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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12.17.2025 Minutes1 VILLAGE OF CAYUGA HEIGHT December 17th 2025 Zoom ID # 4118425407 BOARD OF TRUSTEES 7:00 p.m. MONTHLY MEETING Present: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, Robinson *Arrives 7:22 p.m., and Salton;*Arrives 7:03 p.m., Fire Superintendent Tamborelle, Police Chief Wright, Superintendent of Public Works Cross, Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder; Village Attorney Shah; Village Clerk Walker. 1. Call to Order: Mayor Woodard calls the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 2a. Approval of the November 19, 2025 Board Meeting Minutes (Exhibit 2026 – 096) Resolution: 9924 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees approves the November 19, 2025, Board Meeting Minutes as presented. Motion: Trustee Biloski Second: Trustee Conway Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, and Robinson Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried 2b. Approval of the Joint Board of Trustees and Planning Board Meeting Minutes (Exhibit 2026 – 097) Resolution: 9925 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees approves the December 9, 2025, Joint Board of Trustees and Planning Board Meeting Minutes as presented. Motion: Trustee Rennekamp Second: Trustee Biloski 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 2026-098) •Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that the department is preparing for the departure of students for winter break. 2 •Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that the bunker kitchen project has been moved back to late January. •Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that the expected delivery of the new firetruck is now October of 2026. •Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that he will begin preparing for the sale of truck 202 for sale this summer. •Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that the department has completed the recertification of our rescue squad. We reduced the classification from ALS rescue to advanced level rescue. This will allow us to reduce costs and not carry medications that are hardly used. •Trustee Salton states that he sees in the monthly report that the department takes a lot of EMS calls. •Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that between 70-80 percent of all fire department response calls are calls for EMS. Our department is up over 100 calls versus last year. •Trustee Conway inquires about the logistics of when the money for the sale of truck 202 comes in and when we are receiving money from the Town of Ithaca for the purchase of the new E1 truck. 3. Privilege of the Floor: No members of the Public wish to speak. 4. Report of Treasurer Dolch: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2026-099) •Treasurer Dolch was absent from tonight’s meeting. Approval of Abstract 7: Resolution: 9926 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves Abstract # 7 for FYE 2026, consisting of TA vouchers 48-55 in the amount of $18,341.36 and Consolidated Fund vouchers 431-494 in the amount of $333,064.25, and the Treasurer is instructed to make payments thereon. Motion: Trustee Rennekamp Second: Trustee Hubbell Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried 5. Report of Mayor Woodard: a. Public Hearing on Proposed Local Law F of the year 2025: Mayor Woodard opens the Public Hearing at 7:13 p.m. 3 •Village resident Jeff Milder addresses the Board. So let's be straight about what's going on here. This proposal to amend the law is with clear reference to the property of Trustee Ken Hubbell. This trustee is running a professional-grade woodworking operation adjacent to our property line. This operation is run from an expanding cluster of outbuildings that were built without the requisite permits. In addition to several illegal structures, the operation also involves lab machinery, including saws, framing machines, and heavy-duty venting machines that are operated without containment at any time of the day. My wife and I both work from home, and this impedes our ability to concentrate and her ability to teach online, which is her occupation and source of income. It's also a profound nuisance that impairs our enjoyment of our yard and patio. Unfortunately, this trustee is now using his position to seek a tailor-made law to legitimize his ongoing illegal activity, and this, of course, is highly improper. It would also create bad law, more broadly, that undermines village character with ramifications. This would create the zoning exemptions for any activity that is self-defined. Never mind the level of adverse impacts, such as lighting, vibrations, odor, or eyesore, that the activity involves. As long as it's done for personal pleasure, it's allowed. So this puts all of us at risk for whatever leisure pursuits our neighbors might take up with few guardrails. The main purpose of zoning, as you know, is to regulate the type and impact of activities and associated structures. Unfortunately, this proposal does the opposite by disregarding impacts, so long as an activity is not profit-making. We need to reject this proposal because it opens the door to a broad range of impacts that are incompatible