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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6.18.2025 Minutes1 VILLAGE OF CAYUGA HEIGHT June 18th 2025 Zoom ID # 4118425407 BOARD OF TRUSTEES 7:00 p.m. MONTHLY MEETING Present: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, Salton (arrived at 7:42 p.m.) Robinson; Fire Superintendent Tamborelle, Police Chief Wright; Superintendent of Public Works Cross, Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder; Village Attorney Shah; Village Clerk Walker. Absent: Treasurer Dolch 1. Call to Order: Mayor Woodard calls the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. 2a. Approval of the May 21, 2025 Board Meeting Minutes (Exhibit 2026-036) Resolution: 9866 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees approves the May 21, 2025 Board Meeting Minutes as presented. Motion: Trustee Robinson Second: Trustee Biloski Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, and Robinson Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried 2b. Approval of the June 5, 2025, Special Meeting Minutes (Exhibit 2026-037) Resolution: 9867 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees approves June 5, 2025, Special Board Meeting Minutes as presented. Motion: Trustee Rennekamp Second: Trustee Biloski Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, and Robinson Nays: none Abstentions: Robinson Motion Carried 3. Report of Fire Superintendent Tamborelle: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2026-038) •Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that the bunker kitchen project is moving forward. The bid opening is on 2 Tuesday, July 1st, 2025. •Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that movie night will start on June 26th and run through the last weekend in July. The Luna food truck will be available again this year. 4. Privilege of the Floor: No members of the Public wish to speak. 5. Report of Treasurer Dolch: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2026-028) •Treasurer Dolch was absent from tonight's meeting. Approval of Abstract 13: Resolution: 9868 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves Abstract # 13 for FYE 2025, consisting of TA vouchers 97-101 in the amount of $4786.49 and Consolidated Fund vouchers 930-987 in the amount of $196,295.76, and the Treasurer is instructed to make payments thereon. Motion: Trustee Biloski Second: Trustee Rennekamp Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, and Robinson Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried Approval of Abstract 1: Resolution: 9869 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves Abstract # 1 for FYE 2026, consisting of TA vouchers 1-3 in the amount of $21,613.37 and Consolidated Fund vouchers 1- 33 in the amount of $362,284.89, and the Treasurer is instructed to make payments thereon. Motion: Trustee Robinson Second: Trustee Biloski Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, and Robinson Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried •Mayor Woodard states that we will also need a resolution authorizing Treasurer Dolch to make any budget modifications from this last fiscal year. 3 •Trustee Robinson inquires whether or not we will be able to see the negative accounts once Treasurer Dolch makes these modifications. •Mayor Woodard states we will preserve those numbers for more discussions at the Village Finance Committee Meeting later next month. •Trustee Conway would like to know if we know what funds were over Budgeted. •Mayor Woodard states that she asked the same question, and Treasurer Dolch informed her of the following: A Fund - more than expected in sales tax, utility tax, fines from court, sale of equipment, Chips. Higher expenses in electricity, some personnel lines, gas, infotech, insurance, streets, refuse, retirement, health insurance, BRI. F Fund - more than expected in water rent and penalties. Higher expenses in water purchases from Ithaca, and lead testing. G Fund - more than expected in sewer rent (both internal and external), interest, higher expenses in some personal, WWTP equipment and contractual, gas and electric, Phase 1 interest. Resolution: 9870 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes Village Treasurer Dolch to make FYE 2025 Final Budget Modifications as necessary to bring any overdrawn expenditure accounts to zero in the General, Water, and Sewer Funds. Motion: Trustee Biloski Second: Trustee Robinson Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, and Robinson Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried 6. Report of Mayor Woodard: a. Property Maintenance Enforcement: •Mayor Woodard states that she has met with B. Cross and both acknowledge that several properties in the Village have potential violations. The Summer Engineering Intern has been canvassing the Village and taking pictures for B. Cross to review. •Mayor Woodard states that she will be putting together a Microsoft Access database for B. Cross to use and track the violations from start to finish. She will also develop the letters that will be sent out to residents. •B. Cross states that pre-COVID, he would maybe see fewer than ten violations throughout the year. For now and for the record the one fine we issued this year was a holdover from last year that we are just catching up on. 4 •Trustee Robinson states that he hopes that enforcement will continue throughout the year, not just for grass violations. •Trustee Conway states that he hopes the Village will approach residents with discretion and not just a heavy hand since we all agreed this would be a learning experience for all. •Trustee Robinson states that the first letter that B. Cross sends out is just to bring awareness to the situation and give them an opportunity to explain or fix the potential violation. •Mayor Woodard states that she has received several calls this year from concerned residents asking why the Village was not doing anything about some of these lawns or other property maintenance issues. So, we need to acknowledge this and move forward. b. Cayuga Heights Road Sidewalk Project Update: •B. Cross states that Hunt Engineers has provided a full design report to the NYSDOT. The next step is for them to review this form and respond to us with any changes. •B. Cross states that T. G Miller has completed the maps for easements that we will have to obtain to move the project forward. •B. Cross states that the Tompkins County Transportation Council will be receiving federal money, and we are not sure if it will come in this fiscal year or next. The good news is that either way, it can be moved to the new fiscal year. c. Plant-Plant Agreement Affecting the Kline Road By-Pass: •Mayor Woodard states that she met with the Town of Ithaca about the Kline Road By-Pass and the Village's financial obligation to the IAWWTF. Mayor Woodard would like to renegotiate the costs associated with using the by-pass. •Mayor Woodard states that progress has been made with determining that the sewage that we send to the Ithaca plant is actually Town of Ithaca sewage and therefore should not have to pay three times the rate to the IAWWTF since the Town of Ithaca is part-owner of the plant. 