2026-09-09 - Common Council Public Hearing

04:17So, how are you?

04:18>> We got cups, but no water.

04:19>> How about you?

04:20>> Good.

04:20>> All right.

04:22So, we got cups, but no water.

04:26>> Nathan was filling them up earlier,

04:28>> huh?

04:28>> Nathan was filling them up earlier.

04:30Here, I got one.

04:31>> You can have mine.

04:32>> Oh, water. You mean you can have mine?

04:34>> I don't have any.

04:35>> No, yours is right here.

04:36>> Oh, okay. Thank you.

04:37>> Do you want mine, too? Um, no, I'm good.

04:41>> All right. So, Oh,

04:44>> can you hear me?

04:45>> Yes.

04:46>> Yeah, we're good.

04:47>> So, good evening everybody. Thank you

04:49for joining us.

04:52We welcome you. This is a public hearing

04:56and we will listen to everyone that

04:59wants to state a comment. But I want to

05:02remind you that this is a public hearing

05:04and that means that the counselors the

05:07council cannot engage in discussion.

05:10We're here to listen to you. Okay.

05:14We want to say thank you to Danielle our

05:16stenographer for joining us today. And

05:18she asked me to please let everybody

05:20know when you come up to the mic, please

05:23state your name and spell it so she can

05:26get your comments and and the spelling

05:28of spelling of your name correctly.

05:31Okay. Um,

05:33some regulatory items once you come I I

05:36will have these cards that you've been

05:39completing at the entrance. So, I am

05:41going to call the names in the order

05:43that I'm receiving them. When I do and

05:46you come up to the microphone, you will

05:48have three minutes to state your

05:50comment. Three minutes. Then you're

05:53going to listen to a little bell that

05:55the phone kind of rings out [laughter]

05:58and then you would have 30 seconds to

06:01close your comments. Okay.

06:04With that said,

06:05>> the short title.

06:07>> Oh, I need to read the short title. I'll

06:08read the short title.

06:10>> Okay.

06:10>> Yeah. Give me one minute.

06:14Let me see. I told you about the three

06:16minutes. Okay. One thing very important.

06:19H we're not here to have speakers to

06:22speak out of term or uh to with we don't

06:27want to see any demonstrations here

06:29tonight. We want this process to be a

06:32cal collected process where we can all

06:35learn about your thoughts so we can take

06:38in consideration as we then go back and

06:40deliver. Okay. Then first of all I would

06:44like to have Oh, right.

06:47>> Okay.

06:48read the short title. This public

06:51hearing is uh is in regard to

06:53authorizing a renification of the public

06:56use permit issued to 424 through 432

07:01West Street for the West Coast Theater.

07:06>> Thank you. Um then we're going to have

07:08first Jake Daw to please uh come up to

07:11the mic and Jake is gonna state the

07:14facts of why we're here.

07:19Thank you, council president. Uh just to

07:22set the stage uh for everybody here

07:24publicly again tonight. Um this is

07:27subject to uh a revocation to hear a

07:30revocation for a special use permit.

07:34The purpose of a special use permit uh

07:36procedure is a land use uh review that

07:39provides a mechanism for the city to

07:41evaluate proposed development and land

07:43uses that have unique or varying

07:45operating characteristics or unusual

07:48features. And this procedure is intended

07:51to ensure compatibility with surrounding

07:53areas and that adequate adequate

07:56mitigation [clears throat]

07:56is provided for anticipated impacts to

07:59neighborhoods.

08:01So this land use that's operating at

08:04this location um special use means it

08:08indicates that the land use is allowed

08:09but the respective zone district um it's

08:13only allowed or approved if reviewed um

08:16with the special use permit procedures

08:18um and special consideration by planning

08:20boards and governing bodies like the

08:22common council.

08:26Um so what we're here doing tonight is

08:28this is the public hearing. It's a

08:30required process in a revocation

08:32hearing. So, per the zoning code, um I

08:35have submitted this uh report to you all

08:38to consider and in part of that process,

08:40we have to hold this public hearing um

08:42that that we're engaging in tonight. Um

08:45you will see based on my submitt uh what

08:47my recommendation is and what my

08:50findings and conclusions are. Um it is

08:53publicly available. I want to state that

08:54as well. Anybody who's interested in

08:56viewing this or seeing it right now, you

08:58can even go online and search Syracuse

09:01City of Zoning, uh, City of Syracuse

09:03Zoning, and it'll be right on our made

09:04page. Um, it's an 18page document.

09:09Um in closing

09:16again based on the report and conclusion

09:19um

09:21it is my conclusion that the property

09:23has shown a repeated and well

09:24demonstrated failure to maintain the

09:26property in an orderly manner up to and

09:29including serious acts of violence

09:31occurring inside the property. It is my

09:34professional opinion that this conduct

09:36combined with the Wescott Theat's

09:38apparent willingness to violate local

09:41regulatory requirements which go

09:43unressed until they are c caught

09:45violating the regulations has

09:47detrimental impact on the surrounding

09:49neighborhoods.

09:51Accordingly, I respectfully request that

09:53the common council revoke the special

09:55use permit which was previously issued

09:57under SP-08-08.

10:01Finally, I note that the revocation of

10:03the 2008 special use permit would not

10:06preclude subsequent applicants from

10:08applying for a future special use permit

10:11at this location for indoor amusement

10:14and recreation.

10:15Nor would revocation preclude a business

10:18from operating pursuant to other

10:20permissible uses within the MX2 zone

10:23district.

10:25The Office of Zoning Administration does

10:27not want to see it the property or any

10:29property in the city remain vacant for

10:30an extended period of time. However, the

10:34Office of Zoning Administration

10:35maintains that the property has failed

10:37to abide by the terms of its special use

10:39permit and has become a detriment to the

10:41surrounding neighborhood. And

10:42accordingly, I've submitted this report

10:45to you all. Thank you.

10:47>> Thank you. Thank you very much. Uh next

10:49I would like to have Chief Rosson um

10:53come to the mic.

10:55>> Good evening. Thanks. So uh thank you

10:57council president. Just to uh highlight

10:59some of the issues that uh that Jake had

11:01been speaking about. The property has

11:03been on uh s the site of numerous late

11:05night disturbances and violent incidents

11:07over the past couple of years presenting

11:09significant public safety concerns. I'll

11:12highlight some of those now. There's a

11:14shooting incident on May 31st, 2025

11:17required significant police response and

11:19led to the recovery of over 20 spent

11:21casings in the 4 and 500 block of WCOT

11:24Street in nearby Harvard Place. Police

11:26investigation revealed that bullet holes

11:28were found in a nearby residential home

11:30and a bullet casing was recovered in a

11:32res residential bedroom. In July 2026,

11:36the property was understaffed for from a

11:39security personnel perspective and a

11:41large fight broke out. Excuse

11:42[clears throat] me. Outside of the

11:43Wescott, SPD officers were needed to

11:46break up the fight. In August 2026, a

11:49significant fight occurred inside the

11:51WCOT and culminated with two people

11:54being stabbed uh two people being

11:56stabbed. The venue did not call the

11:58incident into the police and

12:00acknowledged that there had been

12:01numerous fights inside uh the

12:03establishment that evening. This pattern

12:06of behavior, including evidence of

12:07understaffed security personnel, raises

12:09concerns regarding the property's

12:11ability to maintain a safe environment

12:13for patrons during events.

