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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CRC-2026-02-19CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green St. Ithaca, NY 14850 MAYOR’S OFFICE Robert G. Cantelmo, Mayor Office Phone: 607-391-5862 Email: mayorcantelmo@cityofithaca.org Certificate of Appointment of the Mayor of the City of Ithaca Establishing the Charter Revision Commission and Defining Its Scope of Work WHEREAS, Section 36 of the Municipal Home Rule Law authorizes a mayor to appoint a charter commission for the purpose of proposing revisions to a city charter; and WHEREAS, the Mayor, as the chief elected officer of the City of Ithaca, is the only full-time elected official chosen by the people of Ithaca to provide political leadership, articulate policy direction, and be accountable for the performance of city government; and WHEREAS, the Ithaca City Charter is the constitutional framework of local government, yet it contains outdated provisions, duplicative and inconsistent sections, and ambiguities that obscure accountability, weaken coordination, and leave residents uncertain about who is responsible for decisions that affect their lives; and WHEREAS, to meet the challenges of the present and future, the Charter must be clarified, modernized, and reformed to strengthen democratic accountability, ensure transparency, and promote effective governance; and WHEREAS, in order to fulfill this charge with integrity and expertise, I have selected a Commission of fifteen (15) residents representing diverse experiences and perspectives in public administration, law, finance, planning, labor, housing, and civic engagement; NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert G. Cantelmo, Mayor of the City of Ithaca, by the authority vested in me under the laws of the State of New York, do hereby establish the following: Section 1. Establishment A Charter Revision Commission is hereby established and convened to review, modernize, and recommend revisions to the Ithaca City Charter. The Commission shall operate pursuant to Section 36 of the Municipal Home Rule Law, and its final product shall be amendments to the Charter to be filed in the Office of the City Clerk and submitted to the voters for referendum in 2026 as provided by law. Section 2. Objectives The Commission shall be guided by the following objectives: 1. Clarify the respective roles of the Mayor, Common Council, and City Manager to improve coordination, transparency, and accountability. 2. Modernize the Charter to eliminate obsolete provisions, simplify overly technical language, and align the Charter with State law and best practices in municipal governance. 3. Explore election reforms, including Council composition, term lengths, decennial turnover, vacancy procedures, and the possible adoption of ranked-choice voting. CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green St. Ithaca, NY 14850 MAYOR’S OFFICE Robert G. Cantelmo, Mayor Office Phone: 607-391-5862 Email: mayorcantelmo@cityofithaca.org 4. Strengthen democratic accountability so that residents clearly understand which officials are responsible for key decisions, policies, and outcomes. Section 3. Scope of Review The Commission shall conduct a comprehensive review of the Charter as provided by section 36 of the Municipal Home Rule Law, with emphasis on the following Articles and Sections: Article I – General Provisions • Remove outdated metes-and-bounds descriptions of ward boundaries; substitute language requiring periodic redistricting of wards based on census data; examine and update language describing municipal boundary. • Consider number of wards. • Simplify incorporation language. Article II – City Officers • Elective officers (§C-5, §C-10): Consider appropriate number of council members; update language to reflect multiple city judges, update terms and language of provisions to appropriately reflect any other proposed revisions. • Elections and terms of office (§C-7, §C-10): Reexamine election provisions, including the timing of elections, term lengths, and vacancy procedures, and evaluate potential reforms such as the adoption of ranked-choice voting and the introduction of open primaries, to strengthen representation and accountability while ensuring compliance with state election law. • Mayor (§C-11): Review and clarify the powers of the Mayor, including codifying the Mayor’s role as the City’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Elected Officer and scope of authority for overseeing implementation of policy direction established by elected officials; the process for nominating and, where appropriate, recommending removal of the City Manager; the Mayor’s authority to issue written policy directives and oversee City Manager performance through established evaluation procedures; and the scope of the Mayor’s appointment and removal