City Council - Regular Meeting

All set. Good evening everyone. Welcome to the Troy City Council. I'd ask you to please stand and join me in the pledge of allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Well, again, good evening everyone and uh I want to thank you all for being here for tonight's city council meeting and the annual legislative address as prescribed by the city charter. For those who may not know me, I'm Sue Steel, city council president. It's an honor and a privilege to serve you, the residents of Troy, as well as work alongside my six colleagues with me here this evening. Council member Dorenzo, Council Member Struber, Council Member McLaren, Council Member McKe, Council Member Yes, Council [laughter] Member, Here I go. Council member Favro, and Council Member Campbell Cohen. Uh, bear with me. I'm not known as the greatest public speaker. Yes, I saw that. Thank you. Um, I'd like to acknowledge at this time uh the attendance of several officials including Assemblyman John McDonald, County Legislature Minority Leader Mark Fleming, County Legislator Carol Weaver, Governor Hokll's Regional Representative Dan Ren, We truly appreciate Mayor Mantel's attendance tonight. Along with a number of our city department heads and employees, we have

a great contingent from the fire service. Um, we appreciate all you do for the city of Troy on a daily basis. I think it's important that residents know their elected officials are actually here in person to listen and hear feedback and comments. [snorts] As has been widely documented, the council has changed significantly from the prior two years, both in its composition and in our priorities and approach to transparency and financial oversight. I emphasize that the work of the council, our questions, our committee meetings, our discussions are direct examples of our commitment to being thorough as we closely examine every penny of taxpayer dollars being spent. The work of Troy's legislative body is often understated or misunderstood. So tonight, we approach this address as an opportunity to highlight our agenda for the year and how we can prioritize the well-being and health of our community and neighborhoods. From the start, we've placed public participation at the heart of the council's work. In fact, our second ever meeting during the first week of 2026 was simply a public forum. We opened the doors to the community and asked them to come and bring their ideas, their thoughts, their priorities, and other comments and feedback on where they believe the council should be headed in the next two years. I was heartened at the strong turnout and passionate comments from those who attended. Our city's government is a stronger entity when you, the people, make your voices

heard. Know we're listening. We have already taken steps to reduce barriers that limit public participation in city council meetings as well as our own members in the case where illness limits their ability to be here in person. This includes remote participation via Zoom for those unable to travel to city hall or personal health concerns. We want the fullest greatest level of public engagement on our work and this is a good first step. We also reinstituted the committee process, allowing us to refer legislation for multiple rounds of public discussion and questions and debate. This was something the entire council felt very strongly about and the public has been very supportive of. The days of multi-million dollar borrowing requests being advanced to the city council with less than 24 hours notice is over. And we pledge to maximize transparency for taxpayers. We also hope to work with the administration to ensure quarterly financial reports are delivered in accordance with the law. These reports give the council and residents a clearer picture of how taxpayer dollars are being spent throughout the year and how our money is being managed. We look forward to working with city controller McNeff on this very important issue. Housing and neighborhood stability remains a key issue for the council. Two years ago, the council's then three member Democratic caucus signaled our intention to adopt Governor Hokll's pro-ousing community program, and we were pleased the mayor quickly agreed to advance our effort. The construction of housing in Troy, particularly or

affordable housing, remains a core priority for the council along with our ongoing efforts to protect tenants and their rights to safe, reasonably priced housing. As we heard during January's public forum, absentee landlords are another serious problem which impacts our residents who rent. A functioning landlord registry would help strengthen our enforcement and oversight work to protect residents struggling with health and safety issues where they live. This will require additional investments in code enforcement and this is something the council will be pursuing this year. We have also taken steps to restore dignity for tenants through the introduction of good cause eviction legislation spearheaded by council member Greg Campbell Cohen. This legislation protects tenants from arbitrary evictions while preserving the right of responsible landlords to evict for good cause. It establishes an annual cap on rent increases while allowing landlords to exceed that cap when they have when they face significant documented increases in operating costs or when making necessary capital improvements. In doing so, the council seeks to maintain safe, well-maintained housing, promote long-term investment in Troy's housing stock, and uphold fairness and accountability across the rent rental market. By striking this balance, the council is protecting tenants, supporting responsible landlords, and keeping Troy an affordable place to live for all. This legislation was unanimously approved by the council and committee and tonight we will give it final

approval. We thank the many, many residents and housing advocates who have continued to show up in support of this effort. We hear your voices and we're moving forward with this important work. We need to reassure residents, especially those who are renters, that the city is looking out for them and their families. At the same time, we applaud landlords who are maintaining safe and affordable housing for their tenants. Looking ahead, the council is pursuing the implementation of new programs to require landlords to have their rental units registered and regularly inspected to be certified for tenant occupancy. and to require them to fix the their code citations before they're able to obtain their certificate. This protects our tenants from unsafe and unhabitable conditions and also our housing stock from gradual deterioration by negligence. Again, it will put absentee landlords on notice. Climate change continues to threaten the health and well-being of local communities like Troy. Last summer, the Capitol region experienced a number of days with above average temperature. This included several days of what's considered extreme heat. Our region was also impacted by wildfire smoke negatively affecting local air quality. We can't bury our heads in the sand any longer. Climate change is here and it doesn't care about political ide ideology or personal beliefs. Centering climate work is essential for the future of our city. That's why the council will pursue the creation of a climate smart community task force along with the appointment of a climate smart community coordinator to advance

sustainability efforts in the collar city, including storm water resiliency, expanding renewable energy, and restoration of Troy's urban forests. All critical to the future of our city. I'm pleased to report we are working with the administration to reinvigorate the sustainability task force as well. There are some real challenges which continue to impact local communities across America, including Troy. In the age of social media and digital expression, so much of our collective lives are happening online. That's why it's critical that we as elected officials communicate clearly and effectively with the public. But more importantly, that communication must be done with respect, decorum, and standards of professionalism. We have seen how the harmful impact of personal attacks via social media have degraded our national politics and public discourse. And reg regrettably, that attitude has trickled down to Troy. Recent posts on the city hall social media pages and website have strayed far from acceptable and professional standards. In response, the council will be advancing legislation to implement a social media policy to establish guidelines and restore civility to the city's digital communications. This was something the council's Democratic caucus pushed two years ago, but unfortunately was blocked by the majority at that time. We also need to accelerate progress on the replacement of lead pipes in our neighborhoods. Including the approximately 150 replacements completed in 2023 under the

pre prior administration, just 550 have been completed in the last three years. This is woefully inadequate and far below what residents expect from city hall. In 2024, the administration's goal was to replace a very disappointing 400 lead service lines. They ultimately only replaced 254. Last year, the administration's goal was to replace 1,000 lead service lines. They replaced only 178, less than a fifth of what they planned. The administration's frequently reiterated goal is to replace all of the city's lead lines by December 31st, 2027. At its current replacement rate, we would be lucky if we were finished within 20 years. This will be a top priority for the council in 2026 and we will be calling a public utilities committee meeting to obtain an update from the administration on status of work and next steps. The grant funding from Governor Hokll and New York State is an important step and we're ready to work with the administration to ensure it's successful. The future of the long vacant waterfront site at One Monument Square has gone through many, many proposals and attempted development plans over the last 15 years. We have the tools. We have the funds. We have people willing to work with us. The time is now to get this over the finish line. I offer a shout out to Governor Hokll and Assemblyman McDonald who have given a huge assist to Troy in the form of financial support for redeveloping the site. I encourage future use of the site to include public space but also address jobs, housing and parking. The

