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Village of Cayuga
Heights
Board of Trustees Monthly Meeting
July 15, 2026, 7:00 p.m.
1. Call To Order
2. Approval of Meeting Minutes:
a. June 17, 2026 Meeting Minutes 2027 - 034 pgs. 2-13
3. Privilege of the Floor:
4. Report of Treasurer Dolch: Submitted Report 2027 - 035 pg. 14
5. Report of S.P.W Southard: 2027 - 036 pgs. 15-21
6. Report of A.S.P.W Cowder: Submitted Report 2027 - 037 pgs. 22-23
7. Report of Police Chief Wright: Submitted Report 2027 - 038 pg. 24-25
8. Report of Fire Superintendent/Fire Chief Tamborelle: Submitted Report 2027 - 039 pgs. 26-27
9. Report of Clerk Walker: Submitted Report 2027 - 040 pgs. 28-30
10. Report of Mayor Woodard:
a. Data Centers
b. 216 Dearborn Place Update
c. Fire Inspection Fees and Software
11. Report of the Trustees:
12. Report of the Village Attorney:
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EXHIBIT 2027 - 034
Present: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Fleming, Hubbell, Robinson and Salton; Fire
Superintendent Tamborelle, Police Chief Wright, Superintendent of Public Works Cross and Southard;
Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder; Village Clerk Walker.
1. Call to Order: Mayor Woodard calls the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.
2a. Approval of the May 20, 2026 Board Meeting Minutes (Exhibit 2027 - 25)
Resolution: 10074
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees approves the May 20, 2026
Board Meeting Minutes as presented.
Motion: Trustee Salton
Second: Trustee Hubbell
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Fleming, Hubbell, Robinson, and
Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
2b. Approval of the May 20, 2026 Board Meeting Minutes (Exhibit 2027 - 25)
Resolution: 10075
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees approves the June 4, 2026
Special Board Meeting Minutes as presented.
Motion: Trustee Hubbell
Second: Trustee Biloski
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Fleming, Hubbell, Robinson, and
Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
3. Privilege of the Floor: No members of the public were present to speak.
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4. Report of Treasurer Dolch:
•Treasurer Dolch states that we have two abstracts that need approval, one for the last month of the current
fiscal year and one for the first month of the new fiscal year.
•Approval of Abstract 13:
Resolution: 10076
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves
Abstract #13 for FYE2026, consisting of: TA vouchers 98-103 in the amount of $4,855.23, Consolidated Fund
vouchers 893-960 in the amount of $280,701.69.
Motion: Trustee Conway
Second: Trustee Biloski
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Fleming, Hubbell, Robinson, and
Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
•Treasurer Dolch states that she now will need a resolution allowing her to bring any overdrawn accounts to
zero in the A, F, and G funds.
Resolution: 10077
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves
Treasurer Dolch to make FYE 2025-2026 Final Budget Modifications as necessary to bring any overdrawn
accounts to zero in the General, Water and Sewer Funds.
Motion: Trustee Conway
Second: Trustee Biloski
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Fleming, Hubbell, Robinson, and
Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
•Approval of Abstract 1:
Resolution: 10078
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves
Abstract #1 for FYE2027, consisting of: TA vouchers 1-2 in the amount of $27,229.14, Consolidated Fund
vouchers 1-34 in the amount of $760,679.45.
Motion: Trustee Conway
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Second: Trustee Biloski
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Fleming, Hubbell, Robinson, and
Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
5. Report of Superintendent of Public Works Southard:
•Superintendent of Public Works Southard states that this month he has been working with Assistant
Superintendent of Public Works Cowder on building permits and getting a system set up for the approval
process.
•Superintendent of Public Works Southard states that he will be looking at a software program called iworQ as
an option for code enforcement tracking.
•Superintendent of Public Works Southard states that U.S. Fish and Wildlife has identified a potential long-
eared bat nesting area where the culvert project is located. We will need to conduct a study before we can cut
any trees down for this project, which we hope to start in mid-June.
•Superintendent of Public Works Southard states that NYSDOT finally sent us the comments for the final
design plan of the Cayuga Heights Road Sidewalk Project. He is working with HUNT Engineers to address
those comments.
•Superintendent of Public Works Southard states that once this project is ready, we will have similar issues with
the timing of cutting trees; ideally, the best time would be October.
•Superintendent of Public Works Southard states that the final draft of the Village WWTP cybersecurity and
operation and maintenance plans is ready for review.
•Trustee Robinson states the only thing he would add is for the WWTP Committee to have the Village IT
Committee review the cybersecurity plan.
•Mayor Woodard states that the long-eared bat is an endangered species, and to satisfy U.S. Fish and Wildlife,
we will need to hire someone to monitor the few trees we plan to cut and watch for bats emerging from the
trees.