12:16This affects not only the patrons, but

12:18the nearby largely residential

12:20community. The property also has a known

12:24inability to maintain a safe environment

12:26has forced SPD to to devote considerable

12:29resources to the area. Given the

12:32property's known and demonstrated

12:34pattern of failing to maintain a safe

12:35environment, Syracuse Police Department

12:37has been forced to dedicate limited

12:38department resources to the property. As

12:41an example, on July 3rd, 2026, the

12:44property hosted a concert that ended

12:46approximately 2 a.m. Syracuse Police

12:48Department officers were located outside

12:50the venue and were able to break up a

12:52fight that started under the Wescott's

12:54awning. While the police officers were

12:56able to successfully handle this

12:58situation before anyone was seriously

13:00injured, a a proper a property with

13:03adequate license security should be able

13:04to handle crowd control efforts without

13:07significant police presence. It is

13:09imperative that the department deploy

13:11officers and resources in efficient

13:13manner so as to provide adequate

13:15services to all areas of the city. That

13:18goal is hindered when the department is

13:20forced to send officers to businesses

13:21that should be maintaining a safe

13:23environment on their own. The property

13:25has shown a willingness to flaunt

13:26attempts by SPD to address some of the

13:29uh problems at the property. SPD has had

13:31numerous attempts to work with the venue

13:34which have been brushed off by the

13:35venue. As an example, during uh the July

13:39July 3rd, 2026 event that I just spoke

13:41about, Syracuse Police Department

13:43officers attempted to talk with the head

13:45of security officer at the venue to

13:47determine whether the appropriate number

13:48of licensed security officers was

13:50present. In response, the licensed

13:52security officer told the officer that

13:54if Chief Tom, Deputy Chief Jason Tom,

13:57wants the list, he can come and get it

13:59himself. This was a simple request that

14:02was made to verify the number of staff

14:04that were on site at the time.

14:06Similarly, on August 7th, 2026, the

14:09venue knowingly hosted an unlicensed

14:11event. The entertainment licensing

14:13process is an important function that

14:14allows SPD to be aware of the events and

14:17provide input on what levels of license

14:19security should be used. Thank you for

14:21your time.

14:22>> Thank you. Um, Chief Rosen and maybe

14:25Jake, if if you want to leave your notes

14:28uh with Katie, if you would like to

14:29submit those, that be and the same with

14:32everybody else. If you would like to

14:33submit your notes and comments, they

14:35come to our clerk.

14:40>> Okay. And next, I would like to ask if

14:43the property owner is in the room.

14:48If you would like to have an opportunity

14:49to speak, you're welcome to come to the

14:51mic.

14:53No

14:56>> property owner or the business owner?

14:58>> Business owner.

14:59>> Well, the property owner and we were I

15:01was going to call on the business owner

15:02as well.

15:03>> Yeah.

15:04>> But the the property owner is not here.

15:06>> Okay. So then the business owner, can

15:08you please then join us?

15:15Thank you. Um, make this brief. Uh,

15:18thank you for having me. Uh, good

15:20afternoon. My name is Dan Mastinardi.

15:21I've owned and operated the Wescott

15:23Theater for the past 18 years. Standing

15:26here today is extremely difficult. It

15:28makes me sad and quite frankly, it makes

15:30me disappointed and embarrassed that

15:32after nearly two decades of investing in

15:34the city and the community, we've

15:36reached a point where the future of the

15:37WCOT Theater is being questioned. For 18

15:40years, I've put my time, my money, my

15:42energy, and a huge part of my life into

15:44that establishment.

15:46During that time, Wescott has created

15:49jobs, supported local musicians,

15:50promoters, artists, production

15:52companies, and small businesses alike,

15:54and brought thousands upon thousands of

15:56people into the WCOT neighborhood in the

15:58city of Syracuse. We've given a local we

16:01we've given local artists a stage to

16:03perform. We've given promoters an

16:04opportunity as well. We have we've

16:08brought nationally recognized artists

16:10into the into Syracuse for nearly two

16:12decades and we've created a place where

16:14people from every neighborhood, every

16:16background in every walk of life can

16:18stand together under one roof. That is

16:20what I'm most proud of. I'm not standing

16:23here claiming that everything is perfect

16:25or has been perfect. Operating a live

16:27music entertainment venue for 18 years

16:29comes with challenges. When there are

16:32legitimate problems, I I am willing to

16:35address them, work with the city, make

16:36changes, and do whatever is reasonably

16:38necessary to operate safely. But that

16:40has become increasingly difficult for me

16:43in the feeling that the WCOT is not

16:45always being treated fairly. At times,

16:47we have seen several different levels of

16:50scrutiny depending on an event, a

16:52promoter,

16:54or the audience.

16:56When we similar when similar situations

16:59appear to produce different responses

17:01from government, people naturally begin

17:03to ask questions about fairness and

17:04equal treatment. That should concern all

17:06of us. Public safety matters. Rules

17:09matter. But those rules must be clear,

17:11reasonable, consistent and applied

17:13equally. Today, I am simply asking the

17:15board to look beyond one incident, one

17:17event or one disagreement. Please look

17:19at 18 years of history. Look at the

17:21jobs. Look at the artists. Look at the

17:22promoters. Look at the businesses. Look

17:25at our customers. Look at the thousands

17:27of people that walked through the doors

17:28and peacefully enjoyed music together.

17:31The Westcot Theater has been part of

17:33Syracuse for two decades. I do not want

17:36to fight with the city and I will not

17:37fight with with our city. I want it to

17:40work. I want to correct the problems

17:41where problems exist. I want to continue

17:43improving and I want to I want the

17:46opportunity to keep WCOT Theater open,

17:48safe, welcoming, and contributing to the

17:50community for many years to come. After

17:5218 years, I believe that I've earned the

17:55opportunity to do that. I'm asking you

17:57today to judge fairly, vote fairly, um,

18:02and give us the opportunity to move

18:04forward. Thank you.

18:06>> Thank you.

18:10>> And, uh, if you don't mind, I'd like to

18:12give you

18:13>> Absolutely. Thank you.

18:18>> Thank you.

18:18>> Thank you very much.

18:20All right. So now we will begin uh with

18:23everybody that wants to speak and I

18:25would like to add to my comments before

18:27if if you don't finish if if you have

18:30your three minutes and you still have

18:33something to say at the end when

18:35everybody has had a chance to speak if

18:38we still have time we'll call you back.

18:40Okay? And then how and then I'll tell

18:43you I mean because we we can't engage in

18:46any discussion tonight. However, after

18:48the meeting ends, if you wish to reach

18:51out to any of us, you're most welcome to

18:53do so. Okay. All right. So, our first

18:56speaker will be Anthony Dickens.

19:07Dickens. D I cens.

19:12My name is Anthony Dickens. I am a

19:14resident of Syracuse. um a business

19:17owner

19:18and um a property owner, father. Uh I

19:22grew up here in Syracuse. I graduated

19:24from Ningham. I went to State University

19:26of New York as well as Syracuse

19:28University. Um and I stand with Wescott

19:31here today. So my business is a

19:33promotion business. It's called a

19:34lifestyle and entertainment for the

19:35culture. Um I've been operating under

19:37that name in different names for over 20

19:39years. Um, my first concert I ever threw

19:42was at the Wescott Theater back in 2008.

19:46And even before that, I grew up I went

19:49to go see like the Blair Witch Project

19:50in 1997 at the theater. So, I didn't

19:54even It's not special use in my opinion

19:56because it's always just been there and

19:58it's always been like a staple for that

20:00community which again I've patronized my

20:02whole entire life. Um Dan also again has

20:05given me the opportunity

20:07when other people have not given me the

20:09opportunity due to age or other reasons

20:11to not do events um and not let my

20:15business thrive. He was always there and

20:18allowed me to

20:20be able to express myself and make a

20:23living living for my family. Um, I don't

20:26want to talk entirely about our

20:28relationship and how many good things I

20:29could say about Wescott because I do

20:31want to just call attention to something

20:32that I think is maybe a big of a broader

20:35problem in the city of Syracuse. It

20:37seems as if the Syracuse city police and

20:42some other agencies might be attempting

20:44to control our social economics and how

20:47we express oursel. Um, and I think this

20:50is just another step and another way

20:51that they might be utilizing their power

20:54to really enforce something that they

20:56don't have the power to enforce, which

20:58is what the city of Syracuse wants to do

20:59for entertainment, night life, music,

21:02and any other creative expression. Um,

21:04and I think that's that's very important

21:06for us to really look into, especially

21:08our common council members who are here

21:09to represent the citizens. Um, it this

21:13is something that I think needs a little

21:14bit more attention because at the end of

21:15the day, if people are willing to

21:17patronize the WCOT as it stands, and

21:19they obviously are because it's been

21:20open for 20 years, um, I don't think

21:24that the city and respectfully the

21:27people who write this report have the

21:29ability to say after 20 years, four

21:31incidents is enough to strip that venue

21:35of their power to give voice to people.

