Common Council - workshop

Oh, no, no, no. You see? There are good Americans in this world. Good afternoon, everybody. Thank you for joining us. We're about to start our session. Let's see, what do we have?

All right, there's no petition, oh, that's for Monday. Communications is for Monday. All right, so let's go right into unfinished business. We will have a committee meeting on Friday at 12.30 to discuss the charter changes with Evan. Evan, you'll get an email about that in a few minutes. Okay, moving on. Are there, no? No resolutions, approving of women, none of that. Okay. Who's taking? Councilor Cadwell. Are you doing that, Patrona? Are you in your committee?

I didn't get a call, but I'll take it. Okay. All right.

Are you in the education committee?

Okay. All right.

Madam President, on behalf of Councilor Caldwell, we have items 11 and 12.

So, good afternoon, Councilors, Cory Dunham, Deputy Mayor. Items 11 or 12 are linked. This reflects a labor agreement that we've reached with the Trades Union. The payment is retro to January 1st. which is why we need the local law to reflect the prior fiscal year.

25, 26, not 20, 20, 21.

Okay, are there any questions?

I'm sorry, it's 25-26, not 26-27?

Not 21, not 2021. So for item number 11, it should amend the 25-26 city budget, not the 20-21.

Right now it stands 20-21, yeah.

That's what we thought too. Any update on DPW?

So we are in mediation today with Local 400, which is why Rick Alciver is not here to speak to the TA. Okay.

All right.

Any questions?

Okay, great.

Thank you. Thank you, Councillors. Councillor Majok.

On behalf of Councillor Majok, this is an installation of honorary street sign for Mark Cass on Mark Cass Way. And I believe that's set to go if there's no other questions.

Well, he held it last time, so I don't know if the changes that he wanted to put in there, but he'll know. We'll ask him in between, but yeah, I think he found the right.

We'll know him one day.

It was about how many streets would be included or something. It was something in there, yeah.

Councilor Majoke has items 14 through 24. Owen.

Good afternoon, Councilors Owen, Kearney, Planning and Sustainability Division. Item 14 is to authorize an environmental easement 1410 erie boulevard east this is a city-owned brownfield site that we are working with new york state to clean up to remediate and as part of that agreement we must put an environmental easement on the site which we're supportive of to identify moving forward here's basically the remediating, the cleanup system that's in place must be maintained. So this is just also authorizing that. It's ultimately good news for the site. Once the remediation is complete next year, we could potentially redevelop it or use it for a higher and better use. So this is a step in that process.

Thank you. Thank you. So he's here.

We just did 14. Go ahead, Mary.

Good afternoon, Councilors. Mary Robinson, City Engineer. Item 15 is accepting a lining of a 15-inch combined sewer and two manholes along the 1300 and 1400 block of Highland Street as part of the Maria Regina Apartments Project in order to meet their one-on-one sanitary sewer offset requirement from the county. no cost to the city. And we are holding a refundable fee to make sure that they perform the work needed. Item 16 is very similar, except it's a lining of a 12-inch combined sewer and three manholes along the 100 block of Foreman Ave. This is as part of the Gateway Syracuse Apartments Project. This is also to meet the one-on-one sanitary sewer offset requirement by the county.

Thank you.

Item 17, requesting an amendment for CNS companies. We have a general service agreement with them and we're asking to amend the agreement to increase it by 1.6 million for a total cost not to exceed 6.6 million. We have a few major projects, the Schiller Park project with the Magnarelli grant and the fire maintenance garage and then there are also some other smaller projects. But these projects fees would be paid for out of existing capital funding for those projects.

Do we think the 6.6 is going to be enough to cover it? All of that or are we mystery right now? I got it, we're silenced, we're good, I got it.

To be determined, what our plan is, we're running out of funding in these two contracts and we're using them for a lot of projects. So I'm requesting to amend the agreement so that we can continue to proceed with these big projects and then over the winter, we're gonna put out some RFPs for all our general service agreements. So this is really to hold us over until, like first or second quarter of next year.

In the leadership meeting we just had, we discussed that it was only gonna be for CNS.

