First and foremost, Happy Pride Month! Collar City Pride will be doing their annual pride flag raising tonight at 6:30pm at the YWCA that is open to the public.
May was a busy month around Troy! We started with the Farmers Market moving outside, continued with my partner and I, as well as many other Trojans, running the Joe Manupella 5K in the rain, and ended with a lovely Memorial Day parade where luckily the weather behaved a bit more.
Local Law #3 was introduced this month to start putting some guardrails around the use of ALPRs in Troy, including a Public Safety Committee Meeting. You can read my latest notes about it on my website. There will also be a public hearing for the public to voice their input, concerns, and/or questions on Thursday June 4th at 5:30pm in Council Chambers.
There was also a Science and Technology Committee meeting last month that had two agenda items on it. The first was a check in for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) where the administration presented a draft permit process for the units. Kayleigh Furth from SolSource Power, one of the companies hoping to build a BESS system in Troy, was also in attendance virtually to update us on the final environmental report from the Warwick - there was not any lasting impact, all levels are safe. The second item was supposed to be to discuss the ADA compliance of the city's website, but the Administration didn't seem to have read that line item in my email or on the agenda so there was not anyone there to answer questions.
Finally, Council advanced legislation to end Troy's One Strike towing policy. Thank you to District 6 Council Member Greg Campbell-Cohen for drafting! I'm not sure about you, but I have certainly walked outside to find my car missing from a place with signage that leaves much to be desired. This change is huge for the working families in District 2 and beyond so that a simple mistake doesn't end up becoming a costly incident that can disrupt your whole week. Instead, we are recommending that we have a three strike policy like many of our neighboring municipalities. Please note there are still exceptions like for emergency services, but this change should be a net benefit for residents. Full meeting can be watched on YouTube.
Official City, Neighborhood, and District Meetings:
Thurs, Jun 4 - 5:30 pm - Public Hearing for Local Law #3 then Regular City Council Meeting - Council Chambers - 433 River St. Troy, NY. The Public Hearing will occur first, followed by the Regular Meeting. The Agenda is a little bit fluid this week as Corporation Council has unfortunately been out, so please bear with us as it gets finalized this week. Agenda can be found in the Agenda Center.
Tues Jun 9 - 7pm - Lansingburgh Neighborhood Association Meeting - Lansingburgh Boys and Girls Club - 501 4th Ave, Troy, NY - This month's guest is Ashley Barrett, Historic Site Restoration Coordinator for NYS Office Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, to speaking about the NYS Home Ownership Rehabilitation Credit for Lansingburgh residents.
Thurs Jun 18 - 6 pm - Council Committee Meetings - 433 River St, 5th Fl, Troy, NY - Science and Technology to circle back on the website compliance is currently planned. More may be added. Agenda can be found in the Agenda Center when released.
Sat Jun 20- 10am - 12 noon - D2 Office Hours - Geneva Pompey Park - 2910 7th Ave, Troy, NY (weather permitting) - I will be set up at a table at the park to enjoy some time outside while speaking with you all! Come by and say hello! If it rains I will update social media with new location.
Community Events:
Weds Jun 3, 10, 17, 24 - 5 - 9pm - Wake Up Wednesdays - Ryan's Wake - 403 River St. Troy, NY - Ryans Wake is hosting their free weekly concert series again this year! While it's not in District 2, it is close and a great, free, event. The acts that are scheduled differ each week and can be found at the link.
Sat Jun 6 - 4pm - Bike Fest 2026- Troy Bike Rescue at Oakwood Community Center - 313 10th St. Troy, NY - Come celebrate 25 years of Troy Bike Rescue! $20 entry fee as this is part of their annual fundraiser. There are also silent auctions and raffles. The Bike Rescue is a collective of cycling enthusiasts operating a volunteer-run bicycle resource space in North Central.
Sat Jun 13 - 12-2pm - Troy Community Land Bank Grand Opening - 871 River Street, Troy, NY - The Land Bank is proud to debut it's new office space in North Central with a Grand Opening Cook Out! There will be food, refreshments, tours of the newly rehabilitated space, and of course neighbors to connect with. All are welcome, free of charge.
Sun Jun 21- 1:30pm - 518 Craft Book Club - 518 Craft - 200 Broadway, Troy, NY - We will be discussing "Queer, There and Everywhere" by Sarah Prager this month in honor of Pride Month. Prager delves deep into the lives of 23 people who fought, created, and loved on their own terms but likely never made it to your history books.
Sat Jun 25 - 7pm - "1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted a Culture" Film Screening- Sanctuary for Independent Media - 3337 6th Avenue Troy, NY - In partnership with Collar City Pride, there will be a screening of the documentary that follows the story of tireless researchers who trace the origins of the anti-gay movement among Christians to a grave mistranslation of the Bible in 1946.
If you know of any community happenings please send them my way! I hope to see some of you at many of the above community events!
Thank you,
Shikole Struber
Troy City Council District 2