time is for talk is over. The council will push the administration to get moving on this project. Similarly, the Riverwalk Park North extension is also close to being fully funded, increasing public access to our waterfront made significant strides under the previous administration, including the Seaw wall stabilization project, new downtown marina, and the Engles Avenue boat launch. In turn, we also must carry this work forward to continue connecting our neighborhoods to the iconic Hudson River. The $4 million in additional funding announced by Governor Hokll and the state legislature recently would be perfect to close the funding gap and get this project moving. The lack of a regional animal shelter is another issue that needs the city's attention. While the current shelter arrangement with Saratoga is helpful, it's far it's very far and there's an immediate need to address the challenges of housing the animals here in Troy. Such a facility is badly needed and Troy needs to take a leadership role. Finally, there are many many proposed projects and the key key question remains when will they begin? The city must be mindful not to concentrate excessive attention and resources on the proposed relocation of city hall. The project advanced through the prior council on an accelerated timeline with limited transparency. As a result, a lawsuit has recently been filed, creating the potential for additional and avoidable expenses. Given these considerations, we have concerns about the project's long-term

fiscal impact and request that taxpayers be kept fully informed as the process continues. To close, I want to emphasize that none of this work is about us as individuals. We are here because we care about our community and the people who make it such a special place. No matter who we are, who we voted for, or what neighborhood we call home, we are all Troy. Together, let's continue to move our city forward in the right direction. Thank you. At this time, we're going to move forward with the finance committee. Um, we have one item on the agenda this evening.

Okay. Finance Committee roll call. Council member Dorenzo, present. Council member Struber, present. Council member Spain McLaren, present. Council member McKe, Council [clears throat] Member Favro, present. Council member Campbell Cohen, present. Council President Steel, present. All members are present.

Thank you. Resolution 30, resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract with ESI employee assistance group for the purpose of providing employees with an employee assistance program, Council President Steel, at the request of the administration. Is there anyone in the audience who wishes to address the council on this piece of legislation? Seeing none, we'll move forward. Uh, do I have a motion on resolution 30? Motion. Council member McLaren. Second. Second.

Council member Struber. Discussion on resolution 30. Is there someone from the administration who could just give us a brief overview? I'm particularly interested in how this differs from programs that we've had in the past. If it does differ in any way,

it it does not. It's just continuing on. Continuing on the same benefits to our employees. Correct. Yep. Um and the cost is $24.95 per employee per year. And that compares to what we paid. That is actually the same rate that it was prior. Yep. Thank you. Are there any other questions from council members? Thank you. Appreciate it. You're welcome. Thank you. Any further discussion on resolution 30? All in favor? I opposed. Resolution is adopted unanimously.

That concludes the items of business for the finance committee. I would entertain a motion to adjurnn. Motion. Council member Favro. Second. Seconded by council member McKe. All in favor?

Opposed. Finance Committee is adjourned. We will now move on to our regular March meeting. We have pledged allegiance. We have we'll call the role. So, um we'll now move into the public forum. Does anyone wish to address the council on any one of the agenda items of the March agenda? Hi, my name is Francis Sweet from South Troy. Um, I've just got a quick little thing to say. Um,

Francis, could you speak right into the mic? It's Oh, I'm sorry. Want to hear you. Thank you.

I'm usually better at that. Sorry. Um, good cause will not prevent landlords from evicting tenants who damage the apartment, who don't pay rent, or who otherwise break their lease. If the landlord improves or renovates a building, that is good cause to increase the rent. The two things I think are best about this legislation is that it protects tenants from retaliation and unreasonable rent increases. If you have done nothing to improve an apartment, why are you charging more for it? Cost of living plus 5% increases is a totally reasonable amount uh to limit on rent increase if you've put no money in to make the place better. And if you're a good landlord, the good cause law shouldn't affect you. And if it does, maybe you're not actually the good landlord you think you are.

Thank you. Thank you, Francis. If anyone else wishes to speak, feel free to come forward. Please identify your name and your place of residence. Good evening, council members. My name is Frankie and I'm a long-term renter here in Troy. Before you cast your votes on good cause tonight, I'd like to address some of the false narratives that have been circulating about this law over the past few weeks. First, let's look at Mayor Montel's recent declaration that after two years of discussion and analysis, we just don't know enough about good cause, that the council should put it on hold and study it more. What the mayor hasn't revealed is that she actually met in person with good cause coalition members about 10 months ago and made a crystal clear promise at that time to do research on good cause. She kept assuring us, I'll do my research. But now, 10 months later, she's asserting that good cause is mysterious legislation that we know nothing about. If the mayor had actually done her research, she would have learned all about the long-term success of New Jersey's equivalent of good cause, which has been in place since 1974. She would have seen a recent empirical study that debunked the false argument that good cause slows down housing development. That in fact, New Jersey under good cause is beating New York in housing development. She would know that 17 municipalities throughout New York State have opted into good cause with no discernable negative impact. What the research shows is that good cause laws create housing stability. They prevent arbitrary or retaliatory evictions and they empower tenants to to report unsafe or unhealthy living conditions without fear of losing their home. All they do is require landlords to have specific legally defined reasons for evicting

tenants or refusing to renew leases. And as a bonus, they prohibit outrageous rent hikes when there is no justifiable reason for them other than obnoxious greed. So New Jersey has had the strongest version of good cause for 50 years. If good cause is so mysterious and dangerous, then why hasn't New Jerseys rental market collapsed after five decades of having it in place? Good cause is not by any stretch of the imagination an unknown. Good cause has been well tested and well researched by many. The other false narrative we've been hearing is that good cause punishes good landlords and that it will be impossible to be a landlord in Troy if this law is passed. Those ridiculous pronouncements made by two of the landlords who spoke at the public hearing simply show that they also failed to educate themselves about the law. One landlord who railed against good cause exclaimed repeatedly, "None of this makes sense to me." And I agree that he was very confused about good cause. His ramblings had absolutely no connection to the proposed law at all. Landlord, realtor, and Manan's mayor, Brian Marsh, also proved that he doesn't have a basic understanding of good cause either. He suggested the law would leave him no recourse to deal with bad tenants, which is patently false. Good cause does not in any way, shape, or form impede lawful evictions for lease violations or non-payment of rent. Mr. Marsh also implied that his rent increases would be limited to 5% which is also not correct. I trust that this council won't be foolish enough to take advice on good cause from Mr. Marsh or a self-identified confused landlord or the mayor when they have clearly done no legitimate research and lack an even rudimentary understanding of this law. What I don't understand is why the most basic tenant protections imaginable are

still up for this sort of debate. Why we have to correct and debunk these same non-arguments over and over again. I know you're smart enough to do your own research and analysis. I know you won't be swayed by these lies and misrepresentations, but why are these false narratives being introduced and perpetuated in the first place? My guess is that the last minute manufactured concern from Mayor Montel and her associates is nothing more than a political maneuver to protect the interests of campaign donors, greedy developers, and the slum lords who are exploiting the tenants of Troy. The mayor's sudden, urgent efforts to put the brakes on good cause are not to protect renters. She's looking out for a small group of businessmen who are afraid they might have to start playing fair in Troy's rental market. Her last ditch effort to stop this legislation has the mayor of Manans and a Republican state assembly member from Saratoga County, who have never weighed in on Troy housing before, taking swipes at good cause. It's just political collusion to protect rich and powerful people. Thankfully, this council has prioritized working on behalf of renters and fair, honest landlords. You've introduced reasonable legislation that helps clarify the tenant landlord relationship for both sides. And as far as I can tell, the only people who might suffer from good cause in Troy are the slum lords and the proiteeers who actually need guard rails to keep them within the bounds of fair play. So, I implore you, please don't wait. Please pass good cause tonight and get those guard rails up before any more Troy renters get exploited or abused. Thank you. Thank you, Frankie.

