Common Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening everyone and welcome to the July 13, 2026 Common Council meeting. At this time, we have at 715 public session and prior to public session, I have a special proclamation that I'd like to read. Before we get started with that, I would like to make a note that the group in the organization who is going to be here tonight used to come from a entity called Arise. And as of July 1st, they have a new name. And I thought this would be a good opportunity to share that. July 1st, the new name is Indera. I-N-D-E-R-A. Sounds pretty cool. Indera. And that one is, as I said, started July 1st, and according to the press release here, it's today, the 13th, and they're going to be speaking after I read the proclamation, hopefully to give us some words of wisdom on what they're doing in our community. So again, today is the anniversary for Americans with Disability Act. And I want to read the proclamation and I want to do it right here up front. Can I have some of the members from Indira and residents that would like to come up and join us? Gather around. All right, guys. We did this last year, right? So we're doing it again, and we'll do it every year as long as I'm here. All right? So today, July 13, 2026, whereas the Americans with Disability Act, or ADA, signed into law on July 26, 1990, stands as one of the most significant pieces of civil rights legislation in American history. Ensuring that individuals with disabilities are afforded equal rights, opportunities, and protections under the law. And whereas July 26, 2026 marks the 36th anniversary, wow, goes fast, doesn't it? Of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a milestone that celebrates decades of progress toward greater accessibility, inclusion, and equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities across the nation, not just our community. Whereas the ADA has transformed communities across the nation by promoting accessibility, removing barriers, and fostering greater independence and participation for people with disabilities in all aspects of daily life. And whereas the City of Oswego recognizes that accessibility and inclusion strengthen our entire community by creating environments where all residents and visitors can live, work, learn, and thrive with dignity and respect. And whereas individuals with disabilities continue to make meaningful contributions to the cultural, economic, educational, and civic life of our city, enriching our community through their talents, leadership, and perseverance. And whereas we acknowledge the ongoing efforts of disability advocates Caregivers, educators, service organizations, employers, and community leaders who work each and every day to advance accessibility, awareness, and equal opportunity. And whereas the anniversary of the ADA serves as an opportunity to celebrate the progress achieved over the past decades while renewing our commitment to building a more inclusive and equitable future for all people. Now, therefore, I, Robert A Corradino, Mayor of the City of Oswego, do hereby proclaim July 26, 2026, as Americans with Disability Act Anniversary Day in the City of Oswego. And encourage all residents to recognize the importance of accessibility and inclusion, honor the achievements of individuals with disabilities, and continue working together to ensure equal opportunity for every single member of our community. Signed, Robert A. Cordino. Thank you. You're sort of the leader of the pack. Who would like to say a few words? Would you like to do it, Josh? We appreciate it.

We will be at the farmer's market on Thursday. We're going to have a table out passing out information about Endera. Like I said, the services we provided are the same. But like I said, new name started July 1st.

And just a reminder, at one o'clock this afternoon, we all gathered in the Civic Plaza, along with Councilor Plunkett, and we raised a flag, and that flag will be up the whole month of July, to honor all your efforts. Thank you so much.

Have a good day.

All right, we're gonna take a picture. Yeah, come on in here tight. We have a professional photographer here, so pictures should turn out pretty good. All right. See you again next year, right? Same time.

See you later, Jim.

Okay, continuing on with the public session, I have one person signed up, Kyle Zinzar of the Seventh Ward, if you want to come up to the podium. And we have simple rules. You probably remember Kyle since you've been here before, but I'll read them again. No profanity, no name calling, no personal attacks, and please try to keep it to five minutes. Yep, sounds good. Four is yours. Thank you.

My name is Kyle Zintars. I'm in Seventh Ward. And I'm here to talk about two different topics that seemingly might not be connected, but are very deeply intertwined. So first off, I know we just honored the ADA, which is amazing. I'm very happy to hear that. It is also Disability Pride Month, as it's known, in July. So I'm here to just recognize that. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease following a medical emergency in 2018.

And I have been... Could you put your mouth a little closer?

