City Council - Regular Meeting

We're good. Okay. Well, good evening everyone again and welcome to the Troy City Council. This is our February regular meeting. Um want to welcome you all and ask if you would please join us in the pledge of allegiance. To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I'd also ask that you join me in a moment of silence in respect for someone that our community lost this week uh or last week. Uh a real pioneer and a champion of development in our city, Joe Fmer. Thank you.

Clerk, would you please call the role? Council member D. Lorenzo, present. Council member Struper, present. Council member Spain McLaren, present. Council member McKe, present. Council member Favro, present. Council member Campbell Cohen, present. Council President Steel, present. All members are present. Thank you. Before we uh move into our agenda, we have three additions that are being added by uh unanimous consent. I would entertain a motion to add resolutions 23, 24, and 25. Motion.

Council member McKe. Is there a second? Council member McLaren. This is to add these to the agenda. All in favor? I

opposed. They are added by unanimous consent. Um our agenda this evening includes uh two local laws that are being introduced, not acted on tonight, three ordinances, and a number of resolutions. Um at this time, we have a public forum for any item on the agenda. We're trying something new this evening. We are improving on our videography. Um, and we are offering the public the opportunity to see speakers faces as opposed to the back of their head. So, um, if you are uncomfortable with that, I would ask that you wait and make your comments at the end so that we can turn off the video camera. Um, but if you have no problems, we'd love for you to come forward. Um, please, it looks like we have lots of speakers. We would ask that you uh keep your comments uh concise and to the point. Um, and again on any agenda item. So, please come forward at will, identify yourself by name and your place of [clears throat] residence.

[snorts]

Okay, they can't see my face. How horrifying. All right. Um, hello. My name is Lana Knight. I'm a resident here in Troy and tonight I am representing the democratic socialist America. Um, before I begin, I wanted to remind everyone of what it took to get to this point and I of course am speaking about good cause. In April of 2024, New York State adopted good cause eviction laws. And this didn't happen out of nowhere. Tenants fought hard and they organized hard to move the legislating Democrats to side with them over real estate. We might well remember the huge rallies in the capital that pushed for it. And with all that and more, we got that law, but the legislative body left us the rest of the state outside the city out to dry, making the m municipalities opt in. That's the reason uh TDSA moved to form the good cause Troy Coalition to finish the fight that's already been won in the city in Pakypy, Rochester, Catskill, Ithaca, Albany, which right across the river, and even Fishkill. Leading the charge, TDSA and her coalition partners quickly collected 1,800 signatures, which I know you've all heard before. Uh the working class was and still is on board. for a small grassroots movement. We collected a number of citizen sponsors that equaled 20% of the vote in the last mayoral election. And that wasn't all. We helped to rally tenants to come and speak here in this forum and share their belief in this legislation. Belief that was echoed from people who had heard about it from them in this very room. And that's why it was such a blow when the former city council illegally denied us the people of Troy our right to submit a ballot initiative, refusing to let the people vote on it themselves. uh in the election this last November because they knew that they would lose just like they did anyways. And of course they did because not only did they deny the initiative, they denied the minority from bringing the legislation to a public forum. The idea of even discussing the resolution and why? Well, according to the esteemed

former council, tenants have too many rights. Uh we could just move if the landlords don't make our conditions livable. And they just didn't see the passion for this. Um, yeah, there we go. Despite hearing from you, the people, uh, for months in advance, this is a platform they ran on in November, backed by corrupt money bought by real estate, by landlords, by those who couldn't give a damn about the working people of Troy. But did that matter? No. Because working people are fighting people. Our spirit, when we come together, cannot be overcome by anything. not lies, not dirty money, nor illegal actions against us, because the weakness and cowardice of those who would hurt uh the working class is just that. Hence, we'd like to express our thanks to the new city council for being here on this day, doing what the former city council refused to do, both in terms of justice for tenants and in bringing a resolution against the fascist ICE thugs and hope that it signals greater concrete action against the corrupt institutions that kidnap, kill, and imprison our friends and family. Last but not least, thank you people of Troy for making your voices heard, making your presence seen, making your well known. Without you, we would not be here for this city council to hear, see, and understand you. Cuz this bare minimum, decades overdue legislation is just the beginning of what we can achieve when we organize and fight for a world where working people are calling the shots. Thank you. That's it.

Thank you. Hi, my name is Tim Sar. Um, tomorrow my work day starts in Troy City Court. Uh, in landlord tenant court, there will be tenants losing their housing. There will be landlords kicking them out. Some might have never missed a rent payment. Some might be finding out as they get to court that for civil cases, the court's not going to appoint them any legal counsel. Some may be finding out as they get their court at court that there's limited rental assistance available or no rental assistance depending on their circumstances. for a change. It would be nice if landlords found out they can't throw people on the street for no reason. From what I'm told, it sounds like good cause eviction will be adopted in Troy. The bill passed statewide in 2024, but has to be opted into by individual cities and towns, which is a pitiful measure to apply to something that only affords the most basic of protections and rights for tenants. [clears throat] When I explain to people what good cause eviction actually does, they're usually shocked the law doesn't already offer the meager protections that good cause eviction does. They're also often shocked by the way laws that that exist fail to protect tenants and instead insulate landlords from any accountability or responsibility. And it should be shocking to us that the poorest people are always the ones who most desperately have to cling to abusive and parasitic landlords just to keep leaking roofs over their heads. I'm glad to hear that it's likely good cause eviction will pass. However, there can

be no mistaking that it's only a good start because there is no good reason to take someone's housing away. This fight isn't over until the unhoused can kick landlords off the deeds to overpriced rentals and get a clean, safe place to sleep at night. And I know that sounds far-fetched and idealistic to some of you, but I think it's idealistic to think that you can indefinitely fan the flames of the housing crisis, watch your profit margins grow, and not expect that those flames will someday blow back at your face. We have a system enabling some to own a 100 homes while 100 people don't have one. And what's far-fetched is thinking that system won't reach or hasn't already reached irreconcilable crisis. Thank you all for your support of good cause eviction. Please move urgently to pass it. Please don't stop fighting for tenant protections. Please don't compromise the well-being of the kind of people who are just trying to stay ho housed for the sake of the interests of the kinds of people with vacation homes, lakeouses, and private islands.

Thank you. Thank you.

H good evening everyone. Uh my name is Rachel Rample. Many of you are familiar with me. I'm a proud resident of Troy's District 3. Um I'm one of the original lead organizers of Good Cause Troy. So I haven't been at these meetings uh recently because about two months ago I gave birth to twins. Um [laughter] Oh, thank you. Thank you. Um, so pregnancy and parenthood have already proven themselves to be simultaneously the most rewarding and challenging thing I've ever done. Um, I think that's a pretty nearly universal experience for people who have had kids. Um, but as challenging as it has been for me, I don't have to worry as much about my housing security or affordability as most renters in Troy do. I cannot fathom enduring birth recovery and parenting babies and young children while worrying my landlord could not renew my lease for no reason or any reason, trying to figure out how to afford exorbitant rent increases or look for another place to live. Um, or being afraid to complain too much about issues because no housing is much worse than substandard housing. I don't have to worry about these things. The bank is my landlord right now. Um, so it has its own problems, but thousands of Troy families do. In the past two years, I've spoken to quite a few of them. Children are precious. All children, regardless of their immigration status, and deserve to grow up with their needs being met. All levels of government, including the most local, have a role to play in ensuring that. [clears throat] I'm grateful that this council has listened to them in reintroducing this legislation. Another universal experience of parents is hearing every politician in this country talk about caring about families and children, but few actually act in ways to make families lives better. Making a social media post claiming that renters erroneously can just call code enforcement and not worry about retaliation doesn't even register as talking about how much you care about Troy families. Passing good cause is

acting in support of Troy families because good cause will keep more families who rent in Troy in stable housing more affordably than they can now. Thank you so much. Thank you Rachel.

Uh hi everyone. Uh David Banks. Uh uh I live on Bell Avenue. Um, I'm also the secretary of the Troy Area Labor Council, which was a supporter and a coalition partner for the Good Cause campaign. We're very excited to uh see see what uh what happens tonight. Um, but uh I just wanted to um uh submit to the council a question. If a [snorts] crazy train goes off the rails, is that not a return to sanity? Right? because the train if it's working and it's crazy, right? Then if it's not working, then things aren't crazy anymore. It's sane. Um and I and if and if we were to take that uh into consider, you know, if we were to believe that, then I I really think tonight the the crazy train is going off the rails and that we are in fact returning to some level of sanity uh in Troy government. And that means that we can provide the very basic protections. See, I'm bringing it all around. very basic protections back to um uh our residents. The majority of Troy uh residents who are renters, right, and who uh deserve uh as you know, as we say in the labor movement, just as you know, you would uh your boss should have cause to fire you, your landlord should have cause to evict you. It's very simple, straightforward logic that is um not only Yeah. logic, but it is also uh uh moral. and uh and I'm I'm so happy to see that that morality um uh likely to be enshrined in in uh in law in uh in the coming uh months. So, thank you very much.

