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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CA-2015-11-18CITY ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 6:00 p.m. November 18, 2015 PRESENT: Alderperson Mohlenhoff – Chair Alderpersons (4): Clairborne, Fleming, McGonigal, Smith OTHERS PRESENT: Assistant Fire Chief – Haines-Sharp Fire Chief – Parsons City Attorney – Lavine Superintendent of Public Works – Thorne Director of Engineering Services – West HR Director – Michell-Nunn Controller - Thayer Deputy Controller – Andrew 1. Call to Order 1.1 Agenda Review: Chairperson Mohlenhoff stated that the presentation on hydro power will not be on tonight’s agenda as mentioned because more work is needed to flesh out ideas. This item will be included on a future agenda of the City Administration Committee. 1.2 Review/Approval of Minutes: Alderperson Fleming made a motion to approve the minutes from the October 21, 2015 meeting of the City Administration Committee. Seconded by Alderperson Smith. Motion carried unanimously. 1.3 Statements from the Public Stanley McPherson, Ithaca resident, spoke in support of the minimum wage being the same amount as the living wage so that people can live and support their families in Ithaca. Paula Burke, Ithaca resident, talked about how difficult it is to live in Ithaca due to the high cost of food and housing. Ms. Burke mentioned that a lot of people signed a petition for the Workers Center in support of the minimum wage and the living wage being the same amount. Milton Webb, Ithaca resident, has been fighting for a living wage for a while. The current minimum wage is $8.75/hour. This rate is so low that he has to work two jobs to pay for the high cost of food and shelter in Ithaca. He is attending this meeting in support of a resolution to increase the minimum wage to the living wage. Millicent Kastenbaum, Cornell Student, wants Cornell students to be more civically engaged and to bridge the gap between Cornell students and the City of Ithaca by having a Common Council meeting on the Cornell campus. This meeting could be held at Willard Straight Memorial Hall and planned for March or April 2016. Ms. Kastenbaum will attend a Common Council meeting to make this request. 1.4 Statements from Employees. None. City Administration Committee Meeting November 18, 2015 Page 2 1.5 Council Response Chairperson Mohlenhoff responded that a special meeting, as opposed to a Common Council meeting, could be held on a special topic at Cornell. Before this could happen, a conversation about this request would need to take place with the Attorney’s Office and the Clerk’s Office. City Attorney Lavine stated that it is up to Common Council to decide what to do. They just need to communicate to the public about the day, time and location of the special meeting. Alderperson McGonigal thanked the public for their comments and stated that Common Council is aware of the low paying jobs and the high rents in Ithaca. Mr. McGonigal mentioned that the City does pay a living wage to its employees and that the City has encouraged developers to pay a living wage to its workers. Alderperson Clairborne thanked the public for attending the meeting and sharing their comments. He mentioned the following announcements:  On the Corner Play: This play will be held at Beverly J. Martin (BJM) Elementary School in the auditorium on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.  GIAC Harvest Dinner: The Harvest Dinner will be at GIAC on Friday – November 20, 2015 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the BJM gym. 2. City Administration, Human Resources, and Policy 2.1 DPW - Amendment to Personnel Roster (IAWWTF) Moved by Alderperson Fleming. Seconded by Alderperson Clairborne. WHEREAS, the Wastewater Treatment Facility anticipates a vacancy in the position of Laboratory Technician in December 2015, and WHEREAS, the Wastewater Treatment Facility would like to fill the Laboratory Technician position in advance of the actual vacancy to allow for training and a smooth transition; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Personnel Roster of the Wastewater Treatment Facility be amended by adding a second position of Laboratory Technician, and be it further RESOLVED, that upon the retirement of the current Laboratory Technician, the position vacated through retirement shall be abolished effective on the employee's retirement date, and be it further RESOLVED, that the funding for this change shall be derived from existing funds within the Department of Public Works budget. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. City Administration Committee Meeting November 18, 2015 Page 3 2.2 DPW - Amendment to Personnel Roster (Engineering Division) Moved by Alderperson McGonigal. Seconded by Alderperson Fleming. WHEREAS, the Engineering Division of the Department of Public Works has been reconfiguring its staffing responsibilities to reflect changes in the overall operations of the Department, including the creation of a new Parking Division, and WHEREAS, the current Traffic Systems Engineer title reflects responsibility for traffic and parking systems, and the Department would like to change that to reflect responsibilities for urban street design and construction, including active transportation facilities, traffic engineering and traffic control, and broader transportation planning, and WHEREAS, the Ithaca Civil Service Commission established the