Canandaigua City Council adopted a local law Monday establishing sewer rents, after opening and immediately closing a required public hearing when no one from the public spoke in person or on Zoom.
The sewer-rent law sets a sewer rent charge of $7.322 per 1,000 gallons of water consumption or measured sewer discharge, with a minimum quarterly charge of $82, according to the ordinance summary read during the meeting. The law also includes a 20-day payment window before a 15% penalty applies, as read aloud during the discussion.
During the discussion, Councilmember J.T. Squires raised concerns about the penalty structure and proposed changing the window to 30 days with a 5% late fee. Council members discussed the idea, and City Manager John Goodwin said he wanted time to analyze impacts and the rationale for the existing time frame and penalty rate. The meeting then returned to the main motion and the council approved the sewer-rent local law by roll call vote.
Earlier, the council approved the Jan. 6, 2026 meeting minutes and heard Goodwin’s report, which included a reminder that residents adjacent to sidewalks have 24 hours from the last snowfall to remove snow and ice. Goodwin also thanked the Department of Public Works for responding to a water main break Saturday morning on Main Street and for clearing snow. He also announced the Environmental Committee meeting originally scheduled for Feb. 2 was moved to Feb. 3.
No one spoke during the portion of the meeting set aside for comments on items not on the agenda.
Resolutions approved
The council approved multiple resolutions, including one recognizing and thanking Don Semans for more than 40 years of service to the city.
The council set two public hearings for 6 p.m. Feb. 23: One on an ordinance amending the city’s solid waste code regarding regulation of temporary dumpsters, and another on a local law amending the city’s senior tax exemption provisions under Section 467 of state real property tax law.
In that tax exemption discussion, Councilmember Michael Mills asked about a separate veterans-related tax reduction idea previously discussed in committee. Goodwin said feedback from New York state indicated the way the law is written would mean only about two people statewide would qualify, and the city decided to hold further discussion for the next finance meeting. Goodwin also said adopting the senior exemption change would have changed the 2026 tax rate by 0.008, based on the information staff pulled.
The council also approved:
- Accepting a donated public art sculpture from sculptor Barron Naegel for installation in a public park on Gibson Street; a council member asked about installation cost and Goodwin said it would be “under $100.”
- Authorizing a five-year agreement with the Ontario-Wayne Stormwater Coalition with a $5,000 annual membership fee; Goodwin said the city had budgeted for it and identified Peter Verkler, the DPW coordinator, as the main representative.
- Expressing support for the city’s application to the New York State Municipal Parks and Recreation grant program for improvements at Baker Park.
- Accepting a water quality and flood resiliency easement related to a flood mitigation project near 111 North Street, with E. & J. Gallo Winery granting an easement providing 50 feet of access.
- Granting a noise ordinance exception for two concerts planned by Peacemaker Brewing and Rio Tomatlan on June 26-27, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., with a requirement that nearby neighbors receive written notice at least two weeks before the event.
The council also approved spending and personnel-related items, including appropriating $25,000 from the Police Asset Seizure & Forfeiture Reserve to replace a radio associated with the downtown camera network. During that discussion, Goodwin said the reserve contained $51,910, and he answered questions about access to camera footage: the 911 center can access the downtown cameras during dispatch, footage is retained for a limited time unless saved for a case, and video is typically deleted after 90 days due to data size.
Councilmember Mills also asked about the city’s stance on interactions with federal immigration enforcement. Goodwin said the city follows New York state law and executive orders, is not actively enforcing immigration law, and would provide assistance only with a judicial warrant or in certain emergency circumstances.
The council also approved a resolution electing to provide pension benefits under Section 384-e of state retirement and social security law for eligible fire department members, with an effective date of Feb. 1, 2026, and approved reappointing former mayor Ellen Palomini as a city marriage officer for a term stated during the meeting as Jan. 1, 2024 through Dec. 31, 2027.
Dumpster ordinance, senior exemption law tabled; council discusses priorities
When the council reached the ordinance amending the temporary dumpster rules, members discussed confusion about the order of items and ultimately voted to place the ordinance on the table, rather than adopt it.
Councilmember Guy Turchetti later moved to table Local Law 2026-002, which would amend the city’s senior tax exemption provisions. The council voted in favor of tabling it.
The meeting then moved into a strategic planning discussion, with members sharing priorities and expressing support for holding a council retreat. Themes discussed included flood mitigation and storm resiliency, public safety, communications, budget planning, the comprehensive plan and housing, among other topics. Goodwin said he would circulate potential retreat dates and begin reaching out to facilitators.
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