Thank you, David. Hi. Um, my name is Keegan Quick Jenkins. Uh, I am a resident of Troy. I don't I come here on behalf of myself. I hope that's allowed. Um, okay. I've never done this before. I'm a member of the community and I'm scared to come here. I didn't know where this was until tonight. I've lived in Troy. I've I moved to Albany 10 years ago and I've lived in Troy for a majority of that time. Um I don't know how to get involved. All of this is very scary. It's but I'm scared right now. I have a good job. I am a single queer trans parent of two small children. I have a four-year-old and I have a 9-year-old in separate houses. I have a lot going on, but I also have a really good job. I work for the state right now and I'm really glad to do what I do. Um because it helps other people and also because I can just barely squeak by every month living paycheck to paycheck working for the state. And I just need y'all to know like we need renters's protections. I am one paycheck away from being homeless. I came from a good family. Good, you know, white Christian America, whatever.

But I [laughter] I went to school. I got my degree. I have a good job. And I moved to Troy cuz it's I love it here. I grew up in between in Maryland between DC and Baltimore. And I I just I fell in love with the capital region. wasn't supposed to be here, but I am um sorry I'm talking too much about me. The point is we need we need more renters's protections here. I love living here. I want to stay here, but like also I need to afford to live here and I want to feel safe and I want my I want my children to grow up somewhere safe. And I think that's why we're all here. Um, so thank you for passing this and please continue [laughter] to do more because I'm scared. Thank you.

Thank you, Keegan.

Good evening, council members. It's nice to see you again. My name is Frankie and I'm a long-term renter here in Troy. I've spoken to the council several times in support of good cause tenant protections and I'm here for the same purpose tonight. I'm incredibly pleased to see good cause back on the council's agenda and that the council is making housing justice a priority in our community. I also appreciate the fact that you introduced good cause legislation without any prompting instead of making tenants beg or fight for it as did the previous council. Thank you for acknowledging that renters are not secondclass citizens and that our needs and concerns are legitimate and worthy of this council's attention. We all know there are substantial problems in Troy's rental landscape. Unscrupulous landlords, unsafe and unhealthy living conditions, private equity profiters pricing people out. Landlord retaliation in response to valid complaints, unsatisfactory code enforcement. You know it, renters know it, landlords and developers know it, and the mayor of Troy knows it. Primary difference I see between you and the mayor on this issue is that you are willing to acknowledge the problems and take helpful steps to try to solve them. The mayor, meanwhile, is blly telling us that code enforcement or unspecified online resources will address the problems Troy renters face. That somehow the internet and a local agency that has repeatedly failed us will be able to stop bad landlords from exploiting and abusing us. The truth, and this council knows it, is that solid public policy like good cause tenant protections can help prevent many

of the chronic problems we see in the Troy rental space. But Mayor Montello has openly opposed those tenant protections. She's on record saying so. That means the mayor believes that renters don't actually need the protections we know we need. That disconnect from reality and that disregard for our legitimate needs is both shameful and offensive. All I can say is thank goodness our current city council is listening and responding the way representative government should. Thank you for taking the valid concerns of tenants seriously and for upholding your responsibility to act in our best interests. Thank you for acknowledging our rights to safe, stable, and affordable housing. And most of all, thank you for allowing renters to maintain the personal dignity that should accompany those basic rights by taking begging out of the equation. I'm so grateful that this council values and respects Troy renters and that you intend to move good cause legislation forward on our behalf. I support you wholeheartedly in that effort. Thank you.

Thank you, Frankie.

Good night to all. I don't know if you could hear me, but I've lived in Troy for 11 years. I'm sorry. Could you share your name, please? My name is Stacy Cornelius.

Thank you. and I lived at 452nd Street, first floor apartment for 11 years. Um, it was really nice to be here at first because it was the owner and um, no problems, but the house is kind of old and needed some things done, probably some remodeling as well. Um, I had two other landlords that removed. Um, in 2019 I had a couple of family members that was dying when CO hit, like a whole lot of them just dropping like flies. So, um, I would travel back and forth and when I come home, I would notice things that were gone like the landlord meters because I do the backyard where I live. I would like to keep tidy even if he doesn't do it. and sometimes I might take it out of the rent. Okay, I have a new landlord in 2020. Um, the previous landlord, we had a roof cave in 2020 and then he sold it to the new landlord. The new landlord did nothing about the second time. You know, the first time wasn't that bad that the roof caved in on the second floor and I lived on the first of Morin and them. Moren and them got very sick from the second one. And then there was a third one in 2022 where the pipe burst and um came raining down waterfalls down to the basement.

Um my landlord now does not live here. He lives in Massachusetts. Um he took no heed, no one took no heed into what was going on or put it on paper. no corporation, no person, no company. Um, I've called code since 2021 about the new landlord, which um, retaliated against me fiercely, which I didn't understand because I am a good tenant. If I've been there for 11 years, it says a lot about me, okay? And where I live, if you're not doing the work, you're not getting the maintenance work done. I'm going to pay someone else to help me get it done. And I have that person here because in 2017, he was take care of the premises. We became friends. So when I needed work done while I was traveling for my family, I would pay him and he would do it. He would still come to help out little situations that I needed in the house as well. Um 2022 when that roof caved in, code enforcement, I've been calling them since then. Um, I went to the board of health and I went with Miss Annette in TWW in um last year because I didn't know what to do and I needed someone to help me let them know that this created more problems in the home now, which is my heating system is out. And every year since 2022, I've been complaining about this to the landlord. So, the baseboards are the problem because I got a new heating system November 21st after calling and calling my landlord and explaining to him and after calling them for three years, explaining to them the heating system is inadequate. It was never written down. I even have section 8. It was never written down to the fact that we have mold in the basement that's

coming up in the apartment through the windows. It's spreading in the house. It's even in my refrigerator. in my bathroom. It's not notated from no facility that I've been complaining. Right now, I have no heat. Okay. And the landlord of some phantom took my name off of the light bill August 23rd. And I didn't know that he took my name off the light bill and now he's paying for the light. I said, "You've been here since 2020. We had these problems." And the meters was moved. And I told you this in 2020 when I noticed it in 2019, but because of the problems I'm going through with my family members and trying to care for them. I'm seeing it but not seeing it. Notating it, but knowing it. And then when 2020 hit, I recollect everything and wrote it down. Right now, I probably have to go to court because he wants to evict me for not telling you guys or the world the issues that's here that's creating health problems for me as well. I've been to the doctor for headaches in 2024. I came back home 2023. My mom passed. Everybody have these things going on in life. But um I couldn't find myself at first. So, in 2024, I went to school and um I went to school for um right there next door for hair. I take my test uh March and um February and March to get my license. I have a temporary license right now. So, I put all that on the back burner and um the person he sends to my house disrespects me and my son. He's a maintenance man. I call police on him. I cannot get the police report because I don't have his last name and the landlord will not give it to me and the landlord continues to send him back to my house. Um I the lady upstairs that he moved in since it was two people upstairs and two people downstairs. The lady that he just moved in November

23rd. Okay. Um and last year I was at the police station because she was stealing my IRS checks and my mail and everything and I complained and he did nothing about it. He did nothing. And and she said I came from his other unit. The lady on the first floor didn't want me in the basement or the backyard, but I didn't understand it at first. Um I told my landlord 24, she was in the backyard. My shifts change. So I don't do night shift now. I did the afternoon to 12. And um I'm home. I'm looking out my back window. She I told her, "You have children. You can come back here." I'm not that type person. But everything back here I work hard for. So, if anything happens, I'm going to come see you and we're going to talk about this like adults. Um, she was giving away my son's bike to people that she had in my backyard lounging and, you know, enjoying what what I had back there. I went upstairs about 7:00 because something says don't think like that. So, I went out the backyard and I looked first and my son's bike was gone. So was my lounge chair. That's not it. My whole basement right now is cleaned out because of how Michael gets to come in here and scream on me. Um, I've been working with Troy police. Um, can't get nothing from them. They told me to call community police. Can't get anything from them. The lady um, retaliated against me after reporting that to the landlord. And next thing you know, she gets a dog. She has two cats. The floors creek from the water that messed up everything. So now the dog is this big. Okay. And the two cats, they run all night all time. Don't care. Yesterday um I have pictures of it. She I'm on the first floor. So I have my little designs up and everything. Tore everything down.

