Syracuse City Council Meeting - March 9, 2026: Appointments, Waiver Request, and Budget Items
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Syracuse City Council Meeting - March 9, 2026
On March 9, 2026, the Syracuse City Council held a meeting at 3:57 PM. Councilors discussed a resolution appointing commissioners, a waiver request for ACA filing fees, and several budget items including a police department fund transfer. The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn.
Consent Calendar
- No consent calendar was explicitly identified in the transcript. Routine approvals or unanimous actions were not discussed.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments or testimony were recorded during this session.
Discussion Items
- Resolution for Appointment of Commissioners (Item 9): Councilor Kalpa introduced a resolution approving the appointment of various persons as commissioners of dates. The resolution was noted as ready.
- Waiver Request for ACA Filing (Item 10): Councilor Kalpa presented a waiver request to file the city’s ACA (Affordable Care Act) information with the federal government. The request pertained to a fee for filing through one group, the parent company of B Pass, which handles data compilation and tracking. The fee was described as per-head cost, substantially less than a full filing, and similar to paying a tax preparer. The item was supplemental and not on the original agenda but was added. Some council members asked clarifying questions, and it was agreed to discuss further afterward.
- Budget Items (Items 22, 27-30, 33): Councilor Jones Rouse noted items 27-30 were set, and items 31-32 were held. Michael Layman, Deputy Commissioner with the Department of Assessments, clarified item 33: a police department item that switches $343,000 from CIP (Capital Improvement Projects) to cash capital. He distinguished it from bondable items (furniture, fixtures, equipment, AV equipment), which were being handled separately. Councilor Aaron Rick had previously introduced item 22.
Key Outcomes
- The City Council did not vote on items during the recorded portion; they proceeded with discussion and clarifications.
- A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting. No executive session was held.
Meeting Transcript
Do we have um we do that? So we have to start our session. Do we need to announce the hearing now or is that it doesn't matter? Okay, we'll do it later. All right, so I have item nine. There will be a resolution approving the appointment of various persons as commissioners of dates. That's ready. Councilor Kalpa. Thank you, President. Penny Aqua blesses to all today on this beautiful day. I have number item 10 and I have item 11. I have a waiver item. Hey council, uh apologies for the late submission. Uh the waiver request is to file our ACA um information. So if you're a member, hold on, hold on. Oh, next thing I'll get oh, I'm not gonna be able to do that. Okay, okay. Can you start over, please? Yeah, absolutely. So uh the waiver request is for filing our A ACA information with the federal government. So if you remember um a while back, we switched over to one group, uh which is B Pass's parent company to take over our compiling of data and all that um for our ACA requirements. So they still do all of that tracking, and then uh at the end of the year, we need to file that paperwork and this fee is to help cover that filing cost. So it's kind of like uh the easiest way to think about it is like paying H and R block to file our taxes. We're doing the same thing. Uh one group pulled together all the information and attracts us for it on a regular basis, and then when they submit to the feds, we use a system that has a fee um per head. So um it should be substantially less than that, but we it depends on number of employees, so we built in some uh yes Richard calling me um the other day, Matt put on a way by explained it to me. Um so I'm hoping everybody else is okay with pushing us through. So where is that in the packet? It's in a new one on the thing. Oh, it's there last week. Yeah. Um supplemental supplemental. So it's in the supplemental package that's not on the agenda for a supplemental package. Okay. Yeah. It's number it's number 10. So we need having any backing. Yeah, we it's okay. Any other we have more questions? We'll talk to you afterwards. Yes, absolutely. Item 11 is already. Thank you all. Thank you. That's right. All right, counselor might theoretically. All right. The waiver item is um this is supplemental. Okay. Number 10.
openpublica.com