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Home My WebLink About2026-01-13-TB-FINAL-minutes1 TOWN BOARD MEETING Town of Ulysses Jan. 13, 2026 The meeting was held in person at the Town Hall at 10 Elm St., Trumansburg NY as well as via Zoom videoconference. Notice of Town Board meetings are posted on the Town’s website and Clerk’s board. Video recordings of meetings are available on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWVIs--g9CpHIxdk9YxZyPw. CALL TO ORDER: Ms. Olson called the meeting to order at 7:06pm. ATTENDANCE: TOWN OFFICIALS: In person- Supervisor- Katelin Olson Board members- Michael Boggs, Tom Knipe, Steve Manley, Liz Weatherby Town Clerk- Carissa Parlato Via Zoom- Roxanne Marino (Comp Plan Steering Committee (CPSC), Conservation & Sustainability Advisory Committee (CSAC)), Linda Liddle (Planning Board) OTHERS: In person- Eric Slocum (arrived 7:18pm) Via Zoom- Mikayla Rovenolt APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Mr. Boggs moved to approve the agenda as amended. This was seconded by Mr. Knipe and passed unanimously. PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR: Mikayla Rovenolt introduced themself as a local journalist. PUBLIC HEARING- 2026 FIRE DISTRICT CONTRACT: Ms. Olson noted that this hearing is required by law. Ms. Weatherby moved to open the hearing at 7:10pm. This was seconded by Mr. Boggs and passed unanimously. Hearing no comments, Mr. Manley moved to close the hearing at 7:11pm. This was seconded by Mr. Boggs and passed unanimously. MUNICIPAL BOARD & STAFF REPORTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS (written reports provided) YOUTH COMMISSION: 2 Mr. Manley said that the group is beginning to prep for summer camp/programming. Last year’s camp was in high demand and they are expecting the same this year. He noted that it is always a struggle to figure out where and when to hold all of the programs. THREE FALLS: Ms. Olson said that the last meeting discussion included use of space for the summer given the current limitations of no potable water or bathroom facilities. A draft plan is being formulated with input from NYS Parks. A website is being created for the LDC. Once the park is officially named it will be part of the NYS Parks website. COMP PLAN: Ms. Weatherby shared that a meeting and Public Hearing are scheduled for 1/14. Land use and the future land use map (FLUM) are also on the agenda. They are hoping to have an updated draft for the public by end of month. DOT/CULVERT PROJECTS: Ms. Olson said that they have not been able to move forward on projects (like Curry Road culvert replacement) due to months of hold-ups at DOT. It may not go to construction until 2027. She added that the Garrett Road contract has been signed and they’re now waiting to hear back about a 2nd funding request. The next step is creation of an RFP for engineering design and to hopefully be able to hire one engineer for all the projects. OLD BUSINESS: APPROVAL OF 2026 FIRE DISTRICT CONTRACT Ms. Olson noted that the amount that the town pays to the village for fire protection is based on assessment and call volume. The total cost of this makes up about 40% of the town’s tax levy. RESOLUTION #38 OF 2026: APPROVAL OF 2026 FIRE CONTRACT WHEREAS, a fire protection district known as the “Fire Protection District of the Towns of Ulysses, Hector and Covert” (hereafter referred to as “the Fire Protection District”) has been duly established in the said towns; and WHEREAS, the Fire Protection District encompasses the following territory in the Town of Ulysses: All of the Town of Ulysses, excepting the area within the limits of the incorporated Village of Trumansburg; and WHEREAS, the Village of Trumansburg (hereafter referred to as “the Village”) maintains a volunteer fire department, with adequate and suitable apparatus, equipment and training for the furnishing of fire protection services within the Fire Protection District; and WHEREAS, Town Law §184 permits a town to contract with a village which maintains adequate and suitable apparatus and appliances for the furnishing of fire protection services in such fire protection district; and WHEREAS, the Town wishes to contract with the Village to provide fire protection services in the Fire Protection District; and 3 WHEREAS, a public hearing as required by §184 of the Town Law was duly advertised on December 14, 2024; and WHEREAS, the Public Hearing was held on January 13, 2026 at 7pm and all members of the public wishing to share their opinions in person or in writing had the opportunity to do so; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Ulysses hereby approves