In this article published today about the Time Warner Cable working group, I mention a series of e-mails between city spokesman Jeff Pirro and Councilman Ken Zalewski, D-District 5, regarding Pirro's inclusion in the working group. In the article, we wrote that Pirro emailed Zalewski "asking to be added to the list," something Zalewski said is not true.

It may be splitting hairs, but at one point in the e-mail exchange Pirro does write "Ken - you have left me off the list below. Please add my email address as I will be taking Vic's place. Thank you!", which could, in some definitions, constitute asking.

However, here are all the e-mails in their entirety, so you can judge for yourself:

To interested citizens:

At this evening's Finance Committee meeting, the Council withdrew legislation that would have moved forward with the proposed Time Warner franchise agreement (available at http://troyny.gov/mayor/ProposedTimeWarnerFrnAgrmnt.pdf).

We instead passed a resolution that creates a Cable Television Franchise Working Group and appoints several initial members: Three Council members (myself, Bill Dunne, and Dean Bodnar), along with Vic Christopher (Economic Development Coordinator for the City) and Amy Williams (President of the Arts Center).

The legislation will appear on the May 5 Council agenda. By that time, I would like to have the full list of working group members.

Those who have indicated an interest or have been recommended to me so far are:
Naomi Bustamante
Andrew Lynn
Regina Keenan
Jason Martin
Jim Welch

I am sending this e-mail to everyone who attended (and signed in at) the March 21st Public Hearing, plus a few others. The current group tally is 10 (5 named in the resolution, plus the 5 listed above). I don't think the group should grow much larger than this, but I also want to make sure that I try to accommodate everyone who is interested in participating.

If you want to be a part of the working group, please let me know ASAP. If the number of interested persons becomes too large, I'll work with my colleagues to trim it down. The public will be invited to all meetings of the working group, so everyone will be able to participate at some level.

I will also be posting relevant information to the City Council's Facebook page (http://facebook.com/troycitycouncil). I have received a number of documents from Sue Buske - the consultant who worked on this back in 2003/2004. Those documents will be posted soon.

Thank you to everyone for your interest in this important issue for our city.

-- Ken Zalewski

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Good morning –

It is my pleasure to inform you that since Vic wants to remain focused on developing projects full time, I am going to take his place on this committee. I look forward to working with all of you to try and find a workable solution to any perceived inadequacies. Thank you.

Regards,

Jeffrey J. Pirro

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Good morning Ken –

Any updates on the working group membership? Did you publish a notice soliciting members or do anything to expand inclusion? A response before Thursday's meeting would be appreciated, thanks!

-- Jeff Pirro

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The working group already has ten members based on the responses that I have received from interested citizens.

I also have the pleasure to inform you that you are not automatically on the group just because you sent me an e-mail stating that you are replacing Vic Christopher.

The legislation passed out of committee contained Vic's name, not yours. If Vic decides not to serve on the group, that is his choice.

For you to write to me to "inform" me that you are his replacement indicates that you do not understand your own role in city government. This is a Council-sponsored initiative. You do not have the standing to insert yourself onto a Council-created committee without the Council voting on it.

On a personal note, I'm a bit bewildered that you would have the audacity to write to me with such a demand, after months of ignoring me and showing outward disrespect toward me.

The proper way to approach this would have been to request membership on the working group, maybe stating some of your credentials for participation; maybe display a modicum of respect for the members of the Council; maybe show some of the humility that public service demands.

-- Ken Zalewski

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Ken - I'm sorry. I thought we put all the partisan nonsense behind us. I certainly don't hold any grudges against you for calling me "shill" (among other things) and think its regrettable you "[had] the pleasure to inform" me I'm not automatically a member of the group, since individual exclusion from a public process shouldn't bring anyone joy.

I am the Mayor's representative since this affects legislation and information. I am able to include myself because this is a publicly created entity. Certainly, I don't need to be formally recognized since I'm doing this to garner attention or make the headlines. I just want to be part of a group that helps move Troy forward.

Thus, let me put your bewilderment to rest: I wanted to reach out to you because progress requires trust, bridges and communication, none of which existed.

