Help Us Ban Beg Buttons! - Advocating for a safer Albany

Help Us Ban Beg Buttons!

The Common Council will soon be taking up a resolution calling for the city to limit the use of beg buttons (attached). The resolution is sponsored by Council Member Gabriella Romero. Hopefully you have already signed our petition to change the beg buttons on State Street. Now we are asking you to please submit a comment to the Common Council in support of the resolution at the February 24, 2022 meeting. Even a short message about your support will go a very long way! Below are the two ways you can submit your comment.

If you are not familiar with beg buttons,you can read this op-Ed about them from 2018 (we have been working on this issue for some time!).

Feel free to use this sample comment, but you are strongly encouraged to provide your own unique story and your own thoughts!

1 - To submit a written comment BEFORE the meeting, without appearing live: 

-> Go to the common council website, scroll to the bottom where it says "public comment period". Include meeting date (2/24/22), and put the comment in the "topic" component of the prompt. Request that the comment be read aloud at the meeting AND sent to all council members. Annotate that you do NOT wish to appear at the meeting when prompted "I would like to speak at the Common Council Meeting *".

-> Send an email to [email protected], with a detailed subject and message body to clearly identify what piece of legislation to connect the comment with. For example: Subject Line "Public Comment for Resolution 15.22.22R", Message Body " Please see the below comment regarding Resolution 15.22.22R. I ask that it be read aloud at the Common Council Meeting on February 24 and also be sent to all Council Members". Don't forget to include your residential address to comply with council rules!

2- To appear LIVE, via zoom on Thursday 2/24:

-> Go to the common council website, scroll to the bottom, and annotate the meeting date of 2/24/22. When prompted, select "yes" when asked if you would like to speak at the Common Council Meeting. They will send you a zoom link to the meeting, and you can login to give the comment. 

-> Email [email protected] to express interest in making a public comment at the 2/24/22 meeting. For example: Subject Line "Request to speak live at Common Council Meeting 2/24/22", Message Body "I would like to make a live comment at the 2/24/22 Common Council Meeting. Kindly send me the zoom link. Thank you."