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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CC-2026-04-08YouTube Link:https://tinyurl.com/cejf9n2w Date: Location: Wednesday April 8, 2026 City Hall Council Chambers APRIL 8, 2026 COMMON COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES VOTING RECORD 1. Call to Order (10 Min) 1.1 Emergency Evacuation Notice 1.2 Agenda Review 1.3 Reports from Municipal Officials 2. Proclamations and Awards 3. Review and Approval of Minutes (5 Min) 3.1 03-04-2026 Meeting Minutes Attendance Record of Voting Members Name Present Absent/Excused Mayor - Robert Cantelmo X 1st Ward - Jorge DeFendini X 1st Ward - Kayla Matos X 2nd Ward - Joe Kirby X 2nd Ward - Ducson Nguyen X 3rd Ward - Pat Sewell X 3rd Ward - David Shapiro X 4th Ward - Robin Trumble X 4th Ward - Patrick Kuehl X 5th Ward - Hannah Shvets X 5th Ward - Margaret Fabrizio X Discussion Summary: The April 8th 2026 meeting of the Ithaca Common Council is called to order at 6pm. All members of Council are in attendance. There are no changes to the agenda. Tompkins County Legislator Adam Vinson presented Council with a report from the County highlighting recent resolutions that were passed. Council followed up with questions and comments for the legislator. Timestamp 0:25-4:47 Discussion Summary: No Proclamations or Awards presented. Discussion Summary: The March 4th 2026 Common Council Regular Voting Meeting minutes were adopted by Council. Timestamp 4:51-4:59 Moved By: Jorge DeFendini 4.Petitions and Hearings of Persons Before Council (60 Min) 4.1 Statements From The Public 4.2 Privilege Of The Floor- Comments From Council & Mayor 5.Consent Agenda (5 Min) Seconded By: Hannah Shvets Motion Summary: Motion to approved the March 4th Common Council Regular voting meeting Minutes. Moved by Alderperson DeFendini, Seconded by Alderperson Shvets. All In Favor 11-0 Vote Passed 11-0 Carried Unanimously Member Approve Oppose Recuse Robert Cantelmo X Jorge DeFendini X Kayla Matos X Joe Kirby X Ducson Nguyen X Pat Sewell X David Shapiro X Robin Trumble X Patrick Kuehl X Hannah Shvets X Margaret Fabrizio X Discussion Summary: Commenters from the public appeared before council to share thoughts and concerns on specific topics of interest including the Tactical Team Grant and the City Audit. Council provided feedback to the public. Timestamp 5:01-28:07 Discussion Summary: Consent Agenda Items 5.1-5.9 were moved and passed by Council. Timestamp 28:09-28:19 5.1-Outdoor Dining, 5.2 -Water Meter Cap, 5.3 -Hancock Street Bridge over Cascadilla Creek Replacement Project, 5.4-East State Street Rehabilitation Project, 5.5-Spencer Road Improvement Project, 5.6-City Policy Priorities, 5.7-IFD Grand Funding-Triad Foundation, 5.8-Amendment to the Authorized Personnel Roster-Ithaca Youth Bureau, 5.9-Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grant (EPG) Moved By: Kayla Matos Seconded By: Patrick Kuehl Motion Summary: Consent Agenda moved by Alderperson Matos, Seconded by Alderperson Kuehl. All In Favor of Consent Agenda. 11-0 5.1 Outdoor Dining Permit 5.2 Water Meter Cap 5.3 Hancock Street Bridge over Cascadilla Creek Replacement Project 5.4 East State Street Rehabilitation Project 5.5 Spencer Road Improvement Project 5.6 City Policy Priorities 5.7 IFD Grant Funding- Triad Foundation 5.8 Amend the 2026 Authorized Personnel Roster- Ithaca Youth Bureau 5.9 Resolution Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grant (EPG) 6.Order of Business- Public Safety Vote Passed 11-0 Carried Unanimously Member Approve Oppose Abstain Robert Cantelmo X Jorge DeFendini X Kayla Matos X Joe Kirby X Ducson Nguyen X Pat Sewell X David Shapiro X Robin Trumble X Patrick Kuehl X Hannah Shvets X Margaret Fabrizio X Discussion Summary: Alderperson Nguyen moved and summarized item 7.1. Council followed with questions and comments for Police Chief Kelly, Deputy Chief Bellamy, and Captain Schwartz. Timestamp 29:20-48:57 Moved By: Ducson Nguyen Seconded By: Margaret Fabrizio Motion Summary: Tactical Team Grant Moved by Alderperson Nguyen, Seconded by 6.1 Tactical Team Grant 7.Member Filed- Finance & Administration (30 Min) 7.1 Timeline Extension- Legal Opinion on Wrongful Discharge Alderperson Fabrizio. All In Favor 7-4 with Alderpersons Trumble, DeFendini, Shvets, and Matos opposed. Vote Passed 7-4 Member Approve Oppose Abstain Robert Cantelmo X Jorge DeFendini X Kayla Matos X Joe Kirby X Ducson Nguyen X Pat Sewell X David Shapiro X Robin Trumble X Patrick Kuehl X Hannah Shvets X Margaret Fabrizio X Discussion Summary: Mayor Cantelmo moved and summarized the resolution extending the timeline for the City Attorney's office for wrongful discharge and labor protections. Council followed up with questions and comments for discussion. Timestamp 49:06-52:42 Moved By: Robert Cantelmo Seconded By: Jorge DeFendini Motion Summary: Resolution Extending Timeline for City Attorney for Wrongful Discharge and Labor Protections is moved by Mayor Cantelmo, Seconded by Alderperson DeFendini. All In Favor 11-0 Vote Passed 11-0 Carried Unanimously 8.Member Filed- Miscellaneous (30 Min) 8.1 Protected Cryptid and Official Cryptid of the City of Ithaca 9.Mayor Appointments (10 Min) Member Approve Oppose Recuse Robert Cantelmo X Jorge DeFendini X Kayla Matos X Joe Kirby X Ducson Nguyen X Pat Sewell X David Shapiro X Robin Trumble X Patrick Kuehl X Hannah Shvets X Margaret Fabrizio X Discussion Summary: Alderperson Sewell introduced the resolution designating "Old Greeny" as a protected and official cryptid of the city of Ithaca. No discussion from Council. Timestamp 52:45-55:22 Moved By: Pat Sewell Seconded By: Jorge DeFendini Motion Summary: Resolution designating "Old Greeny" as a Protected Cryptid and Official Cryptid of the City of Ithaca. Moved by Alderperson Sewell, Seconded by Alderperson DeFendini. All In Favor. 11-0 Vote Passed 11-0 Carried Unanimously Member Approve Oppose Abstain Robert Cantelmo X Jorge DeFendini X Kayla Matos X Joe Kirby X Ducson Nguyen X Pat Sewell X David Shapiro X Robin Trumble X Patrick Kuehl X Hannah Shvets X Margaret Fabrizio X Discussion Summary: Mayor Cantelmo appointed Sam Poole and Victoria Barics to the Sustainability and Climate Justice Commission for a 2 year term ending 12/31/2027. Timestamp 55:26-55:55 Moved By: Robert Cantelmo 9.1 Sustainability & Climate Justice Commission Appointment 10.Executive Session (40+ Min) 10.1 Executive Session - Discussion of Pending or Potential litigation Seconded By: Motion Summary: Resolved that Sam Poole and Victoria Barics be appointed to the Sustainability and Climate Justice Commission for a 2 year term ending 12/31/2027. Moved by Mayor Cantelmo. No formal second. All In Favor 11-0 Vote Passed 11-0 Carried Unanimously Member Approve Oppose Abstain Robert Cantelmo X Jorge DeFendini X Kayla Matos X Joe Kirby X Ducson Nguyen X Pat Sewell X David Shapiro X Robin Trumble X Patrick Kuehl X Hannah Shvets X Margaret Fabrizio X Discussion Summary: Council entered to an Executive Session to discuss pending litigation returning with a vote. Mayor Cantelmo introduced a resolution authorizing and approving settlement agreements to an action relating to the Opioid Crisis-Various Defendants. Mayor Cantelmo read the resolution into the record. Timestamp 56:00-59:56 Moved By: Margaret Fabrizio Seconded By: Robin Trumble Motion Summary: Motion to Enter In Executive Session to discuss Pending Litigation. Moved by Alderperson Fabrizio, Seconded by Alderperson Trumble. All In Favor of entering into Executive Session. 11-0 Vote Passed 11-0 Carried Unanimously Member Approve Oppose Recuse Robert Cantelmo X Jorge DeFendini X Kayla Matos X Joe Kirby X Ducson Nguyen X Pat Sewell X David Shapiro X Robin Trumble X Patrick Kuehl X Hannah Shvets X Margaret Fabrizio X Moved By: Margaret Fabrizio Seconded By: David Shapiro Motion Summary: Motion to Exit Executive Session. Moved by Alderperson Fabrizio, Seconded by Alderperson Shapiro. All In Favor of exiting Executive Session. 11-0 Vote Passed 11-0 Carried Unanimously Member Approve Oppose Recuse Robert Cantelmo X Jorge DeFendini X Kayla Matos X Joe Kirby X Ducson Nguyen X Pat Sewell X David Shapiro X Robin Trumble X Patrick Kuehl X Hannah Shvets X Margaret Fabrizio X Moved By: Robert Cantelmo Seconded By: Robin Trumble Motion Summary: Resolution Authorizing and Approving Settlement Agreement to An Action Relating to the Opioid Crisis-Various Defendants Moved by Mayor Cantelmo, Seconded by Alderperson Trumble. All In Favor 11-0 Vote Passed 11-0 Carried Unanimously 10.2 Executive Session to Discuss a Personnel Matter Member Approve Oppose Recuse Robert Cantelmo X Jorge DeFendini X Kayla Matos X Joe Kirby X Ducson Nguyen X Pat Sewell X David Shapiro X Robin Trumble X Patrick Kuehl X Hannah Shvets X Margaret Fabrizio X Discussion Summary: Council entered into an Executive Session to discuss a personnel matter and returned with a vote. Mayor Cantelmo introduced the resolution appointing Carissa Ralbovsky as City Controller. Mayor Cantelmo read the resolution into the record. Timestamp 100:03-1:09:46 Mayor Cantelmo introduced a resolution appointing Dr. Kehar Khan as Director of Human Resources. Mayor Cantelmo read the resolution into the record. Mayor Cantelmo thanked Acting City Manager Recckio for his diligence and attention on prioritizing the hiring of these two critical administrative roles in the city. Timestamp 1:09:51- 1:10:48 Moved By: Margaret Fabrizio Seconded By: Robin Trumble Motion Summary: Motion to Enter Into Executive Session to discuss a Personnel Matter. Moved by Alderperson Fabrizio, Seconded by Alderperson Trumble. All In Favor 11-0 Vote Passed 11-0 Carried Unanimously Member Approve Oppose Recuse Robert Cantelmo X Jorge DeFendini X Kayla Matos X Joe Kirby X Ducson Nguyen X Pat Sewell X David Shapiro X Robin Trumble X Patrick Kuehl X Hannah Shvets X Margaret Fabrizio X Moved By: Kayla Matos Seconded By: Robin Trumble Motion Summary: Motion to Exit Executive Session. Moved by Alderperson Matos, Seconded by Alderperson Trumble. All In Favor 11-0 Vote Passed 11-0 Carried Unanimously Member Approve Oppose Recuse Robert Cantelmo X Jorge DeFendini X Kayla Matos X Joe Kirby X Ducson Nguyen X Pat Sewell X David Shapiro X Robin Trumble X Patrick Kuehl X Hannah Shvets X Margaret Fabrizio X Moved By: Robert Cantelmo Seconded By: Ducson Nguyen Motion Summary: Resolution- Appointment of City Controller. Moved by Mayor Cantelmo, Seconded by Alderperson Nguyen. All In Favor 11-0 Vote Passed 11-0 Carried Unanimously Member Approve Oppose Recuse Robert Cantelmo X Jorge DeFendini X Kayla Matos X Joe Kirby X Ducson Nguyen X Pat Sewell X David Shapiro X Robin Trumble X Patrick Kuehl X Hannah Shvets X Margaret Fabrizio X Moved By: Robert Cantelmo Seconded By: Kayla Matos Motion Summary: Resolution Appointing Director of Human Resources moved by Mayor Cantelmo, Seconded by Alderperson Matos. All In Favor 11-0 Vote Passed 11-0 Carried Unanimously 10.3 Executive Session To Discuss a Personnel Matter 11.City Manager Report 11.1 City Manager's Monthly Report- April 2026 12.Meeting Wrap Up Member Approve Oppose Recuse Robert Cantelmo X Jorge DeFendini X Kayla Matos X Joe Kirby X Ducson Nguyen X Pat Sewell X David Shapiro X Robin Trumble X Patrick Kuehl X Hannah Shvets X Margaret Fabrizio X Discussion Summary: Council was asked if there were immediate questions or comments regarding the City Manager's Report prior to entering into Executive Session to discuss a Personnel Matter. Timestamp 1:11:26-1:21:15 Discussion Summary: Council entered into Executive Session to discuss another personnel matter, with on anticipated vote. The meeting will adjourn at the closing of the session. Members of the public were asked to clear Chambers. Public order of business has concluded. Timestamp 1:21:16-1:21:27 Moved By: Margaret Fabrizio Seconded By: Robin Trumble Motion Summary: Motion to Enter In Executive Session to Discuss a Personnel Matter. Moved by Alderperson Fabrizio, Seconded by Alderperson Trumble. All In Favor 11-0 Vote Passed 11-0 Carried Unanimously Member Approve Oppose Abstain Robert Cantelmo X Jorge DeFendini X Kayla Matos X Joe Kirby X Ducson Nguyen X Pat Sewell X David Shapiro X Robin Trumble X Patrick Kuehl X Hannah Shvets X Margaret Fabrizio X Public Comment Forum Submitted: 05-06-2026 Adopted: 05-06-2018 Shaniqua Lewis, Deputy City Clerk Carried Unanimously 10-0 (Absent: Matos) Resolution Authorizing and Approving Settlement Agreements to an Action Relating to the Opioid Crisis – Various Defendants WHEREAS, the City has joined with many other municipalities in retaining outside counsel to represent the City’s interests in recovering damages in nationwide litigation pertaining to the opioid epidemic; and WHEREAS, litigation was commenced against several defendants, including manufacturers of opioids, distributors of opioids, and chain pharmacies; and WHEREAS, the litigation alleges causes of action against the following Defendants: 1.Associated Pharmacies, Inc (and American Associated Pharmacies), 2.J M Smith Corporation, 3.Louisiana Wholesale Drug Company, Inc., 4.Morris and Dickson Co., North Carolina Mutual Wholesale Drug Company, Inc., and 5.United Natural Foods, Inc. (including its subsidiaries SuperValu and Advantage Logistics) (collectively, “Defendants”); and WHEREAS, Defendants have offered to settle the claims of the City and other local subdivisions, with the final allocation to the City in an amount to be finalized depending on overall participation by subdivisions; and WHEREAS, in December 2024, the Common Council approved a resolution authorizing and approving settlement agreements in relation to several other defendants and received payment in connection with this settlement; and WHEREAS, the City has entered into an agreement with Tompkins County for the purpose of administering opioid settlement funds for the benefit of the City in accordance with the conditions and restrictions placed on the use of such funds; and WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the City to resolve the above-referenced litigation with respect to the Defendants and to enter into a proposed settlement agreement and release, as encouraged by outside counsel; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, that the City Attorney is hereby authorized to coordinate with outside counsel (Napoli Shkolnik PLLC) to execute any and all appropriate documents on behalf of the City of Ithaca necessary to resolve the claims against the Defendants; and be it further RESOLVED, that the City Controller is authorized to accept any and all funds disbursed pursuant to the settlement; and be it further RESOLVED, that the City Controller is authorized to transfer all such funds to Tompkins County to be used for the benefit of City residents pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County for the Distribution of Opioid Settlement Funds dated January 23, 2024, or any successor agreement that may hereafter be executed with respect to opioid settlement funds. Moved By- Mayor Cantelmo Seconded By- Alderperson Trumble Carried Unanimously 11-0 Exec Session -1 Executive Session – Resolution - Appointment of the City Controller WHEREAS, the Search Committee and Acting City Manager have concluded their interviews for the City Controller position; and WHEREAS, the Acting City Manager recommends the appointment of Carissa Ralbovsky to the position of City Controller; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that Carissa Ralbovsky is hereby appointed to the position of Controller effective May 6, 2026 at Grade 12, Step 4 of the current Managerial Compensation Plan, with an annual salary of $145,188; and be it further RESOLVED, that for the period of May 6, 2026, through the month of June 2026, Carissa Ralbovsky shall perform services in a part-time, remote capacity and shall be compensated on an hourly basis for actual hours worked at a rate of $69.5345 which is the equivalent hourly rate of the approved annual salary; and be it further RESOLVED, that effective July 1, 2026, Carissa Ralbovsky shall assume the full duties of the City Controller position on a full-time, in-person basis and shall thereafter be compensated on a salaried basis in accordance with the Managerial Compensation Plan. Moved by- Mayor Cantelmo Seconded by- Alderperson Nguyen Carried Unanimously 11-0 Exec Session-2 Executive Session – Resolution - Appointment of Director of Human Resources WHEREAS, the Search Committee and Acting City Manager have concluded their interviews for the Director of Human Resources position; and WHEREAS, the Acting City Manager is recommending the appointment of Kehar Khan to the position of Director of Human Resources; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that Kehar Khan be and hereby is appointed to the position of Director of Human Resources effective May 6 at Grade 11, Step 4 of the 2026 Managerial Compensation Plan, with an annual salary of $133,199. Moved by Mayor Cantelmo Seconded by Alderperson Matos Carried Unanimously 11-0 Exec Session 3 Date: Time: Location: Watch Online: Wednesday April 8, 2026 6:00 PM City Hall Council Chambers https://www.youtube.com/@CityofIthacaPublicMeetings AMENDED AGENDA April 8th 2026 COMMON COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING AGENDA 1.Call to Order (10 Min) 1.1. 1.2. 1.3. 2.Proclamations and Awards 3.Review and Approval of Minutes (5 Min) 3.1. 4.Petitions and Hearings of Persons Before Council (60 Min) 4.1. 4.2. 5.Consent Agenda (5 Min) 5.1. 5.2. 5.3. 5.4. 5.5. 5.6. 5.7. 5.8. 5.9. 6.Order of Business- Public Safety 6.1. 7. Member Filed- Finance & Administration (30 Min) 7.1. 8.Member Filed- Miscellaneous (30 Min) 8.1. 9.Mayor Appointments (10 Min) 9.1. 10.Executive Session (40+ Min) 10.1. 10.2. 10.3. 11.City Manager Report 11.1. 12.Meeting Wrap Up Emergency Evacuation Notice Agenda Review Reports from Municipal Officials 03-04-2026 Meeting Minutes Statements From The Public Privilege Of The Floor- Comments From Council & Mayor Outdoor Dining Permit Water Meter Cap Hancock Street Bridge over Cascadilla Creek Replacement Project East State Street Rehabilitation Project Spencer Road Improvement Project City Policy Priorities IFD Grant Funding- Triad Foundation Amend the 2026 Authorized Personnel Roster- Ithaca Youth Bureau Resolution Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grant (EPG) Tactical Team Grant Timeline Extension- Legal Opinion on Wrongful Discharge Protected Cryptid and Official Cryptid of the City of Ithaca Sustainability & Climate Justice Commission Appointment Executive Session - Discussion of Pending or Potential litigation Executive Session to Discuss a Personnel Matter Executive Session To Discuss a Personnel Matter City Manager's Monthly Report- April 2026 1 Public Comment Forum The public can provide short statements during this portion of the meeting. 3 minutes is the maximum time allotted, but the chair reserves the right to modify the amount of time per individual at the start of the meeting. Only the first hour of the meeting is set aside for Public Comment. Groups of 3 or more speakers are allotted more speaking time. For Longer Speaking Time - Multiple speakers on the same topic can speak as a group with one Designated Speaker to represent the Group. This will give you more time to share your thoughts and concerns during the Public Comment Forum. 3-4 Persons with One Designated Speaker - Alotted 5 minutes 5 or More Persons with One Designated Speaker - Alotted 7 minutes Can't Come to the Meeting but still want to speak? Register to Speak Virtually - Click Here To Register Attending the Meeting to Speak in Person? Pre-Registration Not Required Comment Cards are provided to those who attend in person. Once you have filled out your Comment Card, please hand your card to the Clerk. Your name will be called to speak in the order the cards are received. Please Note Comment Cards will be accepted up until the Public Comment Forum begins or a maximum of 30 speakers, whichever comes first. Once we have reached a maximum of 30 speakers, you can submit your comment using the Written Comment Link Below. Want to Submit a Comment and Not Speak in Person? To Submit Written Comments - Click Here To Submit Written Comment *Written comments submitted with be compiled and entered into the record. 