Syracuse City Council Meeting - March 4, 2026

The Syracuse City Council convened on March 4, 2026, to discuss and take action on a variety of agenda items including land purchases, grant applications, infrastructure projects, school turf field replacements, police mental health services, housing development, and administrative renewals. The meeting featured presentations from city department heads, school district officials, and public safety representatives, with council members raising questions and concerns. Several items were approved, while two were held for further discussion.

Consent Calendar

• Item 12: Purchase of vacant land on Midland Avenue for passive recreational open space. The property, owned by a neighborhood resident, is in a flood zone adjacent to the creek walk. The city already owns most surrounding properties. No formal vote recorded, but no opposition noted.
• Items 20-22: Revocable permissions for Syracuse University to install underground conduit (duct banks) at 501 Comstock Avenue, 505 Comstock Avenue, and 315 Waverly Avenue. Annual fees of $3,312 for the first location, determined by a per-linear-foot formula indexed to CPI, established around 2000. Fees are paid prior to installation.
• Item 23: Payment of $2,000 to Sundance Leisure for repair of salt water conversion systems at city pools. Parks Commissioner Saisha Bird explained the city is converting pools from chlorine to salt systems and training staff on March 11.
• Item 27: Public hearing scheduled for next Monday at 5:30 p.m. regarding CDBG funding.
• Item 28: Introduction of an ordinance to expand the senior citizen exemption program, increasing the eligible exemption to 65% of property value for incomes under a threshold (approximately $54,999.99, to be confirmed). Aimed at serving seniors.
• Item 29: Renewal of contracts with six third-party firms for building code plan review, allowing faster permit issuance. Deputy Commissioner Jake Dishhaw noted the program has significantly reduced review backlogs, comparing it to adding six full-time employees. Council requested performance data.
• Item 30: Designation of Deputy Commissioner Jake Dish Shaw as environmental review certifying officer for federal fund projects, to separate the preparer (Camon Jordan) from the sign-off, as required by HUD.
• Item 33: Amendment to an ordinance authorizing funds for audiovisual equipment at 1153 West Fayette (public safety headquarters). No new funding; moving $497,000 from previous bond authorizations to cover interactive and non-interactive TVs, smart boards, and emergency operations center displays. The initial RFP received no bidders.

Discussion Items

• Items 14-16: North-South-East-West Corridor Signal Interconnect Phase 2 on James Street and South Salina Street. City Engineer Mary Robison requested an additional $260,000 because rebid came in over budget. Total project cost now just under $4.6 million. Federal reimbursement drops to 57% and March is at 11%; local share rises to 32%. The additional funds require amending bond authorization (14), DOT agreement (15), and project authorization (16). Council asked for specific intersection details.
• Items 17-19: Bridge NY project to replace East Calvin Street culvert over Meadowbrook (near SU/Comstock Commons). Total $1.476 million, 100% reimbursable. Additional language added in ordinances to cover potential cost overruns (local share) and a 24-month design schedule. Consultant contract still being negotiated.
• Item 10: School district turf field replacement at Sunny Crest (behind the rink) and Valley Field. Director of Facilities Tom Ferrar requested a bid waiver because procurement via piggybacking (using a rural district's contract) is under legal challenge; the Comptroller issued cautionary guidance. Cancelling purchase orders would delay work until late fall or next year. Projects are ready to start April 1 and finish in July. Ferrar argued the district rarely requests bid waivers (one in 17 years). Councilors expressed concerns about waiving RFPs and the safety of turf vs. grass fields. Councilor Caldwell (speaking from experience) noted heavy community use (soccer, football) and that turf allows earlier and later season use. Commissioner Byrd added that grass is hard to maintain with overuse; irrigation and reseeding are difficult when fields are constantly in use. Councilor also raised heat index concerns (turf 10°F hotter) and injury risks (ACL tears). The council supported the waiver after discussion. Ferrar also updated on the ITC stadium project—awaiting state approval.
• Items 24-25: Agreements with Helio Health for police mental health training (24) and crisis evaluation services (25). Deputy Chief Tom presented the RFP results: Helio Health was more comprehensive and cost-effective than the other bidder (virtual Florida company). Evaluators are separate from field staff. Councilor Jones Rousser and Councilor voiced concerns about Helio Health's reputation in the community (e.g., on Catherine Street) and potential strain on their primary services. Councilor noted a prior contract with Dr. Bernard was severed due to conflicts. The council generally supported the need for services but with reservations about the vendor. Training covers officers, command staff, and peer support; crisis evaluations are in-person when needed.
• Item 26: Additional project management costs for the move to 1153 West Fayette. Deputy Commissioner Richter explained that bonded cash cannot be used for services, so unallocated cash capital was needed. This was the third request for moving expenses due to accounting rules.
• Shelter Rent Agreement (part of items 31-32 discussed later): Commissioner Matt from Assessment presented a shelter rent agreement for a 393-unit affordable housing development (replacing existing units on Westmoreland and East Fayette). The deal requests a floor of $550 per unit per year or 10% of gross rent less utilities, whichever is greater. Developer projected potential annual payments up to $816,000 if rents increase, but Commissioner Matt emphasized that is not the current request. Councilor Williams questioned discrepancies between stated figures ($215,000 in agenda vs. $280,000 discussed) and how to realize higher amounts. Commissioner Matt acknowledged the difficulty of relying on audited financial reports and stressed the predictability of the fixed fee. Councilor supported the deal as the best available method to create affordable housing despite tax exemptions. Councilor Moore noted the ripple effect of adding units. Items 31 and 32 were held for further discussion (meeting scheduled Friday).

Key Outcomes

• Approved: Items 12, 13, 14-16, 17-19, 20-22, 23, 24-25, 26, 27 (public hearing scheduled), 28 (introduced), 29, 30, and 33 appeared to be approved without formal vote or with consensus. The bid waiver for Item 10 (turf fields) was supported by the council.
• Held: Items 31 and 32 (shelter rent agreement and related) were held pending a Friday meeting between the councilor and Commissioner Matt.
• Directives: Council requested performance data on third-party plan review (Item 29). Ferrar asked to update council on ITC stadium design and for students to see renderings. Environmental review process aligned with HUD requirements (Item 30).