and authorizes execution of the attached Agreement between the Village and the Town, whereby the Village will provide the Town with fire protection capable of responding to fire related and health related emergencies on an ongoing basis within the Fire Protection District, for the period from January 1, 2026 until December 31, 2026; and be it further RESOLVED that, pursuant to the Agreement, the Town shall pay the Village the sum of $287,461 for such services and the bill will be paid no later than February 15, 2026; and be it further RESOLVED that, the Supervisor of the Town of Ulysses is hereby authorized to execute the Agreement on behalf of the Town of Ulysses. Moved: Boggs Seconded: Knipe Olson aye Boggs aye Knipe aye Manley aye Weatherby aye Vote: 5-0 Date Adopted: 1/13/26 RFP FOR SOLAR ARRAY Ms. Olson recognized Ms. Marino for helping secure funds for this project. She added that Taitem engineering helped determine the town’s energy needs. The goal is to have panels installed by the end of 2027. A big unknown cost is the connection to the NYSEG grid. RESOLUTION #39 OF 2026: AUTHORIZING AN RFP FOR GROUND-MOUNTED SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM WHEREAS, the Town of Ulysses was awarded a NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities grant for the installation of a solar energy system; and WHEREAS, NYS Energy Law 9-103 exempts from the requirements of competitive bidding energy performance contracts, which include the installation of solar energy systems; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Supervisor is authorized to issue an RFP for a ground-mounted solar energy system in the form attached hereto. Moved: Boggs Seconded: Knipe 4 Olson aye Boggs aye Knipe aye Manley aye Weatherby aye Vote: 5-0 Date Adopted: 1/13/26 NEW BUSINESS: Ms. Olson noted that the Tompkins County Soil and Water contract will be held until next month to give board members a chance to review as it wasn’t posted online. AUTHORIZATION FOR SUPERVISOR TO SIGN ENGAGEMENT LETTER WITH INSERO FOR ANNUAL AUDIT RESOLUTION #40 OF 2026: AUTHORIZATION FOR SUPERVISOR TO SIGN ENGAGEMENT LETTER WITH INSERO FOR ANNUAL AUDIT RESOLVED, the Ulysses Town Board authorizes the Town Supervisor to sign the engagement letter with Insero for the Town’s annual audit. Moved: Weatherby Seconded: Manley Olson aye Boggs aye Knipe aye Manley aye Weatherby aye Vote: 5-0 Date Adopted: 1/13/26 SCHEDULING A PUBLIC HEARING ON CHARTER FRANCHISE AGREEMENT RESOLUTION #41 of 2026: SCHEDULING A PUBLIC HEARING ON CHARTER FRANCHISE AGREEMENT WHEREAS, an application has been duly made to the Board of the Town of Ulysses, County of Tompkins, New York, by Spectrum Northeast, LLC, an indirect subsidiary of Charter Communications, Inc. (“Charter”), a limited liability company organized and existing in good standing under the laws of State of Delaware doing business at 815 Erie Blvd E, Syracuse, NY 13210, for the approval of a renewal agreement for Charter's cable television franchise for fifteen (15) years commencing with the date of approval by the Public Service Commission; and WHEREAS, the franchise renewal agreement would bring the franchise into conformity with certain provisions of the Federal Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984, as amended, and certain court rulings 5 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ulysses Town Board schedules a public hearing for the Charter Franchise Agreement for January 27, 2026 at 7:00pm at Town Hall, and hereby directs the Town Clerk to notify the public of this hearing in the official newspaper of record as well as in other manners in keeping with public notification, where all members of the public wishing to address the Town Board will have an opportunity. Moved: Manley Seconded: Boggs Olson aye Boggs aye Knipe aye Manley aye Weatherby aye Vote: 5-0 Date Adopted: 1/13/26 UPCOMING EVENTS January 19 – Town Facilities Closed for MLK Jr. Day January 27 – Regular Town Board Meeting & Public Hearing, 7pm @ Town Hall February 10 – Regular Town Board Meeting, 7pm @ Town Hall APPROVAL OF MINUTES: RESOLUTION #42 of 2026: APPROVAL OF MINUTES RESOLVED, that the Ulysses Town Board approves the minutes as amended from the 12/9 Regular Meeting and the 12/30 Special Meeting. Moved: Weatherby Seconded: Knipe Friendly amendment to remove 12/30 minutes. Moved: Weatherby Seconded: Knipe Olson aye Boggs aye Knipe aye Manley aye Weatherby aye Vote: 5-0 Date Adopted: 1/13/26 BOARD NOTIFICATIONS: Ms. Olson noted that this agenda section relates to the procurement policy. The supervisor is allowed to approve spending up to certain amounts and then notify the board. 