Depending on time keeping.

I don't have my phone, I left it with my children.

I think we have like half a minute left, but I appreciate everyone for coming.

If you don't know the people seated to your left or to your right in front of you or behind you, please introduce yourselves.

Please there's the beautiful people.

Hello.

I just wanted to know if we knew that there were other people.

And did you hear it from uh Helen or Petrona?

Okay.

Okay.

Sure.

Hey Caleb, would you want to give the other members of the park committee a call and just ask if they're like to join us?

Yeah, thank you.

I no demands, just if they didn't remember.

No, it's even better.

It truly is I didn't look in my email.

Oh, okay.

It's nine o'clock-ish.

I'm declaring this parks committee meeting open.

I am Hannah Aaronreich, chair of the parks committee.

Pleasure to see everyone here today.

So I believe we're gonna start with a discussion of the items that we're holding on our agenda.

Items 47 through 60.

The first one up is the sale of bonds.

Oh, who is here?

So sorry, thank you very much.

Uhending is Martinave, district counselor.

Jimmy Monto, District Councilor, Corey Williams, district counselor.

We have Joshua Wilcox, landscape designer of the parks department.

Saishabur Commissioner Parks.

And also um I want to thank everyone again for coming here today.

We are gonna run through the items and present presentation.

I would like to welcome public comment um on these items.

So just letting you know that once we have the commissioners uh discussion on the items, you're welcome to come to the mic.

We will be limiting people to two minutes of comments, one minute of comments.

Two minutes of comments.

Sounds fair.

Sound good?

Yep.

All right.

Jazz hands if you agree.

Good?

Yeah, excellent, fabulous.

All right, moving on from that.

Anything else I need to do?

All right, cool.

We're gonna start with 47.

Um, bonds for the uh Burnett Park improvements.

Total amount not to exceed 450,000.

Just a quick rundown.

We got a lot of items, so we'll just move through them quick.

So this is the 450,000 for Burnett Park is pool repair.

Um park improvements.

Um the goal is to one day convert our Burnett Park into this like athletic um destiny for folks.

Um as you can see on the letter, it's for HVAC, it's for dust filters, restroom upgrades, electric, lighting, improvement, structural repair, athletic surface improvement, court resour um structure, site work, drainage, um accessibility improvements, furnishing, equipment, engineering, um design, bidding, um construction administration, and other materials to redesign Burnett Park.

Uh a lot of these Burnett Park funds, they're for a multiple projects that we've been looking at for a number of years now.

Uh one of the biggest is security uh over the last few weeks.

We've had multiple break-ins at Burnett Park because a lot of our chain link fencing along the uh current turf.

It's just in disrepair and we need to replace everything.

Um top of that, our arts and crafts center, it's lacking some filtration systems that's required for some of our programming in there.

Uh so we really want to get those installed as well as HVAC.

And then there was a study done of Burnett Park, a feasibility study in 2012, which uh gives a really good outline for what's needed in the park to address the fields, the courts.

Um so we'd like to start with some of those improvements and work away around the park.

You're joined by the Honorable Cholman Jook, Common Counselor at large.

Thank you for joining us today.

Um, do any of my fellow counselors have any questions on Burnett Park?

Any public comment?

Seeing none, we're gonna move on from items 47 and 48 to 49 and 50, which is the bond uh for parks facilities improvements, total amount not to exceed 750,000.

Yeah, so the facility improvements money that we typically go to the council for every year is for a general overall maintenance of our facilities, um, keeping them up and going.

That includes pools, pumps, uh filtration systems, roofing, security, uh electrical needs when lights go out and need to replace, uh plumbing when an entire bathroom uh freezes over and we have to replace one.

Uh there's uh this is more of a catch-all, catch all account, which we use to address address our our needs as they come up with from the counselors any questions from the public?

Seeing none, we're gonna move forward to items 51 and 52.

Um, issuance and sale of bonds for the Westminster Stalers, total project not to exceed 1.7 million dollars.

Sure.

Westminster No, go ahead.

Westminster stairs, it's been a project that we've been addressing for about four years, five years now, since we had to close the stairs down.

Um we conducted an assessment of the stairs in tw September of 2025 that we presented to the Westcott neighborhood group um up at the Westcott Community Center.

Um this was really what we were using to show the extent of the issue at Westminster.

It the stairs are in need of full full and complete replacement.

Um we've tried to address things internally as much as possible through different types of materials like tarvia and concrete just to fix patches.

Uh nothing's holding up anymore because the deterioration is just too bad.

Um the full funding here accounts for a contingency that we need in order to get the stairs out to bid and get it constructed.

Right now, um our ask is for three million dollars, which is a combination of multiple line items.

Um, but that is what we think would get it done.

So the bond is the 1.7, the one point.

I can't do math in my head.

Yeah, the 1.3 we already exit that we already have 600,000 of that are DASNE funds from Senator Rachel May's office, and another 450 and 250,000 are in two different accounts.

Um we those are accounts for stone walls and steps that we've earmarked specifically for the stairs.

In the process, we'd started with some basic cost estimates just by going to a contractor.

Uh they under they didn't give us a full estimate from what we needed after we found out from our consultant Barton and the Judas.

Um, and now we have a full professional assessment done with construction documents.

When was that assessment done?

When was it completed?

Barton the Judas completed their portion in 2024.

Um we went back through as a yearly annual checkup on the stairs in 2025 in September.

Uh we do expect some cost increase from 2024 to now.

