City Council - Regular Meeting

Testing. Testing. I'd like to call the City Council business meeting to order. Today is Wednesday, June 17th. The time is 6.03. Can we please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance?

Clerk, can you please take the roll? Council President Dundon is absent. Council Member Rathmell? Present. Council Member Matavetsky? Present. Council Member Hotchkiss? Present. Council Member Murray? Present. Council Member Cavanaugh? Present. Council President Pro Temp-Middleton? Present. Thank you.

Thank you so much. We will begin by approving the minutes for the business meeting on June 3rd, 2026. Do I have a motion?

A motion.

Do we have a second? A second. A motion and a second. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Thank you. We do not have any appointments this evening. Are there any reports from committees?

So special rules met on Monday to discuss the towing legislation. We came up with a number of changes which our corporation council integrated into legislation. And it is not on the agenda because one of the people who had signed it out decided to unsign it out. So we will continue to discuss and make sure that people feel comfortable and confident voting.

The planning committee also met last Thursday, the 11th, to discuss the FY52 HUD budget for ESG, excuse me, emergency solutions grant, community development block grant, and home funding. the particulars of the differences between what the mayor recommended in his proposed budget and what the Community Development Advisory Council put forth as well as aspects of the annual action plan. So we have a public hearing tonight regarding the same and anticipate a vote before the end of the month.

Thank you, anybody else?

environmental Commission is meeting tomorrow at noon and before that meeting the eco talks committee of the environmental Commission is meeting at 11 a.m and I guess going back to the rules I didn't summarize, we put in a bunch of changes like requiring the reporting of if you've been pulled off a list for another municipality, right? So if you're a tow company and say the sheriff's department removes you from the list, that we want to make sure we are notified of that so that we can understand if there was cause and if there's a risk or concern to the city. So we added that in. In a couple of other items, we wanted to make sure that it was really clear that there was no extra fees beyond the flat fee that was being set. And we changed it so that instead of the police department setting the fee, the city council would be setting the fee through the budget process and the fee schedule section. So those were the modifications that we made. And then there was a discussion surrounding whether or not We wanted to do a lottery system or just continue with the same people who are already on the list kind of in perpetuity unless they cause a problem that would then get them removed from the list. So that was the one kind of area where it wasn't clear what this body would have a preference for, which is why there was two drafts that were made up on that. So I thought they'd both be in the packet today so people would have a chance to review them, but since they're not, I'm gonna request the clerk's office send those out so that people can compare the two versions so that we can hopefully get this signed out anticipating a special business meeting before our next meeting. So I hope that we can come to an agreement on what we want that to look like. Anybody else?

Okay, well let's move on to our public hearings. We have one public hearing tonight regarding RL26-118, an ordinance authorizing the mayor to submit the FY52 annual action plan and accept funds from HUD. City residents are welcome to speak. You'll each have five minutes to discuss this topic. Please note that the comments during the public hearing are limited to the FY52 annual action plan only. If you have additional comments on other topics, you will have a chance to present them in the general public comment period. So if you want to speak regarding the FY52 annual action plan, please come down. So it doesn't look like we have anyone that wants to come down regarding the FY52 annual action plan, but we do have some emails. So go ahead, clerk.

