A bond for a new firehouse in Troy’s Lansingburgh neighborhood is moving after what one city councilor labeled a “disgusting” debate Monday.
The council debated six bond resolutions relating to the city’s fire department totaling $16.1 million. Only one of the measures failed to make it out of the finance meeting, a resolution to issue a bond for $1.9 million to purchase a rescue vehicle and apparatus. A truck recently failed.
Councilor Aaron Vera of District 4 and Council President Sue Steele abstained from the vote, contending there wasn’t enough information available regarding the cost. Katie Spain-McLaren of District 5, a fellow-Democrat, abstained because her son is a candidate to join the fire department.
Following a lengthy, contentious debate, the city will move forward with a $12.5 million bond to build a new firehouse, replacing a more than 50-year-old building with a new one on the 600 block of Second Avenue. Details are yet to be finalized on the design.
Republican Council Pro Tem Thomas Casey described the decaying structure.
“I walked into this firehouse in 1994, early 1994, it should have been torn down then. This is another example of throw away horrible 70s architecture, like the old city hall that was basically a parking garage with carpet,” Casey said. “This place, some of the heating systems were replaced almost immediately it looks like some kind of a moon station. It was just constant problems with sewage and everything. And now there's even more problems. This place is falling apart. There's no saving it. It should have been gone at least 20 years ago.”
Debate focused on further information not being provided to councilors ahead of the meeting. Vera, a Democrat, says he had requested the information from Deputy Mayor Seamus Donnelly early last week. Vera says he is for the much-needed upgrades, but needs more clarity on the long-term investments.
“Not necessarily as it relates to this resolution, but as it relates to some of the other items that are going to come before us this evening. I think that those debt service numbers, I think I requested those last week, on Tuesday, or when was that in your email, OK? And, you know, I worked up my own estimates, but I would, I think those numbers are critical for us to make determinations,” Vera said.
Donnelly described the email as “15 questions of asks” and says the council is not missing any information by not having debt services documentation. Donnelly says because the city won’t bond for the full amount they’re asking for, a financial advisor wouldn’t issue a debt overview.
“I just do want it to be clear for the public that type of schedule is not something that always comes over with any type of bonding,” Donnelly said.
First-term Republican Mayor Carmella Mantello and District 5 Republican Irene Sorriento challenged the Democratic minority to look the firefighters in the face and tell them they didn’t support the resolution. Sorriento called the discussion disgusting and Mantello claims Spain-McLaren didn’t need to abstain.
“We're not issuing those full bonds. So, I would just ask the council, if you don't support it, just say I don't support it, but don't give 'I abstain,' or whatever. You have that right, and I'm not being mean councilmember Spain-McLaren, your son being a candidate is not a conflict of interest. I have a nephew. I have a nephew who is literally a police sergeant. I voted for the contracts and I asked for an opinion from Corporation Counsel, which really should have been asked prior to this, but that's your prerogative. All I'm asking. We need that fifth vote,” Mantello said.
Steele and Vera say they were pressured to make a decision in a vacuum and agreed that they were elected at stewards of public funds — and even if the city doesn’t bond for the amount authorized by the council, they need more information.
Mantello argued the minority was arguing semantics.
“If we were asked and said, ‘guess what, you're not getting a fifth vote,’ we would have asked for whatever they [financial advisor] would have been able to provide, but it might not have been to your satisfaction, but you know, we would have obviously tried to get whatever information,” Mantello said.
The measure passed 4-3 during a special meeting with word from the administration that it would provide the council with more information at a later date when bonds are issued. Vera says in past experience, the administration has said information not available to councilors would be shared and hasn’t — or has had to be asked several times.
The resolution could not be discussed at a future date because an estoppel notice must be issued more than 30 days before the actual issuance date of the bond. Corporation Counsel Richard Morrissey says the issuance typically comes in late July.
Dan Peters, an architect with LaBella Associates, says the drawings will take up to six months to produce and will then go out to bid.
