HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CC-2020-10-07 with public commentCOMMON COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK
Regular Meeting 6:00 p.m. October 7, 2020
PRESENT: Mayor Myrick
Alderpersons (10) Brock, McGonigal, Murtagh, Nguyen, Gearhart, Fleming,
Smith, Kerslick, Mohlenhoff, Lewis OTHERS PRESENT: City Clerk – Conley Holcomb
City Attorney – Lavine
City Controller – Thayer Chief of Staff – Cogan ADDITIONS TO OR DELETIONS FROM THE AGENDA:
There were no additions to or deletions from the agenda. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS: 1.3 - A Public Hearing to Consider a Local Law to Confirm the Sidewalk Improvement District Assessments, Budget, and Schedule of Work for Fiscal Year
2021 Resolution to Open the Public Hearing By Alderperson Mohlenhoff: Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick RESOLVED, That the Public Hearing to consider a Local Law to confirm the Sidewalk Improvement District assessments, budget, and schedule of work for Fiscal Year 2021
be declared open.
Carried Unanimously No one appeared to address Common Council.
Resolution to Close the Public Hearing
By Alderperson Mohlenhoff: Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick RESOLVED, That the Public Hearing to consider a Local Law to confirm the Sidewalk Improvement District assessments, budget, and schedule of work for Fiscal Year 2021 be declared closed.
Carried Unanimously A Local Law to Confirm the Sidewalk Improvement District Assessments, Budget, and Schedule of Work for Fiscal Year 2021 WHEREAS, Section C-73 of the City Charter creates five Sidewalk Improvement
Districts (each a “SID”) for the construction and repair of sidewalk, and provides for an
assessment against each property located in each SID for the benefits received by the property from said construction and repair, and WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works has recommended a budget, schedule of work,
and schedule of assessments for Fiscal Year 2021, subject to review, amendment, and confirmation by the Common Council, and WHEREAS, Section C-73 provides that Council shall amend as appropriate and confirm
the SID assessments, budget, and schedule of work after a public hearing, and
WHEREAS, the appropriate public hearing has been held, and Council has given due consideration to the comments made, if any; now, therefore Local Law No. ____-2020
BE IT ENACTED by the Common Council of the City of Ithaca as follows:
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Section 1. Legislative Findings, Intent, and Purpose. Pursuant to Municipal Home Rule Law Section 10(1)(ii)(c)(3) the City of Ithaca is authorized to adopt a local law relating to the authorization, making, confirmation, and
correction of benefit assessments for local improvements.
The Common Council has reviewed the assessments, budget, and schedule of work recommended by the Board of Public Works for Fiscal Year 2021, and makes the following findings of fact: A. The public hearing prior to confirmation required by Section C-73 has
been held, and all owners of property subject to a SID assessment
appearing to speak before Council have had an opportunity to do so. B. The attached schedule of work, as recommended by BPW and previously subject to review by Council, constitutes a set of local improvements, the cost of which should be assessed against the properties located in the SID
in which the work is to be performed.
C. The attached budget and the related assessments reflected on the assessment roll kept on file with the City Clerk are necessary to defray the cost of construction and maintenance of sidewalk in the City, and Council has made a legislative judgment that each property in each SID is being
assessed in proportion to the benefit received by that property from the
sidewalk construction and repair contained in the schedule of work. Section 2. Confirmation of the Assessments, Schedule of Work, and Budget. The Common Council approves and confirms the assessment roll, a copy of which is
maintained in the City Clerk’s office, and the budget and schedule of work attached
hereto, and imposes a lien upon each property so assessed as set forth in the assessment roll. In the event there are additional funds available following completion of the schedule of work, or changes to the work plan are required for financial, engineering, or other
reasons, the Superintendent of Public Works or his or her designee may alter the
schedule of work in his or her discretion, as instructed by the Board of Public Works from time to time; provided, however, that if such actions affect ten percent or more of any Sidewalk Improvement District’s annual levy, such actions must be approved by resolution of the Board of Public Works.
Section 3. Severability Clause. Severability is intended throughout and within the provisions of this Local Law. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this Local Law is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, then that decision shall
not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Local Law. Section 4. Effective and Operative Date. This Local Law shall be effective immediately after filing in the office of the Secretary of State.
PETITIONS AND HEARINGS OF PERSONS BEFORE COUNCIL: The following people addressed Common Council: Zach Winn Theresa Alt
Patricia Rodriquez Geraldo Veliz Carrillo Angela DeVivo Susan Holland Ellen Jackson Enrique Gonzalez-Conty Mona Sulzman Lisa Avron
Ellie Pfeffer Veronica Pillar
Lenny Sacco Rev. Kirianne Weaver Luke Arnce Mike Perry Sally Tuszynski Erin Griffeth Genevieve Rand
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PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR – COMMON COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR: Mayor Myrick stated that he would present his 2021 Recommended Budget later in the meeting and responded to comments made about funding community agencies.
Alderperson Brock asked the Mayor to provide an update on the Reinventing Public Safety initiative. Mayor Myrick stated that the internal resource group met this morning. He described the four working groups that report to the internal resource group. A public meeting is scheduled for next week. Alderperson Nguyen is the Common
Council Liaison, and everything is on track to meet the April 1st deadline. Alderperson McGonigal thanked the speakers and responded to comments made by Rev. Weaver and Susan Holland. He further responded to comments made about the City and IPD cooperating with ICE and defunding the police.
CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS: CITY ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE: 3.1 Cecil Malone Drive Bridge Replacement Project Resolution Authorizing the implementation, and funding in the first instance 100% of the
Federal-aid and State-aid eligible costs, of a federal-aid and /or state-aid transportation project, and appropriating funds By Alderperson Mohlenhoff: Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick WHEREAS, Sponsor will design, let and construct the “project”; and
WHEREAS, a Project for the Cecil Malone Drive Bridge over Flood Relief Channel,
P.I.N. 375589 (“the Project”) is eligible for funding under Title 23 U.S. Code , as amended, that calls for the apportionment of the costs of such program to be borne at the ratio of 95% Federal funds and 5% non-Federal funds; and
WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca desires to advance the Project by making a commitment
of 100% of the non-Federal share of Design, Right-of-Way Incidental, Right-of-Way Acquisition, Construction and Inspection; and WHEREAS, in November 2018, $2,172,000 (95% Federal and 5% Local Share) of
BRIDGE NY funding was made available by New York State Department of
Transportation for Project; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca Common Council hereby approves the above project, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca Common Council hereby authorizes the City of Ithaca to pay in the first instance 100% of the federal and non-federal share of the cost of all work for the Project or portions thereof, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca Common Council hereby agrees that the City of
Ithaca shall be responsible for all costs of the Project which exceed the amount of the BRIDGE NY funding awarded to the City of Ithaca, and, be it further RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca Common Council hereby establishes Capital
Project #863 in an amount not to exceed $2,172,000, and be it further
RESOLVED, That this project be undertaken with the understanding that the final cost of the Project to the City of Ithaca will be 5% of project costs up to a total project cost of
$2,172,000 and 100% of additional costs thereafter, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That funds needed for said amendment shall be derived from serial bonds, with understanding that these funds are available to the Project and that the final cost to the City will be $108,600, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That in the event of full federal and non-federal share cost of the project exceeds the amount appropriated above, the City of Ithaca shall convene as soon as possible to appropriate said excess amount immediately upon the notification by the New York State Department of Transportation thereof, and, be it further
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RESOLVED, That City of Ithaca hereby agrees that construction of the Project shall begin no later than twenty four (24) months after award and that the project shall be
completed within thirty (30) months of commencing construction, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the Mayor of the City of Ithaca be and is hereby authorized to execute all necessary Agreements and the Superintendent of Public Works is hereby authorized to execute all the necessary Certifications or reimbursement requests for
Federal Aid and /or State-Aid on behalf of the City of Ithaca with the New York State
Department of Transportation in connection with the advancement or approval of the Project and providing for the administration of the Project and the municipality’s first instance funding of project costs and permanent funding of the local share of federal-aid and state-aid eligible Project costs and all Project costs within appropriations therefore
that are not so eligible, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That a certified copy of this resolution be filed with the New York State Commissioner of Transportation by attaching it to any necessary Agreement in connection with the Project, and, be it further
RESOLVED, This Resolution shall take effect immediately. Carried Unanimously 3.2 IURA - Temporary City Use of Cayuga Street Parking Garage
By Alderperson Mohlenhoff: Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick WHEREAS, renovation and expansion of the Green Street parking garage (Green Garage) is scheduled for 2021 that will require temporary closure of the garage, and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca executed a parking agreement to provide parking at the
Green Garage for hotel guests of the downtown Ithaca Marriot hotel, and WHEREAS, the City Director of Transportation and Parking seeks to relocate a variety of parkers from the Green Garage to alternative public parking facilities during construction activity at the Green Garage site, and
WHEREAS, the 685-space Cayuga Street parking garage (Cayuga Garage) has over 250 parking spaces available at normal peak demand times, and WHEREAS, the Cayuga Garage is owned by Community Development Properties,
Ithaca, Inc. (CDP), whose governing board includes the Mayor and City Controller, and WHEREAS, CDP has developed a draft agreement to provide the City with use of 55 parking spaces at no charge to help the City fulfill its obligations under the Marriott hotel parking agreement during construction of the Green Garage; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Mayor, subject to review by the City Attorney, is authorized to execute an agreement substantially similar to the attached “Agreement for Temporary City Use of Cayuga Street Parking Garage” for temporary use of parking at no charge to the City.