So my friend Joe was coming in. I didn't even know it because I just got in the house, went in there and made something to eat and Joe said, "He's coming over." He came over. He said, "Look at this. Look at you." And I'm standing at my door and he's coming through the door. Everything is torn down that I own. Casey, could we wrap this up, please? So, therefore, what I want to say is, okay, I'm having grave issues. I'm glad to be here because I think this is the place for me to be and maybe you guys can help all of us tenants that are going through these issues. Thank you. I appreciate you.

Thank you. Hello. Uh my name is Mark Speedy. I live at 526 Avenue in uh District 1. Um I'll attempt to be brief. Um uh first I want to thank all of you for uh taking the steps to reintroduce good cause eviction legislation. Um it has been a long uh and hard battle. Um and I know that last year when uh those of you still on the council uh introduced it um and uh the Republican majority uh neglected to adopt it um we promised that we would remember in November and we did. [snorts] um the the tenants, the workers, the voters in Troy turned out and uh helped to provide uh you know the first democratic supermajority on this council in a a long time. Um and I hope that all of you see that and remember that um that it is the the tenants and working people of this city who uh put you in the place that you are today. Uh and I appreciate that you're willing to pay that back. I also hope that you see that this uh passing of good cause is not the end goal for tenants in Troy. It is the beginning. It is the start of some basic tenant rights that will enable tenants to speak more freely, to fear retaliation less, and to hopefully come before you and propose even more tenant protections. Um, as we've heard tonight, even uh it is not just the fear of retaliation from landlords. We need a code enforcement engine that is responsive, responsible, and proactive. We need people to be able to report things to code enforcement without being afraid of losing their homes.

Um, and we need to do more to protect tenants overall. Um, I will also add I want to thank the council for introducing uh a resolution condemning the actions of ICE. Um, but I hope you know that that uh that a resolution condemning them uh alone is not enough to actually protect the immigrant residents of Troy. Uh the actions of ICE are not just happening in Minneapolis. They are here. They are already here. They are already kidnapping people from their homes. Uh and we need to do everything in our power to stop that. [snorts]

Um, in 2019, a sanctuary city resolution was brought before the council at another time when the Democrats had a supermajority on the council and a Democratic mayor. One stray vote and a Democratic uh mayor's veto meant that we do not have a sanctuary city in Troy today. I think that we can all see what the consequences of those actions are. And I hope that you take it seriously when we say we need a sanctuary city in Troy. Now that is all. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. [applause] My name is Eric Spinner. First of all, I'd like to congratulate this council on moving forward with good cause eviction and it has been a long battle. Good cause eviction is a meritorious first step onto the way station on the route towards full tenant rights. This council cannot rest on its laurels, but it must march onwards towards alleviating the rental affordability crisis. The only statutory provisions available at this time to address the exorbitant unconscionable unwarranted rent increases being extorted from landlords from by landlords from tenants is the emergency tenant protection act. Take a look at the legislative history of good cause eviction. It's a diluted form of tenant protection introduced in the state legislature to offset the demands that were rolling forth for a statewide emergency tenant protection act. It is substandard living conditions, the lack of enforcement and oversight mechanisms, and most importantly, the

constant devilish everinccreasing rental costs. And good cause eviction does nothing to address this. As a matter of fact, good cause eviction actually codifies a formula that includes an outcome that is unfair regarding rent increases. So you're looking at an automatic 5% increase under good cause eviction and then tack on the consumer price index. So we have a minimum of 10%. So that's what landlords are going to grab. Most landlords are going to grab the uppermost limit that's provided for them. Under the Emergency Tenant Protection Act, this council with its supermajority can appoint a rent guidelines board for the city of Troy and that board can determine the rate of increase or reduction. Let me inform this council that after six years of litigation, we finally won in Kingston, New York, when the Court of Appeals last year ruled that Kingston's Emergency Tenant Protection Act was constitutional, including the appointment of a rent guidelines board that rolled back the rents by 15%. That's what was done in Kingston. That's what needs to be done in Troy and it needs to be done now before thousands and thousands of tenants pay another 10% rent increase when their leases come up. Now, I also want to point out that you should please keep in mind that unless there's going to be housing court reforms instituted

here in Troy, where we have one of the most corrupt housing court systems in the entire state, the protections that are afforded by good cause eviction are almost meaningless. What I'm talking about is the con is the violations that constitute substantial lease obligation, nuisance, failure to agree to a reasonable change to your lease at the time of renewal. These aspects of good cause eviction have been used in the past. They are being used and they will continue to be used as a spear, not a shield against tenants. Because it looks good to print good cause eviction on a piece of paper, but in practice, one must go to court and defend yourself if you are being evicted because of one of these clauses. So what tenants need as an accuchment to help them battle landlords who will use these loopholes in good court eviction is a level playing field in housing court. Right now most landlords are represented by attorneys in housing court where 99.9999% of tenants are not. Most landlords win while most tenants lose. That's just a fact of life. With 62 counties in the state of New York discounting New York City, the county of Renolia rates second in per capita eviction rate. Second, the only county that beats us is Erie County and it has

Buffalo. And the reason Welier County is second in the most rates of eviction is because of Troy, New York. Now, one must consider what the actual reasons could this be. And I've only come up with two alternatives. Either Troy has a disproportion disproportionate amount of deadbeat tenants, which they don't, or the housing court system in this city is stacked against them. So, let's couple good cause eviction with the Emergency Tenant Protection Act and institute reforms where tenants can have a fair chance in housing court. And I ask you to look at some of the cities in the state of New York and institute some of the things these other places have already done. For example, a prosay attorney would provide advice to tenants and landlords when they come before the court system. Informationational booklets that describe the rights of tenants here in Troy. They exist everywhere. And last year a pilot program was started in Monroe County for the city of Rochester in which an alternative system is used rather than the courts to deal with these things. So I I beckon this city council to continue down the road of tenant protections and the enactments of further reforms. Your job is not done and the tenants know it.

Thank you, Eric. Thank you.

Hi everyone. Um, my name is Sarah Foundus. Um, I'm a Rener County resident, formerly a Troy resident. I've been trying to move to Troy uh for the last several years. Um when I lived in Troy, I was renting a three-bedroom apartment for $800 a month. This was considered market rent. This was in 2016 to 2017. In 2017, the person I was dating at the time, the person I was married to, threatened to kill me. Therefore, I took my name off the lease and I moved 1300 miles away. I had social security disability. That's what I was relying on. They took it away and I moved home. There was another DV incident and I have been unhoused for 9 months. I'm on every housing list in Troy. There's been no movement. I live in motel. In the motel that I live in, there are children who are there with no personal possessions, no comfort items. They fall outside of typical social services systems. They cry themselves to sleep at night. The places that they play are in the hallway, which are smoky because people do not follow the rules of these motel because they're cheap overnight motel. Okay, we have a housing crisis here. I wanted to move back to Troy because it has the most new housing for low-income residents and they had the most opportunities, but the funding has been paused. Okay, the crisis is huge. When I lived in Troy, I had problems with my rental unit, of course. Um, anytime I we had an infestation of house centipedes, high levels of lead, the heat was intermittent, there was all kinds of issues. Anytime I would report these to my property manager or my landlord who lived in California, he did not live here. He would threaten to put the house on the market and sell it. He did put the house on the market and I live with a constant threat of a quick sale over

my head. There were realtors who would just walk into my apartment with no notice, not legal at all, with a key with strangers, okay? And they would just start, you know, oh, well, we're going to rip this out. We're going to put these things in. I would call my landlord, tell them, hey, this is not legal. And they would say, well, you know, if if they do sell it, you'll be out in 30 days, right? Eventually, he took it off the market until I was off the lease and then he sold it. That place sold for $140,000, which is not a huge amount of money, but I'm sure it's being rented for market rate, which the market rate rent today, according to the article that went out about this meeting, is $1,500 a month for a one-bedroom, rounding up slightly. It was like 1450. So, I just need to implore you, there is a crisis. I'm trying to return to Troy. When I lived and worked in Troy, I worked for OPWD. Our offices were in this building, okay? I was a person in the community and I wanted to return to the community, but I've yet to be able to. Instead, all of my funds are going to pay for motel instead of to actually pay for rent. I would love to be a renter in Troy again. There's 36,000 renters in Troy today. Okay, we need more protections. And I say we because I want to return to be one of them. But when they took my social security away, they demanded I repay $40,000 of it. And that destroyed my credit. So currently there's no way for me to rent outside of the housingless system. There's a crisis. Please, thank you for considering trying to pass this. Thanks.

