This is a summary of legislation voted on at the 5/8/24 Binghamton City Council Business Meeting.
APPOINTMENTS
1. Appointment for 6th District CDAC
- Joanne Jones appointed by Councilmember Kosty. Jones is the Vice President of commercial lending at Tioga State Bank.
SET PUBLIC HEARINGS
1. The City of Binghamton will hold a Public Hearing regarding RL 24-72 A Bond Ordinance to finance construction of improvements and upgrades to the Terminal Pumping Station at the Joint Sewage Treatment Plant
2. This Public Hearing will take place at 6PM during the May 22, 2024 regular City Council Business Meeting in City Council Chambers, 38 Hawley Street, Binghamton NY. Residents wishing to participate in Public Hearings may do so electronically by emailing their comments prior to 1:00PM on the day of the meeting to clerk@cityofbinghamton.gov or in-person during the meeting.
PUBLIC HEARING
1. Public Hearing regarding RL 24-82 A resolution to hold a public hearing for NYSHCR grant
- No comments made.
2. Public Hearing regarding RL24-84 A resolution authorizing a special noise variance for Abel’s Pub live music events (7-10 pm one weekend night a week during the summer)
- Anti: Daniel Fairchild at 81 Rotary Ave complained about the noise from Abel’s. Said BPD officers go there while off-duty and aren’t receptive to complaints.
- Pro: Kim Wetzel at 55 Beethoven Street. Said Abel’s owners Marty and Patty Stantz live in the neighborhood and contribute to the community.
- Anti: Steven Paden at 62 Kneeland Ave. Lives 100 feet from Abel’s and said the music is too loud.
- Pro: Mary Robertson lives on the west side. “Abel’s is an integral part of this neighborhood.” Thinks a minor inconvenience to a few people is outweighed by the joy brought to the many.
- Pro: John Reno lives in Johnson City and plays music at Abel’s.
- Pro: John Gorman lives at 83 Rotary Ave.
- Anti: Diane Fairchild lives at 81 Rotary Ave.
- Pro: Patty Stantz, owner of Abel’s, lives at 66 Lincoln Ave, and said they’ve made attempts to sound-proof the patio. She said they received an anonymous complaint and would be willing to talk to anyone in the neighborhood in-person.
- Pro: Marty Stantz, owner of Abel’s.
- Pro: Cole Bennett. Nephew of the Stantzes.
- Pro: Chris Bresky lives at 75 Rotary.
- Undecided: Pat Dunham lives at 73 Kneeland and says the music is too loud.
- Pro: Molly Shea. Lived at 63 Rotary Ave for two years and didn’t have a problem with the music.
- Emails:
- Unclear: Frances Flynn from BPD wrote in with the language of the Binghamton noise ordinance.
- Anti: Rosemary Arlequin lives at 61 Kneeland Ave and said Abel’s serves old men and the underaged. Said the music is blasted and there are three autistic children in the neighborhood who need special care to deal with the noise.
- Pro: Aditya H. Kaliath, professor at BU, lives next to Abel’s.
- Anti: Costa Sakellariou asked whether city councilmembers would want a loud bar in their neighborhood.
- Pro: David Allig.
- Pro: Luciano Pasquale.
- Anti: Dan and Kathy Bathenbach couldn’t hear their TV over the noise.
- Pro: Carter Bresky lives five houses away from Abel’s.
- Pro: Julia Flaherty lives at 40 Kneeland Ave.
- Anti: Joseph J. Mann.
- Pro: Kevin Smith.
- Pro: Maria Foye-Madison works at Abel’s.
- Anti: Bowers Family at 59 Rotary Ave.
- Pro: Andy Horowitz
- Pro: Steve and Joanne Seltzer live at 63 Kneeland Ave.
- Pro: Blake Westbrook lives at 76 Rotary Ave.
- My Take: I’ve only been to Abel’s once and never went back after a middle-aged white employee (I think he was related to the owners) serenaded our table with a song about “n***ers”. Shitty cop bar that should get no city support. That being said, three scheduled hours once a weekend before 10 pm seems like a reasonable ask. It may be the west side but it’s still the city and not a gated community.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Residents wishing to submit public comment may do so electronically by emailing their comments prior to 1:00PM on the day of the meeting to clerk@cityofbinghamton.gov or in-person during the meeting.
John Solak said LiveNation would probably host concerts at Mirabito Stadium if we didn’t have a baseball team. Said “No one knows what’s going on” with the Rumble Ponies. Said police moonlighting has gotten out of control, citing Sheriff Akshar’s private detective business plus police union head Dave Bidwell’s private security business and Undersheriff Sammy Davis’s “consulting business.”
Anna Warfield spoke about the lack of affordable housing in Binghamton. She’s being priced out of her current apartment because her new landlord is raising rents by 60%. Wants Binghamton to adopt Good Cause eviction legislation that might prevent rent hikes like the one she’s facing.
Aviva Friedman spoke in favor of RL24-91, which would designate unhoused status as a protected class.
FIRST READING LEGISLATION
Introductory Resolution R24-35. Considered in Municipal and Public Affairs: Middleton.
A Resolution authorizing a special noise variance for Abel’s Pub live music events. Passed 7-0
Introductory Ordinance O24-31. Considered in Planning: Hotchkiss
An Ordinance to amend the 2019 and 2020 HUD admin & housing budget for consolidation of unused lines for spending on housing program. Passed 7-0
Introductory Ordinance O24-33. Rules and Procedures/Special Studies: Hotchkiss
An Ordinance to amend Charter Section 26-9 to clarify legislative sign out process. Sent back to committee.
