So I have item number eight.

Council for the agua.

Council Penny Agua.

Good afternoon, everybody.

We I have it nine.

And after our committee meeting today, I uh uh president, I'd like to thank uh uh council Penny Albert for having that meeting.

Uh and I totally agree with the new framework of um uh the rules of procedures as far as the council goes.

So and counselor Codwell, I'll skip over.

She may show up.

She's not coming.

I'm gonna she's not coming.

Oh, okay.

So madam president, um stand in for counselor carwell.

Uh she has item number.

Oh, just number 10.

Good afternoon, Taisha Bird, Commissioner Parks and Rack.

Um, number 10 is an amendment to the ordinance for Anadaga or Earth Corps providing training.

It's fit uh amendment to amend the 50,000 to 50 50,000, excuse me, 55,500.

So additional 5500.

Any questions?

Not on the item, but commissioner.

I wanted to recognize your whole team for the really wonderful work over at Burnett Park.

The holiday extravaganza is really wonderful and fantastic over there.

And it's coming up this weekend too, correct?

Friday and Saturday.

Friday and Saturday.

If you have not made it over to Brunette Park, you should do yourself a favor and go check it out.

And I'll add, even if you did not register for the hay rides, there's arts and crafts, there's snacks, and we have um music.

So a live music.

So it's just really pretty.

You can take a picture with Santa.

So can I sit on the lap?

You can.

No.

There's a seat next to them, but a lot of folks are just showing up.

They haven't registered, they're showing up to look at um how nice Tracy has decorated it, but also to take pictures with Santa.

So yeah.

Great opportunity.

Thank you for doing that.

I'll set councillor Majub.

Thank you, Madam President.

I have items 11 and 12.

Um got it.

Uh good afternoon.

Elton Davis, uh, executive deputy chief Syracuse Fire Department.

Uh we have uh item number 11, I believe, on the agenda.

So the fire department is proposing and request an amendment and adoption by the common council to chapter five of the revised general ordinance of the city of Syracuse, the amusement, business, and public assemblages section of the uh of the uh ordinance.

Basically, we want to add add a add a fee, increase our pyrotechnic fee that we currently charge for pyrotechnics that occur in the city of Syracuse, both indoors and outdoors.

What's the number going from to?

The numbers going from so we're proposing three for that section.

There are three three ones.

So one a minor display, which would be our currently our our uh pyrotechnic fee is $25.

Okay.

That's for all categories of uh indoor and outdoor pyrotechnics.

And it's going to be so there are there are there are three, sir.

Okay.

Uh the first fee is for one is for $75 per event.

This would be for pyrotechnic indoor, indoor what we call uh excuse me, what we call cold weather sparklers, things that you see those at weddings, things like that.

That is a pyrotechnic event or situation that is regulated by the fire code and also falls up under a general ordinance or for state law.

That would be $75.

We have a second one for major indoors, indoor or outdoor display, and that would be $300 per event.

That one, that again, that would be those pyrotechnics that we would see commonly we would find at the for the just use as an example, the ballpark, those events, the inner the inner harbor, inner harbor fireworks, or any other private entity that put on fireworks here in the city of Syracuse.

And the third one would be a special deploy special display, and that would again that would just be a $300 fee, but we'll go back and charge the or we would fee the operator or the person putting it on.

That would be for events such as we have um concerts at the dome.

So when we have bigger concerts at the dome, that requires more manpower on the on the fire department's part, uh monster jam, things on along that line.

Currently, for all those type of permits on the books, we're only charging 25.

Oh, what is the um what's the average number of um fire individuals that would need to be on site for something like that?

Okay, so for that, we what we propose is we would need one in depending on the level of the of the uh display for that $75.

The first one, all we need to do is just have an inspector come, check this setup, make sure that we have our proper clearances, that we have uh we have equipped the equipment that they're using is uh UL listed and that it and also check the fire alarm system in that in that in that venue used inside for our for our outdoor ones, particularly related to the like the ballpark, that will require us to have one person on site, one person on site, and that that goes a little more into it.

So we have to receive the receive the application.

Once we when we receive the application, that requires a site permit.

We have to review, check the check what ordinance that they're using.

So there's a lot that goes into the review of that permit.

Subsequent to that, we go out and visit the site, make sure that where they're setting up these outdoors, that they're the clearance, the clearances are there, and make sure that the ordinance ordinances, when I say ordinance, the fireworks that they're using are the ones that are listed on that permit.

And that usually takes probably two to three hours prior to that uh prior to that event going off.

And then subsequent to that, for those outdoor ones, we're required by required by code that we have to make stay on scene for a certain amount of time to make sure that those ordinances are out, that they don't that they don't uh light off at a later time.

Yeah, so that will require one, but one individual to perform that function.

But as a courtesy, the Syracuse Fire Department, because we have had instances where we've had outdoor fires occur at these type of events.

We do send a staffed apparatus to sit there out of service.

So we have four individuals and a apparatus that sits there out of service just in case there is a there's a mishap that we're right there, so we can respond.

So cheap when you say out of service, I mean they would like for stay would respond to a fire from there or so from a fire service.

Yes, sir.

So yeah, we would take a we would take a fire company, usually a closest fire company.

And I'm not saying out of service, they're on a detail.

So they they would be available to respond to any other fire calls in those are in the area, but they are dedicated to be on site for that time during during the detonation until after the end of the display, just in case we have uh emergency or something that requires our services there.

Okay, so Chief, so when the Mets have a home game, so let's say 6 30, you have an apparatus there, and you have the fire.

So they have to sit there for three hours sometimes.

So the you so that what we do is we have our we have an investigator or we have a fire inspector that goes down and starts starts the starts the uh paperwork, you know, checking, checking, make sure that they the ordinances are correct.

The the layout is what they put in there, put in their application.

And this is every day.

This this is at every event.

So one person goes.

So right before the individual, before they want to set them off, usually seventh inning or something like that.

