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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BPW-2019-05-21BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS PROCEEDINGS CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 6:10 p.m. May 21, 2019 PRESENT: Mayor Myrick Commissioners (4) – Blalock, Jenkins, McCormick, Morache OTHERS PRESENT: Superintendent of Public Works – Thorne Assistant Superintendent of Water and Sewer – Whitney Assistant Superintendent of Streets and Facilities – Benjamin Director of Engineering – Logue Common Council Liaison – McGonigal Executive Assistant – Servoss EXCUSED: Commissioners (2) - Greene, Warden City Attorney – Lavine Director of Parking – Messmer ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA: Supt. Thorne requested that item 13A, “Request to Install a TCAT Bush Shelter at State and Meadow Streets” be added to the agenda. No Board member objected. Supt. Thorne drew the Board’s attention to the email that was distributed from Ms. Lawless regarding the request to close South Titus Avenue. MAYOR’S COMMUNICATIONS: The Mayor had no communications at this time. COMMUNICATIONS AND HEARINGS FROM PERSONS BEFORE THE BOARD: No members of the public appeared to address the Board. RESPONSE TO THE PUBLIC No response was necessary. REPORTS Superintendent and Staff Dir. of Eng. Logue reported on progress of the following construction projects:  Brindley Street Bridge Project was moving along.  The ribbon cutting for the Stewart Park Large Pavilion would be held on June 4, 2019  Aurora Street Bridge replacement would start soon.  Contracts for the Dryden Road Garage Restoration Project Phase 1 were being signed.  Wading pool at GIAC would open on May 31, 2019.  Bids that were submitted for the Stewart Park Playground were too expensive, so the project was re-advertised.  South Aurora Street would be closed for two months during the installation of new sidewalks. Traffic would be detoured onto Hudson Street. Asst. Supt. Benjamin reported on the following:  Crews were working on the 200 block of North Cayuga Street. They had installed a new curb on one side of the street and a new storm sewer, and would be grading the street for use during Ithaca Festival.  Another crew was working on Cornell Street putting in curbing on the west side of the street. This project was being used to train new staff.  The Southwest Park Project area was mapped out and they were ready to clear trees.  Drainage at golf course was put in and was doing well.  Crews cleaned out the Jungle area for two days, removing garbage that was dumped in the area. Board of Public Works Page 2 May 21, 2019 Regular Meeting Asst. Supt. Whitney reported the following:  Crews were installing laterals on East State Street at Stewart and Eddy Streets. That project should be done soon.  Staff opened bids for the Raw W aterline Replacement Project; G. DeVincentis Construction was the only bidder. Supt. Thorne reported the following:  Staff was organizing capital projects requests; with 41 requests for 2020, he was trying to group the projects together or find other funding.  Continuing work with NYSDEC to obtain approval for allowing affluent to go into Cascadilla Creek in the winter to melt ice.  NYSDEC was planning to bring a contractor at the end of July to build the sediment management location for the dredging project.  Staff was working on hiring a parking consultant to complete the parking study. About ten proposals were submitted and reviewed; they were probably going with Stantec.  Each division was bringing on a lot of new people, which require a lot of training. Mayor Myrick commended the road crews for finishing the emergency street repair on Stewart Avenue. In order to replace the entire street, they must get approval from Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Council. If that committee does not approve the project, the road must remain brick, or Common Council could approve repaving with asphalt. ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNICATIONS: Approval of the January 15, February 19, and April 16, 2019, Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes – Resolution By Commissioner Morache: Seconded by Commissioner Jenkins RESOLVED, That the minutes of the January 15, February 19, and April 16, 2019, Board of Public Works meeting be approved as proposed. Carried Unanimously BUILDINGS, PROPERTIES, REFUSE AND TRANSIT: Street Permit Fees for Work Zones on the Commons Chief of Staff Dan Cogan joined the Board, and explained that this topic was the outcome of a series of discussions recently held by staff. There were particular portions of the Commons that had been closed due to various projects, and the public had been complaining about the closures, particularly about the playground. He further explained the current fees for closing a portion of the Commons were minor, compared to closing a sidewalk in other areas of the city. The purpose of charging fees for closing a sidewalk was to incentivize the adjacent property owner to minimize the size of their project and the length of time for the closure. For the Commons, he wanted to recognize the larger amenities, and felt the city should charge a higher rate for closing off those amenities than for occupying open space. Discussion followed on the floor regarding suggested fees, the possibility of increasing rates according to the length of time the sidewalk and amenities were closed, and increasing the current square footage fees. Mr. Cogan noted that the impact of having portions of the Commons closed to the public was greater during special events and suggested increasing fees during those events. He further suggested the fees could be placed in a special Commons Amenities Fund, which would help with maintaining the Commons. Commissioner Morache expressed concern about the City micromanaging the Commons, and believed the fees should be a set rate per square foot to keep it simple