CNS is item.

Will it include homes or no?

No, that's a typo. What's a typo? Homes. Ah, okay, gotcha. So it's only for CNS companies in item 17. And item 18 is similar. Wait, hold on, hold on.

And for the 1.6, the money comes from the multiple, from different departments. Different capital accounts, yep.

I think, go ahead. If there's no funding, then we don't do a work order. That's how these agreements work. Okay.

Mary, did we have a breakdown? I know it's not in this book, but did we have a prior breakdown of those buildings and the scope of work? Do we have anything?

We don't have anything firm from the consultants, but I kind of just did an estimate of what I would think I would need. That's how I came up with these numbers. OK. And then there's a little bit of contingency for smaller projects for DPW and others.

OK. So Mary, just a slight request. So it says in the letter that when When this get going, that they will issue the new RFP, right?

Yes, this winter we will issue new RFPs.

Right. Could we just make sure when we do that, when we come back, we tie it somehow, get connected to this legislation, Legislative Number 7, is it, what is it, 781?

17 and 18. I can talk to law about that.

Yeah, get that tied so that it's- Okay. we get it connected when it comes back.

Okay, I'll see how we can do that.

Can do that?

The reason why it's separate is because there are agreements and there's different things that might happen with different companies, and so that's why they're separate. Okay.

Yeah, the CNS would always be separate from CHA, if that's what you're at. I'm not tying those two together in any way. Yeah, we don't put them together. But I think what he's saying is if we pick CNS on the new RFP to try, but I don't, don't know how we can do that but i'll talk to law okay just somehow to find a way where we get it all tied together connected because i don't know if i remember it a month or two from now that it's related to that but we've had it happen before where we started a project on one cns agreement and then the project finished on the next cns agreements because they're all separate work orders so Okay, so 18. I didn't go over any of the details is with CHA asking to amend their contract by 1.5 million for a total not to exceed 2.5 million. And this is to work on the parks, pools, Onondaga greenhouse and work on the inner harbor. And other miscellaneous, but those are the big things.

19 uh is it eric 19. good afternoon counselors eric honest in the mayor's office so item 19 is an extension of the right-of-way closure on comstock ave this is a 90-day closure the current permission that was allowed for that was voted on earlier this summer will be coming due at the end of the month so this would be an extension for 90 days that would take us through the end of december As part of the modified right-of-way ordinance that was passed earlier this summer in July, the costs per day increases from $400 per day up to $800 per day, so that will be a total of $72,000 over the course of that 90-day period. The university has prepaid those fees, so those have been collected already as part of the process, but this would be an authorization to continue that extension.

Questions?

Those are refundable fees or non-refundable fees?

The closure itself is non-refundable. So those are non-refundable fees.

Thank you. Thank you, Eric. Item 20.

Hello, Ann Fordock, first deputy commissioner of Syracuse DPW.

How y'all doing?

I have 20 and 21, which are both about the fuel island replacement project. And so this is $50,000 not to exceed for just the design services of the new fuel island. It's getting old. We need to replace it. And we want to do so before it becomes problematic.

OK, Anne, give me the full rundown here. We are replacing the natural gas, gasoline, diesel.

This would be gas and diesel.

This would be gas and diesel. Are we adding solar charging? Are we adding any additional fueling services?

Not to my knowledge, but I will bring in the expert here.

As we are conducting a design review process, this sounds like the time.

Hi, counselors, Jeff, director of fleet. Um, so this 50,000 is to bring in a firm to. Let us know the current condition of our fuel island to see exactly what repairs are needed, or if it is a full replacement. Um, and. We can have those conversations about, um. EV charging, that kind of stuff. But I think that is kind of more of a bigger, broader question as far as where would they actually go? Because we have very limited space for a fuel island as it is. So I think those things are kind of two separate conversations. Right now, we're just working to try and make sure our current fuel capacity is up and running so all of our departments have the needs to be out there and doing their jobs.

Does the city currently have any fleets that need that service?

Electric charging? Yeah. No, we do not currently have any vehicles. But that is the stepping stone before we move into purchasing those. We have to have the infrastructure available.