My reaching out to you is an olive branch, a bridge building moment, and I hope you accept it.

-- Jeff Pirro

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Thank you all for your interest in the Time Warner franchise agreement. Based on your responses, we will add the following six individuals to the Working Group on Thursday evening:

Jim de Seve
Regina Keenan
Andrew Lynn
Jason Martin
Steve Pierce
Jim Welch

They will join the already-appointed members, who include:

Dean Bodnar
Bill Dunne
Amy Williams
Ken Zalewski

Vic Christopher wishes to focus on economic development projects in the city, and has declined his membership.

If I am missing anyone, please let me know immediately.

Thanks.

-- Ken Zalewski

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Ken - you have left me off the list below. Please add my email address as I will be taking Vic's place. Thank you!

-- Jeff Pirro

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If you don't hold grudges, I'm wondering why you still can barely let a "hello" escape from your mouth when you see me. You have vilified me in your own mind, and it clearly shows. If you are trying to make amends, I'm ready and willing. I am just not certain your "olive branch" is genuine.

My use of the quote, "It is my pleasure to inform you," was a turn of your own phrase when you "informed" the Council that you were now on the committee. In case you forgot:

It is my pleasure to inform you that since Vic wants to remain focused on developing projects full time, I am going to take his place on this committee.

I figured that you would get the reference. Even your own statements below are tongue-in-cheek to anyone that knows you and how you treat people.

If you were genuinely concerned about building bridges, you would not lead off with your "informing" the Council - you would respectfully request that your name replace Vic's on the working group, and allow the Council to decide.

Oh, and regarding me calling you a "shill" for the Mayor, the definition of "shill" is:
a person who publicizes or praises something or someone for reasons of self-interest, personal profit, or friendship or loyalty.

You are paid to make Harry look good (and ostensibly, to make the Council look bad), which is evidenced by your voluminous press releases for every little thing that the guy does, and the biased nature of your Facebook postings.

You already know that the Working Group meetings are public, and as a citizen you are more than welcome to attend. This was about membership on the group, not your participation as a citizen.

-- Ken Zalewski

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Ken - the personal attacks are not going to help us move the group forward. Please include my email address on future communications. Thanks!

-- Jeff Pirro

One day after Mayor Harry Tutunjian urged the City Council to take the reins on a feasibility study of the Dauchy Building as a future city hall, he issued a memorandum to the Council further explaining his position. In the memorandum, he cites the Council's criticisms of previous bidding processes -- most likely referring to comments made by Councilman Bill Dunne, D-District 4, and Council President Clem Campana regarding the former City Hall demolition -- as a motivation for the Council taking the lead.

He also agrees to support "an appropriate budget transfer to pay the expense." The full document is embedded below.

Jan 21, 2011 Memorandum

Yesterday we posted a story about the continuing budget battle between the administration and the Council Majority, including a video interview with Mayor Harry Tutunjian. Below is a complete version of that interview -- clocking in at nearly 17 minutes -- in which the Mayor discusses not only the budget veto, but the role of the State Comptroller's Office in the budget process, improving communication with the Council Majority and his thoughts on what a veto override could mean for the city.

The City Council has scheduled a special Finance Committee meeting for next Wednesday to discuss the proposed refinancing of the city's MAC debt.

The MAC makes up the largest portion of the city's debt at a cool $52.295 million. At last night's Public Safety and Law committees budget meeting, the refinancing of the MAC came up, with Acting City Comptroller Joseph Mazzariello saying more details could be available as early as next week.

A small correction from the article, which states the estimated $600,000 to $1 million in savings will go towards the the 2010 budget. The savings will actually take place over the life of the loan, with a large portion of the savings happening in the first three years or so, according to city spokesman Jeff Pirro.

The Special Finance Committee meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. in the Second Floor Conference Room at City Hall. The regular City Council meeting will take place the next night at 7 p.m. at Christ Church United Methodist.

