Common Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. This is a regular meeting of the Rome Common Council. The date is March 25th, 2026 and the time is 7 p.m. Mrs. Campbell, please call the role. Councelor Sprace, present. Councelor Mortis, present. Councelor Bazio, present. Councelor Smith here. Councelor Riley here. Councelor Ducey, present. Councelor Spalia, present. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance. 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.

The invitation will be given by the chair. Let our work today reflect the diverse hopes, dreams, and needs of our community. And we strive to build a place where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered to thrive. Amen. Amen.

At this point, the meeting is now open to the public. You have the opportunity to appear before the council and present your views concerning city affairs. If you wish to speak, please do up to the back microphone, state your name and address, and limit yourself to five minutes. Also, please sign in on the speaker sheet to help with our record. We are ready for the first speaker. Good evening. Uh Frank Anderson, 11:06 Cedarbrook Drive in Rome. It's good to see everyone. Hope everyone is doing well. Um, I wanted to uh talk tonight and hopefully the municipal operations committee or the DPWW commissioner might be able to comment on it either at this meeting or perhaps the next meeting. And what I'm looking to do is maybe educate the public a little bit. Uh, and what I'm talking about is the rehab of the train station. Okay? And I know some of the counselors know that's one of my favorite topics. Um but you know it's well over a year ago um this council allocated $500,000 of the ARPA funding uh for the rehab that was to go along

with other funding that had already been allocated to the rehab. Uh Mr. Juliano had given us several updates along the way, but I know I've been gone 3 months and I went by the went went there the other day and it's worse now. Okay. Um, somebody tracked mud all throughout the whole station. Okay. The um the water fountains don't work. Okay. The scaffolding the scaffolding has had another birthday. Okay. And it it might even be vested in the city's retirement program. It's been there so long. Okay. And it just there's nothing going on there from the from the public's view. Now, I'm sure maybe there are other things going on. Um but the prior administration uh did not give the train station much of any priority. and I was hoping for more from the current administration, but I'm I'm not seeing it as a as a citizen. Uh the there's work to be done. It's interesting that there's there's notices on the windows from Amtrak that say that the lobby is closed due to construction. But the most important part of the notice is that it's not dated. So Amtrak either was thinking that the project would never start or they weren't sure when it would end. So, they didn't put a date on it on the notice. I guess the bottom line is I'm looking for an update, you know, how that money was spent. We we have an obligation to tell the citizens of the city of Rome how the ARPA money and other funding was spent. In addition, it just boggles my mind that we don't put a higher priority on what could be a transportation portal for the city. You

know, that's a reflection of the city. We care more about bike bike bike lanes on the boulevard than we do a a train station for the city. So, uh I'll leave it with that. You know, hopefully uh DPW commissioner can give an update on what's happening or what the plan is or perhaps if the municipal ops committee knows. I welcome any discussion. Thank you. Thank you, Frank. Next speaker, please. Anybody else wishing to speak? 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 Morris and Councelor Smith. Move and seconded. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. I. Opposed. Carry. Let's see. Guess we're going to write to report of city officials. Anything. Commissioner Juliano,

President Nash, members of the council, uh members in attendance, in reference to Mr. Anderson's question about the progress at the Rome train station. I will uh prepare a u an analysis a cost analysis and report that to the municipal ops department uh our committee and then we will discuss how we want to get that that out to everybody. Um we touched on it briefly in a meeting a couple weeks ago. Uh and to say that that project has stalled is the understatement just because uh we found more damage in the ceiling above the scaffolding that was holding the existing ceiling in place. So the the project is uh right now stalled and uh just sitting there waiting for an engineer's report to to move forward. So but I will uh I'll get a cost analysis out for Mr. Anderson and the the the citizens. Uh and I'll direct that through the mun ops committee.

Okay. Thank you. Commissioner Jo, anyone else for the counselors? Councelor Dury,

President Nash, members of the council. Um thank you councelor Anderson. Um it's nice to see you back in Rome. The spring spring must be coming here now. Baseball season. softball. Softball. Anyway, um for those of you that don't know the uh uh when when Frank sat next to me on on the council, um he was a big proponent of not just the train station of Roar Community Center. And and these are these are some some of the gems uh in the city inventory. Um and yes, we are moving along nicely with the Roar Community Center, not so much with with the train station. Um, we did share your concerns as as uh Commissioner Juliano did say, we had a meeting a couple weeks ago to talk about some sewage um and then that ran into the um train station. Nobody got that one, huh? Um the the the issues with the train station are are are there. Yes. Um I do know that that we we have finished up on some of the initial uh brick work on the outside that you were around for. The doors are in. Um the doors have helped secure things. Um there are still some some uh initial bugs that we have to work through to make things um whole again. Um but there have been steps moving forward. Not anywhere near where we want to be and and and we did have that meeting two weeks ago. Um I don't have the numbers in front of me to share because my notes weren't that good as far as the train station was concerned. Um, no. Okay. Um, anyway, the other parts of the now that I'm going to talk, I might as well just talk about that. Um, the MUN ops committee met. Thank you for

everybody that attended that. Um, we did talk about um some some um repairs, some issues along Muck Road, but the biggest thing that we did talk about was the the sewer uh upgrade programs. Um, so so I will have I I I I wrote something out to all of you. Um, hopefully you got that in the email. I was obviously I was a little under the weather the be this this past week. Um, I will report on that during the the the time for our our administration. Thank you,

Captain Ba.

