HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-SPCC-2023-10-11SPECIAL COMMON COUNCIL Voting Record
Date: Wednesday, October 11th 2023
Location: City Hall, 108 E. Green Street 3rd Floor, Council Chambers
Meeting Called to order: 6:02 P.M.
Meeting Adjourned: 7:16 P.M.
YouTube Link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0at5yy4pDtE&list=PLfplo_VA57eoynrqxkGvi11vxHlwByjZw
&index=2
Attendance Record of Voting Members
Name Present (In
Person)
Remote Absent /
Excused
Mayor – Laura Lewis X
1st Ward – Cynthia Brock X
1st Ward – George McGonigal X
2nd Ward – Phoebe Brown X
2nd Ward - Ducson Nguyen X
3rd Ward- Donna Fleming X
3rd Ward – Rob Gearhart X
4th Ward – Jorge DeFendini X
4th Ward - Tiffany Kumar X
5th Ward – Robert Cantelmo X
5th Ward - Kris Haines-Sharp X
Total voting members for this
meeting
10
Agenda Item 1. Call to Order
YouTube Timestamp: 0:06
Discussion Summary: Mayor Lewis reminded all present this is a Special Meeting of
Council, and there will be no public Comments. Mayor Lewis went over Emergency
Evacuation procedures.
1.1 Agenda Review
YouTube Timestamp: 1:08
Discussion: Mayor Lewis reviewed the Topic for Tonight’s agenda. Reminded Council this
agenda was Tabled until the October 11th Special Council Meeting. Gave a Brief summary
from when the Resolution was introduced on September 20th, then tabled until this October
11th meeting allowing three (3) weeks of time for greater Public Comments. Thanked
Alderperson Cantelmo for organizing two Town Halls that were reasonably attended and thank
all who provided and submitted Written Comments.
Agenda Item 2. Resolution to Authorize Amended MOU for Voluntary Contribution by
Cornell
Motion to Amend 1st and 2nd Resolved.
YouTube Timestamp: 2:02
1st Resolved- change” each year for 20 years” to” each year for 10 years”
Cantelmo Moved to amend from 10 years to 15 Years- Accepted as Friendly by Alderperson
DeFendini.
2nd Resolved- last sentence after herein, include “which reflects changes from October 11th,
2023, that amend Item 6 of The Undertakings to now read…” The city further agrees that
during the life of this Memorandum of Understanding it will not commence or support litigation
seeking a change in that status of the University,
Resolve, the first sentence of Section 8 of the undertakings section of such memorandum of
understanding shall end with the date June 30, 2039, rather than June 30, 2044
Moved By: Alderperson Cantelmo
Seconded by: Alderperson DeFendini
Discussion Summary: Resolution was tabled at the September 20th meeting until October
11th, 2023 6 pm. Mayor Lewis invited Amendments to the MOU that is On The Table. Mayor
Lewis spoke to the amendment by sharing with Council, that a 10-year term is not plausible as
Cornell will not support anything below a 15-year length of term; there is willingness on the part
of Cornell to be flexible and move from 20 years down to 15 years. Voting on a 15 Year
agreement brings the last payment from Cornell to July 15th 3038, expiring at the end of June
2039 on Cornell’s Fiscal Year Calander.
Friendly Amendment by Alderperson Brock: add the word “modifies” to first resolve to read
“Modifies, approves, and ratifies the Term Sheet” (Timestamp: 57:58)
Vote Passed 9-1
Member All In Favor Oppose Abstain
Cynthia Brock X
George McGonigal X
Phoebe Brown X
Ducson Nguyen X
Donna Fleming X
Rob Gearhart X
Jorge DeFendini X
Tiffany Kumar X
Robert Cantelmo X
Kris Haines-Sharp X
Motion to Amend Alderperson Cantelmo’s Amendment
Amendment- Amend term to 7 Years, CPI plus 2 % and deleting the 2nd sentence in section 6
in its entirety.