Thank you, Sarah. Does anyone else wish to speak? [clears throat]

Hello. Um, my name is Shauna Goldman and I live in Troy on Pauling Avenue and I'm here also just to support more protections for renters. And I just I knew there would be a lot of people talking in support of this today, but I felt like I needed to talk from the perspective of Oakwood. Um, in the last two years, probably some of you have been part of this, we've raised, I didn't do the math, something like probably like $10,000 or more for people in crisis because of housing because they've been evicted. Um, so these are people directly involved with Oakwood Community Center who found that they no longer had housing for no good reason. Um, one family had to move because the the ceiling was so covered in mold that they it felt it caved in and she immediately had to be um removed from her house. Couldn't get back in. Um, and so another family I just want to talk about is um we'll call him Kevin. Kevin came to Oakwood at 8 years old. Um he was a school two student. We're not supposed to have favorites, but he was one of my favorites. And he came to our um after school program, had a lot of energy. He was a great drummer. We were doing lots of um we do a performing arts after school program if anyone doesn't know. Um and he just quickly became just like he's such a charmer and really got a lot out of the program. He's amazing performer. Um he also would be like quick to anger and we worked really hard with him on you know breathing techniques and how to control his behaviors and he he spent you know every every day after his attendance was not great but he always showed up to school on an afterchool program day were only Tuesdays and Thursdays. He came to summer program um and one day he stopped coming because his family lost their housing. Um, so

for a while he was a I think it's called Mckin Vento family, right? Where the he was living in a hotel and one of these f kids that the last speaker just referenced. And um and so the school district was paying for transportation from the hotel in Leam to Troy. Um he's a school two student. I think I mentioned when I spoke to um the school parent the the liaison the parent school leaison at school 2 she said in 2025 she said we have more McKini Vento students than we've ever had. So also like this is costing the school districts money, right? This is costing um we're losing so much money here. We're spending money. And so you know Kevin um sometimes Oakwood was the only place he would get food. His older brother would come even though his older brother wasn't that interested in program just to get food because we do a meal every time we have program. They came over the summer. Uh again the brother I think came just for food. But we were really developing Kevin. he was going to be a star. And eventually the family moved to Albany because there was no more um there was no way there's no affordable housing in Troy or even Lancingburg, right? So they moved to Albany and we lost all connection with this family. Kevin was helping to take care of his one-year-old kid um younger brother or I think it was a brother. He was like the one staying up with this child at night. So now Kevin is 10 and he's like helping to raise this child. he would start to we noticed the summer before he started to like get sleepy um during program because he was up all night with a baby. This is a family that needs wraparound services and we lost them, right? So, it's it's like so many pieces that we lose when a family gets evicted because they don't stay in Troy once they're evicted. They can't afford to stay in Troy. Most of the families, if anything, they move to Lancingberg, but most of them even move out of the city because it's gotten so expensive. So, um, yeah, I hope that maybe some of

the families who are still around can come and speak next time for themselves. I will encourage them to do that. Um, but I appreciate you taking the time to really consider stronger like this is ridiculous. So, thank you. Thank you, Shauna.

My name is Penny Simon. I live right up the hill from City Hall on Fifth Avenue, 2234. I go to Bethl Baptist Church. There's been a problem for I don't know how long with the drugs in the area. I I mean the homeless people unfortunately there have been incidents of my garage is on the back of my house. I just had an incident that I kept calling public works. I didn't leave messages at first cuz I hate answering machines. I finally left a message. I think the stuff was dumped like 10 huge black trash bags right in front of my garage. Not at my garage, but at 2245 06. But it was hindering me getting in and out of my garage. I was headed for an appointment yesterday morning. I was late for my appointment because these bags were sitting there. Now people are coming through and they're ripping them open. There was stuff spread from there to there in front of my garage. I wasn't going to pick it up. I wasn't going to back it up again. I took my shovel and shoveled it back cuz some of it was now at my garage door and I really needed to get to my appointment. I got in my car. I sat down. I was frustrated. I called community um police. I'm not sure who I spoke to. She was very nice. And I told her who I was. I told her the situation. And I I thankfully I I didn't know who to call back to thank. But I didn't even want to come back home and drive around to my garage because I knew it was going

to upset me if it was still there because it had been there for 3 days. I thought it had been placed there before the garbage man came. Then I find out from my neighbor today that the building down Earl Street at the corner of Jacob had been shut down. And she saw somebody lugging those bags from that building up to where they dumped them across from my garage. She said to me, she said, "Miss Penny, I don't know what it is, but every time somebody wants to dump something, they dump it by your garage." I said, "I'm going to tell you why. Because my garage is blocking. Nobody can see them when they're doing it. The building is on the other side, so they're in between things. So, they just I mean, that's not a good reason because why are you dumping stuff? If you got stuff to get away, call and tell somebody you need it picked up. That's I mean, I that's what I do when I put big things out in front of my house. Um, but this has been going on a long time. Then I would like to address the issue with the CEO center parking lot which is right next to my house. They have these pallets that have been bu building up in the parking lot for years and I was saying why aren't they calling somebody to come and get these pallets? Every time I look out my back window that's all I see is them pallets stacked on top of each other. There must be I don't know I might be exaggerating 30 to 50 pallets and they just keep stacking up. They're not calling anybody to get rid of them. I'm like, what are they saving them for? I I just don't I mean, dumping has been going on, I know, in Troy for a while. But I care about it because it's around my house particularly and everywhere else. I mean, you don't even want to see people dumping stuff in by nobody else's house. So, I don't know what it is we can do about it, but something really

seriously needs to be done. Thank you for sharing. Um, does anyone else wish to address an agenda item?

Hello. U, my name is Hazel Hendricks. I am a resident here in Troy. Uh, I wanted to talk about the good cause eviction and I'm glad that you're here listening to it. But one of the things I wanted to talk about is how housing insecurity, even when you do have housing, like worrying about it being taken away, can ripple effect throughout the community. I work in elder care and a lot of the people who work in elder care are renters. They don't have a lot of money. And the stories I've heard about people having to like live in their cars and then come and work and take care of people's great grandparents or grandparents because of like something happened in their house. like me including has had our uh landlord who is a person who owns multiple properties not just in the city but in the state and uh I don't think he lives around here and uh he we couldn't get a hold of him like the company that manages the property they decided to like make our lease be month for month before that it was supposed to be like you know like a year lease and then so I have to deal with that and then go and take care of people in our community which is like I'm happy to do but I see that these like added stresses on people's lives like end up building up throughout our community and then causes other problems and then you might later down the road have a meeting about elder care in Troy but it is connected to housing it's connected to access to food. It's connected to like the lead in the watt. It's connected to so many things. It's like this is just one aspect. And I think the reason why

you see so much like anger and so much like passion is because if you don't have secure housing, you can't do anything. But then you're like you it's just like that's all you can focus on. I've I've been homeless before in my life and it's like a scary thought and it's just something that you when you when you're doing that you can't do anything else. You're just uh in survival mode. And so we I just hear more and more about in this country that there's like working people who are homeless either because they can't afford rent or because they can't put up with the um state of the house they they were living in and had to complain and then got evicted and then they're still working. And I would hate to see that happen here in Troy. And I'm sure there might be people here in Troy that have that and then they're going and working in either elder care or working at a restaurant or working in anything and interacting with people and then they're having to deal with that in their life. And I don't know, I just think that we should think about it as this holistic thing and a big thing that we can do is provide more uh tenant protection given that the majority of the people in Troy I think are tenants. So, it's not just tenant protection, it's protection for the majority of people that live in the city. And uh that's my time. Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Good evening. Uh my name is Joe Johnson. Uh I actually don't reside in the city. I'm probably the uh maybe the big bad landlord, but I figured I'd come here today. Um because, you know, I thought it was important to listen to everybody that's here and I figured I'd just come up last. Um and I understand the frustrations that go on dayto day with these tenants. I see the things that go on. I'm in this community. I'm active in this community. I fight for these tenants every day that they get litter fines, that they get this fine. Things come up like somebody's saying their their property's been dumped on. Those fees are assessed directly to the building owner, the people that live there. Um, these are burdens that are put on us as landlords. Um, no notice. Um, we just get here's $150 ticket and then we got to figure out who did it. Um, I've had tickets, small ones all the way down to 50 bucks up to $200. Um, so those are expenses. Um, you know, you Mr. Spinner's point. Honestly, this this could cause eviction. and I'll be straight honest with you, from a landlord is a band-aid. Um, there are bigger problems and it's the frustration that starts, I believe, with government. Um, the government's made it real hard for people to own homes and they're making it real hard for people to rent homes and our expenses are fixed on what you guys pass in a budget. Uh, what the school decides to pass in the budget. Uh if you decide to remove garbage from your budget and you decide to make it private or a separate tax entity, that is another expense. Uh the library is another expense. So, you know, honestly, I made a couple hundred dollar a month on a door. If I do real good and everybody wants to pay their rent and there's not these problems like most people seem to have here, what kind of money are we really talking about? So, as a landlord, you know, I understand the frustrations because there are a lot of out of town landlords and there's a lot of bad actors out there and there's there are some bad tenants, too. I mean,

