Dominick enjoys serving the residents of the First Ward in the South End of Albany, New York and working on ways to make Albany a more desirable place in which to live.
List of all introduced and co-sponsored legislation by Dominick Calsolaro, download PDF format or download Word document.
Council Member Calsolaro introduced the following:
Ordinance Number 1.11.09
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING PART 3 (DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY) OF CHAPTER 42 (DEPARTMENTS AND COMMISSIONS) OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF ALBANY TO REPEAL ARTICLE XI-A ENTITLED “GUN VIOLENCE TASK FORCE” AND TO ADD A NEW ARTICLE XI-A ENTITLED “GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION IMPLEMENTATION TEAM.”
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| Albany Common Council Members Barbara Smith and Dominick Calsolaro |
Terror Case Bias Alleged
Albany council members call for Justice Department review of FBI prosecutions of Muslims
Published on 4/30/2010 by the Times Union written by KATIE BRANDENBURG, Hearst Newspapers
WASHINGTON -- Two Albany Common Council members on Thursday urged the Department of Justice to review terrorism cases that they say unfairly targeted Muslims.
Common Council's unanimous vote clears way for formal swearing-in
Published on 7/20/2010 by the Times Union written by by Jordan Carleo-Evangelist
ALBANY -- There was a time when conventional wisdom dictated that Deputy Police Chief Steven Krokoff should not have been standing outside the Common Council chambers Monday night accepting handshake after congratulatory handshake.
Prevailing logic, strongly held in some quarters, was that the scandal-fatigued department needed to be reformed from the outside.
But 10 months after the sudden departure of former Chief James Tuffey, Krokoff -- one of Tuffey's top deputies and the only internal candidate to get a hard look -- was confirmed by city lawmakers to replace him.
The unanimous vote capped a lengthy and historic process in which the public had unprecedented input into the selection of one of the most powerful jobs in the city.
"The community needs to understand what has been accomplished here," said West Hill resident and activist Vera Michelson, who helped lead a vocal contingent of citizens who insisted the next chief be committed - Read more
Published on 6/29/2010 by the Times Union written by JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST, Staff writer
ALBANY -- The city has renegotiated its contracts with the largest customers of the Rapp Road landfill, a move that will boost revenue by more than $800,000 over the next year, a city attorney said.
But in doing so, Albany made a deal with one company, County Waste & Recycling, to dump nearly all the landfill's daily guaranteed tonnage -- the amount haulers promise in exchange for a reduced rate. Until now, two big companies evenly split that burden.
The city relies on the landfill to subsidize essential services -- so the relatively arcane details of the contracts have a direct impact on taxpayers, who might otherwise be called on to make up any significant loss of revenue.
Facing a potential $20 million budget gap next year and pressure from city lawmakers to demand more from trash haulers as the city borrows millions to expand the landfill, officials are banking that higher income now - Read more
Pesticide law scrutinized after banned chemical used
Published on 5/31/2010 by the Times Union written by JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST, Staff writer
ALBANY -- City lawmakers want to strengthen an 11-year-old ban on the use of some pesticides on city land after the revelation last week that one such banned chemical was sprayed near a Pine Hills playground earlier this month.
But strengthening the law will only help, said Common Councilwoman Leah Golby, who represents the area around Ridgefield Park, if city departments follow it.
"The issue remains how can we strengthen it when it doesn't appear, at least in recent years, to have been observed," Golby said.
Parks and Recreation Commissioner John D'Antonio said Friday he was unaware of the ban, passed by the council in 1998, until he began researching a recent citizen complaint.
TruGreen, a city contractor, used Trupower 3 Selective Herbicide, a chemical considered a category I toxin by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in Ridgefield Park on May 20. The chemical has been banned from city - Read more
Published on 5/19/2010 written by Mike
Hey Dom! I saw you on TV last night! Hey, thanks for all you help. You got everything moving in the right direction for us here at Vistec with our export license. We all really appreciate it. You may have saved 28 Jobs here in the Capital Region as a result. I hope the voters know this - Read more
Council approves $11.72 million bonding for Rapp Road expansion
Published on 5/18/2010 by the Times Union written by JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST, Staff writer
ALBANY -- City lawmakers Monday night narrowly approved four borrowing measures crucial to the expansion of the Rapp Road landfill.
The votes ended an impassioned, two-month deadlock in which Mayor Jerry Jennings accused dissenters of acting recklessly with the city's fiscal future and suggested they would be at fault if the city needed to start charging for trash collection.
But opponents of the measure countered that the city has just as irresponsibly managed the landfill for three decades, forcing the need for the controversial expansion into the Pine Bush in the first place.
For years, the city has used landfill revenue to subsidize daily operations of city government.
The expansion is projected to extend its life at least another seven years while the city and surrounding cities and towns plan how to dispose of the region's trash in the future.
