At first, neither the mayor nor the students attending were sure what kinds of questions and answers would be brought up. Once the questions began, however, they endured for nearly two hours. Questions ranged through a lexicon of topics, including bike trails and safety, parking in downtown Troy, traffic lights, tenant rights, President Jackson’s choice of commencement speakers, and even future plans for the city and Tutunjian’s mayoral goals.

Where bicyclists and their bikes are concerned, Tutunjian brought to light several planned improvements Troy is making in that area—including the linking of Menands Bridge (currently restricted to pedestrians) with Troy and Albany bike trails. Presently, city employees, under a grant Troy has received, are in the process of obtaining all the necessary agreements, easements, and variances to have a consistent bike trail system from Lansingburgh to the center of the city.

In other traffic-related concerns, Tutunjian mentioned several initiatives underway to change, eliminate, or modify traffic light sites in Troy. He specifically mentioned the plan to modify the light at Burdett and Peoples Avenues, an RPI project under the supervision of Vice President for Administration Claude Rounds—pointing out that it was to have been done “by RPI several years ago.”

When asked about his job and his level of satisfaction, Tutunjian responded enthusiastically and briefly went over his history as an auto body shop owner who got involved with city politics—a pursuit that led him to a Troy city council seat and the post of the mayor of Troy a few years later. He cited his job as one that “requires at least a 51 percent customer satisfaction rating” as well as “the ultimate hands-on experience in customer satisfaction.”

Once the subject of crime in Troy surfaced, several questions were fielded—including one asking whether a decrease in crime was seen after the law requiring convenience and grocery stores of a certain size to close at 12 or 1 am. Tutunjian responded that the “police department is pleased with the law and residents on Hill Street [the site of a recent murder] are thrilled.” He admitted to having mixed feelings about the law himself, as he and his wife own a Troy business. At the same time, however, he pointed out that the new law not only reduces drug paraphernalia sales and reduces loitering, but also levels the playing field among competitors. Thus far, he has received no complaints about the law from storeowners.

As for his mayoral goals, Tutunjian expressed his wish that Troy become sufficiently attractive to RPI students as to persuade them to live in Troy. “My job is not only to ensure clean, safe, well-cared-for neighborhoods, but to raise the appearance and excitement level of the whole city”—a role he described as analogous to the city’s cheerleader.

During his time in Troy, he commented that Troy “has been written off as an aging industrial town with no future.” He begs to differ and points to Troy as an up-and coming urban area in the capital district with less crime than its neighbors—Schenectady and Albany.

As for the prospect of even more parking meters in Troy, especially on College Avenue, 8th Street, and Sage Avenue, Tutunjian responded that there were indeed plans to meter those streets almost entirely. When asked why the city charges so much for parking, Tutunjian responded, “considering the rates RPI charges to its own faculty and students to park, the city is right to charge.”

Following the question-and-answer session, the mayor remained to speak with several of the students and some RPI staff members who had attended. Tutunjian is also currently considering the invitation he received from Alpha Phi Omega to run in their annual Meanest Man on Campus competition.

Following the event, Tutunjian expressed interest in coming to another Pizza with the Mayor in the future. These events will be separate from the future Pizza with the President events, the next of which was rescheduled to Friday, April 8 from 12-1:30 pm.