I got horror stories. I don't want to get into them. Um, we've gone to court, obviously. We uh, you know, there the court system obviously heavy heavy for the tenants and we don't argue. Um, you know, we merely just want to settle things peacefully, however they come out and that day in court. Um, so I I I couldn't help, you know, I'm home eating dinner and I'm listening to this young lady up here crying at the podium about how she can barely afford to live and it's like the market rate rent. Well, everybody talks about what the rent is and we try to obviously renovate our apartments, keep them in a in a in a in an area where people can afford them. But the end of the day, when you start increasing your budget annually, because much like the state tax cap says, well, if you don't take your 2% this year, Troy, you don't get it next year. Well, every time you guys do that stuff, that in keeps increasing. You're taxing people out of the home. And all I keep hearing is, "Well, it's only another $20 per hundred." I know people that are living in their houses now that haven't got a a raise. They're about to lose their home. Like, because it's only another $20 per hundred. It's only another trash fee. It's only this other fee. So, like every time you look at this budget, that's where you really are doing these people some service, saving money because like this is their money and and literally it's all of our money. But it frustrates me because like I see homeowners and they haven't gotten 15% increase raises on their on their salaries and they're about to lose their house and then I sit in these I hear these meetings go out and they're like, "Well, it's only another 20 per hundred on your assessment." Okay, it's only another $20 and somebody else throw it in for everybody else cuz like $20 is a lot. When I argue about trash fees, I mean, it's an unpopular opinion, but I I will argue to the end of the earth for these people because I don't want them to pay $150 of garbage that just somebody drove by and took a picture. It's in the code that it's supposed to be like a notice that we get some kind of warning to say, "Hey, we need to clean this up." Who's to say some 12-year-old kid didn't put the garbage alongside the bag and you know the can.

Mom's trying to get him to be a responsible young man and now all of a sudden we got a $100 ticket and we got to say sorry we need to get the hundred bucks because there is no rebuttal here and a $100 is a lot of money. I grew up in a house where 100 bucks get you a lot of things. That might have been the biggest Christmas present I ever had at $100. So I didn't have any of this stuff. So I fight every day for the tenants even as a landlord. They may not think so, but I'm I'm literally take the brunt everywhere I can to say I don't want to charge these people for this litter fee and somebody else is getting their property dumped on. Well, their landlord got the fine. So, what are they going to do? They're going to look back to the tenants and say, "Hey, somebody here is responsible." So, like I I understand the frustrations on all sides, but like when you guys are putting together your agenda or your your your budgets, start thinking about these tax these these people are taxpayers, too. They don't they may not think it or know it, but they pay these taxes. And like same thing with the schools as we continue to just evolve. 2% here, 3% there, $20 per hundred, library, it all adds up. And you're taxing people right out of their homes and affordability. Government is the one that let these people down. They can't even afford to buy a home now because of the taxes and and the inflation that's going through the roof. So that's my time. I I really appreciate everybody that's here because I understand their frustrations. I I I fight for him every day as a landlord, a local guy, and uh you know, I I really do that hope that we can keep this place affordable.

Thank you. Thank you, Joe. [laughter]

I'm a little bit of a shorty. Hang on. And I promise to be brief because I know we're all getting hangry. So hang I first off I want to say thank you. Hang on. Could you share your name please?

Oh my apologies. My name is Ariel. I've lived in Troy for I've been a Capital Region resident, lifetime Capital Region resident and I've lived in Troy for 10 plus years now. Let me start out by also saying thank you to listening like very clearly actively listening to everyone's stories here. I think it takes a lot of guts to come up here and be vulnerable. And I think there's a reason all of you guys are here instead of the previous city council. Last time I was here, most people sat on their phones and I caught a few eye rolls. I have my husband has it on a video on his phone. So that said, we're not here to talk about that. We're here to talk about the new city council. So let's let's get into it. I think what makes me a unique person to speak on this issue is I'm currently the housing counselor for United Tenants of Albany. In summary, just to briefly summarize what I do, I mediate a lot of these difficult conversations between landlords and tenants. And I pride myself on my ability to do that. And there are I can say it's not a matter of good landlord, bad landlord, good tenant, bad tenant. I think it's a matter of trying to hear everyone's perspective and see that we can even the playing field a little bit. And that's what good cause does. I've heard a lot of concerns from landlords about what good cause is. some misconceptions about what good cause is. And I wanted to kind of clear some of that up. And I think that's why I really wanted to come up here today. Good cause doesn't affect good landlords. If you're doing everything that you're supposed to be doing as a landlord, if you're taking care of your tenants, you have nothing to worry about. The pe the people that do get affected by good cause are the landlords who are maybe doing things that they shouldn't be doing. maybe trying to kick families out of their home for no reason because, you know, they decide they don't like them or that maybe respectfully that, you know, that they want to find someone who matches their aesthetics more. I've seen a lot of landlords discriminate against tenants, find workarounds to maybe not

rent to someone because they receipt because they find out what their income is, that said, or they want to penalize them. Another big thing is they want to penalize them for speaking out about issues in their apartment. And that's just not fair. No one should have to be homeless for advocating for themselves. That's a basic summary of what good cause is. I ultimately think housing is it's not a commodity. It's a human right. I think everyone has the right. Thank you. I think by keeping people in their homes, you ultimately prevent people from being on the streets. And yes, there are situations where, you know, that's a further conversation of why people can't afford to be in their apartments. We're not here. That's a longer nuanced conversation that we don't have time for today. But this is a city of majority of renters. By passing good cause, you're even evening the playing field between renters and tenants. I'm happy to mediate that conversation and offer my insight into that conversation. Part of the reason why I've stayed in Troy so long is that this is a city of community. I, you know, I've I've had good landlords. I've had bad landlords. It's fact of life. But I I really like the community in this city. That's why I stay here. That's why I want to fight for tenants today as well as myself. And as I warned the previous city council, I had said, you know, by ignoring these pleas from tenants, the movement's only going to continue to get louder. And I'm happy to see that there's more people here than the last time I was here. Thank you all for listening to what I have to say. Appreciate your time. And that's it from me. Thank you, Ariel.

You're welcome. Okay, it looks like that concludes our public forum and I would like to at this point move on to our local law. Local law number one.

I'd like to uh speak on resolution 24. Um, I'm truly honored and deeply proud to introduce with the council president and all of you recognizing the life, the service and lasting legacy of Joe Farmer. Joe was a true champion for the city of Troy and he authored this legisl and authoring this legislation is truly a privilege. On behalf of Joe, as the founder and longtime executive director of TAP Troy Architectural Program, Joe dedicated his life to strengthening our neighborhoods and ensuring that good design, good planning, and opportunity were accessible to everyone, especially those who needed most. His work helped expand affordable housing, preserve the character of our city, and create spaces that continue to serve Troy families today. From the Joe Bruno Family Resource Center to the former Junior Museum on 8th Street, Joe's lasting impact will live forever. But Joe's impact went far beyond buildings. He was a mentor. He was an advocator. He was a collaborator who believed deeply in communitydriven solutions and in the potential of our city. He loved our city. He believed in our city. His leadership helped shape generations of community leaders and left an imprint on Troy that will never fade. I'm incredibly proud to bring this resolution before the council. I thank the council president joining me in sponsoring this resolution to formally honor Joe's extraordinary contributions

and to ensure his legacy is recognized in the official record of our city. On behalf of the city of Troy, we extend our help heartfelt condolences to Joe's family, Joe's friends, Joe's colleagues, Barb Nelson, the whole Troy TAP team. I see Kathy Sheen's with us tonight, our historian. Joe Fama's work and his spirit will continue to live on in our neighborhoods and people he so passionately served. On a side note, uh the council president and I met today and uh we hope to talk to Barb Nelson and to Joe's family um to potentially dedicate Bama Landing under Husk Street. Um, I got to know Joey Joe in the 90s when I was a council member at a very young age at that time. I think I was 13, lol. Um, but Joe uh just was so passionate about Troy. He didn't care about Democrat, Republican. He loved our city and Joe's uh spirit will live forever. So, thank you again for joining the administration on this resolution. And Joe, if you're looking down, uh, your legacy will last forever. Thank you.

