[00:00:01] CALLING MEETING NUMBER TWO OF THE COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT COMMITTEE TO ORDER TODAY. ASK THE CLERK TO TAKE THE ROLL. LEGISLATOR GREEN. LEGISLATOR MILLS. LEGISLATOR BARNAZI. LEGISLATOR ST. JEAN CARD. HERE. CHAIR VINYL. HERE. LEGISLATOR RIGO. HERE. DEBRIS. ALL HERE. THANK YOU. ON OUR AGENDA IS THE REAPPOINTMENT TO THE ERIE COUNTY ARTS AND CULTURAL ADVISORY BOARD, WHICH IS A REAPPOINTMENT, SO WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE AND FILE THAT. AND THEN TODAY, BECAUSE OUR COUNTY HAS INVESTED SO MUCH IN THE IMPROVEMENTS, EVEN WITH COVID MONEY AND THEN SENT THEM TO THE BOTANICAL GARDENS, WE HAVE FROM THE BOTANICAL GARDENS TO GIVE US A STATUS ON WHAT... THIS HAPPENS WITH THE CONSTRUCTION AND WHERE WE ARE. WE HAVE WITH US AARON GREGG, WHO'S THE PRESIDENT AND CEO. AMANDA JOHNSON, WHO'S IN CHARGE OF LEARNING AND INTERVENTION. INTERPRETATION, RIGHT. AND THEN WE HAVE VICE PRESIDENT MARGARET PHILLIPS, WHO'S IN CHARGE OF ENGAGEMENTS. AND WE ALSO HAVE WITH US TRACY SYHOCKEY, AND WE'RE GOING TO SURRENDER THE DS TO THEM SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE THEIR PRESENTATION. AND WE'LL SIT. HERE AND WATCH WITH EVERYONE ELSE AND IF THERE'S QUESTIONS TRACY IS HERE AS WELL AS THEY'RE HERE FOR QUESTIONS ON THE STATUS COMPLETION AND THE THE ANTICIPATED IMPACTS OF THE IMPROVEMENTS. OH, OKAY. THANK YOU, EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR GIVING UP YOUR STAGE TO US. I'M ERIN GRAJEK, I'M THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF BOTANICAL GARDENS, AND THIS IS AMANDA JOHNSON, OUR VP OF LEARNING AND INTERPRETATION. WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT, GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE ON OUR EXPANSION PROJECT, AND THEN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, ACCESSING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. JUST SO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT WE DO, HOW WE DO IT, AND WHO WE ARE. JUST QUICKLY, OUR MISSION IS TO DEEPEN THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PEOPLE AND PLANTS, THEIR BEAUTIFUL GARDENS AND EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCES. AND THESE ARE CORE VALUES THAT WE'VE SET AND WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF AND WE LIVE AND BREATHE THEM EVERY SINGLE DAY. MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE'RE FASCINATED BY PLANTS. WE CREATE WONDER, WE RESPECT OUR PLANTS, WE WELCOME ALL, AND WE CELEBRATE OUR LEGACY. WHEN WE THOUGHT ABOUT EXPANDING OUR CAMPUS AND EXPANDING WHAT WE OFFERED TO THE COMMUNITY, WE REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO GROW BEYOND THE BLACK, SO GROW BEYOND THE CONSERVATORY. BACK IN 2019, OUR PROGRAMS WERE ALL SOLD OUT. EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL GROUP, WE WERE TURNING AWAY SCHOOLS. WE HAD EVENTS, PROGRAMS, EXHIBITS. WE WERE BUSTING AT THE SEAMS. SO THIS IDEA OF... PROJECT TO EXPAND OUR OPERATIONS AND OUR FACILITIES TO ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY AND OFFER MORE PROGRAMMING IS REALLY CAME TO THE FOREFRONT. SO WHY ARE WE EXPANDING? WE'RE EXPANDING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY TOLD US THEY WANTED MORE. THEY JUST KEPT COMING TO PROVIDE ORDNANCE FOR EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCES AND FURTHER OUR MISSION. AND WE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CREATE GENERATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY AND GROWTH FOR OUR ORGANIZATION. WHILE WE HAVE INCREDIBLE PARTNERSHIP WITH ERIE COUNTY, WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL THAT ERIE COUNTY OWNS OUR CAMPUS AND OWNS OUR BUILDINGS. WE HAVE THE INCREDIBLE HONOR AND RESPONSIBILITY TO MANAGE THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS. SO WE DO THAT WITH INCREDIBLE PRIDE. SO MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THROUGH THIS PROJECT IS IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY, CREATE MORE ACCESSIBLE SPACES, PATHWAYS, AND ENTRANCES TO INCREASE COMMUNITY ACCESS TO OUR LIVING MUSEUM, AND INCREASE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO MEET THE GROWING DEMAND FOR FIELD TRIPS, PRIVATE EVENTS, AND INTENTIONALLY DESIGN SPACES TO ENHANCE COMFORT AND FUNCTIONALITY FOR STUDENTS AND GUESTS. WE ALSO HAVE TONS OF NEW EXHIBITS AND EVENTS THAT WILL BE HOSTED IN THOSE SPACES. WE ALSO WANT TO PROVIDE THOSE EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DEEPLY CONNECTED WITH OUR MISSION AND WE FURTHER THAT EVERY DAY. SO THE WHOLE CAMPUS WILL GET ENHANCEMENTS. NEW RENOVATED EXHIBITS, [00:05:02] VISITOR AMENITIES THROUGH LONGER VISITS, INCLUDING A NEW MAIN ENTRANCE WITH A DROP-OFF CIRCLE, EXPANDED COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING, A DRAG-AND-GO CAFE, A LARGE MUSEUM SHOP, SPACES FOR ART, VISITOR LOCKERS, GENDER-NEUTRAL AND FAMILY-FOCUSED RESTROOMS. AND THEN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING, WE HAVE STATE-OF-THE-ART CLASSROOMS. RIGHT NOW WE'RE OPERATING OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN A GARAGE, WHICH IS NOT VERY EXCITING. WE REALLY WANT TO GIVE THE KIDDOS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH PLANTS AND NATURE IN A STATE-OF-THE-ART WAY. WE'RE ALSO ADDING 90,000 SQUARE FEET OF OUTDOOR GARDENS AND RENOVATED GARDENS. WE ADDED AN INDOOR PLAY SPACE LAST YEAR AND WE ALSO HAD THE FIRST SEASONAL BUTTERFLY EXHIBIT LAST YEAR THAT WE BROUGHT ON AND WE INTEND TO DO THAT INTO THE FUTURE. WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH ERIE COUNTY PUBLIC ART PROGRAM THAT WE ARE, THERE'S A NEW ART SCULPTURE COMING TO OUR CAMPUS THIS SUMMER, AT THE END OF THIS SUMMER. SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. OUR COLLECTION IS A SUPPORT FOR HORTICULTURE COLLECTION, UPDATED EQUIPMENT, AND THE INDOOR CONNECTION TO THE CONSERVATORY THROUGH OUR NEW BUILDING. EXHIBIT INTERPRETATION, THIS IS AMANDA'S DEPARTMENT, BUT TONS OF NEW SIGNAGE, EDUCATIONAL SIGNAGE SO PEOPLE CAN ENGAGE WITH OUR COLLECTION WHEN THEY VISIT. AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WE ARE ADDING IN THESE NEW SPACES ARE EVENT SPACES. RIGHT NOW WE DO HOST A LOT OF WEDDINGS, AND DEMAND HAS SKYROCKETED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. AND RIGHT NOW WE HOST WEDDINGS IN A GREENHOUSE, AND IF YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT THAT'S LIKE IN AUGUST, IT'S VERY HOT. SO WE REALLY NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A SPACE WHERE BRIDES AND GROOMS AND FAMILIES CAN HAVE CELEBRATIONS. DIFFERENT EVENTS IN THE MODERN EVENT SPACES THAT PEOPLE ARE USED TO. AND SO THEY CHOOSE THE BOTANICAL GARDEN OVER OTHER THINGS. AND THEN MOST OF ALL, ALL OF THESE THINGS GIVE US GENERATIONAL GROWTH AND STABILITY. SO WE CAN RAISE MORE FUNDS, WE CAN OFFER MORE PROGRAMMING TO THE COMMUNITY, AND REALLY, REALLY THINK ABOUT OUR MISSION THROUGH EVERY SINGLE THING THAT WE DO. SO WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, IF YOU CAN SEE HERE, THIS IS THE NEW BUILDING. THIS IS THE EXISTING CONSERVATORY HERE. THIS IS AN EXISTING GREEN BUILDING THAT WAS BUILT IN THE 1960S. THESE ARE TWO GREENHOUSES THAT COME OFF THAT BUILDING. THIS IS EXISTING SPACE. THIS IS NEW CONSTRUCTION THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW AND THIS IS THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION BUILDING. THIS IS THE CURRENT PARKING LOT HERE. THIS IS WHERE THAT DROP-OFF CIRCLE IS THAT WE JUST MENTIONED. THIS WILL BE THE NEW ENTRANCE TO THE CONSERVATORY AND THE ENTIRE CAMPUS INSTEAD OF THE FRONT ENTRANCE WHICH WILL BECOME A CEREMONIAL ENTRANCE. THIS IS A TWO-STORY BUILDING THAT INCLUDES THE EVENT CENTER, THE CLASSROOM, THE GIFT SHOP, THE NEW ADMISSION AREA, VISITOR LOCKER, CAFE. AND THIS BUILDING WILL IMPROVE OUR HORTICULTURE CENTER TO A WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUILDINGS. ALL OF OUR TEAM, A LOT OF BACK HOUSE SPACES, BUT SOME FRONT BASEMENT SPACES, RESTROOMS FOR THE EVENT FACILITY AND SO ON. YOU CAN SEE THIS LAMP WHICH AREA, THIS IS THE 90,000 SQUARE FEET OF GARDENS THAT ARE BEING ADDED. THERE'S SOME INTERNAL COURTYARD THAT WILL BE PROTECTED BY BUILDINGS ON THREE SIDES AND FENCED IN SO WE CAN HAVE SOME REALLY BEAUTIFUL PLANT COLLECTIONS IN HERE, SOME PLANTS TOO AND SOME FUN. WE ARE ALSO ADDING AN ADDITIONAL PARKING LOT ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF OUR CAMPUS. WE CAN OFFER A MUCH MORE CONVENIENT AND CONVENIENT SOLUTION. AND THIS IS A QUICK VIDEO OF OUR PROGRAM TODAY. [00:10:47] SO SUPER EXCITING. WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH. OUR CAMPUS IS A BIT OF A MESS, BUT WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT THIS BUILDING IS THAT IT IS KEPT BEHIND THE CONSERVATORY, SO VISITORS WON'T EVEN SEE IT UNTIL THEY PULL INTO THE PARKING LOT. WE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS BUILDING DID NOT COMPETE WITH THE FRONT CONSERVATORY BECAUSE THAT REALLY IS OUR HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT BUILDING, AND WE NEVER WANT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THAT. THIS REALLY IS A FUNCTIONAL, OPERATIONAL BUILDING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND BE ABLE TO GENERATE THE REVENUE WE NEED TO MANAGE THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF THE CONSERVATORY AND OUR ENTIRE CAMPUS. THIS IS A RENDERING OF OUR NEW ENTRANCE, SO THAT'S THE NEW ENTRANCE RIGHT THERE. THAT'S HOW YOU GO INTO THE NEW BUILDING. THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL SHOT OF THE EVENT SPACE ON THE TOP FLOOR, THE EDUCATION. CLASSROOM ON THE BOTTOM FLOOR AND THIS IS ALL FACING OUT INTO SOUTH PARK. RIGHT NOW OUR COLLEGE CAMPUS IS ORIENTED TO SOUTH PARK AVENUE, SO WE'VE SORT OF TURNED THE TABLES. SO NOW YOU CAN REALLY ENJOY SOUTH PARK, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PARTS IN OUR SYSTEM. I CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF ANYTHING. THIS IS A SHOT OF OUR NEW CLASSROOM. I KNOW OUR FRIENDS FROM HAMBURG ARE HERE TODAY, SO YOU MIGHT COME OVER AND ENJOY THIS. ON A FIELD TRIP SOMEDAY, WE HAVE TWO OF THESE LARGE CLASSROOMS THAT LOOK OUT INTO THE PARK. THE KIDDOS CAN GO OUTSIDE TO THE EXTERIOR DOOR ALSO, SO THEY CAN LEARN HOW TO GET THE ENERGY OUT BEFORE WE PUT THEM BACK ON THE BUS. IT'S A BIGGER PROGRAM. THIS IS THE ATRIUM ON THE SECOND LEVEL THAT GOES OUT INTO THE CONSERVATORY. YOU CAN KIND OF SEE A HINT OF THE CONSERVATORY RIGHT HERE. SO THIS FACES INTO THE INTERIOR COURTYARD. THIS IS AN AMAZING SHOT. THIS IS OF THE EVENT CENTER. SO THIS EVENT IS IN CELEBRATION. THIS IS A SHOT OF THE COURTYARD BACK AT THOSE WINDOWS WE WERE JUST LOOKING OUT OF. AND A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE INSECT. BUT BEFORE I MOVE ON, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS SO FAR ON THE CURRENT CONSTRUCTION? THIS IS A GREAT PENCIL DRAWING THAT KIND OF SHOWS YOU WHERE THIS BUILDING IS, TOPS BEHIND THE CONSERVATORY, AND HOW THE CONSERVATORY REALLY IS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN THIS BUILDING AND WHERE IT KIND OF SITS ON OUR CAMPUS. THIS BUILDING WAS ALSO THOUGHT WAS BUILT WITH... YOU KNOW, ENERGY IS A TOP PRIORITY. THE BUILDING IS CARBON NEUTRAL, WHICH WE'RE VERY EXTREMELY PROUD OF. IT REDUCES ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY 38%. THERE WILL BE SOLAR PANELS ON BOTH BUILDINGS, THE EXISTING GROW RANGE BUILDING AND THE NEW BUILDING, WHICH WILL OFFSET 10% OF THE BUILDING'S TOTAL ENERGY. THE ANNUAL CO2 SAVINGS WILL EQUATE TO ABOUT 20 CARS OFF THE ROAD, AND THE LENDING HOME WILL OFF THE GRID EVERY SINGLE YEAR. WATER, WE ARE DOING A TON FOR WATER RETENTION. WE HAVE WATER TENSION IN THE POND AND THE BACK. WE HAVE SOME TURTLES AND SOME DUCKS THAT HAVE ALREADY MOVED IN. THAT'S VERY INTENTIONAL. WE WANTED TO CREATE AN AREA FOR WILDLIFE TO REALLY HAVE NEW HOMES. WITHIN OUR PARK AND AROUND OUR BUILDING. SO WE HAVE FIVE-QUAIL STORMWATER MANAGEMENT IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, A SMART IRRIGATION SYSTEM THAT KNOWS WHEN IT'S RAINING SO IT DOESN'T TURN ON. IT'S REALLY AMAZING. EFFICIENT FIXTURES INSIDE AND OUT TO REDUCE WATER USAGE BY ABOUT 42%. THE MATERIALS WE'RE USING IS, WE ARE USING THIS MASS TIMBER DESIGN, WHICH IS PRETTY INCREDIBLE AND VERY UNIQUE TO WESTERN NEW YORK. THERE IS NOT ONE LIKE IT AT THIS SCALE. IT'S ACTUALLY CARBON NEGATIVE, SO IT'S TAKING IN SOME CARBON TO ALSO MAKE THE BUILDING CARBON NEUTRAL. AND I'LL JUST SHOW YOU PICTURES HERE. SO YOU CAN SEE THIS IS THE FIRST FLOOR AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE THROUGH THE SCALE THERE'S ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES JOE, YOU KNOW HIM, HE'S IN THIS PICTURE. IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF SCALE OF THE FIRST FLOOR AND OPEN MASS TIMBER ABOVE YOU WHICH WILL THREE FEET THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE BUILDING. THIS IS UPSTAIRS, THIS IS YOU KNOW IN RELATION TO THAT SHOT OF THE EVENT CENTER. SO ALL THIS WOOD, EXPOSED WOOD, WILL BE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE [00:15:02] BUILDING. AND THEN WE THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EQUITY AND COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS. WE'RE ADDING LOTS OF ACCESSIBLE FEATURES WITH THE DROP-OFF AREA, THE GENDER-NEUTRAL RESTROOM, ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMPONENTS OF THE BUILDING THAT REALLY SPEAK TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. TONS OF SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMMING FOR ADULTS, FOR KIDDOS, HIGH SCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY, AND MIDDLE SCHOOL. TO YOU KNOW REALLY FOCUS ON SOME ENGINEERING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THESE ECO-COMPUTERS EVO CONSCIOUS DESIGN. PROJECT OVERVIEW, WHEN WE SAY 31 MILLION, WE MEAN ALL OF IT, ALL THE EXHIBITS, ALL THE OUTDOOR IMPROVEMENTS, ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS AND BEYOND. SO WE THINK ABOUT THIS PROJECT AS A WHOLE. WE REALLY WANTED TO BE THOUGHTFUL. WE DIDN'T JUST WANT TO BUILD A BUILDING. WE WANTED TO CREATE A CAMPUS THAT REALLY WAS EXCITING FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND FOR OUR STAFF AND TEAM AND VOLUNTEERS. WE ARE ON TIME, ON BUDGET. AGAIN, ON TIME, ON BUDGET. I DON'T KNOW IF OTHER PROJECTS CAN SAY THAT, BUT WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD RIGHT NOW. ALSO, THIS IS A MOMENT IN TIME. RIGHT NOW, TODAY, BUT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT, AND WE ARE SURROUNDED BY AN INCREDIBLE TEAM THAT HELPS US MOVE THIS FORWARD EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND WE ARE SCHEDULED TO OPEN DECEMBER, WELL, CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE DECEMBER 18, 2026, AND WE'RE HOPING TO OPEN THE END OF JANUARY 2027. WE HAVE RAISED 97% OF THIS. SO WE'VE RAISED, THIS COMMUNITY HAS RAISED OVER $30 MILLION FOR THIS PROJECT. AND OUR GOAL IS TO RAISE $800,000 MORE. SO THAT'S A REALLY SMALL PORTION OF THE ENTIRE BUDGET. AND YOU CAN SEE HERE IN THE CHART, ERIE COUNTY IS CONTRIBUTING 21% TO THAT BUDGET. NEW YORK STATE'S AT 50%, WE'VE RAISED 24%, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS IN AT 2%, AND WE JUST HAVE THIS $80,000 LEFT TO GO. SO IT'S INCREDIBLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR HELPING TO MAKE THIS PROJECT MOVE FORWARD. WE JUST CAN'T SAY ENOUGH OF HOW MUCH WE CAN'T WAIT TO MOVE INTO THAT BUILDING AND START TO OFFER PROGRAMS TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO HAVE THE OPERATIONAL FACILITIES THAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE DO EVERY DAY. YES? WITH A BIG PROJECT LIKE THAT, THERE'S LIKE TWO ASPECTS OF IT. ONE IS LIKE YOU WANTED TO HAVE THE PROPERTY ITSELF BE ECONOMICALLY SUSTAINABLE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. ON THE OTHER HAND, SINCE WE'RE PUTTING ALL THIS... PUBLIC MONEY WE WANT IT TO BE WITHIN REACH OF EVERY PERSON REGARDLESS OF WEALTH. SO HOW DO YOU, WHAT IS THE METHOD OF THE ADMISSION AND PRE-ADMISSION DAYS TO MAKE IT SO THAT EVERY KID COULD ENJOY IT, EVERY FAMILY, BUT THE OTHER KIDS GET THE SAME HOPE? YES, WE HAVE TONS OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. WE DO FIRST SEPTEMBER, WE STARTED A NEW KIDS ARE FREE PROGRAM. SO IT'S A GROWING BACK TO SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR KIDS ARE FREE IN SEPTEMBER. WE PARTICIPATE IN OUR DASCA. WE ARE A BLUE STAR. MUSEUM. WE DO THINGS FOR VETERANS. WE DO THINGS FOR FAMILIES. WE HAVE AN EQUITABLE SCHOOL TRIP PROGRAM THAT AMANDA'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT HERE IN A MINUTE. SO WE'RE REALLY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT CREATING ASSETS AND MAKING SURE THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY CAN UTILIZE IT. THE BUILDING AND OUR FACILITIES, NOT JUST IN THE CONSERVATORY. THIS BUILDING, WE'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO OPEN UP OUR CLASSROOMS LIKE IN THE EVENINGS FOR DIFFERENT COMMUNITY EVENTS AND COMMUNITY MEETINGS AT NO CHARGE. SO THAT REALLY, THIS BUILDING HELPS US TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE THE FACILITY TO OFFER. AND WHAT ABOUT ON THE OTHER END? HAVE YOU DONE PROJECTIONS ON WHETHER THE LEAGUE IS ECONOMICALLY SUSTAINABLE IN LARGE PART OR WHAT WOULD BE THE ADDITIONAL EFFECT AND COST TO THE COUNTY ON THE MAINTENANCE? ADDITIONAL COST TO THE COUNTY ON MAINTENANCE RIGHT AFTER WE BUILD, PROBABLY NOT A TON, BUT YOU KNOW IT'S FUTURE THINKING FUTURE. WE'RE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN OUR PARTNERSHIP AND MORE FOR HARY COUNTY DIRECTLY. WE DO A GOOD JOB AND THANK THEM. WE CAN DO THIS, YOU CAN DO THAT. HOW DO WE FUNDRAISE? HOW DO WE PARTNER TO BE ABLE TO BRING IN GRANTS TO OFFSET SOME OF THE COSTS ON THE FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS? AND THEN MOST OF ANY OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS WOULD BE ON SOCIETY, THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. AND ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT WILL BE ABLE TO SET US UP TO SUSTAIN US GOING FORWARD. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, WE NEED THESE SPACES TO BE ABLE TO GENERATE MORE REVENUE. GREAT QUESTION. I JUST HAVE A COMMENT. I THINK THIS IS AWESOME. I TOLD YOU THIS BEFORE WHEN YOU SHOWED ME THE PRESENTATION. I THINK IT'S VERY SMART THAT [00:20:02] YOU GUYS ARE DOING A DIFFERENT RENTAL SPACE THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE SUPER HOT IN AUGUST. WEDDING IS BRINGING IN A LOT OF REVENUE. SO HAVING THAT SPACE, I THINK IT'S ANOTHER WAY TO ADD INTO YOUR OPERATING COSTS IN YOUR BUDGET. SO I JUST OVERALL CONGRATULATE YOU FOR BEING ON TIME, BEING ON BUDGET, AND RAISING ALL THIS FUNDS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WAS A VERY HARD THING TO DO. SO CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE OPENING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YEAH, AND THIS IS REALLY ENABLING US TO DIVERSIFY OUR REVENUE. REVENUE STREAM, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE REALLY DEPEND ON ADMISSION, IS OUR HIGHEST REVENUE STREAM. AND THIS WILL GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO PULL REVENUE FROM MANY DIFFERENT PLACES, NOT JUST ONE. SO IT REALLY DOES SET US UP TO BE MUCH MORE SUFFICIENT. OKAY. YEAH, THERE'S MORE. YEAH, OKAY. SO THIS IS WHAT WE DO ON A REGULAR BASIS. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THE SIDE OF OUR PROJECT. YEAH, THIS IS THE STUFF WE ALREADY DO THAT WILL JUST GET BIGGER AND BIGGER AND BIGGER. ALL RIGHT, SO ONE THING THAT WE REALLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT TODAY IS OUR EQUITABLE FIELD TRIP PROGRAM THAT WE OFFER CURRENTLY TO BUFFALO AND LACKAWANNA SCHOOL DISTRICT. SO AS ERIN MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE'RE A VERY POPULAR FIELD TRIP DESTINATION. WE HAVE THEM ALMOST EVERY SINGLE DAY ON THE SITE. IT'S A HUGE SOURCE OF JOY FOR OUR STAFF, AND IT'S A HUGE IMPACT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CREATE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, OVER THE YEARS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BOOKINGS THAT WE'RE GIVING IN FOR OUR FIELD TRIPS, THERE ARE SOME OBVIOUS, LIKE, LAYERING ABSENCES AS FAR AS DISTRICTS THAT ARE ABLE TO PAY FOR AND BOOK OUR PROGRAMS. SO IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THAT, WE DEVELOPED OUR EQUITABLE FIELD TRIP PROGRAMS. AND WHAT THAT DOES IS THROUGH SOME FUNDRAISING EFFORTS, WE'RE ABLE TO... PROVIDED WITH FUNDS TO PROVIDE FIELD TRIP SCHOLARSHIPS TO SCHOOLS IN BUFFALO AND LACKAWANNA. SO THAT ALLOWS US TO REDUCE THE COST AND OFFSET WHAT IT WOULD COST TO BRING STUDENTS IN FOR A FIELD TRIP. WE'VE BEEN RUNNING THIS PROGRAM FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS NOW, AND THEN A KIND OF SIMILAR PROGRAM THAT WE AUGMENTED FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS BEFORE THIS. IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF REALLY CONSISTENT FUNDERS FOR IT. JUST LAST YEAR, FOR THE 24-25 SCHOOL YEAR, WE WELCOMED OVER 01,500 STUDENTS, NINE SCHOOLS, AND COVERED THE COST OF 22 BUSES. SO THOSE ARE ALL STUDENTS THAT OTHERWISE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD TO PAY THE FIELD TRIP FEES TO COME AND TO PAY FOR TRANSPORTATION, WHICH HAS BECOME A HUGE COST ON SCHOOLS. THIS IS JUST A BREAKDOWN OF THE STUDENTS THAT CAME UNDER THE PROGRAM LAST YEAR. WE DO ONLY OFFER THIS TO PUBLIC AND CHARTER SCHOOLS WITHIN LACKAWANNA AND BUFFALO. WE DO THAT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE IDENTIFY THOSE AS THE DISTRICTS WITH THE HIGHEST NEEDS. AND ONE THING THAT WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR FIELD TRIPS AND THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT THEM AND THE WAY THAT WE APPROACH THEM IS THAT FIELD TRIPS ARE NOT JUST A FUN DAY OUT. FIELD TRIPS ARE VERY IMPORTANT. LEARNING TOOL. THERE'S BEEN STUDIES THAT HAVE COME OUT THAT HAVE SHOWN THAT FIELD TRIPS PROVIDE REAL HANDS-ON TANGIBLE EXPERIENCES FOR KIDS. IT ALLOWS THEM TO RAISE THEIR CULTURAL AWARENESS. IT PROVIDES THEM WITH HANDS-ON OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY WOULDN'T OTHERWISE RECEIVE IN THE CLASSROOM. I'M SURE WE'RE ALL AWARE THAT TEACHERS DON'T ALWAYS HAVE AS MUCH ROOM WITHIN THEIR CURRICULUM TO PROVIDE REAL WORLD OUTSIDE EXPERIENCES, AND FIELD TRIPS ARE ABLE TO DO THAT TOGETHER. SO WHEN WE STARTED HOSTING THE EQUITABLE FIELD TRIP PROGRAM, WE WERE LOOKING FOR A DATA SET TO HELP US DETERMINE THE MOST EQUITABLE WAY TO DISPERSE THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE. AND WE LANDED ON SOME DATA THAT IS PROVIDED THROUGH THE NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. AND THE NUMBER THAT WE USE FROM THEIR DATA IS THE AMOUNT OF ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS THAT EXIST WITHIN THE SCHOOL. SO NYFED COLLECTS THIS DATA FOR EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL IN THE STATE AND THIS ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED NUMBER IS MADE UP OF A WHOLE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS. IT'S USUALLY FAMILIES WHO ARE RECEIVING SOME KIND OF GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE WHETHER THAT'S HEAP, SFI, SNAP, ANYTHING LIKE THAT. AND THE THOUGHT BEHIND THAT IS THAT WHEN WE SEE FIELD TRIPS COMING IN AND WE ACTUALLY PAY FOR THOSE FIELD TRIPS, THE TRUCKS THAT COME INTO US. OUR MOSTLY PTAS, PTOS, AND OUR THOUGHT IS THAT IF YOU ARE A SCHOOL IN A DISTRICT THAT DOESN'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF FUNDS FOR, THAT PARENTS CAN PROVIDE FOR THE SCHOOL. SO IF YOU ARE AN ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED HOUSEHOLD, [00:25:05] YOU CAN'T ALLOCATE MORE FUNDS FOR SCHOOL FUNDING, YOU CAN'T ALLOCATE FUNDS FOR PTA PAYMENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WE LANDED ON THIS AS THE BEST WAY THAT WE COULD DISTRIBUTE THOSE FUNDS IN AN EQUITABLE WAY. RIGHT NOW IN HERE YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE A SLIDING SCALE. IF YOU LOOK OVER HERE, WHERE MY GALANA IS. SO FOR EVERY SCHOOL THAT APPLIES TO OUR FIELD TRIP SCHOLARSHIP, WE GO IN, WE FIND THEIR PERCENTAGE OF EG. STUDENTS AND WE FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY SLIDE INTO THAT SCALE. SCHOOLS THAT HAVE 7% OR MORE OF ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS IN THEIR POPULATION RECEIVE FREE FIELD TRIPS, ESSENTIALLY. OUR BIG DREAM IS TO EVENTUALLY EXPAND THIS EQUITABLE FIELD TRIP PROGRAM OUT TO ALL OF ERIE COUNTY SCHOOLS SO WE CAN ADDRESS NEEDS IN OTHER DISTRICTS. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FIELD TRIP OFFERINGS THAT WE DO. RIGHT NOW WE'RE A LITTLE LIMITED BECAUSE OF OUR CONSTRUCTION. OUR CAMPUS IS A LITTLE CRAZY. SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE OFFERING GUIDED TOURS FOR STUDENTS WITH SOME SMALL HANDS-ON COMPONENTS AND SELF-GUIDED VISITS. WE ARE WORKING ON FULFILLING ALL OF THE PROGRAMMING FOR OUR NEW CLASSROOMS THAT ARE COMING TO US NEXT YEAR AND WE'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING BACK A LOT OF OUR TRIED AND TRUE AND CHANCE-BOUND FIELD TRIPS THAT WE'VE DONE BEFORE AND ADD SOME NEW ONES. WE REALLY TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT ALMOST EVERY FIELD TRIP OPTION HAS SOME SORT OF HANDS-ON COMPONENT. AND NOT ONLY HAS LIKE A HANDS-ON COMPONENT WHILE THEY'RE ON SITE, BUT SOMETHING FOR THEM TO BRING HOME WITH THEM. FOR EXAMPLE, TERRARIUMS IS OUR MOST POPULAR FIELD TRIP PROGRAM. ALL THE KIDS COME IN, THEY GET TO BUILD A TERRARIUM, AND THOSE KIDDOS DON'T LEAVE IT AT SCHOOL. THEY DON'T LEAVE IT WITH US. THEY BRING IT HOME SO THEY CAN CARE FOR IT. A LOT OF THE KIDDOS THAT COME INTO US REALLY, IT'S KIND OF SHOCKING HOW THEY'VE NEVER PLANTED ANYTHING BEFORE. MAYBE THEY'VE NEVER TOUCHED SOIL BEFORE. SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US THAT THEY LEAVE WITH SOMETHING TO CARE FOR. THESE ARE MORE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WILL BE NEW WHEN WE OPEN UP OUR NEW CLASSROOMS AND AVAILABLE TO ALL SCHOOLS. WE'VE ADDED A SUSTAINABILITY PIECE SO THAT WE HAVE MORE OFFERINGS FOR UPPER MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL. AND ALSO IT HELPS US. HIGHLIGHT ALL THE SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES OF THE NEW BUILDING. AND WE'VE ALSO ADDED IN A LOT OF ART-BASED COMPONENTS. WE'RE FINDING THAT THERE'S A HUGE NEED FOR ART STUDENTS TO COME HAVE A PLACE TO DRAW FROM REAL LIFE, ENGAGE WITH PLANTS, AND JUST OVERALL WE'RE FINDING THAT ART-BASED PROGRAMMING IS A REALLY NATURAL FIT FOR US. AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE'RE ADDING THE BUTTERFLIES ON BECAUSE WE GOT BUTTERFLIES. ALL RIGHT. SO... WHEN YOU BREAK IT DOWN, THIS PROGRAM REALLY JUST ALLOWS US TO REMOVE FINANCIAL BARRIERS AND INCREASE ACCESS TO STUDENTS WHO OTHERWISE WOULDN'T HAVE THESE EXPERIENCES, GIVE YOUNG MINDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE NATURE AND SCIENCE, AND THEN INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION OF PLANT LOVERS. ONE THING THAT WE TALK ABOUT, AND I TALK ABOUT WITH MY TEAM OF EDUCATORS ALL THE TIME, THAT IF WE CAN CONVINCE LITTLE KIDS TO CARE ABOUT NATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT, THEY GROW UP TO BE GROWN-UPS WHO CARE ABOUT NATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT. SO WE TAKE OUR ROLE IN THAT VERY SERIOUSLY. ANY QUESTIONS ON THE SCHOOL PROGRAMS BEFORE YOU RUN? HOW MUCH DOES IT USUALLY RUN FOR LIKE A FIELD TRIP, LET'S SAY WE HAVE TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE? LIKE OUR REGULAR GENERAL COSTS AND PRICES? SO IT DEPENDS ON THE PROGRAM THAT WE OFFER. IT'S REGULAR FIELD TRIPS, STUDENT GUIDED TOURS. IS EITHER $12 AND PUT THE HANDS-ON PROGRAM IS ABOUT $14 A PERSON. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH FIELD TRIPS. OBVIOUSLY, WE'VE GOT THE HANDS-ON SUPPLIES, BUT OUR BIGGEST COST REALLY IS TO PAY OUR EDUCATORS. WE DON'T UTILIZE THE VOLUNTEER POPULATION FOR EDUCATION. EVERYBODY IS A PAID EMPLOYEE AND A VERY EXPERIENCED EDUCATOR TO PROVIDE THEM WITH AN EXCELLENT EXPERIENCE. AND YOU MENTIONED YOU GUYS COVERED BUSING, WHICH I KNOW THAT'S BEEN... BIG, BIG PROBLEM. SO OVERALL, HOW MUCH DID YOU GUYS HAVE TO RAISE TO MAKE THIS PROGRAM ACCESSIBLE TO NOT ONLY BUFFALO, BUT OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS? A LOT. A LOT. I MEAN, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE DATA SET THAT I SHARED FROM LAST SCHOOL YEAR, I THINK WE ACCOMPLISHED ALL OF THAT WITH ABOUT $18,000, AND THAT WAS ONLY NINE SCHOOLS. YOU WERE ABLE TO BUILD 22 SCHOOLS, YOU SAID? IT WAS NINE SCHOOLS AND 22 FIELD TRIPS BECAUSE THERE WERE MULTIPLE SCHOOLS. OKAY. THANK YOU. I THINK PROBABLY TO EXPAND THIS PROGRAM OUT TO OTHER DISTRICTS IN ERIE COUNTY, WE NEED TO RAISE OUR FUNDRAISING GOAL TO ABOUT $50,000 A YEAR. YEP. [00:30:02] ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SCHOOL? ALRIGHT, SO ANOTHER PROGRAMMING PIECE THAT WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD OF IS OUR FARM GARDEN. SO WE HAVE TWO PLOTS OF LAND WITHIN OUR CAMPUS THAT WE'VE DESIGNATED AS AREAS FOR GROWING PRODUCE. THEY ARE NOT ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC. WE USE THEM EXPLICITLY FOR PRODUCING AS MUCH FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. ALL OF THOSE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES GO TO GERARD PLACE, WHICH IS A NONPROFIT IN AND EAST BUFFALO. THE DELMAN BAILEY COMMUNITY, THE FRESH PRODUCE GETS USED IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS THROUGH THEIR ORGANIZATION. THEY USE IT IN THEIR SOUP KITCHEN, THEY DISTRIBUTE IT THROUGH FRESH PRODUCE BOXES TO THE FOLKS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THEY ALSO DO THINGS LIKE COOKING CLASSES. TO DATE, OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE STARTED DOING THIS IN 2019, WE HAVE DONATED OVER 10,000 POUNDS OF FRESH PRODUCE TO GIRARD PLACE. AND WHEN YOU EQUATE THAT WITH ACTUAL SERVING, IT'S OVER 61,000. WE'VE BEEN REALLY, REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS PROJECT. IT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR STAFF CARES VERY DEEPLY ABOUT. ALL OF OUR HORTICULTURE TEAM WORKS ON THIS. WE JUST HAVE A DEDICATED STAFF MEMBER WHO FACILITATES MOVING THE PRODUCE AND MANAGING WHAT WE PLANT. WE'VE ALSO DEVELOPED A REALLY CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH JERMAR PLACE, WITH THEIR STAFF. WE DELIVER PRODUCE TO THEM EVERY SINGLE WEEK. WE GET TO KNOW THEM. WE ALSO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN PROVIDE SOME PROGRAMMING WHENEVER WE'RE ABLE TO. LAST SUMMER, WE HAD THEIR SENIOR GROUP CAME OUT AND THEY VISITED THE FARM GARDEN AND THE CONSERVATORY, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO HELP WITH THE HARVEST FOR THAT WEEK AND THEN BRING IT BACK WITH THEM, WHICH WAS REALLY, REALLY IMPACTFUL. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FIND REALLY FASCINATING ABOUT OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH GERARD PLACE IS THAT IT ALLOWS US TO PROVIDE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE FOODS TO FOLKS IN BUFFALO. A LOT OF THE FOLKS THAT GERARD PLACE SERVES ARE NEW AMERICANS, AND WHEN YOU'RE COMING TO A NEW COUNTRY, A LOT OF THE FOODS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO YOUR CUISINE OR YOUR CULTURAL IDENTITY MIGHT NOT BE READILY AVAILABLE IN THE GROCERY STORES, SO WE WORK WITH GERARD PLACE. TO POLL THEIR FOLKS AND FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS THAT THEY WANT TO SEE. AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GROW SOME OF THOSE SEEDS FOR THEM. SO THIS IS JUST OUR STATS FROM JUST LAST GROWING SEASON FOR 2025. TYPICALLY OUR GROWING SEASON IS FROM MAY UNTIL ABOUT MIDWAY THROUGH OCTOBER, THOUGH WE'RE TESTING OUT. ADDING SOME WINTER GREENS INTO THE MIX, WHICH WE JUST STARTED THIS YEAR. AND WE WERE ABLE TO DONATE OVER 3,000 POUNDS, WHICH EQUATES TO OVER 18,000 SERVINGS. OKAY, SO WE DO A LOT, AND WE'RE EXTREMELY PROUD OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO. AND THIS IS REALLY OUR IMPACT. OVERALL AS AN ORGANIZATION EACH YEAR. SO ABOUT 725,000 COMMUNITY INTERACTIONS YEAR-ROUND, 120,000 ANNUAL VISITORS, OVER 09,000 MEMBERS, 40,000 PLANTS IN OUR COLLECTION AND SEASONAL PLANTS THAT ARE IN OUR CARE EVERY YEAR, 400... 