Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-C&NS-2006-01-11 r Community and Neighborhood Services Committee Minutes January 11,2006 Committee members present — Chairperson Robin Korherr, Alderpersons J.R. Clairborne, Gayraud Townsend,Michelle Berry,and Shane Seger Staff and others present—Mark Vrede(Ithaca Youth Bureau),Mayor Carolyn Peterson,Panel discussion members—Karen Friedeborn(IYB), Nancy Zahler(Tompkins County Youth Services), Cassandra Nelson (Greater Ithaca Activities Center), Joe Gibson (IYB), Eloise Barrett (IYB), Jeff H (Ithaca Police Department),Chief Lauren Signer(IPD) 1. The meeting was called to order at 7:05pm Introductions were made by committee members,the secretary,and the Mayor 2. Approval of Minutes—December 14,2005 Chairperson Robin Korherr thanked Chris Wilbur from the Ithaca Fire Department for taking the December 14, 2005 minutes in absentia. Michelle Berry made a motion to approve the minutes. Seconded by Shane Seger. There were no corrections and the motion was carried to approve the minutes by a 4-1 vote with J.R. Clairborne abstaining. 3. Agenda Review/Introductions It was decided by the committee that this meeting would be held on the second Wednesday of every month at 7:OOpm. 4. 2006 Calendar and Work Plan Robin Korherr gave an overview of work done in 2005. In 2005 there was a resolution to update the City's Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan each year before March I". The County became a full partner of the Recreation Partnership again with the Youth Bureau as the provider of the majority of programs. The Pedestrian Awareness Committee's final recommendations were made. Transportation Demand Management suggested a pilot program pending the Cayuga Green construction project. The skateboard park undertook an expansion and fundraising effort. Megan's Law state mandated changes and the impact on local law enforcement were reviewed. There was a public information session between Emergency Response, IFD, IPD and 911 operations. Dispatch agreement with the County should be monitored by this committee. Other items in 2005 included taxicab legislation, the effects as racism, and noise ordinance changes and concerns. Robin Korherr said that the 2006 agenda items will include some 2005 items and some new ones. In June this committee will revisit the PAC's recommendations and in February the Cooperative Extension is invited to participate in a block grant beautification project. 5. Public Comment Joel Harlin of Newfield spoke about getting people in the community,particularly teens,off the streets and involved in activities that could be offered by a coalition of human services groups. He proposed building a state of the art sports arena in Ithaca and said that Ithaca could be at the center of a countywide effort to provide more activities and work for residents. 6. Response to the Public and Privilege of the Floor There was no response to the public. Shane Seger thanked Robin Korherr for chairing the meeting and Gayraud Townsend for vice chairing. J.R. Clairborne thanked the Mayor for selecting him for the committee. He went on to mention the r upcoming community events to celebrate the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Tomorrow from 12pm- 2pm the MLK, Jr. Northside-Southside Luncheon being held at the Southside Community Center, on Saturday the 12'h the annual MLK, Jr.breakfast from 9am-1 lam at the Beverly J. Martin gym, and on Monday the 14th the MLK, Jr. celebration, "day of service" to the community, from 11:30am-1:OOpm at the BJM gym. There will also be a workshop on the 14'h about aid to the impacted hurricane areas from 1:30pm-4:30pm at GIAC. 7. Youth Violence—Update and Discussion with staff from Ithaca Police Department,Ithaca Youth Bureau and Greater Ithaca Activities Center(30 minutes) Issue was brought to public consciousness after a fight, possibly gang related, that occurred in the Southside neighborhood on Halloween. Panel introductions were made and discussion ensued (see packet of handouts). Highlights are as follows: - Community groups recognize the problem and provide outreach to at-risk youth. - Gang activity or youth being territorial is cyclical. What is the best way to stay ahead of the problem? - IPD has met with school district officials to keep students safe and to share information. - Parents and teens have been meeting about this issue through GIAC;parents want to know how to identify gang activity. - A proactive coordinated community approach should include an information system to assess the situation. We have guidelines,but need hard data. - A graffiti removal effort is underway that involves the Probation Community Services, the Department of Public Works and the school district. - A three prong approach to dealing with this issue involves prevention, intervention and suppression(law enforcement strategies). - At Dewitt Middle School there has been some student violence mostly along racial lines(white vs. black) and geographical lines (rural vs. urban) Lunch hour meetings are being held with students to discuss problems of violence. More afterschool programs are needed,between 3pm-6pm,when children are more likely idle. - "Gang" is a highly charged word and excessive media coverage can exacerbate the problem. Various community groups should partner with the local media to help fine tune the message about youth