Thank you, mayor.

I think that's a perfect segue for uh us to move forward uh with resolution 24. Resolution 24, a resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of Joseph Joe Flama for his many services to the Troy community and his longlasting contributions to the city's quality of life. Council President Steel at the request of the administration. Is there a motion?

Motion, Council Member McLaren with a second by Council Member Struber. Discussion on the resolution. I think we are all certainly in favor uh and would like to hear from some of the folks who whose lives were touched by Joe. So let me just say all in favor I I opposed. We have adopted the resolution. Barb, would you be so kind as to come forward?

Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you, mayor. Um the drafting of the resolution was just absolutely beautiful and timely. Uh we really appreciate it. On behalf of Barb FMA and Joe's family, I'm here to express their gratitude. Uh and of course all of the all of the TAP family board and and staff as well. Um if I could tell just a a quick story, you know, Joe loved Troy. We all know this. Um and Troy loved Joe really for the same reason. Um Troy was a deep thinker, um a gentleman, a a very um he's wicked smart, uh lover of history, especially governmental history, and he believed deeply in open government and and government transparency. Um he so I started working at TAP when I was 22 in 1980. Um and at that time the council was entirely uh elected at large. There were no district elections. And so you can imagine in 1980 who's running for council and who's winning. Um probably you know a bunch of bankers and lawyers and and men who um you know had the money, the power, the interest um well-meaning enough, but it was probably a whole bunch of guys from the east side. and Joe and his cohort were working uh deeply in the neighborhoods uh in South Troy, in North Central, in Lancingburg and seeing not only that buildings needed to be fixed uh as architects focus on buildings, um but that perhaps sidewalks were not getting repaired and infrastructure was not getting attention and lighting was not being kept up and parks were not being rebuilt. And so he and his cohort thought about it and um decided to um campaign for district elections. And this is why um you all now are elected specifically from your districts and our

neighborhoods have voice um and you have a direct representation um a direct uh responsibility to those you represent and I'm uh very grateful for that. and and that was my introduction to Troy, going doortodoor with petitions, talking to people about their government, and I'm uh will be forever grateful to Joe um for that experience. Um you know, I had comments, whatever, but listening to everyone speak just blew me away. Joe would have been the first one up here to support the good cause uh eviction motion. he would be um and and TAP has been doing, you know, work in the affordable housing area and work for good landlords and work for homeowners, low and moderate income owner homeowners to help keep them in their homes so they don't become uh displaced and become renters. So this is all very near and dear um to our heart and he would um champion every one of you you know for the coming up and and speaking and being involved in one's government. That was really his uh great joy. So um so thank you for this honor. We we very much appreciate it.

Thank you for sharing. Does anyone else wish to share a memory of Joe? Well, I know we all have them and they're stored within our hearts. Um, and they will keep us uh forever in love with Troy. Um, we'll now move on to local laws. Local law number one.

Local law one. A local law adopting the provisions of article 6A of the real property law to make the good cause eviction law applicable in Troy, New York. For introduction only, Council Member Spain McLaren, Council Member Campbell Cohen, Council President Steel. Thank you. Local law number two, a local law amending chapter two of the code of the city Troy city of Troy to add a new article seven for the purpose of authorizing remote participation by video conferencing for the public, members of the city council and all other public bodies of the city of Troy for introduction only. Council member Spain McLaren, council member McKe.

Thank you. Ordinance two. Ordinance two, ordinance authorizing settlement to claim of claim to wit. Hassan Maradi versus the city of Troy, New York, Troy City Court, small claims court. Council member McLaren, Council Member, Council President Steel at the request of the administration. Is there a motion? Motion. Council member McKe with a second by Council Member Stuber. Discussion on the ordinance. Council President, Council Member McLaren. Um the law committee met um before our finance meeting at the end of last month um and um agreed that we should uh move this forward.

Thank you. [clears throat] Any other comments? [snorts] All in favor? I opposed. Seven eyes. Zero nos. The ordinance passes. Thank you. Ordinance three. Ordinance placing a temporary six-month moratorium on the development, construction, or establishment of battery energy storage systems, best in the city of Troy. Council member McLaren at the request of the administration. Is there a motion? Motion. Council member McKe. Second. Second. Council member Favro. Discussion. Council President, I'd like to prop member

Oh, thank you. I'd like to propose a small amendment to the moratorum which I agree with in principle um which is um the the most fundamental issue as I understand it is uh concern over how this is going to strain our firefighting department our firefighters department um uh which is of course problems in the real world and um the provisions of section six cover just a lot of ground um uh including things that are like purely abstract. And so the proposal that I'd like to put forward is to amend section six to read as follows. It is materially very similar and as far as the real world goes identical. But um notwithstanding any ordinance or resolution to the contrary, the Troy City Council hereby ordains and imposes a temporary moratorium on the construction, installation, operation, or establishment of any and all commercial best facilities for the storage and distribution of electric power in the city of Troy for a period of 6 months, the moratorium to be effective upon passage and mayoral approval thereof.

We have a motion on the floor. Is there a second? Second. Council member Struber is seconded. Discussion on the amendment. All in favor? I opposed. The amendment is adopted. Uh now discussion on the amended resolution. Council president. Council member Struber. Uh I just wanted to put forth that the science and technology committee met at the last meeting to discuss this in great detail and also met with the firefighters. So wanted to recommend moving forward with this as amended.

Thank you. Any other comments? All in favor of the amended resolution? I opposed. The amended resolution is adopted unanimously. And I wasn't supposed to say that. That was supposed to be the clerk's job, but [laughter] oh well, you got a break. Okay, moving on to ordinance four. Ordinance transferring funds within the 2026 general fund council president's deal. Is there a motion? Motion. Council member McLaren. Second. Second. Council member McKe. Discussion on the ordinance. [snorts]

All in favor? I opposed. Seven eyes. Zero nos. The ordinance passes. Resolution 18. [snorts] Resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into an intermunicipal agreement with the town of Colony for mutual provision of police tactical team services. Council member McKe, Council President Steel at the request of the administration. Is there a motion? Motion, council member McLaren, second by [snorts] council member McKe. Discussion. Um, council member McKe.

Yes. Um, council president and council. Um the public safety committee met um on January 22nd with the uh police chief and his deputy and assistant and um we uh decided to support fully support this uh resolution 18. Thank you. Any other discussion on the resolution? Council President,

council member Fabra. I'm just looking at the resolution that's in front of me here and it says um final paragraph town of Colony for two term of two years 2025 to 2026. Should that read 2026 to 2027? It was supposed to be amended, right? Okay. One year. One year for one year. That's right. So every 26 to I thought it was two years, but 2026 to 2027. It does say two years. It does say two years. Rick, do you want to clarify for us? [laughter] I thought we had dealt with this in committee. You did. Yes.

Okay. So, last time you amended it to make a it a one-year agreement for 2026, right? Okay. From January 1st, 20 26 to December 31st, 2026. Okay. And so I think the discussion was that the ordinance would direct that the the agreement will be amended. You don't amend the agreement itself. Okay. Okay. Okay.

So I thought I thought that was already done last time because I mean even though it didn't really matter because we were done with 2025 and we already had an agreement for 2025. I was going to let it go but uh if you want it out of there we'll take it out of there before we sign it. Are you okay? Yeah. Okay, we're good. Okay. Thank you very much. Thank you. Any other discussion? All in favor? Opposed? Seven eyes, zero nos. The resolution passes. Resolution 19.

Resolution proclaiming the month of February 2026 as Black History Month in the city of Troy, New York. Council President Steel at the request of the administration. Is there a motion? Motion. Council member Dorenzo. Second. Second. Council member Campbell Cohen. Discussion. Council President. Council member McKe.

Um I would like to offer an amendment. I would like to offer an amendment to this resolution um as follows. Uh to remove the fourth whereas paragraph and insert whereas we celebrate black history month to highlight some of the AfricanAmericans who have shaped not only national history but the civic, legal, cultural and spiritual life of our city. And I have we named several paragraphs um in honor of Garnett D. Baltimore, Frederick A. Chu, George Riddle Kelly, Edward P. McCabe, and Pamela Sharp.

