HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.15.2023-Minutes
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VILLAGE OF CAYUGA HEIGHT March 15, 2022
Zoom ID # 411842540 BOARD OF TRUSTEES 7:00 p.m.
MONTHLY MEETING
Present: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Hubbard, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton; Village
Engineer B. Cross; Director of Public Works Wiese; Police Sergeant Manning; Clerk Walker; Treasurer Dolch;
1. Call to Order: Mayor Woodard calls the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.
2. Approval of Meeting Minutes: February 15, 2023 (Exhibit 2023-139)
Resolution: 9355
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees approves February 15, 2023,
Board Meeting Minutes as presented.
Motion: Trustee Salton
Second: Trustee Biloski
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
3. Report of Fire Superintendent Tamborelle: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2023-140)
•Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that the fire station is running smoothly. The recruits are all enrolled in
an EMT class.
•Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that they will host an EMT Class this fall which is something that has
not happened in several years.
•Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that the annual fire department banquet will be held on April 22, 2023, at
Lakewatch.
•Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that the Village received three bids for the Cayuga Heights Fire Station
roof. Once the Board accepts the bids and issues an award, Village Clerk Walker will contact the contractor and
ask them to draw up the contract for Village Attorney, R. Marcus to review.
•Mayor Woodard asks if there has been a decision on the extra cost of adding an Ice/Water shield to the whole
surface.
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•Trustee Salton suggested that the Board hold off on deciding how much Ice/Water to install until the contractor
gets to take a closer look at the roof.
•B. Cross states that the Ice/Water shield would give the roof an extra layer of protection, especially in areas
where ductwork comes through the roof.
•Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that the only addition to this project is to get a price for the installation
of the gutter tie-backs that were never installed.
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Resolution: 9356
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BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees accepts the RFP Bids for the
CHFD roof replacement project from Hale Contracting Inc, Dave Marion Carpentry Inc., and Quick
Construction Inc.
Motion: Trustee Robinson
Second: Trustee Marshall
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
Resolution: 9357
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves the bid
submitted by Quick Construction Inc. in the amount of $125,000 for the replacement of the Village of Cayuga
Heights Fire Station roof and $3500 for the Ice/Water Shield throughout and authorizes Mayor Woodard to sign
the contract once approved by Village Attorney R. Marcus.
Motion: Trustee Robinson
Second: Trustee Salton
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
4. Privilege of the Floor: No Members of the Public Wished to Speak.
5. Report of Treasurer Dolch: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2023-141)
•Village Treasurer Dolch states that the February bank-to-book reconciliation is complete.
•Village Treasurer Dolch states that The 2023-2024 Budget Worksheets for all funds have been shared with the Trustees
and to please review these before our upcoming budget workshop.
The budget workshop will be on Saturday, March 25th from 9-12 pm.
Approval of Abstract 10:
Resolution: 9358
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves
Abstract #10 for FYE2023 consisting of TA 75-82 vouchers in the amount of $13,923.28 and Consolidated
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Fund vouchers 691-771 in the amount of $663,237.53 and the Treasurer is instructed to make payments
thereon.
Motion: Trustee Rennekamp
Second: Trustee Marshall
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
6. Report of Mayor Woodard:
a. VCH Annual Court Report: Village Justice G. Galbreath presents his Annual Village Court Report to the
Board of Trustees.
•Village Justice G. Galbreath states that Village Justice David Klien has retired and Mayor Woodard will be
appointing Kathleen Bergin at the Annual Village Organizational Meeting.
•Village Justice G. Galbreath states that this past year there was an increasing number of cases and fines but had
a decrease in the overall running balance of money owed to the court.
•Village Justice G. Galbreath states that one area of interest for the Board, is the amount of time he has to spend
on Centralized Arraignment Parts (CAP) for the county.
•Village Justice G. Galbreath states that currently arraignments are held either at 8:00 a.m. or 8:00 p.m. but the
number of judges that cover CAP is less resulting in 40-50 cases a year for him to hear.
•Trustee Biloski asks how long an arraignment usually takes under this new format.
•Village Justice G. Galbreath states that he usually will be there for a couple of hours but it all depends on the
case or number of cases that come in.