6 PAYMENT OF AUDITED CLAIMS: RESOLUTION #43 of 2026: PAYMENT OF AUDITED CLAIMS Resolved that the Ulysses Town Board approves payment of the following audited claims: • Abstract 13 of 2025 totaling $68,946.13 • Abstract 1 of 2026 totaling $918,076.25 Moved: Olson Seconded: Weatherby Olson aye Boggs aye Knipe aye Manley aye Weatherby aye Vote: 5-0 Date Adopted: 1/13/26 PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR (3-min limit per person) none ADJOURN: Mr. Knipe made a motion to adjourn at 8:25pm. This was seconded by Mr. Manley and passed unanimously. Respectfully submitted by Carissa Parlato, Town Clerk, 1/26/26 7 APPENDIX: Included: • Staff reports • Solar RFP pg 1 Building & Codes Monthly Report Building & Code Updates Mark Washburn, NYS CEO, Certification No. 1020-0364 December 1 -December 31, 2025 Plan Reviews  10 discussions about upcoming projects  12 permit review  8 pre permit site visit Site Visits  12 Site visits, Updates by contractors ongoing projects  Multiple Site visit for the CARS project, Meetings with contractor and Special inspectors. CEO Activity 8 Permits issued/ Projects Cost= $244,237.00. / Fees collected= $2,070.00 • 4 Foundation/Footer inspections/ 1 Slab / Backfill 0 reinspection’s • 8 Framing inspections/ 2 Issue resolved during inspection • 2 Plumbing inspections/ 0 reinspection • 4 Final inspection/0 Reinspection • Code research for 10 different issues approximately 10 hours • Fire code research regarding change of occupancy ongoing • Fire code research regarding Fire alarm requirements for different building use/ occupancy class • Outreach regarding Fire inspections ongoing and multiple appointments scheduled • Code training regarding new building codes to be in effect Dec.31, 2025 • Multiple site visits on open projects for job status (follow up on going) • Follow up with ongoing enforcement actions Multiple site visits • Multiple fire inspections Operating permit issued New business • Conversation regarding demolition of burned out house on Podunk Rd. Demo permit approved pg 2 Building & Codes Monthly Report Teressa Naylor, 1/7/26 2nd Deputy Supervisor update • Culvert projects: o Communication with Barton & Loguidice engineer/project manager for Curry Road and Maplewood Rd culvert projects regarding impact from continued delays with NY-DOT; scheduling meeting with him and Supervisor/Bookkeeper later this month o Curry Road Bridge-NY: B&L doing PE/Design – anticipated 2027 construction  Continued lack of responsiveness from NY-DOT has taken possibility of 2026 construction off the table o Maplewood Road Bridge-NY: B&L doing PE/Design – anticipated 2027 construction  Inquired with B&L about survey date, which is needed to begin work on DDR (Draft Design Report); originally expected to be scheduled for December o Garrett Road WQIP: estimated 2028 construction  Working on RFQ for PE/Design; hope to put RFQ before the board for approval in late January and out to bid to secure engineering/design ﬁrm in February o Agard Road WQIP: estimated 2028 construction, if awarded  No changes • Solar array — 100k NYSERDA grant o Made minor edits to RFP and submitting to board for resolution on 1/13 o Upon approval, will begin bid process to contract with solar provider – anticipate initiating bid solicitation in early March for 2026 spring/summer implementation of phase 1 • EV acquisition — 50k NYSERDA grant o Communication with grant/project support contacts to initiate purchase via OGS • Comprehensive Plan Update o Communication with DEC grant contact regarding issues with Q2 reimbursement issues and Q3 report questions; once resolved will submit 2025 Q3 quarterly report and reimb request • Annual Org Meeting document o Reviewed and updated various areas in coordination with Supervisor/Clerk/Bookkeeper • Admin Assistant 3: o Providing ongoing organizational supervision of the position and development of the role and workﬂow responsibilities • Designed and created supplemental ﬂyer that accompanied 2026 tax bills • Misc tasks and smaller projects associated with prior project follow-up, new initiatives, research, etc. Trumansburg/Ulysses Youth Programs Report: December 2025 Total Youth Served this month: ~34 Positive Youth Development: Community Action Theatre (8 Middle School youth- 7 F, 1M) Thursday afternoons October 30-Dec 11 In December, we continued developing our “Image Theatre” performance, discussing community concerns, and sharpening some simple improv skills. The �inal performance was Dec. 11 at the Episcopal Church- attended by about 30 family members and friends, followed by a pizza party/celebration. -------------------------------------------------------------- Excerpts