Common Council Meeting Minutes

City of Utica Common Council – Organizational Meeting January 03, 2022 The meeting is called to order at 5:20 p.m. Present: Michael Galime, Common Council President; Katie Aiello, 1st District Councilmember; Robert Burmaster, 2nd District Councilmember; Celeste Friend, 3rd District Councilmember; Frank Meola, 4th District Councilmember; Delvin Moody; 5th District Councilmember; Joseph Betrus, Jr., 6th District Councilmember; Mark Williamson, Councilmember at Large; Samantha Colosimo-Testa, Councilmember at Large; Frank DiBrango, Councilmember at Large Absent: None. Also Present: Anthony Garramone, Esq., Common Council Attorney; Stephanie DiGiorgio, Esq., Assistant Corporation Counsel; Melissa Sciortino, City Clerk; David Butler, Deputy City Clerk A motion is made by Councilmember Friend to appoint Melissa Sciortino as the City Clerk. The motion is seconded by Councilmember Meola; none opposed. • PRO. RES. 1 APPOINTMENT OF MELISSA SCIORTINO AS THE CITY CLERK FOR THE ENSUING TWO YEARS, 2022 – 2023. Ayes: Aiello, Burmaster, Friend, Meola, Moody, Betrus, Williamson, Colosimo-Testa, DiBrango – 9 Nays: 0 Adopted as Resolution #1 of January 03, 2022. A motion is made by Councilmember Meola to appoint Frank DiBrango as President Pro-Tempore. The motion is seconded by Councilmember Burmaster; none opposed. • PRO. RES. 2 APPOINTMENT OF FRANK DIBRANGO AS THE PRESIDENT PRO- TEMPORE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL FOR THE ENSUING TWO YEARS, 2022 – 2023. Ayes: Aiello, Burmaster, Friend, Meola, Moody, Betrus, Williamson, Colosimo-Testa, DiBrango – 9 Nays: 0 Adopted as Resolution #2 of January 03, 2022. A motion is made by Councilmember Friend to designate the Observer-Dispatch as the official newspaper. The motion is seconded by Councilmember DiBrango; none opposed. • PRO. RES. 3 DESIGNATION OF THE OBSERVER-DISPATCH AS THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER IN AND FOR THE CITY OF UTICA FOR THE ENSUING TWO YEARS; 2022 – 2023. Ayes: Aiello, Burmaster, Friend, Meola, Moody, Betrus, Williamson, Colosimo-Testa, DiBrango – 9 Nays: 0 Adopted as Resolution #3 of January 03, 2022. A motion is made by Councilmember Meola to retain Anthony Garramone, Esq. as Council Attorney. The motion is seconded by Councilmember Williamson; none opposed. • PRO. RES. 4 RETAINING ANTHONY GARRAMONE, ESQ. AS COMMON COUNCIL ATTORNEY FOR THE ENSUING TWO YEARS; 2022 – 2023. Ayes: Aiello, Burmaster, Friend, Meola, Moody, Betrus, Williamson, Colosimo-Testa, DiBrango – 9 Nays: 0 Adopted as Resolution #4 of January 03, 2022. A motion is made by Councilmember Moody to nominate Frank Meola as Majority Leader. The motion is seconded by Councilmember Friend; none opposed. A motion is made by Councilmember Colosimo-Testa to nominate Mark Williamson as Minority Leader. The motion is seconded by Councilmember Betrus; none opposed. • PRO. RES. 5 ACKNOWLEDGING FRANK MEOLA AS MAJORITY LEADER AND MARK WILLIAMSON AS MINORITY LEADER OF THE COMMON COUNCIL FOR THE ENSUING TWO YEARS, 2022 – 2023. Ayes: Aiello, Burmaster, Friend, Meola, Moody, Betrus, Williamson, Colosimo-Testa, DiBrango – 9 Nays: 0 Adopted as Resolution #5 of January 03, 2022. A motion is made by Councilmember Meola to appoint Robert Burmaster and Joseph Betrus, Jr. to the Urban Renewal Agency. The motion is seconded by Councilmember DiBrango; none opposed. • PRO. RES. 7 APPOINTMENT OF ROBERT BURMASTER, A DEMOCRAT, AND JOSEPH BETRUS, JR., A REPUBLICAN, AS THE COMMON COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE URBAN RENEWAL AGENCY FOR THE ENSUING TWO YEARS; 2022 – 2023. Ayes: Aiello, Burmaster, Friend, Meola, Moody, Betrus, Williamson, Colosimo-Testa, DiBrango – 9 Nays: 0 Adopted as Resolution #6 of January 03, 2022. A motion is made by Councilmember DiBrango to appoint Celeste Friend to the Board of Estimate & Apportionment. The motion is seconded by Councilmember Moody; none opposed. A