• 2025 Troy Annual Financial Report + Quarterly Financials
• Flock Legislation
• Videoconferencing Comes to County Legislature?
• School Budget Hearing/Board Elections (TCSD)
• Land Bank, Library, ZBA
• Troy Social Cycling
• Capital Streets Community Walk and Talk

Monday, May 4

Troy Land Bank- The Troy Community Land Bank’s Acquisition and Disposition Committee will meet at 8:30 am at the offices of the TCLB, 415 River St Suite 101.

Per the agenda, properties under discussion include 415 Second St and 23 Glen Ave, as well as discussion regarding what one assumes is an upcoming auction of foreclosed properties from the City of Troy.

Livestreams and recordings of TCLB meetings can be found on the TCLB Youtube channel.

Troy Public Library- The board of the Troy Public Library will hold a special meeting at 5:30 at the Main Branch (100 Second St.) No agenda has been published for this meeting as of this writing. An agenda, minutes of previous meetings, and a Zoom link to join remotely can be accessed here when available.

Tuesday, May 5

Rensco Leg, pt i- Two committees of the Rensselaer County Legislature will hold meetings in-perosn only at 99 Troy Rd, East Greenbush. Social Services will meet at 3 pm, and Judiciary and Public Safety is scheduled at 4 pm. Agendas are behind the links.

**Troy Social Cycling-**The good folks at Troy Social Cycling have started up their weekly rides from Waterfront Park at 6:30 pm on Tuesdays. This week looks like a breezy trip down to the Troy-Menands bridge and a relaxing ride along the Empire State Trail through Watervliet. (I will note that it seems a shame to put yourself through all that cardio on Cinco de Mayo and not swing by Taqueria Tren Maya for a refuel.)

For more information on Troy Social Cycling, check out their Instagram page.

Wednesday, May 6

Troy Zoning Board of Appeals- The Troy ZBA will hold its monthly meeting at 5:30 pm at City Hall (433 River St, 5th Floor.) Among the items on the agenda is a setback variance for an accessory dwelling unit at 31 Christie St.

As of the last zoning update in 2022, I believe, ADUs are allowed on residential lots throughout the city, opening many opportunities for increased housing density, though to date the option has been rarely exercised.

Agendas, minutes, and Zoom links for remote public participation of the ZBA can be found here. Livestreams and recordings of previous ZBA meetings can be accessed through the ZBA Youtube page.

TSCD BOE- The Troy City School District Board of Education will hold a meeting at 6 pm at Troy Middle School (1976 Burdett Ave.) No agenda has been provided as of this writing, though minutes from previous board meetings indicate the agenda will include a budget hearing and presentations from the school board candidates, as necessary.

More information, including recordings of previous board meetings, can be found here. 

Rensco County Leg, pt ii- There will be three committee meetings of the Rensselaer County Legislature, to be followed by a public forum in preparation for the May 12 Regular Meeting. Things will kick off with a Public Works meeting at 3 pm, followed by Budget and Finance at 3:30 and Rules and Legislative Operations at 4 pm (agendas behind links.)

Accessibility is a major hindrance to many in Troy who wish to know the goings-on of their county government, so it is gratifying to see Resolution G/24, allowing livestream of legislative and committee meetings, being introduced for a vote next week. Those wishing to support this legislation, widely adopted by local governments and public bodies throughout New York State, should reach out to their legislators or speak at the Legislative Public Forum at 6 pm, which somewhat ironically would require a physical trip to County Legislative Chambers at 99 Troy Rd, East Greenbush.

Thursday, May 7

City Council Finance and Regular Meetings- Troy City Council will hold a special Finance meeting at 6 pm, followed by a Regular monthly meeting scheduled for 7 pm, when Local Law #3, which seeks to establish standards relating to the City’s use of automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) will be introduced. (It is expected this legislation will then be sent to the Public Safety Committee, chaired by the legislation’s author, Noreen McKee, for discussion on May 21.)

