Syracuse council reviews bench donations, public-safety contracts, land-bank work and other routine agenda items

Councilor Caldwell told the Syracuse City Council she had items 10 through 12 on the agenda requesting acceptance of donated benches and memorial plaques for neighborhood parks.

The donations include an in-kind wooden bench from the Eastwood Neighborhood Association valued at $1,885 for Ridgewood Park; a monetary donation of $1,430.40 from Katie Scott to purchase a bench and memorial plaque for Shiller Park honoring Jimmy Walker; and a $200 donation from Westside residents, including Pat Driscoll, to add two memorial plaques to existing benches—one in Leavenworth and one in Burnett Park.

The council later moved through more than a dozen routine contracts and program requests spanning public safety, animal services, workforce-related health services and neighborhood development.

Why it matters: several items affect small neighborhood amenities (benches and plaques) and city operations (police training, animal holding, evidence management, land-bank activity) and involve city spending or acceptance of donated goods and services.

Police training and related contracts

Lieutenant (police staff) asked the council to approve a one-year renewal of a contract with Benjamin Cholini to instruct Brazilian jiu-jitsu in the Syracuse police academy. The original contract was a three-year agreement with two one-year renewal options; the department said it is exercising one renewal while it plans a request for proposals (RFP) early next year. The lieutenant described the training as emphasizing techniques “less likely to cause injuries,” and said recruits who train in Brazilian jiu-jitsu have “demonstrated [they are] less likely to use strikes as a primary use of force.” The department did not provide a numeric measure of effectiveness in the transcript; officials said effectiveness is difficult to quantify without further study.

Animal sheltering and cruelty-case housing

Police staff and animal-control personnel described renewing short-term contracts with shelters used to house animals seized in cruelty investigations. The department said Friends, Forever Friends Animal Rescue and Humane CNY are used when the city shelter lacks capacity or when seized animals are non-dog species (the transcript mentioned goats, chickens and ducks as examples). The animal-control officer said the city averages bringing in “over 600 animals a year,” roughly 300 strays and about 300 cruelty or other non-stray cases, and that veterinary care is included in the contractual arrangements. Officials said the primary constraint is shelter space rather than funding.

Medical and return-to-duty services for public safety staff

The council discussed a proposed contract with IMA Group to provide physician services for police staff outside workers’ compensation claims, including fit-for-duty assessments. Kevin Buser (transportation planner) and other council members noted IMA has been used by the city for many years; one speaker said the mayor would “check into IMA” and review any waiver of an RFP. The transcript records no final vote or contract award.

Police banquet and related event funding

Councilors discussed an unplanned supplemental request for the department’s annual awards banquet. Councilor (unnamed in transcript; police-affiliated speaker) said the union had paid $2,500 and that the remaining outstanding balance to the hotel after negotiations was $10,292, for a total bill reduced to about $13,000. A councilor indicated the council would “accommodate it,” but the transcript does not record a formal roll-call vote.

Civilian Review Board evidence-management contract

Mister Johnson, identified in the transcript as the Civilian Review Board chair, requested a one-year subscription to an online evidence-management service (evidence.com) to speed case review and reduce local IT storage costs. Johnson said the one-year term was deliberate to avoid long-term lock-in. The transcript shows discussion but no recorded formal approval.

Infrastructure and property items

The council heard from Kevin Buser of the Department of Public Works about a proposed use-occupancy permit with the New York State Department of Transportation to install vehicle-impact deterrents ("clinkers") near the Park Street Bridge, where repeated vehicle strikes have occurred. Buser said the city has had preliminary approval from NYSDOT for siting and will seek CHIP funding to reduce local costs. The railroad owner and NYSDOT were described as engaged in parallel discussions about a longer-term bridge-raising or roadway-lowering solution; councilors said the city should not wait and should take interim measures now.

Economic development and property clean-up

The council reviewed several items tied to the land bank and neighborhood stabilization. The city described a subcontract request with the land bank for up to $150,000 to spend Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) grant funds ($600,000 received by the city) on CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) repairs in problem-oriented policing areas. Kimon Jordan, Director of Housing and Neighborhood Planning, and other staff said the focus would be exterior repairs and lot cleanup—fences, siding, porch repairs—on properties that are repairable and not demolition candidates; DCJS funds cannot be used for demolition.

Separately, the city presented an RFQ result and asked to contract with nine firms for the city’s blight-busting program. The program targets vacant, noncompliant properties after notice and billing; if owners do not pay, costs may be placed on property taxes.

Housing and finance items

The council accepted a recommendation to award the Financial Empowerment Center contract to United Way after an RFP process; staff said client records sit with the Center for Financial Empowerment (the program’s database) and will remain accessible to the new contractor. The council also discussed tax write-offs for four parcels tied to the former JMA factory totaling just under $38,000; the county agreed to compromise its delinquent taxes to allow city cleanup and future disposition.

Process items, holds and next steps

Multiple councilors placed items on hold for further committee review or to incorporate public-hearing recommendations. Councilors explicitly held item 13 for policy revisions and held item 26 for additional public review; item 21 was withdrawn. For several contract requests (for example, the IMA physician arrangement and fiber installation connected to the planned police and fire relocation at 1153 West Fayette Street), speakers said the administration would provide follow-up information. At the end of the business portion, a motion to move into executive session was seconded and the chair called for a voice vote; the chair said, “All in favor? Alright,” indicating approval to convene in executive session.

What the transcript does not show

The transcript records discussion, requests and some administrative decisions but does not include roll-call votes for most items, nor does it record the final disposition of several contract approvals (for example the IMA agreement or the evidence-management subscription). For items where councilors said they would “accommodate” or “hold” requests, no formal motion text or tally appears in the transcript excerpt.

Looking ahead

Councilors asked for additional follow-ups: the mayor’s office will review past use of IMA and any RFP waivers; staff will provide more detail on fiber monthly charges for the 1153 West Fayette Street relocation; and several housing and zoning items will return to committee for more detailed review before final council votes.

(Reported from the Syracuse City Council meeting; agenda items covered, as announced by councilors, included items 10–31 and 32–49.)