Gray said he thought some of Paladino’s existing apartment properties were beyond repair. He urged the council not to “reward” Paladino by granting him a tax incentive for a new venture.

“The roaches didn’t budge,” Gray said of the units he visited. “There were colonies and colonies and colonies of them. I’m not convinced he can get this fixed.”

Originally, the city’s Law Department said the council couldn’t take into consideration a TIF applicant’s track record as a landlord. But later, the department clarified that an applicant’s history was fair game.

Still, Council Vice President Chris Jerram suggested that the council put off a vote for a bit, arguing that it was better to keep Paladino under the city’s watch while he made repairs.

He and some other council members expressed interest in encouraging developers to restore historic buildings in the city’s urban core.

Scott Lane, the city’s chief housing inspector, said Paladino has been updating him weekly on the work that has been accomplished inside the units with problems like plumbing malfunctions and other unsanitary conditions.

Lane said that he hasn’t received formal complaints about additional Paladino properties that but more could be coming.