This week’s summary focuses on the Legislation Committee Meeting, Finance Committee Meeting, and Community Development Committee Meeting. The Legislation Committee focuses on local laws, ordinances, and general legislation—except for civil matters. The Finance Committee concerns all matters about the budget and issuance of bonds. The Community Development Committee focuses on matters pertaining to work or improvement using revenue from another government unit.

There was a discussion about Good Cause Eviction during the Legislation Committee. Common Council adopted a resolution (5-4) supporting the state legislation (S3082/A5573). Christine Vogel spoke on behalf of some small landlords to express concerns. She believes landlords would lose out, and the bill would not address people's living conditions and should focus on slumlords who are truly unjust.

Kevin Quinn, Supervising Attorney at the Center for Elder Law for Justice, supports Good Cause because of the population he serves. With landlords increasing rent costs, tenants on a fixed income will not pay for their rent. Quinn also notes that landlords who claim Good Cause creates a perpetual lease agreement can still remove tenants for reasons such as failure to pay rent or a nuisance. Minnie Kim, a Community Specialist at HOME, supports Good Cause to prevent unjust evictions and rent increases.

This week's Finance Committee was short and procedural. Common Council removed past monthly cash flow reports from 2020 from the table and received and filed them as informational items. The Council also removed from the table and received and filed the August 2020 item related to New York State granting financial and budgetary flexibility to local governments and school districts following the declaration of a State Disaster Emergency due to COVID-19.

Finally, the Committee removed from the table and received and filed a 2019 request from the WNY Law Center to have a public discussion of the City of Buffalo's new procedure for handling tax-delinquent properties. While not discussed in the meeting, it is worth noting the Council discussed the current procedure for addressing tax-delinquent properties and their sale through in-rem auctions in greater depth during the Finance Committee meeting on November 9, 2021. An item related to the management of in-rem auctions remains on the table for future discussions.

During the Community Development Committee, council members shared a myriad of problems in their districts with snow removal. They brainstormed possible solutions with Mike Finn, Commissioner of Public Works, Parks and Streets, and Henry Jackson, Deputy Commissioner of Streets and Sanitation. Councilmember Golombek opened the discussion with a general statement that snow removal in Buffalo after the record snowfall on January 17, 2022 (Martin Luther King Day holiday) was inadequate. He recounted the heavy volume of snow during two consecutive storms without an ice melt in-between, and he acknowledged that illegally parked cars could make plowing impossible. Councilmember Golombek said he understands the difficulty of clearing streets immediately after a record snowfall, but he believes main and secondary streets should be plowed within 48 hours and side streets within 96 hours. "That obviously didn't happen," he said. "We need to be a walkable community," he added, ensuring the safety of people with disabilities and those who rely on public transportation.   
 
Commissioner Finn addressed concerns and said the City of Buffalo's snowfall plan is for average weather events that include 10 inches of snow, but northern parts of Buffalo received two feet in the last storm. "We are thinking through ways of handling above-average snowfalls," he said. Furthermore, Finn assured the Council that his snow-plow crews were working hard. Even though the storm took place on a federal holiday, employees called in for mandatory overtime, but rotating shifts are necessary to allow for breaks and sleep. 

Finn described the City's snow plan as "a dense, technical document describing complex standard operating procedures." Whether or not the snow plan is amended, he said that "people need to do their part." Homeowners and businesses with sidewalks, bus stops, or fire hydrants abutting their property are responsible for keeping them clear of snow. Drivers must obey alternate parking rules. He explained that the City's "BuffAlert" system communicates accurate messages and alternate parking reminders, but not everyone is signed up for this free service. 
  
The rest of the meeting consisted of a solution-focused, question-and-answer period. The Council agreed to table this issue and invite Commissioner Finn to the next meeting on February 15, 2022, for an update.

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