Utica council reaffirms parks master plan, approves $2 million paving bond; statue ordinance sent to committee

The Utica Common Council on April 16 reaffirmed the city’s 2018 Utica Parks and Recreation Master Plan, authorized submission of a state municipal parks and recreation grant application to support improvements at Quinn Playground and Pixley Park, approved a $2,000,000 bond for street paving projects, and sent an ordinance authorizing the placement of a statue to committee for further review.

The parks resolution, read into the record by the city clerk, states the plan ‘‘was completed in November 2018 and is over 5 years old’’ and authorizes the mayor to submit the project to the State of New York and ‘‘enter into any and all necessary agreements upon successful award of the funding proposal.’’ Council members voted to adopt the resolution (vote recorded as adopted unanimously by the clerk).

Council members and staff said the parks master plan reaffirmation is a procedural step required to seek a municipal parks and recreation grant; the resolution notes a $1,000,000 request aimed at enhancing and preserving resources at Quinn Playground and Pixley Park. A council member asked that a PDF copy of the master plan be circulated to the council; another noted that the plan was amended previously to include Complete Streets language.

The council next approved a bond ordinance authorizing the issuance of $2,000,000 in serial bonds ‘‘to finance the cost of street paving projects.’’ Budget Director Almer Keltek told the council the bond will require only interest payments in the first year, with both interest and principal beginning in the second year. Keltek said, “This bond will approximately have a $220,000 debt service payment in 2 years.” He compared that to last year’s $2,500,000 bond, which is generating about $242,000 in annual debt service this year. Council members asked for an updated long-term debt schedule covering sewer and other debt; Keltek and the controller’s office said they are working with fiscal advisers and bond counsel on a more detailed debt schedule for future budget planning.

During discussion of the paving bond, a council member asked about the bond counsel decision to allow a 15-year period of probable usefulness for the paving work. A council member replied that when the original paving plan was reviewed, bond counsel extended the allowable borrowing period to 15 years because the city was on a 15-year payment plan.

An ordinance to authorize the construction and placement of a statue was introduced and then referred to committee after council members noted the planning board had not completed site-plan review. Council members said the planning board would initially review the application at its next meeting and the ordinance could require several committee meetings and Planning Board approvals before returning to the council.

The council also heard public comments on housing code enforcement, tenant protections and neighborhood safety. Francis Brown, who identified housing-code violations and the recent condemnation of a building he called ‘‘Antakleen Apartments,’’ urged stronger code enforcement and asked the council to consider adopting ‘‘good cause eviction’’ protections. Brown referenced a state regulation in arguing inspections were not timely; he cited 19 NYCRR 1203.3 when describing inspection requirements.

Luis Cortez told the council he has tried multiple times to find an accountable contact within city offices for ongoing issues and expressed frustration with responsiveness from municipal departments. Michael Nassar, who said he lives in the Sixth Ward near SUNY Polytechnic, asked the council to reroute city buses off his narrow street to a wider road with a 25 mph limit because buses were traveling ‘‘way too fast’’ past his home and he worries about his 4-year-old stepdaughter who has autism.

On public safety and personnel issues, Fire Chief Ingersoll addressed the council after a vote of no confidence from the Utica Professional Firefighters Association, Local 32. Ingersoll said he ‘‘remain[s] steadfast in [his] commitment to the health, safety, and professional development of every member of the department’’ and announced a planned internal review of the concerns raised, including reassessing injury reporting and the distribution of leadership responsibilities. He said the department is ‘‘developing a forward-facing strategic plan that reflects our department’s mission, addresses staffing, station workload, and EMS service expectations.’’

Council members set committee dates related to pending items: a committee meeting on May 5 to discuss the statue/related planning issues and a May 7 meeting at 5:00 p.m. to begin work on proposed public-safety fee legislation that a council member had introduced previously.

Votes at a glance: The parks master plan reaffirmation and the bond ordinance were recorded as adopted by the council; the statue ordinance was referred to committee. No binding council action on the fire-department resolution presented during the meeting was recorded in the transcript.