Common Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. This is the regular session of the Rome Common Council. The date is February 11th, 2026 and the time is 7 p.m. Miss Campbell, please call the role. Councelor Sprace, present. Councelor Mortis, present. Councelor Fazio, present. Councelor Smith here. Councelor Riley here. Councelor Dery, present. Councelor Splia, excused. Please rise for pledge of allegiance. 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.

Yeah. Bear with [clears throat] me for one minute. The invitation will be offered by the chair. May this meeting be blessed with clarity, cooperation, and a shared desire to serve the common good. Let us begin with grateful hearts. Amen. Amen.

This time the meeting is open to the public. You have the the opportunity to appear before the council and present your views concerning city affairs. If you wish to speak, please step up to the back microphone, state your name and address and limit yourself to five minutes. Also, please sign in on the sign-in sheet to help with our record. We are ready for the first speaker. [clears throat] And my name is David Nu. I reside at 7075 East Dominic Street and my concern is East Dominic Street, particularly between Kingpin and cemeteries. Uh during the summer, it's not bad, but right now at this time of year, pedestrians walking down that street is very dangerous. Uh there were used to be a street light in front of my place, uh but a car took it out about 7 years ago. still has never been been replaced. I have reported it on multiple occasions to the city over the last seven years. Uh but still has never been replaced. Now, I realize it's not probably not feasible to put a sidewalk in, but my thought was uh when they're ready to redo the street, maybe they could widen it about two feet that [clears throat] mark it out and that would give the pedestrians room to walk. Don't worry, bud.

Outside of the lanes of traffic, uh there was a teenager that was struck and killed there in front of the cemetery about 10 years ago, 11 years ago. And and I have given people rides when I see him walking down, but it's just too dangerous. In summertimes, it's not bad. They can walk in the grass, but right now, like tonight with the snow, you can't see these people walking. and they the uh speed limit down through there is 40 miles an hour and some of them even do 45 and 50 and that is just basically my concern is there something done for the pedestrians down there before someone else gets hit and killed.

Thank you. Thank you David. It's in please. Is there anyone else wishing to speak? [clears throat] He wants to be gone.

Hi. Um, my name is Matt Moore and um I'm the president of Rome Clean and Green. Um, we've been in Rome for 35 years. um been a little bit dormant for the past six or seven years. Um so past uh year we've been trying to make a resurgence in the area. Um today we just had the mayor um sign a pledge uh for the greatest American cleanup which is coming up for our um 250th anniversary of our independence. Um, so I' like to see if uh we could get the counselors once we get a form together to um sort of commit to the same sort of thing about um basically a litter cleanup. Uh we'll be doing our uh starting event on April 25th. Um and that'll be going on till July 4th. um working with Keep America Beautiful again to um basically try to pick up 2.5 million billion pieces of litter uh before July 4th. And so we have a lot of um uh things from tree planting to community gardens um recycling awareness um adopt a spot um different community cleanups uh that we have and um so I look forward to meeting you all and um if you have any questions uh please be free feel free to contact me afterwards.

Thank you. Thanks Matt. I'm sure the council would be interested in it. Anyone [gasps] else wishing to speak? No. Public session is closed. The chair will entertain a motion that the reading of the minutes of the preceding session be dispensed with and that they be approved. So move. Councelor Mortise. Councelor Smith. Moved and seconded. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. I. Oppose. Carry. Let's see here. We have no petitions, no communications. So, we'll go right to report of city officials, public safety commissioner White, [cough and clears throat]