Sure. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease following a medical emergency in 2018. I've been immunocompromised ever since. While I wasn't disabled prior to this experience, the COVID pandemic shortly after made a lot of things dangerous for me. which is why I wear a mask. I spent the early years of the pandemic learning from disabled people, immunocompromised people specifically, on how to survive, government abandonment, healthcare system issues, and people who believe that caring for disabled people and making the world accessible is a waste of resources, which is a very common thing in our world. This leads to severe underfunding for disability services and accessibility initiatives. So I'm very happy that we do a flag raising for the ADA. I think that's incredible and we need to continue to spotlight that in order to make the world more accessible for people. I did want to shout out Indara also. They provide a free ramp program for people who are in need of accessible housing. I know this because a close friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer and began using a wheelchair when things worsened and didn't live in an accessible home. They were there in a couple days to set up a ramp for free. They operate entirely on donations from the community. It is an incredible thing to fund here because it helps people who are abruptly disabled, who have long-term disability, and who can't necessarily afford to change their housing. So if you're ever looking for donations, that's a good one to give some money to. Their efforts actually allowed for us to help my friend get out of the house when she wasn't able to. We were able to just go around her neighborhood, which she wasn't able to for a long time. And it allowed for her to have a day at the beach, which was her final day at the beach. before she passed. So I find their program to be incredible for a lot of reasons and I just thought it was worth sharing in this time as we're celebrating Disability Pride Month. So it kind of leads into the second one, which I said is a little not connected, but it is. When we aren't funding certain things, we are funding other things. So when funding is cut or deprived, it often shifts into other realms in our community. So I'm also here to talk about my concerns about the upgraded and expanded surveillance camera system. Cameras don't make the public safer. They make criminalization easier. They are also a tool for abusing power, for taking away privacy in public spaces, for selling data to corporations and government agencies for their own agendas, for tracking the actions of political opponents, and for taking away people's ability to choose when they are recorded. I choose to be here knowing I'm recorded, knowing that this goes up so that other people can see what we talk about here, because that's government transparency. I also know this is an accessibility issue. Disabled people who might not be here get to watch this on their own time in their own space. That's an important thing. But I chose to be here to be recorded. I did not choose to be recorded when I walked over the Bridge Street Bridge, for example, or drive over the Utica Street Bridge. I just was. So installing a Big Brother-ish surveillance system in a city without even asking the public if that was what they wanted seems to be an issue. I'm curious how many constituents were consulted on this decision. I'm also curious why, with so many recent stories about abuse in the police force, we're trusting the police with this kind of technology. When all of these stories come to light about how people abuse their power to stalk, spy on, harass community members, why are they just given that trust? why are we pushing to eliminate privacy in public spaces so i've got some questions that i will send to you all in an email i'm hoping that you can provide some transparency for since this affects every single person in the community and i think we all deserve to be heard in that process so i'll read them here but i'll follow up with an email So questions that I have, who will have access to the surveillance system? How will accessing the system and using the system be tracked? So will we know who's using it and how? What is the accountability process for abuses, misuse, unapproved access or violations? Will the public be informed about those? What locations are prohibited? So schools, playgrounds, restroom areas. As a mental health provider, confidentiality is a big part of what I do. Are the clients that I'm seeing able to have confidentiality when they're being recorded going into and out of an office? Doctor's appointments. What protections will exist to prevent abusive, angry, creepy people in positions of power who might use this technology to spy on kids, to track ex-partners, to stalk people they randomly choose? Will the public be provided a map of where these cameras are located so that we can choose when we want to be recorded and when we don't? Will we know that our kids are being recorded or not? Will we know that we're being tracked? Will data be human verified or will we experience increased issues with AI errors leading to wrongful accusations and ticketing, which we've seen in other states across the country? What is the procedure for if AI tracking gets something wrong? Will we have access to that data and images to correct that if we're accused of something or wrongly ticketed? And what security measures are you taking to make sure that cameras aren't hackable? We've seen this with like flock cameras and other camera systems as well that people can easily access and just have at their own in their own space with their own technology. So I'll pass these questions along to you through email. If you can provide any transparency, that would be greatly appreciated because I know I'm not the only one who's concerned about this. And personally, I think that funding could be used in a better way to promote safety in the community, while also feeding, housing, caring for people, and including the community in these decisions. One good example is continuing to make our city more accessible for disabled people. So thank you.