YouTube Timestamp: 17:57
Moved by: Alderperson Brock
Seconded by: Alderperson Kumar
Vote Failed- 8-2
Member All In Favor Oppose Abstain
Cynthia Brock X
George McGonigal X
Phoebe Brown X
Ducson Nguyen X
Donna Fleming X
Rob Gearhart X
Jorge DeFendini X
Tiffany Kumar X
Robert Cantelmo X
Kris Haines-Sharp X
Motion to Amend
YouTube Timestamp: 1:02:56
Amendment- Offer 2 Resolves; 1st Resolve include, first sentence of section two of the
undertaking sections of such memorandum of understanding shall read “Not later than July 15
2024 the university and city will jointly appoint a City- Cornell permanent working group
comprising three (3) Executive Officers of the University and the City Manager and two (2
)Members of the City of Ithaca Common Council additionally including the Mayor at the
Mayor's option as such option may be exercised by the Mayor from time to time”
2nd Resolve- RESOLVED, that section 7(f) of the Undertakings section of such Memorandum
of Understanding shall read: “In each calendar year, the University’s contribution shall be
made not later than July 15. For the avoidance of doubt, the final payment under this MOU is
intended to occur no later than July 15, 2038.”; and be it further
Moved By: Alderperson Brock
Seconded By: Alderperson Cantelmo
Discussion Summary: City Attorney recommended Council amend section 7F for a more
precise way to add the second Resolved.
Vote Pass: 10-0
Member All In Favor Oppose Abstain
Cynthia Brock X
George McGonigal X
Phoebe Brown X
Ducson Nguyen X
Donna Fleming X
Rob Gearhart X
Jorge DeFendini X
Tiffany Kumar X
Robert Cantelmo X
Kris Haines-Sharp X
Final Vote on Resolution as Amended
Resolution to Authorize Amended MOU for Voluntary Contribution by Cornell
YouTube Timestamp: 1:15:53
Vote Pass: 9-1
Member All In Favor Oppose Abstain
Cynthia Brock x
George McGonigal X
Phoebe Brown X
Ducson Nguyen X
Donna Fleming X
Rob Gearhart X
Jorge DeFendini X
Tiffany Kumar X
Robert Cantelmo X
Kris Haines-Sharp X
Agenda Item 3. Meeting Adjourn
YouTube Timestamp: 1:16:38
Moved By: Alderperson Cantelmo
Seconded By: Alderperson Nguyen
All In Favor 10-0
Member All In Favor Oppose Abstain
Cynthia Brock X
George McGonigal X
Phoebe Brown X
Ducson Nguyen X
Donna Fleming X
Rob Gearhart X
Jorge DeFendini X
Tiffany Kumar X
Robert Cantelmo X
Kris Haines-Sharp X
Resolution to Authorize Amended MOU for Voluntary Contribution by Cornell
WHEREAS, for over 150 years, the City of Ithaca and Cornell have recognized the importance of each
entity to the other; and
WHEREAS, despite the tremendous overall economic impact that Cornell brings to the region and the
city, it bears a moral obligation to support its host city with direct financial contributions of a scale
commensurate with its leading role in the community; and
WHEREAS, Cornell’s tax-exempt real estate holdings in the city represent nearly half of the city’s
assessed property value (roughly 45% as last calculated); and
WHEREAS, under its now-expiring agreement with the City, Cornell contributed $1.6 million to the City
in 2023 and, due to expiration of that agreement, is not currently scheduled to make any payment to the
City in 2024 or thereafter; and
WHEREAS, the City and Cornell held a series of negotiating sessions since April, and the Common
Council received multiple briefings on the progress of those negotiations; and
WHEREAS, the City benchmarked its proposals across those negotiations against 25% of
approximately $33 million in property taxes that Cornell would pay were its property taxable, or roughly
$8 million, against which it provided Cornell with some credit for the many municipal-like services that
Cornell provides in lieu of City expenditures on the same; and
WHEREAS, as of August 11, Cornell stated that its final offer was approximately $3.15 million per year,
to which the City responded by proposing approximately $5 million per year; and
WHEREAS, beginning on September 7, an additional round of negotiations commenced in which
Cornell and the City expressed a willingness to meet at the mid-point of their previous proposals; and
WHEREAS, this round of negotiations resulted in an agreement in principle—subject to approval by the
Common Council and the Cornell Board of Trustees—that has garnered the support of the
administrations at both the City and Cornell; and
WHEREAS, that agreement in principle, as reflected in the Term Sheet included herein, increases
Cornell’s current annual payment of approximately $1.6 million to $4 million, including an approximately
$2.4 million true-up payment to be made within 30 days of execution, thus providing the City and its
residents immediate and significant new financial resources; and
WHEREAS, across the next two decades, this agreement in principle is anticipated, with inflation