of participant feedback (given in a group discussion): I really liked how all of our voices were heard equally. I liked that it was a program that completely revolved around theater. (Question: what would you say to another kid who's thinking about whether or not to do this program?) I would encourage them to come because you meet a lot of new people, and you're not forced into doing anything that you don't want to do. And it's really, you have a lot of freedom in it. If you like theater, then you should totally do it because it's really fun, and you meet a lot of new people, and you have a lot of fun. I feel like it would be right for them to come because you don't need really any theater experience whatsoever. Excerpts of peer (teen) mentor feedback: I really enjoyed getting to see how everyone was able to work together and how, especially after that long Thanksgiving break, we could all come back together and help each other to get back into the swing of things and keep going. … a lot of us have come out of our shells and I know that I don't have necessarily a lot of theater experience, but I still found it super enjoyable, and I had a really great time. ___________________________________________________________ Program Overview: Facilitated by Kerr Mesner, Support facilitation by Rachel Kennedy and Andrew Hertzberg Teen helpers- Ebba Knapp and Faye Ober (Program is supported by the Tompkins County Community Arts Partnership Grant, with in kind support from the Town. Town Budget covered hours for Rachel Kennedy and snacks.) Kerr is a trained facilitator/educator for “Theatre of the Oppressed (TO)” -a form of community-based education that uses theatre as a tool for transformation. The style of TO we used in this 6-week workshop is “Image Theatre”- a series of techniques that allow people to communicate through images and spaces, and not through words alone. Per Kerr’s grant report- “If we are able to secure adequate funding, we would like to extend the length of the program to 8 weeks and to move to a community performance model (using Forum Theatre), as originally proposed. We would also like to run the program at least twice a year, to build continuity and momentum. In the evaluation discussion, students expressed interest in a longer program, and in a community performance.” Hard to tell what’s going on here, but on the left, we’re doing an improv exercise, the photo below is mid-performance- the audience was invited to occupy the stage and take close look and listen to the actors. Continued… “Brain Break”/After-School Hangout on Weds. afternoons ongoing- at the Episcopal Church. (~10 Youth) Movies, games, coloring, making snacks, hanging out with friends. Rachel Kennedy and Jane Detwiler are supervising, with teen helper Natalie Holcomb, until Lucky Lucas returns mid-winter. College Visit To Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva on December 9 (6 High School Youth – 1 M, 5 F) Great visit- cold day. Rosemary’s re�lection was that she liked HWS, but actually preferred Finger Lakes Community College (visted November 2025). Both colleges were incredibly hospitable and welcoming. Civics Internship Fall 2025 session wrapped up in very early December (included in November report.) (12 High School youth) Addition- Feedback from interns and a few of my own re�lections: Possible interest from student council to invite local govt leaders to speak at school or participate in a forum of some kind. (General consensus among the leaders present that they would speak about anything, just name the time and place and topic (more or less).) A number of interns report a desire to be more involved in local government happenings. They believe their peers would be similarly interested, if they knew how to start and where to plug in. Attention seems to ebb and �low, but I’ll be thinking about what that could look like- it seems like support for that could be pretty simple. Anne Koreman suggested a group could decide on an issue or project and attend to it as it appears on the agenda of a given govt. body (Village, Town, County), including attending those meetings and organizing commentary/activism around the issue or project. A number of these interns have been in the program several times- I believe they could replicate the general process on their own, with some support, to the extent they are motivated. I’d like to �igure out how to either run concurrent programs with more and less experienced youth, or structure a peer leadership situation to add challenge for those that are ready and willing. Town of Ulysses Clerk’s Office MONTHLY