[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6037545,"mediaKeyId","3863124-366d430bb5e5425a2a30436ba907aab9","parentId",3863124,"title","Council approves budget adjustment to fund spay/neuter services; members pressed for numbers and staffing details","audioSeconds",93,"startMs",2740000,"endMs",2833000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3863124-366d430bb5e5425a2a30436ba907aab9&start=2740&end=2833","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3863124-366d430bb5e5425a2a30436ba907aab9/thumbnail_2740000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6037545/Rochester-City/Monroe-County/New-York/Council-approves-budget-adjustment-to-fund-spayneuter-services-members-pressed-for-numbers-and-staffing-details","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6037545-e65cb3261557a058dc65ef1ea5fae560/orig.mp4?Expires=1775254458&Signature=CDt35oFA6-04RlIyVrpoAY3duufw8Z8Yhz-NDOAKZWfoI0wqAi8Qg-dCnrDVQq6n9YAIPRjF4ioLYhD7x6Ed1ZiWVVr09GY3hGoz~573KcYm3eZ~WjrWWqonvN8d~KLzXCNB3qXSasQ7Cl8H7TqTzlH98QcG25H7uxMSGeyTTshmqycmd3UrDfuaxnbBKM~YqugvFckpYfvLC9oIdQzNjLQDciKGrPeC30LtVXjh150AqhOIwH7m~v50xj0aFOXzcNUemx55Lh-WbnM3oIc4wiTAM5UCNRQMY0Ivot0Xq7aFVZhNatWeAgkC3EErq4cUQVlOCMap9GvIQLBZ3P6~JQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Rochester, NY City Council","date","2025-04-30T00:00:00Z","article","Rochester City Council voted to amend the 2024\u0000\u000025 budget to fund spay and neuter services and medications for Rochester Animal Services.

Council member Stanley Martin asked administration officials how spay/neuter services had been handled prior to the contract and whether there was a full-time veterinarian on staff. Mayor Evans (or his administration representative) said the city does not have a full-time veterinarian on staff; the city currently employs a per-diem veterinarian who works roughly eight hours some days each week and that the newly approved funds will be used in part to contract with private veterinary practices to provide spay/neuter services.

Martin also asked about a disclosure in the transmittal noting that, earlier, to expedite adoptions some animals were released without being spayed or neutered. City staff reported the number as 765 animals adopted between the end of 2022 through January of the current year; they said that as of February the department was altering animals before they left the shelter and that Rochester Animal Services was also contacting adopters from earlier adoptions to schedule procedures. Council member Michael A. Patterson confirmed his office had been contacted about adopter follow-up and said the shelter was scheduling surgeries for prior adopters.

The budget amendment (Introductory 129) passed on voice vote after the committee report; council members subsequently advanced the item to a roll call on related measures later in the meeting. Council requested that outstanding transmittal questions be answered in writing; the mayor’s office said council staff and corporation counsel would coordinate written responses.

The action funds spay/neuter capacity by outsourcing to private providers when needed and allocates funds for medications; the administration said the change was intended to ensure animals are sterilized before adoption when possible and to support follow-up for prior adoptions that left animals intact.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Rochester, NY City Council Meeting - April 29, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Rochester City Council approved a budget amendment to fund spay and neuter services and medications for Rochester Animal Services after members questioned veterinary staffing and the number of animals adopted without sterilization.","taxTitle","Rochester City, Monroe County, New York","taxId",3654,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6037550,"Council approves drone \"first responder\" pilot despite privacy concerns; report due after May 15",879,3084000,3963000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3863124-366d430bb5e5425a2a30436ba907aab9&start=3084&end=3963","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3863124-366d430bb5e5425a2a30436ba907aab9/thumbnail_3084000.jpg","/articles/6037550/Rochester-City/Monroe-County/New-York/Council-approves-drone-first-responder-pilot-despite-privacy-concerns-report-due-after-May-15","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6037550-68d687c7bb5ef42cf62285953001ceba/orig.mp4?Expires=1775254458&Signature=a2Fz4j~yewWndVg~nM1TCQ4tYUTVIe4OArw1X~-f6o9-Q8yBNPd0WSyDGAQHCfyoc7SqSCFlxWzA~w9scFlvtfNuEaW30pUJ0H3vHzJ-qEjl8uIpq9ry5bvsyxJWThtbBLeD1M5nY~LeVtvviNKH4FSFwkXgTizLRAV3TTgXhnvxv5dW8pGAOdEO3k-wkoOyUQOwB6C3MZ6IFqm2-oRZhcktaYbVJYIfskEuabtzY-D80iriqKc~7iXB3jASmJ9sfDNaBPVlblRCG~onqiXwRGyvuqth24CndBkiglaWUQFst72GdiIIiJXvlV4cdS1C-ZrMaQt7JfarfbHzn-7qIA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rochester City Council voted to approve a budget amendment and appropriation to fund overtime associated with a pilot program to use police drones as first responders.

