ROME — A resident made a plea for more funding and programs to assist the city’s homeless during the public comment portion of Wednesday’s Common Council meeting held in Council Chambers of City Hall.

Rhianna Thornton noted the homeless camps taken down behind the former JC Penney store at Freedom Plaza on Erie Boulevard West. Back in November, Rome police began clearing out homeless encampments in the city, mainly behind JC Penney, but also off Mill Street south of the Erie Canal, and underneath the South James Street bridge.

Police officials noted at the time the encampments were being cleared for safety purposes, as they were deemed a danger for brush fires due to the debris and waste often left behind. Some encampments were considered unsafe for those staying there because of their proximity to the Amtrak train tracks behind the plaza. Several of the encampments had also been set up on private property, officials said.

With the encampments gone, “it makes it more complicated” for the homeless to find shelter, Thornton said, noting she has purchased supplies to provide to the homeless in Rome.

“Services are understaffed and underfunded,” she said. “We have one shelter in Rome (Rome Rescue Mission) and that doesn’t have enough beds.” The mission has an 18-bed shelter for women and children.

Thornton said when the Rome Rescue Mission shelter is full, the closest place for the homeless to receive services is through the Utica mission, but questioned how the homeless would find a way to get to Utica for these services. She recently spoke to a local social services agency which told her, “’Finding a place to put their heads is like playing a game of Russian roulette,’” she said.

“People are sleeping in the streets or they’re staying months in a shelter,” Thornton noted. “My main question and concern is, ‘Why can’t the city get these people and families off the street?’ We need more funding and housing” to deal with the homeless population.

Mayor Jacqueline M. Izzo agreed Thursday, saying there is a need for the state to step up and provide funding for additional housing and resources to address the mental health crisis. A major contributor to the dilemma, she said, is that according to state law, no social service agency can force someone to shelter.

“We do have resources available — of course the Rescue Mission is first, and there’s also Connected Community Schools which has money to shelter families, and the police department works closely with them,” said Izzo. “Especially if families are in need of shelter, they work with Social Services to receive a voucher for area hotels until something more permanent can be arranged depending on their circumstances. Rome Police also work with the Community Recovery Center, the Neighborhood Center and the YMCA, especially if it’s a case of domestic violence.”

Izzo said RPD did take down homeless encampments because “it’s a public safety issue,” often times with open fires or people residing in unsafe conditions.

“RPD works very closely with organizations — we just don’t leave people with nowhere to go, but unfortunately, state law mandates we cannot do any involuntary admissions to any shelter, like the Rescue Mission or to a hotel,” the mayor explained. “The person has to voluntarily want those services. I’ve been watching the (state) budget process very closely, and Gov. (Kathy) Hochul has proposed more funding for mental health services, but how it would address people in an involuntary situation is unclear.”

Izzo said local representatives like Sen. Joseph A. Griffo and Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon have brought their message to Albany about the need to address involuntary situations, but that it will be up to the State Legislature on how they will be handled.

“The state needs to start stepping up with providing some sort of sheltering — possibly longer-term bed facilities or perhaps neighborhood-type facilities that are similar to what ARC or OPWDD housing looks like,” said Izzo. “We’re not doing enough as a state for the mentally ill, and I’m hoping this becomes more of an issue.”

She said, “We need to see what the Legislature puts out there, and we need to come to terms with the fact that a lot of people need help, but it can’t always be on a volunteer-basis, and when not, we need more facilities, more beds. We need the legislature to take some action, regardless of whether the issues downstate are the same as we have upstate, or not. We need more effective programs.”

In other business:

Civilian Police Academy

Third Ward Councilor Kimberly Rogers and Common Council President Stephanie Viscelli commended Rome police for hosting the Civilian Police Academy, which both councilors attended.

“I learned a lot, and we did a tour of the County 911 Center,” said Rogers. “Hopefully I can participate again to get the other weeks in, because I wasn’t able to go on the Wednesdays we had council meetings. I did a ride-along with police officers last week — I rode with Sgt. (Thomas) Medlin and it was an interesting ride. We discussed the issues we were seeing and what they (police) see on a more regular basis. We talked about whether these issues were confined to single areas, which they’re not.”

Viscelli also thanked the department and hopes to enroll in the academy again as well.

“I’m appreciative for them to give their time so we could get a perspective of what it’s like to be a police officer, and the ride-along was beneficial to see how police work with the community and how they’re interacting with the people they’re coming into contact with on the street,” said Viscelli. “I strongly encourage community members considering going through the program, to do it.”

For more information about the Civilian Police Academy and VIPS, go to the Rome police website at www.romepd.com, the Rome police Facebook page, or contact the non-emergency number at 315-339-7780.