6. Report of the Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder:
•Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder states that the crew has been working on water break repairs
left from this past winter.
•Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder states that, moving forward, we really need to time our lead
line replacement with the homeowner who needs their line updated too. This will help since connections are
different.
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•Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder states that T.G. Miller will be providing the annual I & I
report to us at the next Village Public Works Committee meeting.
•Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder states that we have been cleaning up old permits that have
been in the system and were never closed out.
•Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder states that he is working on an idea for property
maintenance notifications, which we could either post in the yard or leave on the door. We recognize that not all
residents read our Enewsblast or get Nixle alerts.
•Mayor Woodard asks Chief Wright what the rules are for leaving materials or notices on private property.
•Chief Wright states that he will have to look at that ordinance again. But he could see that it might be alarming
for some residents.
•Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder states that as a code enforcement officer, he is allowed to
use the same path a mail carrier uses on private property. \
•Trustee Robinson states that when we looked at this before, we determined that this was illegal to do. The
question remains: is it, or isn’t it? That is the easiest way to start.
•Chief Wright states that when we approach a resident's property and they are not home, we will leave a card or
attempt to call the homeowner. He suggests that we are identifiable as staff from the Village.
•Clerk Walker suggests we just call the residents and inform them of the local law and ask them to comply with
it or face a violation.
•Trustee Salton asks how many residents are currently affected by our property maintenance law?
•Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder states that we have about twenty residents.
•Mayor Woodard states that we have so many residents who do not follow the brush rules.
•Trustee Conway states that we just need a balance; we want people to maintain their properties, and with that
come brush piles or yard waste. The timing may not work out for our pickups.
7. Report of Police Chief Wright:
•Chief Wright states that at our Public Safety Committee, we had an opportunity to meet with two members of
FLOCK via Zoom.
•Chief Wright states that firearm training will begin next week.
•Chief Wright states that he has two individuals interested in working for the department on a part -time basis.
He would like to bring on one individual now and possibly another next month.
•Chief Wright states that his action item for tonight is offering Alex Hitchcock a part-time police officer
position.
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Resolution: 10079
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves hiring
Alex Hitchcock as a Village of Cayuga Heights part-time police officer at the current PBA contract hourly rate.
Motion: Trustee Hubbell
Second: Trustee Biloski
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Fleming, Hubbell, Robinson, and
Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
•Chief Wright states that his training and areas of expertise have put him on the fast track, and that is one of the
reasons we were interested in having him join our department.
•Chief Wright states that he has one more interested officer who has potential for coming on board next month.
Motion Carried
•Trustee Biloski states that with the new four ten-hour day schedule for the police officers, how do you know
where to place the part-time officers?
•Chief Wright states that seniority has a role in that, but also who is willing and available to work.
8. Report of Fire Superintendent Tamborelle:
•Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that we had a steady stream of calls for the month.
•Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that we have not had any interest in the old ladder truck, so we are taking
more pictures, and it looks like we will have to lower the price in order to sell that truck.
•Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that we have had a personnel change; Assistant Chief S. Janowski has
moved out of the 824 Hanshaw house and relocated to Newfield. The Council has appointed J. Putnam to that
position.
•Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that he spoke to Grant Champs; they are going to start onboarding grants
and are hopeful that our department might be one of the first to receive a grant from them.
•Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that, as mentioned by Superintendent Southard, we will be looking at
software that can track inspections and code enforcement.
•Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that the reason he is interested in this is for the fire inspections. He could
also see us charging a fee for the inspections, which would offset the cost. He has learned that every municipality
around us charges for this service.
•Mayor Woodard inquires about the cost of this program and whether this could be used for the property
maintenance enforcement.
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•Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that the first year is ten thousand dollars and then just an annual service
fee, eight thousand dollars. If we structure the fee schedule correctly, it should cover the cost of the software, and
yes, this platform will work for that as well.
•Mayor Woodard states that since the 825 house is now vacant, what are we doing with it?
•Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that Galen Walsh, who is one of our lieutenants, is in a bunker at the
station but would move into the house once some staff members come back to town. The timing is good, so we
can get some projects done inside the house before he moves in.
•Trustee Conway asks what we normally do with older gear.
•Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that if we cannot give it away, then eventually we may throw gear away.
9. Report of Clerk Walker:
•Clerk Walker states that it has been a busy month and thanked all those who were able to attend the public
gathering for Brent’s retirement.
•Clerk Walker states that tax collections have been consuming most of the time in the office. To date, we have
collected just under nine hundred thousand dollars. He expects most of the payments will be received by the end
of next week.
10. Report of Mayor Woodard:
a. Appointment of Jennifer Kusznir to the Village Planning Board:
•Mayor Woodard states that we have recently had Elaine Quaroni retire from the Board, and now Roger
Segelken has moved up his retirement from this board.
