert upstairs today and it's the first time I've heard music upstairs and I can't. It's been years. It was so beautiful. I mean, Encore came in and their, I think it's their select group and they hit some of the highest awards in the state and it's pretty incredible. So it was an awesome morning. So usually we do, I do those on Friday on purpose because I like to go on a weekend on a positive note, but it was so awesome today. I'm good for tomorrow. So But we are going to be going into a Memorial Day weekend, a Memorial Day parade on Monday. So please, everybody have a Monday. It's at noon. We're going to start over at noon and have a safe, great Memorial Day weekend. I'll entertain a motion to adjourn. Councilor Vaughn? Councilor Adams? Roll call.

Councilor Vaughn? Yes. Councilor Adams? Yes. Councilor Stratton? Yes. Councilor Johnson? Yes. Councilor Covington? Yes.

Thank you. Thank you.