for staff. He agreed that an increased fee should be charged during festivals, but the City should just increase the square foot charge. Commissioners McCormick and Blalock agreed with the proposal to increase fees, noting that the small shop owners may feel like they are getting something from the City if the fees were used to maintain the amenities, and charging more would provide an incentive for projects to be completed quicker. Commissioner Morache expressed additional concerns that if the City raised the rates mid- project, the developers would complain and cause problems. Supt. Thorne responded that as Board of Public Works Page 3 May 21, 2019 Regular Meeting long as the developers and contractors were given fair warning, changes could be made to the budgets for existing projects. The Board generally agreed with increasing the fees for work zones on the Commons and asked Mr. Cogan to propose fee amounts at the next Board meeting. Dir. of Eng. Logue agree to assist Mr. Cogan with creating a series of case studies to figure out what work zones could occur. HIGHWAYS, STREETS AND SIDEWALKS: Approval to Close City Streets on a Recurring Basis – Resolution By Commissioner Morache: Seconded by Commissioner Jenkins WHEREAS, the Board of Public W orks received a request to close two one-block sections of city streets on a recurring basis over the Summer, and WHEREAS, the purpose of these recurring street closures is to allow regular play and neighborhood gatherings throughout the summer months, and WHEREAS, the residents of these streets agree to ensure the street barricades are put up and taken down, and to supervise the barricades to prevent vehicles from driving through the closed streets, and WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works discussed the requests at the April 16, 2019, meeting and agreed to allow a pilot program in 2019, now therefore it RESOLVED, That the request to close Madison Street and South Titus Street is hereby approved contingent upon approval from the Ithaca Fire and Ithaca Pol ice Departments, and that the streets are not blocked in such a manner that would prevent emergency vehicles from getting through, and be it further RESOLVED, That the residents shall pick up and return the barricades from/to Streets and Facilities, maintaining the barricades in the same or better condition as they received them, and be it further RESOLVED, That the following street block sections are approved for closure during the following days and times: 1. Madison Street between Fourth and Fifth Streets from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday between July 1, 2019 and August 28, 2019; and 2. South Titus Street between Plain and Fair Streets from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. each Sunday between June 30, 2019 and August 25, 2019; And be it further RESOLVED, That the dates and times of this approval can be adjusted at any time for any reason by the Superintendent and this approval is revocable at any time for any reason by the Superintendent of Public Works or his/her designee . Supt. Thorne explained that applicant Rusty Keeler sent an update for the days and times of the closure request for Madison Street, noting that the times he provided were 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and the days were Tuesday through Thursday. Commissioner McCormick stated he had helped Mr. Keeler collect signatures from residents of Titus Avenue and found that the majority was amenable to the recurring closure. Supt. Thorne noted that neither the Fire Chief nor the Police Chief had responded to the request for input yet. He further indicated that it would be good to know if residents of Madison Street knew about the proposal. Pamela Lane, 116 South Street, explained that she had spoken to her neighbors, and was concerned that she was just learning about the proposal now. Her questions included: are kids going to be dropped off and left to play, and wa s the closure for a block party? She stated that the traffic patterns had changed a lot in the past few years, especially since Spencer Road changes took place, and people drove very fast going through the Titus Avenue area, which Board of Public Works Page 4 May 21, 2019 Regular Meeting created safety concerns. She also indicated that local business owners were not told about the proposal. Discussion followed on the floor regarding obtaining additional input from the residents in t he affected neighborhoods and providing the correct days and times the street blocks would be closed each week. Motion to Table By Commissioner Morache: Seconded by Commissioner Jenkins RESOLVED, That the Board table discussion of this item until the June Board of Public Works meeting. Carried Unanimously Request for Extended Vending Hours on the Commons Supt. Thorne explained the request, noting that last year’s pilot program was popular and went very well. He noted that the Downtown Ithaca Alliance liked having Adam’s Grill on the Commons until 2 a.m. because it spread the bar crowd out. Mayor Myrick said that anything that allowed for more commerce at that hour, but to also disperse the crowds after the bars closed was a good thing. Resolution By Commissioner Blalock: Seconded by Commissioner Morache RESOLVED, That Adam’s Grill is hereby authorized to have extended vending hours until 2:00 a.m. on the Commons for the duration of the 2019 Mobile Vending Permit. Carried Unanimously Request to Dedicate Land at the Southerly End of Cherry Street as a Public Street – Resolution By Commissioner Jenkins: Seconded by Commissioner Morache WHEREAS, City Code, Section 290-27 authorizes the Board of Public Works to dedicate an area of improved land to the City for dedication as a public street; and WHEREAS, in the process of conveying a parcel of land at 247 Cherry Street it was discovered that the publicly dedicated portion of Cherry Street does not extend to the full length of the improved