Does anyone else wish to address the council?

[clears throat]

Hello, council. Um, my name is Mark. I, uh, live in Little Italy region. Uh, and I'm a landlord. Uh, and I support good cause eviction. Uh, being a landlord is, uh, is is not just owning a property and renting out a unit. It is about building a community within that building. and building a community requires stability. Um, if my tenants felt like they couldn't tell me if something was leaking or if it something was disrepaired, I the long-term damage to the building would be greater than just repairing the issue. I think it's really important that we note that this kind of legislation where the retaliation is no longer felt by tenants means that our properties will stabilize because of the the work that that landlords will have to do in order to make those properties livable. Please do not listen to two landlords that don't exist in this don't don't that don't understand what's going on here. And please I implore you to pass good cause legisl legislation tonight. Thank you. Thank you, Mark. Am I talking into the microphone? Okay. Uh Rachel Rample, District 3. Um just wanted to thank the council, the public, everybody who has been with us along the way. This is a huge night for tenants in Troy. Um much has already been said. Uh so I I won't um I won't rehash uh about all of the lying that has been going on about uh this legislation by opponents

of it. [gasps] I guess I'll just add my take why I think so many landlords, even the quote unquote good landlords, are lying about this. And that's to me the the real reason that they oppose this law is that they want all of the power in the relationship between them and tenants. They don't want to be beholden to any standards, obligations, or checks on that power. whether they are the sort of landlord who abides by their end of the lease or not. They want the power to not do that uh if and when it suits them. That's the truth. Um and they know that that truth won't get them much sympathy from the public and so they have to lie about it. Um but we know what's true. Thank you everybody um for all of your efforts, for listening to the public at the doors um at our at our public forum um all along the way. It's um it's a big night for us. Thanks.

Thank you, Rachel. I don't see anyone. Is anyone else wish to speak? Because if you want to speak, please come forward. You know, I think this whole entire thing is being misrepresented. Could you please give us your name? My name is Tony and I live in district 4. Tony, thank you.

Um, I think this whole entire thing is being misrepresented and I think this is bad for tenants because this is going to uh put a risk premium. Uh, let some landlords are going to leave. um the stock is going to uh decrease. Uh the more you take power away from landlords, the more they're going to say this is just not worth it or I have to charge more to make it worth it for me to do business. So in the end, I truly believe that the good tenants will have to pay more for the undesirable tenants that are causing a lot of problems for landlords. I um I tell my friends this is just like uh uh shoplifterss are going to make it more expensive for the good customers and I keep hearing something like uh us tenants don't have any rights even before uh 2019 they had an incredible amount of rights even before 2019 um as if that never happened you know uh 2019 gave them more rights than just about any state in the country and somehow that's not um being included. Um and I I hear it's uh you know, we don't have any rights. You you got the the right to bankrupt landlords already. I mean, how much more do you want? Um there was a case in 2012, I I got injured working on my house. um 2013 my tenant disappeared and I c and serve him uh before he left he put a good tenant in there and uh we couldn't serve him. We didn't know where he went. Obviously if he was interested he would come back but he was gone. Now the good tenant wanted to rent the place but he said you know I have to

get him out because his has a problem. So we couldn't reach them. We couldn't evict them. We couldn't serve him. So basically what happened is the good tenant uh couldn't stay there and and receive housing where the bad tenant had all the rights and he was gone and he was abandoned the place. And in other states you can just fill out a form, you know, he abandoned the place such and such. And um and then the the good tenant said, "Well, I you know, if you can't evict, I I can't be here because this is going to cause problems. has caused a problems for you and me. So, um, for like a for quite a long time, this happened like right before winter, and right before winter, it's harder to uh get somebody in. So, I had to go that entire uh I had to go um many many months losing rent because all rights were given to the bad tenant that didn't even care about the place. And this is before even 2019. So there's many many ways to bankrupt landlords already. I feel like this is not good for uh investors. I don't I don't know what what kind of investor would come come into a place where um even more government regulation is going to make it I've been landlording for 16 years. I' I'm not interested in buying any homes. I'd never want to landlord any home other than the one that I've been in since 1974. And I know some people say this is not going to affect you, but I know in like in like a year or two it's going to be, "Oh, we don't have any rights." And uh if you gave them everything they wanted, they would still say, "We don't have any rights." And then the laws will be all landlords. And then they'll add even more, which this is the trend. every couple years it's like we need more rights and we don't have any and you give them

everything they want and it's just we want more. So I I've heard some of the the um the reasoning like why you should pass this because if families if families rent out a place that is no good um you can call code and say hey these problems exist and then code will say you have to fix that. I don't understand what this does for for that. This doesn't help that in any way. I If they're renting a place, if you're if you're buying cars from the junkyard, you can't expect them to pass inspection. You they should be taught to uh how to inspect an an apartment. That way, they won't get into um they would know if the if the place is not a good place, they should know how to shop. I mean, I I I I know how to shop for vehicles. I've never been burned. I I I do my research. I know what to look for. If you don't know how to shop for an apartment, you don't know how to inspect it. And then you call code and they help you out. Isn't that their job? And if the place is completely uninhabitable, well, they're going to say it's not inhab what what this will do. We we have current laws that help out in everything and in all the claims that I hear about you um you know and they say they don't have any law in 2019 they have a law that um landlords have to give them free rent for a year under certain conditions and they can laugh but it's in the law there's a law if if they're having a hardship now the landlords have to become social service providers Is that um is that is that what you expect from landlords to for them to be social service providers and give them free housing? Uh when they say like housing is a human right? What they're saying is we want uh free housing under certain conditions and is that what they

is that what that means like you know um housing is a human right and we have to just fulfill that for at our expense you know. Um well um well I could say a lot more but I think um I am extremely against this and everything they're asking for. There's laws to protect them already. So well you know where I stand.

Thank you Tony. Well, I'm not seeing anyone else coming forward, so I think we'll move forward with our agenda unless there's someone who wants to speak.

