HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CC-2020-11-04 with public commentCOMMON COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK
Regular Meeting 6:00 p.m. November 4, 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.
PROCLAMATIONS / AWARDS: Mayor Myrick acknowledged the passing of former Alderperson Tom Hanna. Alderperson Hanna represented the Fourth Ward and was a strong advocate for the Collegetown neighborhood, the City, and Newman Golf Course. His passion and civic
engagement will be greatly missed.
Mayor Myrick proclaimed November 20, 2020, as Transgender Day of Remembrance in the City of Ithaca.
A Public Hearing on the Proposed 2021 Budget: Resolution to Open the Public Hearing By Alderperson Kerslick: Seconded by Alderperson Murtagh RESOLVED, That the Public Hearing on the Proposed 2021 Budget be declared open. Carried Unanimously
The following people addressed Common Council: Ary Stewart Genevieve Rand Tammy Baker
Resolution to Close the Public Hearing: By Alderperson Smith: Seconded by Alderperson Lewis RESOLVED, That the Public Hearing on the Proposed 2021 Budget be declared closed.
Carried Unanimously PETITIONS AND HEARINGS OF PERSONS BEFORE COUNCIL: The following people addressed Common Council:
Andrew Molnar PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR – COMMON COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR: Mayor Myrick responded to comments made by Ms. Rand stating that it is not okay to
intentionally misgender someone. He stated that he would make sure that all city
employees are reminded of this. Alderpersons Nguyen, McGonigal, Murtagh, Smith, Fleming, Gearhart, Brock and Lewis echoed the concerns raised regarding misgendering people. They voiced support for
an investigation into the incident and additional training for all employees on this issue.
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CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS: CITY ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE: 3.1 Finance – Approval of 2020-2021 Civil Service Agreement with the Ithaca City
School District By Alderperson Smith: Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick RESOLVED, That the Mayor and City Controller be authorized and directed to execute an agreement between the City of Ithaca and the Ithaca City School District for performance by the City for services in connection with Civil Service matters for the period July 1, 2020 to
June 30, 2021, in an amount of $63,698 payable to the City of Ithaca on or before December 1, 2020. Carried Unanimously 3.2 IFD – Award of Bid for Extrication Equipment
By Alderperson Smith: Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick WHEREAS, on September 28, 2020, the City of Ithaca posted a Notice to Bidders with specifications for Extrication Equipment, and WHEREAS, on October 13, 2020, the City of Ithaca Controller’s Office received sealed bids
from four vendors, and WHEREAS, Fire Chief Parsons and Deputy City Controller Andrew have reviewed the bids, specifications, options, and proposals made by each vendor, and
WHEREAS, after review, Chief Parsons recommends the award of the bid be made to Holmatro Inc.; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Common Council of the City of Ithaca, approves the award of a bid and contract between the City of Ithaca and Holmatro, Inc., 505 McCormick Drive, Glen
Burnie, Maryland, per the pricing and bid specifications for Extrication Tools received on October 13, 2020. Carried Unanimously 3.3 Establishment of a Capital Project to Replace the Chemical Bulk Storage Tank -
Ithaca Area Wastewater Facility
By Alderperson Smith: Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick WHEREAS, the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Plant (Plant) requires periodic inspections of its chemical bulk storage tank systems by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and
WHEREAS, during the last Plant inspection, the DEC reported that the Plant ferrous and ferric chloride tank system(s), #002 and #003, has failing wall linings, and WHEREAS, Tanks #002 and #003 were installed during the original plant construction in the
mid 1980’s, and
WHEREAS, given their age and poor condition, DEC and staff are of the opinion that the tanks are past their useful service life, and
WHEREAS, failure to replace said tanks could lead to DEC penalties of up to $37,500 per
day, and WHEREAS, staff advertised a Chemical Bulk Storage Tank Replacement Project bid
package, which included provisions for the demolition of the old facilities, preparation and
painting of secondary containment systems, tank replacement, and reconnection, and WHEREAS, two bids were received in the amount of $415,000 and $876,461, and
WHEREAS, the original approved budget for this project is $200,000, and
WHEREAS, due to the inconsistency in amounts and the limited number of proposals, staff has rejected the current bids and will re-advertise the project, hoping to obtain interest from a wider competitive audience, and
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WHEREAS, the Special Joint Committee (SJC) approved the amended project in the amount of $450,000 at their regular meeting on October 14, 2020; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That Common Council hereby establish IAWWTF Capital Project #425J in an amount not to exceed $457,000 for costs, including financing, required to replace the IAWWTF Chemical Bulk Storage Tanks #002 and #003, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That funds needed for said Capital Project shall be derived from the Capital
Reserve J-1 $100,000 and $357,000 from the issuance of Serial Bonds, and, be it further RESOLVED, That Common Council hereby recommends authorization of this project contingent upon action by all wastewater partners’ committing their percentage shares to the
Joint Activity Fund allocated per the Joint Sewer Agreement as follows:
Municipality Percentage Project Cost City of Ithaca 57.14 $203,989.80
Town of Ithaca 40.88 $145,941.60
Town of Dryden 1.98 $7,068.60 Carried Unanimously 3.4 IPD – Acceptance of Donation for Improvements to Buildings at the Range
By Alderperson Smith: Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick WHEREAS, The Ithaca Police Department (IPD) was recently notified that they will receive a $5,000 anonymous donation for 2020, and WHEREAS, the IPD has recommended the funds be used to finish insulating and heating a
newer building at the Department’s range so that the building can be used as a training classroom for defensive tactics, de-escalation and reality-based training exercises; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That Common Council hereby accept the $5,000 anonymous donation to the
Ithaca Police Department to help finish improvements to the newer building at the range as stated above, and be it further RESOLVED, That the Common Council thanks the anonymous donor for their generous donation to the City’s Police Department.
Carried Unanimously 3.5 A Resolution to Adopt the LGS-1 Record Retention Schedule By Alderperson Smith: Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick WHEREAS, New York State has issued a new Retention and Disposition Schedule for Local
Government Records, and municipalities are required to adopt it before it can be used; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Common Council of the City of Ithaca hereby adopts the Retention and Disposition Schedule for New York Local Government Records (LGS-1), issued pursuant
to Article 57-A of the Arts and Cultural Affairs Law, and containing legal minimum retention periods for local government records, for use by all city employees in legally disposing of valueless records listed therein, and be it further
RESOLVED, That in accordance with Article 57-A: (a) only those records will be disposed of
that are described in Retention and Disposition Schedule for New York Local Government Records (LGS-1), after they have met the minimum retention periods described therein; (b) only those records will be disposed of that do not have sufficient administrative, fiscal, legal, or historical value to merit retention beyond established legal minimum periods.
Carried Unanimously
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3.6 HR – Authorization of Additional Vacation to be Carried Forward By Alderperson Smith: Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick WHEREAS, managerial employees and confidential employees face the forfeiture or loss of
vacation days and/or annual leave at the end of 2020 due to (1) the suspension of buyback
as a cost-savings measure for the City, and (2) the difficulties that many employees have experienced in taking leave time during the pandemic, and (3) the standard limit on carry forward of vacation days and/or annual leave from one year to the next, and
WHEREAS, the City desires to address the above described circumstances by allowing
these employees to carry forward ten (10) days of vacation and/or annual leave above the maximums otherwise allowed from 2020 into 2021, provided that these additional days must be used by March 31, 2021 or forfeited; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the policies of the City applicable to carry forward of vacation days and/or
annual leave by managerial and confidential employees are hereby amended to allow employees to carry forward ten (10) additional days of vacation and/or annual leave from 2020 into 2021 above the maximums otherwise allowed, provided that these additional days must be used by March 31, 2021, and if not used by that date, will be forfeited.