From Susie Kitchen, board member, Phelps Mansion. Dear members of city council, as a retired educator in the Binghamton City School District and a current board member of the Phelps Mansion Museum, I am writing to express my strong support for the ballroom roof repair funding proposed in Mayor Cram's budget. During my years of teaching, I was fortunate to bring multiple classes, most often fourth graders, to the Phelps Mansion Museum. Their connection to their social studies curriculum made these visits especially meaningful. Paired with downtown architecture walking tours, these experiences allowed students to step beyond the classroom and truly engage with the history of their community. In-person being there experiences make student learning come alive in ways that no textbook can replicate. The ballroom has always been central to those experiences. It is not just a historic space, but a place where young learners encounter Binghamton's past in a tangible, memorable way. It also serves as a vital community gathering place, a true third space where residents of all ages can come together for cultural, educational, and artistic programming. Spaces like the Phelps Mansion are essential to a thriving city. They foster connections, spark curiosity, and create a sense of belonging. Preserving the ballroom ensures that future generations of students will have the same enriching opportunities that my classes did, while continuing to provide accessible programming for the broader community. I am honored to serve on the board of the Phelps Mansion Museum and to be a steward of its stories, art, and the unique encounters it offers within this historic home and community space. I respectfully urge you to support this funding and help protect an institution that plays such a vital role in both education and community life in Binghamton. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration. From Dr. Paul Cienewa, Executive Director of the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra. I am writing on behalf of the Binghamton Philharmonic to express our enthusiastic support for the proposed budget allocation to fund critical repairs for the Phelps Mansion ballroom roof. We request that this comment be read into the official record and forwarded to all council members ahead of the upcoming vote. The Phelps Mansion is an invaluable historic and cultural anchor for downtown Binghamton. For years it has served as a vibrant community space for the arts, providing local residents with accessible, high quality cultural experiences. Our partnership with the Phelps Mansion is a testament to its role as a strong collaborator with local organizations. Most notably, the venue hosts our Phelps Mansion Museum Series, which presents four sold-out chamber music concerts each season. The ballroom offers a uniquely intimate and acoustically wonderful setting for these performances, allowing us to deeply engage with our audience in a way that larger venues cannot replicate. Furthermore, hosting arts and cultural events at a historic venue right in the heart of downtown directly contributes to the economic and social vitality of our city center. Events like our chamber music series bring residents and visitors downtown, supporting local restaurants, shops, and small businesses, and fostering a sense of pride in Binghamton's architectural heritage. securing these funds to preserve the integrity of the ballroom roof is vital to ensuring that this historic landmark can continue to serve the community safely and effectively we strongly urge the city council to vote in favor of approving this funding thank you for your consideration From Professor Pej Wrights from the Ithaca College School of Music and Binghamton University. I am writing to support the funding help with the Phelps Mansion new roof. I am a college music professor who has performed numerous times at Phelps. As a community member, I see the value of the Phelps with the following in our area. Phelps is a community space for the arts. Phelps is a strong collaborator with local organizations. Benefit of having events at a venue in downtown Binghamton, contributing to the vitality of the city center. I recently held my students piano recital at the mansion. The audience was a full house. The students worked so hard to present stellar performances. These experiences are invaluable to their learning. I support this organization fully. I hope the funding will come through so our community can continue with this amazing venue in downtown Binghamton. From Rich Allman, I'm writing to ask that you share the full city council my request that they vote to support City of Binghamton HUD entitlement CDBG funding for the Discovery Center. This funding is crucial for the replacement of their original and outdated HVAC systems without which they cannot operate. Parts are no longer available for their current system, which is needed to maintain legally mandated temperatures in their city-owned building. Other NYSCA and grant funding have not been successful in raising the needed funding to this point. The Discovery Center hosts over 60,000 visitors per year with over 30% coming from Binghamton. Their educational enrollment for UPK and after-school care is limited to children from Binghamton schools. It is a great Binghamton legacy institution that deserves your support in helping to ensure the children they serve have a great place to learn, grow, and play through hands-on experiences. Thank you all for your help to help our children in our community to thrive. From Mary Tuttle, I am writing to express my strong support for the inclusion of funding for the Phelps Mansion Museum roof replacement in the mayor's budget and I respectfully request that this letter be read into the record and forwarded to the members of the city council ahead of their vote. The Phelps Mansion has become an important gathering place for our community and I've seen that firsthand through my role as project coordinator for History Forge, a free public-facing platform and event series that brings residents together to explore Binghamton's history and make our local history more accessible to all. Events like this are invaluable to the community. They are free to attend, welcoming to all, and offer people a genuine third space to connect with neighbors and with the history of the Binghamton area. The ballroom at the Phelps Mansion has been an ideal home for History Forge gatherings. The space has the infrastructure to host meaningful community events, it's conveniently located for residents across the city, and its historical character makes it a natural fit for the kind of programming History Forge offers. The alignment between the space and the programming it hosts has made for a genuinely productive relationship between History Forge and the Phelps Mansion. Looking ahead, History Forge is actively planning contributions to the Center City Project, an initiative that has the potential to make a real and lasting impact on community engagement in our area. By making local history and historical data for that area more accessible, History Forge hopes to both help illuminate its history and provide historical context necessary for revitalizing the Center City neighborhood. The Phelps Mansion is a key partner in that vision, especially given its proximity to Center City. Investing in the building's long-term health is an investment in the community work being done within its walls. I hope the Council will support this funding. The Phelps Mansion Museum is a community asset well worth preserving, and the people and organizations who rely on it are doing work that makes our city better. Thank you for your time and for passing this along to Council. From Christopher Robbins, I am writing as founding director of the School of the Arts at Binghamton University to express my support for funding the much needed roof replacement at the Phelps Mansion Museum. I respectfully ask that this comment be read into the record and forwarded to city council members. The Phelps has long been an important community space for the arts in Binghamton, and it has been a valued partner for Binghamton University students, faculty, and programs. Through collaborations like our First Friday programming, the Phelps creates meaningful opportunities for BU students to present work, engage with the public, and be part of the cultural life of the city. The historic relationship between the Phelps and the opera program is especially important, and we see the site as a vital place for students to connect their work to audiences beyond campus. Supporting the Phelps also supports downtown Binghamton. Events at the Phelps bring people into city center, strengthen the relationship between the university and the city, and contribute to a more active and vibrant downtown. For these reasons, the School of the Arts supports the proposed funding for the Phelps Mansion Museum roof replacement. Thank you for your consideration.

