City Council

Minutes of the TROY CITY COUNCIL FINANCE MEETING April 22, 2021 6:00 P.M. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, this meeting was held remotely via videoconference. The meeting was called to order at 6:04 p.m. by Council President Mantello. Pledge of Allegiance Roll Call: The roll being called, the following answered to their names: Council Member Gulli, Council Member Ashe-McPherson, Council Member Steele, Council Member Cummings, Council Member Zalewski, Council Member McDermott, Council President Mantello, Chair. In attendance were Mayor Patrick Madden, Corporation Counsel Richard T. Morrissey, Comptroller Andrew Piotrowski, Police Chief Brian Owens, and Commissioner of Planning & Economic Development Steven Strichman. Council Member Zalewski made a motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes of the prior meeting and approve as posted. Motion passed 7 ayes, 0 nos. Public Forum: The following individuals spoke regarding Ordinance 23.  Michael Barrett  Mandi Buchanan  Rafael Varela  Angela Beallor  Carlo Sorriento  Ellie Irons  Eric Wisher  Julia Cadieux  Kylie Spinelli  Rhea Drysdale  Mel Bromley The following group/individuals submitted written comments regarding Ordinance 23, which are appended to these minutes:  Frannie Agostine  Nate Rock  Jerry Spiegel  Charles Breiner 1  David C. Nicholas  John Murphy  Vic Christopher  Matthew Davis  Heather Hamlin Martin  Kellie and Sam Chiappone  Bob Caprara Jr.  Susan & Saverio Valenti  Paula Butler  Anthony D. Magnetto  Michael Nicholas  Rick Rivet  John Mamone  Erin Degnan  Robert "Rabbit" Riley  John Gerighty  Dan Mahar  Tony Buchanan  Jessica (Chiappone) Parenteau  Nora McDowell  Chris Alberino  Jeffrey Pasinella  Gary Fernet  Charlie Chiappone  Christopher McDonald  Kathleen Cassidy  Colleen C. Reilly  Jason P. Degnan  Kayla & Anita DeCelle  Edward Doin  Ralph M. Iler  Linda O‟Malley  William Comiskey  Assemblyman Jake Ashby  Tom Nardacci  Josh Chiappone  Bob Barnes 22. Ordinance Declaring Remnant Steam Powered Generator To Be Surplus City Property And Authorizing The Comptroller To Sell It For One Dollar To The Hudson Mohawk Industrial Gateway To Be Used For Educational Purposes (Council President Mantello) (At The Request Of The Administration) Ordinance passed 7 ayes, 0 nos, 0 abstentions. 2 23. Ordinance Transferring Funds Within The 2021 General Fund Budget (Council President Mantello) (At The Request Of The Administration) Ordinance passed 5 ayes, 2 nos (Steele, Cummings), 0 abstentions. 24. Ordinance Amending The 2021 General Fund Budget (Council President Mantello) (At The Request Of The Administration) Ordinance passed 7 ayes, 0 nos, 0 abstentions. 25. Ordinance Authorizing The Reconveyance Of Real Property Acquired By In Rem Foreclosure (Council President Mantello) (At The Request Of The Administration) Ordinance passed 7 ayes, 0 nos, 0 abstentions. 26. Ordinance Authorizing Leases Of Parking Spaces In The Fifth Avenue Parking Garage For A Five Year Term (Council President Mantello) (At The Request Of The Administration) Ordinance passed 7 ayes, 0 nos, 0 abstentions. 27. Ordinance Amending Chapters 234 & 247 Of The Troy City Code (Council Member Cummings) (At The Request Of The Administration) Withdrawn by administration. 28. Ordinance Authorizing And Approving, The Filing Of The City Of Troy's Application For Funding Pursuant To The Housing And Community Development Act Of 1974, The McKinney Act Emergency Shelter Grant Program, And The Home Investment Partnership Program, And Designating The Mayor As The Authorized Representative Of The City For Such Purposes (Council President Mantello) (At The Request Of The Administration) Ordinance passed 7 ayes, 0 nos, 0 abstentions. 28. A Resolution To Honor Geneva Pompey And To Designate The Public Park At Seventh Avenue And Ingalls Avenue As “Geneva Pompey Park” (Council President Mantello, Council Member Ashe McPherson) Resolution passed 7 ayes, 0 nos, 0 abstentions. 30. Resolution Accepting A Restore New York Grant For The Renovation Of 701 River Street And Authorizing The Mayor To Sign A Sub-Recipient Agreement With Redburn Development, LLC. (Council President Mantello) (At The Request Of The Administration) Resolution passed 7 ayes, 0 nos, 0 abstentions. 31. Resolution Of The Troy City Council Authorizing Acceptance Of A Grant From The Hudson River Valley Greenway To Create A Trailhead For The Empire State Trail (Council President Mantello) (At The Request Of The Administration) Resolution passed 7 ayes, 0 nos, 0 abstentions. 3 32. Resolution Of The Troy City Council Authorizing The Acceptance Of A Grant From The Capital District Transportation Committee For A Linkage Study Of The Federal Street Corridor (Council President Mantello) (At The Request Of The Administration) Resolution passed 7 ayes, 0 nos, 0 abstentions. 33. Bond Resolution Of The City Of Troy, New York Authorizing The Issuance Of $450,000 Serial Bonds To Finance The Reconstruction Of Various Bridges In The City (Council President Mantello) (At The Request Of The Administration) Resolution passed 7 ayes, 0 nos, 0 abstentions. 34. Resolution Authorizing The Mayor To Submit The City Of Troy’s Annual One Year Action Plan Of The Five Year Strategic Consolidated Plan To The U. S. Department Of Housing And Urban Development (Council President Mantello) (At The Request Of The Administration) Resolution passed 7 ayes, 0 nos, 0 abstentions. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 8:32 p.m. A video recording of this meeting is on file at the City Clerk's office. 4 Written Statements Submitted For Public Forum Since purchasing the Red Front in 2004, we have watched our neighborhood depreciate and have seen the affect it has had on our business. Our business is located on the corner of Division and Church Streets (alley) with our parking lots across the street and on the east side of our building. It is standard to have non-patrons loitering at our front entrance and in our parking lots. They constantly ask to use our facilities, ask our patrons for money, dump garbage, break bottles and leave drug paraphernalia. They can be loud and disruptive and frighten our patrons. Although we refuse the use of our facilities, asking them to leave can be very difficult as we don‟t know they type of person we are dealing with. This makes it very uncomfortable for our on-site patrons and for potential patrons who do not want to walk past them or are afraid to get out of their vehicle. COVID has made this a very difficult time for business owners and this type of situation does not help. In order to afford to remain open, we have utilized one of our parking lots to offer outdoor dining and find this situation becoming more difficult. We understand the police have more serious issues to deal with so we handle this situation ourselves. I do believe the addition of 6 police officers would greatly benefit our business and our neighborhood/community. A police officer driving by or on foot patrol can deter these people from hanging around and put ourselves and our patrons at ease. Sincerely, Frannie Agostine Owner Red Front Restaurant I am writing to you as the owner of Bootleggers on Broadway to express my thoughts on adding more cops to the force. I think it would be very beneficial for the downtown area to see the presence of police walking on foot through the downtown district. Personally my staff and I are currently having a major problem with Trish( The Turkey Trot lady) harassing and threating my staff and customers. Its