authority for boards, commissions, and officers, with the goal of ensuring transparency, accountability, and effective governance. Consider whether the Mayor should remain a voting member of the Common Council or exchange the voting role for a qualified veto as chief policy officer. • Council Members (§C-11.1): Review and clarify the powers and responsibilities of individual council members to provide that members are able to effectively perform their legislative and oversight role while ensuring that council members’ actions are consistent with principles of good governance, including safeguards against undue interference in CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green St. Ithaca, NY 14850 MAYOR’S OFFICE Robert G. Cantelmo, Mayor Office Phone: 607-391-5862 Email: mayorcantelmo@cityofithaca.org administration and clear procedures for discipline or removal for cause (i.e. misconduct, ineligibility, dereliction of duty) where appropriate. • City Manager (§C-12): Review and clarify the qualifications, duties, and authority of the City Manager, including the Manager’s role as Chief Administrative Officer, in appointment and removal of staff, and day-to-day operations, as well as the processes for selection, accountability, and removal, in order to ensure a professional and effective management function that operates transparently and executes administrative functions under the policy direction of the Mayor and legislative oversight of the Council. Review procedures for designation of an Acting City Manager in the event of absence, incapacity, or vacancy of the City Manager. • Appointments (§C-5, C-22, C-25, C-26): Standardize appointment procedures for department heads and board and commission members in accordance with best practices; remove references to specific boards and commissions in the Charter and replace with generic references providing for appointment by Mayor with consent of Council unless otherwise specified by governing local law or ordinance; change default residency requirements to Tompkins County or contiguous counties unless otherwise specified by governing local law or ordinance. • Removals (§C-26.1): Empower department heads to discipline and remove all subordinates, including deputies, in a manner consistent with procedures in state Civil Service Law; empower City Manager to discipline and remove department heads in a manner consistent with procedures in state Civil Service Law, subject to approval of the Mayor only in instances of termination or unpaid suspension longer than 30 days; add default provisions authorizing removal of appointed board, working group, and commission members for cause (i.e. misconduct, ineligibility, dereliction of duty). • Legal Officers (§C-13, §C-14): Consolidate City Attorney and City Prosecutor sections, clarify appointment and removal authority, and modernize powers. • Department Heads (§§C-15–22): Simplify and standardize provisions; empower Council to create, consolidate, or dissolve additional departments by ordinance. Article III – Common Council • Update meeting and quorum rules; establish Deputy Mayor role and succession in lieu of current Acting Mayor role; provide for orderly selection of an Acting Mayor (in lieu of Alternate Acting Mayor role) from members of Council in the event of the absence, incapacity, or vacancy of both the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor. • Affirm in general terms legislative supremacy of Council, clarifying Council’s full lawmaking authority to extent permitted by law, while eliminating redundant and outdated language specifying individual powers and limitations. Strengthen language regarding Council’s oversight and policy, as opposed to administrative, roles. CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green St. Ithaca, NY 14850 MAYOR’S OFFICE Robert G. Cantelmo, Mayor Office Phone: 607-391-5862 Email: mayorcantelmo@cityofithaca.org • Grant explicit authority to Council to set and review by resolution all fees and rates charged by the City, to extent permissible by law, to override inconsistent provisions in City Code. • Establish transparent rules and procedure for determining salaries of elected officials. Consider the establishment of a formal citizen-led commission to from time to time review and recommend appropriate salaries for elected officials. • Simplify ordinance/resolution enactment and voting procedures. Article IV – Taxation and Assessment • Review all provisions for modernization and simplification; relocate detailed procedures into the Code where legally permissible and if desirable. Article V – Public Works • Eliminate the Board of Public Works; transfer property acquisition, disposition, and fee- setting authority to Council, operations/maintenance functions to the Department of Public Works, and appeal functions to Superintendent of Public Works. • Reassign