Carried Unanimously 3.3 Proposed Inter-City Bus Permit Extension and Modification By Alderperson Mohlenhoff: Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick
WHEREAS, Section 346-31 of the City Code states that no bus shall operate, stop on or
stand on any City street, nor shall such bus pick up or discharge passengers on any such City street or curb, or any other public property, or within 200 feet of any City bus stop in the corporate limits of the City of Ithaca, unless a permit is obtained from the Common Council or its designee, and
WHEREAS, in September 2018, Common Council passed a resolution to allow the use of East Green Street as an intercity bus stop, and
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WHEREAS, staff prepared and executed agreements with the intercity operators for a 6-month trial period ending on March 31, 2019, and
WHEREAS, on April 3, 2019, staff recommended that the Common Council
conditionally renew the agreement until August 31, 2019, to allow for a full year of consideration of this site, and WHEREAS, in September 2019, Common Council passed a resolution to continue the
use of East Green as an intercity bus stop increasing the rate from $5 to $15 per bus
arrival or departure (but if the arrival or departure occurs within 30 minutes of the other, only one $15 per bus fee will be imposed), but asked staff to provide a report in 6 months detailing efforts to collaborate with other regional municipal officials, and
WHEREAS, the coronavirus pandemic effectively discontinued bus service through the
summer and shifted priorities away from the inter-city bus permits, and WHEREAS, current intercity bus companies permit agreements are in effect until termination, which must be upon no less than 30 days’ notice, but it is unclear as New
York State continues to reopen which buses will be returning to regular operating
service in Ithaca, and WHEREAS, it does not seem prudent to end the use of Green Street as the intercity bus stop at this time, but future conditions on Green Street are projected to limit the capacity
to one bus during reconstruction of the Green Street Parking Garage, and
WHEREAS, staff is exploring a potential drop-off only location on West Green Street and wishes to install a concrete pad at the location, if selected, and
WHEREAS, staff continues to look for other suitable interim locations for intercity bus
operations while planning for a long-term permanent location for an intercity transportation depot; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, That Common Council approves the continued use of the Green Street
stop on a first paid - first served basis to operators for which Common Council has
authorized operation from the Green Street location (namely, Trailways, Shortline/CoachUSA, Greyhound, and FlixBus approved in February 2020) to accommodate the availability of one-space for bus operations and potentially one drop off space, until an alternate location or permanent solution can be found, and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That Common Council continues to authorize the Board of Public Works to modify the above-established Intercity Bus Permit fee from time to time, but retains the sole legislative discretion as to issuance of bus permits, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That Common Council authorizes establishing a drop-off only location at or near 115 West Green Street, and authorizes Public Works to expend up to $5,000 in permit fees for installation of a concrete pad, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That Common Council instructs city staff to continue to work on the
conditions specified in earlier resolutions of Council to minimize disruption to riders and the community while continuing to provide this valuable service to the community, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the Mayor and Senior Staff shall report to Common Council within six months regarding efforts to collaborate with other regional municipal officials to develop a long-term plan for inter-city services. Carried Unanimously
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3.4 Attorney - Authorization to Accept Various Easements in Relation to the Development of the Former Emerson Power Transmission Site in South Hill By Alderperson Mohlenhoff: Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick
WHEREAS, Emersub 15, LLC (“Emerson”) is the owner of the South Hill parcel of land
previously occupied by Emerson Power Transmission, identified as 620-640 S. Aurora Street, City tax map parcel 106.-1-8 and 810 Danby Road, Town tax map parcel 40.-3-3 (collectively the “Parcel”); and
WHEREAS, Unchained Properties, LLC intends to develop the Parcel into a mixed-used
district referred to as the Chainworks District Redevelopment Project (“Project”); and Whereas, the Project has undergone joint environmental review by the City and Town, and on March 26, 2019, the City Planning Board approved Phase 1 of the Project consisting of rehabilitation of existing buildings and hardscape and landscape
improvements; and
WHEREAS, Emerson and Unchained Properties, LLC have agreed to convey various public easements to mitigate potential environmental impacts to vegetation and fauna, public health and environment, transportation and circulation, open space and
recreation and increases in impervious areas; and
WHEREAS, the easements to be granted include three permanent easements (collectively “Easements”) that, together, will enable the City (potentially in conjunction with the Town of Ithaca) to construct and maintain, for public use, a multi-use trail called
the Gateway Trail, intended to run from South Aurora Street to Stone Quarry Rd and beyond, connecting the South Hill Recreation Way and Black Diamond Trails; and WHEREAS, the Trail Easements are more specifically described as follows:
1. A permanent easement to the City for the portion of the trail, within City limits, upon the “OU-1” subdivided parcel, which parcel will be retained by Emersub 15, LLC for ongoing environmental remediation. 2. A permanent easement to the City for the portion of the trail, within City limits, upon the “OU-2” subdivided parcel, which parcel is intended to be extensively
developed by Unchained Properties, LLC, including both primary and secondary trail easements, with said secondary easements included for purposes of providing alternative trail routing in the event that environmental remediation or construction activities require the temporary closure of the primary trail.
3. A permanent easement jointly to the Town and City for the portion of the trail, straddling the Town/City line, upon the “OU-2” subdivided parcel, but in the forested portion of that parcel closer to Stone Quarry Rd., which portion is not currently intended for development (other than the trail). and;
WHEREAS, General City Law Section 20 empowers the City to accept, hold and administer real property within and without the limits of the city, and the Easements serve the public interest; now therefore be it
RESOLVED, Common Council is supportive of accepting the Easements; and further be it RESOLVED, That the Mayor, upon the advice of the City Attorney, is authorized to
execute documents required to memorialize and accept the Easements, which may
include the terms of future maintenance and/or use, with said documents to be substantially similar to the attached Easements, provided, however, that the joint Town-City easement may be executed with such later, more substantial edits as agreed between the Town and Emersub 15, LLC, so long as such edits are acceptable to the
Mayor, upon the advice of the City Attorney.
Carried Unanimously
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CITY ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE: 4.1 Declaration of Lead Agency for Environmental Review of Design Guidelines
for the Installation of Small Cell Facilities to Support Small Cell Wireless Technology Governed by a Master License Agreement This item was withdrawn from the agenda as it was previously approved at the September 9, 2020 Common Council meeting. The remaining Items under the City
Administration Committee were re-numbered appropriately. 4.1 A Local Law to Override the Tax Levy Limit Established in General Municipal Law By Alderperson Mohlenhoff: Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick
Local Law No. 2020 - BE IT ENACTED by Common Council of the City of Ithaca as follows:
Section 1. Legislative Intent It is the intent of this local law to allow the City of Ithaca to adopt a budget for the fiscal year commencing January 1, 2021, that requires a real property tax levy in excess of the “tax levy limit” as defined by General Municipal law §3-c.