We have a motion on the floor. Is there a second? Second. Second by council member Struber. discussion on the amendment. Council President, Council Member McLaren.

Um I just wanted to point out that um this is the 100th anniversary of Black History Month. Um well, the the first celebration of Black History Month was February 1st in um 1926, but it took 50 years before it was a nationally recognized monthlong celebration. Um so I think we need to do better. [laughter] Um, you know, now that it is a month-long celebration, I I think we can't forget that it's not just a month-long celebration because black history is American history. Um, and I would just like to encourage everybody to remember that.

Well said. Thank you. I would also like to acknowledge Reverend Victor Patterson for his assistance uh with this amendment um bringing to our attention that we have many notable African-Americans uh from Troy who have contributed and made our history what it is today. Um on the amendment, all in favor? I opposed. The amendment carries on the amended resolution. Is there any discussion? All in favor? I opposed.

Seven eyes, zero nos. The resolution passes. Resolution 20. Resolution commemorating the 30th anniversary of Azie Osborne's concert in Troy. Council member McLaren. Is there a motion? Motion. Council member McKe second. Second. Council member Favro. Discussion on the resolution. Council President. Council member McLaren. So, never did I imagine there would be so much backlash [laughter] against this resolution. Poor Azie.

Yeah. Now, whether or not you're a fan of heavy metal music or Black Sabbath or Azie Osborne, he did contribute a great deal to the music scene. Um, he did just recently pass away and and it we did just pass the 30th anniversary of his show at RPI. Now, as a kid growing up in Troy, the RPI Fieldhouse was like the only game in town. it was the only place where there are enough seats to have big shows. Um, now by the time he came in 1996, other there were other venues. So, the fact that we were still pulling in such a big show in Troy, um, I just think it's a neat piece of Troy history, [clears throat] um, certainly not meant to detract from the other important work that we are doing as a council. um just kind of a light-hearted way to spotlight an important um you know an important c an important event that happened in Troy 30 years ago.

Thank you. Any other comments? All in favor? I opposed. Seven eyes, zero nos. The resolution passes. Resolution 21, resolution of Troy City Council scheduling a public hearing in connection with proposed local law number one of 2026 adopting article 6A of the real property law to make the good cause eviction law applicable in Troy, New York. Council member Spain McLaren, Council Member Campbell Cohen, Council President Steel. Is there a motion?

Motion. Council member Favro. Second by Council Member Dorenzo. Uh we need to insert a date and a time for the public hearing. Uh the date will be Thursday, February 19th [snorts] and the time is 5:30. Any further discussion on the resolution? All in favor? [snorts] I opposed. Seven eyes, zero nos. The resolution passes. Resolution 22.

Thank you. Thank you. Let's Let's try to keep it down to a low roar here, please. Thank you. Thank you. Uh resolution 22. Resolution of Troy City Council scheduling a public hearing in connection [snorts] with proposed local law number two of 2026 amending chapter 2 of the code of the city of Troy to add a new article 7 for the purpose of authorizing remote participation by video conferencing for the public and members of the city council and for all other public bodies of the city of Troy. Council member Spain McLaren. Council member McKe. Is there a motion? Motion. Council member Favro. Second. Second,

council member Campbell Cohen. Uh, this date will be also February 19th at 5:45. Any further discussion? All in favor? I opposed. Seven eyes, zero nos. The resolution passes. Resolution 23. Resolution condemning the activities of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, and opposing future funding. Council member McKe, Council Member Spain McLaren. Is there a motion? Motion. Council member Campbell Co. Second. Second by Council Member Dorenzo. Discussion.

Council President. Council member McKe. Council President. The horror vi and violence being perpetrated by ICE on the streets of Minneapolis must be condemned by all of us who believe in democracy, the constitution, and the rule of law.

Um, yes, I would like to make a motion to amend. [laughter] Okay, we have a motion to amend. How would you like to amend it?

Um, we would like to insert a paragraph, a whereas paragraph after number four as follows. Whereas Governor Hokll introduced the local cops local crimes act to protect New Yorkers, strengthen constitutional safeguards, and prohibit local law enforcement from being deputized by ICE for federal civil immigration enforcement. The legislation would eliminate 287G agreements, bar state and local police from acting as federal agents or using taxpayer funded resources or personnel to carry out federal civil immigration enforcement. It would also prohibit federal agents from using local detention centers for civil immigration enforcement, mass raids, or the transportation of detainees. We have an amendment on the floor. Is there a second?

Second. Council member Struber. Discussion on the amendment. All in favor? I. Opposed? The amendment is carried. Um on the amended resolution discussion.

Council President, Council Member McLaren. Um [clears throat] we brought a similar um resolution to the floor last year um which did not pass and it was met with a lot of um vehement uh people protesting it because they said it meant that we were anti- public safety, anti police. Um and I don't think that can be further from the truth. This is not a statement um against public safety. It's not a statement against our law enforcement. Um I can speak for myself that, you know, I I've grown up believing in the judicial system. Um believing in um uh due process for everyone. Uh, do I want criminal activity of im immigrants gone? Absolutely. Do I want families ripped apart? Absolutely not. I don't I don't believe that people who are here lawfully who are going through the process the right way to gain citizenship um who have come here fleeing violence uh in their own countries or fleeing uh violence in their own family situations coming to America um to realize the American dream. I don't believe those people should be prosecuted, especially without due process, and hauled off to a detention center. And that's what I believe this resolution stands against. We I don't believe that it's

our intention to make a statement that no immigrants should be detained. Um, it needs to be done lawfully. It needs to be done so that everyone is afforded due process. And it needs to be done in a way that does not murder people who are trying to stand up for what's right.

Thank you. Um I echo your your sentiments. I I want to say that I think immigrant enforcement um should be focused on criminals and not on law-abiding citizens or immigrants um many who are here legally and have mixed families with children or spouses [snorts] um who are ci citizens. uh this is uh it's become a it's out of control and it needs to be reigned in and I think this isn't going to solve it in any way but it is a statement and it's equivalent to the many rallies uh that we see across the country. People are frustrated. They need to speak out. They need to be heard. And so tonight we are doing that. We are speaking out. We are being heard. Um any other comments? All in favor?

I I The amended resolution is adopted. [clears throat] Seven eyes. Zero nos. The resolution passes. Resolution 25. Resolution appointing Vince Pelicano as city marshal for the city of Troy. Council President Steel. Is there a motion? Motion. Council member McLaren. Second. Second. Council member Struger. Discussion. All in favor? I

opposed. Seven eyes, zero nos. The resolution passes.

That concludes our agenda. At this point in the evening, we have another public forum for you to share any of your thoughts on any item, not necessarily something that we acted on tonight. My name is Eric Spinner. Last time last month, I appeared before this council and concentrated on code modernization. Tonight I speak to you about enforcement and accountability. And we cannot have one without the other. This council is empowered to adopt a penal ordinance pursuant to C144 that would provide that any appointed executive branch official that is found by the city council to have failed to fulfill his obligations under the Troy Charter of Code is guilty of a misdemeanor. I suggest you enact that. Adopt a provision for removal from office of any appointed executive branch official by the same manner provided to the city council for removing its own members pursuing to C-22. Approve C31. amend C31 to require that the appointment of the director of code on enforcement be made an appointed official like a half dozen other officials in this city. I speak to you here tonight to warn that unless the vile snakes in the grass that control the mechanisms by which code

regulations are enforced, the enactment of the most enlightened and progressive reforms will fail in mitigating the injustices being perpetrated against the tenants of our city. This council cannot stand idly by and allow executive branch officials who have proven track records of obstructing enforcement and design and regulations designed to protect tenants. You cannot let them continue in office. You cannot look out into the streets and see how the housing stock depreciates every day. These conditions did not materialize overnight. They're a result of past and present administrations purposely disregarding enforcement regulations that would hold landlords accountable to keep their properties in a proper condition. I meet and speak with scores of tenants regularly, but following my latest rounds of speaking meetings and posts, several landlords have contacted me. And so I stand before you here tonight, not only as the voice of the downtrodden tenants of this city, but also I'm giving voice to the good landlords in our city who've been striving to improve the lives of tenants. These landlords have come facetoface with the corrupt and incompetent city officials that control the levers of power related to HOUSING POLICY. I STAND before you here tonight to expose the fact that a common thread that binds