with the residence zone. Thank you for your time. •Mayor Woodard asks Village resident J. Milder if he issued a complaint to the police department. Because that's where things like noise are adjudicated. J. Milder states that this is a hearing about the proposed law, so I'm speaking about the law and its ramifications across the whole village. There is an issue with our particular property, but this is a hearing about the law and the effects that it could have throughout the village. It's good that there are, you know, that there is a noise ordinance, but when it comes to saying that there's an open door for a hobby to be a type of activity that could be allowed, without reference to other types of impacts. Noise is not the only impact that can occur. People could have unsightly things out in their yard or property. There, you know, there could be all sorts of things that zoning is meant to address. That is, the purpose of zoning is to address a variety of impacts that I don't need to enumerate here. The Village has put in place a lot of laws to specifically address the character that Cayuga Heights has, which is unique. Things like the height of the grass and so forth. So on. Now, to come and say, well, you know, anyone who wants to do any hobby, as long as it's not profit-making, is allowed to do so, it sort of flies in the face of that effort to say we have a character here we're trying to protect. Woodworking, sure. I mean, having a wood shop in your house, in the basement, of course. But doing something outdoors without containment, with noise, with visual impacts, it's different. So, zoning is intended to address the type of activities and the nature of the impacts. And so, when a proposal comes that uses a very broad brush based on a category like a hobby, it fails to do that. It fails to address impacts, which is what zoning is meant to do. So I 4 think there are, you know, there are ways to make sure that, you know, yes, things that are not impactful, that are compatible with the residence zone can be allowed, but it matters how they are done. When guardrails don't exist, then people are affected, and the care for the neighborhood is adversely impacted. So that's what I'm here to share. Village resident Nina Kohn addresses the Board. My name is Nina, and I also want to speak on the proposed law. So this is a proposed law that would effectively exempt activities done for pleasure as opposed to profit from zoning laws, and while I'm a huge fan of pleasure, I don't think that that is relevant to the impact that an activity has on neighbors and the Village. The fact that an individual may not need income should not give them the right to use their property in ways that interfere with the rights of others. Let me just give you an example of what it might feel like to live next to a property like this, because, as my husband alluded to, we do. I work from home, I teach from home, and because my neighboring property is being used, essentially, as a non-profit but professional-grade woodworking facility, there is constant lights, there is constant noise, there is constant whirling, and sort of scratching, and it may not rise to a high decibel level, but it's really hard to work, and unfortunately, when I used to look at, oh, what was a beautiful backyard, now I see a sea of shacks. It's illegal. I've notified the village of this, and the village has made the decision not to enforce against one of its own. I leave that with you. If this law is passed, now the rest of you are going to be facing the kind of thing that I face. If your neighbor decides that their new hobby is that they want to repair a large entrance, or make, you know, enormous plaster nudes, or do anything else, as long as they don't need the income, because maybe they're fortunate to be independently wealthy. Village of Cayuga Heights: they get to do it. And that's not consistent with the nature of our village, and our village character. So, I hope that we will not create this sort of bizarre exemption from zoning laws simply because something is pleasurable. Pleasure's great, hobbies are great. They just should be subject to the same laws as Everything else. Thank you for your time. As you know, the Village’s zoning ordinance permits one portable shed per property in the residence zone, subject to certain conditions. Nevertheless, five such structures have been erected at 109 E. Upland Rd. Regardless of whether these structures are used for otherwise permissible activities, the structures themselves are not allowed under the Village’s zoning law. The zoning amendment approved tonight does not change this. I appreciated the affirmation of this point this evening on the public record, with village personnel stating that the zoning change pertains to activities (specifically, “hobbies”) and does not make the zoning law more permissive with regard to the construction of structures. I am concerned, however, that despite the fact that Village law clearly does not allow more than one of these outbuildings, the current Code Officer may attempt to retroactively permit the others during the waning days of his tenure as a village staff member. I am writing to you to request your attention to this matter, so that mistakes are not made. 5 Specifically, based