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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BPW-2010-09-08BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS PROCEEDINGS CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 4:52 p.m. September 8, 2010 PRESENT: Mayor Peterson Commissioners (6) – Brock, Goldsmith, Jenkins, Tripp, Warden, Wykstra OTHERS PRESENT: City Attorney – Hoffman Superintendent of Public Works – Gray Assistant Superintendent of Water and Sewer – Whitney Assistant Superintendent of Streets and Facilities – Benjamin Common Council Liaison – Zumoff Executive Assistant – Gehring Bridge Systems Engineer – Gebre Traffic Engineer – Logue Environmental Engineer – Gibson EXCUSED: DAC Liaison – Roberts ADDITIONS TO OR DELETIONS FROM THE AGENDA: Supt. Gray requested that the resolution for Item 8.5A, Request for a Single Water/Sewer Connection for 519-525 North Aurora Street, be deleted and an update be provided for this topic. He also explained that the time allowances for this agenda were grouped together by main topic and requested that if anyone had any suggestions for modifying the layout of the agenda, he would be happy to receive the suggestions. Commissioner Tripp arrived at 4:51 p.m. Supt. Gray further requested the addition of Item 9.5A, Water Tank Rehabilitation Project Update by Environmental Engineer Gibson. MAYOR’S COMMUNICATIONS: Mayor Peterson mentioned the Board’s review of the proposed budget for 2011. Supt. Gray provided a brief overview of the procedures for review of the budget proposals by the Mayor, Controller and the Board. Discussion followed on the floor regarding the Board holding another special meeting to discuss recommendations for amendments to the budget. Commissioner Wykstra stated he was comfortable with the budget as it was proposed. Commissioner Brock expressed disappointment that the option to review the budget prior to its submission to the Mayor and Controller was not given to the Board. Mayor Peterson noted that the budget will not be adopted until the November Common Council meeting and anyone could make suggestions prior to adoption. COMMUNICATIONS AND HEARINGS OF PERSONS BEFORE THE BOARD: No persons addressed the Board. REPORTS: Asst. Supt. Benjamin reported that the paving of the 100-200 blocks of King Street would begin this week. He stated that the Parks and Forestry crew has been trimming, mowing and searching for funds to purchase fall plantings. Cass Park has requested that the tennis courts be repaved. He noted that the sidewalk crew was working on Worth Street and he told the crew that once a sidewalk was assigned to the crew for replacement, the property owners were not able to cancel the work. Asst. Supt. Whitney reported that three new Light Equipment Operators were hired and another previous employee was re-hired at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The water Board of Public Works Page 2 September 8, 2010 Regular Meeting mains have begun to be replaced on Hopper Place and Westfield Road; the sewer mains should be replaced by the end of October. The work on Prospect and Clinton Streets is now complete. A water main leak on Hillview Place was reported last night. Bids have been received for the water tank rehabilitation project. Supt. Gray reported that NYS Parks and Recreation is moving forward with the Black Diamond Trail by requesting that local public works crews clear land to begin construction of the trail. He stated it appears that the City will be working on the back side of Cass Park, and he suggested doing the work in very early spring or late fall after the asphalt work is completed but before snow clearing has begun. The request for proposals for the skate park received six responses. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Approval of the Minutes of the August 18, 2010 Board of Public Works Meeting – Resolution By Commissioner Tripp : Seconded by Commissioner Goldsmith RESOLVED, That the Minutes of the August 18, 2010 Board of Public Works Meeting be approved as modified. Amending Resolution By Commissioner Tripp: Seconded by Commissioner Goldsmith RESOLVED, That the fifth sentence in the first paragraph on page 6 be deleted. A Vote on the Resolution as Amended Resulted as Follows: Ayes (6) Brock, Warden, Goldsmith, Tripp, Wykstra, Peterson Nayes (0) Abstentions (1) Jenkins Carried (6-0-1) Amending Resolution By Commissioner Brock: Seconded by Commissioner Wykstra RESOLVED, That the fourth sentence in the first paragraph on page 6 be