BUDGET SUMMARY

(updated 2-11-25)

BUDGET TESTIMONY

(added 2-11-25)

NYCOM wants to ensure that our members are aware of last month’s Court of Appeals decision in the case Calabrese v. City of Albany. In short, the Court ruled that reports submitted via the City of Albany’s citizen request management system (SeeClickFix, a web-based 311 system) satisfied the requirements of Albany’s prior written notice of defect local law. A copy of the decision is HERE for your reference.

In upholding the decisions of the trial court and the Appellate Division, the Court of Appeals found that the City of Albany’s prior written notice of defect local law could be satisfied by submitting reports via SeeClickFix (SCF). The key issue in the Court’s decision is the language that the City used in its prior written notice local law, which requires that the notice be “written” and “actually given to the Commissioner of Public Works.” The court noted that the reports users submit themselves via SCF satisfy the “written notice” component of the City’s law. The Court also noted, however, that local governments may provide a different, more specific definition of “written notice.” In addition, the Court concluded the reports submitted through SCF were “actually given” to the Commissioner.

The key to using a platform such as SCF without it constituting prior written notice of defect is to clearly articulate in the local law establishing the prior written notice of defect requirement that SCF (or a similar platform) is not an acceptable method of filing such notices. Furthermore, local laws should also be clear as to how such written notices of defect must be filed with the local government (e.g., by hand, first class or certified mail).

City and village officials should review the Court’s decision as well as their own prior written notice of defect local laws to determine if they need to amend their prior written notice of defect procedures to address the Court’s holding and limit their local government's exposure from electronically submitted written reports of defects.

NYCOM is working with attorneys who specialize in municipal tort defense to develop a sample local law to address the issues raised in the decision.

Questions about this decision can be directed to NYCOM General Counsel Wade Beltramo at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or NYCOM Legislative Director Brian Coffin at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

REGISTER FOR A WATER INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING WEBINAR | MARCH 12 WITH THE COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE TEAMS

Join EFC for a comprehensive discussion on water infrastructure funding in New York State. Program experts from EFC and our agency partners will cover application processes, requirements, and tips to access funding for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure. You’ll also learn about our latest grant opportunities including EFC’s Green Innovation Grant Program and Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grants, which were recently announced.

• Date & Time: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Wednesday, March 12
• Location: Webex
• Eligible Participants: Municipal representatives for towns, cities, and villages in New York State
• Agenda: The program will consist of a presentation on water infrastructure funding opportunities and will continue with a Q&A session.

REGISTER
Advance registration is required.

Community Assistance Teams work with municipalities to help them access water infrastructure funding, with a focus on small, rural, and disadvantaged communities. Coordinating with partner agencies including the Departments of Environmental Conservation, State, Health, and Homes and Community Renewal, the teams help communities with their water infrastructure needs.

The Teams also offer consultations for municipalities where they review community needs and connect them to eligible funding opportunities. Those interested in a consultation can sign up at https://efc.ny.gov/form/community-assistance-teams-reque.

Sign up for emails from EFC to stay connected and learn about future events, webinars, and funding opportunities.

EFC IS ACCEPTING LISTINGS FOR THE CLEAN WATER STATE REVOLVING FUND | DUE FRIDAY, MAY 30

NYCOM'S PRELIMINARY SUMMARY OF GOVERNOR HOCHUL'S 2025-26 EXECUTIVE BUDGET

VIEW UPDATE (added 1-23-25) 

2025

View the publication HERE.

GET RECOGNIZED!
Apply Now for NYCOM's Local Government Achievement Award
APPLICATION DEADLINE: TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 2025

The New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials (NYCOM) is committed to highlighting municipal successes and sharing innovative projects and programs you have undertaken in your communities.

NYCOM’s Local Government Achievement Awards showcase innovative projects and programs undertaken by NYCOM member cities and villages that have improved quality-of-life,​ resulted in cost savings,​ established cooperative partnerships, created new or unique approaches to issues, and/or streamlined the delivery of services. Winning submissions will be recognized at NYCOM’s 116^th Annual Meeting at the Sagamore Hotel (May 28-30, 2025) and highlighted in an upcoming issue of NYCOM’s Municipal Matters magazine.

Questions regarding the program and/or transmitting the application should be directed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at (518) 463-1185.