Yes. Uh, President Nash, members of the council, members of the public. Um, I would just like to make a a public announcement. Uh, the city of Rome will be hosting an Easter egg hunt here on Griffo Green on Friday, April 3rd at 3:00. Uh it's for ages 10 and under. Uh they'll have the Easter Bunny. There will be Jervis Library giving out free books. Uh balloon animals and there will be music. And the rain date is Saturday the 4th. It's listed on the city website. Uh I've been sharing it in Facebook and I just want to make sure that the public knew about that. And while I'm on this, I might as well give you the report of the parks and uh recreation committee on the uh parks, open space and trails, the parks master plan. Um, the latest update that I have from the uh, Department of Community and Economic Development is that the consultant, which is Fiser, excuse me, is working on the edits that were provided to them by the uh, Matt Andrews and Danielle Salbury and they expect to have a draft for the public in the beginning of April and that is the latest information on that. Thank you.

Thank you, Council Spry. Any other report counselors? I just like to to remind everybody that the mayor has a town hall meeting tomorrow night, March 26, from 6:30 to 8:30 right here in the council chambers. Uh reporter committees. Okay. On to uh resolutions. Resolution number 50, resolution determining that the proposed action is a type two action for purposes of the the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act. Move it. Councelor Dury second. Councelor Riley moved and seconded. Any discussion?

All those in favor say I. Opposed. Resolution number 50 is carried. Resolution number 51 authorizing an interfund transfer into the sewer improvements upgrade capital project. So move more to second. Councelor Space moved and seconded. Any discussion? Councelor Darcy. President Nash. Members of the council, I guess this is the time that you were all waiting for.

Um okay. The the sewage treatment plant is is a project that is really two phases. um one is is a good thing and the other is also probably a good thing. Um so so what we're talking about right now is what we're looking at is we're trying to work we are we are working with a company um the company's name is Navatas. Um they are a design build company. They have um they they have done work before. Um they are working right now in Webster, New York on the with their biodigestertor um improving stuff for that. Um I I think it's a great thing that that we went this route um they have the experience um and and they have the ability to to plan for the future but yet help Rome with what it needs right now. Um, and what Rome needs right now above everything else is to make sure that our permits for the next few years come through. Um, I believe we're on a three threeear cycle. Commissioner Juliano, is it threeear cycle, fiveyear cycle for our permits? Do you remember? DEC 5

DEC 5year fiveyear cycle which just happened to be coming up the same year that that we are having uh Chobani um hopefully coming in um by March 2027 but our our our permits are due. Um they have asked us to improve upon our water which is some of the the the the best filtered water in in any sewage district that in New York State by by the numbers. So um so they New York State always wants us to ever upward right excelsier. um they want us to improve on where we're at and and so they're they're pushing us to a higher level. And in that process, we are going to have to fix some lights, some UV lights in one section and fix a not fix, add UV lights in one section and fix a overheating issue in one of our presses. Um which will allow us to become more efficient and they will give us our our um our our permits moving forward. That being said, um the elephant in the room is the Chobani plant coming in and we will need to work on upgrades for the Chbani plant and those upgrades will be part of this whole program. So they are going to help us. They are going to help us build and and and be prepared for what we need to achieve our permits and they will be helping us design for the next phase of the thing. And this will um uh at monetarily um lots of numbers involved um with with this sewage transfer interf transfers and different things in order to to take care of this fund. Um, but the long range goal is to have it, let me see if I I wrote the words down specifically. Um,

to add another revenue stream and make it sustainable, a sustainable revenue stream. They talked about green gas and brown gas. I thought gas was clear, but but that's related to to where the gas comes from. Um, in this case, brown gas is good gas because it's Anyway, um, so, so what what they're going to do is is they're going to work on a plan moving forward for us to get the people that have um to to to get the product that we are selling, which would be the the biodigestion energy to the grid and have them have us receive payments for credits plus receive payments for for accepting more waste. And so they're looking to create a situation um and part of this is is to create these this capital project and create a better position. I know I'm very being very simple but again this is uh we're at the macro level as far as the big project is concerned. Uh the initial estimates that we need is going to be a a a systematic immediate upgrade so we can get our permits and engineer for the future. So, this is what the council is is voting on in these next few resolutions to deal with that and I hope I explained it good enough because it it was a lot of stuff.