on his remarks during tonight’s meeting, as well as previous communications with him, I am concerned that the Code Enforcement Officer may not understand that the structures are impermissible regardless of their use. I am also concerned that he may not understand that building permits are required prior to construction and are not to be issued retroactively. Even for structures that are permissible under the zoning ordinance, Village law requires building permits to be sought and received before construction begins. Retroactively granting a permit is not contemplated by the Village’s law. Retroactively granting permits for these impermissible structures would be especially concerning, given that the failure to seek a building permit for the most recent structure was willful and knowing. The property owner (Trustee Hubbell) spoke to my wife and me, and to the Code Enforcement Officer, during the early summer after construction had started but before it was complete. Mr. Hubbell was fully aware that a building permit was required. Yet he continued construction while we were on vacation in July, and we were alarmed to find that the latest structure (a wood crib, as you would find at Home Depot) had been fully completed without ever seeking a permit. We now have a situation where the livability of our property is significantly diminished as a result of unlawful construction. It is possible that we may be able to reach some sort of resolution with our neighbor. We certainly hope we can. In the meantime, I ask that you instruct the Code Enforcement Officer not to issue building permits retroactively for the structures on the property. This would only make the situation worse and, as explained above, would not be legal. Moreover, granting a retroactive permit to a Village Trustee who knowingly violated Village law would create the impression that those in positions of power in the Village can act with impunity. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Jeff Milder Mayor Woodard closes the Public Hearing at 7:21 p.m. •B. Cross states that he has received notification from the neighbors objecting to the activities at Trustee Hubbell's property. The structures being referenced are under review, and he is waiting to decide on issuing a permit until the outcome of this proposed local law. •B. Cross states that he has reached out to numerous municipalities for clarity on home “hobbies” and zoning. Most agree that there is no need for a law to allow people to have a hobby since it is not a commercial operation. Nor would they support a code enforcement official taking action against a property owner for having a home hobby. •B. Cross states that this is why he has asked the Board of Trustees to contemplate this for clarity and guidance, one way or the other, so he can take some kind of action. •Mayor Woodard asks if what B. Cross is saying is that other municipalities would not even bother with a law like this. •B. Cross states that it is correct. A person has a right to have a hobby in their home. It is a common practice for code enforcement officers to communicate. There is no enforcement action required on this subject. 6 •Trustee Conway states that he felt this proposed local law was more about clarification on what can or cannot be done in the residential zone. The comments that were said here tonight were about being a nuisance, essentially. He thinks that, from that context, our rules about noise and about structures, we already have rules for those issues. •Trustee Rennekamp asks B. Cross if there are any downsides to having a local law like this in place. •B. Cross states that no one felt that it was a bad thing to enact this proposed local law, just that it was unnecessary to have language to address it. As code officers, we are trained by the New York State, and we are not trained to intervene in a resident's use of their home. •Trustee Salton states that a landowner has the right to use and enjoy his/her property. Everybody in the common law would know what a nuisance is defined as. •Trustee Salton states that he doesn’t believe the equipment being used is on a commercial-grade level. To come in here and say we’re doing this in response to one person's needs to be looked into. The only word that we're defining is hobby in here. What about the word commercial? What about the word business? None of those definitions is in our statute. •Mayor Woodard states that we have had people selling things out of their houses in the past, and we do not allow that •Trustee Salton states that he does not see this proposed local law as necessary. •B. Cross states that he is being presented with a challenge from the neighbors, we have been threatened with legal action, and he takes certain actions. He would like the Board to take the lead on this topic so he has a better understanding of what he can do next. •Mayor Woodard states that we get threatened with lawsuits, especially recently. We cannot do what we think is right just because somebody threatens us with a lawsuit. •B. Cross states that if there were rules in place to back him up, then that would add clarity, and if we don’t, then it is likely we will see some sort of action against the Village. •Trustee Salton states that this is going to open the door; he