Hello, Collar City! This is Issue 33, dated May 3, 2019.



Hello, everyone! In this issue: a city council roundup, an interview with Democratic mayoral candidate Rodney Wiltshire, and much more.



TL continues to exist because of the generosity of its

In this issue: a city council roundup, an interview with Democratic mayoral candidate Rodney Wiltshire, and much more.TL continues to exist because of the generosity of its 130+ supporters on Patreon , whose contributions are not expected but are appreciated. Thank you!

City Council Roundup

The city council held a finance committee and regular meeting on Thursday night.



The council approved a total of $17,256.01 in funding for two dozen small projects throughout the city as part of its competitive, annual Neighborhood Improvement Program, which is partly funded by the city-affiliated Troy Capital Resource Corporation. They are as follows (the format is Organization | Neighborhood/Location | Project | Award Amount):

Hudson Mohawk Industrial Gateway | Mill St. & Campbell Ave. | Information kiosk featuring historic maps | $850 Osgood Neighborhood South Troy | 1st to 4th St., Monroe St. to Tyler St. | Painted planters filled with flowers | $1,000 11th Ward Veterans Memorial Committee | Little Italy | Flowers, flags, lights for 3 war memorials | $350 Community Leaders United | 7th Avenue Little League Fields | Paint the crosswalks around fields | $871.08 St. Joseph's Cemetery | 156 Mann Avenue | Civil War Plot Beautification Project | $896.74 9-11 Memorial Park | 112th and 1st Streets | Native plants and fence for 9-11 Memorial Park | $1,000 Troy Area United Ministries | 398 2nd St., front- and alley-facing area | New wooden fencing | $1,000 Little Italy Quality of Life Committee | Fifth Avenue and Liberty Street | Interpretive Signage for Hill Street Market | $1,000 Team H.E.R.O. | Park at 3rd & Canal, South Troy Pool | Paint and stencils for crosswalks, flowers | $999.92 Troy In Bloom | Troy BID District, Downtown | Flowers and grasses | $787.46 Basswood Collective, and Mount Ida Preservation Association | Poestenkill overlook on Congress St., Parcel ID 101.79-4-11 | Bench materials and signage | $856.74 5th Ward War Memorial | Spring Ave and Pawling Ave | Flowers, mulch, solar lighting at 5th Ward War Memorial | $100 The Post Contemporary | South Troy to Eastside | Narrows Cascade Heritage Trail Signage | $998.48 Eastside Neighborhood Group | Eastside | Flowers for gateway planters | $242.93 Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area | 1700 7th Ave. | Mulch, shrubs, and flowers for facade of Clubhouse | $998.48 Vanderheyden Pawling Ave. Group Home | 500 Pawling Ave. | Community garden materials, bench and picnic table | $699.57 The Friends of Pawling Park | Col. Pawling Park | Mulch and flowers for Pawling Park | $303.50 Friends of Ingalls Avenue Playground | Park at Ingalls Ave. & 7th Ave. | Grills, picnic tables, and materials to improve Ingalls Avenue Playground | $1,000 Troy Bike Rescue | 6th Ave. & State St., Entrance to Troy Boys & Girls Club | Fixit Bike Repair Station | $1,000 Riverside Neighborhood, TAP, Inc., and Friends of Leslie's Garden | Flowers and mulch for Leslie's Garden | $340 Frear Park Conservancy | Pagoda and Oakwood Avenue Entrance to Frear Park | Paint for pagoda and entrance to Park | $542.20 Mount Ida Preservation Association | 548 Congress Street | Flowers and paint for ironwork | $537 Stow Hill Community Garden | 20 Crockett Ave. | Compost bin and lumber for raised beds | $308.99 Lansingburgh Historical Society | 2 114th Street, Lansingburgh | Plants for Melville House | $572.92

Wiltshire Interview

Asked why he's running for mayor , Wiltshire said he hadn't planned on it, "but when I sort of took stock of where the city has gone in the last four years, and kind of have an idea of where it's continuing to head, from a government and administration standpoint, it really kind of spurred back into the race." The city needs "a leader that can bring out the best," he added.