So this would be looking at the entire structure of the island as well as the tanks themselves? Correct.

Yeah. So it's everything from the maintenance program that they used for us to track the fuel and all the expenses, as well as the actual hardware of the different tanks, because those are becoming obsolete as far as age.

Not the above ground tanks, the underground tanks.

These are currently underground tanks. Correct. Yes.

All right. That's kind of low. Well, this is just the design service part.

Correct. Yes. To kind of let us know where we stand and where we have to go from there.

So after this is completed and we have figured out what we need to do to update the gas and diesel fueling, then we will be considering additional recharging or charging options?

So I do believe those conversations are going on through different departments. I know when Karina was still here at NBD, we had these conversations, but they are different funding for those two. There's grants and things that we need to be looking at for that kind of stuff. But those conversations are at the beginning of happening.

and we have been pulling in different departments to talk about their needs as well, in terms of the actual layout of the fueling stations and things of that nature.

Yeah, so I'm more or less looking at the fleet as a whole, between parks, water, DPW, and trying to identify the vehicles based on some metrics of how often they're used, the fuel that they are using, that kind of stuff. So we're not quite at the point, because we haven't identified where we would even start doing electric charging stations yet. So we're kind of really at the tip of the iceberg on that.

We're going to get to the bottom of the iceberg.

There's a plan to get there, yes.

Okay. Thank you.

Yes.

Appreciate that. Can I just ask, when you say there's a plan, are we talking five years out, 10 years out? What are we talking about? Because it's clear that this is gonna be our future, right? Especially with gas prices going up, we're gonna have to start converting to solar, to electric vehicles.

Sure.

So, I mean, I wanna make sure that we're seriously looking at this and that we have a plan in place saying within the next five years, we're gonna start replacing vehicles or within the next 10 years. Yes.

So yes, again, when Karina was still here, we sat down and went through that we did come up with a transition plan. But before we can really start enacting the purchase part of it, we really need to get through the infrastructure and maintenance part of it. So there's some legwork to do. But there is a plan that that phases in over the next 10 years, specific vehicles that we could use electric for that wouldn't hinder our processes.

And there's no way to make that go faster.

That's all dependent on how quick we can get infrastructure in place and training for the mechanics and the right equipment for the mechanics.

You said the right word, mechanics.

Yeah, because, yes. Correct yes, and yes, deputy mayor is correct there's also a power issues with national grid.

say that we don't. handle that.

yeah that's why it's hard to narrow down exactly where we can put these stations, we have to make sure national grid has the power available to allow us to do it so it's like I said it's a very big question at this point, but we do have people working on it for sure. Other questions.

Thank you.

22. So 22 and 23 are for sewer capital equipment program. And I believe there was a list of vehicles listed under Schedule A. Any questions about those vehicles?

24.

Sorry, could you just run through them for me, please? The vehicles.

Hey, Jeff. Do you have the list of the vehicles?

Yeah, that wasn't in the Schedule A. Sorry.

I just found it. Thank you. Sorry, it was behind something that I was looking at. And we do get these off the state contracts?

So, there are state contracts, there's national contracts, and then we do put items out to bid, too, if they're not on a contract anywhere.

and all of our mechanics know how to fix these?

These particular ones, yes.

Okay. Skid steer.

All set? Yeah. All right, 24. Not enough questions.

Good afternoon, councillors. Vinnie Scipione, Chief Information Officer. This item presented for you is for the purposes of accommodating administrative and contract negotiation timelines. Flowbird is the system that we use for parking meters and the mobile app to pay for those fees when parking. Flowbird was acquired by ParkMobile. On June 15th earlier this year, the council voted for us to enter into an agreement with Park Mobile as a result of that acquisition. However, the execution of this new agreement is taking slightly longer than we anticipated. As we work through that final contract negotiations with Park Mobile, the new entity, we still require continuity of services with Flow Bird, that pre-existing entity. So this legislation is to authorize us to continue to pay Flow Bird until that cut over when we execute the new contract and then

you know continue on as park mobile follow-up questions thank you appreciate it that would be all madame thank you uh councillor aaron mack thank you i have items 25 through 30. here's the commissioner now

Good afternoon, Saisha Burke, Commissioner Parks. 25 is for a bench donation and plaque for Gloria Sage and Comfort Tyler Park via TNT installed and maintained by the city. 26 is to accept a donation from Eastwood Neighborhood Association in the amount of $535 for a arbor for the garden, the Eastwood Heights Garden. 27 is another donation from Eastwood of two benches valued at $3,798 through TNT to be installed and maintained by the city.

