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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CA-2021-11-17CITY ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 6:00 p.m. November 17, 2021 PRESENT: Alderperson Mohlenhoff – Chair Alderpersons (4): Gearhart, Kerslick, McGonigal, Nguyen Mayor (1): Myrick OTHERS PRESENT: Fire Chief – Parsons Transportation Engineer – Cuddihy Senior Planner – Kusznir Chief of Staff – Vavra City Attorney – Lavine Controller – Thayer Deputy Controller – Andrew 1. Call to Order 1.1 Agenda Review. None. 1.2 Review/Approval of Minutes: Alderperson Kerslick made a motion to approve the minutes from the October 27, 2021 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 Public Information and Technology - Amendment to Personnel Roster Moved by Alderperson Kerslick. Seconded by Alderperson Gearhart. WHEREAS, the Information Technology positions in the Department of Public Information and Technology were created in 2001 when the IT Department was initially created, and WHEREAS, the positions have been modified over the years to respond to new trends in technology and the City’s expanding needs, and WHEREAS, the level of flexibility and adaptability in departmental job descriptions needs to be adjusted to create a level of depth and redundancy in staff skill levels and responsibilities, and City Administration Committee Meeting November 17, 2021 Page 2 WHEREAS, the Information Systems Manager title eliminates a narrow, specialized job title and creates a broader job classification that encompasses a variety of advanced technical duties and responsibilities and allows for flexibility as needed in the future, and WHEREAS, the opportunity to move into the Information Systems Manager title was offered to both senior technical staff members of the Public Information and Technology Department in 2017, and now both employees have elected to do so; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Personnel Roster of the Department of Public Information and Technology be amended as follows: Add: One (1) Information Systems Manager Delete: One (1) Senior Network Administrator and, be it further RESOLVED, That the funding for this roster change shall be obtained from with the allocated departmental budget. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 2.2 Fire Department - Fee Increase Moved by Alderperson Kerslick. Seconded by Alderperson Gearhart. WHEREAS, section 181-9 F(1) of the Code of the City of Ithaca states the Fire Chief shall promulgate a fee schedule applicable to the permits authorized under such code; and WHEREAS, §181-9 F states that fees established in the fee schedule shall reasonably reflect the cost of receiving, investigating, processing, and issuing each of said permits; and WHEREAS, §181-9 F requires that any schedule and said changes proposed thereto shall be submitted to the Common Council for adoption prior to the collection of such fees; and WHEREAS, the permit fee schedule is based on the cost of labor, fringe benefit, and operational costs of performing the inspections and processing the permits; and WHEREAS, the fees were last adjusted and approved by Common Council on December 4, 2019, and the current fees do not reflect the actual costs of the service provided; and WHEREAS, the proposed fee schedule for 2022 increases the hourly rate for inspections and plan reviews, from $58.00 to $60.00 per hour, and from $87.00 to $90.00 per hour for work performed during non-business hours, which will result in such fees reflecting current costs; and City Administration Committee Meeting November 17, 2021 Page 3 WHEREAS, the prepared proposal includes additional permit fees for Outdoor Assembly Events and Commercial Outdoor Fire Places, which are permits required under 19 NYCRR 1225, The Fire Code of New York State; and WHEREAS, all current fire permit fees will remain unchanged in 2022; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, The Common Council of the City of Ithaca does hereby approve the proposed increase in permit fees as proposed, and, be it further RESOLVED, These changes shall be authorized upon adoption of this resolution by the Common Council, with an effective date of January 1, 2022. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 2.3 Finance – Approval of 2021-2022 Civil Service Agreement with the Ithaca City School District Moved by Alderperson Kerslick. Seconded by Alderperson Gearhart. RESOLVED, That the Mayor and City Controller be authorized and directed to execute an agreement between the City of Ithaca and Ithaca City School District for performance by the City for services in connection with Civil Service matters for the period July 1, 2021, to June 20, 2022, in an amount of $65,332 payable to the City of Ithaca on or before December 1, 2021. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 2.4 Finance – Authorization to Cover Red Accounts Moved by Alderperson Kerslick. Seconded by Alderperson Gearhart. RESOLVED, That the City Controller be empowered to make transfers within the 2021 budget appropriations, as needed, for the remainder of the 2021 Fiscal Year. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3. Action Items 3.1 Request to Establish a Capital Project to Fund Study and Design for Traffic Improvements to Allow for the City to Safely Continue to Allow the Seasonal Aurora Streatery Moved by Alderperson Gearhart. Seconded by Alderperson Nguyen. WHEREAS, in 2020, many restaurants were forced to close for an extended period due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and WHEREAS, once restaurants were permitted to reopen, NYS Guidelines required them to significantly limit their dining capacity, and City Administration Committee Meeting November 17, 2021 Page 4 WHEREAS, in May of 2020, the City was approached by a group of restaurant owners on Aurora Street that requested that the City consider closing the 100 block of North Aurora Street to allow for expanded outdoor dining areas that would offset the reduced capacity requirements, and WHEREAS, the City responded by temporarily closing the 100 block of North Aurora Street to vehicular traffic to allow for the expansion of the outdoor dining area for the remainder of the 2020 outdooring dining season, and WHEREAS, this temporary pedestrian only block proved to be popular for the community, and response to the popularity of the Streatery, the City decided to extend the outdoor dining season an extra month and keep the street closed until the third week in November, and WHEREAS, given the ongoing pandemic and ongoing discomfort by many to dine inside of restaurants, the City decided to continue the Streatery for 2021, and WHEREAS, in 2021 the Streatery was once again widely used by the community and pedestrian counts were approximately 200,000 a month, and WHEREAS, the Streatery was established in response to the Pandemic and was only meant to be a temporary means of alleviating some of the impacts of the pandemic and the increased requirements, and WHEREAS, before the City can consider whether to continue to have the Streatery on a more permanent seasonal basis, the City has to fully study the traffic, parking, loading, and safety impacts of closing the 100 block of North Aurora Street to vehicular traffic, and WHEREAS, staff has determined that in order to properly evaluate the impacts and design and implement traffic mitigations, an outside consultant will need to be hired, and now, therefore, be it, RESOLVED, That the Common Council does hereby authorize the establishment of Capital Project #889 in an amount not to exceed $120,000 to fund a study of potential seasonal closures of the 100 block of North Aurora Street to vehicular traffic, and the recommendation of traffic, parking, and loading mitigations, and be it further, RESOLVED, That the Common Council does hereby authorize the Mayor to enter into a contract with a consultant to complete this study, and be it further RESOLVED, That funds necessary to fund said study shall be derived from the issuance of Serial Bonds. After discussion, Alderperson Nguyen made a motion to table the resolution until next month to allow answers to be obtained on the questions raised. Seconded by Alderperson Gearhart. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: City Administration Committee Meeting November 17, 2021 Page 5 Yes (4): Gearhart, Kerslick, Mohlenhoff, Nguyen No (1): McGonigal Motioned passed 4-1. 3.2 Memorandum of Understandings for Outside Organizations Funded in 2022 Budget Moved by Alderperson McGonigal. Seconded by Alderperson Gearhart. WHEREAS, the Common Council has included funding within the 2022 budget funding for two new non-profits to which the City has not previously directed funding, and WHEREAS, the Common Council has additionally included 2022 funding for Southside Community Center (“SSCC”), which it has long funded, subject to execution of annual MOUs specifying the community services that Southside is required to deliver in exchange for the City’s funding, and WHEREAS, the Human Services Coalition (“HSC”) periodically conducts program reviews of various organizations funded by City and County funds; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That any funding that Council may budget for potential expenditure on services to be rendered by Black Hands Universal (“BHU”), Unbroken Promises Initiative (“UPI”), and SSCC is placed in restricted contingency until such time as the Common Council has reviewed and approved the program review and MOUs required by the following provisions of this resolution, and thereafter released from restricted contingency such funding as the Common Council may determine; and be it further RESOLVED, That the City shall request that the HSC conduct, in the same manner as HSC has for many other organizations receiving City or County funding, a program review of BHU, UPI, and SSCC and provide the same to the Common Council for review; and be it further RESOLVED, That, upon Council approval of the program reviews, the Attorney’s Office shall prepare for Council approval, separate MOUs for SSCC, BHU, and UPI: • specifying the community services that each organization is required to deliver in exchange for the City’s funding; and • requiring each organization to prepare and, no later than September 1, 2022, file with the City Controller for usage in the 2023 budget process, a report detailing the manner in which City funds were expended by that organization in 2022, how many people were served by that organization and in what manner; and • requiring each organization to agree to collaborate with and amongst SSCC, BHU, UPI, GIAC, and IYB to the maximum extent possible to ensure that services reach a broad population, avoid redundancy, and assist each other in becoming more efficient at serving their overlapping goals. After discussion, Alderperson McGonigal made a motion to table this resolution until answers could be obtained for questions raised regarding the abilities of the Human Services Coalition. Seconded by Alderperson Keslick. City Administration Committee Meeting November 17, 2021 Page 6 A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3.3 Wellness Incentive - Mayor Moved by Alderperson Kerslick. Seconded by Alderperson Nguyen. WHEREAS, in the face of the pandemic in 2020, the