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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-25-12 Board of Public Works Meeting AgendaA meeting of the Board of Public Works will be held on Monday, June 25, 2012, at 4:45 p.m. in Common Council Chambers — Third Floor, City Hall, 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York. 6. Approval of Minutes 6.1 June 4, 2012, Regular Meeting Minutes 8.4 Creeks, Bridges and Parks 8.5 Water and Se-wer 1 16*4111*4 Lei ► I Iff �i 9.1 Appeal of Water Bill for 119 Heights Court 9.2 Application for Mobile Vending in Downtown Ithaca 9.3 Parking Systems Manager 9.4 Request for Encroachment Agreement /License at 309 East Falls Street E '- • If you have a disability that will require special arrangements to be made in order for you to fully participate in the meeting, please contact the City Clerk at 607 - 274 -6570 at least 48 hours before the meeting. Page 1 The Board of Public Works meets on the second, third and fourth Wednesdays of the months at 4:45 p.m. All meetings are voting meetings, opening with a public comment period. Meeting agendas are created from prior public input, Department operating, planning issues, and requests made to the Superintendent. The Board reserves the right to limit verbal comments to three minutes and to request written comments on lengthy or complex issues. This information may then be used to create committee agendas, with the speaker or author invited to attend. 8.213 A Resolution a Recommend Amending- ••- 4342-8 "Permit Application and to Request Authority to Set Such Fees This is a resolution to change some of the fees we charge for permits, and a request to take the fee setting out of what is now Common Council legislation. 9.1 Appeal of Water Bill for 119 Heights Court Attached is a copy of the original note sent by Ms. Walker (AKA Klein) to Mayor Myrick concerning her water bill at 119 Heights Court and my response to the Mayor. Please see her request for a reduction in the water and sewer bill as well as her claims against the department contained in the agenda for our meeting on June 11, 2012. We visited the property twice and sent notices according to the official address on the account. I believe the department acted properly to aid the consumer in a manner based on the information we had on our official record and in response to the Board's desire to provide intermediate readings to the property owner if we have an indication of a problem. I will ask to see if we can confirm that the water usage has returned to a normal range following the change out of the toilet in late April 2012. This is something any home owner can do by monitoring their water meter for a few days to determine at what rate water is being consumed at their address. 9.2 Application for Mobile mending in Downtown Ithaca Please see the June 11, 2012 agenda for information. 9.3 Parking Systems Manager Please see the June 11, 2012 agenda for information. 9.4 Request for Encroachment Agreement/License at 309 East Falls Street — Possible Resolution This appears to be a standard agreement developed for similar encroachments. I am not aware of any concerns we have resulting from this encroachment of an overhanging eve at the front of the property. I will visit the property. VV U. PV tJ. Ij, -P.E. St,�Per v�,tevOevLt of P- bl,ic Wo6zs J u o,e 20, 2012 • • • • r - • - s. - WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works is authorized by Section 346 -4 of the City Code to adopt and to amend a system of Schedules in order to administer the Vehicle and Traffic Law, and WHEREAS, the current one -way regulation along a portion of Williams Street unnecessarily causes westbound traffic to travel around the very narrow Highland Place, and WHEREAS, two -way travel along the length of Williams Street poses no particular problems in the opinion of the Transportation Engineer, now therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works hereby amends Schedule IV, One -Way Streets, to remove Williams Street from the list of one -way streets and be it further RESOLVED, That the Board directs the Department of Public Works to modify the traffic control devices as necessary to make the full length of Williams Street a two -way street. Page 3 8.2113 A Resolution to Recommend Amending City Code §342-8 "Permit Application and Fee" to Request Authority to Set Such Fees WHEREAS, the City Code currently states that Street Permits have a fee of $10, except for permits pertaining solely to sidewalk repair, which have a fee of $5, and WHEREAS, the DPW Engineering Office recommends increasing the fees to $50 and $25 respectively so as to better reflect administrative and operational costs, and WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works concurs, and WHEREAS, in order to simplify future rate changes, the Board of Public Works wishes to set the permit rates similar to the way it sets rates for the parking garages, now therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works requests that Common Council amend City Code §342-8 (C), Permit Application and Fee, as follows: C. Fee. No permit shall be issued until the applicant therefor shall have first paid in cash or by Ghe-1, paya"le other means acceptable to the City a fee of $10, except fer sidewalk per .Y -" I'-Y which --hall be $5 as set, and amended from time to time, by resolution of