Section 2. Authority This local law is adopted pursuant to subdivision 5 of General Municipal Law §3-c, which expressly authorizes a local government’s governing body to override the property tax cap for the coming fiscal year by the adoption of a local law approved by a vote of sixty percent (60%) of said governing body.
Section 3. Tax Levy Limit Override The Common Council of the City of Ithaca, County of Tompkins, New York, is hereby authorized to adopt a budget for the fiscal year commencing January 1, 2021, that requires a real property tax levy in excess of the amount otherwise prescribed in
General Municipal Law §3-c. Section 4. Severability If a court of competent jurisdiction determines that any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, or part of this local law or application thereof to any person, firm or
corporation, or circumstance is invalid or unconstitutional, the court’s order or judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder of this local law, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, or part of this local law or in its application to the person, individual, firm or corporation or circumstance, directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment or order shall be rendered.
Section 5. Effective Date This local law shall take effect immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State. A Roll Call vote on the Local Law resulted as follows:
Alderperson Brock - Aye Alderperson McGonigal - Aye Alderperson Nguyen - Aye Alderperson Murtagh - Aye Alderperson Gearhart - Aye Alderperson Fleming - Aye
Alderperson Smith - Aye Alderperson Kerslick - Aye
Alderperson Mohlenhoff - Aye Alderperson Lewis - Aye Carried Unanimously
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4.2 Removal of the First White Settlers Marker from DeWitt Park By Alderperson Mohlenhoff: Seconded by Alderperson Smith WHEREAS, Dewitt Park is within the Dewitt Park Historic District, and
WHEREAS, an historical marker in Dewitt Park, dedicated in 1933 by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), purports to recognize the first White settlers in this area, though there is dispute over the historical accuracy of this claim, and
WHEREAS, regardless of who were actually the first non-Indigenous settlers of this
area, this area was already settled by the Haudenosaunee, who were ejected from this land through use of explicit violence, forced to sign unfair treaties, and who never received fair compensation for their loss, and
WHEREAS, the marker reflects the DAR’s focus on White Americans and the promotion
of an intentionally limited version of American history, a history that often marginalized the contributions of women, Black and Indigenous people and other people of color, and WHEREAS, as our community has become more socially and culturally aware in the
decades after its installation, the marker has become a local symbol of exclusion,
oppression, and injustice, and WHEREAS, this historical marker has generated numerous complaints and has been a magnet for vandalism, and
WHEREAS, The History Center in Tompkins County will accept the plaque from the historic marker into their collection in the condition provided by the City, and WHEREAS, the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission, at its meeting on
September 15, 2020, granted a Certificate of Appropriateness for the removal of the
historic marker, noting that it was installed after the period of significance (1820 – 1930) of the Dewitt Park Historic District, and WHEREAS, the choice of who is recognized in the stories we tell from history is a
statement about who is valued and who is not, and
WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca wishes to tell a more inclusive story of our region’s history; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca Common Council authorizes the removal of the
First White Settlers historical marker from Dewitt Park; and be it further RESOLVED, That the plaque from the historical marker shall be donated to The History Center to be accessioned into their collection and used for future educational
opportunities as they deem appropriate.
Alderperson McGonigal reported that he crafted proposed changes to the legislation after the discussion at the City Administration Committee meeting. He stated that he worked with Tompkins County Historian Carol Kammen and Alderperson Fleming on
the proposed language and affirmed that everyone on Council is in favor of removing
the marker and is supportive of having this item approved tonight. Amending Resolution:
By Alderperson McGonigal: Seconded by Alderperson Fleming RESOLVED, That the Resolution be amended in its entirety as follows: 4.3 Removal of the First White Settlers Marker from DeWitt Park – Proposed Amendments by Alderperson McGonigal
WHEREAS, Dewitt Park is within the Dewitt Park Historic District, and
WHEREAS, an historical marker in Dewitt Park, dedicated in 1933 by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), purports to recognize the first White settlers in this area, though there is dispute over the historical accuracy of this claim, and
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WHEREAS, the land here was once home to the Cayuga Indians, one of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and of the Cayuga's refugee guests, the Tutelos and Suponis. The Cayugas fought and then fled before General Sullivan's invading American army in September of 1779. By 1789, the land was largely
unoccupied and American settlers had begun to arrive, albeit before legal land claims
could be made, and WHEREAS, this marker and others created by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) reflected encouragement by the State of New York to highlight local
places, and honored actions of DAR members' ancestors, and of social norms of the
times where women's roles, and the roles of indigenous peoples and people of color were rarely acknowledged, and WHEREAS our community today seeks to promote accurate and inclusive memorials to
the past in a wide variety of means and methods, and
WHEREAS, The History Center in Tompkins County will accept the plaque from the historic marker into their collection in the condition provided by the City, and
WHEREAS, the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission, at its meeting on
September 15, 2020, granted a Certificate of Appropriateness for the removal of the historic marker, noting that it was installed after the period of significance (1820 – 1930) of the Dewitt Park Historic District, and
WHEREAS, the choice of who is recognized in the stories we tell from history is a
statement about who is valued and who is not; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca Common Council authorizes the removal of the
First White Settlers historical marker from Dewitt Park, and, be it further RESOLVED, That the plaque from the historical marker shall be donated to The History Center to be accessioned into their collection and used for future educational
opportunities as they deem appropriate, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That City staff will participate in developing a plan to create a design for an informative historical marker to be placed on or near the place of this marker to give more information about the significance of the site for the Haudenosaunee people, post-
Revolutionary War colonists, and 20th and 21st century Ithacans.
Alderperson Lewis voiced her appreciation for the work that has been completed on this
legislation. She noted that there is agreement in the introductory Whereas clause and the Resolved clauses; however, there are differing views regarding the language in some of the other Whereas clauses. She stated that she will introduce her suggested edits to the language after this amendment is considered.
Alderperson Brock voiced concern regarding the proposed amended Resolution as she feels that it bypasses the reason that this legislation is being considered. She stated that this movement isn’t about the recitation of history or who the first white settlers were. It is about the pain of association that comes with this monument, located in a
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central city park, and the recognition that the celebration of the first white settlers in this area is an acknowledgement of the initiation of white control over this area. She further stated that the language in the Whereas clause regarding the land being “largely
unoccupied and the American settlers began to arrive” is additionally painful and
insensitive to the history of the people who were here before, and those who continue to have roots here. She noted that the original Resolution works to establish a recognition of the pain and the oversight of the history that we are trying to come to terms with and address. She proposed that Council consider the original Resolution as written and
include the name “Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ'”, the name the Cayugas call themselves.
Alderperson Fleming noted that with respect to the last Resolved clause of the Amending Resolution, city staff are not legally allowed to raise funds; however, they could write a grant to assist with the development of a new historical marker. She
commented that this would likely become a county-wide effort, so the language of the
Resolution could be adjusted accordingly. She further shared her thoughts on some of the language in the original Resolution and suggested simplified language that addresses the intent of both versions of the Resolution.
Amendment to the Proposed Amending Resolution: By Alderperson Brock: Seconded by Alderperson McGonigal RESOLVED, That the second and the third Whereas clauses of the proposed Amending Resolution be amended to read as follows:
“WHEREAS, The City of Ithaca is located on the traditional homelands of the
Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' (the Cayuga Nation). The Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ' are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence in this land, and
WHEREAS, a historical marker in Dewitt Park, dedicated in 1933 by the Daughters of
the American Revolution (DAR), purports to recognize the first White settlers in this area, and its presence in Dewitt Park is considered by some a painful symbol of White dominance over the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ', and”
Ayes (5) Brock, McGonigal, Nguyen, Murtagh, Gearhart
Nays (5) Kerslick, Mohlenhoff, Lewis, Smith, Fleming Mayor Myrick voted Aye breaking the tie. Carried (6-5)
Alderperson Mohlenhoff suggested that this topic be elevated to a community
conversation. She stated that Council shouldn’t do something quickly because it is fast and easy, acknowledging how difficult it is to craft important language on the floor of Council. She suggested that the Resolution be referred back to the City Administration Committee not to delay the process, but to make sure this was done right. She further
noted that a larger conversation should be held regarding monuments located in the city that are deeply painful and hurtful to people in the community. Mayor Myrick stated that he prefers the language of the original Resolution with potential amendments.