Can I ask a question about the benches? When someone wants to have a bench placed, do they pick the location? And is there any communication with individuals utilizing the park? I accept because the recent bench placement at Kirk Park is kind of like in a prime location where the cheerleading team practices. So I thought that was kind of like the people who wanted it don't really go to the park that often, so they wouldn't know that.

So they actually work with Josh Wilcox, our bench program, and he will walk the park with them and find the best location for the bench?

Yeah, but then... because Josh isn't at the parks all the time either, as far as what's happening in the park daily. So he wouldn't know that the cheerleading team utilizes that space for their practice. So is there communication with the community to say like, is this a good location?

I mean, often there is. I'm sure Josh, I'm sure he didn't approach Kirk Park Holtz and say, hey, can the bench go here? Because ultimately, it's a city park. And he worked with that group just to place the bench where that person sat in the park or their favorite space in the park. That's what we normally look at. So I'm not sure if there was communication with Kirk Park Holtz. And we can talk to them. I mean, it's not a designated chair.

Oh, no, you don't have to talk to them. That's done. I'm just saying, you know, moving forward, if there's a group in the park, like a football team or something like that, that utilizes space, and then someone comes and plops a soccer goal there, like, you know.

That sounds like that bench is problematic, right, in terms of usage of the space?

I didn't talk to the cheerleading team. I just know that they practice there.

I guess my question is to Patrona's point. If there are events or things that the park is being used for, you would know that.

Yeah. I mean, we know where they practice, what spaces they use. Typically, whoever requests the bench will walk the space. There's many times we have to tell folks, no, it can't go there because of A, B, and C. Yeah.

Okay.

28 is an agreement with Elite Gaming for services related to instructional e-gaming program, programming at Wilson and Southwest for the e-gaming rooms that we've built.

We allocated more money in there for them to be more days. Is that going on?

Yes, they'll be in there. We also have a part-time staff, Tim, that will be helping with podcasting and e-gaming, and we have a full-time position that we'll be posting soon. for our rec leader to assist with e-gaming.

Sasha, are you seeing more kids using those areas now? We are.

When we're able to open the spaces and staff them, which we'll have staff now, It's packed. And, I mean, it's kids right now. The future, we're hoping to get seniors in there for just keeping your brain active. Maybe you'll come play, you know. We're going to institute some. What's wrong with that? I think that was a dig, Donna.

That was a dig.

It's senior, and then you weren't right. No, but.

you know i didn't mean it like that but i hope to get you all in there playing everybody um but the goal is to you know you utilize that space for our youth and also open it up to our senior programs during the day so to bring some of mcchesney or or southwest or um cecil in and um because you're saying seniors but

I always think back when this was a thing, but they used to have ABC learning programs. Those ended years ago. Those aren't specifically for seniors, just for adults that need reading.

That need some mind stimulation.

And so that's something that also can be utilized too.

Yeah, in the future. You're right, yeah. That's our hope, is to keep those rooms full and moving in that equipment utilized. Let's keep it running. And then we have number 29. It's an annual agreement with the most for services related to educational program in our parks. 20 hours of discovery one-on-one workshops at our rec centers. Number 30, application and agreement. This is for music performance through music performance trust fund. In the amount of $2,000, they reimburse 50% back for music performances in the park. We often use them for mile market, which is October 3rd at Lower Onondaga this year.

Thank you. While we have you, I know summer's not all the way over. You have one more festival, but let me just tell you, your staff, they nailed it this summer, so thank them on our behalf. They did a great job.