deterring people who want to come out to downtown Troy. I believe that having a few extra police on foot would deter this problem in the business district. Over all I think this would give the community a sense of security and safety on what is predicted to be a very busy summer in the down town business district. Thank you for taking my thoughts in to consideration. Nate Rock Bootleggers Bar & Grill I am writing in support of adding six more police officers to the Troy police force. These additional officers will help in the patrolling the downtown, north central and south Troy as well as Lansingburgh. This is desperately needed as violence is on a rise. Citizens are scared to go 5 out and walk the streets. As someone who runs a business in Troy, people afraid to go out is hindering business. We are trying to bring back and support businesses after the pandemic however it is very difficult if people are afraid to go out in Troy. Having a stronger police presence will definitely help people feel more safe and secure. Thank you for your time! Jerry Spiegel Troy, NY I am writing to show my support for Ordinance 23, which will provide funding for six new police officers in Troy. Adding more police officers to a force helps to reduce crime. However, it does not necessarily mean more arrests and more people in jail. A larger police presence, including "beat cops" has been shown to deter crime and reduce the need for arrests. And, adding officers to a police force has been proven to reduce the use of excessive force. Regardless of current perception based on protests, polling shows voters of all races support hiring more police officers. If you want to make a real impact to lower crime, and reap the social benefits, including less shootings and murders, please vote yes to add police to the Troy Police Department. Adding officers to the TPD is a sound investment for Troy and a foundational step to improve our criminal justice system. Respectfully, Charles Breiner Troy, NY 12180 My name is David Nicholas, I am a lifelong resident of the City of Troy, NY and I am writing this letter in favor of adding additional community police officers to each of the 4 zones. We need more officers on the street to serve, protect, build relationships with the community, and improve the safety within our City. A recent study from 2019 (Peyton et al.) published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that a single, positive, nonenforcement-related encounter enhanced the legitimacy of police officers and increased people‟s willingness to cooperate with the police. This helps in improving the attitudes within the community toward the polices. By involving more officers within the community, it emphasizes proactivity rather than just reactivity which can help officers be successful in reducing crime and increasing awareness of community issues (2015 Maguire et al.). 6 This is what the City of Troy needs, more officers on the street to help build a stronger relationship with the community. The health and wellbeing of the Citizens of Troy, NY are at stake here and I hope the right decision is made at this meeting. I Thank You for your time and I encourage the City Council and Mayor to support adding the additional community police officers. Sincerely, David C. Nicholas, MPH Troy, NY 12180 References: • Kyle Peyton, Michael Sierra-Arévalo, David G. Rand, “A field experiment on community policing and police legitimacy,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Oct 2019, 116 (40) 19894-19898; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1910157116 • Maguire, Edward R., Craig D. Uchida, and Kimberly D. Hassell, “Problem-Oriented Policing in Colorado Springs: A Content Analysis of 753 Cases,” Crime and Delinquency 61, no. 1 (2015): 71–95. As a long standing business owner and community supporter I encourage you all to vote to add more police to the force. From my understanding these positions will help add a walking beat to the neighborhoods. This will be a great addition to our great community in which all of you council members live. More police on the force will also drop overtime costs as well. Please as a Council start thinking about how this City can be run like a business by enacting a municipality fee per head to all non for profits which have overtaken our City that our Police and Fire have to respond to on a daily bases. I am sure this fee would off set the cost of adding 6 positions to the force. Sincerely John Murphy Troy, NY 12182 The downtown business district continues to stay strong despite the downturn caused by Covid over the past 12 months. Everyone really worked hard to hang in there, and we are all optimistic. However, in a recent meeting, it was discussed that literally all of the downtown Troy businesspeople have been struggling with aggressive panhandlers. One, in particular, has attacked our customers and employees, stolen our tip jar, and is downright intimidating on a daily basis. This a bad look for customers looking to „enjoy Troy‟. People looking to shop and dine don‟t have to deal with issues like this when they go to Crossgates Mall, because they have visible security. 7 I‟m hearing that the city Council will be voting on Thursday on whether or not to expand Troy Police dept walking patrol throughout the city. The business operators don‟t ask for much. Please vote yes to protect us on a basic level, so that we can continue to provide a quality experience for our guests. -- Regards, Vic Christopher President, Clark House Hospitality Troy, NY I've been deeply disturbed by the whole Police Reimagine & Reform process, which failed to consider true reform, most notably to the power held by the Troy PD in our community - and failed to consider ways in which we might utilize alternatives to traditional policing to benefit our community. I strongly support a smaller police department (with a replacement of most current officers), not a larger one. Community policing has some merit - to the extent that we have police, this is the model they should use - but first and foremost we need to reduce the resources spent on policing and divert those resources to services that directly benefit our neighborhoods in need. The salaries of 6 police officers could go a long way towards providing direct benefits and services to individuals in our city who need it most - I do not believe the increased policing will have the same benefit. One of the arguments for hiring these officers is to improve the relationship between the Troy PD and local neighborhoods. The relationship between Troy PD and the neighborhoods of Troy was harmed by the police department - they don't deserve more resources as a reward, and I have absolutely no faith that any extra resources Troy PD receives will be beneficial to the community. I urge you to vote against the hiring of more officers and to provide an opportunity to obtain public input on how these funds could be better spent. Thank you, Matthew Davis Troy, NY 12180 I am writing to you to show my strong support for the addition of additional Community Police Officers to our City‟s team. The City of Troy has had a great experience in the past with using a dedicated CPU officer to successfully bridge the gap between residents and different departments in the city. We are fortunate in our neighborhoods to have many residents that are positive contributors to the community. A dedicated community police officer would provide support in an engaged, effective way. Having an officer attend community meetings and walk our neighborhoods will encourage conversation and can be a proactive way to work with residents. We have seen amazing success in the past when we had a dedicated, engaged officer devoting time to our neighborhood. 