Carried Unanimously CITY ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE: 4.1 Adoption of 2021 Budget By Alderperson Mohlenhoff: Seconded by Alderperson Smith
WHEREAS, this Common Council is now considering adoption of the Amended
Executive Budget for 2021 at its November 4, 2020 meeting as approved by the Committee of the Whole, and WHEREAS, it is the consensus of this Common Council that the total appropriations
and estimated revenues, as set forth in said Amended Executive Budget for 2021, and
as those amounts may be altered by action of this Common Council at its November 4, 2020 meeting, are adequate for the operation of the City during 2021; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That this Common Council accepts and approves said Amended
Executive Budget for 2021, together with any additional changes made in said budget at Council's November 4, 2020 meeting as the City of Ithaca Budget for 2021, in the total amount of $79,185,563, and be it further
RESOLVED, That the following sections of the 2021 Budget be approved:
A) General Fund Appropriations B) Water Fund Appropriations C) Sewer Fund Appropriations
D) Solid Waste Fund Appropriations E) Sidewalk Special District Fund Appropriations F) Stormwater Drainage Special District Fund Appropriations G) General Fund Revenues H) Water Fund Revenues
I) Sewer Fund Revenues J) Solid Waste Fund Revenues K) Sidewalk Special District Fund Revenue L) Stormwater Drainage Special District Fund Revenue
M) Debt Retirement Schedule
N) Capital Projects O) Schedule of Salaries and Positions - General Fund P) Schedule of Salaries and Positions - Water & Sewer Fund Q) Schedule of Salaries and Positions - Sidewalk Special District Fund
R) Schedule of Salaries and Positions - Solid Waste Fund
S) Schedule of Salaries and Positions – Stormwater Drainage Special District Fund T) Authorized Equipment - General Fund U) Authorized Equipment - Water Fund
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V) Authorized Equipment - Sewer Fund W) Authorized Equipment - Solid Waste Fund X) Authorized Equipment - Sidewalk Special District Fund Balance
Y) Authorized Equipment - Stormwater Drainage Special District Fund
Alderperson Mohlenhoff thanked staff for their work on the budget and quick response to questions that were raised by Council. She clarified that this is an amended executive budget as a result of the deliberations that occurred over the month of
October.
Amending Resolution: By Alderperson Lewis: Seconded by Alderperson McGonigal RESOLVED, that two police officer positions be restored to the 2021 Executive Budget
to be funded from taxes and added to the roster on July 1, 2021.
Discussion followed regarding police staffing levels, the amount of time it takes to get an officer hired and trained, the need for structural reform, community policing, and the potential impacts to other initiatives such as Reinventing Public Safety, the LEAD
program, and the Community Outreach Worker program.
City Controller Thayer stated that the proposal would cost $82,100 and the tax rate would increase to $11.85 with a tax levy of 7.94%.
A vote on the Amending Resolution resulted as follows:
Ayes (8) Brock, McGonigal, Murtagh, Gearhart, Fleming, Kerslick, Mohlenhoff, Lewis Nays (2) Nguyen, Smith Carried (8-2)
Main Motion as Amended As a result of the adoption of the Amending Resolution, the first Resolved clause of the Main Motion will read as follows:
“RESOLVED, That this Common Council accepts and approves said Amended Executive Budget for 2021, together with any additional changes made in said budget at Council's November 4, 2020 meeting as the City of Ithaca Budget for 2021, in the total amount of $79,267,663, and, be it further”
A vote on the Main Motion as Amended resulted as follows: Carried Unanimously 4.2 Adoption of 2021 Tax Rate By Alderperson Mohlenhoff: Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick
WHEREAS, the 2021 City of Ithaca Budget was approved, adopted, and confirmed in
the total amount of $79,267,663 on November 4, 2020 in accordance with a detailed Budget on file in the Office of the City Controller, and WHEREAS, available and estimated revenues total $52,883,092 leaving $26,384,571
as the amount to be raised by taxation, and
WHEREAS, the Assessment Roll for 2021 certified and filed by the Assessment Department of Tompkins County, has been footed and approved and shows the total
net taxable valuation as $2,226,546,099, and
WHEREAS, under Charter provisions, the tax limit for City purposes amounts to $40,303,339 for 2021; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the tax rate for general purposes, for the fiscal year 2021, be, and
the same hereby is, established and fixed at $11.85 per $1,000 of taxable valuation as shown, certified and extended against the respective properties on the 2021 Tax Roll, thereby making a total tax levy, as near as may be, of $26,384,571, and be it further
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RESOLVED, That the amount of said tax levy be spread, and the same hereby is levied upon and against the respective properties as shown on said City Tax Roll, in accordance with their respective net taxable valuation, at the rate of $11.85 per $1,000
of such taxable valuation, and be it further
RESOLVED, That the City Chamberlain be, and hereby is, directed to extend and apportion the City Tax as above, and that upon the completion of the extension of said Roll, the City Clerk shall prepare a warrant on the City Chamberlain for the collection of
said levy; and the Mayor and the City Clerk hereby are authorized and directed to sign
and affix the corporate seal to such warrant and forthwith to file the same with said Tax Roll with the City Chamberlain, and be it further RESOLVED, That upon the execution and filing of said warrant and Tax Roll with the
City Chamberlain, the amounts of the City Tax set opposite each and every property
shall hereby become liens, due, payable and collectible in accordance with provisions of the City Charter and other laws applicable thereto, and be it further RESOLVED, That the total sum of $79,267,663 be appropriated in accordance with the
adopted Budget to the respective Boards, Offices, and Departments of the City, for the
purposes respectively set forth therein. The 2021 Assessment Roll has been completed and approved by the Assessment Department of Tompkins County and resulted in the following valuation:
Total Value of Real Property $5,546,985,245 Less: Value of Exempt Property $3,357,562,800 $2,189,422,445 Plus: Value of Special Franchises $37,123,654
Net Value of Taxable Property $2,226,546,099
Ayes (10) Brock, McGonigal, Nguyen, Murtagh, Gearhart, Fleming, Smith, Kerslick, Mohlenhoff, Lewis
Nays (1) Mayor Myrick
Carried (10-1) Mayor Myrick stated that he opposed the Resolution as he felt that the tax rate was too high.
4.3 Adoption of 2021 Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Plant Budget By Alderperson Mohlenhoff: Seconded by Alderperson Brock WHEREAS, this Common Council is now considering adoption of the Amended Joint Activity Fund Budget for 2021 as approved by the Committee of the Whole, and
WHEREAS, it is the consensus of this Common Council that the total appropriations and estimated revenues, as set forth in said Amended Joint Activity Fund Budget for 2021 and as those amounts may be altered by action of the Common Council at its November 4, 2020 meeting, are adequate for the operation of the Ithaca Area
Wastewater Treatment Plant during 2021; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Common Council accepts and approves said Amended Joint Activity Fund Budget for 2021, together with any additional changes made in said
budget at Council’s November 4, 2020 meeting, as the Ithaca Area Wastewater
Treatment Plant Joint Activity Fund Budget for 2021, in the total amount of $4,878,894; and be it further RESOLVED, That the following sections of the 2021 Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment
Plant Joint Activity Fund Budget be approved:
A) Joint Activity Fund Appropriations B) Joint Activity Fund Revenues
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C) Schedule of Salaries and Positions – Joint Activity Fund D) Authorized Equipment – Joint Activity Fund Carried Unanimously
4.4 A Local Law to Confirm the Sidewalk Improvement District Assessments, Budget, and Schedule of Work for Fiscal Year 2021 By Alderperson Mohlenhoff: Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick 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:
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
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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.