adjustments, to result in total payments by Cornell to the City in excess of $100 million; now, therefore
be it
RESOLVED, that the Common Council modifies, approves and ratifies the Term Sheet included herein,
specifying that Cornell shall commence annual payment to the City of $4 million, plus upward
adjustments for inflation, each year for 15 years, beginning in 2023 and ending in 2039; and be it
further
RESOLVED, that the Mayor is authorized, on the advice of the City Attorney, to execute an amended
Memorandum of Understanding Between the City of Ithaca and Cornell University, reflecting the
foregoing Term Sheet, in a form substantially similar to the amended Memorandum of Understanding
included herein; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the first sentence of section 2 of the Undertakings section of such Memorandum of
Understanding shall read “Not later than July 15, 2024, the University and the City will jointly appoint a
Cornell-City of Ithaca permanent working group, comprising three executive officers of the University
and the City Manager and two members of the City of Ithaca Common Council, additionally including
the Mayor at the Mayor’s option, as such option may be exercised by the Mayor from time to time.”; and
be it further
RESOLVED, that the second sentence of section 6 of the Undertakings section of such Memorandum
of Understanding shall specifically read “The City further agrees that during the life of this Memorandum
of Understanding it will not commence or support litigation seeking a change in that status of the
University.”; and be it further
RESOLVED, that section 7(f) of the Undertakings section of such Memorandum of Understanding shall
read: “In each calendar year, the University’s contribution shall be made not later than July 15. For the
avoidance of doubt, the final payment under this MOU is intended to occur no later than July 15, 2038.”;
and be it further
RESOLVED, that the first sentence of section 8 of the Undertakings section of such Memorandum of
Understanding shall end with the date “June 30, 2039” rather than “June 30, 2044.”
Carried 9-1 (Brock)
Online Form Submittal: Common Council Public Comment Form
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lVon 1019i2023 10:00 Alt/
To:Common Council <council@cityofithaca.org>;Laura Lewis <MayorLewis@cityofithaca.org>;Deb Mohlenhoff
<dmohlenhoff@cityofithaca.org>;Clerk <clerk@cityofithaca.org>;Alan Karasin <AKarasin@cityofithaca.org>;Shaniqua Lewis
< slewis@cityofithaca.org >
Common Council Public Comment Form
First Name John
Last Name Graves
Street Address E
tVunicipality *Note this may
be different from your zip
code
State
Topic of Discussion
Your Comments
NY
Ithaca
City/Cornell tVlOU
This petition was posted 9129123 on the South Hill listserv
"No 20-Year Dealand No Gag Order" Petition
Cornell is once again throwing its weight around. They have
offered a 2l-year agreement tied to the cost-of-living index.
This means that in 20 years their contribution of $4lM will have
even less worth than it does today. And in 2A44,it will still equal
less money than many peer institutions are giving their host
communities now in 2023.
This is a proposal of diminishing returns that should have never
left the closed-door negotiating room.
Perhaps most troubling is that this agreement ties the city's
hands and potentially residents' hands as well from pursuing
legislative and legal remedies, which we all know are ultimately
what are needed. Clause 6 in the agreement is basically a gag
order.
fMulti-billion-dollar corporations don't part with their money until
they're forced to do it. Don't tie our handsl There are several
avenues to pursue in this arena: changes on the state level that
would allow taxation of property that does not fall into a strictly
educational category, like in New Hampshire where dormitories
are taxed along with dining halls, cafes, the campus store, the
school hotel, etc. We want to be free to lobby for this change in
NYS. lt's long overdue.
Then there is the endowment tax. Only the richest schools,
about 40 in total, are subject to this tax. lf your endowment
equals more than $500,000 per student. you are now liable to
pay the federal government a 1.4alo excise tax. What if that
money or a portion of it were to be sent to local host
communities instead of the federal treasury. This would be a
national effort we could spearhead. Cornell's 2021 endowment
return was 41.9o/o, apparently larger than a typical return. They
made $2.8B. Looks like it would have been a $391V tax billfor
them that year payable to the feds. Yes, all the schools subject
to this now have been lobbying for several years to get this
repealed. Opposing bills increasing the amount of the tax have
also been introduced.