roadway, leaving the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency with a 79’ by 66’ area of land that has been improved with pavement, curbs and underground utilities, but has not been accepted as a public street, and WHEREAS, the legal description for the publicly dedicated Cherry Stre et terminates 79-feet before the end of the developed portion of the Cherry Street Industrial Park, and WHEREAS, lack of contiguous street access will impede appropriate development of the Cherry Street Industrial Park expansion area, and WHEREAS, the public, industrial park tenants, and zoning officials have treated this IURA - owned segment of the roadway as a public street for many years, and WHEREAS, the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency offers to convey this 5,215 square foot area of land to the City for dedication as a public street at no cost to the City, thereby extending the publicly dedicated Cherry Street by a length of 79 feet, now, therefore be it RESOLVED, That pursuant to Section 290-27 of the City Code, the City of Ithaca Board of Public Works hereby approves the request from the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency to accept and dedicate land as a public street to extend the length of Cherry Street by 79 feet as shown on a survey map entitled “Parcel to be Conveyed by Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency to City o f Ithaca Located at South End of Cherry Street”, prepared by T.G. Miller P.C., dated 4/11/19, and be it further, RESOLVED, That the Superintendent of Public Works is hereby authorized to execute any and all documents to implement this resolution, including but not limited to a deed to convey property from the IURA to the City of Ithaca. Board of Public Works Page 5 May 21, 2019 Regular Meeting Nels Bohn, Executive Director of IURA, joined the Board for the discussion of this topic. Dir. of Eng. Logue asked about the scheduled timeline to finish building the roadway because special language needed to be incorporated in order to add the road to the street inventory. Mr. Bohn explained that the existing road did not go quite to the property line of the adjacent property; the construction of the initial road was stopped for an unknown reason. If a developer was found for adjacent property, IURA would arrange for the road to be completed. A Vote on the Resolution Resulted as Follows: Carried Unanimously CREEKS, BRIDGES, AND PARKS: Approval of the Ithaca Reggae Festival Request to Re-Route Cayuga Waterfront Trail through Stewart Park and Close the Road within Stewart Park – Resolution By Commissioner Morache: Seconded by Commissioner McCormick WHEREAS, the Ithaca Reggae Festival will be held in the west end of S tewart Park on June 29, 2019, with proceeds going to local non-profit organizations to benefit Cayuga Lake, and WHEREAS, event organizers have requested to close the road within Stewart Park west of the tennis courts in order to fence off the festival area, and WHEREAS, the Special Event Committee recommends that the Cayuga Waterfront Trail remain open during the event, which will require the trail to be re-routed around the fenced area, and WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works discussed the request to clo se the road and re-route the trail within Stewart Park on May 21, 2019, now therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works hereby approves the closure of the Stewart Park access road west of the tennis courts, contingent upon the Cascadilla Boat house and Paddles- N-More concessions sites remaining accessible to members and customers, and be it further RESOLVED, That the organizers will work with the Director of Engineering Services to create a detailed detour plan to re-route the Cayuga Waterfront Trail through Stewart Park for the Ithaca Reggae Festival on June 29, 2019. Carried Unanimously WATER AND SEWER: Appeal of Water Bill for 112 West Jay Street – Resolution By Commissioner Morache: Seconded by Commissioner Jenkins WHEREAS, the owner of the property at 112 West Jay Street has appealed the water bills for this location going back to 2014, stating that she rarely, if ever, used the amount of water she was billed each quarter, and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca charges a minimum of 12 units for residential properties to cover the costs of maintaining the water distribution system and to provide adequate fire -fighting water pressure and flow at each property in the City, and WHEREAS, it is standard practice for municipalities and water providers to charge minimum fees to cover maintenance and operational costs of water distribution systems regardless of the amount of water used, now therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works has reviewed the request for relief from the water bills for the property at 112 West Jay Street since 2014, and hereby denies the appeal. Carried Unanimously NEW BUSINESS: Request to Install a TCAT Shelter on State Street at Meadow Street TCAT representative Megan Pulver joined the Board for the discussion of this topic. Mayor Myrick asked the Board if the City could do more with th is corner as it looked a bit drab. He asked staff if they had concerns about the proposed location of the shelter. Supt. Thorne responded that the location made sense as he sees people standing at the location all the time. Board of Public Works Page 6 May 21, 2019 Regular Meeting Ms. Pulver explained the request and the size of the shelter, noting they had not spoken with neighboring businesses yet as they wanted the Board’s approval first. Discussion followed on the floor regarding the need to speak to the owner of the gas station about improving the aesthetics of that corner. The Board generally agreed to approve the request; a resolution would be presented for the June meeting. ADJOURNMENT: On a motion, the meeting adjourned at 7:18 p.m. Kathrin D. Servoss Svante L. Myrick Executive Assistant Mayor