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Council reviews Land Bank transfers and neighborhood funding; request for TNT reports and compliance details
Summary
Councilors discussed a set of properties recommended for transfer to the Land Bank, a lease extension for Webster Pond anglers, and funding for TNT (a neighborhood group). Councilors requested updated reports on TNT activities, compliance and how city funds are used; housing staff described outreach and status for individual properties.
Housing and neighborhood planning staff briefed the Common Council on a list of properties the administration proposes to transfer to the Onondaga County Land Bank once foreclosure is complete, and councilors discussed related neighborhood funding requests.
Kimon Jordan, director of Housing and Neighborhood Planning, said the agenda items (45–51) list properties that have progressed through foreclosure and that staff have conducted outreach and site visits. Jordan described examples: some parcels have tenants who have been contacted and connected with purchase programs, some owners have not responded to outreach, and some prospective purchasers are working with Home Headquarters to obtain ownership.
Councilors asked about specific parcels and the duration of delinquent taxes; staff said some properties carried several years of tax arrears (one example cited as approximately four to five years). Councilors asked whether notices were sent by certified mail; staff responded that legal notices from finance are sent by certified mail, while neighborhood outreach letters are not always certified.
Councilor Jones Rausser’s slate of items included a request to extend a lease at Webster Pond (item 42) for a local anglers’ group that has managed the site for decades. Councilors expressed general support for the continuation of that lease.
Council discussion also touched on TNT, a neighborhood‑based organization that receives city funding to support community projects. Councilors requested a report from TNT showing recent activities and funding uses: one councilor asked staff to confirm that TNT continues to raise outside funds and to provide an accounting of how city dollars are distributed to neighborhood projects.
Neighborhood staff said property owners have the opportunity to redeem properties during the foreclosure process and that the council’s transfer vote occurs early in the process; staff said outreach continues and that some owners have not responded despite multiple visits and notices. Councilors asked staff to continue outreach and to provide requested compliance and activity reports for organizations receiving city funding. No formal votes were recorded in the provided transcript excerpt.
