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Home My WebLink AboutMN-IURAGOV-2025-01-17108 E. Green St. Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 274-6565 MEETING MINUTES ITHACA URBAN RENEWAL AGENCY GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE (GC) 9:00 A.M., Friday, January 17, 2025 Common Council Chambers, Third Floor 108 E. Green St. (City Hall) │ Ithaca, NY 14850 Present: Kathy Schlather, Chairperson; Donna Fleming, Vice-Chairperson; David Whitmore Excused: Susan Cummings; Ellen McCollister Vacancy: 1 Staff: Nels Bohn; Charles Pyott [virtual] Guests: None I. Call to Order Chairperson Schlather called the meeting to order at 9:04 A.M. II. Agenda Additions/Deletions None. III. Verbal/Written Public Comments None. IV. Review of Meeting Minutes: November 15th, 2024 Fleming moved, seconded by Whitmore to approve the meeting minutes, with one modification. Carried Unanimously: 3-0 V. IURA Budget A. Procurement – Independent Contractors 1. Community Development Consulting: The Harrison Studio Bohn explained … Whitmore moved, seconded by Fleming: 2025 Procurement of Community Development Consulting Services: H. Sicherman/The Harrison Studio Approved/Adopted: 4/18/25 Governance Committee January 17, 2025 Page 2 of 6 2 WHEREAS, the contract with H. Sicherman & Company, Inc./The Harrison Studio (Sicherman) providing community development consulting services, including loan underwriting, expires on February 29, 2024, and WHEREAS, in accordance with IURA procurement policy and regulations contained in 2 CFR Part 200 for procurement of professional services, the IURA selected Sicherman through a Request for Proposals (RFP) selection process in 2022, and WHEREAS, whereas per applicable procurement regulations, a contractor selected through an initial competitive selection process may be renewed for up to two additional one-year terms without undertaking a new competitive selection process, and WHEREAS, a proposed 2025 contract would constitute the third and final one-year extension of the base independent consultant contract, and WHEREAS, Sicherman submitted a proposal to continue providing community development services to the IURA in 2025 at the following hourly rates: • $185/hour – Harry Sicherman • $150/hour – Michael Thomas (loan underwriting), and WHEREAS, the 2025 rates represent a 3.4% increase from the current contract rates for loan underwriting services, and WHEREAS, IURA staff is highly satisfied with the quality of services provided by the Harrison Studio, and WHEREAS, the 2025 IURA budget authorized a total of $10,000 for community development and loan underwriting services, and WHEREAS, on January 17, 2025, the Governance Committee reviewed this matter and recommended the following action; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that IURA Chair is hereby authorized, upon review of IURA legal counsel, to execute a one-year contract extension to February 28, 2026 for independent contractor community development consulting services with H. Sicherman & Company, Inc./The Harrison Studio, at a maximum hourly rate of $185 per hour with the total amount not to exceed $10,000, and be it further RESOLVED, that the source of such funds for community development consulting services shall be derived from a variety of funding sources, including, but not limited to, CDBG and HOME funds, and expenses shall be billed to the appropriate source of funds for which the services were performed. Carried Unanimously: 3-0 Governance Committee January 17, 2025 Page 3 of 6 3 2. Legal Services: Mariette Geldenhuys, Attorney & Mediator Bohn explained … Fleming moved, seconded by Whitmore: 2025 Procurement of Independent Legal Services: M. Geldenhuys WHEREAS, the contract for independent legal services with Mariette Geldenhuys, Attorney-at-Law (Geldenhuys) expires on February 28, 2025, and WHEREAS, in accordance with IURA procurement policy and regulations contained in 2 CFR Part 200 for procurement of professional services, the IURA selected Geldenhuys through a Request for Proposals (RFP) selection process in 2022, and WHEREAS, per applicable procurement regulations, a contractor selected through an initial competitive selection process may be renewed for up to two additional one-year terms without undertaking a new competitive selection process, and WHEREAS, a proposed 2025 contract would constitute the