Council Member Frederick on behalf of the Committee on Finance, Assessment, and

Taxation introduced the following, which was approved:

RESOLUTION 111.111.23R (As Amended 11/20/2023)

A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OUTLINING ITS ACTIONS

AND EXPRESSING ITS FINDINGS AND INTENT CONCERNING THE CITY OF
ALBANY 2024 BUDGET AS PROPOSED IN ORDINANCE 37.101.23

WHEREAS, on September 29, 2023, the Common Council received the Mayor’s proposed
budget for the City of Albany for the fiscal year 2024 and the accompanying Mayor’s budget
message; and

WHEREAS, after receipt of such budget, the Finance, Taxation and Assessment
Committee and the full Common Council engaged in an extensive review of the proposed budget,
which included over twelve meetings, discussions with ten Department heads, two public hearings,
and requests for additional information; and

WHEREAS, the Common Council has identified several areas of concern, needed
amendments, and items requiring further action;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Common Council adopts the

following statement outlining its findings, intent, and recommendations for future action
concerning the Proposed City of Albany Budget for Fiscal Year 2024:

Proposed 2024 City of Albany Budget

Statement of Common Council Actions, Findings, Intent, and Recommendations
Prior to the presentation of the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2024, individual Common Council
members met with the Mayor and her staff to discuss the specific needs and desires for their Wards
that should be addressed in the budget. After the release of the proposed budget, Common Council
members met with department commissioners and office heads to discuss their budget and how
planned projects and expenditures will affect their Wards and the City of Albany as a whole.
During these conversations, Common Council members highlighted several items for further
review, discussion, and consideration, as shall be explained further below.

Common Council Public Comments/Hearings

In addition to the public comment periods during regular meetings of the Common Council, two
public hearings were held – one on October 16, 2023 and another on November 6, 2023 – for
residents to provide input on the budget as presented by the Administration. Community voices
expressed support for a vacancy study, increased funding to the Community Police Review Board
(CPRB), and investment in digital access within our City.

Common Council Review of the 2024 Proposed Budget

During its own review of the 2024 Proposed Budget, the Finance, Assessment and Taxation
Committee, alongside other council members, identified the following issues and concerns,
including some which can be addressed by the Council’s amendments to the budget, others over
which the Council has no authority, and more still that will require a commitment from the
Administration to implement:

I. Support for Albany's Fair Share

The proposed budget for fiscal year 2024 includes $15 million in Capital City funding. While the
Council fully supports the inclusion of $15 million in the budget, the City of Albany's state aid is
wholly inadequate and inequitable. Given that 63% of the city's property is tax-exempt and the
city provides essential services to the thousands of government employees and other commuters
into the city, our Aid to Municipalities (AIM) funding is disproportionately lower than other
similar upstate cities. This means tougher budget choices need to be made that disproportionately
affect residents of the City of Albany, placing a greater burden on city homeowners and tenants
alike.
The Common Council, alongside the Mayor, will continue to advocate for New York State to
provide Albany with its fair share of funding and to make it permanent so that the tax burden stops
falling solely on our taxpayers. Furthermore, the Council is concerned with the increases in debt
service. While the additional debt is necessary, the Council strongly encourages the Administration
to advocate for additional state and federal aid as additional revenue streams. The Council looks
forward to partnering with the Administration on these efforts.

II. Tax Levy Increase

The Council acknowledges that the Administration will enact a 1.64% increase to the Real
Property Tax Levy under this budget; by comparison, the levy’s average yearly increase from
2015-2023 was 0.93%. This will result in an approximate $90 increase in property taxes for a
homeowner with a $200,000 home and decrease taxes for non-homestead property owners with a
property valued at $500,000 by approximately $274.

Though the Council agrees with the need for this year's increase and understands that the property
tax levy is an important source of revenue for Albany, the Council stresses that any increase to the
property tax levy places an undue burden on our homeowners and businesses and calls on the City
to explore additional revenue enhancements that will allow the City to maintain its critical
infrastructure while reducing the reliance on the property tax levy. Furthermore, the Council will
not enact any tax increases beyond the Administration’s 1.64% for Council budget amendments.
The Council’s amendments are necessary, reasonable, and can be covered by transfers from other
budgetary line items.

III. American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds and Oversight

The Council recognizes that the pandemic was devastating to our community and to our municipal
budget; we are still feeling the negative impact of the pandemic and will continue to experience it
for years to come. The Council commends President Biden and our partners in Congress for the
vital $80.7M in ARPA funds awarded to our City in 2021.

