The Civil Service Committee began by receiving and filing appointments for various city positions. Whenever someone is hired at the city, it’s called an “appointment.” The council is informed about appointments, but council members do not vote on each one. For some positions with higher salaries, though, the council can approve or disapprove the appointments.

In the Finance Committee, members recommended that the city extend its New York State lobbying contract for another six months, at a cost of $30,000. Buffalo uses Masiello Martucci Hughes, the lobbying firm of former Mayor Anthony Masiello; they advocate in Albany for our city’s priorities and advise the city about relevant state legislation and funding.

Nadine Marrero, head of the Office of Strategic Planning, spoke briefly about the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency’s new Vacant Rental Program. Funded with $2.5 million from New York State, this program is “aimed at rehabilitating eligible vacant and underutilized rental structures across the city.” They plan to fund repairs for around 35 small properties; in turn, landlords agree to maintain them as affordable housing. You can learn about and apply for the program on BURA’s website.

The Department of Administration and Finance submitted its quarterly report about how the city is managing its American Rescue Plan funds. This report shows how much the city plans to spend, how much it has actually paid out, and how much it has distributed to community groups and residents.

A fight about whose turn it was to speak broke out between members, leading to various committee members alternately yelling, apologizing, and lecturing one another about preserving “the sanctity of this institution.” One member even called for the sergeant at arms, a position which exists on paper only, in the council rules of order.

Poor recording quality in the Legislation and the Community Development committees made them very difficult to understand.

The Legislation Committee members had asked for someone from the mayor’s office to come talk in chambers about the mayor’s request for a “Parking and Mobility and Hotel Tax.” This is actually two proposals. One asks New York State for permission to establish the “BPMA”—the Buffalo Parking and Mobility Authority—to oversee parking ramps. The city would sell its parking ramps to the BPMA to give Buffalo a one-time infusion of funds. The city argues that we should “get out of the business of parking,” and “cut our losses” rather than do needed repairs on the ramps. However, we also make money from those parking ramps. Last year, for example, Buffalo Civic Auto Ramps (which currently manages and maintains the ramps) sent the city roughly $4 million. If the city sold its parking ramps, we would no longer receive this revenue. It’s not clear who would run the BPMA or whether the ramps would be privatized.

The second proposal would allow the city to charge a 3% tax on stays in hotel rooms. Council member Nowakowski pointed out that when visitors come to Buffalo, it costs the city’s departments—like police, fire and sewer--even though the city receives no income from Erie County’s bed tax. By passing this resolution, the city would be asking the state for permission to create this 3% tax.

The proposals for the bed tax and the parking ramp authority were both tabled.

Committee members also continued discussion about short-term rental legislation. The council plans to amend their STR law to limit STRs in residential neighborhoods. Instead, council members would like to see STRs in commercial corridors. They also plan to allow STRs in multi-unit buildings if the owner lives in the building. The full council is likely to pass this legislation next week and then to send it to the mayor’s office for a signature.

In the Community Development Committee, members heard from the Commissioner of Permits and Inspections, Cathy Amdur, about the department’s annual proactive rental inspections (PRI) report. Amdur explained that the department is on track to complete over 5,500 inspections in 2025. This is more than in previous years. She explained that this possible because the department hired seven new inspectors for the PRI program.

In the council meeting, PPG Director of Community Research Sarah Wooton asked Amdur why she hadn’t included legally required lead hazard statistics in her report. Amdur said, “We altered the way we do work. And I don’t want to represent that we are citing lead when we’re not.” Wooton asked Amdur if the department was still citing for chipping and peeling paint, which is considered a lead hazard in homes built before 1978 (when lead-based paint was banned). Confusingly, Amdur said that the department is still citing for chipping and peeling paint. Amdur didn’t seem to make the connection that these citations would be considered lead hazards. When pushed by Majority Leader Halton-Pope, Amdur said that she would update the report to include information about lead hazards. You can read Wooton’s response letter to Amdur’s report here.

The committee invited community representatives in to discuss what should happen with the Kensington Expressway project. East Side Parkways Coalition, a PPG Community Agenda partner, would like to see the highway removed entirely and have the space filled in and turned back into a park. This, they argue, will be cheaper, environmentally safer, and historically respectful; most important, it will help recognize and repair the damage done to Buffalo’s Black East Side communities back when the highway was built through the middle of the Humboldt Parkway community. Other folks, including people from the Restoring our Community Coalition, are in support of New York State’s plan to bury the expressway—to build a tunnel, covered by a three-foot-deep grassy boulevard.