classification of Transportation Engineer at their October 29, 2015, meeting; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the personnel roster of the Engineering Division of the Department of Public Works shall be amended as follows: Add: One (1) Transportation Engineer Position (40 hours) Delete: One (1) Traffic Systems Engineer Position (40 hours) and be it further RESOLVED, that the position of Transportation Engineer shall be assigned to the City Executive Association Unit at salary grade A, and be it further RESOLVED, that for the sole purpose of determining days worked reportable to the New York State and Local Employees Retirement System the standard workday for this position shall be established at eight (8) hours per day (forty (40) hours per week), and, be it further RESOLVED, that the funding for this change shall be derived from existing funds within the Department of Public Works budget. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 2.3 Electronic Delivery of Local Laws Moved by Alderperson Smith. Seconded by Alderperson Clairborne. WHEREAS, Municipal Home Rule Law § 20(4) now authorizes the City to satisfy the aging requirement for proposed local laws by emailing such legislation in PDF format to Common Council members, provided that certain requirements are met, and WHEREAS, the email address of each Council member is documented on the City website, and the City Clerk has posted those addresses on the bulletin board in City Hall, as required; now, therefore, be it City Administration Committee Meeting November 18, 2015 Page 4 RESOLVED, that proposed local laws may be laid on the table by electronic delivery to Council members in accordance with Municipal Home Rule Law § 20(4). A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 2.4 Mobile Vending Fire and Safety Regulation Moved by Alderperson Smith. Seconded by Alderperson Fleming. WHEREAS, the Ithaca Fire Department is interested in addressing certain fire and safety issues raised by the increasing number of mobile food vending operations within the City, and WHEREAS, mobile food vending operations are not regulated by any existing state or local laws, and WHEREAS, there have been reported injuries to operators and the public as the result of fires, explosions, and accidental carbon monoxide poisonings, involving mobile vending operations at various locations in the United States, and WHEREAS, other municipalities have taken steps to address fire safety concerns posed by mobile food trucks and the equipment that is often used by such vendors, and WHEREAS, due to the risk of fire, carbon monoxide poisoning, and other safety risks posed by mobile food trucks or mobile vending, the City wishes to examine regulatory measures enacted by other municipalities, obtain feedback from mobile food vendors and the community, and consult with other fire and safety authorities to structure a City-wide system for regulating mobile food vending fire safety, and WHEREAS, the Common Council recognizes that safety improvements in this arena will come at some cost to mobile vendors to comply with such regulatory measures if implemented, and WHEREAS, upon balancing the enhanced safety against the increased costs for mobile vendors, the Common Council concludes that it is worth investing staff time in developing a proposed regulatory program, now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that Common Council instructs the Fire Chief, in consultation with the City Attorney and other City departments and relevant authorities, to study and develop fire safety rules for mobile food vending. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 2.5 Council Opposition of House of Representatives’ Bill to Eliminate Transit Funds Moved by Alderperson Fleming. Seconded by Alderperson Clairborne. WHEREAS, the U.S. House of Representatives approved an amendment to the House version of the multi-year transportation bill on Nov. 4 that would eliminate the 5340 High Density States Program and City Administration Committee Meeting November 18, 2015 Page 5 cut millions of dollars to transit agencies New York State, six other states as well as the District of Columbia, and WHEREAS, under the amendment, New York State transit agencies alone would lose $95 million a year or $570 million over the next six years with Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit, Inc. (TCAT) being stripped of $200,000 annually or $1.2 million over the six-year period, and WHEREAS, TCAT provides transit to the City of Ithaca and all of Tompkins County and for some residents it is the only transportation option, and WHEREAS, TCAT is a cornerstone to the local economy by getting residents to work or where they need to go and is key to environmental sustainability by reducing traffic congestion and curbing carbon emissions, and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca is a local funder to TCAT, with two other entities, including Cornell University and Tompkins County, all of which face financial constraints and is unable to fill in TCAT’s ever-widening funding gaps; now therefore, be it RESOLVED, Rather than cutting important transit funding for financially strapped agencies to include TCAT, the Mayor of the City of Ithaca and its Common Council strongly urge federal lawmakers to not only restore the 5340 High Density States Funding Program before a final bill is passed, but also to increase federal funding to allow them adequate and predictable revenues to meet increasing demand, and, in particular, to address their capital needs for much-needed bus replacements, facility and amenities upgrades, and information technology modernization, and be it further RESOLVED, that the City Clerk be directed to send certified copies of this resolution to Governor Andrew Cuomo, United States Senators Chuck Schumer and Kristen Gillibrand, New York State Assembly Members Barbara Lifton, New York State Senator Thomas O’Mara, United States Representative William Reed, TCAT General Manager Turcotte, and the TCAT Board of Directors. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3. Finance, Budget and Appropriations 3.1 DPW - Fund Abatement of Asbestos Containing Materials – City Hall Moved by Alderperson Clairborne. Seconded by Alderperson Fleming. WHEREAS, much of the floor covering in the building which is now City Hall was constructed with floor tiles containing asbestos, and WHEREAS, the original floor tiles in City Hall are breaking and crumbling which causes concern for employees and limits the ability of staff to appropriately maintain the floors, and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca has received a notice of violation from the New York State Department of Labor, Asbestos Bureau regarding broken floor tiles which contain asbestos, and City Administration Committee Meeting November 18, 2015 Page 6 WHEREAS, the notice of violation requires that the broken floor tiles be repaired and abated, and WHEREAS, Department of Public Works staff and the City’s consultant, Delta Engineers, Architects & Land Surveyors have identified several viable methods for abatement of the floor tiles which contain asbestos, and WHEREAS, repair and abatement of asbestos containing materials requires the services of specialized engineers and contractors as well as various permits, relocations and restoration, and WHEREAS, a schedule and a budget for accomplishing this work needs to be established; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that Common Council authorizes expenditure not to exceed $XXX,000 for undertaking the abatement of asbestos containing materials in City Hall. After discussion, Alderperson Clairborne made a motion to refer this item to the Board of Public Works. Seconded by Alderperson Fleming. A vote on the motion resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3.2 Increase in Council and Mayor Salary Moved by Alderperson McGonigal. Seconded by Alderperson Smith. Local Law No. ____-2015 A local law entitled “Amendments to Chapter 107 of the City Code” WHEREAS, the annual salaries of the members of the Common Council and of the Mayor were last adjusted in 2008, and WHEREAS, at that time they were adjusted to their current levels of $9,641 for Council members and $53,561 for the Mayor, and WHEREAS, the Common Council approved a 2016 budget that funds these salaries in 2016 at the levels of $10,141 and $58,561, respectively, and WHEREAS, the Common Council seeks to amend Chapter 107 of the City Code in order to effectuate these amended salaries as funded by the approved budget, now, therefore, BE IT ENACTED by the Common Council of the City of Ithaca as follows: Section 1. Legislative Findings, Intent, and Purpose. City Administration Committee Meeting November 18, 2015 Page 7 It is the intent of this local law to amend Chapter 107 of the City Code in order to effectuate the revised 2016 salaries of Council members and the Mayor as funded in the 2016 approved budget, with said salaries to be effective as of January 1, 2016. The Common Council makes the following findings of fact: A. The Common Council and the Mayor expend substantial efforts and devote large amounts of time to their duties, and B. The annual salaries of the members of the Common Council and the Mayor have gone unadjusted for nearly a decade. Section 2. Code Amendments. Section 107-1 of the City Code is hereby amended as follows: The annual salary of the Mayor shall be the sum of [$53,561] $58,561. Section 107-2 of the City Code is hereby amended as follows: The annual salary of the Council members shall be the sum of [$9,641] $10,141. Section 3. Severability Clause. Severability is intended throughout and within the provisions of this Local Law. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this Local Law is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, then that decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Local Law. Section 4. Effective Date. Upon filing in the office of the Secretary of State, this Local Law shall take effect retroactive to January 1, 2016. This Local Law is subject to referendum on petition pursuant to Municipal Home Rule Law Section 24. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3.3 Common Council - Support of the Living Wage as the Minimum Wage across Tompkins County Moved by Alderperson Clairborne. Seconded by Alderperson Smith. WHEREAS, it is one of our most cherished values that there is dignity in work, and WHEREAS, raising incomes is critical to providing economic mobility and opportunity for working families, and WHEREAS, the growth in income inequality in recent years has created serious divisions within our society and community, and City Administration Committee Meeting November 18, 2015 Page 8 WHEREAS, Tompkins County is becoming increasingly two counties with a portion of the population thriving while many more face low wages, growing inequality, erosion of middle-class jobs, staggering housing costs, and the institutionalization of a low-wage service economy, and WHEREAS, a full-time minimum wage worker in New York earns $18,200, the current minimum wage of $8.75/hour: an income significantly below the current living wage in Tompkins County of $29,827, and WHEREAS, a higher minimum wage across Tompkins County would likely increase spending on locally produced goods and services by workers benefiting from such increased wages, which, in turn would likely produce greater demand and help stimulate the local economy, and WHEREAS, a higher minimum wage would likely reduce the cost of providing social services in the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County, and WHEREAS, our community has a proud tradition of advocating for worker rights and promoting economic justice, and WHEREAS, the Tompkins County Workers Center, which certifies local living-wage employers, lists currently more than 100 Living Wage entities across the county, a list that includes five municipalities, encompasses more than 90 employers with workforces less than 50 employees, and represents over 3,000 workers making, at least, a Living Wage; and WHEREAS, we as a community and we as a country can no longer accept wages that leave some without hope of rising up and unable to support themselves nor their families, and WHEREAS, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has called for an increase in the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2021; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the City of Ithaca requests that the Tompkins County Legislature to pass a local minimum-wage law establishing the Tompkins County Living Wage (currently $14.34/hour) as the minimum wage, and indexing it to the New York State median wage, and be it further RESOLVED, that the City of Ithaca supports the County further passing a home-rule request to New York State seeking the authority to implement such a local minimum wage, and be it further RESOLVED, that the City of Ithaca calls on the New York State Legislature to pass promptly said home-rule request, and be it further RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Tompkins County Legislature, the Tompkins County Council of Governments, New York State Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton, New York State Senator Thomas O’Mara, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. City Administration Committee Meeting November 18, 2015 Page 9 3.4 Controller – Request to Amend 2015 Budget to Account for Various Unanticipated Revenue Moved by Alderperson Clairborne. Seconded by Alderperson Smith. WHEREAS, during 2015, City of Ithaca departments have received revenue from various unanticipated sources including reimbursement, grants, donations and sale of material, that need to be accounted for in the 2015 budget, and WHEREAS, the reimbursements total of $79,113 as follows: Tompkins County Celebrations Grants $16,350 Donations $53,075 Insurance Recover $8,809 Sale of Scrap/Equipment $879 now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that Common Council hereby amends the 2015 authorized budget as follows to account for said receipt and expenditures of funds: Increase Revenue Account: A1012-2379 Community Celebrations $16,350 A3120-2705 Police – Donations $47,000 A3120-2680 Police – Insurance Recovery $8,809 A5010-2655 Streets – Minor Sales $879 A7111-2705 Parks – Donations $6,075 Totals $79,113 Increase Appropriations Accounts: A1012-5435 Celebrations Contracts $16,350 A3120-5225-5001 Police Other Equipment $47,000 A3120-5476-5001 Police Equipment Maintenance $8,809 A5010-5475 Streets Property Maintenance $879 A7111-5475 Parks Property Maintenance $5,000 A7111-5485 Parks Trees $1,075 Totals $79,113 A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3.5 Controller - Authorization to Cover Red Accounts Moved by Alderperson McGonigal. Seconded by Alderperson Smith RESOLVED, that the City Controller be empowered to make transfers within the 2015 Budget appropriations, as needed, for the remainder of the 2015 Fiscal Year. City Administration Committee Meeting November 18, 2015 Page 10 A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3.6 2015-2016 Civil Service Agreement with the Ithaca City School District Moved by Alderperson Fleming. Seconded by Alderperson Smith. RESOLVED, that the Mayor and City Controller be authorized and directed to execute an agreement between the City of Ithaca and the Ithaca City School District for performance by the City for services in connection with Civil Service matters, for the period July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2016, in an amount of $55,944, payable to the City of Ithaca on or before December 1, 2015. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 4. Performance Measures. Nothing Submitted. 5. Common Council 5.1 Budget Process Wrap Up Discussion The Committee discussed what went well with the budget process, made suggested changes and thanked Chairperson Mohlenhoff for helping the process run more smoothly. Chairperson Mohlenhoff will e- mail all of Common Council; sharing with them comments made tonight and asking for feedback on the 2016 budget process. 6. Meeting Wrap-up 6.1 Announcements. None. 6.2 Next Meeting Date: December 16, 2015. 6.3 Review, Agenda Items for Next Meeting 6.4 Adjourn: With no further business and on a motion by Alderperson Smith, the meeting was adjourned at 8:11 p.m.