•In closing Village Justice G. Galbreath states that he was surprised to learn that the new auditors were able to
complete the audit when they did the Village Audit.
•Clerk Walker states that he expects to receive the Village and Court Audit soon since the actuarial report is
almost completed.
•Trustee Salton states that he asked this last year but what are your thoughts on CAP a year later?
•Village Justice G. Galbreath states that he is pretty happy with it. This method ensures that a defendant has an
attorney, and that the police officers are back out on the streets almost immediately.
Resolution: 9359
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves the
2022 Village of Cayuga Heights Annual Court Report by Village Justice Galbreath as written.
Motion: Trustee Robinson
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Second: Trustee Salton
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
b. VCH Annual Historians Report: Village Historian Bea Szekely presents her Annual Village Historians
Report to the Board of Trustees.
•Village Historian B.Szekely shares a boundary survey map of the “old” Village.
•Village Historian B.Szekely states that she appreciates the fact Village records were so well kept that it is a
luxury for a historian.
•Village Historian B.Szekely states that if there are no questions from the Board then she will read the following
information on the publication of her manuscript called: University Suburb, the Founding of Cayuga Heights in
Ithaca, New York. that is at last all but completed.
I am currently writing the endnotes for the last of six chapters (there is also an afterword and a preface). My
initial hope was that the Three Hills imprint of the Cornell University Press would be interested, but the
director turned me down saying that, although it is "well written" and "very informative," it wouldn't sell
enough copies to recover the $15,000 investment the press would need to make. Then, a few weeks ago I
proposed to the mayor that the village publish it. I don't intend to make any money-not a penny from the
project. My thought was that if the village were to pay production and printing costs of, say $5,000, maybe a
bit more, for several hundred copies, it might be sold at cost and all proceeds used to pay for publication.
However, after inquiring of NYCOM, the Mayor has learned that a municipality can't do that. So I have
decided to publish it myself using the service of a professional book designer and copy editor. (As an as de,
former village resident Carol Kammen, who is retiring as Tompkins County Historian this spring, wrote the
mayor why she thinks University Suburb deserves publication, but I have let her know my decision.)
•Village Historian B.Szekely states that the publication will have many maps, and photos of homes in the Village.
•In closing Village Historian B.Szekely states that she would love to host the Association of Public Historians'
September meeting at Marcham Hall.
•Clerk Walker stated that he will mark the Village Calander for that event.
c. Schedule the Annual Village Organizational Meeting: Under New York State Village Law, the first Monday
in April after the Village Elections is when we set the organization of the Village Government.
•Mayor Woodard states that she would like a resolution setting the Annual Village Organizational Meeting for
April 3, 2023, at 7:00 p.m.
Resolution: 9360
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees hereby schedules the Annual Village
Organizational Meeting to be held on April 3, 2023, at 7:00 p.m.
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Motion: Trustee Robinson
Second: Trustee Marshall
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
d. Proposed FYE 2023-2024 Budget: The Village Budget Workshop will be held on Saturday, March 25, 2023,
from 9:00 a.m. to Noon.
•Mayor Woodard states that all the department heads have met with their committees and submitted their requests
to Village Treasurer Dolch through the shared Budget Worksheet.
•Mayor Woodard states that she and Trustee Robinson have met with the Village Police PBA on contract
negotiations and will meet with the DPW on Monday, March 20, 2023.
e. Schedule a Public Hearing on Proposed FYE 2023-2024 Annual Budget:
•Mayor Woodard states that she needs a resolution to schedule the Public Hearing at the Village Organizational
Meeting on April 3, 2023, at 7:10 p.m.
Resolution: 9361
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees hereby schedules a Public Hearing on
the Proposed FYE 2023-2024 Annual Budget for April 3, 2023, at 7:10 p.m.
Motion: Trustee Robinson
Second: Trustee Hubbell
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
f. VCH and Town of Ithaca Court Coverage Agreement: The Village police department provides the Town of
Ithaca security support for the Town of Ithaca Court. This agreement is up for renewal and has been approved by
the Town of Ithaca.
Resolution: 9362
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves Mayor
Woodard to sign the Village of Cayuga Heights and Town of Ithaca Court Agreement as presented.