Uh but all that's accounted for within the ask.

So that that that's uh anticipated extra cost is in the three million?

Yep.

It's a lot of money.

Yes.

Yeah.

And if we can do it for less money, we will do it for less money.

Yeah, well, when we put it out to bid, we'll get a number of contractors, we'll select the best, um, the lowest, but also the best, and we'll move from there.

I mean, I think we need to be realistic.

Like the topography there is a problem, cost of concrete.

I mean, the excavation alone, like I think the three million is probably realistic.

It's gonna be expensive.

Yeah, it is.

Yeah, and with the current stairs as they are now, they're not ADA code compliant.

Um, in order for us to replace them, we have to build them to new code compliant, which means adding an entire new uh stair, entire new set of stairs.

So you'll go from eight to nine.

So with with the space being so important, um has there been any interests from private side in terms of uh you know, donation and investment, or have we not sent out any solicitation or any interests or anything like that?

Because it's such a community gem, so it's it's it's I'd be I mean we've spoke to some of the neighbors in West Scott.

Um, there was talk of like um maybe uh go fund me for the steps, but um it's a large project.

I mean, three million dollars is a lot of money to replace stairs.

Right.

But we know the cost of everything is rising.

It is and and you can't say no to uh a neighborhoods and people that are willing to maybe put in you know private money, you know, and right, and at this point they're dangerous, right?

We have them roped off, but we continue to watch on social media.

People are still trying to use them.

I mean, we can't guard them 24-7 either.

Yeah, need to be done, right?

Yeah, I had a question.

So uh see Thornton Park has a neighborhood is uh association, Wascott Neighborhood Association.

Have they worked in obtaining trying to obtain with state senators or so many people in getting grants?

Had they been able to obtain grants to um they they did obtain $600,000, $600,000 towards it.

Yeah, okay.

But it's a good question.

Both of these are good questions.

We do have a growing connection with the parks conservancy to talk about structural and quality of life improvements for the city parks um based on private dollars.

So one is important.

It's it's a it is important, but also that we can get these grants to have fundraisers, really, to work really hard where you can get maybe uh create a fund for the and that would ease maybe getting another donation or get someone corporation that's willing to do it at a reduced price by working hard, you know, working with Syracuse University.

Thank you.

Thank you, Money.

I just want to thank both of you for the continued support and interest in getting this project done.

Um it first a letter was first drafted to go to the council in January of 2024, and so we're you know, years later, and there has been on the side of the parks department and the administration a lot of continued interest in terms of getting this project done, not just for the importance to the east side community.

Um, you know, it's very much a priority project for for my constituents and for my neighbors, um, but also for the safety of the community.

Um, you know, my wife and I watch sunsets from the top of the hill.

Maybe not daily anymore, but you know, probably once a week.

And there are surely people up and down the stairs every day and all the time.

And you know, it troubles me as a district counselor knowing knowing what's behind the curtain and knowing the liability, knowing the potential for you know for bad things to happen to the city if if there's continued use.

Um but beyond that, like I said, it very much is a priority project for for my neighborhood.

Um, you know, it it speaks to the cultural history of the area, and it's one of those amenities that makes our neighborhoods so special.

And you know, I've often said I'll never vote no on any park schedule project.

Uh you know, I I believe that we should invest in in our parks in our infrastructure and our public um and our public goods, and again, I really want to thank you all for continuing to have the discussion around Westminster.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I just want to clarify what sits at the top of that hill that you watch the sunrise from.

Sunset.

Sunset.

Where what sits where do you sit?

Where do we sit?

I'm not sure what's going on.

Westminster Park.

There's a parking park.

I thought that's part of Doveville.

I thought that was true questions.

Like where are we sitting?

Let me just ask any other comments from um, I bring a folding chair.

Why do you ask?

Uh any comments from the public.

Please come up to the mic.

Good morning to all of you.

Good morning.

Um, I'm Charlie Sam.

I want to support the statements of the importance of those stairs to the community.

Uh, not just the residents, but also students.

Uh also students use those stairs.

Uh there's continuous traffic even now, as has been acknowledged.

I welcome the proposal that I heard to put benches up there.

That's great.

Um I want to say also that it's not just used for transit, but also people use it for exercise, climbing the stairs up and down.

Um I thank you.

That's it, unless there's questions.

Appreciate it.

Other comments.

We did receive a letter from Sam Gruber that I'm going to be entering into our meeting minutes.

Um and just to synopsis, uh, neglective parks is also directly tied to public perception of cities health and competence, and the reverse is true.

Good parks improve uh positive social and health and an economic impact.

And he urges us to um to do the stairs project.

Very short synopsis, it's two-page document.

But I do appreciate Sam Gruber for his continued work and assistance.

Yeah, one of the underlined and highlighted portions that I'll just read out loud is I support all the proposed initiatives and even more for our parts.

So Sam only got two pages.

He did a really good job.

Really good job.

He kept it concise.

Yes.

Yeah.

All right, other questions?

Other thoughts.

No?

Thank you.

All right, moving on from items 51 and 52 to items 53 and 54.

The West Side Pump Track.

Uh, total amount not to exceed 300,000.

So the West, there's a pump track that currently exists in LIP in Lightart Park.

Um, it's near the Panchitos that was you know built with love and community.

Um, and we have been having conversations with um the community around the safety of that pump track, the design, it was put together by our community.