Thank you, councelor Dury. Any further discussion? the uh President Nash, fellow counselors. Uh I was at the meeting with councelor Dery and with Navatas uh I was very confident with them. Um also uh with Commissioner Giuliano as far as their knowledge uh moving forward on this u like councelor Dury was saying uh this Navatas is not they said they're about 90% done with the the town of Webster. Is that what it

town of Webster uh and it was a it was fair life I believe it is through Coca-Cola. Um, so they were you're talking, you know, uh, big time here. So, Chibani, Coca-Cola, you know, were big leagues and they're doing what they're supposed to do out there. And and when I talked to to the, uh, the individual from Navatas, uh, I said to him, you know, because of this experience that we're gaining from the town of Webster, is that something that's going to help us? And, and it was a slam dunk. He says, 100%. These are things that we can that we have run into with the town of Webster that we're not going to have with the city of Rome. So, I'm very confident with this company. Um, and and and I was very confident with the plan moving forward. Um, like I said, uh, Commissioner Giuliano, um, I don't think he gets enough credit. He is on top of everything that's going on as far as projects in the city. So, I want to give them, uh, props on that, but I also want to, uh, tell my constituents and the people of Rome to be confident with this company because, uh, first impressions are everything. I'm I'm very confident with them. So,

thank you, Councelor Riley. And the gentleman from Navatas also strongly recommend that the council take a a tour of the sewage treatment plant um before the expans expansion starts. Correct. Yes. So if you could arrange that maybe in sometime late April possibly. That's when everybody everybody will be around. Any further discussion? All those in favor say I. I oppose. Resolution number 51 is carried. Resolution number 52 authorizing the mayor of the city of Rome to apply and accept a grant from may from assemblywoman Maryanne Button John in an amount not to exceed $500,000. So moved.

Second. Council Spraya and Councelor Smith. Moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? All those in favor say I. I oppose. Resolution number 52 is carried. Ordinances. Ordinance number 9857, bond ordinance of the city of Rome, Onidita County, New York, authorizing the issuance of not to exceed 2,833,45 bonds to finance the cost of planning for future capital improvements to sewer system. Move it. Councelor Dury second. Councelor Riley, councelor, councelor Sprace, and councelor Fazio.

Ordinance number 9857 has been moved and seconded. Unanimous consent been moved and seconded. All those in favor of unanimous consent say I. I. Oppos unanimous consent is carried. Is there any discussion? All those in favor of ordinance number 9857 say I. I. Ordinance number 9857 is carried. Ordinance number 985A authorizing the temporary rebate increase to the sidewalk rebate program for the 2026 calendar year. So move. Councelor Mortise. Second. Councelor Fazio. You ask consent. Councelor Dury second

and councelor Riley. Ordinance number 9858 has been moved and seconded. Unanimous consent has been moved and seconded. All those in favor for unanimous consent say I. I. Oppose. Unanimous consent is carried. Any discussion? All in favor say I. I. Oppos. Ordinance number 9858 is carried. Ordinance number 9859 authorizing the closing of streets for the RFA commencement day. Move it. Councelor Smith second. Councelor Sprace unanimous consent. Councelor Mortis second. And councelor Sprace or Spraya. Ordinance number 9859 has been moved and seconded. Unanimous consent been moved and seconded. All those in favor unanimous consent say I. I.

Oppos. Unanimous consent is carried. Is there any discussion? And that is Friday, June 26th when I assume a rain day June Saturday. All those in favor say I. I. oppose. Ordinance number 9859 is carried. Ordinance number 9860, authorizing mayor of the city of Rome to approve the sale of city-owned parcel 420 West Park Street to buyer for $1,000. Move it. Council second. Councelor Riley, councelor Mortis and councelor Dury. Orange number 9860 is moved and seconded. Unanimous consent has been moved and seconded. All those in favor of unanimous consent say I. I

oppos unanimous consent is carried. Is there any discussion? All those in favor of ordinance number 9860 say I. I oppose. Ordinance number 9860 is carried. Ordinance number 9861 authorizing mayor of the city of Rome to enter into rehabilitation agreement and approving the sale of city-owned parcel located at 3 Cass Street for $5,000. So move second. Councelor Riley. Councelor Posley and councelor Sprace or number 9861 is moved and seconded. Unanimous consent has been moved and seconded. All those in favor of unanimous consent say I. Oppos unanimous consent is carried. Is there any discussion?

All those in favor of boards number 9861 say I. I post ordinance number 9861 is carried. The chair will annotate a motion to remove or resolution number 48 from the table. So move Smith. Second counc. All in favor say I. I. Opposion number 48 authorizing the mayor to in to extend an agreement with Onidita County for a traffic ticket diversion program.

Discussion. I received an email from the mayor this afternoon. Um it was tabled because he wanted to review the financial aspects of this program to see if it was worthwhile to continue. And after him and I assume uh treasurer Adams looked at it they have he has recommended that we approve this. Any further discussion? All those in favor say I. I. Oppos. Resolution number 48 is carried. Chair will entertain a motion to adjurnn. So move. Councelor Smith second. And councelor Mort. All in favor say I. I. Opposed. We are journ. Thank you all for coming tonight.