400, NO, 400 PRESS ENGAGED PARTNERS. SO WE WORK WITH ALL DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT ERIE COUNTY. 69,000 FOLLOWERS, 64,000 SUBSCRIBERS TO OUR EMAIL LIST. I KNOW YOU'RE ON THAT, RIGHT? YES, HE'S BEEN COMING THIS WEEKEND, RIGHT? YES, I WILL BE. YES, YES. IF YOU HAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS, WE WILL SEND YOU GOOD STUFF ON THE STOP. SO WE HAVE TONS OF IMPACT FOR OUR COMMUNITY. SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A SNIPPET ON WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT AND ALSO WHO WE ARE AS AN ORGANIZATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR YOUR SUPPORT NOW AND FOR THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. [GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS] ALL RIGHT, LET'S GET STARTED HERE. EVERYBODY, WELCOME TO THE MEETING OF THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. CLERK, PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL. YES, LEGISLATOR FLOREGO, TODARO, PRESENT. BARNETT, SENATOR BARNETT. GILMORE, HERE. VINYL, ALL MEMBERS PRESENT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, ON PAGE ONE, [00:35:01] ITEMS ONE AND TWO WILL BE TABLED UNDER MY AUTHORITY'S CHAIR. ITEMS THREE AND FOUR WILL BE RECEIVED AND FILED. UNDER MY AUTHORITY'S CHAIR. ON TO PAGE TWO. ITEM FIVE WILL BE RECEIVED AND FILED UNDER MY AUTHORITY'S CHAIR. ITEM SIX WILL BE TABLED UNDER MY AUTHORITY'S CHAIR. WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A DISCUSSION HERE TODAY. AND THEN ITEM SEVEN, EIGHT, AND NINE WILL BE RECEIVED AND FILED UNDER MY AUTHORITY'S CHAIR. ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO BACK TO INTRO, THEN, 7-2, THE SUPPORTING PASSAGE OF THE NEW YORK FOR ALL ACT. NOW I KNOW WE HAVE PEOPLE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK. I'M GOING TO ASK THEM, WHOEVER WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TODAY, TO COME ON UP. EVERYBODY COME ON UP IF YOU'RE HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS. TAKE A SEAT. HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE ENOUGH ROOM. WE'LL GIVE EVERYBODY AMPLE TIME TO SPEAK ON THIS. MY LIST HAS CHANGED A FEW TIMES AND I'LL LET EVERYBODY IDENTIFY THEMSELVES. DOESN'T MATTER, COME ON. BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I WAS JUST TOLD THAT THERE ARE ALSO A LITTLE CLOCK IN AS PART OF THE RECORD. THERE WERE THREE EMAILS THAT WERE SENT IN HOW CERTAIN PEOPLE WERE. TREATED AS PART OF THE RECORD. SO WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THIS PART OF THE RECORD. ALL RIGHT, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, LET'S GET STARTED. WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO FIRST? PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD IF YOU'RE REPRESENTING SOMEBODY OR YOURSELF. MY NAME IS GUY TALSETTI, AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF ORGANIZING FOR DISTRICT COUNCIL CORPS OF THE INTERNATIONAL UNION OF PAINTERS AND ALLIED TRAITS. I'M HERE IN STRONG SUPPORT OF THE NEW YORK THRILL RESOLUTION, AND I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT'S AT STAKE. I SPEND MY TIME IN THE FIELD WITH CONSTRUCTION WORKERS ACROSS ERIE COUNTY. I TALK TO WORKERS EVERY DAY WHO ARE BEING UNDERPAID, MISCLASSIFIED, AND DENIED BASIC PROTECTIONS. I HEAR DIRECTLY FROM THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING THIS REALITY. A LARGE SHARE OF THAT WORKFORCE IS LATINO. THEY ARE DOING SOME OF THE HARDEST WORK IN THIS REGION. THEY'RE BUILDING PUBLIC PROJECTS THAT ARE FUNDED BY TAXPAYER DOLLARS. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY ARE THE WORKERS MOST OFTEN TARGETED FOR EXPLOITATION, AND THIS IS NOT AN ACCIDENT. CONTRACTORS WHO BREAK THE LAW DEPEND ON FEAR. THEY DEPEND ON WORKERS BELIEVING THAT SPEAKING UP WILL PUT THEM AT RISK. THEY DEPEND ON WORKERS STAYING QUIET WHEN WAGES ARE STOLEN, WHEN SAFETY IS IGNORED, AND WHEN THE LAWS ARE VIOLATED. I'VE SEEN WORKERS MISCLASSIFIED AS INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS FOR YEARS. THIS IS A DELIBERATE BUSINESS MODEL. IT ALLOWS EMPLOYERS TO AVOID PAYROLL TAXES, AVOID WORKERS' COMPENSATION, AVOID UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, AND SHIFT ALL OF THAT BURDEN ONTO THE WORKER. IT IS ILLEGAL AND IT IS WIDESPREAD. AND THE REASON IT CONTINUES IS SIMPLE. WORKERS ARE AFRAID TO COME FORWARD. WHEN THERE IS ANY PERCEPTION THAT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT IS WORKING WITH FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, THAT FEAR INCREASES. IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW IT IS EXPLAINED OR JUSTIFIED. WHAT MATTERS IS HOW IT IS EXPERIENCED BY THESE WORKERS WHO ARE DECIDING WHETHER TO REPORT ABUSE OR STAY SILENT. RIGHT NOW, TOO MANY CHOOSE TO STAY SILENT. THAT SILENCE ALLOWS BAD ACTORS TO CONTINUE OPERATING. IT ALLOWS THEM TO UNDERCUT RESPONSIBLE CONTRACTORS WHO FOLLOW THE LAW. IT DRAGS DOWN WAGES AND STANDARDS ACROSS THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY. IT CREATES AN UNEVEN PLAYING FIELD WHERE DOING THE RIGHT THING BECOMES A COMPETITIVE DISADVANTAGE. AND THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. DISTRICT COUNCIL 4 WILL FIGHT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT. WE WILL STAND WITH WORKERS WHO ARE BEING EXPLOITED, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO EXPOSE CONTRACTORS WHO BUILD THEIR BUSINESS ON BREAKING THE LAW AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF PEOPLE. IF THIS BODY IS SERIOUS ABOUT PROTECTING WORKERS AND MAINTAINING FAIR COMPETITION IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, THEN YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS THE CONDITIONS THAT ALLOW EXPLOITATION TO THRIVE. FEAR IS ONE OF THOSE CONDITIONS. THE NEW YORK FOR ALL RESOLUTION IS A CLEAR STATEMENT THAT [00:40:01] ERIE COUNTY WILL NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THAT FEAR. IT MAKES IT CLEAR THAT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOULD FOCUS ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND NOT ON FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. THIS IS NOT A SYMBOLIC ISSUE FOR THE PEOPLE I WORK WITH. THIS IS PRACTICAL. IT AFFECTS WHETHER A WORKER REPORTS WAGE THEFT. THIS AFFECTS WHETHER SOMEONE SPEAKS UP AFTER BEING INJURED ON THE JOB. THIS AFFECTS WHETHER ENTIRE CREWS REMAIN TRAPPED. THAN TO LEAVE A WORKING CONDITIONS. YOU HAVE A CHOICE. YOU CAN ALLOW THE CURRENT CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE WHERE EXPLOITATION IS PROTECTED BY SILENCE, OR YOU CAN TAKE A STEP TO CHANGE THAT DYNAMIC. PASSING THIS RESOLUTION WILL NOT FIX EVERYTHING, BUT FAILING TO PASS IT SENDS A MESSAGE AS WELL. IT TELLS WORKERS THAT THEIR FEAR IS JUSTIFIED, AND IT TELLS BAD ACTORS THAT NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE. I'M ASKING YOU TO TAKE A POSITION THAT SUPPORTS WORKERS, SUPPORTS LONG-VOTING CONTRACTORS, AND SUPPORTS THE LONG-TERM HEALTH OF OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. PASS THIS RESOLUTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I THINK FOR CLARITY, I JUST WANT TO SAY WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW EVERYONE TO SPEAK, AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION. ANYBODY HERE HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD? WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF TIMES. WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF TIMES. YOU'RE NEXT. PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELF. MY NAME IS JENNIFER CONNER. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR JUSTICE FOR MIGRANT FAMILIES BASED IN BUFFALO, NEW YORK, WORKING THROUGH THE REGION AND WITH A LOT OF INTERACTION WITH PEOPLE WHO GET DETAINED AND PAY DETENTION. I COME TODAY AGAIN WITH URGENCY AROUND THIS MATTER. WE SHOULD HAVE PUT PROTECTIONS IN PLACE YEARS AGO WHILE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASIER. BUT THIS ISSUE OF COLLUSION AND THE POLICING OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN BUFFALO AND ERIE COUNTY IS INCREASING. THE CONSEQUENCES ARE SO MUCH MORE DEVASTATING NOW. WE HAVE A CHANCE NOW TO CORRECT THIS. AND IT FEEDS INTO RACIAL PROFILING AND THE RACIAL TARGETING OF ERIE COUNTY RESIDENTS. SO I SPOKE, THIS IS MY SECOND TIME AT THE MIC, AND I SPOKE LAST TIME TO THREE POINTS, THAT COLLUSION WHERE WE PUT LOCAL POLICING RESOURCES AT THE HANDS OF FEDERAL. PURPOSES LEADS TO VIOLATION OF DUE PROCESS. SECONDLY, WHERE WHAT WE ARE SEEING, THE TREND NATIONALLY, IS THAT FEDERAL AGENTS ARE USING CRUEL, CHAOTIC, AND INCONSISTENT PRACTICES THAT ARE LIKELY, AGAIN, TO HAVE DUE PROCESS VIOLATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS. WE ARE SEEING HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS OF THOSE. THIRD, IT'S JUST VERY BAD BUSINESS FOR ERIE COUNTY. ERIE COUNTY ACTUALLY HAS INVESTED IN THE DIVERSITY OF OUR RESIDENTS. WHAT WE SEE ECONOMICALLY AND FOR OUR COMMUNITIES IS THAT WHEN WE INVEST IN PEOPLE IN THE LONG TERM, WE SEE THIS POSITIVE OUTCOME FOR OUR THRIVING COMMUNITIES, FOR OUR ECONOMY. SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW INSTEAD... IS THAT I CAN SAY THIS AS DIRECTOR OF MY ORGANIZATION, CONSTANT ACCOUNTS OF ESSENTIALLY FOR IMMIGRANTS FROM DOWNTOWN SURROUNDING BUFFALO WHERE PEOPLE CAN'T SAFELY DRIVE WITHOUT POLICE POTENTIALLY TURNING THEM OVER TO IMMIGRATION AND THEN ALSO WORKERS BEING TARGETED DURING THE DAYS JUST TRYING TO DRIVE TO AND FROM JOB SITES. SO I SPOKE A LOT TO THAT LIST. LAST WEEK, IT'S UNREASONABLE TO THINK THAT ANYONE ONLY LIVES THEIR LIFE IN ONE PART OF THE COUNTY. BUT SOMETHING I DIDN'T GET TO SPEAK TO LAST WEEK ALSO WAS THE TRENDS WE'RE SEEING FOR WESTERN NEW YORK. SO IN WESTERN NEW YORK, OVERALL, THE FEDERAL FORCES, I UNDERSTAND THERE HASN'T BEEN A SURGE OF FOLKS LIKE IN CHICAGO. UM, LA FOR EXAMPLE, BUT THAT WE HAVE HAD A SHARP INCREASE IN TARGETING OF OUR RESIDENTS MORE SO THAN OTHER AREAS AND THAT'S BORNE OUT BY THE NUMBERS FROM THE DEPORTATION DATA PROJECT WHICH HAS BEEN REPORTED IN INVESTIGATIVE POSTS. IT HAS A LOT OF GOOD DATA AND FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR, 2026, THIS FIRST OUR FIRST THREE MONTHS OF THE YEAR, WE'VE SEEN A FOUR TIMES INCREASE. AND PEOPLE BEING TARGETED. AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS, AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO LIST SOME KIND OF REASON WHY THEY'RE TARGETING PEOPLE, THERE'S A VERY HIGH MARGIN OF WHAT THEY THEMSELVES CALL COLLATERAL, COLLATERAL DAMAGE. SO EVEN IN THESE SUPPOSED TARGETED OPERATIONS, THEY ARE JUST LITERALLY SWEEPING PEOPLE UP. AND OF COURSE, I SEE THE HUMAN COST. I SEE HOUSES EMPTY, LANDLORDS LOSING THEIR TENANTS, WORK CREWS THAT CAN'T GO OUT TO WORK, AND PEOPLE WHO CAN'T TRAVEL TO SIMPLY GET FOOD FROM THE GROCERY STORE SINCE THEY'VE BEEN CIRCLING GROCERY STORE PARKING LOTS AS A WAY TO GET PEOPLE. SO THEY'RE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO WORK OR GOING TO GET FOOD. AND THIS IS BAD BUSINESS FOR ERIE COUNTY. WE WANT PEOPLE TO SHOP. WE WANT PEOPLE TO WORK. WE WANT THE CREWS TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT. WE WANT ROOFS ON OUR HOUSE. WE WANT KIDS IN THE SCHOOLS. SO LEAVE IT AT THAT AND LEAVE IT TO QUESTIONS WHEN WE GET TO THAT POINT AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. JUST STATE YOUR NAME [00:45:02] FOR THE RECORD. HI, MY NAME IS KATHLEEN LOVE-KROLL AND I'M HERE WITH PARTNERSHIP FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD AND I'M MOSTLY HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. WE READ A STATEMENT INTO THE RECORD LAST WEEK. MY COLLEAGUE, RICHIE, DID. WE'RE HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS IN ANY WAY OR ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. I WOULD LIFT UP THE FACT THAT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT RESOLUTION FOR ERIE COUNTY BECAUSE THROUGHOUT ALL THE DISTRICTS OF ERIE COUNTY, WE HAVE FOREIGN-BORN AND IMMIGRANT RESIDENTS AND WE HAVE RESIDENTS OF COLOR WHO WE ARE SEEING BEING TARGETED ABSOLUTELY. SO AS JENNIFER WAS SAYING, THAT YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE DRIVING ALL OVER THE COUNTY, YOU ALSO HAVE PEOPLE LIVING ALL OVER THE COUNTY. THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED BETWEEN 70,000 AND 80,000 FOREIGN-BORN RESIDENTS IN YOUR COUNTY. GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS RACHEL. I'M A CIVIC EDUCATION AND PARTNERSHIP MANAGER. GOOD, I'M HERE TODAY IN SUPPORT FOR THIS RESOLUTION HERE OF OCALA. BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, EVERY COUNTY, WE ARE DIVERSE. WE ARE A COUNTY THAT'S FILLED WITH PEOPLE FROM ALL KINDS OF CLAIMS. AND WE ARE ALSO A COUNTY OF WELCOMING REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS. I'M GOING TO SPEAK MAINLY FROM A REFUGEE PERSPECTIVE SINCE I'VE WORKED SO MUCH WITH THE REFUGEE COMMUNITY AND MYSELF CAME HERE AS A REFUGEE 16 YEARS AGO. AS YOU KNOW, MANY REFUGEES, THEY HAVE WENT THROUGH A LOT OF TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES BEFORE COMING TO THE U.S. AND THEY WENT THROUGH A LOT OF LEGAL PROCESS BEFORE COMING HERE. I CANNOT IMAGINE COMING HERE FEELING LIKE FINALLY I'M HERE TO A COUNTY THAT'S SAFE, A COUNTY THAT CARES AND WELCOMES ME. AND THEN AS A RESULT OF THAT, I ENDED UP BEING TARGETED BECAUSE OF YOUR SKIN COLOR. BEING TARGETED BECAUSE YOU LOOK BORING. AND WHEN YOU STOP BY THE ICE, THEY'RE NOT EVEN ASKING YOU FOR LEGAL DOCUMENTATION, YOU JUST GET DEPORTED. JUST LIKE THAT. IT'S REALLY BRINGING A LOT OF TRAUMA TO A LOT OF REFUGEE COMMUNITIES. IT'S REMINDING THEM WHERE THEY CAME FROM. IT'S CONSTANTLY REMINDING THEM WHY THEY SHOULD GO TO CHURCH OR GO TO WORK, BECAUSE THEY'RE CONSTANTLY HAVE A FEAR OF LEAVING THE HOUSE, KNOWING THAT BECAUSE OF HOW THEY LOOK, THEY MIGHT BE STOPPED, AND NOBODY WILL CARE FOR THEIR RIGHTS. AND I HAVE HEARD A LOT OF... CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND THEY ASK ME WHAT IS MY RIGHT AND WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT DOING TO SUPPORT US. WE ARE HERE, WE ARE IN TEXAS, WE FEEL LIKE ERIE COUNTY IS OUR HOME, BUT RIGHT NOW IT FEELS LIKE IT IS NOT. SO I REALLY URGE US TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THIS. THIS IS NOT REALLY ABOUT IMMIGRANTS, IT'S ALSO EVERYONE BECAUSE WE ALL RELY ON EACH OTHER. WHEN IT COMES TO WORK, WHEN IT COMES TO A LOT OF THINGS WE SUPPORT EACH OTHER. AND THIS IS A QUESTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS. ARE WE APPLYING HUMAN RIGHTS HERE? BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY VALID IN A LOT OF HUMAN RIGHTS. WHEN I GET STOPPED BY POLICE, THE FIRST THING THEY WILL ASK ME IS FOR MY ID. BUT I AM NOT DOING THAT. AND WE KNOW THAT IS WRONG. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. MY NAME IS NATHAN FEISDUM, A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF R-CITY ACTION BUFFALO. ON WEDNESDAY OF LAST WEEK, WE SUBMITTED A STATEMENT INTO THE RECORD TO BE READ INTO THE RECORD BY EMAIL. SHOULD I READ THAT STATEMENT NOW? IF YOU CHOOSE, GO RIGHT AHEAD. THANK YOU. R-CITY ACTION BUFFALO IS A MEMBER-BASED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS TO IMPROVE THE SOCIAL WELFARE OF EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN THE CITY OF BUFFALO. AND WE'RE PART OF A COALITION SUPPORTING THE PASSAGE OF THE NEW YORK FOR ALL ACT. THE RECENT SURGE IN UNCONSTITUTIONAL ACTIVITIES BY FEDERAL AGENCIES, INCLUDING THE UNLAWFUL DETENTION AND KILLING OF IMMIGRANTS AND AMERICAN CITIZENS FOR ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF CIVIL IMMIGRATION LAW, HAS HARMED THE SOCIAL WELFARE OF OUR PEOPLE. THE MAYOR OF BUFFALO RECENTLY ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER PROHIBITING THE CITY OF BUFFALO FROM VOLUNTARILY COOPERATING WITH THESE ROGUE FEDERAL AGENCIES, BUT THIS ORDER DOES NOT APPLY TO ERIE COUNTY GOVERNMENT OR TO STATE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. IN BUFFALO. ALTHOUGH IT APPLIES TO THE BUFFALO POLICE DEPARTMENT, EVERYONE JAILED BY BPD IS CONFINED BY THE ERIE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, WHICH COLLUDES WITH FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S PERSECUTION OF IMMIGRANTS. THE TENTH AMENDMENT TO THE U.S. CONSTITUTION PROHIBITS THE [00:50:01] FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FROM COMPELLING STATES AND MUNICIPALITIES TO ENACT OR ADMINISTER ANY FEDERAL REGULATORY PROGRAM. INCLUDING FOR ENFORCEMENT OF IMMIGRATION LAW. THE NEW YORK FOR ALL ACT WOULD PREVENT THE STATE AND ITS MUNICIPALITIES FROM VOLUNTARILY PARTICIPATING IN IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. THIS WOULD ALLOW EVERYONE TO INTERACT WITH NEW YORK STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING ARRESTED OVER HOW YOU LOOK OR HOW YOU SOUND. EMPIRICAL RESEARCH PUBLISHED IN PEER-REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS SHOWS POSITIVE CORRELATIONS BETWEEN POLICIES LIKE NEW YORK FOR ALL AND SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FACTORS AND NEGATIVE OR NULL CORRELATIONS BETWEEN THESE POLICIES AND CRIME RATES. IN OTHER WORDS, NEW YORK FOR ALL WOULD HELP MAKE ERIE COUNTY SAFER AND MORE PROSPEROUS. IT WOULD ENCOURAGE IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO REPORT CRIMES, AND IT WOULD BOOST THE ECONOMY AND QUALITY OF LIFE. IN FEDERAL FISCAL YEAR 2023 TO 2024, APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF REFUGEES AND SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISA HOLDERS WHO RESETTLED IN NEW YORK STATE RESIDE IN ERIE COUNTY MORE THAN IN ANY OTHER COUNTY IN THE STATE. THESE LAWFUL IMMIGRANTS ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO WRONGFUL ARREST BY OFFICERS WHO ARE NOT TRAINED TO PROPERLY ENFORCE IMMIGRATION LAWS. FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COMMUNITY, WE ASK YOU TO VOTE FOR A LEGISLATOR. ST. JEAN TARD'S RESOLUTION SUPPORTING PASSAGE OF THE NEW YORK LAW ACT, AND I WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. STATE YOUR NAME, PLEASE. HI, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS ANNA PORTER. I'M THE SENIOR MANAGER OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT THE NEW YORK IMMIGRATION COALITION. I ALSO READ A TESTIMONY LAST WEEK. DO YOU WANT ME TO REPEAT IT OR JUST DO COMMENTS? IT'S YOUR CHOICE. OKAY. REPEAT PARTS, THEN. OKAY. I'M SORRY. I AM TESTIFYING TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE NEW YORK IMMIGRATION COALITION IN STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE RESOLUTION THAT SUPPORTS THE PASSAGE OF THE NEW YORK FOR ALL ACT. WE URGE THE ERIE COUNTY LEGISLATURE TO JOIN THE CHORUS OF VOICES ACROSS NEW YORK STATE AND ACROSS THE NEIGHBORHOODS RIGHT HERE IN ERIE COUNTY TO DEMAND THAT OUR STATE LEADERS TAKE DECISIVE STEPS TO PROTECT IMMIGRANTS, UPHOLD DUE PROCESS, AND RESTORE PUBLIC SAFETY BY PASSING THE NEW YORK FOR ALL ACT. ACROSS THE COUNTRY, FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT HAS ESCALATED DRAMATICALLY, WITH AGENTS EMPLOYING MILITARIZED TACTICS THAT TERRORIZE FAMILIES, TRAUMATIZE CHILDREN, DESTABILIZE ENTIRE COMMUNITIES, AND THAT HAVE USED DEADLY FORCE. ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS ACROSS AMERICAN CITIES AND RESULTING MURDERS IN MINNEAPOLIS SERVE AS A STARK WARNING OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF UNCHECKED FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT FOR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES NATIONWIDE, INCLUDING HERE IN NEW YORK. THE BUFFALO COMMUNITY HAS BEEN MOURNING THE LOSS OF MR. AMIN SHAH ALAM, A BUFFALO RESIDENT AND BLYDE ROHINGYA REFUGEE WHO WAS DETAINED AT THE ERIE COUNTY HOLDING CENTER FOR A YEAR AND THEN TRANSFERRED TO CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, WHO EVENTUALLY LEFT MR. ALAM TO DIE IN FREEZING TEMPERATURES. HIS DEATH WAS RULED A HOMICIDE AND HAS SPARKED OUTRAGE AND CALLS FOR JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY. MAKE NO MISTAKE, IF NEW YORK FOR ALL WAS IN PLACE, MR. ALAM'S FAMILY AND THE WIDER BUFFALO COMMUNITY WOULD NOT HAVE TO MOURN SUCH A CRUEL AND INHUMANE TRAGEDY. WE AGREE TO MR. ALAM AND WE UPLIFT THE FAMILY'S CALL FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND JUSTICE. AND WE KNOW THAT MR. NARELLE MAY HAVE SHOT ALAM. HIS DEATH IS NOT ALONE IN THE SUFFERING, THE CONSEQUENCES OF COLLUSION IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. WE HAVE SEEN COLLUSION IN CHEEKTAWAGA. WE HAVE SEEN COLLUSION IN DIFFERENT AREAS ACROSS WESTERN NEW YORK. WE'VE ALSO SEEN THAT ICE ENFORCEMENT HAS DISPROPORTIONATELY TARGETED BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES AND UNDERMINED BASIC PRINCIPLES OF DIGNITY AND DUE PROCESS FOR ALL RESIDENTS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS. SO AGAIN, WE'RE CALLING FOR THE PASSAGE OF NEW YORK FOR ALL, WHICH WOULD ESTABLISH CLEAR, COMMON-SENSE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN STATE AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN AN INCREASINGLY LAWLESS FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT REGIME. THE BILL BROADLY PROHIBITS THE USE OF STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT RESOURCES FOR CIVIL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, ENSURING THAT IMMIGRANT NEW YORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES CAN SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY INTERACT WITH COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS. TO SCHOOLS, COURTS, HOSPITALS, AND OTHER ESSENTIAL INSTITUTIONS WITHOUT FEAR OF ARREST OR DEPORTATION. SO LIMITING COLLUSION, AS OTHER STATES HAVE DONE, CAN MEANINGFULLY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF NEW YORKERS SWEPT INTO AN EVER-EXPANDING DEPORTATION DRAGNET THAT RELIES ON LOCAL COOPERATION. WE CAN AND MUST REFUSE TO BE COMPLICIT IN ICE ABUSES AND CRUELTY TOWARDS OUR IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS. SO AGAIN, WE SUPPORT THE PASSAGE OF THE NEW YORK BRAWL ACT. AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. [00:55:05] THANK YOU VERY MUCH. PLEASE TAKE YOUR HAND FOR THE RECORD. THANK YOU, AND GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS CATHERINE GRANGE. I DO WORK IN THE NONPROFIT SECTOR HERE IN BUFFALO, NEW YORK, AND I AM AN IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY. HOWEVER, I'M SPEAKING TODAY IN MY INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY. THERE'S A NARRATIVE OUT THERE THAT IMMIGRANTS BRING A CRIMINAL ELEMENT. OF COURSE, THIS IS A LAZY AND RACIST NARRATIVE AND LOW-HANGING FRUIT FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW BETTER ARGUMENTS. BUT I WANT TO MENTION THAT BECAUSE IN MY EXPERIENCE, PEOPLE OFTEN HAVE QUESTIONS AROUND THE INTERSECTION OF CRIMINAL LAW WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NEW YORK CRIME. I WANT TO REMIND FOLKS THAT IMMIGRATION IS CIVIL AND NOT CRIMINAL. NEW YORK FOR ALL DOES NOT PROHIBIT THE COLLABORATION YOU SEE BETWEEN LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FBI TASK FORCE WHERE THEY'RE TARGETING ANTI-TERRORISM AND ANTI-TRAFFICKING. NEW YORK FOR ALL DOES NOT PROHIBIT THAT. NEW YORK FOR ALL IS ABOUT THE SHARING OF CIVIL IMMIGRATION INFORMATION WITH US. AND THIS LAW WOULD HELP US TO CONTINUE TRYING TO ENFORCE AN ANTI-RACIAL PROFILING POLICY WITH OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND WITH OUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT IS SOMETHING WE'VE WORKED SO HARD AROUND FOR THE PAST HOWEVER MANY YEARS. AND SO WHAT WE SEE OFTEN IS THAT WHEN ICE IS CALLED ON AN INDIVIDUAL, LET'S SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, IN CHIEF DEWALKER, THE CHIEF DUAGAS POLICE OFFICER MIGHT HAVE PULLED THAT PERSON OVER FOR A TRAFFIC VIOLATION, BUT BECAUSE THEY SPEAK A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE OR HAVE AN ACCENT, OR QUITE FRANKLY, HAVE BLACK AND BROWN SKIN, THAT TURNS INTO A CALLING TO ACTION. WE DON'T WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT. PERSONALLY, MORALLY, WE DON'T WANT OUR POLICE OFFICERS TO BE ENGAGED IN THAT TYPE OF RACIAL PROGRAM. AND SO NEW YORK FOR ALL PREVENTS THAT AND ENSURES THAT OUR POLICE OFFICERS CAN FOCUS ON KEEPING US SAFE, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE FEEL SAFE IN OUR COUNTY. I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO THINK ABOUT THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF HEALTH CARE. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF... OF TALK AROUND, IS IT SAFE TO GO TO ECMC TO SEE HEALTH CARE? IS IT SAFE TO GO TO THESE OTHER HOSPITALS OR TO GO TO MY PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER? AND WE WANT TO ENSURE THE COMMUNITY THAT ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN THOSE BUILDINGS WILL NOT BE CALLING HIGH FOR THEM. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BEFORE I OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS, IS THERE ANYBODY THAT WOULD STILL LIKE TO SPEAK? PLEASE COME FORWARD NOW. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE CAME IN LATE. ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS MATTER? OKAY, WE HAVE ONE MORE PERSON. JUST PLEASE PUT THE MIC ON AND STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. PUSH THE BUTTON RIGHT NOW. THERE YOU GO. MY NAME IS SHANE SEYMOUR. JUST HAVING THEM BRIEFED ON WHAT TODAY'S DISCUSSION WOULD BE BASED ON, I'D LIKE TO BRING BACK TO CALL TO ORDER THAT, OF COURSE, THE PRIMARY AGENDA IS ALSO WITH THESE SOLAR PILOTS, AS HAS BEEN SAID FOR A NUMBER OF WEEKS AND A NUMBER OF MONTHS, AND AS IS GENERALLY CONSIDERED IN THE CAUCUS MEETINGS. SO WITH REGARDS TO WHAT THEY'RE SPEAKING TO HERE TODAY, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECALL THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT TYPES OF SERVICE THAT CAN BE... ALWAYS PRIORITIZED AS ANY ONE OF US CAN ATTEST TO AS CITIZENS OR RESIDENTS OF ANY COUNTY AND STATE, AND THAT INCLUDES PUBLIC SERVICE, COMMUNITY SERVICE, AND SOCIAL SERVICE. SO WITH REGARDS TO WHETHER OR NOT THESE PERSONAL OR INDIVIDUALIZED PRIORITIES AND AGENDAS CAN BE BROUGHT TO ORDER, WE ALSO NEED TO CONSIDER THAT AS A GROUP AND AS A COMMUNITY OR AS A AS CITIZENS, WE ALL HAVE A CIVIC DUTY HERE. AND FOR WHAT ARE WE SUGGESTING WITH REGARDS TO WHETHER IT IS A RACIAL CONSIDERATION OR A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION WITH REGARDS TO... THE FIRST GENTLEMAN SPEAKING FROM DISTRICT 4 HERE AS A PAINTER. WE NEED TO GET BACK TO WHAT IT IS THAT WE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO ONE ANOTHER IN REGARDS TO HOW TO PREVENT THIS SOURCE OF UNFAIRNESS FROM OCCURRING. AND I REALLY DO NOT BELIEVE THAT WITH ANY REGARDS... THAT WE HAVE ADDRESSED HERE THE CONCERNS OF OUR FIRST SPEAKER HERE, WHICH WAS THAT WE HAVE A PROFESSIONAL OBLIGATION. WE MAY HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AS [01:00:01] RESIDENTS, BUT AS CITIZENS IN THIS COMMUNITY, WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION. AND WE NEED TO RETURN TO THAT. AND IN REGARDS TO WHAT IS ON THE PRIMARY COURSE OF AGENDAS, WE CAN... SPEAK ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT ABOUT MAJOR AND MINOR COURSE OF AGENDA, BUT HERE AT COUNTY, I THINK, MAYBE, AND AS MUCH AS IT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT WITH CITY SESSIONS, AT COUNTY WE HAVE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY COURSE OF AGENDA, NOT MAJOR AND MINOR COURSE OF AGENDA. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY, BEFORE WE OPEN UP, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE WHAT YOU SAY. THANK YOU. SO, WHEN I DECIDED TO FILE THIS RESOLUTION, IT'S BECAUSE I WAS GETTING SO MANY PHONE CALLS IN MY OFFICE FROM MY RESIDENTS WHO ARE LEGAL, BUT THEY'RE SCARED TO OPEN THEIR DOORS. THEY KEEP SAYING, IS IT SAFE FOR ME TO EVEN GO TO WORK ANYMORE? THAT IS THE REALITY. AS SOMEONE WHO IS A GRANDDAUGHTER OF AN IMMIGRANT, WHO CAME OVER HERE LEGALLY, WHO BUILT HER OWN LIFE, MY GRANDMOTHER, AND SHE, AS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN LEGAL HERE FOR YEARS, IT'S SCARY. THAT'S THE REALITY. I KNOW GUY MENTIONED LAST TIME THEY WERE HERE, THERE WAS FIVE WORKERS WHO WERE LEGAL. AT THE BELL STADIUM, BUILDING UP THE STADIUM THAT ALL THESE FANS THROUGHOUT ERIE COUNTY IS GOING TO ENJOY. AND THEY WERE PICKED UP BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEY LOOKED. IT WAS THE WAY THEY LOOKED. THAT'S NOT OKAY. WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE RESIDENTS IN ERIE COUNTY. GREAT. THEY CAME HERE THE RIGHT WAY. THEY FILED THEIR PAPERWORK. THEY'VE BEEN PAYING TAXES. THEY'RE ILLEGAL. BUT WE'RE IGNORING THE WAY THEY'RE FEELING AND HOW THEY'RE GETTING CHASED AROUND. THAT'S NOT OKAY. SO NOT ONLY WHY I FILED THIS RESOLUTION WAS BASED ON MY RESIDENTS ASKING FOR THIS, BUT IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. I DON'T WANT RESIDENTS TO BE SCARED TO GO TO WORK, GO TO THE GROCERY STORE, GO TO EVENTS THAT HAPPEN IN THE COUNTY THAT WE PUT MONEY TOWARDS. THAT'S THE TRUTH OF IT. AND I HOPE THAT THIS RESOLUTION PASSES. BUT NOT ONLY THIS, I'M USING MY VOICE TALKING TO THE CURRENT PEOPLE IN ALBANY AND TELLING THEM, PLEASE INCLUDE THIS INTO THE BUDGET. BECAUSE IF WE DON'T HAVE PROTECTIONS FOR OUR RESIDENTS, AND WE DON'T STAND UP FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE, THEN WHY ARE WE RUNNING THIS BUSINESS? SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR COMING, NOT ONLY LAST WEEK, BUT CAME BACK THIS WEEK. THANK YOU. I WILL SAY, IF YOU DON'T MIND, TALKING ABOUT WHY DO YOU GUYS THINK THIS NEEDS TO PASS AND HOW WOULD THIS AFFECT THE COUNTY? AND THEN I HAVE A QUESTION FOR GUY. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED AT THE STADIUM WITH THE FIVE WORKERS WHO WERE ILLEGAL? I BELIEVE THEY WERE PICKED UP AFTER WORK. AND I CAN'T SPEAK TO EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT, BUT YES, I BELIEVE. THEY WERE SIMPLY PICKED UP BASED ON RACIAL PROFILING AND THAT WAS IT. THANK YOU GUYS. THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE BUILDING OUR STADIUM, WHO ARE LEGAL, GOT STOPPED AFTER A LONG SHIFT BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEY LOOK. THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTY RIGHT NOW. AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, I BELIEVE WE HAVE A ATTORNEY HERE. I KNOW YOU HAVE SIGNS RIGHT NOW. AND SOME OF THEM ARE SCARED, SOME OF THEM HAVE TEMPORARY DISEASES, IF I'M CORRECT. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT AND WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT AREA AND WHAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING CURRENTLY? I'LL JUST SAY THAT WE HAVE SEEN THE GOALPOST OF WHAT IS CONSIDERED ILLEGAL MOVED THROUGHOUT THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF. RIGHT, SO PEOPLE WHO HAVE FOLLOWED THE ASYLUM ON OUR COUNTRY, HAVE COME TO OUR COUNTRY, TURNED THEMSELVES INTO ICE AT THE BORDER, HAVE LITERALLY BEEN DETAINED, [01:05:01] HANDCUFFED, AND ISSUED A... OF PAPERWORK TO THEN SHOW UP IN COURT, FILE THIS ASYLUM CLAIM, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW THIS LAW THAT WE'VE HAD FOR OVER 50, 50 TO 70 YEARS AT THIS POINT, FAST NOW. BUT THEY'RE FOLLOWING THAT LAW AND THOSE ARE THE EXACT PEOPLE THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION IS GOING AFTER. STUDENTS WHO COME ON VISAS, WORKERS WHO COME ON VISAS. THOSE VISAS ARE JUST BEING TAKEN AWAY EARLY AND WITHOUT ADVANCE NOTICE. PEOPLE WHO HAD TEMPORARY PROTECTIVE STATUS, SOMETHING THAT SHOULDN'T BE A POLITICAL CONSIDERATION, ARE ALL OF A SUDDEN LOSING THAT STATUS BECAUSE THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS DECIDED THAT THEIR COUNTRIES ARE SAFE ENOUGH TO GO BACK TO. AND SO PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE EVERYTHING RIGHT ARE NOW THE TARGET FROM THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OVERWHELMINGLY BEING ARRESTED. AND YOU SEE THAT. JENNIFER CONNOR, I LOVE THE WAY SHE PUT THIS ONE DAY, THAT THE TARGET IS NOT THE WORST OF THE WORST CRIMINALS. THE TARGET IS A WORKER OR A PERSON WHO TAKES THEIR CHILD TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY. THOSE ARE THE TWO CATEGORIES THAT WE SEE OVER AND OVER AGAIN. WHY? BECAUSE I CAN RELY ON THE FACT THAT THIS PERSON EVERY DAY AT 8 A.M. WILL BE DRIVING ON THIS ROAD TO TAKE THEIR TRUCK TO SHOW UP AT THE NETWORK SITE. THAT'S THE TARGET THAT THEY'RE GOING AFTER, AND I'M NOT OKAY WITH THAT. I DON'T THINK ANYONE IN THIS ROOM IS. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOU ONCE AGAIN, ALL YOU GUYS COMING HERE. I'M GOING TO LET ANY OTHER LEGISLATOR HAVE THE FLOOR IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. OKAY. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. I'M GOING TO OPEN THE FLOOR TO QUESTIONS. LEGISLATOR TARRANT, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU, CHAIR. I'M A LITTLE BIT CURIOUS ON THIS LAST CONVERSATION ABOUT THE GENTLEMAN THAT WAS PICKED UP FROM THE WORKERS AT THE STADIUM. WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME OF THAT? OBVIOUSLY, THEY WERE RELEASED, BUT CAN YOU ELABORATE IF WE KNOW, WERE THEY SPENDING THE NIGHT? IS THERE A REPORT ON THIS WHATSOEVER, ON RECORD? OKAY, I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON THAT. MIKE, WE NEED YOUR MICROPHONE, BECAUSE WE CAN'T HEAR YOU. DO YOU MEAN ON THE BILLIS STADIUM OR WORKERS IN JACKSONVILLE? I'M JUST, ON THIS, MY TASK WAS THE BELL STADIUM, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER STORY, JUST SO I CAN HEAR EXACTLY HOW THE PROCESS HAS WORKED FOR SOME OF THESE INDIVIDUALS. YES, SO AS AN ORGANIZATION, THAT OFTEN WE'RE THE FIRST, ONE OF THE FIRST PLACES PEOPLE CALL RIGHT AFTER SOMETHING HAPPENS, SO I CAN REPORT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE. AND THAT INCLUDES, I MENTIONED THIS LAST WEEK, THE ROOFING BOXES WILL NOW POP UP, WHICH IS UNUSUAL. IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'VE EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST. SO ONE OF THOSE CALLS IS THAT A ROOFING CREW OF TWO VEHICLES, ABOUT 15 PEOPLE, IS TRAVELING ON THE 290. THE FIRST VEHICLE GETS PULLED OVER. THEY'RE NOT SURE WHY. IT'S SOME KIND OF TRAFFIC STOP. THE SECOND VEHICLE SAYS, OKAY, WELL, WE'LL PULL OVER TOO. WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT OUR CREW IS OKAY. SO, AGAIN, CHARACTERIZED BY WORKERS WHO ARE TRYING TO SHOW UP FOR WORK, MAKE SURE EVERYONE GETS THERE, BE CONSISTENT, DO WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO DO, LIKE COMPLY WITH THE LOCAL POLICE. THE POLICE CALLED BORDER PATROL. THE ARREST ON BORDER PATROL SHOWED UP AND JUST DETAINED THIS WHOLE CREW OF ABOUT 15 PEOPLE. THE ROOFING FOLKS CALLED IT ALMOST IN TEARS, SAYING HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO OPERATE A BUSINESS. AND WHAT WE SEE IN THOSE STOPS IS, AGAIN, I MENTIONED A LOT OF DUE PROCESS VIOLATIONS, AND I WON'T GET INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL, BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN WAYS IN WHICH THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO APPROACH STOPS, ASKING PEOPLE QUESTIONS. THERE'S THINGS THAT POLICE CAN ASK AND ARE SUPPOSED TO, ACCORDING TO THE LAW. AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS POLICE ARE GOING... WELL BEYOND THAT INTO AREAS THEY'RE NOT TRAINED IN, AND THEN USING, YOU CAN CALL IT DISCRETIONARY RACIAL PROFILING TO THEN CALL BORDER PATROL, WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT INSTANCE. BECAUSE CLEARLY WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN IN A TRAGIC STOP IS THAT POLICE WOULD INTERACT WITH THE DRIVER AND CHECK ON WHETHER THERE WAS ANY DRIVING RELATED ISSUES. THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT IN A STRAIGHTFORWARD TRAFFIC. SO THAT'S ONE STORY, AND I CAN SAY THAT'S HAPPENED A LOT OF TIMES. WHEN THEY WERE DETAINED, THERE WERE BEING CRUISED. DID THEY HAVE ANY DOCUMENTS [01:10:01] ON THEM, OR THEIR EMPLOYERS HAD DOCUMENTS TO GIVE TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT? SO, OF COURSE, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT FOR, LIKE, EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS. BUT THERE IS A GENERAL STORY THAT I'VE HEARD OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I DON'T SPEAK AS AN ATTORNEY, BUT I SEE A LOT OF THE EFFECTS OF THE LEGAL SYSTEM HAS BEEN MENTIONED. THE TYPICAL STORY, THE OVERARCHING ONE, IS PEOPLE, LARGELY PEOPLE WHO ARE ASYLUM SEEKERS, SO AGAIN, PRESENTED AT THE BORDER, WENT THROUGH A BIOMETRIC, WENT THROUGH LONG LEGAL PROCESSES, STACKED THE PAPERWORK, THEY'RE SHOWING UP FOR COURT, THEY'RE SHOWING UP FOR APPOINTMENTS. AND IN THAT PROCESS, PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO... MANY PEOPLE, MOST PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO GET A WORK PERMIT. SO A LOT OF TIMES WHEN THE WORKERS ARE STOPPED, THE POLICE WILL ILLEGALLY, THIS IS ILLEGAL, ASK PASSENGERS TO SHOW THEIR IDS WITH NO PROBABLE CAUSE, NO REASON. AND WORKERS, AGAIN, THEY'RE THINKING, I'M DOING EVERYTHING I'VE BEEN TOLD. I'M DOING EVERYTHING THE RIGHT WAY. I'M FOLLOWING THE LAWS. I'M HERE. I WANT TO SHOW YOU THAT I'M FOLLOWING THE LAW. LIKE, I WANT TO SHOW YOU HOW MUCH I'M DOING THAT. HERE'S MY WORK PERMIT. HERE'S MY ID. AND SOMETIMES EVEN BASED ON THOSE, THE POLICE WILL CALL IMMIGRATION. THE LAST QUESTION ON THIS PIECE IS, WERE THEY JAILED AT ALL? YEAH, SO THE MAJORITY OF THOSE KIND OF STOPS LEAD TO DETENTION. PEOPLE ARE SENT TO THE BUFFALO FEDERAL DETENTION CENTER, AND THAT'S WHERE I REALLY SPOKE TO THE SHARP INCREASE IN NUMBERS HERE. SO PEOPLE GET TAKEN OUT OF, VERY DISRUPTIVE, THEY TAKE THEM TO PUBLIC PLACES. SO THEY'RE TAKEN TO BATAVIA, 50 MILES AWAY. THEY'RE TAKEN TO SOME OTHER LOCATIONS. AND THEN THERE'S BEEN A HUGE INCREASE IN PEOPLE QUICKLY BEING TRANSFERRED OUT OF STATE TO TEXAS, LOUISIANA, AND NEW MEXICO. VERY QUICKLY, WHICH DISRUPTS, OF COURSE, THE FAMILY, BUT ALSO LEGAL ACCESS. IT CHANGES LEGAL ACCESS. THE OTHER BIG ISSUE IN BATAVIA... AND IN DETENTION IS THAT THEN MANY PEOPLE, THE JUDGE WILL REVIEW IT, AND THE ONLY WAY FOR SOME PEOPLE TO GET RELEASED IS THROUGH A BOND. THIS IS DIFFERENT FROM BAIL. A BOND MUST BE PAID IN FULL. THE AVERAGE BOND IS AROUND $10,000 PAID IN FULL. BUT LIKE THIS WEEK, EVEN TODAY, I CAN SAY PEOPLE ARE BEING RELEASED BECAUSE THE JUDGE REVIEWED THE CASE AND SAID... THESE PEOPLE SHOULD BE LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY. BUT YEAH, THEY STILL HAVE TO PAY MAYBE 1%, $25,000 TO GET OUT. THAT MONEY HAS BEEN HELD BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SO IF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT LOCAL DOLLARS, WE'RE LOOKING AT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FROM WORKERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THEY'RE BEING FROZEN BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS JUST HOLDING THAT MONEY AND USING IT FOR YEARS NOW. SO I KNOW THAT... ABOUT THE HUMAN ASPECT BUT WHEN PEOPLE ARE DETAINED IT LITERALLY EXTRACTS MONEY HUGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY FROM THE LOCAL ECONOMY. I APPRECIATE ST. JEAN TIRED SPONSORING THIS AND I ALSO APPRECIATE ALL YOU COMING AND WE I DO BELIEVE THAT ALL THE LEGISLATORS WE LOVE OUR COUNTRY WE LOVE OUR COMMUNITY RESPECT THE CONSTITUTION AND TAKE AN OATH TO IT, AND WE'RE INTERESTED IN ALWAYS PRESERVING THE PUBLIC PURSE. AND SO, ON THE ONE HAND, IT SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO SAY IT'S NOT RIGHT, AND ON TOP OF THAT, TO SAY IT'S INHUMANE AND SO FORTH, AND ALSO THAT IT'S A VIOLATION OF CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. BUT I WANTED TO HAVE YOU MAYBE TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE COST OF IT, IN THE SENSE THAT WE KNOW IT'S A FALSE NARRATIVE THAT IMMIGRATION COSTS AMERICA. IT'S, AT WORST, REVENUE NEUTRAL. AND I WANTED TO VERIFY THAT, BUT ON TOP OF THAT, THIS CONFUSION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT ABOUT CONSTITUTIONALITY, IT'S NOT UP TO THEM. EVENTUALLY, WE ALL PAY FOR IT. AND PPG DID A, YOU KNOW, ROUGH ANALYSIS JUST IN THE LAST, LIKE, I THINK TWO, NOT EVEN THREE YEARS. WE HAVE JUDGMENTS AND VERDICTS AGAINST ERIE COUNTY FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ERRORS OF $300 MILLION JUST IN THIS SHORT TIME. SO THESE ERRORS OF... WHAT IS CONSTITUTIONAL THAT YOU CAN HOLD SOMEONE AFTER THEY'VE BEEN RELEASED WAITING FOR ICE TO COME WITHOUT A WARRANT, WITHOUT AN ARREST WARRANT, WITHOUT ANYONE BOTHERING TO GO TO A JUDGE AND SAYING, CAN WE GET A WARRANT OF ARREST FOR SOMEONE? WITHOUT THAT CONSTITUTION, EVENTUALLY WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THAT. JUST AS WE PAID FOR $300 MILLION OF VERDICTS AND SETTLEMENTS JUST IN THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS. SO AS FAR AS THE ECONOMIC COST. IF YOU COULD SPEAK, LIKE, I DON'T THINK PEOPLE ARE UNDERSTANDING THE ACTUAL CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATIONS. ABOUT, YOU WERE SAYING THAT YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO ASK SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, [01:15:01] THAT'S THERE FOR THEIR ID. BUT WORSE THAN THAT, LIKE, I MEAN, I HAD IN MY OWN DISTRICT SOMEBODY WHO'S A FULL U.S. CITIZEN WHO WAS TAKEN BY LOCAL POLICE, CALLED THE ICE, DETAINED HIM. ICE TOOK HIM, NO ONE IN THE FAMILY KNEW WHERE HE WAS FOR THREE DAYS. I WAS LIKE LITERALLY THREE AND A HALF HOURS ON THE PHONE. TRYING TO FIND THIS HUMAN BEING AND WHO'S A FULL U.S. CITIZEN, NOT IN THE VIRGINIA, NOT IN ANY JAIL, NOT ANYWHERE, SOMEWHERE UNTIL WE COULD FIND HIM AND GET HIM RELEASED. BUT THE THING IS THAT THE COST, IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN IN MORE DETAIL TO THE FELLOW LEGISLATORS THE CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATIONS OF THAT. YES, PLEASE. SURE. THANK YOU, LEGISLATOR. SO ARRESTS AND DETENTION BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS BASED ON THE COLOR OF SOMEONE'S... SKIN OR THE WAY THEY SPEAK, RISKS VIOLATING THE 14TH AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, ALLOWING PLAINTIFFS TO BRING CASES UNDER SECTION 1984 IN FEDERAL COURT ALLEGING THESE VIOLATIONS AND EXPOSES THE COUNTY TO SIGNIFICANT LIABILITY. AND THEN ALSO, WHAT ABOUT THE FACT THAT SOMEBODY IS SUPPOSED TO BE RELEASED AND THEY'RE HELD? AND THERE'S NO WARRANTS OR CRIMES COMMITTED. AS YOU SAID, THESE AREN'T CRIMES. THESE ARE CIVIL ACTIONS. IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE MORE. HOW IS THAT NOT KIDNAPPING? HOW IS THAT NOT FALSE ARREST? HOW IS IT DOING SOMETHING OTHER THAN... I MEAN, I'M JUST SAYING THAT WE'RE THE ONES WHO HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS. SO IT'S NOT THE MISTAKES OF THE SHERIFF. IT'S MISINTERPRETATIONS OR CONFUSION ABOUT THE LAW. ULTIMATELY, THE TAXPAYER HAS TO PAY. AND LIKE I SAID, WE'VE ALREADY PAID... WE HAVE EITHER JUDGMENTS AND SETTLEMENTS JUST IN LESS THAN THREE YEARS OF $300 MILLION. OUR WHOLE YEARLY PROPERTY TAX IS $330 MILLION. WE HAD A BUILDING TODAY, $30 MILLION FOR THE WHOLE BUILDING, THE PROGRAMS, EVERYTHING ELSE COST $300 MILLION. WE COULD HAVE 10 MORE OF THOSE WITH JUST WHAT MISTAKES BY OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT. SO IF YOU COULD GO INTO THAT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT. DO YOU FEEL THAT THIS WOULD GIVE CLEAR DIRECTION TO OUR LOCAL SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO SAY THAT YOU CAN COOPERATE WITH THE WARRANT? IF SOMEONE HAS AN ACTUAL LEGAL WARRANT, YOU CAN HELP EXECUTE THAT WARRANT. BUT ABOUT CLEARING THE CONFUSION SO THAT CERTAIN LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE CONFUSED ABOUT THE ACTUAL LAW AND CONSTITUTION. IF YOU COULD TALK ON THAT A LITTLE BIT. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SO BASICALLY, THIS ACT WOULD... MAKE IT VERY CLEAR TO ALL LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT YOU HAVE TO ACT ONLY ON, AS YOU SAID, JUDICIAL WARRANTS. OR COURT ORDERS OR SUBPOENAS FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES REGARDING CIVIL IMMIGRATION. OTHERWISE, YOU JUST HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, ATTEND TO THE BUSINESS OF YOUR JURISDICTION. YEAH, SO I THINK... THERE HAVE BEEN A LARGE NUMBER OF CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATIONS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO COME TO LIGHT. SO YOU'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT PAST COSTS. I THINK IT'S RIGHT TO SAY THAT THERE ALREADY IS GOING TO BE FUTURE COSTS, BUT HOW CAN YOU LIMIT THIS BECAUSE OF THESE ERRORS? AND IN TERMS OF, AGAIN, LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERACTING WITH IMMIGRANT RESIDENTS. PUTTING THIS POLICY, THIS LAW INTO PLACE IN THE COUNTY DOES MEAN THAT THERE IS CLEAR GUIDANCE FOR THOSE INTERACTIONS. IT DOES ENSURE THAT THEY FOLLOW A CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS. AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE COMING. SOME ARE MANY YEARS ON THE JOB. SOME ARE NEWLY TRAINED. BUT ACROSS THE BOARD, THEY ARE NOT TRAINED TO BE FEDERAL OFFICIALS, AND THEY ARE NOT TRAINED IN FEDERAL CONSTITUTIONAL LAW NECESSARILY. SO, AND THAT'S NOT THE PURPOSE AND EXPECTATION. IT'S NOT A GOOD USE OF OUR LOCAL DOLLARS IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE COST OF CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, WHICH ARE ALREADY HIGH, AND I THINK COULD BE, YEAH, I THINK GOING INTO THE FUTURE IS A SERIOUS CONCERN. AND THERE'S ALSO THE COST OF THE MISUSE OF LOCAL DOLLARS OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT NOT DOING THE JOBS THAT THEY WERE MANDATED TO DO. LIKE, THAT IS ALSO A MISUSE OF LOCAL RESOURCES. POINT, IF YOU COULD MAYBE SPEAK, THAT TECHNICALLY THE [01:20:02] TAXPAYER ISN'T LIABLE FOR CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATIONS BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. THE ONLY REASON WE ARE IS BECAUSE WE AGREED TO IDENTIFY THEM. DO YOU THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER IF WE WITHHELD INDEMNIFICATION FOR VIOLATIONS TO MAKE LAW ENFORCEMENT MAYBE THINK TWICE ABOUT IT IF THEY HAD TO PAY FOR IT THEMSELVES RATHER THAN THE TAXPAYER? OR USE THIS INSTEAD OF THAT TO GIVE GUIDANCE TO THEM TO SAY, HEY, YOU HAVE TO, IF YOU HAVE A WARRANT, YOU'RE NOT KIDNAPPING SOMEONE. IF YOU HAVE A COURT ORDER, IF YOU HAVE A SUBPOENA, OTHER THAN THAT, YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING THAT'S AN AGGRESSIVE VIOLATION OF SOMEONE'S RIGHTS THAT'S ACTUALLY... AGAINST THE LAW? I MEAN, DO YOU THINK IT WOULD BE, AS FAR AS AS A LAWYER, DO YOU THINK THAT'D BE HELPFUL TO LAW ENFORCEMENT TO HAVE CLEAR INDICATIONS OF WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN'T DO? YEAH, I MEAN, WE CAN RETURN LIABILITY BACK TO THE POLICE OFFICERS, BUT WE COULD ALSO INSTEAD PROVIDE THE... THERE'S AN EXAMPLE IN OUR COUNTY, I MENTIONED CHIKUWA. WE CREATED A CROW, AN ICE CROW COLLUSION WITH ICE. AND THEY DID THIS KIND OF LAUGHABLE... WITHOUT GETTING ANY PAYMENT FROM ICE, TO DO THIS RIGHT, WE HAVE THESE TWO PEOPLE GIVING THEM CHEESE TO WATCH. WE THINK THAT THERE'S ENOUGH TIME. EXTREMELY NUANCED, CHANGING, COMPLICATED. ASKING THEM TO HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON THAT AND TO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE, IS THIS PERSON HERE? THEIR VISA, YOU KNOW, THEIR VISA STAY, OVERSTAY, OR DID THIS PERSON COMMIT? THERE'S NO WAY. AND SO IF THEY TAKE IT UPON THEMSELVES AND MAKE THAT MISTAKE AND TURN SOMEONE OVER TO WHEN AREN'T COMMITTED, THEN YEAH, THAT'S A LIABILITY. WE'RE ON THE NIAGARA COUNTY 3287G AGREEMENT FOR THE REASON THAT YOU ARE CITING. BECAUSE THEY ESTIMATED THAT THE COST OF THE LIKELY ERRORS AND VIOLATIONS OF CONSTITUTIONAL LAW WOULD NOT BE... ANYBODY ELSE? LEGISLATOR KISHONE. I'VE HEARD SOME PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATING THE NEW YORK FOR ALL ACTS. I WAS WONDERING IF SOMEBODY COULD EXPLAIN WHAT THE POTENTIAL PENALTIES MIGHT BE TO A MUNICIPALITY OR AN INDIVIDUAL IF THEY'RE VIOLATING THE NEW YORK FOR ALL ACTS AND SHARING THEIR POSITION ONCE IT WAS PASSED. I DON'T THINK YOU CAN MAKE OR CANCEL ANY MONEY FROM THE HANDLE ON THAT. I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T HAVE A GREAT... WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH OTHER LEGISLATORS BEFORE, AND PERHAPS AN ATTORNEY GENERAL IS HAVING TO PROSECUTE, BUT I'M NOT QUITE SURE I CAN PUT HIM ON THOSE LETTERS. YEAH. ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO COMMENT ON THAT? I WILL JUST SAY THAT I DO THINK THERE ARE OBLIGATIONS FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ABOUT COMING UP WITH THINGS GOING FORWARD, BUT A LOT OF WHAT IS REALLY POWERFUL ABOUT IT IS THAT IT IS PRESCRIPTIVE IN ADVANCE, SO YOU GET THIS CLARITY ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN OR CAN'T DO. MY PLEASURE. THANKS. HOLD ON ONE SECOND, HOLD ON ONE SECOND, SIR. SIR, SIR, SIR. THE LAW DOESN'T CONTAIN SPECIFIC PENALTIES FOR FILING, IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? AND IT DEFERS TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO COME UP WITH HOW IT'S GOING TO BE ENFORCED? DO WE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE LEGALITY THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WOULD HAVE WITH REGARD TO ENFORCEMENT OR NOT? I'M LETTING THIS ONE BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER. I CAN LOOK AT IT, I CAN TRY TO FIND IT, I JUST KIND OF OCCURRED TO ME AS WE TALKED HERE. YOU TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CIVIL, THIS IS MEANT [01:25:02] TO ADDRESS CIVIL VIOLATIONS OF IMMIGRATION LAW RATHER THAN CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS. I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU TO EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER. IF IT WOULDN'T APPLY TO LIKE, IF SOMEONE WAS HERE ILLEGALLY AND COMMITTED A CRIME THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IMMIGRATION. THAT REALLY WOULDN'T FIT HERE. IT WOULD JUST BE WHETHER OR NOT AN OFFICER IS MAKING THIS DETERMINATION THAT AN IMMIGRATION CRIMINAL LAW HAD BEEN BROKEN AND SAID, HEY, THIS COULD BE A FEDERAL CRIME, I'M GOING TO CALL IT A VICE. I MEAN, IS THAT FAIR? YEAH, I THINK THAT'S FAIR. THERE IS SORT OF THIS INTERSECTION WHERE IF SOMEONE, LIKE WE SAW WITH MR. SHOFFLAM, IF SOMEONE IS ARRESTED FOR A CRIMINAL OFFENSE, ARE WE GOING TO ALLOW OUR ERITREAN COUNTY SHERIFF TO TURN THE FACT THAT THIS PERSON DOESN'T HAVE PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP OR SAYS THEY WERE BORN IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY? ARE WE GOING TO ALLOW THE SHERIFF TO GIVE THAT INFORMATION TO ICE? WITHOUT A JUDICIAL WARRANT. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED WITH MR. SHAFWAN. THIS LAW WOULD PROHIBIT THAT WITHOUT A JUDICIAL WARRANT. SO JUDICIAL WARRANTS ARE SO EASY TO GET. LIKE, I WAS A CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY, AND I WOULD WATCH THE... THE POLICE OFFICERS WALK IN, IT TAKES THEM FIVE MINUTES, THEY TELL THE JUDGE THE PROBABLE CAUSE THE JUDGE SIGNED THE ORDER. BUT ICE HAS, YOU KNOW, SO ICE WOULD HAVE TO DO THAT IN ORDER TO GET ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION FROM OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WHEN A CRIMINAL ACT IS ALLEGED OR PROVEN CONVICTION. I THOUGHT WHAT I PARTICULARLY CHANGED THE ISSUE WAS THAT THERE WAS A CIVIL DETAINMENT AND THE SHERIFF'S NOTIFIED ICE THAT HE'S GOING TO BE RELEASED TOMORROW. AND THEN THEY SHOW UP WHEN THEY'RE IN. RIGHT. IS THAT THE SAME THING? IT'S THE SAME THING, RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY'RE SHARING THIS INFORMATION WITH, THEY'RE SPEAKING TO ICE ABOUT THE IMMIGRATION, THE CIVIL IMMIGRATION STATUS OF SOMEONE IN THEIR CUSTODY WITHOUT A WARRANT THAT GIVES THEM AN ORDER FROM A JUDGE TO DO SO. RIGHT, SO BECAUSE IT WAS A CIVIL WARRANT, THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO CALL ICE AND TELL THEM ABOUT IT. BY ANY MEANS, BUT AS ATTORNEYS FROM THE STATE COLLEGE, THEY WOULD SAY, HEY. THIS GENTLEMAN'S GETTING OUT TOMORROW. IF YOU GUYS ARE LOOKING FOR HIM, HE'S NOT GOING TO GET CUSTODY ANYMORE. YEAH. AND SOMETIMES THIS PERSON MAY HAVE HAD A REQUIREMENT TO NOTIFY IMMIGRATION OF WHERE THEY WERE AT CERTAIN TIMES THROUGHOUT THE DAY, SAY, IN A SIMILAR SPEAKER OR SOMETHING. I MEAN, IT'S SOMETHING LIKE THAT, RIGHT? RIGHT. BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING, WHAT WE SAW ERICHONI ACTUALLY DO WAS HOLD ONTO HIM UNTIL I PICKED HIM UP. AND WE SEE OTHER JURISDICTIONS DOING THAT, LIKE ACTUALLY HOLDING A PERSON UNTIL I SHOWED UP. HAPPENS IN NEW YORK STATE PRISON SYSTEM ALL THE TIME. THEY GO TO WENDY, AND I TEST THEM FOR WENDY, WHICH IS A PRISON. SO THEY WOULD CALL THEM FOR ADDITIONAL TIME FOR THEIR RELEASE. ...UNTIL IT GOES TO THE ATONEMENT WITHOUT ANY TRADITIONAL INTERVENTION. THAT'S WHAT'S CRAZY. OKAY, OKAY. SO THIS WOULD PROHIBIT THAT. YOU COULD SAY, DO THE THING THAT WE ALWAYS ASK FOR, WE MAKE OUR POLICE DO, WHICH IS GET A JUDICIAL WARRANT. DO THAT. THAT WOULD BE A STANDARD PROTOCOL. YEAH, YEAH. YEAH, IT'S A NEUTRAL. THERE'S A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH THE UNITED STATES ATONEMENT. THERE'S A RULE ON LINKEDIN, YOU KNOW, NOT PASSING A LAW THAT PROHIBITS THE SHARING OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION STATUS BETWEEN STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. THIS LAW KIND OF WALKS THE LINE ON IT. YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE LANGUAGE USED THAT WOULD GET YOU AROUND IT. BUT I THINK IT'S SETTING UP FOR A POTENTIAL CONFLICT THERE, AND I JUST WONDERED IF YOU HAD AN OPINION ON THAT. AND IF WE'VE SEEN ANY CASES IN OTHER STATES THAT HAVE HAD SIMILAR LAWS WHERE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS COME IN AND SUED THEM FOR IT OR TRIED TO GET AN INJUNCTION, DO YOU THINK ANYONE KNOWS THE ANSWER TO THAT? I PERSONALLY HAVEN'T. NEW YORK IS ONE OF THE LEADER STATES THAT HAS THIS TYPE OF LAW, SO THERE IS A LOT OF LEGAL PRECEDENT, AND THERE WAS THE OPPORTUNITY. TO LOOK AT THE OTHER STATE LAWS, LOOK AT WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE SITUATION, LEARN FROM THEM, AND THEN DO SOME VERY DETAILED LEGAL REVIEW BY ATTORNEYS FROM THE CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION AND OTHER PLACES AS WELL FOR THIS SPECIFIC PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LAW IS LEGAL. RIGHT. I JUST WONDERED IF IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU MAY HAVE LOOKED AT SOME OF THOSE OPINIONS. MAYBE, AS IT IS FROM THE NEW YORK CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION, I MEAN, WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE WOULD HAVE SEEN IN OTHER STATES THAT WOULD CAUSE CONCERNS THAT WE ARE HEADED FOR A LAWSUIT, OR IT COULD BE A LARGE MONETARY COST TO DEAL WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IF [01:30:06] THE STATE PASSES SOMETHING LIKE THIS? I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THAT? OR ARE WE LOOKING FOR THAT FIGHT TO GET THE ANSWER? I DON'T KNOW. I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT, I'M SORRY, IT'S VERY HARD TO HEAR. I HAVE A HARD TIME ON THIS THING. ARE YOU ASKING ABOUT THE THREAT TO ERIE COUNTY SHOULD WE PASS THIS? LET'S SAY NEW YORK STATE PASSES NEW YORK FOR ALL. I MEAN, WE'RE NOT PASSING IT EITHER WAY. IT'S NOT UP TO US. WE DON'T HAVE TO SAY THAT. WE CAN SAY WE SUPPORT IT OR WE DON'T. IF NEW YORK STATE WERE TO PASS NEW YORK FOR ALL, DO YOU ANTICIPATE, DO YOU HAVE ANY FEELINGS ABOUT A FEDERAL RELAXATION, A LAWSUIT, A LAWSUIT, LOSS OF FUNDING, ANYTHING LIKE THAT? AND I THINK IT'S HAPPENED IN OTHER STATES. I THINK IN MINNESOTA THERE WAS SOMETHING SIMILAR. I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO REALLY LOOK AT IT, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW IT TURNED OUT OR WHAT POTENTIAL ISSUES THERE MAY BE AND HOW WE WOULD UNDERCUT THAT. I HEAR TWO DIFFERENT ISSUES HERE. SO IN TERMS OF ANTICIPATING THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE LEGALITY, I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE, AND I'M NOT JUST SAYING ANYTHING HERE. IN TERMS OF WHETHER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT... IT'S GOING TO TRY TO WITHHOLD FUNDING TO PUNISH NEW YORK STATE OR LOCALITIES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. WE HAVE SEEN THEM TRY TO DO THIS REPEATEDLY. GENERALLY, IT HAS ACTUALLY NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN A LOT OF CASES BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN LEGAL CHALLENGES TO THE WITHHOLDING OF FUNDING. THOSE TWO THINGS AREN'T NECESSARILY CONNECTED. THERE IS CLEARLY, I MEAN, I'LL JUST NAME IT. BE FRIENDS. CONFLICT AND TENSION BETWEEN NEW YORK STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. I DON'T THINK THAT THIS PARTICULAR ONE MAKES IT OR BREAKS IT, SO TO SPEAK, AND THERE'S NOT LIKE A SPECIFIC REP AROUND THAT. OVERALL, YES, THE CURRENT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS USED FUNDING AS LIKE A KIND OF, WITH LIKE THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY. YEAH, I'LL ADD THAT. UNDER THE FIRST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, AGENCIES THREATENED AND ATTEMPTED TO WITHHOLD FUNDING TO STATES, AND THE COURTS IN 2017 RULED THAT UNCONSTITUTIONAL. THE 10TH AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION PROHIBITS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FROM REQUIRING STATES TO ENFORCE REGULATORY PROGRAMS, INCLUDING CONDITIONING FUNDING ON THE ENFORCEMENT OF SUCH PROGRAMS. AND THE OTHER PART OF THAT, CALIFORNIA, ILLINOIS, WASHINGTON, NEW JERSEY, ALL HAVE THESE STATEWIDE NON-INCLUSION POLICIES, AND I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY ISSUES FOR MUNICIPALITIES. OR THE STATES THAT I'VE RESPECTED FROM NOW. I WAS LOOKING AT THE CLEARING OF THAT LINE, SO I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU ALL. ONE OTHER... WITH REGARDS TO THE EDUCATION SYSTEM, CAN YOU TALK, CAN SOMEONE TALK ABOUT WHAT REQUIREMENTS WE'D BE PUTTING ON THE EDUCATION SYSTEM OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS? IS THERE A SECTION IN THIS REGARDING YEARLY RECORDING FOR SCHOOLS? IT'S NOT IN THE COPY I HAVE, BUT I DID READ ABOUT IT SOMEWHERE, AND I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT PARTICULAR SITUATION. BUT IS THERE SOME KIND OF YEARLY RECORDING THAT SCHOOL WOULD HAVE TO DO REGARDING? ANY ISSUES WITH IMMIGRATION STATUS COMING FROM THE SCHOOL? IF THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE ASKING, SCHOOL RESEARCH OFFICERS WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE SAME OBLIGATION? I UNDERSTAND THAT PART. I THOUGHT THERE WAS ANOTHER SECTION THAT MERELY REQUIRED A SCHOOL TO SUBMIT SOME TYPE OF YEARLY REPORT. AND I COULD BE CORRECT ABOUT THAT. IT MAY HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT VERSION OF IT, OR IT MAY NOT BE IN THE CURRENT VERSION. YEAH. OKAY. AND THEN I THINK THE LAST THING WE KIND OF COVERED, I KNOW GOVERNOR HOLT WILL HAVE OBJECTIONS REGARDING NOT HAVING THE WORDS PROBABLE CALLS IN THERE, BUT I THINK YOU GAVE US OUR OPINION, OR YOUR OPINION ON THAT, AND WHERE THAT WOULD COME FROM. SO I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO YOU. WHAT KIND OF DIFFERENCES OF OPINION BETWEEN GOVERNOR HOLT'S POSITION ON THIS VERSUS THE PROPONENTS OF THE NEW YORK BRAWL? SO I KNOW YOU HAD A QUESTION ABOUT ENFORCEMENT IN THE BEGINNING. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WILL BE THE ONE FOR THE PENALTIES IF TOWNS OR CITIES ARE NOT FOLLOWING THAT. THE SECOND PART, THERE WAS SOME HOLDUP WITH SOME OF THE LANGUAGE, BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE NEGOTIATING RIGHT NOW IN THE BUDGET. SO THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THEY'RE ADJUSTING. REGARDING THE RESOURCE OFFICER, THE SCHOOL, IT'S NOT A REPORT THAT I'M AWARE OF. SO I HOPE THAT ANSWERS IT. MIKE, YOU WERE REFERRING TO... ACTUALLY, ONE MORE THING, [01:35:04] I'M SORRY. THERE'S GOING TO BE NO FINANCIAL PENALTIES OR FINES, BUT A POTENTIAL LAWSUIT BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. MIKE, YOU WERE AT THE QUESTION ABOUT SCHOOLS AND A REPORT. I DID LOOK MY KID WHAT YOUR QUESTION WAS. I THINK, I WASN'T SURE THAT WHAT I'M LOOKING AT IS AN UPDATED VERSION OF IT, BUT MAYBE, I THINK THERE WAS ANOTHER VERSION THAT INCLUDED A SECTION ON THE EDUCATION LAW AND CREATING SOME TYPE OF REPORT THAT THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR WOULD HAVE TO SUBMIT YEARLY, PROBABLY TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT... WHEN I ASKED THIS ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE THAT AREN'T REALLY AWARE OF IT. THEY THINK THIS CHART IS A DOCUMENT. NO, IT WOULD BE LIKE IF THEY HAD ANY ISSUES OR HOW THEY WANT TO COLLECT THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. IT WAS MORE OF A STATISTICAL REPORT. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO REQUIRE IT AT THE END OF THE YEAR. NOT ABOUT THE KIDS. NO, NOTHING LIKE THAT. UNDERSTOOD. YOU ALSO? I WILL SAY. THANKS. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THE ATTORNEY DOWN HERE. I'M HOPING IT'S NOT A TRUE STORY. ANYBODY ELSE? WELL, I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING. DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY OTHER FINAL COMMENTS BEFORE WE WRAP UP? YOU GOOD? THANK YOU FOR TAKING YOUR TIME. OH, GO AHEAD. YOU WERE GOING TO SAY SOMETHING? I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, FOR SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I THINK WE COULDN'T ANSWER, WE ARE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH SOME OF THE OTHER ATTORNEYS WHO HAVE WORKED ON THIS AS WELL. UNDERSTOOD. UNDERSTOOD. YOU'VE BEEN ALL VERY HELPFUL IN ANSWERING MOST OF OUR QUESTIONS. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING HERE TODAY. I THINK THAT CONCLUDES EVERYTHING FOR OUR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, SO I COULD USE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. I'M GOING TO TAKE A FINAL SECOND BY TADARA. ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? WE ARE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU, EVERYBODY. [ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT] CALL THE COMMISSION TO ORDER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING NUMBER 5, APRIL 23, 2026. CLERK, PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL. LEGISLATOR LARIGA. LEGISLATOR TODARO. PRESENT. CHAIR ST. JEAN TARR HERE. LEGISLATOR DUPREE. PRESENT. LEGISLATOR VINAL. HERE. CHAIR MYERS PRESENT AS EX OFFICIO MEMBER. QUORUM PRESENT. THANK YOU. ITEM 139 ARE TABLED UNDER MY AUTHORITY AS CHAIR. ITEMS 10 AND 11 ARE ACTIONABLE. ITEM 10, COMMUNICATION 17-15. THIS IS A COUNTY CLERK RESOLUTION. DO WE HAVE? YES, WE DO. THE CLERK IS HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM. WE'LL GIVE HIM A SECOND. YES, WE HAVE THE POWER. YEAH, THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR TAKING US. WE'RE HERE TODAY FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING AND REQUESTING AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER A LEASE, RELOCATING AND OPENING OUR NORTH TOWN SATELLITE BRANCH OF THE ERIE COUNTY AUTO BUREAU. SO I BROUGHT WITH ME WILL AND I BROUGHT WITH ME JIM TO DISCUSS THIS MATTER. SO WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS. AS YOU KNOW, YOU DID. RENEW A ONE-YEAR LEASE WE WERE OUT OF UNDER THE COUNTY CHARTER OUT OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO RENEW OUR LEASE WITH OUR CURRENT VENDOR WE ISSUED AN RFP THAT OUR CURRENT VENDOR DID NOT ANSWER THAT RFP SO WE ARE TODAY HOPING FOR APPROVAL SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT CHAIRMAN, I DID WANT TO NOTE, I JUST HANDED OUT AN AMENDED RESOLUTION. WE JUST HAD TO CHANGE THE... LINE ITEM FROM THE BUDGET THAT THE FUNDING WILL BE COMING OUT OF SO YOU HAVE THAT THANK YOU WELL SO BEFORE ON THE QUESTION BEFORE I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS DOES ANYONE SPEAK OKAY SO OH YOU DO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POLICE YEAH UM NO THAT WASN'T A QUESTION WAS THAT YOUR QUESTION COULD WE CAN WE TALK ABOUT CLOSED MOUTH. SQUARE FOOTAGE PRICE FOR THE NEW LOCATION? SURE. IT SEEMS AWFULLY HIGH. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. SURE. JIM, MAYBE YOU COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT. ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT, AND I'LL GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT. AS YOU KNOW, NEW YORK STATE HAS AMENDED OUR SOFTWARE. WE HAVE A NEW SOFTWARE [01:40:01] AGREEMENT WITH THEM. WE'RE OPERATING UNDER A NEW SOFTWARE AGREEMENT. I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR STAFF. WE WERE ONE OF THE ONLY LOCAL DMVS TO STAY OPEN. WE DIDN'T CLOSE. SOME OF THE ADJACENT COUNTIES DID HAVE TO CLOSE DOWN WITH THE NEW SOFTWARE FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING. WE ARE GETTING A RECORD NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING IN BECAUSE I AM ACCEPTING WALK-INS. WE'LL USE MONROE COUNTY. WE'RE ONLY TAKING PEOPLE IN BY APPOINTMENTS. SO WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF OVERFLOW, ESPECIALLY FROM NIAGARA COUNTY. I CAN SAY WITH CERTAINTY THAT I'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME IN FROM NEW YORK CITY ON OUR SATURDAY LOCATIONS. WE'RE HAVING TO MOVE TO A BIGGER LOCATION FROM EASTERN HILLS TO OUR CURRENT NORTH TOWN LOCATION BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING SO MANY PEOPLE COMING IN. TO UTILIZE OUR SERVICES. SO WHEN WE WERE THINKING ABOUT OUR NEW LOCATION, THE GROWTH OF THE NORTH TOWNS, WE WANTED ADDITIONAL SPACE BECAUSE OF OUR CURRENT LOCATION. WE'RE SEEING WITH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND THE NUMBERS WERE FOOTAGE, OUR FOOTPRINT NEEDED TO EXPAND, AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT, LOOKING AHEAD WITH THE GROWTH OF THE NORTH TOWNS IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS, THAT WE NEED... SOMETHING THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE THE NEEDS OF THE NORTH TOWNS AND OF COURSE TONAWANDA. WE ARE GETTING A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM OTHER COUNTIES UTILIZING OUR SERVICES. SO I CAN TALK TO WHY WE'RE REQUESTING ADDITIONAL FEES. AT OUR CURRENT LOCATION, WE'RE AT ABOUT 7,200 SQUARE FEET. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE UP TO ABOUT ALMOST 11,000 SQUARE FEET. BUT THE FINANCIALS, JIM CAN TALK ABOUT. SO I'D BE HAPPY TO ADDRESS EITHER OF THOSE. OKAY, SO ON THE QUESTION ABOUT THE SQUARE FOOTAGE, THE TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE COST, THE GROSS RENT, IS $43.79, OKAY? AND THAT'S BROKEN DOWN BETWEEN A BASE RENT OF $28.48, AND THEN THERE'S A $15.31. ...SENDS A PERSUASIVE APPROACH TO IMPROVEMENTS, PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS. OKAY, SO THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION. SO WE'RE PAYING FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS? WE'RE PAYING FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS OVER THE FIRST FIVE YEARS. OKAY. WHAT ABOUT BUILDING MAINTENANCE, ROOF, EXTERIOR, WHO'S THAT? SO THE MAINTENANCE IS PRIMARILY ON THEM. WE DON'T HAVE, THERE'S NO PROVISION IN THERE FOR ANY HVAC. PROVE REPLACEMENT DURING THE COURSE? SO WITH NO PROVISION, WHO'S LIABLE? THE LANDLORD IS. SO WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR JANITORIAL WORK, AND THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BUILDING MAINTENANCE. JUST TO CLARIFY, JIM SAID THERE IS HVAC PROVISION, BUT IT'S ON THE LANDLORD. LEARNED OUR LESSON FROM THE LAST LEASE COMING BACK TO PAY FOR THAT HVAC, SO THAT WAS, I THINK, THE FIRST THING I DECIDED WHEN WE BEGAN NEGOTIATIONS, YOU GUYS ARE PAYING FOR THE HVAC. BUT NOTHING FOR THE ROAD. THE EXTERIOR MAINTENANCE, THAT WOULD ALSO BE ON THE LANDLORD FOR THE OUTSIDE OF THE PROPERTY. OKAY. THE REASON I'M RAISING THE CONCERN IS YOU'RE, IN YOUR NOTES HERE, YOU'RE $43.79 PER SQUARE FOOT PRICE IS... MORE THAN DOUBLE THE GOING RATE. MORE THAN DOUBLE WHAT? THE GOING RATE PER SQUARE FOOT. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M JUST TRYING TO JUSTIFY HOW YOU GUYS GOT THIS NUMBER. WELL, THAT WAS PROPOSED TO US. AND, I MEAN, THE OTHER RENTS THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT WERE LIKE $36,000 PER SQUARE FOOT. SO IT IS HIGH. MAINLY BECAUSE OF THE IMPROVEMENTS. IT'S 2848 IS THE BASEMENT. WHICH IS REASONABLE, I BELIEVE IS IN LINE. IT'S VERY HARD FOR A SHARE OF THE PROPERTY. IT'S VERY HARD. THE TOWN OF TONAWANDA IS A DECENT SPACE. NOT DONE RENOVATING, TWO DOORS SHORT. IT'S NOT EVEN DONE, THEY'RE AT $17 PER SQUARE FOOT. INCLUDES ALL THE RENOVATIONS. SO YOU'RE QUITE CONFIDENT FOR SQUARE FOOTAGE? WELL, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE TWO PROPOSALS THAT WE RECEIVED. SO WE HAD THE CAP NET. WE DIDN'T GET ANYBODY ELSE COMING IN. $17 A SQUARE FOOT. AND THE SECOND PROPOSAL WAS HOW MUCH A SQUARE FOOT? $36. AND WHERE WAS THAT LOCATED? THAT'S LOCATED ON MABEL ROAD. AND ONE OF THE REASONS WAS LESS [01:45:01] SQUARE FOOTAGE. AND IT WAS ALSO VERY CLOSE TO THE CURRENT EASTERN HILLS. SO WE WERE TRYING TO SERVE... UNDERSTOOD. I'M NOT ARGUING THE LOCATION. YOU'RE IN MY DISTRICT. I'M ONLY ARGUING THE FINANCIALS THAT DON'T MAKE SENSE. LET'S TALK ABOUT TAXES. PART OF THE EAST RIVER MET LEASE, WHAT IS THIS? THIS IS A GROSS RENT. IT INCLUDES TAXES. THE TAXES ARE... RIGHT NOW AT 458. OKAY. THE ONLY THING I KNOW IS THE ISSUE IS WITH THE ACTUAL PRICE. IT'S VERY HIGH PER SQUARE FOOT. I APPRECIATE YOUR STATEMENT IN MY DISTRICT. THE CURRENT LOCATION IS IN MY DISTRICT. IT'S VERY WELL SERVED, AS YOU MENTIONED. IT'S NEEDED. IT'S A VERY HIGH SQUARE FOOTAGE. THAT'S PREMIUM SPACE. RIGHT. THAT'S MY CONCERN. THAT'S OUR JOB. I DID WANT TO NOTE AGAIN THAT THE RATE DOES GO DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY IF WE CHOOSE TO ISSUE THE EXTENSION FROM THE $43 DOWN TO $29 GOING INTO YEAR 6 TO YEAR 10. BECAUSE WE'RE PAYING FOR IMPROVEMENTS. SO THEY WANT THE IMPROVEMENTS. THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING. RIGHT, SO IT WOULD BE AN IMPROVEMENT. SO THAT'S COMPLETELY WRONG. YOU MIGHT WANT TO NEGOTIATE. YEAH, SO THEY WANT THEIR IMPROVEMENTS PAID, SO THEY'RE BUILDING A WEEKDAY BOARD, AND THEN THEY GIVE US A GOOD DEAL FOR THE LANDLORD. WHO GOES TO LANDLORD? ABOUT $1093 FOR A FELLOWSHIP. THE GOOD THING ABOUT THIS LEGISLATOR, AND I THINK IT WILL BE POSITIVE FOR YOU, AND I THINK A FEATHER IN OUR CAP. GOING FORWARD, WE KNOW THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE GROWTH. CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW, THAT IS A VACANT BUILDING. AND THE ONE THING THAT WAS A CHALLENGE... THE ATTRACTIVE THAT WE LIKED ABOUT IT IS IT HAS A DRIVE-THRU. SO WE WILL HAVE THE FIRST DRIVE-THRU DMV IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK. WE WILL BE ACCEPTING TRANSACTIONS THROUGH THE DRIVE-THRU. I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE A POSITIVE. AS I STATED, WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO NIAGARA COUNTY. I HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NIAGARA COUNTY CLERK. BUT WE'RE ONE OF THE ONLY DMVS THAT IS OPEN ON SATURDAYS. SO WE GET A LOT OF TRAFFIC ON SATURDAYS. WE THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO INCREASE VALUE WITH THE DRIVE-THRU, ESPECIALLY WITH SIMPLE TRANSACTIONS LIKE TURNING IN PLATES, SIMPLE RENEWALS. OF COURSE, WE CAN'T DO ALL TRANSACTIONS THROUGH THE DRIVE-THRU. BUT ONCE AGAIN, AS YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW THE DISTRICT THE BEST. YOU'RE THE LEGISLATOR. IT'S A HIGH-TRAFFIC AREA. I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY POSITIVE THING. AND WHEN LOOKING AT WHAT WE WANTED TO DO, OF COURSE... WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL WINDOWS. WE'VE JUST ENTERED INTO ANOTHER AGREEMENT, AND IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY, TOMORROW WE'LL BE AT THE NORDTOWNS FROM 9 TO 1. WE HAD A BREAK BECAUSE OF COVID, BUT WE ENTERED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH CATHOLIC HEALTH WHERE WE WILL BE DOING BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENINGS AND WE WILL BE DOING CAROTID ARTERY SCREENINGS. IF YOU HAVEN'T GOT IT DONE, I WOULD GET IT DONE. IT'S A $350 VALUE. SO ONCE AGAIN, THOSE ARE POSITIVE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING AT THE AUTO BUREAU, ALMOST VALUE-ADDED. THAT LOCATION IS GOING TO BE A PERFECT LOCATION FOR ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS. ONE MORE QUESTION. YOUR PLANS ON PAYING FOR THIS EXPENSIVE LEASE, ARE WE TRANSFERRING MONEY FROM A DIFFERENT LINE? SO, OKAY, SO FOR THE CURRENT BUDGET YEAR, WE HAD INCREASED OUR BUDGET RENT TO ANTICIPATE MOVING INTO A NEW FACILITY, BUT WE HADN'T INCREASED IT AS MUCH. SO CURRENTLY, UNDER THE CURRENT BUDGET, WE HAVE ADDITIONAL RENT EXPENSE AVAILABLE OF ABOUT $100,000, AND THAT CAN PAY TO YOU. SO IF WE MOVED IN IN SEPTEMBER, THE RENT COST WOULD BE ABOUT $160,000 PER FOUR MONTHS. WE HAVE $100,000 IN THE CURRENT BUDGET THAT COULD COVER A PORTION OF THAT. AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE ABOUT $60,000 FROM THE REGISTRAR'S OFFICE, FROM THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, TO COVER THE REMAINING $60,000. THE REST OF THE PAYMENTS... FOR THIS CONTRACT WOULD BE PUT [01:50:02] IN YEAR BY YEAR DURING THE NORMAL PERIOD. SO THAT ADDITIONAL $60,000 THAT'S ALLOCATED FOR WHAT NOW? IT'S ALLOCATED FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, LEGAL FEES FOR, WE'VE HAD CONTRACTS WITH THE WESTERN NEW YORK LAW CENTER. THERE'S OTHER SERVICES IN THERE. AND WE'RE ANTICIPATING WE'RE NOT GOING TO NEED ALL OF THAT. IT'S BEEN BUDGETED SO WE CAN DO SOME OF THAT. SO YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FUND THE LAW CENTER ANYMORE MOVING FORWARD? WELL, WE'RE GOING TO FUND SOME OF IT. IT JUST MAY NOT COME IN AS MUCH AS WHAT WE HAD BUDGETED FOR. BUT IT'S GOING TO BE LESS THAN... RIGHT NOW, THE BUDGET THAT WE PUT IN FOR THE LAW CENTER, THE CONTRACT, WE PUT IN A FULL YEAR. THE CONTRACT ONLY GOES THROUGH JUNE. SO WE'VE GOT SIX MONTHS THAT HASN'T BEEN... APPROVED UNDER ANY CONTRACT. SO THE LOG CENTER CONTRACT EXPIRES IN JUNE? YES. SO NOW, SO AFTER JUNE YOU'RE NO LONGER GOING TO COME? THAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN BUT ASSUMING THAT WE DON'T GET... IS THAT WHOLE 60,000 DESIGNATED AS AN ATTORNEY? IS THAT WHAT THE INITIAL PLAN WAS? YEAH. SO THAT MEANS YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FUND THEM ANYMORE BECAUSE YOU'RE TRANSFERRING THE 60,000. I'M SORRY? SO YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FUND THEM ANYMORE BECAUSE YOU'RE TRANSFERRING ALL THE 60,000? WELL, RIGHT. RIGHT, OR WE HAVE TO FIND IT ON SOME OTHER PLATFORM. OKAY, OKAY. JUST ON THE DOCUMENT, DO THEY KNOW THAT? PARDON? DO THEY KNOW THAT ALREADY IN ADVANCE? THAT I'M NOT SURE. WELL, THEY MUST. THE CONTRACT ENDS AT THE END OF JUNE, AND WE HAVE A NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT. OKAY, OKAY. ARE YOU STUCK? I GUESS. SO I DO WANT TO FOLLOW UP BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING AT THE LINES. I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. SO UNDER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, YOU'RE MOVING $60,000. WHAT'S YOUR LAW CENTER? THAT'S ACCORDINGLY THEIR MONEY. SO WHAT IS THE CONTRACT AND BOOK FOR IT? I KNOW YOU JUST ASKED. YES. SO IT HAS TO END IT. YEAH, THE CONTRACT HAS BEEN ENDED BEFORE JUNE. IT WILL BE ENDING BEFORE JUNE, CORRECT. WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING IT IN-HOUSE WITH OUR OWN TEAMS. OKAY, SO IN-HOUSE. SO YOU'RE MOVING $60,000, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. THE USUALLY AMOUNT THAT YOU WOULD GIVE TO THE LAW CENTER RANGES FROM $100,000 TO $200,000. IS THAT CORRECT? IT'S NOT A VARIABLE NUMBER. IT'S BEEN A SET NUMBER EVERY YEAR. SO, YES, I THINK IT WAS $150,000. SO WHAT DID THEY GET PAID OFF FOR THIS YEAR? I APOLOGIZE, $125,000. YEAH, $125,000. $125,000, JIM, I KNOW YOU'RE THE NUMBERS GUY. SO FROM $125,000, YOU'RE MOVING $60,000. WHAT DID THEY GET PAID OFF FOR THIS YEAR? WHAT DID THEY GET PAID THIS YEAR FROM NOW TO... THREE MONTHS. THEY'LL GET THREE MONTHS. SO HOW MUCH IS THAT? IT'S GOING TO BE ROUGHLY $30,000. AND YOU HAVE TO PAY THEIR INVOICE? NO, WE HAVE NOT. LET'S SAY THEY WANT THEIR $125,000 FROM THAT CONTRACT AND YOU GUYS AGREE TO. WHAT HAPPENS THEN? WE'RE GOOD. WE'LL FIND THE MONEY. I MEAN, HERE'S THE THING. THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING THIS APPROVED IN A TIMELY MANNER IS IMPORTANT, AS YOU KNOW, WITH CONSTRUCTION. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO NEED A LOT OF WORK. THAT'S WHY, ACCORDING, THIS IS ERIE COUNTY'S RULES. THESE AREN'T THE ERIE COUNTY CLERK'S RULES. I KNOW THESE ARE ERIE COUNTY RULES WHEN IT COMES TO LEASES. IT HAS TO STILL BE APPROVED TO FORM BY THE LAW DEPARTMENT AND BY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. SO THEY'LL REVIEW THE LEASE, BUT THEY NEED TIME FOR CONSTRUCTION, FOR THE BUILD-OUT OF THIS PROJECT. SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE DISCUSSING THIS. FINANCIALLY, THE CLERK'S OFFICE IS DOING QUITE WELL, AS I STATED. OUR NUMBERS ARE JUST UNBELIEVABLE. WE'RE DOING VERY WELL WITH OUR DMV. IT IS BECAUSE WE ARE ACCEPTING WALK-INS, AND OTHER COUNTIES ARE ONLY REQUIRING APPOINTMENTS. WE ARE AT CAPACITY. I TELL PEOPLE TODAY, IF YOU ARE GOING TO GO TO THE DMV AND YOU ARE GOING TO WALK IN, YOU ARE GOING TO WAIT. IF YOU MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, WE'LL GET YOU OUT PRETTY QUICKLY. SO WE'LL FIND THE MONEY, BUT THE WEST NEW YORK LAW CENTER IS MOVING IN A NEW DIRECTION. THEY HAVE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON, BUT THE ERIE COUNTY CLERK ZOMBIE INITIATIVE WILL CONTINUE. WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON THESE THINGS. WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE ELECTED OFFICIALS. WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR QUITE SOME TIME, SO I'M NOT TOO WORRIED ABOUT THAT. THE MONEY WILL BE READILY AVAILABLE FOR THE WESTERN NEW YORK LAW CENTER. WE'RE NOT GOING [01:55:01] TO SKIP ANYBODY. SO IN YOUR LINE FOR RENTAL CHARGES, YOU HAVE $723,000 FOR THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. YES. IF THIS NEW PROPERTY IS GOING TO COST ALMOST $500,000 FOR 12 MONTHS, FOR FIVE YEARS, RIGHT, ABOUT THAT NUMBER, KNOWING YOUR OTHER PROPERTIES THAT YOU GUYS HAVE, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING LIKE FOR AN INCREASE FOR 2027? OKAY, SO FOR 2027, YOU'D BE LOOKING AT AN INCREASE OF ROUGHLY $378,000. BECAUSE THE $723,000 INCLUDES $100,000 OF RENT THAT WE HAD ANTICIPATED FOR THE NEW ONE. AND YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, ACTUALLY, IT'S PROBABLY... COME HERE. IT'S OKAY. I HAVE JUST A FOLLOW-UP WHILE YOU'RE DOING THE NUMBERS. I KNOW RIGHT NOW IMPROVEMENTS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS RIP. HOW MUCH IS THE IMPROVEMENT IF YOU GUYS JUST PAID FOR IT YOURSELVES WITHOUT ADDING IT INTO A FIVE-YEAR DEAL? WE CAN'T DO THAT UNDER COUNTY LAW. WE CAN'T DO THAT. WE'RE FOLLOWING THE LAW, AND WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT. BUT ONCE AGAIN... JUST REMEMBER, THIS HONORABLE BODY ALREADY APPROVED A ONE-YEAR EXTENSION. IF THIS DOES NOT GET DONE, IF WE DO NOT APPROVE THIS, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO RESUBMIT ANOTHER RFP, THAT THERE COULD BE APPEARING A TIME THAT THE NORTH TOWNS WOULD GO WITHOUT A DMV IN 2027. THAT IS A REALITY. WE'RE WORKING ON A TIMELINE. SO WE'RE ONLY GOOD UNTIL DECEMBER OF 2026 BASED ON YOUR RENEWAL. THE CURRENT LANDLORD, THEY'RE DOING QUITE WELL. I WASN'T HERE, BUT WHEN WE WENT FOR THE ADDITIONAL TWO APPROVALS, WE LIKED THE SITE. BUT THERE IS AN ADJACENT SPACE TO OUR CURRENT LOCATION THAT THEY HAVE FILLED. PARKING IS CONGESTED. THEY NEED MORE PARKING. AND, OF COURSE, WE BRING A LOT OF CUSTOMERS THERE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SO IN A WAY, I'M SURE THEY DID THE ANALYSIS, THE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF HAVING US THERE. WE DID THE ONE YEAR. YOU APPROVED IT. THEY NEED MORE ADDITIONAL SPACE FOR THEIR ADDITIONAL TENANTS. BUT IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REALLY GROW AND BRING IN MORE REVENUE. I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT THERE. I JUST LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, LOOKING AT WHAT 2027 MAY BRING FINANCIALLY. IF JUST A FINANCIAL QUESTION. YEAH, AND REMEMBER, WE'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING IN MORE REVENUE, I BELIEVE, BECAUSE IN 2027, WE'RE GOING TO NEED, BASED ON WHAT WE'RE HEARING, THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED THIS. IN OUR PROXIMITY, BECAUSE OF THIS HONORABLE BODY, WE'RE GETTING MORE DEALER WORK. REMEMBER, DURING THE RED AND GREEN BUDGET, DURING THOSE DIFFICULT TIMES, A LOT OF PEOPLE WENT TO OTHER DEALERS. WE WORKED REALLY HARD TO BRING THEM BACK. ALMOST ALL OF THE DEALERS IN ERIE COUNTY UTILIZED THE ERIE COUNTY POLICE OFFICE. THAT WASN'T ALWAYS THE CASE. THEY WENT TO OTHER COUNTIES FOR THEIR WORK BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T GET IT DONE QUICK ENOUGH. WE'RE NOW GETTING IT DONE IN A TIMELY MANNER. THEY HAVE CONFIDENCE IN US. SO WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE GREAT SERVICES FOR PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. WE OPENED UP THIS PAST SATURDAY IN OUR CHIHUAHUA, DEPEW, FOR OUR DISABILITY OUTREACH. FOR MANY OF THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE WHO NEED THAT ID. SO ONCE AGAIN, WE AGREE, WE KNOW THESE NUMBERS ARE BIG NUMBERS, BUT I JUST, I PLEAD TO THE SOUND OF MY BODY THAT WE ARE ON A TIME THAT, ONCE AGAIN, OUR CURRENT LEASE WILL END IN DECEMBER OF 2026. YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON THE BUILD VALUE AND WHEN IT GETS APPROVED, THERE COULD BE A POSSIBILITY THAT THERE IS A GAP IN SERVICE TO OUR CUSTOMERS. JIM, YOU HAVE THAT NUMBER FOR ME? YEAH, SO THE INCREASE JUST FOR THIS FACILITY IS GOING TO BE ABOUT $248,000 BECAUSE IT'S REPLACING ONE OF THE NORTH CAROLINA ONES THAT'S ALREADY THERE. THERE MAY BE SOME ADDITIONAL RENT INCREASES WITH THE OTHER PROPERTIES, BUT I'M PUTTING THAT AT MAYBE $22,000, SO IT MIGHT BE LIKE $270,000 IN TOTAL THAT GOES UP WITH THE NEW FACILITY AND OTHER RENT INCREASES. CAN I JUST SAY ONE THING, TOO, IF I COULD? SO THE REASON WE'RE RIGHT NOW LOOKING AT TAKING MONEY OUT OF THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES IS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO PROVE. OKAY? WE'RE IN A PROCESS NOW, AND I'VE BEEN TALKING TO THE BUDGET OFFICE, WHERE [02:00:01] THERE COULD BE SOME ADDITIONAL CARRY-FORWARDS FROM 2025 INTO 2026. SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE BUDGET OFFICE, BUT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN APPROVED BY THE LEGISLATURE YET. SO I CAN'T COUNT THOSE MONIES, EVEN THOUGH THEY MIGHT BE THERE. SO THERE MAY BE SOME MOVEMENT, BUT FOR WHAT'S IN OUR BUDGET, THAT WAS ONE AREA THAT WE IDENTIFIED AS AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW, TODAY. WEST LIBERTY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING HERE. IT'S THE PARK VIEW DAY. I HAD A QUESTION CONCERNING, SO THE CURRENT LANDLORD DID NOT SUBMIT AN RFP, CORRECT? IS THERE ANY OUTSTANDING DISPUTE OR LIABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE EXPIRATION OF THE TONAWANDA LEASE THAT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF? NO, THERE ISN'T. WE DID THAT LEGALLY. WILL, MAYBE YOU COULD EXPLAIN THE RFP PROCESS. SO WE WERE OUT OF EXTENSIONS UNDER THE CURRENT LEASE. WE ISSUED THE RFP. WE NOTIFIED THAT WHEN WE WERE GOING TO BE ISSUING AN RFP, THEY DIDN'T SUBMIT A PROPOSAL. SO AT THAT POINT, IT BECAME A CERTAINTY THAT WE WOULD BE LEAVING THAT LOCATION. IN GOOD FAITH, THEY DID OFFER TO GIVE US THIS ONE-YEAR EXTENSION JUST DUE TO THE TIME OF GETTING AN RFP, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS AND GETTING IT APPROVED. SO WE HAVE THEM UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT THERE IS NO LIABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. SO I DON'T THINK THAT I'M AWARE OF IT. THANK YOU. JUST ONE OTHER QUESTION. SO THAT'S GREAT WITH EXTRA HOURS AND, YOU KNOW, THE DRIVE-THRU SERVICE AND EVERYTHING. IS THE NEW LOCATION ADEQUATELY SERVED BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FOR RESIDENTS WITHOUT VEHICLES? YES, YEAH, DEFINITELY. I KNOW THERE'S BUS SERVICE. AS YOU KNOW, LEGISLATOR, I ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT THE NNTA SHOULD BE DOING MORE. I ALWAYS THINK THEY SHOULD BE INCREASING BUS SERVICE, BUT YES, I BELIEVE SO. THANK YOU. LEGISLATOR FEINOLDER, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? WITH REGARD, WE LEARNED THAT AN RFP ISN'T REQUIRED FOR LEASE, ALTHOUGH I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF AN RFP, BUT WAS IT THE REASON WHY THE... THE CURRENT LANDLORD DIDN'T SUBMIT. IS IT BECAUSE THERE WERE CONDITIONS IN THE RRP THAT WERE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WAS CURRENTLY THERE? THE LEASING SPACE, THE FACILITY RIGHT NOW IS SMALLER. THEY DID NOT TELL US THE SPECIFIC REASON WHY THEY DID NOT. BUT WAS IT LIKE, WERE YOU, IN THE R&P, WAS IT ASKING FOR, JUST FOR IDEAS ON LEASING, OR WAS IT ASKING FOR MORE THAN THE 7,200 SQUARE FEET? WE WANTED MORE. WE KNOW BASED ON OUR CURRENT LAYOUT, I WASN'T THE CLERK WHEN THAT SPACE WAS DESIGNED, BUT BASED ON THE LAYOUT, WE KNEW WE NEEDED MORE SPACE. OBVIOUSLY, WE SAW THAT WHEN WE WERE AT ECC AT THE SOUTHGATE PLAZA, THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING MORE SPACE, BUT YES, WE COULD NOT STAY AT THAT LEVEL. IT WAS JUST TOO TIGHT IN THERE WITH THE AMOUNT OF CUSTOMERS WE SERVED. SO WE DID WANT ADDITIONAL SPACE, AND WE WANTED ADDITIONAL PARKING SPACE TOO. SINCE WE'VE BEEN THERE, THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO RENT OUT THE TWO ADJACENT. PROPERTIES THAT ARE ADJACENT TO US ON BOTH SIDES SO THEY'RE EVEN SEEING THEY'RE DOING QUITE WELL THEY'RE DOING THEY'RE SEEING MORE TRAFFIC BUT WE NEED MORE SPACE SO BUT IT'S NOT THAT I YOU KNOW WHEN YOU CAME IN YOU GAVE THE IMPRESSION YOU PUT IT OUT IN RFP AND THEY CHOSE NOT TO RENEW BUT IT SOUNDS MORE LIKE YOU SPECIFICALLY STATED THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO CONTINUE THE SPACE AS IT IS YOU'RE ASKING FOR MORE SPACE WHICH IS A KIND OF A DIFFERENT COLOR THAN WHAT YOU HAD SAID NO, WE DO WHAT'S BEST FOR EVEN COUNTING. NO, NO. I DON'T DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THE VENDOR. I KNOW THAT. I'M JUST SAYING THAT. SO IT'S NOT THAT THEY CHOSE NOT TO CONTINUE THE LEASE. IT'S YOU SAID TO THEM, WE WILL ONLY CONTINUE IT IF YOU INCREASE YOUR SPACE TO A DIFFERENT AMOUNT. I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEM. NO, NO. OKAY, SO THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT. RIGHT. WE WERE OUT OF EXTENSIONS WITH THE CURRENT LEASE. WE ISSUED THE RFP AS IS THE PROCEDURE. THEY CHOSE NOT TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL. I HEARD THAT, BUT WAS THE RIP ASKING FOR MORE THAN THE 7,200 SQUARE FEET? IT WAS A DESIRE. IT WAS NOT A CONDITION THAT YOU CANNOT SUBMIT A PROPOSAL IF YOU HAVE LESS SPACE THAN THAT. SO WAS THE RIP FOR HOW MUCH SPACE, FOR 10,000 SQUARE FEET? NO, IT WAS FOR... DO YOU HAVE A COPY OF THAT? IT WAS AT LEAST 7,000, I BELIEVE. BECAUSE... THE REASON WHY I WAS, I MEAN, IT IS CONCERNING THAT, IT IS CONCERNING IF IT'S THREE TIMES MORE RENT THAN THE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR RENT. LIKE, THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT, WE'VE LEARNED, I'VE LEARNED THAT THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT FOR PEOPLE LEASING. DID YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT GOING TO A REALTOR TO SEE OTHER AVAILABLE SPACES BESIDES WHO SUBMITTED? AS OPPOSED TO JUST THE PALLADINO SPACE? THIS IS NOW THE THIRD AUTO BUREAU LEASE I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN WITH THE RFP PROCESS. THE FIRST ONE WAS ALREADY GOING [02:05:07] ON BEFORE I STARTED HERE, BUT THEN FOR THE EASTERN HILLS MALL, TYLER TECHNOLOGIES, AND WITH THE RFP, I KNOW THERE WASN'T AN AUTO BUREAU, BUT THAT'S THE FIRST TIME HEARING THAT AN RFP PROCESS WOULDN'T BE REQUIRED FOR A LEASE, SO I'D BE HAPPY TO TALK TO PURCHASING ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT WOULD HAVE SAVED US MANY MONTHS, SO I WISH THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATED THROUGH. SO WITH IT BEING, IT'S LIKE A THIRD, IF IT'S THREE TIMES AS MUCH AS THE TOWN IS PAYING NEXT DOOR, THAT I DON'T LIKE. AND THEN IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, 25%, MORE THAN 25% OF THE WHOLE BUDGET IS GOING TO BE INCREASED JUST BY THIS ONE OF THE MANY PROPERTIES YOU GUYS HAVE. WELL, JUST THINK OF ALL THE DIFFERENT COST OVERRUNS WITH THE STADIUM. I KNOW THIS HONORABLE BODY HAD A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY. THEY CAME BACK TO YOU NUMEROUS TIMES, EVEN JUST THE LEGAL WORK THAT WAS DONE FOR THE STADIUM. SO WE KNOW EVERYTHING IS GOING UP, THE COST OF MATERIALS. LET'S JUST SAY ON THE ITEM. I JUST WANT TO KNOW BACK AND FORTH IN MY COMMITTEE. NO, NO, NO. I'M JUST GIVING AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THINGS ARE GOING UP IN PRICE. YEAH, THINGS ARE GOING UP IN PRICE. CONSTRUCTION, IT'S IN THE SENSE THAT CONSTRUCTION, I GUESS THE ANSWER IS CONSTRUCTION TODAY IS EXPENSIVE, VERY EXPENSIVE. IF YOU'VE DONE ANY WORK AT YOUR HOUSE, WE'VE DONE OUR BUS. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE, SEEKING YOUR APPROVAL AND YOUR OVERSIGHT. BUT WE FOLLOW THE LAWS TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITIES, AND I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A GREAT LOCATION FOR THE TONAWANDA AREA. I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT. I JUST HAVE TWO MORE PLAYERS. THERE WERE ONLY TWO BIDS FOR THE PATIENT. IS THAT CORRECT? THE LOWEST BID WAS $36,000. AND THAT WAS CLOSE TO THE CURRENT LOCATION. AND IS THAT THE REASON THEY WERE MOST LIKELY DISQUALIFIED? NOT CHOSEN IS THE BEST WAY TO USE IT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO SAY AND NOT SAY REGARDING THE RFP SELECTION COMMITTEE DETERMINATIONS. OKAY. AND THEN ON TOP OF THIS, SO THIS LEASE HASN'T BEEN REVIEWED BY OUR LAW DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THE BEST DEAL. THERE WAS NO, I KNOW, THOUGH YOU'RE AN ATTORNEY, ACCORDING TO GENE VIDAL, ONE OF THE BEST FROM AMHERST, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS SOME COLLABORATION WITH OUR LAW DEPARTMENT TOO. TO MAKE SURE WE'RE COSTING ALL OUR TEETH HERE. SO MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESS, THE WAY I'VE BEEN DOING IT THE PAST THREE YEARS, THE LEGISLATOR GIVES US APPROVAL FOR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO THE CONTRACT. ONCE THAT APPROVAL IS GIVEN, THEN WE FINALIZE THE LEASE WITH THE VENDOR. IT GOES TO THE LAW DEPARTMENT. AND IN THE PAST, KRISTEN WALDER, THE ATTORNEY OVER THERE, SHE COMES BACK AND SAYS WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE TERMS. BUT THE APPROVAL HAS ALREADY BEEN GIVEN FOR US TO ENTER INTO THAT. TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND THEN COME TO THE LEGISLATURE AND POTENTIALLY HAVE YOU NOT ADOPT IT, THEN IT WOULD REALLY BE A WASTE OF TIME AND RESOURCES FOR ALL INVOLVED. I JUST THINK THERE'S ONE PART THAT'S IN YOUR AMENDED VERSION. SO THERE'S TWO FIVE-YEAR TERMS. ARE YOU GOING TO COME BACK TO US FOR YEAR SIX FOR APPROVAL, OR ARE YOU JUST GOING TO GIVE A WRITTEN NOTICE TO THE LANDLORD? IT WOULD REQUIRE LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL. OKAY, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE OF THAT. AND THEN THERE'S NO EXTENSIONS AT ALL AFTER THE 10 YEARS IN THIS CONTRACT? THERE'S TWO EXTENSIONS. OKAY, THE LANGUAGE WASN'T IN THERE, SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE. SO THERE'S TWO EXTENSIONS ON TOP OF THE 10 YEARS. HOW LONG ARE THE EXTENSIONS FOR? YES, SO THAT'S THE FOURTH RESOLVED CLAUSE. STATES THAT THE COUNTY SHALL BE ENTITLED TO RENEW THE LEASE FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE FIVE-YEAR TERMS AT THE COUNTY'S SOLE DISCRETION UPON THE MOST. SO EACH EXTENSION WOULD BE ANOTHER FIVE YEARS, THOUGH. SO ANOTHER FIVE YEARS. IN TOTAL, WE COULD BE THERE 15 YEARS UNDER THIS CONTRACT, CORRECT? OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. SURE. I APPRECIATE IT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO? OKAY. I STILL HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. I WANT TO TABLE IT AS MY AUTHORITY AS CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE TIME TO LOOK OVER THIS. AND ALSO I'M CURIOUS, I KNOW JIM MENTIONED THERE'S POSSIBILITY OF MONEY MOVING OVER. SO IF THERE'S LEFTOVER MONEY THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO USE, YOU MAY NOT HAVE TO PULL IT FROM PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. SO AT THIS TIME I'M GOING TO TABLE IT. IF IT IS TIME SENSITIVE, PLEASE CONTACT ONE OF OUR STAFF. WE'RE GOING TO TABLE THIS JUST FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION WITHIN COMMITTEE BECAUSE I BELIEVE THERE IS NO MOTION TO APPROVE, CORRECT? [02:10:02] OKAY. SO, LEGISLATOR, JUST SO YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT WE COULD ANSWER BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING, WE ARE, AS I STATED, JUST THE WAY THE OFFICE IS GOING. WE ARE WORKING WITH TYLER ON OUR SOFTWARE EXTENSION. WE ARE VERY BUSY. WE'RE SO BUSY. THAT I'LL BE MAKING AN ANNOUNCEMENT, AND WE WILL BE EXPANDING OURS. SO REALLY, IF THERE IS A WAY, IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED, IF WE COULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THIS APPROVED AT LEAST WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO TO GIVE THE VENDOR AN OPPORTUNITY, BECAUSE ONCE AGAIN, AS WILL STATED, I KNOW THE LAW DEPARTMENT IS VERY BUSY. IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO THE LAW DEPARTMENT. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING ON YOUR TIMELINE NOW. IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, WE'D BE HAPPY. TO ANSWER THEM AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. BUT WE ARE ON A TIMELINE, AND THE OFFICE IS QUITE BUSY, AND YOU WILL BE SEEING WE WILL BE EXPANDING HOURS TO MEET THAT NEED. THE GOOD NEWS FOR THE LEGISLATURE, AND WITH A TOUGH BUDGET COMING UP, IS WE'RE MAKING MORE REVENUE. WE'RE BRINGING IN MORE MONEY, AND I KNOW YOU'LL BE HAPPY ABOUT THAT. SO JUST ONCE AGAIN, IF YOU CAN KEEP AN OPEN MIND, I'D GREATLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS COMING DOWN. ALL RIGHT, ITEM NUMBER 11, COMMUNICATION 70-18, COUNTY EXECUTIVE 2026, CAPITOL OVERLAY. WE HAVE KAREN HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM. KAREN, THE FLOOR IS YOURS. GOOD AFTERNOON. THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS IS SPEAKING ON... WE HAVE TWO OF THEM HERE ON THE SEAT. LEGISLATOR GREEN. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, KAREN. JUST A QUICK QUESTION, ACTUALLY, NOT IN THE GRINER ROAD SECTION, BUT FOR THE SECTION OF EGGERT ROAD, IS THAT THE CHIHUAHUA COUNTY OR CITY LINE? YES, THAT'S THE ONE. ALRIGHT, I GUESS THE REASON I'M ASKING THAT IS, DO WE OWN THAT WHOLE ROAD OR DO WE NEED SOME TYPE OF MOU WITH THE CITY? THAT PORTION. OKAY, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO GET AN MOU FOR THE CITY TO ALLOW US. PERFECT. THANK YOU. ARE YOU ALL SET? LEGISLATOR VINYL? YOU SAID I GET ROADS STARTING AT SUGAR AND GOING TO WHAT, DID YOU SAY? THIS ONE IS SUGAR GOING TO FENSI. FENSI? OKAY, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE YOU SAID WAS SALT ROAD? THE OTHER ONE IS GRINER ROAD. I BELIEVE THIS IS IT. YEAH, SO I NEED A MOTION TO AMEND. I AGREE. IN FAVOR? I'M CURIOUS. NO, I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE. I'M NOT SURE. FIVE FAVORS, ALL OPPOSED, CARRIED, THANK YOU. I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. I DO HAVE A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, ALL OPPOSED. I THINK WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE HERE ON THIS ONE. [ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT] DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, CHAIR. SO IS THIS REMOVING COURT AUTHORITY OR COURT TO ACTUALLY FIRM UP A REQUEST TO GO INTO THIS HOUSEHOLD? IF THERE IS A PROBLEM, ARE WE REMOVING A COURT ORDER? AND ALLOWING ERIE COUNTY TO JUST INVESTIGATE, MAKE THERE MAYBE A SITUATION ON A SEWER? IF WE GET INTO SOMEONE'S HOUSE, LIKE, SOMEONE HAS TO HOUSE IT, RIGHT? SO IF SOMEONE DOESN'T ALLOW THE [02:15:01] SINK, THEN WE HAVE TO FORCEFULLY, AND WE WOULDN'T NEED A CORNER TO GET INSIDE THE HOUSE ITSELF. SO WITH THIS CURRENT UPDATE, YOU STILL REQUIRE A COURT ORDER TO ENTER A PROPERTY? NO, BECAUSE WE SEND OUT LETTERS TO FOLKS, YOU KNOW, TELLING THEM THAT WE WANTED TO BE INSPECTED, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL THE RULES AND REGULATIONS. AND WE DON'T PICK AND CHOOSE. THIS GOES OUT TO, LIKE, WHAT WE REFER TO AS A NINJA SYSTEM, WHICH IS EVERYTHING. AN AREA THAT'S TRIBUTARY TO EITHER LIKE PUMPING STATIONS OR SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS WHAT'S KIND OF AN AREA-WIDE PROGRAM AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS LOOK FOR INFILTRATION AND FLOW SOURCES THAT ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO GO INTO THE SANITARY RESOURCES SO FOR EXAMPLE SOME FOOD DISCHARGES ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO GO INTO THE SANITARY THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GO INTO THE STORM SAME FOR LEADERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING WHAT THESE UPDATES DO IS AND WE HAVE SOME RESIDENTS THAT HAVE PROVIDED TO SOME OF THE STAFF IN THE LEGISLATURE. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THIS. WITH THIS NEW AMENDMENT THAT YOU'RE SEEKING TO HAVE APPROVAL, IS A COURT INVOLVED AT ALL? IF THIS WAS APPROVED, WOULD A COURT BE REQUIRED? IF WE HAD TO FORCE OUR WAY INTO THE HOME, YES, A COURT WOULD HAVE TO BE. SO WE'D HAVE TO GET A WARRANT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THAT'S THE CURRENT WAY IT WORKS? SO WE'VE NEVER GOTTEN A WARRANT. SO WE'VE NEVER, LIKE, WE'VE NEVER PARSED ANYONE'S PHONE NUMBER. YOU KNOW, LIKE, YOU KNOW, NO. THE WARRANT, CORRECT? SO THE CURRENT PROCESS IS... WE HAVE A HEARING AND THAT WOULD BE A GOOD PROCESS FOR THE MANAGERS. I THINK WHAT YOU MIGHT BE REFERRING TO IS, LIKE I KNOW THAT, THE WAY THE LETTERS ARE WRITTEN AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THAT'S WHAT AFTER THIS IS ALL SAID AND DONE, CLARIFYING THAT. IF WE HAVE TO GET INTO SOMEONE'S HOME, THAT THAT WILL HAPPEN. BUT WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT. SO, THIS IS APPROVED. WILL YOU STILL REQUIRE A WARRANT TO GO INTO SOMEONE'S HOME? NO. I'M ASKING YOU. SO, THAT IS... NO. BUT SOMEONE VOLUNTARILY LETS US IN. THANK YOU, BUT I ASKED THE COMMISSIONER. WHO, I HEARD? I HEARD. SO, WE SENT A LETTER SAYING WE NEED TO INSPECT YOUR HOME TO CHECK THIS. I'M SORRY. THERE'S A DISCOUNT HERE. THEY SENT A LETTER OUT ASKING TO GO AND INSPECT A HOME. IF THEY GO TO THE HOUSE AND THEY OPEN THE DOOR AND CONSENT AND LET YOU IN AND INSPECT, IF THEY SAY, NO, YOU CAN'T COME IN, YOU DON'T FORCE YOURSELF IN, DO YOU? WE CAN'T FORCE. AND WE CAN'T GIVE YOU THE AUTHORITY TO FORCE YOUR WAY IN EITHER. BUT WE DO HAVE A PROCESS. THEY WOULD SEND LETTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO, YOU KNOW, BUT WE CAN'T. ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES CAN'T JUST OPEN THE DOOR AND FORCE YOUR WAY IN. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO VERIFY. YEAH, THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THE ANSWER. MR. BREW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. QUESTION, SENATOR VAIL? IS THERE A WAY TO CHECK WITHOUT GOING INTO THE PEOPLE'S HOUSES? IS THERE A WAY TO CHECK WITHOUT GOING INTO THE PEOPLE'S HOUSES? THIS IS ALL ABOUT IT. SO WE'VE ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT THAT INTERNALLY. YOU KNOW, SO SOMEONE HAS A, AND THIS IS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, SOME FOLKS EXPRESS CONCERNS ABOUT IT. SO WE'RE TALKING, BUT WE'RE NOT DONE YET. BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PERHAPS A DIFFERENT WAY THAT SOMEONE COULD HIRE THEIR OWN SLUMBER TO BE ABLE TO. ...AFFIRMED THAT THESE INTERCONNECTIONS ARE OFF THE CODE. SO THAT IS ONE WAY THAT... WHAT COULD BE THE POSSIBLE... LIKE, SOMETIMES, LIKE, YOU BUY A HOUSE, AND MAYBE THE PRIOR GUY DID SOME WORK OR WHATEVER. WHAT COULD BE THE POSSIBLE COST TO THE HOMEOWNER OF REPAIRS IF THERE WAS SOMETHING FOUND TO BE NOT RIGHT? SO THERE ARE... I WILL SAY THAT, AND THIS HAS BEEN REALLY BY THE CORRECTION, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE VERY, VERY... BUMPER SO WHEN YOU GO INTO THE HOUSE, THEN YOU'RE GOING [02:20:41] TO GET THE LANDLORD A LIST OF REPAIRS THAT NEED TO BE MADE? SO IF WE GO IN AND... SO I CAN GO FOR LIKE... THREE AND MORE FAMILY HOUSES, THEY HAVE A DUTY TO HAVE INSPECTORS COMING UNDER. YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE HOUSING LAW. I KNOW FOR, LIKE, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE FAMILY HOUSING, THOSE OWNERS ARE USED TO INSPECTORS COMING IN, BUT FOR SINGLE FAMILY AND DOUBLE HOUSES, THEY'RE NOT USED TO THAT, HAVING AN INSPECTOR COME IN FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS. SEEMS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE... AND HAVE YOU HAD A LOT OF PUSHBACK FROM PEOPLE THAT THEY WERE UPSET? THERE'S CERTAINLY BEEN PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, AT THE RIGHT TIME... YOU KNOW, GENERALLY FOLKS UNDERSTAND THAT WE TRY REALLY HARD TO WORK WITH, WITH KNOCKING ON DOORS AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO RESPOND TO OUR LETTER. YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. AND A LOT OF TIMES WHAT THIS EXPLAINS IS... OKAY, IT'S NOT AS DAUNTING AS IT MIGHT SEEM. COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS. WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS. WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS IN THE TOWN OF TONAWEND. SOME PUMPS, SEWER DRAINS, DOWNSPOUTS. WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS. SEPARATE WATER THAT COMES FROM THE TREATMENT PLANT TO THOSE SEWER LINES ALONG WITH SAN JOAQUIN. IT'S NOT THERE. BUT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME RESIDENTS THAT EXPRESSED CONCERNS. I KNOW SOME WERE BROUGHT UP LAST SUMMER. AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO CLARIFY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING THOSE CONCERNS TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE ALL DOING THINGS IN THE RIGHT WAY. I UNDERSTAND. IT'S JUST SURPRISING TO ME THAT IT'S COMING TO THIS LEVEL WHEN WE'VE BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS TO COME TO COMPLIANCE. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION. WE HAVE A SECOND. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? DO WE NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE? I'M IN FAVOR. SO IT'S 3-2. WE'RE GOOD? THANK YOU. OKAY, I THINK I'M LOCKED UP. THAT WAS ITEM 14, CORRECT? WE ARE NOW ON TO ITEM 15, THE ANNUAL ACTION PLAN FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. I BELIEVE PAUL AND ZACHARY, THIS IS YOURS. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. WE'RE SEEKING APPROVAL OF THE LEGISLATURE TODAY FOR A RESOLUTION THAT AUTHORIZES THE MIDDLE OF ERIE COUNTY'S 2026 ACTION PLAN FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. TO THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS FOR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO EXECUTE ALL NECESSARY AGREEMENTS WITH HUD, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, NONPROFIT, AND FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE GRANT PROGRAMS. THE 2026 ACTION PLAN IS SCHEDULED FOR SUBMITTAL TO HUD ON OR ABOUT MAY 7TH. A LIST OF THE PROJECTS TO BE FUNDED IN THE PLAN CAN BE FOUND AT ATTACHMENT B. THESE PROJECTS AND BUDGET WERE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED BY THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CONSORTIUM OF MAYORS AND SUPERVISORS AT THEIR JANUARY 22 MEETING. THANK YOU. QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS? MOTION? SECOND? ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU, JOHN. ITEM 16, SHORELINE STABILIZATION PROGRAM. I BELIEVE WE HAVE TROY AND BONNIE ON THIS. HELLO, GOOD AFTERNOON. WE'RE EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY AND ASK FOR YOUR AUTHORIZATION. ARE YOU REALLY THAT EXCITED? WE ARE. ARE YOU REALLY THAT EXCITED? YEAH, YEAH. I'M NOT THAT EXCITED. ABOUT THIS PROJECT. OH, OKAY. THAT'S FAIR. THAT'S FAIR. SORRY. GO AHEAD. WE'RE ASKING FOR YOUR AUTHORIZATION TO ACCEPT $4 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR A SHORELINE STREAM BANK STABILIZATION PROGRAM FROM THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF EMPIRE. NOW I KNOW WHY YOU'RE SAYING THAT. OKAY. THAT IS WHY. SO THIS RESOLUTION WILL NOT ONLY GIVE US THE AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO THE CONTRACT, BUT [02:25:01] WILL ALSO ESTABLISH THE BUDGETS FOR THE GRANT PROGRAM BOTH IN PART AND IN DEP. AND IT WILL ESTABLISH THREE POSITIONS. THIS GRANT WILL FUND TWO OF THEM FULLY, ONE OF THEM PARTIALLY. AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE'RE USING FEDERAL GRANT MONEY THAT'S ALREADY BEEN SPENT TO MATCH THAT POSITION. THAT'S WHY YOU'LL NOTICE IN THE BUDGET THAT IT'S BACKDATED A LITTLE BIT. AND THIS PROJECT HAS KIND OF THREE BUCKETS. THERE'S DESIGN WORK AND THE LENT BEACH COASTAL DUNE AND SHORELINE STABILIZATION PROJECT. THERE'S RIPARIAN HABITAT IMPROVEMENT WITHIN THE PARK SYSTEM OVERALL. AND THERE'S INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT. I DON'T KNOW, TROY, IF YOU WANTED TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT. YEAH, JUST THANK YOU, BONNIE, FOR THE INSTRUMENTS. IT'S AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR US. OBVIOUSLY, FOR US, THE BIGGEST COMPONENT HERE IS TO STABILIZE THE WENDT BEACH PARK. JOHN IS FAMILIAR WITH THAT. WE'VE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH LOSING THE BEACH AT WENDT FOR A FEW YEARS NOW. THIS WILL FINISH THE DESIGN AND PROVIDE CONSTRUCTION FUNDS. STABILIZE THAT THING AND IT WILL ALSO AFFECT OTHER PARKS INCLUDING STEMMICK BLUFFS, RED JACKET, THOMAS HIGGINS, ELLICOTT CREEK, COMO PARK, SCOBIE DAM AND THREE OTHER PARKS WE GET THE NAME SO JUST A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO ADDRESS OUR INVASIVE ISSUES. IT'S GOOD YOU THREW IN ELLICOTT CREEK, NOW I CAN HELP YOU OUT. I SAW THAT MOVE, GOOD. QUESTIONS? JUST REAL QUICK, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE NEW JOBS HERE, OBVIOUSLY GRANT FUNDED, SO ALWAYS LIKE TO ASK THE QUESTION, WHEN THAT GRANT RUNS OUT, WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE JOBS? POSITIONS END WHEN THE GRANT RUNS OUT. IF WE HAVE OTHER GRANT FUNDING THAT WE CAN MOVE THE PERSONNEL TO THAT QUALIFY FOR THE POSITIONS IN A NEW GRANT, THEN WE CAN MOVE THEM TO THAT POSITION TO END WITH THE GRANT FUNDING. THANK YOU. AND THEN SLIGHTLY OFF TOPIC, BUT I BELIEVE YOUR SPECIALTY HERE, BONNIE, YESTERDAY THERE WAS A REPORT ABOUT SOME DISCHARGE ROOM. INTO PLUM BOTTOM CREEK AND ESSENTIALLY SOME RED DYE. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT, BUT JUST IN GENERAL, WHAT DOES ERIE COUNTY DO WHEN THEY FIND, YOU KNOW, ILLEGAL DISCHARGE? YOU KNOW, IS THAT JUST EXCLUSIVELY THE STATE THAT DEALS WITH US, OR DO WE GET INVOLVED? WE REPORT IT TO THE STATE. THANK YOU. I'LL SET ONE UP, SO. LEGISLATOR MILLS. I THINK IT WAS A GOOD SAVE MONEY. SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT PROGRAM. WILL YOU BE WORKING AT ALL WITH MARK GASSON AT SOILWATER? YES, HE'S VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT. YEAH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED. A LOWER THREE NEW JOBS. THREE NEW JOBS. TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. DID YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? OKAY, NOW I CAN LOOK FOR A MOTION. I NEED A SECOND. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM 17, LANCASTER UNLEASHED AGREEMENTS. TROY, THIS IS YOU. LET'S HEAR THIS. YEAH. THERE'S A LOT OF UNLEASHED AGREEMENTS. I HAVE A FEW HERE IN A ROW. THIS IS ASKING FOR AUTHORIZATION TO EXTEND OUR CURRENT AGREEMENT WITH LANCASTER UNLEASHED. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT MAY NOT BE AWARE, LANCASTER LEACH IS A NONPROFIT GROUP THAT MAINTAINS THE DOG PARK AT COMA PARK. THEY ACTUALLY DO A PHENOMENAL JOB. THEY'VE RAISED A TON OF MONEY OVER THE YEARS TO HELP WITH LIGHTS, INVESTMENTS, SHADE STRUCTURES, DRAINAGE, AGILITY EQUIPMENT AND SUCH. SO THIS HAS GIVEN US THE RIGHT TO EXTEND OUR CURRENT AGREEMENT. GOT THAT. ANY QUESTIONS? MOTION BY FRANK, SECOND BY GILMORE. ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. EXCELLENT. ITEM 18. TROY, I BELIEVE WE'RE STILL UP WITH BUFFALO NIAGARA WATER KEEPERS. THAT IS CORRECT. THIS WILL ALSO EXTEND OUR AGREEMENT, WHICH IS A GRANT, A LIMITED ENTRY AGREEMENT WITH THE BUFFALO NIAGARA WATER KEEPERS. EVERYONE'S PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH THE GREAT WORK THEY DO, FROM THE BLU-RAY PROJECTS TO SHORELINE RESTORATION TO ANNUAL CLEANUPS. THIS ALLOWS US TO EXTEND THAT CURRENT AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH THEM AS WELL. GREAT. QUESTIONS? I'VE GOT A MOTION. I'VE GOT A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. TROY, YOU'RE ON A ROLL. ITEM 19, WESTERN NEW YORK PRISM LIMITED ACCESS AGREEMENT. YEAH, THIS IS ANOTHER GROUP WE [02:30:01] WORK WITH ON A YEARLY BASIS, WESTERN NEW YORK PRISM. THIS WILL EXTEND THEM THE LIMITED GRANTS ENTRY INTO ERIE COUNTY PARKS FOR A VARIETY OF THINGS THEY DO, INCLUDING THE BASIC WORK OF HWA TREATMENTS. AND THEY DO INSPECTION OF THE WATER GRAPHS AT BLACK ROCK EVERY YEAR AND PROVIDE US THOSE NUMBERS AS WELL. SO A GOOD GROUP, DO GREAT WORK. WE WANT TO EXTEND THAT CONTRACT. SOUNDS GOOD. QUESTIONS? GOT A MOTION? SECOND? ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT, TROY, BRING US HOME. ITEM 20, WESTERN NEW YORK AND LANGE CONSERVANCY LIMITED ACCESS AGREEMENT. YEAH, SO THIS IS THE LAST ONE I HAVE TODAY. THIS IS TO EXTEND THEIR ACCESS AGREEMENT. THEY HAVE MOSSY POINT PRESERVE, WHICH IS A TAX-REFUNDERS' FREE PARK. YEARS AGO, WE GOT AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM TO USE OUR PARKING LOT TO REACH THEIR PROPERTY. THEY TAKE CARE OF THE TRAIL CONNECTION AND MAINTENANCE OF THAT, SO THIS ALLOWS PEOPLE WHO PARK AT HUNTER'S TO EXPLORE OTHER AREAS AS WELL. SOUNDS GOOD. QUESTIONS? MOTION BY TENARO, SECOND BY GILMORE. ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIED. THANK YOU. [HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES] WE'RE GOING TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MEETING NUMBER FIVE, APRIL 23RD, 2026. TURN AND TAKE THE ROLL, PLEASE. LEGISLATOR ORIGO. LEGISLATOR TODARO. PRESENT. CHAIR DUPREE. PRESENT. LEGISLATOR BARNESE. HERE. LEGISLATOR VAINO. HERE. HE'S JUST REAL LOUD. CHAIR MYERS, EX-OFFICIO MEMBER, IS PRESENT. YOU GUYS, YOU JUST HAD TO GET THE ROOM TO QUIET DOWN. SO, THANK YOU. ITEM 1 THROUGH 9 ARE TABLED UNDER MY AUTHORITY AS CHAIR. ITEM 11 IS RECEIVED AND FILED. AND ITEM 10 IS ACTIONABLE. BUT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE A DISCUSSION TODAY ON ITEM 10, INTRO 5-1, BIOMETRICS TRANSPARENCY AND PRIVACY ACT. AND I WANTED TO START THIS OFF WITH, I HAVE SOME SPECIAL GUESTS TO SPEAK ABOUT IT. WE HAVE MR. JASON STEGALL, 7TH GRADE, HAMBURG MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES CLASS. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR WAITING AS WE DID A LITTLE BIT OF GOVERNMENT. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU GUYS CAME ALL THE WAY UP HERE, THAT YOU HAD A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT THIS LAW THAT YOU'VE REVIEWED AND YOU'VE HAD SOME OPINIONS ON. SO PLEASE, THE FLOOR IS YOURS. BIOMETRICS IS THE AUTOMATED MATHEMATICAL AND STATISTICAL IDENTIFICATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL'S BASELINE AND THE BIOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR OF THE CHARACTER. I SUPPORT THE DAM BECAUSE IT GOES AGAINST THE PUBLIC'S CHOICE. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS BAN ALL THROUGHOUT ERIE COUNTY. THE ONLY LOCATIONS THAT SHOULD BE NEEDED ARE AIRPORTS AND AT THE BORDER. ONE REASON SHOULD BE THAT LESS THAN 30% OF AMERICANS ARE WEARING THIS TECHNOLOGY. THEREFORE, THEY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION BEING TAKEN FROM THEM. 95% OF THE CRIMINALS CALL IT MARKET CONTROL ENVIRONMENT. THIS TECHNOLOGY CONTRACTS YOUR BEHAVIOR IN STORES AND IT TRACKS WHAT YOU WANT. THERE'S TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN SCAN YOUR IRIS, VOICE AND FINGER. THEY CAN USE THIS TO UNLOCK YOUR CARD. IF SOMEONE GETS A HOLD OF IT, THEY CAN UNLOCK AND STEAL YOUR CARD AND GET INTO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT. THESE ARE ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF THE REASONS BIOMETRIC TECHNOLOGY SHOULD BE BANNED. YOUR TURN. THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY BIOMETRIC TECHNOLOGY SHOULD BE BANNED IN ALL THE PUBLIC SPACES THAT USE IT. SOME REASONS THAT IT SHOULD BE BANNED IS THERE ARE WRONGLY ACCUSED PEOPLE WHO FIND THAT THEY HAVE A GUN AND THERE ARE 20 PUBLIC CASES, AT LEAST 20 PUBLIC CASES IN THE US WHICH SOMETIMES ARE WRONGLY ACCUSED. LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF DIGITAL BIO-CONTENT. IT GOES AGAINST THE CODE THAT I PUT IN THE CHILDREN'S ON BIO-CONTENT PROTECTION, BECAUSE IT COLLECTS CHILDREN'S BIO-CONTENT DATA WITHOUT PARENTAL CONSENT. AND IT'S ALREADY BANNED IN SOME PLACES LIKE PORT OAK, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN. THANK YOU, GUYS. THAT'S GREAT. WE HAVE NEXT. BIOMETRIC TECHNOLOGY SUCH AS FINGERPRINT SCANS, FACIAL [02:35:02] RECOGNITION, AND IRIS DETECTION IS OFTEN USED. PROMOTED AS A SECURE AND EFFICIENT WAY TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS. WHILE IT CAN HELP WITH THEFT, LIKE FINDING CRIMINALS, THE RISKS IT BRINGS TO PRIVACY, SECURITY, AND PERSONAL SAFETY MAKE IT A DANGEROUS SYSTEM TO RELY ON. OVERALL, BIOMETRICS SHOULD NOT REPLACE TRADITIONAL SECURITY METHODS BECAUSE OF THE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES IF THE DATA IS MISUSED OR STOLEN. ONE MAJOR ISSUE WITH BIOMETRICS IS THE WAY DATA IS STORED. BIOMETRIC INFORMATION MUST BE KEPT IN DATABASES, WHICH CAN BECOME TARGETS FOR HACKERS. IF A PASSWORD IS STOLEN, IT CAN EASILY BE CHANGED. HOWEVER, BIOMETRIC DATA IS PERMANENT. YOU CANNOT CHANGE YOUR FINGERPRINT OR YOUR BASE. THIS MEANS THAT ONCE YOUR INFORMATION IS LEAKED, IT IS COMPROMISED FOREVER. THIS CREATES A LONG-TERM RISK THAT IS MUCH MORE SERIOUS THAN TRADITIONAL SECURITY BREACHES. ANOTHER CONCERN IS PRIVACY. BIOMETRIC SYSTEMS OFTEN COLLECT AND STORE HIGHLY PERSONAL DATA WITHOUT PEOPLE FULLY UNDERSTANDING HOW IT IS. THIS CAN LEAD TO SURVEILLANCE AND THE LOSS OF INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM. GOVERNMENTS OR COMPANIES CAN TRACK PEOPLE WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT, WHICH RAISES SERIOUS ETHICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW MUCH CONTROL OTHER PEOPLE HAVE OVER THEIR IDENTITIES. IN CONCLUSION, ALTHOUGH BIOMETRIC TECHNOLOGY OFFERS SOME BENEFITS, THE DANGERS OUTWEIGH THE ADVANTAGES. THE PRIMITIVE NATURE OF BIOMETRIC DATA, THE RISK OF HACKING, THE INVASION OF PRIVACY, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR INCREASED CRIME ALL SHOW THAT IT IS NOT AS SAFE FOR PILOT PLACEMENT FOR TRADITIONAL SECURITY METHODS. SOCIETIES SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT ADOPTING BIOMETRICS AND FOCUS ON PROTECTING INDIVIDUALS' RIGHTS AND SAFETY AND STATUS. THANK YOU. THE USES OF BIOMETRICS ARE MOSTLY USED BY POLICE FORCES TO IDENTIFY CRIMINALS, BUT THIS BARELY WORKS BECAUSE THE POLICE RELY ON AI AND NOT THEIR OTHER RESOURCES. IT DOES THIS BY SCANNING FACES, PROBABLY EVEN LIKE FINGERPRINTS, BUT THAT IS JUST NOW TECHNOLOGY, AND AS AI ADVANCES, IT COULD DO MORE LIKE STEAL CREDIT CARD INFORMATION, MORE DATA ON FINGERPRINTS, AND OTHER INFORMATION THAT COULD BE STOLEN AND USED AGAINST YOU. AND MOST PEOPLE DO NOT WANT THEIR IDENTITY STOLEN, SO WHAT THEY DO. THEY DO CATCH CRIMINALS SOMETIMES, BUT MOST OF THE TIME THEY CATCH INNOCENT PEOPLE. AND EVEN WHEN THEY DO, THEY ARE CAUGHT IN AIRPORTS, AND THAT'S WHERE THEY MOST LIKELY WILL BE USED, BUT BUSINESSES USE THEM, AND THAT IS PROBABLY NOT GOING TO CATCH CRIMINALS. SO THEY SHOULD NOT USE THEM, AND THEY'RE EXPENSIVE TO INSTALL, AND IT'S EASY TO SELL OTHER PEOPLE'S INFORMATION. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO WOULD WANT IT. SO THAT'S MAYBE HOW THEY WOULD MAKE THEIR MONEY BACK. SO OVERALL, THEY DON'T CATCH MANY CRIMINALS, AND IT'S MORE AGAINST PEOPLE THAN WITH THEM. BIOMETRICS IS THE AUTOMATED MATHEMATICAL OR STATISTICAL IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUALS BASED ON UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS. ONE OF THE MOST COMMONLY KNOWN TYPES OF THESE BIOMETRIC TOOLS IS FACIAL SCANNING AND RECOGNITION. BIOMETRIC TECHNOLOGIES ARE USED TO GATHER AND INSPECT PERSONAL DATA ON THE DIFFERENT END OF THE MEASURES. THESE COULD BE USED FOR GOOD IN THE HANDS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, AS IS CURRENTLY BEING USED TO HELP PROTECT CITIZENS, BUT GIVING THIS TO THE GOVERNMENT AND COMPANIES CAN SERIOUSLY ENDANGER CITIZENS' PRIVATE LIVES. POWERFUL AND RICH BUSINESSES COULD USE BIOMETRICS TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT YOUR SCHEDULE IS, YOUR PREFERENCES, AND OTHER VERY PERSONAL QUESTIONS THEY COULD USE SPECIFICALLY AND GET YOU IN THEIR APPETITES. THEN WITH CERTAIN COMPANIES THAT LEAN TOWARD KIDS COULD BE EXTRA DANGEROUS. CHILDREN ARE TOO YOUNG TO UNDERSTAND DANGEROUS SCAMS. IN THE PAST, THERE HAVE BEEN COMPANIES WHO HAVE USED USER DATA WITHOUT THEM KNOWING, RESULTING IN DRASTIC PROBLEMS FOR THOSE WHO PREDICT THOSE. THEN THERE IS GOVERNMENT, WHICH COULD BE OKAY IN SOME SCENARIOS, BUT THIS WOULD BE GIVING THEM TOO MUCH POWER OVER THE PEOPLE. THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE ABLE TO HOLD SOME OF THESE POWERS, BUT KNOWING YOUR EXACT LOCATION WOULD BE MORE FUN. YOU WOULD CONSTANTLY HAVE THE THOUGHT OF NEVER TRULY BEING ABLE TO BE ALONE. BUT TOGETHER WE CAN STOP OUR [02:40:01] LIVES FROM BEING INTRUDED AND PRESERVE THEIR RIGHTS. IF THIS GETS PASSED, PEOPLE'S RIGHTS ARE TAKEN AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT WILL BE BROKEN. WE WOULD HAVE LESS ABILITY TO ASSEMBLE IN FRANKFURT AND WE WOULD TRULY NOT BE ALONE. WE MUST STOP THIS FROM BEING PASSED OR OUR OWN RIGHTS ARE GOING TO BE LESS STRONG. NO, THANK YOU. I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR MAKING SUCH PASSIONATE SPEECH AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. BUT NOW WE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, CHAIR, AND THANK YOU, CHAIR, FOR BRINGING IN THESE BRIGHT AND VERY SMART YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN. I'D LIKE TO FIRST, I THINK THE TEACHER IS OVER HERE. WHERE IS THE TEACHER? COME ON UP HERE. COME ON UP HERE. I DIDN'T GET YOUR NAME. JASON, I WANT TO COMMEND YOU ON THESE FABULOUS STUDENTS. AND WHAT SCHOOL DISTRICT ARE YOU IN? AND YOU GUYS ARE SIMON'S GRADERS? SO COMING UP HERE, YOU GUYS OBVIOUSLY PREPARED AND WROTE GREAT SPEECHES AND THOUGHT THIS THROUGH. WERE YOU NERVOUS? IF YOU'RE NERVOUS, COME ON, LET'S SEE WHO MAKES IT. EVEN YOUR TEACHER WAS NERVOUS, RIGHT? SO YOU ALL DID A FABULOUS JOB, RIGHT? AND I'M TELLING YOU, YOU ALL DID A FABULOUS JOB. YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE GREAT ATTORNEYS ONE DAY, BUT LET'S YOU BE A DOCTOR AND NOT AN ATTORNEY. SO WHAT DID YOU LEARN HERE TODAY? WERE YOU NERVOUS? OTHER THAN YOUR TOPIC THAT YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, WHICH YOU DID GREAT, WHAT DID YOU LEARN HERE TODAY? IT'S NOT THAT SCARY, RIGHT? IT'S REALLY NOT. YOU DID A GREAT JOB, AND YOU ALL SPOKE ON YOUR TOPIC, AND YOU DID A FABULOUS JOB. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU ALL BELONG. YOU ALL BELONG HERE, AND YOU DID A GREAT JOB, SO THERE'S NOTHING TO BE NERVOUS ABOUT. SO I WANT TO COMMEND ALL OF YOU AND YOUR TEACHER FOR A FABULOUS PRESENTATION ON EXPRESSING YOURSELF AND BEING INTERESTING. AND NEXT TIME, I WANT TO ASK EVERYONE TO GIVE YOUR FIRST NAMES, BECAUSE NOBODY SAID THEIR FIRST NAME. THANK YOU, GUYS. WELL, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. I HEARD THAT YOU GUYS GOT TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING. TAKE THE LONG WAY BACK TO SCHOOL. LONG WAY. NICE JOB. THANK YOU. IT'S GOING TO BE A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW. SO NOW THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE, TREY. SO I WANTED YOU GUYS TO COME UP HERE AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS BIOMETRICS LAW. I KIND OF WANT YOU TO SPEAK ON SOME OF THE POLICY AND LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS THAT WERE DONE AS WE LOOKED OVER THIS. YES, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS PATRICK SLAUGHTER. I'M DIRECTOR OF POLICY FOR YOUR COUNTY. I'M FROM OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT. I CAN'T PROMISE YOU THAT I WILL SPEAK DELICATELY AS THE PRESENTERS THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING TODAY, BUT IT IS OUR POSITION AS THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE THAT WE SHARE MANY OF THE SAME CONCERNS ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF BIOMETRIC INFORMATION, THE COLLECTION OF DATA, THE SALE AND PROCUREMENT OF THIS KIND OF INFORMATION. WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THIS KIND OF INFORMATION BEING USED FOR PURPOSES OF DYNAMIC ADVERTISEMENT, FOR TRACKING. SCHEDULING FOR SPECIFIC CLAIMS OF GOODS AND SERVICES. WE KNOW OF MANY COMPANIES THAT, AS PART OF THEIR WRITTEN POLICIES, OPENLY HAVE A VERY FORTHRIGHT IN THAT THEY PROCURE, THEY SELL, THEY UTILIZE THIS KIND OF INFORMATION. AND SO FOR A POLICY CONSIDERATION, OBVIOUSLY... WITHOUT DELVING TOO FAR INTO THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. THE PURVIEW OF THIS HONORABLE BODY. ERIE COUNTY, SPECIFICALLY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, HAS CERTAINLY STATED HIS PREFERENCE FOR A TOTAL BAN DUE TO THE SIGNIFICANT TRANSPARENCY ISSUES, THE PRIVACY CONSIDERATIONS, AND AS IT IS A BURGEONING FRONTIER. THERE'S A LOT [02:45:02] OF SAFEGUARDS THAT WE NEED TO SEE BEFORE THOSE CONCERNS ARE ALLUDED TO. SO I'M HAPPY TO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. NO, BUT THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A LITTLE CLARIFICATION ON SOME OF THE LEGAL THINGS. SO THIS IS THE BIOMETRIC MODEL THAT I'M PUTTING FORTH JUST CONCERNING, YOU KNOW, LET'S START AND BEGIN WITH WHAT THE BIOMETRIC IS. THAT'S YOUR FACE SCAN, PRINT SCAN, VOICE SCAN, DIFFERENT THINGS THAT STORES ARE COLLECTING. AND WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING WITH TECHNOLOGY AND EVERYTHING, THIS MADE US VERY UNCOMFORTABLE IN THE COMMUNITY. SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THIS LAW, THE BIOMETRIC TRANSPARENCY AND PRIVACY ACT, THAT IS PRIORITIZING CONSUMER PRIVACY. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. THIS IS NOT ABOUT, THIS IS NOT ANTI-BUSINESS, ABOUT PEOPLE STOPPING THEIR LOSS PREVENTION. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT STORES ARE ALREADY DOING TO ADDRESS THAT. BUT THIS, FOR ME, IS MORE ON CONSUMER PRIVACY AND WHAT WE'RE DOING TO PROTECT THE PRIVACY FOR UCONN RESIDENTS. AND THIS IS WHAT WE'VE HAD AS WE'VE BEEN IN COMMUNITY CENTERS, ROCK CLUB MEETINGS, AND JUST BEEN... COMMUNITY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY SEEMED THAT THEY WANTED. WE ALL STARTED WITH, WE ALL WERE IN THE NEWSPAPER CONCERNING THINGS GOING ON IN THE WAGONS IN NEW YORK CITY. IT HAD US ALL THINKING THAT THIS IS PROBABLY GOING OVER HERE. IT'S REALLY HARD NOT TO BELIEVE THAT IT'S GOING ON IN ONE PLACE, IT'S GOING TO COME HERE. AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE ADDRESSED. AND AS I TELL EVERYBODY, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT EVERY STORE WILL BE UTILIZING. THIS IS MORE OF THE FIXED BOX STORES THAT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO FIND OTHER WAYS TO ADDRESS. THE PROBLEM THEY WANT TO ADDRESS. SO THAT IS WHY WE ARE HERE TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT THIS. AND I JUST REALLY WANT THE KIDS, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD, TOO, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THIS IS VERY CONTROVERSIAL. THIS IS NOT VERY CONTROVERSIAL. I NEED A LOT OF PEOPLE COME IN WHERE I THINK THE KIDS ELOQUENTLY EXPRESS THAT IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH AS A COMMUNITY. AND THIS IS WHY WE'RE DOING THIS. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THE ONE QUESTION I HAVE IS IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF THESE. THIS ACTIVITY IS DONE WHERE THE OWNER OF THE STORE CONTRACTS WITH A THIRD PARTY THE DATA. AND I WAS WONDERING IF YOU FEEL THAT STATUTE COVERS, IS THE STATUTE, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE STATUTE WILL SAY THE PERSON OR THEIR AGENT OR THEIR ASSIGNS OR VENDOR OR SOMETHING, WHICH I DON'T KNOW IF THIS ONE PARTICULARLY SAYS THAT. AND NUMBER TWO, DOES IT MAKE THE... BOTH PARTIES LIABLE THE VENDOR COLLECTING THE DATA AND THE STORE IN WHICH BECAUSE IT SAYS COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT SHALL NOT IN SECTION FOUR IT SAYS UM THE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS ARE PROHIBITED FROM COLLECTING STORING USING OR OTHERWISE SELLING IF THEY'RE MONETIZING THE CUSTOMER'S BIOMETRIC IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION AND COMMERCIAL SETTINGS UM SO DOES THAT MAKE THEM LIABLE FOR THEIR ACTS OF THEIR, WITHOUT, I MEAN, SHOULD THAT LANGUAGE BE ADDED TO SAY THAT INCLUDES THEM OR THEIR AGENT? IN OTHER WORDS, IS, SAY THAT STORE MAY, THEORETICALLY, MAYBE DOESN'T KNOW THE EXTENT TO WHICH THIS COMPANY IS COLLECTING DATA. ARE THEY STILL STRICTLY LIABLE FOR IT, OR ARE THEY NOT LIABLE AT ALL BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT DOING IT? THAT'S WHAT I WAS WONDERING, WITHOUT THE USE OF THE TERM, OR THEIR AGENT. TO BE CLEAR, YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE LAW SUBMITTED OR THE PROPOSED DRAFT SUBMITTED BY LEGISLATIVE DECREE? YES. I BELIEVE, LOOKING OVER, AND I CERTAINLY WILL TURN THIS OVER TO COUNCIL IN A MOMENT, I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE DEFINITION OF COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT, MEAN ANY PERSON, FIRM, PARTNERSHIP, ASSOCIATION, CORPORATION, COMPANY, ORGANIZATION, OR OTHER ENTITY. THE WORD ASSOCIATION MAY MEAN AN AGENCY RELATIONSHIP, CERTAINLY, AND IT GOES FURTHER TO SAY WHO'S ACTING WITHIN THE SCOPE. SO I THINK WITHOUT GETTING SPECULATIVE AS TO ANY INDEMNIFICATION OR ANY CONTRACTUAL LANGUAGE. I THINK THAT THERE IS SOME CONCERN AS TO THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTING FOR THIS KIND OF PROGRAM OR ANY KIND OF TECHNOLOGY. BUT I THINK THE UTILIZATION WOULD REFER BACK TO THE ORGANIZATION YOU'RE UTILIZING IT. TYPICALLY WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THIS FIELD, AT LEAST. THAT WE'RE AWARE OF ON FIRST WATCH ARE PROGRAMS OR SECURITY DEVICES THAT ARE PROCURED BY A COMPANY FROM A THIRD PARTY, BUT THAT INFORMATION REMAINS [02:50:02] WITH THE COMPANY THAT IS UTILIZING THAT SECURITY DEVICE OR THAT PROGRAM. AND SO TYPICALLY THIS IS NOT AN OFF-SITE. THIRD PARTY THAT IS MAINTAINING THAT DATA, THE DATA THAT BECOMES PART OF THE ORGANIZATION THAT IS UTILIZING THAT INFORMATION OR THAT TECHNOLOGY. BUT I THINK IT IS A CONCERN THAT CERTAINLY UTILIZING THIS KIND OF INFORMATION, IF THIS WERE THE LANGUAGE. THAT THIS BODY WOULD PASS. I THINK IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT THOSE UTILIZING THESE KINDS OF TECHNOLOGIES WOULD HAVE TO CONSIDER. AND I WILL INVITE KELSEY TO SPEAK MORE ON THAT. YES, I AGREE. AND THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE COULD LOOK INTO WITH RESPECT TO THE DEFINITION OF COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS. AND IF IT GOES BEYOND THAT AS FAR AS WHAT PARTY OR PARTY CAN UTILIZE TO OBTAIN THAT INFORMATION. BUT RIGHT NOW, WITH RESPECT TO THE LOCAL LAW. THIS COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT IN SWEDEN, THE ESTABLISHMENT LOCATED IN ERIE COUNTY. WE DON'T KNOW BEYOND THAT. I GUESS IT WOULD BE SPECULATING WHAT THEY ARE USING FOR THE COLLECTION OF THAT DATA. AND THAT WE JUST DON'T KNOW. THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND WE HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION. MR. MCDONALD? SO THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT COULD GO REALLY DEEP IN THE WEEDS. I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT AI AND ALL THESE SOFTWARE PROGRAMS THAT ARE BEING UTILIZED TODAY. ONE QUESTION I HAVE IS THE CELL PHONE. ANDROID, APPLE-BASED SOFTWARE. I TAKE A PHOTO, INADVERTENTLY SOMEBODY IS IN THE BACKGROUND IN FACIAL RECOGNITION. THAT IS ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND THEY'RE STIRRUPS. SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY PUT A NAME WITH THAT BASE. AND IT'S OUT THERE. WOULD THIS LAW PERTAIN TO CELL PHONE SERVICE IN ERIE COUNTY AS WELL, BEING A COMMERCIAL PRODUCT? AND I'M NOT TRYING TO BE DIFFICULT. IT JUST OPENS UP PANDORA'S BOX. WHAT'S THERE? I THINK IT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I THINK THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT WE'RE STRICTLY COMMENTING ON, THE PROPOSED DRAFT FROM WHAT'S THERE FOR FREE. I WOULD SAY NO, THE AVERAGE PERSON ISN'T ENGAGED IN THIS KIND OF COMMERCIAL CONDUCT. AND IT SEEMS BASED ON THE PLAIN READING THAT EXISTS WITHIN THIS PROPOSED GRAPH, THAT IF YOU'RE TAKING A SELFIE AND SOMEONE'S IN THE BACKGROUND AND IDENTIFIES THIS PERSON, THAT YOU'RE NOT BEING ENGAGED IN THIS KIND OF BIOMETRIC INFORMATION, STALE PROCUREMENT USE. THAT WE WOULD SEE WITHIN THE LANGUAGE OF THIS OF THIS BUILDING. HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE TO TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND SELL THAT, OR ENGAGE IN THIS KIND OF COMMERCE, CERTAINLY I THINK THAT THE LANGUAGE IS EXPANSIVE ENOUGH TO COVER THAT. BUT THERE'S ADDITIONAL STUFF THAT COULD HAVE BEEN JUST TAKING A PHOTOGRAPH OR RELEASING THEM. THE LANGUAGE OF THIS ROUTE... ALSO DOES CARVE OUT THAT YOU CAN USE PHOTOGRAPHS, YOU CAN USE VIDEO. THIS IS THE ADDITIONAL STEP OF DERIVING BIOMETRIC INFORMATION FROM THAT PROCESS. SO THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE LEGISLATURE PREVIOUSLY SAID. THIS DOES CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, THE DRAFT BEFORE US ON MITCHELL BEING GONE IN SPACE SEEMED TO PROHIBIT ANY KIND OF SECURITY. YOU KNOW, TO STILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR VIDEO OF SOMEONE CHILD TESTING OR A FLORIDA LAW OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. THIS IS THE ADDITIONAL STEP TO RUN THAT THROUGH TECHNOLOGY TO GENERATE BIOMETRIC INFORMATION AND THE USE OF THAT INFORMATION. AND ALSO FOR ME, WITH MY APPLICATION OF THIS LAW, IS THAT WITH THE WAY TECHNOLOGY IS EVOLVING, IT'S A LOT QUICKER THAN WHAT WE WERE CHILDREN. SO... THIS IS DONE AS OF THE WAY, THIS IS THE ISSUE THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH AT THIS MOMENT. THINGS CHANGE NEXT YEAR, THINGS CHANGE THREE YEARS FROM NOW. SO THAT IS HOW IT LOOKS WHERE WITH THE WAY TECHNOLOGY IS GROWING SO QUICKLY, THAT IS MAYBE SOMETHING WE HAVE TO LOOK AT A DIFFERENT TIME DEPENDING ON HOW THINGS MOVE. SO THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE THINGS WHERE WE'RE JUST TRYING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE THAT'S POPPING UP, AND THE ISSUE CAN ALWAYS TURN INTO SOMETHING ELSE, AND WE NEED TO BE READY TO PIVOT AND ADDRESS THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE. WE HAVE OUR LEGISLATORS. IT'S A GREAT DAY. TIME. THANK YOU. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO APPLAUD YOU FOR PUTTING SOMETHING IN REGARDING THIS TOPIC. BUT THIS IS NOTHING NEW. SO THERE'S OTHER STATES THAT HAVE DONE THIS IN THE UNITED STATES. ILLINOIS HAS DONE IT, TEXAS, WASHINGTON. AND IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE THERE'S REGULATIONS IN PLACE. AND IN REALITY, RIGHT NOW, [02:55:01] IF YOU GO TO WALMART, YOU GO TO WEGMANS, YOU GO TO THE SELF-CHECKOUT PIECE, YOU HAVE THREE ITEMS. THEY'RE TAKING DATA FROM YOU. THEY'RE SCREENING YOUR FACE WITHOUT INFORMED CONSENT. AM I CORRECT WITH THAT STATEMENT? YOU GUYS ARE LAWYERS HERE. THERE'S NO POSTAGE SAYING THAT WE ARE COLLECTING DATA. WE'RE RECORDING YOUR FACE FULLY. AS FAR AS WE KNOW RIGHT NOW, IT'S POSTAGE IN THE STORE, NOT IN THE STORE. I CAN'T SPEAK FOR EVERY STORE. SO THEN ON TOP OF IT, YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT... YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THEY DOING WITH ALL THIS DATA? HOW ARE THEY STORING IT? AS A CONSUMER, IF I'M GOING INTO WEGMANS TO GRAB BANANAS AND MILK, I'M NOT THINKING THAT THIS SYSTEM THAT THEY'RE HAVING IS COMPLETELY RECORDING ALL MY ACTIONS. AND THEN THE OTHER ASPECT IS DATA. WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO WITH THIS DATA? WHAT IF A LEAK HAPPENS, RIGHT? WE'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN BEFORE WHERE... A LOT OF PEOPLE... PERSONAL INFORMATION WAS COMPROMISED. SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT THIS LAW, I'M THINKING ABOUT PROTECTING THE CONSUMERS WHO ARE JUST GOING INTO A STORE AND TRYING TO GET THINGS FOR THEIR FAMILY. SO AS WHEN I LOOK AT THE KEY ASPECTS OF THIS LAW, IT'S ABOUT PROTECTION, IT'S MAKING SURE THAT YOUR FINGERPRINTS AND YOUR PHOTOS AND YOUR VIDEO OF YOU BUYING THINGS ARE NOT SOMEWHERE THEY SHOULDN'T BE. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR PUTTING SOMETHING IN PLACE. HOPEFULLY WE CAN VOTE FOR IT, BUT TO ME THIS IS A COMMON SENSE OF PROTECTING OUR CONSUMERS. AND ALSO, ON THE OTHER ASPECT, THESE STORES SHOULD PUT SOMETHING OUT THERE IF YOU'RE TAKING THIS DATA. THERE SHOULD BE CLEAN AND STRAIGHT UP POSTAGE SOMEWHERE IN FRONT OF THE MACHINE THAT YOU'RE USING THAT THEY'RE TAKING IT AND LET THE CONSUMERS DECIDE IF THEY WANT TO USE THAT MACHINE OR NOT. BUT TO ME RIGHT NOW, AND I WENT TO WEGMANS LAST NIGHT, I DID NOT SEE SOMETHING. THAT'S NOT THE ANSWER. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO VOTING ON THIS LAW. OKAY, I KNOW AS YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, WE JUST REMINDED PEOPLE, YOUR IDENTITY BELONGS TO YOU, AND BUSINESS HAS TO RESPECT THAT, AND THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT THING. YES, DO YOU MIND? LET'S BE FINAL. YES. I, AS FAR AS, THERE'S A CHOICE IN THE LEGISLATION WITH REGARD TO EITHER JUST GIVING NOTICE, WHICH I THINK THEN IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT GIVES SORT OF IMPLICIT ACCEPTANCE. IF YOU SEE A SIGN AND YOU WALK THROUGH IT, YOU'RE IMPLICITLY ACCEPTING THIS PERVERSE RELATIONSHIP. WHEREAS THIS IS A TOTAL PROHIBITION, IS IT NOT? SO THAT IT'S NOT ALLOWED, WHICH IS ANOTHER OPTION BEING USED IN A LOT OF PLACES, WHICH IS A LOT SAFER AND CLEANER. AND SO IT'S NOT JUST GIVE US NOTICE THAT YOU'RE TAKING ALL THIS FROM US, BUT THAT YOU CAN'T TAKE IT FROM US. IS THAT ACCURATE? IT'S TRUE. TOUCHBACK ON THAT POINT, I THINK, IS THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN INFORMED NOTICE GENERALLY. YOU KNOW, HAVING A SIGN THAT SAYS WE'RE COLLECTING INFORMATION MAY NOT GO FAR ENOUGH TO IDENTIFYING THE CONSUMER. SOMEONE WHO'S GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE TO PICK UP THREE ITEMS FOR DINNER THAT NIGHT, YOU KNOW, THAT MAY NOT BE ENOUGH FOR THEM TO CONTEMPLATE WHERE TO HAVE THEM. AND WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE QUITE A FEW BUSINESSES THAT IN THEIR WRITTEN PRODUCT, THE USE OF THIS KIND OF INFORMATION GOES FURTHER THAN COLLECTING THE INFORMATION. IT'S USED FOR DYNAMIC ADVERTISING, FOR PUSH NOTIFICATIONS, THINGS THAT WE'VE ALL SEEN. IF YOU PURCHASE THIS ITEM, YOU MAY LIKE THESE 15 ALTERNATIVES OR OTHER ITEMS. IT'S GOING FURTHER THAN JUST A SECURITY CONSIDERATION. AND I DO WANT TO MAKE A POINT. THIS IS NOT NEW. THIS IS OUR, YOU KNOW, IN OUR RESEARCH, WE BROUGHT IT ON. THE WHOLE BAN THAT HAS EXISTED SINCE 2008, AND THE RIGHTS HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED IN COURT, ACROSS THIS GROUND, ALL THESE CONSIDERATIONS, THE POWER THAT'S BEEN FOLLOWING ALL THE WAY TOWARDS MAINTAINING THESE KINDS OF PRIVACY CONSIDERATIONS AND THE RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS. YOU KNOW, THERE IS BEFORE YOU TWO DIFFERENT BILLS, ONE THAT GOES TOWARDS NOTICE AND DOES NOT GO INTO A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT NOTICE WOULD REQUIRE, ONE THAT IS A FULL PROHIBITION. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY WE CAN'T INSERT THIS INTO THE LEGISLATIVE BODY BEFORE US TO CONSIDER WHAT NOTICE MIGHT ACTUALLY REQUIRE. [03:00:01] IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION OR IF THIS BODY WANTS TO GO... BUT THIS ONE IS OF THE BAN. OURS IS FOR A BAN OF IT, CORRECT? YES. AND I REALLY APPLAUD LEGISLATURE DUPREE FOR THAT. SOME PLACES ARE JUST LOOKING AT THE NOTICE, WHICH DOES THE OPPOSITE OF MAKING YOU HAVE MORE RIGHTS. IT GIVES YOU LESS RIGHTS BECAUSE YOU'VE GIVEN UP YOUR RIGHTS BY GOING IN. SO I REALLY APPLAUD THIS APPROACH BY DUPREE. TO HAVE THIS MORE, YOU KNOW, CLEAR-CUT TYPE OF RESOLUTION. NO, THANK YOU. AND WE WANTED TO BRING IN, WE HAVE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ADMINISTRATION ACROSS THE STREET BECAUSE THEY WILL BE THE ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY WITH THE DIRECTIVES TO ENSURE PROTECTION. SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE WORKING HAND-IN-HAND. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING IN HERE. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IF ONE QUESTION LEFT, LET'S DO IT. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, TRYING TO PUT YOUR HANDS AROUND TECHNOLOGY WITH... THIS RAPIDITY OF WHICH IS PROGRESSIVE IS VIRTUALLY SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE. YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, RING DOORBELLS CAPTURE THAT. YOU CAN PROGRAM THE DELIVERY DRIVER SO THAT YOU DON'T GET NOTIFICATIONS IF IT'S THE SAME GUY THAT CAME YESTERDAY. YOU KNOW, I THINK WHEN A LOT OF THESE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS GO OUT THERE AND LOOK FOR SURVEILLANCE EQUIPMENT FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR BRICK-AND-MORTAR STORES, THEY OFTEN DO IT BASED ON WHAT THE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK. AND THESE COMPANIES WILL OFTEN PROVIDE CAMERAS AT A DEEP DISCOUNT WITH THE OFFSET THAT THEY'RE GOING TO COLLECT BIOMETRIC DATA. THAT'S, YOU KNOW, AND THE POINT WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW IS THAT THIS HAS BECOME THE NORM. IT'S NOT BECOMING THE NORM. IT IS THE NORM ALREADY. IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE NO OTHER OPTION AVAILABLE THAN THE TECHNOLOGY TO CAPTURE, YOU KNOW, DATA THAT'S THERE. THEY'RE NOT EVEN GOING TO OFFER ANYTHING BUT THAT IN THE NEAR FUTURE. SO THERE'S OBVIOUSLY POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES WITH CAPTURING DATA. OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS ARE THE ATTORNEYS THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE IT, BUT I BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, THERE IS VERY LITTLE RIGHT TO PRIVACY WHEN YOU'RE ENTERING, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY ELSE'S ESTABLISHMENT OR IN THE PUBLIC. THERE'S OBVIOUSLY THE POSITIVES OF, YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNMENT-OWNED CAMERAS BEING ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, HELP TRACK DOWN. MISSING PERSON OR KIDNAPPED CHILD, THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES THAT ARE POSITIVE. SO I CERTAINLY APPLAUD LEGISLATIVE SUPREME FOR TRYING TO PUT SOMETHING DOWN, BUT THE CHANGES THAT TAKE PLACE, THIS SEEMS LIKE IT'S ALMOST SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED ON A NATIONAL LEVEL BECAUSE, AGAIN, THESE VENDORS ARE SUPPLYING STORES. THEY'RE VERY OFTEN SOLD ONLINE, AND THEY DON'T CARE. WHAT THE LOCAL LAWS ARE, THEY JUST SELL THEM, AND A LOT OF THEM EVEN COME DIRECTLY FROM CHINA, AND YOU INSTALL THEM YOURSELF, AND WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT ENDS UP IN THE CLOUD. IN THE END, WE'VE ALL SIGNED UP FOR A STORE CARD, WHETHER IT'S WEGMANS, TOPS, OR WHOEVER, AND YOU GET THAT GIANT, YOU KNOW, NO OFFENSE TO YOU GUYS IN THE LEGAL WORLD, BUT THAT GIANT DISCLAIMER THAT SOMEBODY WITH A BETTER BRAIN THAN I HAVE HAS PUT TOGETHER. YOU CHECK OFF SO YOU GET YOUR, YOU KNOW, 50 CENTS OFF A GALLON OF MILK, BUT THEY GET EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN INCLUDED IN THAT. DOES THIS SEEM LIKE IT'S A REALISTIC VENTURE, OR IN THE END, IS THIS JUST, YOU KNOW, TECHNOLOGY IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE ONE STEP AHEAD OF WHERE THE GOVERNMENT GOES? THOSE ARE A FANTASTIC SERIES OF QUESTIONS. WITHOUT SPECULATING ON WHERE TECHNOLOGY IS GOING, I'M A HUMBLE LAWYER, NOT A NICE AND SPECIALIST, CERTAINLY. I THINK THAT THERE IS ETHICAL DEVELOPMENT FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE USE OF IT. THERE ARE WAYS TO UTILIZE VIDEO CAMERA TECHNOLOGY WITHOUT MAKING USE OF IT. ...BIOGRAPHIES OF BIOPROBLEMATIC INFORMATION CURRENTLY AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IT WILL DEVELOP WHERE THAT IS NO LONGER AN OPTION. I CAN'T SAY THAT WOULD BE A PURE SPECULATION ON MY PART, BUT I, YOU KNOW, AS FOR WHAT WE CAN DO HERE IN THIS DAY AND AGE AND IN THIS COMMUNITY, I THINK CERTAINLY HAVING CONVERSATIONS IS A COMMITMENT. [03:05:01] LEGISLATIVE DEGREE ON BRINGING THIS FORWARD. IT CERTAINLY HELPS ABOUT WHAT THE SCOPE OF THIS KIND OF INFORMATION IS, WHAT THE USE OF INFORMATION IN THIS COMMUNITY IS. YOU KNOW, BRINGING THOSE KINDS OF MAJOR CONCERNS, THE LAW GENERALLY CONSIDERS PRIVACY AND PUBLIC DOMAIN WITHOUT CONSIDERATION OF THIS KIND OF INFORMATION, THIS IS A NEW FRONTIER FOR THEM. AND IT'S CERTAINLY ONE THAT THE COURTS ARE GRASPING AS WE GO. WE HAVE DONE SOME OF THE WORK RESEARCHING THESE KINDS OF ISSUES. DEVA, WHICH IS THE BIOMEDICAL INFORMATION PREVENTION ACT OUT OF ILLINOIS. THEY'VE BEEN GRAPPLING WITH THIS FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS. IT'S REALLY BECOME KIND OF THE STANDARD FOR DUE PROCESS CONCERNS, PRIVACY CONCERNS IN THAT WAY. IT IS CERTAINLY A CONCERN AS TO WHAT INFORMED CONSENT, WHAT INFORMED NOTICE BECOMES. CERTAINLY TO YOUR POINT, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THROUGH WHAT IS A VAST LEGALESE FOR A LOT OF THESE THINGS, YOU CLICK YES, THEN YOU COME BACK, NO, I DIDN'T REALIZE I WAS SIGNING AWAY THOSE RIGHTS AND THOSE PIECES OF INFORMATION. AND I THINK THAT'S WHY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS STATED IN A RATHER EMPHATIC WAY THAT THEY BAN ON THIS KIND OF INFORMATION, NOT TO SILENCE THIS KIND OF DISCUSSION, BUT TO PROMOTE THIS KIND OF DISCUSSION. BUT BEFORE WE GET TO AN ANSWER THAT INVOLVES THE COMMUNITY, THAT INVOLVES THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY THIS, I THINK THE BAN AND CERTAINLY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE STATEMENTS. TO THE EFFECT OF THE BAN ON USING THIS KIND OF INFORMATION BEFORE THERE IS THAT KIND OF INFORMED NOTICE OF THE CONSENT GOES A LONG WAY TOWARDS IT. AND THERE ARE COMPANIES THAT DO BUSINESS IN OUR COMMUNITIES THAT MAKE USE OF THIS INFORMATION AND ARE VERY FORWARD-WARNED. TO THEIR CREDIT, THEY'RE VERY OPEN ABOUT THIS IS THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE USING. AND IF THIS BODY PASSES... LEGISLATOR DEGREES TO DRAFT, THEN WE'LL GO ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE OF THE CONSUMER PROTECTION ENFORCEMENT WILL LOOK FOR EVERY WAY THAT WE CAN ENFORCE THIS. SO I GUESS THAT'S KIND OF THE FOLLOW-UP QUESTION IS BECAUSE IT HAS, YOU KNOW, REALLY ENTERED THE MAINSTREAM, WE'RE GOING TO BE IN A SITUATION WHERE A LOT OF COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES, THEY'LL HAVE NO IDEA. THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION IS BEING COLLECTED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY SIGN UP. AND, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IT'S BURIED DEEP IN, YOU KNOW, THE AGREEMENT THAT YOU CLICK ONLINE. YOU KNOW, I'M AS GUILTY AS ANYBODY THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T READ SIX PAGES OF LAWYER TALK. AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST GET WHAT I WANT. SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO FROM AN ENFORCEMENT STANDPOINT WHERE... YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO BE UNKNOWINGLY, YOU KNOW, AND TO ALSO, YOU KNOW, LEGISLATOR TO DARRELL, TO TOUCH ON, PEOPLE UTILIZING THEIR PHONE. BUSINESSES ARE CONSTANTLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND TRYING TO PROMOTE THEIR BUSINESS. IT TURNS OUT THERE MIGHT BE A FEW PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM THAT MIGHT TAKE PHOTOS WITH CONSTITUENTS AND SHARES AS WELL. AND ONCE THAT HITS THE CLOUD, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT BIOMETRIC THING. ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU DO A GOOGLE SEARCH. THE PERSON'S NAME ISN'T NECESSARILY TAGGED, BUT THEIR FACE ENDS UP BEING TAGGED. SO I JUST THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY DIFFICULT THING ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THE ENFORCEMENT WHEN THERE'S NO NECESSARY INTENT BY THE COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT. THANK YOU, LEGISLATOR. I CAN'T SPECULATE HOW WE'RE GOING TO SET UP THE FRAMEWORK ONCE THE LEGISLATION IS PASSED. PASSED BY THE SENATE BODY, BUT WE HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY IN OTHER INSTANCES AND WITH OTHER LAWS THAT WE CERTAINLY WORK WITH WHATEVER LAWS HAVE TO SET UP RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH NOTICE, WHATEVER NOTICE RULES ARE CONTAINED WITHIN THE LEGISLATION, AS WELL AS OUTREACH. THAT'S A BIG PART OF CONSUMER PROTECTION. WE DO THAT ON A WEEKLY BASIS IN THE DIVISION. AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO EDUCATE BUSINESSES AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS WITH RESPECT TO THE LAW AND THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY IN THESE INSTANCES. AND THEN WITH RESPECT TO ENFORCEMENT, THAT'S GOING TO GO WITH NOTICE. AND THOSE ARE ALL PROVISIONS THAT WILL BE PROMULGATED AS SOON AS THE LAW IS PASSED. IT WILL BE ABLE TO MARKET THE [03:10:02] DIVISION AND DEVELOPING THOSE TYPES OF BOOTHS. AND LET'S ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS ISN'T EVERY STORE. THE BOUTIQUE SHOPS IN FILLMORE AND ELMWOOD ARE NOT GOING TO BE UTILIZING SOMETHING LIKE THIS. THIS IS MORE OF A BIG BOX STORE PROBLEM. SEE, THAT'S ACTUALLY THE BIGGER CONCERN. THE BIG BOX STORES, THEY'RE GOING TO BE INVESTING IN THE MORE SOPHISTICATED SYSTEMS, DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH AND HAVING THAT LEGAL. MY CONCERN IS ACTUALLY FOR THE SMALLER PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW. THEY GO ONLINE AND THEY BUY, YOU KNOW, THREE OR FOUR, YOU KNOW, JUST CHEAPER, YOU KNOW, SYSTEMS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY SIGN UP AND CLICK, PUT THEM IN THEIR STORE, AND THEN THAT BIOMETRIC DATA IS BEING COLLECTED. THEY'RE DOING IT, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF FOR THE SAFETY OF, YOU KNOW, THEMSELVES AND THE CUSTOMERS AND UNWILLINGLY. ARE SHARING DATA. THAT'S ACTUALLY MY BIGGER CONCERN. IT'S FOR MULTIPLE PEOPLE, NOT FOR BIG BANKS. WELL, I THINK FOR ME, IT'S A THING WHERE THIS IS A LOT MORE NORMAL TECHNOLOGY AND EVERYTHING, AND THIS LAW IS NOT EXPECTED TO ADDRESS AND COVER EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PIVOT IF SOMETHING CHANGES. SO THAT'S WHY I'M LOOKING AT IT AS THIS CAN'T, WE KNOW THERE'S AN ISSUE, SO WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING. BUT WE KNOW THAT THIS LAW CAN'T COVER EVERY ISSUE THAT'S GOING TO COME UP WITH THE WAY TECHNOLOGY IS MOVING. BUT I HAVE FAITH IN THE BODY THAT AS WE NORMALLY DO, IF SOMETHING CHANGES, WE JUST HAVE TO ADDRESS IT AS WE HAVE TO AND MAKE APPROPRIATE CHANGES IN AN APPROPRIATE TIME. THANK YOU. NO OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING UP HERE, FOR BEING HERE AND SPEAKING WITH ME. THANKS TO EVERYBODY SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME TALK ABOUT THIS LAW THAT I'M HOPING THAT WE'LL GET SUPPORT FOR WHEN WE HOLD IT NEXT WEEK. SO NOW WE HAVE ITEM 10, COMMUNICATION 78-16, ERIE COUNTY HOSPITALITY CENTER ACCESS POLICY. THIS WILL BE TABLED UNDER MY AUTHORITY AS CHAIR. ARE WE TALKING ABOUT IT ON THE AUTHORITY? OH, LET'S HAVE DISCUSSION. EXCUSE ME. EXCUSE ME, CAN I SPEAK? NO, PLEASE HAVE A SEAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. EXCUSE ME OF THE MISSPEAKING. WE HAVE ITEM 10, COMMUNICATION 17-16, ERIE COUNTY HOSPITALITY CENTER ACCESS POLICY. WE HAVE JEREMY TOTH HERE TO SPEAK WITH TWO YOUNG MEN FROM UNIVERSITY OF BUFFALO. YEAH. SO I WILL JUST DO A LITTLE BACKGROUND IN THE PROCESS AND WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY. SO FOR THE ANIMAL BODY, THERE'S A DRAFT OF THE HOSPITALITY SUITE, AS MOST PEOPLE KNOW. THE NEW LEASE WITH BUFFALO BILLS AND THE NEW STADIUM INCLUDES A SUITE RESERVED FOR ERIE COUNTY USE. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS IN THE MEDIA. LAST DECEMBER, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE REACHED OUT TO THE U.E. LAW SPORTS LAW CLINIC, AND WE'RE JOINED HERE BY TWO STUDENTS OF THE SPORTS LAW CLINIC. OUR PROFESSORS ARE IN THE GALLERY. THAT'S PROFESSOR TOBY AND PROFESSOR DREW. AND WE TASKED THEM WITH STARTING A POLICY, AND THE FIRST STEP IN THAT PROCESS WAS TO IDENTIFY A POLICY THAT WE COULD WORK FROM. AND THEY PRESENTED THE LAS VEGAS POLICY, AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD PLACE TO START. AND WE'VE HAD A SERIES OF MEETINGS WITH THEM, WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF THE LEGISLATURE HERE. LEGISLATORS GILMORE AND MYERS TO STEP THEIR CLIENT AND WE THROUGH THAT PROCESS MANY ITERATIONS WE'VE COME UP WITH A DRAFT POLICY THAT'S HERE FOR YOUR REVIEW AND SUGGESTIONS AND AMENDMENTS IF NECESSARY ESSENTIALLY AS REPORTED IN THE MEDIA IT'S A LOTTERY SYSTEM THAT SEEMS TO BE, I THINK THERE'S A CONSENSUS THAT THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DECIDE WHO GETS TO USE THE SUITE. THE MAIN THING FROM A PROCESS STANDPOINT I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IS THAT THIS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. THIS IS A POLICY THAT THE LEGISLATURE WILL HAVE TO ADOPT AND COULD READOPT AND AMEND AS EACH YEAR GOES BY. WE FIND PROBLEMS. WE DON'T [03:15:01] LIKE THE WAY IT WORKS. WE CAN DO IT. TINKER WITH IT OR CHANGE IT ENTIRELY. THIS DOES NOT BIND US FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS, BUT WE'D LIKE TO GET SOMETHING IN PLACE RELATIVELY QUICKLY SO THAT WE CAN BE PREPARED FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON. SO WITH THAT, EITHER I OR THE STUDENTS WILL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT ANYBODY MIGHT HAVE. LET'S START WITH AT LEAST WHAT THE DRAFT IS. CAN WE GO OVER THE BASIC DRAFT? IS THAT POSSIBLE? YOU MEAN JUST SORT OF THE PARAMETERS? YEAH, LET'S GET A BASE HERE ON STARTING FOR TALKING POINTS PURPOSES. HOW'S THAT? YOU GUYS WANT TO JUMP IN ON HERE ON SORT OF THE BASIC WAY WE SET IT UP? HI, JOSH. SO AT A HIGH LEVEL, THE TICKETS ARE GOING TO 5133 CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS. AND SOME ARE ALSO RESERVED FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS. THE WAY IT'S SET UP IS THREE WILL GO TO THREE DIFFERENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE REMAINDER OF THE REGULAR SEASON AND PLAYOFF GAME WILL ALL GO TO 501C3S. AND THE WAY THIS WORKS IS, SAY, THREE TEAMS ARE PREDETERMINED FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARDS, AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE THE TOTAL BOARD SELECTED, OF WHICH THE CHARITIES WILL BE RANDOMLY SELECTED OUT OF ALL APPROVED APPLICANTS, AND WE HAVE AN APPLICATION PROCEDURE IN HERE. THEN ONCE WE HAVE THOSE, WE'LL SAY, PER SE, THE NUMBERS, IT'S NINE GAMES PLAYED AT HIGHMARK STADIUM. EACH SELECTED ORGANIZATION WILL BE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED A GAME TO ENSURE, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN ORGS DON'T GET TO TAKE THE BETTER GAMES. WHEN YOU SAY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARDS, YOU SAID THERE WERE THREE? YES. CAN YOU NAME THEM? YEAH, LUKE BAILEY, WORKED ON THIS WITH JOSH. SO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS NAMED IN THE POLICY ARE THE ERIE COUNTY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY, VISIT BUFFALO, NIAGARA, AND EMPIRE STATE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. SO THOSE THREE ECONOMIC DRIVING ENGINES IN THE COUNTY WOULD HAVE TO STAY OVER HOW MANY, DID YOU SAY? HOW MANY GAMES? THERE WOULD BE THREE GAMES RESERVED. FOR THOSE THREE COACHES. THREE TOTAL. YES. AND THEY'RE SO THEY GET ONE GAME EACH. AND THOSE BUT ALSO BE SELECTED RANDOMLY. UNDERSTOOD. SO THOSE THREE, THOSE ECONOMIC ENGINES GET EATEN UP BY THREE. THE REST ARE CHARITABLE THROUGH A LOTTERY SYSTEM. THE CHARITABLE ENTITIES, IS THERE A STARTING POINT TO GET YOUR NAME ON THE LIST? YEAH, SO WE BASICALLY HAVE A SET CRITERIA. ONLY CERTAIN BOARDS WILL QUALIFY. AS FAR AS GETTING YOUR NAME ON IT, THERE WILL BE AN ONLINE APPLICATION. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL HAVE TO PROVIDE THE STUFF AS DICTATED BY THIS POLICY, WHICH INCLUDES A STATEMENT OF FINAL DETERMINATION, A VALID TEMPORARY DESIGNATION FROM THE IRS, FIVE YEARS OF 990S DOCUMENTATION SHOWING THAT THE ORGANIZATION IS BASED IN ERIE COUNTY AND SERVES THE RESIDENTS OF ERIE COUNTY, A STATEMENT OF INTENT FOR THE USE OF THE TICKETS. AND CONFIRMATION THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN AWARDED TICKETS WITHIN THE PAST THREE YEARS. THAT'S AN IMPORTANT TOUCH ON HERE. SO ONCE YOU WIN THE LOTTERY, WHETHER YOU ACCEPT THE TICKETS OR NOT, YOU CANNOT REENTER FOR THREE YEARS. I LIKE THAT. AND THAT DOES NOT APPLY TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS THEY GET EACH YEAR. SO ONCE YOU'RE ONLINE AND YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION, IS THERE A PERIOD THAT IT OPENS AND CLOSES? IS IT ALWAYS OPEN? AS THE WORD GETS OUT, OTHER ENTITIES CAN APPLY? OR IS IT A CLOSED PERIOD FOR A YEAR? YOU REACH A CERTAIN NUMBER? IS IT ONGOING? IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, WE SET A DEADLINE FOR WHEN THE LOTTERY HAS TO OCCUR. IS THAT AUGUST 1ST? BUT THERE'S NO PROSCRIBED START DATE, PARTICULARLY IN THE FIRST YEAR. SO IF YOU LOOK, I THINK EXHIBIT B SHOWS A DRAFT OF THE DISS ONLINE PORTAL THAT WE'RE STILL TINKERING WITH. BUT PRESUMABLY THIS YEAR, WE WOULD, ONCE THAT'S UP AND READY, AND ONCE THIS LEGISLATURE PASSES THE POLICY, WE WOULD ANNOUNCE THAT THE PORTAL IS OPEN AND LIVE. SO I BELIEVE... SEE A BEGINNING DATE, BUT WE DID PUT IN AN END DATE AS AUGUST 1ST. BECAUSE YOU SEE MY POINT THAT ONCE THE WORD GETS OUT AND IT WILL GET A LOT OF PRESS, PEOPLE WILL SAY, OH, [03:20:03] WE MISSED THE DEADLINE DATE, WE WANT TO BE CONSIDERED. IS THERE A POINT TO EVEN CLOSE IT? WHY WOULD WE LEAVE IT OPEN FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR OR THE FOLLOWING YEAR AND GET TIME TO REVIEW THOSE KNOWN FOR PROFITS? THEY MIGHT NOT BE IN THE LOTTERY THIS YEAR. BECAUSE WE CLOSE AND WE HAVE ENOUGH APPLICANTS, BUT IT GIVES PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO STAY IN IT FOR FUTURE YEARS. THE ONLY SORT OF HANG-UP I CAN FORESEE ON THAT IS THAT PART OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS THAT WE SET UP REQUIRES THE FIVE YEARS OF PREVIOUS IRS. FORMS TO BE FILED SO EVERY YEAR YEAH THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE UPDATED OR TWO YEAR FUNDS YES THAT'S RIGHT THAT'S CORRECT UM DO THE PEOPLE THAT WEREN'T CHOSEN BUT DID APPLY THEY DON'T GET CARRIED OVER TO THE NEXT YEAR THE THE THE REAPPLICATION PROCESS STARTS OVER I'VE GOT SOME YES UM AS IT SETS IN THE LTV APPLICATION PROCESS. WE STARTED EACH YEAR. ALTHOUGH AS WE KIND OF ALLUDED TO, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, NOTHING STOPPING ANY OF THEM GOING IN TO KEEP IT OPEN. THIS IS MORE JUST HIGH LEVEL, SO IT WASN'T SOMETHING WE INCLUDED AT THIS POINT. AND WHO IS REVIEWING THESE APPLICATIONS? WHERE IS THIS GOING TO? SO THE INTENTION OF THE LOTTERY PROCEDURE IS TO BE OVERSEEN BY BOTH THE... EXCUSE ME, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE AND AS WELL AS, I APOLOGIZE, THE DISS TO OVERSEE THE RANDOMNESS OF THE LOTTERY AND TO MAKE SURE ALL THAT OVERSIGHT GETS DONE TO ENSURE THAT... SO THOSE TWO BODIES ARE THE OVERSIGHT? YES. AND CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME HOW, WHEN YOU SAY LOTTERY, HOW DOES THAT ACTUALLY TAKE PLACE? WE WANTED TO LEAVE THAT OPEN TO THE COUNTY'S DISCRETION ON HOW PRECISELY THE LOTTERY SHOULD BE RUN. AGAIN, WE KEPT THIS VERY HIGH LEVEL AND WE'RE HOPING TO ALLOW THE COUNTY TO TAKE CARE OF THE DETAILS LATER. BUT I THINK JOSH HAS A LITTLE MORE TO ADD AS WELL. YEAH, ONE MORE IMPORTANT NOTE THERE, OR MAYBE TWO. AS YOU SAID, WE DID NOT DICTATE EXACTLY HOW THE PROCEDURE SHOULD GO, OUTSIDE OF THE FACT THAT IT WILL BE RANDOM AND UNBIASED. YOU KNOW, THE ACTUAL, YOU KNOW... MECHANICS OF IT OR SOMETHING FOR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE TO DETERMINE. ALTHOUGH ONE IMPORTANT NOTE IS THAT HOWEVER THE ACTUAL PROCEDURE FOR THE LOTTERY TAKES PLACE, IT WILL BE FULLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, TO THE MEDIA. THE INTENTION IS TO HAVE IT BE LIVE STREAMED, YOU KNOW, TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S NO, YOU KNOW, UNWANTED THINGS GOING ON REGARDING THE WHOLE LOTTERY. THE ACTUAL PROCESS OF CHOOSING WOULD BE LIVE STREAMING? YES. OKAY, SO IT'S A LIVE STREAM THAT YOU COULD WATCH AND SEE IF YOU'RE NOT FOR PRODUCT THAT APPEARS IN THE WINTER. YES, AND AS WELL AS FOR ANYBODY OBSERVING, JUST MAKE SURE IT'S TRULY A RANDOM, UNBIASED PROCEDURE. OKAY, AND WHAT IS OUR POLICY FOR WHAT TAKES PLACE WITHIN THE BOX? SO IF BEVERAGES OR FOOD ARE ORDERED, THAT IS UNDERSTOOD IT'S ON THE OCCUPANT OF THE BOX? YES, THE COUNTY WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY FOOD OR BEVERAGE ORDERED. ANY CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION THAT GETS THE CHANCE TO ATTEND A GAME USING THE CENTER WILL BE PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR WORKING WITH THE BILLS TO ENSURE ANY FOOD. OKAY. I JUST WANT TO ADD A LITTLE BIT TO THAT BECAUSE I SPOKE TO THE BILLS ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE AND THE WAY THIS WILL MECHANICALLY WORK. BEST I CAN TELL IS WE WILL PUT WHOEVER IS IN THE SUITE IN CONNECTION WITH THE BILLS CATERING PEOPLE. AND IF THEY WANT TO ORDER SOMETHING DIRECTLY, THEY CAN WORK THAT ALL OUT DIRECTLY WITH THE BILLS ONCE THEY ARE AWARDED THE SEATS. UNDERSTOOD. NOW, DID YOU GUYS RUN COMPARABLES TO OTHER NFL TEAMS? AND IF SO, DO OTHER NFL TEAMS DO THIS? AND IS IT COMPARABLE IN WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING? YES, SO OUR RESEARCH REALLY STARTED BY COMPARING TO OTHER NFL STADIUMS. YOU KNOW, EVEN JUST PROFESSIONAL STADIUMS IN GENERAL, WE WERE REALLY LOOKING FOR A STARTING POINT TO SEE HOW, YOU KNOW, OTHER PLACES DO IT. KIND OF WHAT WE FOUND ALONG THE WAY WAS THAT THE SETUP OF ERIE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, OWNING THE STADIUM, THAT'S NOT A SUPER COMMON THING THROUGHOUT THE NFL OR ANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. ALTHOUGH, I DON'T KNOW. WHAT WE DID FIND WAS LAS VEGAS ALLEGIANT STADIUM OF THE YEAR. LAS VEGAS RANGERS STADIUM HAS A [03:25:01] RELATIVELY SIMILAR SETUP WHEREVER THERE IS A GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION WHO HAS RIGHTS TO A SUITE IN THAT STADIUM. AND THAT INITIAL POLICY IS KIND OF WHAT WE USE AS A STARTING POINT. ALTHOUGH GENERALLY THERE ISN'T A TON OF COMPARISON OUTSIDE OF THE LAS VEGAS POLICY. INTERESTING. NOW, MAYBE THIS GOES TO YOU, HOW DOES NEW YORK STATE PLAY INTO THIS? BECAUSE DOESN'T NEW YORK STATE TAKE OWNERSHIP AT SOME POINT? THEY TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THE LAND, BUT THE LEASE HAS ALREADY BEEN NEGOTIATED. THEY ARE LEASING IT TO THE BUFFALO BILLS, AND THIS SUITE IS A PART OF THAT LEASE. SO THE STATE DOESN'T HAVE ANY SAY IN THIS? I MEAN, THEY HAVE THE SAY IN SO MUCH AS WE CAN'T WRITE A POLICY THAT WOULD CONTRADICT ANY OF THE... LEASE AGREEMENTS OR ANY OBVIOUSLY SECURITY ISSUES OR ANYTHING THAT'S IN PLACE ON GAME DAY THAT GOVERNS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FLOW OF PEOPLE AND ALL THAT. BUT INSOFAR AS HOW THE SUITE IS USED, THE STATE HAS NO. ...TO DICTATE HOW IT IS WE USE IT. AND TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE, THE STATE HASN'T REQUESTED THE SAME THING? WELL, I WASN'T INVOLVED IN THE NEGOTIATIONS. THEY DON'T HAVE A SUITE. I ASSUME THEY DIDN'T ASK FOR ONE, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ONE. SO THIS IS REALLY JUST GOODWILL ON THE BUFFALO BILLS? I'M SURE THEY WOULD SAY YES. BECAUSE THEY'RE LOSING CONSIDERABLE INCOME. BUT THEY COULD SELL THIS LEASE. SO THIS IS GOODWILL FOR THE BUFFALO. I'M EXTENDING GOODWILL TO US, IN A SENSE. THAT'S DEBATABLE WITH THE MONEY I GAVE THEM. I UNDERSTAND THAT. CERTAINLY THE 16 TICKETS AND THE FOUR PARKING PASSES ARE WORTH SOMETHING. 