noticed that in our codification, if the action or event is not listed, then it is prohibited. That is an error in our statute. I will move to remove that. •Trustee Robinson states that tonight, we cannot change that. We are required to have an approved activity. The approach is not the greatest, but given the constraints we are under. •Mayor Woodard states that we can revisit this at a later date and amend that part of the statute. •Trustee Salton states that we also have issues with structures. This is an imperfect workaround, and he doesn’t know that all of this gets us to an outcome that everyone is going to be happy with. He would rather let the common law take care of these issues. •Village Attorney Shah states that there would still be common law causes of action, whether or not this law is passed. 7 •Village resident J. Milder states that, as the neighbor, he has not threatened legal action, if that was his impression, that it was not our intention. The specific matter here is about obtaining a building permit for the structures that were built, and we pointed out that permits were not sought or obtained. •Village resident J. Milder states that what we're talking about right now is activities and use requirements, but regardless of whether something is a permitted use, a building permit is still required. So, a lot of the conversation we had with B. Cross was saying, Hey, a bunch of structures showed up at our neighbor's property. Is there a building permit? No, there wasn't. Oh, there should have been. Yes, there should have been. And this summer, Mr. Hubbell was in the process of building another structure. He didn't seek or obtain a building permit. •Village resident J. Milder states that the building permit issue is there, but with respect to this rule, this proposed law, and the comments that Brent made, he thinks it's quite important to understand the ramifications with respect to activities and with respect to structures. He is with everyone else here. What you do in your house or in your basement, if it's not having an impact outside your house, it's your own business. It's an activity in this particular case. What prompted the conversations that led us here is that there are activities that resulted from the construction of several structures, about four structures adjacent to our property, that have appeared over the past few years. •Village resident J. Milder states that it is the intention, and the ramification of passing this change, that anything that's a hobby, if something's a hobby, it could justify and enable the construction of any number of structures of any property up to the building lot coverage. B. Cross seems to be understanding that these structures are used for an activity that's okay, and therefore, the structure is okay. We need to be clear about what's happening here. One shed is allowed, but there are 5 structures on Mr. Hubbell’s property. Probably some of which are high with setbacks, either, but it is well beyond one structure. He is afraid that the discussion is getting a bit lost about what the ramifications are here. I don't think anything in the law references structures, though, at all. •B. Cross states that there is no misunderstanding on his part about the distinction between the use and the structures. He has asked Mr. Hubbell to submit a building permit application for the structures that are involved, and as the Village building official, he has already evaluated the possibility of compliance. He has determined that those structures are allowed by lot coverage, setback, and height. He has no concern for issuing a building permit for them. •B. Cross states that he held off from issuing the permits because of the challenge or the concern of the use of these structures. Issuing one permit for the physical structure and the use of those structures was the goal of this proposed local law. •Mayor Woodard states that maybe we should take a poll to see where the Board stands with this proposed local law. •Trustee Salton states that regardless of the state of our laws, someone has to apply for a building permit, and it has to be adjudicated; one can't wait for legislation to adjudicate a building permit application. Brent does that; it's an administrative act. An applicant is going to state what the use of a building is for. •Trustee Salton states that we should let Mr. Hubbell apply for his building permits so we have more information rather than trying to draft legislation. We have a grieving party here who wants to know. •Trustee Robinson states that if the statute does not list the use, it is not permitted. 