Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CA-2019-04-17CITY ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 6:00 p.m. April 17, 2019 PRESENT: Alderperson Mohlenhoff – Chair Alderpersons (3): Gearhart, McGonigal, Nguyen EXCUSED: Alderpersons (1): Kerslick OTHERS PRESENT: Superintendent of Public Works – Thorne Transportation Engineer – Hathaway Chief of Staff – Cogan Controller – Thayer 1. Call to Order 1.1 Agenda Review. None. 1.2 Review/Approval of Minutes: Alderperson Gearhart made a motion to approve the minutes from the March 20, 2019 meeting of the City Administration Committee. Seconded by Alderperson McGonigal. Motion carried unanimously. 1.3 Statements from the Public. None. 1.4 Statements from Employees. None. 1.5 Council Response. None. 2. Consent Agenda Items 2.1 Finance – Chamberlain – Request to Waive Penalty on Taxes Moved by Alderperson Nguyen. Seconded by Alderperson Gearhart. WHEREAS, the owner of property at 208 Kline Rd, tax map #6.-1-2.1 presented check #1569 in the amount of $4,529.28 on January 4, 2019, for payment of the County taxes on the property; and WHEREAS, the check was $20.00 short of the $4,549.28 payment in full as is required; and WHEREAS, the City Chamberlain’s Office attempted to call the writer of the check by using the telephone number on the check to inform him of the discrepancy; and WHEREAS, the noted telephone number was not a working number; and WHEREAS, the City Chamberlain therefore returned check #1569 on January 4, 2019, informing the owner that it was short and requesting submission of the correct amount; and City Administration Committee Meeting April 17, 2019 Page 2 WHEREAS, upon receiving a notice of unpaid taxes in March 2019, the owner called to dispute the return of the original check and the accrued late penalties and fees but ultimately sent a second check on March 26, 2019 in the amount of $4,642.27 which included late penalties and notice fees due at that time; and WHEREAS, this second check including March 2019, penalties and fees, has been received and posted by the Chamberlain’s Office; and WHEREAS, the owner has requested the late penalties and fees be refunded, even though he admits he shorted payment in January; and WHEREAS, refunding the late penalties needs committee approval; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the request to waive and refund penalty and fees on the 2019 Tompkins County Taxes for 208 Kline Rd, in the amount of $92.99, be hereby approved. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 2.2 YB – Amendment to 2019 Budget Moved by Alderperson Nguyen. Seconded by Alderperson Gearhart. WHEREAS, The Ithaca Youth Bureau applied for and received a Tompkins County Tourism Grant for Ithaca Bike Rental (IBR); and WHEREAS, the money will be used to purchase adaptive bikes for use by community members and visitors and a storage unit for the bikes; and WHEREAS, IBR has grown into a very successful program that provides summer youth employment to local teens, bikes to community programs, and rentals to visitors and community members to explore, enjoy and experience the Water Front and Black Diamond Trails; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Ithaca Youth Bureau 2019 budget be amended as follows: Increase Expenses: A7310-5460-01203 Program Supply $10,475 Increase Revenues: A7310-2070-01203 Donations $10,475 A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3. Finance, Budget and Appropriations City Administration Committee Meeting April 17, 2019 Page 3 3.1 DPW – Amendment to Budget for Internship This item was withdrawn from the agenda after Superintendent Thorne explained that funding was found within the current budget. 3.2 DPW - Amendment of Capital Project #839 for Dryden Road Parking Garage Moved by Alderperson Nguyen. Seconded by Alderperson Gearhart. WHEREAS, Capital Project #839 was established in 2017 at $51,000 for a Condition Assessment of the Dryden Road Parking Garage, and the report identified and prioritized capital repairs over a 5-year timeframe; and WHEREAS, Common Council amended CP #839 by adding $375,000 to fund engineering and construction of several high-priority safety issues requiring immediate attention, including staircase, fire suppression standpipes, barrier strand cables; and WHEREAS, bids were opened on March 26, 2019 for this scope of work, and the low bidder was Crane Hogan at $483,840; and WHEREAS, Engineering staff is recommending award of the contract to Crane Hogan, conditioned on additional budget and completion of the full scope of work, plus an allowance for construction inspection and material testing and a contingency; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That Common Council hereby amends Capital Project #839 by $200,000 for the repair of structural and safety issues at the Dryden Road Parking Garage, bringing the total authorization to $626,000; and, be it further RESOLVED, That funds needed for said amendment shall be derived from issuance of Serial Bonds. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3.3 DPW – Exchange of Property with State of New York Moved by Alderperson Gearhart. Seconded by Alderperson Nguyen. WHEREAS, upon staff recommendation, the City of Ithaca Board of Public Works recommended an exchange of right of ways between the State of New York and the City of Ithaca; and WHEREAS, the right of way segments under consideration are: - The City of Ithaca owned portion of Route 13, also known as Elmira Road, from the south City line to a point approximately 0.85 miles to the north, and - The New York State owned portions of Route 79 in the central business district, including Green Street, Seneca Street and Seneca Way, from and including the Tuning Fork intersection (State/Green/Seneca Way) to Route 13 southbound (Fulton Street); and City Administration Committee Meeting April 17, 2019 Page 4 WHEREAS, Common Council understands that there is a DOT Administrative Procedure that will evaluate the proposed exchange and will ultimately require formal action from Common Council and the NYS Legislature to effect the exchange; and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca would expect to modify the existing Arterial Maintenance agreement between the City and the State to include state owned roads segments after the exchange; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Common Council of the City of Ithaca hereby endorses the exchange of right of ways, including the rights and responsibilities thereto, with the New York State Department of Transportation for the abovementioned roadways; and be it further RESOLVED, That the Common Council of the City of Ithaca does hereby request the New York State Department of Transportation to undertake the assessment for a jurisdictional realignment in accordance with the NYSDOT Manual of Administrative Procedures for - the City of Ithaca owned portion of Route 13, also known as Elmira Road, from the south City line to a point approximately 0.85 miles to the north, and - the New York State owned portions of Route 79 in the central business district, including Green Street, Seneca Street and Seneca Way, from and including the Tuning Fork intersection (State/Green/Seneca Way) to Route 13 southbound (Fulton Street); and be it further RESOLVED, That Common Council authorizes the Superintendent of Public Works to pursue said exchange with the State of New York and return with a final proposal from NYSDOT for local approval. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3.4 DPW – Establishment of Capital Project for Traffic Signal and Operations Improvements Moved by Alderperson McGonigal. Seconded by Alderperson Nguyen. WHEREAS, the City Engineering Department has identified grant funds available through Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which would improve traffic signal operations through the use of advanced detection equipment and crowd-sourced travel information; and WHEREAS, the City will submit a $700,000 grant application for said project, which would require a 20% city match, estimated at $150,000; and WHEREAS, the majority of the City of Ithaca’s traffic signals are not able to respond to traffic demand from any users; and WHEREAS, this operation leads to inefficiencies and frustration; and City Administration Committee Meeting April 17, 2019 Page 5 WHEREAS, advanced signal detection equipment can improve traffic safety by better reacting to all modes of traffic; and WHEREAS, along with already funded communications improvements, this technology would improve response time to traffic signal malfunctions; and WHEREAS, crowd-sourced traffic data would greatly improve the quality and quantity of data that the City is able to use in prioritizing transportation infrastructure; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That Common Council hereby establishes Capital Project #867 Traffic Signal and Operations Improvement in the amount of $700,000, for the Federal Highway Administration’s “Accelerating Innovations Demonstration” grant to equip 30 traffic signals with advanced detection equipment and purchase one year of crowd-sourced traffic data; and be it further RESOLVED, That this project be undertaken with the understanding that the final cost of the project to the City will be 20% of the total project costs, currently estimated at $150,000; and be it further RESOLVED, That funds needed for said project shall be derived from the issuance of serial bonds; and be it further RESOLVED, That said project funding shall be contingent on the approval of the FHWA grant. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3.5 Youth Bureau – Authorization to Apply for New York State Consolidated Funding Application Grant for Cass Park Rink Enclosure Project Moved by Alderperson Nguyen. Seconded by Alderperson McGonigal. WHEREAS, the Ithaca Youth Bureau would like to apply for the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) Grant Program for Parks, Preservation and Heritage, Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) 2019, for the Cass Park Rink Enclosure Project on behalf of the City of Ithaca; and WHEREAS, The Cass Park Rink serves as the hub of all Cass Park facilities and programs, serves thousands of Ithaca area residents on a round basis, and is widely recognized as a valuable public asset; and WHEREAS, the City has completed a series of Rink improvements as recommended in structural and operational reports to complete Phase 1 and Phase 2; Year 1 of the planned 3 Phase renovation project; and WHEREAS, The Friends of the Ithaca Youth Bureau (FOIYB) has been actively fundraising in the community; and City Administration Committee Meeting April 17, 2019 Page 6 WHEREAS the grant funds would enable the City to move forward with the help of FOIYB to complete Phase 2; Year 2 of the project which will enclose Cass Park Rink as recommended for optimal operations; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Director of the City of Ithaca Youth Bureau, is hereby authorized to file an application for funds in an amount not to exceed $500,000 for the Cass Park Rink Enclosure Project from the New York State CFA and, upon approval of said request, to enter into and execute a project agreement with the State for such financial assistance to the City of Ithaca for the Cass Park Rink Project; and, be it further RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca is authorized and directed to agree to the terms and conditions of the Master Contract with OPRHP for such Cass Park Rink Enclosure Project. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3.6 Access Oversight Committee (AOC) Recommendations for 2020 Budget Moved by Alderperson Gearhart. Seconded by Alderperson Nguyen. WHEREAS, Section 15.12 of the Franchise Agreement of January 2003 between the City of Ithaca and the franchisee Time Warner Entertainment-Advance/Newhouse Partnership (TWC), subsequently assigned to Charter Communications, Inc. (d/b/a Spectrum Networks) after Charter's 2016 acquisition of TWC, requires the participating municipalities (City of Ithaca, Town of Ithaca, Village of Cayuga Heights) to provide the franchisee with an annual written budget for Public, Educational and Governmental access operations (PEG) by June 30 of each calendar year; and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca's Ordinance #2003-17, Par 18-4-G, requires the Access Oversight Committee (AOC) to provide the Participating Municipalities with a recommended annual budget by May 31 of each calendar year; and WHEREAS, in 2017 it was resolved not to use the 2018 Budget funds but have them become part of the 2019 Budget; and WHEREAS, in 2018 it was resolved not to use the 2019 Budget funds but have them become part of the 2020 Budget except for a contingency of $5,000.00; and WHEREAS, the AOC has reviewed PEG’s current equipment and anticipates that only a limited amount of new or replacement equipment will be needed; and WHEREAS, the AOC anticipates the replacement of computers and the current playback system in the next few years; and WHEREAS, such purchases would exceed the available funds of one budget year; and WHEREAS, at their regular meeting on April 2, 2019 the AOC recommended earmarking up to $10,000.00 as contingency to purchase equipment as needed for the functioning of PEG operations, City Administration Committee Meeting April 17, 2019 Page 7 and to let the remaining 2018, 2019 and 2020 Budget funds accumulate and become part of the 2021 Budget; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Common Council of the City of Ithaca accepts the AOC recommended budget for Spectrum TV’s 2020 annual budget for Public, Educational and Governmental access operations. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 4. City Administration, Human Resources, and Policy 4.1 YB - Amendment to Revocable License for Use of City Real Property between Ithaca Babe Ruth and the City of Ithaca Moved by Alderperson McGonigal. Seconded by Alderperson Nguyen. WHEREAS, Ithaca Babe Ruth utilizes Union Field 8 at Cass Park to operate the Cal Ripken Youth Baseball program and currently licenses from the City certain storage spaces to support its public recreational activities in accordance with a revocable license agreement approved by Common Council on June 1, 2016; and WHEREAS, the current shed at Union Field 8 provided by Babe Ruth is old, has sustained damage over the years, and is no longer weather or rodent proof; and WHEREAS, the existence of this shed assists Ithaca Babe Ruth in offering quality affordable youth baseball opportunities to local youth; and WHEREAS, Ithaca Babe Ruth is currently in an Agreement/Revocable License for Use of City Real Property that will be adjusted for the additional 36 square feet of shed space; and WHEREAS, Ithaca Babe Ruth will provide a new 12' x 12' shed and remove the existing 9' x 12' shed at their own expense; and WHEREAS, the Ithaca Youth Bureau, the Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Commission, and the Board of Public Works are supportive of this proposal, and the Superintendent of Public Works does not anticipate any conflicts in the near future with public works uses or needs; and WHEREAS, City Code Chapter 170 “Use of City Real Property” vests in the Common Council sole authority to grant approval of any license to make non-transitory use of City parkland; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That Common Council finds that Ithaca Babe Ruth’s proposal to replace the existing shed continues to support the broader public recreational activities in Cass Park provided by Babe Ruth under the above-referenced Agreement/Revocable License for Use of City Real Property; and City Administration Committee Meeting April 17, 2019 Page 8 RESOLVED, That Common Council hereby authorizes the Mayor, upon the advice of the City Attorney, to amend the license agreement to permit replacement of the existing 9' x 12' shed with a 12' x 12' shed in the existing location at Union Field 8, including installation and maintenance thereof. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 4.2 DPW - Request to Amend Roster Moved by Alderperson Nguyen. Seconded by Alderperson Gearhart. WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca Sidewalk Program’s 2019 Work Plan and Budget was passed by Common Council on November 7, 2018; and WHEREAS, the Sidewalk Program Manager needs assistance for construction inspection duties, preparing engineering estimates, and preparing engineered drawings; and WHEREAS, the cost analysis for extending an annual seasonal position to a full-time permanent position is marginal, and is a significant savings against hiring a consultant; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Personnel Roster of the Engineering Division of the Department of Public Works be amended as follows: Add: One (1) Engineering Technician (40 hours) and be it further RESOLVED, That the above changes shall be funded from Account S5410—Sidewalk Assessment District. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 5. Discussion 5.1 Shopping Carts The Committee discussed and suggested changes to the Shopping Cart Ordinance Project Plan from the Community Life Commission. The plan will be updated and sent to Common Council for review and approval. 6. Budget 6.1 Dates and Special Topics City Administration Committee Meeting April 17, 2019 Page 9 Dates and times for the budget hearings and special meetings were sent to Common Council and staff. Chief of Staff Cogan asked the Committee to hold the fourth Wednesday of each month in June, August and September for special topics. Upcoming agenda items:  Guidelines & Requirements for Towing Companies legislation  Flag Flying Policy  Odd/Even Parking Hours legislation  Community Police Board legislation – changing the frequency of the meetings  Energy Committee – remove in the Code  Salaries for the Mayor and Common Council – Alderperson McGonigal will schedule a meeting with Alderperson Nguyen and Chief of Staff Cogan to discuss this topic 7. Meeting Wrap-up 7.1 Announcements. None. 7.2 Next Meeting Date: May 15, 2019 7.3 Review, Agenda Items for Next Meeting. None. 7.4 Adjourn: With no further business and on a motion by Alderperson Gearhart, the meeting was adjourned at 7:03 p.m.