amended to include the last portion of the fifth sentence, to read as follows: “He stated that he likes the way the Charter is written which is ambiguous and noted that the language will always be archaic.” A Vote on the Amendment as Amended Resulted as Follows: Ayes (6) Brock, Warden, Goldsmith, Tripp, Wykstra, Peterson Nayes (0) Abstentions (1) Jenkins Carried (6-0-1) Main Motion As Amended: A Vote on the Minutes as Amended Resulted as Follows: Ayes (6) Brock, Warden, Goldsmith, Tripp, Wykstra, Peterson Nayes (0) Abstentions (1) Jenkins Carried (6-0-1) ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNICATIONS: BPW Review of Charter – Discussion Continued, start at C-62 This item was not discussed. VOTING ITEMS BUILDINGS, PROPERTIES, REFUSE, AND TRANSIT: Request for Easement for 611 West Buffalo Street – Discussion City Attorney Hoffman distributed a proposed resolution for consideration. He explained that the Board’s guidance regarding the developer’s use of the municipal parking lot did not include terms of the agreement or amounts to charge for the easement. He suggested that an amount be agreed upon prior to the issuance of the easement. Board of Public Works Page 3 September 8, 2010 Regular Meeting Lawrence Fabbroni, the property owner’s representative, joined the Board for the discussion of this item. He explained that the property owner is expecting an annual license and that maintaining the snow plowing of the travel lane of the municipal parking lot would not be a problem. However, he noted that the property owner would not have the authority to require the removal of vehicles in order to plow the parking spaces. Commissioner Tripp reminded the Board that they were considering approving the request for the public to drive through a public lot to a private lot, and the public is allowed to park in the public lot anyway. Discussion followed on the floor regarding postponing the voting on the resolution until September 15, 2010, to give the Board adequate time to determine the license fee. Supt. Gray assured the Board that the City and the property owner would communicate with each other regarding the removal of snow from both parking lots. Award of Contract for, Ithaca Fire Department Station No. 6 Generator Replacement – Capital Project 737 – Resolution By Commissioner Tripp: Seconded by Commissioner Wykstra WHEREAS, bids were received on August 31, 2010 for the Ithaca Fire Department Station 6 Generator Replacement and, WHEREAS, the 2010 General Fund Budget included capital funds for replacement of the generator under Capital Project 737 and, WHEREAS, Blanding Electric, Inc., 429 Commerce Road, Vestal, NY 13850 submitted the lowest qualified bid of $37,495.00, now therefore be it RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca Board of Public Works hereby awards the contract for the Ithaca Fire Department Station 6 Generator Replacement to Blanding Electric, Inc., for $37,495.00, and be it further RESOLVED, That the Mayor be and hereby is authorized to execute this contract, and that the Superintendent of Public Works be and hereby is authorized to administer the same. Carried Unanimously Award of Contract for Structural Assessment of Stewart Park Tea Pavilion – Resolution By Commissioner Wykstra: Seconded by Commissioner Tripp WHEREAS, City staff has observed signs of structural deterioration of the Tea House (Small Pavilion) at Stewart Park, and WHEREAS, the Tea House has been closed by the Department of Public Works and posted by the Ithaca Building Department, and WHEREAS, a full evaluation of the structure will inform the City’s decision on alternatives for repair, reconstruction, restoration or removal, and WHEREAS, the Common Council has appropriated funds, from Capital Reserve #11 Parks and Recreation, to conduct the evaluation, now therefore be it RESOLVED, that the City of Ithaca Board of Public Works hereby awards the contract for Structural Assessment of Stewart Park Tea House (Small Pavilion) to Elwyn and Palmer Consulting Engineers, PLLC, 213 East Seneca Street, Ithaca, New York, 14850 for an amount not to exceed $2,200, and be it further RESOLVED, that the Mayor be and hereby is authorized to execute this contract, and that the Superintendent of Public Works be and hereby is authorized to administer the same. Discussion followed on the floor regarding the necessity of the independent assessment, authorized funding, if contractors will be utilized for work over and above the assessment, and if City crews would complete