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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CA-2023-09-27 CITY ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 6:00 p.m. September 27, 2023 PRESENT: Alderperson Cantelmo – Chair Alderpersons (3): Defendini, Haines-Sharp, McGonigal EXCUSED: Alderpersons (1): Fleming OTHERS PRESENT: Mayor – Lewis Superintendent of Public Works – Thorne Fire Chief – Covert Acting Police Chief – Schwartz Transportation Engineer – Cuddihy Assistant City Attorney – Kessler HR Director – Michell-Nunn Controller – Thayer Deputy Controller – Andrew 1.Call to Order 1.1 Agenda Review: Alderperson Haines-Sharp requested that item 3.2 – IFD Fire Marshall Resolution be removed from Consent Agenda and be added as item 4.2. 1.2 Review/Approval of Minutes: Alderperson Defendini made a motion to approve the minutes from the City Administration Committee meeting held on August 23, 2023. Seconded by Alderperson McGonigal. Motion carried unanimously. 2.Petitions and Hearings of Persons Before Council 2.1 Statements from the Public City resident Armin Heurich and FLIC Executive Director Jan Lynch spoke about snow free crosswalks and sidewalks. 2.2 Council Response. None. 3.Consent Agenda 3.1 Amend GIAC Personnel Roster Moved by Alderperson Haines-Sharp. Seconded by Alderperson Defendini. WHEREAS, GIAC has one funded 35-hour roster Executive Assistant position, and City Administration Committee Meeting September 27, 2023 Page 2 WHEREAS, as part of the personnel reductions during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, GIAC Administration reduced the hours of this position to 35 hours per week, and WHEREAS, this position not only supports the work of the GIAC Director but also the Deputy GIAC Directors and indeed the entire agency, and WHEREAS, restoring this position to 40 hours a week is crucial to the workload for this position as we often have to cover overtime hours for it now, and WHEREAS, GIAC’s 2023 budget as approved has funding to support these additional hours, and WHEREAS, no additional funds are being requested for this position, now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Personnel Roster of GIAC shall be amended as follows: Increase – one (1) GIAC Executive Assistant Position from 35 hours to 40 hours a week And be it further, RESOLVED, that said roster amendment will be made within the existing funds of the 2023 authorized GIAC budget. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3.2 Amendment to Personnel Roster – Ithaca Police Department Moved by Alderperson Haines-Sharp. Seconded by Alderperson Defendini. WHEREAS, the Ithaca Police Department does not have a Crime Analyst, and WHEREAS, currently police officers, investigators, and police supervisors are often tasked with trying to gather, interpret, analyze, then disseminate data for an investigation or the public, and WHEREAS, the aforementioned process significantly decreases the overall efficiency of the Ithaca Police Department, and WHEREAS, the nearest Crime Analyst Center is in Binghamton, and the analyst there are not able to continually provide data specific to the City of Ithaca, and WHEREAS, the Ithaca Police Department would like to use data, and better data when deciding on deployment of resources, and WHEREAS, the Ithaca Police Department values transparency and would like to have an increased ability to provide our community better information, data and statistics, City Administration Committee Meeting September 27, 2023 Page 3 WHEREAS, the 2023 Ithaca Police Department Budget includes funding for a Crime Analyst; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Personnel Roster of the Ithaca Police Department be amended as follows: Add: One (1) Crime Analyst (40 hours/week) and be it further RESOLVED, that the position of Crime Analyst shall be assigned to the CSEA Administrative Unit Compensation Plan at salary grade 12, and be it further RESOLVED, that for the sole purpose of determining days worked reportable to the New York State and Local Employees Retirement System the standard workday for this position shall be established at eight (8) hours per day (forty (40) hours per week), and be it further RESOLVED, that funding for this position shall be derived from the approved 2023 departmental budget. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 4. Administration, Human Resources, & Policy 4.1 Amendment to Personnel Roster IPD- Deputy Chief Moved by Alderperson Defendini. Seconded by Alderperson Haines-Sharp. WHEREAS, due to staffing availability at the leadership level in the Ithaca Police Department, and WHEREAS, it is desirable to have more stability by adding a new Deputy Police Chief to minimize the temporary restructuring, now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the personnel roster of the Ithaca Police Department be amended as follows: Fund: an additional Deputy Police Chief position and be it further RESOLVED, that once there is a Deputy Police Chief vacancy the personnel roster of the Ithaca Police Department shall be automatically reduced from three (3) Deputy Police Chiefs to two (2) Deputy Police Chiefs, and be it further RESOLVED, that the above change shall be funded from within the 2023 allocated budget of the Ithaca Police Department. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: City Administration Committee Meeting September 27, 2023 Page 4 Passed unanimously. 4.2 Amendment to Personnel Roster – Fire – Assistant Fire Chief Moved by Alderperson Defendini. Seconded by Alderperson McGonigal. WHEREAS, the Ithaca Fire Department currently has one Assistant Fire Chief who holds the title of Fire Marshall and handles all administrative functions and special acceptance testing in the Fire Prevention Bureau; and WHEREAS, the person who currently holds this position has indicated her intent to retire in the first quarter of 2024; and WHEREAS, the department and the community would benefit from onboarding a new Fire Marshall for transition training prior to the pending retirement; and WHEREAS, the department has funded but unfilled Firefighter positions; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the personnel roster of the Ithaca Fire Department be amended as follows, effective January 1, 2024: Add one (1) Assistant Fire Chief And be it further RESOLVED, that the seventh Assistant Fire Chief position will remain funded through the transition period, and be it further RESOLVED, that upon full completion of the transition and retirement of the current Fire Marshall, the seventh Assistant Fire Chief position shall be eliminated, and be it further RESOLVED, that the above changes be funded using funds in the 2024 IFD budget, derived from current vacant funded position in account A3410 5110 12100. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Yes (3): Cantelmo, Defendini, McGonigal No (0): Abstained (1): Haines-Sharp Motion passed 3-0-1. 4.3 Residential Parking Oak Avenue Moved by Alderperson Haines-Sharp. Seconded by Alderperson Defendini. WHEREAS, Chapter 260 of the Municipal Code of the City of Ithaca addresses the Residential Parking Permit System; and City Administration Committee Meeting September 27, 2023 Page 5 WHEREAS, Parking by residential parking is allowed only within the “residential parking permit zone” (excluding streets within Cornell campus), with the boundaries as defined in 260-2, “Residential Parking Permit Zone”; and WHEREAS, according to the Municipal Code section 260-3, the Board of Public Works designates the residential permit parking areas, and in the absence of BPW meetings, Engineering is bringing this issue to Common Council for discussion and resolution; and WHEREAS, The City of Ithaca is currently reconstructing the 400 block of Oak Ave., and the new street configuration creates seven new on-street parking spaces where there were none; and WHEREAS, The entirety of Oak Ave. is within the Residential Parking Permit Zone, and the 100-300 blocks of Oak Ave., as well as neighboring streets, are designated for residential permit parking, and the City wishes to match the existing regulations on Oak Ave. for the newly created parking spaces on the 400 block of Oak Ave.; then be it RESOLVED, that Common Council hereby agrees that the City of Ithaca may designate the 400 block of Oak Ave. as a Residential Parking Permit block. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 4.4 Authorize Execution of Easement Relating to Hydropower Penstock Infrastructure Located Beneath Fall Creek Drive and Thurston Avenue Moved by Alderperson Defendini. Seconded by Alderperson Haines-Sharp. WHEREAS, on March 28, 1903, the City of Ithaca acquired certain land for the purposes of constructing and maintaining public streets, including the land on which the present-day Fall Creek Drive is located, and the City further holds a right-of-way over certain land on which Thurston Avenue is located (collectively, the “Property”), and WHEREAS, at the time of the City’s acquisition of the Property, certain infrastructure relating to the operation of the hydroelectric power facility located in Fall Creek gorge (“Penstock”) was already present beneath the Property, and WHEREAS, the Penstock is owned and maintained by Cornell University, and WHEREAS, the Common Council of the City of Ithaca wishes to formalize the existing arrangement regarding the Penstock and the Property between the City and Cornell University and to clarify its terms through a written easement agreement; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Mayor, in consultation with the City Attorney, is hereby authorized to execute an easement in a form substantially similar to that attached hereto and any such further documents as may be necessary to effectuate the transfer of the easement. City Administration Committee Meeting September 27, 2023 Page 6 A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 5. Finance, Budget, & Appropriations 5.1 A Local Law to Override the Tax Levy Limit Established in General Municipal Law Moved by Alderperson McGonigal. Seconded by Alderperson Haines-Sharp. Law Local Law No. 2023 -________ BE IT ENACTED by Common Council of the City of Ithaca as follows: Section 1. Legislative Intent It is the intent of this local law to allow the City of Ithaca to adopt a budget for the fiscal year commencing January 1, 2024, that requires a real property tax levy in excess of the “tax levy limit” as defined by General Municipal law §3-c. Section 2. Authority This local law is adopted pursuant to subdivision 5 of General Municipal Law §3-c, which expressly authorizes a local government’s governing body to override the property tax cap for the coming fiscal year by the adoption of a local law approved by a vote of sixty percent (60%) of said governing body. Section 3. Tax Levy Limit Override The Common Council of the City of Ithaca, County of Tompkins, New York, is hereby authorized to adopt a budget for the fiscal year commencing January 1, 2024, that requires a real property tax levy in excess of the amount otherwise prescribed in General Municipal Law §3-c. Section 4. Severability If a court of competent jurisdiction determines that any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, or part of this local law or application thereof to any person, firm or corporation, or circumstance is invalid or unconstitutional, the court’s order or judgement shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder of this local law, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, or part of this local law or in its application to the person, individual, firm or corporation or circumstance, directly involved in the controversy in which such judgement or order shall be rendered. Section 5. Effective Date This local law shall take effect immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 6. City Manager Transition. None. 7. Other Business City Administration Committee Meeting September 27, 2023 Page 7 7.1 Discussion on Sidewalk Snow Removal: Superintendent of Public Works Thorne gave a report on what the snow removal process is or has been with the City of Ithaca, on what is being done by other municipalities and made recommendations on what the City could do to clear and remove snow from sidewalks and crosswalks. 7.2 November & December meetings: Chairperson Cantelmo stated that the City Administration Committee meetings in November and December fall around the holidays. Unless notified otherwise, it was suggested that the meetings be held as follows: November meeting: November 29, 2023 December meeting: December 13, 2023 8. Meeting Wrap-up 8.1 Announcements. None. 8.2 Next Meeting Date: October 25, 2023. 8.3 Review, Agenda Items for Next Meeting. None. 8.4 Adjourn: With no further business and on a motion by Alderperson Defendini, the meeting was adjourned at 7:13 p.m.