I appreciate it. It was a long summer.

It was a long festival season, but that's important to us, and they did a great job.

Appreciate you all.

It's amazing that we see you at every single one of them.

I tried. I missed probably two. I tried to get to every one of them.

Thank you for the good work.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Thank you. Thank you, Councilor Moore.

Thank you, Madam President. I have items 31 through 36.

Good afternoon, councillors Richard of deputy chief police item thirty one. We're looking for approval to enter an agreement with the humane CNY to provide veterinary and lodging services for our dogs and animals that are involved in animal cruelty investigations. There are one of only two. that facilities that are willing to house our dogs for these sort of things. They do provide low-level veterinary care in terms of shots and that sort of thing for our dogs that we recover. I do have some stats for you in terms of how often we use them. Humane CNY, we had 82 animals last year and we're up to 68 year to date this year. So it is an important resource for us. And again, this is one of two. I'll be coming before you next session for Forever Friends for the same thing for their facility.

When you say our dogs, is this shelter dogs?

These are dogs that we recover for in investigations. The next item would be for our police dogs specifically, but these are for investigations that we undergo and the dogs we recover from there.

I don't understand. What is an investigation?

So animal cruelty investigations, neglect, that sort of thing. So they're investigation dogs. They're not our police dogs. That's the next item. Okay. Okay, so item 32, as I mentioned, we were looking to enter an agreement with the committee animal hospital for our canines. This is a animal hospital that has all of our police dog records for years, like the primary care for physician for our dogs. So it's important that we feel that to stick with this, this group, and that's for $21,000. Item number 33 is our yearly request to appropriate funds in the amount of $74,500 for our neighborhood watch group, particularly Tony Borelli and the work that he does for us. Number 34, we're looking to authorize payment for two officers that attended a SWAT training in 2025. Due to some turnover in our travel process, these two officers weren't reimbursed during that timeframe. It was a mistake. We're just looking for authorization to pay them from this fiscal year. Um, and the item thirty five and thirty six, both of those are related. We currently use the, the, the emergency vehicle operations track. In us, we go county, we're looking for authorization with us. We go county to use the track in the amount of twelve thousand dollars. And then from the New York state, they have a building on site. We would run a classroom from them for not to exceed three thousand dollars.

The breaching school happened in May 2025? Yes. Why didn't we approve it earlier than this?

The training was approved but the reimbursement didn't take place because we had turnover in the travel coordinator. So it happened at the same time we lost the travel coordinator. By the time we picked up another one that was a mistake and it wasn't picked up between that transition to pay those officers. So we're just looking to do that now.

Thank you. All right, thank you. Thank you. Are you all set? All set. Okay, Councilor Williams. I'm sorry. Okay.

Deputy Chief.

Deputy Chief.

I'm sorry, I asked about the license plate scanners on Colvin and Salina and they're still there, so I'm wondering what's going on. It's four total. They're on the two corners.

After you brought that to our attention, we went out and they're completely disabled at this point. We're just working on a method to get those down.

Disabled?

They're not tracking plates, they're not capturing data, they're turned off. No, they're not turned off because they still have the lights going. That might be the cops' cameras in that area, but I can assure you that the LPRs are definitely turned off. They're not capturing data. Could there be power to the light? I'm not sure, but I confirmed that we are not capturing data from those plate readers, 100%.

Okay, so you're taking them down. So yes.

Okay, soon. We're taking them down for sure. And I'll keep you updated on how long it takes to get that that done. But they're disabled. They're not working.

They're not catching the plastic bag over. I'm like the other people that I'm sorry, put a plastic bag over. I'm like the other

Okay, we'll look into the light, but they're definitely off.

I just want to be clear. Those are those flock cameras. No, they're definitely not those.

Those were cameras that I know you had talked with chief shot. Those were cameras that were installed way before the Remington outside cameras. Um, yeah, so they were from 2020.

Um, and then they got lost in the system, but then they were supposed to be reconnected to another system. I don't know what's going on with them, but they're there and we don't want them.

So right. Yeah.

