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Syracuse City JACB kicks off Phase 3; board approves startup payment and law‑firm retention
Summary
Syracuse City’s JACB board opened Phase 3 of its school building program, approved a startup payment to the program manager, authorized retention of Bond, Shank & King as bond counsel paid from bond proceeds, and acknowledged Raymond James’ dual role as underwriter and municipal advisor under SEC rules.
The Syracuse City JACB board opened Phase 3 of its school infrastructure program and approved several administrative steps to move design and financing work forward, including a startup payment to the program manager and retention of outside bond counsel.
The board accepted March minutes by voice vote and then approved Resolution No. 3 to pay the program manager for startup work. Joe (Secretary) told the board the packet included a detailed invoice for the work. "There is a detailed invoice enclosed with your packet," he said. The board carried the motion by voice vote.
The board also approved Resolution No. 4 to retain the law firm Bond, Shank & King, with the city contributing the firm’s fees from bond proceeds. Joe said the firm will bring back Seiler Engineering under its umbrella and estimated Seiler’s work at about $17,000. Joe said Mr. Gall, who worked on earlier phases, has returned in an advisory role and Andy Brobeck will serve as the principal lead on the project.
Separately the board voted to acknowledge that Raymond James will serve in a dual capacity as bond underwriter and municipal advisor, a disclosure the secretary said the Securities and Exchange Commission requires. "The SEC rules require that the JACB, the city, school district, and the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency ... acknowledge that we recognize there is this dual role that Raymond James is performing," Joe said. The board carried that motion by voice vote.
Program manager Sean reported on early Phase 3 work and public engagement. He said staff are preparing a comprehensive plan that will include a financial plan, budgets and a schedule aligned with timing of borrowing, and building scopes with estimated costs. "Moving forward, our plan is to have the comprehensive plan pulled together in August so that we can take it to the school board for approval in September, and then back here to the JACB board at the September, and then submission of that comprehensive plan to state," Sean said.
Sean said the team held four public input sessions (one virtual) and received comments calling for improved curb appeal, traffic‑flow fixes at arrival and dismissal, and renovated toilet rooms; he said those items are already part of the plan. Board members asked about how public comments will be incorporated. Sean and Tom (staff member) said architects will revisit each building during the design phase and teams will present schematic designs for additional public feedback. Tom described the typical sequence: initial meeting with architects, schematic design, then another school‑level comment period.
The board also discussed reissuing an RFP for an independent compliance officer (ICO). Joe said the RFP committee received several responses but decided to reissue the RFP after tweaking the document and publishing it through the city’s OpenGov procurement platform to widen the pool of vendors. He said the city’s in‑house diversity team (Von and Cheryl) can handle compliance work during the early PLA negotiations and that an ICO will likely be needed later when architects and additional contracts increase oversight needs. "The ICO really won't be needed till we start to get architects on board and more contracts to be monitored that would exceed the capacity of the city's diversity office," Joe said.
Board members were told that if the trade unions agree to continue the Phase 2 Project Labor Agreement (PLA) terms, that could speed the Phase 3 timeline; Joe recalled that Phase 2 took about six months. The board confirmed it will have counsel (Bond, Shank & King) and Seiler Engineering prepare a report showing the cost benefits of adopting a PLA, at which point the board will decide whether to adopt a PLA.
Votes at a glance: - Acceptance of March meeting minutes — voice vote, carried (no roll call tally specified). - Resolution No. 3: Payment to program manager for startup work — motion carried (voice vote); invoice provided to board packet (not for public distribution). - Resolution No. 4: Retain Bond, Shank & King as bond counsel, fees to be paid from bond proceeds — motion carried (voice vote); Seiler Engineering work estimated at $17,000. - Acknowledgment of Raymond James’ dual role as underwriter and municipal advisor per SEC requirements — motion carried (voice vote).
Next steps and context: the board expects monthly meetings while the program manager is active to monitor invoices, receive updates on the PLA report from Bond, Shank & King with Seiler Engineering, and advance design and financing components. The comprehensive plan timetable as stated by staff targets an August completion for internal plan assembly and a September submission to the school board and return to the JACB board prior to state submission.
No roll‑call vote tallies or named movers/seconders were recorded in the transcript; all recorded approvals were taken by voice vote and announced as "carried."