8 In the past, Community Police officers would take information on issues, follow up with property owners and then take the next steps with the appropriate city department. In many instances, there was not just one issue that creates a problem, there are many. We have seen success in the past with coordinated follow-up with departments such as DPW, code, and zone officers. A Community Police Officer is in a unique position to coordinate those efforts. I know Troy is a great city and we all want to work together to keep everyone safe and keep our neighborhoods open and welcoming. I urge you to vote in favor of adding such a proven resource to our neighborhood. Thank you for your work, time, and consideration. Best Regards, Heather Hamlin Martin Troy, NY 12180 We are writing you to show our strong support for the addition of additional Community Police Officers to our City‟s team. The City of Troy has had a great experience in the past with using a dedicated CPU officer to successfully bridge the gap between residents and different departments in the city. We are fortunate in our neighborhoods to have many residents that are positive contributors to the community. A dedicated community police officer would provide support in an engaged, effective way. Having an officer attend community meetings and walk our neighborhoods will encourage conversation and can be a proactive way to work with residents. We have seen amazing success in the past when we had a dedicated, engaged officer devoting time to our neighborhood. In the past, Community Police officers would take information on issues, follow up with property owners and then take the next steps with the appropriate city department. In many instances, there was not just one issue that creates a problem, there are many. We have seen success in the past with coordinated follow-up with departments such as DPW, code, and zone officers. A Community Police Officer is in a unique position to coordinate those efforts. We know Troy is a great city and we all want to work together to keep everyone safe and keep our neighborhoods open and welcoming. We urge you to vote in favor of adding such a proven resource to our neighborhood. Thank you for your work, time, and consideration. Best Regards, Kellie and Sam Chiappone Troy, NY 12180 9 To whom it may concern. My name is Bob Caprara Jr. My family started Caprara's on Third Street over 50 years ago and what I see happening to this city as far as crime and drugs are concerned is sickening. People openly doing drugs on our sidewalks and no lack of pan- handlers, not to mention prostitutes. We need more cops not only in patrol cars but on foot as well. If we don't take charge of this city as soon as possible we are going to end up like Seattle. Many of you may not give a crap but most of us do. Please support more Police and less politics as usual. Thank you. If anyone wants to speak to me I am available from 8-4:30 Monday thru Friday at Caprara's Auto Body, 266 Third Street. I am writing you to show my strong support for the addition of additional Community Police Officers to our City‟s team. The City of Troy has had a great experience in the past with using a dedicated CPU officer to successfully bridge the gap between residents and different departments in the city. We are fortunate in our neighborhoods to have many residents that are positive contributors to the community. A dedicated community police officer would provide support in an engaged, effective way. Having an officer attend community meetings and walk our neighborhoods will encourage conversation and can be a proactive way to work with residents. We have seen amazing success in the past when we had a dedicated, engaged officer devoting time to our neighborhood. In the past, Community Police officers would take information on issues, follow up with property owners and then take the next steps with the appropriate city department. In many instances, there was not just one issue that creates a problem, there are many. We have seen success in the past with coordinated follow-up with departments such as DPW, code, and zone officers. A Community Police Officer is in a unique position to coordinate those efforts. I know Troy is a great city and we all want to work together to keep everyone safe and keep our neighborhoods open and welcoming. I urge you to vote in favor of adding such a proven resource to our neighborhood. Thank you for your work, time, and consideration. Best Regards, Susan & Saverio Valenti Troy NY 12180 I work at my family's auto body repair shop in the south central part of Troy. Years ago when my father started his business, the neighborhood was a safe place for kids like me to play outside. We would play in the alley, or even walk to downtown Troy to the candy store. Now, as an adult, I'm afraid to be at work alone after we close. We've had stabbings and shootings on our block, there are people using drugs out in the open, there are prostitutes strolling by, people approach us asking for money or they try to sell us jewelry so they can go and get their fix. It's extremely uncomfortable-- even in the daylight. It's embarrassing when our customers see this activity. I don't feel comfortable going to our bank in Troy to make our deposits anymore because I don't feel safe parking in the parking lot and walking around to the front of the building to go inside 10 for fear of being mugged. So now, we go to the Latham branch. And I won't even go near the Dunkin' Donuts at 3rd & Congress anymore since that corner has become an outdoor crack house (and many thanks to whomever was responsible for providing these animals with a nice new shelter). Instead, when I want to make a coffee run, I head over the bridge to the Dunkin' Donuts in Watervliet. We desperately need a greater police presence in South Central and Downtown Troy. This used to be a great city with plenty to offer, but in the past 5 years it has gone down the toilet. We at Caprara's Auto Body support adding more police officers for our and our customers' public safety. Thank you all, Paula Butler Latham, NY Caprara's Auto Body Shop, Inc. It has come to my attention that there is an item on the agenda for the Thursday April 22 City Council Meeting that will propose increasing the size of the Troy PD Community Policing Unit (CPU) by hiring 6 new police officers. I understand these 6 new officers will be deployed accordingly within specific neighborhoods of the respective patrol zones in our city. The purpose of which is to attempt to enhance meaningful quality of life improvements for all residents, visitors, and business entities within Troy. As a former supervisor Sergeant of the CPU in particular and as a 36 year veteran of the TPD, I fully support this resolution without reservation. Quite simply it has been my experience such a forward thinking resolution works, PERIOD. It works to not only control uncivil, criminal behavior but it also goes a long way in preventing such behavior in the first place. The increase in police presence will also positively contribute to the feeling of safety for all of our residents and visitors that they deserve and are entitled. Just as significantly, it enhances the safety of the women and men of the Troy P.D. whose oath of office demands no less