8 •B. Cross states that he recognizes that it has been publicly stated there was no threat made to the Village, but they are citing sections of our code that state this use is unlisted and therefore should not be allowed, and he is allowing this “woodworking” as a use. •Mayor Woodard states that it is enough. The only solution at this time is to pass this proposed local law, as is, with the knowledge that the next thing we are going to do is to address the other sections of the zoning law. •Village Attorney Shah suggests that the Board table this discussion and take a more comprehensive look at all of this. •Trustee Salton states that he cannot support this proposed local law and moves to table this discussion and local law. •Village resident A. Hagen states that maybe the Board should consider time (number of hours of this activity per week) as a factor in defining a hobby. •Trustee Conway states that this proposed local law is designed to clarify a use. We all recognize that there is more to this topic, but tonight it's really about defining “Hobby as an allowed use”. •Mayor Woodard asks for a vote to table this proposed local law. •Trustee Salton, Trustee Rennekamp, and Trustee Biloski vote to table. •Mayor Woodard, Trustee Robinson, and Trustee Conway vote to move forward. •Mayor Woodard then makes the motion to move forward and pass this proposed local law as written. Resolution: 9927 VILLAGE OF CAYUGA HEIGHTS DRAFT PROPOSED LOCAL LAW F OF THE YEAR 2025 A LOCAL LAW TO AMEND THE VILLAGE OF CAYUGA HEIGHTS CODE CHAPTER 305, “ZONING,” ARTICLE III, “TERMINOLOGY,” SECTION 305-5, “DEFINITIONS” AND ARTICLE V, “RESIDENCE ZONE,” SECTION 305-16(H), “PERMITTED PRINCIPAL USES” PROVISIONS Be it enacted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Cayuga Heights (the “Village”) as follows: SECTION I PURPOSE AND INTENT The Village's Board of Trustees has found that the Village Code, as currently drafted, prohibits many lawful, non- commercial activities or "hobbies" of Village residents/occupants due to their not being enumerated as a permitted 9 principal use within residence zones. Further, the Village Board has determined that Section 305-5 and Section 305- 16(H) should be amended to resolve the apparent conflict between the current Zoning Law and the aforesaid hobbies. The purpose of this Local Law is to modify the text of Village Code Chapter 305, Article III, Section 305-5 and Article V, Section 305-16(H) as stated below. SECTION II AUTHORITY This Local Law is enacted pursuant to the grant of powers to local governments provided in Section 10 of the Municipal Home Rule Law to adopt and amend local laws not inconsistent with the provision of the New York State Constitution and not inconsistent with any general law relating to its property, affairs, government or other subjects provided for in said Section 10 of the Municipal Home Rule Law. SECTION III AMENDMENT OF VILLAGE CODE CHAPTER 305, “ZONING,” ARTICLE III, “TERMINOLOGY,” SECTION 305-5, “DEFINITIONS” Section 305-5 of Chapter 305 of Article III, “Terminology,” of the Zoning Law of the Village Code is hereby amended to add the following definition: HOBBY — A pursuit or activity engaged in one’s leisure time for personal pleasure, not as second employment or as a commercial enterprise. SECTION IV AMENDMENT OF VILLAGE CODE CHAPTER 305, “ZONING,” ARTICLE V, “RESIDENCE ZONE,” SECTION 305-16(H), “PRINCIPAL PERMITTED USES” Section 305-16(H) of Chapter 305 of Article V, “Residence Zone,” of the Zoning Law of the Village Code, is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following: (H) Activities of an occupant/resident engaging in a hobby, including but not limited to home gardening, woodworking, etc., such that the products of that hobby are primarily for use by that occupant/resident and his or her family or occupants of the dwelling and not for commercial purposes; SECTION V SUPERSEDING EFFECT All Local Laws, Articles, resolutions, rules, regulations, and other enactments of the Village of Cayuga Heights in conflict with the provisions of this Local Law are hereby superseded to the extent necessary to give this Local Law full force and effect. Without limiting the foregoing, to any extent that the terms of the Zoning Law are deemed to be in conflict with the requirements of this Local Law, the terms of this Local Law shall govern and control. SECTION VI PARTIAL INVALIDITY In the event that any portion of this Local Law is declared invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the validity of the remaining portions shall not be affected by such declaration of invalidity. SECTION VII EFFECTIVE DATE This Local Law shall be effective immediately upon filing in the office of the New York State Secretary of State, except that it shall be effective from the date of its service as against a person served with a copy thereof, certified by the Village Clerk, and showing the date of its passage and entry in the Minutes of the Village Board of Trustees. 10 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees does hereby adopt Proposed Local Law F of the Year 2025 as Local Law 6 of the year 2025. Motion: Mayor Woodard Second: Trustee Robinson Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, and Robinson Nays: Trustee Rennekamp and Salton Abstentions: Trustee Hubbell •Trustee Salton states that we are now worse off than before. •Mayor Woodard states that she expects Trustee Salton to help work on the modifications to the zoning law going forward. •Trustee Salton states that someone should have moved forward with getting this permit issued, and that did not happen. •Trustee Robinson states that when working on this new legislation, we need to be able to define the term commercial. Motion Carried b. Cayuga Heights PBA MOU: •Mayor Woodard states that, as you all know, we were able to finally fill the seventh full-time police officer position. We currently have two Police Benevolent Association representatives, and