Committee Night & Finance Meeting
May 21, 2026 — Troy City Council
May 21, 2026 — Troy City Council
The May 21 session opened with a moving formal ceremony honoring the civilian heroes and Troy firefighters who saved lives during a fatal apartment fire in Lansingburgh several weeks earlier. Two residents died in the fire. Mayor Mantello, Council President Steele, and Fire Chief Cellucci presented individual commendations to three young students — CJ, Kevin, and Amari — who banged on doors and called 911; construction workers Vincent Sego and Georgina who pulled a resident from the building; and approximately 25 firefighters by name. Five Star donated $333 each to the three student heroes.
Three committees followed: Public Safety (dominant item: Local Law 3 ALPR surveillance regulation), Science & Technology (BESS permitting framework and ADA web accessibility), and Finance (seven items, all passed 7-0, including a $2 million bond for fire rescue equipment and a towing reform ordinance ending one-strike tows). The Finance Committee entered executive session on pending litigation before voting.
Council Member McKee reported that the mayor had requested a 60-day pause in the ALPR hearing process, and the council accommodated that request. The pause would allow TPD to collect data on ALPR query patterns. McKee also condemned vandalism to Flock camera equipment that had occurred earlier that day.
Three invited speakers testified on the proposed ALPR regulation.
DA Mary Pat Donnelly defended ALPR technology as an end-user, citing three specific cases where license plate data was essential: a 2021 kidnapping, a 2024 rape of a 15-year-old, and a 2024 homicide. She argued the 48-hour deletion requirement could create discovery problems and committed her office to begin tracking ALPR-assisted cases. Notably, she did not defend Flock specifically as the right vendor — a significant distinction the council noted.
Police Chief Barker and Deputy Chief Wolf testified that their main concerns with Local Law 3 are the 48-hour retention period (too short), sharing restrictions (too narrow), and the felony limitation (would exclude domestic violence and sexual assault). The chief also acknowledged TPD had already turned off statewide sharing and reduced to 125 one-to-one sharing agreements.
Daniel Schwarz (NYCLU) argued forcefully for swift passage as written. He documented ALPRs as mass surveillance infrastructure, described harms including tracking abortion seekers and targeting immigrants, and dismantled the administration's new TPD policy as wholly inadequate: voluntary 30-day retention is not legally binding, and a 10-random-search audit is statistically meaningless. Extended public comment was overwhelmingly in favor of Local Law 3. Key findings residents documented: TPD's own police union confirmed it does not track when Flock data contributed to a case; Albany County already publishes redacted Flock audit logs as a model; and cancelling the Flock contract would cost the city no more than $13,000 in removal fees.
The Science & Technology Committee received a BESS permitting framework update: 500-foot setback (above the state guideline, justified by Troy's density), required construction drawings and insurance, NFPA compliance, and full UL listing requirements. Troy Fire stated it is adequately trained for BESS incidents but would not enter a burning battery facility — perimeter control only. A site visit to a Warwick BESS facility is planned. Council Member Struber also raised that Troy's city website scores 29 out of 100 on a public accessibility checker, with the ADA compliance deadline (extended to April 2027) approaching.
All items passed 7-0. Finance Meeting called to order at 8:00 PM; council went into executive session before voting.
| # | Full Title | Sponsors | Notes | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ord. 14 | Ordinance Amending the 2026 General Fund Budget | Steele (Admin.) | DEC urban forestry grant. Mayor working to identify a certified arborist, including a pro-bono offer from a resident. | 7-0 |
| Ord. 15 | Ordinance Amending the 2026 Sewer & Capital Fund Budget | Steele (Admin.) | Transfers money into capital fund to comply with 2013 DEC consent order. Systematic camera inspection, cleaning, lining, and root control of 120+ miles of sewer pipe; approximately 25% inspected to date. | 7-0 |
| Ord. 19 | Ordinance Amending Chapter 273 of the Troy City Code | Campbell-Cohen | Ends one-strike towing: vehicles must accrue 3 parking violations before towing for street-cleaning violations. Immediate towing still permitted for blocking access, snow emergencies, and safety categories. | 7-0 |
| Res. 55 | Resolution Authorizing the Mayor to Enter into a Contract with the Boys and Girls Club of the Capital Area, Inc., for Administration of the South Troy Pool and Knickerbacker Pool Facilities Through September 8, 2026 | Steele (Admin.) | 2025 South Troy cost $230K (came in $22K over budget, offset by CDBG). 2026 contract budgeted at $214K. No staffing concerns. | 7-0 |
| Res. 56 | Resolution Declaring Support for LGBTQ+ Pride Month in Troy, New York | Steele (Admin.) | Amended on omnibus motion by Steele; further amendment by Struber (second McKee) to extend recognition to Pride Season. Both amendments 7-0; amended resolution 7-0. | 7-0 (amended) |
| Res. 57 | Resolution Determining That Proposed Action Is a Type II Action for Purposes of the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act | Steele (Admin.) | Routine SEQR classification for an administrative action | 7-0 |
| Res. 58 | Bond Resolution of the City of Troy Authorizing the Issuance of $2,000,000 Serial Bonds to Finance the Purchase of a Fire Rescue Vehicle Apparatus | Steele (Admin.) | Current frontline rescue unit is a 2016; spare is a 2003 with 147K miles and ~18K hours. Quoted price: $1,741,129.64. $2M authorization provides cushion. 3-year manufacturer lead time. City's debt load remains within S&P A+ threshold. | 7-0 |