Our goal is to move it to the other side of the parking lot of the excuse me, the park, um, and build it with community um with sound material so that it lasts for years to come.

Yeah, with the pump track project.

So when we were approached uh to take it on, um it was because the police department had needed a small parking lot um to uh for their vehicles, and we were able to uh come in with some capital improvement program funds that we have for neighborhood park improvements, our typical allocation that we try to rotate through the neighborhoods with those funds yet had a project to them, and so we wanted to get the dedicated 300,000 um not to exceed that amount to this pump track for now.

That would be the design process from community engagement through construction documentation and then into implementation.

Uh we'd go out to bid just to get it constructed, but the fully engaged community aspect um would hopefully maintain that community um effort that originally was put in there because we'd want their designs.

So just to clarify, because I was looking at Rick DeSido as I say this, but I remember when we were Sayisha U2, we were finding the funding to originally build it.

So it's been maintained by the can by the users of it basically up until now.

So are we committing to actually taking care of it going forward once we once we make this initial capital investment?

We'll then take care of it.

We would okay.

Parks would maintain it.

Okay.

Would you know community is always they're gonna they litter pick, they you know, if something goes wrong, they give us a call, but we would step in and maintain it.

So you know, often time, you know, we it here we will we usually see projects coming in front of us with certain amount, and obviously for obvious reason, you know the ending price usually end up being more than anticipated or at least projected.

Uh, with this project, do you first do a professional assessment to get that price, or how do you how do you get to that price?

Yeah, well, we typically rely on our annual allocation, like we typically have 300,000 every year just for the neighborhood park improvements.

Um so we'd like to start there as a not to exceed, right?

And then when we get to another capital year, we go to another neighborhood and do the same thing, hear what the community wants, and then we say we'll come out and we'll engage with you and try to give it to you.

Um that's what we're doing right now with this pump track because we had that line available, and the process is more on not to and let me backtrack.

The process is more of a not to exceed, but once we get to that actual amount that we need, we'll either go get asked for more or we'll value engineer some of the design out.

So I guess my question is to be able to get to that not to exceed.

Um how do you get to that number?

Research.

Just read yeah, research through through other projects.

Uh the projects typically around New York State for pump tracks are newer, um, especially skate parks, so it's easier to find those numbers for what else has been built elsewhere.

And we're in that 200 to 400,000 range for most of the projects that we're finding.

So it's our team looking at what's already happened across New York State, right?

Who's built one recently?

What was that cost?

What material did they use?

How much is that material right now?

So it's it is.

So you don't necessarily don't necessarily hide an assess to give you that number.

Right.

Yeah, we will get a final uh a really good cost estimate through our consultant and through the engagement process.

That's where we'll get our real bones.

I'm opening up for public engagement.

Thoughts and comments.

Hi, um Rick Destito, um owner of the Gear Factory, been involved with Life Art Park since 2007.

Um to advocate a little bit for the parks department right now.

I don't think people give them give them enough credit.

Uh I think I would describe their job as making this city a fun place to be.

And I think right now we need that more than ever before.

Um getting uh a pump track and other activities that they create, help get people and kids out of their house, off their phones, outside, doing things in the community instead of sitting in front of TVs.

Um the pump track is something we've been working on for a very long time.

Uh the it's in the center of the near west side, Tip Hill, Park Ave, downtown, all of those different areas.

Uh it's a very it's it's very active, it's cool, it's something somewhat new, even though it's it's uh it's uh it's it's newer in the United States and they get used a lot, and uh not only for local, but people have actually travel around from city to city to city, so it'll bring people from um out of the area as well.

And um ideally, you know, we would like it to stay right where it is, um, if if that's possible, because I think that different conversation, we're getting something else than what we were expecting over there.

Um, but it's a it's uh it's a really uh in important piece of infrastructure.

The funding, um, the amount there are there are other grants and things like that for uh pump tracks too.

So I would love it if we could use this to help leverage matching grants and things and to answer your question about uh maintenance.

The the dirt track that we put together, that's um uh it was a lower cost, it was a lot of community involvement.

We've me and other business owners in the area rented equipment ourselves, and we all got together with I don't even know how many people and and and built that track with our hands and some tools.

Um very high maintenance, right?

The idea of building uh a black top pump track is your maintenance level goes down to mowing, right?

So there's none of this crazy maintenance or any concern with that.

Basically, you you would have less to mow because you would have blacktop instead of instead of lawn there, and then you'd have kids out doing stuff all the time, and their parents too.

Um when it when it's good, I'm out there too.

Um if you drive by and you don't see people there, um, I can tell you by being right next door to it.

Um a lot of people do use that um pump track as it is.

Uh sometimes it's parents with kids, sometimes it's um parents who are still kids, and a lot of times it could be RC cars, the uh the black top and those improvements open it up uh to not just bikes, uh opens up to skateboarding, anything with wheels on it.

Uh roller skating, some of the skate park when the roller skating thing comes down in Clinton, they can uh they can come over here and they can even use a pump track on that.

It's open to everything with wheels.

Remote control cars, yep, remote control cars.

Um so I I hope that we can uh keep this funding together.

Yep, hey Rick.

I remember when the project occurred, and I remember the huge effort by the community and the volunteer hours and the money and labor and effort that went into it.

Will you talk a little bit about the origin of the project and the idea and how we got to having a pump tracker on there?

Um well, uh Life Art Park started in 2007.

We had our first art show then.

Um it's uh we've had a lot of rotating uh uh art installations there over the years.

