HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-YB-2015-05-12
May 12, 2015
Meeting Minutes
Attendance: William Murphy, George McGonigal, Dave Warden and
Excused: Eric Nichols, Talyse LaDora Hampton and Caitlin Moss
Absent: Lizzy Rayle
Staff: Liz Vance, Joanie Groome and Jody Hallett-Harris
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Meeting called to order at 6:05 p.m. by Liz Vance
Introductions were made to several guests:
Mary Kippel, Jason Hecht, Mark Vesci, and Zoran Smiljanic
The Minutes from February 10, 2015, March 10, 2015 and April 14, 2015 were tabled for next month’s
meeting because there wasn’t a quorum to vote.
Joanie Groome the Coordinator of the Recreation Support Services Program (RSS) did a brief overview
of the RSS Program. RSS was originally established in 1977 and currently serves 200 adults and 150
kids. Joanie passed out the RSS Program Brochure for everyone to look at. RSS does many different
types of programs including: inclusion, workouts, camping and cooking. They currently have 6 fulltime
staff members and Ithaca College work-study, volunteer and summer staff. They provide focus on safety
and help provide participants with social skills. Primarily Tompkins County residents are served and they
receive support from County and City. Funding comes from different sources: State, County and city
and they all have contracts that have very specific details. Currently there is a waitlist for the autism
program and there is currently no adult spectrum of autism. They programs provides safe and high
quality services and also get grants throughout the year for trainings of staff. Currently RSS is
collaborating with recreation department going on 15 years and Stewart Park and Cass Park Day Camp
have 16+ kids going to camp with a one-to-one aide. They provide monthly calendars
Announcements:
City Neighborhood will be held again on Thursday at GIAC from 5:30-7:30.and the next one at Southhill
on 6/4.
The Outing Program has climbing fundraiser this weekend and tickets were available in the front office.
The Ithaca Journal has an article regarding Molly Barger of the BBBS Program that she was the
receipient of the NYS Big Sister of the Year Award.
Turn off your screen week was last week and was successful with many different activities each day. One
of the fun art projects was paining tv’s and there was also Tae Kwon Do.
Staff and Program Updates:
June 9th meeting – the Graduation dinner is scheduled the same night as the next board meeting and it was
decided that this could be resolved via email. The CDP, PSMP and YES programs have 17 students
graduating this year. The dinner will be held at The Space @ Greenstar. The Kiwanis Club of Ithaca will
be awarded for 70 years of support.
Karen Friedeborn will be retiring and her last day is 7/10/15 and Allen Green’s last day will be 6/26.
The City will be doing an assessment and try to prioritize projects that are proposed in Stewart Park to
make sure that all of these different groups are being utilized in the best way to rehab the park. This
includes looking at conditions of existing buildings, programs that use the park/building, repairs that need
to be done on the existing buildings. This assessment will be approximately $34,000 to have done and
the Tompkins County Tourism Board has given $20,000 and the City Administration is giving an
additional $14,000 to have this assessment done. Tom West and Kingsbury Architects are currently
drafting a proposal.
Current Capital Projects are the roof in the boat house and the large pavilion.
The Monitoring Documents that we use were passed around for folks to look at and a brief review of the
monitoring/shadowing process was done and Bill will shadow RSS.
George McGonigal – left early no report from Common Council.
Dave Warden - Board of Public Works. The plumbers are working on the pavilion and the waterfront
trail is almost complete and the bike path on North Cayuga Street is being discussed but currently no
funding available to make 2 lanes.
Ithaca Bike Rentals will be opening on June 1st for adults and kids and Marty Schreiber will be the
Coordinator of this program.
Talyse was not at the meeting therefore no report from Friends of the IYB.
Meeting Adjourned: 7:10 p.m.
Next meeting:
June 9, 2015 – 6:00 p.m. – Green Room