Motion: Trustee Salton
Second: Trustee Robinson
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Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
g. Appointment of Devin Dilts as the Village Labor Attorney: The Village has been looking for a labor
attorney for the upcoming employee contracts.
•Mayor Woodard states that she would like to appoint Devin Dilts from Caughlin & Gerhart LLP as the
Villages Labor Attorney.
Resolution: 9363
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves Mayor
Woodard’s appointment of Devin Dilts as the Village Labor Attorney and will he be re-appointed at the Village Annual
Organizational Meeting on April 3, 2023.
Motion: Trustee Biloski
Second: Trustee Marshall
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
7. Report of Superintendent of Public Works Cross: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2023-145)
•B. Cross states that During the construction progress meeting yesterday, we discussed details about some
electrical issues that have been discovered through the construction process. 3 items have been clarified and
subsequently priced out by Matco:
1. Add a new light switch (and associated circuitry) in the lab as requested by the Village ($1,300)
2. Replace two existing motor starters on the existing sludge scraper drives, including an upgrade of circuit
wires. This is needed because although the current circuitry is 480v wiring, the existing motor starters were
previously converted from the original 240v configuration to allow them to be run as 480v power input.
Although this has been working (for a long time), this conversion is not code compliant and is required to be
updated to meet the current code ($22,000)
3. The wiring from the main power feed (50-year-old wiring) has no dedicated ground conductor. The original
wiring was installed in a metal conduit that could serve as a dedicated ground (allowed by previous codes), but
when the new diesel generator was installed in 1999, the supply-side cable was extended using newer PVC
conduit which does not complete the dedicated grounding. Therefore new 3/0 conductors need to be installed in
an underground duct bank ($62,944)
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•B. Cross states that the combined total for Change Order E-002 comes to $86,244 and the budgeting of the
project included a 5% contingency that started at the beginning of the combined phase 1 & 2 at $469,280.00
The Previous combined change orders have reduced the available contingency to $306,709.00.
Therefore, the new contingency allowance would be reduced to $229,465.00.
•B. Cross states that we will need a resolution authorizing the Mayor to sign the GHD E-002 Change Order for
Matco Electric Company.
Resolution: 9364
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves Mayor
Woodard to sign the change order in the amount of $86,244.00 for additional electrical work to be performed by Matco
Electric Company as part of Contract #2 of Phase 2 for the Village WWTP.
Motion: Trustee Biloski
Second: Trustee Robinson
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
•B. Cross states that there are a few other changes that are anticipated including specifically a “remobilization”
reimbursement to Blue Heron for a “shut-down" caused by the 9-month delayed delivery of the main electrical
control panels as part of Matco's contract. Blue Heron has agreed to charge us only for their actual cost to
demobilize and remobilize and not for the value of lost time.
•B. Cross states that we are also anticipating a significant credit from Blue Heron because we have negotiated a
deal to dispose of the sludge “on-hand” at Steuben County Landfill at $40/ton instead of the $77/ton that they
thought it was going to cost at Seneca Meadows Landfill.
•B. Cross states that the NYSDEC conducted its annual inspection of the WWTP. The results of that inspection
were rated as satisfactory.
•B. Cross states that two action items need to be addressed. One is an explanation as to why the sludge blanket
in the primary settling tank is off-gassing. Two, the trickling filter masks are leaking, which means the bearing
seals need to be replaced.
•B. Cross states that Fisher and Associates have submitted a revised report to NYSDOT. Once that is approved
then the report will go to the Office of the State Comptrollers. Another area of progress made on this project
was a physical walk-through of the project site and the individual concerns of each of the property owners with
the consultants using Google Earth.
•B. Cross states that once those items have been addressed by Fisher and Associates then he will update the
residents as to what our responses are to their concerns.
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•Mayor Woodard asks if this project will be completed before the beginning of the next school year.
•B. Cross states that believes that information will come through in the bids. He hopes there will be enough time
in this construction season.
•B. Cross states that advertisements for the bids will be in early April with an understanding that the Board
could award the bids at the June Board Meeting.