sewer, water, streets, parks, and cemeteries functions to Department of Public Works; relocate operational details into the Code. • Include a transitional clause ensuring that all references to the Board of Public Works are construed as referring to Council, the Department of Public Works, or the Superintendent of Public Works, as appropriate, until Code is amended. Article VI – Fire Department • Relocate Fire Department provisions to Article II with other City departments. Article VII – Miscellaneous Provisions • Clarify liability and indemnification provisions; relocate sick leave and administrative rules into the Code. • Revise definitions and construction rules; establish the Charter’s supremacy over inconsistent ordinances and local laws. • Evaluate and make recommendations around the structure and/or realignment of city departments and functions, as appropriate. • Provide for appropriate transitional provisions to ensure that there is no lapse in authority as a result of Charter revisions. Section 4. Process 1. The Commission shall meet regularly in accordance with Open Meetings Law. CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green St. Ithaca, NY 14850 MAYOR’S OFFICE Robert G. Cantelmo, Mayor Office Phone: 607-391-5862 Email: mayorcantelmo@cityofithaca.org 2. Administrative, legal, and financial support shall be provided by the Office of the Mayor, City Manager, Department of Information and Community Engagement, City Attorney’s Office, and, if needed, outside consultants. 3. The Commission shall adopt its own rules of procedure for deliberations, voting, and public participation. 4. Interim updates shall be provided to the Mayor as requested. Section 5. Deliverables The Commission shall submit: • A Final Report containing draft Charter language, explanatory notes, and fiscal impacts. • A public engagement record documenting hearings, comments, and responses. • A final draft Charter of revisions prepared for submission to referendum to be filed with the City Clerk in accordance with State law. Section 6. Timeline • Organization and adoption of rules: within sixty (60) days of this certificate of appointment. • Public engagement and issue identification: months 3–6. • Drafting and deliberation: months 7–10. • Final recommendations: submitted to City Clerk in time for placement on the 2026 general election ballot. Section 7. Membership 1. The Commission shall consist of fifteen (15) members appointed by the Mayor. 2. The Mayor shall designate a Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary of the Commission. 3. Appointments shall reflect the diversity of the City and include residents with experience in public administration, law, finance, planning, labor, housing, and civic engagement. 4. Members shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. Section 8. Commission Appointments Pursuant to the authority vested in the Mayor by Section 36 of the Municipal Home Rule Law, the following individuals are hereby appointed as members of the Charter Revision Commission: 1. Billy Noseworthy, Chair (W3) CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green St. Ithaca, NY 14850 MAYOR’S OFFICE Robert G. Cantelmo, Mayor Office Phone: 607-391-5862 Email: mayorcantelmo@cityofithaca.org 2. Kris Haines-Sharp, Vice Chair (W2) 3. Clyde Lederman, Secretary (W5) 4. Cynthia Brock, Member (W1) 5. Aryeal Jackson, Member (W2) 6. Pierre Saint-Perez, Member (W3) 7. Victor Kessler, Member (W4) 8. Kristina Thelen, Member (W1) 9. Nels Bohn, Member (W2) 10. Deb Fisher, Member (W5) 11. Tiffany Kumar, Member (W4) 12. Travis Brooks, Member (W1) 13. George McGonigal, Member (W1) 14. Miranda Pagan, Member (W1) 15. Donna Fleming, Member (W3) All appointees shall serve until the Commission is dissolved as provided by law on the day of the election at which the proposed new charter or charter amendments prepared by the Commission are submitted for referendum, unless any vacancies should arise through resignation, illness, or any commissioner being otherwise incapacitated. Any vacancy in the membership of the Commission or its officers shall be filled by the Mayor as provided by law. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the City of Ithaca to be affixed this January 23, 2026. Robert G. Cantelmo Mayor, City of Ithaca FEBRUARY 19th 2026 CHARTER REVISION COMMISSION AGENDA Date: Thursday February 19, 2026 Time: 6:00 PM Location: 108 E Green Street Watch Online: https://www.youtube.com/@CityofIthacaPublicMeetings 1. Call to Order 1.1 Emergency Evacuation Notice 2. Agenda Review 3. Introductions of Commissioners 4. Adoption of Organizing & Video Conferencing Resolutions 4.1 Adoption of Organizing Resolution 4.2 Opt-in to City video-conferencing ordinance 5. Charge, Scope, & Process 5.1 Presentation of Charter Revision Process Overview (City Attorney’s Office) 5.2 Mandate & Timeline 5.3 Commission Scope 5.4 Open Meetings Law (OML) Compliance 5.5 Decision Making Norms 6. Committee Structure & Broad Assignments 6.1 Overview of Working Group & Steering Committee Procedure 6.2 Announcement of Working Group Assignments 7. Next Steps & Adjournment 7.1 Immediate Actions 7.2 Next Meeting Date No Public Comments. Not all meetings include a Public Comment segment. The City of Ithaca wants to hear from you and encourages community members to share comments with the Common Council using the option below. To Submit Written Comments please use the link below. Public Comment Form Written comments submitted will be compiled and entered into the record. Written comments submitted will be compiled and entered into the record. Resolution No. 1 A Resolution to Organize the Char ter Revision Commission WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca Charter Revision Commission (“Commission”) has been constituted pursuant to an appointment by Robert G. Cantelmo, the Mayor to review and propose revisions to the City Charter within the sixty-day organizational period established by the Mayor; and WHEREAS, the Commission will conduct its meetings and organization in compliance with the New York State Open Meetings Law; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Commission hereby adopts the following organizing provisions: 1. Meetings 1.1. The Commission shall convene for a regular meeting on the Third Thursday of each month at 6:00 pm in Common Council Chambers, third Floor, City Hall, 108 E. Green Street. 1.2. Meetings shall not be more than two (2) hours in length, unless specified in the notice of meeting or modified by the Commission. 1.3. Attendance is mandator y, although the Chair may excuse a member from attendance for justifiable reasons. 2. Transaction of Business 2.1. Each Commissioner shall have one vote. No Commissioner may abstain from voting, except in cases where a conflict of interest is present. If a conflict of interest is present, the Commissioner will state the conflict before the commission. 2.2. A quor um shall be a majority of the voting power of the Commission. A quor um shall be required to transact business, but less than a quor um shall have the power to adjourn. The Commission may only transact business with an affir mative vote of a majority of the voting power of the Commission at a meeting where a quorum is present; however, committees of the Commission may transact business with a majority of voting power present. 3. Order of Business 3.1. The Order of Business for each future regular meeting shall be as follows: 3.1.1. Call to Order & Call of Roll 3.1.2. Adoption of Minutes 3.1.3. Special Orders of Business 3.1.4. Testimonies and Witness Statements 3.1.5. Reports from Working Group Chairs 3.1.6. Consideration of Resolutions 3.1.7. Appointments 3.1.8. Adjournment 4. Parliamentarian & Counsel 4.1. The Office of the City Attorney is hereby designated to ser ve as Parliamentarian to the Commission, in an advisor y capacity, to assist with procedural questions and meeting administration. 5. Chair, Committees & Working Groups 5.1. The Chair is authorized to create, modify, and dissolve advisor y committees and working g roups of the Commission, inclusive of appointing officers, filling vacancies, and appointing members, consistent with applicable law, the Open Meetings Law, and Robert’s Rules of Order. 6. Steering Committee 6.1. A Steering Committee is established, consisting of the Commission’s officers, with the Chair authorized to appoint up to two additional members from the general body of the Commission. 6.2. The Steering Committee will guide the Commission’s work, consult with the Chair on for ming or dissolving advisor y committees and working groups, advise on inter nal appointments and vacancies, and may compile questions for committees or working g roups to develop recommendations for the full Commission’s consideration on timelines the Steering Committee sets. 7. Inter nal Vacancies of Officers 7.1. In the case of the absence of the Chair at a meeting of the Commission or Steering Committee, the Vice Chair shall ser ve as Chair. In the case of the absence of both the Chair and the Vice Chair, the Secretar y shall ser ve as Chair. 8. Duties of Officers 8.1. Consistent with Section 36 of the Municipal Home Rule Law, the Chair shall have the power to conduct the day-to-day business of the Commission, including but not limited to the authority to enter contracts on behalf of the Commission, appoint and remove staff, fix their compensation, and establish policies and procedures necessar y to ensure the professional and orderly conduct of the Commission’s work: Provided, the Chair shall not perfor m any of the duties set forth in this section in a manner contrar y to an action perfor med by the Steering Committee. In cases where there shall be a conflict between an action of the Chair and one of the Steering Committee, the action of the Steering Committee shall prevail. 