Okay, that was the only person that had signed up. Is there anybody here who didn't sign up and would like to speak in the audience? Seeing no one, I will close public session.

And we will start the meeting exactly at 7.

One minute. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Please call the roll. Is that under the Mayor? Here. Councilor Kennedy? Here. Councilor Ashland? Here. Councilor Lautensack?

Here.

Councilor Fitzgibbons? Here. Councilor Meyer? Here. Councilor Plunkett? Here. Councilor Thompson? Here. All present.

Thank you. I have a couple items under the Mayor's report. In the last couple weeks since we met, we've done the usual things in the mayor's office. We received emails, phone calls, texts from constituents. We met with department heads. We talked about issues that are important to the city. So it has been a busy couple weeks. We did have a Friday off, so we had to take care of business in one less day. But I also wanted to express my sincere appreciation to the Oswego Police Department, the Oswego Fire Department, the Community Development Office for their tremendous work in organizing this year's Independence Day Parade and Black Farm. As we know, events of this scale require months, and I mean months of preparation and significant effort on the day of the event. As most people who were enjoying those events were enjoying a day off and enjoying the events themselves, our DPW was hard at work as well as police and fire. So I think they certainly should be recognized and that's what I'm doing right now. They deserve the recognition for all that hard work during those events so we could all be safe and enjoy ourselves. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated and hardworking team committed to making these celebrations successful for our residents. Item number two, I also want to recognize those who helped commemorate our country's 250th birthday by ringing the city bell 250 times. Once again, the police department donated hearing protection for the members that were up in the tower, which was very important. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to hear today. But in addition to the police department, I'd like to recognize our retired city engineer, Tony Liotta, who started about a year ago emailing me and bringing this to my attention that in 1976 on the 200th bicentennial, they also did that 200 times. So in addition to Tony Liotta and myself, there was Councillor Fitzgibbons, Martin O'Toole, Jake Mulcahy, and my son Joe Corradino. And after that event, I believe, Counselor? I believe that we discussed that the only one in our group or the only two people in the group that could be there for the 300th was Jake Mulcahy and Joe Corradino.

I currently have it penciled in.