COVID was a little bit slow.

Uh but we uh uh were looking something to activate the park more uh prior to COVID.

Um there's a lot of improvements done.

There was a trail um a trail that was added to the park.

There's a sculpture out there, you wouldn't realize it because it's uh it looks a lot like a sculpture.

Uh that was designed by uh Zeke Leonard and uh Brendan Rose, and I had a little bit in that um that's actually um full-on whole workout thing there.

Um then uh we're always looking for things to add to the park to add activity and um having a pump track.

Uh it was I think Randy Hazard came up with the um threw the idea out there first.

It was something that was really exciting, it was really new, and a lot of people were uh they would travel for it, they would seek them out, and it's a great activity for to get people out and you know, just riding down the street to something instead of having to be driven over to Anadaga Park.

I think that's another big thing that we gotta take into account.

Um, but they learned how to ride bikes in the near west side, and there's not many places I would let them just go riding around.

And uh this helps in encourage that.

Um but uh uh somebody gave uh put out the idea.

Uh we said, okay, this is what we want it to be, this is what we're gonna do, this we're how we're gonna do it.

We um raised money through TNT to put the fence in.

I'm not even gonna get into a big conversation.

I negotiated the the being able to use the land with a railroad.

Um I got the railroad, uh told a lease with home headquarters, home headquarters is nice enough to do that.

Then we had a a working arrangement with um a group from the pump from the bicyclist world, and um uh we again we raised funds through TNT, some other places, and uh we got select uh select gravel, I believe it was used, uh put that in.

And then we you know had a basic design, um, got the got all of the material dropped off.

Uh I arranged to have the fence installed, and we literally got together with you know dozens and dozens of people and and did the design work, the shaping of it and everything else.

We even had to do a sweep plan.

Some of one of the one of the one of the group members um did the switch for it.

And uh that was part of having to be submitted.

So we had to go through a whole process.

So we didn't just willy-nilly throw stuff together.

Um, but it was a lot of work, and uh this would be this would really like level up the everything about it.

Thank you, Ray.

Thank you.

I also want to acknowledge that I have received several emails from constituents um who are very excited about pump track remaining as uh part of our recreation infrastructure and are urging us to mean uh make sure that that continues and connects to our transit infrastructure.

I'd like to backtrack on answer real quickly and just uh redo it.

Um for counselor, uh the cost of the pump track, we can figure out what the costs are for concrete, asphalt, labor, uh soil equipment.

We can figure out all those costs.

We don't have a scale yet.

We don't know what our size is gonna be, and that's why we wanted to start with this number and then fluctuate within that number.

I had to think about it real quick.

Thank you for that.

Um just just an idea.

I um I went and volunteer for um for uh a homeless initiative uh in the west side with Alamine.

Um and while I was there by WCNY, there is a space there, playground with pull a bar, there are sit-up uh machine down there that are built specifically for uh outside use.

Uh I'm saying that to say, you know, a couple of years back, we worked with the park department to put some benches uh into Elmwood Park.

You know, we with when uh I think you've uh when commissioner Julie LaFave was here.

We got that in people were taking advantage of those benches, especially with the creek right there.

And then parents are sitting on the benches, kids are you know, play using the playground.

I guess the idea came to my mind, and through that, you know, while the parents are sitting, they could get going with physical you know, engagement in in some sense.

Have we ever thought of remodeling that into our parks in case if when parents out there they can do some pull-ups when they want to, they can do some sit up and be physically active as well.

Yeah, we have so that project I was actually on the board when that happened.

That's that was the near West Side Initiative that installed them.

It was in front of one of the buildings, but folks well it they were some of them were moved, right?

Because they were built in front of our apartment building and people were using them late at night, so they moved them.

But we have them in Schiller Park and um Schiller Park, it's up near the pool, the other side of the pool.

We have them in Thornon Park.

We have them in Burnett Park.

Um, so we do have the um Magnorelli behind the building across from the park.

So we do have them spread throughout the city.

We're also looking to into potentially putting some in Josh knows this.

Um Libacotton, yeah, because that's what they do there.

They play basketball, they exercise.

Um, so we have been looking at where we can install things um to keep parents physically active while their kids play.

Oh, that's great.

So I just haven't seen them in my park yet.

What's your park?

Umwood.

Oh okay.

You want them at Elmwood, that's what you're asking.

Well, we will shout out our community engagement process right now for Elmwood Park Playground.

We received our first constituent request.

Um, I want to keep us on track, mindful of time.

Any last questions about the West Side Pump Track?

Any other firm or public engagement, please, Charlie?

Yes, good morning again.

Um, I was happy to comment earlier on the uh other matter.

However, I'm here today before this August body to implore a rethinking of the location of the police parking lot, which my understanding is would be closed off to the public and surrounded with an eight-foot fence.

I'm here not only as a member of an organizations that are committed to the area and who have put work in.

I've been involved with uh Lightbart Park since 2007, maybe 2008.

However, I am here as a resident.

The area is not just a commercial section, as it was described as being the Panchitos restaurant building.

It also has three apartments in it, making it a residential area.

Currently, there is a wild space, uh maintained wild space, it's not very tall.

Um, where a variety of wildlife is matter of fact, last night I was in Lightbart Park and saw four widow bunnies.

Sorry, but they were really cute.

Bunnies and butterflies are what occupies there currently.

It's important to have a pathway to the proposed bike path, which will extend from Tiphill to downtown.