, Wiltshire said he hadn't planned on it, "but when I sort of took stock of where the city has gone in the last four years, and kind of have an idea of where it's continuing to head, from a government and administration standpoint, it really kind of spurred back into the race." The city needs "a leader that can bring out the best," he added. The city should "absolutely" rebuild the Mt. Ida Lake Dam , Wiltshire said, citing historical, recreational, and purported flood-mitigation justifications.

, Wiltshire said, citing historical, recreational, and purported flood-mitigation justifications. Asked to name his top accomplishments while serving on the city council , Wiltshire mentioned pushing for the power-purchase agreement with Monolith Solar and the associated solar farm at the landfill, touting its "direct benefit to the taxpayers."

, Wiltshire mentioned pushing for the power-purchase agreement with Monolith Solar and the associated solar farm at the landfill, touting its "direct benefit to the taxpayers." He'd still support enforcing "residency requirements for city workers as a way of ‘keeping our tax dollars local and reinvested in our community,'" as the TU reported he called for in his 2015 response to the previous mayor's state of the city address.

as the TU reported he called for in his 2015 response to the previous mayor's state of the city address. In an interview in March with Darrell Camp of TALK1300, Wiltshire called the mayor's closure of the South Troy and Knickerbacker pools "artificial." I asked if he had reason to doubt an outside engineering firm's recommendation that the pools remain closed pending a minimum of $2.4 million in repairs . Wiltshire said any firm "can come up with a best case scenario for rebuilding or, you know, to build the Taj Mahal, if you will." He called the current, ongoing effort to repair and reopen the South Troy Pool "Political Maneuvering 101."

. Wiltshire said any firm "can come up with a best case scenario for rebuilding or, you know, to build the Taj Mahal, if you will." He called the current, ongoing effort to repair and reopen the South Troy Pool "Political Maneuvering 101." He declined to specify which administration members' salaries he believes are "top heavy," a term he used in the Camp interview. "Let's put it this way: Under a Wiltshire administration, we will have employees—especially in leadership and as department head employees—who will actually be doing work and are qualified to do the work, as well."

a term he used in the Camp interview. "Let's put it this way: Under a Wiltshire administration, we will have employees—especially in leadership and as department head employees—who will actually be doing work and are qualified to do the work, as well." Wiltshire also told Camp that the police and fire departments are doing a good job, and that the “right leadership” is now there. I asked if the mayor deserved credit for installing those leaders . "Not necessarily, no," he said. "There was a natural succession that occurred....Whether he was mayor, Rosamilia was mayor, I was mayor, Gordon was mayor, I think the same people would end up there. It's not like [Madden] went on a national search and found some superstar from another community."

. "Not necessarily, no," he said. "There was a natural succession that occurred....Whether he was mayor, Rosamilia was mayor, I was mayor, Gordon was mayor, I think the same people would end up there. It's not like [Madden] went on a national search and found some superstar from another community." He declined to say who he voted for in the 2016 presidential election but said he had been a Bernie Sanders supporter and didn't vote for Hillary Clinton.

but said he had been a Bernie Sanders supporter and didn't vote for Hillary Clinton. Asked if there was anything in the city's current budget that he'd cut , Wiltshire said "it's very difficult to point to a city service that needs to be cut, but what I would say is that we need to be more efficient with our operations." As potential areas to find savings, he cited telecommunications, equipment and materials, fleet management, and benefits packages ("not necessarily cutting, but making sure that we are getting the most competitive" deal, he clarified re: this last item).