•Mayor Woodard states that we placed a notice in our Village Enewsblast, and Jennifer was one of the residents
who was interested.
•Mayor Woodard states that she would like to appoint Jennifer Kusznir to the Village Planning Board for one
official year (4/27)
Resolution: 10080
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees approves the appointment of
Village resident Jennifer Kusznir to the Village Planning Board for one official year (4/27)
Motion: Trustee Biloski
Second: Trustee Fleming
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Fleming, Hubbell, Robinson, and
Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
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Motion Carried
b. CSI Grant Approval:
•Mayor Woodard states that this company does a lot of testing for our WWTP, and their funding comes from
donations and grants.
Resolution: 10081
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves the
annual funding to CSI for support with water testing for the Village WWTP.
Motion: Trustee Hubbell
Second: Trustee Biloski
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Fleming, Hubbell, Robinson, and
Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
c. 216 Dearborn Place:
•Mayor Woodard states that we will postpone this discussion for an executive session.
d. Yaws Contract:
•Mayor Woodard states that we have renegotiated with Yaws management for a five-year contract starting this
year at a forty percent increase in the monthly contractual amounts, followed by a three percent increase over
the next four years.
•Village Attorney Middleton states that she wanted the Board to be aware of a couple of things in the contract
that were confusing. One incremental increase section included a notation of a three percent increase each year,
which was already built into the paragraph before. Two, there was also language stating that it was an annual
renewal, which did not make sense since it is a five-year contract.
•Trustee Robinson states that there were other concerns with spelling and grammar, but he thought the Board
was comfortable with it as is.
•Trustee Salton states he is in favor of having a corrected document.
Resolution: 10082
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees approves and authorizes Mayor
Woodard to sign the Yaws Contract pending final review with changes by Village Attorney Middleton.
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Motion: Trustee Salton
Second: Trustee Biloski
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Fleming, Hubbell, Robinson, and
Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none.
Motion Carried
e. Staff Reimbursement:
•Mayor Woodard states that this will be discussed in Attorney-Client Privilege
f. Flock Camera Contract Resolution:
•Trustee Fleming states that he would like to thank Chief Wright for working so closely with the Board and the
Public Safety Committee and reads the following statement.
It is really good to have a partner who's been so transparent about the pros and the cons of this, kind of the
benefits and the challenges, as we weigh this decision. As many of us have seen, neighboring municipalities
have also been re-evaluating their use of cloud cameras, so we are not alone in weighing the potential benefits
of this technology against the growing concerns about privacy, data usage, and accountability. The Public
Safety Committee is focused on three primary questions. How data is used and shared, the security of Flock's
infrastructure, and the value of participating in a regional camera network that is shrinking as other
municipalities withdraw.
So, at our most recent meeting, we discussed these concerns with representatives from Flock. We are the first
municipality in upstate New York to have had this conversation directly with Flock. I appreciate their
willingness to attend our meeting and answer questions directly. But unfortunately, most of our concerns
remain unresolved after meeting with them. The representatives appeared unfamiliar with past cybersecurity
issues involving the company, and they were also unable to provide satisfactory answers regarding when data
may be shared without the Villagers' prior consent. For example, in Flock's Terms and Conditions, Flock states
they may share data when a government agency claims that doing so prevents an undefined harm. The term is
not clearly defined, leaving significant room for interpretation. This matters because definitions can obviously
vary widely. What one person considers harm, another person may consider free speech. So, without clear
limitations and transparent standards, residents have little assurance around how their data may be used or
shared by Flock.
We examined the company's policies more closely, and we found there's an increasing disconnect between
Flock's marketing claims and their actual terms governing data access and control. So, Flock frequently states
that the village owns its data, but the company's own terms provide Flock with exclusive authority over how
and when data is accessed or delivered. If access is delayed or restricted, the village could run into issues
meeting legal obligations under public records laws, despite supposedly being the owner of that information.
For me, this decision ultimately comes down to kind of transparency and trust. And based on concerns we kind
of raised and the answers we received or didn't receive from FLOC, I do not believe continuing this partnership
is justified at this time.
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•Trustee Salton states that he endorses Trustee Fleming's statement and points out that there is a downside to
not having some sort of camera system in place, not just in the village but in the county as well. We should try
to find an alternative and remind ourselves that there is another side to this, which is public safety.
•Trustee Fleming states that we are trying to balance something here. The City of Ithaca kind of came to this
conclusion in a different way (looking at their resolution), as it was drafted, which is very different from the
conclusion that we came to.
•Trustee Salton states that we are two very different municipalities, and we don’t have the classes of people who
are really objecting to this here in the Village.
•Trustee Fleming states there were parts of the City of Ithaca that were in favor of the cameras, but broadly
speaking, Ithaca at large declined them.