any structural work on the pavilion. Board of Public Works Page 4 September 8, 2010 Regular Meeting Supt. Gray stated that the purpose of the contract was to assess the building and obtain cost estimates for repair or replacement of the building. Commissioner Wykstra expressed his agreement with the way the City’s Engineering Office completed their assessment and stated that he would rather utilize the $2,200 for retrieving historical items from the building then rebuild the pavilion. Commissioner Tripp agreed, stating there is enough information about the structure of the pavilion from the Engineering Office assessment to make an informed decision. Supt. Gray stated the Engineering Office’s analysis was a broad look at the overall structure and the contracted assessment would be a more detailed analysis of the wooden structure. A Vote on the Resolution Resulted as Follows: Ayes (5) Brock, Jenkins, Peterson, Goldsmith, Warden Nayes (2) Tripp, Wykstra Abstentions (0) Carried (5-2) WATER AND SEWER: Request for a Single Water/Sewer Connection for 519-525 North Aurora Street – Update Commissioner Warden explained that the property owner, Sue Cosentini, Asst. Supt. Whitney, Supt. Gray and Commissioner Warden met to discuss concerns regarding the request, including stagnant water on the property. He stated that Ms. Cosentini suggested installing one central line in the middle with two lines attaching to the other two buildings. He further stated that the resolution would contain all information regarding the request. Discussion followed on the floor regarding recording a document attached to the property deed with the County Clerk’s Office to ensure that future owners know they would need to install individual water lines should the property be split in the future. DISCUSSION ITEMS HIGHWAYS, STREETS, AND SIDEWALKS: Retaining Wall for East Clinton Street/Prospect Street – Discussion Bridge Systems Engineer Addisu Gebre joined the Board for the discussion of this item. Commissioner Tripp clarified that a subcommittee of the Planning and Development Board met with the engineering firm, Delta Engineers, to discuss this project. Supt. Gray explained that Delta Engineers presented the issue of which type of retaining wall to build during construction of this project and that input and a recommendation from the Board is required in order to move forward with the project. Discussion followed on the floor regarding funding for the project, the amount of funds provided by state, federal and local funding. Extensive discussion followed regarding the types of walls that could be constructed and the cost differences. Commissioner Tripp expressed a strong recommendation for choosing the more frugal choice of “Soldier Pile and Lagging Wall” rather than the “Cast in Place with Stone Veneer” wall due to the costs. Supt. Gray noted that there are no Soldier Pile retaining walls within the City. Commissioners Brock and Wykstra expressed support for installing the “Cast in Place” wall due to the better aesthetics. Further discussion followed on the floor regarding the expected lifespan of each type of wall, obtaining federal approval of the wall design and showing that the selected type of wall is within the established standard in the City. The Board expressed mixed opinions, with the majority approving the recommendation of “Cast in Place with Stone Veneer” wall from the Planning and Development Board’s subcommittee. Retaining Wall Recommendation – Resolution By Commissioner Brock: Seconded by Commissioner Goldsmith RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works recommends the Cast in Place retaining wall with the Stone Veneer, that this wall type be advanced as part of the project design, Board of Public Works Page 5 September 8, 2010 Regular Meeting and that the right of way acquisition map should be developed to allow construction of this type of wall. A Vote on the Resolution Resulted as Follows: Ayes (6) Brock, Jenkins, Goldsmith, Wykstra, Warden, Peterson Nayes (1) Tripp Abstentions (0) Carried (6-1) Sidewalk Program – Status Report and Discussion Supt. Gray mentioned the historical documents that were provided in the agenda related to the sidewalk program and noted that the documents provide almost twenty years of information about the program. He stated that staff finds the program extremely demanding and there is a lot of explanation that occurs on a daily basis. He gave an example that if there are 100 miles of sidewalks (at 5 feet wide) multiplied by 