Right, that's when we call our fire apparatus to come and sit there while the while the detonation goes off.

They they stay there for a certain amount of time to make sure that all the ordinances fired off properly, and then they go back, they return back to the city.

And when there goes to fire, you were already on the scene.

Yes, yes.

This summer.

Okay.

Yeah, so go ahead.

No, chief.

I'm just wondering how much uh revenue, more revenue would he garner predicated on last year's events.

Okay, so I think that's a lengthy question.

We want to hold it for a committee meeting.

Can it wait for you want it now?

Oh, I su uh it's whatever you want us to do, counselor.

Okay, how much you want to have information?

The counselors have a lot of questions on this item, and then we don't want to hold the whole agenda.

We'll set it up for this week the latest on Monday.

Okay.

Yes, sir.

Yeah, all right.

And I'll be in touch to maybe set some parameters as to what we want to see and stuff like that.

Understood.

Okay.

Thank you.

Okay.

You're good.

All right.

Um item 12 Counselor's uh Rich Trudel, Deputy Chief of Police.

Um we're here uh to ask for uh permission to enter an agreement with uh drive media and consulting.

It's basically to hire uh Lacey Leonardi uh for the position of traffic safety coordinator um to provide education and outreach uh you know to make the city streets safer traffic wise.

Um term is from October 1st, 25 to September 30, 26, and we're funding this from uh highway safety grant we get from the state.

This is not the first time, is it?

No, I uh I know she did it last year.

I'd have to check to see like I've heard this maybe.

It was a renewal.

Okay, and the key the the the state keep funding it.

Well, we'd have to apply each year, it's not guaranteed, but so far so good.

Okay, but so far so good.

Okay, any other questions?

So Chief, it's 120 from the grant and then 60 local.

So my understanding it's 60 based on our letter and the grants one total grants 120.

So I can check into that for you and get you a clarification.

Yeah, thank you.

Yep.

Okay.

Any other questions?

I'm all set about thank you.

Council.

Thank you, Madam President.

I have items 13 through 29.

Hello, good afternoon.

And Ford Ocfirst Deputy Commissioner.

Uh 13 and 14 are for city-owned infrastructure program, if I can say the word.

And so that is sidewalks, corners, curbs in need of replacement, and that is city owned is the key term there.

That would include parks.

I believe sidewalk, or is that I believe that's under parks.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Your sidewalks are not under this.

Parks as a separate, yeah.

Okay.

So the next ones are 15 and 16.

Complete streets program.

So complete streets is for construction of pedestrian infrastructure, traffic calming, neighborhood greenways, uh improving uh bicycle um lanes and related seat street streetscapes.

I am tripping over words today.

Streetscapes and safety projects.

I know uh counselor Williams and I have had this conversation um many months ago.

Have there been any um I know Nail usually would be the person to answer this question, but any more additional bike lanes on certain streets that we feel like should be should have bike lanes that we ever thought about that as well.

Um so we have tentative you know plans, but is there more bike lanes planned?

Yes.

Um I couldn't tell you off the top of my head specifically where that is.

You know what, Commissioner, I I probably get this question more than I get any other questions about the municipal sidewalk program, which I'm I was in favor of, and I still am in favor of, is that it seems sometimes uh along the way, and if I just we could just get maybe an answer to this question, maybe in writing, is sometimes uh our our uh contractors are replaced sidewalks designated by your department that are per in perfectly good shape.

So let us and I know it might be because of equipment in certain areas and how how you manage it as far as tactically, but if we could get a an answer to that, I get that that people say it all the time.

A lot of times it's not up to the current code, right?

So if we're it looks good, but it's not up to the curve, because if it's not the proper width, correct.

Okay, so a lot of times that's what it is, like they may have done it, and maybe it maybe they did it 10 years ago, but it still looks good.

Um if it's not the same width as all the rest of them, we have to do the whole thing.

So is the width five or four?

It's five, correct?

Thank you.

I believe it is.

No, some but some of them I know are four.

Sure.

Five was initiated years ago.

We have the engineer having it up here, our city engineers.

Hi, Mary Robson, city engineer.

The minimum width is five.

In certain areas we can reduce it to four, but if it's more than I think a 250 foot stretch, we have to have a five by five turnaround.

So, but our standard is five, but we can have sort short stretches of four-foot sidewalk to accommodate trees and other obstacles, um, as long as it's less than two hundred and people that have four feet.

I mean, are we dinging people that's at four?

We're not we're not dinging, but if if we're coming in and replacing the whole street and they have four, we're gonna replace it to with five to bring it up to where it's yes, because as Mary stated, it's five, but there's some caveats.

Yeah, the caveats are for the turnaround.

I understand that because we went through that for a while.

Yep.

But they don't get dinged.

So just a just a reminder.

What what's how do you set priority as to what sidewalks get to take?

That's uh it's comprehensive.

Um Neil does take a look at these citywide.

We like to make sure we represent every neighborhood, that we're not doing everything in you know, say Eastwood.

Um, but he uses data from SMTC.

He uses we look at pedestrian traffic, there's multiple layers to that.

Um I know we've asked for an updated list before.

I don't know if I received that, but it is it possible to get another updated list of which streets are which which ones are going to be worked on for 2026.

So you're looking for a list of what carries over, what's gonna be carrying over?

Oh, okay.

List from 2025 of what was done and what's going to carry over.

Yes, yeah, definitely.

Yeah, I'm not sure.

We can check.

Okay.

Also, um, if possible, if we can get a uh I don't know if they would know that now, but um if there was any uh curb cuts or aprons that's gonna be curved up.

Um I know we had some issues with residents who may live on corners or live on a hill where they had a minor parking in the front and major in the back or something like that.

But and that was a concern for people's secondary driveway being taken away.

So if there's any of those, can we be able to do that?

That we know about, yeah.

Yeah, I'll have to see if he's aware of those at this point.

Okay, thank you.

I I you know I'm glad Councillor Jones Rowser brought that up because I get a lot of questions about that.

