[Common Council Special Meeting/Work Session on January 26, 2026.]
[00:00:03]
I CALL THIS JANUARY 26TH MEETING OF THE COMMON COUNCIL.I WILL CALL ON COUNCILMAN WOLF TO DO THE PLEDGE TO THE FLAG.
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.
MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
FIRST, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT AFTER YESTERDAY'S SEVERE STORM WHERE WE GOT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 13 AND 15IN OF SNOW.
WE SHOULD THANK THE DPW FOR ALL OF THEIR HARD WORK DURING THIS INTENSE STORM.
UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF COMMISSIONER MIGNON, WHO IS HERE, AND DEPUTY COMMISSIONER NADIA SAVAGE, THEY WORKED TIRELESSLY AROUND THE CLOCK TO KEEP OUR CITY SAFE, GET THE STREETS CLEANED.
I EVEN HAD THE PLEASURE OF TELLING THE WORLD ON TELEVISION THAT AFTER ALL OF THAT, WE WERE ABLE TO PICK UP GARBAGE TODAY.
AND THAT IS EXTREMELY IMPRESSIVE.
AND OUR I PERSONALLY, AS ALL OF YOU KNOW, DROVE AROUND WITH THE SNOWPLOWS, WENT TO THE GARAGE, WENT TO THE DEPOT AND SPENT THE WHOLE DAY TRYING TO WORK WITH EVERYBODY AND KEEP SPIRITS UP.
AND I HAVE TO SAY, EVERYBODY'S SPIRITS WERE UP, EVERYBODY WORKED HARD, AND WE HAD A VERY SAFE DAY.
WE NEED TO ALSO THANK EVERYONE IN OUR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, POLICE AND FIRE.
THEY WORKED ALSO SEAMLESSLY WITH EVERYONE ELSE IN OUR CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY WAS SAFE.
WE EVEN HAD A MINOR FIRE THAT THEY TOOK, TOOK CARE OF AND HAD TO TAKE PEOPLE TO THE AMBULANCE, TO THE HOSPITAL.
SO EVERYONE WAS WORKING TOGETHER.
AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE TO EVERYBODY.
AND OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND RESIDENTS ARE VERY APPRECIATIVE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, PUBLIC SAFETY AND EVERYBODY ELSE THAT HELPED OUT.
SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO CALL ON COMMISSIONER MIGNON TO THE PODIUM TO DISCUSS CAPITAL PROJECTS.
BEFORE I STARTED, I'D SAY THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR FOR COMING OUT YESTERDAY.
UM, YOU SHOWED GREAT SUPPORT TO US, AND, UH, IT REALLY, IT DOES REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
SO, UM, I JUST PERSONALLY WANT TO THANK YOU.
AND HOPEFULLY WE WON'T HAVE BIG STORMS AGAIN.
BUT IF WE DO, I'LL BE THERE, AND MY COLLEAGUES WILL BE THERE TO SUPPORT AS WELL.
UM, SO THE FIRST ONE WE'RE I'M GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT IS THE CITYWIDE, UH, ALARM SYSTEM UPGRADE.
THIS PROJECT ENTAILS A CITYWIDE MODERNIZATION OF ALL FIRE AND BURGLAR ALARM SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE COMPONENTS, INCLUDING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW CENTRAL MONITORING STATION AT PUBLIC SAFETY.
THIS, THE EXISTING ALARM INFRASTRUCTURE HAS REACHED THE END OF ITS SERVICE LIFE, RESULTING IN INCREASED DIFFICULTY SOURCING REPLACEMENT PARTS AND MAINTAINING SYSTEM RELIABILITY.
THE UPGRADED SYSTEM WILL ENHANCE OVERALL PERFORMANCE AND IMPROVE RELIABILITY.
UH, THE SECOND ONE UH, I'M GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT IS GAS BOY FUEL SYSTEM REPLACEMENT FOR 300,000.
THIS PROJECT WILL REPLACE THE CITY'S EXISTING GAS BUOY FUEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, USED TO TRACK FUEL USAGE FOR GASOLINE AND DIESEL POWERED MUNICIPAL FLEET VEHICLES.
THE CURRENT SYSTEM HAS REACHED THE END OF ITS USEFUL LIFE AND IS BEING PHASED OUT, MAKING CONTINUED OPERATION UNSUSTAINABLE.
THE PROJECT WILL TRANSITION THE FLEET TO THE ECOS FUEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND UPGRADE AUTOMATED FUELING EQUIPMENT, SERVERS AND SOFTWARE AT MULTIPLE FUEL ISLAND LOCATIONS TO ENSURE COMPATIBILITY.