Okay, thank you.

Councilor Montefiore, Councilor Williams.

Thank you, President Paniagua. Councilor Williams has 37 through 39. 37, we will go into executive session after study session. 38.

I good afternoon counselors diane ashtray Commissioner of Finance. Item number 38 is requesting authorization to refund some of our bonds that are callable right now to an effort to capital take advantage of some savings depending on where the market goes, so this is just getting us ready, we have some bonds that we can. That are mature and. If the market allows us to refund and save some money we'd like to do that. Thank you.

Matt OJ, Commissioner of Assessment. 39, we are looking for two more role corrections on the current year. 730 Lemoyne Avenue is an instance in which a property owner was assessed an illegal set-out fee. Results if you think of a communication error between receivers of phone calls and issuers of tickets. Looking to reverse that. 1703 West Onondaga Street was an inaccurate calculation of an omitted tax bill upon conveyance from a non-profit entity to a tax liable entity.

and they had submitted their paperwork?

No, no, this was simply our staff. When a property conveys mid-year from a nonprofit to any of us, they should be liable for an omitted tax bill for that pro rata portion of the year for which they're liable. Simply math was done inaccurately. Our staff caught the error afterward. We'll be making it right.

Are you all set, Jimmy?

Thanks, Matt. All right.

Thank you. Counselor Jones-Fraser.

40?

40 is another ordinance amendment. This is a property of 511 East Laurel that was demolished subsequent to council action looking to reflect the property, looking to correct the property description.

Oh, so it was demolished before?

Demolished after, yeah. It was a wood frame structure before, now a vacant lot.

Okay.

Are you still working on that other one?

And the other rule of correction, yeah, let's chat after executive session, thanks. Thank you.

Thank you. Councillor Montal and Councillor Jones-Rauser. Item 41.

Good afternoon, Councilors. Brionca Hill, Deputy Commissioner of Business Development. Item 41 is to accept funds from Onondaga County for a Northside Main Street program. The funds would not exceed $1.5 million. These funds will be used to support various projects throughout different corridors in the Northside. I believe there's a total of 19 different projects. The city would not be required to provide any match. That would be on the onus of the project owners.

And Bree, the county picks all of these properties, right? The county, we don't have anything to do with who gets the money. They award these to them?

Correct, yes. We would act as a pass-through entity.

Okay. But if they don't spend all the money, then we kind of get to weigh in at some point, right?

So if they... We definitely have the ability to work with the county to make recommendations on projects that we know become available in need of funds, as we've done with past Main Street programs. Okay.

How often do this happen?

I don't think there's typically a regular frequency. I think it's really just determined based on the county's interest that's received from different projects throughout the city and what's factored into the county's budget.

To know if there's going to be some projects that could, if something here doesn't work out and you can allocate new projects, How long does it take for us to know that? Is it a year out, two?

So I think we'll know immediately. Michael LaFleur, who's here from the county, he works with the project owners directly as he tracks the status, ensures everything's completed appropriately, and can immediately also know and understand if a project is enabled to move forward or not.

Okay.

This is a one-time thing, right? Yeah. One time?

Yes, one time.

Well, they've done it before, though. This is the latest iteration of it, right? Because they did the West Onondaga South. Yes, this is right. There's been other programs like this, right? There's been other ones, yeah. Like that's right? Okay.

Yes, so in the past, they've matched DRI funds that we were awarded from the state for a West Onondaga Main Street program, and then we also have the South Salina Main Street program that was a previous project as well.

And with the, Mike may, I don't know if you know, but Is this the same amount as the South Salina Street one?

The South Salina, was that like 2 million? One point, yeah.

I'm just wondering because that was like kind of one strip. This has so many streets attached to it. So it's kind of seems like that would be I mean, South Carolina is still in the process, but it just, this is broader. This is a lot broader and it just seemed like people are really, really going to be fighting for funds.

I think they've already picked the projects. Yes. Yeah, they're already in the- Oh, you already picked them?

Yeah, they're on the appendix. Yes, the county selected the 19 projects. Oh, okay, okay. Yeah, they're in the agenda.