Yes, so in 50 years, we've got two people already signed up for it. And whoever the mayor is in 50 years will be ringing it 300 times and hopefully the police department still have ear protection for us. So as I said, that was a great event, and we did it in record time. According to some estimates, we were going to be there 42 to 45 minutes, but I believe we got it done in 15 to 20 minutes, and probably the heat was the motivating factor there. It was hot up there. Okay, following the holiday events, we held a debriefing meeting last week. We had OPD, OFD, DPW, and Community Development to review what worked well during the celebrations. What did not work well and what improvements should be considered for future parades and block parties. Several suggestions were submitted by residents via text and email and they were all discussed during that debriefing meeting. These are post-event evaluations that are standard practice for the past ten years in my administration and in the previous administration. We conducted similar reviews last year after the pool season was over to discuss what worked, what didn't work, and what we should change. We also every year had debriefing meetings after Harbor Fest. So basically, we want to ensure we continually refine our operations and deliver the best possible experience for the community. Next item on my list, last week the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary welcomed Force Blue team to Oswego as part of their tour of duty. For those people that don't know what Force Blue is, this is a group of retired veterans who happen to be scuba diver or divers who assisted in documenting four historic shipwreck sites across Oswego and Jefferson County in the waters of Lake Ontario. They gathered precise underwater measurements, imagery to support ongoing preservation efforts, and help with all round investigation. And it was an honor for me to attend. They had a barbecue at Wright's Landing Marina, and it was an honor for me to represent the city and to thank the veterans for their service to our country and for their participation with the Marine Sanctuary. A great bunch of guys. There are 18 total Marine Sanctuaries. The Marine Sanctuary in Lake Ontario was number 16. So they take turns going around to the various sanctuaries to do their diving work. So they were here in Oswego a couple weeks ago in the Oswego Jefferson County area. The next item, believe it or not, on a day when it was like 90 degrees today, Christmas tree lighting committee met last week. I wanted to point out that once again, it takes a lot of hard work. They met last week, this is the committee's first meeting. And this is a time honored tradition held, as we probably all know, the Saturday after Thanksgiving. And it requires a significant coordination each year with OPD, OFD, DPW, community development. And I appreciate the committee's early efforts to ensure another successful event. Snow will be here before you know it. On Thursday, I attended a ceremony at Brightback Park at 1 o'clock where New York State Senator Chris Ryan announced a $30,000 grant in support of Harbor Fest. As we know, Harbor Fest has had some challenges in the recent history, and it was great to see Senator Ryan and the State of New York help out. I want to personally thank Senator Ryan for his continued commitment to Oswego and for recognizing the importance of this signature community event. He's truly a great partner for us. We already did it earlier, but I think it's worth repeating again. This month marks the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. It's a landmark piece of legislation that affirmed equal rights and protections for individuals with disabilities. It remains a critical foundation for ensuring accessibility and inclusion in communities across the nation, not just in our city. And again, thank you to Councilor Plunkett who joined us for the flag raising today, this afternoon at 1 o'clock. That flag will be up the whole month of July. Also last week, I met with NOAA officials, and this is after the barbecue of two weeks ago. And I had an opportunity to meet with them and discuss temporary office space for the team while they're working towards selecting a permanent location. So I just want to let everybody know that The marine sanctuary is progressing forward. Eventually there's going to be a museum slash offices and myself and other city officials are hoping that we can convince NOAA and the sanctuary advisory committee that Oswego is the best place for that. There are four counties, so there's four counties probably vying for that. Offering temporary office space to them I thought was a goodwill gesture to help them make a decision. Finally, I want to extend my sincere appreciation, and I'm glad that the city clerk and the deputy clerk is sitting right here in front of me. I want to pass along sincere appreciation to the entire clerk's office. especially Susan Sailor in the office for their exceptional work throughout June as residents responded to the enumeration mailing approved on January 27, 2026 for the dog census. The mailing received during the first week of June resulted in 586 new dog licenses. Let me repeat that, 586 new dog licenses. That generated $8,450 in revenue that we didn't have before. These figures reflect activity through the end of June. And we anticipate additional licenses as the enumeration continues. The clerk's office handled this increased volume with professionalism, efficiency, courtesy, and ensuring residents receive excellent service during this busy period. Thank you to the two gentlemen in front of me for leading that effort. And that brings me to the end of my mayor's report and to the first item on today's agenda. Please call resolution 226.

Approve minutes, common council meeting held June 22nd, 2026.

Council Plunkett, Councilor Meyer.

Comments? Please call the roll. Councilor Thompson. Yes. Councilor Kennedy. Yes. Councilor Ashland. Yes. Councilor Lautensack.

Yes.

Councilor Fitzgibbons. Yes. Councilor Meyer. Yes. Councilor Plunkett. Yes. Resolution passes 7-0. Call resolution 227. Appoint Commissioner of Deeds.

Councillor Kennedy, Councillor Lautensack, any comments?

Please call the roll. Councillor Thompson. Yes. Councillor Kennedy. Yes. Councillor Ashland. Yes. Councillor Lautensack.

Yes.

Councillor Fitzgibbon. Yes. Councillor Meyer. Yes. Councillor Plunkett. Yes. Resolution passes 7-0. Call resolution 228. Approve use of public space, Craig Gilkey, owner of a professional building located at 157 West Bridge Street in order to replace the sidewalk.

Councilor Meyer, Councilor Plunkett. Comments?