REPORT for December 2025 Submitted by Carissa Parlato LICENSES/PERMITS issued:# CLERK’s OFFICE TASKS: General/routine tasks: • mail, answered inquiries on various topics, attended town board meetings and took minutes, notary services, licensing (marriage, dog, sporting), disabled parking permits, collected building & zoning fees, participated in weekly Supervisor/Clerks office meetings, managed building use/equipment sign out, responded to FOIL requests, ordered supplies, posted board meetings & videos on web and Youtube • Assist with BCPZ/DPW clerk on-boarding/training • Clerk for Planning Board & CPSC • Tax Collection o Prep for and begin 2026 collection • Preliminary interviews for cleaner position • Water: o Coordinate final & disputed meter reads with DPW • Public engagement projects and tasks: o Weekly newsletter o Facebook updates • Habitat Nature Preserve: o No updates • IT: o Checked spam filter weekly o Correspond with Computer Room & Advance 2000 for assistance as needed • Health & Safety Committee o Work on AED policy • Meetings o TC Public Information Advisory Board o Food resources FINANCIAL REPORT: 2025-12 Recreation Monthly Report January 8th, 2026 Created by: Will Glennon, Recreation Director 2025 Recreation totals (registrations, programs, individuals) ● 1915 total registrations for programs in 2025 ● 76 total individual programs opened for registration ● 231 total individual adults (18+) registered for programs in 2025 ● 458 total individual children (<18) registered for programs in 2025 Adult Recreation Programming ● Registration for the January-June adult programs opened on December 1st. Programs begin Sunday, January 11th. ● Total registrations to date for all adult rec programs is 116 for the start of 2026. ● Current programs open are volleyball (3 programs), soccer (1 program), basketball (1), and pickleball (2). Current youth programming ● The youth basketball clinic begins January 10th. ○ Total of 52 participants in grades K-3 ○ Moved to three 1-hour sessions to minimize the number of players in the gym each hour. ○ This year ’s program will have four staff. Prior volunteers were unreliable for the program week-to-week. ● The youth basketball team program started in December ○ Total of six teams and a total of 61 participants for grades 3-6. ○ Second consecutive season in the past with two 3rd/4th grade girl basketball teams. ● The youth winter track program started on Saturday, December 20th. ○ Total of 17 participants in grades 3-8. ○ The program runs on Saturdays and will participate in three Sunday meets at Barton Hall, Cornell University, beginning January 11th. This is part of the finger lakes runners club series. ● Space/facilities have been getting more scheduled than ever right now. The rec programs have reserved space for programming each week, but the amount of time available has decreased. Due to community complaints for “off-season” programs taking up valuable gym space, the basketball program has been given space in the middle school this season, but lost most of the elementary school space from years past. ○ 12.5 hours per week for youth rec programs, plus 12 hours of space on the weekends. ○ 12 hours per week for adult rec programs ● Driver ’s Education programming has not scheduled the five-hour course for the new year yet. General administration ● Scheduling and coordinating team practice spaces and times, along with rescheduling games and practices due to space cancellations. The basketball programs will play games through the end of February. Previously, programs ended mid-February. ● Reserving space and coordinating activities for spring recreation programs for the January-June session. ● Assigning referees for home games (January 10th & 24th, February 7th). ● Hired a new basketball clinic director and three assistants for the youth basketball clinic. ● Ordered jerseys for the winter track and basketball. ● Monitoring and registering late registrations for all programming. ● Communicating to coaches, facilitators, families, other teams, referees, and the school district continuously. ● Youth commission report is due February 6, 2026. Planning & Zoning December 2025 Report to Town Board Town Board Meeting Date, 01.13.2026 Submitted by Niels Tygesen, 01.07.2026 Planning Board The Planning Board held a meeting on December 2 to discuss the following items: • The Board conducted a public hearing and final plat review and approved a two-lot minor subdivision located at 319 Pennsylvania Avenue. • The Board conducted sketch plan review for a proposed detached garage located at 1671 Taughannock Blvd. • The Board conducted sketch plan review