21:38Um, and that's pretty much all I have to

21:39say today.

21:40>> Thank you. Thank you, Ko.

21:43[applause]

21:46>> All righty.

21:49Uh, next we have Davia Hosley. Yes,

21:56>> Davia Hley. D A V I A H O U S L E Y.

22:02>> Good evening. Um, I am a Syracuse

22:05native, a college graduate, a degree in

22:07hospitality and event management, um, an

22:10independent event coordinator, and my

22:12goal here is to help build a safer, more

22:15professional, and more inclusive

22:16nightlife industry, excuse me,

22:18entertainment industry right here in the

22:20city that raised me.

22:22Scott Theater means something to me

22:24beyond business. It is a landmark in our

22:26community. I remember going there as a

22:28child when it was still a movie theater.

22:30So being able to return there as an

22:32adult with an education in this industry

22:34and help produce events inside of the

22:36same building that has been there is a

22:39full circle moment for me. But what we

22:41are experiences experiencing, excuse me,

22:44is now bigger than Wescott. We are

22:46watching black events face scrutiny that

22:49does not appear to be applied equally

22:52across Syracuse nightife. And it is not

22:55only blackowned businesses being

22:57affected. venue owners open their doors

22:59to black promoters, black artists,

23:01hiphop and R&B artists and audiences are

23:04also feeling that pressure. This

23:06especially is troubling because Syracuse

23:08and New York State promote our

23:09diversity, something worth visiting and

23:13celebrating. Our music, our culture and

23:15nightlife should not be excluded and

23:19always included in that vision, not

23:21treated as a problem simply because the

23:24crowd and promoters and genres genre,

23:26excuse me, look different. I am not

23:28asking the city to ignore the safety

23:31regulations, licensings, uh, licensing

23:34regulations,

23:35hold us accountable, give us our

23:37standards, but let us meet them.

23:40But those standards must be clear,

23:43consistent, and equally forced.

23:46People like me are trying to build a

23:48legitimate business, create jobs, bring

23:51artists, and be and visitors into

23:53Syracuse, and give our community a safe

23:56place to enjoy itself, and we haven't

23:58had a fair chance to do so. Thank you.

24:01>> Thank you. [applause]

24:06>> Next, we'll have Mike Allen.

24:12Good evening, members. My name is Mike

24:15Allen. That's m i ke a lln.

24:19And I am the attorney for Dan Masterardi

24:21in the Westcot Theater. Um I have known

24:23Dan since high school. Um and have been

24:26attending concerts at the Westcot

24:28Theater for the better part of two

24:30decades. Um I've even performed there as

24:32a musician myself. Um, let me start with

24:35what I'm not going to do. And I'm not

24:37going to stand here and tell you that

24:38everything that Dan has done has been

24:40perfect. It has not. Um, but I can tell

24:43you that Dan takes what happens on that

24:45block very seriously and that he owns

24:48his part in helping to fix the problems

24:51that exist. But this council should also

24:54know that the city has not done

24:56everything perfectly either. On August

24:5913th, the city posted a notice

25:02condemning his building. Essentially,

25:05they padlocked his whole business. The

25:07notice was suspended by a Supreme Court

25:10in an action that I brought and later

25:12walked back by the city itself.

25:15Additionally, there is a a licensing

25:17issue which I'm contesting the

25:19constitutionality of that was passed by

25:22this council that gives complete

25:24discretion to the director of codes

25:26enforcement to decide who can and who

25:30cannot play at the Wescott Theater. And

25:34I contend that that is a absolute

25:35violation of my client's first amendment

25:38rights.

25:40And when another con when when another

25:42concert was held um in violation of what

25:45I'm calling an unconstitutional

25:47licensing regime,

25:49the police sent a dozen cops to shut it

25:51down and charged the manager wrongly

25:55with a crime.

25:58The city has had on its books a method

26:01for dealing with these types of

26:02situations. The nuisance abatement

26:05section of the law. Ask yourselves, why

26:08hasn't that been used in this instance?

26:13Under that ordinance, we get a hearing.

26:14We get to contest a lot of the things

26:17that are in that packet that was given

26:18to you by the codes department.

26:21We don't have that option anymore.

26:23They've curtailed it.

26:26Now, what we have is send codes to

26:28condemn. Failing that, send the police

26:31to arrest. failing that, send a dossier

26:35to the to the council asking them to

26:38revoke their license, their special use

26:40permit rather.

26:43Revocation is permanent. At least for

26:45Dan, it is. You have the tools to deal

26:48with this.

26:51Please reject revocation. Allow my

26:54client to work with this city, with this

26:57council to have a good business that is

26:59safe and healthy for everyone. Thank

27:01you.

27:04>> [applause]

27:12>> UH, ALL RIGHT. NEXT, WE'RE GOING TO hear

27:14from Dan

27:20Master.

27:21>> You already spoke.

27:22>> Oh, you already spoke. Okay.

27:25All right. Thank you. Uh, next we're

27:27going to hear from Nisavir Ians.

27:34Good evening, counselor. How you guys

27:35doing? Um, my name is Naver Evans. I'm a

27:3827 year old business owner born and

27:40raised in Syracuse, New York. Um, I've

27:42been working with Dan Wescott Theater

27:43there for about 2 years and it's

27:45probably been some of the best business

27:46I had in my life. Um, Wescott isn't just

27:49a building to me. It's employment for

27:52bartenders, business owners, uh,

27:55artistes, people to express their first

27:56amendment rights and just be able to be

28:00their yourself. Um, Wescott is a

28:03landmark for this community. Uh, has

28:05been for 20 years. Um, like they said,

28:08they're not asking for special

28:10treatment. They're asking for fair

28:11treatment. They will fix public safety

28:13issues. They will get their licenses

28:15together. And not just will affect

28:18everybody. and it will just be good for

28:20all of us. I'm sorry I'm a little

28:22nervous, but um I have a bachelor's

28:25degree in business administration. I

28:27started my my promoting business at

28:29Wescot. Um it it has put food on the

28:32table for my family, has put floor on

28:34the table for me. Um

28:37and that's all. Thank you.

28:38>> Thank you.

28:40[applause]

28:45N I Z A V I E R

28:50Evans E V A N S.

28:54>> Thank [clears throat] you. All right.

28:56Now we're going to hear from Asia R.

28:58Reigns.

29:11Hello, I'm Asia. ASI A last name R A I N

29:16S.

29:18Good evening. I am here today um to

29:20speak on behalf of Wescott. I am someone

29:23who's been involved in Syracuse

29:24entertainment and nightlife industry for

29:26the past several years. I work as a

29:28bartender, a promoter, and event

29:29specialist. So, I've had the opportunity

29:32to experience many different venues in

29:34the city. I'm here to speak in support

29:37of the Wescott Theater and it's

29:39reopening because with my personal

29:41experience there have always it has

29:44always been positive. Every event that I

29:46have been

29:48been to or attend have u made me feel

29:51safe, comfortable, welcome and

29:53respected.

