This weekend on In Focus, JoDee Kenney spends a day in the city of Troy with Mayor Carmella Mantello.

Just wrapping up her first year in office, Mantello is the first female mayor of Troy and previously served as Troy’s City Council president. Born and raised in the Collar City, the mayor said she’s taking a proactive approach to addressing city issues, starting with street cleaning aimed at improving quality of life.

JoDee was on hand with the mayor as Troy Department of Public Works crews cleared leaves and rubbish in the Lansingburgh section of the city. Joe Martin, Troy DPW supervisor, told JoDee that workers on the Quality of Life crew are noticing the difference this initiative is making. In addition to street cleaning, Mantello said the city is taking an inventory of blighted properties. Efforts are underway to demolish those in unsafe condition, while several properties are being turned around thanks to private investment. The mayor also talked about the city’s aging infrastructure, as JoDee joined Mantello as crews repaired a water main break downtown. In Jan. 2024, just one week into Mantello’s tenure, a pipe rupture at the Eddy’s Lane Pump Station threatened to disrupt water service for some 100,000 people in Troy and neighboring communities served. Mantello praised city engineers’ work to prevent serious damage to surrounding neighborhoods while making quick repairs.

Downtown Troy, and the redevelopment of 1 Monument Square, is another of Mayor Mantello’s priorities for the city. The 1.1-acre site has been vacant since the 2011 demolition of what was then Troy City Hall. Since then, there have been several attempts to develop the site, with each one failing to get off the ground. Walking along the River Street parcel, the mayor told JoDee that there is a new partnership and further details on a $22.5 million proposal would be made available. Mantello spoke about the importance of reconnecting Downtown Troy to the Hudson Riverfront, and the boost it would bring to dozens of small businesses, as well as the weekly farmers' market, which is the largest of its kind in the Capital Region.

You can watch the entire special episode above. And be sure to tune in for a look inside the biggest issues impacting upstate New York, on In Focus with JoDee Kenney — every Sunday on Spectrum News 1.