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HomeMy WebLinkAbout7.17.2024 Minutes1 VILLAGE OF CAYUGA HEIGHT July 17, 2024 Zoom ID # 4118425407 BOARD OF TRUSTEES 7:00 p.m. MONTHLY MEETING Present: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, and Robinson: Police Chief Wright; Treasurer Dolch; Attorney Marcus; Superintendent of Public Works B. Cross; Director of Public Works M. Wiese; Deputy Clerk Jacot. Absent: Trustee Salton 1. Call to Order: Mayor Woodard calls the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. 2. Approval of the June 18, 2024 Meeting Minutes (Exhibit 2025-031) Resolution: 9666 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees approves the June 18, 2024 Board Meeting Minutes as presented. Motion: Trustee Robinson Second: Trustee Hubbell Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, and Robinson Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried 3. Report of Fire Superintendent Tamborelle: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2025-031) •Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that CHFD vehicles are getting inspected and the station is getting a few maintenance items done. •Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that movie night is going well and having the Luna Food Truck has made movie night a bigger success. •Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that the department will miss Director of Public Works, M. Wiese as he will be leaving for a new job in early August. 4. Privilege of the Floor: No members of the public wished to speak. •Village resident Karan Mehta was present to speak about the new lawn maintenance law. •K. Mehta states that he appreciates the spirit and intent of the exchanges before this law was passed. •K. Mehta states that he can see both sides of lawn maintenance, where some residents might like a groomed lawn and others prefer a natural "meadow" landscape. 2 •K. Mehta observes that while the lawn maintenance law seems to be aimed at reigning in a tendency on the part of some to mow less frequently, there might actually be good reasons for the village to in fact encourage people to do this. These include concerns related to air pollution — the EPA estimates 5% of US air pollution can be attributed to gas-powered lawnmowers ), and a higher fraction for suburban areas, and higher for particular compounds like benzene and formaldehyde — noise pollution, which we all experience — and finally that incentivizing people to keep short mowed lawns may encourage the use of herbicides and pesticides, which should be of some concern for kids, pets, other wildlife, and the water supply. Mehta speculates that younger homebuyers may be less interested in the suburban aesthetic that arose a few decades ago, and one that tries to gradually take into account these issues make Cayuga Heights more attractive to homebuyers in the near future.” https://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/5/11/law-maintenance-and-climate-change •K. Mehta suggests, if there is interest for the reasons above, the Board could encourage discussion and consider incorporating language aspiring to less gas-powered mowing, less use of herbicides/pesticides, and perhaps encouraging more plant diversity in lawns as part of the thoughts articulated in the Comprehensive Plan.” •Trustee Hubbell and Mayor Woodard state that they do not use pesticides and hope other people wouldn’t although it isn’t something that would make sense to ban. •Mayor Woodard states that the Board has tried to strike a balance for all types of landscaping. This is the first step in a much larger process that we will be working through and possibly changing. •Trustee Hubbell suggests that we put something in the E-newsblast or on the website. 5. Report of Treasurer Dolch: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2025-026) •Treasurer Dolch states that the June 2024 month-end bank-to-book reconciliation is complete. •Treasurer Dolch states that the AUD is underway and is near completion. •Approval of Abstract 2: Resolution: 9667 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves Abstract #2 for FYE2025 consisting of TA vouchers #6-13 in the amount of $15,952.77 and Consolidated Fund vouchers #39-118 in the amount of $503,841.39 and the Treasurer is instructed to make payments thereon. Motion: Trustee Rennekamp Second: Trustee Robinson Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, and Robinson Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried 3 •Mayor Woodard states that she received an email from Tompkins Bank defining the terms of the loan agreement for Phase 2.1 of the WWTP. •Treasurer Dolch states that she was surprised about the requirements to keep $1.5 million dollars in the account for the duration of this loan. She does not agree with this and as we pay the loan down, we should not have to keep a higher balance in the account. •Treasurer Dolch states that we hardly ever keep over $200,000 in the account except when paying the monthly vouchers. •Mayor Woodard asks if Treasurer Dolch has found any other lending institutions interested in this loan. •Treasurer Dolch states that she has not. •Mayor Woodard states that the Trust Bank is most likely creating these conditions since we are keeping most of our cash flow in NYCLASS. •Trustee Rennekamp states that it we should have the language that states that we can renew this loan (BAN) each year for up to five years with no prepayment. •Trustee Conway states that we should also add language that states if the interest rate goes down then the loan rate would as well. •Village Engineer B. Cross states that since this is a WWTP project it would not be funded from the general fund; it would be funded from the sewer fund. •Mayor Woodard states that the sewer fund does not have that large of a balance and it has to come from fund balance. •B. Cross states that he needs to get moving on drafting bid documents for these projects. Resolution: 9668 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves Treasurer Dolch to request from Tompkins Bank a change in terms for the Village to keep $1,000,000 in the bank as good faith for a annual renewal BAN with no prepayment penalties and sign the commitment letter for this loan. Motion: Trustee Rennekamp Second: Trustee Biloski Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, and Robinson Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried 6. Report of Mayor Woodard 4 a. Comprehensive