2 CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850-6590 Clerk's Office Shaniqua Lewis, Deputy City Clerk TO:Common Council FROM:Alan Karasin, City Clerk DATE:April 8, 2026 RE:Outdoor Dining Permit ITEM #:5.1 MEMORANDUM ATTACHMENTS: 2026 Outdoor Dining Permit Resolution 1.pdf 3 DICE - Approval of Outdoor Dining Alcohol Permits WHEREAS, several downtown restaurants have requested permission to utilize certain areas along the Primary and Secondary Commons and sidewalks in the downtown core for outdoor dining, and WHEREAS, the Downtown Ithaca Alliance has requested permission for wine, beer, and hard cider tasting and sales as part of their special events for 2026, and WHEREAS, it is Common Council's responsibility to determine whether or not to allow the serving and consumption of alcohol on City property, and WHEREAS, Common Council has determined that the use of public property for outdoor dining and special events including the responsible sale and consumption of alcohol, plays an important role in the vibrancy of the downtown business district, and WHEREAS, Common Council has determined that any use of this or similar public property involving the sale and consumption of alcohol should be covered by a minimum of $1,000,000 insurance under the Dram Shop Act; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, For the year 2026, Common Council hereby approves the following revocable alcoholic beverage permits for the outdoor sale and consumption of alcohol in accord with the terms and conditions set forth in their applications, including minimum Dram Shop coverage in the amount of $1,000,000 and the approval of an outdoor dining permit: Collegetown Bagels Creola Food Lab By Luna Revelry Yards Simeons The Lotus Thompson and Bleecker and, be it further RESOLVED, That the Downtown Ithaca Alliance be authorized to arrange for wine, beer, and hard cider tasting and sale of bottled wine, beer, and hard cider at booths during their special events between the dates of January 1 to December 31, 2026, and shall comply with all applicable state and local laws, and, be it further RESOLVED, That the Downtown Ithaca Alliance or the participating winery or cider company shall agree to maintain liability insurance in the amount of $1,000,000.00 and Dram Shop Act coverage in the minimum amount of $1,000,000.00 naming the City of 4 Ithaca as an additional insured and shall provide evidence of such insurance to the City Clerk prior to the event. 5 CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850-6590 Water and Sewer Shaniqua Lewis, Deputy City Clerk TO:Common Council FROM:Scott Gibson DATE:April 8, 2026 RE:Water Meter Cap ITEM #:5.2 MEMORANDUM Increasing commercial cap to $10k, continuing until project is done, and potentially increasing cap for residential to $1,500 ATTACHMENTS: Resolution_to_Renew_the_Program_to_Limit_Underpayments_of_Water_Bills_due_to_Meter_Replacements (1).pdf 6 Resolution to Renew the Program to Limit Underpayments of Water Bills due to Meter Replacements WHEREAS, the Department of Public Works is in its third year of a project to replace approximately 5500 water meters in the City of Ithaca as the current meters and remote reading transmitters are reaching or have already reached the end of their useful life, and WHEREAS, when the remote reading transmitter fails, water bills are based on estimated readings from historical averages until the meter is replaced, and WHEREAS, with each replacement, a final meter reading is physically taken from the old meter, and differences between the final meter reading and the account record are normally found, indicating an overpayment, or an underpayment by the customer, and WHEREAS, most reading differences are minor and accounts can be balanced by minor adjustments in future water bills, and WHEREAS, some reading differences can be large due to a combination of multiple billing cycles of estimated meter readings, and undetected water leaks that continued to go unnoticed for a lengthy time period, and WHEREAS, in its May 1, 2024 meeting, Common Council voted to cap the underpayment limit to its customers at $1,000 from a time period of January 1, 2021 though December 31, 2025 regardless of whether the user was a commercial or residential customer, and WHEREAS, in as much as the meter replacement program is not yet complete, the cap has now expired and customers have no underpayment relief as of December 31, 2025, and WHEREAS, commercial water users consume a proportionally larger amount of water than residential making the cap inequitable where it is desirous to require commercial users to have their own separate underpayment cap, now therefore be it RESOLVED, that the City will extend its underpayment cap program from January 1, 2026 until the City’s meter replacement program is complete, and be it further RESOLVED, that the City has reviewed its underpayment data from the meters replaced since January 1, 2021, and believes that a maximum limit of $1,500 be set for residential underpayments due to meter reading differences, and $10,000 be set for commercial underpayments due to meter reading differences, and be it further RESOLVED, that an underpayment limit of $1,500 applies only once per metered service replaced between January 1, 2021 and the end of the City meter replacement project for residential users, and be it further 7 RESOLVED, that an underpayment limit of $10,000 will apply only once per metered service replaced between January 1, 2021 and the end of the City meter replacement project for commercial users, and be it further RESOLVED, that the City of Ithaca will collect underpayments up to the limit(s) set herein, through a lump sum adjustment to the following quarterly water bill, with a 2-year payment plan option available upon request to the City Chamberlain. 8 CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850-6590 Department of Public Works Shaniqua Lewis, Deputy City Clerk TO:Common Council FROM:John Licitra DATE:April 8, 2026 RE:Hancock Street Bridge over Cascadilla Creek Replacement Project ITEM #:5.3 MEMORANDUM The Hancock Street over Cascadilla Creek Bridge Replacement Project creates a new capital project. A resolution is needed, design funds will be needed in 2026-2027, but most funding will not be needed until 2029-2030. ATTACHMENTS: Resolution- Hancock Street Bridge.pdf Hancock_Work_Session_Memo_to_Council_Combined_John_Licitra.pdf 9 Hancock Street over Cascadilla Creek Bridge Replacement, BIN 2210490 Project- Resolution WHEREAS, a project for replacement of the Hancock Street Bridge over Cascadilla Creek, P.I.N. 375773 (“the Project”) is eligible for funding under Title 23 U.S. Code as administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), as amended, that calls for the apportionment of the costs to be borne at the ratio of 80% federal funds and 20% non-federal funds, and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca will design, let, and administer all phases of the Project that is identified on the 2026-2030 Transportation Improvement Program budget, and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca desires to advance the Project by making a commitment of 100% of the non-federal share of the costs of Scoping, Preliminary Design, Detailed Design, Right of Way (ROW) Incidentals and Acquisition, Construction, and Construction Support and Inspection work for the Project or portions thereof, and WHEREAS, this project constitutes a reconstruction of facility in -kind on the same site as well as maintenance or repair involving no substantial change in an existing facility, and is therefore a Type II action under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Regu lation and in accordance with 6 NYCRR Part 617 requiring no environmental review; and Now therefore, the Common Council, duly convened does hereby RESOLVED, that the Common Council hereby approves the Project; and be it hereby further RESOLVED, that the Common Council hereby authorizes the City of Ithaca to pay in the first instance 100% of the federal and non-federal share of the Scoping, Preliminary Design, Detailed Design, ROW Incidentals and ROW Acquisition, Construction, and Construction Support and Inspection work for the project thereof; and be it further RESOLVED, that Common Council hereby establishes Capital Project #____ in an amount not to exceed the sum of $3,282,500.00 is hereby appropriated from the issuance of Serial Bonds with repayment for the federal and NYS share being $2,626,000 and the City’s estimated share of the project cost not to exceed 20% or $656,500.00 and made available to cover the cost of participation in the above phases of the Project; and it is further RESOLVED, that the Common Council of the City of Ithaca hereby agrees that the City of Ithaca shall be responsible for all costs of the Project, including costs which exceed the amount of reimbursement available from the awarded amount to the City of Ithaca, and it is further RESOLVED, that in the event the costs of the Project exceed the amount appropriated above, Common Council of the City of Ithaca shall convene as soon as possible to appropriate said 10 excess amount immediately upon the notification by the DPW division of Engineering staff and/or New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) thereof, and it is further RESOLVED, that the City Manager of the City of Ithaca of the County of Tompkins be and is hereby authorized to sign all necessary Agreements, certifications, and reimbursement requests with NYSDOT to secure Federal Aid and Marchiselli Aid on behalf of the City of Ithaca and the Superintendent of Public Works is authorized to sign all necessary construction documents, contracts, certifications and reimbursement requests, in connection with the advancement or approval of the Project and providing for the administration of the Project and the municipality’s funding of the Project costs, and it is further RESOLVED, that the Superintendent of Public Works be and is hereby authorized to administer the above project, and it is further RESOLVED, that the City of Ithaca will be responsible for all maintenance of the Project; an d it is further RESOLVED, that a certified copy of this resolution be filed with the New York State Commissioner of Transportation by attaching it to any necessary Agreement in connection with the Project, and it is further RESOLVED, that this Resolution shall take effect immediately. 11 M E M O R A N D U M Date: 19 February 2026 To: Common Council From: Johnathan Licitra, Civil Engineer, DPW—Engineering Division RE: Hancock Street over Cascadilla Creek Bridge Replacement Project EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Hancock Street over Cascadilla Creek Bridge Replacement Project creates a new capital project. Design funds will be needed in 2026-2027, but most funding will not be needed until 2029-2030. PROJECT HISTORY, BACKGROUND, & ANALYSIS Hancock St. Bridge was built in 1931—although detailed construction plans are not on-file. In 2009 minor repairs were completed to address a Yellow Structural Flag. Additional surface treatments (i.e. paving) has occurred over the past 90+ years. The current bridge inspection from 7/30/2025 rated the overall bridge condition as “poor” (4.5). A general description of the rating system can be found here: SNBI Transition Resource Tables.xlsx POLICY ALIGNMENT STATEMENT This project aligns with the City’s goal of being more accessible to all community members and improves the longevity of safe, reliable infrastructure. It continues the City’s mission and compliance with the Comprehensive Plan to maintain existing City transportation infrastructure. QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL • If the project is not funded, then what happens to the existing Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council Transportation (ITCTC) Improvement Program (TIP)? • If the project is not funded, then the bridge will remain open until serious safety flags cause the facility to be temporarily weight listed and potentially closed. Is this an acceptable plan? • If the project is not completed, then needs will remain; designs and future construction costs will continue to rise. Is this an acceptable strategy? 12 BUDGET IMPLICATIONS & FUNDING This request is for a new Capital Project. The NYS DOT State Local Agreement (SLA) signing process can take 5-9 months to be finalized. The design process takes 2-3 years depending upon NYS and federal review times with construction scheduled for 2029-2030. Current project funds come from approximately 80% Federal & NYS, and 20% local. The City of Ithaca resolution is written to approve the total project cost up to $3,282,500 and the City local share is $656,500. Additionally, past practice for SLAs that progress into Design and Construction phases, NYS will further reduce the local share to 5% by using NYS Marchiselli Program funds. The current TIP does not detail the Marchiselli fund amounts for future commitments (i.e. Construction funding), but NYS has been funding this program annually. The City ’s local share would be covered via capital bonding. The maximum local cost for the design funds in 2026 would be $19,125 or 5%—although its likely that most of the costs will be incurred in 2027-2028. Specific details from the current SLA for the Design funds are below: REQUIRED PUBLIC AMENITIES The proposed bridge design will comply with current NYS DOT highway design guidelines and comply with ADA. NEXT STEPS Additional information is found in the attached memo and TIP budget details. A resolution is drafted to fund the full project at the next CC meeting. 13 CITY OF ITHACA ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT 108 E. Green Street, Rm 204 Ithaca, New York 14850-6590 OFFICE OF THE CITY ENGINEER Telephone: 607/274-6530 Fax: 607/274-6587 “An Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to workforce diversification.” MEMORANDUM TO: Common Council FROM: Johnathan Licitra, Civil Engineer DATE: 12 February 2026 RE: Hancock St. over Cascadilla Creek Bridge Replacement Project, BIN 2210490 Please find attached a resolution seeking Common Council authorization to pay 100% of the Federal/State share of the project cost in the first instance. This project is on the Ithaca- Tompkins County Transportation Council (ITCTC) 2026-2030 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). This resolution is required to begin the NYS DOT State Local Agreement signing process which can take 5-9 months. The design process takes 2-3 years depending upon NYS and federal review times with construction scheduled for 2029-2030. Current project costs will be split approximately 80% Federal & NYS, and 20% local. The City of Ithaca resolution is written to approve the total project cost up to $3,282,500 and the City local share of $656,500. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The project will include the following: • Overview: bridge has a 45’ span and was built in 1931. The street is classified as a Major Collector and has an Annual Average Daily Traffic of 1,584 vehicles. • Replacement of all structural and substructure members. • Replacement of guiderails, curbs, sidewalk, and wearing surface to meet current NYS Highway Design principles and NYS ADA compliance requirements. • Construction coordination with all utilities (water, sewer, NYSEG). If you have any questions, please call me @ 607-274-6534 or email me jlicitra@cityofithaca.org 14 Page 2 of 2 Figure 1. Bridge Location Map Figure 2. Additional Photos from 2023, 2026 15 16 CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850-6590 Dept of Public Works-Engineering Shaniqua Lewis, Deputy City Clerk TO:Common Council FROM:Johnathan Licitra, Civil Engineer DATE:April 8, 2026 RE:East State Street Rehabilitation Project ITEM #:5.4 MEMORANDUM The East State Street Rehabilitation from Mitchell St. to Ithaca East City Line creates a new capital project. A resolution is needed, design funds will be needed in 2026-2027, but most funding will not be needed until 2029-2030. ATTACHMENTS: Resolution- East State Street Rehab.pdf East_St_St_Rehab_Work_Session_Memo_to_Council_John_Licitra.pdf 17 East State Street Rehabilitation, PIN 375772 Project-Resolution WHEREAS, a project for rehabilitation of the East State Street from Mitchell Street to Ithaca East City Line, P.I.N. 375772 (“the Project”) is eligible for funding under Title 23 U.S. Code as administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), as amended, that calls for the apportionment of the costs to be borne at the ratio of 80% federal funds and 20% non-federal funds, and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca will design, let, and administer all phases of the Project that is identified on the 2026-2030 Transportation Improvement Program budget, and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca desires to advance the Project by making a commitment of 100% of the non-Federal share of the costs of Scoping, Preliminary Design, Detailed Design, Right of Way (ROW) Incidentals and Acquisition, Construction, and Construction Support and Inspection work for the Project or portions thereof, and WHEREAS, this project constitutes a reconstruction of facility in -kind on the same site as well as maintenance or repair involving no substantial change in an existing facility, and is therefore a Type II action under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Regu lation and in accordance with 6 NYCRR Part 617 requiring no environmental review; and Now therefore, the Common Council, duly convened does herby RESOLVED, that the Common Council hereby approves the Project; and be it hereby further RESOLVED, that the Common Council hereby authorizes the City of Ithaca to pay in the first instance 100% of the federal and non-federal share of the Scoping, Preliminary Design, Detailed Design, ROW Incidentals and ROW Acquisition, Construction, and Construction Support and Inspection work for the project thereof; and be it further RESOLVED, that Common Council hereby establishes Capital Project #____ in an amount not to exceed the sum of $3,803,500.00 is hereby appropriated from the issuance of Serial Bonds with repayment for the Federal and NYS share being $3,042,800 and the City’s estimated share of the project cost not to exceed 20% or $760,700.00 and made available to cover the cost of participation in the above phases of the Project; and it is further RESOLVED, that the Common Council of the City of Ithaca hereby agrees that the City of Ithaca shall be responsible for all costs of the Project, including costs which exceed the amount of reimbursement available from the awarded amount to the City of Ithaca, and it is further RESOLVED, that in the event the costs of the Project exceed the amount appropriated above, Common Council of the City of Ithaca shall convene as soon as possible to appropriate said 18 excess amount immediately upon the notification by the Engineering staff and/or New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) thereof, and it is further RESOLVED, that the City Manager of the City of Ithaca of the County of Tompkins be and is hereby authorized to sign all necessary Agreements, certifications, or reimbursement requests with NYSDOT to secure Federal Aid and Marchiselli Aid on behalf of the City of Ithaca and the Superintendent of Public Works is authorized to sign all necessary construction documents, contracts, certifications and reimbursement requests, in connection with the advancement or approval of the Project and providing for the administration of the Project and the municipality’s funding of the Project costs, and it is further RESOLVED, that the Superintendent of Public Works be and is hereby authorized to administer the above project, and it is further RESOLVED, that the City of Ithaca will be responsible for all maintenance of the Project; an d it is further RESOLVED, that a certified copy of this resolution be filed with the New York State Commissioner of Transportation by attaching it to any necessary Agreement in connection with the Project, and it is further RESOLVED, That this Resolution shall take effect immediately. 19 M E M O R A N D U M Date: 19 February 2026 To: Common Council From: Johnathan Licitra, Civil Engineer, DPW—Engineering Division RE: East State Street Rehabilitation Project EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The East State Street Rehabilitation from Mitchell St. to Ithaca East City Line creates a new capital project. Design funds will be needed in 2026-2027, but most funding will not be needed until 2029-2030. PROJECT HISTORY, BACKGROUND, & ANALYSIS East State Street, also known as State Touring Route 79, is located on the east hill of Ithaca. In 2005, a mill and pave surface treatment was applied. Over the past years, NYSEG Gas utility has replaced gas mains and services. This project location would continue from where the last street repair project limits left-off in 2024. POLICY ALIGNMENT STATEMENT This project aligns with the City’s goal of being more accessible to all community members and improves the longevity of safe, reliable infrastructure. It continues the City’s mission and compliance with the Comprehensive Plan to maintain existing City transportation infrastructure. QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL • If the project is not funded, then what happens to the existing Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council Transportation (ITCTC) Improvement Program (TIP)? • If the project is not funded, then the road surface conditions will continue to degrade. Is this an acceptable plan? • If the project is not completed, then needs will remain; designs and future construction costs will continue to rise. Is this an acceptable strategy? 