Good evening, uh, council members. Um, regarding good cause, I wanted to uh share just a couple points and just a couple of my thoughts. Um, first and foremost, let me begin by saying this very very clearly. I believe deeply in protecting our tenants. I believe in fairness. I believe in stability for our families. And I believe in safe, quality, affordable housing for every resident in our city. But I also believe that when we make major policy decisions that will impact thousands of renters, homeowners, small property owners, and future investment in our city, we must get it right. Over the past several years, we've made incredible progress in expanding affordable and workforce housing in Troy. We've encouraged responsible development. We've worked hard with nonprofit partners. We've leveraged state and federal resources. And since the beginning of 2024 alone, we have seen approximately 2500 new housing units either completed, under construction, or in the planning pipeline. That level of activity is significant for a city our size. It reflects confidence in our city. It reflects momentum and it reflects the progress that we've made in creating an environment where investment is possible. That progress matters and we can't afford to jeopardize it with

policies whose long-term consequences we don't fully understand. I've heard from residents who are concerned that this proposal is being described as just a first step. A first step toward what? Toward broader rent control measures, toward policies similar to New York City's tenant protection act framework. Those are fundamentally different housing markets with different dynamics than our city. We can't go down a path that unintentionally discourages housing production, chills investment, or makes it harder, not easier, to create the very affordability we are all fighting for. Last year, I met with leaders advocating for good cause, and I appreciate those conversations. I was supposed to meet yesterday with a a council member, but unfortunately that was cancelled. I know that statistics and demographic data will be presented. I expect we'll hear strong arguments in support of this proposal. But what I'm asking for respectfully and sincerely is an unbiased independent analysis of what good cause eviction actually means for Troy. Not assumptions, not ideology, not comparisons that don't fit our market. A real economic and housing impact report. How will this affect small landlords who own two or three family homes? How will it affect new construction? How will it affect financing for affordable housing

projects? And how will it affect rents over time? Because of the result of this policy, it's to reduce supply, even unintentionally, we risk creating the very problem we're trying to solve. As has been noted in recent housing analysis in our region, when household formation outpaces construction, it creates supply constraints and upward pressure on costs. That's a warning sign. That's economics 101. When demand rises faster than supply, prices go up. Even hiring units, when built, can relieve pressure in the market. A family moves into a new unit that frees up another apartment which then frees up another. That movement through housing chain helps stabilize rents regionally over time. If we interrupt that process without understanding the consequences, we risk slowing construction, reducing available units, and increasing cost. And I will not support a policy that may feel good in the short term but harms working families in the long term. Let me also say this. Protecting tenants and encouraging development are not mutually exclusive goals. We can do both and we should do both. We can continue to strengthen code enforcement. We can continue to support mediation between landlords and tenants. We can continue to incentivize workforce housing. We can continue to partner with the state for additional resources. But before

adopting sweeping regulatory changes, we owe it to the people of Troy to fully understand the impact. This isn't about politics. This isn't about Jews and sides. It's about making responsible, datadriven decisions for our city's future. Troy is growing. Troy is attracting investment. You saw Churchill's article this week. Believe me, again, an article like that out of Churchill, Tyler will tell you that's pretty hard. Trey is building housing at a pace we haven't seen in years. And that's momentum. including the 2500 units in progress since 2024. It reflects a housing pipeline that we must protect. And if we're serious about long-term affordability, let's not reverse that progress. So tonight, I'm asking for a pause, not to ignore the issue, not to dismiss concerns, but to commission a comprehensive, unbiased study on the economic, the housing, and the fiscal impacts of good cause eviction here in Troy. Additionally, much like Skenctity, they formed a tenants landlord task force. I'd be fully supportive of a task force of that liking. They held off on good cause. So, let's make decisions based on facts. Let's protect tenants thoughtfully. And let's ensure that our policies expand opportunity instead of restricting it. Our goal must be long-term ail affordability, long-term stability, and long-term growth. and that requires careful leadership. Thank you for listening. Thank you, mayor. [cough and clears throat]

Hi there, folks. I'm Elizabeth O. I'm in the good cause leads. I've been working on this for about two years. Uh I am glad that we have a preview of the mayor's arguments for when she's going to maybe veto this. Uh, I'd like to address the fact that her the the like thrust of her argument is basically we don't know how this is going to work. We need to study how this is going to work. We've already studied it. We already have plenty plenty of upset examples. We have examples from Albany. We have examples from New Jersey with midsize cities like the size of Troy. Um, she also claims that it's going to like slow down the housing market, slow down new development. The law is designed to prevent uh that for a couple reasons, but the big one is that this doesn't apply to units that have been constructed for 30 years. By the end of the 30-year cycle, the initial investors don't really care about it. Um like seriously, they're trying to pass it off. It doesn't actually impact new housing. And we see this theory play out in the actual practice of uh what the the construction numbers are like. Um but again, thank you for the mayor for presenting like her arguments. I'm looking forward to seeing how the council reacts to that. Thank you, Elizabeth. [clears throat]

Good evening, council members. My name is Mark Speedy. I live in District 1. Uh, I will be brief. Uh, I want to thank the council for their uh, commitment to passing good cause and helping the tenants of Troy. Uh, I will respond to the mayor briefly as I was one of the uh, constituents who met with her last year about good cause. Uh, and I presented to her as I presented and submitted to this council uh, uh, last year. Several studies that showed empirically that good cause eviction legislation has no impact on the construction of new housing, has no impact on housing supply. uh and uh generally has uh a positive impact on the eviction rates of tenants in the region. Uh good cause is good for the people of Troy. Uh the mayor knows that. Uh and I'm glad that all of you recognize it, too. Thank you.

Thank you, Speed. Last call. Does anyone wish to speak to the council on any agenda item? Seeing none, we will move forward. Local laws. Local law number one. 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. Council member Spain McLaren, Council Member Campbell Cohen, Council President Steel.

Is there a motion? Motion. Council member Favro. Second. Second. Council member Strouer. Discussion on the local law. Council President, Council Member McKe, think the good cause Speak to the mic. [snorts]

Good cause eviction is good for tenants because it protects residents from being forced out of their homes without a legitimate reason. It provides basic housing stability and helps families stay rooted in the community. At the same time, the law is fair to landlords, especially responsible landlords in Troy, because it still allows evictions for valid reasons like non-payment of rent, lease violations, or property damage. It also allows rents to exceed the cap to account for increases in taxes, insurance, non-rine maintenance, and capital improvements, ensuring landlords can recover legitimate cost while maintaining their properties. Good landlords who maintain their buildings and treat tenants fairly have nothing to fear from this law. Ultimately, this policy supports stable housing, stronger neighborhoods, and a fairer rental market for everyone in Troy.

Thank you, Council President.

Council member Campbell Cohen. Um as was noted by a speaker earlier um rightly good cause does exclude new constructions um as uh one of the 15 conditions under which a unit is not protected by good cause which is a long list um uh some some of them are regrettable but um uh the reason for that carve out is exactly what um the speaker earlier said uh is that you don't want to discourage new development and policies like that can um but not when there's a 30-year lag time. Developers very rarely have anything to do with the property after 30 years. They're certainly not um including their 31st year in part of their financial calculus. Um several thousand residents signed petitions in support of good cause and I can't thank all of them. Um, but I did want to thank a few of the residents of my district, uh, district 6, who have gone above and beyond to dedicate their afternoons, weekends, months, and in some cases years to getting this passed. Um, in particular, I want to thank Lenita Gresham, Frankie Reynolds, Francisu, Taran Hall, Wewaver, Seth Woody, Brandon Alana, Castello Nick Wallace, Rosalie German, Darra Silverman, Steven Maples, and Mara Drogan. Uh, one of the really hard lessons uh that I had to keep relearning when I was spending most of my life on the other side of this table is that there are uh years when you get to get things over the finish line and there are other years when you just get to keep the torch alive. And um I'm grateful to all of you for white knuckling it through the ladder so you could get to the former with us here today. Um, I'm very proud to represent all of you and to sponsor the legislation that you've been asking for for several years now.