motion is made by Councilmember Meola to appoint Robert Burmaster as the back-up to the Board of Estimate & Apportionment. The motion is seconded by Councilmember DiBrango; none opposed. • PRO. RES. 8 APPOINTMENT OF CELESTE FRIEND TO THE BOARD OF ESTIMATE & APPORTIONMENT AND OF ROBERT BURMASTER AS THE BACK-UP FOR THE ENSUING TWO YEARS; 2022 – 2023. Ayes: Aiello, Burmaster, Friend, Meola, Moody, Betrus, Williamson, Colosimo-Testa, DiBrango – 9 Nays: 0 Adopted as Resolution #7 of January 03, 2022. A motion is made by Councilmember Meola to nominate Mark Williamson to the Board of Contract & Supply and Katie Aiello as the back-up. The motion is seconded by Councilmember Friend; none opposed. • PRO. RES. 9 APPOINTMENT OF MARK WILLIAMSON TO THE BOARD OF CONTRACT & SUPPLY AND OF KATIE AIELLO AS THE BACK-UP FOR THE ENSUING TWO YEARS; 2022 – 2023. Ayes: Aiello, Burmaster, Friend, Meola, Moody, Betrus, Williamson, Colosimo-Testa, DiBrango – 9 Nays: 0 Adopted as Resolution #8 of January 03, 2022. A motion is made by Councilmember Williamson to vote on Pro. Resolution #10 as the Common Council Rules of Order. The motion is seconded by Councilmember Betrus; none opposed. • PRO. RES. 10 RESCINDING AND REPLACING CHAPTER 3-2 ADMINISTRATION; ARTICLE II – COMMON COUNCIL; DIVISION 2 – RULES OF ORDER. Ayes: Betrus, Williamson, Colosimo-Testa – 3 Nays: Aiello, Burmaster, Friend, Meola, Moody, DiBrango – 6 Defeated. A motion is made by Councilmember Moody to vote on the Common Council Rules of Order. The motion is seconded by Councilmember Friend; none opposed. • PRO. RES. 6 APPROVING CHAPTER 3-2 ADMINISTRATION; ARTICLE II – COMMON COUNCIL; DIVISION 2 – RULES OF ORDER. Ayes: Aiello, Burmaster, Friend, Meola, Moody, DiBrango – 6 Nays: Betrus, Williamson, Colosimo-Testa – 3 Adopted as Resolution #9 of January 03, 2022. A motion is made by Councilmember Meola to amend Pro. Resolution #13 by striking “twenty-four (24) hours” and replacing it with “seventy-two (72) hours.” The motion is seconded by Councilmember Friend; none opposed. A motion is made by Councilmember Meola to amend Pro. Resolution #13 by adding Sec. 3-2-47 (c) to read as follows: “Any Councilmember who wishes to convene a meeting of the Committee of the Whole shall do so if they have obtained a quorum and that quorum is confirmed by the City Clerk to the Council as a whole.” The motion is seconded by Councilmember Friend; none opposed. • PRO. RES. 13 AMENDING THE COMMON COUNCIL RULES OF ORDER. Ayes: Aiello, Burmaster, Friend, Meola, Moody, DiBrango – 6 Nays: Betrus, Williamson, Colosimo-Testa – 3 Adopted as Resolution #10 of January 03, 2022. A motion is made by Councilmember Meola to amend Pro. Resolution #14 to read as “Delvin Moody” as Chairperson and “Frank DiBrango” as Vice Chairperson. The motion is seconded by Councilmember Aiello; none opposed. A motion is made by Councilmember Betrus to amend the amendment to read as “Mark Williamson” as Chairperson. The motion is seconded by Councilmember Colosimo-Testa; Six opposed – Aiello, Burmaster, Friend, Meola, Moody, DiBrango; Motion defeated. • PRO. RES. 14 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF DELVIN MOODY AS CHAIRPERSON AND FRANK DIBRANGO AS VICE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE FOR THE ENSUING TWO YEARS; 2022 – 2023. Ayes: Aiello, Burmaster, Friend, Meola, Moody, DiBrango – 6 Nays: Betrus, Williamson, Colosimo-Testa – 3 Adopted as Resolution #11 of January 03, 2022. A motion is made by Councilmember Meola to place Pro. Ordinance #15 entitled “Rescind Sec. 2-2-27 of the City of Utica Code of Ordinances” into the Committee of the Whole. The motion is seconded by Councilmember Friend; One opposed – Colosimo-Testa. Pro. Ordinance #15 is committed. A motion is made by Councilmember Meola to adjourn the meeting. The motion is seconded by Councilmember DiBrango; none opposed. The meeting is adjourned at 6:25 p.m. Melissa Sciortino, Secretary