as they commit themselves to carrying out their duties with Service, Trust, and Professionalism. As a life long resident of Troy, who appreciates a safe and secure quality of life in our city, I welcome this effort by the Council to make Troy safer. Respectfully, Anthony D. Magnetto Police Commissioner Troy P.D. (Ret) Troy NY 11 I support adding 6 more police officers to the community police unit. I feel that this addition is strongly needed. Our city is not feeling like the safe city Troy once was. The addition of these police officers will make Troy a better and safer place to live and visit. Please consider and do this for OUR CITY. Thank You Michael Nicholas Troy NY 12180 I am writing this email in regards to adding 6 more police officers to the Troy Community Police Unit. Community Police work with community groups on a wide variety of quality of life issues. Currently there are 3 officers in the unit which is too limited for the city of Troy. An addition of 6 would go a long way in adding to what they are capable of doing. They work with code enforcement to help maintain building safety. They work with community groups on quality of life issues and attend their meetings. They could help with food pantries and getting businesses to donate food and money. They could attend community events and get to know more of the community and what their needs are. There are so many more things the addition of officers could do to help the communities they serve. In these challenging times people need to get to know their police personally. Unfortunately the patrol division is extremely busy and don't have time to spend with the community. Sincerely, Rick Rivet Troy, NY 12180 I am writing to show my strong support for the addition of additional Community Police Officers to our City‟s team. The City of Troy has had a great experience in the past with using a dedicated CPU officer to successfully bridge the gap between residents and different departments in the city. We are fortunate in our neighborhoods to have many residents that are positive contributors to the community. A dedicated community police officer would provide support in an engaged, effective way. Having an officer attend community meetings and walk our neighborhoods will encourage conversation and can be a proactive way to work with residents. We have seen amazing success in the past when we had a dedicated, engaged officer devoting time to our neighborhood. In the past, Community Police officers would take information on issues, follow up with property owners and then take the next steps with the appropriate city department. In many instances, there was not just one issue that creates a problem, there are many. We have seen success in the past with coordinated follow-up with departments such as DPW, code, and zone officers. A Community Police Officer is in a unique position to coordinate those efforts. 12 I know Troy is a great city and we all want to work together to keep everyone safe and keep our neighborhoods open and welcoming. I urge you to vote in favor of adding such a proven resource to our neighborhood. Thank you for your work, time, and consideration. Best Regards, John Mamone Troy, NY 12180 I am writing you to show my strong support for the addition of additional Community Police Officers to our City‟s team. The City of Troy has had a great experience in the past with using a dedicated CPU officer to successfully bridge the gap between residents and different departments in the city. We are fortunate in our neighborhoods to have many residents that are positive contributors to the community. A dedicated community police officer would provide support in an engaged, effective way. Having an officer attend community meetings and walk our neighborhoods will encourage conversation and can be a proactive way to work with residents. We have seen amazing success in the past when we had a dedicated, engaged officer devoting time to our neighborhood. In the past, Community Police officers would take information on issues, follow up with property owners and then take the next steps with the appropriate city department. In many instances, there was not just one issue that creates a problem, there are many. We have seen success in the past with coordinated follow-up with departments such as DPW, code, and zone officers. A Community Police Officer is in a unique position to coordinate those efforts. I know Troy is a great city and we all want to work together to keep everyone safe and keep our neighborhoods open and welcoming. I urge you to vote in favor of adding such a proven resource to our neighborhood. Thank you for your work, time, and consideration. Best Regards, Erin Degnan Troy, NY 12180 I am very much in support of 6 new police hirings to the overall police force to be added to the community police unit in the city of Troy. Due to understaffing in the Troy Post Office, our carriers are working later hours - sometimes until 8:00 or 9:00 PM. Some dangerous incidents have happened during these late hours. One example is when our carrier was out until 9:00 PM. Some individuals tried to break in and rob packages from the mail truck not realizing that the carrier was sitting in the front of the truck. When they realized the carrier was in the truck they ran away. 13 Your hiring of the additional police is much needed and would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Robert "Rabbit" Riley Vice President and Legislative Director NALC Branch 358 My name is John Gerighty I‟m a 64 year old life long resident of Lansingburgh and I am all for the hiring of 6 new officers with a couple working the Lansingburgh area also in favor of hiring narcotics officers to put a end to all these overdoses we‟ve seen in this area. Thank You for your consideration. John Gerighty Troy NY 12182 My name is Dan Mahar from [Troy NY] and I would like to share my opinion on the proposal to add 6 patrol officers to the department. With the sharp rise in violent crime and distrust between the public and law enforcement I think it‟s crucial that not only should the idea be considered it should be approved. The officers are stretched beyond their limits now and can only perform their duties in a reactive state. That‟s no way to stop the rise in crime. Officers need to be able to be proactive and visible to the communities. The more officers can interact with people the stronger the bond becomes. At this point in time it‟s hard for officers to make this connection. I believe the addition of officers will create more opportunities for officers to “walk a beat” and get to know the people which is extremely beneficial. Most of the time we only see this on detail events along the Riverfront Park. We need to create more trust and transparency between the police and the people. The addition can hopefully expand this much needed progress into all of our communities. Perhaps more people will develop the trust with our officers and help move our city to a safer place to live. I appreciate your time and consideration of this important matter. Dan Mahar I am writing this email in support of more police officers in our community. I know that you all know where I stand when it comes to more police officers in our neighborhoods, but I just wanted to write another email to make sure it is fresh in everyones minds when it comes to voting on this matter Thursday night. As the owner of Jimmys Pizzeria in Lansingburgh I come in contact with several people that live in Troy, mostly lansingburgh but there