20 BUDGET IMPLICATIONS & FUNDING This request is for a new Capital Project. The NYS DOT State Local Agreement (SLA) signing process can take 5-9 months to be finalized. The design process takes 2-3 years depending upon NYS and federal review times with construction scheduled for 2029-2030. Current project funds come from approximately 80% Federal & NYS, and 20% local. The City of Ithaca resolution is written to approve the total project cost up to $3,803,500 and the City local share is $760,700. Additionally, past practice for SLAs that progress into Design and Construction phases, NYS will further reduce the local share to 5% by using NYS Marchiselli Program funds. The current TIP does not detail the Marchiselli fund amounts for future commitments (i.e. Construction funding), but NYS has been funding this program annually. The City’s local share would be covered via capital bonding. The maximum local cost for the design funds in 2026 would be $31,800 or 5%—although its likely that most of the costs will be incurred in 2027-2028. Specific details from the current SLA for the Design funds are below: REQUIRED PUBLIC AMENITIES The proposed highway design will comply with current NYS DOT highway design guidelines and comply with ADA. NEXT STEPS Additional information is found in the attached memo and TIP budget details. A resolution is drafted to fund the full project at the next CC meeting. 21 CITY OF ITHACA ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT 108 E. Green Street, Rm 204 Ithaca, New York 14850-6590 OFFICE OF THE CITY ENGINEER Telephone: 607/274-6530 Fax: 607/274-6587 “An Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to workforce diversification.” MEMORANDUM TO: Common Council FROM: Johnathan Licitra, Civil Engineer DATE: 19 February 2026 RE: East State St. Rehabilitation, Mitchell St. to Ithaca E. City Line Project Please find attached a resolution seeking Common Council authorization to pay 100% of the Federal/State/City share of the project cost in the first instance. This project is on the Ithaca- Tompkins County Transportation Council (ITCTC) 2026-2030 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). This resolution is required to begin the NYS DOT State Local Agreement signing process which can take 5-9 months. The design process takes 2-3 years depending upon NYS and Federal review times with construction scheduled for 2029-2030. Current project funds come from approximately 80% Federal & NYS, and 20% local. The City of Ithaca resolution is written to approve the total project cost up to $3,803,500 and the City local share is $760,700. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The project will include the following: • Major road rehabilitation of East State St. (NYS Touring Route 79) from Mitchell St. intersection to the Ithaca East City line—approx. 0.7 miles in road length. The street is classified as a Principal Arterial and has an Annual Average Daily Traffic of 5,606 vehicles. • Replacement of wearing surface, guiderails, curbs, sidewalk, storm sewer and retaining wall conditions to meet current NYS Highway Design principles and NYS ADA compliance requirements. • Construction coordination with all utilities (water, sewer, NYSEG). If you have any questions, please call me @ 607-274-6534 or email me jlicitra@cityofithaca.org 22 Page 2 of 2 Figure 1. Project Location Map Figure 2. Photos from 2024, 2026 23 TIP date 2025 PIN 375772 BIN Project Name East State Street Rehabilitation Sponsor City of Ithaca Description Rehabilitates East State Street from Mitchell St to Ithaca East City Line. Work will address pavement failings, storm sewer and retaining wall conditions, and pedestrian facilities including sidewalks, crosswalks, and ramps. City of Ithaca, Tompkins CO. Fund Source: NHPP/MED URBAN/STBG-FLEX Project Element Funding Date Obligated Date 25/26 26/27 27/28 28/29 29/30 5 YR Total A-1-Scoping NHPP $0 11-25 $100,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $100,000 B-4-Preliminary Design NHPP $0 11-25 $286,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $286,000 C-7-Detailed Design NHPP $0 11-25 $250,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $250,000 G-18-Construction NHPP $0 11-29 $0 $0 $0 $0 $929,000 $929,000 G-19-Construction_1 STBG-FLEX $0 11-29 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1,571,000 $1,571,000 G-20-Construction_2 MED URBAN $0 11-29 $0 $0 $0 $0 $292,500 $292,500 H-22-Inspection MEDIUM URBAN $0 11-29 $0 $0 $0 $0 $375,000 $375,000 Total: $0 $636,000 $0 $0 $0 $3,167,500 $3,803,500 Federal Funding: $0 $508,800 $0 $0 $0 $2,534,000 $3,042,800 State Funding: $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Local Funding: $0 $127,200 $0 $0 $0 $633,500 $760,700 24 CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850-6590 Dept of Public Works-Engineering Shaniqua Lewis, Deputy City Clerk TO:Common Council FROM:Johnathan Licitra, Civil Engineer, DPW- Engineering Division DATE:April 8, 2026 RE:Spencer Road Improvement Project ITEM #:5.5 MEMORANDUM The Spencer Road Improvements from the Elmira Road / S. Albany Street roundabout to Stone Quarry Road creates a new capital project. A resolution is needed, design funds will be needed in 2026-2027, but most funding will not be needed until 2028-2029. ATTACHMENTS: Resolution- Spencer Road Improvements.pdf Spencer_Rd_Improvements_Work_Session_Memo_to_John_Licitra.pdf 25 Spencer Road Improvements, PIN 375774 Project-Resolution WHEREAS, a project for rehabilitation of Spencer Road from the Elmira Road / S. Albany Street roundabout to Stone Quarry Road, P.I.N. 375774 (“the Project”) is eligible for funding under Title 23 U.S. Code as administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), as amended, that calls for the apportionment of the costs to be borne at the ratio of 80% federal funds and 20% non-federal funds, and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca will design, let, and administer all phases of the Project that is identified on the 2026-2030 Transportation Improvement Program budget, and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca desires to advance the Project by making a commitment of 100% of the non-Federal share of the costs of Scoping, Preliminary Design, Detailed Design, Right of Way (ROW) Incidentals and Acquisition, Construction, and Construction Support and Inspection work for the Project or portions thereof, and WHEREAS, this project constitutes a reconstruction of facility in -kind on the same site as well as maintenance or repair involving no substantial change in an existing facility, and is therefore a Type II action under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Regu lation and in accordance with 6 NYCRR Part 617 requiring no environmental review; and Now therefore, the Common Council, duly convened does herby RESOLVED, that the Common Council hereby approves the Project; and be it hereby further RESOLVED, that the Common Council hereby authorizes the City of Ithaca to pay in the first instance 100% of the federal and non-federal share of the Scoping, Preliminary Design, Detailed Design, ROW Incidentals and ROW Acquisition, Construction, and Construction Support and Inspection work for the project thereof; and be it further RESOLVED, that Common Council hereby establishes Capital Project #____ in an amount not to exceed the sum of $1,088,500.00 is hereby appropriated from the issuance of Serial Bonds with repayment for the Federal and NYS share being $870,800 and the City’s estimated share of the project cost not to exceed 20% or $217,700.00 and made available to cover the cost of participation in the above phases of the Project; and it is further RESOLVED, that the Common Council of the City of Ithaca hereby agrees that the City of Ithaca shall be responsible for all costs of the Project, including costs which exceed the amount of reimbursement available from the awarded amount to the City of Ithaca, and it is further RESOLVED, that in the event the costs of the Project exceed the amount appropriated above, Common Council of the City of Ithaca shall convene as soon as possible to appropriate said 26 excess amount immediately upon the notification by the Engineering staff and/or New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) thereof, and it is further RESOLVED, that the City Manager of the City of Ithaca of the County of Tompkins be and is hereby authorized to sign all necessary Agreements, certifications, or reimbursement requests with NYSDOT to secure Federal Aid and Marchiselli Aid on behalf of the City of Ithaca and the Superintendent of Public Works is authorized to sign all necessary construction documents, contracts, certifications and reimbursement requests, in connection with the advancement or approval of the Project and providing for the administration of the Pr oject and the municipality’s funding of the Project costs, and it is further RESOLVED, that the Superintendent of Public Works be and is hereby authorized to administer the above project, and it is further RESOLVED, that the City of Ithaca will be responsible for all maintenance of the Project; an d it is further RESOLVED, that a certified copy of this resolution be filed with the New York State Commissioner of Transportation by attaching it to any necessary Agreement in connection with the Project, and it is further RESOLVED, That this Resolution shall take effect immediately. 27 M E M O R A N D U M Date: 19 February 2026 To: Common Council From: Johnathan Licitra, Civil Engineer, DPW—Engineering Division RE: Spencer Road Improvement Project EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Spencer Road Improvements from the Elmira Road / S. Albany Street roundabout to Stone Quarry Road creates a new capital project. Design funds will be needed in 2026 -2027, but most funding will not be needed until 2028-2029. PROJECT HISTORY, BACKGROUND, & ANALYSIS Spencer Road is located on the southside of Ithaca. In 1997, the road received a full depth pavement replacement and an asphalt skim coat treatment occurred in 2024. In 2017, the Sidewalk Improvement District work plan paid for preliminary design plans to alleviate pedestrian safety concerns. Pedestrian safety enhancements have not occurred due to funding limitations. POLICY ALIGNMENT STATEMENT This project aligns with the City’s goal of being more accessible to all community members and improves the longevity of safe, reliable infrastructure. It continues the City’s mission and compliance with the Comprehensive Plan to maintain existing City transportation infrastructure. QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL • If the project is not funded, then what happens to the existing Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council Transportation (ITCTC) Improvement Program (TIP)? • If the project is not funded, then the road surface conditions will continue to degrade. Is this an acceptable plan? • If the project is not completed, then needs will remain; designs and future construction costs will continue to rise. Is this an acceptable strategy? 28 BUDGET IMPLICATIONS & FUNDING This request is for a new Capital Project. The NYS DOT State Local Agreement (SLA) signing process can take 5-9 months to be finalized. The design process takes 2-3 years depending upon NYS and federal review times with construction scheduled for 2028-2029. Current project funds come from approximately 80% Federal NYS, and 20% local. The City of Ithaca resolution is written to approve the total project cost up to $1,088,500 and the City local share is $217,700. Additionally, past practice for SLAs that progress into Design and Construction phases, NYS will further reduce the local share to 5% by using NYS Marchiselli Program funds. The current TIP does not detail the Marchiselli fund amounts for future commitments (i.e. Construction funding), but NYS has been funding this program annually. The City ’s local share would be covered via capital bonding. The maximum local cost for the design funds in 2026 would be $14,250 or 5%—although its likely that most of the costs will be incurred in 2027-2028. Specific details from the current SLA for the Design funds are below: REQUIRED PUBLIC AMENITIES The proposed highway design will comply with current NYS DOT highway design guidelines and comply with ADA. NEXT STEPS Additional information is found in the attached memo and TIP budget details. A resolution is drafted to fund the full project at the next CC meeting. 29 CITY OF ITHACA ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT 108 E. Green Street, Rm 204 Ithaca, New York 14850-6590 OFFICE OF THE CITY ENGINEER Telephone: 607/274-6530 Fax: 607/274-6587 “An Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to workforce diversification.” MEMORANDUM TO: Common Council FROM: Johnathan Licitra, Civil Engineer DATE: 19 February 2026 RE: Spencer Road Improvement Project: from the Elmira Road / S. Albany Street roundabout to Stone Quarry Road Please find attached a resolution seeking Common Council authorization to pay 100% of the Federal/State/City share of the project cost in the first instance. This project is on the Ithaca- Tompkins County Transportation Council (ITCTC) 2026-2030 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). This resolution is required to begin the NYS DOT State Local Agreement signing process which can take 5-9 months. The design process takes 2-3 years depending upon NYS and Federal review times with construction scheduled for 2028-2029. Current project funds come from approximately 80% Federal & NYS, and 20% local. The City of Ithaca resolution is written to approve the total project cost up to $1,088,500 and the City local share is $217,700. The project will include the following: • Major road rehabilitation of Spencer Road from the Elmira Road / S. Albany Street roundabout to Stone Quarry Road—approx. 0.4 miles in road length. The street is classified as a Major Collector and has an Annual Average Daily Traffic of 3,903 vehicles. • Replacement of wearing surface, guiderails, curbs, new sidewalks and crosswalks, storm sewer and retaining wall conditions to meet current NYS Highway Design principles and NYS ADA compliance requirements. Note: The current road profile is quite narrow at some sections, and offers limited-to-no pedestrian safety areas due to steep embankments and deep ditches. • Construction coordination with all utilities (water, sewer, NYSEG). If you have any questions, please call me @ 607-274-6534 or email me jlicitra@cityofithaca.org 30 Page 2 of 2 Figure 1. Project Location Map Figure 2. Photos from 2024, 2026 31 32 CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850-6590 Mayor's Office Shaniqua Lewis, Deputy City Clerk TO:Common Council FROM:Mayor Robert Cantelmo & Acting City Manager, Dominick Recckio DATE:April 8, 2026 RE:City Policy Priorities ITEM #:5.6 MEMORANDUM Resolution Establishing City Policy Priorities for Executive Administration 2026. ATTACHMENTS: CC-Master_Priorities_Resolution_Finalized.pdf 33 Resolution Establishing City Policy Priorities for Executive Administration 2026 WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca operates under a Mayor-Council-Manager form of government, in which the city manager serves as the responsible party for the daily administration of government and the policies and directives of the mayor and Common Council; and WHEREAS, on September 3, 2025 the Common Council adopted the vision statements and strategic goals drafted by the Mayor’s advisory committees on legislative policy (Appendix A); and WHEREAS, the Mayor was charged by Council to work with the administration to develop and bring forward draft proposals, amendments to existing laws, and policy briefings for consideration of the Common Council that reflects said adopted findings; and WHEREAS, on December 3, 2025 the Mayor designated and Council affirmed that Deputy City Manager Recckio as Acting City Manager effective January 1, 2026 and charged the Acting City Manager to “deliver and implement, in consultation with the mayor, a 2026 Executive Workplan for Common Council’s legislative priorities and direction, aligning departmental goals, identifying responsible staff and timelines. After approval by Common Council, the acting city manager shall provide quarterly administrative performance reports summarizing departmental outcomes, project milestones, and progress toward legislative objectives;” and WHEREAS, Council committed, in that authorizing resolution, to adopting policy priorities to guide the 2026 Executive Workplan no later than February 2026, but required additional time to confer, deliberate, and prioritize; and WHEREAS, the Mayoral advisory groups have circulated memoranda to relevant city departments and received their feedback about bandwidth, achievability, and scope; and WHEREAS, the Mayor has refined the items within each advisory memo in consultation with the Acting City Manager to ensure they are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound for 2026 and, as appropriate, the 2027 budgeting process; now therefore be it RESOLVED, that the Acting City Manager will take all appropriate steps to implement and administer the policy goals of the City of Ithaca stated in this resolution; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Acting City Manager, in consultation with the Mayor, will develop, deliver, and implement, after adoption by the Common Council, an executive workplan with quarterly quantitative and qualitative performance updates, pursuant to the procedures and requirements outlined in “Resolution of the Common Council of the City of Ithaca Establishing Oversight and Performance Reporting Protocols for the Acting City Manager” (December 3, 2025); and be it further RESOLVED, that the executive workplan shall be structured to include, for each priority in this resolution, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals; quarterly milestones; the lead department or responsible official; and performance measures for outputs and policy outcomes that can be objectively evaluated and transparently tracked by the Mayor, Common Council, and the public, and that quarterly performance updates shall identify progress made, missed milestones, reasons for delay, and corrective actions, and any policy or resource decisions needed from the Mayor or Common Council; and be it further RESOLVED, that progress toward the goals and milestones contained in the executive workplan and quarterly performance updates shall inform the Mayor and Common Council’s ongoing evaluation of administrative performance and progress toward adopted legislative priorities; and be it further RESOLVED, that this resolution take effect upon adoption; and be it finally 34 RESOLVED, that the Mayor and Common Council adopt the following legislative priorities for 2026-2027::: A. Housing a. It is the policy of the City to establish a citywide policy requiring minimum residential densities of 20 dwelling units per acre in designated urban core areas and 10 dwelling units per acre in urban edge areas. These density targets may be implemented through, without limitation, zoning amendments, code modifications, and planning documents to support housing affordability, sustainability, and long-term growth. This policy is consistent with the 2015 Comprehensive Plan 1 and supersedes any conflicting prior policy guidance. b. Request that the Zoning Advisory Committee recommend to the Mayor and Common Council a comprehensive zoning reform package to modernize land use regulations in alignment with adopted housing, equity, and sustainability goals to promote density goals, middle housing, by-right development, parking mandate reform or abolition, and affordable housing and cooperative ownership incentives. c. Prepare and submit for the consideration of the Mayor and Common Council Objective Design Standards and associated administrative reforms that shift residential and mixed-use development toward predictable, ministerial approval processes and limit discretionary review processes and establish predictable timelines. B. Economic & Community Development a. It is the policy of the City to advance focused planning and coordination efforts to support revitalization of the West MLK Street Corridor, including assessment of land use conditions, infrastructure needs, business mix, and barriers to reinvestment. Emphasize community engagement, alignment with housing and transportation initiatives, and identification of near-term public actions that can catalyze private and nonprofit investment; and b. Prepare and submit for the consideration of the Mayor and Common Council code modernization and streamlining efforts to reduce barriers to business formation, expansion, and redevelopment, particularly for small businesses, locally owned enterprises, and neighborhood-level commercial nodes. c. Prepare and submit for the consideration of the Mayor and Common Council a plan and associated costs to develop a comprehensive, regularly updated economic data dashboard for City policymakers to track local economic conditions, performance trends, and