Council committee sets public hearing on Chapter 28 code amendments for March 10

The government operations committee on Feb. 18 voted to schedule a public hearing for March 10 on proposed amendments to Chapter 28 of the Schenectady City Code that update outdated language and other procedural provisions.

Council members identified several edits in the packet, including language that shifts gendered terms (for example, replacing "him" with gender-neutral pronouns) and housekeeping changes such as references to meeting-notice procedures and a provision mentioning smoking in chambers. "Some other things came up that people thought the language is outdated, especially as it related to gender," President Cordeforce said during discussion.

Council members debated whether to remove a line about smoking in chambers. One member said keeping the provision poses no harm; another called it ‘‘null and void’’ because smoking indoors does not occur locally. The committee also discussed section 28-24, which sets a noon Thursday deadline for resolutions to reach the city clerk; council members noted the practice of accepting materials by 1 p.m. to accommodate a legislative conference and said the code could remain as written or be adjusted.

After discussing the packet, a committee member moved and another seconded a resolution calling for a public hearing on the amendments. "That'll be the March 10," a member said when asked about the hearing date. The committee voted in favor; the chair called for the public hearing to be set on March 10.

The item will proceed to a public hearing on March 10; subsequent formal adoption would follow the public hearing and any further legislative steps required by ordinance or resolution.

Votes and next steps: The committee approved a resolution to call for a public hearing on March 10 and directed staff to publish the hearing notice and return the item to the council after the hearing.