Thank you. Thank you.

No. Um, I'll I'll weigh in at this point. Um, very proud of this moment. Um, and very grateful to the citizens of Troy for the hard work. Um, as Greg, as council member Campbell Cohen uh referenced, uh, this was a lot of, uh, boots on the ground work, leg work. Um, and I have to say I find it ironic that the mayor now wants to take a pause. Um, I'd like to remind her of our conversation. It was our one and only meeting that we had during the last term. and the first item on my agenda was doing a housing study and she said absolutely not. So, um now all of a sudden when it looks like we are going to be able to pass good cause eviction, we now need to do a housing study. Uh I find that extremely ironic. Um it's it's not time for a study. It's time to protect tenants. And um I do see this as a first step. I see this is a first step towards making uh Troy's housing stock uh stronger, safer, and more affordable. And I think that we I hope we can agree on taking those next steps uh [clears throat] definitely involving investment in code enforcement and and those next steps uh to perhaps do a residential occupancy program. But again, thanks to all who who um work so hard on this and I I do want to reassure ten uh landlords uh this is not going to be the end of the world. Um

all in favor? I

opposed. Seven eyes, zero nos. Local one, local law number one passes. local law number two. Local law number two, a local law 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, members of the city council, and all other public bodies of the city of Troy. Council member Spain McLaren, Council Member McKe.

Is there a motion? Motion. We have a tie. I'm going to give it to Council Member Strerver with a second by Council Member Dorenzo. Discussion on local law number two.

Council President, Council Member Stubber. I'm very excited for this local law to finally be coming to to fruition. Uh there are a lot of people in Troy who do not have the means to come to meetings in person every other week and we appreciate everybody who is here in person. Please keep coming. Uh but there are parents who have responsibilities to their children. There are people who are imuno compromised. There are people who don't have transportation. And this law is incredibly important to improve the accessibility of of government to everybody in the city. Thank you.

Any other discussion? Council member McKe.

I'm very excited about this law, too. It supports and enhances the dem democratic process in Troy. It allows easy accessibility and gives citizens the opportunity to participate in their government and to voice their concerns about the issues that affect their daily lives. Um live streaming allows citizens to hear discussions which will give them a better understanding of the laws such as good cause eviction and it will give their local government um the opportunity to um discuss these issues and have a more or less back and forth conversation um and to uh enhance and um sustain our democratic process. Thank you.

I was on the council during the pandemic and we met remotely and I saw firsthand how it could work. Um and many of the boards and commissions in the city of Troy maintained that kind of connection. Um, and so I'm glad that it's finally time that the city council moved into the 21st century, took advantage of the technology, and made um participation in their government easier and more uh accessible. Any other comments? All in favor?

I opposed. Seven eyes, zero nos. Local law number two passes. Resolutions. Resolution 26. Resolution 26. A resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into a memorandum of agreement with the Saratoga County Animal Shelter. Council President Steel at the request of the administration. Is there a motion? Motion. Council member McLaren. Second. Second. Council member McKe. discussion on the resolution. Council President, Council Member McLaren.

Um while I'm, you know, happy to support this, um, you know, they have done us a favor when the closest local shelter to us, um, was not able to accommodate animals from Troy anymore. Um it is far away and um like you said in your address earlier, it is um you know I would look forward to some discussions about what we could do for a more permanent solution in Troy for the animals. Thank you. Any other comments? Um, for those who are watching and those in the audience, just so you know, all of these items went through finance committee previously, so a lot of discussion has already taken place. Um, I would echo your comments, council member McLaren. Um, and I hope that the city can take a, as I've mentioned, take a leadership role in this. Uh there's clearly a need uh and a regional facility might just be the solution. All in favor? I

opposed. Seven eyes, zero nos. Resolution 26 passes. Resolution 27. Resolution 27. A resolution commending the Troy Division of the Ancient Order of the Hiburnians for its service to the communities of Troy. Council President Steel at the request of the administration. Is there a motion? Motion. Council member Dorenzo. Second. Second. Council member Campbell Cohen. Discussion on the resolution.

Council President. Council member Campbell Cohen.

Um I just want to recognize um the meteoric rise of AOH activity in the last couple years. I feel like I've been hearing good stuff going on basically every week. Um, especially in the last year or so. And so, whatever you guys are doing, uh, please keep it up. Um, I'd also like to comment a weird piece of personal trivia. I lived everywhere that James Connelly has lived. Um, and I used to live in Cowgate, which is where he was born in Scotland. Um, and uh, yeah. Um, how often do you get to say that? That's That's a piece of trivia we almost could have used last night.

Yes. [laughter] Any other comments? I'm signed up to work at the uh food pantry and I would encourage others to do as well. They they're doing great work at St. Augustine's. All in favor? I opposed. Seven eyes, zero nos. Resolution 27 passes. Resolution 28. Resolution 28, a resolution proclaiming March 2026 as Women's History Month in the city of Troy. Council member Struber, Council Member McKe, Council Member Favro at the request of the administration. Is there a motion? Motion. Council member McLaren. Second.

Second. Council member Struber. Discussion. Council President.

Council member McLaren. Um although I am a woman and did not um co-sponsor this um proud to um recognize that um women need to be uh women need to continue to be recognized um for their contributions. um both to the city of Troy and really globally. Um and it is in some places it is still something that is not I think we take it for granted here now. Um and in some places it's it's just not a thing yet. So I appreciate that we are recognizing it.

Thank you. All in favor? I opposed. Seven eyes, zero nos. Resolution 28 passes. Resolution 29. Resolution 29, a resolution proclaiming March 2026 as developmental disabilities awareness month in the city of Troy. Council member Spay McLaren at the request of the administration. Is there a motion? Motion. Council member Favro. Second. Second. Council member McKe. Discussion. Council President.

Council member McLaren. Um, so I appreciate it's it's something that the the mayor and I have in common um having a child with developmental disabilities and I appreciate um my colleagues um you know agreeing to bring this forward and also to the amendment that we made um to add in that um we're recognizing the power of support for families um you know who have a family member with developmental disabilities. Thank you. All in favor? I opposed. Seven eyes, zero nos. Resolution 29 passes. Resolution 30.

Resolution 30, a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract with ESI employee assistance group for the purpose of providing employees with an employee assistance program. Council President Steel at the request of the administration. Is there a motion? Motion. Council member Dorenzo. Second. Second. Council member McLaren. Discussion. All in favor? I opposed. Seven eyes, zero nos. Resolution 30 passes.

That concludes our agenda. Um, at this time we have another public forum. This is for anything. Doesn't have to pertain to just what was on the agenda. Uh if you have something that's on your mind that you would like to share with us, we'd like to hear it. If so, please come forward. Please give your name and place of residence. Hello.