President Ash, members of the council. Um, just uh quickly on resolution number 31, uh, Chief James was unable to be here today. Um, he's recovering at home from a medical procedure. So, I just want to make everybody aware of that. That's why he's not here today. Uh the second thing I want to bring to the council's uh attention, if they're not aware already, is that uh today was the official announcement of Chief Gar's retirement. The city's been blessed for over 36 years of his service in the Rome Fire Service. And uh he's more than a department head to me. He's a personal friend. All I ask is that if anybody sees Chief Grotch out there, they thank him for his service. And um we look forward to uh announcing the new chief once uh we've uh done our search on that. But uh I just want to recognize Chief Grotch for his over three decades of service to this city and we were very fortunate to have him. Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner. Anyone else? DPW Commissioner Juliano. President Nash, can we can I confirm the address of the first speaker? 7075 East Dominic Street. Thank you. Uh, report counselors. Councelor Spice. [clears throat]

Thank you, President Nash. Um, to our first speaker, David, I do represent that area. Um, you have some legitimate concerns and I said I would look into the I will look into the light which our commissioner study would but you're not wrong with needing sidewalks and things. I don't know if we can make that happen but there are there is a need for something to be done over there because there is nowhere there isn't anywhere for anybody to walk especially winter and even any time of the year. So I'll I'll have some [clears throat] discussions. I don't know what we can do but we'll we'll look to it. So I we can't have a discussion back and forth. I can only talk to you. But but anyways, I'm glad you brought it up. That is a concern that dates about if you want to stay after, we could talk after. Thank you. [snorts]

Anyone else? [clears throat] Port of committees. Resolutions. Resolution number 30 authorizing amendment to OC Narcotics Control Service Special Revenue Fund CEW HHB. Move that. Councelor Fazio. Councelor Dury moved and second. Any discussion? Council Darcy. President Nash.

President Nash. Members of the council, I would like to make a motion to amend the resolution number 30 to delete the the um HHB within the title and within the main body in the two in two spots in the first whereas at the end and under the the title of the source control because those those were put in there in error. It's just a strict error thing we got to get rid of. Second. Second, Council Spice. Any discussion on the amendment? [clears throat] All in favor of the amendment say I.

Oppose the amendment carries. Any further discussion? All those in favor of resolution number 30 as amended say I. I. Oppose. Resolution number 30 as amended is carried. Resolution number 31. Delegating the authority under general municipal law section 77B to the chief of the city of Rome Police Department. Move it. Bice. Second. and mortise. Resolution number 31 has been moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? All those in favor say I. I. Oppose. Resolution number 31 is carried. Resolution number 32 authorizing six employees in codes office to attend NYSOC central chapter conference $2,400 plus tolls and mileage.

So move. Councelor Mortise second and councelor Smith moved and seconded. Any discussion? Dr. Mortis, President Nash, members of the council, I just want to thank Mr. Shaver for coming tonight. Um, I don't have any questions, but thank you. The my biggest complaint with department heads and commissioner White said it first thing up there. Chief of police was unable to come. He's here. So, thank you for coming. That's it. Thank you. Sure. Thanks. Any further discussion? All those in favor say I. I. Oppose. Resolution number 32 is carried. Resolution number 33 authorizing amendment to the 2024 streets and bond account. Move it.

Councelor Smith second. Councelor Fazio moved and seconded. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. Oppos. Resolution number 33 is carried. Resolution number 34 authorizing the mayor to enter into an agreement with Dark Angelo and Co. LLC. So move. Councelor Mortis. Second. Councelor Spice moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? All those in favor say I. I oppose. Resolution number 34 is carried. Resolution number 35 authorizing an intrammunicipal agreement with the county of Onida relative to roadside mowing to be provided by the city of Rome. Move it. Councelor Smith. Second.

Councelor Dery moved and seconded. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. Oppose. Resolution number 35 is carried. Resolution number 36 authorizing an intermunicipal agreement with the county of Onida relative to roadside ditching to be provided by the city of Rome. Move it. Councelor Dury second. And councelor Smith moved and seconded. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. I. Oppose. Resolution number 36 is carried. Chair a motion to adjurnn. Move it. Councelor Dury second and councelor Smith. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. I.

Oppos. We are adjourned. Thank you all for coming tonight on this clustery evening.