5,000 ft. in a mile it equals 2.5 million sq. ft. of sidewalks. At $10 per sq. ft. and a 50 year life cycle the City would have approximately $500,000 per year in sidewalk expense if the City were to take over all sidewalk replacements. Discussion followed regarding holding a meeting dedicated to the sidewalk program. Mayor Peterson noted that Ithaca is a pedestrian city and Common Council feels it is necessary to have a sidewalk program. Commissioner Tripp suggested transferring the analysis and notification functions for sidewalk repairs to the Building Department since they already have a series of procedures in place for other types of repairs, and they have experience inspecting hazardous conditions. Supt. Gray explained that there would be no control over the amount of notifications sent out if the Building Department were to take over that task. Commissioner Brock expressed frustration that the subcommittee that involved the Board of Public Works, Common Council, the City Attorney and staff has met for almost a year to discuss the sidewalk program, and because the Superintendent and Mayor were not involved, the subcommittee needs to meet again. She expressed feelings that staff time was wasted. Commissioner Wykstra stated that many of the recommendations from the subcommittee were not shared with the Board. Supt. Gray expressed frustration that the subcommittee spent so much time working on process and not product. He requested that the Board return to this topic. The Board agreed to hold a special meeting to discuss the sidewalk program. Mayor Peterson expressed disappointment that the budget for the sidewalk program has not been fully utilized. PARKING AND TRAFFIC: 9.3A Concepts for Intersection Improvements at Hector/State/Floral/Elm Streets – Discussion Traffic Engineer Tim Logue joined the Board for the discussion of this item. Mayor Peterson referred to the options for improvement and stated that staff, residents and Common Council members all agree that “Option C” would be the best option for the intersection. Traffic Engineer Logue stated that the improvements would be entirely state funded and there would not be additional funds for the other options. Discussion followed on the floor regarding traffic control, including traffic signals, installing a mid-block pedestrian crossing near Pete’s Grocery east of the bridge, and possibly having three lanes on Hector Street, with one lane dedicated to traffic heading east down the hill, and installing bicycle lanes. Further discussion followed regarding traffic concerns on the west end, traffic signal timings and bottleneck issues. Commissioner Brock expressed support for the recommended option, and stated that a traffic signal may need to be installed in the future. She further expressed her opinion Board of Public Works Page 6 September 8, 2010 Regular Meeting that the intersection will become very dangerous with increased traffic once the planned developments are completed in the area. She stated that there are a lot of cyclists on West Hill and she would like bicycle lanes installed. Discussion followed on the floor regarding the location of the stop sign for Elm Street at Floral Avenue. The Board agreed to move forward with the recommended “Option C” improvement. WATER AND SEWER: Water Tank Rehabilitation Project Environmental Engineer Scott Gibson joined the Board for the discussion of this item. He distributed the bid tabulations for the water tank rehabilitation project and expressed what the project will entail, the evaluation that was completed in 2009, and stated that all three tanks are in seriously dilapidated condition. He further explained that Amstar and R.G. DiVincentis were the two lowest bidding companies, noting the disparities between the bids. Environmental Engineer Gibson advised the Board that the City may need to replace the roofs on all three water tanks, stating that this decision would assist in determining which company to choose. Asst. Supt. Whitney explained that monies were allocated for the replacement of only one roof, and that lab testing indicated that the paint on the Cornell Avenue tank contains lead, which will require it to be sand blasted and repainted. He noted that the extra work will cause the costs for the project to double the allocated funding. Environmental Engineer Gibson noted that work on the project would begin in spring 2011. ADJOURNMENT On a motion the meeting adjourned at 7:27 p.m. Kathrin D. Gehring Carolyn K. Peterson Executive Assistant Mayor