Motion to Refer to Committee:
By Alderperson Fleming: Seconded by Alderperson Mohlenhoff RESOLVED, That this item be referred to the City Administration Committee for further discussion. After further discussion, Alderperson Fleming withdrew her Motion to Refer and
proposed the following Amendment to the Proposed Amendment as amended. She
noted that this Resolution would be followed by a second, explanatory Resolution in the future.
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Amendment to the Proposed Amendment as Amended By Alderperson Fleming: Seconded by Alderperson McGonigal RESOLVED, That the Proposed Amendment as amended is hereby amended to read
as follows: “WHEREAS, the First White Settlers marker in DeWitt park is not historically accurate and fails to recognize that native people lived on the land for centuries prior to the arrival of white settlers; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca will remove it and donate it to the History Center so that it can be accessioned into their collection and used for educational purposes.” Carried Unanimously
Alderperson Brock noted that while she is pleased to know that this Resolution will pass, she can’t support it as it does not mention the indigenous people who were here before, and it bypasses the reason why Council is doing this as well as whitewashes the intent of this momentous action.
Amended Resolution as Amended A vote on the Amended Resolution as Amended resulted as follows: Ayes (8) McGonigal, Nguyen, Murtagh, Gearhart, Fleming, Smith, Kerslick, Lewis
Nays (2) Brock, Mohlenhoff
Carried (8-2) Report from Chair: Alderperson Mohlenhoff reported that the November City Administration Committee
meeting is scheduled for the Wednesday prior to the Thanksgiving holiday and needs to
be rescheduled. She proposed that the meeting be moved to Monday, November 23, 2020. Report of the City Controller:
City Controller Thayer deferred his report to the future budget meetings. PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE 5.1 Amendment to the City CIITAP Process By Alderperson Murtagh: Seconded by Alderperson Lewis
WHEREAS, in 2017, the City reviewed the Community Investment Incentive Tax
Abatement Program (CIITAP) in order to identify criteria that the City felt were important for approving projects for tax abatements, and WHEREAS, in 2018, the Common Council amended the CIITAP process to add
requirements for diversity, local labor, and workforce housing, and
WHEREAS, the current CIITAP process requires an applicant to complete the City application and meet the minimum criteria for location, density, size, municipal compliance, diversity, local labor, and workforce housing, and once an endorsement is
received they must begin the application process for the Tompkins County Industrial
Development Agency (IDA), and WHEREAS, given that the IDA application has similar requirements for diversity, local labor, and workforce housing, which addresses all of the issues that Council identified, it
is redundant and confusing for applicants to have two similar processes, and
WHEREAS, since the IDA is the agency that administers and monitors tax abatements, the City acknowledges that they are the appropriate body to set any criteria that requires ongoing monitoring, and a simplified application process will be beneficial to applicants and to the City; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca Common Council understands that the City’s Community Incentive Investment Tax Abatement Program continues to be a vital tool to encourage density in the City’s Density District, and be it further
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RESOLVED, That the City acknowledges that the IDA tax abatement application includes similar criteria for local labor, diversity, and workforce housing, and in order to
reduce confusion and eliminate redundancy, the City hereby requests that the IDA
application include density, location, size, and municipal compliance requirements for any City projects, and hereby eliminates the City application process for tax abatement requests.
Discussion followed on the floor regarding the roles of Common Council and the IDA in
considering tax abatements, the requirements for local labor and diversity, and affordable housing policies. A vote on the Resolution resulted as follows:
Ayes (7) Murtagh, Gearhart, Fleming, Smith, Kerslick, Mohlenhoff, Lewis
Nays (3) Nguyen, McGonigal, Brock Carried (7-3) 5.2 An Ordinance Amending The Municipal Code Of The City Of Ithaca, Chapter
160, Entitled “Design Review” To Amend the language to Applicability and Exemptions By Alderperson Murtagh: Seconded by Alderperson Lewis WHEREAS, the City’s current applicability for mandatory design review is inconsistent with § 325-4 Establishment of districts,
WHEREAS, the current applicability and exemptions does not include the current Waterfront and Collegetown zones; now, therefore, ORDINANCE NO. ____
BE IT ORDAINED AND ENACTED by the Common Council of the City of Ithaca that Chapter 160 of the Municipal Code of the City of Ithaca be amended as follows: Section 1. Chapter 160, Section 160-4 of the Municipal Code of the City of Ithaca is
hereby amended to read as follows:
Mandatory design review shall apply to all proposals for: A. New construction, exterior alterations, addition or removal of exterior signs, or additions to any structure within the zones designated B-1b; B-2c; B-2d;
all CBD zones, including CBD-60, CBD-85, CBD-100, and CBD-120; C-SU;
WF-1; WF-2; WE/WFD, CSD, ND, MD; and on any parcel within the 2009 Collegetown Planning Area as designated on the map entitled "2009 Collegetown Urban Plan and Conceptual Design Guidelines Planning Area," dated November 2011, a copy of which is on file in the Ithaca City Clerk's
office.
B. New construction, exterior alterations, or additions to any structure 60 feet in height or greater in any zone. C. Demolition of any primary structure within any zone, and demolition of any portion of any structures within the zones designated B-1b; B-2c; B-2d; all
CBD zones, including CBD-60, CBD-85, CBD-100, and CBD-120; C-SU;
WF-1; WF-2; WE/WFD, CSD, ND, MD; and on any parcel within the 2009 Collegetown Planning Area. D. New construction of a primary structure on a parcel within any zone within
two years following a demolition of a primary structure on that parcel.
E. Changes to the site, such as the addition of new or alterations to existing hardscape elements, including but not limited to paving, retaining walls, or fences on any parcel within the 2009 Collegetown Planning Area.
Section 2. Chapter 160, Section 160-6B of the Municipal Code of the City of Ithaca is
hereby amended to read as follows:
October 7, 2020
13
B. Any action pertaining to any parcel within the 2009 Collegetown Planning Area on which a single-family home is and will remain the primary use shall be exempt from the requirement for design review.
Section 3. Effective date. This ordinance shall take effect immediately and in accordance with law upon publication of notices as provided in the Ithaca City Charter. Carried Unanimously
NEW BUSINESS: 6.1 Presentation of the 2021 Mayor’s Recommended Budget Mayor Myrick presented his 2021 Recommended Budget which included:
• Projected revenue losses due to the Pandemic
• Increased expenses in 2021
• 2021 Tax rate of $11.77 per thousand
• 2021 Tax levy increase of 7.23% due to the increase in assessments
• Defunding 28 positions across the organization (mostly in DPW and Police); hour reductions for 7 positions; hour increases for 2 positions; 2 layoffs
• Community investments Discussion followed on the floor regarding the projected decreases in parking revenue and sales tax revenue, the current fund balance, and the proposed lay-offs of two positions in the Department of Public Works.