Garbage complaints

Councilor Rogers said she has been receiving complaints from residents, particularly an irate complaint over the weekend, about trash pickup conducted by Controlled Waste Systems, Inc. (CWSI) of Utica. She said those complaints have been forwarded and will be discussed with Fifth Ward Councilor Frank R. Anderson and Sixth Ward Councilor Riccardo D. Dursi Jr., co-members of the city Public Works Committee.

“If people are using the 311 app” to report problems and issues, “we should be able to use information from that,” Rogers said. “I asked for information on improvements the administration has had with the garbage company.”

Rogers mentioned in later comments that during her ride-along with Sgt. Medlin last week, a CWSI truck refused to pull over or allow their patrol vehicle to get through.

Mill Street underpass

As a follow-up to the last meeting where Kathleen Murphy, of Franklyn Street, expressed concerns about the deteriorating condition of the Mill Street underpass, which is owned by CSX, Rogers said she will have information to share in the near future.

Sewer and water projects

Councilor Dursi gave updates on Phase III of the North West Rome Water Expansion Project and upgrades to the Railroad Street sewer interceptor line. He said work has already proceeded on the Railroad Street project, and that highway construction for the North West water expansion will start soon, weather permitting.

Food trucks

Rogers said she and the Laws and Rules Committee met with Chief Codes Enforcement Officer Mark Domenico to discuss changes in the state law regarding permits for food trucks.

“Right now we have a vendor permit process that deals with food trucks, but not that deals with potential safety issues of the trucks,” said Rogers, adding that some trucks use flammable materials and that there’s a local law the state wants communities to adopt.

“We don’t want to confuse things and make it harder for vendors to come here, so we want to let it (the local law) fold in to what we’re doing already, rather than rewriting it and making it more confusing,” she said.

For a complete list of approved and tabled legislation, go to ursentinel.com.

The following legislation was unanimously approved:

• Resolution 47 appointing Commissioners of Deeds.

• Resolution 48 authorizing an amendment to the 2023 budget to create a special revenue account to accept a $50,000 grant used for Kennedy Arena’s multi-purpose flooring.

• Resolution 49 authorization to amend the Harborway on the Erie Capitol account (HDR), previously authorized by Resolution 13 of this year.

• Resolution 50 authorizing to amend the 2020 Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan’s spending plan through a non-substantial amendment, reflecting a $7,222.31 addition to the Public Facilities fund.

• Ordinance 9579 authorizing the sale of city-owned parcel 216 Canal St. to the American Ukrainian Veterans’ and Men’s Club for $1,100. The ordinance unanimously passed after Second Ward Councilor John B. Mortise said Chief Codes Enforcement Officer Domenico should have been present for the vote in case councilors had questions.

• Ordinance 9580 authorizing the mayor to approve the sale of city-owned parcel 214 Canal St. to the American Ukrainian Veterans’ and Men’s Club for $1,100.

• Ordinance 9581 authorizing the mayor to approve the sale of city-owned parcel 200 Canal St. to the American Ukrainian Veterans’ and Men’s Club for $1,000.

• Ordinance 9584 authorizing the mayor to approve the sale of city-owned parcel 216 Depeyster St. to Oscar Roca for $1,000.

• Ordinance 9585 authorizing the mayor to approve the sale of city-owned parcel Panesi Avenue to Thomas Pugh for $1,010.

• Ordinance 9586 authorizing the mayor to approve the sale of city-owned parcel Panesi Avenue to Thomas Pugh for $1,010.

• Ordinance 9587 authorizing to amend Ordinance 9544, adopted by the council on Oct. 26 of last year. According to the legislation, Ordinance 9544 incorrectly states that a parcel of land on Indian Creek Terrace was obtained by the city as a result of a tax sale, when the parcel was actually accepted as a donation made by the former owner to the city.

• Ordinance 9588 authorizing former owners to buy back a parcel of land on West Liberty Street for $17,661.92. The legislation states that Fourth Ward Councilor Ramona L. Smith has requested authorization for the former property owner, 7666 Gifford Road, to buy back a parcel of land on West Liberty Street.

• Ordinance 9589 authorizing the former owner to buy back property at 827-829 W. Dominick St. for $23,921.57. Third Ward Councilor Kimberly Rogers has requested authorization for former property owner Anthony Caporilli to buy back 827-829 W. Dominick St.

The following legislation was tabled due to typos found in the legislation:

• Ordinance 9582 authorizing the mayor to approve the sale of city-owned parcel 503 W. Dominick St. to Regina Nash for $2,020.

• Ordinance 9583 authorizIng the mayor to approve the sale of city-owned parcel 505 W. Dominick St. to Regina Nash for $2,020.