is also a good amount of Trojans that come from 14 downtown or the east side to support my business. We talk about a lot of different topics when customers come in. One topic that is ALWAYS brought up is public safety, and the amount of police officers staffed for the city. So many of my customers repeatedly tell me they wont come to my business after the sun sets because they are afraid for there safety and well being. Or they wont get out of their car to get the order, they will call and have us bring it out to them. People shouldnt have to live like that. People shouldnt have to worry about there safety while they are coming to the neighborhood restaurants. If customers are afraid to come to Jimmys, than Im sure they are afraid to go Testos, Big Bellies, Teds etc Years ago, when I was a little kid growing up on the Lansingburgh streets and in the Lansingburgh boys and girls Club I remember there being a police officer around all of the time. Now a days the only time a police officer is around is if they were called to something going on in your area. They spend their entire shifts running back and forth throughout the entire city trying to respond to every call that comes through. We need to vote yes for more police officers to help alleviate some of the duties tasked to the current patrols. We are asking too much from our police officers. They can only do so much. So as a business owner and someone who loves our city please vote Yes for the additional police officers as I think this could be a good first step in securing our city and building a relationship with the police officers and the community. Thank you all for everything that you guys do for our City! TROY STRONG! Tony Buchanan Troy NY 12182 I am contacting you on behalf of 3CP Investors, LLC. Our corporation is a family corporation with five generations of roots in the City of Troy. 3CP owns multiple rental properties in the Little Italy neighborhood of Troy, where corporation members also reside. Our intention is to improve our neighborhood and community through property revitalization and responsible and reputable landlord/tenant relationships. We take pride in our neighborhood and efforts to improve the quality of life for all who reside here. I am writing to you to show 3CP Investors strong support for the addition of additional Community Police Officers to our City‟s team. The City of Troy has had a great experience in the past with using a dedicated CPU officer to successfully bridge the gap between residents and different departments in the city. We are fortunate in our neighborhoods to have many residents that are positive contributors to the community. A dedicated community police officer would provide support in an engaged, effective way. Having an officer attend community meetings and walk our neighborhoods will encourage conversation and can be a proactive way to work with residents. We have seen 15 amazing success in the past when we had a dedicated, engaged officer devoting time to our neighborhood. In the past, Community Police officers would take information on issues, follow up with property owners and then take the next steps with the appropriate city department. In many instances, there was not just one issue that creates a problem, there are many. We have seen success in the past with coordinated follow-up with departments such as DPW, code, and zone officers. A Community Police Officer is in a unique position to coordinate those efforts. 3CP Investors knows Troy is a great city and we all want to work together to keep everyone safe and keep our neighborhoods open and welcoming. We urge you to vote in favor of adding such a proven resource to our neighborhood. Thank you for your work, time, and consideration. Best Regards, Jessica (Chiappone) Parenteau Vice President, 3CP Investors My name is Nora McDowell and I live [in] Troy NY 12180. From 1986 to 2000 I lived on Old Sixth Ave. TroyNY. Two blocks away and a world of difference in safety and services in our city. On Saturday, 4/17/21, it was powerful to gather with my daughter and friends and hundreds of people below the Hoosick Street Collar City bridge with an altar of flowers and incense as an offering to the too many Black people near and far whose lives have ended too soon from police violence, gun violence and oppressive systems. It was a day full of joy in celebrating Black life. These neighborhoods were briefly connected again when traffic was stopped by people who put their bodies in the 8 lane wide highway street road engineered mess that is Hoosick Street. It was one of the few times I have seen actions in our redlined neighborhoods that dealt with the trauma of the systemic racism that has been urban renewal errors in TroyNY. An acknowledgment of the over policing after gun violence that leads to lower quality of life around the Collar City Bridge. The stopping of the trafficking where Districts 2, 3 and 4 meet that has endangered our youth and community even more since the summer of 2015 gun deaths in the Hedley parking lot, shooting death of Edson Thevenin in 2016 and in this past year eleven year old AyShawn Davis. The #enjoyTroy Hedley parking lot districts have been an ignored public health danger this past decade. The City of Troy is voting to hire six new police officers after the people of Troy gathered again to say no more over policing. Justice is needed here in TroyNY. Where is this money coming from? How is it that the City can find dollars to add six new police officers but not for a community center in North Central? Why is the City investing in more policing, instead of investing those funds in measures to reduce inequity, from youth activities to safe and affordable housing to mental health services? 16 Green spaces and gardens are needed in this traumatized community. Flowers for Black Lives are needed. I remember how the ROSA project green lot was paved over at the downtown Troy exit for what was seen as progress in Hedley suburban parking lots. It has been a space of death this past decade. And why wasn‟t this discussed during these last months‟ Police Reform & Reinvention Collaborative meetings? Why were impacted residents cut off from sharing their concerns at only 3 minutes in that process. That is not enough time to talk about the police budget choices that chose military equipment and riot gear as a response to gun violence. This response did not work. More police and more disconnection from the community of the bulk of the force will not work going forward again. Enough. Listen to the residents of Troy in the most impacted neighborhoods. Vote No to show a change is needed and demanded by Troy‟s people. I write as a mom and a person impacted by neighborhood gun violence. We need more funding for teen youth employment opportunities and programs in all 3 of our Capital Area cities. TroyNY and Rensselaer County puts the least in to life changing summer Youth Employment. I‟m a gardener in this neighborhood. We reap what we sow. Vote No on this Proposal to add police in Troy, NY. The overconfident and uncreative conclusion being that Troy needs six more police officers slots and a higher tax burden of $186,000. Stop the normal plays and move towards public health resources in Thursday‟s Finance Committee meeting. Thank you for brave representation to those listening to calls for justice by the people most impacted in #TroyNY. Voting no will allow more funding to social service positions that people need in the time of Coronavirus. Black Lives Matter Neighborhoods