Please call the roll. Councilor Thompson. Yes. Councilor Kennedy. Yes. Councilor Ashline. Yes. Councilor Lautensack.

Yes.

Councilor Fitzgibbons. Yes. Councilor Meyer. Yes. Councilor Plunkett. Yes. Resolution passes 7-0.

Call resolution 229.

Approve use of public space, David Thompson, in order to host the class of 1976 class reunion along Lake Street on Friday, July 31st, 2026.

Councilor Kennedy, Councilor Ashland. Comments? Please call the roll.

Councilor Thompson? Yes. Councilor Kennedy? Yes. Councilor Ashland? Yes. Councilor Lawton-Sack?

Yes.

Councilor Fitzgibbon? Yes. Councilor Meyer? Yes. Councilor Plunkett? Yes. Resolution passes 7-0. Call Resolution 230. Approve use of public space, Oswego County Breastfeeding Coalition in order to host the Big Latch On event in Brightbeck Park on Friday, August 7th, 2026.

Councilor Lattensack, Councilor Ashland. Comments?

Please call the roll. Councilor Thomson. Yes. Councilor Kennedy. Yes. Councilor Ashland. Yes. Councilor Lattensack.

Yes.

Councilor Fitzgibbon. Yes. Councilor Meyer. Yes. Councilor Plunkett. Yes. Resolution passes 7-0. Call Resolution 231. Approve use of public space, Suzanne Maniccia, in order to host mat, pilates, and yoga sculpt classes at Montcalm and Brightback Parks on Mondays and Tuesdays throughout August.

Councillor Plunkett, Councillor Ashland. Comments?

Please call the roll. Councillor Thompson. Yes. Councillor Kennedy. Yes. Councillor Ashland. Yes. Councillor Lautensack.

Yes.

Councillor Fitzgibbons. Yes. Councillor Meyer. Yes. Councillor Plunkett. Yes. Resolution passes 7-0. Call resolution 232. Approve use of public space office of economic development in order to host additional summer concert series performances at veterans stage.

Councillor Thompson, Councillor Kennedy. Comments? Please call the roll.

Councilor Thomson. Yes. Councilor Kennedy. Yes. Councilor Ashland. Yes. Councilor Lautensack.

Yes.

Councilor Fitzgibbons. Yes. Councilor Meyer. Yes. Councilor Plunkett. Yes. Resolution passes 7-0.

Call resolution 233.

Approve use of public space and a Jukich Cox in order to host a neighborhood block party along West 3rd Street on Saturday, July 18th, 2026.

Councilor Meyer, Councilor Ashland. Comments?

Please call the roll. Councilor Thompson. Yes. Councilor Kennedy. Yes. Councilor Ashland. Yes. Councilor Lotzak.

Yes.

Councilor Fitzgibbons. Yes. Councilor Meyer. Yes. Councilor Plunkett. Yes. Resolution passes 7-0.

Call resolution 234.

Motion to rescind resolution 193 dated June 8th, 2026.

Councilor Ashland, Councilor Plunkett. Any comments? Please call the roll.

Councilor Thompson. Yes. Councilor Kennedy. Yes. Councilor Ashland. Yes. Councilor Lawensack. Yes. Councilor Fitzgibbons. Yes. Councilor Meyer. Yes. Councilor Plunkett. Yes. Resolution passes 7-0. Call resolution 235. Approve use of public space John Bletch in order to host Drum Fest on Saturday, August 22nd, 2026 at Veterans Stage.

Councilor Meyer, Councilor Lautensack. Comments?

Please call the roll. Councilor Thompson. Yes. Councilor Kennedy. Yes. Councilor Ashland. Yes. Councilor Lautensack.

Yes.

Councilor Fitzgibbon. Yes. Councilor Meyer. Yes. Councilor Plunkett. Yes. Resolution passes 7-0.

Call resolution 236.

Accept bench donation from Chantal Manwaring to be placed along the West River Walk.

Councilor Plunkett, Councilor Ashland, comments? Please call the roll.

