THE COUNTDOWN TO THE APRIL 1 STATE BUDGET DEADLINE IS UNDERWAY: URGE THE GOVERNOR AND YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS TO SUPPORT KEY NYCOM PRIORITIES BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!

VIEW UPDATE (added 3-13-25) 

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..

BREAKING BARRIERS, BUILDING RESILIENCE: DIGITAL DEFENSE FOR WOMEN LEADERS
MARCH 26 (12:00 - 1:00 P.M.) | INTERACTIVE DISCUSSION (1:00 - 1:30 P.M.)

This session will be led by Alcy Stiepock MacKay, a consultant with Reset.tech who has developed digital defense curricula for women leaders and trained organizations nationwide.

In honor of Women's History Month, the NYCOM Women's Advisory Committee invites you to a timely and crucial webinar: "Breaking Barriers, Building Resilience: Digital Defense for Women Leaders" in partnership with Reset.tech and #ShePersisted.

Women in public office and leadership roles are facing unprecedented levels of online harassment, disinformation, and digital threats. This interactive training will provide essential strategies for navigating and mitigating these challenges, with a focus on:
• Understanding gendered disinformation and technology-facilitated attacks
• Strengthening your digital security and reducing vulnerabilities
• Deciding how and when to respond to online attacks

Due to the sensitivity of the topic and the discussions that may take place, this webinar will NOT be recorded. However, participants will receive toolkits and resources to support their digital resilience. This webinar is FREE to NYCOM members, but registration is required. We hope you will join us for this important conversation.

Register HERE

393 Mayors Sign NYCOM Letter to State Leaders Calling for Increase in AIM Funding

VIEW LETTER (updated 3-14-25)

MUNICIPAL PARKS AND RECREATION GRANT PROGRAM
DEADLINE: MAY 2

View Grant Program Details

APPLICATION DEADLINE: TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 2025

GET RECOGNIZED!
Apply Now for NYCOM's Local Government Achievement Award
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

BUDGET SUMMARY

(updated 2-11-25)

BUDGET TESTIMONY

(added 2-11-25)

2025

View the publication HERE.

NYCOM "DID YOU KNOW?" LUNCH AND LEARN SERIES: MUNICIPAL HOME RULE REQUESTS IN NEW YORK
THURSDAY, APRIL 3 (12-12:45 P.M.)

REGISTER NOW

Can your city or village enact its own traffic regulations? What about easing employee residency requirements? How do you establish a hotel/motel occupancy tax? The answer isn't always straightforward! Join us for an exclusive NYCOM webinar where we'll break down the complexities of Municipal Home Rule Legislation in New York State.
What You'll Learn:

• The power of Municipal Home Rule Law § 10 & other key statutes
• Areas where state preemption limits local authority
• The four-step process for securing a Special Act from the State Legislature
• How to successfully navigate the home rule request process
• Don't miss this chance to get expert insights and ask your pressing questions! Whether you're looking to establish a residential parking permit system, a speed camera program, or a new hotel/motel occupancy tax, this webinar will help you understand the steps to make it happen.

Presenter: Brian Coffin, NYCOM Legislative Director

This webinar is FREE to NYCOM members, but registration is required. A recording will be provided to registrants following completion of the webinar.

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

VIEW UPDATE (added 1-23-25) 

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

APPLICATIONS OPEN APRIL 7, 2025

Public sector organizations work tirelessly to create innovative, engaged, and supportive workplaces that attract and retain top talent. The Top Public Sector Employer (TPSE) Awards celebrate these efforts, recognizing organizations that go above and beyond to create exceptional environments for their employees and communities.The TPSE Award Program is an annual program honoring innovative public organizations excelling in employee engagement, leadership, and workplace excellence. Evaluated across seven categories, winners gain national recognition, grant eligibility, and enhanced recruitment credibility.

Click HERE for application information.

VIEW LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM (added 12-27-24)

VIEW RESOURCES AND GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

FRIDAY, APRIL 4th AT 4:00 P.M.

Interested in protecting your source water at no out-of-pocket cost to your municipality? The DWSP2 application period has been extended to Friday, April 4 at 4 p.m. Apply using your NY.gov credentials. If you do not have a NY.gov account, please utilize the directions below to create one:

Go to https://my.ny.gov
Click “Create an Account”
Then, click “Personal” and sign up using a work email address. It is best to use a shared email for this.
Follow the steps to complete account creation.
Apply Now!

DEC also hosted a virtual information session on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. You can access the recording of this informational session to learn more details about DWSP2 and specific instructions on how to apply.

As a reminder, DEC and Department of Health (DOH) announced the availability of free technical assistance for municipalities to protect their public drinking water sources through DWSP2. DWSP2 is a multi-agency initiative led by DEC and DOH in collaboration with the Departments of Agriculture and Markets and State. Up to 30 volunteer communities will work with technical assistance providers to develop and implement programs that proactively protect public drinking water sources.

For more information on the application period, please read the press release. Community public water suppliers are encouraged to apply for free technical assistance to develop and implement a Drinking Water Source Protection Program. Visit the DWSP2 webpage to access the online application or click the link above. For any additional questions related to the application, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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

ARPA RESOURCES

CYBERSECURITY RESOURCES FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION RESOURCES

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

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.

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