Hi, my name is Dearra Shay. I uh live in South Central Troy. Um I'm in Norin's district. Um, [clears throat] I am here to talk about flock cameras in our community. Um, this summer my partner Julian and I noticed that a flock camera had been erected close to our home in South Central on the corner of Spring and Ida, the bottom of the hill in spring. For those of you unfamiliar, Flock Safety is a private surveillance company that installs self-powered cameras on bowls around cities and then sells footage and the associated facial recognition and license plate tracking information to various buyers, police departments most likely, um, but also private customers. The one close to our home is an automatic license plate reader, an ALPR. It takes images of every vehicle that passes and uploads it to a cloud server, noting license plate, color, make, model, etc. Um, I'm very concerned about the use of this technology in our community and the way that it works and the lack of ethical considerations and safeguards from the companies that deploy this technology. And in our case, it's Flock in our city. Flock surveillance, excuse me, flock [clears throat] surveillance technology in particular appears to be very hackable and can be easily manipulated by bad actors both on the local level and nationally. There are several active lawsuits and examples of federal law enforcement surveilling people without consent of local law enforcement, for example. Regular folks, just regular people who are a little bit good at coding, hacking flock cameras, and watching people from camera to camera. Bag bad actors in law enforcement using the technology to spy on ex-wives, ex-girlfriends, ex partners, and law enforcement using law flock camera data to surveil civilians without warrants. There are allegations that flock data was used in an attempt to criminally charge a woman in Texas with an abortion. And there are obvious concerns that ICE is accessing flock cameras, sometimes with and sometimes without

local law enforcement collaborators to surveil immigrant communities. There also seems to be a lack of safeguards for local surveillance data. So someone with a login in California, for example, can access the footage from our corner on IDA or any of the 26 or 27 or 28. the number is unclear. Um, in Troy, I reached out to my district council person, Noren, who was able to share that the cameras were actually installed in 2023 and I had never noticed. They really blend in. Um, she also shared that TPD finds the flock cameras to be valuable in solving crime in Troy and have expressed that they would heir on the side of privacy in response to the concern about federal requests. While I acknowledge the importance of solving serious crimes in our community and I appreciate the expression of good faith from TPD, I feel that the use of this particular technology comes at great cost to the privacy and the safety of all of our neighbors and our family. I've been struggling to explain what exactly I mean when I talk about our privacy and safety when I talk about this with people. Um, and then just today I read an essay from the ACLU [clears throat] written in 2023 about ALPRs and they said, and I quote, "There's no reason the technology should be used to create comprehensive records of everybody's comingings and goings." And that is precisely what ALPR databases like flocks are doing. In this country, the government should not be tracking us unless it has an individualized suspicion that we are engaged in wrongdoing. Even if you're someone who is comfortable with surveillance, Flock does not have appropriate guardrails to actually protect against bad actors with a little bit of skill. And other small cities have canceled flock contracts in response to public pressure via city council action. Ithaca, for example, just last night passed a resolution um to cancel their flock contract. And even the village of

Sarinac Lake in the north country paused their flock installation because of public concerns. Folks from across the political spectrum are currently disturbed by this technology. It's unguarded and it's bad for us in a regular political climate and we see right now that it's very very bad for us in this divisive and authoritarian political climate. Um so I have a few questions for the city council and the city council president um Troy police and also the mayor. Um, one of them is how long is this contract for with Flock? How much are we the taxpayers of Troy spending on this technology? Was the community involved or included in the decision to put these cameras in? I don't remember, but I also had a newborn at the time, so that might have been a part of that. How can we include the community in these types of decisions going forward? And can we see the receipts on how much this technology has helped to solve crime in our community? And lastly, will you do something to help us remove these cameras from our neighborhoods? It's really creepy and um I think we all feel a little bit chilled by it. Um, I also just to help um printed out all the citations for the examples that I've given since I didn't say where the sources were from. And there's um enough for everybody and uh a QR code if you want to go to the links. Thank you.

Thank you, dear. Hi everyone. Um, my name is Angela Beer. Um, I live on Hillside um, in Narin's district. I think it's good to follow um, Dearra's great um, exposition on flock. Um, so I was on the executive order 203 legislative committee um around 2020 to reckon with policing in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. There was a lot of work done then and there continues to be much work uh to be done on policing, technology, transparency, oversight, accountability and I really look forward um to working with the new council to bring about much needed change and bringing more people into this room who have things to say about the impacts of policing in our communities particularly in North Central. Um but right now I will talk about flock. Um, in March 2025, Wler County legislature uh unanimously unanimously approved the purchase of eight new flock automatic, which is AI, uh, license plate readers for the county within their meeting agenda for March 11th, if you want to look it up. There's more than I've ever seen produced by the Troy administration on their flock cameras. And I've been asking since 2023 for this. In that um, in those meeting notes, they shared the sole source bid. So, they were the only ones considered uh for these types of cameras for Flock and for their cloud storage. Flock was approved um here in Troy um I'm I'm assuming some point in 2022 and have been looking since 2023 to understand how Troy came to host over 20 flock

cameras without any public comment or oversight. I don't think it ever happened, Dearra. Um, and I will say in a recent February 2026 foil request, a resident received a barely legible procurement form for what seems to be an April 2025 reup on the flat commitment that was signed by Chief DeWolf. And that they said that that's all they had, which I doubt. So, no contract has ever been produced and no one knows how it ever happened. And if you go back in city council um, you know, agendas over the years, I've never been able to find it. Um all over the country, municipalities are breaking their contracts with flock due to the invasive daily surveillance that's blanketing our cities and to the repeated violations due to like a volatile combination of little to no oversight, the use of uh AI technologies and unregulated information sharing. Let's all remember the news from last week, which is hard to remember right now, but the government just challenged the guard rails of anthropic, one of which being AI being used for mass surveillance. So in our region, Rnler County is going in the opposite directions and I think some things that just happened late last year are really important to consider for this conversation here. Post and kill and Stewart shops were both approached to host flock cameras and both said no. And I will tell you the reason that Stewarts was approached, the uh Winsler County Sheriff that went to the post and meeting, the reason that they were doing that was because they had to take down many of their cameras because they violated Department of Transportation um easements and they needed other ways to get them up in our community. So, they were looking to break the law. um at a post and kill meeting um Arensa County Sheriff's Office, the same one thought that he had a you know a a friendly crowd and so he was trying to demonstrate how cool it was and how flock works so well by topping typing his own license plate in. Um he said, "Look, that's my truck and it captured my vehicle driving down the Collar City Bridge." This is a

paraphrase of exactly what he said. Um because I went to RAI to get my son a coat. But don't worry, this is all for our own good. Except that we're all being swept in a vast draget where information is being stored in clouds owned by a third party vendor that's accessible to who and when and how. Uh journalists and organizers have been sounding an alarm for years um about what this means. And as what was just referenced, now we're seeing what's happening. It's being used to investigate getting an abortion. It's being used in civil immigration investigations and in some cases to stalk an ex-lover. Now, Chief DeWolf wants us to take him for his word that Troy Flock data is not shared. I just don't understand how the head of the largest budget in the city that also handles weapons and enforces law gets to operate on word without producing contracts, agreements, and information. I would also say in response to that that the ACLU told us just last October that Flock can share driver surveillance data even when police departments opt out. the company's default agreement which I want to understand is that what we have um police departments grant the company license to share people's license plate data we need to understand how this came to be the way that it did city council now has a chance to rectify the situation I personally call on the council to end the contract with flock and to write legislation to have community control over police surveillance we have a police oversight and review board um it doesn't have subpoena power and it does it appears to have been diminished finished in this last administration. Um, so I would like for that, you know, more to be brought to that board. Uh, we need transparency and accountability. I'd also like to comment a bit on ICE in the city of Troy. If you don't know already, ICE has been operating in the capital region. Uh, last year 61 people were taken by their own data, but we know it's been more. That is not an accurate account. And I will tell you that multiple times, if