Uh it being an older city, a lot of times, uh as we well know, a lot of those driveways are put in before the advent of even codes existing.

And uh anything any time we curb over a driveway affects up not only the people that have that driveway, but the people in that neighborhood, because then they have to compete for space on the street with some car that wasn't there and was parked in a driveway.

So if we could get a list of any of those, uh you know, I have been a little bit spoken about this, and I just get ahead of that practice.

So I'll just give an example.

My grandmother's home lives on sits on a corner.

And what a garage.

There's a one side has just enough room for one drive, one car, maybe two if you angle it.

Um, but the other driveway was on the opposite street where you could have got another two in there.

It's a seven bedroom house.

However, the city came back through a few years ago.

I think they just recently stopped it, but they put they rerouted the bus from the main street onto the side street.

So like Counselor Holga just stated that even if they attempted to park on a street, now it's a bus route.

Now the bus blocks it almost, then right?

Yeah, they cut down our family tree on the corner and everything.

So yes, a whole thing, but yeah, I didn't do that.

Oh, we can't still outright.

We're going to uh 17 and 18 17 and 18 is parking garage rehabilitation program.

And so this is for regular maintenance of the parking garages.

And I know this one isn't going to you.

I'm throwing it out there into the universe to the entire administration.

Can we please come up with a plan for our parking garages?

All of them, not one in particular.

Citywide.

Well, Councillor Williams, did you have a we had a plan, didn't we?

Can we once finger parking authority or weren't weren't you weren't you part of that?

I seem you're remembering your beginning of your tenure.

We need to fullness that we look at address parking in our city.

I agree.

I agree.

Thank you.

Any other questions or comments?

All right.

Uh 19 to 20.

Well, you need to know now anyway.

We don't need to know now.

I guess I don't know.

All right.

Um 19 and 20 is a radar sign program.

And so this is the radar signs that are mounted and tell you how fast you're going when you drive past it.

And so this is for um four of them.

Side note to the radar uh signage.

Um can we try to get together and collaborate with uh Krauss Hospital somehow?

Yes, they're crosswalk up there.

There's you know, there's it's supposed to stop when people are trying to cross on the street.

But I've almost seen somebody get hit yesterday.

The car is just they're not yielding to pedestrians.

Greg, would you like to say something?

You know, I'd like to thank BPW for taking care of that problem up there at the curb if the curb is far as in a hole in it for us.

So uh where was it?

Yeah, I'm in front of Krause Hospital.

Oh, really?

Okay, yeah.

Yeah, they did do a good a good job with that too.

Uh so you're thinking um changing signage or are you thinking enforcement like police or the flashing lights like prior flashing?

They have they have the older style lights up there, which aren't really too noticeable, I guess.

But I think they even sometimes have a crossing guard, and I don't know that people stop for them.

I've never seen one up there.

I've never seen a property.

Okay.

Greg Lowe, chief policy officer.

Just an update that we've been in active conversation with Krauss about steps that they can take on the pedestrian crosswalk and steps that we can take.

We're prepared to go ahead and update the signage out front.

We're also looking at some traffic configurations there that can try to improve the safety of that pedestrian crossing.

Uh some of the things, as I say, Krauss can do and is willing to do, and some things we can do and will go forward with, and they'll be moving ahead fairly soon.

Would the administration look at like considering what we're doing in schools as far as like the zone and radar and all that in front of Krauss?

Because it is a obviously the situation.

The automated enforcement matters are state legislated and the sites are are identified in coordination with our legislators.

It certainly could be a potential expansion site.

Speed limit is one of the things we're looking at in front of Krauss as well.

It's it's a very dangerous situation up there.

Any other questions on this?

Um does uh 20 go along with that as well or no.

Yeah.

We'll go to uh 21.

21 and 22 are uh signal traffic signal replacement program.

Any questions on this?

Okay, it's basically maintenance of the traffic signals maintenance of the current ones, yes.

Okay, yeah.

Um I do have a I don't know if it's a question, it's not a question, it's more just uh statement.

Um with all of the new items that are being pulled in the right-of-ways, a lot of spaces are looking very congested, especially when you have trash cans.

Um is there a way that we can like look at spaces and say like uh we need to move something?

Um I th I think I mean I see some corners they have like four things on one corner.

Some some of the items are so close to the ADA accessible part that it's kind of makes no sense.

We can certainly take a look.

We we need to be compliant with what the state laws are, and that's probably the mindset behind these decisions.

But certainly we could take a look, see if there's too many um in a tight space.

Yeah.

Let me know if there's one specific.

Okay, yeah.

Sounds good.

Not today, but I'll take note when I'm riding by.

Any other questions?

All right, 23.

Thank you.

No, 23.

Hello again, Mary Robison, city engineer.

23 through 25 are related to our tip project for pedestrian safety action plan.

We got bids.

Um, and they came in a little bit above budget, so we're asking to amend the bond ordinance, the agreement with New York State DOT, and the project authorization for an additional 100,000 dollars, bringing the total cost not to exceed 1.97 million.

And we did for the 100,000, we did get additional tip money.

Perfect.

So the reimbursement is 90 percent federal for this type of funding.

Um it works out to be 6.8 percent Marchicelli and 3.2 percent local.

Thank you.

6.8 percent.

Uh item 26 is also related to the pedestrian safety action plan.

It's amending the agreement with CNS engineers to add the construction inspection phase for the contract that we just I just spoke about.

Um so we're amend adding an additional 198,000 dollars for a total cost not to exceed 477,000.

Okay.

Uh item 27 is amending an agreement with Fisher Associates for another TIP project, paving Midland Ave from Ostringer Av to Seneca Turnpike.

Um, we're also adding the construction in fact inspection phase to their contract for an additional 400,000 for total cost not to exceed 989,000.

This project's currently out to bid.

Um, and the funding breakdown is 80 percent federal, 15 percent Marchicelli, and 5% local.

Any other questions?