6.2 Approval of the 2020 and 2021 Amendments to the Municipal Cooperative Agreement for the Greater Tompkins County Municipal Health Insurance Consortium By Alderperson Mohlenhoff: Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick
WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca is a Participant in the Greater Tompkins County Municipal
Health Insurance Consortium (the "Consortium"), a municipal cooperative organized under Article 47 of the New York Insurance Law, and WHEREAS, the municipal participants in the Consortium, including this body, have
approved and executed a certain Municipal Cooperation Agreement (the "Agreement";
effective date of October 1, 2010) and the 2020 and 2021 Amendments that provide for the operation and governance of the Consortium, and WHEREAS, Article 47 of the New York Insurance Law (the "Insurance Law") and the
rules and regulations of the New York State Department of Financial Services set forth
certain requirements for governance of municipal cooperatives that offer self-insured municipal cooperative health insurance plans, and WHEREAS, the Agreement sets forth in Section Q2 that continuation of the Consortium
under the terms and conditions of the Agreement, or any amendments or restatements
thereto, shall be subject to Board review on the fifth (5th) anniversary date and upon acceptance of any new Participant hereafter, and WHEREAS, by motion nos. 005-2020 and 008 of 2020 the Consortium's Board of
Directors recommends approval of the 2020 and 2021 amended agreements based on
review of the document by the Governance Structure/MCA Review Committee, the New York State Department of Financial Services, and the Consortium’s legal counsel, and
WHEREAS, the Municipal Cooperative Agreement requires that amendments to the agreement be presented to each participant for review and adopted by its municipal board, and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca is in receipt of the proposed amended Agreement(s) and
has determined that it is in the best interest of its constituents who are served by the Consortium to amend the Agreement as set forth in the attached 2020 and 2021 Amended Municipal Cooperative Agreements; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Common Council of the City of Ithaca approves and authorizes
October 7, 2020
14
the Chief Executive Officer to sign the 2020 and 2021 Amendments to the Municipal Cooperative Agreement of the Greater Tompkins County Municipal Health Insurance Consortium, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the City of Ithaca is hereby authorized to execute this Resolution to indicate its approval, transmit a copy thereof to the Board of Directors of the Greater Tompkins County Municipal Health Insurance Consortium, and take any other such actions as may be required by law.
Carried Unanimously MAYOR’S APPOINTMENTS 7.1 Reappointments to the Ithaca Housing Authority By Alderperson Kerslick: Seconded by Alderperson Smith
RESOLVED, That Ann Bantuvanis be reappointed to the Ithaca Housing Authority with
a term to expire October 17, 2025; and, be it further RESOLVED, That Loretta Tomberelli Epthimiatos be reappointed to the Ithaca Housing Authority with a term to expire October 17, 2025.
Carried Unanimously
MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS: The approval of minutes was deferred.
ADJOURNMENT: On a motion the meeting adjourned at 9:11 p.m.
The video of this meeting can be found on the City’s YouTube channel at:
https://www.youtube.com/c/CityofIthacaPublicMeetings
______________________________ _______________________________ Julie Conley Holcomb, CMC Svante L. Myrick City Clerk Mayor
9/9/2020 10:49:52 AM Georgia Mechalke Trumansburg
In order to keep the black community in Ithaca and Tompkins county safe, the police must be defunded. I don't have much space, I would like to refer you to the plan and demands proposed by the Democratic Socialists Association.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-
FAAKx8aZHPlaVkQuCuce8c1NKBOarCk9jvpK8OFnCI/edit?usp=drivesdk This needs to start now. No More Names. It Happens Here.
9/9/2020 3:09:32 PM
Angela DeVivo Ithaca Second Ward Hello Council,
I implore you to redirect funds from IPD to community resources (GIAC, etc.) next year. There is no doubt this city will suffer under the impact of COVID, and while I know you're all quite dedicated to IPD's image, they're objectively not particularly responsive and tend to do more menacing than helping. This is in my own personal experience and
the experience of those I know in the community. Their excessive militarization is
uncalled for, and poor families will be struggling to keep their kids happy and off the street as the economy struggles along. The safest communities are not the ones with the most police, but with the most resources. Our neighbors keep us safe. Daycare keeps us safe. Food keeps us safe. You can help in keeping us safe. Redirect money
from punishing our poorer residents and redirect it into bolstering them.
Thank you for your time. 9/9/2020 3:40:10 PM
Hannah Rebrovich
City I advocate to reroute funds for IPD to organizations that are much more in need of funding, particularly Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) and Southside Community
Center. GIAC and Southside are an extremely important part of our community,
especially for our youth, as well as people of color. They are not only a center for our youths, but our district as a whole. They are absolutely vital to our community and need us now more than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic.9/14/2020 11:47:50 AM Edward Weissman
Ithaca
How much longer will the City permit the demonstrations that have been taking place
every Sunday to illegally block traffic on East Clinton Street around the Ithaca Police Department. If the demonstrators were issued permits to block the street, who authorized it? If not, why are the demonstrators permitted to do so for hours at a time.
Do not the residents of Ithaca have the right to drive on this street on Sunday
afternoons to conduct their business? It is a heavily used thoroughfare for drivers heading to the west side of Ithaca and the busy Meadow Street commercial area. Allowing demonstrations to block traffic on a street or streets without permits sets a
dangerous precedent in the City of Ithaca. Some of you may be sympathetic with the
demonstrators' cause but will you be so tolerant when illegal demonstrations take place that you do not agree with? It is way past time for the City to make sure these Sunday demonstrations comply with the law.
9/16/2020 3:13:44 PM
Bethli Leach Newfield Hello,
I am just wondering...with everything that’s going on in the world today, what are you
doing to help support the Ithaca Police Department to ensure they get home safely to their families everyday? Thank You for your time, Bethli Leach
9/19/2020 8:54:07 PM Jean Jay Interlaken
What are you doing to support the IPD during this rough time?
9/26/2020 12:49:33 PM Maddie Halpert Ithaca
I am an Ithaca resident who grew up downtown. As Common Council discusses the budget in upcoming meetings, I urge you to increase funding to community-oriented organizations and local organizations that have been developing community-based safety models, by reducing the police force budget by 80%, as put forth by Tompkins
Coaltion.
In conversations with friends in Ithaca, I have frequently felt and heard that in many of the situations where people might need some type of help, the possibility of escalation of violence that comes with calling on such heavily armed police feels like too much of a
risk. These risks have played out in traumatic ways, especially for people of color. We
need new options to call on, new ways of keeping our community safe, and we are lucky to have organizations in our midst who have been developing those much needed
approaches. Shifting funding toward these organizations is a necessary and practical first step toward a brighter future for our whole community.
10/3/2020 8:56:29 PM
Ray Hage Ithaca Rather than a bloated police budget, our community needs support, investment, and
healing. This is not the time for mild reforms.
DEFUND AND SHRINK POLICING 1. Immediately cut the IPD budget by 80% from ~$12.7 million to $2.5 million. 2. Commit to continuing significant cuts to IPD budget each year for the next 5 years.
3. Enact an immediate IPD hiring freeze and end spending on overtime & public
relations. 4. Terminate and not rehire officers with misconduct records or who have harmed community members. Withhold pensions for officers involved in excessive-force cases. 5. Suspend paid administrative leave for police officers under investigation.
DEMILITARIZE and RESTRAIN POLICE 1. Immediately dissolve and disband the SWAT program. 2. Remove the SWAT truck from IPD and allow its future use to be determined by an assembly of poor and working class people so that it actually keeps our community
safe. (It could become a mobile health clinic, a COVID testing facility, etc).
3. Eliminate semi-automatic and fully-automatic rifles, and tasers. 4. Prohibit IPD participation in police militarization programs. 5. End harassment and displacement of homeless people. 6. Prohibit police and other law enforcement agent participation in eviction proceedings.
7. End corporate contracts that support the operations of ICE, CBP and other federal
agencies involved in targeting immigrant and refugee populations. 10/4/2020 10:56:15 AM Christina Mead
Enfield NY
I am submitting the following comment on behalf of the First Presbyterian Church of Ithaca:
The Session of the First Presbyterian Church of Ithaca supports the City of Ithaca’s
efforts to remove from DeWitt Park the boulder and bronze marker that were installed by the State of New York and the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1933. We recognize that the marker ignores a much longer history of the relationship between people and this land. To begin to repair the damage done by this exclusion, we
encourage the city to work in partnership with the Cayuga Nation to determine what, if
anything, might be a fitting and respectful replacement.