we're talking about surveillance, ICE was seen sitting in alleyways at 6:00 or 6:30 in the morning waiting for community members to exit their homes to go to work. These community members were being targeted for the color of their skin and the industry that they work in. And they were last seen doing that just late this winter. So, it's not old news. In January of this year, a young worker was heading out to his car in Albany and had four giant ICE agents violently tackle and wrestle him to the ground before kidnapping him and shortly after that deporting him. We've watched the events elsewhere, but they've been happening here in an escalated manner. I'm glad the council passed a resolution condemning what's been happening and is still happening in Minnesota, but realize this is happening here. My child and other children have reported students not being in their classrooms and it's because they're afraid. Families have quietly moved, are hiding out. Community members are changing their lives and living in fears. These are your constituents. Our community members need protection and support here. We are seeing masked agents in unmarked vehicles racially profiling our neighbors and abducting them. I'm glad to hear that Montello says that the Troy PD is not working with ICE. Let's keep it that way. Again, like all these other policing policies, let's put that in writing. You don't get to operate on word alone. We're talking about literal human rights violations. We're talking about intimidation of our community members. And I really need us really need us to move forward to support your constituents, our loved ones, our family members, our friends, and our neighbors. Thank you.

Hi there. My name is Brianna Harrington and I live on 10th Street. Um, and I just wanted to elaborate a little bit on what's been said tonight, which has been said very well so far. Um, I think there have been good intentions initially by city councils and police departments as far as installing these cameras, but I think the most important thing to really understand now is education and awareness of what these really are. Flock is more surveillance, not safety. Flock is more a platform, not a camera. What does that mean? So, what that means is, you know, this isn't just a camera that takes a picture of a license plate. This is a living system. This is a system that as time goes on, the developers in real time can add to this system whenever they want. They can add whatever kind of applications they want without necessarily informing city councils or the police departments. So for example with flock um there are a couple of accesses that they do use uh one is free form uh and that's the AI search for people by physical description. Raven sold for gunshot detection now listens for human voices in distress and the patent US11416545B1 please don't ask me to repeat that [laughter]

classifies people by race, gender, height, and weight in a searchable database. Now, what's been said before me are some examples of those applications being used for nefarious reasons, whether by stalking um or by profiling or by all the recent issues with ICE. Um, most notably something that was in the news that wasn't just conjecture, that was proven was the elementary school in Texas where it was admitted that ICE was working with that local police force and accessing all of the flock cameras around that school district to then lead a crackdown. And the person who gave the go-ahad for ICE to do this was the administrative assistant of the TE Texas Police Department. The administrative assistant. This is pretty shocking and pretty scary. So, as they've said before too, with this software, it's very easy to manipulate by a layman. Um, any citizen can access this surveillance footage in real time just by doing simple steps. You can find the steps on YouTube. And I feel like a lot of people whether they're in law enforcement or on city councils, they don't know this yet, but they are starting to know it pretty quickly. As we've seen in Ithaca, um as we've seen in a lot of other towns and cities across the country, it's actually kind of exciting to see the amount of

education um you know, expedited almost in a way with the awareness that's been going on. And so we're very excited, I think, to come today to share that with you because it definitely seems to me that you're very interested in education and awareness of what's going on in our community. So, don't know if there's anything else I need to add, but I just wanted to add those little particulars as far as the platform. um because a lot of people I don't think are aware of how extensive it can be and there's also been proof [clears throat] in audits because there have been audits um nationally for the flock surveillance [snorts] um that have come up with um proof that Flock has actually turned on certain applications without notifying police departments or towns and cities. um that is public record that can be searched and found. Um there have been towns and cities that have decided to cancel Flock. Um they thought that the surveillance cameras were shut down, but then after a while they discovered Flock turned them back on. So these are just some of many examples of this being sort of a wild wild west um technology that needs to be more um studied and understood and controlled by the citizens. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Hi there. I'm Melissa Bramley. I also live in South Central Troy. I'm in Greg's district. Um, I'm really glad this conversation is happening tonight. Uh, there's been a lot of really meaningful uh, thoughtful things that have already been said. Um, I just want to add that, um, while Flock has gotten a lot of national attention because of specific privacy concerns and security issues, um, I would love to see the city council um, as you talk about this, think about this, consider what might be done, take a long-term view, um, and consider that this particular platform isn't the only one that has issues. Uh, and so, you know, I just I want to want us to walk away from a short-term solution that um would put us back in this position perhaps after this council is not here anymore. Uh, so my my ideal situation, I think, would be um, as has been said, a lot of communities have canceled contracts, but what comes next? So, I'd like to see some legislation written that would address what does come next and how citizens of Troy can continue to be made aware of these things and have some agency in the conversation. Thank you.

Thank you, [clears throat] Melissa.

[snorts]

Good evening, President Steel and members of the council. My name is Zachary Rusone and I'm a resident of Troy in District 1. Thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight. I'm here to ask the council to consider the adoption of three resolutions regarding the flock safety surveillance cameras currently installed across Troy. First, to remove or disable the currently existing cameras. Secondly, to exercise the termination clause in the existing contract between Flock Group Incorporated and the Troy Police Department. And finally, to draft and refer to committee an ordinance requiring city council approval before the police department can again enter into a future mass surveillance contract. In 2023, 28 Flock safety automated surveillance cameras were quietly deployed throughout Troy. These cameras, as mentioned, collect license plate data and vehicle characteristics for every car that passes them. Not just individuals suspected of a crime, but every resident, worker, college student, tourist, and visitor moving through our city. At the same time, Flock's parent company has successfully applied for patents describing systems that classify individuals by demographic characteristics in searchable databases. Developments like this show how quickly surveillance platforms can expand beyond their original purpose and beyond the oversight of this council. In just the last year, cities in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Texas, California, and Washington have terminated or rejected contracts with Flock Safety. Officials have cited cyber security concerns, lack of transparency following breaches, the installation or activation of cameras after city councils and governments ordered them paused, and instances where data was shared with national agencies without the knowledge of local officials. Additionally, independent

