Councilors press city on outreach, notice and address updates as housing enforcement changes advance

Councilors at a Syracuse Common Council study session pressed city attorneys and enforcement staff for details on outreach and the notice process tied to proposed changes affecting housing code enforcement and Bureau of Administrative Adjudication (BAA) procedures.

Councilor Jones Rausser said the proposal is "probably the most important legislation we have to deal with the deteriorating housing situation in this city," and asked what outreach beyond a newspaper notice would be done to inform property owners. Sue Katzof, Corporation Counsel, said the office would likely use a newspaper article, a possible Mayor's Office press release and website postings, but warned a broad mailer would be costly and often returned because property-owner contact information is frequently out of date.

Katzof and Lee Terry, Deputy Director of the Bureau…