View Application

VIEW LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM (added 12-27-24)

Webinar and Articles

WEBINARS:
• The Equal Rigths Amendment: What Comes Next?
• Leading Locally: Celebrating How Women Shape Democracy from the Ground Up with Ambassador Nina Hachigian
• Engaging the Youth in Your Community
• Redefining Roles: Spotlighting Women in Local Government

ARTICLES:
• Getting to Know Your WAC
• Ensuring Equal Rights: Updating New York’s Constitution and Protecting Women’s Equality in the 21^st Century
• Empowering Young Women: Rewriting History Before it Happens
• Girl Power for Democracy
• Establishing Your Circle of Trust
• It Takes a Village – The Value and Importance of Community Engagement in Advancing Democracy
• The Dos and Don’ts of Advocating for Ratification
• Redefining Roles – Julie McKinnon
• Redefining Roles – Meagan Leppicello

APRIL 7-9, 2025 | ALBANY CAPITAL CENTER, ALBANY, NY

REGISTER NOW (discount code:250417) | VIEW AGENDA 
Join State Authorities, Regulators & Key Stakeholders for a Comprehensive Look at the Critical Issues Impacting the Empire State’s Clean Energy Landscape

Infocast's New York Energy Summit returns to Albany in April 2025 with a remarkable roster of energy sector leaders to discuss the policy landscape and explore emerging opportunities on the path to achieving the state’s ambitious CES targets.

New York has become one of the most dynamic energy markets in the United States, with tremendous opportunities in the planning, developing, financing, and construction of utility-scale onshore and offshore generation, energy storage projects, community and C&I distributed energy resources, new transmission assets, clean energy manufacturing, and decarbonization projects across multiple sectors. However, only those keeping up with the latest developments in this rapidly evolving environment will be properly positioned to seize the very best opportunities on offer in the Empire State.

This meeting, like its well-regarded and well-attended predecessors in 2024 and 2023, is designed to let you hear the latest from a definitive group of New York policymakers, regulators, utility executives, developers, independent power producers and financiers. They will provide the best available discussion of the policies, plans, initiatives, opportunities and obstacles that will shape the Empire State’s energy landscape in 2025 and beyond.

Get the latest on issues such as resource valuation changes, domestic manufacturing and labor requirements, new momentum around the role of natural gas and nuclear power, and the impacts of a coming wave of power-intensive facilities—new manufacturing, data and AI centers, bit-coin miners—on grid planning. Hear how the growing tax equity and transferability markets are shaping project finance and investment, and how the risk appetites of capital providers and developers are shaping deals in the New York market.

The New York Energy Summit is your premier opportunity to network with over 400 regulators, market operators, utilities, renewable developers, and innovators from across the Empire State’s energy industry.

VIEW SUMMARY (updated 12-27-24)

VIEW RESOURCES AND GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

Thank you for joining us for NYCOM's 2025 Winter Legislative Meeting in Albany. We look forward to seeing you February 1-3 in 2026!

• MEETING HANDOUTS/PRESENTATIONS

• PHOTO GALLERY

• VIDEO RECAP

ARPA RESOURCES

CYBERSECURITY RESOURCES FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION RESOURCES

CYBER WEBINAR | MARCH 25 (9:00am)

Protecting your Municipality's PII / Overview of the Shield Act
REGISTER HERE
Do you handle Personal Identifiable Information (PII)? If your municipality accepts tax payments online or by check, maintains property records, or issues marriage certificates or hunting licenses, you are responsible for safeguarding sensitive data. The NY Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security (SHIELD) Act requires municipalities to implement specific safeguards to secure PII and follow strict breach notification protocols. But does your municipality meet these legal standards? Join Elisabeth Dubois, Ph.D., as she breaks down the SHIELD Act, explaining what PII entails, the essential security measures municipalities must have in place, and the data breach notification requirements that could impact your operations. Don’t wait for a cyber incident to test your security—make sure your policies are compliant and your community is protected.
Speaker: Elisabeth Dubois

8:00 a.m. | Double Tree by Hilton, 6301 Route 298, East Syracuse, NY 
Join us as our experts guide you through topics tailored to meet and address the challenges of today’s law enforcement landscape.

Topics: Balancing Innovation and Ethics: The Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Contemporary Law Enforcement Mike Renalli, Marketing Development Manager, Lexipol; Reducing Liability and Injury During Use of Force Encounters Patrick Phelan, Executive Director, New York State Association of Chief’s of Police (NYSACOP)
Additional Speaker(s) To Be Determined – Stay Tuned!

This event is free to NYMIR members. A light breakfast and full lunch will be provided. Sessions will conclude mid-afternoon.

Contact David Bloodgood at 845-551-9618 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for information or to reserve your spot.

ONE-ON-ONE CONSULTATIONS (ONGOING)

We are excited to kickstart our exclusive One-on-One Consultation service. Elisabeth Dubois, NYMIR’s Cybersecurity Risk Specialist will reach out to you in advance of your renewal, typically 2-3 months prior, to schedule a personalized meeting. During this consultation, you'll have the opportunity to:

• Navigate Cyber Applications: We will guide you through the cyber application process, ensuring all necessary information is accurately completed for a smooth renewal.
• Address Recommendations: If you have received cybersecurity recommendations, we will be on hand to clarify any questions and assist in implementing these essential enhancements.

Click HERE for a description of Cyber Security Service FREE to our NYMIR Cyber Members