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Home My WebLink AboutMN-IURA-2014-04-17Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency 108 East Green Street Ithaca, New York 14850 (607) 274-6559 (607) 274-6558 (fax) ax) MINUTESMINUTES ITHACA URBAN RENEWAL AGENCY Common Council Chambers, City Hall 10:30 A.M., Thursday, April 17, 2014 Members: Svante Myrick, Eric Rosario, Chris Proulx, Karl Graham, Tracy Farrell Excused: Ellen McCollister (Common Council Liaison) Staff: Nels Bohn, Charles Pyott Public: None. Guests: None. I. Call to Order Chair Myrick called the meeting to order at 10:30 A.M. II. Agenda Additions/Deletions None. III. 2014 HUD Entitlement Grant, Development of 2014 Action Plan A. Adoption of Draft 2014 Action Plan Farrell moved, seconded by Rosario: 2014 Action Plan – HUD Entitlement Program WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca (City) is eligible to receive an annual formula allocation of funds to address community development needs through the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Entitlement program from the Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG) and the Home Investment Partnerships program (HOME) funding sources, and WHERAS, the City has contracted with the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA) to administer, implement and monitor the City’s HUD Entitlement program incompliance with all applicable regulations, and WHEREAS, on an annual basis an Action Plan must be submitted to HUD to access HUD Entitlement program funding allocated to the City, and IURA Minutes April 17, 2014 Page 2 of 6 WHEREAS, the 2014 Action Plan identifies a specific list of budgeted community development activities to be funded from the 2014 HUD Entitlement program allocation and associated funds administered by the IURA, and WHEREAS, funding available to be allocated through the 2014 Action Plan funding process is anticipated to be the following: $675,538 CDBG 2014 allocation $18,682 CDBG 2013 carryover $7,600 CDBG 2012 recaptured funds $140,000 CDBG 2014 projected program income $441,774 HOME 2014 allocation $220 HOME 2013 carryover $454,127 Neighborhood Housing Initiative bond $1,737,941 Total, and WHEREAS, the IURA utilized an open and competitive project selection process for development of the 2014 Action Plan in accordance with the City of Ithaca Citizen Participation Plan, and WHEREAS, at their April 17, 2014 meeting, the IURA adopted a recommended 2014 Action Plan; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Common Council for the City of Ithaca hereby adopts the IURA‐ recommended 2014 Action Plan, dated April 15, 2014 for allocating the 2014 HUD Entitlement Program award along with additional funds listed above totaling $1,737,941, and be it further RESOLVED, that the Urban Renewal Plan shall be amended to include activities funded in the adopted 2014 Action Plan. IURA Minutes April 17, 2014 Page 3 of 6 IURA Minutes April 17, 2014 Page 4 of 6 IV. Governance Committee A. Authorize Hiring of Community Development Planner Bohn reported that following completion of a practical exercise including oral presentations by each of the two finalists, the search committee unanimously recommended Lynn Truame as the best candidate. Farrell moved, seconded by Rosario: Hire Community Development Planner WHEREAS on December 16, 2013, the IURA authorized the Executive Director, or her designee, to advertise, form a search committee, conduct interviews, and recommend a preferred candidate to fill a full‐time, permanent Community Development Planner position with the salary to be determined depending on qualifications, and be it further WHEREAS, a job search has been undertaken by the search committee composed of Tracy Farrell, IURA member; Kathy Schlather, IURA Governance Committee member; JoAnn Cornish, IURA Executive Director; Schelley Michell‐Nunn, City of Ithaca Director of Human Resources; and Nels Bohn, IURA Director of Community Development, and WHEREAS, 27 job applications were received, and WHEREAS, four interviews were conducted with two finalists selected, and WHEREAS, reference checks have been conducted for the two finalists, and WHEREAS, a practical exercise was conducted for the two finalists involving a presentation and a brief memo, and WHEREAS, the search committee recommends Lynn Truame as the preferred candidate to fill the job position and recommended that she be offered the employment position, contingent upon IURA approval, and WHEREAS, at their April 4, 2014 and April 17, 2014 meetinsg the Governance Committee reviewed this matter and recommended the following; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the IURA hereby authorizes the hiring of Lynn Truame as Community Development Planner subject to the following terms: Salary: $53,000. The employee is eligible for up to a $2,000 discretionary salary increase on the 1st year anniversary subject to results of a performance review. Work Hours: 35 hours per week Start Date: TBD Employment Status: Regular, full‐time “at‐will” employee IURA Minutes April 17, 2014 Page 5 of 6 Duties: Job responsibilities are outlined in the Community Development Planner job description, dated Other Terms: Governed by the IURA Human Resource Policies, and be it further RESOLVED, that the IURA Executive Director, or her designee, is hereby authorized to submit and negotiate a contingent employment offer to the preferred candidate subject to IURA approval. Carried Unanimously 5‐0 B. Authorize Job Search & Hiring of Part‐Time Accountant Bohn announced that, unfortunately, recently‐hired IURA Accountant Paola Woolfolk has been offered another position that pays far more than her current one. She applied for the job before applying for the IURA position and only recently has been pursued by the employer. She has decided that she could not pass up the opportunity. She would probably leave the IURA in mid‐May 2014. Bohn noted the resolution contains an additional “Resolved” to authorize the IURA Director to hire someone from an accounting agency on an interim basis, if needed. Farrell moved, seconded by Rosario: Authorize Job Search & Hiring for Part‐Time IURA Accountant Position WHEREAS, on April 14, 2014 the newly hired part‐time Bookkeeper provided notice of resignation to accept a full‐time job, and WHEREAS, IURA management, in consultation with the IURA auditor, recommend seeking a candidate with a minimum education of a 4‐year accounting degree to manage the IURA finances, resulting in a recommended authorized employment position change from Bookkeeper to Accountant, and WHEREAS, there is a high demand in the local labor market for experienced and capable accountants and a pressing need to hire an accountant within the six weeks to allow for transition training of a newly hired Accountant, and WHEREAS, IURA management recommends the IURA authorize the Executive Director, or her designee, to form a search committee, advertise, conduct interviews and hire an Accountant position for 22 hours/week at $27‐$30/hour plus benefits but also authorize the Executive Director to incrementally modify the hours/week and/or hourly wage rate to hire the preferred candidate; WHEREAS, at their April 17, 2014 meeting the Governance Committee reviewed this matter and recommends the following; now, therefore, be it IURA Minutes April 17, 2014 Page 6 of 6 RESOLVED, that the Executive Director, or her designee, is authorized to form a search committee, advertise, and conduct interviews for a part‐time, permanent, Accountant position at 22 hours/week earning $27‐$30/hour plus benefits; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Executive Director, or her designee, is authorized to submit a binding employment offer to the preferred candidate, and be it further RESOLVED, that the Executive Director, or her designee, is authorized to negotiate and incrementally modify the work hours/week and/or hourly wage rate to hire the preferred candidate, and be it further RESOLVED, that the Executive Director, or her designee, is authorized to procure temporary accounting services or hire an Accountant on a short‐term basis to ensure continued accounting coverage. Carried Unanimously 5‐0 B. Distribution of Board Self‐Evaluation Form VII. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned by consensus at 11:30 A.M. — END — Minutes prepared by C. Pyott, edited by N. Bohn.