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Syracuse Common Council approved a labor agreement between the Syracuse Firefighters Association and the city during their meeting Monday.

The five-and-a-half year agreement will run retroactively from Jan. 1, 2021, to June 30, 2026, and involves a 3% annual wage increase until 2025 and a 1.5% increase in 2026.

Beginning in July 2023, the association’s health plan coverage will cost $135 per month for single coverage and $260 per month for family coverage.

The Common Council also appropriated $375,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds toward establishing Syracuse Festival Funds from May 2022-23.

Michael Collins, the deputy commissioner of business development for the city, said in a letter to the city clerk’s office that the fund would encourage the celebration of the city’s diverse cultures and communities, especially due to the forced cancellation of various cultural events due to the pandemic.

Councilor Patrick Hogan introduced an amendment to the bill to set aside $125,000 for the Syracuse Jazz Festival that will take place this summer in Clinton Square. The amended bill passed 5-4.

Additionally, the council allocated $1,750,000 in ARPA funds towards an agreement with the SUNY Educational Opportunity Center to construct a new Applied Trades and Technology Career Lab.

The facility would be part of Syracuse Surge, a growth and economic initiative Mayor Ben Walsh began in 2019.

Walsh issued a press release Monday regarding the festival fund and the new facility.

“These programs attract thousands of visitors and patrons from around the city, the Central New York region, and beyond, contributing to the city’s economy, especially the arts, entertainment, food service, retail and hospitality related sectors,” Walsh said in the release.

The council held a proposal until a later meeting to allocate further ARPA funds towards the City as Canvas program, which would encourage Syracuse-based artists who demonstrate financial difficulties due to the pandemic to participate in the creation of murals and street art across the city.

Other business

The council passed a proposal allocating around $1.4 million to purchase four 10-wheel snow plows with salt spreaders and one street paver.

Councilor Michael Greene introduced a supplemental resolution to appoint Kristin B. Greeley, Esq., to the Board of Assessment Review for a five-year term.

The council also passed a proposal to fill a vacancy on the Citizen Review Board, left by former member Dana Natale, with Richard Levy for a term ending on Dec. 31, 2023.

Published on February 8, 2022 at 12:41 am

Contact Ivana: [email protected]