To prevent the return of ARPA funds to the federal government, the City must allocate those funds
by December 31, 2024, and spend those funds by December 31, 2026. The Council appreciates
that the Administration considered this fact and prepared the 2024 Proposed Budget with that in
mind, allocating the remaining ARPA funds to projects in the coming year.

While temporary use is permissible, the Council requires that remaining ARPA fund permanent
usage is subject to Council approval before funds are spent, as required by Ordinance 31.102.21,
to ensure appropriate oversight and fair, transparent, and equitable disbursement.

As a collective body, we are concerned about future years when ARPA funds will no longer be
available to fill any budget gap. This is an issue that both the Administration and the Council need
to be mindful of now and going forward to ensure our City residents are not faced with a
tremendous burden.

IV. Building a Better Community

The Common Council appreciates the steps the Administration has taken to provide additional
resources for our communities – steps taken towards building the West Hill Community Center,
upgrading the Hoffman Park Recreation Center, building a brand new Lincoln Park Pool, growing
community development programs, and hiring a team of social workers within the Police
Department will go a long way to building a better community. These are laudable efforts, and we
thank the Administration. With the expansion of our community center initiatives in our
communities, the Council hopes that the Administration will join the Council in advocating for
and developing an additional South End Community Center to address the needs of historic
disinvestment. Beyond that, the Council believes that these additional steps can also be taken to
better our community, including:

Address Equity and Inclusivity in our Playgrounds

The City of Albany has taken great strides to upgrade and invest in our City parks and playgrounds,
which has resulted in improved overall compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
standards and improved access to our City parks for those with differing abilities. There is,
however, a gap between minimum federal standards and full inclusivity. Our new playgrounds and
equipment upgrades do not address the need for wheelchair-accessible play equipment that
encourages independent play without transfer assistance. Furthermore, the surface material we
choose to lay in our playgrounds creates an additional barrier for our mobility-impaired children
and caregivers.

Moving forward, the Council is requesting that all new playground installations include equipment
that is accessible via wide, graded access routes that allow for those with wheelchairs and other
types of adaptive equipment to participate directly in play.

The Council further recommends that the City utilize more accessible surface materials such as
poured rubber, which would reduce the risk of serious injury related to falls as well as provide a
level surface that would improve access to equipment for those relying on adaptive equipment. In
addition, the Council encourages the City to consider installing free-standing, wheelchair-
accessible equipment to improve pathway access to our recently completed playgrounds as
budgetary constraints allow.
The Council asks that the City embrace the goal of ensuring that all children and caregivers have
equitable access to play within our City parks.

Advance Municipal Internet Recommendations

The Council commends the City and the Commission on Municipal Internet Services for their
advocacy, work, and recommendations for implementing Municipal Internet service. The Council
recognizes that the Administration has started the process of enhancing broadband Internet
resources within the City by increasing the staffing of the Information Technology Department
dedicated to pursuing efforts to address the digital divide.

The COVID-19 pandemic made the digital divide in our community increasingly obvious. As the
pandemic recedes, that divide remains. Internet access has become akin to water and electricity
access, and a lack of Internet access can have deleterious effects on the education of our children
and the connectivity of our communities. The need to ensure this access is real, and the Council
fully supports the City’s and the Commission on Municipal Internet Service’s work towards a
future where our residents need not struggle for equitable Internet access. While the additional
position is a major step forward, more resources must be provided in the future to ultimately bridge
the digital gap in our City.

V. Building a Safer Community

Events over the past year have forced the Council to pause and consider changes that would create
a safer city that elevates our communities' voices and ensures that all residents are comfortable in
their neighborhoods. After extensive community discussions and calls for action, the Common
Council is determined to engage in efforts that place community safety at the forefront:

Improve our Streets

The Common Council believes the City must repair and replace our damaged or fading street signs.
Street signs are vital tools to guide our conduct on our roads. When they find themselves in
disrepair, people are unable to properly follow the rules of the road, endangering public safety for
everyone in the area, regardless of whether they are drivers, cyclists, or pedestrians. Street signs
also serve another purpose: a point of pride and a symbol for the street and the residents who live
on it. When signage is faded, folded, and failing to serve its purpose, it makes our streets patently
unsafe and can lessen street resident’s pride. The Council recognizes the difficulties the City has
had with maintaining all of the signage throughout all 15 wards but requests that the City explore
capacity improvements to ensure our wayfinding and rules signage is in good shape.