equity outcomes. The dashboard should integrate indicators such as employment and wages, business activity, commercial vacancy, housing affordability, tax base trends, and neighborhood-level investment, and be designed to inform policy decisions, budget deliberations, and program evaluation. C. Public Works & Operations a. It is the policy of the City to strengthen coordination between Public Works capital planning and citywide housing, sustainability, and accessibility objectives, including alignment of street, utility, and right-of-way investments with development activity, climate resilience priorities, ADA compliance, and long-range land use plans. b. Advance flood mitigation actions to protect city neighborhoods impacted by the revised FEMA flood maps. Prepare and submit for the consideration of the Mayor and Common Council any legislation, capital investments, or administrative actions necessary to support this infrastructure and public safety priority. c. Prepare and submit for the consideration of the Mayor and Common Council a comprehensive, long-range Facilities Master Plan addressing the condition, capacity, location, and future needs of City-owned facilities, to inform capital planning, budget decisions, facilities maintenance, workforce needs, and service delivery over the next decade. D. Finance & Administration 1 See page 37 of the Plan Ithaca, citing low-density residential at 10 dwelling units per acre, medium-density between 10- 20 dwelling units per acre, and higher-density residential as significantly more. 35 a. It is the policy of the City to advance a coordinated effort to bring financial records, reconciliations, and supporting documentation into a consistent, auditable state for fiscal years 2022 through 2025. Fully implement the City’s Corrective Action Plan from the most recent NYS Audit. b. Implement Council policies adopted in November 2025 requiring permanent (1) general fund balance policy; and (2) debt reduction, BAN conversion, and equipment replacement strategies. c. Prepare and submit for the consideration of the Mayor and Common Council a plan and associated costs to develop performance-informed budgeting frameworks and long-range capital planning for 2028 budget cycle and beyond. E. Sustainability, Adaptability, and Resilience a. It is the policy of the City to support implementation of the City’s adopted Climate Action Plan by having staff prepare and submit for the consideration of the Mayor and Common Council appropriate legislation or strategies , focusing on the domains of housing, labor, public health, racial equity, power reliability, and emergency response. b. Prepare and submit for the consideration of the Mayor and Common Council a capital project budget that complies with adopted Justice50 policy. F. Human Services and Quality of Life a. It is the policy of the City to promote participatory programs, community-driven planning efforts, and support for civic infrastructure that fosters trust, engagement, and shared stewardship of public spaces. b. Prepare and submit for the consideration of the Mayor and Common Council the establishment of a standalone Parks Department or improved operational plan to improve central planning, service delivery, maintenance standards, and community outcomes related to parks and public space. G. Public Safety a. It is the policy of the to stabilize and fully staff all public safety-oriented positions within City government. Efforts to implement this policy should include preparation and submission for the consideration of the Mayor and Common Council operational and budgetary plans, and should include, including targeted recruitment, retention, and training strategies. Emphasis should be placed on restoring minimum staffing levels necessary to maintain service reliability, responder safety, and community trust. b. Evaluate the first-year of “ROOTS” implementation and prepare and submit to the Mayor and Common Council operational or policy adjustments in line with the local and national best practices emerging from Reimagining Public Safety efforts. H. Intergovernmental Relations a. Pursuant to §C-11(A), support the Mayor in their duties and responsibilities for intergovernmental advocacy and representation around efforts to secure operational and capital grant funding, public and private economic investment, and advocacy for such federal, state, or regional policies or regulatory actions that they may deem appropriate or the Council may direct them to pursue. b. Prepare and submit for the consideration of the Mayor and Common Council such intergovernmental MOUs, contracts, or service sharing agreements that will benefit the residents of the City of Ithaca. 36 Appendix A Adopted September 3, 2025 Housing Kayla Matos, Ducson Nguyen, Tiffany Kumar, Clyde Lederman Vision Statement Ensure every Ithacan has access to safe, affordable, and dignified housing, while enabling smart, sustainable growth that strengthens neighborhoods and our local economy. Strategic Goals 1. Add 4,300 new housing units by 2030, including 1,600 deeply affordable units and 900 new for-sale units to support pathways to ownership to address demand, reduce upward pressure on prices, and enable population and workforce growth. 2. Reduce housing cost burden by 10% citywide, focusing on renters and low-to-moderate income households, through expanded affordability tools, tenant protection measures, and housing supply interventions. 3. End unsheltered homelessness through a Housing First approach and the development of permanent supportive housing, in partnership with County and nonprofit providers. Economic and Community Development Kayla Matos, Kris Haines-Sharp, Patrick Kuehl, Margaret Fabrizio Vision Statement Advance a resilient, inclusive, and innovative-driven local economy that reflects community values – one grounded in broad-based ownership, quality employment, cultural vitality, and equitable opportunity. This vision will be realized through strategic land use, investment in sustainable infrastructure, and vibrant commercial corridors. Strategic Goals 1. Double the City's GDP growth rate over five years through coordinated land use, infrastructure, and innovation investments. 2. Expand access to economic opportunity, especially for historically underrepresented and marginalized communities, through targeted workforce development, public-private partnerships, new business development support, code modernization and streamlining, and neighborhood-level investment. 3. Strengthen and diversify neighborhood commercial nodes and downtown through planning, capital investment, and small-scale manufacturing or green production zones. Public Works and Operations Ducson Nguyen, Kris Haines-Sharp, David Shapiro Vision Statement Deliver efficient, equitable, and climate-resilient public infrastructure and operations that enhance quality of life, support sustainable growth, and strengthen community trust between the community and local government. Through modernization and innovation, ensure that City services are responsive, future-ready, and inclusive of all residents. Strategic Goals 1. Reinvest in and maintain critical infrastructure systems—including streets, water, sewer, and stormwater—to meet current and anticipated future demand. Reduce deferred maintenance, enhance reliability, and ensure systems are adaptable to climate change and population growth. 2. Improve operational efficiency through targeted investments in personnel, training, fleet modernization, technology upgrades, and integrated data systems. Embed equity and accountability into operational practices to ensure consistent, high-quality service and communication across all neighborhoods. 37 3. Coordinate infrastructure and capital planning with citywide sustainability, accessibility, and housing objectives. Strengthen interdepartmental collaboration, integrate community input, and use capital investments as tools to advance long-term priorities. Finance David Shapiro, Tiffany Kumar, Clyde Lederman Vision Statement Promote a stable, transparent, and forward-looking fiscal foundation that sustains core services, enables strategic investment, and ensures equitable resource allocation across the community. Strategic Goals 1. Maintain long-term structural balance and proactively pursue financial resilience while keeping annual tax levy increases within the State tax cap. 2. Expand non-property tax revenue through economic growth, external partnerships, and innovation in service delivery. 3. Improve transparency, equity, and performance in budgeting through participatory processes, performance metrics, and long-term financial planning, policies, and forecasting. Public Safety Phoebe Brown, Ducson Nguyen, Tiffany Kumar Vision Statement Advance a holistic, equitable, and community-centered public safety system that prioritizes prevention, trust- building, and well-coordinated emergency response. Strategic Goals 1. Expand and institutionalize unarmed and community-based crisis response as a complement to traditional policing. 2. Strengthen coordination and communication among police, fire, EMS, and mental health responders to ensure effective, equitable, and timely emergency responses. 3. Build trust and accountability through proactive engagement, transparency, and recruitment strategies that reflect the values and diversity of our community. Sustainability, Adaptability, and Resilience Kris Haines-Sharp, David Shapiro, Pierre Saint-Perez, Patrick Kuehl Vision Statement Build a just, climate-resilient, and regenerative future by embedding sustainability, adaptability, and resilience into all aspects of City planning, policy, and operations. Create systems that not only mitigate environmental harm but actively restore ecological health, protect vulnerable populations, and position the community to thrive amid a changing climate and evolving economic landscape. Strategic Goals 1. Advance emissions reductions across buildings, transportation, and infrastructure in alignment with the Ithaca Green New Deal, state climate targets, and global best practices. Leverage partnerships, policies, and investments to scale impact quickly and equitably. 2. Strengthen the community’s capacity to withstand and recover from climate-related shocks, including extreme weather, energy disruptions, and threats to food and water security. Prioritize support for vulnerable populations and neighborhoods most at risk. 3. Embed sustainability, adaptation, and equity into municipal budgeting, capital planning, procurement, land use, and departmental decision-making. Develop consistent frameworks and accountability tools to ensure climate goals are reflected in City operations and long-term strategies. Human Services and Quality of Life Kayla Matos, Phoebe Brown, Patrick Kuehl, Margaret Fabrizio 38 Vision Statement Promote a healthy, inclusive, and vibrant community where every resident has equitable access to opportunities, services, and spaces that support physical, mental, and social well-being. Strategic Goals 1. Increase access to culturally competent mental health, addiction, and wellness resources through community-based initiatives, partnerships, and advocacy with Federal, State, and local governments. 2. Expand access to quality-of-life infrastructure, including parks, public spaces, and libraries, particularly for underserved neighborhoods, working families, retirees, and youth. 3. Strengthen neighborhood resilience and social connection through community-building, participatory programs, and investment in civic infrastructure. Intergovernmental Relations Pierre Saint-Perez, Margaret Fabrizio, Clyde Lederman Vision Statement Strengthen the City’s relationships with County, regional, state, and federal partners to improve service delivery, secure external funding, and advance shared priorities for the greater Ithaca community. Strategic Goals 1. Deepen alignment, communication, collaboration with elected leaders and administration officials across Tompkins County to support and coordinate service delivery, leverage shared infrastructure, and reduce duplication. 2. Position the City to effectively compete for state and federal funding by prioritizing grant readiness, strategic partnerships, and proactive advocacy. 3. Advance collaboration, shared identity, and operational efficiencies through strategic partnership with the Town of Ithaca, including existing and expanded shared services, coordinated planning, and long-term governance alignment to improve outcomes for all Ithacans. 39 CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850-6590 Fire Department Shaniqua Lewis, Deputy City Clerk TO:Common Council FROM:Michael Moody DATE:April 8, 2026 RE:IFD Grant Funding- Triad Foundation ITEM #:5.7 MEMORANDUM The grant funding has been provided by the Triad Foundation and is intended for the purchase of ballistic-resistant vests, helmets, and EMS trauma bags. ATTACHMENTS: Triad Foundation resolution_Michael Moody.pdf 40 Resotution to Accept Grand Funding from the Triad Foundation for Protective Equipment. February 26,2026 WHEREAS, the Fire Chief of the City of lthaca Fire Department apptied to the Triad Foundation of lthaca, NY for grant funding for battistic-resista nt vests, helmets, and EMS Trauma bags; and WHEREAS, on February 10,2026,the lthaca Fire Department was notified that it has been awarded a grant in the amount of Fifteen Thousand and 00/1 00 dottars ($15,000.00) for the purchase of this protective equipment; and WHEREAS, this equipment witt provide an additionat [eveL of protection for firefighters responding to incidents involving viotence, threats of vio[ence, or active assailant situations, and wit[ enhance the Department's abitity to detiver emergency medicaI care in high-risk environments; and WHEREAS, the grant requires no matching funds; NOW THEREFORE, BE lT RESOLVED that the Common Council of the City of lthaca hereby accepts the grant award of $1 5,000.00 from the Triad Foundation; and BE lT FURTHER RESOLVED that the funds shatt be used sotety for the purchase of battistic- resistant vests, protective helmets, and EMS trauma bags; and BE lT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Manager is authorized to execute any documents necessary to accept and administer said grant funds; and BE lT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Controlter is authorized to make any necessary budget adjustments to recognize and appropriate these funds. 41 CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850-6590 Ithaca Youth Bureau Shaniqua Lewis, Deputy City Clerk TO:Common Council FROM:Suki Tabor DATE:April 8, 2026 RE:Amend the 2026 Authorized Personnel Roster- Ithaca Youth Bureau ITEM #:5.8 MEMORANDUM The Ithaca Youth Bureau respectfully requests approval to increase the position of Financial Management Assistant from 17.5 hours per week to 20 hours per week. This increase reflects the increased need for fiscal and financial processing and reporting in recent years. This request represents a strategic realignment of existing resources and does not increase the total number of authorized City or IYB positions. ATTACHMENTS: Resolution to Amend 2026 Authorized Personnel_Suki Tabor.pdf IYB Amendment To Roster Memo - April 2026_Suki Tabor.pdf 42 Resolution to Amend the 2026 Authorized Personnel Roster – Ithaca Youth Bureau WHEREAS, the Common Council of the City of Ithaca is responsible for approving the City’s Authorized Personnel Roster; and WHEREAS, the City remains committed to aligning staffing structures with long -term operational needs; and WHEREAS, the Ithaca Youth Bureau has assessed its current staffing needs, and has identified necessary adjustments to staffing to meet increased regulatory and reporting requirements; and WHEREAS, this request is consistent with the City’s Policy Priorities; and WHEREAS, a 17.5 hour per week Financial Management Assistant position exists in the 2026 Ithaca Youth Bureau Authorized Personnel Roster; and WHEREAS, increasing the hours of this position to 20 hours per week will be budget neutral; and now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Common Council hereby approves an amendment to the 2026 Authorized Personnel Roster to: • Increase the hours of the Financial Management Assistant from 17.5 to 20 per week, and be it further RESOLVED, that this amendment shall take effect April 1, 2026; and be it further RESOLVED, that the appropriate City officials are hereby authorized to take all necessary actions to implement this resolution. 43 M E M O R A N D U M Date: March 30, 2026 To: Common Council From: Gregg Houck, Youth Bureau Director RE: Amendment to Authorized Personnel Roster – Ithaca Youth Bureau PURPOSE The purpose of this memorandum is to request Common Council authorization to amend the 2026 Authorized Personnel Roster to support the continued fiscal and financial operations of the Ithaca Youth Bureau. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Ithaca Youth Bureau respectfully requests approval to increase the position of Financial Management Assistant from 17.5 hours per week to 20 hours per week. This increase reflects the increased need for fiscal and financial processing and reporting in recent years. This request represents a strategic realignment of existing resources and does not increase the total number of authorized City or IYB positions. BACKGROUND & STRATEGIC CONTEXT The Youth Bureau is requesting permission to amend the 2026 authorized personnel roster. We have evaluated the current needs of the Youth Bureau and have determined that the following requested amendment to our personnel roster to help us address increased regulatory and reporting requirements, respond to the additional fiscal processing required for the management of Stewart Park, and enhance our ability to deliver quality customer service for individuals seeking our services. These changes do not require any budget amendments and will be covered within our approved 2026 budget. To fund these changes, we would transfer funds from our contracts line to cover the increased cost. This proposal: • Advances the City’s priorities to promote participatory programs, community-driven planning efforts, and support for civic infrastructure that fosters trust, engagement, and shared stewardship of public spaces. • Strengthens our capacity and supports a strong operational partnership with the Finance Department • Increases the hours of an existing position and the likelihood that we will get highly qualified candidates, due to more desirable hours. Making the changes to the hours of this position will improve day-to-day responsiveness, enhance cross- functional coordination, and better position the IYB’s fiscal team to handle the increased workload. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that Common Council approve the following changes to the Authorized Personnel Roster effective April 1, 2026: • Increase the hours of the Financial Management Assistant from 17.5 hours per week to 20 hours per week. BUDGET IMPACT This action is expected to be budget neutral. 44 CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850-6590 Water and Sewer Shaniqua Lewis, Deputy City Clerk TO:Common Council FROM:Scott Gibson DATE:April 8, 2026 RE:Resolution Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grant (EPG) ITEM #:5.9 MEMORANDUM A resolution as a requirement of a small grant that we received from the EFC for a study that we're involved with the Town of Ithaca. The City is required to match $10K which we can just take out of operating funds. ATTACHMENTS: Resolution_for_Project_Management_EFCFinal.pdf EPG2303_Ithaca(C)_Project Checklist.pdf 45 Resolution Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grant (EPG) WHEREAS, Inflow and Infiltration (I/I) is a common problem in an aging sanitary sewer system where cracks, breaks, and illicit crossflow connections (like sump pumps and roof downspouts) allow ground and surface water to leak into a system only designed for wastewater, and WHEREAS, excess non-sanitary flow leads to negative impacts on the collection system and wastewater treatment plant including surcharging, overflows, inhibitions to plant microbiology, and capacity concerns, and WHEREAS, the City collection system dates back to the 1850s with known I/I issues, and WHEREAS, the Town of Ithaca and the City of Ithaca share a common collection system known as joint interceptors which are designed to receive Town and City flow within piping that stems from the Town, through the City, to the wastewater treatment plant, and WHEREAS, the Town of Ithaca and the City of Ithaca have had a long standing Joint Interceptor Agreement in place to identify how these systems are used, and WHEREAS, both municipalities are working with Larson Design Group on a joint interceptor study to evaluate the impact that I/I has on pipe capacity, and WHEREAS, on behalf of the City of Ithaca, Larson Design Group applied for and obtained a grant from the Environmental Facilities Corporation for $50,000 which can be used toward the City’s financial contribution toward this study, and WHEREAS, in order to receive the grant, the City is required to provide a $10,000 local match, and to provide a resolution designating an authorized representative, now therefore be it RESOLVED, that the City of Ithaca acknowledges and accepts the award amount of $50,000 from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation which will be used toward the City’s share of a conjoined Infiltration and Inflow Improvements Study between the Town of Ithaca and the City of Ithaca, and be it further RESOLVED, that the City provide the required $10,000 local match which will be drawn from Water & Sewer Operating Funds, and be it further RESOLVED, that the City names Scott Gibson, Assistant DPW Superintendent of Water & Sewer as the Grant Executor to manage related contracts, documents, and instruments necessary to bring about the project and to fulfill the obligations under the Grant Agreement. 