For this summary, we will report on the Caucus and Regular meetings. ‘Council Member’ is abbreviated as CM; ‘Council President’ as CP; ‘President Pro Tempore’ as PT; and ‘Majority Leader’ as ML.

In the Caucus meeting, CM Wyatt and CM Rivera expressed frustration with the Comptroller’s office, which had promised to deliver a letter about employees suspended without pay but has so far failed to do so.

The Regular meeting began by recognizing Black History Month. Noted singer and community activist Drea D’Nur sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and was honored with a Common Council resolution thanking her for her work to “uplift, empower, and inspire” Buffalo. The council also recognized the Buffalo Center for Health Equity, and representative Pastor George Nicholas, for their work to promote justice and equity. Nicholas spoke about the organization’s goals: bringing all children up to grade level in math and reading; bringing every city home up to code; ensuring that everyone is working up to their full economic potential; and ensuring that every resident has access to primary care.

The council referred to the finance committee a Buffalo Board of Education (BOE) request concerning interest earned on money earmarked for the schools. Currently, according to the BOE, the city owes the BOE over $5.4 million in interest.

The council moved to approve the mayor’s appointment of Darren Saxon as the city’s Chief Diversity Officer. This position is in the Office of Diversity, Opportunity and Inclusion and is responsible for promoting community benefit agreements and equitable workforce development. Previously, Saxon was the head of the Office of New Americans.

The council adopted a resolution asking for updates on the city’s progress toward an inclusionary zoning ordinance. In 2017, the council directed Corporation Counsel and the Office of Strategic Planning to develop a policy that would require affordable housing in new residential developments. The current resolution is meant to “emphasize the importance of this ordinance in promoting equitable housing opportunities,” and to push the coalition to complete its work.

CMs also discussed a recommendation that the city slow down its hiring. This recommendation came from the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority (BFSA), after they considered the city’s costly new police contract.

Since 2003, the city has operated under the BFSA. This oversight organization was put into place when the city was in the midst of a financial crisis, and could not even borrow money.  Initially, they were a “hard control board,” with the ability to completely direct the finances not just of city government, but also the Buffalo Public Schools, the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency (which is responsible for distributing federal housing and development funds), and the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority.  In those years, the BFSA instituted a hiring and wage freeze, and overrode labor agreements. Now the BFSA is a “soft control board,” and operates in an advisory fashion; the hiring slowdown is their idea. This resolution will be considered again in a Finance Committee meeting.