these landlords and the tenants at large in our population is having to deal with the perverse stench that permeates the office of city attorney and the departments of code on enforcement and buildings. These landlords have learned what most tenants already have known. If you are connected to the inner circles of the city, to the establishment and political donor class, doors open freely for you and enforcement and punishment related to your transgressions is overlooked. But if you are not handing over so-called political donations or greasing palms in other ways or have familial or friendship relationships with the doorkeepers at city hall, you face permanent obstacles, fees, and fines. Due to specific intentionality, our so-called leaders have perpetuated a scheme based on a nefarious framework that has resulted in our city becoming a magnet for unscrupulous, unethical, moneyhungry cabals masquerading as landlords. And most of them come from out of city and out of state. Every single large residential housing complex in Troy is owned by an out ofstate landlord. Now, a landlord owning a residential complex with 100 units is generating 1.4 1.5 million in annual rent. Yet this city and its officials does everything they can to ensure that fees and fines are not levy levied even the most egregious cases requiring architectural and engineering reports reviewing them for fair for

accuracy and our permitting process is not about money alone. The system is designed to enable a governing authority to ensure safeguards and proper procedures are in place. The neglect to levy permit fees or perform perform other oversight goes beyond financial cap calculations. By not enforcing universally accepted procedures, landlords are emboldened to disregard all regulations conduct shoddy work or no work at all. Our current housing pol policy officials have proven that their priorities are focused on making money for large landlords. The current director of code on enforcement and city attorney have gone out of their way to not require permits from large landlords, even in the absolutely clear-cut cases where they would be required. Even as large landlords have been absolved of incurring permit fees, the city is leveling these same fees against small property owners, one and two family homeowners. Three of the most egregious scoundrels responsible for the worst housing crisis in this city's history still holds of power. THE CODE ENFORCEMENT DIRECTOR APPROVED THE HPD landlord from removing brick walls from 11 buildings without even requiring a permit. What ensued was a demolition disaster, proof positive of the importance of having someone that can tell the difference between a blueprint and a fingerprint. Vans pulled up to the housing complex and dozens of unskilled workers were given sledgehammers, pickaxes, and pneumatic drills. I called the emergency code enforcement number and got less than no response. I called then city

council president Queen Carmela and told her, "We have a serious emergency. Get Cole down here right away." It's anybody's guess what she did, but I can tell you this. Cole didn't showed up for another 4 days. In the meantime, 80 apartments were destroyed. Ceilings and walls caved in. Shattered glass and debris 2 FEET HIGH or more. And that's not the worst of it. I'll tell you what the worst of it is and why some people ask me I'm so why I'm so passionate about this issue. Tenants property were destroyed. Small pets were killed. DID YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID? SMALL PETS WERE KILLED BECAUSE THIS city allowed a landlord to conduct a major demolation demolition operation in a housing complex without even getting a permit or a full engineer report. 275 people, many who voted for you and you were made homeless and over 120 of these people left Troy forever. Call that damage. To date, not a single one of these major players in our city government has been accountable. Not one. Bricks fell on electrical meter substations, knocking out power to five buildings. And then a 10-ft wide slab of bricks came tumbling down, pulling down the main feed of cable from Delaware Avenue, knocking out the power not only to the entire complex at Harbor Point, but the complex next door and the private houses in the neighborhood. Although power was restored relative quickly to the rest of the area, it would be another 3 months before electricity was restored to HPG. Now, just to show you the egregiousness, HPD landlords still owe Troy tens of

thousands of dollars, including for engineer reports to the sum of about 20 grand. Last year, HPD was forced into bankruptcy for failing to pay their mortgage. Our city mayor city attorney failed to recoup one cent nor did they even file as a creditor with the bankruptcy court. That's total negligence. The property was recently sold and the most egregious landlord in the history of our city walked away with $2 million in profit. Who pays for that? If you own private property, you pay you pay for that. The primary qualification to be promoted to the director of cone enforcement should not be that your spouse as a member of this council was a bobbleheaded rubber stamp yes vote for the Republican mayor.

Okay, Eric, please let's let's refrain from name calling and please wrap it up. This council can enact revisions to allow the removal of government miscreants and cut bud budget line items for these people who still hold power and I implore you to do so. How realistic is it to expect a code enforcement director who's played loose and easy with critical housing and building regulations in order to favor landlords will suddenly become the lion that lies easily with the land? I submit to you it's not possible. How feasible is it to expect the city attorney to be an impartial custodian of the mechanisms of power related to tenant protections when he has gone out of his way to shield landlords from liability? I submit to you that a leopard cannot change his spot. I stand before you here tonight to demand that this council move forward to institute the creation of a landlord tenant relations council in that good cause eviction start a vacancy study to bring our city under the protective umbrella of the ETPA and to pass the soontobe submitted Troy New York's housing reform act. In closing, let me say this. I stand before you tonight to insist that this council excise the tumorous cancer of cultural rot that is ravaging the inards of the office of city attorney and the department of code enforcement for every tenant

who's been ignored disparaged and living in subanded conditions this council owes nothing less. Thank you. Does anyone else wish to address the council on any item?

Hi, I'm Francis from Zel Troy. Um, hey, Eric might go way over time, but he's not wrong. [laughter] Um, I was glad to hear the mayor praise affordable housing when she spoke on uh resolution, I think it was 24, and I hope that means she will sign good cause tenant protections into law and not force the council to override a veto. Um, I would like to point to the enthusiasm of the public tonight, but also on the night of the open public forum in January. Yeah, for this one, we advertised. We said, "Hey, come speak on this." In January, no one asked. No one advertised. No one said, "Hey, come speak on this." They just did. People care that much about this legislation. They care that much about these protections. No one had to ask them to speak on it. So, I just want to I just want to make that known. And I uh I could say a lot. I am a landlord. I am a small landlord. I have one unit. I live in the house. And I don't screw over my tenants. I try to help them as much as I can. I could say all of the talking points on property values with when tenants stay and you know all of these lovely things, but everyone's already said things like that to this council and the council previous dozens of times. So I'm glad that this council is actually going to do something about it. Thank you.

Thank you, Francis. Uh good evening council president. Good evening council members. I want to thank you oh Victor Patterson uh Lenenberg district 2. [clears throat] Wanted to thank you u you all for passing uh the resolution and adding uh the names of the members of our community that has labored and loved our community from the African-American community. I would be remiss uh if I did not um say one more name. Uh I forgot to add this name and I know that it might be too late since the resolutions already passed, but I didn't want to take this moment uh to do um any uh disservice. Uh the name I would like to also lift up that has been born and raised and have thrived in the city of Troy uh as an African-American man is Mr. Uh Randy Trice, Randolph Trice. I don't know if y'all know him who he is or any, but he is a lifelong member of Fifth Avenue Zion Church. In case you did not know who he was, he was appointed judge to the United States District Court for the Northeastern District of the New York in 2001. Mr. Trice is the first African-American man to be appointed or person period to be appointed to the federal juristic in the north um district of New York and the first person of color to be appointed or elected to this at any level state or federal in 104 years in the eastern upstate New York. He's born and raised in the city of Jordan, New York. Also a proud member of Fifth Avenue Zion Church. So I just wanted to make sure that we had added or included that name. Thank you. and I believe he was a member of the Lancingberg Boys and Girls Club.

You are absolutely correct.

Good evening, uh, city council members. My name is Brian Posernandez. I'm a resident of South Troy. I just wanted to thank you all for passing the resolution, uh, condemning the activities of ICE and opposing future funding. Thank you to council member McKe and council member Spain Mc Lauren for taking the lead on this. Um I've organized a number of protests here in Troy and Albany on this very topic of ICE. Uh and you know I am aware that there has been ICE sightings here in Troy uh almost on a daily basis and also sightings in Albany where they're um terrorizing immigrant communities. Um, as a second generation immigrant, uh, it is deeply abhorrent and disturbing to see, uh, ICE, uh, continuously terrorizing people here in the Capitol region. Um, so this resolution speaks volumes, and I hope that, um, in the future, the city council can take future steps to protect Troy residents from ICE. Uh that may include um offering uh the the public whistles so that they can alert folks when ICE is in the community. That may include um some sort of communication system or method where residents can know when ICE is in their neighborhood uh and encourage them to film uh ICE uh in in the in the neighborhood to make sure that what they're doing is lawful. So, thank you again very much for passing this resolution.

Thank you, Brian. [applause] Does anyone else wish to address us? It's been a a a long night, but a great night. Thank you all for your comments and input. Means a lot. Um I would entertain a motion to adjurnn. Motion. Council member McLaren with a second by council member Stu Struber. All in favor? Opposed? We are adjourned.