City Council

OFFICE OF CITY CLERK SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK AGENDA FOR THE COUNCIL CAUCUS AND THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, January 23, 2023 Room 209 7:00 p.m. ORIGINAL CONSIDERATION 01 Council Member A RESOLUTION Calling for a Public Hearing to Amend Chapter 161 of the Schenectady City Code Regarding the Collection of White Goods Votes Required 4 ORIGINAL CONSIDERATION 02 Council Member A RESOLUTION Authorizing the City to Accept the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) Delinquency Prevention Program Grant of up to $514,064 and Authorizing the Mayor to Enter into an Agreement with the County of Schenectady for the Purpose of Carrying out the Grant Votes Required 4 ORIGINAL CONSIDERATION 03 Council Member A RESOLUTION to Authorize the Mayor, or his Designee, to Enter Into any Agreement with the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES), to Accept $50,000 in Federal Funding Under the FY2020 Cyber Security Grant Program Votes Required 4 ORIGINAL CONSIDERATION 04 Council Member A RESOLUTION Declaring Support for the New York State Clean State Act Votes Required 4 1 Friday, January 20, 2023 Page 1 of 2  Monday, January 23, 2023 Room 209 7:00 p.m. ORIGINAL CONSIDERATION 05 Council Member A RESOLUTION Authorizing the Sale of a Vacant Lot at 1025 Congress Street for $2,000.00 Votes Required 4 ORIGINAL CONSIDERATION 06 Council Member A RESOLUTION Authorizing the Sale of a Vacant Lot on Avenue A for $1,500.00 Votes Required 4 ORIGINAL CONSIDERATION 07 Council Member A RESOLUTION Authorizing the Settlement of a Claim by American States Insurance Company a/s/o Jeffrey Briere Votes Required 4 ORIGINAL CONSIDERATION 08 Council Member A RESOLUTION Authorizing the Settlement of a Claim by Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation d/b/a National Grid Votes Required 4 ORIGINAL CONSIDERATION 09 Council Member A RESOLUTION Authorizing the Settlement of a Claim by State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company a/s/o Yvonne Marie Strain Votes Required 4 CONTRACT & SUPPLY 10 Council Member A RESOLUTION Authorizing the Issuance of a Purchase Order for "Sodium Hypochlorite 2023" Votes Required 4 2 Friday, January 20, 2023 Page 2 of 2  CITY COUNCIL SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK RESOLUTION NO. Councilmember offered the following: RESOLVED, that the City Council will conduct a public hearing in relation to: Amendments to Chapter 161 of the Schenectady City Code Regarding the Collection of White Goods Said Public hearing shall be held on Monday, February 13, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at Council Chambers, Room 209, Schenectady City Hall, 105 Jay Street, Schenectady, New York – for the purpose of the Amendments to Chapter 161 of the Schenectady City Code Regarding the Collection of White Goods; and be it further D RESOLVED, that the City Clerk shall have the following notice published in the appropriate manner: RA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Amendments to Chapter 161 of the Schenectady City Code Regarding the Collection of White Goods FT On Monday, February 13, 2023, at 7:00 p.m., the Schenectady City Council shall conduct a public hearing in relation to the above-referenced matter. Said public hearing shall be held in Council Chambers, Room 209, Schenectady City Hall, 105 Jay Street, Schenectady, New York – for the purpose of receiving public comment relative to the above-referenced matter; and be it further RESOLVED, that copies of materials related to the Amendments to Chapter 161 of the Schenectady City Code regarding the Collection of White Goods be made available at the City Clerk’s Office and the City of Schenectady website at www.cityofschenectady.com for public inspection beginning no later than February 8, 2023, and be it further RESOLVED, that all interested parties may also be heard by submitting written comments to the City Clerk via www.cityofschenectady.com/158/City-Council, by email at smykoo@schenectadyny.gov, or mail at City Clerk, 105 Jay St., Schenectady, NY 12305, by 12:00 p.m. on February 10, 2023. Approved as to form this 23rd day of January, 2023. __________________________ Andrew B. Koldin, Esq. Corporation Counsel 3  D 4 RA FT  City of Schenectady, New York RESOLUTION No.: Councilmember __________________________ offered the following: A Resolution Authorizing the City to Accept the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) Delinquency Prevention Program Grant of up to $514,064 and Authorizing the Mayor to Enter into an Agreement with the County of Schenectady for the Purpose of Carrying out the Grant WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to accept the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) Delinquency Prevention Program Grant of up to $514,064; and DWHEREAS, the County of Schenectady, through Schenectady County Connects, will RA assist the City of Schenectady in providing work experience opportunities to youth as an “Alternatives to Arrest” program, to carry out the purpose of the grant funding from DCJS: NOW, THEREFORE BE IT FT RESOLVED, that the City Council hereby authorizes the Mayor or his designee to execute all necessary agreements and documents for the purpose of receiving the DCJS Delinquency Prevent Program Grant funding; and be it further RESOLVED, that the City Council hereby authorizes the Mayor or his designee to enter into an agreement with the County of Schenectady for carrying out the purposes of the grant funding from DCJS; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Commissioner of Finance and Administration is directed to receive and allocate the funding as directed in the Budget Detail Worksheet within the grant award. Approved as to form this 23rd day of January, 2023. __________________________ Andrew B. Koldin, Esq. Corporation Counsel 5  CITY