Okay.

Yeah. Mixed use.

Yeah, okay. All right. So who was the public commissioner for department involvement?

The commissioner of development at the county. Um, so I believe that is, uh, what's his name? Marty's game. Yes.

Okay. There's been some other things that have gone on when they had these counties at their press conferences. And I was out of the picture and, uh, and I want to thank Eric on this for keeping me up to track. And I don't know why I've been left out of this discussion with the county, but I want to thank Eric for updating me on what's going on in my district. Because people come up to me, how can I get a grade two?

Gotcha. Thank you. Thank you. Councilor Montauk.

I have items 42 through 49. Welcome back, Matt.

Thank you, Councilor. We've got an ordinance that was twice amended, Ordinance 340 of 2025. I'd like to amend that once more. We're getting very close to a closing on the Maria Regina project. And we've got a bit of an 11th hour change in the name of both the beneficial owner and the Housing Development Fund Corporation that's eligible for the exemption. So looking to amend the previous two ordinances to reflect those name changes. These aren't mere changes in entity, whatever internal. incorporation reasons they have, I'm not entirely up to speed on. But from our perspective, dealing with the same individuals on the other side of the teams or the phone.

I think they added one group.

There was a different development group that came in as part of the broader structure. But by and large, same familiar faces, same trustworthy ultimate end product and excited to see this thing come to completion. glad we're getting moving forward on this but the concern also is who's supposed to take care of it until it happens with all the trees and grass and all that it looks a mess prior to closing um i think the status quo reigns i know codes and permits have been heavily involved with keeping eyes on the property um keeping the fence up around it keeping overgrowth down um but but the owner for the last eight years obviously has been um Remiss in duties as somebody standing here with me. Thank you.

Commissioner, can you tell us when we look for a ground dating ceremony?

I I I'd love to uh yeah uh so Michael Collins commissioner for neighborhood business development and so uh just to finish on that and support uh uh commissioner RJ's answer until the new entity closes on the property it is still the responsibility of the existing owner uh We've got public works, police codes, as we've always done, working to make sure that the property is secure, fire as well, of course. And fortunately, Huber Brewers, the contractor that will be working on the project, has been able to step up and help with the security of it as well. But it is solely the responsibility of the owner.

i haven't been there this week but i know i think it was last week before is the overgrowth is awful and you think about it the school is right there it sits on a corner the kids are walking past like you know i mean just visibility and everything so i don't know if we could reach out to hero viewer and just ask them to like trim that down because we'll yeah we'll take we'll take a look okay absolutely thank you absolutely and then uh counselor uh to your point

So this project has received notice from the housing financial agency. That's the part of homes and community renewal that the money flows through that they will be on the September meeting with a recommendation to approve the funding for the project. So the city has been working, as you saw from the item from Commissioner OJ, you saw earlier from Mary Roberson, the items related to the sewer linings. Our permits team has been working right along with them. So we're near the finish line on the city being able to deliver everything that we need for a closing this year. And we'd like to see one before the end of the 26th.

I would like the city to get reimbursement for Mr. Conjo, because he's taken the city for right for too many years.

you you would have no argument from us on holding the current owner responsible absolutely and back to that thought about that we have a we're we're contracted with people we that cut grasses anybody else's yard like if a homeowner and they have property and it was too bad so this should be the same thing with a business like that and we should find whoever is in between but we got to get that down because it's bad

And you're right, and we do, and so the property has been billed for previous services.

Are we gonna get somebody? Jake, your team, we can get somebody out there to get that trimmed down? It turned into grass, it turned into bushes, it turned into, it's like wild now, but it's, huh? Especially on the corner right there because the visibility is really bad. And the kids, it's only 100 feet from a school. And that's mainly the city's right of way, correct? Absolutely. It's bad. We do it to homeowners, so we should definitely take care of it for businesses.

Yeah.

Yeah.

senior housing part of this? Yes. What do you mean by that? I mean, what is the workforce? Is this nonprofit set up to, that they're helping people find jobs and they're allowing them to live there while they're transitioning?