All right.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Well, Mary, before you go, um what happened with the East Brighton um repay project?

What is we started some work in the fall, but the snow came, so the the bulk of the project will be completed uh next spring and summer.

Okay.

Remind me again, is it from Thurba to Seneca, right?

Is that it's from Thurber to all the way down to um city line.

But then we're skipping the portion.

Going to our Lafayette, okay.

Bright, it turns into Brighton actually.

Um, but we're eliminating the section that DOTs did work in.

Which is which is the traffic area that the section for the uh 82 481 and 41.

Okay, okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, counselors.

Robert Brant, Commissioner Water.

Um 28, an agreement with Trupani.

They will conduct our lead water sampling.

Um EPA required water sampling and mailings um for a two-year contract not to exceed 43,900 annually with a possible vote to extensions.

Are we using somebody currently?

It's a different vendor.

We put it out for an RFP, like we were asked to.

This vendor came in.

About half price.

About half price.

Anyway, um, so was any of us on the RFP committee?

Is this go through RFP committee?

It did.

Um there were four or five, I believe.

Okay.

Yeah, we went through the RFP the mirror and hell and items.

Okay.

Um this is local or non-22.

They're not local.

Two-year renewal for two years.

Correct.

It's an extra member.

Okay.

Um questions on this.

I'm sure it did.

That's fine.

Yeah, it was good RFP.

You know, um Mira Helen.

I'm fine with it.

I'm just asking if you're the year questions uh regarding this item.

All right, 29.

29 is entering in an agreement with GHD for general engineering services.

Um two-year contract, not to exceed 700,000 with two two-year renewal options with the approval of the council and the mayor.

Wait, what okay?

Go on.

Any questions?

Very none.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councillor Navy.

Thank you, madam president.

I have items 30 and 31.

30 is an installation of an honorary sign at the intersection of Pearl Street and East Bolton Avenue, designated as Columbus Bakery Way to honor uh the historic Columbus Bakery.

And 31 will be a resolution to recognize Columbus Bakery and historic North Side Business Institution, which has been in business 1895.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councillor Holgett.

Well, thank you, President Hudson.

I have items 3233 and 34.

An item 32 after uh after our meeting and uh discussions with uh members of the uh city hall and uh codes.

Uh we're um I'm gonna request I'm gonna send this over to the uh planning commission and request they consider uh moratorium on entities like this that want to establish battle battery energy storage systems.

We think that's the best course for the city and uh after discussion with the fire department, the codes department uh so they can establish some sort of procedural path where we can approve or deny one of these things.

I'm against 33 is 33 St.

Lake Owen.

Thank you, Councillor Hogan.

Um Owen Kearney City Planning uh item 33 is a uh to authorized agreement with EDR, uh local planning and design firm to begin work on the comprehensive plan after the new year.

Uh we had worked with them doing some very preliminary work on phase one.

We'd like to continue working with them, and that is why we have an included uh waiver request to continue that work with them.

EDR is they're doing the um the comprehensive plan for like the traffic, uh new streets and designs of or is it everything?

No, this would be basically the city comprehensive plan.

It really look at a whole host of issues from housing infrastructure, it's a broad plan.

Typically, communities do it about every 10 years.

Yeah, we're at about 10 years.

Um phase two is really going to be the kind of the public facing portion, so a lot of coordination with all of you uh coming up, uh, or many of you at the uh at least um after the new year, but uh and we've just updated all of all of the materials on the website.

So if anybody happy to talk in more detail about it, but if anybody has more questions, um the the comp plan website on the city's web page is really a great resource um for for that initial information.

Well, I know I've said it multiple times before, but I'll say it again because I have said that the comprehensive plan needed to include this, but uh for housing, um we need to assure that new development includes um for the rental portions that new development re um includes three and four bedrooms, possibly, and because our city cannot sustain the development of ones and twos um that are constantly being built.

So I'm that's I'll say it over and over and over again.

So I I hear you and fully agree with you, and I think there's a variety of different ways to do that, but um obviously the housing strategy, a lot of work's been done by uh our colleagues in NBD.

Uh and and this is really a plan to not only include that housing portion but begin looking at some of the bigger issues uh that we face and and start developing solutions for over the next looking at kind of a 10 to 15 year time frame.

Yeah, I just I just want to make sure that when we're when we are focusing on housing, a lot of words, you know, the density has constantly been been thrown around that we need more density, we need more density.

But when you're creating density, you're creating smaller units.

And so that is a problem when you're looking at family housing.

Um when you need to house families, you need to house families.

Some people, like counselor has a family of nine, possibly ten.

There's something we don't know about counselor.

Uh agreed, and that is uh we've got to accommodate all of our residents, and um, and it is the those three and four bedroom units are matter.

Yeah, okay.

Counselor, maybe there's something that uh the CITER could look at as far as their UTEP goes, the tax exemption policy where they can include that in order to get the you know and get the benefits from pilots.

It needs to be a part of every new construction.

I'm not saying they need to have you know half and half the building, but they need to have that, you know, some units need to include those larger um, understood.

Yeah, and I want to point out that we got to 2050 to figure this out.

So well, that the name of the plan is 2050.

I think the idea, counselor, is um that it's forward looking and that it's um exactly.

I'm not sure if I'm gonna be here in 2050, but never count yourself out.

Well, that uh duly noted, Councilman.

Yes, I might be here.

Owen, uh this conversation came up when we were um having deliberation around the SDC.

That somehow that is this massive development takes place that you know larger families should be put into consideration, that it shouldn't just stop at three bedrooms, you know, that that they need to be extended, and not you know, then the developer saw it as something that they were going to incorporate.

I think it it should be something we we look at, you know, as as traditionally, you know, this this community has always been a place where many people from all around the world are coming to.

And you know, with the tradition of immigrants, they come with large families, yeah.

You know, and and here as well.

So I think just stopping at three bedrooms is really a disservice to people and to counselor Joe Rouse of Point.

It's it's something we should be looking at broadly rather than just single.

Agreed.

We we were talking about this internally at MBD yesterday, just the unit mix and and how we can get at that in a more effective manner.

So more on that, and I I hear you loud and clear.

I think that is is relevant and is a way to improve um some of the housing issues that we're facing.

So we'll absolutely include that in the discussion.

Any other questions?

Thanks.

Thank you, Counselor.

Uh an item 34, uh, Councilor Manto and I were talking talked about this, and I think we're gonna hold this for a meeting.

Is that okay with you, Counselor?

Counselor Williams.

Yeah, Michael Collins.

Commissioner.

Commissioner, this is this is some someone else will summon it.

Matt OJ Commissioner of Assessments, but probably it's more over Michael.

But like, can we can we get a uh maybe in the beginning of the new year?

Can we get a committee meeting set up with the developers from Parkside Commons where they can walk the council in its entirety through what the project will look like?

Absolutely.

Counselor Calwell, President Hudson and myself were up there at Parkside Commons.

They did some public meetings in the last few days.

Yep.

And uh the conditions up there are not great.

Um if you're listening to the residents, it's it's a hot button.

It is, and we can talk about walking through what they're planning to see, but we need to really talk about what they're gonna do to assist the residents in that different area.

I mean, the buildings are pretty, I get all of that.

But when you don't have hot water right now, there's a problem.

Yeah.

Yeah, uh completely agree.

Uh uh, I'll give you a couple just nuggets and then get out of the way so we move on with the meeting here.

Uh so first of all, obviously, absolutely happy to uh to set that up.

Uh and um I can work with um uh I point to you guys I need to actually be working with uh uh Nathan and and Caleb uh to do that.

So I I will um the uh Camone Jordan was able to attend the meetings as well.

The uh I I know many of you were able to go, thank you for being able to uh to go to those meetings.

I appreciate it.

Uh we do know that they are changing the management company.

Um we uh we also know that the uh the goal right now is the western half of the uh campus would be rehabilitated, and the new two new buildings would be for the people that are on the eastern portion of the campus.

Uh the Syries Police Department lent their expertise with through uh their officers uh that are trained in the crime prevention through environmental design, and they went through the design of the new buildings themselves and made recommendations to the architects uh and then met with the architects so that from a security concern we can make sure that that's being addressed as well.

Um but unless you've got any other questions, we'll just set up the meeting.

What President Hudson said, I think what's happening right now is they they have all these promises on the table.

What they're doing is they're sticking little band-aids on all of the like it's like groundhog day.

Every day it's my heat's off.

I call back the next day, my heat's on, my heat's off, my heats.

So we gotta we we can't just wait for it to be rebuilt.

We gotta do something.

They are solving.

Commissioner, you can answer.

Is Jake here?

Yeah.

Jake, have have they taken care of those hot water tanks up there yet?

Do you know?

Uh I don't I actually know if you don't.

Okay.

Okay, yeah.

So so what uh one of them uh is scheduled to be taken care of today, the other one by Friday.

Uh so they're uh waiting on parts to come in.

Commissioner, is the current um management company local?

Current management company is not local, it's owned by one of the ownership partners, and that ownership partner is recognizing that that company is not performing, and so they're bringing in a national company that does these types of projects.

So, yeah.

The challenge to to the to the point about hey, putting band-aids on it.

Uh this is the challenge that we see with any property that's uh uh waiting for financing to be redone.

That's the way that it works.

Uh so uh that doesn't mean that people should still have to wait for hot water.

So there is that, yes, we know that they're gonna be band-aids, but the band-aid needs to be applied.

It can't be left sitting in the cabinet.

Uh this financing, New York State is looking to uh move aggressively on this so that they can get the money into the project and get it done as quickly as possible, which uh at the moment looks like March.

And that would be uh closing on the financing for both the two new buildings and the rehabilitation all at the same time.

It honestly would be the largest financially, it would be the largest uh housing project that we've seen in one single project.

I have another question.

I don't know if it's um I don't know if this is you, Jake or OJ.

Um we'll figure out the blue building side, the zoning is that regulated for what they want to do.

Like it is uh the the we have they've been meeting with our zoning office, and uh what they are proposing will work.

same time it honestly would be the largest financially it would be the largest uh housing project that we've seen in one single project I have another question I don't know if it's um I don't know if this is you Jake or OJ um we'll figure out the blue the blue building side the zoning is that regulated for what they want to do like it is uh the the we have they've been meeting with our zoning office and uh what they are proposing will work okay so we won't have to do any zoning change it already fits no nothing that wouldn't be a small administrative kind of thing yeah yeah that but the the from a zoning perspective uh they are the the one zoning challenge uh would be the size of the building at the uh northwest corner if they were not acquiring additional property they are that puts them within uh the uh the amount of square footage that we need to be able to uh to get the the project forward and i don't I don't want to hold it up but I did ask them about their parking um plans um and they really couldn't answer that um I I am aware that most they might get waivers to not do like a one to one um but they didn't have any information interesting um or was one of the buildings what one of the buildings has parking in it okay that's yeah yeah so uh so a lot of the parking uh from a uh what their meeting requirements with what's proposed so about that side that blue building side uh I I'd have to go back and take a look uh but but so far we've not seen uh from uh though we expect to see final drawings uh submitted shortly for uh to start the permitting process on the construction side uh but so far in our pre-development meetings with them uh you know as we catch things that we're like yeah that's not gonna meet code uh they've gone back and they've adjusted and the average size per square unit the square unit size per we've been getting we'll we'll we'll see that after we get the final drawings in yeah because I mean I don't want to pass the name we don't have to counselor I I think we're gonna have a meeting on this so maybe we can oh are we cool that's over so I mean so we can say that counselor mantou you'll take over this one can be careful uh commissioner while we are on this topic uh what about skyline how how's that going that's a that's a very interesting question uh it is going to we can talk more offline okay all right and commissioner one last word on the subject any other thing on the Regina Complex uh back and forth with uh developer this week on uh looking at how to uh part of the challenge right now was how do we protect the chapel uh in a way that allows the development to keeping uh the necessary historic tax credit uh while recognizing that the money would not be there to redevelop that building itself in the initial proposal so that's one of the things that we're working through right now but yeah I I got an email yesterday from that I wasn't touching Megan on that and they're still hoping uh couple months to gotta take it care of yeah we're we're we're we're we're looking to move forward okay it seems commissioner you're going to have a lot of yeah I was a city's counselor after after the after the first year council president I am just I was trying to get out of here right no that's okay you go on city clerk no I I figure you was done counselor unless you just want the whole you know floor I'm gonna put it right off to the new council and I just want a clarification um is anyone signing on to Naves um I am everybody sure we all like I'll sign it okay yeah that would be are they bringing bread and butter to the meeting but used to paying for four I'm in there I'll bring bread and make policy sign and the um and the um resolution right yeah okay okay well counselor hogan okay um I don't know where I was during the special permit uh when you were talking about it I think I was talking to one of the counselors but can you verify what you want done there um you're not I'd like to request the planning commission to consider a moratorium on these and other projects and I think that'll give time for the uh fire chief as they said at the meeting fire chief and uh Jake to establish some sort of procedure that we can follow with this for the record counselor I'm against moratorium on these type of projects I think that we can handle it procedurally within the council and within our our current operations that if we elect we don't want to move forward with any projects in the next six months we can do so within this body rather than pushing it back to the planning commission.