A roll call vote 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
4.5 Amendments to the 2015 MOU to Increase Resources for the Community Housing Development Fund Alderperson Mohlenhoff: Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick WHEREAS, the Common Council for the City of Ithaca (City) authorized funding for the
Community Housing Affordability Program and the Community Housing Trust Program,
jointly known as the Housing Fund, and approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among the City, County of Tompkins (County), and Cornell University (Cornell) that established the Housing Fund for the period of time spanning 2009 to 2015, and
WHEREAS, the program was renamed as the “Community Housing Development Fund”
(CHDF) when the signatories approved a second 6-year MOU to extend the program to 2021, and WHEREAS, the CHDF provides financial assistance to developers to construct or
preserve the supply of affordable housing in Tompkins County and is governed by a
Program Oversight Committee made up of appointees from each of the signatories, and WHEREAS, City members of the Program Oversight Committee are: Chris Proulx, Seph Murtagh, Ducson Nguyen and George McGonigal (alternative), and
WHEREAS, both the County and Cornell have agreed to increase their annual contribution to the program in Years #5 and #6 by $100,000, bringing the County’s annual contribution to $200,000 and Cornell’s annual contribution to $300,000, and
WHEREAS, the City increased its annual contribution by $100,000 in 2020 bringing its
contribution to the CHDF to $200,000 for Year #5 of the program, and WHEREAS, the Mayor’s proposed 2021 budget includes a contribution of $200,000 to the CHDF, thereby matching increased funding from Tompkins County and Cornell
University for Year #6 of the program, and
WHEREAS, the 2015 MOU specifies that other organizations can join as associate members with a contribution of $50,000 or more, and the Program Oversight Committee
seeks to clarify that an associate member’s voting privileges extend to project approvals
and funding recommendations but not to matters of program governance, and WHEREAS, the Town of Dryden has committed $50,000 towards the CHDF Housing Development Fund in 2020, which is sufficient for the Town to have associate
membership status, and
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WHEREAS, the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency (TCIDA) adopted a workforce housing policy on July 8, 2020 that requires certain developers to make
payments to the CHDF as a condition of receiving tax abatements, and
WHEREAS, the Program Oversight Committee of the CHDF unanimously recommended approval of the following amendments to the MOU; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Common Council for the City of Ithaca hereby approves
amendments to the 2015 Memorandum of Understanding among the County of Tompkins, the City of Ithaca, and Cornell University with regard to the Community Housing Development Fund to increase resources for affordable housing projects and clarify associated policies, including but not limited to:
• Increase the City’s Year #6 funding to $200,000 as recommended in the Mayor’s proposed 2021 City budget to match increased funding committed by Tompkins County and Cornell University
• Accept the Town of Dryden as an associate member, with limited voting rights, in
recognition of their $50,000 contribution to the CHDF
• Accept contributions from developers pursuant to the TCIDA’s Workforce Housing Policy,
and, be it further RESOLVED, That the Mayor, subject to review by the City Attorney, is hereby authorized to execute the attached amendment to the above referenced 2015 MOU.
Carried Unanimously Report of the City Controller: City Controller Thayer thanked everyone involved with budget, especially Mayor Myrick, Alderperson Mohlenhoff, Chief of Staff Cogan and Common Council. He stated this has
been the most difficult time in his career and extended his thanks to the City’s Senior Staff and front-line workers, noting that it takes everyone working together to make this work. PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
5.1 An Ordinance to Establish the Carpenter Circle Planned Unit Development District By Alderperson Murtagh: Seconded by Alderperson Smith WHEREAS, on April 4, 2018, the Common Council adopted legislation creating a Planned Unit Development Overlay District (PUDOD), and
WHEREAS, on February 19, 2019, Whitham Planning and Design submitted an application on behalf of Park Grove Realty and Cayuga Medical Center for consideration to establish a Planned Unit Development district at Carpenter Circle, parcel numbers 36.-1-3.3 and 36-1-3.5, and
WHEREAS, the applicant is proposing the development of a new urban neighborhood, comprised of a medical facility, one 4-story residential building, and two 6-story buildings containing ground floor commercial space, parking, and 4 stories of apartments, and
WHEREAS, the applicant will further develop neighborhood streets, pedestrian and transit connections, shared parking, and green space, and will work with Project Growing Hope, Inc. reconfigure and will work with the not-for-profit sponsor of the Ithaca Community Gardens to reconfigure and improve it, and support its establishment as a
permanent site, and
1. WHEREAS, the applicant has executed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with the not-for-profit sponsor of the Ithaca Community Gardens, dated October 22, 2019, which outlines among other things how costs
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associated with the reconfiguration of the Community Gardens will be covered, and how gardeners will be moved from their current plots to the new configuration, and
2. WHEREAS, the total proposed development contains approximately 64,000 SF of
medical office space, 215 new housing units, 42 of which will be designated as
affordable units, 349 surface parking spaces, and 183 garage spaces, and
3. WHEREAS, the project is intended to provide the following benefits to the community
1. A permanent and improved space for community gardens open to the public;
2. Generation of approximately 150 jobs;
3. Construction of approximately 40 units of housing that would be priced to be affordable to those earning 50-60% of AMI;
4. High-quality public amenities, including improved pedestrian, transit, and bicycle access throughout the site, and public spaces including open green
space, plazas for events and/or outdoor dining, a playground, and storm water management gardens featuring native plantings;
5. An improved gateway into the City of Ithaca on Route 13;
6. Alignment with the City’s Comprehensive Plan and ongoing planning related
to the Route 13 corridor and the Waterfront Zone; and
4. WHEREAS, the applicant has stated that the project could not proceed under the
existing zoning due to setback and height requirements, and
5. WHEREAS, a public information session, hosted by the applicant, was held on
April 8, 2019 and the meeting was advertised in the Ithaca Journal, the property
was posted with signs and property owners within 500 feet of the property were
notified by mail of the meeting; now, therefore
ORDINANCE NO. 2020- ____
BE IT ORDAINED AND ENACTED by the Common Council of the City of Ithaca that a new Section 325-13 be added to the City of Ithaca Municipal Code to establish the
Carpenter Circle Planned Unit Development District as follows:
Section 1. Carpenter Circle Planned Unit Development District is hereby established as follows:
Carpenter Circle District
Table of Contents
A. Legislative Intent
B. Community Benefits
C. Sub Areas
D. Permitted Uses
1. Primary
2. Accessory
E. Parking/Loading Requirements
F. Area Requirements
1. Minimum Lot Size (SF)
2. Minimum Width in Feet at Street Line
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3. Maximum Building Height 4. Maximum Percentage of Lot Coverage by Buildings 5. Yard Dimensions.
a. Required Minimum Front Yard
b. Required Minimum Side Yard c. Required Minimum Other Side Yard d. Required Minimum Rear Yard. 6. Minimum Building Height
ARTICLE IVB
Carpenter Business Circle Planned Unit Development Part 1
Zoning Code
A. Legislative Intent
1. On February 19, 2019, Whitham Planning and Design submitted an application on behalf of Park Grove Realty and Cayuga Medical Center for
consideration to establish a Planned Unit Development district at Carpenter Circle, parcel numbers 36.-1-3.3 and 36-1-3.5. The applicant is proposing the development of a new urban neighborhood, comprised of a medical facility, one 4-story residential building, and two 6-story buildings containing
ground floor commercial space, parking, and 4 stories of apartments. The
completed project is intended to provide the following benefits to the community:
a. A permanent and improved space for community gardens.
b. Generation of approximately 150 jobs;
c. Construction of approximately 40 units of housing that would be
priced to be affordable to those earning 50-60% of AMI;
d. High-quality public amenities, including improved pedestrian, transit, and bicycle access throughout the site, and public spaces including open green space, plazas for events and/or outdoor dining, a
playground, and storm water management gardens featuring native
plantings;
e. An improved gateway into the City of Ithaca on Route 13; and
f. Alignment with the City’s Comprehensive Plan and ongoing planning related to the Route 13 corridor and the Waterfront Zone.
