Common Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. This is the regular session at Rome Common Council. The date is August 26th, 2026. The time is 7 p.m. Mrs. Campbell, please file the roll.

Councilor Spirace.

Excuse.

Councilor Mortis.

Present.

Councilor Fazio. Present. Councilor Smith.

Here.

Councilor Riley.

Present.

Councilor Dursey.

Excuse.

Councilor Spiraglia.

Present.

Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. Pledge of Allegiance to the Pledge of Allegiance of the United States of America.

under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

The invocation will be offered by the chair. God of wisdom, bless those entrusted with leadership. May our deliberations be thoughtful, our actions honorable, and our service dedicated to the welfare of all. Amen. Amen. At this time, the meeting is open to the public. You have the opportunity to appear before the council and present your views concerning city affairs. To 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 speaker sheet. We're ready for our first speaker. No?

That wasn't me.

Good evening, Frank Anderson, 1106 Cedarbrook Drive in Rome. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, members of the Council. Good to see everyone. Hope everybody's enjoying their summer. I'm not here tonight to ask for an update on a train station, but if Mr. Giuliano is so inclined to give one, I'd be very receptive to receiving one. And rather, I would Just wanted to talk about Resolution 102, and I was hoping for a little more information. I'm sure Treasurer Adams has briefed the Finance Committee and the Council. This is the $2 million transfer from the general fund to the Retirement Contribution Reserve. And I just, when you look at the the agenda and you look at the supporting legislation, it's hard to tell why this is happening. So I was hoping someone can share some light on that, perhaps Treasurer Adams. And my question is, why is this necessary for this year? And if so, is this the first time we've done such a move of funds? because I don't recall in prior years that we've done this. That's $2 million from the fund reserve just before budget time. So it's kind of important. So I'll leave it like that. Any light that Mr. Adams can share, I'm sure there's a very good reason for it. And I'm sure there's been a due diligence by the council, and I'm just looking for more information. Thank you.

Thank you, Frank. Next speaker, please. Is there anyone else that wishes 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 moved.

Councilor Smith? Second. And Councilor Riley? Moved and seconded. Any discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Carried. Let's see, we have no petition to communications. Go right to report to city officials. Treasurer Adams, I'm sure you'd like to say something.

Mr. Anderson, The reason why the city has made the decision or has requested the decision to the council to contribute to this reserve is because the city received approximately $2.1 million in additional temporary AIM money this year that was unbudgeted for, unexpected, and is a, you know, we're happy to receive it. Uh, what we're planning to do with this retirement reserve account is to fund it with the 2Million dollars that once again was received and not expected and to utilize that over the next few years to help with budget concerns and rising expenses related in this case to retirement. expenses. So kind of in short, we received an extra $2 million that we weren't expecting. We're happy to receive it. We're going to fund this reserve and hopefully utilize it in the budget to help bridge the gap between expenses and revenue for the next couple years. Any other questions?

Where did the money come from?

It was temporary aid money received from New York State.

Good. Thank you for your items. Anyone else? Reported counselors. That's a Riley.

President Nash, fellow council members, citizens, Roman, any visitors that we have tonight? Uh, I just want to take a second and discuss the Romark Community Center real quick. Recently, the Common Council had a tour of the center. We were very impressed with what we saw. The center is housed in the Carpenter House and has grown into a vibrant hub for the arts, culture, learning, and community life. They have children's programs, concerts, exhibitions, workshops, celebrations, and other ongoing opportunities people of all ages in our community are invited to explore with their creativity, expand their horizons, and flourish. With this being said, we are always discussing sports and things of that nature. As a community, as a flourishing community, we need to start thinking more than that. Have opportunities for Kids and adults that are not necessarily all around sports. Sports are a wonderful thing. I love it. I've got season tickets to the upcoming Chiefs season, but there's also things like these concerts and these workshops and these exhibitions, etc. Us having a thriving community is all about variation and having choices, especially at a young age. The Romark Community Center provides that. As a community, please take advantage of this wonderful resource, and we are fortunate to have this in our community. Thank you.

Thank you, Dr. Bradley.

President Nash, members of the council, members of the public. I just want to reiterate that last week the mayor made a formal announcement of the splash pad going in at Guyer Field along with some other additional items. And I'm happy to report that we are very close to opening the four pickleball courts at Franklin Field. I'm assuming within the next day or so there will be a formal announcement announcing that they are open and the hours of operation. I know everybody's been waiting for that. We're also Still waiting on some other information from the parks off the draft plan. So we haven't gotten anything on any other park at this point. I personally received several complaints about Triangle Park, which is in my district. And we've handled those. Equipment will be updated and safety issues will be taken care of. And we have reported back to those two individuals who had reported that to myself and also Brandon Lovett. Thank you. Thank you, Councilor Sparaglia.

Anyone else? Board of Committees? Resolutions. Resolution number 102.

AUTHORIZING THE USE OF THE GENERAL FUND TO FUND THE RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTION RESERVE.

MOVE IT. COUNCIL SPARIA AND COUNCIL REILLY. MOVED AND SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. RESOLUTION NUMBER 102 IS CARRIED. RESOLUTION NUMBER 103.

Authorizing the Mayor of the City of Rome to accept Oneida County District Attorney's Office Discovery Grant for enhancement of law enforcement discovery unit process, $30,000. So moved.

Second. Councilor Morales and Councilor Fazio. Moved and seconded. Any discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Carried. Resolution number 104.

Authorizing amendment to resolution number 62 of 2022 to revise total project cost and authorize local match for the 701 Lawrence Street ERP project.

Move that.

Councilor Fazio.

Second.

And Councilor Riley. Move to second. Is there any discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Carried. Resolution number 105.