third and final one-year extension of the base independent consultant contract, and WHEREAS, Geldenhuys submitted a proposal to continue providing legal services to the IURA in 2025 at a maximum billing rate of $250 per hour, a 2.0% increase from the current contract rate of $245 per hour, and WHEREAS, the IURA staff is highly satisfied with the quality of legal services provided by Geldenhuys, and WHEREAS, the 2025 IURA budget recommended a total authorized contract amount of $17,000 for legal services; and WHEREAS, on January 17, 2025, the Governance Committee reviewed this matter and recommended the following action; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that IURA Chair is hereby authorized, upon review of IURA legal counsel, to execute a one-year contract extension through February 28, 2026 for independent contractor legal services with Mariette Geldenhuys, Attorney and Mediator, at a maximum hourly rate of $250 per hour with the total amount not to exceed $12,000, and be it further RESOLVED, that the source of such funds for legal services shall be derived from a variety of funding sources, including, but not limited to, CDBG and HOME funds, and expenses shall be billed to the appropriate source of funds for which the services were performed. Carried Unanimously: 3-0 Governance Committee January 17, 2025 Page 4 of 6 4 3. Legal Services: Law Offices of Sharon M. Sulimowicz Bohn explained … X moved, seconded by X: 2025 Procurement of Independent Legal Services: S. Sulimowicz WHEREAS, the contract for independent legal services with the Law Offices of Sharon M. Sulimowicz (Sulimowicz) expires on February 28, 2025, and WHEREAS, in accordance with IURA procurement policy and regulations contained in 2 CFR Part 200 for procurement of professional services, the IURA selected Sulimowicz through a Request for Proposals (RFP) selection process in 2022, and WHEREAS, per applicable procurement regulations, a contractor selected through an initial competitive selection process may be renewed for up to two additional one-year terms without undertaking a new competitive selection process, and WHEREAS, a proposed 2025 contract would constitute the third and final one-year extension of the base independent consultant contract, and WHEREAS, Sulimowicz submitted a proposal to continue providing legal services to the IURA in 2025 at a maximum billing rate of $225 per hour, a 0% increase from the current contract rate, and WHEREAS, IURA staff is highly satisfied with the quality of legal services provided by Sulimowicz, and WHEREAS, the 2025 IURA budget authorized a total of $17,000 for legal services, and WHEREAS, on January 17, 2025, the Governance Committee reviewed this matter and recommended the following action; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that IURA Chair is hereby authorized, upon review of IURA legal counsel, to execute a one-year contract extension to February 28, 2026 for independent contractor legal services with The Law Office of Sharon M. Sulimowicz, at a maximum hourly rate of $225 per hour with the total amount not to exceed $6,000, and be it further RESOLVED, that the source of such funds for legal services shall be derived from a variety of funding sources, including, but not limited to, CDBG and HOME funds, and expenses shall be billed to the appropriate source of funds for which the services were performed. Carried Unanimously: 4-0 Governance Committee January 17, 2025 Page 5 of 6 5 VI. Old/Other Business A. Current Urban Renewal Projects – Status Report Bohn explained … B. Committee Structure, Charge, & Membership – Review Bohn explained … Governance Committee January 17, 2025 Page 6 of 6 6 C. Review of IURA Financials: December 2024 Bohn walked through the Grants Summary and explained that the left-hand “On Schedule” column calls out any projects that are not on schedule and may need attention. The vast majority of projects have been progressing well in terms of expenditures and project completion. Bohn reported all Loan Payments and Lease Payments are current, as of today… D. Staff Report Bohn reported… Whitmore announced he would be vacating his Committee seat after today, since he will be accepting a position in Binghamton, New York. VII. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned by consensus at 9:47 A.M. — END — Minutes prepared by S. Dean, edited by C. Pyott/N. Bohn.