I don't know that that parking lot will facilitate that.

I am certain that there are acres, multiple acres available on the western side of Geddes Street, extending further towards the new public safety building, and there's a very large empty lot at the corner of Erie Boulevard and South Gettys, which would be easily accessible to that area.

Um that's what I have to say.

And if anybody has any questions in regards to that, I'm happy or I am.

Thank you very much for that.

Thank you.

Any other comment public comments on the West Side track?

All right.

Hearing none, we're gonna move on to the next item.

Thank you all very much for your thoughts.

55 and 56 is bond ordinance um to defray the cost of travelers rest abatement improvements project, total amount not to exceed 200,000 dollars.

Yeah, this uh project is a project that we've been looking at for the number of years, probably three, four years now since since I've been uh with a department.

Um traveler's rest is a uh currently a non-functional building that's on Kirk Park West.

We do designate Kirk Park on an east side and a west side, it depends on where you are with the creek.

Um, this is an old stone stone building that is full of asbestos.

Um we can no longer use it for any functional programming, and we'd like to start a full clean out abatement project uh to make it functional once again.

We have an idea of how we could support the the trail system and the creek walk further, and because this was historically used for recreational programming, we'd like to bring that back to it, but also uh include some administrative offices, public bathrooms, um, an option for our crews to go to during the day to take a lunch break if needed, but also for community space.

The the dollar amount on the project was a lot more than 200,000.

This phase one of what will be more, or what are we looking at here?

Yes, this is looking at just the abatement and the clean out, um, getting anything that's wrapped in the old material out of there, and uh really starting from scratch.

Um, we have to get some construction documents for the the base of the building together so we can go further.

And after we commit to the project, what are we thinking about ballpark for a final dollar amount on your vision?

Yeah, for uh a final dollar amount for this one.

I'd say this wouldn't exceed a million dollars altogether.

Um we do have uh you good infrastructure there already, so we're not looking at a utility costs.

We have electrical to the building.

Um we have the the bones of the building on this one, so we like to not spend more than a million based on some of our other projects that we've conducted recently.

We've had a couple abatement this fall or spring, you think next year.

We like to start on the design.

We have to do a design for that abatement, so that would be this fall into a bid for next year.

Okay.

Any public comment on the travelers rest Kirk Park.

All right.

Moving on to items 57 and 58, um, which is the Homer Wheaton concession and test concession stand and splash pad improvement project.

Toll amount not to exceed 450,000.

So the goal here is to add a concession stand in a splash pad to Homer Wheaton Park.

Um it is a how do we call it pre-fab building, a building that's gonna be brought in and kind of um stopped settled down.

Um and a up in in that neighborhood, there is no place other than you have to go Thornton Park to cool down.

We know as we look outside today and look at the temperature, it's getting hotter every summer.

We want to provide spaces and places for people to cool down.

Um, and that park just does not have it.

It has some shaded, obviously, some trees around back that shade some of the park, but there's you know, there's a basketball court, a tennis court, a bait skew in a baseball field.

There's we want to bring more activity to that neighborhood.

And so this has been a capital improvement plan, right?

Yes, yes, at this amount or or lower than this.

Well, I'll give you some backstory on it.

This project um it c uh it was with the department before I had started with the department in 2021.

Um there were there was no progress made on it due to the structure of the grant itself.

So when we were able to actually get into it, we engaged with our consultant to come up with a design, right?

Um we started with that baseline 200,000 that we had in the grant.

Um, but to do a prefab uh precast concrete structure like this, um, to do any type of structure that would be needed for concession sand, it would way exceed 200,000.

Um so we have uh a cost estimate from our manufacturers, we have our our vendors, they've already given us all our quotes.

We're ready to go out and purchase that unit directly and purchase the splash pad equipment directly, but then the installation cost of everything that's the public bid.

That's what these funds would be for.

Um all the previous funding would be used to purchase all the equipment, and then this is just for us to get out to bidden.

So, what's the total project cost?

This 450 for the installation, what's the actual infrastructure cost?

So I've been in ball parking.

I I know I'm asking a question.

Uh it's our total ask right now is for 750 total when it all comes down.

Okay, that's the 200 plus this 450 plus the 150 we already uh in the capital that we've already had allocated.

Because this has been in the CIP for as long as I've been in office, which feels like 300 years, by the way.

But um yeah, okay.

We're now closest on this project than we have than we've ever been.

Um we're waiting for one final approval and currently from our permitting team on the on the actual building plan, and then we'll be good to go.

And the clerk informed me that this is going to be amended legislation.

Is that correct?

Yep.

Yep.

Where did the 200 came from?

That was a grant, uh DASNI grant.

I have to look to see who the original sponsor was on it.

Okay.

Yep.

And I just like to think the recognition that you referred to, you know, in terms of the climate and the weather and the fact that you know, I remember two summers ago, I remember saying this might be the coolest summer that we have the rest of our lives.

And to me, this is an issue of environmental justice.

And you know, as you rightly pointed out, that we need opportunities for our residents to be able to cool down in the summertime.

Um, and not all of our not, you know, not all of our residents can swim.

And so even if there is a pool in the neighborhood, that might not be an accessible option.

And so I really support um you know the construction of this splash pad and and others to come as you know we we deal with a warming climate.

Is that the only field that's being used for city little league?

Um inner city, so El Gunn, who we actually talked about.

Um, to my knowledge right now.