10/5/2020 5:55:21 PM Eveline Adele Halpert City of Ithaca
Dear Common Council, I grew up in and am a current resident of Ithaca. In the upcoming budget, please prioritize the goals of the Tompkins Coalition by, among other things, defunding the
police budget by 80% and shrinking the police and prioritizing spending for youth
programs, housing, healthcare, and child care. 10/5/2020 7:00:25 PM Aurora Rojer
Ithaca
I am writing in support of defunding and demilitarizing the Ithaca Police Department in order to refund and rebuild our community. Nationally, people are waking up to the idea that police do not keep everyone safe. We have all been disgusted and dismayed at the
many instances of police violence against folks of color. Ithaca is no exception. From
the killing of Shawn Greenwood and Keith Shumway in 2010 and 2011 to the brutalizing of Rose DeGroat and Cadji Ferguson last year, IPD have shown that they are part of this racist system of policing. What we need is to take resources away from brutalizers of black and brown bodies and invest them in our community, as detailed so beautifully
in the Tompkins County Antiracist Coalition letter. Let's make that SWAT truck (why
does Ithaca have a SWAT truck???) into a mobile health clinic! 10/6/2020 11:08:30 AM Rowan Larkin
Downtown Ithaca
To the Ithaca Common Council: In a letter to the editor on 14850.com, IPD Leadership claims that the police department
does not feel supported by the Ithaca community. This is because they are not - time
and time again the citizens of Ithaca have been vocal about wanting and needing support in the form of divesting from the police department and investing in programs that help the most vulnerable people in Ithaca - black and brown people, the poor, and the working class. The general Ithaca public does not trust the IPD and will continue to
distrust them without the demilitarization of the department, and the termination of
officers who have records of misconduct and have harmed members of the community. In their letter, IPD Leadership states that our current policing system expects officers to de-escalate volatile situations and intervene in complex societal issues outside the scope of their training. The answer to this problem is not allocating more funds to police,
but instead investing in crisis management personnel who are trained in addressing
these complex societal issues such as addiction, homelessness, and mental health
crises. The police are not the answer to Ithaca’s problems, and we cannot continue to operate the way we used to when we know it does not work.
We need to divest from the Ithaca Police Department and invest in resources that we
know actually help to keep our community safe, which includes youth programs, affordable housing, childcare, and alternatives to policing. Much of the IPD’s budget can and should be reallocated to programs created by and for vulnerable populations, such as Greater Ithaca Activities Center, Ithaca Youth Bureau, Black Hands Universal, the
Unbroken Promise Initiative, the Multicultural Resource Center, and Tompkins County
Immigrant Rights Coalition. These programs work to improve community safety and well-being by actually looking at the problems our community faces and working towards solutions. The IPD is and has never been the solution to these problems, and we need to stop investing in IPD as if it is the only option we have. I agree with and
echo the demands put forth by the Tompkins Coalition, and I urge you to enact these
demands to ensure that the Ithaca community is able to persevere and heal. 10/6/2020 5:24:40 PM Maggie Callery
City of Ithaca
As a resident of Ithaca, I would like to voice my support for the demands made by the Tompkins Anti-Racism Coalition, including the immediate cutting of Ithaca Police Department's budget by 80%, immediately disbanding the SWAT program, and
reinvesting that money into community resources serving Ithaca's BIPOC residents, like
GIAC, IYB, Black Hands Universal, and the Unbroken Promises Initiative. I urge the Common Council to review and enact these demands in the city's budget in order to make our communities safer.
I am deeply concerned by recent demonstrations by far-right groups coming into the city
and by the history of racist violence committed by IPD. Please listen to community members and prioritize community programs over a bloated police budget. Thank you,
Maggie Callery
10/6/2020 5:28:27 PM Theresa F Alt City of Ithaca
I urge you to vote against handing over the last vestiges of City influence on the CIITAP tax abatement process to the IDA, the Industrial Development Agency. That resolution, 5.1 on the Agenda, would allow the IDA to give away City taxes without so much as a public information session early in the project. Contrary to IDA claims, the IDA has not
adopted policies proposed by the City. Instead of a local labor policy there is only data
collection. Instead of 20% affordable housing, there is a totally inadequate fee to get out of doing it. So just vote this resolution down.
Then abolish CIITAP. That will put pressure on the IDA to stop supporting upscale building merely for the sake of density. Density has already been achieved. Anyway, the
IDA was meant for job creation.
Also, adopt inclusionary zoning to require that a percent of all new housing projects be affordable.
10/7/2020 8:59:40 AM
John Proios Ithaca NY Dear Common Council Members,
I would like to speak in support of the letter to this council, authored by advocates from the Ithaca Democratic Socialists of America, Tompkins County Immigrant Rights Coalition, Tompkins County Showing up for Racial Justice, Ithaca Tenants Union, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and other local groups, and now signed by 500+ of
YOUR community members.
The Ithaca Police Department is not entitled to its budget. It must earn that budget. But in the view of an overwhelming number of members of this community—including many of its Black and brown, Native, poor and working-class residents—the IPD is
nothing short of an entitled paramilitary. They do not need a SWAT truck. They do not
need NEW VEHICLES. They need to work to serve this community. Instead, they have record of killing, maiming, terrorizing, and harassing Ithaca’s vulnerable residents. In recent months, they have joined the national movement of right-wing organizations, led by President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, to demonize antiracist
protesters and ACTIVELY CALL FOR ACTION by like-minded right-wingers bent on
racial and economic violence (see the IPBA Facebook page on the 'silent majority') It is also worth noting that while millions of people in this country and many in this community live without health insurance or retirement plans, half of the IPD budget is
devoted to providing these same goods to IPD officers. This is a REAL crime and an
unfathomable hypocrisy. As a result, I join others in calling for the city to meet the following demands:
A. DEFUND AND SHRINK POLICING
1. Immediately cut the IPD budget by 80%—from ~$12.7 million to $2.5 million. 2. Commit to continuing significant cuts to IPD budget each year for the next 5 years. 3. Enact an immediate IPD hiring freeze and end spending on overtime & public relations.
4. Terminate and not rehire officers with misconduct records or who have harmed
community members. Withhold pensions for officers involved in excessive-force cases. 5. Suspend paid administrative leave for police officers under investigation.
B. DEMILITARIZE and RESTRAIN POLICE 1. Immediately dissolve and disband the SWAT program.
2. Remove the SWAT truck from IPD and allow its future use to be determined by an
assembly of poor and working class people so that it actually keeps our community safe. (It could become a mobile health clinic, a COVID testing facility, etc). 3. Eliminate semi-automatic and fully-automatic rifles, and tasers. 4. Prohibit IPD participation in police militarization programs.
5. End harassment and displacement of homeless people.
6. Prohibit police and other law enforcement agent participation in eviction proceedings. 7. End corporate contracts that support the operations of ICE, CBP and other federal agencies involved in targeting immigrant and refugee populations.
C. RE-FUND, REBUILD and HEAL COMMUNITY
1. Reallocate $2.8 Million to GIAC (Greater Ithaca Activities Center) and $5.06 Million to IYB (Ithaca Youth Bureau) to ensure the continuation of existing youth programs. 2. Prioritize spending for black, brown, working class, and poor led self-determination
projects that increase community safety, such as Black Hands Universal and the
Unbroken Promise Initiative. Create structures to ensure that those most impacted by racism and gentrification in Ithaca decide democratically how the money is spent. 3. Pay monetary reparations to the targets of police attacks, and the families of the victims of lethal police violence in Ithaca. Start with paying Rose DeGroat and Cadji
Ferguson for the ongoing trauma they experience due to the brutal police attack they
suffered on the Ithaca Commons in April 2019. 4. Adequately fund choices of sustainable and affordable: housing, transitional housing for those in recovery, healthcare (including mental healthcare), and childcare. 5. Ensure that all essential and frontline workers and service industry employees are
afforded full COVID-19 protections, including PPE, distancing and other appropriate
safety measures. 6. Provide financial and other support to the Multicultural Resource Center, Tompkins County Immigrant Rights Coalition, and other groups that are developing, or have developed, models for community-based alternatives to policing.
7. Suspend rent payments for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis.
8. Initiate an immediate, official review of the Nagee Green case to provide real justice for the community. In addition to the above demands, the city of Ithaca should use the IPD budget to
support formerly incarcerated individuals re-entering society. These members of our
community are given little to no support, which increases the chances that they will end up incarcerated again. Instead of 12.7 million dollars to support a group of largely White, middle-class men who see themselves as warriors, and give them the weapons to KILL and TERRORIZE, the City should put its money where its supposedly liberal values are
and support re-entry.