•Trustee Salton states that he wants to be clear he supports the removal of the cameras but has mixed feelings
about now having nothing in the county, let alone the Village.
•Mayor Woodard states that passing this resolution doesn't preclude discussions and thinking of different ways
to protect our community. The fundamental factor is the lack of ability to control the data collected.
Resolution: 10083
RESOLUTION TO DECLINE RENEWAL OF FLOCK SAFETY CAMERA SYSTEM CONTRACT
WHEREAS, the Village of Cayuga Heights currently maintains a contract with Flock Safety for a license plate
reader camera system that is scheduled to expire on or about September 27, 2026; and
WHEREAS, the Village currently operates four (4) Flock Safety cameras, which have been in service since
May 2025; and
WHEREAS, residents of the Village of Cayuga Heights and Tompkins County at large have expressed
concerns regarding the creation of searchable databases documenting vehicle movements, which may
potentially reveal sensitive personal information such as visits to medical facilities, places of worship, and other
private associations; and
WHEREAS, while Flock Safety states that data collected through its system is owned by the Village, access to
such data is controlled solely by Flock, which retains “the exclusive right to determine and control the method,
timing, format, and medium of such access or delivery,” raising concerns regarding the Village’s ability to
timely comply with Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests and other statutory transparency obligations;
and
WHEREAS, concerns have also been raised regarding third-party access to data generated by the system,
including provisions indicating that Flock may share data with other governmental agencies without requiring a
court order or subpoena, and that Flock reserves the ability to disclose data beyond what is strictly required by
law; and
WHEREAS, the number of such systems in neighboring jurisdictions is expected to decline significantly in the
near future, including the March 2026 unanimous vote by the City of Ithaca Common Council to terminate its
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Flock Safety contract as well as Tompkins County; and
WHEREAS, as the regional network of Flock Safety cameras decreases, the operational value of the system for
legitimate law enforcement purposes within the Village of Cayuga Heights Police Department correspondingly
decreases, while the cost to the Village would remain unchanged; and
WHEREAS, the Contract between the parties can be renewed annually by Board Resolution and a
corresponding annual payment to Flock is required.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Cayuga Heights
hereby does not renew the Flock Safety camera system contract upon its expiration in September 2026, thereby
terminating the said Contract; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Village Administration and/or Chief of Police is/are authorized and directed to take any
necessary steps to ensure an orderly conclusion of the contract and system use at the end of the contract term;
and be it further
RESOLVED, that Flock Safety shall remove all deployed equipment and associated hardware within thirty
(30) days of the contract expiration date; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Village Board directs staff to explore and evaluate alternative public safety technologies
and tools that better align with the Village’s operational needs and address the concerns identified herein; and
be it further
RESOLVED, that this resolution shall take effect immediately.
Motion: Trustee Salton
Second: Trustee Fleming
Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Fleming, Hubbell, Robinson, and
Salton
Nays: none
Abstentions: none.
•Chief Wright states that this equipment has a tremendous amount of deterrent to crime and is an amazing tool
for investigative purposes. He is the voice for moving forward with all the municipalities as we work to find an
alternative where we have complete control over the data.
•Chief Wright states that he greatly appreciates the time of the Board and committees to fully listen to all sides
at length and allow Flock to present to the Village.
Motion Carried
12. Report of the Trustees:
a. Village Finance Committee Update:
•Trustee Conway states that he has an update from the finance committee. Going forward, we are adding some
charts so that members of the Board can see trends and how we are doing on a deeper level, month to month.
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•Trustee Conway states that we also talked through some financial numbers since the passage of the new
budget, like CHIPS.
•Assistant Superintendent of Public Works Cowder states that we have an additional seventy-nine thousand
dollars that we are applying to T.G. Miller invoices from the Right Sizing Culvert Project.
•Trustee Conway states that we also talked about the expenses of the Kline Road Bypass and how that will
affect the Sewer Fund. This will most likely result in a sewer rate increase. On a positive side, our insurance
rates overall for Compensation and general coverage only increase by three and a half percent.
•Trustee Conway states that we also discussed sewer permit fees and a possible increase for them since we will
be addressing the I & I issue without financial support from the other municipal users.
•Trustee Salton inquires about the fund balance on the sewer fund.
•Mayor Woodard states that we just spent almost seventy thousand dollars to the Town of Ithaca for sewage
(mainly Stormwater) for the use of the Kline Road Bypass.
•Trustee Salton states that we didn’t create this problem by closing the bypass before.
•Mayor Woodard states that no, we did not. Our plant should be able to handle normal inflow, but this spring's
rains (I & I) caused us to go over our daily limit. Thus, we had no choice but to send that to the IAWWTP.
•Trustee Robinson states that the bottom line was that putting sewage down to the Ithaca plant was costing us a
lot of money. Having the ability to take all the sewage saves us a lot of money, but we don’t want to exceed the
two million gallons per day limit.