The Common Council also recognizes the importance of maintaining our streets and keeping them
clean. However, in many areas of the city, the alternate side parking requirements are
unreasonable. Some residents must swap sides of the street each day, regardless of whether or not
the street is cleaned. This is unfair to the residents of these neighborhoods. The current restrictions
cause frequent parking tickets and function as a hidden tax on many Albany communities. The
Council strongly recommends the Administration review and revamp alternative side parking
requirements in conjunction with updates to street signs.

Increase Support for Animal Control

The Council laments the need to address animal control; our pets are often seen as extensions of
our families, and the mistreatment, neglect, and mishandling of pets are issues that impact every
Ward in our City. The Council establishes that for the size of the City, three Animal Control
Officers are insufficient to fully address the needs of our residents and places an increased burden
on existing staff. This concern is especially heightened by the recent announcement from an area
animal shelter that they are at maximum capacity due to stray, unlicensed, and abused dogs.

For comparison, Rochester, a city with a population double our own, employs 28 full-time staffers
under its Animal Services unit. While the Council recognizes that a similar ratio of staffers is not
economically feasible and may not be necessary for the City's demand for the service, the Council
encourages the Administration to consider providing additional support to our Animal Control
Officers by creating additional positions or additional contracted services.

Address the Albany Police Department Officer Vacancies

In recognition of the struggles of the Albany Police Department to reach full staffing, the Common
Council expresses its desire for the Administration to explore alternative routes to address staffing
shortages, which could include hiring per diem police officers and expanding auxiliary police
hiring and responsibilities. The Council sees an opportunity for the City to approach newly retired
officers, engaged residents, and officers from other municipalities to ask that they remain or
become engaged with the Albany Police Department and serve our city in varying capacities. This
could free additional resources for the Albany Police Department to respond more effectively to
critical situations in the City while improving trust in the police force and empowering
communities.

Participate in the Community Policing Partnership Grant Program

The goal of the Community Policing Partnership Grant Program is to create a mechanism for the
Albany Police Department (APD) to partner with community-based organizations that may assist
with targeted programming in areas of the City experiencing high rates of community-based
violence, whether such violence is occurring within the home or on City streets. The vision behind
this program is to:
● Limit police involvement in matters that community organizations can address;
● Improve self-determination in communities that have experienced police bias and
discrimination and/or over-policing by fostering a relationship and formalized
communication between APD and naturally occurring community leaders; and
● Allow for APD to request rapid response from community-based organizations to assist
with crime deterrence.
The Council believes that such initiatives should be funded. The City should not ask individuals
or organizations for help with solving problems without being willing to fund both the work
required to plan for and implement such solutions. The grants program would allow for APD and
the City to plug funding gaps for targeted programming aimed at improving the relationship
between APD and the community, crime prevention, and improving our community policing
model.

The Common Council notes that this program was requested for Fiscal Year 2024 and emphasizes
that the City should explore federal funding opportunities that would assist APD in implementing
and formalizing this strategy going forward. The Council recommends that the City consider this
fiscal investment, regardless of external funding support, for Fiscal Year 2025.

In Fiscal Year 2023, the COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) program under the United
States Department of Justice issued several opportunities that would fit this model under their
Community Policing Development Microgrants program, including, but not limited to, the
Community Violence Intervention grant, the Underserved Populations grant, and the Building
Trust and Legitimacy with the Community grant. COPS fund opportunities have not yet been
announced for Fiscal Year 2024. The Fiscal Year 2023 grant cycle for these programs opened May
1, 2023 and closed May 11, 2023. The Council strongly recommends that the City, and particularly
the APD grants coordinator, seek such funding in Fiscal Year 2024 should it become available.

Incorporate the Community Police Review Board into the City

With the Albany Law School's Government Law Center's Administrative Agency contract
terminating at the end of 2024 and their public statements that they will not respond to a future
Request for Proposal, the Community Police Review Board (CPRB) is at risk of being unable to
conduct its business. Pursuant to Section 42-347 of the Code of the City of Albany, the
Administrative Agency provides all staff services to the CPRB, including the maintenance of
CPRB files and records, and is responsible for preparing CPRB reports, reviewing findings, and
making recommendations. Given that the last Request for Proposal submitted on behalf of the
CPRB yielded only one proposer—the Government Law Center—the CPRB stands to be
unsupported if action is not taken either to secure an Administrative Agency far in advance of the
current contract’s expiration or to incorporate the Board into the City. The Common Council
believes incorporating the CPRB into the City structure is the correct path forward and will
advocate for that solution in 2024.