Nothing else, that's it? Thank you so much. If there's no more discussion, do I have a motion to close the hearing? Motion to close the public hearing. I have a motion. Do I have a second? Second. Motion and a second. All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed? Thank you so much. We we have no public hearings to set for the next business meeting. We can now move on to public comment. Please come down to the microphone and introduce yourself by first name and indicate whether you live in live or work in the city of Binghamton. Each speaker has five minutes to address city council on city issues.

Hi, how are you? My name is Kristin Cuter and I am a resident of the Four Oak Street condominiums. I appreciate the city's cleanup efforts and understand that homelessness and addiction are complex issues that require compassion, support services, and long-term solutions. However, I'm here tonight because the homeless encampments along the Susquehanna River across from our community continue to return, and the problems associated with them continue to impact the residents and the environment. So my concerns fall into three areas. First, the environment. The Susquehanna River is one of the most significant waterways in the Northeast and is home to bald eagles, geese, ducks, turtles, fish, and countless other species. Trash, fires, tree cutting, and human waste along the riverbank threaten the valuable ecosystem and the long-term health of the river. Second is public safety and quality of life. Residents have witnessed fires, loud disturbances, and individuals accessing the area by foot and kayak. Like every resident, I should be able to return home after a day at work and feel safe and comfortable enjoying my property. Families within our community have expressed similar concerns about safety and security. Third is the future of Binghamton. Many residents have noticed an increase in homelessness, drug-related activity, and visible encampments over the past few years. I appreciate the city's effort to revitalize Binghamton and the positive impact of Binghamton University on our community. However, residents also want to see meaningful progress on these issues. A thriving city must be both compassionate and safe. not asking the city to choose between helping vulnerable individuals and protecting neighborhoods we must do both respectfully ask the city to share its plan for addressing these reoccurring encampments and to continue pursuing solutions that support these experiencing homelessness those experiencing homelessness while also protecting the environment public safety and the quality of life for nearby residents thank you for your time and consideration

okay i'm scott law for i live in binghamton um and my friend kristen just was expressing concern about the homeless that live along the river i see it as well and what i asked city council is to have a seat at the table when the county has the rfp well they have an rfp now to study the the problem they're looking at it though from a cost savings and i asked city council to look at it from a people perspective because Binghamton is really ground zero for homeless in the county so you all need to be active with the county and and follow their whole process carefully so that we as a community can move forward on improving a bad situation and I know you all know what you know the situation so thank you

Is there anyone else that would like to speak tonight? Clerk, do we have any emails? Thank you. Can you read those into record?

From Kelly Philhauer, the owner of Off Hours Auto Repair. I am writing on behalf of Off Hours Auto Repair to respectfully request that our company be added to the city of Binghamton's official tow rotation. Our business has the equipment, staffing, and operational readiness to provide timely professional towing services to support the city's needs. We also wish to address a matter of process and fairness. Our application to join the tow rotation was submitted well before any public discussion of a new proposed law that would limit the number of tow companies permitted on the rotation. As such, we respectfully ask the council not to pass or finalize any such limitation before our pending application has been fully reviewed. Excluding our business from consideration despite having submitted our application in good faith and ahead of these discussions would feel punitive and inconsistent with transparent, equitable treatment of local businesses seeking to serve the community. We are simply asking for the same opportunity to be evaluated as any other towing provider that applied prior to the introduction of this proposed restriction. Off Hours Auto Repair Inc. is committed to providing reliable professional service to the residents and agencies of Binghamton. We hope that council will ensure that our application receives a fair and timely review before any new limitations are enacted. Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to the opportunity to serve the city of Binghamton.

Thank you so much. And thank you to everyone else. And thank you to everyone who spoke tonight. We will now move on to our second read legislation. First on the agenda, we have Introductory Ordinance 026-52, considered in planning with Council Member Rathmell.

