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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CA-2016-09-21CITY ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 6:00 p.m. September 21, 2016 PRESENT: Alderperson Mohlenhoff – Chair Alderpersons (4): Fleming, Gearhart, McGonigal (arrived at 6:09 p.m.), Smith OTHERS PRESENT: Manager of Organizational Development – Moskowitz Sidewalk Program Manager – Licitra Fire Chief – Parsons Chief of Staff – Cogan HR Director – Michell-Nunn Controller - Thayer Deputy Controller – Andrew 1. Call to Order 1.1 Agenda Review. None. 1.2 Review/Approval of Minutes: Alderperson Fleming made a motion to approve the minutes from the August 17, 2016 meeting of the City Administration Committee. Seconded by Alderperson Gearhart. Motion carried 4-0. (Alderperson McGonigal was absent from the vote.) 1.3 Statements from the Public. None. 1.4 Statements from Employees. None. 1.5 Council Response. None. 2. Consent Agenda Items. None. 3. City Administration, Human Resources, and Policy 3.1 DPW - Local Law – Confirmation of SID Assessment, Budget and Schedule for 2017 Moved by Alderperson Fleming. Seconded by Alderperson Smith. Local Law No. ____-2016 A local law entitled “Confirmation of the Sidewalk Improvement District Assessments, Budget, and Schedule of Work for Fiscal Year 2017” WHEREAS Section C-73 of the City Charter creates five Sidewalk Improvement Districts (each a “SID”) for the construction and repair of sidewalk, and provides for an assessment against each property located in each SID for the benefits received by the property from said construction and repair, and City Administration Committee Meeting September 21, 2016 Page 2 WHEREAS the Board of Public Works has recommended a budget, schedule of work, and schedule of assessments for Fiscal Year 2017, subject to review, amendment, and confirmation by the Common Council, and WHEREAS Section C-73 provides that Council shall amend as appropriate and confirm the SID assessments, budget, and schedule of work after a public hearing, and WHEREAS the appropriate public hearing has been held, and Council has given due consideration to the comments made, if any, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ENACTED by the Common Council of the City of Ithaca as follows: Section 1. Legislative Findings, Intent, and Purpose. Pursuant to Municipal Home Rule Law Section 10(1)(ii)(c)(3) the City of Ithaca is authorized to adopt a local law relating to the authorization, making, confirmation, and correction of benefit assessments for local improvements. The Common Council has reviewed the assessments, budget, and schedule of work recommended by the Board of Public Works for Fiscal Year 2017, and makes the following findings of fact: A. The public hearing prior to confirmation required by Section C-73 has been held, and all owners of property subject to a SID assessment appearing to speak before Council have had an opportunity to do so. B. The attached schedule of work, as recommended by BPW and previously subject to review by Council, constitutes a set of local improvements, the cost of which should be assessed against the properties located in the SID in which the work is to be performed. C. The attached budget, and the related assessments reflected on the assessment roll kept on file with the City Clerk, are necessary to defray the cost of construction and maintenance of sidewalk in the City, and Council has made a legislative judgment that each property in each SID is being assessed in proportion to the benefit received by that property from the sidewalk construction and repair contained in the schedule of work. Section 2. Confirmation of the Assessments, Schedule of Work, and Budget. The Common Council approves and confirms the assessment roll, a copy of which is maintained in the City Clerk’s office, and the budget and schedule of work attached hereto, and imposes a lien upon each property so assessed as set forth in the assessment roll. In the event there are additional funds available following completion of the schedule of work, or changes to the work plan are required for financial, engineering, or other reasons, the Superintendent of Public Works or his or her designee may alter the schedule of work in his or her discretion, as instructed by the Board of Public Works from time to time; provided, however, that if such actions affect ten City Administration Committee Meeting September 21, 2016 Page 3 percent or more of any Sidewalk Improvement District’s annual levy, such actions must be approved by resolution of the Board of Public Works. 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 and Operative Date. This Local Law shall be effective immediately after filing in the office of the Secretary of State. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Motion carried 4-0. (Alderperson McGonigal was absent from the vote.) (Alderperson McGonigal arrived at 6:09 p.m.) 4. Finance, Budget and Appropriations 4.1 Controller - Request to “Piggyback” Bid Moved by Alderperson Smith. Seconded by Alderperson Fleming. WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca Fire Department went out to bid for Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus units on April 11, 2016, and WHEREAS, New York State (NYS) allows an exception to General Municipal Law (GML) Sec. 103 Whereby a political subdivision of NYS is allowed to “Piggyback” on a contract/bid as long as the municipality letting the bid makes that contract available to the other entity, and WHEREAS, the Candor Fire District in Candor, NY has requested that they be allowed to “Piggyback” on our bid award as provided by GML Sec. 103(16); now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That Common Council approves the request from the Candor Fire District to “Piggyback” on our bid award from our bid dated April 11, 2016. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 4.2 Fire – Acceptance of SAFER Grant Moved by Alderperson Gearhart. Seconded by Alderperson McGonigal. WHEREAS, the Fire Chief of Ithaca Fire Department submitted an application for funding assistance under the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program to fund (4) firefighter positions for two years, which have been unfunded in the City Budget since 2013, and City Administration Committee Meeting September 21, 2016 Page 4 WHEREAS, the Fire Chief was notified on September 9th, 2016 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that the City of Ithaca has been awarded a grant of $640,015 to fund four, currently unfunded, firefighter positions for two years, and WHEREAS, under the terms and conditions of the SAFER grant: the City cannot eliminate (unfund or layoff) any currently funded Firefighter or Fire Officer’s positions; if a vacancy due to retirement or resignation occurs, the grant requires the position to be filled as soon as possible and after two years, Council will have to decide whether to continue funding the four positions; and WHEREAS, the US FEMA SAFER program requires a letter of commitment from the City’s governing body agreeing to the terms and conditions of the SAFER grant program; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, The Common Council of the City of Ithaca agrees to accept SAFER Grant Funding for (4) four additional firefighter positions in the 2017 and 2018 Budget under the terms and conditions of the SAFER grant program (Application EMW-2015-FH-00398), and be it further RESOLVED, The Mayor is authorized to submit a letter of commitment to US FEMA agreeing to the terms and conditions of the SAFER award, and be it further RESOLVED, That after the completion of the SAFER Grant Performance Period, the Common Council of the City of Ithaca will decide whether to continue funding the positions or seek additional outside funding for Fiscal Year 2019. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Motion Passed 4-0-1. (Alderperson Mohlenhoff abstained from vote.) 4.3 Local Law to Override the Tax Levy Limit Moved by Alderperson McGonigal. Seconded by Alderperson Fleming. Local Law No. _____ - 2016 BE IT ENACTED by Common Council of the City of Ithaca as follows: Section 1. Legislative Intent It is the intent of this local law to allow the City of Ithaca to adopt a budget for the fiscal year commencing January 1, 2017, that requires a real property tax levy in excess of the “tax levy limit” as defined by General Municipal law §3-c. Section 2. Authority This local law is adopted pursuant to subdivision 5 of General Municipal Law §3-c, which expressly authorizes a local government’s governing body to override the property tax cap for the coming fiscal year by the adoption of a local law approved by a vote of sixty percent (60%) of said governing body. Section 3. Tax Levy Limit Override City Administration Committee Meeting September 21, 2016 Page 5 The Common Council of the City of Ithaca, County of Tompkins, New York, is hereby authorized to adopt a budget for the fiscal year commencing January 1, 2017, that requires a real property tax levy in excess of the amount otherwise prescribed in General Municipal Law §3-c. Section 4. Severability If court determines that any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, or part of this local law or application thereof to any person, firm or corporation, or circumstance is invalid or unconstitutional, the court’s order or judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder of this local law, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, or part of this local law or in its application to the person, individual, firm or corporation or circumstance, directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment or order shall be rendered. Section 5. Effective Date This local law shall take effect immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 5. Committee Working Group Alderperson Gearhart reported that the Committees Working Group has created a letter that will be distributed in October to Chairs of the Committees/Boards. This letter, which would be discussed at their respective meetings along with the draft survey, will ask questions regarding how their Committees or Boards function and ways to improve them. Alderperson McGonigal expressed the concerns he had with Committees that he is a liaison on. There are not enough members to attend these meetings; so, meetings have been canceled and people submit applications to join a Committee/Board but cannot get approved. A discussion followed about the process one would follow to serve as a member of a Committee/Board. It was mentioned that the process to appoint someone to a Committee/Board was cumbersome; but, the process had not changed and was still moving forward. Alderperson McGonigal and Chief of Staff Cogan stated that they would talk to the Mayor about the application process for City Committees/Boards. 6. Budget Process 6.1 Discussion Chief of Staff Cogan explained the upcoming budget process. The Mayor’s budget and highlights of the budget would be released on October 3, 2016. The first meeting to discuss the Mayor’s budget would be ten (10) days later on October 13, 2016. Departments will be at their scheduled meeting and called up only if Council has questions. Questions that Common Council members have for departments should be given to the Chief of Staff, who would in turn share them with the departments. City Administration Committee Meeting September 21, 2016 Page 6 Council was reminded that there would be a Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting on September 28, 2016, to discuss Capital Projects and Parking. 7. Meeting Wrap-up 7.1 Announcements. None. 7.2 Next Meeting Date: October 19, 2016. 7.3 Review, Agenda Items for Next Meeting. The item to update the language regarding gender will be on the agenda for November. 7.4 Adjourn: With no further business and on a motion by Alderperson Smith, the meeting was adjourned at 6:50 p.m.