A community-based work group is collaborating with the Connective Corridor office on a stewardship program that brings together a number of elements based on voluntary initiatives that we envision will also be supported with professional services.  Aspects of this plan include:

·         Creation of the City’s first Adopt-A-Park program, working with the Syracuse & Central New York Police Retirees Association.  Regular park clean-ups will be held the second Saturday of each month, and there has been a large outpouring of support for this initiative.  We could still use help, so feel free to join us for any of these beautification days – even if it is for an hour or so.  Thanks to Hutchings who has volunteered to be part of this effort through its recreation therapy program.  SpaZend has made some generous offers of “mini-spa” certificates for volunteers.  We’re also reaching out to the Upstate Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Engineers (ASLA) and the ESF Student Chapter.  We’re very grateful for this partnership, and look forward to building that coalition, and adding local residents and businesses to the effort.  Together, we’ll also be working on a summer 2014 concert series in Forman Park and activating it with other programming, so there will be even more reasons and opportunity to enjoy the park.

·         Creation of an Adopt-A-Green-Project program by Save the Rain, designed to address rain garden maintenance.  Syracuse University will maintain the rain gardens on East Genesee Street. 

 ·         Professional services and voluntary contributions.  In partnership with EGRA, we are soliciting bids from local landscape providers and non-profit organizations for proposals to augment volunteer efforts with some needed services at Forman Park, Forman Island, the three traffic medians on East Genesee and the three landscaped bus nodes on University Avenue.  The scope of work includes basic weeding and mulching.  Proposals will be reviewed with the EGRA work group, and voluntary contributions will be accepted through a donor-advised beautification fund that will be set up, potentially through a local foundation.

·         Voluntary service agreements with property owners.  A East Genesee Regents Association (EGRA) workgroup has been meeting to develop a voluntary beautification plan with commitment agreements to enable individual property owners to maintain their own “front yards” along East Genesee Street and University Avenue.  These voluntary service agreements replace the proposed special district approach, and give owners flexibility to handle their own snow clearing, weeding, and landscaped areas such as planter boxes and tree pits, etc.  EGRA is meeting individually with property owners on this plan, and EGRA will monitor implementation.  We agree that this formal, agreement-based stewardship model is a good approach, and thanks to EGRA for agreeing to lead and monitor this.  Thanks, also, to many property owners who have already voluntarily started that effort!

·         Municipal services.   The City will provide municipal services including:

1.      Forman Park

•  Clearing snow from Forman Park walkways and sidewalks
• Cleanup of Forman Park before and after events and scheduled trash and litter pick up in Forman Park
•  Scheduled grass cutting at Forman Park
•  Forman Park fountain maintenance and seasonal work
•  Sealing concrete benches in Forman Park as needed
•  Tree pruning in Forman Park as needed

2.      Streetscapes

• Cleaning sewer inlets of debris as needed
• Cleaning sump lines with sewer truck as needed
• Scheduled pick up of trash and recycling receptacles
• Maintenance, repair, re-lamping and inspection of special district lighting
• Salt application on travel lanes and parking lanes
• Snow plowing of the travel lanes, parking lanes and bike lanes
• Tree pruning as needed

   3.      A handy city services guide is available as a pdf at:  http://www.syracuse.ny.us/uploadedFiles/Departments/DPW/Content/2013%20Brochure%20Final%20for%20Web.pdf

·         Vandalism and graffiti may be handled if REPORTED PROMPTLY.  The City of Syracuse Police non-emergency number is:  315-442-5111 and the East Genesee Street Community Policing number is 315-478-0445.   City DPW skilled trades may be able to assist with removal, but only if reporting is prompt.  That phone number is easy to remember:   315-448-CITY.

·         Green infrastructure maintenance.  The County has committed to maintaining all elements of the Connective Corridor green infrastructure as outlined in an intermunicipal agreement between the City of Syracuse and the County of Onondaga. This commitment, which includes items such as clearing inlets, vacuuming and other tasks associated with porous surfaces, stormwater structures and bioretention areas.  Details about Save the Rain maintenance are at:  http://savetherain.us/green-programs/green-infrastructure/maintenance/

·         Capital replacement.  Syracuse University intends to continue working with the City on a capital replacement plan, and will invest $500,000 in allocated Corridor capital funds to provide equipment to maintain the Corridor and provide an adequate replacement reserve for Corridor fixtures.  Details of that plan are being finalized in partnership with the City’s planning, engineering, parks and public works departments.

        For more information, or to volunteer to be part of the maintenance and beautification effort, contact:  corridor@syr.edu