100%. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH IT'S WORTH. IT'S WORTH QUITE A BIT, ALONG WITH, YOU SAID PARKING TOO. THERE'S FOUR PARKING PASSES AND 16 TICKETS THAT THE BILLS ARE. HAVE AGREED TO DESIGNATE THIS COUNTY. AND BLANK THE TIME THAT THEY'VE AGREED TO? THE WHOLE LEASE. THE WHOLE LEASE AGREEMENT? THE WHOLE LEASE, YEAH. SO THIS WILL TRANSFER FROM COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO COUNTY EXECUTIVE? AND COUNTY LEGISLATOR AND COUNTY LEGISLATOR. AND YOU GUYS, THE NEW COUNTY LEGISLATURE WANTS TO AMEND IT, CHANGE IT, START FROM SCRATCH. SO WE CERTAINLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT, SO LONG AS IT DOESN'T CONTRADICT ANYTHING IN THE LEASE. I WAS GOING TO SAY, PER THE BILL'S APPROVAL. WELL, I MEAN... SO IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY REQUIRE THEIR APPROVAL, BUT IT'S JUST, OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T WRITE A POLICY THAT CONTRADICTS ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S IN THAT LEASE. BUT THE SECTION ON THE HOSPITALITY CENTER IS QUITE BROAD. WHEN YOU GO BACK TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIVISION THAT IS GIVING AWAY TICKETS PER YEAR ONE GAME, IS THERE A REQUIREMENT IN THERE THAT THESE ARE... COMPANIES THAT ARE LOOKING TO MOVE INTO OUR COUNTY, OR ARE THEY EXISTING COMPANIES THAT ARE IN ERIE COUNTY, OR NEITHER? I MEAN, WE'RE USING IT AS A WAY TO LURE PEOPLE INTO OUR COMMUNITY, AND I'M ALL FOR LURING COMPANIES INTO OUR COMMUNITY TO INVEST IN OUR ERIE COUNTY, BUT IS THERE ANY PROVISION IN THERE WHO THEY CAN GIVE IT TO? BESIDES THERE JUST BEING THE THREE NAMES, DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE ABOUT NECESSARILY WHAT THAT TECHNOLOGY WILL LOOK LIKE. WE LEFT OUT THE PURPOSE OF FRAUD. ANOTHER INSTANCE OF THE POLICY BEING FLEXIBLE IN CASE THE LEGISLATURE SEES ANY NEED. SO WE COULD GET CAUGHT IN A SITUATION WHERE ONE OF THE BOARDS ISN'T USING IT TO BRING IN ANY BUSINESS. THEY'RE JUST USING IT TO GIVE IT TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY. SO, I MEAN... YES, I IMAGINE THAT THERE CAN BE ABUSE, BUT IT'S ALL GOING TO BE PUBLIC. THERE'S NO SECRET WAY TO GET IN THE SUITE. SO WHOEVER HAS THAT TICKET, EVERYBODY SHOULD KNOW THAT TICKET. PUBLIC HOW? HOW IS IT GOING TO BE PUBLIC? BECAUSE WE AS ADMINISTRATORS OF THE... SO THERE WILL BE A PORTAL, AND SOMEBODY WILL BE ASSIGNED. AFTER THE LOTTERY, THERE WILL BE A PORTAL AND A COUNTY EMPLOYEE WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THAT PORTAL TO DECIDE OR TO SET UP THE TRANSFER OF THE ELECTRONIC TICKETS. I WOULD ARGUE THAT THAT PORTAL, AT LEAST TO THE COUNTY PORTION, IS A PUBLIC RECORD AND SO PEOPLE WOULD BE ENTITLED TO FOIL IT. AND I WOULD ALSO ARGUE THAT ANY FURTHER TRANSFER... WE'LL ALSO BE ABLE TO BE VIEWED BY OUR ADMINISTRATOR, WHOEVER THAT IS. [03:30:01] AND THEREFORE, NOBODY IS GOING TO GO INTO THIS. NOBODY'S GOING TO SEE A GAME GAME. SECRET. WELL, IN THEORY, THE PORTFOLIO REQUEST, I MEAN, SO IF YOU AND I WERE GIVEN A TICKET BY ONE OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARDS, NOBODY KNOWS. YEAH, NO, NO, NO, BECAUSE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS THERE WOULD BE A TRANSFER FROM THE ENTITY. SAY ECID, AN INDIVIDUAL, AND THEN IT WOULD BE INDIVIDUALLY TRANSFERRED TO LEGISLATIVE BARNAZY, AND WE WOULD ALL KNOW THAT. THAT'S WHERE I'M DISAGREEING WITH YOU. I TRANSFER TICKETS, MY SEAT TICKETS ALL THE TIME. HOW? HOW DO YOU KNOW? HOW WOULD THE GENERAL PUBLIC KNOW? I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE BILLS. RIGHT, BUT THE BILLS... I WANT THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT TOTH AND BARNAZY WERE AT THE GAME. RIGHT. SO, WE WILL HAVE A PORTAL, AND WE WILL, ACCORDING TO THE BILLS... PORTAL, WHOEVER THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THAT PORTAL WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE END RESULT. AND THAT'S PUBLIC? IT WILL ABSOLUTELY BE PUBLIC. IF ANYBODY ASKS ME, I WOULD CERTAINLY SAY THAT'S PUBLIC. SO THEY CAN GO ONLINE AND SEE WHO'S IN THERE? I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WILL BE ABLE TO GO ONLINE. BUT IF SOMEBODY WERE TO FOIL IT, OR WE COULD PUT IT ON THE WEBSITE? I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT. THAT'S THE PART THAT I THINK SHOULD BE PUBLIC. I MEAN, IF WE'RE GIVING AWAY THOSE TICKETS, AND WE'RE GOING TO WATCH THE DOG WITH US AND MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS UP AND ABOVE THEM. I THINK WHOEVER'S IN THAT SUITE, WHOEVER RECEIVED THOSE TICKETS, THEIR NAMES OR THEIR ENTITIES, SHOULD BE POSTED. I THINK THAT'S A FAIR WAY OF DOING IT. AND I THINK IT WOULD DEFINITELY TWEAK ANY CHANCE OF ABUSE. SO WE COULD SAY, I MEAN, SO IT'S REALLY JUST THE MECHANICS. SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS WHOEVER IS DESIGNATED THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THESE TICKETS ON THE COUNTY SIDE WILL HAVE ACCESS AND WILL BE ABLE TO SEE. ALL WE WOULD HAVE TO DO WAS SOMEHOW... TAKE THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE EVERYBODY'S PEOPLE CAN'T LOG INTO THIS UNLESS YOU'RE A SUITE HOLDER. AND THAT'S MY ARGUMENT. IT'S REALLY JUST THE MECHANICS OF TAKING WHOEVER THE END USER IS AND PUTTING IT ONLINE OR SUBMITTING IT TO THE LEGISLATURE. AND THAT'S MY WHOLE POINT. AND THAT'S MY WHOLE POINT, THAT I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, AND I'M NOT SURE I'M 100% IN FAVOR OF THIS, THAT IT HAS TO BE IT REALLY HAS TO BE ABOVE AND BEYOND BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WE'RE APPROVING THIS TODAY AS THIS LEGISLATIVE, THIS LEGISLATIVE BODY IS GOING TO CHANGE OVER THE LENGTH OF THIS TERM. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES, THE OFFICE IS GOING TO CHANGE. NONE OF US ARE GOING TO BE HERE AT THE END OF THIS BILL'S LEASE. AND IT LEAVES OPPORTUNITY FOR ABUSE. NOT HOW WE INTENDED IT TODAY. AND IT'S ALL GOODWILL INTENDED TO CORRECT ME. BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT COULD GET ABUSED IN THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW. ADMINISTRATORS, LEGISLATORS, ALL OF US. SO IF WE WERE TO ADD A SECTION THAT REQUIRED THE ADMINISTRATOR, THE COUNTY EMPLOYEE WHO'S DESIGNATED AS THE ADMINISTRATOR, IF WE REQUIRED THEM POST-GAME SOMETIME TO EITHER CLOCK IN SOMETHING WITH THE LEGISLATURE OR PUT IT ON THE WEBSITE OR SOMEHOW POST IT, WOULD THAT... THAT WOULD MAKE ME 100%. AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION. ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO WORK OUT BECAUSE I THINK IT SHOULD BE POSTED SO EVERYBODY COULD SEE. BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TAXPAYER DOLLARS IN THEORY. AND THEY SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A BUG ABOARD AND MOVING FORWARD. AND THE THINGS THAT WE PUT INTO PLACE ARE BEING UPHELD. I THINK THAT'S THE MINIMUM WE COULD DO. MOVING FORWARD. AND I ALSO HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE ECONOMIC ENGINE OF THE THREE BOARDS. THAT THOSE ARE THREE BOARDS THAT YOUR INTENT IS TO DRIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. SO TO LURE COMPANIES INTO YOUR ECONOMY. YOU'RE GOING TO COME AND SEE OUR BUFFALO BILLS THAT ARE OUR BIGGEST DRAW IN OUR ECONOMY. PERIOD. MAYBE THE SABRES ARE SECOND. SO YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO DRAW IN PEOPLE THAT DON'T WANT TO INVEST THEIR MONEY HERE, PEOPLE THAT WANT TO BRING JOBS HERE. SO YOU'RE GOING TO BRING IN CEOS OR MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR INVESTORS THAT SAY, YOU KNOW, HEY, LET ME TAKE A LOOK AT WEST SENECA, LET ME TAKE A LOOK AT LANCASTER, OR DOWNTOWN BUFFALO, WE'RE GOING TO WIND YOU DOWN, YOU'RE GOING TO BRING YOUR BUSINESS HERE. THOSE THREE BOARDS, THEY HAVE A GAME EACH. [03:35:01] I THINK YOU'D BE HARD-PRESSED TO FIND LEGITIMATE BUSINESSES OR COMPANIES FOR THREE GAMES A YEAR, EVERY YEAR, THAT WOULD SERVE THAT PURPOSE. I UNDERSTAND YOUR INTENT. I LIKE YOUR INTENT. BUT I THINK US AS A COUNTY, I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE A LITTLE FLEXIBLE. COULD YOU SAY OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD THAT YOU HAVE THREE BIG COMPANIES? I KEEP USING THE WORD COMPANIES. THAT WANT TO COME TO ERIE COUNTY TODAY, THAT WE'RE GOING TO LURE THEM IN. I HOPE, I HOPE AND PRAY THAT IS THE CASE, BUT THEN IT COMES TO BOARD NUMBER TWO, WE HAVE NOBODY. WE HAVE NOBODY THAT WANTS TO INVEST IN ERIE COUNTY. WHAT SHOULD WE DO WITH THE TICKETS? I MEAN, AS THE POLICY IS WRITTEN, THEY WOULD BE... IT'S UP TO THEIR DISCRETION. IT WOULD BE UP TO THEIR DISCRETION, THOUGH. AND THAT'S WHERE ABUSE COMES IN BECAUSE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS GET IT, FRIENDS AND FAMILY GET IT, AND THAT WASN'T THE INTENT OF THIS. IT'S NOT THE INTENT. CORRECT. AND I UNDERSTAND. STANDING AS THE THREE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DEFINED AS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HAVE ALL BEEN CONTACTED AND BELIEVE THAT THEY CAN USE IT LEGITIMATELY AND WITHOUT... 100%. 100%. 100%. EASIEST HAS BEEN DONE. IT PUTS A LOT OF BURDEN ON THEM, WHOEVER WERE TAKEN AS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT BOARD. AND I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A WAY FOR THEM TO DENY THEIR ONE GAME. AND SEND IT BACK TO WHOEVER OR THE OTHER BOARDS OR THE CHARITABLE. IF THEY SAY WE DON'T HAVE X COMPANY COMING IN FROM LAS VEGAS, THEY BACKED OUT FOR WHATEVER REASON, CANCELED. OKAY, SO THERE NEEDS TO BE AN AVENUE TO GET THOSE TICKETS OUT QUICKLY TO WHOM? TO THE CHARITABLE, TO THE NEXT ECONOMIC, TO WHOSE DISCRETION, WHO'S ON THE LIST, RANDOM. BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE A WAY FOR THEM TO EXIT GRACEFULLY AND NOT LOSE THE TICKETS ALSO. I MEAN, I GUESS WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, AS I SAID IN MY OPENING, WE'RE NOT BOUND BY ANYTHING WE PASS NOW. CORRECT. WE CAN SEE HOW THINGS GO. IT'S A GOOD TALKING POINT THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE TALKED THROUGH, THE PROS AND THE CONS, THE UPS AND THE DOWNS. QUITE FRANKLY, I CAN SAY IT DIDN'T OCCUR TO ANYBODY THAT I WAS TALKING TO THAT ANYBODY WOULDN'T HAVE USE. AND WOULD ACTUALLY WELL WOULDN'T HAVE THE PROPER USE YOU SHOULD SAY THAT WOULDN'T HAVE THE PROPER USE EVERYBODY HAS A USE TO GO TO THE GAME YEAH BUT THE PROPER USE WHAT IT'S INTENDED FOR TO BENEFIT ERIE COUNTY AND THE PEOPLE WITHIN THIS COUNTY AND NOW YOU'VE GOT A DIFFERENT AVENUE AND THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO STAY WITH HIM SO THAT'S THAT'S MY CONCERN YEAH THAT'S MY CONCERN I MEAN LISTEN IF WE DRIVE AND WE LURE COMPANIES IN ONE IT'S A HOME RUN RIGHT ONE COMPANY WANTS TO COME HERE AND INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY, THAT'S A HOME RUN. THIS WORKS. I MEAN, MAYBE THEN THE ANSWER IS TO HAVE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTLY WITH THE THREE ORGANIZATIONS. YEAH, THEY HAVE TO KNOW. AS WE DEVELOP THIS POLICY. OH, 100%. THERE'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE SOME GUIDELINES THAT EITHER YOU OR SOMEONE PUTS IT UP TO THEM AND SAYS, THIS IS OUR EXPECTATIONS, AND THEY NEED TO. I'M NOT SIGNING OFF ON RESPONSIBILITY OF THEIR ONE GAME THAT IT'S USED PROPERLY AND MAKE SURE WHO IN THAT ORGANIZATION IS RESPONSIBLE, THAT THESE TICKETS ARE BEING USED RESPONSIBLY, AND TRYING TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. YOU KNOW, IT JUST CAN'T BE SAID, YOU KNOW, I'M BRINGING MY DAUGHTER AND MY WIFE TODAY, AND WE'RE GOING TO GO AND SIT IN THE $100,000 SEAT. CAN'T HAPPEN. CAN'T HAPPEN. YOU KNOW. AND I THINK THE SAME RESTRICTIONS HAVE TO BE PUT ON THE CHARITABLE, EVEN THOUGH IT IS CHARITABLE. I THINK THERE HAS TO BE SOME NICE GUIDELINES PUT INTO PLACE FOR THE CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS ALSO, BECAUSE THERE NEEDS TO BE QUITE A BIT OF GOOD VETTING, AS WE'VE SEEN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WITH US GIVING MONEY TO CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS AND OUR VETTING PROCESS, THAT THERE ISN'T ABUSE THERE ALSO, THAT THESE ARE HONORABLE, CHARITABLE. ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING. I'D LIKE TO COMMEND BOTH OF YOU FOR DOING THIS. IS IT TOO LATE TO GO OUT OF LAW SCHOOL AND GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL? UNFORTUNATELY, YES. YOU'RE TOO DEEP INTO IT? I MIGHT HAVE TIME STILL. YOU MIGHT HAVE TIME? AWESOME. THERE'S ENOUGH ATTORNEYS AROUND THE ROOM IF YOU WANT TO BE A DOCTOR. THANK YOU, GUS. I HAVE SOME OF THE... NEW YORK STATE RENTED A SUITE [03:40:01] FOR A LONG TIME FOR THE BILL SCHEME, AND THEY HAVE A POLICY THEY DEVELOPED, I THINK, 16 YEARS AGO FOR THE USE OF THEIR SUITE, AND WHICH THAT MIGHT BE... DID YOU GUYS TAKE A LOOK AT THAT? IT WAS DEVELOPED BY THE NEW YORK STATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION. THEY HAVE THE RULES FOR THE USE OF THE NEW YORK STATE SUITE IN THE CURRENT BILL STADIUM. DID YOU LOOK AT THAT TO SEE, LIKE ONE OF THE THINGS IN IT IS THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO ENTERS HAS TO PUT IN A LOG OF THEIR NAME, ADDRESS, AND EVERYTHING ELSE TO KEEP, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS IN IT, AMONG OTHER THINGS. BUT DID YOU LOOK AT THAT? SO I BELIEVE WE DID COME ACROSS THAT PRETTY EARLY ON. KIND OF POLICY MENTIONED FOR THE NEW YORK STATE BOX, WE ENDED UP KIND OF SHIFTING MORE TOWARDS THE VEGAS BECAUSE OF THE SIMILARITIES WITH THE COUNTY SETUP. ALTHOUGH YOU SHIFTED MORE TOWARDS, I'M SORRY, WHAT DID YOU SAY? TOWARDS THE LAS VEGAS POLICY THAT WAS OUR ORIGINAL STARTING POINT FOR THIS. SO BUT DID YOU LOOK AT ANY OF THE SAFEGUARDS THERE? DID YOU PUT THE SAFEGUARDS THAT ARE IN THE STATE POLICY AS FAR AS ACCOUNTABILITY AND FOR PROPER USE IN THIS POLICY, OR RATHER YOU JUST WENT OFF TO LAS VEGAS? SO THERE WAS SOME STUFF WE PUT IN, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THE CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS, THEY HAVE TO GIVE A STATEMENT OF INTENT FOR EXACTLY HOW THEY INTEND ON USING THE BOX. ALTHOUGH A LOT OF THE MORE FINE DETAILS WE WANTED TO LEAVE UP TO THE LEGISLATURE, WE JUST WANTED TO... GET A VERY HIGH LEVEL OUTLOOK ON IT AND THEN ALLOW THE YOU KNOW SOMEONE ELSE TO DECIDE THE MORE THAT'S THE THING I WAS THINKING OF THE THING I DON'T LIKE ABOUT THE THIS JUST RANDOM LOTTERY FOR 501C3S I LIKE THE IDEA OF SOMEBODY SAYING PUT YOUR INTENT OF WHAT YOU INTEND TO USE IT FOR AND SEE IF IT'S A GOOD INTENT OR NOT THERE'S NO 501C3 THAT I CAN THINK OF THAT HAS THIS PART OF THEIR MISSION TO HAVE PEOPLE GO TO SEE A GAME LET ALONE AT A BOX YOU KNOW, I DOUBT THAT'S IN ANYONE'S MISSION, AND IT COULD CREATE A LOT OF PROBLEMS IN THE SENSE OF ENCOURAGING PEOPLE WHO RUN CHARITIES TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY ACCEPTING A GIFT FROM THE COUNTY THAT'S WORTH MAYBE $20,000, I DON'T KNOW, $30,000, AND USE IT FOR THEIR OWN PERSONAL USE IS PROBLEMATIC AT BEST. AND I SEE IN HERE THAT YOU SAY THAT THEY COULD RAFFLE IT OFF, BUT IF THEY RAFFLE IT OFF, IT'S A VERY INEFFECTIVE WAY OF... ...DISTRIBUTING MONEY TO CHARITIES BECAUSE IT'S JUST THAT THEIR GALA MIGHT HAVE NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO REALLY BID ON SOMETHING THAT'S WORTH $20,000. NO, IT HAS TO BE IN THERE. IT SAYS IN THERE THAT THEY CAN RAFFLE IT OFF. OH, NO. NO WAY. YEAH, IT SAYS THEY CAN RAFFLE IT OFF AS LONG AS THEY USE THE PROCEEDS OF THE RAFFLE. NO WAY. NO, YOU CAN'T DO THAT. I THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT. THAT TERRIBLE ORGANIZATION HAS TO USE IT. NO, NO, IT SAYS RIGHT IN IT. MOST ORGANIZATIONS, IF THEY USE IT, WILL BE A VIOLATION OF THEIR RULES. I MEAN HOW CAN WHAT WHAT LIKE A THEATER THEY CAN'T MAKE A PROFIT TO YOUR POINT THEY'RE USING IT FOR PERSONAL USE EITHER THEY'RE MAKING A PROFIT OR THEY'RE USING IT FOR CHILDREN'S ORGANIZATION SO LET'S SAY IT'S A CHILDREN'S ORGANIZATION THEY NEED TO SEE IT BACK WELL THAT'S I WAS GOING TO SAY WHAT WHAT WHAT IS UM I'M JUST USING FROM THE HIP HERE WHAT THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO BRING CHILDREN THAT ARE BEATING CANCER. WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT? NO, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. IF WE HAD IN USE A RANDOM LOTTERY... BUT THEY CAN'T RAFFLE IT. THEY CAN'T MAKE A PROFIT OFF IT. ISN'T IT IN YOUR POLICY THAT IF THEY'RE NOT GOING TO USE IT, THEY CAN SELL IT AT A GALA? NO, YOU HAVE IT IN THERE. SO LONG AS IT'S THE PROCEEDS OF THE RAFFLE. YEAH. IT IS... ANTICIPATED AS A FUNDRAISING TOOL FOR A NOT-FOR-PROFIT. I MEAN, I SEE YOU'RE SHAKING HANDS, BUT THAT'S NOT PERSONAL USE. THAT'S FUNDRAISING FOR THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT. IT'S WELL-INTENDED, AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT IT DOES, BUT THAT'S WHERE THE ABUSE WILL COME IN AND THE DISAGREEMENT, AND I THINK, QUITE FRANKLY, LIABILITY. IF I GO TO AN AUCTION AT WHATEVER ORGANIZATION AND BID ON THIS, THANK YOU. THEN THE ONLY THING THAT THEY'RE GETTING IS SOMEBODY WITH DEEP POCKETS IS GETTING TO SEE THE BILLS. SO I DON'T THINK THAT WAS THE INTENT. THAT'S NOT MY INTENT. RIGHT. UNDERSTOOD. I WOULD ONLY, I GUESS, CAUTION THAT THE MORE WE CONSIDER ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT AVENUES OF ABUSE, THE MORE DIFFICULT IT'S GOING TO BE TO ADMINISTER. 100%. AND WE'RE GOING TO BE, I MEAN, WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS SUITE IF WE KEEP CUTTING OFF? DIFFERENT AVENUES. YOU CAN'T ALLOW ANYBODY TO MAKE A PROFIT. BUT IT'S ENOUGH PROFIT. SO NOBODY'S MAKING A PROFIT. SO WHY CAN'T THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD AUCTION IT OFF AND RAISE MONEY FOR THEIR BOARD? [03:45:01] I MEAN, IF THEY'RE NOT A PROFIT. RIGHT, RIGHT. SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO SEND THIS OUT TO AUCTION. THAT'S NOT, I DON'T BELIEVE, BUT THAT'S NOT MY INTENT FOR OPENING THIS UP TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR CHARITABLE. AND WHEN I SAY CHARITABLE, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. THAT'S GREAT. THAT'S GOT TO BE REALLY, REALLY GOOD. BUT THEY CAN'T BE SOLD ON THE MARKET. THEY CAN'T BE AUCTIONED OFF. THEY EITHER USE THEM OR WE GIVE THEM THE AVENUE TO SEND THEM BACK AND SOMEONE ELSE GETS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THEM. IT'S A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY FOR A CHARITABLE EVENT OR AN ECONOMIC ENGINE TO BE DRIVEN. THAT'S MY VIEW. RIGHT. BUT, I MEAN, JUST THINK ABOUT PLAYING IT OUT. YOU A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION, LET'S SAY IT'S A SMALL CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION, BUT IT MEETS ALL THE DEFINITIONS. THEY HAVE EIGHT TICKETS AND TWO PARKING PASSES. IF THEY CAN'T RAFFLE THEM OFF, AND IT HAS TO BE SOMETHING VERY SPECIFIC TO THEIR USE, I DON'T KNOW WHO'S GOING TO QUALIFY. WHAT DO YOU MEAN? I MEAN, BECAUSE THINK OF THE... THEN WHAT'S A CHARITABLE EVENT? THEN WHAT IS THEIR MISSION? THINK OF THE PANOPLY. OF 501C3S, LEGITIMATE 501C3S, BUT MAYBE THEY'RE SMALL, AND MAYBE THEY'RE NOT. WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING IS PART OF THE VETTING PROCESS THAT TAKES PLACE. SO THOSE THAT DON'T MEET OUR CRITERIA ARE ELIMINATED. SO IF THEY DON'T HAVE, I KEEP GOING BACK TO CHILDREN, THAT'S ALL WE CAN RELATE TO. SOMETHING. IF IT'S NOT GENERALLY DONE AS AN ACT OF APPRECIATION OR WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO THE COMMUNITY OR WHAT THE GROUP DOES TO BENEFIT EVERYONE, THEY'RE OUT. THEN THIS IS A BAD IDEA BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF PEOPLE WITH DEEP POCKETS AND PEOPLE THAT COULD AFFORD TO GO TO THE GAMES CAN GO ANYWAYS. WE'LL GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT IN A BOX. SO I THINK THIS IS NOT EASY, AND I THINK THIS IS A GOOD STARTING POINT, BUT I THINK THERE ARE GUARDRAILS THAT NEED TO BE REALLY NARROWED IN BECAUSE THIS COULD BE A SITUATION WHERE PEOPLE WILL GET THEMSELVES IN A SITUATION AND THEY DIDN'T INTEND TO. THEY MEANT TO DO GOOD, AND IT CAN GO BAD. AND THAT WOULD BE UNFORTUNATE. THAT WOULD BE UNFORTUNATE. I RUN FOR A NON-PROFIT AND I JUST AUCTIONED IT OFF AND I RAISED $10,000 FROM MY GROUP. THANK YOU, ERNIE COUNTY. IS THAT WHAT OUR ATTEMPT WAS? SO A LARGE CORPORATION PURCHASED IT AND FIVE CEOS GO SIT IN A BOOTH? THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS IS. THEN WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING THIS. WE'RE LETTING BILL SELL SOMETHING FOR MONEY. PRESIDENT RODRIGO? THANK YOU. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THIS FROM YOU GUYS, YOU MIGHT HAVE INTRODUCED YOURSELF, BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. I THINK IT IS A VALIANT EFFORT OF STUDENTS TO TRY AND COME IN AND CREATE A POLICY. YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB, AND IT WAS ALREADY DISCUSSED. IT'S NOW OUR JOB AS THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS DRAFT AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN TIGHTEN IT UP. I DO AGREE WITH LEGISLATOR BARNEY ON SEVERAL FRONTS. THE FIRST THING THAT CAME TO MY MIND WAS THE NEW YORK STATE CASE, WHICH REQUIRES THAT... EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO USES THIS, IT IS CLOCKED INTO THE LEGISLATURE. I DO NOT THINK THAT A SYSTEM THAT WOULD REQUIRE A CITIZEN TO FOIL WHO WAS IN THERE IS APPROPRIATE. WE SHOULD BE OFFERING UP THAT DOCUMENT TO BEGIN WITH, AND I THINK TO MOVE FORWARD AND CALL THIS A TRANSPARENT POLICY, THAT MUST BE REQUIRED. WHETHER THAT IS ON A QUARTERLY BASIS OR, NO, A QUARTERLY BASIS. I WAS GOING TO BE A LITTLE MORE LENIENT AND SAY BY INTERVAL, BUT I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE QUARTERLY. IT NEEDS TO BE CLOCKED INTO THE LEGISLATURE WHO IS IN THESE SEATS. I THINK THERE'S SOME OTHER AREAS WHERE WE NEED TO TIGHTEN THIS POLICY UP. I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT AND OUR DUTY AS THIS BODY, I WASN'T THERE WHEN THIS WAS APPROVED, BUT THIS ISN'T A FREE SUITE, THIS ISN'T A COST TO THE TAXPAYERS AS PART OF A $250 MILLION BORROWING PROGRAM THAT WE SIGNED THEM UP FOR. SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE LOTTERY PROCESS FIRST. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OWNING THIS END-TO-END, ADMITTING APPLICATIONS, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST ACCEPTING THEM. IT IS THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, I DON'T CARE WHO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS, THEM RECEIVING THE APPLICATIONS AND THERE BEING NO TRANSPARENCY OF WHO APPLIES IS NOT APPROPRIATE. ALL OF THE APPLICATIONS NEED TO BE SENT OVER TO THIS BODY AND CLOCKED IN SO WE AS A LEGISLATURE CAN VIEW THEM PUBLICLY AND SAY WE KNOW THAT ALL OF THESE APPLICATIONS WERE RECEIVED. THEN THEY GO TO THE LOTTERY. OTHERWISE, THIS IS NOT A TRANSPARENT PROCESS BECAUSE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO KICK OUT ANY OF THE [03:50:01] APPLICATIONS THAT WE WOULD NEVER KNOW IF THEY APPLIED. I THINK THAT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS POLICY. OTHERWISE, THIS IS JUST RIPE FOR FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE. THERE'S NOTHING ELSE TO SAY ABOUT IT. I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING WHAT EXACTLY INFORMAL GUEST PERFORMING DUTIES ARE. THE, UM... THE IDEA BEHIND THE INFORMAL GUEST WAS TO, IN ANTICIPATION OF COUNTY OFFICIALS, FOR WHATEVER REASON, IN PARTICULAR DPW, MAYBE EMERGENCY SERVICES, IF THEY ARE ON PREMISES FOR A GAME RELATED TO WHATEVER THEIR DUTIES ARE AS A COUNTY OFFICIAL, THE IDEA THAT THEY COULD GO TO THE SUITE AND INTRODUCE THEMSELVES. THE COUNTY IS GETTING OUT OF THE STADIUM BUSINESS. WE WILL NOT OWN THE STADIUM ANYMORE. WE HAVE NO FURTHER INTEREST ONCE THIS NEW STADIUM IS UP. WHY WOULD THE COUNTY DEPARTMENT PUBLIC SPORTS COMMISSIONER? BE IN THE SUITES AT ALL. OH, I DON'T THINK HE WILL BE IN THE SUITES. HE'S SPECIFICALLY WRITTEN INTO THIS POLICY EXPLICITLY. THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. SO, THAT ACTUALLY IS A TYPO. THE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS. IT'S A BIG ONE. YEAH, NO, IT IS. BUT THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, IT IS POSSIBLE, THOUGH NOT LIKELY, THAT THE STATE WILL CALL ON DPW FOR CERTAIN TRAFFIC CONTROL. AND CERTAIN OTHER GAME DAY ACTIVITIES, PARTICULARLY IN THE FIRST FEW YEARS THAT THEY ARE MANAGING A STADIUM THAT THEY'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE. THE SAME IS TRUE FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES. WHETHER OR NOT IT HAPPENS, I DON'T KNOW. BUT THE THOUGHT WAS THAT IF, OR QUITE FRANKLY, IF A LEGISLATOR HAS PURCHASED A TICKET, THEY HAVE SEASON TICKETS AND THEY WANT TO GO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE COUNTY SUITE. DID HE CONTROL THE NEXT ONE? IT WAS A WAY OF MAKING CLEAR THAT THEY WEREN'T PROHIBITED FROM SETTING FOOT PHYSICALLY IN THE SUITE. IN ADDITION, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE SUITE, AND I'VE NEVER BEEN TO THE SUITE, BUT THE WAY THE SUITES ARE SET UP, THERE'S A BIG, BIG COMMON AREA WHERE IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT SUITE TICKET HOLDERS WILL CONGREGATE, INTERMINGLE, MEET EACH OTHER, WHATEVER PEOPLE DO. WITH SUITES AND AGAIN SO WE JUST DIDN'T WANT THERE TO BE SOME SORT OF SCANDAL BECAUSE YOU KNOW LEGISLATOR FILL IN THE BLANK SHOWED UP AT THE SUITE SHOOK SOME HANDS SAID OH NICE TO MEET YOU ALL YOU KNOW I HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING THE COUNTY SUITE SO THAT THAT WAS REALLY IT'S AN INNOCUOUS PROVISION THAT'S FACING A VERY CYNICAL LEGISLATURE. BUT I APPRECIATE THE CYNICISM. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO TURN AROUND AND COME TO US WHEN THIS IS A PROBLEM. NO, I UNDERSTAND. I GET IT. NO, I GET IT. I GET IT. SO, AT THE VERY LEAST, THE COMMISSIONER OF DPW NEEDS TO BE TAKEN OUT. AND I WILL SAY, AND THAT ACTUALLY CONCERNS ME AND RAISES A FUTURE PROBLEM, IF IN THE FIRST FEW YEARS, COMMISSIONER HEARY, OR WHOEVER IT IS, IS AT THE BILL STADIUM AND IS GETTING PAID BY HEARY COUNTY. TO RUN A STATE FACILITY. THAT IS NOT HIS JOB. IF THE COMMISSIONER WANTS TO LEAVE AND GO WORK FOR THE BILLS, THEY ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO. I DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR THAT. I WANT HIM FOCUSED ON ROADS. NO, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT ANY ADDITIONAL SERVICES THAT ARE ASKED OF BY THE STATE WILL HAVE TO BE PAID FOR. AND WHAT TIME WOULD THAT TAKE AWAY FROM HIS COUNTY RESPONSIBILITIES? I DON'T KNOW. I MEAN, BEING A SUNDAY GAME OR A MONDAY NIGHT, I DON'T KNOW. WE'LL HAVE TO WORK ALL THOSE THINGS OUT. NONE OF THAT'S SPELLED OUT IN THE LEASE. AGAIN, THE INFORMAL GUEST WAS JUST A WAY TO CARVE OUT A SITUATION WHERE IN WHICH A COUNTY OFFICIAL, AND QUITE FRANKLY, I KEPT THINKING OF LEGISLATORS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE LEGISLATORS WHO ARE SEAT STAKEHOLDERS, AND WE DIDN'T WANT A SITUATION WHERE THEY WERE PROHIBITED FROM SETTING FOOT. IN THE COUNTY SUITE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A COUNTY SUITE. I THINK YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD THERE. THIS IS A CARVE-OUT SO THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS IN ERIE COUNTY COULD GO TO THE SUITE, WHICH I THINK IS... NO, NO, NO, THEY CAN'T GO TO THE SUITE WITHOUT A TICKET. BUT THE WAY THE SUITES WORK, AGAIN, THIS IS BASED ON WHAT THE BILLS ARE SAYING, IS THAT THE CONGREGATION AREA IS AVAILABLE AND ACCESSIBLE BY MORE THAN JUST THE SUITE TICKET HOLDERS THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE IN. IF I'M WRONG, I APOLOGIZE. SO THE IDEA WAS THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE THE NEW STADIUM, AND IF YOU TOURED IT, YOU KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE A BIG EFFORT FOR WIDE-OPEN BUSINESS WHERE YOU CAN GET FOOD AND BEER. [03:55:02] AND THE SUITES ARE GOING TO HAVE SOME OF THOSE WIDE-OPEN BUSINESSES. AND WE DIDN'T WANT ANYBODY TO BE CAUGHT UP IN A FAKE SCANDAL BECAUSE THEY SET FOOT. IN THE SUITE, AT HALFTIME, TO SHAKE THE HANDS OF, YOU KNOW, SOME NOT-FOR-PROFITS, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER. I MEAN, WE COULD TAKE IT OUT, RIGHT? THIS IS ALL UP FOR DISCUSSION. BUT THE POLICY VERY CLEARLY SAYS NO ELECTED OFFICIAL CAN BE IN THE SUITE. IN A SEAT IN THE SUITE. THAT'S VERY DIFFERENT THAN BEING IN THE SUITE. I DID TOUR THE STADIUM, AND MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT, LET'S SAY, AND I AM NOT A SEASON TICKET HOLDER, MY POCKETS ARE NOT THAT DEEP, I PREFER TO WATCH THE GAME ON MY COUCH. BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS HAVING TOURED THE STADIUM AND HAVING BEEN IN THE SUITES OF, YOU KNOW, KEY BANK AND THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU COULD BUY ONE OF THESE NEW TICKETS THAT ARE THE, LIKE, STANDING ROOM ONLY AT THAT BIG, BEAUTIFUL BAR THAT THEY'RE BUILDING OUT. I COULD BE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. I COULD BE LEGISLATIVE. I COULD BUY THAT LESS EXPENSIVE TICKET, AND THEN I COULD GO STAND IN THERE WITH THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB FOR ALMOST ALL OF THE GAME. I DON'T HAVE A SEAT. I DON'T NEED TO SIT DOWN. I'VE NEVER BEEN IN A SUITE WHERE I'VE SEEN EVERYBODY SITTING DOWN BECAUSE THAT'S PART OF THE FUN AND ENJOYMENT OF HAVING A SUITE. AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, ALLOWING IT SO THAT THERE IS A SCENARIO WHERE, YOU KNOW, A COUNTY OFFICIAL OR COUNTY ELECTED OFFICIAL COULD GO AND SHAKE SOME HANDS AND KISS SOME BABIES, BUT I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE. I THINK WE CANNOT MOVE FORWARD. AND I'M NOT WILLING TO VOTE FOR ANY POLICY UNLESS THERE IS AN EXPLICIT STATEMENT THAT NO ELECTED OFFICIALS WILL BE IN THIS SUITE, PERIOD. IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE. IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN ON MY TAXPAYERS' DIMES THAT I REPRESENT, AND I KNOW IT'S NOT WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE. IF THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB FOR MY DISTRICT IS THERE AND I HAPPEN TO BE THERE, I WILL BE SURE TO SEND THEM A TEXT OR SEND THEM AN EMAIL BEFOREHAND AND SAY I HOPE THEY ENJOY IT AND HAVE A GREAT TIME. BUT IT'S NOT FOR ME TO BE IN THERE. I THINK WE NEED TO BE. INCREDIBLY EXPLICIT AND NOT HAVE THESE CARVE-OUTS FOR INFORMAL OR PERFORMING DUTIES, BECAUSE IT'S NOT MY JOB AS A COUNTY LEGISLATOR TO SHAKE HANDS AND KISS BABIES. IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE GET TO DO, BUT IT'S NOT A DUTY OF MY ROLE. AND I THINK SAYING THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE NOT ALLOWED, PROHIBITING POLITICAL FUNDRAISERS FROM BEING HELD IN THE SUITE, CRAZY THAT WE EVEN HAVE TO SAY THAT, BECAUSE WE SHOULD BE GETTING SO MUCH DEEPER INTO JUST SAYING, NO ELECTED OFFICIALS, THIS IS THE PEOPLE'S BOX, THIS ISN'T MY BOX. I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS POLICY BECAUSE AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, LIKE I SAID, IN THIS SCENARIO, I CAN GO WALK IN THERE. THAT'S A POLITICAL FUNDRAISING. THAT IS THE ONLY THING IN THERE. BUT IN THE SITUATION THAT WE JUST DESCRIBED, I COULD GO BUY A TICKET AND GO INTO THIS SUITE. MARK POLONCARZ COULD. LEGISLATOR STARK COULD. I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S APPROPRIATE. I THINK WE HAVE TO BE VERY CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT WITH THE PUBLIC THAT THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL IN HERE FOR ANY PURPOSE. LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT. I'M SORRY. I'M GOING TO LOSE MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT. GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. OKAY. SORRY, I'M ON A ROLL. I'M ON A ROLL. MY OTHER CONCERN, AND I THINK IT'S INTERESTING WHAT LEGISLATOR VINAL BROUGHT UP, AND I THINK YOU DID TOO, LEGISLATOR BERNESE, ABOUT IN THIS POLICY, SECTION 5, SECTION B, ABOUT REDISTRIBUTION, A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION, IT'S EXPLICITLY SAID NOTHING IN THIS POLICY PREVENTS THE CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION FROM RAFFLING OFF AND DISTRIBUTING TICKETS. HOW CAN THE COUNTY AS A GOVERNMENT HAVE ANY SORT OF POLICY ABOUT RAFFLING? CAN WE EVEN SAY THAT? WHY WOULD THAT? I WOULDN'T THINK THAT A GOVERNMENT COULD SAY ANYTHING OR CONDONE A RAFFLE OR GAMBLING, I MEAN, UNLESS WE CAN. I MEAN, SO IF THE, AND I BELIEVE IT GOES ON TO SAY THAT IT'S CONSISTENT WITH NEW YORK GAMING AND OTHER APPLICABLE LAWS TO SAY, BUT I DON'T, I MEAN, I DON'T. SEE WHY ONCE A ONCE THE CHAIR NOT STANDING YOUR POLICY OBJECTION LEGALLY I I DON'T SEE WHY THEY WOULD BE PIVOTED ENGAGING IN BUT NO BUT I THINK I THINK LEGISLATOR LURIGO IS QUESTIONING WHETHER... SO WE'RE AGREEING. WE'RE AGREEING. YOU'RE SAYING IT'S ILLEGAL. YOU'RE SAYING IT'S BAD. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IT. I THINK EITHER WORD IS CONCERNING TO BE USED. BUT I DO WANT TO HAVE ANOTHER CONVERSATION. YOU KNOW, I AGREE AGAIN WITH LEGISLATOR BARNAZI. I THINK HE MADE A GOOD POINT. I WOULD BE SHOCKED IF YOU WERE EVER TO ASK, VISIT BUFFALO NIAGARA, WHO GETS SO MUCH MONEY FROM US ALREADY. THEY ARE ABLE TO FILL 16 SEATS FOR A GAME. THEY'D BE CRAZY TO TELL YOU NO. [04:00:01] THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT'S GOING TO BE USED FOR GOOD AND BENEFICIAL USE. YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT THE I LOVE NEW YORK SUITE THAT NEW YORK HAS AND HAS HAD AT THE BILL STADIUM, AND YOU LOOK AT WHO'S IN THERE, AND IT'S GREAT BUSINESSES, A LOT OF LOCAL BIG ONES. WHEN YOU LOOK AT, LIKE, MOAT EXECUTIVES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT'S NOT BRINGING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN. THAT'S JUST FILLING SEATS. AND I THINK THREE GAMES, AND I'M ESPECIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ECIDA BOARD GETTING ONE CONSIDERING THAT THEIR CURRENT BOARD INCLUDES... ELECTED OFFICIALS LIKE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, THE CHAIR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, CHAIRMAN OR CHAIRWOMAN OF THE LEGISLATURE, WHY WOULD WE BE GIVING THIS GROUP A DAY AT THE SUITE? ALSO, WHEN WE'RE HAVING A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION SPLIT IN HALF, I MEAN, MAYBE I'M JUST NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT. BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT HERE. AND LIKE I SAID, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE EXTREMELY EXPLICIT THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE NO ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THIS AT ALL. IT'S NOT A TIME TO COME AND SHAKE HANDS. I DON'T THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE. I THINK IT IS A HORRIBLE PICTURE TO PAINT TO THE CITIZENS THAT WE REPRESENT. LEGISLATOR BARNEY, I WILL YIELD TO YOU. I WAS ON TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT NOT HAVING ELECTED OFFICIALS PROHIBITING THEM. BECAUSE AS YOU WERE SPEAKING AND RAISING THAT POINT, MY THOUGHT PROCESS OF GOING BACK TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARDS, RECEIVING IT, AND IF THEY WERE TO GIVE THEM OUT INTO A FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE MANNER, AND THERE IS A COMPANY THAT'S COMING FROM OUT OF TOWN, I HATE TO SAY IT, I THINK IT'S THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S DUTY TO GO IN THERE AND SHAKE THEIR HANDS. AND SAY, WELCOME TO ERIE COUNTY, ENJOY THE GAME, LOVE TO DO BUSINESS WITH YOU. NOW, WITH THAT BEING SAID, THE MORE WE TALK ABOUT THIS, THE MORE THIS GOES DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE OF A BAD IDEA. AND IS IT TOTALLY CRAZY TO PROPOSE? I MEAN, YEAH, I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE. I'M NOT SURE I DO. BUT IF THE BILLS ARE WILLING TO GIVE UP THIS SUITE, TO US, TO CREATE, TO ELIMINATE ANY TYPE OF MISUSE AND TO PROFIT ERIE COUNTY, WHY WOULDN'T WE JUST ALLOW THE BILLS TO SELL IT AND GIVE US THE MONEY? JUST IF THEY'RE WILLING TO GIVE IT TO SENATORS, THERE'S NO LOSS ON THEIR END. SO INSTEAD OF HANDING OUT PATRONAGE OR TRYING TO DO IT, LET THE BILLS SELL IT AND SAY, SEND US THE MONEY. AND WE'LL PUT IN OUR GENERAL FUND AND WE'LL REPRESENT EVERYBODY THERE WE COME. PARDON ME? I CAN'T HEAR YOU. SORRY. IT'S PART OF THE AGREEMENT, THOUGH. IT WAS WRITTEN IN THE AGREEMENT ALREADY THAT WE GET THIS. IT'S PART OF THE AGREEMENT THAT THEY'RE GIVING US A BOX. BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO FILL IT. THEY FILLED IT. GIVE US THE MONEY. SO WHY NOT JUST TAKE THE MONEY AND ELIMINATE ALL THIS THAT'S GOING TO TURN INTO A SNOWBALL EFFECT YEARS DOWN THE ROAD. WHAT ITS INITIAL INTENT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE. SO THAT'S MY POINT. WHY DON'T WE JUST LET HIM SELL IT? SO, I MEAN, AS YOU KNOW, I TRY TO NOT GET BACK AND FORTH. I UNDERSTAND. I UNDERSTAND. IT'S NOT FOR YOU TO ANSWER. I UNDERSTAND THAT. I DIDN'T MEAN TO DIRECT MY QUESTION TO YOU. I MEANT TO DIRECT IT TO THE TWO GUYS THAT ARE MAKING ALL THE MONEY. BUT IT'S JUST A THOUGHT OUT THERE THAT IF THIS IS WHERE THIS IS GOING, WHY NOT JUST TAKE THE MONEY? THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU, CHAIR. I'M ACTUALLY MORE ON THE LINE OF I DO NOT THINK ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL SHOULD STEP FOOT IN THIS. WE HAVE HAD WAY TOO MANY PROBLEMS WITH, YOU KNOW, THE SUITE THAT'S THE ISLE OF NEW YORK SUITE THAT IS CURRENTLY RUN BY THE STATE AND THE PROBLEM IS... THAT HIT THE MEDIA. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE DOES NOT NEED TO GO IN THERE. IF HE'S WORKING WITH ORGANIZATIONS OR COMPANIES TO BRING THEM LOCALLY, A SIMPLE, HEY, WE GOT A POLICY WHERE I'M NOT ALLOWED IN THERE, BUT LET'S HAVE LUNCH AT MY OFFICE AND BE ABLE TO DO ALL THOSE THINGS. YOU'VE BEEN PART OF THIS FOR A WHILE. YOU KNOW THE INS AND OUTS. IF SOMEBODY'S SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING COMING AND RELOCATING THE BUSINESS HERE, THEY'RE GOING TO BE MEETING WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IN PRIVATE MANY TIMES. AND IN FACT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CURRENT SUITE RUN BY NEW YORK STATE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ASSEMBLYMAN HOYT WHO STATED THAT NO COMPANY WHO IS SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING RELOCATING TO WESTERN NEW YORK IS GOING TO WANT THEIR NAME [04:05:01] MADE PUBLIC. SO I SIDE WITH THE IDEA OF JUST... KEEP ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS OUT. LET'S KEEP IT ABOVE BOARD. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE NEXT PIECE IS THE DIFFERENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT COME IN. KIND OF ON THE TAILS OF WHAT LEGISLATOR BARNAZY WAS SAYING, WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE. THERE'S GOING TO BE SOMEBODY IN MY SEAT NEXT YEAR. THERE'S GOING TO BE SOMEBODY IN ALL OF OUR SEATS IN 30 YEARS. MAYBE NOT YOURS. BUT THANK YOU BUT WITH THAT SAID I YOU KNOW I LIKE MAKING THIS AS CONCRETE AS POSSIBLE BUT I ALSO BELIEVE IN A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY AS THINGS MAY CHANGE AND IF WE'RE GOING TO USE IT FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PURPOSES I'D RATHER NOT LIST SPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONS AND I'D RATHER HAVE ANY IDEAS FLOATED TO FUTURE LEGISLATORS. ...TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS THE GAME THAT WE PLAN ON BRINGING SOMEBODY FROM DALLAS, TEXAS IN SO WE GET LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL. AND I THINK THAT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE THAN KIND OF GUARANTEEING IT WHERE IT IS RIGHT FOR ABUSE. IT PROVIDES ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE LEGISLATURE, AND I DO THINK THE LEGISLATURE NEEDS TO HAVE OVERSIGHT. I THINK THERE'S A LOT TO BE DISCUSSED. I THINK WE'VE GONE IN A LOT OF THE RIGHT DIRECTIONS HERE. I WANT TO SAY I AGREE. WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION WITH PORTAL. IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE A SIMPLE REPORT THAT CAN BE GENERATED IN LESS THAN A MINUTE AND CLOCKED IN AND SENT TO US. I THINK WE'RE ALL ON BOARD WITH THAT. I DO WANT TO SEE MORE TRANSPARENCY IN THE LOTTERY SYSTEM. YOU GUYS HAVE PUT IT TOGETHER. IT'S NOW OUR JOB AS LEGISLATORS. TO MAKE ANY AMENDMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT TRANSPARENCY. THAT'S ON OUR SHOULDERS, NOT ON YOURS AT THIS POINT. AND THEN THE LAST ONE, WHERE WAS IT? I THINK HERE ARE THE POINTS I WANTED TO MAKE. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT DOES COME TO THE USE OF THE STADIUM BY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. I JUST WANT TO MAKE THIS PUBLIC. IN AN IDEAL SCENARIO, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH AT ALL. IT'S ON OUR BACKS. WE HAVE TO ADDRESS IT. BUT I LOVE SEEING ORGANIZATIONS, PARTICULARLY, YOU KNOW, EITHER KIDS OR SENIORS, THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO EVER GO TO A CAMP. YOU KNOW, THERE'S ORGANIZATIONS I'VE WORKED WITH THROUGHOUT BUFFALO, YOU KNOW, USE MOOT SENIORS. THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW... $500 TO SPEND ON A BILL STICK, BUT THEY'RE RAPID FANS. AND TO SEE THEM HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE BEST USE OF THIS, RATHER THAN SEE ANY TYPE OF, YOU KNOW, NONPROFIT CEO. AGAIN, WE CAN DEVELOP THE POLICY, BUT I DEFINITELY LIKE THE IDEA OF THE RECIPIENTS OF THE TICKETS BEING THE PEOPLE THEY'RE SERVING AND NOT THE MANAGEMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION. SO I'LL JUST... A COUPLE POINTS HERE, AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION. YOU SAID FLEXIBILITY, BUT ALSO TIGHT CONTROLS, AND THAT'S THE BALANCE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO COME UP WITH. SO ALL OF THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE HAVING NOW IS SHARED WITH THE STUDENTS, WITH THE PROFESSORS, ABOUT MAKING SURE THERE'S NO ABUSE, MAKING SURE THERE'S NOT ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE BOX, MAKING SURE, YOU KNOW. CONTEMPLATE WHAT HAPPENS IF A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION ABUSES IT AND DOESN'T USE IT FOR WHAT THE INTENT IS. BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE A FUNCTIONING POLICY AS WELL, AS WELL AS SOMEBODY'S GOING TO HAVE TO ACTUALLY ADMINISTER IT, WHICH IS GOING TO BE, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE INSTRUMENT OF THE NEW YORK STATE BOX, IT'S A LOT, A LOT OF WORK. AND THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A LOT OF MONEY. THEY JUST HAVE A BOX. BUT THEY HAVE STAFF THAT SPENDS A LOT OF TIME, SO WE'RE TRYING TO COME UP WITH A BALANCE, AS WE ALWAYS DO, WITH SOMETHING THAT'S IMPLEMENTABLE, PRACTICAL, BUT SAFEGUARDS AGAINST SOME OF THE ABUSES THAT ARE BEING DISCUSSED. THE OTHER THING I DIDN'T MENTION THAT I SHOULD MENTION IS THAT LEGISLATURE EXTINCTION ACT ACTUALLY PUT PEN TO PAPER, WHICH I GREATLY ADMIRE, AND SHE PRESENTED THAT. TO THE STUDENTS AND TO MYSELF AND A LOT OF THE ELEMENTS WERE ALREADY INCLUDED. BUT IT IS DIFFICULT TO SIT DOWN AND ACTUALLY FROM SCRATCH WRITE SOMETHING THAT ADDRESSES [04:10:01] ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE LEGISLATURE, LIKE LEGISLATORS THINK THEY CAN CHARGE YOU, TO ACTUALLY PUT PEN TO PAPER BECAUSE YOU FIND WHAT HAPPENS. IS THAT YOU START ANTICIPATING MORE AND MORE PROBLEMS, AND YOU TRY TO RIGHT THE WAY OUT OF THE RABBIT HOLE. AND IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. I CAN TELL YOU THAT ALL OF THE DISCUSSIONS WE'RE HAVING, WE ATTEMPTED TO ADDRESS, BUT STILL MADE SOMETHING WE COULD ACTUALLY GIVE AWAY TICKETS ON A WEEKLY BASIS. AND RESPECTING THE ELECTRONIC... THESE AREN'T PHYSICAL TICKETS ANYMORE. THESE ARE ELECTRONIC. AND SO POLICING THE END USER BECOMES VERY, VERY DIFFICULT. THERE'S PEOPLE ON YOUR LITTLE TICKETMASTER APP WHO PRESS TRANSFER. AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO POLICE THEM. AND THE BILLS, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH US TO THINK THROUGH SOME OF THESE. LIKE, HOW DO YOU POLICE THAT TRANSFER BUTTON? AND IT BECOMES VERY, VERY DIFFICULT. I THINK YOUR SUGGESTION IS RIGHT. WE SHOULD CLOCK IN WITH THE LEGISLATURE. THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE TO ME. CLOCK IN THE NAMES. I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYBODY'S GOING TO KNOW WHO THOSE NAMES ARE, BUT PRESUMABLY IF THEY DO, THEN MAYBE THERE'S A PROBLEM. I DON'T KNOW. SO THAT'S MY RESPONSE. THE LAST ONE, IF YOU COULD, THIS IS THE ONE I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT. OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S OTHER EVENTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE TAKING PLACE HERE, CONCERTS PARTICULARLY. WE TYPICALLY KNOW ABOUT WHAT CONCERTS ARE GOING TO BE DOWN AT THE MAJOR STADIUM SIX MONTHS IN ADVANCE. CAN YOU JUST TOUCH BASE ON WHAT THE POLICY USAGE WILL BE FOR THOSE? YEAH, GREAT QUESTION. SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IF THERE IS A CONCERT, THE SUITE HOLDER GETS SORT OF THE RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL TO PURCHASE IT. BUT WE OBVIOUSLY WOULDN'T BE PURCHASING IT. AND SO THAT SUITE, MY UNDERSTANDING, WOULD THEN GO TO THE MARKET AND THEY COULD SELL IT. HOW THEY WOULD. SO THE BILLS WILL SELL IT AND GIVE US THE MONEY, OR THE BILLS WILL KEEP THE MONEY? THAT WOULD BE BILLS' MONEY. THAT'S BILLS' MONEY. BILLS' MONEY. THE HOSPITALITY CENTER. SO THIS AGREEMENT. THE TIME FOR FOOTBALL EVENTS. SO IT'S ONLY FOOTBALL. OUR RIGHTS TO THIS IS ONLY BILLS GAMES, PERIOD. NOTHING ELSE. NO CONCERTS, NO. NO, NO. ANY OTHER PROFESSIONAL SPORT TEAMS HAVE SOCCER CLUBS? NO RIGHTS TO THAT? NO, I DON'T THINK WE ANTICIPATED THAT. THE STADIUM WAS BUILT FOR SOCCER. I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD APPLY EITHER. I DO THINK, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CIVIC EVENTS, AND WE MIGHT HAVE ACCESS TO A SUITE FOR A CIVIC EVENT, AND IT'S UNCLEAR TO ME. A CIVIC EVENT WITHIN THE STADIUM? WITHIN THE STADIUM. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? YEAH, I DON'T KNOW. OKAY. ALRIGHT, THOSE ARE VALUABLE SEATS. I'M ENTIRELY SURE. WHAT CIVIC EVENT? OH, LIKE A COLLEGE GRADUATION. SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES? NO, NOT LIKE A CIVIC. NOT LIKE A LEGISLATIVE SESSION? NOT A LEGISLATIVE SESSION. GUYS, MEDICAL SCHOOL'S LOOKING BETTER, ISN'T IT? WE HAVE POLICE OFFICERS. THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THE QUESTION. THANK YOU. SO, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU GUYS FOR WORKING ON THIS POLICY. A LITTLE AGO, BEFORE I WAS HERE, I'D LIKE TO MENTION THAT I WAS A PART OF APPROVING THE $250 MILLION. BUT I DID NOTICE THAT MY PREDECESSOR, WORKING WITH LEGISLATOR TADARO, IF I'M CORRECT, WANTED... NO, IT WAS GREEN. I'M SORRY. I APOLOGIZE. I WANTED... A SWEET POLICY BECAUSE IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE LEASE. I CAN HEAR EVERYONE'S QUESTIONS AND I THINK WE ALL WILL AGREE IS THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY WE WANT THIS SUITE TO BE THE PEOPLE'S SUITE. I THINK WE ALL CAN SAY THAT THAT'S HOW WE FEEL. WE WANTED TO BE A TRANSPARENT PROCESS. A LOT OF PEOPLE NOTED I THINK OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY NOTED I DID A LOT OF RESEARCH. I WAS WRITING MY OWN POLICY. BASED ON BECAUSE I WANTED SOMETHING ON THE BOOKS BEFORE THE STATES WAS READY. AND AS RESEARCHING, AND I JUST HEARD IT FROM OUR ATTORNEYS HERE, OUR FUTURE ATTORNEYS, THERE'S NOT THAT MANY PLACES YOU CAN REALLY REFERENCE SOMETHING LIKE THIS. LAS VEGAS IS THE CLOSEST YOU'RE GOING TO FIND TO HAVING SOME SORT OF POLICY. AND FOR ME, THE IMPORTANCE WHEN I WAS WRITING THIS POLICY, TALKING TO THE COUNTY ATTORNEY ABOUT MY CONCERNS, MY BIGGEST CONCERN, WHICH YOU WILL SEE IN SECTION 1, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AS THE LEGISLATURE HAD THE ABILITY AT ANY TIME TO FIX AN AMENDMENT. [04:15:03] BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THINGS HAPPEN, AND IT'S LIKE A PROBLEM. THIS IS OUR FIRST TIME DOING THIS. LET'S SAY YEAR ONE DOES NOT GO THE WAY WE WANT IT. WE SHOULD HAVE THE ABILITY AS A GROUP TO COME TOGETHER AND SAY, THIS IS NOT WORKING. LET'S FIX THIS SECTION. THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. SECOND PART THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME WAS HAVING A DATE UNDER SECTION L LOTTERY NO LATER THAN AUGUST 1ST FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW THEY EVEN QUALIFIED AND HAD THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THIS GAME. WHEN I IMAGINE THE SLEEP, I IMAGINE THE YOUNG PEOPLE, I IMAGINE THE YOUTH PROGRAM, I IMAGINE... PEOPLE WHO HAD THEIR LAST DREAMS, SOME OF THE KIDS WITH CANCER, GOING IN THERE AND ENJOYING THE GAME. I DO NOT IMAGINE ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND I THINK I WAS QUOTED, YOU WILL NOT SEE ME IN THE SUITE. YOU WILL NOT SEE ME NEXT TO THE SUITE. YOU WILL SEE ME PROBABLY IN THE GAME AROUND. I'M WATCHING WITH MY HUSBAND, BUT YOU WILL NOT SEE ME IN THE SUITE. AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. I UNDERSTAND THERE'S CONCERNS, BUT I THINK WE ALSO HAVE TO CONGRATULATE THESE STUDENTS, BUT ALSO THAT WE HAVE A DRAFT POLICY THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER, BIPARTISAN, TO FIX IT. I DON'T AGREE FOR US TO NOT HAVE ANYTHING. WE NEED SOMETHING ON THE BOOKS. MAYBE IT WON'T BE PERFECT THE FIRST TIME, RIGHT? THAT'S PART OF OUR JOB. WE FIXED IT. I AGREE WITH LEGISLATOR LARIGO. I THINK SHE MENTIONED HAVING MORE TRANSPARENCY. WE SHOULD, RIGHT? I KNOW THE INTENT AS SOMEONE WHO WAS AT THE TABLE WAS TO HAVE A PORTAL THAT HAD ALL THE DETAILS, THAT NONPROFITS HAD FIVE YEARS UNDERNEATH THEIR BELT BEFORE APPLYING FOR THIS, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT NONPROFITS TO SIGN UP TODAY AND THEN APPLY FOR IT. THAT'S NOT UNFAIR. SO THERE'S SOME THINGS IN HERE THAT... PREVENT ABUSE, BUT I THINK THAT ALL OF US SHOULD COME TOGETHER AND FIGURE OUT WHAT ELSE WE CAN ADD INTO IT. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK THE ADMINISTRATION FOR BEING VERY OPEN TO MY CORRECTIONS BECAUSE THIS IS NOT THE ONLY DRAFT THAT WE HAVE. WE WENT BACK AND FORTH AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT WE CAN COME UP WITH TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THIS POLICY IS FOR THE PEOPLE BECAUSE THAT'S AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE PAY FOR IT. WE ALREADY PAID FOR IT, SO WE MIGHT AS WELL MAKE SURE IT'S A COMMUNITY BENEFIT. THANK YOU. PRESIDENT JADARI. THANK YOU, CHAIR. I'M GLAD THAT WE HAVE A ROUGH DRAFT THAT WE'RE SPEAKING OF RIGHT NOW. A QUESTION I HAVE, THOUGH, IS, I DON'T KNOW IF WE TALKED ABOUT IT, PLAYOFFS. WILL THAT ALSO BE A RAFFLE FOR THE NOT-FOR-PROFITS FOR PLAYOFFS AND SUPER BOWL? YES. THAT'S RIGHT. YES. THAT'S RIGHT. JUST IS THAT YEAH, GO AHEAD. YEAH, SO WE DID ADDRESS PLAYOFF GAMES. SO THOSE WILL ALSO BE PART OF WHAT GOES TO THE 501C3S. WE LEFT IT OPEN FOR NOW AS TO IF THEY ARE INCLUDED, IF WE'RE GOING TO ESTIMATE THE AMOUNT OF PLAYOFF GAMES AND INCLUDE THOSE IN THE DRAFT PRESEASON. OR IF THE PLAYOFF GAME DRAFT WILL TAKE PLACE MIDSEASON, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE FIGURED WAS BEST TO BE DECIDED BY THE PEOPLE IN THE GROUP. SO THAT'S THE WORK IN PROGRESS THEN? THAT'S RIGHT. BUT AS LONG AS THE RECIPIENTS ARE STILL WITHIN THAT REALM, BEING A NOT-THE-PROFIT. YEAH. THAT'S REGARDLESS OF WHEN THE RAFFLE HAPPENS. OKAY. OKAY. AND THEN ANOTHER THING, BEING A TICKET MASTER. I KNOW THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL TICKET HAS ITS OWN INDIVIDUAL BARCODE. I WOULD, YOU KNOW, FOR TRANSPARENCY, THAT BARCODE, WHEN IT'S SENT OUT TO THE RECIPIENT, SHOULD MATCH WHOMEVER SIGNS IN AT THE ACTUAL SUITE. I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE A VERY GOOD POLICY TO HAVE. [04:20:06] I MEAN, MY OPINION ON THE BILL IS THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO... OKAY, SO I ASKED, SO IF THAT SIGN-IN SHEET COULD HAVE THE BARCODE AND ALSO THE ACTUAL RECIPIENT SIGNING OFF ON IT LEGIBLY, THAT WOULD BE APPRECIATED. WE'RE TALKING. WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR... AND WE THOUGHT ABOUT A SIGN-IN SHEET AND THEN WE GOT INTO ALL THE RABBIT HOLES OF IT AND WE LEFT THE SIGN-IN SHEET OFF BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO ADMINISTER IT WITHOUT HAVING SOMEBODY IN THERE. WE EVEN DISCUSSED AT ONE POINT, WELL MAYBE... ONE OF THE TICKETS HAS TO GO TO A COUNTY PERSON TO MAKE SURE THE SUITE IS BEING USED. WE ABANDONED THAT IDEA, RIGHT? WE ABANDONED THAT IDEA. THIS LEGISLATURE WOULD AGREE WITH US FOR BANNING IT, BUT WITHOUT HAVING SOMEBODY IN THERE, WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO MONITOR OR SIGN IT. MY HOPE IS THAT THE BARCODE WILL SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS. I'D LIKE TO THROW AN IDEA. THERE ARE TICKET REPRESENTATIVES THAT ARE WORKING FOR THE BILLS ORGANIZATION. I CAN VOUCH THAT THE SAVERS ORGANIZATION, I'VE HAD SOME TICKETS FOR 20-SOME YEARS. AND IT'S ONE INDIVIDUAL THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MY SEATS, OR HE OR SHE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUITES. THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHO'S RESPONSIBLE. THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TALKING TO. YEAH, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'VE BEEN TALKING TO. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MECHANICS. I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN ASK HER TO DO A SIGN-IN SHEET IN ONE PARTICULAR. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY SUITES SHE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR. I MEAN, I SUPPOSE WE COULD PRESENT THAT TO HER, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THE BILL IS GOING TO WANT TO BE THE TARGET OF... A SIGN-IN SHEET SCANDAL. THAT STRIKES ME AS ASKING A BIT TOO MUCH FROM THE BUFFALO BILLS. AND THERE WILL BE A SCANDAL. I THINK IT'S GOING FAR TO HAVE A COUNTY, SOMEBODY FROM THE COUNTY, REPRESENTING THAT STREET TO REPAY FOR SOMEBODY THAT'S FROM THE COUNTY TO BE THERE FOR THE SIGN-IN SHEET. NO, I WOULDN'T. I WOULD HOPE NOT. NO, THAT'S THE PROBLEM. THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANYBODY FROM THE COUNTY TO MAKE SURE THE SIGN-IN SHEET. YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMEBODY SPILLS BEER ON YOU? AND THAT IS ILLEGIBLE. AND THEN WE HAVE A SIGN-IN-SHEET SCANDAL. NO ALCOHOL. NO ALCOHOL SERVED IN THE SUITE. AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE STUFF THAT LAWYERS, WE SPEND OUR TIME SPINNING OUR WHEELS IN. THESE KIDS WENT TO LAW SCHOOL FOR IT. SO WE HAD A CONVERSATION. WELL, DOES IT MEAN THAT SOMEBODY GOES OUT INTO THE COMMON ROOM? AND BRINGS BACK THE BEER. AND WE THOUGHT ABOUT, WELL, HOW DO YOU ENFORCE THAT? WELL, WE DON'T HAVE A COUNTY OFFICIAL IN THERE, BECAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE ANY COUNTY OFFICIALS IN THERE, BECAUSE THAT WOULD LOOK TERRIBLE. BUT HOW DO WE JUST TELL PEOPLE THAT THEY CAN'T BRING BACK THE BEER FROM THE PLACE THAT THEY PURCHASED? SO WHAT WE DECIDED WAS, NO, WE WON'T SERVE ANY BEER. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN A BEER WON'T BE SPILLED ON THE SIGN-IN SHEET. AND IT WOULD BE A LOSS OF ALL TRACK OF WHO WILL USE THE SUITES THAT WAY. JOHN, I'LL GIVE YOU A REFERENCE FOR WHETHER OR NOT A WHOLE SCHOOL. I'M GLAD THAT WE'VE ALL COME FULL CIRCLE, AND I KNOW WE CAN ALL SIT HERE AND SAY, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE ME IN THE SUITE, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE ME IN THE SUITE, THEN LET'S BAN ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM BEING IN THERE. BECAUSE IT'S NOT ABOUT ME. SOMEBODY ELSE IS GOING TO HOLD MY SEAT ONE DAY. I HOPE I'M NOT HERE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE END OF THIS WEEK. I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT YOU KIND OF ANSWERED THE QUESTION FROM LEGISLATOR STARRO'S QUESTION. WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT KEEPING TRACK AND A SIGN-IN SHEET OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, IF THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT ARE ALLOWED IN THE SUITE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT HOLD THE TICKETS, MEANING NO COUNTY OFFICIALS, NO, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S BUFFALO BILL STAFF OR STAFF OF THE HOSPITALITY STAFF, THAT'S DIFFERENT. BUT IF WE, I THINK WE JUST ANSWERED OUR OWN QUESTION, THOSE SEASON, NOT SEASON TICKET HOLDERS, THE TICKET HOLDERS SHOULD BE THE ONLY ONES IN THERE, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO KEEP TRACK OF THE SIGN-IN SHEET TO SEE IF LEGISLATORS OR WE GO IN THERE TO SHAKE SOME HANDS. CERTAINLY WON'T, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME THAT WHOEVER'S THE NEXT 10TH DISTRICT LEGISLATOR DOESN'T EITHER. SO I THINK WE'VE ALL COME AROUND TO WE SHOULD WRITE THAT IN THERE EXPLICITLY, AND I THINK THAT SOLVES A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'VE ALREADY ADDRESSED. IN TERMS OF ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND I BELIEVE WE ACTUALLY WROTE IN THERE A PROVISION THAT AN ELECTED OFFICIAL DOES SOMEHOW END UP WITH A SWEET TICKET THAT THEY HAVE TO PAY THE FACE VALUE. SO I TALKED TO THE BILLS, AND EVERY TICKET... YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THAT. MY SEASON TICKET... IS A LOWER BOWLS, 50-YARD LINE, 1,500 SEATS. AND THERE'S ONLY 1,500 SEATS IN IT. WE HAVE A PRIVATE ENTRANCE, [04:25:01] AND WE ARE CONSIDERED A, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A SUITE, BUT I HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SIGN TO MY SEATS. AND THEN THE COMMON AREA IS PRIVATE, AND IT INTERACTS WITH OTHER SUITES. SO I'M GOING TO BE THERE EVERY SUNDAY WITH MY TWO BOYS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A BOX OF SUITES. OKAY. SO WE HAVE AN AISLE. I FORGOT THE LANGUAGE THEY USE, BUT IT'S A LIMITED SEAT. IT'S A TICKET HOLDER. AND SO WE HAVE ACCESS TO THE BILLS COMING IN. WE HAVE ACCESS TO THE PRIVATE PARKING LOT. SO THE COMMON AREA? YEAH. NO, BUT MY POINT WAS THAT IF... IF I'M ROAMING AROUND AND I SEE JOE BLOW, CEO FROM MOOG, AND SHAKE HIS HAND, I PAID FOR MY SEAT. RIGHT. BUT IF... I BELIEVE IT'S IN THE POLICY. CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. WE WROTE IN A POLICY THAT SOMEHOW, THROUGH ALL OF THESE NEFARIOUS MACHINATIONS, A DASTARDLY ELECTED OFFICIAL SHOULD SOMEHOW HAVE THE GOLDEN TICKET, THAT THE SWEET TICKET ITSELF HAS A FACE VALUE THAT WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE BILLS, AND THAT ELECTED OFFICIAL WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY. FOR THEIR TICKETS, RIGHT? THAT IS CORRECT. SO I AGREE. I HAVE THE SAME SENTIMENT. AND IN THAT POLICY CURRENTLY, IF THERE IS, LET'S SAY THEY END UP GOING, THEY HAVE TO PAY DIRECTLY TO ACTUALLY THE NONPROFIT AS A DONATION BECAUSE THEY TOOK THE SEAT. MIND YOU, I KNOW WE ARE HAVING CONVERSATIONS NOT LETTING AN ELECTED AT ALL, BUT THAT WAS THE INTENT. SO... BASED ON THE MATH THAT WE ASSUMED, IT WAS ABOUT $1,000 A SEAT-ISH. I HONESTLY HAVE NO IDEA. THE BILL SAYS IT'LL BE ON THE TICKET ITSELF. BUT THAT WAS THE INTENT. THEY HAVE TO PAY THAT BACK. YOU'RE NOT GOING IN THE BOX AND JUST TAKING A FREE SEAT. I KNOW THAT ISN'T IN THE POLICY, BUT AS A LOT OF SENTIMENTS HAVE BEEN SPOKEN ABOUT, CHANGING EVEN THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AT ALL, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN REVISE. BUT IT WASN'T LIKE ANY ELECTIVE COULD JUST GO IN AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF. SITTING IN THE BOX BECAUSE AN ORGANIZATION INVITED THEM TO. THANK YOU ALL. I WANT TO START BY THANKING THE STUDENTS. YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB. THIS IS GOVERNMENT. YOU GAVE US A GREAT PLACE TO START. WE ALL HAVE SOME CONCERNS AND THINGS WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT. FOR ME, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT HOW WE CAN FIGURE OUT THIS RAFFLE PART BECAUSE I WISH TO REPRESENT A PART OF THE COMMUNITY THAT BUILDS BUSINESS SCHOOLS. THEY GIVE SHIRTS, THEY GIVE THESE THINGS, BUT SOMETIMES GETTING TO THE STADIUM ISN'T SOMETHING THAT OUR KIDS DON'T SEE UNTIL THEY'RE MAYBE A LUCKY ADULT. SO THINGS LIKE THIS ARE WHAT VERY MUCH EXCITES ME ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THIS. AND, YOU KNOW, TOGETHER WITH THE BODY, WE'RE GOING TO DO SOME THINGS. WE KNOW THAT THINGS NEED TO BE A LITTLE CHANGED. THAT'S WHAT I JUST WANT TO SAY TO YOU. YOU'VE TIRED AND YOU'VE ALL SAID IT IS A LOT IN THIS. SO WE WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU ALSO, SIR. SURE, SURE. DO THESE TWO YOUNG GENTLEMEN HAVE ANY PARTING THOUGHTS? OH, YES. IF YOU CHOOSE. I MEAN, YOU GUYS PUT ALL THE WORK IN. DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTING THOUGHTS? I'LL LISTEN TO IT FOR HOURS. YEAH, GO AHEAD. SPEAK YOUR MIND. I WOULD SAY KIND OF OVERALL, I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY GREAT EXPERIENCE. IT'S SOMETHING YOU DON'T GET EXPOSED TO IN LAW SCHOOL. ALL ANY WORK I'VE DONE SO FAR HAS BEEN ALL PRIVATE PRACTICE. SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S NICE TO KIND OF SEE ALL THE OTHER MECHANICS OF OUR LEGAL SYSTEM. YEAH, I'D MOSTLY ECHO WHAT JOSH SAID. IT WAS A SUPER VALUABLE EXPERIENCE. REALLY PRESENTED THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN THE SORT OF CRITICAL THINKING WHERE YOU HAVE TO TRY TO COVER AS MANY POSSIBLE. THIS IS THE PART WHERE YOU THANK YOUR PROFESSOR. GO AHEAD. SHE'S RIGHT THERE. GO AHEAD. THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU. SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO TABLE THIS UNDER MY AUTHORITY AS CHAIR. CAN I GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN? FIRST STEP. ALL IN FAVOR? ALL OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.