The village of North Syracuse’s board of trustees voted Jan. 8 to install wireless Internet in the community center on South Bay Road.
Mayor Mark Atkinson said having Wi-Fi in the building would be useful to the justice court, the board of trustees and as an amenity for groups who rent the community center for events.
Internet capability will cost the village $49.99 per month plus a $100 installation fee. The provider will be Time Warner Cable.
Trustee Paul Linnertz suggested that some of the cost could be recovered through a small fee for people who wish to access the hall’s Wi-Fi at their events. Atkinson said the board could discuss that possibility when they revisit the building rental rates for the next budget.
OCRRA agreements
The village also discussed two agreements with the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA).
The board authorized the mayor to sign a one-year tipping fees agreement, which sees a rate increase from $74 to $84 per ton of trash the village hauls to OCRRA.
The board also voted to sign a 20-year agreement with OCRRA to ensure that all of North Syracuse’s solid waste will be sent to and processed at OCRRA’s waste-to-treatment plant in Jamesville. It also ensures the continuation of OCRRA’s recycling programs.
Atkinson and village attorney Scott Chatfield said the agreement would also support OCRRA’s efforts to secure a $50 million bond.
“The bond writers want to see that the community’s going to support OCRRA long-term,” Atkinson said.
“The lender is asking the borrower to prove its income stream, and we are part of the income stream,” Chatfield said.
Brush truck repairs
Department of Public Works Superintendent Gary Wilmer said the village’s two brush trucks are in disrepair. He said the trucks are used not only for brush, but also for leaves and snow removal.
“They take a beating,” he said.
Wilmer said the swing on the boom of the 2007 truck requires about $7,600 in repairs. He said this truck is “about halfway through its lifecycle.” The bucket of the 1996 truck has disintegrated.
“My problem is you put all that money into one truck, and a year or two from now, you have to replace it,” Wilmer said.
Wilmer suggested trading in both vehicles to lease a new truck. He said the two trucks could be traded for a $32,000 value. A new truck would be about $142,000 for a five-year lease.
“I think it would be a smart thing to repair it right now,” Atkinson said. “What we need to do is start taking a look at the budget this year and/or next year about a replacement schedule.”
Animal control
The village is in talks with the towns of Clay and Cicero to share an animal control officer.
He said he is pleased with current dog control officer Jessica Fowler, but wanted to be more cost-effective.
“If the board is willing to spend money to have a quality, high-end animal control shop here, that’s well within this board’s capability if you want to fund it,” Atkinson said. “But this is a very inexpensive way to have coverage.”
Atkinson said the village averages 1.5 animal control calls per month at a cost of $30 per call.
He said the intermunicipal agreement with Clay and Cicero would increase the cost of a call to $50 but would eliminate the expense of a vehicle and gas for the village.
Pending more information about the costs of this agreement, the board tabled the discussion for a future meeting.
