By Ashley M. Casey
Most of the time, you can count the number of attendees of a North Syracuse Village Board of Trustees meeting on one hand. During the citizens’ voice portion of the agenda, one could hear a pin drop.
That was far from the case at the Nov. 8 meeting. Residents of Sleeth Mill Circle filled the seats at the North Syracuse Community Center to express their concerns about the village’s maintenance — or lack thereof — in their neighborhood.
Ruth Mott called Sleeth Mill Circle the “orphan part” of North Syracuse.
“It seems that we get neglected more than we should,” Mott said.
According to Mott and her neighbors, Sleeth Park has not been well-maintained and ponds in the neighborhood have turned into mosquito-infested swamps. She also expressed her dismay about dead plants around the neighborhood’s sign.
“It is now all dead, black stuff, and it looks disgusting,” Mott said.
Director of Parks and Recreation Teresa Roth said the sign and plants belong to the developer, not the village. However, she has had parks employees help residents plant flowers at Sleeth Mill Circle and at developments near Kennedy Park in the past few years. Roth said she let her staff use leftover mulch from park projects.
“We didn’t want to set a precedent that we are going to take over maintaining the landscaping of your private development,” Roth said. “I was afraid that that’s what was going to happen, that once I did it, then you were going to expect … our staff to do it every spring and fall.”
Department of Public Works Superintendent Ed Ware said the retention pond is also the developer’s property and responsibility, but his crew can examine the trail and trim the overgrown trees there.
The issue of Syracuse Haulers’ automated garbage collection arose at the Nov. 8 meeting as well. Trustees received an earful from unhappy residents last month about the size, appearance and maneuverability of the 95-gallon trash and recycling bins. The neighbors of Sleeth Mill Circle shared the same concerns and then some.
Residents said Syracuse Haulers picked up their garbage in the evening last week, if they came at all. Village officials said they have provided Syracuse Haulers with the correct map, and last week was only the first week of automated pickup.
Resident Leonard Pogroski said most of his neighbors park their cars in their garages and hire contractors to plow the snow in their driveways. Pogroski said he and his wife, Karenann, can only fit one of their two cars in the garage if they have to make room for the large trash bins.
Leonard Pogroski said he and his wife have health issues that make it difficult for them to move large, heavy objects. Karenann Pogroski said postal carriers will not deliver the mail if the trash bins are blocking the mailboxes.
“They’re not acceptable,” resident Angel Bernard said of the trash bins. “I talked with my snow plow guy and he said, ‘If you put that out in the driveway, I ain’t coming.’”
DPW Superintendent Ware raised another issue regarding snow plow contractors.
“They put their snow in the center of the circle, which creates problems for the [village] plow guys, and then we have to haul it away. That’s becoming an issue for our trucks to turn and make the circle,” Ware said. “I know you guys don’t have a lot of place to put the snow, and I think codes says you’re not supposed to put it in the middle of the road.”
Trustee Art Steere reminded residents that they can call Syracuse Haulers and swap out their 95-gallon bins for 65-gallon bins, but if they want to switch back to 95 gallons, they will have to pay. He also suggested that residents put their snow plow contractors in touch with the village so they can discuss the issue.