Okay you're noted um I just think as far as I I usually rely on the public safety aspects of this and if they're public if the fire chief and the commissioner uh the code codes director is uh is telling me that um they're not comfortable with any kind of but they don't really have a procedure I think it's should go back to the planning commission and I did of course talk to our first assistant corporation counsel Mr.

And I did of course cut talk to our first assistant corporation counsel, Mr.

Barry.

Yes, counselor for assistant Joe Barry.

Um procedurally and historically, these special permits with unanimous consent we have referred them back to the planning commission.

Since it appears that there's not unanimous consent, uh I I would recommend that we have a resolution for Monday so that it can be properly memorialized and uh determined by majority vote.

But if they decide if majority vote decide to like withdraw it or whatever, they can do that as well.

Not with the sp with a special permit, it gets tricky.

We'd have to probably should talk about that in executive session.

Okay, all right.

Sounds good.

So your recommendation is to go into executive session for this item right now or well.

I would recommend if you would like to go forward with the plan that you stated earlier that you propose a resolution so that we can memorialize that.

I could certainly have the flexibility as the uh to withdraw this item too, correct?

We should discuss that in executive session.

Let's discuss it in executive session because you do that today or Monday or doing today.

We're sort of jammed up after after this meeting, aren't we?

City clerk.

Uh it's up to y'all.

I mean y'all want to discuss it.

I mean, obviously, Councilman Williams is going to vote you're gonna vote against it, correct?

So therefore we're you know, we're sort of in case.

I mean, to talk about it today.

Monday, Monday, might say Monday.

Monday it is.

You want us to come in early before the study session?

After after our study session, yeah, after the study session have a whole hour break and you discuss it.

Council Hogan, though it sounds like you you would like uh a resolution for the waiver agenda to advance your your recommendation.

Well, I I just think that on you know, um I don't know if there are votes to approve this, we'd have to vote to approve it, correct?

I mean, if we have if we have one uh pathway closed off to us, which seems like we do because we don't have a unanimous vote to go over to the a majority can approve to send it back to the planning commission.

I thought it had to be a I thought it you you said it had to be unanimous.

No, I'm sorry, I was saying the informal practice just directing the clerk to send it back.

Okay.

So we have to do that.

Since there's disagreement, we should memorialize it with the resolution.

Okay.

And if I votes would determine the issue.

Okay.

Counselor, why don't you just wait to Monday and decide after meeting?

No.

Sure.

This is we I can also hold I can also hold it too.

We're holding that we'll have the other council take care of it.

Yeah.

Okay.

We'll wait till Monday and we'll have some comfort conversation on this.

Okay, we're finally done with my items, sir, President Hard.

Thank you.

Counselor Williams.

Thank you, madam.

So I have items 35 through 38.

Item 35.

Would you mind providing the council of a brief update about what we talked about earlier?

Sure.

Uh afternoon, council Corey Dunham, Chief Administrative Officer.

Um, so we continue to make uh great progress with the timekeeping um rollout.

So, you know, as we've mentioned, we have police on board, we have fire on board, we have water up and running, um, we have uh parts uh nearly there.

DPW um has most of their bigger departments already up on the system.

Uh all the departments in City Hall and one park place are um are using the system, have been trained how to use it.

Um and so, you know, we did get you know, it has been important for us to stay in touch with Josh uh Syerson who's been leading this from API to make sure that from the uh incoming administration that uh you know there are certain things that he has identified that we would need in order to make the project successful, both in this current state and future state.

And so in conversations with Mayor Elect Owens and myself, you know, we have committed to the things that Josh has identified given his experience with the project that we need moving forward.

So um, you know, we mosaic will help us.

Um bringing them on board will help us both in terms of um getting payroll and HRIS underway.

So I know the council has just uh asked for um uh vacancy count, you know, which will be me reaching out to each of the departments individually and asking them to email me what number they have, but obviously if we have an HRIS system that will be more automated.

Um we are just really looking forward to moving on to the next phase of the project.

Counselor, I don't know if I answered all the questions.

You did, yeah.

Um one thing that I mentioned to Chief Dunham in our conversation for one of the last times.

Um, this council well, we've been historically engaged with the issue.

There's been progress behind the scenes that the full council has not been updated on, and I don't think that we will be able to get everyone to up to speed by a vote for Monday.