in the shadow of the bridge matter. We keep us safe. Nora McDowell We would like to acknowledge and support the Troy City Police Department requesting 6 additional officers. With the additional presence of these officers, I strongly feel it will strengthen the safety of our City, the citizens of our city and our businesses. I hope you will consider the departments request. Best regards, Chris Alberino Wynantskill, NY 12198 President Cookie Factory LLC 17 My name is Jeffrey Pasinella I am a life long resident of Lansingburgh. I am writing you this email because I don‟t like the direction the city of Troy and Lansingburgh is heading. As a taxpayer I am in favor of more funding for the Troy Police Department especially if this means hiring 6 or more new officers to the force. As a resident of the Burgh I would love to see some officers walking the beat and making relationships with the people in our community. If this were to happen it would let the people know that the Troy PD is here to serve and protect our community. Thanks for your time on this matter. Jeffrey Pasinella Troy, NY 12182 As a life long resident of Troy I fully support the addition of more Police Officers in the City of Troy. Gary Fernet Troy, NY 12180 My name is Charlie Chiappone, I grew up in South Troy and have recently invested in property in my old neighborhood, located at 300 4th street. Growing up in Troy and the experienced gained in and around my old neighborhood had played a key role in my success and the primary reason for investing in Troy. I am also planning to relocate back to South Troy in the near term and will be living in one of the apartments I am currently renovating. I am writing you to show my strong support for the addition of additional Community Police Officers to our City‟s team. The City of Troy has had a great experience in the past with using a dedicated CPU officer to successfully bridge the gap between residents and different departments in the city. We are fortunate in our neighborhoods to have many residents that are positive contributors to the community. A dedicated community police officer would provide support in an engaged, effective way. Having an officer attend community meeting and walk our neighborhoods will encourage conversation and can be a proactive way to work with residents. We have seen amazing success in the past when we had a dedicated, engaged officer devoting time to our neighborhood. In the past, Community Police officers would take information on issues, follow up with property owners and then take the next steps with the appropriate city department. In many instances, there was not just one issue that creates a problem, there are many. We have seen success in the past with coordinated follow-up with departments such as DPW, code, and zone officers. A Community Police Officer is in a unique position to coordinate those efforts. 18 I know Troy is a great city and we all want to work together to keep everyone safe and keep our neighborhoods open and welcoming. I urge you to vote in favor of adding such a proven resource to our neighborhood. Thank you for your work, time, and consideration. Best Regards, Charlie Chiappone Troy, NY 12180 I am writing to you to show my strong support for the addition of additional Community Police Officers to our City‟s team. The City of Troy has had a great experience in the past with using a dedicated CPU officer to successfully bridge the gap between residents and different departments in the city. We are fortunate in our neighborhoods to have many residents that are positive contributors to the community. A dedicated community police officer would provide support in an engaged, effective way. Having an officer attend community meetings and walk our neighborhoods will encourage conversation and can be a proactive way to work with residents. We have seen amazing success in the past when we had a dedicated, engaged officer devoting time to our neighborhood. In the past, Community Police officers would take information on issues, follow up with property owners and then take the next steps with the appropriate city department. In many instances, there was not just one issue that creates a problem, there are many. We have seen success in the past with coordinated follow-up with departments such as DPW, code, and zone officers. A Community Police Officer is in a unique position to coordinate those efforts. Additionally, I would like to express my support for the hiring of more officers so that walking patrols may return to the downtown, as well as other parts of the city. I know Troy is a great city and we all want to work together to keep everyone safe and keep our neighborhoods open and welcoming. I urge you to vote in favor of adding such a proven resource to our neighborhood. Thank you for your work, time, and consideration. Best Regards, Christopher McDonald Troy, NY 12180 I am writing to urge the City Council members to vote to increase the staffing of "Troy's Finest," the men and women in blue, by 6 members. It is a well known secret that the Police Department is stretched far too thin, especially with the increase in gang violence, which is now likely generational, and alarmingly, affecting more and more children. 19 We need the police on the streets to actively develop relationships with all community members. It is imperative that the police build a foundation of trust and understanding within fragile neighborhoods, particularly with the youth. Rather than "Defunding," we need to add police protection for the entire City, the majority of whom are good, law abiding citizens who care deeply about the fabric of our community. We can't let our public safety be dictated by the loud few driving their political agenda. Please vote to make Troy a safer place for all. This is not a time to be frugal with our safety resources - lives literally depend on it. Sincerely, Kathleen Cassidy Troy, NY 12180 I am writing to request that you vote to support an increase to our police force / increase in police presence in our neighborhoods. I am a lifelong resident of Troy (Eastside), and am very concerned with the crime rate in Troy. An increase in police presence could help deter crime and keep our streets safer/more inviting. We need to support the men and women that support and protect us - the ones we call if there was a crime, the ones we call when a person needs help with regard to their mental health, the ones we call if our child is choking, the ones we call if our elderly parent wandered off. We need to add to the Troy police force to get us closer to feeling safe again. We need Troy to thrive like it once did. Thank you, Colleen C. Reilly I am writing you to show my strong support for the addition of additional Community Police Officers to our City‟s team. The City of Troy has had a great experience in the past with using a dedicated CPU officer to successfully bridge the gap between residents and different departments in the city. We are fortunate in our neighborhoods to have many residents that are positive contributors to the community. A dedicated community police officer would provide support in an engaged, effective way. Having an officer attend community meetings and walk our neighborhoods will encourage conversation and can be a proactive way to work with residents. We have seen amazing success in the past when we had a dedicated, engaged officer devoting time to our neighborhood. In the past, Community Police officers would take information on issues, follow up with property owners and then take the next steps with the appropriate city department. In many instances, there was not just one issue that creates a problem, there are many. We have seen success in the past with coordinated follow-up with departments such as DPW, code, and zone officers. A Community Police Officer is in a unique position to coordinate those efforts. 