for a proposed renovation of an existing dwelling unit and associated site work located at 33 Maplewood Road. • The Board considered a request for an Open Development Area (ODA) for 1191 Taughannock Blv d and recommended the Town Board establish an ODA for the subject lot. • The Board conducted sketch plan review for proposed site work located at 1191 Taughannock Blvd. • Draft minutes link; recorded meeting video link. Comp Plan Steering Committee The Committee held a meeting on December 10 to discuss the following item: • The Committee held a public hearing on the draft comp plan . • The Committee was re-briefed on comp plan basics, incorporation of comments and edits , and discussed the latest draft version. • Recorded meeting video link. Board of Zoning Appeals The BZA did not conduct any business this month. Planning Projects • 2025-45 Comp Plan Update o 2025 4Q report tracking for CSC grant. o Coordination and ongoing work with Consultant . Zoning Enforcement • Ongoing research on code enforcement cases. Miscellaneous • Building, Planning, and Zoning permit reviews. • TC 12.10.2025 Stormwater Coalition Meeting to discuss the following: o MS4 Operator Forum o Post-Construction Inventory and Inspection o MCM 4&5 – Construction Site Inventory, Prioritization o Training Needs o Summer Field Staff • ITCTC 12.16.2025 Joint Policy/Planning Committee Meeting. • Training for new Administrative Assistant hire. • Customer support pertaining zoning information and permitting process. TOWN OF ULYSSES GROUND-MOUNTED SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) RFP Issue Date: March 18, 2026 Pre-Bid Site Meeting Date: April 8, 2026 Proposal Due Date: May 22, 2026 Installation Site: 3888 Colegrove Road, Trumansburg, NY 14886 The Town of Ulysses is soliciting proposals from qualiﬁed solar energy system contractors for the design, procurement, installation, and commissioning of an approximately 44.5-kW+/- ground- mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) energy system at the Town Barn site located at 3888 Colegrove Road, Trumansburg, NY 14886. The exact location of the installation will be determined in collaboration with Town officials and the installation contractor. The project will be funded through a NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities grant, the NY-Sun program and, possibly, through the federal ITC direct pay incentive. Applicants must comply with all applicable local zoning ordinances including the Town of Ulysses Solar Energy Systems Law and work with the Town to ensure compliance with NYSERDA’s Program Requirements. As this is a Public Works Contract with an estimated value exceeding $10,000, the Town seeks written quotations from at least three different qualiﬁed solar PV contractors. In accordance with NY State Labor Law, this project is required to pay prevailing wage to the selected contractor and any subcontractors. Installation shall be completed by December 31, 2027. Background The Town of Ulysses in Tompkins County, New York has been beneﬁtting from roof top solar at the Town Hall and Town Barn buildings since 2011. As the Town has electriﬁed space conditioning and hot water at these buildings as well as added an EV charging station, electric energy consumption has exceeded the existing solar production. The Town has recently received funding through NYSERDA’s Clean Energy Communities program to expand solar power on Town property to fully offset its current and anticipated energy consumption. The Town seeks to install a ground-mounted solar energy system at the Town Barn site with sufficient capacity such that, in combination with existing rooftop solar, the Town generates enough energy to offset its current and future electrical energy use at four electrical meters owned by the Town. These meters are located at the Town Barn, Town Hall, one street lighting circuit and an exterior lighting circuit at the Cayuga Nature Center. The Town will use NYSEG’s Remote Credit program to assign generation from this new system to these other Town-owned electric meters. The energy system covered under this proposal shall not interfere in any way with the existing leased system at the Town Barn to ensure there are no complications at the end of the lease term. --- SCOPE OF WORK System Speciﬁcations Ideally, the system should be sized at 44.5 kW DC nominal capacity and generate a minimum of 45,852 kWh annually at the time of installation. The system should be either a ground-mounted ﬁxed-tilt or a single-axis system. Location of the solar ﬁeld within the parcel, which is ﬂat and relatively open, should not interfere with ongoing Town Highway