Authorizing creation of a capital project account for tornado demo and rehab city-owned parcels.

So move. Council Mortis. Second. And Council Spraga. Move and second. Any discussion? Treasurer Adams. We didn't have a capital project for this in the past?

No, we did. I was hoping that one of you would request an amendment just to the title. Essentially, this is not a creation of a new project. This project exists. Mm-hmm. Okay. So how...

Can we afford this for council?

So.

President Nash, members of the council, I would suggest just doing a simple amendment to call it a transfer of funds between the two sources listed.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION FOR THAT, PRESIDENT, PLEASE. AMENDMENT.

SECOND. AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR SPARAGIA. ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT AMENDMENT? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? THE AMENDMENT CARRIES. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE RESOLUTION AS AMENDED? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? RESOLUTION NUMBER 105 AS AMENDED IS CARRIED. ORDINANCES. ORDINANCE NUMBER 9897.

Authorizing Mayor of the City of Rome to approve the sale of city-owned parcel 118 West Fox Street to buyer $4,000. Move it.

Councilor Smith. Second. Councilor Fazio. Unanimous consent. Councilor Spraga. Second. And Councilor Riley. Ordinance number 9897 has been moved and seconded. Unanimous consent has been moved and seconded. All those in favor of unanimous consent say aye. Aye. Opposed? Unanimous consent is carried. Is there any discussion? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Ordinance number 9897 is carried. Ordinance number 9898.

Authorizing the Mayor of the City of Rome to enter into an agreement with Pauline Kapanos to purchase real property for the Merrick Road Bridge project, $1,700. So moved.

Council Mortis. Second. Councilor Riley, Councilor Fazio.

Unanimous consent.

And Councilor Smith. Or number 9898 has moved and seconded unanimous consent, but moved and seconded. All those in favor of unanimous consent say aye. Aye. Opposed, unanimous consent is carried. Is there any discussion? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, ordinance number 9898 is carried. Ordinance number 9899.

Authorizing to amend ordinance number 9887, dated June 24th, 2026.

So moved. Council Mortis.

Second.

Councilor Riley. Unanimous consent. Councilor Sparaglia. And Councilor Smith. Ordinance number 9899 has been moved and seconded. Unanimous consent has been moved and seconded. All those in favor of unanimous consent say aye. Aye. Opposed unanimous consent is carried. Is there any discussion? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Ordinance number 9899 is carried. Ordinance number 9900.

Amending ordinance number 9896.

Move it.

Councilor Smith. Second.

Councilor Riley. Unanimous consent. Councilor Mortis. Second. Councilor Sparaglia. Orange number 9900 has been moved and seconded. Unanimous consent has been moved and seconded. All those in favor of unanimous consent say aye. Aye. Opposed unanimous consent is carried. Any discussion? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Orange number 9900 is carried. Is there anyone that would like to take Councilor Smart.

President, I'd like to first ask court counsel when he's ready. Sorry, Gerard. The table legislation ordinance, we can take that off and vote on it tonight, correct? This would make the third meeting for it?

We've got one more meeting. This is on the second one.

Okay, I thought this was the third. We have to wait until the next meeting to vote.

You don't have to. You can take it off any time you want. But if you don't take it off by the third meeting, then it dies.

Okay. President, I'd like to take it off with a roll call vote if I could, please. And thank you.

Okay. So we have a motion to take Ordinance Number 9884 off the table. Is there a second?

Second.

Seconded by Councilor Sparrow. You all in favor, say aye. Aye. Opposed? Ordinance Number 9884.

Amending Rome court of ordinances chapter 80 to prohibit the establishment installation and construction of battery energy storage systems within the city of Rome.

Um, nine discussions. I want to ask you, yeah, discussion first. We're not going to vote yet, but, um, we gotta make a couple of amendments, I believe, before we can vote on this. So we take off the table so you can vote on it now. Yeah. Um, let's see, we have to add the planning board recommendation, which we received via email. I believe it's exhibit a that's the first, I guess that that's an amendment, correct?

Corp counsel Feeney. President Nash members of the Council. Yes, if that's still a blank, then that would work to put that information. It doesn't I don't have the full ordinance in front of me, so. So that president Nash, that doesn't have a date. It says it's attached here too, as exhibit a, so you would just need to move to amend, to attach exhibit a, and then there is a blank on the next page. Okay.

So our first amendment is just to attach an amendment. Uh, the planning board recommendation as exhibit.

So move, uh, I'd like to make a motion.

Second. Any discussion on that amendment? All in favor, say aye. Aye. Opposed? Okay, that amendment is carried. And the next one is on the second page. What is the second page? Oh, yeah, here it is. Top of the second page. Where the public hearing was held before the planning board on, we will insert, July 14th, 2026. So July 14th, we will insert there. And who would like to make that amendment? I WOULD MAKE AN AMENDMENT. ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT AMENDMENT? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? THAT AMENDMENT IS ALSO CARRIED.

WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE DONE IT ALL TOGETHER, BUT I FELT BETTER DOING IT THIS WAY.

NOW WE'RE READY, AND COUNCILOR MORRIS HAS ASKED FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE. WHEN YOU'RE READY.

COUNCILOR SPRACE?

EXCUSED.

COUNCILOR MORRIS?

YES.

Councilor Fazio?

Yes.

Councilor Smith?

Yes.

Councilor Riley?

Yes.

Councilor Dursey?

Excuse me.

Councilor Sparaglia?

Yes.

By a vote of 5-0, that ordinance has taken effect and passed. The chair will now entertain a motion to adjourn.

So moved.

Councilor Smith? Second. Councilor Mortis, all in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed?