Syracuse Common Council Meeting - September 10, 2025

The Syracuse Common Council held a regular meeting on September 10, 2025, addressing a wide range of items including routine approvals, public safety technology upgrades, vehicle replacement, parking garage management, and property conveyances. The meeting included extensive discussion on police department capital plans, camera systems, and data sharing concerns, as well as the adoption of several bond ordinances and agreements.

Consent Calendar

• Accepted a donation from the Everson Museum of a temporary half-pipe skateboarding structure for placement at a city park.
• Approved an agreement with Elite Gaming for instructional e-gaming programs at Wilson and Southwest (no further details provided).
• Amended Ordinance 96 to waive residency requirements for lifeguards during the school year to address staffing shortages at Huntington Pool.
• Appropriated $25,000 to the Syracuse Parks Conservancy for ongoing support of city parks.
• Approved an agreement with Emergency Training Consultants for firefighter civil service test prep instruction, not to exceed $6,000 (with a request for follow-up data on participant outcomes).
• Authorized hiring Syracuse Office Environments for furniture, fixtures, and equipment for the police and fire relocation to 1153, not to exceed $879,000 (bonded previously).
• Approved an agreement with New Era Technology for phone system maintenance at the Public Safety Building, not to exceed $15,000 (last year of service before move to new building).
• Authorized bonds for a departmental command post replacement ($750,000) and a police department command post replacement (capital improvement plan).
• Authorized bonds for radio replacement ($500,000) for police portable radios (mobile radios replaced last year).
• Authorized bonds for police department vehicle replacement plan ($3,241,000) – noted ongoing vehicle shortage and aging fleet.
• Authorized bonds for police department IT server upgrade ($100,000) and switches/firewalls/related equipment.
• Authorized bonds for handgun program (28-29) – trade-in of old guns for credit on new purchases.
• Appropriated $150,000 from cash capital for patrol rifle replacement.
• Appropriated funds for a new records management system (currently using county’s Chairs 2 system; exploring more robust options like Niche).
• Approved annual fee for AIMS parking ticket system support.
• Approved Syracuse City School District budget amendment (increase of $6 million to General Fund operating budget).
• Approved switching ACA reporting vendor from Alera Group to B Pass, with estimated annual savings of $10,000-$12,000.
• Approved annual agreement for vigilance hearing tests (administered by DPW for all city departments).
• Approved agreement with Laz Parking for operation of four city-owned parking garages (Washington Street, Fayette, Madison Irving, and Center Armory) – three-year contract with two two-year renewal options; Laz to invest $100,000 in beautification and $25,000 for EV charging installations.
• Appropriated $673,000 from sewer capital account for new equipment.
• Authorized bonds for street lighting, interstate upgrades, and parks improvements (solar lighting upgrades in 15-20 parks noted).
• Approved revocable permission to SUNY ESF for electrical meter and conduits on Standard Street.
• Approved revocable permission to WLLC (Joe Hucko) for repair of underground vaults on Bank Street (includes sidewalk work).
• Rescinded a revocable permission to Syracuse University approved in May (no longer needed due to plan changes).
• Approved appointment of Olivia Saccarori’s successor for the First Council District (name not specified in transcript).
• Approved special use permit (item 50) and related items 51-56 after public hearing and committee meetings; item 56 concerns expansion of police parking lot near Magnolia Street (baseball field retained).
• Approved item 57 (same tenant space as existing).
• Held item 58 for committee meeting for further discussion.
• Approved item 59 without question.
• Held item 60 for committee meeting on September 17 at 2:00 PM.
• Authorized retaining an appraiser for property at 108 Elmwood Avenue (vacant lot, adjacent owner interested in purchasing).
• Approved lease agreement with Syracuse City School District for property at 516 Prospect Avenue (financial vehicle for school district to repay city).
• Authorized transfer of funds to Home Headquarters (items 65-66) for 25-26 general operating budget (amount corrected to $725,000).
• Authorized agreement with HUD for FY23 community project funding grants ($1 million) for blight busting and emergency repair program.
• Extended contract with Home Headquarters for Financial Empowerment Center services (until new RFP awardee is selected, estimated at $385,000).
• Amended ordinances 69-70 to reflect status of properties as vacant lots (improvements removed).
• Conveyed two vacant lots on Fairfield Avenue to the land bank (items 71-72).

Discussion Items

• Police Vehicle Replacement and Fleet Management: Council members questioned the age, mileage, and condition of the police fleet. Chief Richard First Deputy responded that vehicles are often over five years old with over 150,000 miles, and that the department is short of vehicles due to accidents and maintenance. A councilor noted a specific vehicle (blueberry-colored) that was reportedly sitting unused but was clarified as a loaner. The chief committed to providing a spreadsheet of vehicles by year and mileage.
• Capital Planning Strategy: Councilor questioned the shift from using cash capital ($5.3 million) to bonding ($935,000) for police vehicles. Chief Administrative Officer Corey Dunham explained that bonding for vehicles is now permissible and preferable to preserve cash capital for items that can only be funded with cash. Councilor expressed concern about borrowing for items previously paid with cash, but the administration indicated this would be part of a new capital planning process with increased council engagement.
• Police Camera System and Data Privacy: Discussion on the replacement of aging cameras. Chief noted cameras are used daily to solve crimes (homicides, larcenies, etc.) and are placed based on crime stats and neighborhood requests. A councilor raised concerns about invasion of privacy and third-party data sharing. Chief clarified cameras have no sound, do not capture phone calls, and data is protected with Axon Air. The city owns the data. Another councilor clarified that Syracuse University’s cameras are on private property and not city-operated. Discussion also touched on delays in installing cameras due to utility pole permission processes (National Grid, Verizon).
• Speed Camera Program (Genoptic): Councilor Gathers raised data sharing concerns over speed cameras. Staff explained that Genoptic uses high privacy standards, the city owns the data, and strict state limitations prevent sharing with third parties. A special committee meeting will be scheduled to discuss data sharing further.
• Parking Garages Consultant: Councilor Gathers inquired about long-term planning for the four city-owned parking garages. Deputy Commissioner noted that a consultant scope of work has been drafted to evaluate urban planning, revenue potential, capital needs, and potential disposition, especially in light of I-81 project changes. Councilor suggested a joint committee meeting to discuss the consultant.
• Executive Session: The council moved to executive session to discuss two settlement agreements and a proposed legal change regarding claim handling. One item was deferred to the next meeting.

Key Outcomes

• All consent calendar items were approved (no roll call votes recorded, but items were called “ready” and advanced).
• The council directed the police department to provide data on test prep course usage, vehicle fleet details (year/mileage), and camera-related crime-solving statistics.
• The council will hold a special committee meeting on Genoptic data sharing.
• A joint committee meeting will be scheduled to discuss hiring a parking garage consultant.
• The council moved to executive session (motion seconded and approved).