46 WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING PLANNING GRANT (EPG) PROJECT CHECKLIST EPG Project Checklist Page 1 of 3 Revision Date: 09/24/2025 This Project Checklist, developed by the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC), helps Engineering Planning Grant (EPG) recipients manage their projects and ensure compliance. It outlines key project details and lists required documentation for submission. Use it as a guide to stay on track and meet program requirements. Note: All items must be completed and submitted to EFC no later than June 30, 2026. PROJECT INFORMATION Recipient Name: Ithaca, City of Project Name: Infiltration and Inflow Improvements Study Grant Number: 2303 Award Amount: $ 50,000 Local Match: $ 10,000 EFC Contacts: Coordinator: Humera Bashir <Humera.Bashir@efc.ny.gov> Engineer: Andrea Prockup <Andrea.Prockup@efc.ny.gov> REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION ☐ PROJECT CONTACTS EFC will provide a Project Contacts Form. The form must include project contact information for all relevant parties. The completed for must be returned to EFC. If project contacts changes at any point during the project, an updated Contacts Form should be submitted. ☐ BOARD RESOLUTIONS Submit signed, certified board resolutions in PDF format designating the authorized representative and local match amount. Resolutions must include roll call votes, and a municipality seal, if applicable. Type II SEQR resolutions are not required for Engineering Planning Grants. 47 EPG Project Checklist Page 2 of 3 Revision Date: 09/24/2025  Certified Copy of Authorized Representative Resolution Resolution should authorize a representative, by title, to execute the Grant Agreement and any and all other contracts, documents, and instruments necessary to bring about the project and to fulfill the obligations under the Grant Agreement  Certified Copy of Local Match Resolution Resolution should identify the source of the required local match, authorizing its use, and appropriating the funds for the project. ☐ PROJECT BUDGET EFC will provide an Excel template for the Project Budget and Plan of Finance. The template must be completed and should include all associated costs, architectural and engineering services, any in-kind services, other funding sources, and inclusion of the minimum local match requirement. The completed form must be submitted to EFC in Excel format. ☐ FORCE ACCOUNT (IF APPLICABLE)  Proposals are required for any force account work (in-kind services) proposed by the applicant. o May include administrative activities (e.g., procurement, disbursement requests, reporting) and/or technical activities (e.g., engineering, construction). o The proposal must describe all work to be completed by the applicant’s workforce and explain how it aligns with the project scope. o Must include titles, hourly rates, estimated hours, and tasks for all involved staff. o Supporting documentation may be required.  Technical Force Account Certification o All Technical Force Account proposals must be accompanied by a completed certification form, signed and stamped by a Professional Engineer (P.E.) licensed in New York State. o Certification form available here: https://efc.ny.gov/technical-force- account-certification-pdf ☐ EXECUTED ENGINEERING AGREEMENT All architectural and engineering contracts must be procured through a federally acceptable Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process, in accordance with 40 U.S.C 1101. 48 EPG Project Checklist Page 3 of 3 Revision Date: 09/24/2025  Duly signed engineering agreements must be submitted to EFC for review and approval. Agreements must include the defined scope of work and the associated fees and costs. ☐ ARCHITECTURAL/ENGINEERING (A/E) PROCUREMENT CERTIFICATION A completed A/E Procurement Certification form must be submitted to EFC. Additional procurement guidance and the certification form can be found at: https://efc.ny.gov/ae- procurement Please note: The Agreement Execution date on the A/E Procurement Certification must match the date on the executed Engineering Agreement. ☐ SCOPING CALL After all required documentation has been submitted, an EFC Project Coordinator will contact the municipality and consulting engineer to schedule a scoping call. The call will take place prior to finalizing the grant agreement and will be used to review the project scope and ensure the project summary included in the grant agreement is accurate. Representatives of both the municipality and the consulting engineer must attend the scoping call. 49 CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850-6590 Police Department Christine Ibert, TO:Common Council FROM:IPD CHIEF TOM KELLY DATE:April 8, 2026 RE:Tactical Team Grant ITEM #:6.1 MEMORANDUM The City of Ithaca was awarded $75,000 in federal funding under the FY2022 Tactical Team Grant Program. Funding for this initiative is provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP) and is administered by the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES). The performance period for this award is August 1, 2025, through August 31, 2026. ATTACHMENTS: Approval_of_Ithaca_City_Police_Department_Enforcement_Technology__LETECH__Program.pdf IPD_Grant_Memo.pdf TT22-1014-E00-AttachmentID-136124-City_of_Ith_Thomas_Kelly.pdf 50 ( xx ) Consent Agenda (xx )IPD – Approval of Ithaca City Police Department Enforcement Technology (LETECH) Program WHEREAS, The Ithaca Police Department (IPD) was 75,000 grant WHEREAS, RT - - - -; Now Therefore RESOLVED, t accepts 75,000 RESOLVED, 5- RESOLVED, 5 -)75,000 -5477-75,000 51 M E M O R A N D U M Date: February 3, 2026 To: Common Council From: Chief Thomas J. Kelly RE: Acceptance of E-Grants - (TT22-1014-E00 ,C160417 ,FY2022 Tactical Team Targeted Grant) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PROJECT HISTORY, BACKGROUND, & ANALYSIS On August 1, 2025, the City of Ithaca was awarded $75,000 in federal funding under the FY2022 Tac cal Team Grant Program. Funding for this ini a ve is provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP) and is administered by the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES). The performance period for this award is August 1, 2025, through August 31, 2026. This funding is provided to improve and develop tac cal team capabili es through equipment, training, exercise, and planning projects that support sustainment of the New York State Division of Criminal Jus ce Services (DCJS) SWAT Team Standards. KEY ISSUES IDENTIFIED Several issues were iden fied to meet the accredita on standards set by DCJS. The grant total is $75,000. There is $10,000 budgeted to backfill OT/pay for training of SWAT Operators. The remaining $65,000 is broken as follows: 3 helmet mounted night vision binoculars - $22,500 16 ballistic helmets w/ communications - $27,500 2 ballistic shields - $6,000 2 small unmanned aerial systems to deescalate high risk encounters (interior use only) - $9,000. QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL IPD is reques ng the Council accept the award of a $75,000 technology grant from New York State. BUDGET IMPLICATIONS & FUNDING If this grant is not accepted, there will be future expenses that will need to be worked into the budget. PUBLIC FEEDBACK N/A 52 NEXT STEPS N/A 53     KATHY HOCHUL  Governor            JACKIE BRAY            Commissioner      1220 Washington Avenue, Bldg. 7A, Fl. 7, Albany, NY 12226 │ 518.242.5000 │www.dhses.ny.gov August 1, 2025 The Honorable Robert Cantelmo Mayor, City of Ithaca 108 E. Green Street Ithaca, NY 14850 Dear Mayor Cantelmo: I am pleased to announce that the City of Ithaca has been awarded $75,000 in federal funding under the FY2022 Tactical Team Grant Program. Funding for this initiative is provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP) and is administered by the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES). The performance period for this award is August 1, 2025, through August 31, 2026. As outlined in your application, this funding is provided to improve and develop tactical team capabilities through equipment, training, exercise, and planning projects that support counter terrorism missions in your jurisdiction as well as your team’s sustainment of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) SWAT Team Standards. Additionally, all capabilities developed through federal FY2022 SHSP funding are required to be deployable regionally and nationally per the federal guidelines. All funding through this grant program is subject to both New York State and federal guidelines and regulations. Finally, all training that is funded through this grant program must be submitted to DHSES within six (6) months of the date of this letter for review and approval. In order to ensure these funds are made available as quickly as possible, a representative from the Grants Program Administration Unit of DHSES will be reaching out to your grant point of contact. If you have any questions about this program, please contact Eric Abramson, Director of Grants Program Administration at (518) 242-5108. Congratulations on your award and I look forward to working with you to administer this program. Sincerely, Jackie Bray Commissioner 54 CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850-6590 Mayor's Office Shaniqua Lewis, Deputy City Clerk TO:Common Council FROM:Mayor Robert Cantelmo DATE:April 8, 2026 RE:Timeline Extension- Legal Opinion on Wrongful Discharge ITEM #:7.1 MEMORANDUM Resolution Extending Timeline for the City Attorney’s Office Around a Legal Opinion on Wrongful Discharge and Labor Protections ATTACHMENTS: Resolution Extending Timeline for the City Attorney.pdf 55 Resolution Extending Timeline for the City Attorney’s Office Around a Legal Opinion on Wrongful Discharge and Labor Protections WHEREAS, on February 4, 2026 the Ithaca Common Council established a Special Committee on Wrongful Discharge and Labor Protection, and WHEREAS, this resolution charged the City Attorney to “provide, within ninety (90) days of the effective date of this resolution, an assessment of the legal feasibility, administrative requirements, fiscal implications, and risk of state or federal preemption associated with prospective legislation, and to provide such analysis to the Special Committee and the Common Council,” and WHEREAS, on March 4, 2026 the City posted an Order to Vacate at 118 East Green Street because of fire code violations and threat to life safety, and WHEREAS, this housing emergency occupied significant amounts of time from the City Attorney’s office, now therefore be it RESOLVED, that the timeline for the preparation and delivery of the aforementioned legal assessment be extended until Friday, June 5, 2026. 56 CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850-6590 Common Council Shaniqua Lewis, Deputy City Clerk TO:Common Council FROM:Alderperson Pat Sewell DATE:April 8, 2026 RE:Protected Cryptid and Official Cryptid of the City of Ithaca ITEM #:8.1 MEMORANDUM A RESOLUTION designating "Old Greeny" as a Protected Cryptid and Official Cryptid of the City of Ithaca ATTACHMENTS: Old Greeny Resolution- Pat S.pdf 57 A RESOLUTION designating "Old Greeny" as a Protected Cryptid and Official Cryptid of the City of Ithaca WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca recognizes the intrinsic value of the natural world and the essential role that species play in maintaining ecological stability and advancing human knowledge and understanding; and WHEREAS, there exist documented sightings, historical accounts, and news reports of an unidentified aquatic creature described as long-necked, serpentine, or snakelike, inhabiting the waters of Cayuga Lake; and WHEREAS, such cryptic entities, while not yet substantiated by rigorous scientific inquiry, are nonetheless worthy of respect and protection as potential members of the biotic community; and WHEREAS, a cryptid of this description has been woven into the folklore of Cayuga Lake for nearly two centuries, inspiring fascination, wonder, and awe among residents and visitors throughout the Finger Lakes Region; and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca recognizes that cultural heritage and local legend serve a vital role in connecting individuals to a shared sense of place and strengthening the bonds of community; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that "Old Greeny" is hereby designated a Protected Cryptid of Cayuga Lake and shall not be harassed, captured, harmed, or killed; and be it further RESOLVED, that "Old Greeny" is hereby designated the Official Cryptid of the City of Ithaca. 58 CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850-6590 Sustainability Shaniqua Lewis, Deputy City Clerk TO:Common Council FROM:Mayor Robert Cantelmo DATE:April 8, 2026 RE:Sustainability & Climate Justice Commission Appointment ITEM #:9.1 MEMORANDUM New Appointment- Sam Poole 2 Year Term ending 12/31/ 2027 New Appointment- Victoria Barics 2 Year Term ending 12/31/2027 ATTACHMENTS: SCJC-Sam Poole-Resolution.pdf Victoria Barics- Resolution SCJC.pdf 59 Mayor Appointment-Sustainability and Climate Justice Commission RESOLVED, That Sam Poole be appointed to Sustainability and Climate Justice Committee for a (2) two-year term ending December 31st, 2027. 60 Mayor Appointment-Sustainability and Climate Justice Commission RESOLVED, That Victoria Barics be appointed to Sustainability and Climate Justice Committee for a (2) two-year term ending December 31st, 2027. 61 CITY OF ITHACA 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850-6590 City Manager's Office Shaniqua Lewis, Deputy City Clerk TO:Common Council FROM:City Manager's Office DATE:April 8, 2026 RE:City Manager's Monthly Report- April 2026 ITEM #:11.1 MEMORANDUM Vacancy Report Financial Report Executive Summary- Parking Fees ATTACHMENTS: April 2026 City Manager Report.pdf 0403_Vacancy_Report.pdf 0403_Finance Report.pdf 0403_Exec_Summary_Parking_Fee_Increase_Q1.pdf 0403-CM_Report ithaca-city-2025-114 (2).pdf 62 MEMORANDUM Date: April 3, 2026 To: Common Council CC: Department Heads From: Dominick Recckio, Acting City Manager RE: City Manager’s Report to Council Common Council, I am pleased to provide this monthly report and look forward to answering any questions you may have. An ongoing thanks to the many colleagues at the City who make these outcomes possible. I. Vacancy Report a. Please find an addendum to this report listing the current City staff vacancies. b. As of March 30, the vacancy rate stands at 7.48% (-.35% from January 28). The budgeted annual rate is 5.5%. c. Staff continue to monitor anticipated vacancies. Several retirements or resignations are expected (three within the next 90 days) before the midpoint of this year. HR continues to work with employees who express their intent to retire or separate from City service. II. Financial Report a. In the financial report attached to this document, please find year-to-date actuals from the last available full month (February). b. The request for proposals to solicit a firm to conduct the City’s past-due financial audits was published on March 27. It can be found on the City website. Copies have been made available directly to competitive firms that may be interested in working with the City. Submissions are due on April 22, with an award expected on or around May 6. c. The Bonadio Group continues its consulting work on the city’s financial systems and reporting. d. On March 27, the New York State Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) published their audit report for the City of Ithaca on the OSC website (City of Ithaca - Records and Reports (2025M-114) ). This report included four findings related to accounting records, reconciliations, and financial reporting. The City prepared and submitted a written corrective action plan (CAP) that addresses the audit’s findings and recommendations; it is published within the report on the OSC website. City staff have already started implementing the corrective actions identified in the CAP. III. Department Head Searches 63 City of Ithaca 108 E. Green Street | Ithaca, NY 14850 | citymanager@cityofithaca.org | 607.274.6511 a. We have concluded our search for the Controller and Human Resources Director positions. Common Council will soon receive resolutions related to the appointment of two highly qualified individuals for these positions. b. Staff are preparing onboarding plans for these two key leadership positions. c. Thank you to the Common Council members, staff, and community members who participated in the search processes. IV. 118 East Green Street (Asteri) Order to Vacate a. The Order to Vacate for the residential tower at 118 E. Green Street was lifted effective 2:30 PM on March 20, 2026, following successful completion of required life-safety testing earlier in the day. Building residents moved back into the building from local hotels over the course of several days. b. The Vecino Group will continue making permanent repairs to the building, including full window replacements, addressing other non-life-threatening fire code violations, and additional unit-specific work. The Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Bureau will conduct regular inspections until all remaining code violations are resolved, followed by periodic inspections consistent with all multi-unit residential buildings in the city. c. The City of Ithaca took several measures to support displaced residents, including: i. Providing several dozen displaced residents with access to laundry cards so that they could do laundry at a local laundromat while staying at hotels ( in partnership with IURA and OAR). ii. Purchase and distribution of 270+ frozen meals to residents returning to the building, in partnership with Foodnet Meals on Wheels. Thank you to the Conference Center for lending freezer space. d. City staff coordinated closely with partners at New York State, Tompkins County, community service provider agencies, and the property owner. Thank you and kudos to the City staff who stepped up to coordinate and support operations during the emergency situation. e. I have scheduled an internal after-action dialogue with City staff to learn from the event, coordinate any next steps, and prepare for any similar future scenarios. V. Community Responder Program (ROOTS) and Community Justice Center a. City staff held an internal kick-off meeting in March outlining what activities need to occur in order to stand up a community responder division. Staff are re-convening in small groups facilitated by the Community Justice Center to draft job descriptions, policies and procedures, training programming etc. before the entire group reconvenes in April to prepare for next steps. Common Council can expect staff to present program details in the coming months including job description proposals to be added to the City roster. b. I am working with the Downtown Ithaca Alliance to reconfigure the Downtown Community Outreach Worker program. I drafted an MOU with program details and expected outcomes so the program can begin this spring. c. The Community Justice Center continues to enhance Community Resource Hubs, including a new pilot program to distribute City of Ithaca trash bags to community members in need. d. The Community Justice Center, in partnership with the Ithaca Youth Bureau RISE program and the Ithaca Police Dept. are holding a community outreach and Career Day event aimed at connecting local youth with meaningful career pathways with our local 64 City of Ithaca 108 E. Green Street | Ithaca, NY 14850 | citymanager@cityofithaca.org | 607.274.6511 law enforcement. This collaboration will provide our young people with the opportunity to engage directly with our local public safety professionals and learn about career options, participate in interactive discussions and gain insight into the skills and experiences needed to pursue careers in law enforcement. VI. Encampment Response a. In support of the Special Committee on Unhoused Services Planning, staff met with Alderperson Matos to discuss ongoing planning efforts that emerged from the 2025 Advisory Committee. Alderperson Matos and staff are planning Monthly meetings of the Special Committee, which will include a review of the updated policy and planning considerations. Community partner agencies are being invited to participate and provide feedback to the Special Committee. Expect an announcement with more details when the Committee’s first meeting is scheduled. VII. Parking a. See attached memorandum regarding 2026 Q1 Parking Revenues. b. City staff continue to implement updates to our paid parking system. Staff from Street and Facilities are installing ParkMobile signage throughout the City’s paid parking areas to encourage better user experience and enhance revenue collection. This will be formally announced in the coming days/weeks. c. Physical pay stations are being phased out and will be removed throughout the paid parking areas in the coming months. These pay stations are at the end of their useful life and see a diminishing percentage of use for parking sessions as mobile payments increase. i. Removing the physical pay stations will result in an estimated $43,000 annual savings in the City’s budget once the service agreement contract is not renewed, as well as gained efficiencies for staff time as maintenance and collection times on the pay stations decrease. We are hoping to achieve as many savings as possible in 2026, while anticipating realizing full savings in 2027. d. City staff have identified ~10 downtown parking space changes to be considered. This includes additional accessible spaces, reduction of underutilized loading zones, and other more modern uses of different spaces around the Commons based on use and demand. This will increase the on-street parking supply downtown. This effort has been supported by the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, including a recent walking tour of spaces and shared brainstorming of possible options with City staff. VIII. City Communications and Public Information a. During the first quarter of 2026, the Department of Information and Community Engagement continued to significantly expand the scope and frequency of communications from the City of Ithaca to the public. This reflects a deliberate shift toward a more proactive communication plan that highlights City achievements, initiatives, and services rather than relying primarily on reactive or compliance-driven messaging. i. From January through March 2026, DICE issued 34 press releases and 29 NewsFlash updates. During the same period in 2025, the City issued 10 press releases and 26 NewsFlash updates. This increase demonstrates a sustained commitment to providing clearer, timelier, and more comprehensive information to residents, partners, and stakeholders. 