Thank you, Council President Pro Tem Middleton. I'd like to make a motion to adopt Introductory Ordinance 026-52, an ordinance to authorize the purchase of 15 Fayette Street.

I have a motion. Second.

A motion and a second. Discussion? So this specifically is, as it sounds, the, thank you. The authorization for the city of Binghamton to purchase 15 Fayette Street, the original asking price which council members discussed in January with Mayor Cram was $285,000. We agreed on reserving That amount from CDBG capital funds for the purchase since that amount has been reduced to $275,000. The source will remain CDBG capital during our June 3rd. Yes, June 3rd business meeting, we approved a lease, so the intention of this purchase very specifically is to lease it to Binghamton University's Harriet Tubman Center to expand that center into Center City.

And I just wanted to make a correction. I did say second, it does say second, but it really is first.

Oh, this is second?

Oh, all right, I'm confused, sorry. Okay, thank you.

You're good.

Any other discussion regarding this?

I think I'll just add that we've had a lot of community conversation upon learning of the lease itself. The lease to Binghamton University's Harriet Tubman Center is for $1. But I think what hasn't popped up in the community conversations is that the center will be fully responsible for renovations. So the amount of money that they intend to put into the building to renovate I want to say, I believe, as other council members have put it, is far more than we would collect in rent in a decade. So that is the balance that we're seeking here with this partnership.

Okay. We don't have any other discussion. Clerk, could you please call the roll?

Council Member Rathmell. Aye. Council Member Matavetsky. Aye. Council Member Hotchkiss. Aye. Council Member Murray. Aye. Council Member Cavanaugh. Aye. Council President Pro Temp-Middleton.

Aye. Thank you, that is 6-0. Thank you so much. Now we'll move on to first read Legislation or Introductory Ordinance 026-48 considered in planning with Council Member Rathmell.

Thank you, Council President Pro Tem Middleton. This is introductory ordinance 026-48, an ordinance to authorize the sale of two and four and a half Fayette Street to Broome County Habitat for Humanity.

I have a motion, do I have a second? Was that a motion?

No.

It was not a motion, so I'll make the motion.

Okay, do I have a motion, do I have a second? I'll second. Discussion regarding this?

The, to introduce it, the executive director from Habitat for Humanity came to present, oh goodness, late May, early June, regarding the purchase of these two properties for $1 each. Our discussion included requesting their consideration as an organization of building at the very least a two family home. Currently these two Parcels are zoned in an R3 district, which would allow for multifamily housing to be built. There were previously 12 plus units on these properties. And the concern that was shared, which I think will come up in discussion this evening as well, but the concern that was shared that has been consistent when we're dealing with these vacant properties is that we don't want to reduce the potential housing stock. the sale and so Habitat did make it clear that they at this time We're not willing to consider building more than just two single-family homes on these sites And I will if it's okay kick it to councilmember Hotchkiss whom I believe has discussed alternative sites with the organization since I

sure um i so in wanting um habitat humanity for humanity to come back to binghamton to do work here like i support that but i again i as you've already heard i have issue with taking up a multi-family zoned lots Combed through the parcel mapper those city-owned vacant lots in our one in our two neighborhoods a gave them a list They've been reviewing it and I paired paired it down to I think five or six different viable Spots that they could do the same type of development that I think would be better better fit. I don't think they've they've locked in any single one of those but there's Just by reading their notes. There's some enthusiasm There's another like side-by-side lots on the the east side and I think 22 Clark Street was seemed like there was enthusiasm for that lot so And those are in I think they're both our two neighborhoods so that that would be my preference in having them do single-family homes. And I think they're still considering the other alternatives to those vacant lot, other spots where they can do the same type of development. So that's my update. I emailed you the list earlier. I got this list today. So you got it about the same time that I did. That's where I'm at.

With that in mind, Council Member Hotchkiss, and with them still reviewing those last couple of parcels, are you thinking a motion to hold over to give them more time to consider and get back to us on the alternative sites?

Yeah, I think it would be, I don't know if they're expecting us to vote on this right now. So that doesn't seem like it's aligning with their current plans in my mind. So yeah, I would make a motion to hold over.

second we have a motion on a second so this is going to be held over till next right till next business meeting and I had a question too so I know that like we want to have it multi from multifamily housing but I think one of the things she said was there I don't remember, but did she say that there wasn't, they didn't have enough volunteers? Is that why they didn't want to make it multifamily? Is that, was that one of the?