Well, Valley, we have some Valley Um Dun Valley, they use those, those fields as well.

Yeah.

Okay.

So along that question, how many of our parks have hair condition in their building?

Are they all do they all do?

Good question.

No, we are working on that.

That's one of our priorities.

Um, is to ensure that our kids, our adults, our constituents, um, have a cooling center or a place right now.

We use Magnorelli and C Sophore cooling centers.

And we're gonna probably have Chilo Chilla Park as well, probably next year.

Yes.

And we have um AJ, our um uh design architect is working on, has been working with engineer um engineering on a report to um understand what it would take to cool all of the buildings.

Some are are simple simpler than others.

Yeah, I think I think it's a commission, it's important to think about to think about something like that because especially in most distressed neighborhoods, that would be really helpful to have stuff like that, space like that where people can can run to and is like yesterday and about to be today.

Internally, our team is working really closely together between forestry for tree canopy, um, between splash pads and pools to have them rehabbed and replaced, but then also our interior are HVAC centers.

We really need to get our cooling centers up and going.

So all together you have these three real keys to cooling the temperature in the neighborhoods and also providing the access.

We need to be mindful more of extreme weathers, right?

It's likely we will get more snow and more heat.

So we need to have recreation, recreation for the winter and recreation for the summer that keeps people at temperatures that they can survive at.

Yeah.

And and then I'm I'm gonna last one, and I'm gonna be quiet.

I was at um I was at um uh Kirk Park last year, and I brought my kids to play basketball under the uh gazebo, is it?

Yep, the covered basketball court.

Yes, yeah.

And it started to rain and it started to leak.

And it's like I'm like has that been fixed?

Thankfully, we are working on that covered court right now, thanks to Brianna Stewer Foundation.

Okay, so more to come.

Okay.

Did Brianna have a answer to me or is she a ball in with her?

No.

Sorry.

Uh good morning, Nana Maroon.

I'm speaking as a constituent um in a former counselor of the district that you're talking about, Homer Wheaton.

And I'm so pleased that we're going to finally not only move forward that but recognize Mr.

Gunn, whom I worked with 10 uh 16 years ago, and the kids in that park.

It's it's been uh slight of that neighborhood for far too many years.

Uh there wasn't there's there's not even a bathroom there.

Um, and now we have a concession stand and a bathroom in the park.

Um and the neighborhood, when the counselors were asking about uh engaging uh neighborhoods like Rick was talking about and others, there was a wealth of people at the time that I was a district counselor that were really engaged in that park, and I encourage the parks department to reach out to them.

Um, not only for recognition of Mr.

Gunn, um, but uh people who live on Mountain View and have been uh really concerned for the kids who've grown up in that neighborhood.

So um I know this project's taking some time and the timetable looks like it'd be next year before it's probably completed, I would imagine, right?

Um so but I would I really wanted to acknowledge that and thank you and long overdue thanks.

Thank you, Nada.

I also want to remind everybody that we have a public hearing about the naming of the concession stand as well as the naming of the uh Dennis Bardinette ball court.

Um, and that is going to for McChesney Cent Community Center, and that's going to be held on Monday, July 6th at 5 30 p.m.

I believe it will be held here.

I agree.

Somebody's gonna correct me.

Yeah.

No, that's that's correct.

Matt may make a comment on Dennis Spartan at uh went to Hanegar High School with him.

Uh he has uh been a long time fisher on the north side, our parks community.

Uh my nephew went to us camp many years ago, so he's uh our senior member of uh our community, especially on the north side.

So I know we're gonna have a public hearing, but this will be also an opportunity to uh really honor him for his many years of services to the parks department and to our community.

Thank you.

Um my name is Laura Lawson.

I live over uh in the Salt Springton neighborhood.

So I'm assuming we went away from Homer Wheaton and we're talking about public hearing about naming because uh the one of the concession stand, the public hearing is about naming the concession stand at Homer Wheaton or Alonzi El Gulgun.

Baseball and then there's uh another naming also with the McChesney Community Center.

So we are still at Homer Wheaton, and you are welcome to end the comments.

So I guess I would say I don't know that we've heard about naming the item in or the building in Homer Wheaton.

So that's certainly something that we want to um let the Salt Springs neighbors know.

Um, but um I just wanted to say that I am a member of the Salt Springs neighborhood.

Um we've been doing a lot of work over the last couple of years to kind of bring up the neighborhood.

Uh as somebody who has lived um on Demong Drive for 40 years.

Um, I hate to say that I've never used Homer Wheaton Park because I've mainly been mostly unaware of it.

And so I think that building a splash pad, um, there's also some kind of grant that's in place for revitalizing that park.

Um, it's only gonna do the best thing for our neighborhood, and and certainly um we're very energized, and I know that aren't the neighbors in the Salt Springs area, and it can only help you know the whole city.

Listening to all of this is um really heartening to hear the positive instead of all the negative.

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you very much.

Any other public comments on Homer Wheaton?

Session stand.

Any other comments from my colleagues?

I just want comment.

I want to thank Commissioner Bird and the entire Syracuse Parks and Recreation staff for all you do, specifically in my common council district.

We do not have the financial meetings to go to these nice water amusement parks.

And when I see children at Union Park or at Schiller Park or at Washington Square Park, join the splash pads.

I cannot say thank you enough because this is what we're doing.

We're doing for the young people.

My district is lower middle income, and for what you're doing, we're trying to bring some joy to the children in the summer who cannot have the financial means having an air conditioner or central air in their homes.