65 City of Ithaca 108 E. Green Street | Ithaca, NY 14850 | citymanager@cityofithaca.org | 607.274.6511 ii. A revamped City website is slated to launch on April 8. This includes a redesign focused on navigation and usability, enhanced branding, and content enhancements across all departments. iii. CivicSend, an email newsletter tool, is being launched in early April. Common Council will receive a brief presentation on CivicSend this spring. This tool will allow members of the public to directly subscribe to curated updates on key topics, which include: 1. Roads, Sidewalks, & Infrastructure 2. Parks & Recreation 3. Youth Programming 4. Job Openings 5. Planning, Zoning, & Development 6. Sustainability 7. Public Safety 8. City Manager Updates iv. Public Information staff have begun preparing and disseminating press releases on monthly legislative actions to local media and key stakeholders. This began in March. v. Quarterly communications plans and annual calendars of key communications topics are being developed to enhance public information efforts. IX. FEMA Letter of Map Revision (LoMR) process to address flood risk and Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) a. The Superintendent of Public Works and our Consultant, Barton and Loguidice will attend an upcoming Council meeting to discuss this item and provide additional details. b. The City’s LOMR request was submitted on December 16, 2025. While normally LOMR responses are expected within 90 days of submittal, there has still not been a response to the City from FEMA – this is likely due to government shutdowns, changes in DHS leadership, etc. c. The City of Ithaca received a No Cost Period of Performance (POP) Time Extension to 02/01/2027 for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. This is just a partial approval. The remainder of our ask/time extension (to 12/01/2027) is in the hands of FEMA Headquarters. With the government shutdown and change in Homeland Security leadership, there has been a slowdown at FEMA. There is no timeline for decisions from FEMA headquarters. i. There is currently a broader-scale 42-month period of performance request to extend the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) across the U.S. out to 07/01/2029. If such an extension is granted, this will bolster the City of Ithaca's current/future requests for time. Emerging issues and ongoing priorities: • Following the adoption of the Resolution Establishing City Policy Priorities for Executive Administration 2026, the City Manager’s office will lead the development of an executive work plan. This document will outline the operational activities, needs, and strategies to make progress on Council’s adopted legislative priorities, along with timelines for anticipated completion. 66 City of Ithaca 108 E. Green Street | Ithaca, NY 14850 | citymanager@cityofithaca.org | 607.274.6511 • Staff requested an update from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation re: the Cayuga Inlet Dredging Project. The project is in its final check phase, with dredging being planned for 2027. • Preparations are underway for the annual Budget Kickoff presentation in mid-May. • Administrative Policy Manual updates continue in coordination with HR and the Attorney's office. • City administration has begun labor contract negotiations with IPFFA. • City staff are focusing on procurement and maintenance as part of vehicle fleet management. • Capital Projects planning continues, including clean-up of past data sets and preparing a five-year capital plan for the 2027 budget (see notes in Financial Report). • Staff are working on City facilities planning, including plans to address deferred maintenance, and critical facility improvements and repair needs. 67 3/30/2026 Vacancy Report Department Wages Fringe Compensa on Posi on Name FTE Separa on Date: NOTES: CITY MANAGER $175,100 $44,803 $219,903 CITY MANAGER 1 12/31/2025 DPW $80,417 $36,860 $117,277 BUILDING MAINTENANCE AND SOLID WASTE SUPERVISOR 1 6/7/2024 DPW $80,417 $36,860 $117,277 CIVIL ENGINEER 1 6/15/2025 DPW $54,288 $33,349 $87,637 HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR 1 1/23/2026 DPW $54,288 $33,349 $87,637 HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR 1 6/30/2024 DPW $51,824 $53,958 $105,782 LIGHT EQUIPMENT OPERATOR 0.65 4/27/2025 DPW $51,824 $53,958 $105,782 LIGHT EQUIPMENT OPERATOR 1 10/26/2025 DPW $51,824 $53,958 $105,782 MAINTAINER 1 9/6/2025 DPW $51,824 $53,958 $105,782 MAINTAINER 1 12/20/2025 DPW $54,288 $33,349 $87,637 MOTOR EQUIPMENT MECHANIC 1 1/20/2025 Accep ng applica ons DPW $54,288 $33,349 $87,637 MOTOR EQUIPMENT MECHANIC 1 10/21/2024 Accep ng applica ons DPW $56,940 $32,252 $89,192 MOTOR EQUIPMENT MECHANIC SUPR 1 10/23/2024 Accep ng applica ons FINANCE DEPARTMENT $151,500 $58,085 $209,585 CITY CONTROLER 1 12/31/2023 OFFER ACCEPTED - COMMON COUNCIL APPROVAL PENDING FINANCE DEPARTMENT $49,825 $44,725 $94,550 ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE SPECIALIST 1 12/4/2025 search in progress FINANCE DEPARTMENT $25,812 $44,725 $25,812 ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE SPECIALIST 0.5 2/9/2026 FIRE $132,989 $104,830 $237,819 ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF 1 3/1/2026 Interviews scheduled 4/8/2026 Promo ng from within dept. GIAC PROGRAM $27,170 $40,938 $68,108 CUSTODIAL WORKER 0.5 1/10/2026 search in progress GIAC PROGRAM $51,824 $16,304 $68,128 CUSTODIAN 1 10/14/2025 search in progress GIAC PROGRAM $31,320 $24,267 $55,587 YOUTH MEDICAL CARE PROVIDER 0.5 CC 10/08/2025 20hr GIAC PROGRAM $31,320 $24,267 $55,587 YOUTH MEDICAL CARE PROVIDER 0.5 CC 10/08/2025 20hr GIAC PROGRAM $23,461 $21,055 $44,516 GIAC PROGRAM ASSISTANT 0.5 3/5/2025 HUMAN RESOURCES $127,407 $59,934 $187,341 DIRECTOR HR 1 5/30/2025 OFFER ACCEPTED - COMMON COUNCIL APPROVAL PENDING HUMAN RESOURCES $89,365 $38,110 $127,475 EQUITY TALENT ACQUISITION SPECIALIST 1 9/14/2025 Wai ng for HR Director to make decisions on hiring/or not HUMAN RESOURCES $89,365 $38,110 $127,475 HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST 1 10/20/2025 Wai ng for HR Director to make decisions on hiring/or not PLANNING DEPARTMENT $107,328 $66,141 $173,469 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST 1 9/2/2025 Search in progress PLANNING DEPARTMENT $64,517 $41,968 $106,485 PLANNER 1 10/2/2025 PLANNING DEPARTMENT $71,117 $34,556 $105,673 SENIOR PLANNER 1 12/8/2023 POLICE DEPARTMENT $75,280 $50,619 $125,899 POLICE OFFICER 1 Notes re: Police Officer Positions continuously recruiting Retirements/resignations hard to fill positions moved to have civil service exam twice a year POLICE DEPARTMENT $75,280 $50,619 $125,899 POLICE OFFICER 1 POLICE DEPARTMENT $75,280 $50,619 $125,899 POLICE OFFICER 1 POLICE DEPARTMENT $75,280 $50,619 $125,899 POLICE OFFICER 1 POLICE DEPARTMENT $75,280 $50,619 $125,899 POLICE OFFICER 1 POLICE DEPARTMENT $75,280 $50,619 $125,899 POLICE OFFICER 1 POLICE DEPARTMENT $75,280 $50,619 $125,899 POLICE OFFICER 1 POLICE DEPARTMENT $8,000 $2,538 $10,538 SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD- PART TIME 0.5 POLICE DEPARTMENT $8,000 $2,538 $10,538 SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD- PART TIME 0.5 POLICE DEPARTMENT $8,000 $2,538 $10,538 SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD- PART TIME 0.5 POLICE DEPARTMENT $8,000 $2,538 $10,538 SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD- PART TIME 0.5 YOUTH BUREAU $53,352 $56,161 $109,513 PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES MAINTAINER 1 Revisions needed for pos ng YOUTH BUREAU $23,460 $33,170 $56,630 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT 0.5 $2,527,414 $1,611,834 $4,094,523 34.65 estimated unspent funds for 3/1-3/30 3/1/2026-03/31/2026=176 HOURS $213,038.73 $134,319.50 $347,358.23 68 MEMORANDUM Date: April 3, 2026 To: Common Council From: Dominick Recckio, Acting City Manager Wendy Cole, Acting Controller RE: Monthly Financial Report This April 3 report is populated with up-to-date actuals from the last available full month (February, 2026). GENERAL FUND REVENUES (THROUGH 2/28/2026) Revenue Item Budgeted 2026 Actual 2026 % of Budgeted Collected Through 2/28/26 Notes Fees $20,810,664 $1,164,017 6% Sales & Use Tax $19,939,500 $1,751,670 9% Misc Tax $4,711,394 $1,339,279 28% Many payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTS) were received. Property Tax $34,772,582 $12.3 million 35% Approx. Based on prior year(s) performance and receipts to date. Note: many payers use installment plans. Interfund Trans. $1,815,930 State & Fed Aid $3,946,081 Total Revenues $85,996,151 $16,554,966 See approx. note above Revenue Highlights Revenues continue to generally be on target, with some collections anticipated to increase with activity in the spring and summer months. A detailed breakdown of Q1 parking revenues is provided in an attached memo. GENERAL FUND EXPENSES (THROUGH 2/28/2026) Expense Item Budgeted 2026 Actual 2026 % Expended Through 2/28/26 Notes Personnel $35,670,497 $4,886,733 14% 69 Fringe Benefits $25,333,035 $2,900,845 11% Operating $15,204,568 $1,915,721 13% Miscellaneous $3,307,054 $463,671 14% Debt $9,627,800 $4,145,436 43% Payments only made ~2x/year Total Expenses $89,142,954 $14,312,406 Expense Highlights: Generally, expenses are on target through the end of February. Operating expenses include utility costs, which have increased substantially through the first two months of the year. Additional analysis of utility costs and savings strategies are being conducted; Council will receive further details in May for the first quarter through March. MOST RECENT DEBT SERVICE PAID (ALL FUNDS) Date Paid Debt Instrument Principal Interest Total Due 2/1/2026 Public Improvement Refunding Serial Bonds 0 $30,400 $30,400 2/13/2026 BAN Payments $9,499,773* $1,816,455 Excess payment made to continue lowering BAN load, see note (*) below. Payment is a mix of general and other funds so will not show entire amount in April report for February actuals. 2/15/2026 2013A Serial Bonds $710,000 $152,090 $862,090 2/15/2026 2016 Serial Bonds $495,000 $223653 $718,653 2/15/2026 2019 Serial Bonds $870,000 $160,988 $1,030,988 2/15/2026 2018 Serial Bonds $840,000 $197,475 $1,037,475 2/15/2026 2021A Serial Bonds $800,000 $129,763 $929,763 2/15/2026 2022 Serial Bonds $275,000 $68,600 $343,600 70 * This principal payment includes $6.3 Million paid out of the capital project toward the construction of the East Hill Fire Station, with a portion of that payment being made from the sale of the former Collegetown Fire Station property. UPCOMING 2026 DEBT OBLIGATIONS (ALL FUNDS) Due Date Debt Instrument Principal Interest Total Due 4/1/2026 State Revolving Loan $80,000 $19,039 $99,039 4/15/2026 2016B Serial Bonds $600,000 $175,013 $775,013 7/15/2026 2017A Serial Bonds n/a $21,500 $21,500 7/15/2026 2017B Serial Bonds n/a $97,292 $97,292 7/15/2026 2019B Serial Bonds $285,000 $101,553 $386,553 7/18/26 BANS $434,598 $373,308 $807,906 Debt Obligation Highlights: Remaining Debt Load Activities in the Controller’s OAice, including those being completed by the Bonadio Group, will support more comprehensive reporting on the City of Ithaca’s debt load. Today, across all funds, the City holds $153.7 Million in both short and long-term debt (broken down below)  Bonds: $100,881,795 o Inclusive of debt across all funds (General, Water, Sewer, etc.)  Bond Anticipation Notes (BANs): $52,865,946 o Inclusive of debt across all funds (General, Water, Sewer, etc.), up to date through July 2025 and January 2026 o City has relied more heavily on BANs while awaiting completed audits and re-established credit rating o Several recent larger projects with significant outside funding have increased BAN reliance due to need to front costs before reimbursements are received StaA are prioritizing the collection of reimbursable outside funding to reduce BAN load over time. The Grant Administrator is reviewing a summary list of Bond Anticipation Notes (BANs) and corresponding Capital Project budgets that have been identified as being possibly eligible for reimbursement of some kind. Next steps, include: 71  Meeting with the individuals identified as the project lead for the Capital Project and/or their Department Head (especially in cases of staA turnover).  Reviewing corresponding department’s budget and documentation to confirm reimbursements were not submitted or received. o In cases that reimbursements were submitted and received, the Controllers OAice will need to work with the Chamberlain's OAice to ensure the payment was correctly recorded.  Working with the identified project lead to request reimbursement. While the identified Capital Projects are the priority, the Grant Administrator anticipates needing to review additional open Capital Projects for possible funding/grant reimbursement opportunities. FUND BALANCE POSITION There are no new updates related to the City’s fund balance position, pending impending audit completion. Consultants from the Bonadio Group recently advised Common Council (dialogue on February 11) that their professional recommendation is not to budget using fund balance until this confidence is regained. As reported in the February 4 Report to Council: The most recent audited financial statements (2021) indicated a $16,545,540 general fund balance with $8,690,044 unobligated or unassigned. In the 2026 budget presentation received by Council, the Controller’s OAice provided an estimate of $13.5-14 million in general fund balance as of October 2025 – this number is purely an estimate considering revenues and expenditures from 2021 audited financials and incomplete 2025 point-in-time data. AUDIT PROGRESS To proceed with the City of Ithaca’s 2022-2025 financial audits, existing financial records and internal financial systems are being corrected and set up to be properly maintained. The Bonadio Group, an industry-leading accounting and consulting firm, has been contracted by the City to provide these services. The request for proposals to solicit a firm to conduct the City’s past-due financial audits was published on March 27. It can be found on the City website. Copies have been made available directly to competitive firms who may be interested in working with the City. Submissions are due on April 22, with an award expected on or around May 6. 72 City of Ithaca 108 E. Green Street | Ithaca, NY 14850 | citymanager@cityofithaca.org | 607.274.6511 MEMORANDUM Date: April 3, 2026 To: Common Council From: Dominick Recckio, Acting City Manager RE: Q1 2026 Parking Revenue — Impact of Fee Increases on Actual Revenues Executive Summary Parking fee increases implemented in 2026 have produced encouraging revenue results. Total Q1 2026 revenue reached $437,406 — a 57% increase over Q1 2025 ($279,187) and a 36% increase over Q1 2024 ($320,981). All locations reported strong growth, with Seneca Street emerging as the top performer. These results demonstrate that the fee adjustments are generating substantial new revenue while demand for parking services remains robust. Q1 Revenue by Location* (2024–2026) Location 2026 Q1 2025 Q1 2024 Q1 Green St $71,584 $45,298 $52,046 Seneca St $117,210 $67,278 $65,329 Dryden Rd $72,380 $48,283 $60,753 On-street Pay Stations $176,232 $118,328 $142,853 TOTALS $437,406 $279,187 $320,981 *Parking garage revenues only include hourly parking. Monthly parking pass revenue and hotel parking agreements are tracked separately. *On-street parking revenues include ParkMobile and Pay Station revenues. Parking meter head coin revenues are tracked separately. Year-Over-Year Change vs. 2025 and 2024 Location vs. 2025 ($) vs. 2025 (%) vs. 2024 ($) vs. 2024 (%) Green St +$26,286 +58% +$19,538 +38% Seneca St +$49,932 +74% +$51,881 +79% Dryden Rd +$24,097 +50% +$11,627 +19% On-street Pay Stations +$57,904 +49% +$33,379 +23% 73 City of Ithaca Records and Reports 2025M-114 l March 2026 Division of Local Government and School Accountability 74 Contents Audit Results 1 Audit Summary 1 Records and Reports: Findings and Recommendations 3 Finding 1 – Officials did not maintain complete and timely accounting records. 3 Recommendations 5 Finding 2 – The Council did not receive the financial reports needed to oversee operations 6 Recommendations 6 Finding 3 – Officials did not submit AFRs in a timely manner. 7 Recommendation 8 Finding 4 – The Council did not ensure timely completion of independent audits. 8 Recommendation 8 Appendix A: Profile, Criteria and Resources 9 Appendix B: Response From City Officials 11 Appendix C: Audit Methodology and Standards 19 75 Office of the New York State Comptroller 1 Audit Results City of Ithaca Audit Objective Audit Period Did City of Ithaca (City) officials maintain complete, accurate and timely accounting records and reports? January 1, 2023 – November 14, 2024. We extended the audit period back to January 1, 2020 to review independent audits and financial reporting and forward to January 29, 2026 to update the City’s financial reporting status and review the most recently filed independent audit report Understanding the Audit Area The Common Council (Council) is responsible for managing and controlling the City’s financial operations and must adequately oversee the City’s financial operations to ensure that public funds are managed with accountability, transparency and integrity. Maintaining complete, accurate and timely accounting records and reports ensures appropriate information is available for City officials tasked with overseeing the use of public funds. This critical function can help maintain public trust, ensure compliance with legal requirements and prevent mismanagement, waste and fraud. The City’s 2025 general fund appropriations totaled $85.1 million. Audit Summary Although transactions recorded in the accounting records and reports we reviewed were generally accurate (e.g., recorded transaction details such as payees, check numbers and amounts were correct), City officials did not maintain complete (e.g., certain transactions were not recorded) and timely accounting records and reports. In addition, we determined the City Controller ’s (Controller) office did not create or provide the Council with monthly reports such as budget-to-actual comparisons, cash balances or fund balance estimates and the City Manager (Manager) did not provide year-end financial reports to the Council. Furthermore, officials did not submit Annual Financial Reports (AFRs) to the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) in accordance with New York State General Municipal Law (Law) Section 301 or ensure independent audits were completed in a timely manner. 