In case your curious, linked below are the four emails sent from Councilman Ken Zalewski, D-District 5, to city spokesperson Jeff Pirro regarding the "Troy, NY" Facebook Page controversy.

http://www.scribd.com/document_collections/2686795

Zalewski Facebook emails (1)

Zalewski Facebook emails (2)

Zalewski Facebook emails (3)

While the "Troy, NY" Facebook page resolution got the majority of the attention at last night's Finance Committee meeting, some other items of note were also brought to the table for the next regular City Council meeting.

The ongoing dispute between Councilman Bill Dunne, D-District 4, and the administration regarding crow dispersal in downtown Troy achieved some closure with a proposed resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a crow dispersal agreement with Rensselaer County. The plan calls for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to come in and use the same techniques as last year, techniques that aren't believed to be entirely effective.

"I don't think it's effective at all, in my opinion," Tutunjian said at last night's meeting. Other Councilmen also asked if it would be possible to have the dispersal efforts in other areas of the city, as opposed to just downtown.

Dunne held a meeting last month with Green Island Mayor Ellen McNulty to get information about their method, which essentially consists of McNulty and the village attorney going out with pyrotechnic pistols every evening.

Tutunjian, however, was not in attendance at the meeting, and afterward there was an apparent stalemate where no dispersal efforts were taking place at all. County Legislator Pete Ryan has submitted a request to County Executive Kathleen Jimino seeking assistance with the $3,500 price tag for the effort.

The Council will also vote on a budget transfer to pay for a new $71k fire truck lift for the station on Campbell Avenue.

Last Thursday's City Council Finance Committee meeting was fairly eventful, with controversy over the demolition of the former City Hall site and changes to the city's curfew law getting the most attention. Here are some other issues that were discussed:

Property value certiorari proceedings
Once every month or so, there is an ordinance approving the settlement of certiorari proceedings over challenged property values. This month, there are five on the agenda.

City Assessor Tina Dimitradis and Corporation Counsel Charles Sarris have both said that, when property owners challenge the assessed value of their home or business, the Assessor's Office lacks up-to-date data to properly defend itself, resulting in these settlements. All of the settlements result in a reduced property value assessment for the challenger, meaning their taxes will also be reduced.

Dimitradis has said that there have been 59 certiorari proceedings this year to date, and 13 proceedings through small claims court. According to Dimitriadis, the city could lose $175,000 in property taxes if all certioraris are lost.

At Thursday's meeting, Sarris said he believes the certiorari proceedings regarding property values will be reduced after the city-wide reassessment -- or the city will at least have a fighting chance against them, instead of having to settle.

"Mini-dorms" moratorium
An ordinance is on the table to once again extend the moratorium regarding "the subdivision of residential structures; the conversion of garages, carriage houses or secondary structures to residential units; [and/or] the increase in the number of bedrooms in an existing residential unit" for an additional six months.

The moratorium would be in effect from September 30, 2010 through March 31, 2011. The ordinance was originally drafted by Councilman Ken Zalewski, D-District 5, in 2008 as a way to prevent absentee landlords from subdividing houses into multiple apartments, particularly those rented to college students.

The moratorium survived a veto and an Article 78 lawsuit and continues to be extended every six months while "issues surrounding the need for this moratorium are studied and permanent changes are made to Chapter 285," according to the legislation.

Hudson River/Champlain Canal Dredging
According to Sarris, New York State has requested that Troy vote on a resolution in support of navigational dredging of the river and canal, official recommending that "it is appropriate and cost-effective to the citizens of New York State to address Hudson River/Champlain Canal navigational dredging needs which are identified in certain areas within the proposed federal PCB remediation action concurrently with said remediation action to assure the timely restoration of safe boat navigation on the upper Hudson River area."

Whew. Sarris said he wasn't sure why NYS requested the resolution, other than a symbolic gesture that municipalities are on board.

Also: The owners of Tire Warehouse on River Street want to purchase a parcel of city-owned property across the street for $55,000 and some apparently routine budget transfers within the Water and Sewer Funds have been proposed.

The next regular City Council meeting will take place on Thursday, October 7.

Update: Dunne sent out a corrected version of the press release, which now appears below. Also, Zalewski confirmed that he is in fact kzalewski on The Record's website.