And so we're probably looking at the next session um between now and Monday, presumably you and I can come up with a potential timeline um to be able to schedule a committee meeting, updates what how much time you need on your end to be able to put something together, um, acknowledging that we're going to be bringing on new counselors and kind of onboarding them through the history um where we're at, where we want to go where we need to go, and you know, maybe you and I can identify what that might look like moving into January.

And following up on Counselor Majoke's request, we will be providing the council either later today or tomorrow, uh, you know, a handout that establishes what has been accomplished in the timekeeping project.

And um, Counselor Williams is absolutely right.

There's been a lot of work happening in the background.

Um, and then also you know, the question of what will the city gain uh with the next phases of the project?

What are the efficiencies?

What you know, why are we doing this?

What are the benefits?

And so uh that will be delivered to the council either later today or tomorrow.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

What's that?

Congratulations.

Oh, thank you.

Thanks.

I appreciate it.

Sorry that you'll be seeing more of me.

Okay.

All right.

Um item 36.

Good afterno good afternoon, counselors Dave Pro Act, Director of IT.

Um, the uh software that we use that runs our help desk is called SysAid.

And this is an annual maintenance renewal.

Um that's our annual maintenance renewal.

It uh last year when we moved to their cloud-based model, we put in an estimate of about 44,000 a year uh for the annual maintenance, and so we're back before you because we've exceeded that with their annual increase.

Dave, for some of us that are not very IT savvy, is there a way you can just and I uh this may be a too much of ask to kind of list all the software that we are using and have contracted with.

That would be would that be too much?

I'd like to say yes, but I think we can get pretty close there.

Um we're we're currently compiling um what we consider to be a the software that is critical to our operations, and we're doing that for two reasons.

First, to document some of that like you asked, but also in case there's an outage with any of these companies, we have the ability to m react and maybe let the public know if we can't take payments or something like that.

But in terms of a comprehensive list, I think we're probably a list we could provide is probably 90% there.

Okay, and and and uh as you dig deep into this list, I would like to know the cost what what we are spending on that software as well.

I think I think we can do that.

And then I think it'll be again about 90% of the way there.

Okay.

I'd love to see what it what you can come up with.

Okay, okay.

I'll get you something uh in that in January.

Okay, appreciate it.

Okay, Merry Christmas, everybody.

All right, yeah, we're for the for that audit.

What's that in about 40 something different from here?

So yeah.

I'll just answer it out of 40 something different.

Item 57.

You want to give us the big picture and then tell us why we're doing this item?

Um, yeah, as you know, we've been back and forth on paylock and booting, and we did council did extend the pre-existing contract for six months.

Um we had hoped to be a little further along with some of the other items that needed to be to really get to where we need to be overall.

Um ideally, um we will be able to Leah would be introducing legislation to have the um school zone tickets uh be able to be um enforced by collections through booting.

Um and with those additional numbers, we would see uh better rate on the on the booting amount and a lower contingency fee for the city.

So it's not raising it much for the people who are getting booted and reducing the overall cost to the city.

We're not there yet, and we can't do it without getting that legislation through.

Um so what we're asking today is to extend it another six months with the existing terms and conditions, nothing changing, um, and just kind of kicking the ball forward a little bit until we have everything else ready to then proceed with the actual um updated contract that we showed you last year, but so previously well we just started it, but the school zone tickets it would have been just regular um if they came in and paid it.

We didn't have a specific enforcement, so now it'll move to if they don't, it'll be it'll count towards the booting.

Well, um that's the hope.

Um right now there is no stated collections process.

You know, it's you know they either come in and pay it or they don't.

Um and then so the question is do we move forward with um a collections agency, collections law firm, um paylock is a booting mechanism.

How do we enforce collections for those who won't pay?

But that's not really what we're deciding here today.

So we're just sort of putting that on pause.

We got six months to figure that all out.

We haven't gotten here yet, right?

Right, everything else?

Okay, thank you, Vicky.

Thank you.

And then with item 38, I will be filling a seat on the board of assessment review um with William Appolito, Bill Apollito.

Um replacing Donna Moore, who will be joining us in the council.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam President.

Counselors Williams, Caldwell, Majuk, and Jones Rowser.

Items 39 through 41.

Evan.

After news counselor Evan Loving, budget director, haven't been up here in a while, sorry I got to get the right distance.

Um before use a request to transfer funds.

Um they are coming primarily from available funds that were in public safety retirement, so we paid our public safe retirement bills.

We added extra money in the budget, and they're going to fund the projects listed in the legislation.

What a surprise.

Yeah, yeah, it's your money.

Uh no, so nothing's coming out of the fund balance.

Correct.

No, no money's coming out of the front balance.

Um so I I had after we last met I had a science infection, I wasn't here, but I'm sorry.

I know that we were supposed to have um we were supposed to get information on if this was gonna be the full amount or if it was just the current payments.

I don't know if I saw that.

So is this current payments due?

My understanding is these are current payment due, but I will turn it over to probably Jen.

Yeah, and Evan, you might make sure that we get the right answer.

You might want individuals to come up and speak um or per se if people want on the program.

Sure.

So we'll start with Jan and then we're gonna have those comments.

Okay.

Thank you.

Not not Jenet, you may um Jennifer.

Oh, Jen.

Okay.

I call her to apply as well.

Do you say do you know that's not a first name, last name?

You know, I answer to a lot of things.

Anyway, uh Gent TIF Director of Strategic Initiatives.

I think in the short answer to your question, counselor, is it is a combination of obligations we've already incurred, and then FY26 amounts that we know we will incur.

Um we could very quickly get you the breakdown of that.

Um, I don't have the exact numbers.

Um, but I I do know like the the CVI amount, for example, that entire amount is for work already performed.

So all of that is for bills due.

Yes.

Um the surge link amount, about um 30% of it is for bills already due, but the balance would be for the rest of FY26.

So I think for each line it's probably gonna be a different breakdown, but this would be the FY26 estimate essentially.

That one that is one of my concerns, is the surge link one because we I don't think I would have been comfortable moving the full amount, only what's due, um, only because we still have to have some more updates on what's going on and um and yeah, uh you you know how I feel.