8.2. The Chair may request and accept any and all ser vices, facilities, materials, data or funds on behalf of the Commission in accordance with Section 36 of the Municipal Home Rule Law. 8.3. The Secretar y shall have the power to take steps necessar y, consistent with any actions taken by the Commission, to ensure that the Commission, committees, and other bodies for med by the Commission meet as appropriate, including scheduling and providing notice of meetings and hearings, and preparing and distributing agendas and deter mining the business considered, order of business for meetings, and hearings. The secretar y shall be the Steering Committee’s liaison to each working group, and other bodies for med by the Commission or the Steering Committee. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption. Resolution No. 2 Resolution Opting In to City of Ithaca Videoconferencing Provisions WHEREAS, the Common Council of the City of Ithaca adopted Local Law No. 5 of 2022 authorizing public bodies to conduct meetings by videoconference pursuant to New York Public Officers Law §103-a; and WHEREAS, said local law per mits, but does not require, public bodies to opt in to videoconferencing subject to specified procedural safeguards; and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca Charter Revision Commission (“Commission”) wishes to promote accessibility and per mit remote participation in meetings in a manner consistent with that local law and applicable state law; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Commission hereby opts in to the City of Ithaca’s videoconferencing provisions as set forth in Local Law No. 5 of 2022, as amended, and authorizes the use of videoconferencing for Commission meetings in compliance with the Open Meetings Law and City requirements. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that when videoconferencing is utilized, the Commission shall comply with all applicable requirements of Local Law No. 5 of 2022 and Public Officers Law §103-a, including but not limited to: 1. Maintaining a quor um in accordance with law; 2. Permitting remote participation only under circumstances authorized by law and City policy; 3. Ensuring that members participating remotely can be heard, seen, and identified during the meeting; 4. Providing advance public notice when videoconferencing will be used; 5. Recording meetings conducted with videoconferencing and making such recordings available to the public as required; and 6. Noting in the meeting minutes which members participated remotely. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that participation by videoconference shall not alter quor um requirements, voting procedures, or any other obligations imposed by law. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption. Announcement of Steering Committee & Working Group Appointments Pursuant to the authority of the Chair, I am announcing the appointment of a standing steering committee, and working groups of the City of Ithaca Charter Revision Commission. These appointments were infor med by the assignment preference sur vey, members’ stated bandwidth and accessibility considerations, along with the g oal of balancing expertise, continuity, and representation across committees and working groups. All working g roups are advisor y to the full Commission, while the Steering Committee guides the process. The committee appointments are as follows: Steering Committee ● Billy Noseworthy, Chair ● Kris Haines-Sharp, Vice Chair ● Clyde Leder man, Secretar y ● Victor Kessler, Member ● Miranda Pagan, Member Legislative Powers Working Group ● Kristina Thelen, Working Group Chair ● George McGonigal, Member ● Travis Brooks, Member ● Nels Bohn, Member ● Clyde Leder man, Liason Elections Working Group ● Donna Fleming, Working Group Chair ● Tiffany Kumar, Member ● Deborah Fisher, Member ● Miranda Pagan, Member ● Clyde Leder man, Liason General Charter Revisions Working Group ● Aryeal Jackson, Working Group Chair ● Cynthia Brock, Member ● Kristina Thelen, Member ● Pier re Saint-Perez, Member ● Clyde Leder man, Liason Each working group shall have one additional member, appointed by the Office of the City Attorney. These appointments take effect immediately. Working g roups are encouraged to organize their initial meetings, coordinate schedules mindful of accessibility needs, and report regularly to the full Commission. To support transparency and shared understanding, working groups are requested to circulate meeting minutes or notes to the full Commission within one week of each meeting. I want to thank all commissioners for their flexibility and willingness to ser ve. If any member has a concern reg arding their assignment, I ask that they contact me directly so we can address it promptly. This announcement will be entered into the record.