Plan Taskforce: At the June Board Meeting it was discussed how to form a taskforce to pursue recommendations for the changes to the Village Comprehensive Plan. •Mayor Woodard states that since Trustee Salton was absent from the meeting we will table this discussion until next month. b. Status of Lead Water Line Replacement: The Village has sent a letter to several residents about the newly discovered lead or unknown material in the water lines. The next step for those interested in replacing their line to contact us and set up a schedule. •Director of Public Works M. Wiese states that the Village has contracted with Hydo-X that will do the work. It is anticipated that they can finish the discovery of the last three. •Trustee Robinson asks if the Village has heard back from any of the residents that were notified. •Director of Public Works M. Wiese states that he received one phone call from a resident who was concerned about their lawn being torn up when the replacement took place. •Director of Public Works M. Wiese states that Mayor Woodard states that another letter was sent to all residents that has some sort of lead lines explaining the options for replacement. •Director of Public Works M. Wiese states that Trustee Hubbell inquires how the water line replacement will work. •Director of Public Works M. Wiese states that his recommendation is to remove the existing line and replace it with new copper lines. •Mayor Woodard states that we need to wrap up our discovery by October of 2024 and then move forward with replacing three percent of the non-copper lines per year. Her suggestion is to replace the non-copper lines that are only on the Village’s side so that we can gain experience and knowledge of the process. •Mayor Woodard states that she has spoken to Bolton Point, and they would prefer we coordinate with the homeowner and replace both lines at the same time. Bolton Point also suggested that the Village have the homeowner sign a release of liability if they do not complete the work at the same time as the Village is completing the work. •Village Attorney R. Marcus states that he agrees to that suggestion but there is a fair chance that they will not sign anything. •Trustee Conway states that he knows of one resident who approached him and has a lot of questions. He informed the resident to contact Mayor Woodard or Director Wiese. •Trustee Hubbell states that those residents who do not do anything about the lead pipes do have alternatives to prevent lead contamination from the drinking water. •Mayor Woodard states that Bolton Point is going provide a Brita Filter water container for every household that has their water line and the Village curve box line switched out. •Mayor Woodard states that we will update the project section of our website. 5 c. Mike Wiese Resolution: The Village Director of Public Works M. Wiese is taking a position as superintendent of Public Works for the City of Cortland •Mayor Woodard states that we have a formal resolution honoring M. Wiese for his service to the Village. She will read the resolution, but it barely scratches the surface of his accomplishments. RECOGNITION OF THE PAST AND CONTINUED OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVICE OF MICHAEL JON WIESE Resolution: 9669 WHEREAS, Mike has served the Village of Cayuga Heights since November of 2016 and has completed his NYS Code Enforcement certification; and WHEREAS, Mike has brought respect, honor, and integrity to his role within the Village and with the surrounding municipalities as the Assistant Superintendent of Public Works. WHEREAS, Mike quickly evolved the Village Department of Public Works into a new era by implementing an equipment rotation schedule an inventory control system; and WHEREAS, Mike has worked hand in hand with the Village Superintendent of Public Works on several grant projects and has contributed immensely to seeing those projects to completion; and WHEREAS, Mike has applied his skills and leadership to the Department of Public Works staff and has created a workplace environment that promotes well-being and teamwork. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees does hereby commend Mike Wiese for his dedication, commitment, and outstanding past and continued public service to the Village of Cayuga Heights. Motion: Trustee Robinson Second: Trustee Hubbell Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, and Robinson Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried •Director of Public Works M. Wiese states that the kind words represent all the employees who work here at the Village, These successes would not be possible without them. 6 •B. Cross states that prior to Director of Public Works M. Wiese the DPW had a different type of leadership. Mike has evolved that into a working team. He has also helped B. Cross with all the NYS Code Enforcement for the Village. •B. Cross states that Director of Public Works M. Wiese made it easy for him to hand off several responsibilities. 6. Report of the Trustees: •Trustee Hubbell states that at the last Cayuga Lake Watershed Intermunicipal Organization (CLWIO) they were presented with a report on what will take place with Cayuga Lake if the salt mines are not addressed. He hopes to have the recording available for the Board to review soon. • Trustee Robinson states that the Village WWTP trickling filter pumps have been installed, but we are still waiting for the trickling filter arms. The rail collection system will still need to be addressed. •Trustee Robinson states that we still do not have a Village Fire Inspector and now with Director of Public Works M. Wiese leaving there will be a lot of extra pressure on Superintendent of Public Works B. Cross. •Trustee Robinson states that unfortunately the Village was not selected for the Renwick Brook Culvert Bridge New York Grant. •Trustee Robinson states that as part of community outreach, the WWTP Committee would like to invite the other municipalities who use the plant for a tour and extend that invitation to the school as well. •Trustee Biloski states that the Human Resources Committee met and has opened the position of Assistant Superintendent of Public Works at the county level. •Trustee Biloski states that the Public Safety Committee met, and Chief Wright announced that the department received a $67,000 grant from the Department of Justice. •Trustee Conway states that those who applied for this grant were awarded so it is good to know we have leadership that is staying on top of these opportunities. 