Syracuse Common Council Study Session - May 4, 2026

The Syracuse Common Council held a study session on May 4, 2026, starting at approximately 3:58 PM. The session reviewed numerous agenda items, with a primary focus on a dispute over right-of-way use fees for the Comstock road closure project. Several items were withdrawn, held for further information, or deemed ready for the 1:00 PM legislative session. Council decided to enter executive session for legal advice on the contested fee calculation.

Consent Calendar

• Item 10: Withdrawn due to lack of commissioner date or updates.
• Item 11 (Child Care Solutions): Ready for the 1:00 PM session.
• Item 12 (Syracuse University Maxwell School Fellowship): Agreement for a 10-week in-person fellowship program; ready.
• Items 13 & 14: Withdrawn (held) because they are part of the budget and will be voted on with the budget. A dollar amount correction was noted for Item 13.
• Item 15: Ready, following committee meeting.
• Items 16 & 17: Ready.
• Item 18 (Parking lots): Additional funds for an existing project; questions about total number of lots and overall cost were answered via documents shared Thursday. Declared ready with a question.
• Item 19: Ready.
• Items 20 & 21: Item 20 extensively debated (see Discussion Items). Item 21 (new five-year agreement for Cornell?) was ready; contract can be backdated.
• Items 22 & 23: Ready.
• Item 24 (Nurses Week resolution): Ready; all councilors to be co-sponsors.
• Items 25–27: Ready.
• Items 28–30: Ready. Item 29 (GIVE program) prompted follow-up: the coordinator salary and overtime for police youth programs (Police and Me, Pizza with Police) are funded through this grant.
• Item 31: The special meeting for the budget vote is scheduled for Friday, May 8 at 12:00 PM. The public hearing was held April 29. Item held.
• Item 32: A proposed ban (similar to Erie County's) was introduced; ready but tabled.
• Item 33: Held for more information.
• Item 34: Ready.
• Items 35–40: All ready.

Discussion Items

• Item 20 – Comstock Road Right-of-Way Use Fee Calculation: Councilor Williams challenged the city's proposal to charge for 20% of the right-of-way for material staging on Comstock Avenue, arguing that the road closure prevents 100% use by the public. Eric (Mayor's Office) explained the 20% figure came from the general contractor's estimated utilization over a 90-day extension, factoring in necessary road width for emergency access, equipment storage, and changing needs (e.g., crane disassembly). Williams countered that no written definition for "material staging" exists in the fee schedule, leading to differing interpretations. He questioned why the city would discount the fee when the entire right-of-way is closed and when the city faces a $20–24 million budget gap. Eric noted that monitoring tools (weekly audits, live feed) are in place and that the fee schedule can be revisited. Councilor McDuck expressed concern that the 20% assumption was troubling. Eric committed to reassess and return by the 1:00 PM session.

Key Outcomes

• Item 10: Withdrawn.
• Items 13, 14, 31, 33: Held for further action.
• Item 20: No immediate decision; council moved to enter executive session for legal advice on the fee dispute.
• Item 32: Introduced and tabled.
• Executive Session: Motion passed to adjourn to executive session to discuss legal advice on Item 20.
• Upcoming Special Meeting: A special meeting to vote on the budget will be held Friday, May 8 at 12:00 PM.