29:55When working in the nightlife industry,

29:57safety is something that I pay very

29:59close attention to. not only for myself

30:01but also for the attendees, the staff,

30:03the security, the performers or anyone

30:05involved in the event. From what I

30:08personally experienced, the Westcot

30:10Theater has always provided an

30:12environment where people from different

30:14backgrounds can come together, enjoy

30:16music, celebrate, and be a part of our

30:18Syracuse community. Venues like the

30:20Westcot Theater is important because it

30:22create opportunities for people like

30:24myself, local bartenders, promoters,

30:26DJs, performers, and event specialists.

30:29Um, they also give Syracuse a place

30:32where culture, music, and community can

30:34come together. I understand the concerns

30:37in surrounding any establishment um

30:39should be taken seriously, but I also

30:41believe that decisions should consider

30:44um the positive experiences. Those of us

30:46in the inter I'm sorry, those of us in

30:48the entertainment industry are doing our

30:50part by using our good judgment,

30:52exercising our discernment and

30:54identifying individuals for their

30:57behaviors that may jeopardize the safety

30:59of our establishment. However, we cannot

31:02do this alone. We have repeatedly asked

31:05the city for greater support from the

31:09adequate security resources that are

31:11consistent with the police presence,

31:13particularly during the hightraic events

31:15and nightlife hours. We are being asked

31:18to take greater responsibility for the

31:19safety and the conduct surrounding our

31:21businesses. Then we are also asking to

31:24the city to partner with us in providing

31:26those those necessary resources.

31:29Respectfully, I ask that you consider

31:31allowing the WCOT Theater the

31:33opportunity to reopen and continue being

31:36a part of Syracuse entertainment

31:37community. Thank you.

31:40>> Thank you. [applause]

31:45Next, we're going to hear from Ernest

31:47Hester.

31:56Ernest, as you say your name, can you

31:58please also State your address?

32:00>> Yes. Um Ernest Hester. E R N E S T H E S

32:03D R 134 Bell AF, Syracuse, New York. Um

32:09I came today to um

32:13basically I wanted to um you know tell

32:16Dan personally in front of everybody how

32:18much you know admiration and respect I

32:20have him. Um I grew up in Syracuse my

32:23whole life. you know, I went away, you

32:24know, doing some time for things I have

32:26set responsibility for and came home

32:28and, you know, getting my life back

32:30together and out of pretty much

32:32everybody, you know, he was the one to

32:35take the chance on me. I went to him and

32:36said, "Listen, this is what I want to do

32:37to the community." I had a big event,

32:40you know, with a a rival, you know,

32:42member at the time. Um, and I was

32:44basically, you know, I said it's one

32:46thing to to speak about things as far as

32:48changing our community, but it's one

32:50thing to show them, show the kids. And

32:52if I feel like if they see me doing it,

32:54then you know, anybody can do it. And

32:56repeatedly I, you know, I work with

32:58Anthony. I work with other, you know,

33:00establishments. And anytime I got

33:02something to do with something, the

33:05um police, I don't I can't necessarily

33:07pinpoint. I'm not going to go in there,

33:09but it's always of why you having him or

33:12or he used to do this when I was 19

33:14years old. I'm 37. I changed my life. I

33:16do so many things for the community. And

33:19whether this gets shut down or not, I'm

33:21going still keep pushing forward. I'm

33:22going still have the respect I got for

33:23that man. And you know, that's all I

33:25wanted to say.

33:27>> Thank you very much. [applause]

33:34>> Next, we're going to hear from Cari

33:36Morales.

33:45>> Me, too.

33:46>> How are you? I'm Carly Morales, owner.

33:51>> Carly, can you can use Yes.

33:52>> Oh, my bad.

33:54>> Put it down.

33:55>> Okay, perfect. I'm Carly Morales. C A R

33:59L I E Morales. M O R A L E S. And I am

34:03the owner, the cook, the server of Lasis

34:07at 552 West Street.

34:10pretty much I don't see a lot of the

34:12people of West Street in here tonight,

34:14but I am one of those business that

34:17stays open until 11 or 12 and then I

34:20head home and I see whatever is going on

34:23on West Street. And let me give you a

34:25briefing of WCOT. WCOT is a very briben

34:28community, okay? It has been there for

34:31many, many decades.

34:34It has a theater. It's got restaurants,

34:37bars, it's got a little bit of

34:39everything. He's got the students. When

34:41the students are there, it all goes

34:43wild. Now,

34:46I leave around 11:00 and when I see

34:50activities at the theater, I see nothing

34:54but young people. They're going in there

34:56to have a good time. Okay.

34:59What that area needs because we're

35:02looking for a solution.

35:04We need to have a little more police

35:06present because when I leave at 552 West

35:10Street, I am at the end of the

35:13commercial area. I feel a little scared.

35:17And we used to have many years ago,

35:18maybe 26 years ago, police presence on

35:22West Street.

35:24We have no police presence on West Coast

35:26Street any longer. Um, I have read

35:31several things about the theater, but in

35:32the 20 six years that I have been on

35:36West Street,

35:39three negative events in the 26 years

35:44speaks volumes about the community.

35:47Okay, that means that in the 26 year we

35:51only had three incidents.

35:53Three incidents

35:56in [clears throat] Syracuse. You have

35:57areas where they have in one month

36:0120 incidents

36:04compared to the WCOT in three, you know,

36:07in the 26 years that I've been there,

36:09three incidents. Now,

36:13I see that if the theater is affected

36:17negatively,

36:18we as business on West Street will have

36:22an impact. And if you don't believe me,

36:26this month alone, you can stop by West

36:28and see the reality of it.

36:32Okay? There's no people on West Street.

36:36So if there's no people on West Street,

36:38we get affected. We cannot hire people.

36:41We cannot pay our bills.

36:45That says a whole bunch about what

36:47Wescott is. So um if we're deciding what

36:52needs to be done here, I think we need

36:54to sit down

36:56if and we have done that before on West

36:58Country. When there's an issue, we sit

37:00down

37:03and we discuss what we can do to solve

37:06the issue

37:08because it could be him today, but it

37:12could be me next year. You get it?

37:17So I think that the solution here rather

37:19than to get rid of the theater which has

37:21been there for many many years could be

37:24to bring a solution by sitting down with

37:27all the businesses. We need in West

37:30Street to sit down each one of us

37:31because I it's the first time I meet the

37:33owner of the Wescott theater

37:36>> or the renter. So I think that we need

37:38to think what we want to do for the

37:41theater because if we get rid of the

37:43theater

37:44I'm going to tell you within two years

37:46we will see an empty WA street.

37:50Okay, we will see a completely empty

37:54because if the business on the theater

37:56brings a lot of business into that space

37:58to block.

37:59>> Thank you.

38:00>> Perfect. Thank you. [applause]

38:06All right. Next, we're going to hear

38:08from Dylan Trippy.

38:15>> Good evening. Uh, Dylan Trapot. That's D

38:18Y L an N T R I P O D I.

38:23>> And your address?

38:24>> Uh, we got to get Miss Morales a

38:25t-shirt, I think. Uh, anyway, I'm just

38:28up here uh to vouch for the Wescott and

38:31my good friend Dan Mashinardi. Um, I've

38:33been bartending there for the past eight

38:35years. Um, man, what a time it's been. I

38:39wouldn't have trade any uh any moment

38:41that I've been there uh since I started

38:43working. Uh, you know, all the concerts,

38:46all the events. Um, again, like I said,

38:48every hour I spent behind that bar. Um,

38:50seeing what it's done for the community.

38:52Um, not only the WCOT community, but

38:54Syracuse in large. um the opportunity

38:57Dan's given local artists, local

38:59vendors, um people like myself, you

39:03know, looking for some employment, um

39:05and you know, communities that that have

39:07been uh discriminate discriminated

39:09against, um in other venues around town.

