Public Hearing, Finance & Regular Meeting
June 4, 2026 — Troy City Council
June 4, 2026 — Troy City Council
The June 4 session opened at 5:31 PM with the public hearing on Local Law 3, the council's proposed ALPR surveillance regulation. The hearing ran through 6:24 PM with approximately 14 residents testifying; the Regular Meeting adjourned at 8:33 PM. The council conducted the hearing on the law as written, with the 60-day data-collection pause still active. Testimony was overwhelmingly in favor of passing the regulation.
The Finance Committee followed at 6:25 PM, passing eight items including the unanimous appointment of Ian Silverman as the council's first independent legislative counsel. The Regular Meeting honored DPW veteran Michael "Pickles" Picarillo and budget director Owen Goldfarb, who guided Troy out of state financial control in the 1990s.
The Regular Meeting also enacted the towing reform ordinance (Ord. 19) ending one-strike towing for street-cleaning violations; passed the $2 million fire rescue vehicle bond; approved summer pool contracts for both the South Troy and Knickerbocker pools; and co-sponsored Juneteenth recognition and a Pride Season resolution with the full council. Struber introduced Local Law 4 to tighten the city's emergency declaration provisions. The current administration has invoked the existing charter provision nine times; the current language is, as Struber stated, "vague at best."
Hearing held 5:31–6:24 PM as committee of the whole. Testimony was overwhelmingly opposed to unregulated ALPR surveillance. Residents documented vendor misconduct, civil liberties harms, and the administration's failure to provide the SOC2 security audit the council had requested 77 days earlier. Selected key testimony:
John Coutro (Troy native, former homicide investigator): Acknowledged the temptation to misuse surveillance tools from personal experience. Did not call for removal but said cameras should be suspended until guidelines include short mandatory data evaporation periods and citizen oversight, not just police oversight.
Brianna Harrington (District 4): Documented a pattern of Flock corporate misconduct nationally: Dayton, Ohio found 7,000+ immigration enforcement searches by outside entities; Oxnard, CA found nationwide queries enabled despite settings limited to California-only; Dunwoody, GA found Flock employees accessed cameras inside a children's gymnastics studio. She described a Dunwoody cybersecurity assessment where the reviewer solicited payment from Flock and restructured the rubric so 34 red findings were presented to council as two. Suggested bagging cameras during the 60-day pause, as Ithaca residents had done.
Daniel Feifer (formerly The Markup, now ProPublica): Supported the legislation. Noted surveillance is designed to modify behavior; even the presence of cameras creates a chilling effect on movement. Raised concern that there is no meaningful recourse if someone is deported through data derived from this technology. Suggested on-site rather than cloud-based storage as a possible improvement.
Beks Cahill (District 6): Not a single constituent at any of the meetings since March has given support for the cameras. Calculated the $78,000 annual Flock contract cost as equivalent to one police officer salary. Flock's February 2026 terms of service update enables data to be sold to data brokers. Regional sharing is still active, meaning the Rensselaer County Sheriff, a 287G participant, can access Troy's data without TPD's knowledge. Volunteered to bag the cameras herself at no cost to the city.
Echo Goff (District 5): Argued the 60-day data collection period is inherently unreliable because TPD is conducting the study themselves: "a study on how much cat food is ideal for my cat conducted by my fat cat." Also raised the administration's creation of a new $80,000/year Deputy Director of Operations position.
Brian Posernandez (District 5): Called out that Flock had not provided the SOC2 audit that Struber requested on March 19, 77 days prior. Proposed strengthening LL3 with mandatory cybersecurity provisions, a shutdown provision upon breach discovery, and specific language addressing unofficial data sharing with ICE.
Mayor Mantello and Council President Steele presented Resolution 64 to the Picarillo and Buchanan families. Picarillo dedicated nearly 40 years to the Troy DPW as supervisor of streets, was co-owner of a painting business, and served as a Rensselaer County legislator. Mayor Mantello recalled him as a "people over politics" figure who "lived, breathed, loved the city of Troy." The family is working with the city on a memorial bench donation. He died in 2026; his wife Tammy preceded him in 2021. He is survived by four children, grandchildren, and extended family.
Council President Steele introduced Goldfarb's wife Priscilla Fairbanks, former Mayor Mark Pattison, and former Deputy Budget Director Mario for the presentation of Resolution 59. Goldfarb served as budget director under Mayor Pattison and guided Troy out of a state financial control board in the late 1990s, achieving budget balance within three years. Mayor Mantello noted that Goldfarb worked pro bono again around 2016 to help the city through near-fiscal-crisis conditions, and that his last email to her, sent even while ill, concerned the Flock camera issue. Goldfarb died April 3, 2026 at age 81.
