Notable Items for Council Meeting on 6/23

June is nearly over, and there are lots of community events all around the city. This weekend marks the return of the Mind Blown Festival at the Shirt Factory on June 27th and a Haviland Cove 100-Year Celebration on June 28th. The meeting tonight starts a little earlier, with a public hearing regarding a possible change to the time limit on Ridge Street by City Hall, specifically 208-66, Schedule XIX, of the City Code. For more information about the proposed law, please reference page 5 of the agenda.

The Common Council Public Meeting begins at 7:25pm tonight. Be sure to join on the third-floor City Courtroom for a whirlwind of interesting discussions and some exciting resolutions. I’ll highlight some resolutions below, but if you want more detail, be sure to delve into the wonderfully organized agenda on the city website.

• The Council will discuss and potentially approve an encroachment permit by National Grid for a street opening at 6 and 8 Division Street between June 24th and August 15th. For more information, please refer to page 116-123 of the agenda.

• The Council will discuss and potentially approve a management agreement for operating the ED Market and Event Center. Ardie and Dan Russell’s proposal has been selected. Per the agreement, they will be the operators from July 2026 to December 2027. For more information about the agreement, please refer to 125-131 of the agenda.

• The Council will discuss and potentially approve a proposal from McFarland Johnson Incorporated for engineering design services related to NYSDOT PIN 1763.29, which priorities safe connections on local streets. For more information about the contract, please refer to pages 133-165.

• The Council will discuss and potentially approve the ConnectAll Connectivity Innovations Project, thanks to a grant from the Empire State Development’s ConnectAll Initiative. The program will create an open access wireless infrastructure throughout downtown Glens Falls. For more information about this exciting program, please refer to pages 211-212.

• The Council will discuss and potentially approve a proposal from Grasshopper Gardens for tree purchases and planting, with funding allocated from the Department of Public Works and an American Forests grant. For more information about the trees that will be planted, please refer to page 173 of the agenda, and if you have more questions, please attend the next Tree Commission public meeting on July 15th at 4pm.

• The Council will discuss and potentially establish a new initiative called the Mayor’s Better Government Challenge. It will “support one-time investments in employee-generated projects that improve, streamline, or expand city services without creating additional long-term operating costs.” The annual program, if approved, will allocate $10,000 from the city budget for one or more selected projects. For more information about the program, please refer to pages 76-77 of the agenda.

• The Council will discuss and potentially approve fourteen (14) mobile food and drink permits:

  • Dragonfly Jams & Jellies, operated by Damon Robertson

  • Warrior’s Way Jerky, operated by Patrick Stone

  • MAUI WOWII, operated by Steve Martindale

  • Yum Yumz, operated by Nicole Prevost

  • Erie Canal Distillers, operated by Jonathan Rowemyer

  • Gourmet Creations, operated by Stacie Bourne

  • Simpatico, operated by Amanda Matthews

  • M & M Pickles, operated by Mark Buell

  • Fresh Squeezed, operated by Laura Mason

  • Michele’s Lemonade, operated by Michele Arno

  • Fort Ann Service Center, operated by Shannon Sharpe

  • Pam The Baker, operated by Pamela Sissions

  • Sweet Freeze Treats, operated by Julie Korman

  • Upstate Coffee, operated by Kevin Chamberlain

If you are unable to attend the public meeting and want to have your voice heard, please send me an email at fifthward@cityofglensfallsny.gov. I will be sure to read it into the public record and submit it to the City Clerk for inclusion in the meeting minutes.