39:12Um again, uh that all starts with Dan

39:15here. And um you know, like Mike said,

39:18he's not perfect. Um he's loud, he's a

39:21little rougher around the edges, his

39:23methods are unorthodox, but um at the

39:24end of the day, he's a high quality

39:26individual. Um he's a savvy business

39:28owner. Um he's a good promoter. Um and

39:32he's a loyal friend and um at the end of

39:35the day, he's trying he's really trying

39:37hard. Uh sometimes it seems like with

39:39two hands tied behind his back. Um but

39:41I've seen it firsthand again from behind

39:43that bar, from within those walls. um

39:46the effort he's putting forward, the

39:47rest of the staff is um the community

39:49support behind us all. Um you know,

39:52there's effort there. There's

39:53willingness to to cooperate, to

39:55participate, to to sit down with whoever

39:57needs to be um a part of that

39:59conversation to move forward um to keep

40:01bringing you know, music and life and

40:03entertainment and um you know, the good

40:05times to this this town, this community.

40:08Um and I don't want to see that go away.

40:09No one else does here. So, uh, so again,

40:12I'm I'm here just to support that,

40:13support support my people and support

40:16the theater. So, thank you.

40:18>> Thank you. [applause]

40:21>> Next, we're going to hear from Roco

40:23Fiola.

40:31>> Thank you, council. Excuse

40:32[clears throat] me. Roco Fiola. R O C O

40:36F E O L A. Uh, I'm a local resident of

40:40the Wescott neighborhood for, I don't

40:43know, 25, 30 years now. Uh, I am a local

40:46musician.

40:47Live music is a huge part of my life.

40:50Uh, but I am here to represent my my

40:53neighbors and my community when I say

40:55that we don't feel safe. And I I don't

40:57think anybody's advocating that we get

40:59rid of the Westcot Theater. I I haven't

41:03spoken to anybody who wants the Westcot

41:04Theater or live music in our area to go

41:06away. What we want to go away is the

41:08negligence that causes us to all feel

41:10unsafe.

41:12I don't want to walk to the place I go

41:14get coffee in the morning to have to

41:16walk through police officers and police

41:18cars and find out the windows been shot

41:20out.

41:22It's just common fact lately that when

41:25events happen there, we don't feel safe.

41:28So, I I I'm in favor of what the city's

41:31doing. I want to see a change and I want

41:33to see the Westcot Theater come back to

41:35what it was and what it could be. Uh,

41:37and I think I speak for a lot of people

41:39in my community. Thank you for taking

41:41the time to listen to me. I appreciate

41:42it.

41:42>> Thank you.

41:48>> Okay. Next, we're going to hear from Ty

41:50Bradford.

42:07Hello everybody. I'm Ty Bradford. T Y B

42:10R A D F O R D.

42:14And um before I read what I wrote, I

42:15want to say I'm coming here today not

42:17only as a um ally to the West Coast

42:19Theater, but also as a resident, I live

42:21on West Street, too. So I can identify

42:24with both the community and with the

42:26theater. And what I can say about the

42:28community is I'm not here to disagree or

42:30tell anybody what their feelings are,

42:31but I think a lot of the times fear

42:33comes from not knowing. So it's easy to

42:35stay scared if you're like a part of the

42:37community or in the house and not trying

42:39to involve yourself with the community.

42:40Now everything's not everybody's cup of

42:41tea. So if you don't like hip-hop shows

42:43or it's a country show this day or a

42:45rock show this day, I understand not,

42:47you know, getting involved. But until

42:48you can come outside and see like the

42:50genuine love that the West Scott gives

42:52and receives, then it's easy to stay

42:54afraid. Um, but I want to say my name is

42:58Tai John Bradford. I'm a Syracuse

42:59native, artist, entrepreneur, community

43:01advocate, and combat veteran. I spent

43:03several years using my platforms to

43:05create opportunities, support local

43:06businesses, and bring people together

43:08through music, events, and community.

43:10The WCOT Theater has become more than

43:11just a venue in Syracuse. It's been more

43:13It's been one of the few spaces where

43:15black and multicultural business owners

43:16have been able to build, create, and

43:18provide a safe and welcoming environment

43:20for our community. From fundraisers to

43:21social mixers to events that bring

43:23people together, the West Coast played a

43:24meaningful role in the cultural fabric

43:26of our city. That's why what's happening

43:28now feels bigger than the permit or code

43:30enforcement issue. The community has

43:31raised serious concerns about whether

43:33these actions are truly about safety and

43:35procedure or about controlling

43:37communities and allow and being allowed

43:39to gather in which spaces are allowed to

43:41thrive. So, I'm here today to say we

43:43stand with Dan Masterard in the West

43:44Theater, who has consistently opened his

43:46doors and supported black entrepreneurs,

43:48supported our events, and stood beside

43:49our community. He has demonstrated

43:51allyship through action, and now it's

43:52our turn to be allies to him.

43:55Um,

43:59oh yeah, when I met Dan, it was for a

44:01performance opportunity. He But he's

44:03such an impactful individual that a

44:0420-minute conversation turned us from

44:06clients into family. My kids call him

44:08Uncle Dan despite not knowing how race

44:11works and know that clearly we're not

44:12blood related. But that just speaks to

44:14who he is. My kid's six years old and he

44:16really thinks that Dan is his uncle. You

44:18get what I'm saying? So I mean that's

44:20[clears throat] that's going enough. You

44:21guys know kids don't lie. So thank you.

44:24>> Thank you. [applause]

44:29>> Okay. Next we're going to hear from

44:31Kamar Boatman.

44:36Do we have a kamar on? You do.

44:48>> How you doing? My name Kamar Bman. Um,

44:50first off, I represent the Minority

44:52Entertainment Coalition.

44:53>> Can you Kamar, can you spell your name

44:55for our stographers?

44:56>> Yes, ma'am. K A M A R B O A T M- N. Um,

45:01secondly, I represent Curve the Curb is

45:03a a program that teach financial

45:06literacy to the kids. And third, I'm

45:09here for West Scott in support of Dan

45:11and Andrew. Um, first off, before I get

45:15too deep in what I wrote, I want to um,

45:18Common Council got a lot of power that

45:19everybody in the community don't know.

45:22So, I when you research the Common

45:23Council, they big on stopping gang

45:26violence, um, creating change. I don't

45:29know if Dan know, but he has done that.

45:32If you look back and see these these

45:33people with these black shirts on,

45:36the police might identify it as four or

45:38five rival gangs, but we don't at the

45:42West, we don't identify as that. Um, in

45:45every minority community, entertainment

45:48breeds love. We're from New York State.

45:52Rap started in the five burrows [snorts]

45:55predominantly.

45:57And with that, you have the Jay-Z's, the

45:59Sean Combmes. Then out west, you have

46:01the Masterpiece. In this city,

46:05the black entrepreneur that's focused on

46:07this can't get ahead. And the city don't

46:09miss how much opportunity we missing. We

46:12got four signed artists that won't come

46:13back here and do nothing because all

46:15they hear is that the city not

46:16supporting their people. You got Tusi,

46:20Stove, God, and a few others that signed

46:22and they like, they was supposed to be

46:24coming right from our city. They don't

46:25supposed to have to go to New York City.

