NORTH SYRACUSE — At the end of Wells Avenue East and Oakley Drive in the village of North Syracuse, there is a strip of vacant land. The absentee owner owes more than $8,000 in back taxes.

Since the village already maintains the grass and clears brush from the parcel, Mayor Gary Butterfield is interested in having the village buy the property and possibly divide it to sell to the neighboring homeowners for a nominal fee.

“It was scheduled to go to auction on Oct. 4. We would like to get our hands on it before the auction,” Butterfield said at the Sept. 22 meeting of the Village Board of Trustees.

While Onondaga County reimburses North Syracuse for the cost of maintaining the strip of “no-man’s land,” as Butterfield called it, the county could decide to discontinue that arrangement.

“There is never a guarantee that every year we’re going to be made whole,” Trustee Christopher Strong said.

Strong said he has met with several residents of Wells and Oakley. He said photos show evidence of illegal dumping and damage to North Syracuse Department of Public Works equipment. The parcel’s swampy tendencies increase the risk of mosquitoes, Strong added.

While Butterfield and Strong are in favor of purchasing the property, other board members were not convinced. Deputy Mayor Pat Gustafson disputed the claims of illegal dumping.

“What benefit to the village is that strip of land?” she asked. “It’s good for nothing. You can’t put anything on it. Nobody was dumping on it, there wasn’t any garbage on it. The only thing that was on it was branches and trees and leaves.”

A resident who spoke during the public comment period of the Sept. 22 meeting agreed with Gustafson.

“There is no dumping there. As Pat said, it was just brush,” said the resident, who did not give her name.

Another village resident, Ken Ryan, said flooding from the swampy parcel has backed up to people’s homes.

“It causes problems for the people who live in the village and pay taxes,” he said.

Ryan added that if the property goes to auction, a new private owner could neglect it as the current owner is doing.

Gustafson suggested sending letters to neighboring homeowners to see if any of them are interested in purchasing the parcel. Butterfield said the neighborhood is small enough – about 21 homes – that someone could go door-to-door to discuss it with homeowners.

“I’m saying we find out first before we invest,” Gustafson said.

“Sounds like you’ve volunteered,” Butterfield said.

“If that’s what you want me to do,” Gustafson replied.

Butterfield and Strong said the village would have more control over the condition and safety of the property. In addition to the DPW’s maintenance, the North Syracuse Police Department patrols the area regularly.

“The bottom line is the owner doesn’t care about it. He’s not paying the taxes. He’s not doing anything about it,” Butterfield said. “I don’t see the harm in us at least controlling the property. It’s not like it’s an easement for a utility.”

Trustee Fred Wilmer said he was not in favor of the village acquiring the strip of land.

“Personally, I think we should let it go back for auction and then see what the homeowners will do with it,” he said. “Maybe one of the people who live there will put a bid on it and buy the whole thing.”

Safety Day is Oct. 1

The North Syracuse Fire Department is holding its 31st Annual Safety Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at 109 Chestnut St.

Visitors can learn about emergency preparedness and first aid, check out the smoke trailer and meet first responders from the fire department and other local agencies, including the North Syracuse Police Department, Cicero Police Department and the North Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps (NAVAC).

Parents can sign their kids up for child ID cards and have car seats inspected or installed to ensure they are safely in place.

The event also includes refreshments, a coloring contest and door prizes. For more information, visit facebook.com/NorthSyracuseFireDepartment.

Also on the agenda

• Codes Enforcement Officer Brian Johnstone has resigned to take a job with another municipality. Johnstone has worked for the village of North Syracuse since 2017. His last day is Oct. 14.

• Burnet Road: The village board approved an agreement with the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency (OCIDA) that allows the North Syracuse Fire Department to use vacant homes on Burnet Road in Clay for training and practice drills. The properties listed in the agreement are 8699, 8677 and 8688 Burnet Road. The fire department must seal holes to prevent trespassers and is not allowed to let trash accumulate.