the Board of Public Works. -�I M RESOLVED, That contingent upon Common Council amending the City Code in such or similar fashion, the Board of Public Works hereby sets the fees for street permits as follows: No permit shall be issued until the applicant therefor shall have first paid in cash or by other means acceptable to the City a fee of $50, except for permits pertaining solely to sidewalk repair, which shall be $25. Page 4 (6/20/2012) Kathrin Gehring - Re: Fwd: 119 Heights Ct Water Bill Page 1 From: Bill Gray To: Myrick, Svante CC: Frycek, Barbara; Gehring, Kathrin; Whitney, Erik Date: 4/25/2012 1:11 PM Subject: Re: Fwd: 119 Heights Ct Water Bill Svante, I did a quick check with W&S about this complaint. First, she has misread the bill. She is using a lot of water, but not millions of gallons. In the April bill it indicates that the meter reading shows 117 units used and the billing part shows usage /units as 11,700. That means that the meter reads in 100 cubic foot units. 117 units is 11,700 cubic feet or 87,500 gallons (at 7.48 gallons per cubic foot), roughly one years worth of water used in one quarter; not 8,775,000 gallons as indicated in her letter. Second, the way the letter reads I thought she lived at 119 Heights Court, where the bill is sent, and where water leak notifications are sent. Apparently she does not. Mail collects there which eventually is forwarded or picked up. When Water and Sewer visited the site shortly after the March leak notice they spoke with the tenant and checked the house. No problems were obvious. The meter had not indicated a problem when checked mid - quarter between December and March. It did have a leak warning in the March reading which resulted in a letter and the visit. The next mid - quarter check of the meter in mid -April found the meter still had a leak warning so a new notice was sent and a new visit made. This time they found a toilet running full blast with the flapper valve hung up. Staff has spoken to the tenant but not to Ms. Klien. The tenant indicated that they had notified the owner there was a problem with the toilet. A toilet can go through a lot of water if it is allowed to run freely. It appears that staff gave the owner as much warning as is available to us and provided support to the property due to the leak warnings. The second notice of an accelerating problem (water for us, mo for her) seems to have worked. If she has fixed the problem the only remaining steps for the owner is to pay the next bill monitor usage in the future. >>> Jaclyn Walker <kiein.iaclyn @gmail.com> 4/25/2012 11:26 AM >>> Dear Mayor Myrick: I have a major problem. Since purchasing my house in 2004, my water bills have averaged between $60 and $150. My March water bill was$526.50 to purchase 8.7 million gallons of water and another $592.02 to dispose of 8.7 million gallons in the Ithaca sewers (for a total of $1,118.52). Furthermore, I received a call from the water department yesterday thatl will soon be receiving another water bill of $5,210, or 40.8 million gallons of water — for just 34 days! Thank you for your help, i_ Kathy Gehring Executive Assistant Superintendent of Public Works 108 E. Green St., Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 274 -6527 (607) 274 -6587 Fax >>> Jaclyn Walker <kiein.iaclyn @gmail.com> 4/25/2012 11:26 AM >>> Dear Mayor Myrick: I have a major problem. Since purchasing my house in 2004, my water bills have averaged between $60 and $150. My March water bill was$526.50 to purchase 8.7 million gallons of water and another $592.02 to dispose of 8.7 million gallons in the Ithaca sewers (for a total of $1,118.52). Furthermore, I received a call from the water department yesterday thatl will soon be receiving another water bill of $5,210, or 40.8 million gallons of water — for just 34 days! (6/20/2012) Kathrin Gehring - Re: Fwd: 119 Heights Ct Water Bill Page 2 As you can see, I really need your help with my water problem. Not realizing a problem because the water is on automatic payment, I already paid the March bill of $1,118.52. The town said that the next bill is currently at $5,210 so my total liability is likely to be over $6,000. When the town called me, they told me that there is nothing I can do because the water entered and left the house through the meter, which they determined is in working order. The water department said the past bill and upcoming bill is likely caused by a running toilet. However, it's impossible for a private residence to use 11,700 units of water in 90 days (the March bill), let alone roughly 54,500 units for the upcoming bill. This is equal to 8,775,000 gallons and 40,875,000 gallons respectively. Even if the house sprung an enormous leak where three gallons of water poured out of the house every second for 90 days, it still would not equal my March water bill. This is equivalent to three Old Faithful geysers — and no, I do not have a geyser in my backyard. And for the upcoming bill, it gets crazier! As you can see, this situation is absurd. 