46:27North Carolina to create a hub when we

46:29got great entrepreneurs in our city. I

46:32I've been through it with the city and

46:34night life years ago and when we created

46:37the uh common and this is being honest

46:39the common that's why Sharon Owens

46:42saying the nightlife mayor we bring this

46:45in front of her 14 of us and sat down

46:46and said we that we need this then one

46:49day we woke up and she said the

46:50nightlife mayor so we was like what

46:52happened to the coalition with the 14

46:54black uh women and men that sat down

46:56with you to put this together we already

46:58got it y'all whether it's collectively

47:00everybody might not see it, but it's all

47:02there. They they say they want safety,

47:04so you can know, sir, we we tell the

47:06police, we give y'all 125 an hour to be

47:08in front of any venue. This man a

47:11taxpayer. Why he can't have access to

47:13police like center got access to it? Why

47:16wouldn't we want Scott to be the next

47:19center landmark theater? Why do we keep

47:21putting ceilings on our local

47:23entrepreneurs? But if if Live Nation

47:25come here give Live Nation the power to

47:27do everything through the city

47:28amphitheater, we call it all 10 of us

47:31can call right now and say we got 100

47:32grand right now for the amphitheater and

47:33they going to say no. And legally

47:35because it's a county owned facility,

47:37Live Nation really don't even supposed

47:38to have access to that because most of

47:40us are taxpayers. So it was like, you

47:42know, I had the script and I give it to

47:44y'all. But listen to these people. A lot

47:45of people they said what they said. Like

47:47I said, I I do this out of I do this out

47:50of love. I I speak for many venues, many

47:52businesses, you know, and then you you

47:55this man not responsible for what

47:56happened outside. If that's the case,

47:58shut down Destiny USA. I did we did a

48:01case study on they crime, robbery,

48:03shooters in their parking lot. Y'all not

48:04going to punish them. So why would y'all

48:05punish him? He got no felonies. He ain't

48:09got no gang ties. He don't sell no

48:11drugs. He don't gang bang. But you can

48:13go to Destiny USA. What? Cuz they got

48:15the big money. No, y'all should be

48:16saying, "How can we figure it out? We

48:18come to y'all with begging mercy. Many

48:21meetings. If I know a common council, we

48:24knock on their door. We sit down with

48:25them. I catch Rashida. Uncle, where you

48:27going? Let me talk to you for 3 hours.

48:29Yeah, I need three hours. But yar us

48:31out. We keep saying the same. We begging

48:34for security. You don't think he want to

48:36be able to call the police and get money

48:38Monday through Sunday? We all were like

48:39that. And again, the biggest thing I'm

48:41going to give y'all what I wrote down,

48:42but the biggest thing y'all need to see

48:44is unity.

48:46Again, we're the police. by his crew. If

48:48they if they use that two picture

48:50method, they say we got local gang

48:51members right here. But again, it ain't

48:54nothing going on in our city. Nothing.

48:55We got the lowest tier of violence ever.

48:58Let's push unity, y'all. Ain't nobody

48:59getting killed. Ain't nobody getting

49:00shot. Hip hop and music. You got EB and

49:03Swirly performing, quote unquote, a ex

49:06Bricktown member and an ex East Side

49:07member.

49:09>> Okay, but that's I'mma send that to you.

49:10But like I said, y'all just think think

49:12outside the box and think about him.

49:14Other other than that, y'all y'all gonna

49:16let Micron take over all our money. We

49:18got local entrepreneurs right here who

49:19want to be multi-millionaires, but y'all

49:21g y'all give everybody from everywhere

49:23else the puck. Chicago,

49:26Nebraska, why y'all not putting us in

49:28position? We hometown heroes. HELP US

49:30OUT. SUPPORT US.

49:31>> Come on. Thank you. [applause]

49:38>> All right. Next, we're going to hear

49:40from West.

49:46I am Ian West. Uh it's E N W.

49:52I was thinking uh the same thing. Why is

49:54Destiny USA uh still allowed to operate?

49:58It has had plenty of violence. Uh has

50:00not lived up to to any of its uh most

50:04important promises and yet it still

50:08operates. Uh that's so obvious. That's

50:11so clear. Uh and it also becomes very

50:15clear that this is a organization and a

50:19community that is being targeted. That

50:22is very clear. And uh I have not I I

50:26moved recently from Syracuse. I I uh

50:29moved with my son uh to Burnsville with

50:31my folks because well we had nowhere

50:32else to go. But I love the Westcot. I've

50:37been to many shows there. I miss it

50:39because I haven't been able to get there

50:40as much. But as uh the people here have

50:43said, it is a jewel to this community to

50:47Syracuse and and one more thing that

50:50that [clears throat] this is very

50:52important. I really hope you will listen

50:54to this. One of the individuals here

50:57said to me, "Please," he was like,

50:58"Please talk. You got to talk because of

51:00your complexion."

51:04He should never have to feel that way.

51:06None of my fellow citizens here should

51:09ever have to feel like their words are

51:12less than mine or anybody else's.

51:17I hope you catch that. You are their

51:19representatives. You are the people who

51:21are supposed to look out for them,

51:23especially because they're vulnerable.

51:26And if they're being targeted in part

51:29because they put on hip-hop shows,

51:32you have the responsibility to look into

51:35that because that means they are being

51:38targeted

51:40and you must protect them. Oh, and by

51:44the way, the uh punk and metal and

51:47alternative scenes came up with the the

51:51hip-hop scene and the rap scene at the

51:53same time.

51:55We are your allies, your brothers. I am

51:57here for you.

52:00[applause]

52:03Thank you. Uh, next we're going to hear

52:05from Alex Marian, city auditor.

52:17>> Good evening everyone. I'm Alex Marin.

52:20I'm the Syracuse City Auditor. And as

52:22city auditor, I'm elected to represent

52:24the entire city of Syracuse. And uh my

52:27elected colleagues, I know you

52:29understand just how difficult that can

52:31be some days because we're a big city, a

52:33diverse city, and often a complicated

52:36city where we have conflicting and

52:39competing interests for things. And I

52:41know exactly how important it is to

52:43support and develop and nurture our

52:46local arts community. But we also have

52:49to keep in mind the importance that

52:51bringing public safety to our

52:53neighborhoods has. The Wescott Theater

52:55has had a lengthy history in recent

52:58years of being a hub of problematic

53:02activity. There have been shootings.

53:04There have been stabbings. 20 shell

53:06casings found in a parking lot is not a

53:09bar fight gone sideways. That is a

53:11massacre waiting to happen. I live in

53:15constant fear that one day I will get

53:18the phone call from our police

53:19department that there has been a

53:20homicide at or near spilling out of a

53:23Wescott Theater event. And that is

53:25something we cannot and should not have

53:27in the city of Syracuse. We need to help

53:29our small ven venues grow and thrive.

53:33But with thoughtful enforcement and

53:35thoughtful permitting and licensing

53:37rules, we can keep people safe. And

53:39unfortunately, we have seen on the

53:41record over and over and over again, the

53:42Wescott Theater has played fast and

53:45loose with those rules. Now, since I've

53:47been in office, I have done more work on

53:50code enforcement matters and public

53:51safety matters than anyone who has ever

53:53served as city auditor before me. And I

53:56know that I talk about code enforcement

53:59issues quite frequently. I'm sure that

54:01Commissioner Shaw, Commissioner Collins

54:03are probably sick of hearing from me at

54:05this point. But on this case, I have to

54:07say their teams have done exemplary

54:09work. And I say the same to Chief Russ

54:10and his team have done exemplary work

54:13doing the exact right thing trying to

54:15make sure that we keep all of our

54:17neighbors and our community members safe

54:20because anyone who goes into a venue for

54:22live entertainment, for live activities

54:25should be kept safe. They should be safe

54:27on the street. They should be safe in

54:29the neighborhood around that and so

54:30should the folks who live and work in

54:32those areas. I think it is asking far

54:35too much of our police department that

54:37has a wide birth already to provide

54:41additional security on Scott Street for

54:44events happening at the Westcot Theater.

54:46That is not a standard that we should

54:48start to hold ourselves to. Venues need

54:50to be responsible for their own security

54:52and their own safety and they should not

54:54be reliant on the Syracuse Police

54:55Department as a fallback. That means

54:57something is going sideways to begin

54:59with. So, I'm here today to to urge you

55:02counselors to revoke the special permit

55:04for the Wescott Theater because I think

55:06the time has come that we can say no

55:08more to the activities that we have seen

55:10there in recent years. Thank you.

55:13>> Thank you.

