The Ithaca Common Council unanimously approved an amendment to the city’s 2024 HUD entitlement annual action plan on Sept. 10 to add $70,000 for Cherry Street sidewalk segments and subtract the same amount from the Economic Development Loan Fund. "This is a resolution to make an amendment to the 2024 HUD entitlement annual action plan. It will add $70,000 to include the Cherry Street sidewalk segments and subtract $70,000 from the economic development loan fund," Alderperson Letterman said when moving the measure.

The change was moved by Alderperson Letterman and seconded by Alderperson Haynes Sharp; the council recorded a unanimous 9–0 vote to open the public hearing for the amendment, heard no public comment, and then closed the hearing before approving the amendment. A council member asked to place the item on the consent agenda for the next special meeting; that request was granted without objection.

Why it matters: the amendment directs HUD-entitlement funding toward a specific pedestrian infrastructure project on Cherry Street, while reducing available funds for the city’s economic loan program by the same amount. The council did not adopt additional language on timelines, contractors or construction sequencing during the Sept. 10 vote.

Context and next steps: council members moved the amendment into the consent/approval process for an upcoming meeting; staff indicated the item will be included on the consent agenda and advanced to the next voting meeting. No public testimony was recorded during the hearing that night.

What the record shows: the council’s action was procedural—an explicit one-time reallocation inside the 2024 HUD entitlement action plan. The record does not include a construction schedule or a separate motion to reallocate additional funds beyond the $70,000 identified in the amendment.