Councilman Lester Freeman said the city's lack of a back - Read more
Published on 5/12/2010 by the Times Union written by JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST, Staff writer
ALBANY -- As city lawmakers continue to push for an increase in the fee paid by private trash haulers that use the Rapp Road landfill, an official with one of those haulers, County Waste and Recycling, said today his company has offered to pay more.
Jerry Cifor, a principal with Clifton Park-based County Waste, said his firm has twice in the last 18 months offered to increase its tipping fee -- if, and only if, Allied Waste, one of his competitors, would agree.
Allied, which is owned by Arizona-based Republic Services, has twice declined, Cifor said.
Both County Waste and Allied Waste promise the city at least 300 tons of trash every day in return for the reduced tipping fee of $47.67 per ton.
The arrangement guarantees the city a steady flow of income it needs to help sustain basic services.
But for the last two months, the council has - Read more
Published on 5/12/2010 by the Times Union written by JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST, Staff writer
ALBANY -- City lawmakers left their meeting Wednesday night shrugging their shoulders when asked whether four controversial borrowing measures linked to the Rapp Road landfill will pass on Monday.
"I wouldn't bet my life either way," said Councilman Michael O'Brien, a supporter.
For two months, council leadership has been scrambling to assemble enough support for the bonding ordinances to continue the landfill's expansion, twice watching one fail by a single vote.
A major point of contention remains the city's plan to borrow $18 million to pay for restoration of Pine Bush habitat mandated by the state in return for the expansion permit.
As part of that permit, the state Department of Environmental Conservation is requiring the city to set aside $10 per ton of trash dumped at the facility to fund the work.
Rather than borrowing, some council members believe the city should simply add the fee -- or some variation of - Read more
Published on 5/6/2010 by the Times Union
What is so secret about the Albany landfill's finances that Common Council members have to wonder if they know the full story?
If Mayor Jerry Jennings wants the council to authorize borrowing tens of millions of dollars over the next five years to pay for a landfill expansion, the least he could do is answer every question its members have. And if he's in a hurry, well, he should answer them in a hurry.
To be sure, if the council, particularly a minority bloc that has, for now, effectively held up the landfill expansion, doesn't like the mayor's plan, it has an obligation to propose an alternative. But without all the facts, the council can hardly be expected to rubber stamp Mr. Jennings' request.
On paper, the landfill looks like a good deal for the city. It is projected this year to cost $7 million to operate, and take in - Read more
Published on 5/6/2010 by the The Muslim Link written by Written by Muslim Link Staff
Community News - Community News
Written by Muslim Link Staff
THURSDAY, 06 MAY 2010 09:05
A press conference at the National Press Club in Washington DC on April 29, 2010 put a human face on the United States’ on-going policy of preemptive prosecution.
Organized by The Peace and Justice Foundation headed by El-Hajj Mauri’ Saalakhan, the event gave the media access to family members of incarcerated defendants in some high-profile terrorism cases, and aired perspectives on the trial and guilty verdict of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui.
Saalakhan read a statement on the history of Aafia Siddiqui, her education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, her social activism, her disappearance and re-appearance inside the notorious US prison at Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan, and her eventual indictment and conviction on charges of attempting to shoot a US soldier. Saalakhan also noted what he saw as contradictions in the US government’s - Read more
Published on 5/5/2010 by the Times Union written by by Jordan Carleo-Evangelist
ALBANY -- City lawmakers left their meeting Wednesday night shrugging their shoulders when asked whether four controversial borrowing measures linked to the Rapp Road landfill will pass on Monday.
"I wouldn't bet my life either way," said Councilman Michael O'Brien, a supporter.
For two months, council leadership has been scrambling to assemble enough support for the bonding ordinances to continue the landfill's expansion, twice watching one fail by a single vote.
A major point of contention remains the city's plan to borrow $18 million to pay for restoration of Pine Bush habitat mandated by the state in return for the expansion permit.
As part of that permit, the state Department of Environmental Conservation is requiring the city to set aside $10 per ton of trash dumped at the facility to fund the work.
Rather than borrowing, some council members believe the city should simply add the fee -- or some variation of - Read more
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| (L-R) Councilman Calsolaro is joined by President Faith Takes on their recent tour. |
CALSOLARO LEADS TOUR OF REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL CAREER COLLEGE FACILITY
In an effort to connect with the students of the Capital Region on a more personal level, Albany City Common Councilman Dominick Calsolaro, along with County Legislators Wanda Willingham and Norma Chapman met with Faith Takes, President of Mildred Elley/Austin School of Spa Technology. The campus, located on 855 Central Avenue in Albany is shared by the two colleges and is equipped with state-of-the-art classrooms, clinics and student service areas for the Austin School of Spa Technology and newly renovated space designed specifically for Mildred Elley. It allows for the staff and faculty to fuse their expertise and experiences together to share them with the students in a more efficient and effective manner. Continue reading . . .