8. Report of Superintendent of Public Works Cross: •B. Cross states that the Village has been awarded two grants from NYSERDA in the amount of $60,000. The award will be used for the WWTP Solar Project. •B. Cross states that he still has to get some work done on the roof before we install the solar array. He has two quotes for the work, and they range from $15,000 to $25,000. Formal bidding will have to take place for this project. •B. Cross states that he still has to get the T.G. Miller Water Report completed. •B. Cross states that he has reached out to the City and Town of Ithaca to see where they are on the lead drinking water line. 7 •B. Cross states that there will be several fines issued as a result of non-compliance issues with the property maintenance law. •Trustee Conway states that since we did not get the $1.5-million-dollar grant for the Renwick Brook Culvert what is the next step? •B. Cross states that the $1.5-million-dollar price tag is high because NYSDOT or Federal Highway Administration Grants are regulated so highly that additional costs have to be built in. 9. Report of Police Chief Wright: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2025-035) •Chief Wright states that as Trustees Biloski and Conway mentioned the department was successfully awarded $67,000 for police-related equipment. The departments thought is to purchase new police radios and or cover the Taser renewal costs. •Chief Wright states that both of the new part-time officers are scheduled and are working through training. •Chief Wright states that all range dates and requirements have been met for this year. •Chief Wright states that about a year ago Tompkins County Sheriff's Department implemented a Care-1 Patol which was designed to assist with mental health calls. This program has worked out well and funding has been allocated for second team for the county. •Chief Wright states that an individual was stopped for having a suspended license and had a warrant out of Syracuse. He tried to make an opportunity to flee from the officers but thankfully that did not take place. •Mayor Woodard states that she and B. Cross are interested in an update on the Flock Camera System •Chief Wright states that we were scheduled to put up four around the Village, The County and City of Ithaca were scheduled to put up around a hundred cameras. It appears there is a lot of pushback from NYSEG who wants an expensive pole agreement. At this point, we are on hold from doing anything. •Mayor Woodard asks how expensive it will be for us if we are to continue. •Chief Wright states that after several car thefts in the Village, he recognized that these cameras would be a useful tool for the Village as well as other departments. The cost, however, is $15,000 a year for five cameras. 10. Report of Director of Public Works Wiese: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2025-036) •Director Wiese states that T.G. Miller has moved our I-Tracker meters to concentrate on the N.E. section of the Village. •Director Wiese states that the I-Tracker meters are proof that the sewer lining and manhole lining are paying off. •Director Wiese states that on July 30th he will be meeting with a company that can place trackers in every manhole, collect data, and map flows. 8 •Mayor Woodard states that she is hopeful that this presentation could be something the other members of the “Gang of Six” could use to find and track their own I & I. •Director Wiese states that the DPW crew will begin the last section of the sidewalk for the Walking Safe Cayuga Heights next week. •Director Wiese states that brush pickup has turned into a three-day event. This unfortunately affects our scheduling for other projects. •Director Wiese states that there is a letter of support (Exhibit 2025-037) for the Town of Lansing to purchase and share a vacuum truck for requirements within the MS4 stormwater management program. Resolution: 9670 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees approves and authorizes Mayor Woodard to sign the Town of Lansing letter of support to purchase a new vacuum truck through the NYSDEC WQIP grant. Motion: Trustee Robinson Second: Trustee Hubbell Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, and Robinson Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried 11. Report of Clerk Walker: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2025-038) •Mayor Woodard states that Clerk Walker is absent from tonight’s meeting, but he has submitted a resident’s request for relief of late fees on their water bill. •Mayor Woodard states that there are several ways a resident can find out about when a bill is due. •Deputy Clerk A. Jacot states that we post this on our website, Enewsblast, and Bolton Point offers E-Billings along with mailing out a paper bill. •Trustee Robinson states that he feels bad for the resident but cannot support waiving any late fee; Trustee Conway agreed as well. •The Board of Trustees took no action on this request to waive the late fees for account Y6641. Motion Carried 12. Report of Attorney R. Marcus: No report at this time. 9 13. Executive Session: Resolution: 9671 WHEREAS: The NYS Open Meeting Law §105 prescribes matters for which a public body may conduct an executive session; and, WHEREAS: Upon a majority vote of its total membership, taken in an open meeting under a motion identifying the general area or areas of the subject or subjects to be considered; and, WHEREAS: The conduct an executive session for these enumerated purposes only, provided, however, that no action by formal vote shall be taken to appropriate public money: THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT An Executive Session of the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees is conducted for subsection and (D) discussions regarding proposed, pending, or current litigation; and (H) the proposed acquisition, sale, or lease of real property or the proposed acquisition of securities, or sale or exchange of securities held by such public body, but only when publicity would substantially affect the value thereof. Motion: Trustee Robinson Second: Trustee Hubbell Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, and Robinson Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried •The Board of Trustees exits Executive Session at 9:35 p.m. and returns to an open meeting. 14. Adjournment: Mayor Woodard adjourns the meeting at 9:35 p.m.