The public-safety committee brought the measure forward; the vote on Introductory 124 passed in a roll call after extended debate. Council member Stanley Martin announced he would vote no, citing concerns raised by the New York Civil Liberties Union and the lack of a formal community input process and written policy. Martin said he was also troubled that the pilot began April 1 before council had signed off on the funding.

Council member Willie J. Lightfoot Sr., chair of the Public Safety Committee, and other supporters described the pilot as limited and experimental. Lightfoot said the program was intended to provide operational data in a contained trial: “it was a pilot program. And I felt that we could get more information,” he said. The police described the pilot as running April 1 through May 15 and said the goal was to achieve roughly 30 days of flight operations, with an additional 15 days built in to allow for weather or no-fly days.

Police representatives said the city will use drones already purchased and that the pilot focuses on specific uses: searching for missing people (including river gorge areas), ATV enforcement, stolen-car response and providing scene information on calls such as large fights. The department said drones are already deployed for public events — for example, the Lilac Festival and the Jazz Festival — and that the pilot would test whether drones can be used to arrive earlier than officers and provide situational awareness that could cancel unnecessary officer responses.

Chief-level staff explained operational details: a drone deployment requires an FAA-licensed operator, an on-scene supervisor and at least one additional support officer; the overtime request covered the personnel costs to operate the pilot on off-duty hours. Captain Cooman (head of the unit) was named as the person preparing the internal deployment report. The chief said the internal report will track each deployment, including job cards from 911 to show which incidents prompted drone use.

Martin said there was no written policy guiding drone use at the start of the pilot and that the rollout felt “haphazard.” Lightfoot and other council supporters said the department committed to a work session and to providing the council with the pilot data before any larger rollout or budget request. Council member Mitch Gruber asked for a clear list of evaluation questions and a timeline; the police said the captain would produce the report after the pilot ends May 15.

Roll-call vote: Gruber (yes), Lightfoot (yes), Lupien (yes), Martin (no), Monroe (yes), Patterson (yes), Vice President Lashay D. Harris (yes), President Miguel A. Melendez Jr. (yes). Council member Kim Smith was excused. The measure carried.","Council approved funding for overtime tied to a 30-day pilot that uses police drones as first responders. Council members pressed for data and community input; one member voted no citing privacy and process concerns.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6037555,"Rochester City Council reaffirms sanctuary status after federal lawsuit naming mayor and council",392,156000,548000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3863124-366d430bb5e5425a2a30436ba907aab9&start=156&end=548","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3863124-366d430bb5e5425a2a30436ba907aab9/thumbnail_156000.jpg","/articles/6037555/Rochester-City/Monroe-County/New-York/Rochester-City-Council-reaffirms-sanctuary-status-after-federal-lawsuit-naming-mayor-and-council","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6037555-89685059ad883f42657053d1fbc22829/orig.mp4?Expires=1775254458&Signature=gigDVzQrA9H7B0zkuhBWNTN8QQmPBnLUGdQq0UEvBSAn50px3pPXCcThGSuthdupwnIwIM-Y8gOk06JGXphtxXep3ZoWhRzazuH0LGX0Qfaf6DfTzZzmXkSXThaU4eqqX7OnEmqvylyxTjVW2WdVnF~wjkBonH-NzhOrfDbQG8PA0RiUV-x3ABnL-1cZxHD32bBK4wem9eQaXWAOAqqK5hgIvC8Y6Te4FSmmKNw-SdXjExzJ7usVtsZmE2Sslk52ZglpgPtLrtXGtiYgdKRTH~fWmS59oes95yw81heHpTR5cD4ijunE6I8sQVUXBx~ex-HUxNFqhsvhZwOFnjMzMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rochester City Council on the evening it met in April reaffirmed the city’s long-standing sanctuary-city stance after Council President Miguel A. Melendez Jr. said he and Mayor Evans were named in a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration challenging Rochester’s status.

In a proclamation read to the chamber, Council President Miguel A. Melendez Jr. said the council “unequivocally upheld” the principle that enforcement of federal immigration policy is the responsibility of the federal government, citing the city’s 1986 and 2017 sanctuary-city resolutions and the city’s sanctuary policy. Council member Mitch Gruber read the text of the proclamation to those assembled.

The proclamation recounts Rochester’s history as “a city built by immigrants” and states the council’s commitment to equal treatment regardless of immigration status. Melendez said the proclamation will be “proudly on display inside the council office” and that council members have signed it. He said the council will continue conversations about tactics and strategies for carrying out the policy.

The council did not take any formal legislative votes tied to the proclamation at the meeting. Melendez told the chamber the administration and council must remain “steadfast” in protecting due process and the rights of all residents in the face of federal enforcement actions. The proclamation’s text, read aloud by Gruber, references the Tenth Amendment and the city’s sanctuary-city policy adopted in earlier resolutions.

