Syracuse’s Common Council met on Wednesday for a study session to discuss several topics related to city affairs. Here are four key takeaways from the session.

Live streaming

Councilor-at-large Steven Thompson plans to introduce a waiver item for Monday’s meeting of the council regarding live streaming of council meetings. The council has chosen WCNY-TV, the Syracuse area’s PBS station, to broadcast its sessions.

Mayor Ben Walsh announced in his January “state of the city” speech that the council chambers will be equipped with cameras and sound equipment in time for the city’s April budget hearings.

Bike lanes

The city plans to add bike lanes around the University Hill area. Striped lanes will be painted along parts of Waverly, Comstock and Crouse Avenues. An undetermined number of parking spaces will also be added as part of the program, which involves milling and paving 1.2 miles of city streets. The total cost of the program may not exceed $2,273,000.

The proposed addition of bike lanes on Euclid Avenue has been a frequent topic of conversation among University Hill community members.

Former Department of Public Works Commissioner Pete O’Connor said last fall the proposed bicycle lanes are just pavement markings, but “the compromise was done in-house,” in regards to one bike lane being near parked cars and one not. There will be detours on the side of the road with curb work, and bicycles will have less room, O’Connor said. Car lanes, though, will remain open, he added.

Fire safety

The Syracuse Fire Department is requesting a $225,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to initiate a life safety initiative aimed at reducing the number of civilian fire injuries and deaths through public outreach and fire safety education. Fire Chief Michael Monds, at the Wednesday meeting, said the fire department is requesting 5,000 smoke detectors, 2,500 carbon monoxide detectors and 200 shake-up smoke detectors, which alert deaf and hearing-impaired people if a smoke detector goes off in their home. Monds said the department will focus fire safety education efforts on children under 14 and the elderly.

Public hearing

The council will hold a public hearing Monday to discuss the city’s slurry seal program. The Department of Public Works aims to repair hundreds of uncurbed streets by applying slurry seal, a mixture of asphalt, water and crushed rock. Slurry seal extends the life of roadways and is less extensive than milling and paving. Total costs of the program may not exceed $800,000. The hearing will take place at 1 p.m. at City Hall.

Published on March 21, 2018 at 9:51 pm

Contact Casey: casey@dailyorange.com | @caseydarnell_