Department material handling and operations. The location must be approved by the Highway Superintendent and Town Officials. The proposed system must comply with all Town Zoning Laws including Standards for Major Solar Collection Systems (212-139.2), including a Glare Analysis and mitigation plan, if needed. The proposed system must be approved by the assigned NYSERDA Project Manager for the CEC grant and must meet NYSERDA’s minimum performance requirements: • Cost must not exceed $6.00/watt • Project shall have a Total Solar Resource Fraction(TSRF) of no less than 70 as per the approved Shading Report submitted with the NY-Sun application. • Project must participate in the NY-Sun Program • Equipment must be in continuous use for a period of at least four (4) years. Key Components 1. Solar Panels or Modules should be Tier 1 with a minimum efficiency rating of 20%, offer a 25-year linear performance warranty and should be IEC 61215 and IEC 61730 certiﬁed 2. Inverters should be string inverters or power optimizers as appropriate, be UL 1741 SA certiﬁed for grid interconnection, and carry a minimum 10-year warranty. 3. Racking System should be engineered for local wind and snow loads per NYS Building Code, made of corrosion-resistant materials, and carry a 10-year minimum structural warranty. 4. Electrical Components comprising the balance of systems should include, as needed, DC and AC combiners, disconnect switches and surge protection along with an easy-to-use monitoring system. Contractor Responsibilities 1. The selected contractor shall provide complete system design and engineering drawings including any necessary structural analysis and geotechnical assessment, shade analysis and production estimates, glare analysis and mitigation requirements, and electrical single-line diagrams. 2. The selected contractor shall be responsible for submitting and securing all necessary permits and approvals including but not limited to a NYSEG/RG&E interconnection study and Town Building Permit including site plan approval and variance (if needed). The Town will submit a SEQR application, as needed, using documentation provided by the selected contractor. 3. The selected contractor shall be responsible for successfully submitting all materials required to secure NY-Sun incentives for this project. They are also responsible for ensuring that the system technically qualiﬁes for the base Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit (48e). 4. The selected Installation contractor shall be responsible for a complete turnkey installation including site preparation, grading and clean-up, equipment procurement and delivery, and system start-up and testing. 5. The selected contractor shall provide a two -year comprehensive warranty on the system as well as orientation of Town personnel to system monitoring and maintenance. The selected contractor is encouraged to provide an optional Operations and Maintenance (O&M) service agreement beyond the two-year comprehensive warranty. 6. The selected contractor must comply with all New York State prevailing wage requirements under Labor Law Article 8, including payment, reporting, posting, and recordkeeping obligations for all workers and subcontractors on this project. --- REGULATORY COMPLIANCE The contractor must comply with the speciﬁc requirements for the Hamlet Neighborhood Zone as well as the Town Solar Energy System Requirements (§212-139.2) under Town of Ulysses Land Use Law. SEQR assessment is required as part of site plan approval. --- PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS Project Phasing Due to the complicated nature of determining utility interconnection requirements, this project is scheduled to be completed in two phases. Phase 1 consists of system design and application to NYSEG for system interconnection. The interconnection study should reveal any utility side system upgrades that may be required such as a larger capacity transformer which will add to the total cost of the system installation. If utility side upgrades, including interconnection study costs, result in a total project cost that exceeds the budget of the Town, the Town reserves the right to reduce the system size in order proceed to Phase 2, the purchase, installation and startup of the system. The Town will not switch contractors between Phases but may decide to reduce the size of the system or not to move on to Phase 2 if the resulting project cost is too high. Proposal Format Each bid proposal must include: 1. An Executive Summary that highlights the system design, lists total project cost broken out by Phase, and lists any key differentiators about the system. 