Notable Items for the Council Meeting on 4/14

April has arrived, bringing rain showers that will unleash beautiful blooms of flowers, plants, and trees over the coming months.

The Common Council public meeting will begin a little early this Tuesday evening, beginning at 07:20pm for two public hearings. I’ll summarize the proposals on the table for those two public hearings and link to further information.

Be sure to join us on the third floor City Courtroom on April 14th at 7:20pm for a whirlwind of resolutions, proposals, and discussions, including seventeen mobile food and drink permits to kick off the summer season. 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 first public hearing is about the drafted plan of the Glens Falls Smart Growth Comprehensive Plan. For more information, visit the Glens Falls Comprehensive Plan website to read through the community-organized plan and its addendums as well as my own thoughts on the plan.

• The second public hearing is about the proposed amendment to chapter 208 of the City Code concerning vehicles and traffic. For more information, please refer to page 130-135 of the agenda on March 24th or download the proposal from my website.

• The Council will discuss and potentially allow the city attorney to pursue and negotiate the sale of the Glens Falls Recreation Center to the Adirondack Youth Hockey Association. In the resolution, which is listed on page 423-424 of the agenda, the AYHA will “undertake operational costs, environmental remediation, and restoration of the ice rink”, but will have a contingency that it will continue to be used as a public ice rink.

• The Council will discuss and potentially approve the monthly parking fines report from the Parking Violations Bureau, totaling $8,891.48 for March.

• The Council will discuss and potentially approve the latest list of payments that are a part of the Entitlement Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the NYS Homes and Community Renewal. Of the $17,595.50, it will go to the Tri-County Literacy Center, Warren/Hamilton Counties Community Action, CT Male Associates, and the Glens Falls Senior Citizens Center.

  • On a related note, the Council will discuss and potentially approve a public hearing on Tuesday, April 28th at 7:25pm for a “review of prior CDBG accomplishments and solicit public comments regarding community development needs, priorities, and the proposed 2026 funding.”

• The Council will discuss and potentially approve a contract with CT Male Associates to conduct a structural condition assessment on the parking garage located at 50 Park Street required by New York State law every three years. The city solicited written proposals from two engineering firms, and the City Engineer recommends CT Male Associates, totaling $8,500.

• The Council will discuss and potentially approve three resolutions in regard to reimbursements of Glens Falls Police Department overtime at local hockey games, school events, and school resource officer work in February and March. For more details, please refer to pages 133-135 of the agenda.

• The Council will discuss and potentially approve the sole proposal from Hope and Healing Recovery Community Center to manage the recent grant-funded LEAD (or Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) program through the Glens Falls Police Department. For more information regarding LEAD, visit the LEAD Support Bureau website.

• The Council will discuss and potentially accept the $500,000 award of a United States Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Community-Wide Assessment Grant for the purpose of conducting environmental assessments, planning activities, and community engagement related to brownfield redevelopment within the city. Make sure to follow the East End Rising Committee on their website and their regular public discussions. For more information about the EPA grant award, please refer to pages 137-160.

• The Council will discuss and potentially approve amendments to the Memorandum of Understanding between Glens Falls and Crockwell Partnership Inc. For more information about the changes, refer to page 166-167 of the agenda.

• The Council will discuss and potentially approve seventeen mobile food and drink permits:

  • Mr. Ding-A-Link Ice Cream, operated by Michael Delsignore

  • Ted’s Fish Fry, operated by John Fisher

  • Vashti’s Kitchen Delights, owned by Vashti Ma’at

  • Lidia's Empanadas, owned by Lidia Zambrano

  • 80K Catering, owned by Shannon Rose

  • VIP Banquet Service, owned by Qiang Wu

  • BW Catering, owned by Brad Schmidt

  • All Fired Up, owned by Scott Heroux

  • Rams Valley, owned by Richard Rajkumar

  • Awakened Tonics, owned by Heidi Radko

  • Bo Dizzles, owned by Erin Strader

  • Gifford Farms, operated by Tessie Winslow

  • High Peaks Distilling, owned by Patricia Pittman

  • Krunchy Kream, owned by Jacob Baldwin

  • Nothing Bundt Cakes Saratoga, operated by Melissa Gleason

  • Ty’s Taco Ria, operated by William Janssen

  • Simply Garlic and Vital Eats, operated by Kim Barber

  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.