1 did not use this water. I have had no physical signs of a water problem at my house. I got zero enrichment from the water the meter claims I used. Yet the town is billing me for a lake. The impossibility of the water usage aside, I believe the town of Ithaca should have notified me as soon as they realized that the bill reached some unreasonable number. Instead, they called me when it reached over $5,000. They told me that they mailed a letter to the house in March. I am currently living at my in -laws and my renters did not inform me of a letter. Furthermore, the water company has my cell phone number, but waited until yesterday to call me. I believe that the water /sewer department should have notified me earlier. This is not only a financial problem for me but if this single toilet really did run this water it is a huge environmental waste problem that should have been addressed earlier. This water bill is more than 2% of the value of the house. I simply cannot afford to be billed for the equivalent of over 15,000 homes worth of water. The water department says they cannot help me. As a constituent, I need your help in adjusting this bill. Si ncere!y, Jackie Klein 914- 319 -1699 Attached, please find a copy of this letter, my January billand my March bill. 9.4 Request for Encroachment Aweement/License at 309 East Falls Street — Possible Resolution WHEREAS, the Law Offices of Mazza and Mazza, representing Barbara S. Gainey, the owner of the property at 309 East Falls Street (Tax Map Parcel No. 12-3-4), in the City of Ithaca, has requested an encroachment agreement/license from the City for an existing encroachment into the adjacent street right-of-way for East Falls Street; and WHEREAS, the encroachment consists of the following: The eaves of the northern face of the building at 308 East Falls Street encroaches by a distance of approximately 2.3 - 3.6 feet, for a span of approximately 20 feet, which is shown on a survey map prepared by T. G. Miller, P.C., Engineers and Surveyors, dated May 25, 2012; and WHEREAS, it appears that the building in question has been in existence in its current location for many years, and that the encroachment is above the existing public sidewalks on the south side of East Falls Street and does not interfere with the sidewalks as currently constituted; and WHEREAS, the Superintendent does not anticipate any conflicts in the near future with public works uses or needs, due to the existing encroachments at this location; and WHEREAS, the 2011-12 schedule of fees for use of City-owned property requires an initial application fee of $ for new licenses, but stipulates that the annual use fee shall be waived for minor encroachments, now therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works hereby grants the request for an encroachment at 309 East Falls Street, as proposed, contingent upon the execution of a license/agreement and submission of the required application form and fee (and renewal fees for any subsequent terms) and proof of required insurance, and be it further RESOLVED, That the Mayor, upon consultation with the Superintendent and City Attorney, is hereby authorized to execute a license/agreement allowing said encroachment, revocable upon 90 days' written notice by the City in the event that the encroached upon City property is required for any City purpose, and containing the usual terms and conditions, including those specified in Chapter 170 of the City's Municipal Code, among which is a revocation clause. Page 5 MAZZA AND MAZZA 307 North Tjoga Street Ithaca, New York 14850 Bruno A. Mana, Jr. Edward A. Mazza DATE: June 18, 2012 TO: Jody _ it Attornev' s Office e — I I FAX TO: 274-6507 FROM: Darlene Lynch RE Barbara Gainey, 309 East Falls Street Area Code 607 Telephone 273-6000 NOT FOP SERVICE OF PR Fax 273-4110 Nam 4-RE"PIUMMUM, UWAW Please advise if you need anything further from our office, I am also enclosing a copy of the deed to Mrs. Gainey and her husband (deceased) for your reference. NUMBER OF PAGES INCLUDING COVER PAGE �>. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE ALL THE PAGES, PLEASE CACL­�kT ONCE. is prohibitedo If you have received this teleiopy in error', ple'a'se notify us by telephone inimediately so that -we can arrange for the retrieval of the original documents at no cost to you. I LE47ENB EXISTING IRON PIPE EXISTING IRON PIN LMUTY POLE my (xoj MAW-My POC AX" 0 Comm Aw CV ASPHALT ORM 140 pm go ' hu P06T r� � -.z � r f a a .� 3 w ,. r ... � . a r : � �; f r . � ,....: �, .� s 4 �,' �.. Yv .... �. , <: s�f i¢,.` �,����' �. �.�..� ,��� � f :rg L{ < i�1Ct t. � 'e: tfc, � ,i s' • till?] t> Ifs`3a T iixumumjy3 7ij t°3 'g #Lyi`. ~i R _ r �ftils . widower Joseph J. Gainey and Barbara tenants by the entirety I war deed dated May 3, 1954 Acko- May 3,s 1954 may 13, 954 at 11:21D Con :$1.00 ..... 'City of Ithaca... bounded amd, descis ibed follows -Beginning at a point in the ally Street a distance of 285 vest from Lake Street., and running Thence somth pavallel tgith Lak with the owners of the lot adjoining on the east is withheld for the purpose of a driveway. ch partyto this driveway is to own his Jive ithree feet Of such driveway. Being the pre-mises knoTm and designated 309 East `'Alts 8tt in the City of Ithacan Tompkins County New York. Being the same premises conveyed to ,Fred E.Velis and .,ice Wells husband and -.o-ife as Tenants by the 1�atireety by Mora A. 29, 1945 vesti= title in the above described property in thhe Grantor, Fred E. Wells This apnveyance is made subje A to a certain Purchase Money Mortgage in the amount of Three Thousand Seven Hundred ($3,700.00 Dollars given by Joseph J. Gainey and Barbara S. Gainey to Fred S Wells which mortgage is dated and filed concurrently herewith.''