The CPRB has more responsibilities now than ever before, particularly due to strong City voter
support of Local Law J in 2022. It is time to revisit their existing structure and rethink their reliance
on contracted services for conducting their operations. The CPRB needs the ability to hire its own
full-time employees, organize and utilize its budget with standard oversight, and share services
with other City departments to improve operational efficiency. Reduced reliance on external
experts, the ability to better adapt to rapidly changing circumstances, and overall cost-savings are
apparent benefits of integration into the City. This is a change requested by the CPRB, and we
believe it will lead to a safer Albany for all.

In the interim, the Council finds that the CPRB requires additional funding for Fiscal Year 2024 if
it is to be expected to conduct its business for the City. In amending the budget, the Council
allocates an additional $145,000 for contracted services and training. The Council believes this
additional funding is essential in this upcoming transition year to help ensure well-run CRPB
operations. The Council looks forward to the work ahead with the Administration to incorporate
the CPRB into the City and redetermine budgetary needs under this new model for future years.

VI. Building a Stronger Community

The City is still recovering from the pandemic and the cost of living crisis that the pandemic has
accelerated. Indeed, the pandemic still impacts the City's ability to provide better services to our
communities. As the City works to address both the cost of living crisis and the need for better
municipal services, the Council puts forth the following calls to action:

Develop the Department of Engineering

With much of our infrastructure planning contracted out each year, our City has faced issues related
to how multi-modal and pedestrian safety measures are incorporated into our major infrastructure
projects, communication between various departments in relation to infrastructure planning, and
increased costs associated with project design and management. The Council commends the
Administration for taking the first step in improving how the City manages its infrastructure by
streamlining infrastructure planning into the new Department of Engineering. The Council
encourages the City to assess what we are currently contracting for and what it would cost for the
City to build the Department of Engineering into a department capable of conducting that work
with City resources. While we may still have certain technical issues that are too specialized for
the City to dedicate full-time staff to, many other existing needs could be completed by dedicated
full-time employees.

The Council recommends that for Fiscal Year 2025, the Administration consider expanding our
allocated staffing under the Department of Engineering to include additional staff capable of
managing the projects that the City undertakes on a yearly basis—specifically our traffic
engineering and road maintenance. The Council further recommends that the City consider
allocating salary appropriations for an architect or architectural team that can develop and manage
basic renovation projects in-house.

Bolster the Office of the City Clerk

The proposed Fiscal Year 2024 budget for the Office of the City Clerk has a shortfall in funding.
In order to address this shortfall, the Council is amending the budget to ensure that the provisioning
of critical City Clerk services goes unhindered in 2024. To address these needs, the Council has
increased the Contracted Services line by $5,000 and the Furniture and Fixtures line by $5,000
within the amendments.

Grow the Neighborhood and Community Services Department

Despite 2023 being its first year of operation, the Department of Neighborhood and Community
Services has proven itself as a valuable addition to the City structure. From a revamped
SeeClickFix to direct neighborhood outreach, the department has quickly and efficiently taken on
its role of bridging the service gap that exists between the City and its residents. The department
has taken on programs that empower community organizations and bring community voices into
conversations on how the City should proceed on projects. While work can always be done to
improve this communication, the Council recognizes the great strides already taken and expresses
its support for the mission of the Department.

During deliberations on the budget, the Finance, Assessment and Taxation committee found a need
for additional staff in the Department who can address housing issues and provide intake services.
Though the Council cannot directly address that need, we strongly encourage the Administration
to review staffing within these categories in future years and pursue better collaboration with
Albany County to address resident’s needs. Additionally, the Council requests that the
Administration consider increasing the number of Neighborhood Specialists within future budgets
to allow specialists to integrate into their neighborhoods more thoroughly.

Conduct a Housing Vacancy Study

The Common Council sought to have the City conduct a housing vacancy study in 2020 and 2021
to help preempt the housing crisis we now find ourselves in. Years have passed, rents have
continued to rise, and long-term tenants who make up the backbone of our City are often faced
with the difficult decision of putting food on their tables or keeping a roof over their heads. Tenant
rent protections granted to municipalities by the state require a vacancy rate below 5% for
implementation, and a vacancy study is the first step the City can take to adopt those protections.