Two members of the Troy City Council want Mayor Harry Tutunjian to withdraw his endorsement of Carl Paladino, the Republican candidate for Governor. Tutunjian announced his endorsement on September 12 in Troy, just days before the primaries, saying that Paladino is the person to "take the burden from taxpayers".

Now, Bill Dunne, D-District 4, and Ken Zalewski, D-District 5, have issued a press release calling for Tutunjian to retract the endorsement because of "countless bigoted and sexually perverse" e-mail forwarded by Paladino earlier this year before announcing his candidacy. The e-mails have a been a recurring source of criticism for the Gubernatorial candidate, who has apologized for them. Just last week members of the NAACP and other minority groups held a protest regarding the e-mails.

"In his recent endorsement speech, Mayor Harry Tutunjian described Mr. Paladino as someone we can relate to," said Dunne in the release. "Personally, I can related to him and I'd love to know exactly what the Mayor means by this. Does he share Mr. Paladino's off-putting sense of humor? I, for one, don't find racism to be funny."

Zalewski continues the theme of whether or not Paladino is relatable, focusing on his personal wealth, his affair, and 31 years as a registered Democratic as examples of Paladino being "the dictionary definition of hypocrisy."

Commenter kzalewski, reasonably believed to be Zalewski himself, made multiple comments regarding the endorsement on the above-linked article that contain links to the e-mails and similar language to the press release.

The full press release is below:

Members of the Troy City Council are calling upon Mayor Harry Tutunjian to withdraw his endorsement of Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino, after it was revealed that Mr. Paladino enjoyed and forwarded countless bigoted and sexually perverse e-mails. In addition, Mr. Paladino laughed at offended responders, claiming the overtly racist e-mails were “funny”.

“In his recent endorsement speech, Mayor Harry Tutunjian described Mr. Paladino as someone we can relate to. Personally, I can't relate to him and I'd love to know exactly what the Mayor means by this. Does he share Mr. Paladino's off-putting sense of humor? I, for one, don't find racism to be funny,” stated Councilman Bill Dunne(Democrat - District 4).

“Troy's citizens do not relate to a multi-millionaire who pretends to be 'one of them'. We do not relate to a hypocrite who criticized Governor Paterson for having an affair, when it turns out that he had his own affair. We do not relate to a "pay-to-play" government insider who made millions by buying out politicians, and who now wants to cast himself as an outsider and reformer,” commented Councilman Ken Zalewski (Democrat - District 5). “Mr. Paladino is the dictionary definition of hypocrisy, and his campaign is divisive and dishonest.”

Zalewski also noted that Tutunjian used the Uncle Sam parade as a vehicle to give Paladino a platform, then had to back-pedal when Paladino showed his true colors. “It wasn't enough that the Mayor politicized the Uncle Sam parade by endorsing this individual,” said Zalewski. “He then had to cover up for Paladino‟s extremist remarks.”

“We are at as sad a point in this country as I can remember. At a time when we should be coming together to build consensus and solve problems, candidates like Carl Paladino are playing on peoples worst fears, dividing Americans along socio-economic lines. There is nothing 'maverick' about this. This is right out of the playbook of Republican strategist Karl Rove and Bush era political divisiveness,” continued Dunne.

“Councilman Dunne and I call on Mayor Tutunjian to disavow Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino and his racist, sexist, and anti-Semitic comments,” stated Zalewski. “Troy is a city of working class people who reject the politics of division and who can easily see through Paladino's veneer of righteous indignation: He is not a change agent – he is part of the problem – a government insider who exploited the system to build his massive fortune.”

In case you were confused, Mayor Harry Tutunjian outlines the role of Jeff Pirro, Troy's deputy director of public information, in an e-mail to Councilman Bill Dunne, D-District 4, after his and other Council members' attempts to get information about the operation of the County Waste facility in South Troy. Apparently Dunne attempted to go through Pirro on three separate occasions and was either ignored or told "we're looking into it."

Council members should contact me or the Deputy Mayor to get prompt and accurate information about issues involving city government. The Deputy Director of Public Information is the FOIL officer and is charged with providing information to the general public.