, Wiltshire said "it's very difficult to point to a city service that needs to be cut, but what I would say is that we need to be more efficient with our operations." As potential areas to find savings, he cited telecommunications, equipment and materials, fleet management, and benefits packages ("not necessarily cutting, but making sure that we are getting the most competitive" deal, he clarified re: this last item). Asked about potential new revenues , Wiltshire spoke of the importance of having a full-time grant writer. (The mayor had proposed in his latest budget to fill the position at a $70,000 salary, a proposal opposed by Council President Mantello, who instead recommended hiring part-time help or contracting for the service on a case-by-case basis.)

, Wiltshire spoke of the importance of having a full-time grant writer. (The mayor had proposed in his latest budget to fill the position at a $70,000 salary, a proposal opposed by Council President Mantello, who instead recommended hiring part-time help or contracting for the service on a case-by-case basis.) During Wiltshire's time on the city council, according to the state comptroller’s office, the city council adopted budgets that relied on the appropriation of reserves, large transfers from the water fund, and potential one-shot real property sales to finance general fund operations. I asked if he thought he bore any responsibility for the current mayor's subsequent tax increases . "No," he said. "The city had kicked the can down the road for many years. I was only one of nine people [on the council]. I fought and screamed very vociferously at our council meetings to not try to do things that looked political." He said that, in practice, the mayor and his administration's comptroller have more influence over the city's budget than the council.

. "No," he said. "The city had kicked the can down the road for many years. I was only one of nine people [on the council]. I fought and screamed very vociferously at our council meetings to not try to do things that looked political." He said that, in practice, the mayor and his administration's comptroller have more influence over the city's budget than the council. I asked if climate change poses a threat to the future prosperity of Troy . Yes, Wiltshire said, recalling the effects of Hurricane Irene. "We should be doing things to protect ourselves, to be resilient," he said. "We should also be looking at facilitating more ride-sharing, cutting down on vehicle traffic, becoming more energy-efficient" in residents' homes and at city facilities, and establishing more electric car charging stations, he said.

. Yes, Wiltshire said, recalling the effects of Hurricane Irene. "We should be doing things to protect ourselves, to be resilient," he said. "We should also be looking at facilitating more ride-sharing, cutting down on vehicle traffic, becoming more energy-efficient" in residents' homes and at city facilities, and establishing more electric car charging stations, he said. If the sanctuary city resolution were to pass while Wiltshire was mayor, he'd veto it , he told me. (He told Camp that the city has "bigger problems" and that it's a "non-issue.")

, he told me. (He told Camp that the city has "bigger problems" and that it's a "non-issue.") He declined to say who he might consider appointing to any particular post .

. Wiltshire has described his management style as "hands on." I asked if he thought the current mayor is too aloof. "You chose those words," he said, laughing, before adding that he does indeed think that.

I asked if he thought the current mayor is too aloof. "You chose those words," he said, laughing, before adding that he does indeed think that. He called Council President Carmella Mantello's idea to put the $200,000 citywide rezoning effort "on hold" and to explore using half of those funds—the part contributed by the Troy Redevelopment Foundation—for fixing potholes and other purportedly more urgent matters "a great idea." He said he'd be open to working on rezoning certain areas and that the effort could be handled in-house.

He said he'd be open to working on rezoning certain areas and that the effort could be handled in-house. Asked if he identifies as a progressive, Wiltshire said yes, then added: "I'm a progressive in many areas as far as doing something new and doing something that can move the city forward...in a new and innovative direction." He said he doesn't always support initiatives touted as progressive on the national level, like the sanctuary city movement and the Green New Deal (the latter, he said, doesn't seem attainable).