55:17>> All right. All right. Uh we're going to

55:19hear now from Richie

55:21Spado.

55:23Richie Spado.

55:28>> [clears throat]

55:28>> Hello, my name is Richie Spado.

55:31R I C H I E S P O S A T O. I've been

55:36born and raised in this area over 60

55:39years. Grew up in the heyday of the

55:42night life in this town in the 80s. We

55:43had nightclubs all over the place. It

55:46was a great time growing up in this

55:48community. Vibrant people have jobs

55:51going out at night on the weekends

55:53having a great time.

55:55I I have big ideas, you know. I I

55:57invented products.

56:00I moved over moved to Europe

56:02over to Netherlands, got married over

56:04there. Netherlands is probably the most

56:07diverse country in the world. They know

56:09how to keep people together, different

56:12cultures. They have the most diverse

56:14society of all this world. And yet

56:19Syracuse can't control a certain aspect

56:23of their people.

56:26Okay? We can't shut down businesses. We

56:31can't shut down the nightife in this

56:33town

56:34because without a nightife, we don't

56:37have a city. We don't have conventions

56:40coming in to Okay. After the

56:43convention's over, they're going out at

56:45night for entertainment. We need

56:47entertainment in this town. I own a

56:50nightclub in this town. Club 11. Okay.

56:53Shut down.

56:55Why? Too much pressure. Want to take our

56:58liquor license authority. Sheriff's

57:00coming all around. All right. Well, the

57:03job of the police is to break up fights.

57:08That's what police do.

57:10If you don't want to be a cop, then then

57:13if you don't want to break up fights,

57:14then don't be a cop because that's your

57:15job.

57:16Okay. Now, obviously things are a little

57:19rougher today than they were back in the

57:2180s where we used to just use our fist

57:23and maybe now there's more guns and

57:24knives on the streets. Okay. But that's

57:27a problem. Societal problem. It's not a

57:30business problem. You can't shut down

57:32businesses. Okay? You have to try to

57:35control and manage society, the people.

57:38Okay? If it's one, if it's the black

57:41community that's a problem, then put

57:44some more effort into educating them,

57:48calming them down, making them feel

57:49better so they don't go out and get in

57:52some fights at the end of the night. All

57:54right? But it's not the problem of the

57:56business. Okay? We need the businesses.

57:59We need night life. We need music in

58:01this in this town. I I I I liken

58:05Syracuse like the East Coast Seattle. We

58:08have great musicians here in town, great

58:10artists, black, white, all different

58:14kinds, okay? They hire all different

58:18groups of people. They don't they don't

58:20discriminate against the black. They

58:21they're they're welcoming them, okay?

58:24The same as I did at Club 11. I welcomed

58:26all kinds. Everybody was welcome. Okay?

58:29But if there's some issues at the end of

58:31the night that really aren't inside the

58:34place, it's it's the police's job to

58:37control the streets. If they're not

58:39controlling the streets, and that's your

58:41problem. It's not the business's

58:43problem.

58:45All right? So, they pay taxes. We all

58:48pay taxes. They should get police

58:50support from their taxes. If they're not

58:52getting enough police support to keep

58:54the neighborhood safe, it's the police's

58:57job to keep the neighborhood safe. It's

58:59the business's job to keep people safe

59:01inside the business, which they do.

59:03>> Thank you, Mr. Spado.

59:08[applause]

59:10>> All right. Next, we're going to hear

59:11from Sean Nelson.

59:29How you guys doing? Uh Sean Nelson, sean

59:32108 Hobart A. Um I own multiple

59:35businesses in Syracuse. I own 501c's. I

59:38drive school buses. I'm certified

59:40security. I do a lot of event

59:42promotions, concerts, big concerts I

59:44bring to Syracuse. And I've noticed a

59:48lot of indifferences. I own businesses

59:51that I can't even tell people I own

59:52because I notice the indifference to how

59:54it's treated when it's one race versus

59:57another. And that's a shame. And I'm at

1:00:00a point where other people ask me, "Am I

1:00:01going to open another business in

1:00:02Syracuse?" And I'm like, "No, why why

1:00:05would I waste my money when I don't have

1:00:07the support of downtown? I don't have

1:00:11the support of my community, you know.

1:00:13Um, look what Dan's going through. the

1:00:15guy um the city order just said um about

1:00:19cops patrolling, but they patrol

1:00:21downtown. If you do the history,

1:00:24downtown has more murders and acts of

1:00:26violence than anywhere else. No one has

1:00:28ever shut them down. NO ONE HAS EVER

1:00:31SHUT THEM DOWN. No one's ever pushed for

1:00:33it. I go through everybody's paperwork.

1:00:36Everything you common council sign off,

1:00:38I read it. If you don't know, a lot of

1:00:40them up here do know me. I I read

1:00:42everything. Every special per

1:00:46every special permit.

1:00:48>> Sure. Just one second. Why don't you fix

1:00:50that?

1:00:50>> Yeah.

1:00:53>> Okay. [laughter]

1:00:58>> Okay.

1:01:01>> I read every special permit. I go

1:01:03through everyone's paperwork and I

1:01:05notice a difference. I notice a

1:01:06difference in questions. I notice a

1:01:08difference in a lot of things. And

1:01:09that's what has me scared to open

1:01:11another business here. And I can it it's

1:01:14crazy. It you know the night life it it

1:01:18thrives everywhere else. I go to other I

1:01:20go to DC. I go everywhere and I watch it

1:01:21thrive and I watch it stagnate here and

1:01:24be pushed back. I can name 21

1:01:28not just blackowned establishes any

1:01:29establishment that cater to minorities.

1:01:31That is a shame. And I think I should

1:01:34say the names out loud. 21

1:01:36establishments that were closed through

1:01:38the city and the city did nothing to

1:01:40help them and come out with a remedy to

1:01:41fix it instead as to say shut down. But

1:01:43that's why we feel like it's targeted

1:01:45because why is these 21 shut down so

1:01:47fast when we see other incidents happen?

1:01:50Cousin Pete's Mickey's Harlem Nights

1:01:52trying to be closed. Chase Lounge, Aqua

1:01:54Lounge, Blue Chick, Studio 54, Club 11,

1:01:57Playmaker Sports Bar, 690, Transitions,

1:02:01Tipperview, Franklin's Cougars, LM

1:02:03Social trying to be closed down, Tap

1:02:04House on Walton

1:02:06restricting their license so they

1:02:07couldn't make no money. Taste of

1:02:09Brooklyn Sports Bar, Tommy's Bar,

1:02:11Lookers, Alpine, 21 in three years I can

1:02:14name. And those all catered to

1:02:16minorities. That should show you it's a

1:02:18problem in in in this community. And

1:02:21that that's why we're asking the common

1:02:23council to help us, back us. Yeah, it is

1:02:26issues going on. We're not going to run

1:02:28around from that. But what is the

1:02:29resolution? Is it just shut down? Is it

1:02:32just take something that somebody worked

1:02:34so hard for to lose? Like you you don't

1:02:38understand like you shut a business

1:02:39down. You don't count them 30 people

1:02:41plus that are affected by this business.

1:02:43Somebody that made flyers, somebody that

1:02:45bartend. This guy bartended eight years.

1:02:47That's a long time to be doing that just

1:02:48at one location. You taking away from so

1:02:51much. You taking away from expression,

1:02:54people trying to get artists to express

1:02:56who they are, things like that. I'mma

1:02:58cut it short. I hear the beeping. But

1:02:59thank you.

1:03:00>> Thank you.

1:03:01>> [applause]

1:03:05>> All right. Next, we're going to hear

1:03:07from Peter Sliss.

1:03:13Thank you, council. Uh, Peter Sllis, Per

1:03:18S L I S.