B. Community Benefits
1. Benefits. The project is intended to provide the following benefits to the community:
a. A permanent and improved space for community gardens open to the public
b. Generation of approximately 150 jobs;
c. Construction of approximately 40 units of housing that would be priced to be affordable to those earning 50-60% of AMI;
d. High-quality public amenities, including improved pedestrian, transit, and bicycle access throughout the site, and public spaces including open green space, plazas for events and/or outdoor dining, a
playground, and storm water management gardens featuring native plantings;
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e. An improved gateway into the City of Ithaca on Route 13; and
f. Alignment with the City’s Comprehensive Plan and ongoing planning related to the Route 13 corridor and the Waterfront Zone.
2. In the event that the applicant is not able to provide all of the listed community
benefits, the applicant will be required to return to the Common Council to renegotiate the terms of the Planned Unit Development.
C. Sub Areas. The Carpenter Circle Planned Unit Development District shall consist of 3 PUD-Sub Areas
1. CCPUD-A-This sub area is intended to be predominantly used for
community gardens and may contain structures and parking areas that support the gardens.
2. CCPUD-B-This is a residential sub area.
3. CCPUD-C-This sub area is a mixed used district allowing for medical office,
residential and small scale commercial uses.
.
D. Permitted Uses.
1. Primary Uses a. CCPUD-a
1) Community Gardens b. CCPUD-b
1) Multiple Family dwelling (See § 325-3). c. CCPUD-c
1) Multiple Family dwelling (See § 325-3).
2) Mixed-Use building.
3) Medical Facility.
4) Nursery school, child day care center, group Adult Day Care.
5) Nursing, convalescent or rest home.
6) Public park or playground.
7) Library.
8) Business or professional Office.
9) Bank or Monetary Institution.
10) Office of Government.
11) Public, private or parochial school.
12) Neighborhood commercial facility.
13) Retail store or Service Commercial Facility.
14) Restaurants, Fast Food Establishment, Tavern, with the exception of establishments where food or drink is intended to be served to or consumed by persons in automobiles.
15) Club, Lodge or Private Social Center.
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16) Theater, Bowling Alley, Auditorium or Other Similar Place of Public Assembly.
17) Hotel/Motel.
18) Recreational or Cultural Facilities such as a Park, Playground, Art Museum.
19) Community gardens. 2. Permitted Accessory Uses
a. CCPUD-a
1) Structure to support garden use b. CCPUD-b and CCPUD-c
1) Any accessory use permitted in the ND Zone
2) Drive-Thru Banking Services
3) Parking Garages
4) Dock
E. Parking/Loading Requirements
1. Parking Requirement-None
2. Off Street Loading Requirement-None
F. Area Requirements
1. Minimum Lot Size (SF)
2. Minimum Width in Feet at Street Line
3. Maximum Building Height a. CCPUD-a
1) Maximum building height of 2 stories and 30’ b. CCPUD-b
1) Maximum building height of 4 stories and 60’
c. CCPUD-c
1) Maximum building height of 6 stories and 80’ 4. Maximum Percentage of Lot Coverage by Buildings-100%, Except for Required Setbacks
5. Yard Dimensions. CCPUD-a is exempt from all lot area requirements. a. Required Minimum Front Yard for CCPUD-b and CCPUD-c-. No front yard setback is required, except as necessary to provide a minimum 5' sidewalk and an 8' tree lawn
b. Required Minimum Side Yard for CCPUD-b and CCPUD-c. If the side yard faces a street, no side yard setback is required, except as necessary to provide a sidewalk and tree lawn. No other setback required. c. Required Minimum Other Side Yard for CCPUD-b and CCPUD-c.
If the side yard faces a street, no side yard setback is required, except as necessary to provide a sidewalk and tree lawn. No other setback required. d. Required Minimum Rear Yard for CCPUD-b and CCPUD-c. If the rear yard faces a street, no side yard setback is required, except as
necessary to provide a sidewalk and tree lawn. No other setback required. 6. Minimum Building Height. There is no minimum building height in the CCPUD-a district. For CCPUD-b and CCPUD-c, New construction must be a minimum of 25’in height and 2 stories.
Accessory structures of less than 250 SF may be 1 story.
November 4, 2020
14
Section 2. Conditions. All zoning changes describes in this PUD are contingent on the following:
• The Project Sponsor applicant obtains and records title in fee simple to all land proposed for inclusion on this PUD. fee title to all lands in the PUD except those lands to which the community gardens relocate per signed agreement with the City.
• An agreement is executed between the Project Sponsor and the Community Gardens, which outlines the improvements and/or funding that will be provided to the gardens by the project sponsor.
• A legally-binding agreement is executed between the Project Sponsor
applicant and the not-for-profit sponsor of the Ithaca Community Gardens,
based on the Memorandum of Understanding with Project Growing Hope, Inc., which includes among other things finalized details as to how the costs associated with the reconfiguration of the Community Gardens will be covered and how gardeners will be moved from their current plots to the
new configuration. Section 3. The City Planning and Development Board, the City Clerk and the Planning Department shall amend the district regulations chart in accordance with the amendments made herewith.
Section 4. Severability. 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 portion.
Section 5. Effective date. This ordinance shall take effect after satisfaction of the contingency required in Section_2, above, and in accordance with law upon publication of notices as provided in the Ithaca City Charter.
• √Whereas Statement #4 has the text "will work with Project Growing Hope" that should have
been struck out to remove once we added the new text "will work with the not-for profit sponsor
of the Ithaca Community Gardens"
• √Section 2. Conditions. In two spots in this section the words project sponsor is used,
however, in multiple areas throughout the document the word applicant is used. In order to be consistent the two "project sponsors" should be replaced with "applicant"
• √Section 2. Conditions. The condition as written requires the applicant to obtain title to all land proposed for inclusion in the PUD. However, the Community Gardens parcel is part of the
PUD and will not be owned by the applicant. So, we are proposing removing the language "and records title in fee simple to all land proposed for inclusion on this PUD." and instead
adding "fee title to all lands in the PUD "except those lands to which the community gardens relocate per signed agreement with the City."
Discussion followed regarding the proposed location and density of the housing component included in the project, the Community Gardens land, the development challenges of the site, and the inclusion of a downtown medical center. A vote on the Resolution resulted as follows:
Ayes (7) Nguyen, Murtagh, Gearhart, Smith, Kerslick, Mohlenhoff, Lewis Nays (3) McGonigal, Brock, Fleming Carried (7-3) MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS: The approval of minutes was deferred. ADJOURNMENT: On a motion the meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m.
November 4, 2020
15
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
10/7/2020 7:54:00 PM Sally Tuszynski 2021 City Budget
Hello my name is Sally and I live in the City of Ithaca. I want to talk a bit about defunding the police. I want to emphasize that the funds for positive community programming already exist, we simply need to reallocate. I can break it down for you. After a bit of research i found that the 2020 IPD budget included $800,000 for overtime,
while the GIAC got $7,240 for overtime and youth programs got $0 for overtime. The
2020 IPD budget included $27,000 for new equipment while the GIAC and youth programming both got $0 for new equipment. The 2020 IPD budget included $1,479,000 for retirement while the GIAC and youth programming both got $0 for retirement. The IPD got $10,000 for advertising while the GIAC got $0 for advertising
and youth programs got $5,302 for advertising. I could go on, but you all made this
budget so you know exactly where you allocated funds. It is very clear from this trend that exorbitant amounts of money are allocated to IPD and it would be extremely easy to redistribute funds to youth programs and mental health initiatives. I want to urge you think very carefully about the day after the budget comes out. I promise you that we will
be looking at every line item in the budget. Will you be able to justify the decisions you
made? You are elected officials, and I beg you to listen to the loud cries of the people demanding that police get less funding, and the community gets more funding. I also want to highlight the fact that Ithaca residents would not be more likely to face
harm if the police budget is decreased because local police departments only address
certain types of crime and they can only react to crimes after they happen, they do not prevent crimes. According to a case study conducted by The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/19/upshot/unrest-police-time-violent-crime.html), police officers spend only about four percent of their time on violent crimes. Additionally,
according to a Pew Research study (https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-
tank/2017/03/01/most-violent-and-property-crimes-in-the-u-s-go-unsolved/), only about half of the violent crimes and a third of the property crimes that occur in the US each year are reported to police. And most of the crimes that are reported don’t result in the arrest, charging and prosecution of a suspect. Furthermore, local police
departments rarely police white collar crimes, which actually have detrimental impacts
on millions of lives, unlike heavily policed crimes such as trespassing or parking violations. Every year in the US employers steal more than $50 billion from workers through various forms of wage theft, such as minimum wage violations or overtime violations, which are crimes that the police do not address, compared to the $13.54
billion is stolen through thefts that are policed, such as robbery
(https://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/links/S241812-LINK1.PDF). The police are designed to protect property and the rich, not the working people of Ithaca. It is absolutely imperative, morally and economically, that we defund the police and give the communities the funding that they so desperately need.