•Trustee Conway states that we are trying to attack this in multiple ways. One through the I & I study; two, as
the Lansing’s grow, we need to account for the fact that there might be I & I from them, so we need to charge
more for permits and raise rates.
•Mayor Woodard states that we may be forced to put a moratorium on all sewer permits if we can’t get the
levels down.
•Trustee Salton states that we can talk about a moratorium if we can’t monitor what's going on ourselves.
•Trustee Robinson states that this was the first time since its inception that we exceeded the daily limit two
months in a row. We have always taken serious, corrective actions early in the month to stay on top of it.
•Mayor Woodard states that we need the other municipalities to talk about long-term solutions for all of the
aging infrastructure to resolve the I & I. The plant has plenty of capacity, but not when it is all stormwater.
•Trustee Conway states that this is why we are taking a closer look at the sewer fund.
•Trustee Salton states that he has a quick update on the health consortium. The budget is holding for this year,
and we have added a few more members. The consortium has put out an RFP for a new actuarial firm. The key
issue is finding trends to prevent losses.
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•Trustee Robinson closes out the trustees' reports by stating that the staff will be focusing this summer on
property maintenance law and enforcement.
13. Report of Village Attorney:
•No report at this time.
14. Executive Session:
Resolution: 10084
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:
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT an Executive Session of the Village of Cayuga Heights Board
of Trustees is conducted for subsection (d), Discussion regarding proposed, pending, or current litigation.
Motion: Trustee Conway Second: Trustee Fleming Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Fleming, Hubbell, Robinson and Salton Nays: none Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
Village Board of Trustees exits an Executive Session and returns to an open meeting at 9:15 p.m.
Resolution: 10085
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves entering
an attorney/client privilege session to discuss a need.
Motion: Trustee Conway Second: Trustee Hubbell Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Conway, Fleming, Hubbell, and Robinson Nays: none Abstentions: none
Motion Carried
14. Adjournment: Mayor Woodard adjourns the meeting at 9:24 p.m.
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EXHIBIT 2027 - 035
VILLAGE OF CAYUGA HEIGHTS
TREASURER’S REPORT
July 2026
Revenues and Expenses:
Annual Village Audit is now complete.
Approval of Abstract 2:
BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves
Abstract #2 for FYE2025 (the final abstract of FY2026) consisting of:
• TA vouchers in the amount of $ 19,095.99
• Consolidated Fund vouchers in the amount of $271,187.16
and the Treasurer is instructed to make payments thereon.
Respectfully Submitted
Laura W. Dolch
Laura W. Dolch
Treasurer
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EXHIBIT 2027 - 036
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
Monthly Board Report | Board of Trustees Meeting
Craig A. Southard
Superintendent of Public Works
July 10th, 2026
Executive Summary
This report summarizes current Department of Public Works items for the Board of Trustees, including water infrastructure
funding eligibility, TAP project contract timing, wastewater treatment plant compliance work, code enforcement transition items,
stormwater/MS4 coordination, GIS and records management, and transportation safety planning.
Board Action / Direction Requested
Item Requested Board Action /
Direction
Financial Impact Status
iWorQ Software Discussion
and Approval and use of contingency
At-a-Glance Status Dashboard
Category Current Focus Key Date / Driver Status
Water Projects / Funding Phase 1 CWSRF IUP
submission for water main accepted.
Scope. Concerns with 2027
construction schedule.
Budget vs. Scop and
increased ROW Acquisition
Coordination
gathering. Formation of a
“utility coordination
work in progress. Will look for
x-walk bus-stop funding
Mitigation GIS data integration. hazard mitigation plan
historical records digitization
planning, RTK rover
progress for full format
scanner. Talked to vendor
Continuation of Code
Enforcement training.
Working on quotes for
courtesy “door knockers” for
common violations. Need to
finalize draft of a “Special
resumes week of 7/20. Final
course, 9F, will be complete
on 9/22/26. Now a certified
BSI ( Building Safety
Inspector)
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Agenda Items: Need potential approval for iWorQ software and corresponding approval to fund
from contingency funds.
No Pending Items
Scope / Cost Summary Notes
documents for proposed resolution) provide a presentation of this software to the board at this
Public Works Monthly Operating Report
Water Projects
• C. Southard & A. Cowder met with T.G. Miller on 6/11 to go over new funding streams. It determined that utilizing the
next round of EFC Water Infrastructure Improvement grants would not be worth while for remaining lead services
primarily due to the lack of application points from the Village’s household income statistics.
• T.G. Miller continuing to work on the now revised Phase 1 project as highlighted on last month’s IUP submission.
Sewer / Wastewater Projects
• Working with Mike Albro (YAWS) to update the WWTP Operations & Maintenance Plan as requested in the SPDES
comprehensive inspection report. Both were submitted on 7/14/26 for review and approval.