COUNCIL SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK RESOLUTION NO. Councilmember offered the following: A Resolution to Authorize the Mayor, or his Designee, to Enter into an Agreement with the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) to Accept $50,000 in Federal Funding under the FY2020 Cyber Security Grant Program WHEREAS, the City of Schenectady completed an application for funding to continue improvements to our local area network in order to support our goal of cyber security preparedness; and D WHEREAS, the City was awarded $50,000 in federal funding to be used to obtain consulting RA services for cyber awareness training, security exercises and to purchase software that will help monitor our network for vulnerabilities, incident management software as required to track incidents and to obtain helpdesk software that will allow tracking of our IT operations and issues: NOW, THEREFORE BE IT, FT RESOLVED, that the City Council authorizes the Mayor, or his designee, to enter into an agreement and execute any necessary documentation with the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) to accept $50,000 in federal funding under the FY2020 Cyber Security Grant Program. Approved as to form this 23rd day of January, 2023. ____________________________ Andrew B. Koldin, Esq. Corporation Counsel 6  CITY COUNCIL SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK RESOLUTION NO. Councilmember offered the following: A Resolution Declaring Support for the New York State Clean Slate Act WHEREAS, the Clean Slate Act would provide a way to revitalize our economy, enable individuals with prior convictions to fully participate in their communities, and improve public safety; and WHEREAS, the Clean Slate Act has built-in protections to ensure public safety with a waiting period that resets after any intervening offense. Eligibility for record sealing comes after three years for a D misdemeanor, seven years for a felony, after completing parole or post-release supervision; and RA WHEREAS, 8.7 million people in New York State have criminal conviction records; and WHEREAS, people with criminal conviction records face significant barriers to employment, housing and educational opportunities long after they have completed their sentences, parole and probation periods; and FT WHEREAS, racial disparities and socio-economic discrimination are rampant throughout the criminal legal system, and both statistics and empirical evidence show that convictions for even low-level offenses result in cyclical harm and structural instability for individuals, families, and communities; and WHEREAS, excluding individuals with criminal records from full participation in society through a system of perpetual punishment creates intergenerational trauma and exacerbates racial and economic inequality; and WHEREAS, Black U.S. residents are 4.5 times more likely to be incarcerated than white residents; and WHEREAS, people of color are 80% more likely to be discriminated against based on a conviction record; and WHEREAS, people who have been to prison lose an average of $484,400 in earnings over their lifetime; and WHEREAS, excluding individuals with conviction histories from the workforce costs the economy between $78 billion and $87 billion in lost gross domestic product; and 7  WHEREAS, clearing conviction records has shown to improve job placement and higher wages by 11% and 25% respectively - removing a financial barrier that not only benefits households, but also boosts state economies, strengthens small businesses, and contributes to the safety, stability, and well-being of our neighborhoods; and WHEREAS, removing barriers to accessing jobs, housing, education and licenses to practice a trade increases their participation in the economy and reduces the likelihood of recidivism, thereby making our communities safer; and WHEREAS, only approximately 2,500 of an estimated 600,000 eligible people — or less than 0.5% — have had their records sealed since New York’s current application-based sealing law went into effect in 2017; and WHEREAS, individuals released from incarceration are trailed by the long shadow of the criminal legal system years after serving their sentences due to the long-lasting collateral consequences of a criminal record. This perpetual punishment is both harmful and unnecessary. Automatic record clearing provides a safe way for formerly incarcerated individuals to more fully rejoin the community once their sentences and the required waiting periods have passed; and WHEREAS, a system of automatic sealing of criminal records is essential to provide relief to those D who need it most; and WHEREAS, the “Clean Slate Act” (S211/A1029), sponsored by Senator Zellnor Myrie and RA Assembly Member Catalina Cruz, would require that most criminal records be sealed automatically after a specified period of time; and WHEREAS, the Clean Slate Act would remove systemic barriers to stable housing, employment and education and allow millions of New Yorkers to participate fully in civic life and in their communities; FT and WHEREAS, 10 other states have already passed “Clean Slate” legislation: NOW, THEREFORE BE IT, RESOLVED, that the Schenectady City Council and Mayor Gary R. McCarthy call upon the New York State Legislature to pass and the Governor to sign the Clean Slate Act. Approved as to form this 23rd day of January, 2023. ____________________________ Andrew B. Koldin, Esq. Corporation Counsel 8  CITY COUNCIL SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK RESOLUTION NO. Councilmember offered the following: A Resolution Authorizing the Sale of a Vacant Lot at 1025 Congress Street WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the City of Schenectady to sell parcel numbered SBL # 49.54-4-25; and WHEREAS, there is no municipal use for the property: NOW, THEREFORE BE IT, D RESOLVED, that the City Council