Councilor Thompson? Yes. Councilor Kennedy? Yes. Councilor Ashland? Yes. Councilor Lautensack?

Yes.

Councilor Fitzgibbon? Yes. Councilor Meyer? Yes. Councilor Plunkett? Yes. Resolution passes 7-0. Call resolution 237. Authorized demolition of former car dealership located at 410 West First Street.

Before I ask for a motion, I just want to re-emphasize, and I know the council has talked about this for several months. This is just to knock down the old Shapiro Park automobile car dealership. You've made it quite clear that this doesn't require you to do anything other than that. It's just to knock that down. I believe we received seven bids and we're taking the lowest bid. And that eyesore will be coming down, which will improve West First Street. So again, it's just to knock down the building, nothing more. Can I have a motion, please? Councilor Lautensack, Councilor Plunkett. Comments? Please call the roll.

Councilor Thomson? Yes. Councilor Kennedy? Yes. Councilor Ashland? Yes. Councilor Lautensack?

Yes.

Councilor Fitzgibbon? Yes. Councilor Meyer? Yes. Councilor Plunkett? Yes. Resolution passes 7-0.

Call Resolution 238.

Authorize City Chamberlain to complete a budget amendment in the amount of $59,669 to the Police Department materials and supplies account to move previously awarded grant funds.

Council Lonset, Councilor Meyer. Comments? Please call the roll.

Councilor Thomson. Yes. Councilor Kennedy. Yes. Councilor Ashland. Yes. Councilor Lonset. Yes. Councilor Fitzgibbons. Yes. Councilor Meyer. Yes. Councilor Plunkett. Yes. Resolution passes 7-0.

Call resolution 239.

Authorize city chamberlain to complete a budget amendment in the amount of $88,090 to the fire department equipment account to purchase mobile computer aided dispatch units.

Councilor Ashland, Councilor Thompson. Comments? Please call the roll.

Councilor Thompson. Yes. Councilor Kennedy. Yes. Councilor Ashland.

Yes.

Councilor Lawton-Sack.

Yes.

Councilor Fitzgibbon. Yes. Councilor Meyer. Yes. Councilor Plunkett. Yes. Resolution passes 7-0. Call resolution 240. Accept bid submitted by Guardian Environmental Products in the amount of $145,232 in order to furnish the rotary scum skimmer equipment at the Eastside Wastewater Treatment Facility.

Councillor Thompson, Councillor Kennedy. Comments?

Please call the roll. Councillor Thompson. Yes. Councillor Kennedy. Yes. Councillor Ashland. Yes. Councillor Lawson. Yes. Councillor Fitzgibbon. Yes. Councillor Meyer. Yes. Councillor Plunkett. Yes. Resolution passed at 7-0.

That was the last item on the agenda. Is there any unfinished business? Councillor Kennedy.

So I just wanted to take a brief moment to recognize everyone that helped make Pride Fest this past Saturday a success. It was wonderful to see residents, families, community organizations, non-profits, and local businesses come together in such a positive and welcoming environment. One of the things that stood out to me most was the number of organizations providing information about community resources, mental health services, healthcare, housing assistance, and other programs available to residents. It was a reminder that connecting people with available resources can have a meaningful impact. As many of you know, I'd hope to facilitate a discussion during Pride Month about community resources available to LGBTQ plus residents and the broader community. While that discussion ultimately did not occur due to procedural concerns, attending Pride Fest reinforced to me that the conversations remain valuable when they are tied to appropriate legislative actions. Going forward, I look forward to bringing forward future initiatives that build on these issues while remaining consistent with the city's legislative process. Thank you.

Okay, anybody else? Seeing none, can I have a motion to adjourn? Councillor Plunkett, Councillor Ashland. Please call the roll.

Councillor Thompson. Yes. Councillor Kennedy. Yes. Councillor Ashland. Yes. Councillor Lautensack. Yes. Councillor Fitzgibbons. Yes. Councillor Meyer. Yes. Councillor Plunkett. Yes. Resolution passes 7-0.

Thank you, everyone. Have a safe drive home.