The Binghamton City Council on June 16 voted unanimously to expedite a resolution authorizing a grant agreement to install a mural on the Schnaengle Street Viaduct.

Sarah Glos, the city's director of economic development, told the council the project is a Broome County-funded pass-through to the city because the viaduct is city-owned. Glos said the county originally procured the roster of artists through a call for projects and that the selected artist, OSRS, proposed a cost-effective approach that reuses some of the artist's existing aesthetic palette and allows incorporation of local elements (mural renderings were shared with council).

Council members asked about maintenance and approvals. Glos said materials will be weather-resistant and that the county's maintenance approach for murals is often to allow natural wear over time; she added the contract provides at least one round of design edits and that historic-preservation reviews (SHPO) shaped earlier project work countywide. Glos said the chosen wall was selected after alternatives were found unsuitable or too costly and after the county's call for walls produced varying responses.

Council member Middleton moved to expedite the agreement; the motion was seconded and passed on a roll-call vote with all seven members present voting aye (Rathbone, Madovetsky, Hotchkiss, Cavanagh, Middleton, Murray and Council President Dunton). Glos offered to supply drafting details to council as requested.

The expedited action allows staff to move the design review and County approvals forward on an accelerated timetable; the resolution will be drafted and appear for final adoption.