1:03:20Um, I've lived and owned a house in the

1:03:23Wescott neighborhood for the last six

1:03:25years. Um, when I first read about this

1:03:28story in the post standard, um, it was

1:03:31shocking and, uh, surprising because

1:03:33I've never viewed the Westcot as a

1:03:35nuisance property. In fact, I view them

1:03:38as the heartbeat of the WCOT

1:03:40neighborhood. Um, I can't tell you how

1:03:43many times I've gone to, you know, Altos

1:03:45Cenco before or to Syracuse Hal Gyro to

1:03:48get some uh, falafel at Sepre or

1:03:51something like that. Um, it brings so

1:03:53much business to that area. By shutting

1:03:55down the WCOT, you'd be hurting pretty

1:03:58much every single business on that

1:03:59strip. Um,

1:04:02and we can't afford that. It's one

1:04:04[clears throat] of the only culturally

1:04:06relevant places in this city that is not

1:04:08in downtown. And, um, I'd really like to

1:04:12keep it that way. Shutting this down

1:04:13would be a big mistake, and I hope you

1:04:15take that under advisement. Thank you.

1:04:17[applause]

1:04:22Uh, next we're going to hear from Mr.

1:04:23Sam Gruber.

1:04:31>> Hi. Sorry, I just drove for eight hours

1:04:34to get here in time. Um, uh, Sam Gruber

1:04:37on Clark Street. I've lived around the

1:04:39corner from the Westcot, uh, Theater for

1:04:4132 years. uh former head of the WCOT

1:04:45Neighborhood Association, facilitator on

1:04:47East Side, uh TNT. Uh I've known uh most

1:04:51of the business people uh for several uh

1:04:54decades going back. Um I don't know Dan

1:04:58doesn't engage too much with the

1:04:59community, but the theater is a a key

1:05:02element in the current makeup. The

1:05:05theater's 100 years old this year, so

1:05:072008. It's not a long history. It's just

1:05:10the most recent iteration, but it is for

1:05:12a lot of people here a very important uh

1:05:16important

1:05:17uh

1:05:19period of its history and a very

1:05:21relevant one today. Uh I want to say the

1:05:24issue here has been totally obscured.

1:05:26We're not people everyone here thinks

1:05:30people don't want the Westcot Theater.

1:05:32For 18 years, the theater has operated

1:05:35in the community uh and been welcome

1:05:37there. Um, we have had complaints about

1:05:40noise, about parking, about trash and

1:05:44generally over the time over time these

1:05:46things have been addressed and if people

1:05:48haven't loved the theater, they've

1:05:50tolerated it. Uh, lots of people from

1:05:52the community have gone to concerts

1:05:53there and there have been concerts by

1:05:55plenty of white musicians, black

1:05:57musicians, Hispanic, Latino musicians.

1:06:00Um, it's not it's not really a race

1:06:03thing and that and I don't like it being

1:06:05made a race thing. The thing is, it's

1:06:08the after hours parties that have picked

1:06:10up over the last two years that has

1:06:12caused all these problems. Everyone was

1:06:15fine with the theater, the way it's been

1:06:17run. But in the last two years, the

1:06:20management decision, maybe because the

1:06:22the owner is in need of more money, I

1:06:25don't know, but has been to monetize

1:06:27late night hours in violation of the of

1:06:31the permit. Uh, and it's these parties

1:06:33that spill out at 1, at two, late in the

1:06:36morning that have caused havoc. If we

1:06:39just got rid of those parties, and this

1:06:41is what people have been asking since

1:06:432025. I was in a press conference in

1:06:46front of the theater. That's all we were

1:06:48asking. Keep the theater. Keep the great

1:06:50concerts. Keep it as a important part of

1:06:52our community, not just Wescott, but the

1:06:54whole city. But just get rid of those

1:06:56late night parties that are causing

1:06:58havoc. Uh, I like hip-hop. I like jazz.

1:07:02I like folk. I like rock. I like

1:07:04country. I like all kinds of music. And

1:07:06I'll go to see it in different places

1:07:08around the city. Um, the Westcot can

1:07:11offer all of those things. Just get rid

1:07:13of the damn after hours parties. Now,

1:07:16yes, we would love to have more police

1:07:18in our neighborhood. We used to

1:07:20subsidize through different sources the

1:07:24storefront. So, when the police were off

1:07:26hours, they would do their paperwork

1:07:28there. That was done away with. So,

1:07:30you're right. We do not have sufficient

1:07:32police presence on Wescott Street. But

1:07:35that's not the issue. The issue is if we

1:07:38didn't have those after hours parties,

1:07:40we wouldn't need it. The concert goers

1:07:43for 18 years have been well behaved.

1:07:45They've been respectful of the

1:07:47neighborhood and as the last speaker

1:07:49said, they contribute to the economic

1:07:51vitality of the street. So just get rid

1:07:54of the damn after hours parties. That's

1:07:57what I ask. I don't know how it can be

1:07:59done. That's not my problem. There's a

1:08:02special permit. You know, I don't want

1:08:04to close down the theater alto together.

1:08:06We're not going to get another music

1:08:07theater in there. It's it's a hell of a

1:08:09hell of an occupation being a promoter

1:08:11running an arts business. That's why

1:08:13Julie at 443 is having problems. My fun.

1:08:16You have to go you have to get grants.

1:08:19You have to be a 51c3 to make it

1:08:21actually a vibrant business that employs

1:08:23people. That is very tough and the city

1:08:25should support that. But it's not the

1:08:29neighborhood that's telling the theater

1:08:30to get out of the out of the

1:08:32neighborhood. All we're saying is end

1:08:34those parties and let things go back to

1:08:36the way they've been for many many

1:08:38years. Thank you.

1:08:39>> Thank you, Sam.

1:08:41[applause]

1:08:47>> All right, that was our last speaker. If

1:08:49there's anybody else that would go

1:08:52ahead.

1:08:55Uh yes. Um once again, my name is Dan

1:08:58Mastinardi. I I just there's a lot of

1:09:00things that uh I'll be addressing. Uh

1:09:02I'll be having a press conference on

1:09:04Friday. Um so I'd like to let the press

1:09:07in the room know that. We'll be in

1:09:08touch. Uh a couple things that people

1:09:12have said that I just can't be quiet

1:09:16about and I need to make it apparent to

1:09:19the uh board up here. um the common

1:09:22council. I've been in business, like I

1:09:24said, 18 years. Uh I have zero SLA

1:09:28violations. Zero. So, for the amount of

1:09:31days I've been open, you know, h the SLA

1:09:34is the state liquor authority, and I

1:09:36have zero of those violations. So, I'd

1:09:38like to make that noted. Um I'd also

1:09:40like to make note to the last gentleman,

1:09:42the late night parties. I've been doing

1:09:44those for 18 years. I have not changed

1:09:47anything we've done with the business

1:09:49model for 18 years. the model has uh

1:09:51remained the same. Um zero violations.

1:09:54Oh, and we keep uh that the guy speaking

1:09:58on behalf of this shooting incident.

1:10:01Okay. I I I can't tolerate this anymore.

1:10:04This fact that there is a shooting

1:10:08around the corner from Wescott Theater

1:10:10that has nothing to do with my business

1:10:12at all. Zero to do with my business.

1:10:15Okay. The police have yet to uh release

1:10:19the foil that we asked for, foyer,

1:10:20whatever it's called that we asked for,

1:10:23which was I don't know, it's been over a

1:10:25year now. But that has nothing to do

1:10:28with how I run my business or what I do.

1:10:30It didn't take place in the venue

1:10:32whatsoever. Okay? And I don't want to be

1:10:35associated with that. So, I'd like to

1:10:38just set the record uh straight on that.

1:10:40And that's all. Thank you.

1:10:41>> Thank you. All right. This meeting is

1:10:44adjourned.

1:10:47>> Thank you everybody for joining us

1:10:49today.

1:11:05>> Oh, from Jimmy. Okay.

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