There you have it. Maybe this will help facilitate communication between the administration and members of the City Council.

As for the information regarding the County Waste facility (which has completed an application to increase the daily average throughput and its hours of operation), Tutunjian said that they are "in the process of gathering that information right now. We will make it available to you when it is complete."

The Department of Environmental Conservation is soliciting public comment on the expansion up through August 12. Councilman Michael Loporto, D-At Large, has called a meeting of the Public Works Committee for Wednesday, August 4, to obtain an update on the proposal. The meeting is scheduled to take place immediately after the Parks and Recreation Committee meeting at 5:30.

Troy developer David Bryce wouldn't say definitively whether or not he would accept the latest deal from the City Council for the sale of the Uncle Sam Parking Garage, but did say that he is still hopeful that a deal can be reached that "works for everyone."

Bryce said that he hasn't personally seen the latest deal, up for vote at the next regular City Council meeting on June 3, but that his lawyer, William Doyle, may have received it. Bryce said that for now he is leaving it up to Doyle to find an acceptable deal.

Doyle declined to comment, referring all questions to Bryce.

The latest proposed deal was presented by Councilman Kevin McGrath, D-District 1, at the City Council Finance Committee meeting on May 20 after a proposed ordinance to reconsider the original sale of the garage -- which failed in a narrow vote in February with one abstention by Ken Zalewski -- submitted by Mark McGrath, R-District 2, was ruled out of order because Mark McGrath did not vote with the majority on the original deal. The latest deal is similar to an interim contract submitted to The Record by Kevin McGrath that was later deemed illegal because it set and froze an assessed value for the garage for a period of ten years.

Whew.

Kevin McGrath said that he has exhausted negotiations and that this is the deal they are offering to Bryce, "take it or leave it." Mayor Harry Tutunjian has already said he doesn't believe Bryce will take the deal.

Bryce said that he just wants to bring business to Troy, but wouldn't say whether or not that involves accepting this latest deal for the sale of the garage.

Thursday's meeting of the Public Safety Committee is shaping up to be an interesting one, with the selection of a new police chief and a possible reduction in the Community Policing Unit up for discussion.

Committee Chairman Bill Dunne has asked that the City Council be allowed to interview police chief candidates, and said at this point he's trying to get a straight answer from the Mayor about the police chief appointment process. The Mayor's office has declined to comment on Dunne's request.

In an e-mail to Troy residents, Councilman Ken Zalewski, D-District 5, expressed distress over the potential reduction of the Community Policing Unit, writing:

It is my opinion that community policing is one of the most successful programs run by the Troy Police Department, and I - along with many neighborhood leaders - have been calling for additional staffing within CPU, in order to build upon the success of this program. Reducing staff in CPU runs completely counter to my contention that community-based policing is the most effective manner in which to address the issues that plague our neighborhoods.

The meeting will take place Thursday, April 15 at 6 p.m. in the 2nd floor conference room at City Hall on 1776 Sixth Ave. Following at 7 p.m. is the Planning Committee meeting, at which the administration will give an update of the downtown parking meter project.

The city's approved 2010 budget is now available for review on the City of Troy's Web site.

In addition to providing easy access to the documents, the page also features an amended message from Mayor Harry Tutunjian detailing the debacle of the fall budget process and his administration's battle with the City Council over the spending plan.

Mayor Harry Tutunjian filed a lawsuit against the City Council Thursday regarding the 2010 budget.

View the documents below:

Order to Show Cause
Petition
Mayor Tutunjian's affidavit
City Comptroller Deborah Witkowski's affidavit

The City Council is expected review their proposed changes to the 2010 budget with the mayor this evening at City Hall.

Mayor Harry Tutunjian presented a $63.7 million proposed budget in October which would carry a 4.25 percent tax increase in January if no changes are made.

While preliminary changes suggested by the council were revealed last weekend in a Record article, the amounts are expected to vary this evening.

The council's Democratic majority gained an At-Large seat in last week's general election for a 7-2 majority once new members are seated in January.

