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Residents press legislature on short‑term rentals, violence prevention and Shaker Heritage site at Albany County public forum
Summary
At the public forum before the May 11 session, residents urged quick action to register and tax short‑term rentals, requested county support and funding for a community‑led gun‑violence prevention program, and thanked officials for stepping back from an airport parking proposal near the Shaker Heritage site.
Members of the public used the Legislature’s three‑minute forum to press several issues.
On short‑term rentals, Gregory Bell and Nancy Goody said state law created the framework and urged the county to implement a registry and begin collecting hotel taxes from short‑term rentals. Goody said a large share of listings are investor‑owned and that a registry will support enforcement and tax remittance.
Veronica Rountree (Mama Love) described Mothers to Sons, a community‑based gun‑violence prevention initiative that she said produced measurable reductions in gun incidents in Troy. Rountree asked the county to consider providing $250,000–$400,000 to scale the program across the county and described meetings with local mayors and police officials.
Johanna Batman urged continued preservation and collaborative planning for the Shaker Heritage site after reporting that the airport had decided not to pursue a parking lot adjacent to the historic property; she invited legislators to tour the site. Other commenters raised accessibility concerns at county facilities and urged improved emergency‑preparedness coordination and grant pursuit for mitigation projects.
Speakers’ requests were recorded; several items (including the short‑term rental registry and tax) moved to committee or were acted on later in the agenda.