• During the 7/8 PWC meeting meeting T.G. Miller went over ongoing I&I study.
Roads, Streets & Transportation Safety
• The placement of x-walks at TCAT bus stop locations is an ongoing possible need. Ridership data is being gathered
along with potential items for future funding, study, design, and construction. Planning on discussing at the next MPO
planning committee meeting next week.
Stormwater, Drainage & MS4 Compliance
• Actively working on gathering new MS4 items needed from the last stormwater coalition meeting. Items include public
outreach efforts and land use data verification.
• Incorporating GIS data supplied by the Stormwater Coalition into the Village GIS database currently being built.
• Renwick Culvert Pre-Construction held on June 17th. Construction to begin this Friday, July 17th.
GIS, Records Management & Data Collection
• Researching a standalone GIS RTK rover for more efficient and accurate field data collection.
• Exporting and verifying data from Diamond Maps.
• A. Cowder actively working to verify and update data in Diamond Maps.
Code Enforcement
• Completed Part 9C of code enforcement training, which is 3 of 6 modules. Section 9C resumes during the week of
June 20th. Course completion at end of September.
• Issued several violations this month (Unregistered Vehicles, High Grass Complaints). Actively working to streamline
and update the violation process from documentation to forming a template for processes regarding legal processing of
fines. This is an area where the iWorQ software would provide a lot of value.
• Met with Kendal on June 16th next week to discuss future planning, PUD lot coverage issue, and future planning/zoning
needs from both parties. Working with Fred Cowett to determine the next steps needed to address lot coverage
requests.
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Follow-Up Item Responsible / Lead Target Timing Notes
CWSRF IUP submission and
related mapping acknowledged by EFC.
Continue to look for funding
shortfalls, timeline, ROW
Phase and the overall
and future capital/operational
Follow-Up Items for Next Report
None
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RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AN IWORQ SYSTEMS SERVICE AGREEMENT
WHEREAS, the Village of Cayuga Heights seeks to improve the administration and recordkeeping of its
permitting, code enforcement, and fire inspection functions; and
WHEREAS, iWorQ Systems, Inc. has submitted Service Agreement ID 261723 for permit management, code
enforcement, fire inspections, online portal services, payment processing, implementation, training, and
support; and
WHEREAS, the agreement provides for an annual subscription fee of $8,000.00 and a one-time
implementation and setup fee of $250.00, for a total first-year cost of $8,250.00; and
WHEREAS, the agreement has an initial three-year term, automatically renews for successive one-year terms
unless timely terminated, permits annual fee increases of up to 5%, and requires at least 60 days’ written notice
of non-renewal;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees hereby approves Service Agreement
ID 261723 with iWorQ Systems, Inc., substantially in the form presented to the Board and subject to final
review and approval by the Village Attorney; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Mayor is authorized to execute the agreement and any related
implementation documents on behalf of the Village; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Village Treasurer is authorized to pay an amount not to
exceed $8,250.00 for the first year from the appropriate Village budget account or accounts; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that payments in future fiscal years shall be subject to the terms of the
agreement and the appropriation of sufficient funds by the Board of Trustees; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that appropriate Village staff are authorized to coordinate implementation,
data migration, training, and administration of the software.
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EXHIBIT 2027 - 037
Village of Cayuga Heights
Board of Trustees Report
Department of Public Works - Aaron Cowder
July 15th, 2026
Street & Sidewalks
We have started working on sidewalk repairs and will continue throughout the summer.
We have been repairing roads that had water breaks and rehabbing manholes, and storm drains that need
updated before paving later this summer or next spring.
Water System
We will continue to work on the lead service replacements for spring and summer. We will work with any
resident wanting to replace their side of the service as well as the ones that are only on the Village side
based on the list form Bolton Point Water. Customers with lead on their side will need to replace their side
at the same time due to not having connections for new copper to old lead available. Similar
with galvanized on the resident’s side due to the condition of the pipe not being good enough to connect to
new fittings.
We have completed the five services and are working on scheduling the others to be completed.
Currently the list has 48 services as needing updated/replaced and of that only 13 are lead on the Village
side.
Sanitation Sewer System
We will, in conjunction with TG Miller, continued to monitor sewage flows in manholes where meters have
been installed for I&I tracking. TG Miller is working on their ongoing findings report and gave
some recommendations for the Village to review. We have been investigating manholes and lines to address
and or put on the list of sewer rehabilitation work for the future.
Beautification
Please be reminded that if you have leaves, they need to be put into cans for dumping or in leaf bags for
recycling. Residents are reminded to not put out brush and bulky trash sooner then the Friday before the
scheduled pick-up day.