The council meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the City Council chambers at City Hall.

UPDATE: Meeting Cancelled

The Parks and Recreation meeting scheduled for July 30 has been cancelled. Read the full story here.

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As Record intern Jake Lustick reported earlier this week, members of the City Council will meet Thursday for a Park and Recreation Committee meeting to discuss wehther proper protocols and procedures are being followed at city facilities, including a Lansingburgh pool where an 11-year-old girl nearly drowned on July 13.

“The people of Troy want to know that when they go to city facilities that they are in compliance with state and federal guidelines and that their children are going to be safe,” said Councilman Peter Ryan, D-District 3. “We just want to make sure everyone is doing their job and doing it to the best of their ability.”

The Democratic majority recognized that there is an ongoing police investigation into the matter but said that they simply want to answer the questions that concerned residents have raised.

“This is not a political issue,” said District 6 Councilman Gary Galuski. “Everyone in the city cares about the safety of our children. We need to give taxpayer reassurance that city parks are clean, safe and properly staffed.”

Councilman Mark McGrath, R-District 2, said that it was despicable for the council to try and place blame in an incident like this.

“This is just reactive. They’re going to grab on to this news while the girl is in the hospital and make political hay out of it. It’s despicable and I’m sickened that they’re even doing this,” said McGrath.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on July 30 in the City Council chambers at City Hall.

Lansingburgh resident and community advocate, Jim Gordon will be announcing his candidacy for the soon-to-be-vacant District 1 seat on the City Council Thursday morning. He is expected to face off against Democratic candidate Kevin McGrath for the seat in November.

From a press release on the announcement:
"An organizer of the North Lansingburgh Neighborhood Watch and chairman of the Uncle Sam Parade Committee, Jim’s primary interest in seeking this position is to help keep Lansingburgh a family‐friendly place to live, work, and play. He aims to achieve this by strengthening the
many positive aspects of the community, while identifying the root causes for quality of life issues and eradicating them. He expects to work collaboratively with people of diverse opinions and ideas to forge consensus on the difficult and debatable issues that will face the city. Jim looks upon this office as an opportunity to continue his commitment to community service.

Jim is a life‐long resident of Troy and with his wife, Melissa, owns a home in Lansingburgh. Jim received a degree in Business Management from Delhi College. Now 29 years old, Jim works for Schrader and Company,Inc., a residential remodeling and cabinetmaking firm, as Director of the Business and Public divisions. Just as Jim continues to contribute to his community, he does so for the industry in‐which he earns his living. Jim has served on several board‐of‐directors for local business and trade associations. Jim has over 10 years experience working for small‐businesses in the residential and commercial construction industry. As a proven leader, Jim’s experience and his unwavering approach will prove to be vital in the coming years in Lansingburgh.

Understanding how to successfully identify and leverage future investment in residential and commercial economical development, within today’s 'new' economy, will be vital to the continued stability of Lansingburgh and the city of Troy."

Corporation Counsel Charlie Sarris has reportedly decided to resign his position as a deputy town attorney in the town of North Greenbush, according to City Councilman Bill Dunne, D-District 4.

Dunne said that he recieved a letter from Sarris today stating that he would soon be resigning from the position.

Sarris had received a memo from City Council President Clement Campana, D-At Large, last Thursday requesting that he provide his letter of resignation for his North Greenbush position prior to the council meeting later that night where councilmen had planned to vote on his official appointment to the position of corporation counsel.

During the meeting, Sarris had told the council that he was hurt by there request when two weeks prior, none of them had openly objected to his outside jobs during a Finance Committee meeting.

Dunne noted that the council will still need to vote on Sarri's appointment since the resolution was tabled during the meeting.

"We're going to have to (vote on his approval), but we do want to see the official letter of resignation to North Greenbush first," said Dunne. "It's not that we don't believe Mr. Sarris, but we certainly want all our T's crossed and I's dotted."

Look for further information on the matter over the next few days from Troy Talk and The Record.

The City Council voted Thursday to transfer $135,000 of Community Development Block Grant funding from city services such as street paving and vacant building demolition to a number of local neighborhood groups.

