Syracuse Common Council Regular Meeting - August 3, 2026

The Syracuse Common Council met on August 3, 2026, at 1:00 PM for a regular meeting. All nine councilors were present. The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation by Father Fowley. The council approved the minutes of the July 13 meeting, heard committee reports, and voted on numerous items, including several with dissenting votes. A resolution recognizing Sharon Washington for her contributions to early childhood education and an honorary street sign for Lombardi's Import Market were adopted. Several items were held for further committee discussion.

Committee Reports

• Public Transportation Committee: Met on Wednesday, July 15, at 10 AM to discuss updates on the Interstate 81 and 690 project.
• Public Safety Committee: Met on Wednesday, July 29, at 4 PM to discuss the status of the Citizens Review Board (CRB). A letter of support for the CRB was read into the record, signed by multiple councilors, directing the board to resume its investigations consistent with city code unless a court decides otherwise.

Resolutions and Recognitions

• Recognition of Sharon Washington (Item 40): Councilor Hudson introduced a resolution recognizing Sharon Washington for her 38 years of dedication to early childhood care, development, and education. Ms. Washington spoke about her career, noting it was her first formal award, and thanked the council. The resolution was adopted unanimously.
• Honorary Street Sign – Lombardi's Way (Item 42): Councilor Nave introduced a resolution to install an honorary street sign at the intersection of Butternut and Lowery Street in recognition of Lombardi's Import Market, a family business operating since 1970. The sign will be in place for one year and then given to the family. Adopted unanimously.

Discussion Items

• Data Sharing Caution (related to Item 44): Councilor Moore urged caution to ensure that organizations receiving city contracts, such as Galaxy, do not share city data with third parties. He thanked the director of technology for taking the issue seriously.
• Data Centers and State Moratorium (Item 33): Councilor Majak thanked the governor and state legislature for imposing a moratorium on data centers, citing massive trade-offs that need regulation. Item 33 was adopted unanimously.
• Items 10 and 11: Adopted unanimously with the note that further discussion would occur at a committee meeting on Wednesday, July 15.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimous Adoption: Items 9, 10, 11, 13–32, 36–39, 41, 43, 45–47, 49–50, 52–53, 61–67 were adopted unanimously.
• Item 12: Adopted with an 8-1 vote; Councilor Aaron Reich voted against.
• Items 34 and 35: Each adopted with a 6-3 vote. Councilors Caldwell, Hudson, and Jones-Rouser voted against; Councilors McJoe, Aaron Reich, Nave, Moore, Williams, and Monto voted in favor.
• Item 51: Adopted with a 7-1 vote; Councilor Aaron Reich voted against.
• Items Held for Committee: Items 48, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, and 59 were held for further discussion at a committee meeting.
• Local Law Introduced and Tabled (Item 60): Introduced and tabled without a vote.
• Adjournment: The meeting adjourned with a motion carried unanimously.