ACCURATE FUEL TRACKING AND PROPER BILLING TO THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT ONE? WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE NEW SYSTEM? ECOS E K O S.
UH, THE THIRD ONE THAT I AM GOING TO BE SPEAKING ABOUT IS THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING.
THIS PROJECT WILL ADDRESS SEVERAL ISSUES AND REPAIRS NEEDS WITHIN THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING, INCLUDING WHILE PATCHING REPAIRS TO AREAS DAMAGED BY WATER INFILTRATION,
[00:05:03]
UM, RESTORATION OF DAMAGED WALL COVERINGS, REPAINTING OF HALLWAYS AND OFFICES THROUGHOUT THE SECOND AND THIRD FLOORS OF OF THE BUILDING.AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE RENOVATIONS TO CITY FACILITIES FOR 275,000 THIS YEAR.
UM, THIS UH, ANNUAL CAPITAL PROJECT, UH, WILL BE USED TO PERFORM INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR RENOVATIONS AT DIFFERENT CITY FACILITIES.
WORK INCLUDES, UH, THE REPLACEMENT OF SECURITY AND ADA COMPLIANT DOORS WITHIN DPW MAINTAINED BUILDINGS AND SHARED SPACES, AS WELL AS POTENTIAL UPGRADES TO FLOORING, LIGHTING AND PAINTING.
TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY, SAFETY AND OVERALL FACILITY CONDITION.
HOW MANY OF THE FACILITIES ARE BEING TAKEN CARE OF? SO IT'S.
OH, IT'S KIND OF SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY.
SO, UH, LIKE WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING, UM, THE, THE THE ENTRANCE DOOR AT SLATER CENTER.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING THE, UH, SOME RENOVATIONS IN THE LAW DEPARTMENT.
SO REALLY ALL OVER THAT, WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO WE USE THIS FUNDING FOR.
THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S THE DOOR THAT NEEDS.
I DIDN'T HEAR WHAT, UH, REPAIRS ARE GOING TO BE TAKING PLACE AT SLATER CENTER.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO, UH, REPLACE IT WITH, UM, TO MAKE IT ADA COMPLIANT.
I THINK THERE'S ONE MORE THING.
WAS IT THE CHECK VALVE REPLACEMENT? I'M SO.
I DON'T WANT TO LOSE MY JOB FOR NOTHING.
THE CHECK VALVE REPLACEMENT AT CENTRAL AVENUE PUMP STATION FOR 300,000.
MAYOR. UH, THIS PROJECT, UM, WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING CHECK VALVES ON THE THREE LARGE WATER PUMPS AT THE CENTRAL AVENUE PUMP STATION.
THESE VALVES ARE CRITICAL TO MAINTAINING WATER FLOW INTO OUR SYSTEM AND MUST BE REPLACED.
UH, GIVEN THE LIMITED AVAILABILITY OF REPLACEMENT PARTS WITH THE THREE PUMPS IN OPERATION.
THESE CHECK VALVES ALLOW US TO ISOLATE ANY ONE OF THEM.
MAINTENANCE IS REQUIRED WHILE THE OTHERS CAN CONTINUE TO OPERATE.
THE UPGRADE CHECK VALVES WILL PROVIDE STAFF WITH IMPROVED CONTROL OVER PUMP SHUTDOWNS AND SYSTEM OPERATIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT ONE? THANK YOU.
OH, COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRESSER.
WHERE IS THE PUMP STATION? ON CENTRAL.
UM, IT'S KIND OF NEAR, YOU KNOW, WHERE LIKE, MARIACHI LOCO IS? YES.
JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT.
IT'S JUST A BIT FURTHER DOWN FROM THE CAR WASH.
WHILE WE'RE ON THE SUBJECT OF WATER, I DID GET A TOUR OF THE THE CITY'S WATER FACILITY YESTERDAY, AMONGST EVERYTHING ELSE, AND I'M PLEASED TO REPORT TO EVERYONE THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT TEST OUR WATER MANUALLY EVERY SINGLE DAY.
LIKE MULTIPLE TESTS, MULTIPLE PLACES, MULTIPLE LOCATIONS.
AND THAT'S JUST IMPRESSIVE AND SHOULD GIVE US ALL YET ANOTHER REASON TO THANK THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS TO SEE THAT THEY'RE SO THOROUGH.
AND I WATCHED IT WITH MY OWN TWO EYES.
OUR NEXT ITEM IS A PROPOSED MINOR AMENDMENT TO AN APPROVED SITE PLAN ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT KNOWN AS HAMILTON GREEN.
I'LL CALL ON OUR COMMISSIONER OF PLANNING, CHRIS GOMEZ.
THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING IS A COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSIONER OF BUILDING, UH, BASICALLY STATING THAT THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE 20 BACHER BUILDING, WHICH IS PART OF HAMILTON GREEN.
IT'S THE NORTHWEST CORNER THAT THAT LAST RESIDENTIAL PORTION IS INDEED A MINOR AMENDMENT.
WHAT THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING IS TO ACTUALLY REDUCE NOTHING.
CHANGES IN THE BUILDING IN TERMS OF THE EXTERIOR, MERELY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF DWELLING UNITS FROM 156 TO 127.
[00:10:03]
THEY'RE BASICALLY MOVING WALLS WITHIN THE BUILDING TO MAKE SOME LARGER UNITS.THE BENEFIT TO THE CITY HERE CLEARLY, IS THAT THE APPLICANT HAS COMMITTED TO MAINTAIN THE AFFORDABLE SET ASIDE THE 19 UNITS, WHICH REPRESENTS A 12% SET ASIDE OF THE ORIGINAL 156.
SO THOSE 19 UNITS, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE PROVIDING LESS UNITS IN THE BUILDING, WE'RE STILL GOING TO GET THE 19.
AND THEY'RE OUT OF THOSE 19 UNDER THE REQUIREMENT, UH, TEN OF THEM, AS IN THE ORIGINAL APPROVAL, WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE FEE IN LIEU PAYMENT.
APPROXIMATELY $1.9 MILLION TO THE CITY'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING ASSISTANCE FUND.
AND THEY WILL BE PROVIDING NINE OF THOSE 19 WITHIN THE BUILDING, SORT OF AS INCLUSIONARY UNITS.
UM, SO AGAIN, NOTHING REALLY IS CHANGING FROM THE EXTERIOR.
AND AS THE BUILDING COMMISSIONER STATED IN THE COMMUNICATION BEFORE YOU AND I CONCUR, IT CERTAINLY MEETS SORT OF THE CITY'S ZONING CODE, UH, RECOMMENDATION OR DEFINITION OF A MINOR AMENDMENT, WHICH MEANS THAT AS LONG AS YOU, AS COMMON COUNCIL DOES NOT OBJECT TO THAT, BASICALLY THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT CAN MOVE FORWARD IN DUE COURSE IN ISSUING BUILDING PERMITS FOR THAT LAYER.
SO I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
THE MAIN THING FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT THERE WILL BE NO REDUCTION AT ALL IN THE AMOUNT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND THAT'S I KNOW WHAT WE CARE GREATLY ABOUT.
AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, IF HE WANTS TO IF THE DEVELOPER WANTS TO PUT IN BIGGER APARTMENTS FOR HIMSELF, THAT'S QUITE FRANKLY HIS BUSINESS.
AND I'LL STATE ONE OTHER THING JUST TO DOVETAIL WITH THE MAYOR SAYING THE 2024 AMENDMENT TO THE SITE PLAN FOR HAMILTON GREEN PHASE TWO, WHICH INCLUDED THE NIPA BUILDING.
RIGHT. THAT'S GOING UP, AS WELL AS THE 20 BARKER BUILDING.
THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE SITE, WHICH IS ALSO GOING UP.
AT THAT TIME, THE COMMON COUNCIL HAD THE INFINITE WISDOM TO INCREASE THE FEE IN LIEU PER UNIT, AND WE ARE CODIFYING THAT HERE AS WELL.
SO AGAIN, ENDS UP BEING ABOUT 192 000 UNIT 192 TO 50, I BELIEVE, OR 194 TO 50 PER UNIT.
UM, WHAT'S IMPORTANT THERE IS IT'S ABOUT A $500,000 INCREASE BEYOND WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY APPROVED YEARS AGO WITH THE ORIGINAL HAMILTON GREEN APPROVAL, SO WANTED TO HIT THAT AS WELL.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE BUILDING COMMISSIONERS PROCESSING THIS AS A MINOR AMENDMENT? HEARING NONE.
THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT CAN PROCEED.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO ENTER INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS THE POTENTIAL APPOINTMENT OF A PARTICULAR PERSON.
IS THERE A MOTION TO THANK YOU.
WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND WE WILL BE BACK.
IS THERE A MOTION TO EXIT EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS THE POTENTIAL APPOINTMENT OF A PARTICULAR PERSON.
THAT CONCLUDES TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
AGAIN THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE ALL WANT TO DO, MYSELF AND MY COLLEAGUES, IS THANK ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED SO HARD TO CLEAR OUR STREETS AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE WAS SAFE.
WITH THAT I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
CARRIED. EVERYBODY,
HAVE A GREAT EVENING.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.