1 More information on AFR non-filers and the City’s current AFR filing status can be found on OSC’s website at https://web.osc.state.ny.us/ localgov/afr-non-filers/ 76 2 Office of the New York State Comptroller The lack of complete and timely monthly and annual financial reports inhibits the Council’s ability to properly and effectively manage the City’s financial operations throughout the year. As a result of the incomplete financial records, the Council and officials’ ability to assess the City’s financial standing since December 2022 and make informed financial decisions was impaired. For example, the Finance Department’s staff did not record over 4,000 transactions totaling $10 million in a timely manner, with delays ranging from 31 to 282 days after the transaction date. Additionally, they did not record Council-authorized budget adjustments totaling over $1 million. Furthermore, the City Chamberlain’s (Chamberlain) office staff did not complete bank reconciliations in a timely manner for all City bank accounts with combined balances of approximately $51 million as of February 28, 2025. The report includes 11 recommendations that, if implemented, will improve the City’s accounting records and reports and the Council’s ability to manage the City’s financial condition. City officials generally agreed with our findings and indicated they plan to initiate corrective action. We conducted this audit pursuant to Article V, Section 1 of the State Constitution and the State Comptroller’s authority as set forth in Article 3 of GML. Our methodology and standards are included in Appendix C The Council has the responsibility to initiate corrective action. A written corrective action plan (CAP) that addresses the findings and recommendations in this report should be prepared and provided to our office within 90 days, pursuant to Section 35 of the New York State General Municipal Law. For more information on preparing and filing your CAP, please refer to our brochure, Responding to an OSC Audit Report, which you received with the draft audit report. We encourage the Council to make the CAP available for public review in the City Clerk’s office. 77 Office of the New York State Comptroller 3 Records and Reports: Findings and Recommendations City officials must ensure accounting records are maintained in a complete, accurate and timely manner to be relevant and useful for managing city operations. Reconciling bank account balances to general ledger cash balances allows officials to identify and research differences between the city’s accounting records and bank balances. Bank reconciliations should be prepared and independently reviewed when bank statements are available and differences should be promptly resolved. The city controller should provide monthly financial reports to the city council summarizing financial information such as budget-to-actual comparisons of revenues and expenditures and fund balance estimates. The City’s charter requires the Manager to submit a report on the City’s finances and administrative activities to the Council within two months after the close of each calendar year. More details on the criteria used in this report, as well as resources we make available to local officials that can help officials improve financial operations (Figure 5), are included in Appendix A. Finding 1 – Officials did not maintain complete and timely accounting records The accounting records for the 2023 through 2024 calendar years were not closed, leaving officials with incomplete financial data to assess the City’s financial condition since December 31, 2022. Although transactions recorded in the accounting records were generally accurate (e.g., recorded transaction details such as payees, check numbers and amounts were correct), they were not complete (e.g., certain transactions were not recorded) and prepared in a timely manner. As a result, the Council did not have complete accounting records and, therefore, was unable to fully evaluate the City’s financial condition or make well-informed decisions. Accounting Records – Our review of accounting transactions for 2024 (as of November 14, 2024) identified that the Finance Department’s staff did not record 4,185 transactions, totaling approximately $10 million, within 30 days of the transaction occurring (Figure 1). The longest delay between a transaction occurring and its recording was 282 days. The total number of delayed transactions may continue to rise as the City finalizes its accounting records, increasing the risk of inaccurate or incomplete financial reporting. As a result, the City’s accounting records did not reflect current revenues, expenditures, assets, liabilities or fund balances, leaving officials without reliable monthly and annual financial information to assess the City’s financial condition Furthermore, we compared the 2023 accounting records general ledger to budget Figure 1: 2024 Transaction Recordings Exceeding 30 Days (as of November 14, 2024) Days Between Transaction and Recording Number of Transactions Transaction Dollar Amounts Between 31 - 60 1,158 $2.7 million Between 61 - 90 885 1.5 million Between 91 - 120 1,725 1.5 million Greater than 120 417 4.3 million Totals 4,185 $10 million 78 4 Office of the New York State Comptroller documents available to Council members during the 2025 budget workshops.2 The 2025 budget documents included the 2023 revenues and expenditures that were different than what was recorded in the accounting records. For example, the general ledger included revenues totaling $73 million and expenditures totaling $69 million, while the budget documents showed revenues totaling $71 million3 and expenditures totaling $75 million. We attempted to evaluate the City’s financial condition by estimating general fund balance at the end of 2023.4 To do this, we used the total fund balance reported in the 2021 independent audit report, along with the 2022 through 2023 revenues and expenditures recorded in the City’s accounting records and budget documents (Figure 2). Based on our calculation, total fund balance may have ranged from approximately $15.3 million and $22.9 million, equivalent to about 19 to 28 percent of the 2024 budgeted appropriations. Therefore, based on these estimates, the City would not be considered fiscally stressed. However, significant adjusting entries, that could affect fund balance levels, may be required once the independent auditors complete their audits of previous years.5 Figure 2: OSC-Estimated General Fund Balance 2021 Through 2023 28% of 2024 Budgeted Appropriations 19% of 2024 Budgeted Appropriations $15 $16 $17 $18 $19 $20 $21 $22 $23 2021 2022 2023OSC-Calculated Using City General Ledger 2 The 2025 budget documents were the first to include complete 2023 actual results, except for real property tax revenue. 3 The 2025 budget documents did not include actual results for 2023 real property tax revenue. Therefore, we used the 2023 budgeted real property tax revenue as the reported actual. 4 We did not calculate 2024 fund balance estimates because the 2024 accounting records general ledger was not complete. 5 For the status of independent audits, see Finding 4. 79 Office of the New York State Comptroller 5 The acting Controller told us that staffing shortages and vacancies in the Controller’s office were to blame for not keeping accounting entries current. Without complete and timely accounting records, the Council’s ability to manage the City’s financial condition and make informed decisions is significantly limited. As a result, the transparency of the City’s financial operations is compromised, and taxpayers cannot be confident that the Council is effectively overseeing City finances and operations. Budget Adjustments – We reviewed all 77 budgeted appropriation lines exceeding $400,000 in 2023 and 2024 to determine whether Council-authorized budget adjustments were properly recorded in the accounting records. The Controller’s office staff did not record any of the Council-authorized budget adjustments, totaling over $1 million across 18 expenditure lines in the accounting records. When budget adjustments are not recorded, City officials lack an accurate view of the budget and may spend more than available. The acting Controller told us that staffing shortages were to blame for not keeping budget adjustments current. Bank Reconciliations – The Chamberlain’s office staff did not complete bank reconciliations in a timely manner for certain City bank accounts and there was no independent review process to verify their completion or accuracy. The Chamberlain’s office was responsible for reconciling 22 City bank accounts. As of February 2025, 18 bank accounts had been reconciled through the most recent period. However, according to the Chamberlain, the four remaining accounts – which required the most time to reconcile – were not up to date (Figure 3). These accounts consistently carried high balances and, therefore, were significant to the City’s financial position. As a result, timely reconciliation of these accounts is critical. The Chamberlain told us that bank reconciliations fell behind due to staffing shortages and acknowledged that she had not fully considered the control benefits of independent reviews by the Manager or their designee. When bank reconciliations are not completed promptly, the Council’s ability to monitor the City’s cash position and make informed financial decisions is impaired. Recommendations 1. The Controller (or acting Controller or Deputy Controller on their behalf) and Chamberlain should record transactions in the accounting records in a timely manner so monthly and annual financial reports are complete. 2. The Controller (or acting Controller or Deputy Controller on their behalf) should record Council- authorized budget adjustments in the accounting system in a timely manner. Figure 3: Unreconciled Bank Accounts as of February 28, 2025 Account Month Last Reconciled Balance Operating A December 2021 $24,003,088 Operating B December 2021 25,159,628 Payroll November 2023 841,326 Joint Activity September 2024 969,996 Totals $50,974,038 80 6 Office of the New York State Comptroller 3. The Chamberlain should prepare bank reconciliations in a timely manner. 4. The Manager should ensure bank reconciliations are independently reviewed and approved. 5. The Council and Manager should assess staffing needs and proactively fill key positions, if deemed necessary Finding 2 – The Council did not receive the financial reports needed to oversee operations Although the former Mayors and Manager provided the Council with budget-to-actual comparisons and, at times, fund balance estimates for prior years during budget preparation, the Council did not receive key monthly financial reports such as budget-to-actual comparisons, cash balances or fund balance estimates from 2020 through 2024. For example, from 2020 through 2023, the former Controller presented financial information to the Council verbally each month, which typically focused on major revenue sources such as building permits, fines, parking fees, sales tax and State aid. From March through August 2024, the Deputy Controller provided monthly written reports showing revenue trends for building permits, parking fees, and room occupancy and sales taxes. However, according to Council meeting minutes, no similar written or verbal revenue updates were provided for January and February 2024 or from September through December 2024. Additionally, the Manager did not submit annual financial reports to the Council for 2023 or 2024, as required by the City’s charter. The Mayor and four Council members told us they were not provided with sufficient monthly financial reports to make informed decisions. The Manager told us the City’s accounting system did not generate financial reports in a readily usable format for the Council. However, the Deputy Controller provided us with a budget-to-actual comparison report from the City’s accounting system, which would be a useful report for the Council. Without adequate financial reports, the Council did not have adequate financial information to effectively oversee City operations or assess the City’s financial condition. Recommendations The Manager and Council should: 6. Ensure monthly financial reports are provided summarizing financial activities. The financial reports should include a detailed accounting of all money received and disbursed and detailed year-to-date, budget-to-actual comparisons of revenues and expenditures and fund balance estimates. 81 Office of the New York State Comptroller 7 The Controller (or acting Controller or Deputy Controller on their behalf) should: 7. Create and provide monthly financial reports to the Council summarizing financial activities. The financial reports should include a detailed accounting of all money received and disbursed and detailed year-to-date, budget-to-actual comparisons of revenues and expenditures and fund balance estimates. 8. Periodically provide officials with fund balance estimates for all funds. The Manager should: 9. Provide an annual report of financial operations to the Council, as required by the City’s charter. Finding 3 – Officials did not submit AFRs in a timely manner. The Controller did not submit the City’s AFRs to OSC on time for 2020 and 2021 and have not filed any of the last three completed years (2022 through 2024). The Deputy Controller filed the 2021 AFR on April 29, 2025, which was 1,094 days past the due date. As of January 29, 2026, the City’s 2022 through 2024 AFRs remained unfiled.6 The Manager was unsure why the former Controller did not submit the AFRs in a timely manner but believed COVID-related furloughs in the Finance Department were a contributing factor. Additionally, the Deputy Controller told us the Finance Department waits until the City’s annual independent audit is nearly completed before submitting the AFR to ensure that all adjusting entries are incorporated and the AFR is based on accurate financial information. Had officials submitted the City’s AFRs on time, OSC would have analyzed the self-reported data for fiscal stress and the City would have received a publicly released fiscal stress score and designation.7 Additionally, unfiled AFRs reduce transparency in the City’s financial operations and limit its ability to demonstrate financial health to the Council, residents, taxpayers, OSC and other stakeholders. Also, not filing AFRs may adversely affect the decisions of debt-financing entities when evaluating loans for City projects or equipment purchases. For example, on March 19, 2024, Moody’s withdrew its bond rating for the City because it indicated there was insufficient or otherwise inadequate information to support the maintenance of the rating. 6 More information on AFR non-filers and the City’s current AFR filing status can be found on OSC’s website at https://web.osc.state.ny.us/ localgov/afr-non-filers/ 7 The City filed the 2020 and 2021 AFRs too late to receive a fiscal stress monitoring system designation. 82 8 Office of the New York State Comptroller Recommendation 10. The Controller (or acting Controller or Deputy Controller on their behalf) should prepare and file the delinquent AFRs for 2022 through 2024, and file all subsequent AFRs with OSC within 120 days of the close of the fiscal year, as required by GML Section 30. Finding 4 – The Council did not ensure timely completion of independent audits The most recent audit of the City’s financial statements by a certified public accountant (CPA) was for 2021 and was issued on June 25, 2025. The corresponding management letters for the 2020 and 2021 independent audits attributed the delayed filings to staff shortages, furloughs, COVID-19 and time- consuming atypical administrative demands within the City. The acting Controller indicated the City had an engagement letter with a new CPA firm to audit 2022 and 2023. No other independent audit reports had been issued and there were no engagements in place for 2024 (Figure 4). The acting Controller told us independent audits were delayed because COVID-related furloughs created a backlog of work, as seen in the delayed recording of accounting transactions in the accounting records, that persists in the Finance Department By not ensuring independent audits were conducted in a timely manner, the City missed valuable opportunities to identify areas needing improvement and to strengthen oversight of its financial operations. As a result, the Council’s ability to effectively manage the City’s financial condition and make informed decisions on City operations remains limited and taxpayers lack assurance that City operations and finances are being properly monitored. Recommendation 11. The Council should ensure that the City’s financial statements are completed in a timely manner to allow for a timely independent audit. Figure 4: Independent Audits Calendar Year Issue Date 2020 1/23/2023 2021 6/25/2025 2022 Not issued 2023 Not issued 2024 Not issued 83 Office of the New York State Comptroller 9 Appendix A: Profile, Criteria and Resources Profile The City is located in Tompkins County and is governed by the Council, which has the power and responsibility to adopt realistic budgets and levy taxes on real property located within the City. The Council includes 10 elected members and the Mayor. The Mayor serves as the president of the Council. The former Mayor left office on January 5, 2022. An appointed Mayor, who was later elected, served from January 5, 2022 through December 31, 2023. A newly elected Mayor took office on January 1, 2024 and served through the end of the audit period. The Council is responsible for managing the City’s financial affairs and appoints and relies on the Council-appointed Manager to keep it fully advised of the City’s financial condition. The Manager serves as the City’s chief executive officer and is responsible, along with other administrative staff, for the City’s day-to-day management. The Manager position was created when the City changed from a mayor-council to a council-manager form of government on January 1, 2024. The Manager oversees, directs and controls the administration of all City departments, including the Controller and the Chamberlain. The City’s Finance Department is made up of the Controller’s office and the Chamberlain’s office. The Controller is the chief fiscal officer and is responsible, along with the Council, for preparing the annual budget and issuing debt. The Controller is also responsible for the general management and control of the City’s financial affairs. The Controller’s office is primarily responsible for maintaining the central accounting records (e.g., recording transactions, closing the accounting records and filing the AFR). The Controller is assisted by two deputy controllers, an administrative coordinator and a payroll coordinator. The Chamberlain is responsible for reconciling bank statements and for the custody, receipt and disbursement of City funds. The Chamberlain’s office is also responsible for recording certain transactions in the accounting records related to water and tax collections. The Chamberlain is assisted by a deputy and three accounts receivable clerks. Criteria – Records and Reports City officials must ensure accounting records are maintained in a complete, accurate and timely manner to be relevant and useful for managing city operations. All financial transactions should be recorded promptly and within 30 days of the transaction date to maintain accurate and up-to-date financial records for effective monitoring and decision-making. Reconciling bank account balances to general ledger cash balances allows city officials to identify and research differences between the city’s accounting records and bank balances. As such, bank reconciliations should be prepared and independently reviewed when bank statements are available. Any differences should be promptly resolved to ensure that financial activities are properly accounted for in a timely manner. The city controller should provide monthly financial reports to the city council summarizing financial information such as budget-to-actual comparisons of revenues and expenditures and fund balance 84 10 Office of the New York State Comptroller estimates. The City’s charter requires the Manager to submit to the Council a report on the City’s finances and administrative activities within two months after the close of each calendar year. GML Section 30 requires cities to file an AFR with OSC no later than 120 days after the close of their fiscal year. The AFR is an important fiscal tool that provides a city council with the financial information necessary to monitor a city’s operations, and it provides other interested parties with a complete summary of the city’s financial activities. A city council should ensure it engages an independent auditor to audit the city’s financial statements in a timely manner because independent audits express an opinion on the fairness of a city’s financial statements, can help identify conditions in need of improvement and can be a useful tool in providing oversight and review of financial operations. Additional Records and Reports Resources In addition, our website can be used to search for audits, resources, publications and training for officials: https://www.osc.ny.gov/local-government Figure 5: OSC PublicationsFigure 5: OSC Publications OSC Local Government Management Guides available on our website to help officials understand and perform their responsibilities. Fiscal Oversight Responsibilities of the Governing Board The Practice of Internal Controls Understanding the Budget Process https://www.osc.ny.gov/files/local- government/publications/pdf/fiscal-oversight- https://www.osc.ny.gov/files/local- government/publications/pdf/the-practice-of- https://www.osc.ny.gov/files/local- government/publications/pdf/understanding-the- 85 Office of the New York State Comptroller 11 Appendix B: Response From City Officials City of Ithaca 108 E. Green Street | Ithaca, NY 14850 | cityofithaca.org | mayorcantelmo@cityofithaca.org | 607.274.6501 City of Ithaca Records and Reports Report of Examination Audit Report Number: 2025M-114 The City of Ithaca (“the City”) agrees with the findings of the Office of the State Comptroller (“OSC”) in its 2025 Report of Examination. We believe rectifying these issues is central to the improved management and fiscal health of the City, as well as key to enhancing public trust and confidence in municipal operations. The City anticipated the issues identified in the report. Several operational deficiencies and delays since 2020 have contributed to the issues, including:  2020-2022 pandemic-related staffing furloughs and constrained activity in the Controller’s Office;  The 2023 retirement of long-standing permanent Controller, lack of adequate succession planning, and the subsequent vacancy that remains unfilled due to failed searches;  Chronic understaffing in the Controller’s Office and previous high rate of employee turnover in the Chamberlain’s Office (which reports to the Controller) requiring frequent re-training, onboarding, and task reassignments amongst existing sta ff to address backlogs; and  Delays in accomplishing annual independent audits, with the backlog caught up through 2021 as of this time. The City is committed to getting its financial record keeping up to date as soon as possible. City staff and outside consultants have begun addressing the issues and applying corrective actions (as outlined below). Leadership has identified financial management needs as a top priority and performance measure for the Acting City Manager. The Acting Controller and existing staff continue the day-to-day financial operations of the City including obligations through payroll, accounts payable, insurance coverage, tax collection, capital projects, budgeting, union negotiations, debt service and debt obligations. 