Then there'sthe..legal chaHemge that involves the
commercialization of research. Cornell posted revenue of $37lvl
last year from royalties. Tax free. This is what the Princeton
lawsuit was based on.
https/www,tnsjdehtghered.com/news/20 1 611 0/2 1 lp_rueelg5:
settlement-leaves-door-opqLIuturc:Ia&exepplto4rh_B.[le-! ges
httpSrllheeleilyrecord.com/20 1 6/ffi pj!-[-Aelg&w!]Lpay:l_gr!:
to-settle-residents-tax-ca se/
Citizens challenged Princeton's non-profit status based on the
revenue it receives from licenses, royalties and patents. All big
research institutions are vulnerable to this and as the collective
lvy League endowment continues to balloon, this issue will
become ever more debated. ln 25 years, it is estimated that the
lvy League combined endowments willtopple $lTRlLL|ON.
Let's tell City Hall - No 2O-Year Deal and No Gag Order!
Go back to the drawing board and demand a shortterm deal.
short-term as in 2 years and tell Cornellwe will not agree to
having our hands tied. We must not be bullied!
# Name Address
1 - John Graves 319 Pleasant Street, lthaca
2 - Rita Graves 319 Pleasant Street, lthaca
3 - lVarjorie Olds 100 Renzetti Place, lthaca
4 - Bryan lsacks 100 Renzetti Place, lthaca
5 - Munna Rubaii 133 Crescent Placa, lthaca
6 - John Efroymson 408 Columbia Street, lthaca
7 - Elizabeth Reiter 410 Columbia Street, lthaca
B - Allison Trdan 311 Turner Placa, lthaca
I - Kurl tVarlin 311 Turner Placa, lthaca
10 - Sally Lockwood 641 Hudson Street, lthaca
11 -Al Plue 209 East King Road, tthaca
12 - Dawn Plue 209 East King Road, lthaca
13 - Carl Schofield 14 Hawthorne Circle, lthaca
Contact lnformation
14 - Elke Schofield '14 Hawthorne Circle, lthaca
15 - lan Golden 517 Hudson Street, lthaca
16 - Sherry Golden 517 Hudson Street, lthaca
17 - Ashley tMiller 126 Sears Street, lthaca
'18 - Mary Corsaro '138 Pearsall Place, lthaca
19 - Louisa Sandvik 16"1 Pearsall Place, lthaca
20 - Adam Bryant W. Yates Street, lthaca
21 - Sarah Fern 605 Hudson Street, lthaca
22 - Sheila lVcEnery '125 Pearsall Place, lthaca
23 - John Fleischauer 125 Pearsall Plaza, lthaca
24 - Carolyn Chang 315 Columbia Street, lthaca
johngraves3l 9@gmail"com
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Online Form Submittal: Common Council Public Comment Form
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Iue 1A/10/2023 12:16 PM
To:Common Council <council@cityofithaca.org>;Laura Lewis <Mayorlewis@cityofithaca.org>;Deb Mohlenhoff
<dmohlenhoff@cityofithaca.org>;Clerk <clerk@cityofithaca.org>;Alan Karasin <AKarasin@cityofithaca.org>;Shaniqua Lewis
< slewis@cityofithaca.org >
Common Council Public Comment Form
First Name Anne
Last Nanre Hamilton
Street Address
-
Municipality .Note this may
be different from your zip
code
State
Topic of Discussion
Your Comments
Ithaca
NY
Delay the schedule vote on the MOU regarding Cornell
payment of taxes to the City of lthaca on October 11th
As the co-owner of two properties in the City of lthaca, I urge
you on October 11, 2023 to delay the t\,{OU that the City has
prepared with Cornell University. lf the vote is called, I urge you
to reject this N/OU.
And in the future, please do not bring in h,4r. l\lalina or another
Cornell representative to answer questions from the public
during Common Council meetings. You need to inform
yourselves as Common Council members, and you need to
communicate with the city residents. You represent me. Cornell
is the opponent. Realize this and act accordingly
The IMOU prepared for the October 6,2An vote was crafted in
secrel, and taxpayers were not notified of details regarding
negotiations. Please do not vote on this entirely inadequate
proposalfor compensation from Cornell. The MOU on the table
is not acceptable in any way.
lf urge you to delay a vote untilthe Council has informed the
public of details of this proposal, and until it has completed the
period and all tasks of allowing public feedback. Please follow
the law regarding public involvement in matters that will affect
our lives for decades. I refuse to pay such a high amount of
propefly and school taxes, and then to be expected to pay
even more when there is an entity with billions of dollars which
refuses to pay anything but a tiny token.