the union would like to add a third member. This would allow for a president, vice president, and secretary/treasurer. •Mayor Woodard states that this will allow for each member to have one day per month to conduct PBA business. •Chief Wright states that this language has been part of the contract for over twenty-five years. There is no cost issue, just a title for the PBA. But this will add twelve more days that an officer can take off. Technically, that’s three shifts a month that he has to find somebody to fill in. •Trustee Salton asks if they use it to conduct business of the PBA or just for time off. •Chief Wright states that it is a tradeoff; they do use it as time off, but when it is negotiation time, they are conducting business more often. •Chief Wright states that it was his understanding that the additional member time off for PBA business would be divided out of the current twenty-four days. That is different than what has been requested here tonight. •Mayor Woodard tables this decision until a future date. PBA negotiations will be taking place late this winter for the new contract. 11 •Chief Wright states that, in his opinion, this can wait until then as well. c. Article 78 Petition Update: •Village Attorney Shah states that the zoning variance that was being challenged by the neighbor was moot because the ground bedrock will prevent the applicant from fulfilling their current design plans. This resulted in the Village Zoning Board of Appeals revoking the variance that was granted. The Village Zoning Board of Appeals withdrew that resolution and supplied a copy to the court. •Village Attorney Shah received a stipulation of discontinuance from the petitioners' council. He would like Board approval to sign and execute this discontinuance and file it with the courts. Resolution: 9928 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees approves and authorizes Village Attorney Shah to sign the stipulation of discontinuance for the Village related to the Article 78 petition filed as a result of the Zoning Board of Appeals granting a variance for the property known as 515 Cayuga Heights Rd. Motion: Trustee Robinson Second: Trustee Salton Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried e. Short Term Rental Legislation: •Mayor Woodard states that the Village was the first municipality to enact a law on short-term rentals. Tompkins County has now drafted its own legislation without consulting anyone. •Mayor Woodard states that she has asked for clarification on how they are going to monitor short-term rentals. We will have to wait to see what information they might be able to collect on rentals taking place in the Village. •Trustee Robinson states that if Airbnb had a contract with Tompkins County to collect room tax, from whom does the tax come, the renter or the owner of the Airbnb? •Mayor Woodard states that the county does have that information. •Trustee Robinson states that then, the county should be able to share that information with the Village. •Trustee Salton states that the Village could submit a Freedom of Information Request to the county for the list of rentals through Airbnb in the Village of Cayuga Heights. 12 e. Superintendent of Public Works Job Description Update: •Trustee Biloski states that we have had the listing open for three weeks now. There has not been a lot of traffic. The Village HR Committee is proposing to modify the job description, eliminating the requirement for a Professional Engineer's License and making it a preferred qualification. •Trustee Biloski states that we will also change the title to read Superintendent of Public Works / Village Engineer and list the salary at $120,000 plus. •Mayor Woodard states that by law, we will need to have a Village Engineer or contract with a professional engineering service. •Trustee Robinson states that we have Brent to do that for us now, but when the time comes, and he retires, then we will need to fill that role. •Trustee Salton states that we should have an alternate to protect ourselves. •Mayor Woodard states that B.Cross will be working and using some vacation time until he runs out of vacation or we hire someone. If we cannot find a replacement, we could hire B. Cross as a consultant after he retires. Resolution: 9929 BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees approves and authorizes the updated Superintendent of Public Works job description as presented Motion: Trustee Biloski as Chair Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried 6. Report of the Trustees: a. Village Finance Committee Update: •Trustee Rennekamp states that we started going through the budgets, mainly the revenue side. We talked about the process and laid out some target guidelines for discussions in January and February with department heads and various committees. •Trustee Rennekamp states that we plan on only having one budget workshop, which will cover all funds, including water and sewer. b. Village Public Works Committee Update: 13 •Trustee Robinson states that we are still waiting for the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to approve the engineering plans. •Trustee Robinson states that easements will be the next step once we get approval on the engineering plans. •Trustee Robinson states that we