10/7/2020 9:00:05 AM Nicole Koschmann City of Ithaca
I support the list of demands that will be presented tonight to the Common Council meeting by the Tompkins Coalition to Defund the Police. The call to defund the police force is taking place across our country as citizens watch how the increased militarization of the police increases the level of violence, crime and mass incarceration
of Black and Brown people. The City of Ithaca is no exception. We have seen in the last
few years examples of police brutality and racism in our own city. Meanwhile, I have watched with alarm as our our youth programs become more underfunded and understaffed. I am increasingly concerned about the potential cooperation between local police and federal agents in the event of large scale protests that could happen in
response to possible election disputes. We are living in a volatile time, and as gun
purchases are increasing, we as a community need to prioritize non-violent conflict-resolution and problem-solving by disarming police, funding community youth programs, social services agencies, advocacy agencies and resist the increased militarization of this country. We are at a crossroads and I hope we make the right decision and be the
city that we claim to be.
10/7/2020 9:25:17 AM Leslie Schultz City of Ithaca
I support the list of demands that will be presented tonight to the Common Council meeting by the Tompkins Coalition to Defund the Police. While I support all the demands issued by the Tompkins Coalition to Defund the Police, I would like to specifically urge all Common Council members and the mayor to use their elected
power to...
1. immediately cut the IPD budget by 80%, from $12.7 million to $2.5 million and reallocate those funds to GIAC and the IYB, making a significant investment in the future of our precious children and to
2. immediately dissolve and disband the SWAT program which is a grotesque representation of the misuse of power and the militarization of our police. Thank you for your service and for doing what is right and good for the community,
especially the most vulnerable among us.
10/7/2020 9:32:52 AM Sonja Taylor Ithaca
Unemployment for black Americans is alarming in Tompkins county. With only 1% being employed out of 4% of the black population in town is concerning . Practices of racial discrimination being used in the hiring and firing process, is overwhelmingly predominate in the businesses, right in town .
Complaints of discrimination is deferred to Albany, also no policy for provoking to warrant firing the employee. Protection for black people in the work place is non existing .
Having the council encourage more audits to the businesses claiming to be equal opportunity employment and only holding on to black employees until inspection from the state leaves.
Practice long held by racist individuals who is looking for ways to obtain business loans
and statues . The continuous employment statues of black residents rarely last 6 months (long enough to prove to the state inspectors that they are up holding policy )
10/7/2020 9:49:25 AM Gerardo Veliz Carrillo Ithaca
I was hoping to speak during the time allotted for speaking but have yet to see a link
posted on the Common Council’s website. No link has shown up as of 9:44am. B. DEMILITARIZE and RESTRAIN POLICE Council members and Mayor Myrick: please respond to these demands as soon as
possible, or at least within the next week. You can reach the coalition at
tompkinscoalition@gmail.com. Thank you. Immediately dissolve and disband the SWAT program. Remove the SWAT truck from IPD and allow its future use to be determined by an
assembly of poor and working class people so that it actually keeps our community
safe. (It could become a mobile health clinic, a COVID testing facility, etc). Eliminate semi-automatic and fully-automatic rifles, and tasers. Prohibit IPD participation in police militarization programs. End harassment and displacement of homeless people.
Prohibit police and other law enforcement agent participation in eviction proceedings.
End corporate contracts that support the operations of ICE, CBP and other federal agencies involved in targeting immigrant and refugee populations.
For months now, community members have come together in the spirit of mutual aid and social justice in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and state-sanctioned
executions of Black people across the country. From food cabinets and free food
programs to community-engaging rallies and tenant support, the growing sense of community and care has shown that the constituents of this council are far more willing, than the council itself, to address the most pressing needs of the community. We ask that the council does its part to make room for community-based solutions to the
persisting problems of poverty and racism. De-militarize IPD today. Give up punitive
solutions to social problems and lend yourself to community care and collaboration as it is developing here in Ithaca. 10/7/2020 10:32:29 AM
Katie Church
Ithaca City I support the demands listed in the document from the Tompkins Coalition. I wholeheartedly support re-allocating large amounts of funding from the IPD to
community, and specifically youth, organizations. In a racist system there cannot be
non-racist policing, and therefore we as a community must take bold, anti-racist actions to dismantle that system. 10/7/2020 11:58:44 AM
Alexander Mora
Ithaca I would like to express my support for the coalition who has organized to divest from policing and increase in community intervention. I am an Ithaca College Graduate, and
have grown to love the people and land of Ithaca as a second home. However, I have
seen the city's prioritization of economic growth, profit, and status, while fronting as an eco-friendly, diverse, accepting community. The truth is, that which the city values is not what the people of the city need. Homelessness, addiction, and poverty is not met with the true care that could permit a city to make the claims that Ithaca does regarding
community, safety, and security.
Police do not walk on the pathway to peace. In fact, they stand in the way of it. The function of police is to maintain order, that of which has been created by ideals with roots in racism and slavery. For true peace to be achieved, we need a divestment from
this way of thinking and doing. We need an investment in the ideals of equality, peace,
solidarity, and community. The demands list set forth by the coalition offers a plan for action which I urge the common council to enact immediately.
10/7/2020 12:14:16 PM Gillie Waddington Enfield
I have had an office in downtown Ithaca for the past 29 years. Most of my interactions with the IPD have been very good, although a few, once concerning my Service Dog, another concerning the treatment of an acquaintance who was a young, troubled, gay man, were quite unpleasant due to some obvious holes in their police training.
Arrogance and disrespect are never behaviors that work well when dealing with the
public. I am White. Had I been an angry Black woman, I am sure that things would not have gone well. Although I think the term "defunding" is somewhat unfortunate, I am very much in favor
of the idea that we need to use the funds allocated to the IPD to fund other
professionals who could better deal with issues of mental illness, disability and homelessness, to name a few. This will not only help the residents whom they have sworn to serve and protect, but it will save police lives as well.
10/7/2020 12:37:24 PM
Sareanda Lourdes Ithaca There are a thousand great reasons to invest our money in community rather than
punishment, most of which boil down to creating a healthy and just community rather
than policing an oppressed one. Healthy, respected, educated, warm, fed, well loved people often make creative, safer, more generous choices for themselves and others. Lets create this world by putting our money and imaginations into it, now. Our current system does not keep us safe, but sends us deeper into moral debt that no amount of
policing can cure. (Not even a homeopathic amount).
While observing the Trump/Blue Lives Matter rally in front of the Ithaca Police Department last Saturday, I witnessed a white police officer pull out of the department parking lot in a police car, drive by the rally, and raise his fist in support.
My own family is voting for Trump, and I understand the brainwashed fever accosting many of his supporters. I understand we all have different views. However, we cannot afford the beautiful human lives and cultural integrity it will cost to pay public servants to carry guns to keep us safe, who, while working, display support for violent partisan
values which proudly devalue and kill our Black and Brown family. These twisted
values support impunity of police officers in party-backed murders, upholding their original conception as guardians of the racist regime that is this country, this settler colony of Ithaca.
I am sure this police officer is not alone in his righteous support of Blue Lives Matter. Its
time, not to try and remedy these few bad apples, not to wait and see what he’ll do with
his gun, nor rehab a diseased IPD, but to uproot the whole darn tree. Stop funding racism. Stop the police, for good.
10/7/2020 12:47:40 PM
Alejandra Diemecke Ithaca It is imperative that we defund the Ithaca Police Department. In a city that claims to be
committed to anti racism and equality, police continue to make brown, black, and
immigrant community members feel threatened. The history of misconduct is often overlooked and officers guilty of racially motivated police brutality continue to work on the force. This is unacceptable and must change.
During this pandemic we have seen significant economic hardships fall upon our
community. If we defund the police and reallocate those funds to programs such as Ithaca youth bureau and GIAC we are doing a better service to our community. Make the right choice and choose to fund our community instead of Ithaca Police Department.
10/7/2020 1:28:46 PM
Lucas Knapp Ithaca We need to reduce funding to IPD and put that money into social services and
programs that actually benefit our community. The continued behavior of the IPBA in
spreading lies and attacking citizens online is also appalling. 10/7/2020 1:43:02 PM John Burger
Dryden Ithaca mailing address
Dear Council, I'm heartened that you are taking up discussion about the white settler monument.