20 I know Troy is a great city and we all want to work together to keep everyone safe and keep our neighborhoods open and welcoming. I urge you to vote in favor of adding such a proven resource to our neighborhood. Thank you for your work, time, and consideration. Best Regards, Jason P. Degnan Troy, NY 12180 The topic of community policing is an important topic to both my mother and I, both of us being residents and employees within the community. My mother and I have drafted the attached letter in support of Troy Police adding six more officers to support protecting and building relationships with the community of Troy. We hope you will take this into consideration at your meeting later tonight. Thank you all for taking the time to read our concerns. Sincerely, Kayla DeCelle I have been a business owner in the city of Troy for over 20 years. Throughout those years, I have seen the population of Troy grow substantially. Troy Police for years have patrolled near my business and put me at ease, that my livelihood and community are protected and safe. However, with a growing population, crime rates are increasing as well, yet the amount of Troy Police Officers have not. Without growing the police force, it leaves not only business owners, but the community to worry. If six more officers were added for community policing, this would increase the strength of protection that Troy Police can offer. Community police officers would be able to deter crime with added presence, focus on interacting and building communal relations and reassure the residents of Troy that Troy Police cares and stands with their people. With the current state of policing, added more officers to build community style relationships is pivotal for growth within a community. I write this as a business owner and a long-time resident of Troy, I hope you can see the benefits these extra officers will add and choose to add six more positions to the Troy Police. Thank you for your time and consideration of this topic. Sincerely, The Carol‟s Place Family/Anita DeCelle Being a property and business owner in Troy I must admit that I am very concerned regarding the safety of our residents. With crime and need for Police being at an all-time high I think adding six additional officers is the minimum needed. To think that this is not necessary is ignorant. Edward Doin Forty One Sports Bar and Grille 21 The purpose of this mail message is to convey my support for the addition six (6) police officers to create walking posts in organizational chart of the Troy Police Department. My wife and I are property owners in the city and I am a retired member of TPD, having served for thirty years (30) and retiring at the rank of Assistant Police Chief. I believe my perspective is unique and hope my input will assist in the effort under deliberation. Law enforcement responsibility in Troy includes both urban and residential areas. For many years patrol resources were assigned according to population density and criminal activity, and the most cost effective method of policing was the mobile patrol unit. Over the past 20 years violent crime involving drugs, guns and gang related activity that existed in larger metropolitan areas has spread to cities such as Troy. To make matters worse, police administrators are now tasked with developing new organizational plans and procedures better suited to combat the increase in violence, violence that has permeated all of the city. Mobile patrol will always be the most efficient method of response to the high volume of calls for service in the city. By tracking the most violent crime police leaders have the ability to identify the areas (neighborhoods) that have the highest rates of occurrence. To that end addressing the problem becomes a matter of current best practices and the creation of walking patrols has proven to be very successful. “Walking the beat” may not be as cost effective as a mobile patrol but foot patrols greatly enhance law enforcement presence, the most recognized deterrent to criminal behavior. Foot patrol officers also have the opportunity to establish positive relationships and build trust within their assigned neighborhoods. In addition to improving department image that trust can lead to very valuable intelligence gathering such as identification of suspected criminals. It is often said, “You can‟t put a price on public safety.” The establishment of walking patrols to supplant the existing mobile zone units in targeted areas of the city will be recognized as a nonpartisan effort to protect the citizens of Troy. Our city has already experienced senseless tragedy due to gun violence. I believe it is the only viable tactic that will make a difference. Sincerely, Ralph M. Iler Assistant Police Chief (retired) City of Troy Police Department I will not speak tonight because I do not want to either scream or cry in frustration. It appears that there were not enough fool citizens working an untold number of hours to make recommendations for police reform. At times, there was little or no response to the issues raised by the so-called affinity groups even during the necessary meetings to discuss, wait, what? Racism in Policing? Problems with racism and policing in Troy? Edson Thevenin? 22 The problem of systemic racism is both national and local and needs to be addressed particularly on the impact on, I‟ll spell it out, People Of Color in the community. You owe us some creative effort. Now. But here we are. The FIRST THING you propose is hiring, six, SIX police officers under the guise of „community police officers‟? Nice. You win the prize for inability to think critically, lead effectively, and value the citizens, all of whom you work for. Obtuse. Linda O‟Malley Troy, NY 12182 I am writing to support the addition of additional Community Police Officers to our City‟s team. Especially given the current national crisis in trust of the police, deployment of an active, dedicated community police officer (or officers) would do much to facilitate communications and build better relationships between Troy‟s residents and its police department. Adding more dedicated Community Police Officers makes sense. By attending community meetings and simply walking our neighborhoods, and by being active positive participants in community affairs, an engaged Community Officer will encourage conversations with our citizens, develop relationships and proactively create a platform for building trust. Seeing the police provide community involvement beyond responding to calls for assistance would go a long way, in my opinion, to bridging the gap that now exists between the police and some of our residents. Not only would the presence of additional active Community Police Officers help forge new relationships with residents, but such officers would serve as a liaison between communities and city government. In the past, Community Police Officers would take information on issues, follow up with property owners and residents and then take the next steps with the appropriate city department. We have seen success in the past with coordinated follow-up with departments such as DPW, code, and