cyber security databases, including the federal agency NIST, have documented more than 20 common cyber security vulnerability events associated with flock systems in the last four years. Importantly, just 30 days ago, Flock Safety made sweeping changes to its enduser license agreement, specifically removing a line stating that Flock does not own and shall not sell customer data, what is commonly known as a subpoena canary. By removing this language, they have raised serious questions about how their data is being used and may be used in the future. More broadly, systems like this create a permanent record of people's movements. Once that infrastructure exists, it becomes far easier for that data to be accessed or used in ways never approved by this council. Whether or not that happens here, Troy should not be building the infrastructure that makes that possible. The previous speaker was exactly correct. Flock isn't just a camera. It's a software platform. It should be subject to the same standards of regulation as any other platform that handles personally identifying information. Importantly, many of the cities that initially adopted these systems made the decision to reverse course only after residents had had a chance to weigh in. Public oversight matters and surveillance that affects every resident of a city should never be implemented quietly or solely through some departmental decision. It should require public debate and approval by you, the elected representatives of the people of Troy. We wouldn't approve a water treatment plant without an environmental assessment. Don't approve surveillance infrastructure without governance controls. I want to be clear, the issue here is not merely public safety. Everyone in this room wants Troy to be safe. And Troy police have in the past worked

handinhand with this council to execute responsible safety initiatives all across our city. The question is whether a mass surveillance system operated by a private company with this kind of track record is the tool we want shaping our community. Lastly, a word on cost burdens. Large surveillance databases necessarily create a corresponding burden on the city administration even when the database is privately owned and managed. Because this data would be subject to the freedom of information law, the city could face substantial requests for footage and records related to these cameras, especially given heightened federal enforcement activity across upstate New York in recent months. Managing those requests requires staff time, legal review, and incurs additional fees under the flock contract. Clear administrative policy set in place ahead of time would help to ameliate those issues beforehand. I therefore urge the council to act. We must remove or disable the cameras that exist, sever the existing contract with flock safety, and work to establish clear democratic oversight before any surveillance system of this scale is allowed in our city. Again, thank you for your time, and thank you for your service to the people of Troy.

Thank you, Zachary. Good evening. My name is Annayia Davis and I am a resident of South Troy. I do commend Mayor Mantel and her um team for going into these schools and meeting these kids and going to the library. I mean, not going to library, reading to them. And I also see that we're having recreational spaces built for our youth and our young people and stuff like that. But where is the youth decision when it comes to that because, you know, me and my peers, we're looking for things to do. We're bored. But we have nowhere to go. There's nothing to do. And all these things that are being built, especially the parks and recreation spaces, are meant for the younger group. And you know there's different organizations such as the Troy look program, the TP Hero, and we also have the what is it called? The youth the Troy um summer league program, but mainly things that I'm seeing in my community are things for males. And for the females, it's like what do we do? you know, they have the teenate at the Y, but that's mainly like basketball and stuff like that. Or the Boys and Girls Club, they have their teenate, they have basketball and the PS5 and stuff like that, but like what are the girls going to do when they go there? And you know, we also have this big gun violence and gang problem going on in our neighborhoods. You know, kids are shooting, stabbing each other. There's literal wars between Troy and Lantberg, Troy and Albany. So we need people, especially our mentors to step up and not just have these programs and spaces where they have

their programs, but also be in the community talking to these kids, building relationships and not trying to correct, but to connect. So, I feel like your decisions um in addition to what you guys have going on and stuff like that should also be geared to the youth and their perspective and what they want in their city so we can have a safer city not only for the older people but our youth. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Hi, Francis. Sweet South Troy. Um, I just wanted to say thank you guys for passing good cause. That's it. Thank you. [laughter] Um, hi. I'm Evelyn. I'm a resident of Renelier County. So, I'm not in Troy. If you want to refuse my uh time or I'm not in uh Troy, I'm not but I am in Renelier County, feel free. Okay. Um, my uh thing was on Flock and how easy it is to access. Um, I'm in Techspaces and I know how easy this stuff is. If you log into YouTube, you get an email that says, "Hey, this is this you?" And that's called two factor authentication. Flock doesn't have this, which means if a hacker did log in, we don't know where they are or when they did it or anything. So when these databases are being accessed, it has less security than if I want to go watch, you know, this live stream on C-SPAN in on YouTube. Like this is incredibly

concerning and it's not that hard of a leap to make sure that Flock goes from tracking people to detaining people and rounding people up. because when you have this kind of thing, it's really really scary. Um, so I would just like, you know, things that are, you know, supposed to make us safe to have like more security than YouTube. Like, this is ridiculous. And I And it's in my county. It's in Post and Kill. These are like cameras that are being set up where I used to go to school. And you know, if like my peers are [snorts] being tracked, it's just [snorts] this really sucks. So, thank you. Thank you, Evelyn.

Hello, my name is Ai Menard Fifth A. So, just continuing on the 2FA thing, Flock only supports SMS 2FA, which is the bare minimum and it's also not required. So, we don't know if Troy is using it or if they're not. We I would like to see that just as a bare minimum of security protections outlined and what other people said, there are like 50 security vulnerabilities which should be addressed. Thank you. Thank you. Hi, good evening. My name is Tyra Conungle and I'm a resident of Northern Troy and I also would like to speak in regards to the flock cameras. There is little I can add that hasn't already been so eloquently said by previous speakers and I would like to thank them for their dedicated research and all the facts they presented today. So I all I would say is I am deeply concerned about this technology and how it can be used to used by federal agencies to illegally track and target our minor minorities and marginalized people of our community. And I would like to request urge that the council terminate this this contract with PLA and disable these these cameras. So thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Patricia. I'm in district 1 in Troy. Uh there's been a lot said about flot cameras already and we have talked about a very um macro idea of this and it being used for surveillance and rounding. Um seeing a lot of the horrors that are happening around our country right now. Uh personally uh through my volunteer work and through um my employment, I have been honored to work alongside police departments and social service agencies that work with domestic violence, sexual assault victims, uh particularly those with stalking. Um as we've been talking about, there are not enough protections. One in three women and one in six men will be stalked in their lifetime. That's the most recent statistic from 2024. That could be a romantic partner. It could be a parent. It could the relationship doesn't matter. But that is something that is effective on a very personal level. Even though our communities are also very personal to us as well as our friends and neighbors, there is not anybody that is immune from this. And quite honestly, there are not the safety protections available to keep us as individuals safe with this platform. So, as urged before, not just in the short term, we need to look at long-term solutions for keeping our communities safe, and that does include protecting our communities from this type of invasive surveillance. Thank you.

Thank you. Kill South Troy. Uh, so many members of the public tonight have already come forward, made so many great examples of why Flock is a tool for harm and a threat to our community. Uh, so I'm just going to cut right to the chase. Troy is a vibrant city. It thrives on diversity, acceptance, and creativity. Flock cameras gather mass data under the assumption that any given community member is a threat waiting to do harm. This level of paranoia and surveillance goes against everything that makes Troy unique. So, I'm asking remove the cameras, terminate the contracts. Troy is a safer place without a national platform that has been and continues to be easily manipulated to do harm. Uh, furthermore, to add on to that last point, I wasn't going to bring this up, but actually she does make a good point. Um, I was stopped. I was personally stalked and then actually just this Monday, Renzelier County Family Court granted me a restraining order against my stalker. Um, I can't say for sure if Flock was something that he accessed to do that, but I can't say for sure that he didn't either. I can say that he knew where I was without anyone telling him where I was, though. So, it's certainly a possibility it was used. Uh, Troy is not a place for fascism. Troy is not a place for hate. Remove the flock cameras.

I want to thank everyone for their comments. Um, at this time I don't see anyone else interested in speaking. So I would entertain a motion to adjurnn. Motion. Council member McLaren. Second. Second. Council member Favro. All in favor?