Committee Night & Finance Meeting
January 22, 2026 — Troy City Council
January 22, 2026 — Troy City Council
Council President Steele withdrew a resolution to rescind the $6 million Frear Park bond at the January 22 Committee Night, after the administration completed the bond sale while the rescission was still pending. Steele stated on the record that "the misrepresentations remain" and asked that the council have direct access to bond counsel. Campbell-Cohen and McKee documented specific procedural deficiencies: the SEQR estoppel notice was signed under the prior city clerk's name after the new clerk had taken over, and the environmental determination listed the project with an inaccurate classification.
The January 15, 2026 NY State Police raids in South Troy also drew public testimony, with direct eyewitnesses describing the operation in terms that differed from the police department's public characterization. The session ran from approximately 5:35 PM to 8:22 PM, with four committees meeting in sequence: Science & Technology, Law, Public Safety, and Finance. Council Member DiLorenzo was absent due to a death in the family; six of seven members were present throughout.
Three items threaded across multiple committees: the BESS moratorium, the Colonie tactical team intermunicipal agreement (submitted with retroactive 2025 language that required a council correction), and the Hassan Muradi settlement.
The Finance Committee adjourned at 8:22 PM, with all six votes passing unanimously. A post-agenda forum featured Troy Fire UFA Vice President Matthew Ryan clarifying that the union's concern about BESS was not training but resource capacity: Troy deploys 18 firefighters on an initial alarm while New York City deploys 40 to 50.
Chair Struber convened discussion of Ordinance 3, a proposed six-month moratorium on battery energy storage systems. Mayor Mantello, Fire Chief Saluchi, code officials, and planning staff attended. Key points: approximately 500 BESS facilities operate in New York State, with three fires statewide and zero in New York City since 2018. Troy's zoning framework lacks BESS setback guidelines or permit procedures. Struber negotiated a requirement for two-month progress check-ins, later formalized as the key amendment at the Finance Committee vote.
Paul Rogers, a former FDNY hazardous materials expert who helped write NYC's BESS fire code, testified that NYC has had zero BESS incidents since 2018 and that EPRI data shows a 98% decrease in global BESS failures since updated codes were adopted. Rogers argued a moratorium was not necessary given existing state safety requirements; Troy's Fire UFA president supported the pause, citing resource capacity gaps rather than a training deficit.
Chair McKee convened discussion on the Colonie Tactical Team IMA and heard testimony about the January 15 NY State Police raids at two South Troy addresses. Troy's Emergency Response Team was tasked with the Fourth Street location; three arrests were made across the operation.
Two direct neighbors to the targeted household, Kendra Lord and Cressa, testified that their account differed from the police department's public characterization of the operation as proportionate and professional. They described waking at 5:00 AM to flashbang explosions, approximately 20 militarized officers, an armored vehicle with an officer mounted on top, a drone, and dogs with night-vision goggles. The household (a mother and three young children) was removed at gunpoint with hands zip-tied. No arrests were made at that location. The family was held in their vehicle for hours, then released. "Officers were laughing after pulling the family out." McKee called for post-incident community outreach (door flyers, neighborhood meetings) to address the fear the operation left behind in the affected blocks.
Council President Steele reported that the administration had completed the bond sale while the rescission was still pending, and that she had not been able to access bond counsel for an independent opinion during that period. The rescission resolution was withdrawn. Steele stated on the record that "the misrepresentations remain." The bond could only legally be applied to a restaurant, not the broader park amenities presented to the council at the December 30 vote. Campbell-Cohen documented two additional deficiencies: the SEQR estoppel notice was signed under the prior city clerk's name after the new clerk had already taken over, and the environmental determination listed the project as "unclassified" when state agency officials confirmed that classification was not accurate.
All items adopted 6-0 (DiLorenzo absent). Finance Meeting minutes verified by Troy City Council clerk’s records (_01222026-1773).
| # | Full Title | Sponsors | Notes | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ord. 2 | Ordinance Authorizing Settlement of Claim — Hassan Muradi vs. City of Troy (Small Claims Court) | Spain-McLaren, Steele (Admin.) | Reviewed in Law Committee; no discussion at Finance; referred to Regular Meeting | 6-0 |
| Ord. 3 | Ordinance Placing a Temporary Six-Month Moratorium on the Development, Construction, or Establishment of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in the City of Troy | Spain-McLaren (Admin.) | Struber first moved to reduce to 3 months (withdrawn after discussion), then moved to retain 6-month moratorium with required 2-month progress check-ins — amendment 6-0. McKee moved second amendment requiring tangible progress at each check-in — amendment 6-0. Narrowed at the Feb. 5 Regular Meeting to commercial facilities only. | 6-0 |
| Ord. 4 | Ordinance Transferring Funds Within the 2026 General Fund | Steele | No discussion | 6-0 |
| Res. 18 | Resolution Authorizing the Mayor to Enter into an Intermunicipal Agreement with the Town of Colonie for Mutual Provision of Police Tactical Team Services | McKee, Steele (Admin.) | Favreau moved amendment correcting dates from retroactive 2025 reference to a 1-year 2026 agreement (Jan. 1–Dec. 31, 2026) — amendment 6-0. Campbell-Cohen asked for future agreements to be submitted before the new year. | 6-0 |
| Res. 19 | Resolution Proclaiming the Month of February 2026 as Black History Month in the City of Troy | Steele (Admin.) | Rev. Victor Patterson's testimony prompted Spain-McLaren to offer an amendment adding historical names (E.P. McCabe, William Drew Kelly, Pamela Sharp, and others); amendment to be made at the February Regular Meeting. Passed as-is pending amendment. | 6-0 |
| Res. 20 | Resolution Commemorating the 30th Anniversary of Ozzy Osbourne's Concert in Troy | Spain-McLaren | On January 27, 1996, an Ozzy Osbourne concert was held at RPI Fieldhouse — one of the only large-venue options in the region at the time. Spain-McLaren noted Osbourne had recently passed away. | 6-0 |