authorizes the Mayor to enter into a contract to transfer the RA title of parcel numbered SBL # 49.54-4-25 to Ramdial Balkaran and Seeta Balkaran and/or assign for the sum of Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00); and be it further RESOLVED, that the terms of the contract for sale shall include a clause requiring the vacant lot be consolidated with adjoining property, as well as any other terms deemed necessary by the FT Corporation Counsel. Approved as to form this 23rd day of January, 2023. ____________________________ Andrew B. Koldin, Esq. Corporation Counsel 9  CITY COUNCIL SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK RESOLUTION NO. Councilmember offered the following: A Resolution Authorizing the Sale of a Vacant Lot on Avenue A for $1,500 WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the City of Schenectady to sell parcel numbered SBL # 30.76-2-16; and WHEREAS, there is no municipal use for the property: NOW, THEREFORE BE IT, D RESOLVED, that the City Council authorizes the Mayor to enter into a contract to transfer the RA title of parcel numbered SBL # 30.76-2-16 to Habitat for Humanity of Schenectady County, Inc. and/or assign for the sum of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00); and be it further RESOLVED, that the terms of the contract for sale shall include terms deemed necessary by the Corporation Counsel. FT Approved as to form this 23rd day of January, 2023. ____________________________ Andrew B. Koldin, Esq. Corporation Counsel 10  CITY COUNCIL SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK RESOLUTION NO. Councilmember offered the following: A Resolution Authorizing the Settlement of a Claim by American States Insurance Company a/s/o Jeffrey Briere WHEREAS, American States Insurance Company a/s/o Jeffrey Briere filed a claim (2021-087) with the City of Schenectady; and WHEREAS, the Office of the Corporation Counsel has recommended that it would be in the D best interest of the City to settle this matter; and RA WHEREAS, the settlement proposal was accepted by the City Claims Committee: NOW, THEREFORE BE IT, RESOLVED, that the Office of the Corporation Counsel is authorized to enter into a settlement FT with American States Insurance Company a/s/o Jeffrey Briere to settle the claim for $17,158.22, the terms of which shall be set by the Corporation Counsel. Approved as to form this 23rd day of January, 2023. ____________________________ Andrew B. Koldin, Esq. Corporation Counsel 11  CITY COUNCIL SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK RESOLUTION NO. Councilmember offered the following: A Resolution Authorizing the Settlement of a Claim by Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation d/b/a National Grid WHEREAS, Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation d/b/a National Grid filed a claim (2022-23) with the City of Schenectady; and WHEREAS, the Office of the Corporation Counsel has recommended that it would be in the D best interest of the City to settle this matter; and RA WHEREAS, the settlement proposal was accepted by the City Claims Committee: NOW, THEREFORE BE IT, RESOLVED, that the Office of the Corporation Counsel is authorized to enter into a settlement FT with Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation d/b/a National Grid to settle the claim for $2,316.29, the terms of which shall be set by the Corporation Counsel. Approved as to form this 23rd day of January, 2023. ____________________________ Andrew B. Koldin, Esq. Corporation Counsel 12  CITY COUNCIL SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK RESOLUTION NO. Councilmember offered the following: A Resolution Authorizing the Settlement of a Claim by State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company a/s/o Yvonne Marie Strain WHEREAS, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company a/s/o Yvonne Marie Strain filed a claim (2021-086) with the City of Schenectady; and WHEREAS, the Office of the Corporation Counsel has recommended that it would be in the D best interest of the City to settle this matter; and RA WHEREAS, the settlement proposal was accepted by the City Claims Committee: NOW, THEREFORE BE IT, RESOLVED, that the Office of the Corporation Counsel is authorized to enter into a settlement FT with State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company a/s/o Yvonne Marie Strain to settle the claim for $2,501.52, the terms of which shall be set by the Corporation Counsel. Approved as to form this 23rd day of January, 2023. ____________________________ Andrew B. Koldin, Esq. Corporation Counsel 13  CITY COUNCIL SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK RESOLUTION NO.: _______________ Councilmember offered the following: A Resolution Authorizing the Issue of a Purchase Order for Sodium Hypochlorite - 2023 WHEREAS, each year the City of Schenectady issues a request for bids for Sodium Hypochlorite for restocking its inventory of this chemical. This chemical is used in the treatment D of City wastewater; and RA WHEREAS, a low bid was received on January 11, 2023 from Surpass Chemical Co., Inc. in the amount of $88,470.00. Funds for the purchase of the Sodium Hypochlorite will be charged to the 2023 Operating Budget Code G8130 – 409: NOW, BE IT THEREFORE FT RESOLVED, that this Council, acting as a Board of Contract and Supply under Section C5-9 of the City Charter, authorizes the Mayor or his designee to issue a purchase order to Surpass Chemical Co., Inc. of Albany, NY in the amount of $88,470.00; and be it further RESOLVED, that the City Council authorizes the Commissioner of Finance and Administration to charge the cost, in the amount of $88,470.00, to the 2023 Operating Budget Code G8130-409. Approved as to form this 23rd day of January, 2023. ____________________________ Andrew B. Koldin, Esq. Corporation Counsel 14  D 15 RA FT  D 16 RA FT  D 17 RA FT