Other News

Links

Events

: Richard Mark Nolan, Jr. and city council member Coleen Paratore, who will assume the seat previously occupied by departed council member Mark McGrath. Council president Carmella Mantello said she had hoped the mayor would select council member Jim Gulli for McGrath's spot to preserve a customary minority/majority balance for the IDA board's two required council seats (Democrat Anasha Cummings holds the other), but she still voted to confirm Paratore, who she said would do a fine job.(further discussed in TL31 ),: that the mayor will provide quarterly reports to the city council listing any releases of reverter clauses he has executed during the term.(first made public in TL27 ). Doing so, Council President Mantello said, was more about keeping the ball rolling—with the Friends of Prospect Park included—than firmly committing to the top location the committee has recommended, a northwest-ish section of Prospect Park that the "friends of" group, according to a letter from president Peter Grimm , who is also a county legislator, maintains is "a space designated for other use" ("to picnic, play and rest," the letter says). Grimm's group would rather see the dog park located in a different section of Prospect Park—a somewhat abandoned area just west of Hale St. that is currently strewn with various debris/detritus/stuff. Council President Mantello thanked the dog park committee for its work and said the next step is to work on an implementation plan with the administration. “I don’t want this to just sit on a shelf,” she said. “We want to see this move forward.”: the still-tabled sanctuary city resolution, which would affirm that the city only inquires about the immigration status of individuals under certain circumstances and generally doesn't honor federal administrative detainers In an email earlier this week, organizers of the sanctuary city effort said they'd "recently learned that Mayor Patrick Madden is preparing to issue an executive order on the sanctuary issue." (When offered the opportunity, a spokesman for the mayor this week did not confirm or deny this claim. Madden "has asked for dialogue on the issue and is himself continuing to speak with council members, the Troy Police department and others," the spokesman said.)Last night, more than a dozen sanctuary city resolution supporters urged the council to un-table and adopt the resolution immediately, irrespective of whatever action the mayor might take. "To delay this on the likelihood or the potentiality that the mayor is going to do something doesn't make any sense," said Sean Collins, vice president of the Troy Area Labor Council. "It's passing the buck."Members of the council majority said they plan to un-table and vote on the resolution next month. "The way I understand it is that further conversations need to happen between the mayor of this city and the police force because...our police officers are going to be on the ground, day to day, with this," said Democratic council member Coleen Paratore, who supports the resolution.Council member Anasha Cummings said his goals for the resolution are to make sure that the city "is in compliance with relevant case law and not violating the rights of our residents" and to make sure that the city isn't "actively collaborating" with ICE "on the deportation of immigrants who have not committed a crime in our community."Supporters of the resolution were not pleased with the council's choice to further delay a vote. "Yet again, the Troy City Council majority has failed to act and failed to lead," Collins said in a statement today. "While we certainly agree that the mayor taking some sort of executive action to ensure binding protections for immigrants in our community, every moment he takes to deliberate and every month the Council majority continues to delay action, immigrants in Troy are in danger of being separated from the friends and family."This week, I met up with Democratic mayoral candidate Rodney Wiltshire at his campaign headquarters in South Troy. Wiltshire is a former city council member and president. He unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2015. (He was recently the subject of this Chris Churchill column in the TU .) Here's a summary of our conversation:I interviewed Republican mayoral candidate Tom Reale for TL30 and hope to interview Mayor Patrick Madden before the primary next month. according to the event's Facebook page . "While we [were] unable to secure a deal within the Historic City of Troy for this year, we are pleased to announce that we will be bringing our festival to a new Enchanted City location in the future," the post read. In response to a comment, the page added that the "terms of location, cost and investment could not be negotiated to mutual satisfaction.""The City of Troy has proudly supported the Enchanted City Festival since its creation," the mayor's office said in a statement it provided to me. "Earlier this year, festival organizers approached the Capital Resource Corporation for financial assistance. Unfortunately, the funding request exceeded the local authority’s giving capacity. The CRC’s