For this summary, we will report on the Finance, Legislation, Community Development, Education, and Claims meetings. ‘Council Member’ is abbreviated as CM; ‘Council President’ as CP; ‘President Pro Tempore’ as PT; and ‘Majority Leader’ as ML.
 
The Finance Committee received many reports from the city, the school district, and the comptroller. Included in these was a GAP report, which compares the planned budget with actual revenues and expenditures. Another set of documents, required by the federal government, details the city’s use of American Rescue Plan funds.
 
Corporation Counsel Cavette Chambers, along with Commissioner of Administration and Finance Delano Dowell, spoke about revenue-generating contracts that the city has. The city has let an unknown number of these contracts lapse, thereby losing income. CM Wyatt asked why the mayor’s administration hadn’t replaced the employee who was meant to keep track of these contracts or informed the council that the position was unfilled. He was also frustrated that the administration hadn’t provided a years-overdue report about amounts due to the city from these contracts. CM Nowakowski followed up by saying, “At times I have this feeling that there could be someone in City Hall who prohibits commissioners from [doing their chartered jobs].”
 
In their meeting, the Legislation Committee heard from many residents who protested short-term rental (e.g. Airbnb) license approvals for certain properties. Overwhelmingly, they objected when the owner did not live in the property. They also argued that turning housing stock from permanent housing into temporary rentals, especially when done by outside corporations for profit, damaged neighborhoods and hurt the city’s economy.
 
Next, they turned to the question of what to do if and when Mayor Brown steps down. In that case, the council president steps into the mayor’s position, and that council district loses representation. Previously, this wasn’t a problem, because the council was bigger, and the president was an at-large representative (meaning for the entire city). ML Halton-Pope brought a resolution to the council asking the Law Department to research and draft a proposal of what to do in this eventuality, which seems likely. The question at hand was whether it was all right for the council to alter this part of the city charter. This part of the charter was passed by voter referendum, and it doesn’t say whether the council can change it. Would that take away the right of the voters? Would that set a bad precedent?  On the other hand, how would a district manage without a local, familiar representative on the council?
 
Usually most or all the council members attend these meetings, regardless of whether they are members, though only the committee members vote. ML Halton-Pope’s proposal passed with 3 of 4 committee votes from herself, CM Feroleto, and CM Golombek; it will go before the whole council next.
 
The Community Development Committee recorded a notice from the Buffalo Water Board announcing that they will resume putting fluoride in the city’s water system. CM Wyatt said that he would like someone from the Water Board to come give an in-person update. It would not be right, he argued, just to accept their letter of notice without question. “For us just to receive and file like nobody’s been harmed? Like children haven’t been harmed, families haven’t been harmed?  We should hear what took so long . . . somebody should give us some explanation,” he declared.
 
The Education Committee meeting focused on the publication, by committee chair Everhart, of “Thriving Together: A Comprehensive Guide for Youth and Families.” This “go-to guide” offers residents lists of resources about education, health, and recreation, as well as pointing them to family and legal services and lists of all our elected representatives. 
 
The Claims Committee also met, as it does when there is a build-up of financial claims against the city. These may be, for example, contract payment adjustments–basically bills the city needs to pay. However, this is also the committee that processes legal judgements. Because these often mean disclosing sensitive or confidential details, the committee often goes immediately into private discussion, or “executive session.” As a listener, it’s often hard to determine what, exactly, is being settled. This week, they approved payments for property damage, an employee’s civil rights violation claim, and a settlement to someone injured by reckless police driving.