George Burns

The agenda for the meeting included several key items for discussion and potential action. Discussions covered a Lease-Purchase Agreement for new Fire Department apparatus, including one aerial tower and two pumpers, utilizing an Escrow discount financing option. The Council was requested to accept two federal grants for the Fire Department: the Assistance to Firefighters Grant to fund necessary training courses like EVOC, FI II, and FOII, and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant to proactively hire 10 new firefighters to mitigate upcoming retirement impacts. Other items included amending Chapter 183 of the City Code regarding Nuisances to align with updates in New York State Penal Law concerning Cannabis, holding a public hearing on the Nuisances Chapter amendment, discussing union negotiations, and addressing several specific property matters (713 Albany Street, 933 Congress Street, Helderberg Avenue parcel, and various litigation items). A resolution to support ReTree Schenectady's application for tree planting reimbursement funding from National Grid was also scheduled, as well as a ceremonial resolution honoring the late community historian, Marsha Mortimore.

The City Planning Commission meeting primarily involved the review and approval of several site plan applications under the Consent Agenda. These applications covered proposals for adding apartment units, operating a grocery store, operating a gas station with a convenience store, operating a restaurant, establishing a tire shop and auto service business, and operating a limited service restaurant. Following the consent agenda, the Commission addressed new business items, which included site plan approval for constructing townhouses, final site plan approval for an existing grocery store, subdivision approval for splitting a property, site plan approval for an auto sales and service business (contingent on a parking variance), site plan approval for a banquet hall and restaurant expansion (with conditions on operating hours), site plan approval for converting a building into a restaurant and apartments (contingent on a parking variance), and site plan approval for a wellness spa and beauty salon. A negative SEQR declaration was issued for multiple projects. General discussions focused on code compliance, necessary permits, and public infrastructure concerns like sidewalk replacements.

The City Planning Commission meeting addressed several agenda items, including the approval of signage for the Hyatt House at 110 Harborside Drive, subject to area variances, and site plan approval for a commercial retail business, Sweet Sprig, at 162 Jay Street, contingent upon painting over graffiti and securing revocable permits for the awning and sign. In New Business, the commission reviewed a proposal to utilize a building at 1080 Catalyn Street as storage space for the Schenectady City School District's maintenance department, granting site plan approval with a two-year compliance window and mandating the entire building be painted. The subdivision and site plan for constructing four townhouses at 546 Schenectady Street were discussed, with the subdivision approved but the site plan tabled pending architectural improvements to the elevations. Finally, site plan approval was granted for Bashir Chedrawee to operate a food prep production kitchen for Simone's Kitchen at 108 State Street, noting that the use was grandfathered under existing zoning conditions. The meeting concluded with acknowledgments for departing commissioners.

The meeting focused on continuing interviews for an appointment that began the previous day, with significant debate regarding whether these interviews should occur in open session or executive session. Several members expressed strong opinions advocating for transparency and public interviews for appointments to elected official seats, citing concerns about public trust and accountability. Counterarguments emphasized prior practice and legal advice suggesting executive sessions are permissible for reviewing candidate resumes and personal information. There was also discussion about the recent election results, the potential reduction of the council size to five members, and the inappropriateness of asking the Mayor to leave the proceedings. The chair intended to share information on previous vacancy filling processes after the interviews concluded.

The Schenectady City Council convened a special meeting to address key items. The primary focus was on approving and adopting the proposed operating and capital budget for 2026, along with authorizing the necessary appropriations. Additionally, the council discussed and considered candidates to fill the current vacancy on the city council, following the resignation of a council member in August 2025.