Culvert Repair
The next culvert to be replaced is Renwick culvert at Cayuga Heights Road. The project was awarded
and TG Miller is working on the pre-construction phase for the Village. The start of construction is
scheduled for the week of July 20th. The road will be closed starting that week until construction is
completed.
Code Items
Craig, Kiersten and I have been taking care of all code-related items and permitting not that Brent has
formally retired. We are getting a number of requests for applications in the system that need certificates
or to have permits issued.
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Additional DPW Information
Reminder to all residents the Village does have and is enforcing the property maintenance law they ask
all to please review the law along with other important information on the Village website.
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EXHIBIT 2027 - 038
Village of Cayuga Heights
Police Department
________________________________________________________
Jerry L. Wright
Chief of Police
In the month of June 2026 the police department received 465 calls for service. In addition to these calls 86 uniform
traffic tickets were issued and 2 parking violations were cited. The breakdowns of calls are as follows:
There were no Felony complaints handled.
Four incidents of penal law misdemeanors were handled, one for Larceny, one for Fraud, one for Criminal Mischief and
one for a Sex Offense. The report of Larceny was of stolen rugs and rings from a residence. After the report was made the
complainant located the rings and stated did not want to pursue further investigation into the missing rugs. No further
action taken by CHPD. A Fraud complaint was made after a resident received a scam phone call from a person claiming
to be a member of a police agency. The complainant was given contact information for the Internet Crime Complaint
(IC3.gov) website if they desired to take further action. One incident of Criminal Mischief involved damage being done to
a railing by a delivery driver. Follow up with the delivery company is being made by the complainant. A report of a Sex
Offense was received. Officers have requested a follow up statement by the complainant in order to conduct further
investigation.
Officers conducted seven traffic stops resulting in two misdemeanor vehicle and traffic arrests; five for AUO 3rd and two
for Suspended Registration.
Two reports of penal law violations were received, one for Trespass and two for Harassment. A Trespass complaint was
received from the member of an advocacy center that was concerned for a client’s safety. After investigation, it was
determined that a Trespass was not in fact occurring at that time. A complaint of Harassment was made after an
individual made threatening statements to an employee over the phone. There is a lead in this case and the victim has
been advised to follow up with CHPD upon any further contact from the individual. A second Harassment call was
received within the village involving a subject with mental health concerns. A member of the County Care Team took
primary jurisdiction of the incident while the CHPD officer assisted. No action taken by CHPD.
Two local law violations were handled; one for In Sunset Park After Hours and one for Noise. While on overnight patrol,
the on duty officer observed two individuals in Sunset Park after hours. They were advised of the ordinance and left the
park without incident. The Noise complaint was for loud music. The officer responded to the area of the complaint and
did not find the music level to be in violation of the local ordinance. No action taken by the officer.
A total of 7 arrests were made with a total of 7 charges filed; 5-AUO3rd and 2-Suspenced Registration.
Four motor vehicle accidents were reported, one involving a deer. Two of these accidents occurred on North Triphammer
Road, one at the intersection of Pleasant Grove and Hanshaw Roads, and the last accident, which involved a deer,
occurred on State Route 13.
There were no other incidents involving deer reported.
There were no Warrant arrests made.
No arrests under the Mental Hygiene Law were made.
CHPD officers responded to nine calls for service assisting other agencies and there were two calls involving another
agency assisting CHPD officers within the Village.
Over the course of the month officers took part in the following training and/or events: On the 6th and 16th Officers Barr
and Langlois conducted Commercial Vehicle Safety Inspections with DOT. On the 9th Officer Trimm worked a Police
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Traffic Safety Detail as part of the NYS Speed Week Enforcement Campaign. Between the 22nd and 27th all officers
attended firearms training to certify use of the Aim Point Red Dot pistol aiming system. On the 26th a traffic detail was
conducted by officers Barr and Langlois, targeting speeds. On the 27th Officer Gray took part in the annual IC3 Trunk
Show.
The full-time officers worked a total of 171 hours of overtime and the part-time officers worked a total of 110 hours.
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EXHIBIT 2027 - 039
Monthly Report July 2026
We slowed slightly in June with 6 requests for service. Of these, 41 occurred within the Village, 18 in the Town of Ithaca,
and 4 were mutual aid requests. The breakdown included 29 EMS calls and 32 fire responses. In the middle of the month,
we were dispatched to a reported kitchen fire in an apartment complex on Uptown Road in the Town of Ithaca. Upon
arrival, crews found a cooking fire that had already been extinguished with dry chemical extinguishing agent, limiting the
damage to the stovetop and range hood. It was quickly determined that the resident was not home and that maintenance
personnel had been alerted by the activation of the apartment's smoke detector. During our investigation, we were initially
puzzled as to how the fire had been extinguished with dry chemical when the portable fire extinguisher mounted on the
wall had clearly not been used. Maintenance staff explained that the apartment was equipped with a Fire Stop device.