AccessCNY has some housing and programming that's there. Oh, AccessCNY. Yeah, so they're a partner on the project.

Oh, okay, that's good news.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, very excited about it. And the rest of it is set aside for income qualified seniors.

Right, nice. Sure. Thanks.

I'll turn it back over to Commissioner Hogan.

Thanks.

So, I just sent a text about the overgrowth, so thank you. I'll update you on that item number forty three. Uh, first Jake Dishon, deputy commissioner of code enforcement and zoning item forty three and forty four. Are to advertise a public hearing, um, and amend the current moratorium language on battery energy storage systems. So you'll recall we recently asked you for a six-month extension through February, which we don't feel like we need, but we're working on final touches on the local law that we've been working on, and we hope to have that before you in the very near future. In the meantime, there's a current need to amend the language in the moratorium to allow commercial buildings to have commercial connected battery energy storage systems. So think about a diesel generator, but with batteries connected to a commercial building for power backup. Right now, the moratorium does not allow that that is not the intent of the local law that we wish to bring before you in the very near future, and we do allow residential. installations of these for you know tesla's or other battery backup for residential one and two families, this would allow anything larger than that to have them as well, so that's the amended language.

They'll still have to go through the whole permit process to install it.

Correct. The same way you would need to if you were going to do a diesel generator site plan review with zoning building permit reviewed by fire and codes, et cetera, inspections. Any questions?

OK, 45, we will have executive session following this meeting. 46.

46 is a special use permit at 658 West Onondaga Street for a small restaurant under 1,000 square feet. This is in an old mansion, so it's a recently new owner working with a local architect to kind of redevelop and reimagine some of these beautiful buildings that are left over there. There's currently no tenant proposed, but they have the proposed plans that meet the criteria for a special use permit.

Jay, is this in addition to their previous permit application or their previous?

So those are actually two separate buildings. They have that connection still, but they want to take that down. So that other proposal you speak of has not come back before us just yet, but I heard that it might. So it's separate from that.

Jake, I have a question. It says that in the project scope of work, it includes four for customers consuming the food on premises. Is that consumers, customers? Actually, customers, right?

Yeah, it must be a typo.

Okay. I was excited. Customers sounds great. The fourth paragraph down, fifth paragraph down, whereas scope of work.

We got a new letter. We did get a revised letter, right, Jake?

Is that the one? No, I think, is it in the resolution? Is that what you're referring to?

It's in the resolution. It's just a typo, though, right? Yeah, it's just a typo. Go ahead with 47, Jake. Hold on.

47, also a special use permit. This is for a restaurant at 2000 Park Street in Hiawatha. It's like a halal restaurant, and also no one spoke in favor or opposition of this, and also recommended approval from the Planning Commission.

Questions?

48 and 48 another special use permit this is for a new york state licensed retail cannabis dispensary falls under the land use category of a smoking establishment and our zoning code at 814 wolf street they have a tentative state license and again have met all the requirements from new york state ocm and within the zoning code uh commissioner

We'll go back to 47. Did you talk with Bill Fisher, Executive Director of Regional Market? Because he called me last week because on this property that there was part of it, you threw an entrance, it was property of the regional market. So we got that clarified.

Yep, he sent me an email. If you look, it's in one of the plans on the site plan. It actually shows a detail that the special use permit actually has a detail that says remove pavement encroaching onto neighbors property line, and I think it says something along the lines of install green space. So actually, you know, if you were to move this forward, that would be included in a requirement of the special use permit that they actually follow those plans. I believe that's included in your packet.

Okay. 49 is a resolution urging the Assembly and Senate. Thanks, Jake. Thanks, Jake. And Kathy Hochul to pass Assemblywoman Hunter's bill that is in front of the Assembly or will be in front of the Assembly. Councilor Williams has joined on with me with that one. If anybody else wants in, let the clerk know.

Yes, please.

All right, so motion to move into executive session to discuss.

To get advice. To get advice.

On Westcott. On Westcott. Second.

All in favor? Aye. How's it going? Good question.

Thank you. Thank you. Okay.