10/7/2020 9:57:00 PM Kalie Pierce Reallocating IPD funds to community programs
I would like to advocate for reallocating some of IPD's funding to other community programs that tackle mental health, drug addiction, and housing. The most prevalent crimes in Ithaca are burglaries, property damage, thefts, etc. Nonviolent crimes that are often related to drug addiction and mental health problems. Why do we have a SWAT
team? We don't have gang wars in Ithaca. Why do we have $12.7 million allocated to
the IPD while community programs operate on shoestring budgets and are currently stretched thin during a pandemic? The IPD says they're overwhelmed and I agree - it's time to stop expecting police to play mental health provider, drug counselor, and homelessness outreach all at once. It's time to reduce the role and responsibilities of
police officers and increase the role and responsibilities of community programs.
10/7/2020 10:50:00 PM Annie Perry Ithaca
City of Ithaca Budget -- FUND GIAC!
Dear Mayor Myrick and Members of the Ithaca Common Council, I am a resident of the City of Ithaca, Ward 1, an essential employee working in the City,
and a member of the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC), Inc. Board of Directors. I
appreciate the time and attention that the Mayor and Council are spending on budgetary decision-making in the face of lost sales taxes and decreased revenues that will impact all City services.
I support a reduction in funding to the Ithaca Police Department that can be reallocated
to more fully fund community services which will make our City safer and more just. Over the past several years, the City has already made important strides in increasing funding for youth, community, and street outreach services. Our City must address social problems at their roots and invest in building strong communities in order to
improve public health and safety. I believe strongly that GIAC programming IS essential
for this community to thrive. At the heart of GIAC’s mission is so much more than just educational and recreational services, but a safe space to connect, respect, and sustain one another. The outstanding City staff members at GIAC are well known community leaders who are the heart and soul that make GIAC beloved. It is note-
worthy that in this year of upheaval, the people voted GIAC the "Best Non-Profit
Organization" in the Ithaca Times "Best of" poll. The practice of community-building and social justice is embedded in all of GIAC’s programs and is needed now more keenly than ever.
I urge you to make every effort to continue GIAC's funding at current levels to maintain
GIAC's critical personnel and programming. Thank you.
10/26/2020 8:07:00 AM David Yearsley Street Cleaning Noise
I have a serious concern about nighttime noise pollution, in particular the extremely loud street cleaning machine that operates each night from 3am in the City of Ithaca. I am a 25-year-long resident of central Ithaca, initially on North Geneva Street, and for
the last two decades on Cascadilla Park Road. This is my first time airing a public
comment before the Common Council. Over the last couple of months my wife, Annette Richards, and I have, for the first time in our years in Ithaca, been disturbed several nights a week by the sound of the street
cleaner moving through town, including last night (Sunday night) from about 4am.
Though I don't have a decibel reader, I can assure you that the reading would be high. In addition, the frequency of the machine when brushes are engaged is extremely cutting. The noise for residents in houses as the machine passes by is massive, and the disturbing sonority resounds across a many-block radius.
The city's facilities website informs residents that "street cleaning typically begins at 7:30am," and in my years of living here I have not been disturbed with the relentless consistency that has obtained of late. I have spoken with Supervisor of Streets Cliff Murphy, who informed me that street cleaning begins every night at 3am. I asked him
about the the system of posting signs for moving of cars, but he said that those
procedures had been discontinued during the pandemic in order to minimize the number of people working and moving vehicles. Mr. Murphy was unmoved by my suggestion that this is an important quality-of-life issue. Yet we are in the midst of a pandemic during which sleep is vital. The CDC pandemic website dedicates much
space to the topic, and stresses that "sleep loss reduces production of antibodies,
which increases the risk for infections." I would estimate that I have lost on average of six or seven hours of sleep each week over the last six weeks or so. I am one of the few faculty members teaching in-person
at Cornell this term, and my work in the classroom has suffered, never mind the health
risks involved. Sleep is not a luxury, but a necessity, not a mere convenience, but a matter of urgent public health. I hope that the Council will have time to dedicate some attention to what I can only imagine is not a solitary concern. I would be glad to participate in those discussions.
David Yearsley
10/28/2020 9:48:00 PM Eva Milstein Touesnard Dryden
Defund the IPD
DEFUND the Ithaca police department. Ithaca is a town of 30,000 people. Nothing ever happens here. We don’t need 70 cops!! We only need like five cops, MAXIMUM. There are so many other resources we need SO much more, especially during this
recession and this awful awful year it had been! This is OUR city and we are trying to
build a future that WE want to see. Can we please take the time to create a city that we actually truly love because this is not it. 10/29/2020 11:55:00 AM
Thomas Murphy
Ithaca Police reforms in our county I am in favor of police reforms. I know a lot of it is very political right now, but from what
I've heard, we are asking police to respond to violent crises, AND be mental health
professionals, AND so many other things. I don't see why we shouldn't start making programs that would offload all this work we have these officers have to do - from what I've heard these are people who only 6 months of training. I have to get a YEAR of training just to become a teacher, and they're doing more jobs then I am! We need
police reform in this county.
10/29/2020 1:33:00 PM David Barnes Ithaca
Police funding
I am a life long City of Ithaca resident residing on South Hill. I am also a 35 year veteran of the Ithaca Police Department, the last 12 years of my career I served as one of the Chiefs and retired in 2004.
I strongly urge you to vote in opposition of the proposal to defund any positions in the IPD, Prior to my retirement were had minimum staffing levels on each shift for patrol officer of 6. It is now not uncommon for only 2 or 3 Police Officers to be available each shift. Some vacancies can be filled with overtime but that is not economical for the City
and after a point the Officers become burned out. Low staffing is not safe for the city's
residents nor is it safe for the Officers on patrol. Please do the right thing and vote in opposition to this proposal.
10/29/2020 3:00:00 PM Joan Russell Yetzer Ithaca
Unrelenting bad behavior of some "protesters", ongoing & public harassment of IPD
Deputy Chief Monticello This Quarry St-born native Ithacan, who with her husband was employed by the city for a combination of nearly 70 years, still owns real estate here, pays taxes here, and lives
within the Ithaca city limits.
In May of this year, a terrible injustice was done to one George Floyd in Minneapolis. I know of no person who feels otherwise about that knee-to-the-neck fatal arrest. That was not an incident perpetrated by any Ithaca area officer. National news stories about
other outrageously wrong police-involved incidents did not involve any Ithaca area
officer, either. There are some people in almost every field who act badly in the course of their work. There are also some people who love to complain, either to make themselves seem like
the "better" person victimized by a "lesser" person, or simply to gain attention. Current
US President Trump is a chronic "victim". We do not judge all politicians by Trump's actions, nor should we. Likewise, we should not judge local officers by outrageous actions committed by a slim few elsewhere.