legal requirements for funding have been communicated to organizers, and we hope to find an outcome that benefits the festival and city, and ensures the event can remain in the Collar City.", speaking broadly about the department and taking questions from the small group of attendees. One quote: "Last year, we simultaneously raided eight, low-level marijuana dealing operations. And people say, 'Okay, what did you get, a little bit of weed, maybe some money?' But to the neighbors, that meant a lot. Because it's not just the marijuana itself. It's all that traffic coming in and out of the neighborhood. It's the drug dealers trying to protect their turf, or to project strength, or to intimidate others using violence and using fear. And the neighbors can't confront that themselves."which includes the North Central neighborhood and part of Lansingburgh. You can contact Panetta via phone (518-279-7171) or email (renee.panetta@troyny.gov). The SWAB hopes to submit a finalized, 10-year solid waste management plan to the state Department of Environmental Conservation at the end of June or beginning of July, Panetta said., Panetta said. The position, vacant for nearly a decade, was included in this year's budget at an annual salary of $42,650. The officer will be able to cite property owners for code violations., planning commissioner Steve Strichman said at the TNAC meeting. He estimated that a ribbon-cutting will be held in about a month.—and took some heat from a Facebook commenter who criticized the short time window for responses (the deadline is May 13). "We understand your frustration, and we don't plan on making this a habit," the entity responded, in part. "We extended our initial RFP for the building out to accommodate bidders, and as a result, the project was late getting started, and then ran into the problems with the building, which ground everything to a halt. Then we had to take the time to have an architect draft plans for a new building, and go through the usual period of refinement on that plan. Now we're up against a mandated deadline to build."(total assessed value of municipality / total market value of municipality). This would be the first time the equalization rate has fallen below 100 percent since the last citywide reassessment was completed for 2013 . As reported in TL5 , the city's assessor, Sharon Martin, speaking during a budget-related hearing in October, predicted this dip. Martin recommended that the city conduct a citywide assessment update next year or in 2021., 100 Years by Richard Dresser: 500 Federal St., the building that houses the local Social Security office. The blurb: "Set in the not-too-distant future, this new dark comedy confronts todays direst global crises with incisive humor and sly wisdom. Stevie and Joan prepare for what will be a transformative experience. But what will it mean for their life as they know it? And what's going on with the strange couple living next door?" Performances start near the end of this month and continue through June 9; tickets are now on sale An Interview with Russel the Leaf (HMM, 4/29) Vacant Troy towers' days may be numbered (TU, 4/30). "The Troy Housing Authority is moving ahead with a request for qualifications, seeking a developer who would demolish the two buildings, which have been empty for at least a decade, and redevelop the site in line with the city's new Comprehensive Plan."Capital Region Creatives Under 40: D. Colin Josh Coletto (The Collab, 4/30) RPI starts mandatory summer session for students (TU, 5/2) Troy to vote on Sanctuary City status in June (TU, 5/2) Next up for downtown Troy: A microbrewery with candlepin bowling [$] (ABR, 5/3) Biz Eats: How Troy got its first Vietnamese bistro [$] (ABR, 5/3)Tonight, see folk band The Early Mays at a private residence (click the link and DM the hosts to RSVP and get the address). Help clean up the Garnet Douglass Baltimore Trail tomorrow morning, and also, of course, check out the ~outdoor~ Troy Waterfront Farmers Market this Saturday. That afternoon, attend a news production workshop at the Sanctuary , and that night, hang with Eleanor Seigler at SMCo . Sunday afternoon, see Mozart Mass in C Minor at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall . Sunday night, see Girl Blue at little pecks Take a trip to Albany for Martini Mondays at the Savoy because, perhaps, you just watched Carol on Netflix and were inspired by Cate Blanchett? Display your embarrassingly thorough knowledge of the '90s film 10 Things I Hate About You at Rare Form on Wednesday night. Thursday night, attend a talk by Dara Silbermann of Second Street Farm at Unity House That's it! TL is a free, weekly email newsletter sent out every Friday. More than 130 of its subscribers make monthly contributions to help keep it alive and sustainable via Patreon . Help keep TL interesting by replying to this email with tips, comments, questions, story ideas, etc. If this issue was forwarded to you, or if you're reading it online, click here to sign up to receive future ones via email . Read past issues—and access a linked, shareable version of this issue— here . TL34 drops next Friday!