Grains of Salt (v31): SOTC, Part 3

Grains of Salt

Let's take a look at the last part of new Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh's first State of the City address.

In the first two posts, we focused primarily on the city's financial condition and collaboration and the I-81 project and related efforts. In this last post, we'll look at aspects of daily living in a city, the stuff that matters to residents every day.

There is no greater responsibility for a city government than the safety of its residents. Without a feeling of security, none of the potential we have described tonight can occur. My hope is for a Syracuse in which citizens and the people charged with protecting them have a mutually supportive and respectful relationships. I want that for our residents and our law enforcement professionals, and I know we can get there.

As he did on a number of other issues, he referenced the work of his transition team; the Neighborhoods and Safety committee came up with more than 20 idea, he said, to build relationships between kids, adults and the police. Among the ideas? Recreational and job opportunities for teens, community policing, and an assessment of the Citizens Review Board.

These feel like perennial favorites - any mayor coming in would want to focus on these issues, to build trust between police and residents, and I'm hoping that we can get there this time. Walsh and Chief Fowler are focused on getting 25 - 30 new recruits on board by the end of the year but maybe there's more we can do: redeploying resources to get more police officers on the streets in the neighborhoods, back filling them with civilian employees, for example, or incentivizing cops to live in city neighborhoods; both of these will likely require difficult contract negotiations, but it would be worth it to try stuff like this, which other communities have done successfully.

Walsh is also undertaking a public-participation search for a new police chief; we residents will have the chance to define the characteristics we want in a chief, and a national search will get underway by spring. We also have some new leaders in both the police department and fire department; Walsh made quick moves there.

What else did he talk about?

• Snow removal - hard not to talk about that, given we're the snowiest city in the country. We have two issues here - roads, and sidewalks.  DPW crews get the main roads quickly, but side streets? Not so much. Add irresponsible residents parking on both sides of the street, or private snow removal companies filling the road with 'residential' snow, and it can get out of hand quickly. Also getting out of hand quickly? Residents not clearing their sidewalks timely - or ever, in some cases. Walsh is looking to the I-team to get on this one, with a public meeting coming up to talk about snow - and getting rid of it. 
• Bike sharing is another item on the Mayor's wish list, to allow people to rent a bike to get around town. Not sure how much demand there is for this, but we've been putting in a lot of bike lanes, so this might encourage more use of them. 
• Schools, of course - including phase two of the JSCB renovation program which is continuing this year. 
•  Drones - piloting, engineering and repairing them - via a partnership with the SCSD, OCC and Mohawk Valley Community College - with teaches kids what they need to know and gets them a college degree at no extra cost. This makes perfect sense given the emphasis on drones in CNY, including the 50-mile drone corridor that will eventually stretch to Syracuse from Rome.
• Educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math - STEM - via partnership with LeMoyne College and Onondaga County

What we saw in this last part of the SOTC was the same as we saw in the first two parts: Walsh, looking for collaborators, looking for participation, looking to allow everyone to #RiseAbove together. And that's how he  wound up the policy portions of his speech.

The journey will be made easier if we are all in it together. So tonight, I repeat the invitation to join us. Stay informed. Come to meetings. Share your ideas. Hold us accountable.

Our journey will go faster if the businesses and institutions of our great city get behind us and push us along - investing their resources here in our city, opening their doors to the rich talent pool here in our community and extending a hand to all those who need to be helped along. Because, in the end, isn't that all that really matters, the compassion we show for each other?

We've had optimism before in Syracuse, , and plans, and ideas, and we've had collaboration between the city and the county, too - noteworthy collaboration, even.

But this feels different, I think. More hopeful; more possible, more 'ready.'  It feels like a lot of work has been done already, with partners lined up, people in place, plans and ideas already on the table for discussion, and room for more.  It feels good.