86 12 Office of the New York State Comptroller City of Ithaca 108 E. Green Street | Ithaca, NY 14850 | cityofithaca.org | mayorcantelmo@cityofithaca.org | 607.274.6501 City officials thank the auditors from OSC for their professionalism in conducting this audit. The following serves as the City’s combined response and corrective action plan. The City agrees with Finding 1: Officials did not maintain complete and timely accounting records. The City recognizes the importance of recording transactions in a timely and complete manner. The City has identified that ongoing staffing challenges and the resulting inability to keep up with the necessary volume of recordkeeping work created the backlog. Moving forward, the City is implementing cross training and succession planning to prevent the recurrence of these issues. In conjunction with these steps, the City will reduce its reliance on temporary staff by establishing and hiring two new permanent staff accountants. These professionals will institute improved guidance, goal setting, and accountability for Finance staff (including Chamberlain and Controller’s offices) based on the outstanding deliverables. Finally, the City shall continue to reduce the use of fund balance to balance the City’s annual budget until accurate and current records are available. The City agrees with Finding 2: The Council did not receive the financial reports needed to oversee operations. Regular financial reporting to Common Council ceased when the permanent City Controller retired in 2023, and only six reports were delivered in 2024. Pursuant to Council resolutions adopted in November and December of 2025, the Acting City Manager and Acting City Controller resumed monthly reporting to Council in February 2026, providing pertinent information to assist the Council's decision-making. Moving forward, the City Manager, supported by the Controller, will provide an annual report as required in the City Charter. Mayor Cantelmo has established a finance advisory committee to conduct in-depth analysis of ongoing issues and works closely with the administration to ensure that timely, accurate, and regular reporting continues. The City agrees with Finding 3: Officials did not submit Annual Financial Reports (AFRs) in a timely manner. The City acknowledges that State reporting is behind schedule . The City has hired , an accounting and consulting firm, to assist staff in organizing financial records so that it can submit its delinquent AFRs with reliable and accurate information. Prolonged annual closeouts, as well as the reporting issues 87 Office of the New York State Comptroller 13 City of Ithaca 108 E. Green Street | Ithaca, NY 14850 | cityofithaca.org | mayorcantelmo@cityofithaca.org | 607.274.6501 identified in Finding 1, prevented the City from submitting AFRs in the time frame required by law. The City hired in part, to correct these issues as quickly as possible, while maintaining the accuracy and integrity of reporting. The City agrees with Finding 4: The Council did not ensure timely completion of independent audits. The City has, to date, failed to submit required audits since 2022. As part of the work to correct the financial recordkeeping of the City, and as referenced above, the City has engaged to assist with basic recordkeeping. The City, with assistance from is also currently in the process of drafting a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit a qualified firm to carry out the overdue audits. The City Administration recognizes that the Common Council has, for some time, requested that the audits be completed. For each recommendation included in the audit report, the following is our corrective action taken or proposed. For recommendations where corrective action has not been taken or proposed, we have included explanations. Audit Recommendation and Implementation Plan of Action(s): 1. The Controller (or acting Controller or Deputy Controller on their behalf) and Chamberlain should record transactions in the accounting records in a timely manner so that monthly and annual financial reports are complete. Corrective Action: Reconciliations and journal entries will require a sign off by the Controller or designee. This will ensure the timely posting of transactions. This new sign-off process will require the Chamberlain’s office to complete the backlog of reconciliations by the target date of March 2027 based on the following timeline and procedure: The Chamberlain’s Office is committed to reconciling past journal entries, and, monthly, will provide the Controller with verified reconciliations and entries. These monthly reports will show that the financial recordkeeping system is up to date. The Chamberlain’s Office will complete and deliver the overdue 2023 bank reconciliations by the end of July 2026. The overdue 2024 bank reconciliations are scheduled to be completed and delivered to the Controller by the end of November 2026. With the additional review by the Controller, the City will promote 88 14 Office of the New York State Comptroller City of Ithaca 108 E. Green Street | Ithaca, NY 14850 | cityofithaca.org | mayorcantelmo@cityofithaca.org | 607.274.6501 accountability for timely, accurate recordkeeping in both a retroactive/corrective manner and moving forward. 2. The Controller (or acting Controller or Deputy Controller on their behalf) should record Council-authorized budget adjustments in the accounting system in a timely manner. Corrective Action: City staff have already completed adjustments through December 2024 and expect adjustments from FY 2025 to be completed by May 2026. The City hired two staff accountants in February 2026. Moving forward, the accountants will post adjustments monthly immediately following Council meetings, with a sign-off required by the Controller or their designee. 3. Chamberlain should prepare bank reconciliations in a timely manner. Corrective Action: Per the City’s corrective action described in response to Audit Recommendation 1, the City’s bank reconciliations are tied to the timely recording of transactions. Timely posting of transactions and recordkeeping will enable City staff to prepare the required bank reconciliations. The increased staffing in the Controller’s office will ensure these tasks are completed in a timely manner. 4. The Manager should ensure bank reconciliations are independently reviewed and approved. Corrective Action: Per the City’s corrective action described in response to Audit Recommendation 1, the Controller (or their designee) will review and sign off on all reconciliations. 5. The Council and Manager should assess staffing needs and proactively fill key positions, if deemed necessary. Corrective Action: The City hired two new staff accountants who began in February 2026. Additionally, the City is in the process of hiring two Customer Service Representatives in the Chamberlain's office: Staff are conducting interviews for a full-time position in March 2026, and a part-time position is being re-posted in March 2026. Finally, the City has made an offer to a permanent Controller 89 Office of the New York State Comptroller 15 City of Ithaca 108 E. Green Street | Ithaca, NY 14850 | cityofithaca.org | mayorcantelmo@cityofithaca.org | 607.274.6501 candidate, who accepted the position (pending Council approval) with an anticipated Mid-2026 start date. The Acting City Manager will onboard the new Controller, and they will work together to identify additional sta ffing needs in advance of the 2027 budget. The Chamberlain has identified that adding a second fiscal manager position would aid in keeping current year record-keeping on track. The City is committed to continually evaluating staffing needs to ensure that its financial reporting obligations are faithfully kept. 6. The Manager and Council should ensure monthly financial reports are provided summarizing financial activities. The financial reports should include a detailed accounting of all money received and disbursed and detailed year-to-date, budget-to-actual comparisons of revenues and expenditures and fund balance estimates. Corrective Action: In November 2025, the Mayor authored and Council adopted a fiscal response package to address these issues. Included within that resolution that established a preliminary fund balance policy, moratorium on short-term debt for short-lived equipment, a requirement for monthly financial reporting, and an interim debt-management policy. These resolutions also directed the administration to establish permanent policies during 2026. Furthermore, on December 3, Common Council passed a resolution making monthly financial reporting part of the Acting City Manager’s performance goals. More recently, the financial report delivered to Common Council at the March 4, 2026, meeting provides YTD actuals (spending and revenues) through the end of January 2026. This information builds upon a template for reporting that was initially shared with Council in February. This report will include all required details once all audits are completed. The is working with the City to get all records audit-ready. is assisting the City with its RFP for the 2022 audits. This RFP will be published around the end of March 2026 so that a contractor may begin making meaningful progress on the audit backlog beginning by mid-2026. 7. The Controller (or acting Controller or Deputy Controller on their behalf) should create and provide monthly financial reports to the Council summarizing 90 16 Office of the New York State Comptroller City of Ithaca 108 E. Green Street | Ithaca, NY 14850 | cityofithaca.org | mayorcantelmo@cityofithaca.org | 607.274.6501 financial activities. The financial reports should include a detailed accounting of all money received and disbursed and detailed year-to-date, budget-to- actual comparisons of revenues and expenditures and fund balance estimates. Corrective Action: The financial report template created by the Acting City Manager is being completed monthly by the Acting Controller. As the backlog of audits is completed, more of the template will be populated. The Controller will post each report to the website once it’s been shared with Council members each month. 8. The Controller (or acting Controller or Deputy Controller on their behalf) should periodically provide officials with fund balance estimates for all funds. Corrective Action: In accordance with policy directives from the Mayor and Council, fund balance estimates will be listed in the monthly financial report to Common Council. Once the City’s audits are complete, City officials have committed to adopting a fund balance policy that will help the City maintain financial stability and fiscal discipline and provide guidelines for both accountability and predictability. 9. The Manager should provide an annual report on financial operations to the Council, as required by the City’s charter. Corrective Action: City staff shall submit an annual report to Common Council by the beginning of Q2 each year so that all necessary financial closeouts can be completed by the Controller’s office. This will also aid the annual mid-year budget kickoff presentation provided by the City Manager and Controller. Note: The annual report will consist of unaudited numbers until the audit results are available and deemed complete. 10. The Controller (or acting Controller or Deputy Controller on their behalf) should prepare and file the delinquent AFRs for 2022 through 2024 and file all subsequent AFRs with OSC within 120 days of the close of the fiscal year, as required by GML Section 30. Corrective Action: The City shall file these AFRs once accurate numbers are available. Currently, AFRs cannot be accurately filed until the requisite adjustments and financial system repairs are complete. The City has retained to conduct preparatory work for financial reporting. 91 Office of the New York State Comptroller 17 City of Ithaca 108 E. Green Street | Ithaca, NY 14850 | cityofithaca.org | mayorcantelmo@cityofithaca.org | 607.274.6501 11. The Council should ensure that the City’s financial statements are completed in a timely manner to allow for a timely independent audit. Corrective Action: In late 2025, the City contracted with to perform a multi-phase financial consulting project that will result in more complete, transparent, and accurate financial records. This will ensure that the City’s future financial deadlines are met. staff meet weekly with staff in the Controller and Chamberlain’s offices. Additionally, the lead accountant is working with the City to provide monthly updates to Common Council at the regularly scheduled Council meetings. I am grateful to the Office of the State Comptroller for the detailed investigation, findings, and recommendations included within this report. Financial management is critical to good governance, the provision of public services, and democratic accountability. It is clear in this report that previous City leadership did not meet the high bar of excellence that the residents of Ithaca deserve. I am committed to ensuring the faithful execution of this Corrective Action Plan and look forward to working with Council and City staff to ensure the integrity, reliability, and health of City finances and services for posterity. Sincerely, Mayor Robert G. Cantelmo March 20th, 2026 92 18 Office of the New York State Comptroller City of Ithaca 108 E. Green Street | Ithaca, NY 14850 | cityofithaca.org | mayorcantelmo@cityofithaca.org | 607.274.6501 Implementation Plan of Action(s) Implementation Sign off on monthly reconciliations and journal entries Controller (sign off) Chamberlain (reconciliations and journal entries) budget adjustments immediately following Council meetings; thereafter Staff Accountants Controller (sign off) Hire additional staff in the Controller’s office (two staff accountants) -Interviewing for a FT position and posting a PT position March 2026 -New Controller anticipated start date is mid-year 2026 Common Council City Manager Reports to Common Council passed in December 2025; First report delivered March 4th, 2026 Reports on City website balances in monthly financial reports complete (in progress) Operations Report to Common Council Reports to Office of the State Comptroller audits are complete Meet future financial deadlines in a timely manner 93 Office of the New York State Comptroller 19 Appendix C: Audit Methodology and Standards We obtained an understanding of internal controls that we deemed significant within the context of the audit objective and assessed those controls. Information related to the scope of our work on internal controls, as well as the work performed in our audit procedures to achieve the audit objective and obtain valid audit evidence, included the following: • We interviewed City officials and reviewed Council meeting minutes and the City’s charter to gain an understanding of the City’s internal controls, accounting practices, accounting records, policies and procedures • We examined the City’s 2024 general ledger entries as of November 14, 2024 consisting of 106,918 entries covering approximately $800 million and compared the transaction dates to the recording dates to calculate the number of entries posted more than 30 days after the transaction date • We compared the 2023 general ledger revenues and expenditures to 2023 revenues and expenditures reported in the 2025 adopted budget. We used these actuals to estimate the general fund balance for 2022 through 2023 and calculated the 2023 estimated total fund balance as a percentage of the 2024 budgeted appropriations. • We reviewed all 77 budgeted appropriation lines exceeding $400,000 in 2023 and 2024 to determine whether Council-authorized budget adjustments were properly recorded in the accounting records. We selected appropriation lines exceeding $400,000 based on our determination that these lines could significantly impact the City’s budget if not actively monitored and adjusted as necessary. • We reviewed bank reconciliations for all 22 City bank accounts as of February 28, 2025 to determine whether the Chamberlain reconciled bank statements in a timely manner. • We selected a sample of 30 months of the 66 months (45 percent) of Council meeting minutes in our audit period to determine the financial reports provided to the Council. We used our professional judgment to select months based on staffing changes within the Finance Department. • We reviewed AFR submissions and calculated the number of days that they were late and calculated the number of days late for AFRs that were not submitted. • We reviewed the CPA’s independent audit report issued for 2020 and 2021 to document findings related to timeliness. We conducted this performance audit in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards (GAGAS). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objective. We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objective. Unless otherwise indicated in this report, samples for testing were selected based on professional judgment, as it was not the intent to project the results onto the entire population. Where applicable, information is presented concerning the value and/or relevant population size and the sample selected for examination. 94 Contact BINGHAMTON REGIONAL OFFICE – Lucas S. Armstrong, Chief of Municipal Audits State Office Building, Suite 1702 • 44 Hawley Street • Binghamton, New York 13901-4417 Tel (607) 721-8306 • Fax (607) 721-8313 • Email: Muni-Binghamton@osc.ny.gov Serving: Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, Tioga, Tompkins counties Office of the New York State Comptroller Division of Local Government and School Accountability 110 State Street, 12th Floor, Albany, New York 12236 Tel: (518) 474-4037 • Fax: (518) 486-6479 • Email: localgov@osc.ny.gov https://www.osc.ny.gov/local-government Local Government and School Accountability Help Line: (866) 321-8503 osc.ny.gov BINGHAMTON 95