The chronic "protesters" here in Ithaca have been coddled for far too long at this point.
Many of their actions are simply appalling, and it is past time to put an end to any and all illegal actions which they commit. Are there other cities where like protesting is occurring? Yes. But Ithaca is an ivy league city, and we should set an example of how to behave.
Our IPD officers are currently too few, and working in far too tiring and dangerous conditions. It is my considered opinion that IPD and the city of Ithaca are fortunate to have Deputy Chief Vince Monticello as a long-time and conscientious employee. I would vouch his integrity any time at all. And, again, I am a CITY resident. I have worked with
and for the Deputy Chief. I do not now work for him and have no reason to offer praise,
other than that is due him. I have never known DC Monticello do anything other than the fair thing, in every situation. It has been more than tiresome to have to deal with the Corona virus pandemic, yet we
have no choice. This other situation is one which we can and must stop without delay.
Please, politicians, do your jobs right and stop allowing our uniformed city employees to be abused.
10/29/2020 5:47:00 PM David Halpert City of Ithaca
public; police funding
Dear council members: I write to ask that you consider shifting funds out of the police budget and into targeted
community safety programs such as social workers.
My wife and I recently restored the house next to STAP as affordable housing for 14 people. Our tenants have frequently been disturbed by dangerous and noisy behavior of people using the STAP property as a gathering spot late at night. STAP
recommends that our tenants call the police. Our tenants have not done this. They tell
us it is a recipe for tragedy to have armed police responding to impoverished and sometimes substance-impaired POC who are facing difficult social issues. We agree, and think that a more appropriate and beneficial solution would be to replace
some police officers with case workers and social workers. The police union in their
recent letter admits that they are trying to "intervene in complex societal issues outside the scope of their training. If we use more appropriately-trained employees to address these issues of poverty, we will be able to have fewer armed officers, and we will free up those officers to do the work they are trained for.
Since our police officers are among the highest-paid city employees, we can hire two social workers for the price of one officer. A significant downsizing in police coupled with an increase in social services will improve life in Ithaca.
Thank you for your time and hard work,
David Halpert 10/29/2020 5:53:00 PM Maddie Halpert
City of Ithaca
Shift police funding to community-based safety Dear Common Council and Mayor Myrick -- Do not deflect your responsibility over our city's budget by comparing our police budget
to that of other places, as Mayor Myrick did in a previous meeting. By doing so you
assume the status quo in place across many communities is a neutral reference point, but for so many reasons it is clearly not neutral. In using that frame you fail to focus on the question, "What is the best way to allocate our money for the wellbeing and safety of our community--our whole community?"
I think for many the phrase "defund the police" can come with uncertainty that causes fear. I urge you to take your leadership roles seriously by educating yourselves on what
community-based safety means and shifting *funding* to those types of approaches, along with community services. Our current system assumes fear, dehumanization, and violence throughout its processes. It perpetuates trauma for many involved, but
especially for people of color that police systems historically were designed to control.
(We also need accountability for things like the unjust arrest last Thursday by DC Monticello, and police abusing protestors, but that's less directly budget-related.) Heed the desperation we are seeing in local protests -- make these budget changes now. Lives are on the line.
Thank you, --Maddie, Ithaca 10/29/2020 5:55:00 PM
Eveline Adele Halpert
City of Ithaca Tompkins Coalition demands Hello Common Council,
I want to write in support of the list of demands made by the Tompkins Coalition to, among other things, defund the Ithaca police department by 80% and prioritize spending for youth programs, housing, healthcare, and other services.
We shouldn't be spending so much money, more for many positions than the median
income in Ithaca, to pay those who pepper spray and arrest peaceful protestors and yet do not arrest people telling such protestors to "just die already." I was baffled to read today part of the statement by the police chief regarding a different matter, in which he says that "there is no tolerance for any acts of targeted hatred and bigotry in our
community." I am unsure how anyone could consider shouting at a Black man to "just
die already" to not be an example of "targeted hatred." Please listen to your constituents and make your budget the moral document it is supposed to be. 10/30/2020 11:37:00 AM
David Weiner
Ithaca Ithaca Police Budget Cuts I have lived in the Ithaca area since 1980 and a member of Temple Beth-El. Since July
of 2020 I have been co-president of the Synagogue. In the 40 years I have lived in
Ithaca, I have never felt this threatened as a Jew with the recent antisemitic activity. I wanted to pass on my appreciation of the quick action by Ithaca Police. My interactions with Lt Garin and Lt Schwartz were professional, compassionate and caring. Given the the fact that items were discovered at the suspect's home that could have been made
into bombs, I have no doubt that targeted serious injuries or deaths were prevented.
I urge Common Council to reinstate the budget for Ithaca Police in the 2021 budget. I do not think this is the time to reduce our police force, but instead we should fully support our public defenders who are sworn to put themselves at risk on our behalf.
11/3/2020 12:27:00 PM Suzanne Aigen Ithaca Police support/ Budget
Please increase level of staff positions for Ithaca Police Department. Given the increase in burglaries, robberies, assaults, anti-racist and anti-semitic attacks in our community, we need more police presence in our streets. Cops are currently stretched thin with too few cops available on any given shift as it is.
I attended the police reform presentation by Anne Milgram last week. And the key take away that she recommends to make our community safer is to increase police staff and training, so they can be proactive guardians in our community, and not be simply be reactive to crimes and 911 calls. They did this in Camden, NJ. Public safety increased
and crimes went down.
Please keep this in mind as you vote on the budget. Thank you.
11/3/2020 3:43:00 PM Taryn Schwartz Ithaca Ithaca Police Department
To Whom It May Concern: I recently listened to the common council meeting in which it was decided to eliminate 8 positions with Ithaca Police. In listening to the conversation, I was blown away at the lack of regard for these officers and what they and their family sacrifice every day. My
husband works in investigations and works himself in to the ground trying to stay on top
of his cases. He then, turns around and goes in for road over time in the evenings and now Saturdays/ Sundays (whenever there is a protest). Yes, my husband did sign up for this job and he LOVES his job. But he did not sign up
for and does not love working until he can barely see straight and to the point of
complete exhaustion. My husband has 3 year old twin boys who absolutely idolize him... but barely get to see him. He leaves before they wake up and either sees them briefly before bed, or not at
all. He wants to be there for his team/ family at work which results in missing family
gatherings, holidays, and making precious memories with his growing sons.
On the day of the homicide in October, my husband started work at 11:30am and finished at 10:30pm. Within 15 minutes of laying down after an already long day, he was called back in for that. He did not get home until 4pm the following day... That is 28.5
hours of working and he missed taking his kids to the zoo for the first time.
In short, I wanted to give you an idea of how the short staffed department not only affects the officers but also the families of these officers and their children. Its only a matter of time before these officers cannot take any more, cant work any more
overtime, and the response times suffer. What happens when something major
happens and the police cannot respond quick enough because there arent enough of them? What if its your family member that is in trouble? I really wish that there would have been more consideration given to this issue as I don't know how Ithaca can continue to survive as is. I know for me personally, and my family and friends, we have
stopped shopping down town, stopped eating down town, stopped spending our money
down town because we no longer feel safe. In addition to the officers, businesses are now also suffering Respectfully, Taryn Schwartz
11/3/2020 3:51:00 PM LINDA AIGEN Ithaca
IPD staffing
In light of the upcoming vote on IPD staffing, I am writing as a concerned citizen and urge you to NOT cut any positions. As I'm sure you are aware, there recently was an alarming spate of racist & antisemitic actions downtown. As a Temple Beth El Board
member and a patron of one of the targeted businesses, I had first hand knowledge of
how responsive and thorough IPD was to those directly impacted. I strongly urge you to maintain current staffing levels or perhaps in the near future even increase staffing so these fine individuals can best serve our community.
11/3/2020 4:24:00 PM Andrew Dean Brooktondale Police staffing
My name is Andrew and am a paramedic serving the Ithaca area for the past 24 years. I am very concerned with the staffing of the Ithaca police department. We respond to multiple calls at all hours of the day, going into a strangers house can be dangerous and we often find ourselves in some unsafe positions and often need police to respond. The
other point I'd like to make is another safety concern for both our medics as well as our
patients. Every single call we respond to our first priority is scene safty. If the scene is potentially unsafe we stage away untill police respond and clear EMS to respond in.
Unfortunately this can have devastating results of the patients outcome. I'll give an example: we get multiple calls for drug overdoses. These patients are likely unconscious and not breathing. Narcan can save these lifes but if a patient goes without
breathing any time it can cause irreversible brain damage or worse, death. Because this
is a drug related call EMS is required to stay back for our safety. Any delay in police response WILL!!! increase the chances of serious brain injury and death. This concept applies to any calls we have to stage for, mental health, injuries from a demestic dispute and several other calls. The thought of having less officers is not only scary it is flat out
reckless. I could go on and on. I'd like to make one more point. Police are often the first
line in life saving efforts. Police often give narcan saving lifes. Police are out on the road and often arrive on scene before the ambulance and have offten used defibrillators and performed CPR. Early CPR saves lifes plain and simple. Anyone involved in Cutting police positions will unknowingly cause an increase in injuries and death.
Thank you for reading, Andrew Dean, Paramedic
11/3/2020 8:57:00 PM
Marilyn Aigen Ithaca Support for Ithaca Police Department
As an elderly resident who frequents downtown, I'm concerned about public safety.
Please vote to increase police staff so that they can adequately keep our community safe.
Thank you!
11/4/2020 10:38:00 AM Meg Garbey Ithaca
IPD positions
Dear Common Council, I write for several reasons regarding the thought to eliminate some IPD’s officers positions. I will share only two.
1) It is my understanding that when a position is eliminated, extensive time and energy is required to have it reinstated. Eliminating officer positions seems short sighted as the need for additional knowledgeable and well trained officers is great now, not to mention in future. Moreover, the few remaining officers’ abilities to fulfill their duties effectively
would be further strained.
2) Though I reside outside city limits, 99% of my business and recreational activities occur within city limits; bank, stores, parks, friends. Regarding business activity, I appreciate that the taxes I pay within the city go, in part, to fund IPD. Also, I want to
trust that IPD will be there to assist me if needed while conducting my business in
Ithaca. I know I am not alone with this sentiment. Thank you for you consideration.
Sincerely,
Meg Garvey 11/4/2020 11:29:00 AM
Georgia Mechalke
Trumansburg Ithaca Police Department The Ithaca Police are at best, draining valuable funds from the Ithaca Community, and
at worst, brutalizing black and transgender members of our community.
The demonstration of IPD's, and most specifically Vincent Monticello's conduct on October 22nd is a testament to that. Monticello displayed the disgusting racism that pervades the system by arresting a young black man who was being actively threated by a white man with a knife. Following that, when protesters gathered outside IPD later
that night, the small crowd, including many minors, were pepper sprayed. Not to
mention, IPD arresting multiple trans individuals, while constantly misgendering at least one of them. Is this the example that "progressive" Ithaca wants to set? Your police force is an
embarrassment to the idea that we might be a liberal, forward thinking city.
Not to mention, IPD sucks up more than twice the funds put into community centers and programs like GIAC. This includes a 140,000 dollar line item for clothing, and a 27,000 dollar line item for new equipment in the last year. Both GIAC and youth programs received $0 in the last year for new equipment, zero.
Crime prevention is not showing up after the sidewalk has been spray painted, or someone has stolen food, or someone has overdosed. Crime prevention is putting the money that IPD wastes back into the community, so people have no reason to steal food and have a safe way to be rehabilitated. It's a simple concept, going to the root of
the problem instead of sending people with guns there to show up afterward.
Ithaca Police Department need to be defunded, now. Caring about your community means giving them the funds to be self sustaining, and to support each other. Not cutting the police budget makes it very clear to the people you're supposed to represent how much you really care about them.
11/4/2020 12:12:00 PM Tiffany B IPD help needed
You will notice my address is not local to Ithaca. My husband and I have lived in Ithaca for 13 years, had 3 children at CMC and have recently decided to move out of the city. I will never forget being at Wal-Mart with my entire family and my husband said just take the kids and meet me at the car, and he walked away. I listened. When we met at the
car he said there was a "bad guy" ( helping kids understand a bit as to why we left) in
there that they have been following for months. He said I do not want him to know who you are or what my children look like so we cannot be associated with him. I LOVE the Commons...I enjoyed it before kids, I taught classes as a new mom at Jillian's Drawers...it was such a fun place. I am only permitted there as long as I am not with my
husband. More so NOW then ever!!! WE...( POLICE FAMILIES) are NOT safe in Ithaca
with our officers! Can you all take a minute and share your stories of when you were in this situation while in Ithaca. Please share with each other and your viewers how you explained to
your young children why you cannot be with them in public. Can you also share with me
how to communicate to my children particularly my 9 year old who is struggling with fear his daddy will die while at work? Do you know anyone hiring? If so please share....
He has many qualities...
1. He loves to serve his community, he is willing to help in all capacities and he actually went to college for it... 2. He can stand there and be called any name in the book...the more F*words the better....and if you call him a killer or even a pig...he can still stand there and hold it
together.
3. He can work long hours! 4. He can miss almost every holiday with his family. If you wanted to give him off it's almost like a bonus to his family..and we would appreciate it but we definitely do NOT expect a holiday off‚
5. Oh wait...he's also really good at never being home on time...and his family supports
him! So when I have to cancel work or throw kids in the car just so he can work more..it's cool..we are flexible and who really needs a set schedule anyway 🤔 6. He will work a solid 10 years before you have to give him a raise..and I'm talking not even a cost of living raise
7. He will fix your grandmothers tire if she needs it on a hot summer day...
8. He has mad people skills...he has won an award for talking a suicidal person off of a bridge 9. He can stay calm in any emergency situation...one time a man lost his leg in an accident and he was so good at problem solving and found his leg! All while controlling
the scene and keeping the man calm! ( Also an award..but who cares if he's actually
good at helping people)
10. If you give him a parking spot with words of affirmation compared to his current spot..done deal! ( Please not the word DIE protesters spray painted in front of his car) Please note references upon requests..and if you show up in front of the Police
Department on a Sunday afternoon around 2pm..you can just FEEL THE LOVE many
have for him! This is my way of explaining my life. I am a working Mom of 3 who home-schools hybrid students who married an amazing man who happens to be an IPD officer. I am fearful,
and sad. This job was always our plan...what he loves to do. Acts of Service is in his
blood, he even volunteers his time and coaches many children hockey in our community. This job was supposed to be our life, our future. George made a comment at the last meeting...he said something like this.."my fear is
that many will retire early or lateral move and we will be faced with an even bigger
problem." As I heard him say this ( I think it was him) I screamed out loud DING DING DING!!!! You are 100% correct! They are burnt out....so much that many are looking into other options for work. What you fear, will happen! I know this...us partners have our own network. There are many partners behind each officer and for the first time EVER
we are supporting them leaving IPD! My husband can only mentally handle so much of
this lifestyle, and I am already over it! It is so hard to be positive in such a negative environment. It is draining not only to the employees, but they are bringing it home to their families. These men and women cannot imagine doing anything else! They don't want to leave. They want their community to help them, they want to go to work to help
others and not be spit on. They have a desire, a commitment to serve their community.
They NEED HELP!!!! I hope that all of you on the CC, your partners and children are not struggling like the police families are right now. You have the option to help your community. Please DO
IT! And evaluate YOUR community. Safety is huge, and it will help keep Ithaca a
desirable place to live, or attend school. Keep Ithaca amazing! Not un-safe. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Tiffany 11/4/2020 1:41:00 PM John Proios
Ithaca NY 14850
Budget Dear City Leaders,
I write once again to speak on behalf of the many Ithaca City residents who see a clear
need to drastically cut the Ithaca Police Department budget. Cutting 8 vacant positions is not 'defunding'--it is a minimal reform meant to avoid more lasting change. We
demand an 80% cut and the re-appropriation of the (absolutely ridiculous) SWAT vehicle.
Some in law enforcement complain that an understaffed IPD creates a drain on county
and state law enforcement resources. But the answer is not more IPD officers. The answer is funding crime PREVENTION services, which includes affordable housing, employment, and childcare. Police can and should do less. Although it is outside of our community, the killing of Walter Wallace Jr. in Philadelphia speaks to the fact that we
should not send armed police, who are trained to kill or harm when they feel in any way
threatened (and there are no checks on what counts as a genuine threat, as the courts have made sure), to a solve community problems such as poor mental health care. There are many ways to be safe and to preserve safety, and we must ask whose safety is at issue when we consider the IPD and broader law enforcement budgets. For too
long, Black, brown, and low-income community members are left out of that
consideration. A substantial investment in jobs, healthcare, housing, and other from the existing IPD budget would be a start. I implore you not to be idle reformers. We need real change. Cut the IPD budget and
rebuild this community.
Sincerely, John Proios
11/4/2020 2:24:00 PM
Victoria Baum Ithaca14850 City of Ithaca Budget - Additional IPD Officers
Thank you for taking the time to review my comment. I appreciate all the work that you
are all doing in this very difficult and uncertain time. I would like to submit this comment in support of additional funds for new IPD officers. While there are many reasons why this would benefit the City of Ithaca, I will only touch on those that I feel are most important.
First, IPD has been understaffed for some time. When officers are mandated to work overtime they are not only costing the City of Ithaca more money, but they are being overworked and in some cases burnt out. Burn out is very real, and can cause both physical and psychological harm. This in turn can affect the safety of not only these
officers but also the community. We are asking them to do the work the rest of us do not
want to do (including social workers). As a community, we cannot stress the importance of mental health for the rest of us while ignoring their needs. Second, we cannot expect to see all of the changes that we would like to see without
allowing IPD to hire additional officers. Whether it is diversity or additional ancillary
services such as community policing or participation in the LEAD program, we cannot expect them to make these changes without our support. To understand the importance
of their numbers it is important to understand what it is that they actually do. I highly encourage anyone who has not had a conversation with an officer to seek one out to better understand their current situation. Don't simply rely on local media sources or
press releases, ask those who are actually doing the work (this includes mental health
and community workers who partner with law enforcement). Third, I'm probably running out of time so I would like to say this: as a social worker and public health professional, I believe in the importance of continuous community
improvement through communication and collaborative efforts. This is not what I am
seeing in Ithaca. Change in public safety will occur when we look at the entire system (mental health services, housing, etc.) to understand it and build capacity for organizations to take over the services we do not want law enforcement handling. Until that capacity and system is built and put in place, we cannot stop supporting IPD.
If anyone wishes to continue this conversation or ask any questions I would be happy to schedule a time to talk. I have plenty of additional information regarding the importance of the relationship between law enforcement, social services, and the community. Thank you for your time.
11/4/2020 3:43:00 PM Eveline Adele Halpert City of Ithaca Defund police
Hello Common Council, I wanted to share some thoughts on the proposed budget. I agree with many in our community that we need to see significant cuts to IPD. I would also like to say, to those
who see the two sides of the argument (for and against defunding the IPD) as
community members and organizations on one side and the IPD itself on the other, to me the path to defund seems like the clear choice. IPD is not a group in our community. Many officers do not live in our community. As the common council for Ithaca, the job of our representatives is to represent their constituents, not the IPD. So if the divide is that
clear, I urge you to follow what it is that the community wants.
11/4/2020 4:08:00 PM Molly Birecree
City of Ithaca
Ithaca Police Department I am writing to express my disappointment in the potential defunding of five officer positions in the Ithaca Police Department (IPD.) I work in the City of Ithaca directly with
over 250 of the city’s most vulnerable citizens, many of whom are elderly and
disabled. I have seen firsthand the effect of IPD’s support to our residents helping to make them feel safe, heard, and valued in their homes and communities.
Unfortunately, I have also seen the issues that arise when IPD is understaffed, overworked, and in turn response times are slow.
Many of the people that I work with have mental health issues. COVID has been a
stressful time for all of us, but it has been extremely difficult for those living with these conditions. This unprecedented public health crisis is compounded by the fact that many of the service providers that my residents rely on are working remotely, they are unable to conduct business face to face, and many buildings are closed to the public. This
leaves phone calls and video conferencing as the only source of connection. For a lot of
the people with whom I work getting access to a phone is not easy, and if they are able to do so their “visit†with their service provider is less than acceptable. This has led to an increased number of mental health emergencies.
In times of true mental health emergencies IPD is always first to respond. I have
experienced situations where trained mental health crisis counselors have stated that their response time will over an hour. Predictably, these crises are usually over within an hour. As someone whose job it is to help deescalate situations it is comforting to know that IPD will respond quickly to a scene and provide safety and security for all
parties involved.
My biggest fear over these cut positions is not necessarily for myself, but for those citizens who are most at risk and historically underserved in our city. If we take away dependable first-responder positions then where do they have to turn?
11/4/2020 4:36:00 PM Libby Demarest Tier Ithaca
Ithaca Police Department funding
I believe that police reform is necessary and inevitable, but I believe that should not come from eliminating positions at IPD. Eliminated positions would surely leave to less patrol officers, which is not a sustainable
solution. It is troubling to hear that often times there are only two or three patrol officers
on shift. When officers are over stressed, over worked, and stretched thin beyond the limits of their capacity, our community and public safety suffers. When any of us have to call 911, we take for granted that we will be met with timely response. I fear for a community where calls will go un-answered, or will be responded to be county or state
LEOs who will, by definition be unable to deliver community policing.
I understand the pressure that the common council is under to create effective police reform and I urge you to instead consider restructuring of IPD administration, further training for officers, and possibly a social worker situated within IPD.
11/4/2020 4:49:00 PM Thomas Pirko Ithaca
Cutting Fire Department Staffing
Cutting the IPD staffing any further is not only wrong it is dangerous. I'm not going to waste your time with a long email as you are all more than aware of all of this. Businesses have been forced off of West State street because of what has been
happening down there and that is with IPD at the staffing levels they are at now. Cutting
those levels by even more would be one of the biggest mistakes this city has ever made. Please do not allow politics to interfere with your communities SAFETY! 11/5/2020 5:23:00 AM
Christopher OBrien
Ithaca defunding the police I would think defunding the police would be a huge mistake by the city. The men and
woman who support our city are all well known and respected in our community. The go
above and beyond to talk to residents about all issues weather good or bad. I own a local business that has been broken into among other issues where I have needed the police and every situation was handled extremely well
I also fell that the crime rate would raise due to the lack of police presence. I dont think that we as none police should be policing each other as its caused a lot of issues durning the pandemic and animosity toward each other. The police have been well trained to handle these situations as we the public have not. I also see that what
happened to Travon Martian could also happen here when we take matters into out own
hands. Please rethink Defunding the Police. Thanks
11/25/2020 4:58:00 PM
Todd Kurzweil Ithaca Dogs on the Primary Commons
I am totally in favor of leashed dogs on the Primary Commons.
I am strongly opposed to any and all unleashed dogs being allowed to move around unfettered for any reason on the Primary Commons.
Thank you!
Todd