All items passed 7-0. Finance Committee called to order 6:25 PM. Votes verified against clerk's minutes (_06042026-1831).
| # | Full Title | Sponsors | Notes | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ord. 20 | Ordinance Authorizing Settlement of Claim — Marquis R. Copeland vs. City of Troy et al. (U.S. District Court, N.D.N.Y., No. 1:24-CV-1425) | Steele | 7-0 | |
| Res. 59 | Resolution Honoring the Life, Service, and Memory of Owen Goldfarb | Steele | Formal presentation at Regular Meeting | 7-0 |
| Res. 60 | Resolution Approving the Appointment of Cheryl Christiansen as Assistant to the City Clerk and Setting the Annual Salary | Steele | 7-0 | |
| Res. 61 | Resolution Approving and Confirming the City Clerk's Appointment of Michael Gregg as Deputy City Clerk and Setting the Annual Salary | Steele | 7-0 | |
| Res. 62 | Resolution of the City of Troy Recognizing Juneteenth | Spain-McLaren | Full council added as co-sponsors | 7-0 |
| Res. 63 | Resolution of Troy City Council Scheduling Public Hearings on Proposed Local Law No. 4 of 2026 (Amending Charter Section C-40 — Public Emergencies) | Struber | Public hearing set for July 9, 2026 at 5:30 PM. Year corrected from 2022 to 2026. | 7-0 |
| Res. 64 | Resolution Honoring the Life, Service, and Enduring Legacy of Michael "Pickles" Picarillo | Steele, Spain-McLaren (Admin.) | Formal presentation at Regular Meeting | 7-0 |
| Res. 65 | Resolution Appointing Ian Silverman as Legislative Counsel to the Troy City Council and Setting the Annual Salary of the Legislative Counsel | Steele | Added to agenda by unanimous consent. The council's first appointed legislative counsel. | 7-0 |
All items passed 7-0. Regular Meeting called to order 7:25 PM; adjourned 8:33 PM. Votes verified against clerk's minutes (_06042026-1832). Local Law 4 was introduced only; no vote.
| # | Full Title | Sponsors | Notes | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LL 4 | A Local Law Amending the Charter of the City of Troy by Repealing and Replacing Section C-40 "Public Emergencies" to Align It With State of New York Executive Law Article 2-B — Introduction only; public hearing July 9 at 5:30 PM | Struber | Current Section C-40 is "vague at best." Struber pulled language directly from state law, adding website and email notification requirements. The current administration has issued 9 states of emergency under the vague existing language. | — |
| Ord. 14 | Ordinance Amending the 2026 General Fund Budget | Steele (Admin.) | 7-0 | |
| Ord. 15 | Ordinance Amending the 2026 Sewer & Capital Fund Budget | Steele (Admin.) | 7-0 | |
| Ord. 19 | Ordinance Amending Chapter 273 of the Troy City Code (towing reform) | Campbell-Cohen | Ends one-strike towing for street-cleaning violations; must accrue 3 tickets before towing permitted. Immediate towing remains for snow emergencies and safety categories. Amended (7-0) by Campbell-Cohen (second McKee) to add: "or in a place or manner that obstructs properly noticed snow clearing." Amended ordinance 7-0. | 7-0 (amended) |
| Ord. 20 | Ordinance Authorizing Settlement of Claim — Marquis R. Copeland vs. City of Troy et al. | Steele | 7-0 | |
| Res. 55 | Resolution Authorizing the Mayor to Enter into a Contract with the Boys and Girls Club of the Capital Area for Operation of the South Troy Pool and Knickerbacker Pool Facilities Through September 8, 2026 | Steele (Admin.) | City budgeted $400K for pools in 2026. South Troy: $214K; Knickerbacker: $187K (no swim lessons at Nick in year one). Rensselaer County Youth Dept. providing spotters offset by federal dollars. Lifeguard positions open to anyone 15 or older. | 7-0 |
| Res. 56 | Resolution Declaring Support for LGBTQIA2S+ Pride Season in Troy, New York | Full council | All seven members added as co-sponsors. Spain-McLaren asked administration to respond to homophobic comments on city hall's social media Pride flag-raising post. | 7-0 |
| Res. 57 | Resolution Determining That Proposed Action Is a Type II Action for Purposes of SEQRA | Steele (Admin.) | Routine SEQR classification | 7-0 |
| Res. 58 | Bond Resolution Authorizing the Issuance of $2,000,000 Serial Bonds to Finance the Purchase of a Fire Rescue Vehicle Apparatus | Steele (Admin.) | Spain-McLaren noted the long lead time for delivery and appreciated the detailed information provided — contrasting it with the lack of information provided for similar prior-year votes. | 7-0 |
| Res. 59–61 | Honoring Owen Goldfarb; Appointing Cheryl Christiansen as Assistant City Clerk; Appointing Michael Gregg as Deputy City Clerk | Steele | Spain-McLaren thanked Christiansen for stepping into a role not originally expected | 7-0 each |
| Res. 62 | Resolution of the City of Troy Recognizing Juneteenth | Spain-McLaren + full council | Spain-McLaren noted the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863 but enslaved people in the south didn't learn of their freedom for another 2.5 years. Decried federal rollbacks of DEI programs and blocking of Black military promotions: "That is disgraceful in the year 2026." McKee cited the assault on the Voting Rights Act. | 7-0 |
| Res. 63 | Resolution Scheduling Public Hearings on Proposed Local Law No. 4 of 2026 (Charter Section C-40 Amendment) | Struber | Public hearing set for July 9, 2026 at 5:30 PM | 7-0 |
| Res. 64 | Resolution Honoring the Life, Service, and Enduring Legacy of Michael "Pickles" Picarillo | Steele, Spain-McLaren (Admin.) | See special presentation above | 7-0 |
| Res. 65 | Resolution Appointing Ian Silverman as Legislative Counsel to the Troy City Council and Setting the Annual Salary of the Legislative Counsel | Steele | Council's first legislative counsel, approved in Finance Committee by unanimous consent earlier in the evening | 7-0 |