The announcement came amid earlier remarks that the mayor and council had not yet been served with the lawsuit. The council’s reaffirmation was largely ceremonial: members stood and signed the proclamation, and Melendez said it will remain on display for visitors to the council office. Council members said they expect to continue public conversations about how to implement and defend the policy going forward.

City staff and council did not at the meeting provide new, binding changes to city code or new enforcement directives; rather, the action taken was the public reaffirmation of existing policy and the pledge to continue discussions about next steps.","Council president read a proclamation reaffirming Rochester’s sanctuary-city policy after he and Mayor Evans were named in a federal lawsuit; council said it will keep the proclamation on display and continue discussions on tactics and strategy.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6037540,"Rochester City Council approves multiple ordinances, bonds and leases across committees",535,1730000,2265000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3863124-366d430bb5e5425a2a30436ba907aab9&start=1730&end=2265","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3863124-366d430bb5e5425a2a30436ba907aab9/thumbnail_1730000.jpg","/articles/6037540/Rochester-City/Monroe-County/New-York/Rochester-City-Council-approves-multiple-ordinances-bonds-and-leases-across-committees","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6037540-30db9b073144943c8465d1b87a3e1785/orig.mp4?Expires=1775254458&Signature=LK2QuPQqpSffOZwOfAppxiJ88YUrcem2CYi09vcYxq1kXKBwlAo-i0T6u-eknzCEJkcNyCFI5AvuW29gXcefprWnptRqnNdwqOFv9j-5-sexm9x79gcp5mF5ZfEWuW7VC77w7tqL8DqkIzVETSzO~6iOWWc3Ioo2EscRKyVram8KS3MgKxo001VvUEXB7CEHmRIP1N9-fgn1pWqT8U8QYsnEf3VSRvVWUgm9ulLiBZGdfnbQb0TACLfOEG97r1m9uIbRwcShntVc6h39zG1O8i6yDvDq6ajgOQJtWOWFW47sLa2C2XSysF-XMIwb5AFro0KoP7m2mVFsCCzow1vCSQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rochester City Council approved a slate of ordinances, bond authorizations, local-improvement levies and agreements during its April meeting after receiving committee reports.

The Neighborhood, Jobs and Housing Committee recommended and the council approved measures including authorization for sale of real estate (Intro. 94), acceptance of donated property (Intro. 98), and appointments to the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Rochester Preservation Board (Intro. 99). The committee also presented local improvement ordinances establishing the cost or levies for special services related to entertainment districts and open-space districts (Intro. 95 and Intro. 96) and affirmed a lease by the Rochester Urban Renewal Agency for a downtown parking lot (Intro. 97).

The People, Parks and Public Works Committee brought forward multiple capital and improvement items that council approved. Those included bond ordinances and related agreements for projects described in committee: an electrical-service upgrade at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial (Intro. 100 and Intro. 101), renovations to Norton Village Recreation Center (Intro. 102 and Intro. 103), the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park playground renovation (Intro. 104 and Intro. 105), bridge rehabilitation appropriations (Intro. 106), and the Granite Commons stabilization project (Intro. 107). The committee also presented local improvement ordinances and special assessment levies for resurfacing, streetlighting and streetscape enhancements (Intro. 108, 110, 111, 112, 114 and 118), and other agreements, licenses and grant appropriations listed by committee.

The Budget, Finance and Governance Committee presented items including authorizations to commit reserve funds (Intro. 120), purchase budget software (Intro. 121), a scenic-byway resolution (Intro. 122) and a labor and employment law-services agreement (Intro. 123); the council approved those items as presented. The Public Safety Committee’s grant and agreement items (Intros. 125\u0000\u0000\u000128) were also approved; the council recorded roll-call votes where required.

The council received and published committee reports before taking the votes. Where roll-call votes were required, the minutes record the votes and show that the items passed. A handful of items were held in committee as noted in the committee reports. The Rochester Urban Renewal Agency (RURA) also reported and the council approved URA items including the annual URA report and a lease designation for a downtown parking lot.

The meeting record does not show extended debate on most of these items; committee chairs presented recommendations and council moved to votes. Several items required and received roll-call votes, which were recorded in the minutes.","In a packed agenda, council approved committee recommendations including property sales and donations, local improvement ordinances, bond ordinances and several agreements and licenses. Items passed by voice vote or roll call as recorded in committee reports.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves budget adjustment to fund spay/neuter services; members pressed for numbers and staffing details

Council approves drone "first responder" pilot despite privacy concerns; report due after May 15

Rochester City Council reaffirms sanctuary status after federal lawsuit naming mayor and council

Rochester City Council approves multiple ordinances, bonds and leases across committees