Personally, I feel it could be, potentially, very fruitful discussion to have in a wider forum
format. (Even though my opinion is that removing the monument is appropriate) I think a forum that allows for more public participation and also for a deeper consideration of our nation's history and founding myths would be more valuable than removing the monument through a council vote (at this juncture).
Simply removing the monument by council vote may remove the issue from community consciousness and not provide a potential opportunity for reckoning and healing. Of course, I may be more interested in this subject than others. Again, for me, this has deep historical, psychological and emotional resonance.
Regards, John Burger
10/7/2020 2:01:20 PM Chelsea Steffes Ithaca
I stand with the Tompkins Coalition Demands to the city government. I especially want to highlight their demands for the demilitarization of our police force. There is no need for a SWAT program and the SWAT truck should be converted into something that will help our community rather than terrorize it. Semi-automatic and fully-automatic
weapons should be eliminated and the IPD should stop any involvement with
militarization programs. Contracts supporting programs, such as ICE, that target immigrant and refugee populations should be suspended. Until the city and IPD begin to deescalate and demilitarize the community cannot heal
and move forward. We need to invest in programs that will support those who are
homeless, addicted, or having mental health crises. Police are not the best way to handle these situations. Now is a time of reckoning and Ithaca needs to be a part of righting historical wrongs and moving in a new direction.
10/7/2020 4:09:44 PM
Teresa Halpert Deschanes City of Ithaca I write to urge those engaged in the budget process to consider diverting some money
from the IPD budget to support social workers and mental health professionals. I do not
make a moral argument, but one of fiscal practicality. Ithaca PBA released a revealing letter. On the one hand they say they need additional resources to be successful, namely more officers. Yet they also complain that we
expect them to intervene in complex societal issues outside the scope of their training.
Evidence suggests that, were we not using the police to respond to all sorts of situations outside the scope of their training, we would require fewer officers. This savings could help us find the money to hire social workers and mental-health professionals who are
trained to respond to complex societal issues.
Other communities who have tried this approach have found they could hire two social workers for the price of one peace officer. One town found that up to two-thirds of 911 calls involved mental-health crises, partly because the police were called again and
again for the same individuals. Follow-up by a social worker broke this pattern of repeat
calls and saved countless officer hours. I urge you to read this article about these efforts: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/19/alexandria-kentucky-police-social-workers
Denver has a bigger program that has also been in the news:
https://denverite.com/2020/06/08/a-long-planned-program-to-remove-police-from-some-911-calls-launched-as-denvers-streets-erupted-in-police-brutality-protests/ And the
Eugene program is one of the oldest, having been around for 30 years. https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/05/us/cahoots-replace-police-mental-health-trnd/index.html
The more evidence we gather, the more it appears we are wasting money by sending heavily-armed “peace†officers to deal again and again with the same crises of mental health, substance abuse, poverty, and insecure housing. Obviously, a long-term solution will involve housing our vulnerable citizens and getting them the resources they
need. But we can reprogram some of the police money right away and can thereby
make everyone’s lives a little better. Thank you.
10/7/2020 4:52:18 PM
Barbara Regenspan Ithaca I want to link the issues of the site plan review application for a proposed mammouth
347-unit apartment building on East State st. announced in the Ithaca Voice last week
with issues of police inability to do a job for which they have almost no training in their heavily militarized and defensive training program. I want to argue that the mental health and domestic violence issues to which the police are regularly responding are most often created by miserable living conditions provoking mental health and anger
crises. By "miserable living conditions" I refer to the high percentage of local residents
who are severely rent burdened and whose distress over lack of enough income beyond what they pay for rent provokes continual suffering which is readily linked to domestic violence and mental health crises.
THe Common Council's unwillingness to consider an inclusionary housing law that
would require all new building to meet the needs for workforce and low income housing is a major factor in the emotional burdens of many Ithacans that lead to police intervention that typically go wrong. I know others will speak to the need for a transfer of funding from the police department to robust community programs particularly
designed by and for communities of color and to well-trained mental health workers. I
am in substantive agreement with these statements. But I want to speak to the need for a transfer of funding from the police department to affordable and low-income housing. And specifically I am calling for an end to the consideration of any new major building like this monstrosity planned for East State St. until we have passed a robust
inclusionary housing law that would require all new housing to serve mixed incomes
including the requirement for at least 25% low-income units. Finally, I want to remind all of us that attention is limited and elected Common Council and local legislature members work very hard in the interest of the public good. I can
guarantee you that if this proposal for a monstrous new apartment building on East
State St. is not immediately taken off the table, that I and many allies in the community devoted to making Ithaca a community which can house its workforce will use up a
good percentage of our elected officials' precious time and energy protesting against this monstrous project and calling out the continued investment in gentrification, as opposed to the anti-racist efforts you have promised. Related, I want to assure you
that we will not listen to any more disingenuous assurances that buildings like the
proposed monstrosity will lower rents and make affordable housing more available. Such "filtering" takes decades, and in housing markets like the local one with a lack of enough affordable housing, only other luxury rents can end up lowering slightly. Filtering never filters down to those who need affordable and low income housing.
Thanks for your attention to these comments and to all of you for your willingness to commit so much of your time and energy to such important public service. 10/7/2020 5:25:25 PM
Rachel Fomalhaut
not sure what this means I was uninvolved in the drafting of the demands being presented tonight at Common Council, and I support the demands. It seems clear to me -- and should be clear to all
members of Council -- that something about policing in the U.S. must change. Many are
asking for police reforms, but I support the demands before you today because I agree with their authors that police reform cannot and will not lead to the truly democratic society I want to live in, which is a society in which everyone has their basic needs for safety met. The police, as an institution, has never and will never create the conditions
for our common safety; they will only ever be able to make some safer by making others
less safe. If you don't know what I mean by this, or if you think me ridiculous to make such a broad and sweeping statement, you will need to read much more about this issue from leaders
of the abolition movement in order to make a truly informed decision about the demands
being brought to you today. There is a whole "side" to this issue, a whole body of expert, lived knowledge that mainstream media is not reporting on (in many cases because they are not aware of it). Make no mistake: the demands brought to you today emerge out of a decades-long, sophisticated, nuanced, and deep understanding of the
issues around policing, racism, and community safety. Please do not dismiss these
demands until you can say you truly understand the perspective they are coming from; you owe the most vulnerable constituents you serve that much. I'll leave you with a simple yet astute observation from Marieme Kaba, longtime leader
of the abolition movement, whose knowledge in this area far exceeds mine. About
police reform efforts, Kaba notes that "police cannot be reformed, because the essence of their power is their discretion to use violence. Is this not true? Thank you for your consideration.
10/7/2020 5:40:16 PM Zasu Scott Ithaca Collegetown
Hi. My name is Zasu Scott. I am a Cornell student and an organizer with NY Renews. We need to put our money where are mouths are, when it comes to racial justice. With this in mind, I urge Common Council to immediately cut the IPD budget by 80% from
~$12.7 million to $2.5 million, while also committing to continuing significant cuts to IPD
budget each year for the next 5 years. Doing so will allow us to reinvest this money in neighborhoods that need it. I call on Common council to prioritize spending for black, brown, working class, and poor led self-determination projects that increase community safety, such as Black Hands Universal and the Unbroken Promise Initiative.
I also call on Common Council to reallocate $2.8 Million to GIAC (Greater Ithaca Activities Center) and $5.06 Million to IYB (Ithaca Youth Bureau) to ensure the continuation of existing youth programs. I call on Common Council to compensate Rose DeGroat and Cadji Ferguson for the ongoing trauma they experience due to the brutal
police attack they suffered on the Ithaca Commons in April 2019.
I also urge Common Council to fund sustainable and affordable housing, transitional housing for those in recovery, healthcare (including mental healthcare), and childcare. Lastly, since climate justice and racial justice are two sides of the same coin, I urge
Common Council to accept the proposal for a full-time Climate Action Coordinator
position in Administration or in the Department of Planning and Sustainability, funded as a three-year, one-time initiative.