When I see all these children going on, have a lot of fun.

That's thanks to the hard work of our entire Syracuse Parks and Recreation.

Thank you.

And let me jump in on the Love Fest while we have a moment here because let me tell you something.

I I thank the two of you every time in the 30 times a week that I probably talked to you without exaggeration.

Um you nailed June.

Like I don't think that the public always understands what happens when June gets here.

We have Taser Syracuse Pride, Polish Fest.

You're you have roller skating in the middle of Clinton Square.

Not just you, you, SPD, SFD, DPW.

Like literally every single time I've had to pick up the phone this entire month, you have nailed it.

I've never seen anything like it.

The coordination has been tremendous.

Every single department that you know, people know I run the Pride Festival at 22,000 people in a five-hour period in the middle of the inner harbor.

Steve Harris was with me at seven o'clock at night, trimming a tree branch.

Josh was calling me at you know 11 o'clock at night.

It's just it's people have to understand that you do very much with a very little, and uh this kind of investment, we should be doing this every year, period.

So thank you.

I can't thank you enough.

And I want to do it publicly.

So now here come my gripes.

Um let's get to the last two agenda items, and then we'll open it to a various public comments and any attendant things that are not on the agenda.

Um, thank you very much for the comments, everybody.

Okay.

All right, items number 59 and 60.

Uh bond ordinance for creek walk and trails, vegetation and vegetation management project not to exceed 350,000.

Hello, Steve Harris, City Arbor of Syracuse Parks.

Um this will be combined with two previous capital allocations so that we can impact the creek walk essentially from Franklin Square to the lake.

Uh we have a scope of work written up.

We're working through the regular regulatory issues, and we think it'll take those three um those three capital allocations in order to do all the work, which will be to manage the vegetation.

It's a reparian buffer restoration.

So right now that area is lined with a lot of invasive species.

Contractors will remove and control, and then uh the vegetation, and then we will replant with native trees with workforce programs with contractors and volunteers.

And we do have some landscape design ideas for the replantings, things that will not only be native but be beautiful.

Well, I think there's different there's different aspects of to what's going on along the creek walk, and the part we're focused on is re-naturalizing.

So there is a design element to that, but you know, nature is not orderly, so it's uh trying to mimic how plants grow in nature.

We have a lot of knotweed on the creek walk.

There's some sections that'll be out of that we were gonna do where the West Street ramp goes over the creek walk, but that section from Genesee to about the Plum Street Bridge, we're gonna skip over right now because there's a lot related to what the county's gonna do and I-81.

So we're uh staying out of there and just working away from that plum street bridge all the way north.

Could you speak about the lighting improvements?

I cannot.

Can you speak about the lighting improvements?

Light improvements as part of this allocation.

That's what it says right here.

Service roads lighting and fencing, in addition to oh, in in this 50 uh service.

Well, okay, there's not that is the catch-all that we use in that because when we're doing the restoration, um when this CIP was added to our capital plan, it was at the time we were having homeless encampment problems at Schiller, and we wanted to be able to address our restoration projects holistically, so we wanted to make sure we had those items in there that would allow us to do not just the vegetation improvement but any related necessary hardscape like improvements.

Okay.

So there's nothing formally planned here.

There are is lights along there, and those are managed by Ken Towsley, and um he communicates with us all the time when we got to manage our vegetation for those lights.

And often a lot of the vegetation overgrows on our fences and our fences end up coming down, they end up breaking apart, or a car might hit one that we don't see that it was down, so we'll go in and we'll attack that as part of this effort.

I I would ask that the landscape design crew touch space.

Uh it would be nice to have multi-season foliage, you know, for instance in the autumn having service berries or whatever.

I'm I'm terrible at this.

I'm not a botanist.

Um, but it would be nice with native reforestation to have a plan for what it would look like en masse in different seasons and have that be something that is attractive.

We'll make sure that uh Stephanie O'Heil, our natural areas manager who's behind me will communicate that with you.

Thank you very much.

I very much appreciate that.

Any questions from my colleagues?

Yeah, just just to a lot uh just one around um vegetation and pruning and all of that.

So there are roads and streets that are that are covered with a lot of a lot of vegetation on the side, right?

And then when when the spring comes and and summer comes, those vegetation obviously lean into the street covering signs.

An example, you're coming from roadcut uh Rock Cut Road, coming to Jamesville uh is it James Av, right?

Jamesville Av uh in the uh out of Comstock neighborhood, Yemuzville A, right?

Coming from Rept uh Rock uh Rock Cut Road into Jamesville, there's vegetation there that lean into the street a lot coming from Anadaga town of Anadaga into the city from broad road from uh community general hospital coming toward the city, uh South Av to Valley Drive right there.

Every year the vegetation just lean in deers are there, signs are covering.

Is there a strategy that every year when spring comes and and and summer comes to actively go out there and to make sure that we clear those of the road?

Because if you go now on South Av, coming in toward the city from town of Anadaga, you see all those vegetation they are leaning in and they are covering sign, and and that's that's a that's a busy road.

People are walking and it's covering this.

Any any plan at all about that?

I can speak to that a little bit.

Um the management of the right-of-way is the purview of DPW, and they used to be active in managing the right-of-way.

Um they have gotten away from that, and it's rolled over to parks, which I understand we we manage the trees already in the right-of-way, but we have only been doing that the for recent years.