have signed the T.G. Miller water infrastructure agreement, and they are beginning to work on that. •Trustee Robinson states that the Renwick Brook Culvert Pipe project bid documents will be ready by January 2026. •Trustee Robinson states that T.G. Miller is working on the water distribution main from Palmer Woods. •Trustee Robinson states that our streetlight sensors are no longer being manufactured, and as we have learned, the software to run the streetlight program is not active anymore. c. Village Wastewater Committee Update: •Trustee Robinson states that we are still waiting for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System SPDES Permit. •Trustee Robinson states that the tour was well attended. •Mayor Woodard announces that we will be having another tour, open to the public, on January 15, 2026, at noon. •Trustee Robinson states that plant manager M. Albro is working on getting quotes for a control panel for the turbine. •Trustee Robinson states that now that the plant upgrades are complete, he will be combining the Village Wastewater Treatment Plant Committee back into the Village Public Works Committee. •Mayor Woodard states that the plant-to-plant agreement has not been completed, the city of Ithaca has not voted on it, and she assumes that we will not be sending them the annual $10,500 for use as previously done. d. Ithaca Tompkins County Transportation Council (ITCTC) Update: •Trustee Biloski states that there was an annual report that was circulated to the Board. •Trustee Robinson states that this report could have been summarized in the first sentence. There was a lot of fluff to this report. e. Administrative Village Committee Update: •Trustee Biloski states that the committee discussed the value of producing the annual newsletter. The committee agreed to put out a survey asking for input on this publication •Trustee Biloski states that we talked about the project section of the website. The committee agreed to welcome 14 more information from other departments and submit it to Deputy Clerk Perkins. •Trustee Rennekamp states that we also talked about providing her with information from these Board meetings as well. •Trustee Hubbell states that one thing that we should discuss in the e-newsblast and website is nighttime safety. He sees so many people walking at night in dark clothing. He suggests that the Village could provide glow patches to hand out to Village residents as a token of safety. •Mayor Woodard has had a similar situation with bikers wearing all black clothing. It's crazy out there. •Police Chief Wright states that there are two issues here: lighting in the Village helps. The other issue is weather- related announcements that we put out in our e-newsblast. e. Village Human Resources Committee Update: •Trustee Biloski states that the Superintendent of Public Works position has been posted with several agencies. We will be moving forward with a national civil engineering employment recruitment for three months as well. •Trustee Biloski states that annual performance reviews are underway. f. Village Public Safety Committee Update: •Trustee Biloski states that G. Tamborelle expects to get the annual fire inspection letters mailed out in January. •Trustee Biloski states that the CHFD parking lot is going to need resurfacing sometime in the near future. •Trustee Biloski states that the police department is looking at purchasing new handguns with red dot capabilities. •Police Chief Wright states that they are one of the last law enforcement agencies to use 40 caliber handguns. They will move to a 9-millimeter handgun equipped with a red dot. Ammunition is cheaper, and the gun has less recoil. The red dot site allows officers to shoot more efficiently and accurately. •Police Chief Wright states that there will be a transition period before they switch out from 40 cal. to the 9 mm, and in May, our three firearm instructors will be attending training sponsored by the County. •Police Chief Wright states that the conversion will cost around $15,000, which will come from his savings account. Range dates have been set, so we will be moving forward. A purchase order has been submitted with a six-month lead time for receiving the new handguns. 7. Report of Police Chief Wright: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2026-103) •Chief Wright states that the month of November was very busy with 458 calls for service. A lot of that is self- initiated, with more residential and business checks for residents who are away. •Chief Wright states that having the seventh officer now on the road has also added to the number of calls for service. 15 •Chief Wright states that this directly relates to the original plan of reducing part-time hours with a seventh officer. In the month of November, he only used 105 hours as compared to last November, which was 190 hours. •Chief Wright states that for the first time in a long time, the department is able to bring in a college student studying criminal justice for a 120-hour internship. •Chief Wright states that this will be the fifth year of assisting the Tompkins-Seneca Tioga Boces Criminal Justice Program with their intern program. All of which are good opportunities for them and us to connect as part of the police reform efforts. •Mayor Woodard states that the overtime hours were very low as well, which is wonderful. •Chief Wright states that it is the expectation as well, obviously, there are going to be unknowns and circumstances that are uncontrollable. •Trustee Conway states that he was approached by two residents with safety concerns on our sidewalks. Is there a reason we cannot sand them? •Mayor Woodard states that cleaning up the sand is an issue. •Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder states that we do not have the equipment or personnel to put sand down, or salt for that matter. •Chief Wright states that if there is an immediate safety concern, then we can address that, but we have never salted the sidewalks. 8. Report of Superintendent of Public Works Cross: •Superintendent of Public Works Cross states that T.G. Miller is planning on providing the final plans for the PWC to discuss moving forward with bidding for the culvert project. •Superintendent of Public Works Cross states that the T.G. Miller water infrastructure signature page was signed and set out. •Superintendent of Public Works Cross states that the Cayuga Heights Road sidewalk project is already over budget; more than likely, we will have to come up with more funds or scale back the length of the project. Interestingly, though, another round of TAP Grant Applications. Several questions need to be answered before we know just how much we can apply for. •Superintendent of Public Works Cross states that there is a deadline in mid-January. We might need to have a special meeting to acknowledge the application and commit to a monetary amount in a resolution. •Superintendent of Public Works Cross states that T.G. Miller will be surveying the Palmer Woods property for tree removal for a future conversion with Cornell University. •Superintendent of Public Works Cross states that the New York State Department of Transportation got an earful of frustrations from several municipalities at the ITCTC monthly meeting. It seems that we are not the only ones 16 waiting for them on project approvals. •Trustee Conway questions why we can't pass a blanket resolution approving the new TAP Grant Application. •Superintendent of Public Works Cross states that we do not have a dollar amount from Hunt Engineers to tell us how much they think the first phase will not cover, then apply construction values. We need more information at this time. 9. Report of Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2026-104) •Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder states that the streetlight program software still works; it's just that the company went out of business, but there is a new buyer who might be able to assist us. •Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder states that he was able to find twenty-five “eye” sensors for our streetlights, which are another discontinued item. We have 313 streetlights, and the average cost of these sensors is $80 to $150. We will have to monitor them and anticipate replacing groups of 20-30 at a time. •Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder states that we had a water main break on Pleasant Grove Rd. on December 12, 2025, five feet away from the Christmas Eve break last year. •Trustee Robinson states that the crew did an amazing job with this break. •Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder states that they replaced the break and the previous band-aid with a new section of pipe. 10. Report of Clerk Walker: •Clerk Walker states that tonight he has no action items for the Board and wishes everyone a wonderful holiday season. 11. Report of Attorney O. Shah: •Village Attorney Shah states that he has nothing to report tonight. 12. Executive Session: Resolution: 9930 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 of an executive session for these enumerated purposes only, provided, however, that no action by formal vote shall be taken to appropriate public money: 17 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT An Executive Session of the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees is conducted for subsection (D) discussions regarding proposed, pending, or current litigation. Motion: Trustee Robinson Second: Trustee Hubbell Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried Village Board of Trustees exits an Executive Session and returns to an open meeting. Resolution: 9931 BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves capping the Greater Tompkins County Municipal Health Insurance Consortium employee Gold Plan premium rate for the Village Non- Bargaining Group from 18% to 15%. Motion: Trustee Biloski Second: Trustee Hubbell Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, and Robinson Nays: none Abstentions: Salton Motion Carried Resolution: 9932 BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves a one-time incentive payment for non-bargaining staff who are not enrolled in the Village Health Care Plan offered. This payment will be 10% of the Village's cost for the individual Gold Plan monthly premium. Motion: Trustee Conway Second: Trustee Rennekamp Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Hubbell, Rennekamp, and Robinson Nays: none Abstentions: Salton Motion Carried 14. Adjournment: Mayor Woodard adjourns the meeting at 10:35 p.m.