Contact lnformation
I am extremely unhappy with the way that these talks have
gone on in secret, and the fact that the public was only given
some details a few days before the October 6th vote on the
MOU was scheduled. This is completely unacceptable.
Cornell needs to pay for the gigantic share of the public
resources that it consumes. The City of lthaca needs to petition
lawmakers to change the law and remove the gag order that it
has been working under.
The Common Council's behavior is placing a real threat of
insolvency as well as the likelihood of extreme hardship on the
residents and taxpayers in this city. You have a vote. You have
power in your hands to reject an utterly unacceptable tMOU.
You have power in your hands to craft an IVOU that makes
Cornell pay appropriately an*proportionately. Do not pass
another agreement that gives them a free pass for decades.
Craft a new proposed IVIOU and release it in full in a timely
manner so that I can read it and give feedback.
hamiltonlit@hotmail.com
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Online Form Submittal: Common Council Public Comment Form
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Tue 10/10/2023 1126 Pitl
To:Common Council <council@cityofithaca.org>;Laura Lewis <MayorLewis@cityofithaca.org>;Deb Mohlenhoff
<dmohlenhoff@cityofithaca.org>;Clerk <clerk@cityofithaca.org>;Alan Karasin <AKarasin@cityofithaca.org>;Shaniqua Lewis
< slewis@cityofithaca.org >
Common Council Public Comment Form
First Name Eti
Last Name l\,4arshall
Street Address
-
[Vunicipality .Note this may
be different from your zip
code
State
Topic of Discussion
Your Comments
14850
NY
IVIoU - please request a 1-year agreement to allow for more
time
I am writing in support of an interim one-year N,loU with Cornell,
to allow for more time for substantive public input, working also
with ICSD and the County, and eventually leading to a holistic
re-negotiation which addresses both a higher PILOT, as well as
consideration of other ways of harnessing and channeling
Cornell's enormous economic impact (both positive and
negative) and other impacts on the region.
That is my primary comment
I will also include a letter to my neighborhood listserv I wrote in
response to the recent "lVythaca" Op-ed by George Frantz.
lVy letter follows:
ilt
According to figures I've found, it looks like we spend only
slightly more, about 12o/o,lhan Saratoga Springs, one of the
examples in the article. And when we consider what our local
inequality looks like, how much work our city needs, and who
actually ends up paying, I think it becomes clear that lhe 12%
extra still isn't enough spending (and yet is too much for those
who are currently footing the bill!).
1. The per-person figures
lf we have 62,000 people living here (32,000 full time residents
plus 25,000 Cornell and 5,000 lC) and our 2023 budget was
about $90mil, then the City of lthaca is spending about $1,450
per person.
Saratoga Springs has about 45,000 people (28,000 residents
plus about 17,000 students). Their budgetfor 2023 appears to
be around $S8mil. That's $1,290 per person.
Itlaybe my flgures are wrong - please let me know -- or maybe
some students are counted as residents and vice versa. But I
see little rationale for not counting students in local city
spending! Everything from emergency services to infrastructure
are used - and other streams not in the city budget, like their
kids' public schools.
Anyway, the per-person spending exercise only goes so far --
at a minimum, weH need to corltpare county-level spending
and school district spending, too.
2. Who's contributing?
Where it might make sense to not count students is in
contribution to revenue -- those who reside on campus are not
paying prcperty tax (or rent in lieu of property tax). ln lthaca,
even though there are 62,000 people who are living here, there
are only perhaps 44,000 people contributing to a big property
taxlrent portion af the Sg0mil revenue of the City. (And, for that
matter, it would be interesting to know how much other revenue
streams work in Saratoga, like business property tax,
contributing to revenue, compared with lthaca.)
3. lnequality is worse in lthaca
There's one statistic that really sits with me: Tompkins County
appears to be the most unequal (Gini coefficient) county in all
of NY State (behind only NYC and Westchester county)-- and I
think that's only looking at incomes. So, even if we are richer
when we count up all the money, or look at average income, or
need to spend 12o/o more than Saratoga at the City level, it also
appears that a lot of us are a lot poorer. And households --
decent incomes and struggling alike -- are seeing larger chunks
of that income go toward lthaca's other unfortunate statlstic:
high rents and propefty taxes (which impact the lower and
middle spectrum of incomes most).
Please let me know if I've made any gross errors in my (rough)
numbers, but my back-of-the-envelope figures seem to paint a
very different picture about spending and wealth than the op-ed
suggests. Other interpretations also welconre.