I think it, if I remember correctly, she said it has, they've only done one. They're currently in the process of doing a two-family in Johnson City. Otherwise, their model has consistently been to just do single-family homes, and that is the area of expertise for their volunteers. I'm not sure it was a capacity thing. I think it was that their volunteers prefer to build single-family as opposed to multifamily. Okay.

I'll ask her too, I wasn't sure, I thought there was a barrier there, so I'll ask. I think that's kind of where I was kind of stuck. I understand we want multifamily, but if they can only cover that, excuse me, if they can only cover that basis, then I understand both sides of it. So I just wanted to, I'll ask her again just in case.

I think the message to reiterate, and I think that we've, I've certainly reiterated to the executive director as well is, general support certainly for bring it as council member Hotchkiss said for them coming back to Binghamton to build But just finding an appropriate fit for their capacity that still allows us to leave those are three parcels available for Increasing our housing stock as much as we need to Anybody else

So that'll be on our next business meeting. So we will now move on next on the agenda for introductory resolution R26-48, considered in public works with Council Member Hotchkiss.

Make a motion to adopt introductory resolution R26-48. This is a resolution to enter supplemental agreement number one with Colliers for Binghamton Plaza pre-demolition testing.

I have a motion, do I have a second?

I'll second.

Motion and a second. Discussion regarding this introductory resolution?

This is just a continuation of some of the testing that has to be done for the demolition and hopefully it'll be a result and a cost saving measure for the demolition.

Okay, any other discussion? Clerk, can you please take the roll?

Council Member Rathmell? Aye. Council Member Matavetski? Aye. Council Member Hotchkiss? Aye. Council Member Murray? Aye. Council Member Cavanaugh? Aye. Council President Pro Tem Middleton? Aye.

Thank you, that is six-zero. Thank you so much, everyone. Now we'll move on to communications from council. Tonight we'll start with Council Member, District Six, with Council Member Matavetski.

Oh, she left.

Oh, we'll start with district.

I'll take six.

Yes, okay, we'll start with Council Member Rathmell.

Thank you, so given the public comments that were shared this evening, though Council has not yet shared publicly the details of the plan we've been coordinating in response to really the community conversation on homelessness that we held just over a month ago now. It has been about seven weeks since the murder of Peter Benedim. And we are still finalizing aspects of this partnership before we fully announce it publicly. But given the public comments that were shared, I do want to note that Binghamton City Council members have been in discussion for the last few weeks with Community Solutions, a national technical assistance organization that has developed a number of methodologies specifically to reduce unsheltered homelessness in communities as well as targeting encampment response and strategic coordination and resource collaboration efforts. They have, as a national organization, agreed to support the city of Binghamton in deploying what they have called their direct-to-housing encampment response. You can Google most recently Dallas, Texas, which announced its ending of unsheltered homelessness in the downtown core. They deployed the direct to housing encampment response. There are dozens of communities that have done so. And Binghamton hopes to be the next city that partners with these organizations with expertise. So what we have done toward that at this time is we're engaging with the local COC, the Southern Tier Homeless Coalition, to start a systems modeling analysis. of homelessness assistance projects that piece of it gets pretty technical but it gives us a essentially a picture of the inflow and outflow of local homelessness assistance projects, identifies our gaps, and gives us a baseline for implementation for this methodology. I want to say as well that I've met a few times with Mayor Cram. He is fully on board in deploying this partnership and deploying this methodology, so I think we have a full the executive level as well as the legislative level a commitment to move this forward and hopefully see the meaningful impact that other municipalities have seen thank you so much councilmember Hotchkiss no comments tonight thank you councilmember Murray I don't have any comment thank you councilmember Cavanaugh no comments tonight

Well, I guess it's my turn. So I'll start off. On Friday at 11 o'clock, I mean 11 a.m., we will be having our annual Juneteenth flag raising. All are welcome. It is going to be a good time. Along with at the park on Saturday, there will be a Juneteenth celebration. I'm not sure what time that starts.

12? Yeah, thank you so much.

at 12 o'clock at Center City Park, New Center City Park, and that's gonna be a good time to connect with your community. There'll be a bunch of free resource, a bunch of free resource information. We're going to have a table out there regarding the Center City initiative, so come stop by our table, talk to us. It's going to be a great time. What else? Next week, is it? i think we have we have one more week we have a um a west side neighborhood meeting coming up and also go new york knicks so that's all um and if um we're all done i'd like to make a motion to adjourn i have a first and a second we are adjourned all in favor aye thank you guys have a good evening