The groups and projects which will be funded include the following:

First Street Improvement Project (Think First Neighborhood) - $5,000
Mt. Ida Neighborhood Center Project (Mt. Ida Preservation) - $10,000
Second St. Sidewalk/Curbing Project (Burden Ironworks Neighborhood) - $20,000
South Troy Street Improvements (Burden Ironworks Neighborhood) - $20,000
Stow Ave. Streetscape Improvements (Stow Farm Neighborhood) - $35,000
Troy Little Italy Revitalization Project (Troy Little Italy) - $10,000
Two-Way Fourth Street Sidewalk/Curb (Burden Ironworks Neighborhood - $20,000
Woodside Block Improvements (Contemporary Artists Center) - $5,000
112th Street Bridge Gateway Park (North Lansingburgh Neighborhood) - $10,000

The council also moved $10,000 to both the YWCA's Ready for Work program and the Troy Public Library for installation of an elevator, along with $5,000 for the Italian Community Center's Westside Learning Center.

Councilman Mark Wojcik, R-District 1, made a motion to zero out all of the neighborhood funding and put the money back into city services because neighborhood projects are often left unfinished with organizers coming to the city looking for help.

Mayor Harry Tutunjian had also previously stated that he felt it was wrong to remove money from street improvements and put it into the council's own "pet pork projects."

"We reviewed the mayor's recommendations and found that many groups and neighborhoods were denied funding by the mayor," said Council President Clement Campana, D-At Large. "This is not acceptable considering CDBG money is geared specifically to low and moderate income neighborhoods most in need of assistance."

Members of the council's Democratic majority also touted how their increase of funding to rehab existing housing properties, from $356,000 to $396,000, would allow owner occupied homes for less money than was previously spent on building new structures.

Additionally, they discussed how neighborhoods were in true need of the money they received and that Tutunjian was wrong to refer to them as pork.

"It seems he (Tutunjian) has forgotten the purpose of the HUD program and the tens of thousands of dollars that he allocated to neighborhood groups during his tenure on the council," said Councilman Ken Zalewski, D-District 5. "While the mayor's priorities have shifted away from our struggling neighborhoods, this council will remain steadfast in its continued support for Troy's neighborhood groups."

Councilman Mark McGrath, R-District 2, issued a statement Friday saying that he was outraged by the majority's actions during their regular meeting and that it was inferred that the head no intentions on funding Lansingburgh projecs in the future.

"Council President Campana sits on the board of the CYO, and openly campaigns for funneling money into that program at the expense of others," said McGrath. "Meanwhile the Lansingburgh Boys and Girls Club is going to suffer in the future because of its location. There are members of this City Council that forget those of us in Lansingburgh are part of Troy as well.

McGrath also criticized the council for finalizing their changes only an hour before the council meeting and not allowing the public to have ample time to respond or comment on the alterations.

The City Council could soon vote on legislation to recognize the existence of a bargaining unit for certain politically appointed city employees.

An ordinance to recognize the representation of 13 city positions by the United Public Service Employees Union is expected to be discussed during the council's Finance Committee meeting tomorrow night, where council members will decide whether or not to move the legislation to their April meeting.

The positions which could be represented by the union include:
Assessor
Assistant to City Clerk
Assistant Operations Manager
Chief Water Plant Operator
City Auditor
City Engineer
Commissioner of Planning and Community Development
Deputy City Clerk
Deputy Comptroller for Financial Operations
Grants Writing Specialist
Personnel Associate
Recreations Director
Superintendent of Water and Sewer

The public hearing for a proposed downtown Business Improvement District, which was scheduled for Thursday night, has been canceled, according to City Council President Clem Campana.

Campana said Tuesday that a new date would have to be set for the hearing because the council did not vote on a resolution during a regular or special meeting to establish the formal meeting time.

The start of the hearing would have begun a 30-day public comment period where members of the proposed district can submit their official objections to its creation to the City Clerk. The district cannot be created if 51 percent of its prospective members vote against it, but a failure to vote will actually count as a vote in favor of the BID.

Read more about this situation here.