7. Report of the Trustees: a. Village Public Safety Committee: •Trustee Biloski states that we have switched our meeting to accommodate Fire Superintendent Tamborelle so he can attend. •Trustee Biloski states that she will let Chief Wright cover the rest of the topics. b. Cayuga Lake Watershed Intermunicipal Organization: •Trustee Hubbell states that the meeting at Wells College concentrated on Stormwater Management. 5 b. Village Public Works Committee Updates: •Trustee Robinson states that we are moving forward with the Renwick Brook Culvert Pipe Project. We are waiting for the results from the boring. If there is enough bedrock, then we can just let the water flow onto the bedrock. •Trustee Robinson states that the other emergency culvert repair on North Sunset Drive will be reported by Assistant Superintendent of Public Works A. Cowder in his report. •Trustee Robinson states that there will be some paving this year but most of the money from CHIPS will be used for the Renwick Brook Culvert Pipe Project. c. Village Wastewater Committee Updates: •Trustee Robinson states that the rooftop solar installation project is complete. •B. Cross states that he had to hire a different contractor to reinforce the roof for the solar panels. This turned out to be a cost savings of up to $30,000. •B. Cross states that the general contractor for our WWTP will also be doing work on the dumpster rail system, and that should be completed this week. -Trustee Salton arrives at 7:42 p.m. •Trustee Robinson states that we have completed all the lead pipe replacements for this year unless some road work coincides with a lead line going to a resident. •Trustee Robinson states that we have one resident demanding that we replace our side of the lead line, but she will not coordinate with her contractor to replace hers at the same time. This has been going on for over a year. •Mayor Woodard states that she has emailed the resident explaining that the Village is more than willing to replace our line when she is ready. •Trustee Rennekamp asks if we are done because of capacity or if have we used up all the budget money. What is the plan going forward? •Assistant Superintendent of Public Works A. Cowder states that the remaining repairs are highly impacted by road crossings, where we would have to open the road. We are going to wait on those replacements until we need to make improvements to those roads or water lines. d. Village Finance Committee Updates: •Trustee Rennekamp states that we did not have a meeting this month since FYE numbers were not ready yet. We anticipate an extensive meeting in July. 8. Report of Superintendent of Public Works Cross: 6 •B. Cross states that NYSDEC informed the Village that our permit for the WWTP was up for renewal. GHD will be assisting us with this application. The deadline was June 15, 2025. Our application was submitted, and now it is a waiting game to see what new requirements will be required. •B. Cross states that they would be able to finally solve the sewer line issue that affected a home on The Parkway. We discovered a broken joint that caused this backup. •B. Cross states that we have received all the costs associated with the damage from the sewage backup. Clerk Walker has submitted this paperwork to our insurance company. The homeowners are content with the speed we are working to come to a final resolution to fix this problem. 9. Report of Police Chief Wright: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2026-040) •Chief Wright states that the main topic he would like to cover tonight is new police equipment. We took possession of the new chief's car on June 5, 2025, and quickly got it up to the new outfitters. Then they decommissioned the current chief’s vehicle, which can now be set to auction. •Chief Wright states that he and Sergeant Manning attended a three-hour Zoom training meeting with AXON. One of the new AI features is report narration. This will allow an officer to state what he/she is doing and then later transcribe that into a report. The system is loaded with many different aspects to learn. •Chief Wright states that the Flock cameras are up and running. We had our first use of the system, which helped manage an MVA where one of the vehicles involved needed to be contacted after the fact. 10. Report of Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2026-041) •Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder states that he is now performing code enforcement-related duties under the direction of Brent. We will be working on plan reviews and getting the fire inspections up to date for the year. •Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder states that we are working on a sidewalk summer rehabilitation list and have begun doing some repairs for projects this year. •Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder states that we replaced a few of the Village's identified lead lines and will continue coordinating with any other residents who are replacing their lead lines. We have exceeded the planned number of services but will continue to get the ones on the streets that NYSEG is doing gas line updates. •Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder states that the metering devices that have been installed in 5 various manholes in the Village to measure system flow to help locate I&I are being monitored by TG Miller in their continued efforts for I&I tracing. The devices will be periodically moved within the system to identify and pinpoint problem areas. •Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder states that on June 9, 2025, Timothy Emmick started at the DPW and was hired as a Laborer w/CDL. 7 •Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder states that the North Sunset Drive repair has been started and materials have been ordered for the repair. NYSEG is moving the gas and power poles, and the DPW will be taking care of the water and sewer. Bellisario was the contractor selected due to being local and better suited to handle the project. 11. Report of Clerk Walker: •Clerk Walker states that he does not have a report this month. The office is busy collecting tax payments in between working on the two abstracts for this month. •Trustee Conway inquires about the DPW summer hours and schedule. •Mayor Woodard states that they started summer hours (4-10 hours work week) this week. 12. Report of Attorney O. Shah: No report at this time. 13. Adjournment: Mayor Woodard adjourns the meeting at 8:17 p.m.