Finding ways to address the egregious inequality and wear and
tear -- doing both of which would help 100% of us -- is what I
hope Council sees as their job!
Online Form Submittal: Csmmon Council Public Comment Form
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Tue 10110/2023 2:30 PL/
To:Common Council <council@cityofithaca.org>;Laura Lewis <Mayorlewis@cityofithaca.org>;Deb Mohlenhoff
<dmohlenhoff@cityofithaca.org>;Clerk <clerk@cityofithaca.org>;Alan Karasin <AKarasin@cityofithaca.org>;Shaniqua Lewis
< slewis@cityofithaca.org >
Common Council Public Comment Form
First Name
Last Name lVarshall
Street Address es
[Vlunicipality *Note this may
be different from your zip
code
State
Topic of Discussion
Your Comments
14850
NY
minor amendment to my comment
I would like to amend a comment from my previous letter
(though my request still holds):
ln case I was mistaken and there are a total of 32,000 people in
Ithaca /including/ students,
-the city spending, I concur, would be around $2,070 per
resident for Saratoga and about $2,800 per lthacan * which
would be 35% more here. (But like I mentioned, we would best
compare school and county all as one package, and I have no
idea how that would pan out in either direction.)
--my "who's contributing" argument would still hold -some
10,000 or 15,000 people who are not contributing to revenue in
the form of rents and property taxes, because they are housed
on campus.
ln my view, that would still be reason to ask for a flnancial
commitment from Cornell, who is housing most of them * and,
yet, to also ask Cornellto build new housing, so as to have less
of a housing crunch.
elimarshall@gmail.comContact lnformation
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ctiLil
Online Form Submittal: Common Council Public Comment Form
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Iue 10/14/2023 6:29 Plt/
To:Common Council <council@cityofithaca.org>;Laura Lewis <MayorLewis@cityofithaca.org>;Deb Mohlenhoff
<dmohlenhoff@cityofithaca.org>;Clerk <clerk@cityofithaca.org>;Alan Karasin <AKarasin@cityofithaca.org>;Shaniqua Lewis
< slewis@cityof ithaca.org >
Common Council Public Comment Form
First Name Joanne
Last Name Trutko
Street Address
-
lVunicipality *Note this may
be different from your zip
code
State
Topic of Discussion
Your Comments
14850
NY
lVloU between City of lthaca and Cornell University
Dear Common Council,
I urge you to modify two provisions of the new lrloU offer by
Cornell University's administration.
First, I urge Councilto modify this agreement so it is in effect
for 1-5 years rather than 20 years. While this may introduce
uncefiainty on Cornell's long-term commitment to our
community, given the ever changing economic and financial
situations, I believe a shorter contract would allow the city to
recalibrate the agreement to reflect inflation and unexpected
financial impacts on future city budgets over two decades.
While Cornell administration has offered an increase with this
contract, this offer does not help cover increased expenses
already incurred by the university's operations on our
community. Cornell 's student population has ballooned to over
25K and by Cornell's own estimates the visitor numbers (based
on financials) are substantial. The staff is nearly 13K. All these
individuals use a myriad of city and county, services - roads
and bridges and sidewalks, public amenities and parks, police,
fire and rescue services, traffic safety, criminaljustice, drug and
alcohol emergency response, trash and recycling, city lights,
public health, snow removal, street cleaning and repair, and
much, much more. These costs will only continue to grow over
the next two decades.
Secondly, as I understand, there is a provisiorr committing the
Contact lnfornration
city to not to participate in any state legislative push to make
colleges to more accurately and equitably pay real estate
taxes. I believe this provision is undemocratic. Our city
government and its agents should not be restricted from
representing the will of the citizens of lthaca. The citizens of
Ithaca should be able to petition our local and state government
for action on our behalf. Please delete this from the t\4oU before
signing this agreement.
I appreciate that the Cornell University administrators represent
a big, powerful, and wealthy institution. I am grateful that the
university provides employment and pays taxes on some of the
enterprises it operates. I am likewise appreciative that, like
Ithaca city residents and businesses do, it pays municipalfees.
But, as Frederick0&iglas Baid, "Power concedes nothing
without a demand; it never did and it never will."
Cornell Unversity adopted as a guiding Core Value in 2019: "
we value engagement in our community, our state and the
broader world, learning about their needs and strengths...."
