HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemorandum of Understanding Between the city of Ithaca and the Southern Cayuga Lake Intermunicipal Water Commission 01.04.2007.PDFMemorandum of Understanding Between the City of trthaca ancl the
southern cayuga f-,ake Intermunicipal water clommissirxr
.lanrrary 4,2001
'l'he City o1'lthaca (hereinalter, "the City") is currently cxploripg ifs lorrg-ter-rr, {,Lrtlr.c watorsLtpply opl"iotts (1or a period ol'ltp trt onc hunclrccl yoals). One option is ro gbtaip w..ter. ho,r thcSoLttlict'n Cayr'rga Lake intel-rnLtnicipal Water Clclmmission (hcrcinal'ler, "thc qorr*rissi.',,). .l.o
explorc that possibility, representi,ttives ol'thc City (Mayor Caroiyn potcrson arncl ggnrrnen
C]oLlncil tttenlber Danicl C)ogiur, together with SLrperintonclent Willianr Ciray ancl ControllcrStcven'l'haycr) tind zt negotiating teattr li'orri thc Comrnission conclLrcted a scries o{'clisc.rs,si.ns.As a t'esLtlt ol'thosc ciiscltssious, thc City rc]lrcscltt.atives ancl lhe C)ornnrissiun have r.cachc<l ucoticcptual ilgrcelllent ott what the gencral tcrrrs woulcl bc i1'tlie Clornnitrn Clouncil ol'thc (iity
wele lo clcciclc to Llso the Bolton point walcr.plant operatccl b), the Corllnis,siori iis the Citv,.swatcf s()Llfce.
'I'hc pLtrpclsc o1'this Mernoreiticitttn o1'LJnclerstanciing is to sct lclrth tho.sc lcrrns, which ar.c Iistecl
bclorv. It is understoocl that the Clornrrort Clolrncil will rcly upon this itclatiqp 61'the ler.rts .1't5e
potclltial al'rtlngement betwcen the Clity ancl the Cornrlission, in rietellrinilg whctScr.to .rsc thc
Bolton Point plant as its IIt.r-rre wiltcr sollrce . Furthenrorc, it is unclcrs{oocl il',ut uuy srcp listecl
below which rcclr:ires acl.ion by lhc City is conlingcnt Ll])on approvaI o1'this iirr.a6gerrronl by thc:(lommou Cor,rncil.
'l'his ttlettlot'anclltm ol'ttndersttincling is inlcnciccl nrcrely to exprcss thc conccptr-ri.Ll blsis ltrr.Oity
pttrchase o1'wztlcr i'r'Orrr the Comllission. 'l'his clocutnent is not a legally bincling clocuprcnt. A'y
obligations ol'the parties ancl consumnration o1'the proi:osecl waler irulctrase is srit-r.ject to rhc
Iioqotiatioti and subscqueltt execution of iL rrir-rtually acceptarillc agrcernent 1'or sr-rcli watcr
purclrase belweett the City anci Clornurission contarining represenlations, warruLnties, c()venlpts
and agrccnicnls, ztncl conciil.ions, typical to zrgreements relat.ing to trirnsactions ol'the typc
contcurnlateci.
3.
It is unclelstood that il'thc Oity decidcs that it wisires to nse tlie Rolton Poirrt ltlant as its
1'uturc waltor soLrrcc, the existing IJolton Point {acility wor-rlcl necci to bc cxpanclccl so as to
incrcasc its capacity by an atmoi-urt thc Comnrission cielernline.. is rcclLrilcrl to aclccpralcly
sitpply its ct-tstotler basc. Other inf rastnrctr-rre irnilrclvcr-r.tcuts, iis clctet'nrirrecl by tltc
Cotttrnission, will be uracie to sulficiently incrcase thc capacity of the {'acility.
Furthet'mole, it is r-rncicrsloocl that in that case a uew tlansmission main (ttre liasl Shttr.c
transmission mztin - ESTM) woulci neccl to be constructed, to carry wtrtcr I'ronr thc ncw
clearwell at the Bolton Point plant to a suitable point in the existing Oity ctistribLrtion
system, in the vicinity o1'lthaczr I.ligh School.
Both the expansion o1'tlte Bolton Point lacility anci lhc constmction o1'the iis'l'M woulrl
recluire envilonnretrtal review. It is undcrstood that i1'thc CJity clecides it wislics to use thc
Bolton Piant lacility lbl its water"sr-rpply, the Cclmrnission will uncicrtakc the reclLrirccl
cnvirontneutal review {'ol the ziirxcmontionccl plant cxpansion, and thert, iit thc sarne f irrrc,
the City will r-rnclertzikc thc rccluired environnrental review 1ol the constrr-rction o1'thc
I]STM.