In 2020 and 2021, the Council amended the budgets to allocate funding for this study; while
Requests for Proposals were released, various issues arose that did not allow the study to occur.
But the need for a housing vacancy study remains, and the Council is firmly committed to ensuring
that it is conducted. To that end, the Council has allocated an additional $75,000 to the Department
of Neighborhood and Community Services for contracted services to conduct this study. While the
Council would be supportive of the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services
conducting this study in-house, we also understand that all or portions of the study may be
necessary to subcontract. Given the unique position that the City finds itself in as the home to a
large, semi-transient workforce and student population that accesses the same resources as long-
term residents for most of the year, the Council stresses the importance of conducting this study
by May 2024 in order to capture the true vacancy rate in the city.

Launch a Community Micro-Grant Program

The Common Council intends to launch a Micro-Grant Program that would function similarly to
the Albany County Legislature’s grant program in future years. At the onset, the program would
allocate $2,000 per member, including the Common Council President, for a total of $32,000 in
grant funds that will be available in small grants to programs that benefit the City, with planned
expansion in subsequent years. The Council notes that work began on this issue in 2023; however,
it was determined that the City requires updated ethics legislation and the establishment of an
Ethics Commission in order to ensure this program is managed appropriately. The Council
anticipates that ethics legislation, Ethics Commission development, and related Micro Grant
Ordinance will be completed during Fiscal Year 2024 in anticipation of launching this grant
program in Fiscal Year 2025.

VII. Council Budgetary Authority and Charter Reform

The Council notes its continued frustration over its limited ability to amend the Mayor’s proposed
budget and to exercise post-budget oversight and involvement in proposed amendments through
the Board of Estimate and Apportionment process. The Common Council acknowledges the need
to review the Council’s budgetary authority under the Charter with a view toward developing and
placing Charter amendments on forthcoming ballots.

VIII. Inclusion of the Council's Budget Intent Resolution in the City of Albany's 2024 Budget
The Council takes approval of the City of Albany’s budget seriously every year and dedicates
many hours to budget meetings, questions, and discussions. After the approval of the budget, we
share our thoughts on the budget through this document, which should be included in the final
budget. We once again request that this document be included in any way that the budget is
disseminated, including the final bound copy and online.

Conclusion
With the adoption of this resolution, we complete action on the Fiscal Year 2024 City of Albany
budget.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the Mayor, Chief
of Staff, Budget Director, and all other department heads; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of the "Statement of Common Council Actions,

Findings and Intent" as herein adopted be printed in the final bound document constituting the
"City of Albany 2024 Budget" immediately following the Mayor's transmittal message.
To: Shaniqua Jackson, Acting City Clerk

From: Jake Eisland, Esq., Research Counsel

Bryan Jimenez, Senior Legislative Aide

Re: Supporting Memorandum

Date: October 24, 2023

Sponsor: Council Member Frederick on behalf of the Finance Committee

RESOLUTION 111.111.23R

TITLE
RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OUTLINING ITS ACTIONS AND
EXPRESSING ITS FINDINGS AND INTENT CONCERNING THE CITY OF ALBANY 2023
BUDGET AS PROPOSED IN ORDINANCE 37.101.23

GENERAL PURPOSE OF LEGISLATION

To adopt an explanatory resolution to be read in conjunction with the actions of the Common
Council concerning the budget.

FISCAL IMPACT
None.
Passed by the following vote of all the Council Members elected voting in favor thereof:
Resolution 111.111.23R was co-sponsored by Council Members Adams, Anane, Balarin, Farrell,
Flynn, Hoey, Keegan, Kimbrough, Robinson, Romero, and Zamer
Affirmative – Adams, Anane, Balarin, Clarke, Farrell, Flynn, Frederick, Hoey, Johnson, Keegan,
Kimbrough, Love, Robinson, Romero, and Zamer

Affirmative: 15 Negative: 0 Abstain: 0

_______________________________ _______________________________
Clerk of the Common Council President of the Common Council

_______________________________
Mayor Date

I, Shaniqua Jackson, Acting City Clerk and Acting Clerk of the

Common Council, do hereby certify that Resolution 111.111.23R was
passed at a meeting of the Albany Common Council on November 20,
2023.

In affirmation thereof, I hereto set my hand and affix The Seal of the
City of Albany this 4th day of December, 2023.

________________________________________________
Shaniqua Jackson, Acting Clerk of the Common Council