Syracuse City Council Meeting Summary – January 12, 2026
Syracuse City Council Meeting Summary – January 12, 2026
The Syracuse City Council met on January 12, 2026, to consider a consent calendar of resolutions. Key discussions focused on a battery recycling kiosk program (Item 13) and a parking lease for public safety employees (Item 25). Several items were held or withdrawn for further review.
Consent Calendar
- Items 9–10 (Councillor Calva): Declared ready.
- Item 11 (Councillor Michael): Declared ready.
- Items 12–17 (Councillor Aaron Rich): Items 14 and 15 withdrawn; Item 13 held for committee discussion; others ready.
- Item 18 (Councillor Navy): Held for committee meeting.
- Items 19–22 (Councillor Moore): Item 22 withdrawn; Items 19–21 ready. Discussion noted 244 firefighters used services over 5 years (approx. 49/year) at a cost of about $48/year per firefighter; requested $12,000 deemed sufficient.
- Items 23–26 (Councillor Weekens): Item 23 held; Items 24 and 26 ready.
- Items 27–35 (Councillor Jones): Item 27 continued to be held; Item 30 withdrawn; others ready.
- Items 36–40 (Councillor Monte): Items 36, 37, 38 held; Item 39 ready; Item 40 (advertisement waiver) held for Item 38.
Discussion Items
- Battery Recycling Kiosks (Item 13): Councillor Rich expressed concern about placing kiosks at youth-focused community centers (Wilson Park, West Moreland Park) due to limited staff and safety. He proposed a committee meeting to discuss location alternatives. The project sponsor (Okra) and Chief Mons emphasized that the grant (Department of Energy) requires kiosk installation by Q1 2026 to secure additional funding for fire department training and a battery sorting facility. Kris from Okra explained that kiosks have operated for 20 years with no incidents and include fire-protective materials. Commissioner Byrd noted that the grant does not include additional compensation for park staff. The discussion also touched on the broader safety benefit of keeping batteries out of trash compactors.
- Parking Lease (Item 25): Commissioner of Assessment Matt OJ presented a lease at 220 South for 400 parking spaces for public safety employees near a new facility. The price is $3,750 per month per space. Councillors raised concerns about space count and snow storage, but the commissioner confirmed that payment would only be for spaces provided. The lease is part of a multi-layered approach to parking, with longer-term plans for a train track lot.
Key Outcomes
- Item 13 (battery kiosks) was held by motion for a committee meeting to further discuss location and staff impact.
- Items 14, 15, 22, 30 were withdrawn.
- Items 23, 27, 36, 37, 38 were held for committee or further review.
- Item 40 (public hearing advertisement) was held in connection with Item 38.
- All other consent calendar items were approved as ready.
- Council agreed to hold a committee meeting on Item 13 between the session and 1:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
There are resolutions. Are there? Yep, they're ready. Okay, the resolutions approving appointment for various persons. So they're ready. Yep. Okay. All right. So um Councillor Calva. Yeah, thank you, uh Madam President. This I have items and blessings to all everybody today. I have items nine through ten, and they're all ready. Excellent. Counselor Michael. I have item 11 and it is ready. Anybody with questions. All right, I'll start. Okay, excellent. Counselor Aaron Rich. I have error I have items 12 through 17 with 14 and 15 being withdrawn. Yes and the others are ready. Um I do have a concern with 13. And I um would probably request a committee meeting. Um if everybody else has any anything, but if not, then I would I'm pushing back on that. You want to commit uh do you want to hold it so to hold it to next meeting so you could have a c we could have a committee meeting? I would prefer to have a committee meeting. Before we vote on it. I do not want to hold that. Okay. So how do we do that? Well you put it up for vote. Yes, you put it up for a vote. Yeah. So I would just express that um it could still be a committee meeting if there are. I think we can have the committee. Yeah, you still can have a committee meeting whether uh counselor wanted or not. So yeah, y'all y'all want to have a committee meeting. Well, the concern is um and Commissioner Byrd and we could talk about it. Some of the concern is at the centers where our children are. Um that's something that the public has put concern about as well as counselors are concerned about the that going there and not enough research, like what you know what I mean, when it comes to that. So I think we have um we have Oakra here as well to express more um or explain more information about the kioskes and how they work. I know they she spoke last meeting as well, but I don't know if you want to. I I don't think our concern is how the kiosks work is more of the concern of who are you trying to um put this out to. We're putting it at youth centers and I don't see youth being the individuals to um recycle batteries, although there is potential for education around that. Um my thought is why not put them at the l public libraries where more adults are and um you know there's more people that can pay attention. So you have someone sitting right at at the front station all the time who can seemingly man um the kiosk if if needed. Um so that that's my major concern. I'm not for it being at a youth center. Well which with that being said, why don't you guys go on and have the committee meeting since you sound like some folks want it? You know, we just I would like to present the the article today and I would like Kristen to clarify some things, but I just wanted to say I really appreciate you all have taking the time this weekend and I heard some of your concerns very clearly.
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