HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CCCOW-2022-06-06COMMON COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK
Committee of the Whole Meeting 6:00 p.m. June 6, 2022
PRESENT: Acting Mayor Lewis Alderpersons (9) Brock, McGonigal, Nguyen, Brown, Gearhart, Barken, Mehler,
DeFendini, Cantelmo
OTHERS PRESENT: City Clerk – Conley Holcomb City Attorney – Lavine
City Controller – Thayer
Chief of Staff – Vavra Police Chief – Joly Human Resources Director – Michell-Nunn
SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS: Motion to Enter into Executive to Discuss Collective Bargaining Negotiations By Alderperson Lewis: Seconded by Alderperson Mehler RESOLVED, That Common Council enter into Executive Session to discuss collective
bargaining negotiations. Carried Unanimously Reconvene: Common Council reconvened into Regular Session with no formal action taken.
1.1 Continuation of Discussion and Possible Action on a Local Law to Create of a Commissioner of Community Safety Position Alderperson Mehler stated that he motioned to come out of Executive Session to
discuss the following issues:
Civil Service implications Deputy City Manager / Deputy Chief of Staff
Authority travels formally and informally throughout the City City Attorney Lavine explained that establishing a Commissioner of Community Safety who would have authority over items like the budget….get from video….point
factor….Chief of Police would no longer be a Department Head and could effectively
reduce the salary of the position of Police Chief.
Michell-Nunn explained that Point Factoring is Education Type of supervision
Communications
Impact on community Budget Each factor is weighted. If the scope of responsibility were to change, it would change
the point factoring of the police chief position.
Deputy City Manager – Deputy Chief of Staff – Lavine – if one of these positions were to oversee the Police Department
How authority …The Chief of Staff obtains their authority upon the delegation of the
Mayor. The Mayor could delegate these duties to the Chief of Staff and they could delegate the duties to a Deputy Chief of Staff. The City Manager, if approved by referendum, could delegate those duties to a Deputy. If the direct authority of the Police Chief within the Police Department, there would be no impact on the point factoring
system. As proposed, the Commissioner would be the Department Head.
If the police chief retains authority over budget, hiring, firing, but reports to a Deputy City Manager – there would be no implications to the police chief position.
Lavine – the Mayor already has authority over the departments of the City, including the
police department, through the Department Heads, but no position currently in the Mayor’s Office directly oversees the police department. Mehler – how authority is delegated throughout the City.
Nguyen – looking for the best path forward to make progress tonight. McGonigal – if a new Department is created with a Commissioner in charge, and a Director of Police and a Director of Community Solutions (check title), it could lower the
salary of the Chief of Police and likewise, the positions below the Chief. If the City goes
with a City Manager position, why wouldn’t they oversee all departments including the police department – trying to avoid a top heavy government. Lewis – the City Manager would have responsible for all departments – a large,
complex organization, so she is interested in a position that would have a focus on
Community Safety. Michell-Nunn – have to go back to where this all came from and what the intentions where. The work the City said was needed moving forward will need a dedicated
resource, to move this initiative forward.
Cantelmo – if the vote is not going to move forward this year, he would support the creation of a Deputy Position for either the Chief of Staff or City Manager. Can create a Deputy Chief of Staff position now and transition it later. Flexibility could be built in to
oversee fire safety as well. City Manager referendum won’t take effect until January
2024. If a local law subject to referendum were adopted later this summer, it would go on the 2023 General Election and take effect 2024. A Deputy Chief of Staff position could be created relatively easily without referendum issues.
DeFendini – compelling arguments have been made regarding needing a dedicated
resource to …..leaning toward Commission but they will need more support than just themselves, but will need a police accountability board…another opportunity for civilian engagement in the long term. Need this first step to be as strong and ….as possible.
Lewis – there is a Community Police Board that has some responsibility in reviewing
the actions of the police….get list of other steps that have been taken from video. DeFendini – administrative aspect police accountability board. Brown – needed to hear this conversation to help guide her thoughts – thanked Michell-
Nunn & DeFendini – dedicated focus on public safety….history of why we are doing this
is getting lost. What would be this person’s job description? Mehler – Commissioner/Deputy Chief of Staff/ Deputy City Manager – if the City Manager position passed – how long would it take to hire a City Manager – Deputy City
Manager?
How long would it take to hire a Deputy Chief of Staff? How long would it take to hire a Commissioner?
Michell – Nunn – Commissioner – have an executive search firm do this work – 6 months. City Manager / Deputy City Manager – at least 6 months for City Manager and then hire
the Deputy position.
Deputy Chief of Staff – 6 months. Brock – feeling impatient – wants to make deliberate progress – has structural concerns
about the Local Law that has been presented. Premature to consider this without
significant revisions. Need to have an individual that is solely focused on developing the ….get from video…addiction services, homelessness, LEAD program, outreach workers…could do this without having to restructure the managerial structure of the City. Could proceed with the a Deputy Chief of Staff right now…could create an ad-hoc
committee to develop the job description and budget request. This could be done for
2023 – the position could transition into a Deputy City Manager position in 2024.
McGonigal – thinks Brock makes sense. Knowing the Civil Service implications, more attracted to the Deputy positions because of salary compression issues.
Joly – recruitment of a new police chief and deputy police chiefs will be
important….supports leaving the department head responsibilities as they are. He currently is in touch with the Chief of Staff on a daily basis and meets with the Mayor every other week. The HR Director and City Attorney are involved in all of the hiring and disciplinary issues now.
Gearhart – the administrative authority is scheduled to transfer from the Mayor to the City Manager on January 1, 2024. The search and hiring of that position would happen prior to that. This was done because the former Mayor’s term was due to expire on 12/31/23.
Nguyen – ad-hoc committee of Community Safety. CA slated to accept the RPS report and start work on the Deputy Chief of Staff position relatively soon. Can place the item on the 2023 General Election ballot.
Michell-Nunn – there is a dilemma – don’t want to do anything to demote the police
chief and deputy chiefs. There will need to be modifications to the Managerial compensation plan. Respectfully cautioned – there are people in the community who want to see change – caution in terms of language (“don’t want to disrupt”, etc.)
Lewis – wants to move forward – wants to honor Executive Order 203 – Community
Justice Center – is focused on the collaborative recommendations that came out of the working group. One recommendation was to give the Community Police Board more authority.
Brown – goal was to reimagine public safety – Council needs to continue to reimagine
until everyone feels safe in the community. Lewis – CA Committee will take up a few items from tonight’s meeting.
Motion to Enter into Executive to Discuss a Personnel Issue By Alderperson Cantelmo: Seconded by Alderperson Mehler RESOLVED, That Common Council enter into Executive Session to discuss a personnel issue.
Carried Unanimously Reconvene: Common Council reconvened into Regular Session with no formal action taken.
Acting Mayor Lewis announced that absent a State of Emergency, the next meeting of
Common Council will be an in-person meeting in Common Council Chambers, 3rd Floor, City Hall.
ADJOURNMENT: On a motion the meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m.
______________________________ _______________________________ Julie Conley Holcomb, CMC Laura Lewis City Clerk Acting Mayor