Syracuse City Council Regular Meeting – September 15, 2025

The Syracuse City Council convened on September 15, 2025, at approximately 4:55 PM. The meeting began with a prayer and roll call, with all council members present. The council approved the minutes of the previous meeting, received a communication from the Onondaga County Department of Planning regarding a certificate of reservation for Helen D. Hudson Boulevard, and proceeded to vote on a series of agenda items (items 10 through 72) introduced by various councilors. Several items were held or withdrawn. Notable discussion occurred on item 24 regarding bonding for police vehicles, and item 63 required a roll call vote.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of minutes from the September 15th meeting (unanimous).
• Items 10, 11, 12, 13: Introduced by Councilor Calback and adopted unanimously.
• Items 15-30, 32: Introduced by Councilor Majell and adopted unanimously, with item 14 held for a public hearing and item 31 withdrawn. Item 24 included a comment from a councilor (see Discussion Items).
• Item 34: Introduced by Councilor Penny Abbott and adopted unanimously. Items 33 and 35 were held/tabled.
• Items 36-37, 39-48: Introduced by Councilor Gathers, with item 38 held, and all others adopted unanimously.
• Item 49: Appointment of Octavia Gerdhardt to the Citizens Review Board (unanimous).
• Items 50-51, 53-57, 59: Introduced by Councilor Hogan, with items 52 and 58 held, and all others adopted unanimously.
• Items 61-62, 64: Introduced by Councilor Williams, with item 60 held. Items 61 and 62 adopted unanimously; item 64 unanimous.
• Items 65-72: Introduced by Councilor Jones Rousser and adopted unanimously.

Discussion Items

• Item 24 – Bonding for Police Vehicles: A councilor expressed concern about bonding for police vehicles rather than using cash capital as initially planned in the January capital plan, noting the city would incur approximately $150,000 in debt service. The councilor nevertheless supported the item. The item passed unanimously.
• Item 63 – Roll Call Vote: Councilor Williams requested a roll call vote on item 63. The vote resulted in 6 in favor and 3 opposed: Councillors Cogwa, Michot, Peniagua, Gathers, Williams, and Jones Rousser voted yes; Councillors Nave, Hogan, and Mato voted no. The item passed 6-3.

Key Outcomes

• All listed items were either passed, held, or withdrawn as noted. The meeting adjourned following a motion.

Note: No public comments or committee reports were presented during the meeting.