None of the firefighters on scene were familiar with this system. The Fire Stop device is commercially available and
mounts to the underside of a stove hood. When exposed to fire, a thermal fuse activates a small pyrotechnic charge that
discharges dry chemical extinguishing agent directly onto the cooking fire. We were told that the property management
company has installed these devices in all of the apartments they own. Based on our observations, it is our belief that had
this device not been installed, the fire likely would have destroyed the entire kitchen and quite possibly the entire
apartment. It was an impressive demonstration of how relatively inexpensive fire protection technology can significantly
reduce property damage.
Training has slowed significantly during the summer months. Several members are continuing to take fire service classes
around the state while home on break. We have finalized the dates for our fall recruiting and training cycle and will begin
recruiting slightly earlier than in previous years. This schedule should allow new members to participate in a Basic
Exterior Firefighting Operations (BEFO) class that may be offered in early October.
The replacement of the station doors mentioned in last month's report have been delivered and installed, significantly
improving the security of the station. During installation, it was determined that the locking hardware on the stairwell
door could not be reused, and replacement hardware has been ordered. We have also begun discussions with several
paving contractors regarding replacement of the station parking lot. There are several possible approaches to the project,
and we are evaluating the best long-term solution while exploring grant opportunities or future budget funding.
The station air conditioning issues have largely been resolved. It was determined that the circulating motor in the air
handling unit had failed, causing the coils to freeze and rupture. The motor has been replaced, restoring air conditioning to
the building while we await delivery of the replacement coil pack to complete the repair. We also continue replacing solid
ceiling tiles with perforated tiles to allow conditioned air into the plenum space above the suspended ceiling. This should
reduce condensation and prevent the water staining that has been occurring throughout the station.
All the buildings on this year's fire inspection list have now been inspected. Two properties remain open while repair
work identified during the initial inspections is completed. Both property owners anticipate completing the required work
by mid-July, which should conclude this year's inspection cycle.
We have also been evaluating a software package developed by IworQ to improve the management and tracking of fire
inspections. The software includes additional modules for permits, property maintenance tracking, and billing. Should the
Board decide to implement fire inspection fees in the future, the software can manage those fees as well. We have found
that many municipalities in our area are currently using IworQ, and the feedback has been consistently positive. We hope
to present a proposal for both Public Safety and Public Works at the next Board meeting.
Our summer staffing continues to present challenges. We are responding to a significant number of calls with very limited
staffing during the summer months. This has prompted discussions about ways to encourage members to remain in the
area during extended academic breaks while also increasing our recruitment efforts among permanent district residents. In
previous years, many of our student members remained in the Ithaca area for summer employment. Over the past several
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years, however, that trend has changed, resulting in fewer available responders. We have begun discussing possible
membership requirements that would encourage members to remain in town for at least a portion of each academic break.
This remains an active discussion as we continue to explore solutions to this ongoing staffing challenge.
Unfortunately, we were forced to postpone our first Movies at the Station event due to the extreme heat. The truck bays
become uncomfortably hot during excessive heat events, and we felt postponing the event was the safest decision for
everyone involved. We will now begin our summer movie series on July 9, and the response from the community has
been overwhelmingly positive. Everyone we have spoken with is excited for another summer of Movies at the Station.
Sincerely,
George
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EXHIBIT 2027 - 040
Clerk’s Report
•Tax Collection has now moved into the penalty phase.
•The Greater Tompkins County Municipal Health Insurance Consortium Design Committee met, and our Gold
Plan is still within the actuarial value of the Affordable Care Act; no benefit or deductible changes for us in
2027. Again, key factors affecting budgets are claims over one million dollars.
•I emailed a copy of the 2026 Budget Performance Report as of April 2026 for your review. Feel free to reach
out with questions.
•Village Reuse Schedule Magnet will be available by the end of the month.
•The August Water and Sewer cycle will start the new billing period. We should establish this by Resolution.
•Scheduling a “Shred Day” sometime this month.
•Account Y2769 is requesting relief of his late fee from the May water & sewer billing.
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To whom it may concern,
This is Jiang Zhao, owner of 212 Texan Ln. I am writing to request waiving the late fee of account Y2769 for
the period of 01/16/26 - 04/15/26.
My wife has been taking care of family stuff all the time. She was diagnosed with cancer a year ago. I have
been in Highland hospital with her all the time since the middle of May. She passed away recently. I have
a big pile of accumulated mails at home. I found the water bill last night, 07/09/26, and went to the office
the next day to make the payment. I understand it is late and don't have any other excuse, but appreciate
if the late fee can be waived anyway.
Thanks for your understanding!
Jiang
Jiang Zhao<jz225@cornell.edu> Jeff Walker
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To whom it ma
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