Don’t put away your popcorn yet, folks-the real show is likely to take place at the Finance Committee meeting, when comptroller Michael McNeff presents the 2025 Annual Financial Report to Council, as well as the expected quarterly reports for Q4 2025 and Q1 2026, wherein sales tax revenue, estimated by the mayor to rise by an astounding 13.4% in 2026, will be reported.

It is worth noting that in 2025, then-District 4 Councilman Aaron Vera, in his 2026 budget newsletter and during budget hearings, cast a suspicious eye on the mayor’s estimates, apparently with good reason. In the first quarter of 2026, Rensselaer County sales tax collections have actually gone down .4%, and 2025 estimates look to have missed their target as well. (For more information on sales tax revenue, click here.)

These meetings will take place starting at 6 pm at City Hall, 433 River St, 5th Floor. Agendas, as well as links to access Zoom and Youtube livestreams of Council meetings, can be accessed here (see Notice section for Zoom and livestream links.)

Friday May 8

Capital Streets will be hosting a Community Walk and Talk, starting at 6 pm at the Capital Streets office (106 Jefferson St.) Participants will be guided through Osgood Woods Neighborhood Nature Preserve, Canal Ave Park, with a special tour of notable Troy Union Railroad Infrastructure.

The walk will conclude at Defazio’s (216 Fourth St), where you can sit back and relax with a glass of wine and a refreshing antipasto, presumably while checking your new friends for ticks.

For more information, check out the Capital Streets Instagram page.

• Troy BID Beautification and Downtown Community meetings
• Frear Park Neighborhood Meeting/Upgrade Presentation
• LDC Mystery Meeting

Monday, April 27

BID Beautification- The Beautification Committee of the Downtown Troy Business Improvement District (BID) will hold a meeting at 5:30 at the BID office (102 Third St.) The BID’s beautification efforts are largely volunteer-run, so one might assume that publishing an agenda for the meeting would be a no-brainer, as such practice might help build community support for the committee’s efforts. One would be incorrect.

When no agenda is available, it is helpful to refer to the minutes of prior meetings to track progress on issues and gain the necessary understanding of the manner in which a public authority is being a good custodian of taxpayer funds.

Alas, no minutes of Troy BID committees has been published online, nor have minutes from any 2026 board meeting, a violation of NY Open Meetings Law (see §106, which was discussed in detail in a presentation by the NYS Committee on Open Government at the April 2025 BID Board meeting (see minutes).

This meeting will be held in-person only.

Tuesday, April 28

Downtown Troy Neighborhood Meeting- The Troy BID Quality of Life Committee will be holding a monthly meeting starting at 6 pm at 403 Fulton St (please note the venue change.)

This month there will be a presentation from Joseph’s House and Shelter executive director Amy LaFountain. Joseph's House and Shelter provides housing, support, and outreach to individuals and families in need throughout Troy and the Capital Region.

This meeting will be held in-person only.

Frear Park Neighborhood Meeting- Also at 6 pm, the City of Troy will be hosting a community meeting at Frear Park Ice  Rink (2701 Lavin Court.)

In its social media post announcing the meeting, the Mantello administration shared that members of the administration and CHA would be on-hand to present plans on park upgrades, including new playground equipment. Not mentioned among city officials in the social media post is District 3 , Councilperson Katie Spain-McLaren, who for months has been attempting to work with the administration to schedule a community meeting to gather input from residents on proposed changes before design changes became additional expense.

Councilmember Spain-McLaren  will also be in attendance.

Since the social media post did not mention a livestream option, it can be assumed that this meeting will take place in-perosn only.

Friday, May 1

Troy LDC Special Meeting- At the April 17 LDC Board Meeting, members discussed a special meeting to be held on May 1 at 9 am. While no notice or agenda has been  published as of this writing, agenda topics may include issues relating to the 2025 audited financial report, which from discussion at the meeting seemingly points to issues with  financial controls within the LDC, and/or reorganizational actions of the board in the wake of the departure of longtime chair Jeff Betts.

Agendas and minutes of previous meetings, as well as remote-access information for the public, will be published on the LDC website when available.

If you have a community meeting or event you would like included, please email collarcitycitizen@gmail.com.