Um so that's the one thing.

I do know that the um CVI, the lead lead in the forestry was due.

Um and then of course, SurgeLink had some due.

So the ones that were not fully due, that's why we asked for that information because we wanted to make sure that those everything that was that needed to be paid to date got done, but not uh transferring funds that weren't um okay due right now.

I think we'd have to probably just huddle up internally and get you the breakdown because I could I couldn't speak to ShotSpotter, for example, and I know um oh that one is that one is different, it's different.

Okay, we can get that information to everyone.

So wait a minute, I'm a little confused here.

Uh I don't know about you, Joe.

We're law as far as um and Evan.

Uh we're gonna depends if you're breaking things up.

Yeah, that's voting on it as right.

That's what I'm saying.

Yeah, so um, so Jennifer are and counselor Jones Rouser.

Are you saying you requesting something broken out?

Or what are you guys saying?

So we can kind of be on the same page.

Yeah, and we can do whatever I think you guys want to do, but the other thing I just want to note is we are just talking about the appropriation.

We're not obligated to spend the money once it's appropriated.

So if we want to, if the council would act on this transfer, we can obviously work very closely with you to make sure that we're only expending the funds that we're comfortable with, and so we can have a talk offline if there's particular concerns.

So if that's it, that would be another way we can handle it.

So I bet you're saying that uh and and Jennifer, you're saying that um that if they were to appropriate that amount, um, the amount outside of um the bill amount, total amount, you guys would be coming back in front of council um to uh approve that amount to be used for surgery.

Is that what is that because that's one of the reasons why I wanted to broken up so we won't have to be here doing what we're doing?

Yeah, we just gotta figure out what we're doing here.

So moving the money to a new account is fine as long as as long as it's not being you know spent as long as it's not being spent before it's being before it comes back before us.

Okay, if we spent if we appropriate to the new account, do we have control over it not being spent?

I don't think so.

Well, we would on the on the finance side, obviously.

We would we would have the we would not necessarily have to pay any invoices, we would have control of that to say we're not gonna spend this money until we're comfortable with the expenditures.

I would have to be uh we'd talk, we talk off.

That's fine.

Okay, yeah.

Cover all the items 3940, 41.

If that's okay with spot fire and the best of I I just have a very simple question.

Uh you said there was money in the budget.

Where specifically in the budget where that did that money come from?

It's yeah, behind your letter, you'll see a list of the accounts.

So the bulk of it was coming from retirement.

So we that's what I want to hear, because the count on just numbers.

Right.

Well, I understand.

So the bulk of it is from public safety retirement.

We budget for an estimate based on what the state says we expect to pay, and then we get the real numbers.

So in this case, they came in under budget.

Okay, so there's also money that was for fees for the traffic light program that we have not expended.

So you'll and the I believe the accounts have a brief description.

It is in the book and appendix A.

Thank you.

I think and um just to bring right just the reason why those these other two are separate is because Flatfire is increasing a contract confirmation to two fifth um by two fifty.

And um and Sarah's involved with number 40.

That's one of the reasons why we have to do those separate instead of um with the weight.

All righty.

We're all set.

All set, madam.

Thank you.

All righty, counselor Jones Rouser.

Thank you, Madam President.

I have items 42 through 64.

Um, item 42.

We're gonna continue to hold.

Um Jake, did you want to say anything?

Or no, but just holding it.

Is it ready to be introduced in table, Joe?

I mean, um, what do we where are we at with the local law she's saying?

I think I thought Jake briefed through.

Yeah, I think it's the same.

Is ready to be held?

We're working on it with codes.

Okay.

Okay.

Um maybe an update on Monday we should have uh 43 afternoon, counselors.

Michelle Spanski, deputy commissioner of neighborhood development.

Item number 43 is just a request to extend uh our existing pool of contractors for the emergency repair program uh for another three-month period.

Uh, we do have an RFP that will be published in the paper uh on Sunday, uh, and then available for folks with begin applying to early next week.

Um, but we just want to extend our existing pool in the meantime just to ensure that we have some continuity over the winter months for that program.

Any questions?

Thank you.

All right, 44 through 60 for uh for closure properties.

Yeah, uh good afternoon, counselors, Caitlin Hubbard, neighborhood planner.

Um 44 through 64.

I'll request for transfer to the Greater Syracuse Land Bank.

We're gonna withdraw a couple of them, or a few of them rather.

Um 45 and 46, both of the ones at Roseav.

And then we're also going to withdraw 49 on the West Onadago Street property.

The property owner applied for a tax trust this morning.

Um I know oh, okay.

Yeah, yeah.

So I mean that that one still has to go to our tax trust committee because it is a vacant property, um, not on our donor occupied, so it'll go to committee.

There are likely, I mean, there are uh like various codes violations and things like that that would have to be paid on or closed out on the property before they can enter, but um withdrawal to give them the time to be able to do that.

Um Bradford property.

That's uh I have uh a lot more information for you on that one.

It's just uh more of a sensitive subject, longer story.

So we'd prefer to talk to you like now.

I'm gonna keep it on, um but we'll talk we'll talk offline or after this about it if that's cool.

Is that the only one you have?

That's it for you.

The yeah.

Okay, so I have um 44.

Oh, 44, right.

This one I um I'm connecting with land bank on that one just to about the floodplain situation there.

So yeah, I'll I'll let you know um before the Monday vote session, obviously, if if they're if they're willing to accept the property.

And then 47.

We talked about that being a recent cell.

Yes.

So we'll hold 44 and 47.

Yeah, yeah, we'll chat on that one.

Okay.

Yeah.

Thank you.

All righty, councillor Mantle.

Maybe we'll continue to hold that one.

Thank you.

Councillor McJell.

Thank you, madam.

President, and the uh item six to six.

Any questions?

All right, that'll be off.

Thank you.

And with that, I need a motion to adjourn.

So we'll hold second.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

And now we're gonna see where