I hope Cornell values this input reflecting our needs. I hope that
you will demonstrate your strength by demanding the two
revisions from Cornell University administration that I have
requested.
Thank you for your attention
Cordially,
Joanne Trutko
Joannetrutko@gmai l.com
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Tue 10/1012023 9:23 Pl',4
To:Common Council <council@cityofithaca.org>;Laura Lewis <Mayorlewis@cityofithaca.org>;Deb Mohlenhoff
<dmohlenhoff@cityofithaca.org>;Clerk <clerk@cityofithaca.org>;Alan Karasin <AKarasin@cityofithaca.org>;Shaniqua Lewis
< slewis@cityofithaca.org >
Common Council Public Comment Form
First Name Ivlary N
Last Name Woods
Street Address
I\,4unicipality *Note this may
be different from your zip
code
State
Topic of Discurssion
14850
New York
Cornell's proposed ti/OU with the City of lthaca
Your Comments
Dear f\layor Lewis and Common Council lVembers Brock,
t\,4cGoniga l, Brown, N guyen. Fleming, Gearhart.
DeFendini, Kurnar, Haines-Sharp, and Cantelmo,
I strongly urge you to reject Corneil's offer of four million dollars
to the city of lthaca. lt is a sum in no way commensurate with
the burdens on city services and infrastructure that Cornell
imposes on the city of lthaca and the surrounding area. As you
know all too well, Cornell's exemption from property taxes
inflates the taxes of city residents, making it irnpossible to
create and sustain a diverse and inclusive community in lthaca.
N,,loreover, Cornell's take-it-or-leave it offer is totally at odds with
its values as an educational and non-profit institution,
especially one with a school of industrial and labor relations.
And Cornell has no right to prohibit the city from seeking
legislative relief from the financial deficits created by its wholly
inadequate contributions to the community. Given recent
events like the pandemic, climate disasters, immigration, and
exponential housing costs, it is also unconscionable that
Cornell should try to lock the city into an tVIOU lasting two
decades
Reject the Cornell ttlOU. The university is obliged to enter into
open and fair negotiations with you as our elected
representatives. lthaca is not Cornell's company town.
Contact lnformation
This is not just lthaca's fight. Towns like Princeton, New Jersey
and even New York City are asking wealthy universities there to
pay their fair shares too.
Thank you for your attention
Mary N. Woods. Professor Emerita
Department of Architecture, Cornell U niversity
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Online Form Submittal: Common Council Public Comment Form
noreply@civicplus.com < noreply@civicplus.com >
Wed l0l1 1/2023 4:59 Pivl r" 'rr.;r$l.q'rJtii$'
To:Common Council <council@cityofithaca.org>;Laura Lewis <Mayorlewis@cityofithaca.org>;Deb Mohlenhoff
<dmohlenhoff@cityofithaca.org>;Clerk <clerk@cityofithaca.org>;Alan Karasin <AKarasin@cityofithaca.org>;Shaniqua Lewis
< slewis@cityofithaca.org >
Common Council Public Comment Form
First Name Peter
Last Name Wissoker
Street Address
lVlunicipality .Note this may
be different from your zip
code
State
Topic of Discussion
Your Comments
Ithaca
NY
Please do not approve the lt/OU
Please vote against the IVOU with Cornell. I know that some
people say that we shouldn't be engaged in a game of chicken
with the university, but I think it is our duty to hold out for a
better deal. IVty reasoning is as follows:
1. The current proposal offers far less to the city than its peer
institutions do
2. The tvloU compels the city to swear not try to make Cornell
subject to property taxes
3. The university is seeking to scare the city into agreeing to a
lesser agreement by feigning that this is its last, best, and final
offer . But you know that Cornell will do whatever it takes to
protect its brand and, given that, its widely-used negotiation
strategy shouldn't be taken at face value. ln many negotiations
it turns out that an offer is a final offer...until the party decides to
make another one. lt can't live with the bad publicity shutting
the city out would generate.
George lUcGonigal has spoken of Cornell offering the city a
warm bowl of soup in its time of need. But if you remember the
story of Jacob and Esau you might recall that Jacob did the
same to Esau, but it came with a cost-his birthright. Please
don't surrender the city's birthright for twenty years in exchange
for what is clearly an insufficient offer. We can find a way
through the shofi-term pain that might come between now and
the time a new agreement is reached, and one will be reached.
Contact lnformation
Thank you,
Feter WissokerrEh
Ithaca, NY 14850
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