Public comments center on Good Cause Eviction and a West Side lot; landlords urge upholding veto, neighbors propose preserving Matthew Street lot

Public comment at the April 9 Binghamton City Council meeting included multiple written submissions opposing the Good Cause Eviction proposal and a neighborhood petition asking the city to preserve a vacant lot on Matthew Street as green space or allow nearby residents to purchase it.

Several written statements from local landlords and real-estate professionals were read into the record. Cody Lune, a local landlord and licensed realtor, urged council members not to overturn Mayor Kramm’s veto of the Good Cause Eviction legislation, arguing the measure would undermine property values, investor confidence and landlords’ ability to manage disruptive tenants. Lune wrote that, under the proposed law, he would feel compelled to raise rents annually to hedge perceived risk; he also described cases where holdover eviction rights allowed landlords to address disruptive tenants.

Other written submissions that were read expressed similar concerns: Chelsea Smith relayed feedback from agents and a broker that limiting a property owner’s ability to manage rent and turnover may reduce investment in rental housing; Yorely Paulino wrote in support of the mayor’s veto and described the financial and personal burdens landlords face when tenants stop paying rent; a group identifying as City Council members from Empire Realty asked the council to postpone a decision and study outcomes elsewhere in Upstate New York, warning that the bill as drafted could discourage investment in distressed properties.

The clerk read into the record that "for the people at home good cause did pass this council and has been put into effect by the state as of 04/02/2025," noting several written submissions had arrived after the emailed deadline but were entered into the public record.

On a separate public-comment topic, residents of Matthew Street submitted a neighborhood letter opposing a proposed sale of a vacant lot at 191–193 Matthew Street and asking the city to allow residents to purchase and preserve the lot as green space. Erin Vasquez and others asked that the parcel remain a safe place for children to play. Bob (Robert) Marano, who said he lives at 191 Matthew Street, spoke in favor of his pending application to the city’s side-lot program and described plans to maintain the parcel for gardening, play space and neighborhood gatherings if approved.

Speakers and written-submission authors were recorded in the meeting minutes; council members did not take formal action on the comments at the April 9 session. Council staff and members acknowledged receipt of the letters and noted the Good Cause Eviction matter is effective at the state level as of April 2, 2025, as read into the record.