2. The Technical Proposal listing detailed system design, equipment speciﬁcations and warranties, monthly solar production estimates and guarantees, projected monthly utility cost and VDER compensation, project schedule and milestones, and a preliminary site plan showing the location and extent of the proposed solar ﬁeld. 3. The Proposer’s qualiﬁcations including a company proﬁle, relevant experience and certiﬁcations, evidence of NYS Labor Law Article 8 compliance capability and 3 references from similar municipal projects. 4. A Budget showing detailed project cost breakdown and payment schedule tied to milestones. Please also include the projected incentives from NY-Sun and Federal Clean Energy Investment Tax Credits available to the Town through Direct Pay. Also include an estimate of interconnection fees based on previous experience and describe any reasons the estimate may change for this project. 5. Provide proof of insurance with the following limits: a. Commercial general liability with minimum limits of $1,000,000 in respect of claims arising out of personal injury or sickness or death of any one person, $1,000,000 in respect of claims arising out of personal injury, sickness or death in any one accident or disaster, and $1,000,000 in respect of claims arising out of property damage in any one accident or disaster; b. and Workers Compensation, Employers Liability, and Disability Beneﬁts as required by New York State. Submission Instructions Proposals should be sent to: Town of Ulysses ATTN: Carissa Parlato, Town Clerk 10 Elm St. Trumansburg, NY 14886 Or electronically to: Town Clerk Carissa Parlato clerk@townofulyssesny.gov Site Visit Walk Through: (3888 Colegrove Rd.) Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at 1:00 pm RFP Submission Deadline: 4:00pm Friday, May 15, 2026 Project Completion Date: December 31, 2027 --- EVALUATION CRITERIA Proposals will be evaluated based on best value determination per General Municipal Law: Criteria Weight % Contractor qualiﬁcations and experience % 5% 10% 5% PROCUREMENT PROCESS Timeline Milestone Date Pre-Bid Conference and Site Visit An optional pre-bid conference and site visit at 3888 Colegrove Road will be held on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, from 1-3pm. Questions and Clariﬁcations All questions must be submitted in writing to bsandler@taitem.com by April 15, 2026. Responses will be issued on April 24 as an addenda to all prospective bidders. Procurement Policy Compliance This procurement qualiﬁes as an Energy Performance Contract pursuant to NYS Energy Law 9-103. As such, the Town may issue a request for proposals instead of competitively bidding on this project. In the event that the Town receives less than three written proposals, the Town Board may choose to proceed if it determines doing so is in the best interest of the Town. The Town reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, cancel this RFP at any time, request clariﬁcations or additional information, negotiate with selected proposer(s), and make an award to a proposer other than lowest bidder. All proposals become property of the Town and are subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). All proposals prepared in response to this RFP are at the sole expense of the respondent, and with the express understanding that there will be no claim whatsoever for reimbursement from the Town for the expenses of preparation. The Town shall not be liable for any expenses incurred by the respondent in development of this proposal. Contract Negotiations The selected proposer will be asked to submit their form of agreement for review and negotiation. Upon coming to ﬁnal agreement on the terms and conditions of a contract, the Town Board will award a contract to the selected proposer. In the event the Town and selected proposer are unable to agree on terms and conditions, then the Town may negotiate with any other proposer it deems capable of completing the scope of work and otherwise qualiﬁed. CONTACT INFORMATION RFP/Site Visit/Bid Requirements Questions: Bennett Sandler, Taitem Engineering; Senior Energy Analyst Email: bsandler@taitem.com Requests for Additional Information: Teressa Naylor, Second Deputy Supervisor Email: tnaylor@townofulyssesny.gov Phone: (607) 387-5767 ext. 235 Site Plan/Zoning Questions: Niels Tygesen, Zoning Enforcement Officer Email: planner@townofulyssesny.gov Phone: (607) 387-9778 ext. 222 --- The Town of Ulysses is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to sustainable practices and renewable energy development in accordance with its Comprehensive Plan and Climate Action Goals.