That's a big that's a contract job that requires managing the roadways, and we do it as requested, but we do not have the bandwidth, nor are we set up with our contracts to manage vegetation that way.

Um the county does that.

They have uh the county DOT has highway vegetation management strategies, and we buy off those contracts and use their contractors to do this work.

Uh but right now we're just solving the problem in front of us.

Again, the forestry division, we manage all the trees in the right-of-way and manage vegetation as it comes up.

Um that's just been a shift in operations within the city in the last maybe just before COVID.

Um so no, we are not set up the forestry division to manage right-of-way vegetation management in the way you're talking about.

Well, I I think it may be something we we want to look at because uh like I said, we are blessed with you know, tree canopies, vegetation everywhere.

And it it does block views of drivers and people walking and stuff like that.

It may make sense to look at a request that you would take that up uh that you um have a conversation with DPW, see where they're at with that as the right-of-managers.

All right, I'll be able to do that.

And then if it's if it's determined by the powers that be that that's our role, then obviously we'll talk about it.

Any last comments?

I do want to reserve the last three minutes of the meeting if possible for any other public comments.

I just had a quick question to you, counselor.

Um I wasn't sure if tree pit enhancement and natural areas improvement were held up, those were passed.

All right, thank you.

Counselor, I guess prior to turning it over to the public.

I've got kind of a last thought for for the team.

Shoal said it was his last thought, and he's had sex more.

I'm done.

I'm done.

Listen, this is wonderful.

Thank you all for making this an enjoyable parks committee.

You know, I think uh Laura, you started the Love Fest and appreciate you for that.

You know, I I even wrote down what you what you said out loud, you know, that we're with this meeting, we're focusing on the positive instead of the negative, the the what could be.

Um, in terms of June, I I was saying to Councillor Monto, he forgot a couple things.

Um all of our pools open up in June.

Oh yeah.

The water chiller was great yesterday.

Yeah.

Would have been nice to know.

And so now we have all of our youth that are you know flocking to our parks in the month of June.

And you're prepping for all of our summer programs.

So it truly is uh an outstanding effort by you and your team that I want to commend and to recognize.

Um but beyond that, I think what we what we looked at today is roughly five million dollars in capital investment in our parks.

And I think that it is a testament to what could be in our city.

Um wanna thank the mayor and the administration and the parks department and the common council for being able to think about projects throughout the city to truly make Syracuse a more desirable, a more livable, a better place to be.

And we we don't often have agendas that are laden with you know so many capital projects all at once.

And you know, want to thank Josh.

I know that you were working closely with Councillor Arenreich to make sure that we could kind of package and showcase all of the really wonderful things that are happening throughout our parks and our parks department, and so just you know, a lot of a lot of gratitude and recognition to everybody involved.

Thank you.

Thank you for pushing past the naysayers because I look at you with the 20 years we've known each other.

We've been told a lot of times you can't build a community garden, you can't build a basketball court, you can't build a splash pad, and I say, you know, for lack of better words, the ass.

Yes, we're gonna do it.

Yes, we can.

Yes, we can.

We're only getting started.

That's right.

We're getting stuff done.

Please, please.

There you go.

Thank you.

Oh.

So I didn't know whether I was able to say something now, but I'm here about the uh veterans monument in Kirk Park.

Yes.

Please do not forget about us because it is a project that's been long overdue, and we've been working on it for you, a few years now.

And I think it's something that the community wants, and uh, whatever you can do to help us, we will appreciate.

I'm a board member.

I just came because Hannah told me you were having a meeting today, so I came to say a few words to make sure it's still on the agenda.

Please keep it in mind.

Thank you.

This is the honorable Linda Irvine.

Thank you very much.

Um, actually, could the parks department speak to that quickly?

I mean briefly.

I mean, we started with uh with with the project with the community wanting um the veteran African American and Hispanic Veterans Memorial in Kirk Park.

Um, we started with an architect designing it.

Um we've had money in the Capitol for the project.

Um we've been working with Dunbar Post and others to find additional funding to support the project because it came in over um the the allocated money that we at Parks had.

And I don't mean to cut you off, but a letter is coming for this project.

Yes, the letter will be on the agenda next round um because it's in our next capital budget.

What do you want to add?

Next one.

No, it's not in the next one.

Yeah.

That's gonna be a man to do that.

Yes, yep.

And I I apologize for not having it ready for this round of funding, but it is on the agenda and is a priority in addition to these capital improvements that we move that project forward.

Thank you for coming today.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Yep, didn't mean to cut you off there.

No, no, no.

I expect I did.

Did that other public comments before we close the meeting at almost the same amount of time over as we started?

All right, thank you all for joining us today.

Um, one more thing is that we will also be looking at capital improvements for Sunnycrest.

Yeah.

Steps?

Yes.

Yeah.

And railing steps.

In addition to the wonderful support of Assembly Member Hunter's office for the Homer Wheaton Project and Senator May's office for the stairs at um Westminster.

I do want to acknowledge the tremendous gift that the entire delegation and assembly member Bill Magnarelli has provided uh to Schiller Park this past two weeks.

The 11.5 million dollars.

It is a beautiful benefit and will absolutely enhance everything that we need for recreation, children's services, HVAC, and pools for our community.

Thank you, all of you, for all the help that you've provided and for everyone in this room who helped them do it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I make a motion to adjourn.

Can I need a motion to adjourn?

So motion second.

Second.

Thank you all for coming today.

Charlie Fall