City changed health insurance options for the Mayor—in addition to Management and Confidential employees, among others—to establish the Platinum Plan as the standard health insurance available; and WHEREAS, in summer 2021 the CSEA Administrative Unit likewise agreed to a labor contract establishing the Platinum Plan as the standard health insurance option for its membership, and in support thereof the City agreed to provide all employees in that bargaining unit (and confidentials) who are enrolled in the Platinum Plan the opportunity to receive substantial financial incentives for successful participation in the Platinum Plan’s wellness program; and WHEREAS, on September 1, 2021, as updated on November 3, 2021, the Common Council adopted a resolution that implemented wellness program incentives for management (and likewise expanded 2021 payment eligibility for the same for confidentials), providing those employees who were • “enrolled in the Platinum Plan as of July 1, 2021 [with] applicable wellness amounts in 2021 prorated at 50% value without any need to satisfy wellness targets in 2021 (i.e., $1,000 for family plan participants, and $375 for individual plan participants), but in succeeding full years at 100% value subject to achieving applicable targets”; and • “enrolled in the Platinum Plan as of January 1, 2021, and remain employed by the City as of November 3, 2021, shall receive applicable wellness amounts in 2021 at 100% value without any need to satisfy wellness targets in 2021 (i.e., $2,000 for family plan participants, and $750 for individual plan participants), and in succeeding full years at 100% value subject to achieving applicable target”; and WHEREAS, those prior resolutions were premised upon the belief that “Management should receive not only the burden of organization-wide shifts in the City’s labor contracts, but also the benefits”; and WHEREAS, Mayor’s role as a working chief executive officer of the organization justifies providing the Mayor with benefits equivalent to those provided to management employed by the City; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, The Mayor, if enrolled in the Platinum Plan, shall be eligible for the wellness incentive on the same terms as Management; and be it further RESOLVED, That in light of the inability to administer Wellness testing in the short remainder of 2021, the Mayor, if enrolled in the Platinum Plan as of January 1, 2021, shall receive applicable wellness amounts in 2021 on the same terms as did Management, namely, at 100% value without any need to satisfy wellness targets in 2021 (i.e., $2,000 for family plan participants, and $750 for individual plan participants), and in succeeding full years at 100% value subject to achieving applicable targets as provided in the “Fringe Benefits for Managerial Personnel” policy and associated implementation of the Wellness Program; and be it further City Administration Committee Meeting November 17, 2021 Page 7 RESOLVED, That this resolution shall cease to apply to the position of Mayor at such time, if any, as the City shifts to a Council-Manager form of government. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3.4 Amendment to Chapter 107 of the City Code, Council and Mayor Salaries Moved by Alderperson Nguyen. Seconded by Alderperson Kerslick. Local Law No. ____-2022 A local law entitled “Amendments to Chapter 107 of the City Code” WHEREAS, the annual salaries of the members of the Common Council and the Mayor were last adjusted effective January 2016; and WHEREAS, at that time those salaries were adjusted to their current levels of $10,141 and $58,561, respectively; and WHEREAS, the Common Council approved a 2022 budget that funds these salaries in 2022 at the levels of $13,141 per member and $61,489, respectively; and WHEREAS, the Common Council seeks to amend Chapter 107 of the City Code in order to effectuate these amended salaries as funded by the approved budget; now therefore, BE IT ENACTED by the Common Council of the City of Ithaca as follows: Section 1. Legislative Findings, Intent, and Purpose. It is the intent of this local law to amend Chapter 107 of the City Code in order to effectuate the revised 2022 salaries of Council members and the Mayor as funded in the 2022 approved budget, with said salary to be effective as of January 1, 2022. The Common Council makes the following findings of fact: A. The members of the Common Council and the Mayor expend substantial efforts and devote large amounts of time to their duties, and B. The annual salaries of the members of the Common Council and the Mayor were last adjusted nearly six years ago, and there has been some inflation in the intervening years. Section 2. Code Amendments. City Administration Committee Meeting November 17, 2021 Page 8 Section 107-1 of the City Code is hereby amended as follows: The annual salary of the Mayor shall be the sum of [$58,561] $61,489. Section 107-2 of the City Code is hereby amended as follows: The annual salary of the Council members shall be the sum of [$10,141] $13,141. 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 Date. Upon filing in the office of the Secretary of State, this Local Law shall take effect retroactive to January 1, 2022. This Local Law is subject to referendum on petition pursuant to Municipal Home Rule Law Section 24. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 4. Discussion. None. 5. Meeting Wrap-up 5.1 Announcements. None. 5.2 Next Meeting Date: December 15, 2021. 5.3 Review, Agenda Items for Next Meeting. None. 5.4 Adjourn: With no further business and on a motion by Alderperson Kerslick, the meeting was adjourned at 7:26 p.m.