8. Report of the Trustees:
a. Sunset Park Update:
•Trustee Marshall states that the Sunset Park Project is in phase two, which is the public outreach portion. A
letter has been sent to neighbors of the park asking for feedback a survey has been created for us to promote in
the Village Eblast and Website as well as a general information session is scheduled for May 7, 2023, from 2-4
p.m. at Marcham Hall.
•Trustee Marshall states the action item needed tonight is a Board Resolution allowing Michele Palmer from
Templeton Landscaping to create the Consolidated Funding Grant Application for Sunset Park.
•Trustee Salton states that he is against any use of concrete curbing for this project.
•Trustee Marshall states the details of safety are complicated when accommodating aesthetics and proper
engineering. He will share more details with Trustee Salton if needed.
Resolution: 9365
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves Mayor
Woodard to sign the Templeton Landscape Proposal as presented in Exhibit 2023-146 for a grant submission for Sunset
park. This proposal is not to exceed $7,200.00
Motion: Trustee Salton
Second: Trustee Hubbell
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
9. Report of Police Chief Wright: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2023-146)
•Police Seargent Manning was present in Chief Wright’s absence.
•Trustee Salton inquires about the criminal mischief and trespassing complaint.
•Police Seargent Manning states that there were two complaints, Once at the Carriage House Apartments, the
damage was done to a vehicle overnight and the second one was a trespassing Village Greene.
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10. Report of Director of DPW Wiese: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2023-137)
•Director Wiese states that the guys found a breach in a culvert line on Cayuga Heights Road that led to water
entering the sewer line.
•Director Wiese has contacted Skanex who can sleeve that section for $4,000.00 the week of March 20, 2023.
•Trustee Salton asks if Director Wiese has isolated the problem or examined the condition of the line area
around this break.
•Director Wiese states that they did camera the line upstream and found no issues. He is confident that this is
the only break.
•Mayor Woodard states that the Village Public Works Committee did discuss this topic and recommended we
hire Skanex to sleeve this break.
Resolution: 9366
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves Mayor
Woodard to sign the Skanex Proposal in the amount not to exceed $4000 to sleeve a section of a sewer line on Cayuga
Heights Road to be paid from Sewer Contingency.
Motion: Trustee Robinson
Second: Trustee Marshall
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
•Director Wiese states that the I Trackers have been installed for a week and this Friday he will upload the data
to see if sewer flows have changed enough to suspect we have groundwater entering the sewer line.
•Director Wiese states that they have installed two on North Sunset, One on Cayuga Park Road, one on
Comstock, and one other section he cannot remember right now.
11. Report of Clerk Walker:
•Clerk Walker states that the only action item that he needs Board approval for is the Board of Trustees
supporting a grant application to Tompkins County for improvements to Sunset Park.
Clerk Walker states that the Village was awarded this grant several years ago. At that time David O'Brien
worked on repointing some of the stonework at Sunset Park. The idea would be to have him continue that work
and if the Sunset Park Taskforce had any other ideas money could go to that.
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Resolution: 9367
TOWNS AND VILLAGES PARKS AND TRAILS GRANT
RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT
WHEREAS, the Village of Cayuga Heights owns the property knowns as Sunset Park, which is a municipal
park wholly located within the Village; and
WHEREAS, the Village desires to improve the infrastructure of Sunset Park by repairing and repointing the
existing stone structures within the park; and
WHEREAS, the cost of such repair is estimated to be $5,000; and
WHEREAS, the Tompkins County Department of Planning and Sustainability is making funding available for
the improvement of municipal parks and trails through the Towns and Villages Parks and Trails Grant Program;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees supports and
authorizes the submission of a grant application for up to $5,000 to the Tompkins County Towns and Villages
Parks and Trails Grant Program.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that if the grant application is successful, the Cayuga Heights Board of
Trustees authorizes the Village Mayor to execute the contract with Tompkins County to implement the project.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and the official seal of the Village of Cayuga Heights
of Tompkins County, New York, this 15 day of March 2023.
Motion: Trustee Hubbell
Second: Trustee Marshall
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
12. Report of Attorney Marcus: No Report at this time.
13. Adjournment: Mayor Woodard adjourns the meeting at 8:59 p.m.