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The Syracuse Common Council turned down efforts to introduce the municipal sidewalk program, which Mayor Ben Walsh announced last week, at its Monday meeting.

Councilor-at-Large Michael Greene introduced the program, which would commit $4.5 million toward refurbishing and building sidewalks throughout the city, as a late addition to the meeting. Because the program was not on the original meeting agenda, Greene added it as a waiver item. It needed six votes to be added to the agenda, and the council voted against it.

Greene said he was surprised by the vote, especially after a group of councilors wrote an opinion article last year endorsing the plan. Incoming federal funds from the American Rescue Plan make the plan more financially viable, he said.

“This is incredibly disappointing,” Greene said. “Particularly given that the majority of councilors and the mayor support it, it’s frustrating to not be able to bring it to vote.”

Sidewalks have been a focus of both Greene and Walsh’s campaigns for mayor. Walsh cited sidewalk maintenance as a priority in his 2021 State of the City address, and it’s one of Greene’s most important campaign issues.

Councilors Khalid Bey, Joe Carni, Chol Majok and Latoya Allen voted against the program’s introduction to the agenda. Bey is Greene’s Democratic primary opponent for mayor, and Walsh is running for reelection as an independent.

Greene said he plans to reintroduce the legislation at the next Common Council meeting.

“It’s truly bizarre to see councilors that previously supported the idea vote no,” Greene said.

The city budget would cover costs associated with the first year of the project, and in 2022, the program would be paid for with fees on properties in the city.

The fees would increase over five years by $20 and $60 per year, respectively, for residential and commercial properties. Residential property owners would pay $20 during the first year and all commercial properties would pay $60, whether they pay property taxes or not. The fees would be capped at $100 per year for residential properties and $300 per year for commercial properties.

According to the legislation, a minimum of 3% of the program’s funds must be used to build sidewalks. The plan would prioritize sidewalks near schools, grocery stores and pharmacies and expand the city’s sidewalk snow removal initiative.

“We should be embracing the fact that we’re an urban city that is walkable, and until you have a municipal sidewalk program, you can’t say that,” Greene said. “It would be something that would really improve the quality of life for people throughout the city.”

Budget amendments

The council considered five amendments for the city budget and approved three.

Councilors voted against an amendment that would include $80,000 in funding to hire two additional employees for the Citizen Review Board.

Bey, who voted against the amendment, told Syracuse.com that most councilors wanted one additional employee on the civilian board, which investigates complaints of police misconduct. Bey plans to introduce legislation in the coming weeks calling for additional civilian board funds totaling less than $80,000.

The city will allocate $250,000 to the Greater Syracuse Land Bank for the demolition of properties across Syracuse. The Land Bank is an independent nonprofit that purchases and redevelops abandoned and rundown properties in the city.

The council also approved $75,000 of funding for the Syracuse basketball mural project that honors four Syracuse basketball stars with a six-story mural downtown.

The council voted against an amendment calling for a city-wide property tax reassessment, which would cost the city $2 million.

The final approved amendment will provide $1 million for Home HeadQuarters Inc, a nonprofit that provides low-interest loans for home buying and remodeling. The council passed the amendment 8-0 with Allen, the director of community engagement at Home HeadQuarters, abstaining.

Other business

The council expanded an initiative to refund and waive fees for local business owners.

The city will waive or refund fees collected for the use of city sidewalks for restaurant seating for 2021. It will also return over $3,200 in fees to business owners. Restaurant owners still must apply for and acquire permits for 2021, but they will be free for this year.

The city will apply for a $700,000 grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to fully fund a vaccine education program. If awarded, the city will use the money to inform community members about the COVID-19 vaccine and encourage its use.

The YMCA of Central New York gained approval from the council to hold its Power Scholars Academy summer program in city parks. The program is a five-week summer education initiative aimed at elementary school students who attend high-poverty schools.

Published on May 10, 2021 at 9:38 pm

Contact Nick: [email protected] | @NickRobertsonSU