zone officers. Additional Community Police Officers would be in a unique position to help coordinate those efforts. And every time an Officer helps a resident or a business, or engages residents in an open, friendly manner, that Officer would be building the sort of relationship with residents that will help keep us all safe. Adding additional Community Police Officers is an investment that is entirely positive which will, I strongly believe, produce benefits many times its cost. I urge you to vote in favor of adding such a proven resource to our neighborhoods. Thank you for your work, time, and consideration. Best Regards, William Comiskey 23 Troy, NY 12180 I am writing today to share my enthusiastic and unwavering support for the City of Troy to add six new uniformed Police Officers to the Troy Police Department. The additional officers will help nearly every facet of life in the City while simultaneously strengthening the Troy Police Department as it continues to adapt to our ever-changing City. My office receives frequent correspondence from constituents who are concerned with the safety and policing of their City. The introduction of additional officers on the streets and within the community will have a substantial positive impact on the community trust in our law enforcement. This past year was marked nationally with incidents that lessened public trust in law enforcement but that was not the case here in Troy. I was on hand at the large protest that happened last summer as well as countless community events where the TPD was welcomed as the community leaders that they are and the mutual respect shown between our officers and the public was a refreshing contrast to what we saw nationally. Our police department has made tremendous strides in fostering public trust and more officers on the street will continue this trend. The addition of new officers will further strengthen the department‟s community ties and ultimately lead to more effective policing and safer communities. I strongly encourage you to move forward with the hiring of six additional officers for the Troy Police Department. Respectfully, Assemblyman Jake Ashby 107th Assembly District One of the great benefits of owning a business and property in downtown Troy has been the positive relations the downtown community has with members of the Troy Police Department. Through the years, we have gotten to know various members of the department. And on a number of occasions we have had to contact the police for assistance for a myriad of issues. We always have gotten a great response and exceptional professionalism. In turn, we have tried to be supportive resource for the department with things like making our security cameras quickly available to detectives. I wouldn‟t intend to speak for all of the city‟s neighborhoods, but in downtown a collaborative approach to policing has worked. We need officers who are committed to the area and can build and maintain a community rapport. Who can easily assess what may be a serious threat versus someone who needs services, as I have witnessed our police go out of their way repeatedly to do. Moving my businesses to Troy and investing in Troy is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I want to keep downtown safe, I want our customers and visitors who also contribute to the city‟s well-being to be and feel safe. Simply put, we need more officers in the community. I 24 do feel guilty right now calling the police when we need to because I know how stretched and understaffed they have been. And I know that our issues may pale in comparison to other immediate concerns in other parts of the city. Yet, they are always top notch in their efforts no matter what. I respectfully ask the Council, and Mayor Madden, to support the addition of more officers. Thank you for your consideration and work on this matter. Tom Nardacci Loudonville NY 12211 Owner Troy Innovation Garage (Past President, Downtown Troy BID Board) I am reaching out to show my support for the proposed addition of 6 Community Police officers to the Troy Police Department. I have resided in Troy for 35 years, currently on Maple Ave on the Eastside and also own property in South Troy in the Little Italy Neighborhood. I am involved in our neighborhood groups where I have had the pleasure of working directly with our Community Police Officers in the past. With these experiences, I can see a bright future of proactive engagement between our neighbors and the police department if this is passed. As we all know, our neighborhoods and communities are ever changing. We are faced with several issues that plague the quality of life within them. Items like zombie properties, gun violence, drug activity, pollution and code issues, have negatively affected our entire city and continue to destroy the core of what our city is all about, our people and our neighborhoods. When working with the Community Police in the past, the dedication and hard work that was put forth greatly benefitted our neighborhoods. The officers worked tirelessly to build trust with the members of our communities and it felt as if those officers were living right next door. They understood the challenges that were present within the neighborhood. They were able to see it first hand and they were able to help us work through those issues, no matter how big or small they may have been. I think we all appreciated the same face walking around our neighborhood, stopping to have a quick chat to see how things are going or just having someone we could count on that cared about our communities as much as we did as residents. In closing, I would like to thank the Mayor and the City Council for stepping up and hearing the residents of Troy and working to address the concerns that we are all currently facing in Troy. The addition of these officers will greatly benefit our communities and I look forward to the future in working with these officers to better our great city. Thanks, Josh Chiappone Troy, NY 12180 25 I am writing you to show my strong support for the addition of additional Community Police Officers to our City‟s team. The City of Troy has had a great experience in the past with using a dedicated CPU officer to successfully bridge the gap between residents and different departments in the city. We are fortunate in our neighborhoods to have many residents that are positive contributors to the community. A dedicated community police officer would provide support in an engaged, effective way. Having an officer attend community meetings and walk our neighborhoods will encourage conversation and can be a proactive way to work with residents. We have seen amazing success in the past when we had a dedicated, engaged officer devoting time to our neighborhood. In the past, Community Police officers would take information on issues, follow up with property owners and then take the next steps with the appropriate city department. In many instances, there was not just one issue that creates a problem, there are many. We have seen success in the past with coordinated follow-up with departments such as DPW, code, and zone officers. A Community Police Officer is in a unique position to coordinate those efforts. I know Troy is a great city and we all want to work together to keep everyone safe and keep our neighborhoods open and welcoming. I urge you to vote in favor of adding such a proven resource to our neighborhood. Thank you for your work, time, and consideration. Best Regards, Bob Barnes Troy, New York 12180 26