violence. - Gang activity in Ithaca is probably on the rise due to the influx of older gang members from bigger cities. - More funding is needed for initiatives to stave off gang activity's appeal. - A lot of acivity is unreported and unknown to parents. Multi-disciplinary approach can be effective if it is focused. - We need to have a conversation about perception vs.reality of violence in area. - Federal Office on Juvenille Justice puts out a guide for communities to assess gang issues. - There is a county sponsored training and awareness program series and proposed community conference days to bring in external experts with experience from other communities. - Youth should be queried about their solutions to the problem of violence. - Parents should be supported in their efforts at home to deal with a child having difficulties. - School district should be part of the public discourse. No representative from the school district present at tonight's meeting,but the district is very much a part of this whole process. - Adult intervention on all levels should be encouraged. - Post placement integration, generally speaking, and more specifically for former gang members,is not in place in this community. Historically Ithaca has tried to use local resources to assist youth in trouble,rather than place them outside of the community. 8. Pedestrian Related Vehicle and Traffic Laws Enforcement—Discussion with Ithaca Police Department Traffic Unit using PAC Enforcement Recommendations enclosed(30 minutes) Traffic officer Derrick Barr could not be in attendance this evening. Robin Korherr said that this is the next step in pedestrian awareness and safety. Enforcement is difficult when education is lacking. Committee members and IPD spoke about enforcement problems and education. There are pedestrian rights vs. safety issues. Most pedestrians are aware of the law. Lauren Signer spoke about enforcement's responsibility to pedestrians and drivers and balancing education and enforcement. A full traffic unit staff would advance PAC's advice. Lauren Signer would like a traffic supervisor and a traffic enforcement officer. As more positions are filled there are more opportunities for interaction with the public in an instructive way. Shane Seger inquired about issuing warnings to pedestrians as an alternative to tickets. If the infrastructure isn't pedestrian friendly, then risk aversion will be practiced. J.R. Clairborne asked about the resources for long term warning campaign. There are government resources on the federal and state levels,but there is a need for personnel for campaigns. Regarding cell phone use while driving, targeted enforcement for a specific timeframe can be achieved with government backing. IPD is ready to respond to PAC and snow removal policy. Most educational materials are available for D.A.R.E. program. Cornell and Ithaca College are resources to develop educational materials. Need to develop campaigns for pedestrian awareness and snow and ice removal. College students should be targeted. More signage is needed at key crosswalks to promote pedestrian safety. Michelle Berry would like to dedicate IC students to a public relations project as per relates to education piece. DOT should be a partner in education. Until safety message is clear to pedestrians and drivers, punitive measures should be in place. Intersection lighting timing will be put in place this year. 9. Pedestrian Safety Initiative Robin Korherr spoke about the snow and ice removal policy. We have received various comments from the public and will revisit policy at the end of 2006 winter. Incremental increases have been made to staff lines to replace positions that have been lost in the last decade. Residents are excited about the policy. Long term goal of this committee will be the public information piece and the short term goal will be to get the word out about the policy. Radio stations should be engaged to make reminders about policy. Michelle Berry spoke about the need for a full time public officer who would be responsible for the public information campaign. J.R Clairborne asked how the City (DPW) complies with its own law. Upcoming meetings are the for the Landlords Association and the Collegetown Neighborhood Council. Gayraud Townsend was asked to do outreach at the Collegetown meeting. Shane commented on community listserves as an underutilized resource. Further discussion of public information campaign will be tabled until March meeting of this committee. J.R. Clairborne spoke about odd/even parking with regard to snow removal. Odd/even regulations fall under the purview of the Board of Public Works. Michelle Berry suggested that she and J.R. Clairborne get on the BPW agenda to report on community services issues. 10. Inter-municipal Communications i) Report from Tompkins County liaison Due to the Mayor's reorganization of standing committees it was agreed that Maria Coles,the county liaison would report to the Government and Intermunicipal Committee. ii) Report from Town of Ithaca liaison Robin Korherr, in her capacity as the Town of Ithaca liaison was asked to report to this committee on relevant information. 11. Adjournment Michelle Berry made a motion to adjourn the meeting. J.R. Clairborne seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 9:35pm. Respectfully submitted, Mark L.Vrede,Administrative Assistant Ithaca Youth Bureau