2.
4. 'l'he cos{ oJ'saicl cnvilonntcntal rcview fol plant expernsion, arrci the cclst ol'any
subseqllcnt plant cxpansion (including the nsw cieaLwell) intended to supply water to thc
City, will be paicl {r;r by the Courrrrission, I'rorn the wiitcr rate that tLtc Cornnrissiorr
clralgcs cach ol'the nrernircr nrt.nicipalities and the City ft:r watcr.
5. 'j"hc cost oi'said environrr-rcntal review lcr ttie IISTM, ancl lol construtction ul'the [iS'l'M,
will be paicl fol by thc City.
6. If it is clolerminecl that the envilonnrcnt.rd reviews eu'c rccluirccl to tre cornpletccl as a
comprehensive environrucntal review, a cost sharirrg lortlltla will bc clevciopecl.
1. Pending the outcclnrc ol'saicl envilonmctttal revicw anci it clecision tct procoecl by thc City,
tl-ie Commission will constrlrct the aloreurentioned expansion of the I3olton Planl,
inclLrcling tlic new clcnrwcll in as tirnely zi f iishiot-t as possil"rle, ancl lhe City willcoustrlrcl
thc ESTM in as {irtreiy zr I'ashion as possiblc.
B. 'l'hc City shall own thc ES'l'M but the Contuissiou lt'lay Lrlilizc the ES'l'M Ibr'
tlagsrnissictn ol'wzrter to other rnernbot'urLrnicipalitics, Tl-rc Comrnission ancl Cily shall
sirare in the cost ol'Lnainteneurco ancl operation o1'tire ES'I'M irr ploportiolt to the rclat.ive
r-rsc of same by each pafly.
9. I1 thc event that thc City chooses to pursue ilris approztch, thc rate cliiirgecl to the Ciity lirr
water it uses h'clrr tire Boiton Point plant woitlclbc the sairo rate that is chargcd ttt eaclt ol'
the f ive rlomber municiiralities.
10. Thc City will appoirit two rrcrnbcrs to attend uroctings ol'thc Clommissictn. Ol'tltc two
ruteurirers, iit lezist one sirall be cithcr the Mayor <tr ilnotlier mctlber o{'Conimon Clor-rncil.
I l. Thc rrortrbers appointecl by the City will etrcieetvor lo atttend all meetings ol'fhe
Coptnrission anci will bc entitlccl to palt.icipate in zril clisot-tssions. 'fliey rvill not havc a
vole,
12. It is thc intentiou o1'thc Courniission that the City will be considcrcd 1'or pat'tnctship in
thc Cclmu-rission at some point in t.[re luturc. "l'o this encl, titc parties colnttrit Icl conclttct
linicly cliscussions to purslle thi.s goal.
13. If the City cloes bccomc a rrembeL o1'the Cloururission, no aciclitional f iuanoial
conlr'iLntion will ite reqi"rired, o[hcl than those lequired ol'thc other rnembcrs, beyoncl
wliat the City has ait'eatcly paid as part clf its water raitc. 'fhe City will ccintinue to bc
responsiblc 1lr its propoltional share oi any assessmcnts maclc upon tltc: lnet'tlber
rrru nicipalitics.
14. I1'thc Clity does not become a partner in thc Commission, tlte tcrm of the watcr supply
agreetnent will expire when t.he bonds for thc system upgradcs rcclr-rired 1'or the
Conrmission to sr-rpply the City with water al'e retirecl. 'l'ho agt'eement will thcn bc
automaticzilIy renewed 1'or subseqLlent f ive-year l.erms.
l5' 11'the cor,tuission's ntetnbet' mLrnicipalities approve {riroricltrtio' clf,tho wilier sirppry,only the watet'sLrppliecl to the rnember' ,rruni"ilralities will havc {.li:oricle aclclec.l aucl n.lliroLide wiil he adcrecl to the watcr suppliecl to thc city .i lthaca.
l(r' llach party wili bear its owlt cxportses with respcct to trre prop.secJ trerns.cticl' cxccpl asotherwise 'stated hereiu, incluciiirg all cclsts o,',,i1''"", incurreci irr c.n'ccti.n wit, tlienegotiation ancl execution oj' any agreeutent.
For tlie (Jity:
Carolyn Peterson, Mayor Date
Fol the Comnrission:
IJ. Michacl Newnran, Chairperson Datc