Introductory Ordinance O24-34. Considered in Finance: Cavanaugh
An Ordinance to amend the 2024 Budget to increase Professional Services for appraisal services by decreasing Contingency. Passed 5-2 (Kosty, Cavanaugh dissenting)
Introductory Ordinance O24-36. Considered in Planning: Hotchkiss
An Ordinance to rescind portion of O6-46. Passed 7-0
Introductory Ordinance O24-37. Considered in Planning: Hotchkiss
An Ordinance to rescind portion of O23-155. Passed 7-0
Introductory Ordinance O24-39. Considered in Planning: Hotchkiss
An Ordinance to amend Ch. 410 Zoning to address below-grade amenity spaces in multi-unit dwellings. Held over until the next business meeting.
Introductory Ordinance O24-40. Considered in Finance: Cavanaugh
An Ordinance authorizing the BJCSB fiscal officer to prepay credits based on the 2023 estimated final bill at 85% with final 15% to be paid after ratification of the final bill. Passed 6-1 (Dundon dissenting)
Introductory Resolution R24-31. Considered in Planning: Hotchkiss
A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to enter into an agreement with the First Ward Action Council for use CVY45 and CVY46 CDBG funds in an amount not to exceed $577,190 to support the development of affordable housing. Passed 7-0
Introductory Resolution R24-32. Considered in Planning: Hotchkiss
A Resolution authorizing the City of Binghamton to submit an application for funding from Empire State Development Corporation Restore New York Communities Initiative Round 8. Passed 4-3 (Porter, Middleton, Hotchkiss dissenting)
- My Take: Seems like this money likely won’t be awarded to Yonaty and Blye given the project is half-baked and they don’t even own the building, so this is mostly on the mayor for putting the project forward and wasting an opportunity to fund affordable housing. The yay voters also deserve blame for not standing up to the mayor. The idea that we can just shovel money to developers and business owners and hope the money will trickle down to the benefit of the rest of the city (fitting, since we got a Ronald Reagan quote in the same meeting) is wrong. The more money that goes to the top, the more people are forced to move away or accept substandard housing at the bottom, which is the mayor’s goal. Secure, middle-class homeowners like Mike Dundon (who was exchanging eyerolls with his republican friend all night) can stand up to the mayor’s agenda of pricing out renters or they can say it’s not their problem and accept the displacement of their neighbors. Maybe they’ll get 1% off their tax bill and some new places to eat downtown in the bargain. Then they’ll complain about the unhoused people loitering outside the restaurant. That’s liberalism!
Introductory Resolution R24-33. Considered in Planning: Hotchkiss
A Resolution supporting Broome County’s application for funding from Empire State Development Corporation Restore New York Communities Initiative Round 8. Passed 7-0
- My Take: The reason First Ward Action Council is one of the only affordable housing investments the mayor will accept (and why they are stonewalling groups like the Southern Door CLT) is that FWAC is incredibly restrictive in who they’ll rent to. I was just hanging out with a friend who uses Section 8 and she said she was warned not to apply to FWAC housing because “they’ll put you out just like that!” Their application is eight pages long and includes questions like this:
The city and its “good liberals” will celebrate a whole block of people being kicked out of their homes (which are in bad condition because of local housing policies that enable slumlords) to create affordable housing that none of those people can even apply to move into.
Introductory Resolution R24-34. Considered in Public Works and Parks: Dundon
A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to accept a CREST grant from DASNY in the amount of $150,000 for renovation of the restrooms and administrative lobby at Ross Park Zoo. Passed 7-0
Introductory Resolution R24-36. Considered in Public Works and Parks: Dundon
A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to enter into an agreement with NYSDOT for Route 11 Wall Replacement Project D265276. Passed 7-0
Introductory Resolution R24-37. Considered in Finance: Cavanaugh
A Resolution to request authorization for an Occupancy Tax. Passed 7-0
- Amendment: Removing language specifying what the tax revenue can be used for: “for the promotion of tourism, cultural programs, parks and recreation, and the critical infrastructure and capital improvements necessary to support those items.” Passed 5-2 (Dundon, Kosty dissenting)
- Amendment: Removing language specifying what the tax revenue can be used for: “allocated to the promotion of tourism, cultural programs, parks and recreation, and the critical infrastructure and capital improvements necessary to support those activities, including all financial costs and obligations incurred by the city related to the creation of such events and activities as so determined by the City of Binghamton City Council.” Passed 5-2 (Dundon, Kosty dissenting)
I’ll close this week with Mike Kosty’s take on giving legal protection to unhoused people to prevent discrimination. Take it away Mike!
- “Um I do have some grave concerns about this um introducing legal protections uh based on unhoused status will incentivize dependency and discourage personal initiative. I think this is unfair to local taxpayers and areas with visible homelessness um experienced uh decreased property values and increased crime rates…. so I’m personally I’m just not on board with this I think it’s unacceptable um in regards to local business I think this is a burden on local business I think this can certainly cause an uptick in loitering I mean what rights will business owners have left and it’s hard enough right now to run a small business in this area. Added government regulations like this one um just puts more on the plate of local business owners um and I’ll leave this off with a quote um wise man (Ronald Reagan) once said this: ‘the nine most terrifying words in the English language are I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”
The Gipper would be proud. Talk to people who lived in Binghamton when Reagan’s cuts caused the closing of Binghamton State Hospital and they’ll tell you how that caused an increase in loitering when patients were literally left wandering the streets. There’s a special place in hell for people who say property values and small business profits should supersede the rights of people sleeping under bridges. Unfortunately, most Americans will probably end up there.
See you Monday for the next Work Session.