Auburn residents renewed calls for stronger action on unsafe housing Thursday as City Council approved utility billing safeguards and water infrastructure work, received a demolition schedule for the former Bombardier plant and postponed a proposed cybersecurity agreement.
Speakers questioned the city’s response to deteriorating properties, alleged unsanitary motel conditions and blocked sidewalks. Their comments continued a housing debate that has brought tenants, landlords and city officials before council repeatedly this fall.
Council did not adopt new housing regulations at the Nov. 5 meeting. It unanimously approved two utility resolutions and tabled the cybersecurity proposal for further review.
Residents demand stronger housing oversight
James Udall urged Auburn to expand public information about landlords and rental properties through its Building Blocks system. He also advocated using Community Development Block Grant funding to support homeownership and revisiting property tax relief for qualifying seniors and disabled homeowners.
Udall described alleged bedbug infestations and inadequate housekeeping at motels housing vulnerable residents. Brett Tracy also criticized motel conditions and questioned how complaints are handled by city and county agencies.
Their descriptions were allegations raised during public comment, rather than findings established by council.
Another resident complained about accumulated garbage, unregistered vehicles and vehicles blocking sidewalks, arguing that enforcement was inconsistent. John McLeod proposed stronger consequences for landlords who repeatedly fail to pay property taxes and suggested education requirements for new landlords.
The comments followed October discussions about rental ratings, enforcement and tenants’ rights. Council has not approved a landlord grading system.
As FingerLakes1 previously reported, city staff have been examining whether Auburn could offer additional rental information through Building Blocks, including features similar to Rochester’s property and manager ratings.
Udall also used Thursday’s public comment period to announce an independent campaign for a City Council seat in 2027.
Water project receives $13 million funding package
City Manager Jennifer Haines announced that Auburn had received a $5 million grant and $8.03 million in zero-interest financing for the Franklin Street Reservoir and Water System Improvement Project.
The combined $13.03 million package is expected to save water system customers approximately $6.6 million in interest and avoided costs, Haines said. Council approved the project and funding application in July. Staff will now work with consultants and the state Environmental Facilities Corporation on design and financing.
Council also voted 5-0 to expand its agreement with Geocove for work on Auburn’s service-line inventory.
The additional $40,629 brings the contract to $90,629. The expense is fully reimbursable through an existing $917,988 state grant, with money transferred within the project budget.
Municipal Utilities Director Seth Jensen said more than half the inventory has been identified, but the remaining work is becoming slower as crews exhaust easier methods such as resident-submitted photographs and inspections inside homes.
The city expects predictive modeling to help identify approximately 1,000 of roughly 4,000 remaining unknown service lines. The state Department of Health has approved that approach for the inventory program.
Jensen said the effort has not found a lead service line so far. Thousands of lines remain unidentified, however, and the city must complete its inventory by November 2027.
Bombardier demolition will bring weekend closures
Haines outlined the next stages of demolition at the former Bombardier facility, including temporary road closures expected this winter.
Hazardous material removal at Buildings 30 and 30A along Columbus Street is expected to continue into early December, with demolition anticipated in mid-December.
That work is expected to close Columbus Street between the Arterial and Orchard Street for one weekend, from Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon.
Demolition of Buildings 3 and 3A along Orchard Street is anticipated in early January after hazardous material removal. That phase is expected to require a similar weekend closure of Orchard Street between Columbus Street and Baker Avenue.
The contractor will provide two weeks’ notice before closures. Nearby residents and businesses will receive door hangers with contact information, and access will be maintained for residents on Wallace Avenue and Underwood Street.
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Full completion is anticipated by early February 2027, although the schedule may change. The city’s schedule was also detailed in FingerLakes1’s report on the demolition and street closures.
Haines said the separate Lake Avenue bridge project remains on schedule for substantial completion July 16, 2027. Approximately 29% of the roughly $6.9 million contract has been spent, and no change orders are anticipated.
Utility billing policy passes; cybersecurity agreement waits
Council voted 5-0 to adopt a municipal utility billing policy recommended by the city’s external auditors.
The policy establishes procedures for checking unusual meter readings, documenting billing adjustments, monitoring delinquent accounts and reviewing billing activity. Comptroller Mary Beth Leeson said staff have already incorporated approval steps into the accounting system and identified issues through closer review of meter data.
Diego questioned who would authorize adjustments and how smaller corrections would be handled. Leeson said the process provides additional oversight while allowing routine errors to be addressed.
A proposed cybersecurity agreement received a different outcome.
The arrangement would provide state-supported assessment and monitoring of Auburn’s publicly accessible technology systems at no cost for the service. In exchange, the city would share cybersecurity information generated by the service with the state Security Operations Center.
The proposed initial term is three years, followed by automatic annual renewals subject to the agreement’s conditions.
Diego requested more time to review the contract and obtain answers from city staff. Council unanimously agreed to table the resolution until the following week.
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