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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB Minutes 1985-01-25 TOWN OF ITHACA SPECIAL BOARD MEETING January 25 , 1985 At a Special Meeting of the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca , Tompkins County , New York , held at the Town Offices at 126 East Seneca Street , Ithaca , New York , at 12 : 00 noon , on the 25th day of January , 1985 , there were : ® PRESENT : Noel Desch , Supervisor George Kugler , Councilman Shirley Raffensperger , Councilwoman Marc Cramer , Councilman Henry McPeak , Councilman Robert Bartholf , Councilman ABSENTO Gloria Howell , Councilwoman ALSO PRESENT : Lawrence Fabbroni , Town Engineer James V . Buyoucos , Town Attorney Virginia Langhans , 111 Halcyon Hill Ruth Edmondson , 12 The Byway Frank Shipe , 236 Forest Home Drive Margery Shipe , 236 Forest Home Drive Andrew McElwee , 133 Judd Falls Road Beverly Livesay , Board of Representatives John Gutenberger , City of Ithaca W . L . Brittain , 135 Warren Road Harry A . Missirian , Toopkins County Planning Representatives of the Media : Mark Schultz , WHCU Deborah Gesensway , Ithaca Journal PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Supervisor led the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance . FOREST HOME ABANDONMENT Supervisor Desch stated that a meeting had been scheduled for noon on Tuesday , January 29 , 1985 at County Planning to discuss the Closing of Forest Home Drive , The City of Ithaca will be represented by Mayor John Gutenberger , Superintendent of Public Works Jack Dougherty , City Engineer Peter NOVelli . The Town will be represented by myself and Town Engineer Larry Fabbroni . The ® County by Commissioner of Planning Frank Liguori and Commissioner of Public Works William Mobbs . William Wendt will represent Cornell University , The Supervisor went on to say that this Special Board Meeting was being held today because of timing . It is felt that the Community needs to know where the Ton Board stands on this matter . Town Engineer Fabbroni , using the the VHS machine , provided a very graphic walk of the section of Forest Home Drive barricaded by the City of Ithaca . � o � Town Board 2 January 25 , 1985 Andrew McElwee , 133 Judd Falls Road , after watching the film noted that snow plows and cars had tipped over a lot of the guard rails . Mayor John Gutenberger remarked that he was impressed with the TV presentation . He went on to say that the portion the City was concerned with has two curves . He noted that late last fall when the City closed Forest Herne Drive they came to the conclusion that there were three areas of imminent possibility of slippage . He noted that Town Engineer Larry Fabbroni had come to a different conclusion on the road condition than the City had . The Mayor noted that one of the concerns noted on the petition he had received , was the concern of the Forest Home residents that they could not get through the campus . He went on to say that he had ® written to Cornell University to ask if they would designate a couple of routes through the campus and that he had received a response from Cornell stating they would consider designating routes through the campus , however , it would take a few weeks of consideration . Councilman Cramer asked , do we have a cost projection to upgrade the road either from the Town or the City ? Supervisor Desch responded that the Town Engineer was working on cost figures . Mayor Gutenberger remarked that the City estimated the cost to upgrade the road would be between three quarters to one million dollars . Cornell engineers gave a very rough cost of between $ 600 , 000 and $ 800 , 000 . Supervisor Desch asked Mayor Gutenberger what portion of the road was covered under the estimates ? Mayor Gutenberger responded that he thought it covered the portion between the Triphammer Bridge and the City line. Councilman Cramer asked if the residents of Forest Home were infavor or the road being opened ? There was a loud answer of yes from the audience . Councilwoman Raffensperger stated that Cornell has upgraded the road from the Triphammer Bridge to Martha Van Rensselaer and that she understood there was a willingness on the part of Cornell to continue to upgrade this section . Mrs . Raffensperger also noted that the issuance of permits to allow passage through the University would only apply to the residents of Forest Home , RESOLUTION NO . 7 Motion by Councilwoman Raffensperger ; seconded by Councilman Kugler , WHEREAS , Forest Hone Drive has served as a primary highway for the Village , City and the Town of Ithaca for well over 150 years , and ® WHEREAS , the City of Ithaca has initiated the process of formal abandonment by barricading the highway and closing it to the public , and WHEREAS , the stated basis for the City action is the premise that the highway is no longer needed by the City and that it cannot afford nor justify the cost of repair and reconstruction , and WHEREAS , the people of the Town of Ithaca particularly those who live in the easterly half of the Town have petitioned the City to Town Board 3 January 25 , 1985 keep the road open ( see attached) and further have urged the Town of Ithaca to oppose the closing , NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED , that the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca , in furtherance of the best interests of the residents of the Town and to promote the health , welfare and safety of the Town ' s residents , objects to the closing and abandonment of the road . In addition , it is the position of the Town that such closing and abandonment would be contrary to the mutual long term interest of the City of Ithaca , Town of Ithaca and Cornell University and urges all interested parties to continue to work toward a mutually acceptable solution , ® AND FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED , that in the event the City decides that it will not proceed with further negotiations the Town Board hereby authorizes the Town Supervisor to consult with the Town Attorney for the purpose of authorizing the Town Attorney to take whatever legal proceedings or other steps or action which may be appropriate . (Desch , Kugler , Raffensperger , Cramer , Mc Peak and Bartholf voting Aye . Nays - none ) . AUTHORIZATION TO TAKE BIDS ON HUNGERFORD HILL AND PINE TREE WATER TANK REPAIRS Town Engineer Larry Fabbroni requested that this item be deferred to a later date . APW IN-SERVICE TRAINING COURSE RESOLUTION NO , 8 Motion by Councilman McPeak ; seconded by Councilman Bartholf , WHEREAS , the APWA In-Service Training Course for Public Works Construction Inspectors will be held February 44 , 1985 at the Syracuse Hilton Inn , and WHEREAS , Town Engineer Lawrence Fabbroni is on the Education Committee organizing the Course , and WHEREAS , the Course would be very beneficial to Assistant to the Engineer Michael A . Ocello , NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED , by the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca to authorize attendance , February 4 through 6 , 1985 , for both Mr . Fabbroni and Mr . Ocello at the APWA In-Service Course with a budget of : Registration $ 90 . 00 (Mr . Ocello) Double Room $ 108900 ® Per Diem $ 100000 Total $298 . 00 (Desch , Kugler , Raffensperger , Cramer , McPeak and Bartholf voting Aye . Nays - none) . TOMPKINS COUNTY AREA DEVELOPMENT BOARD 101 Town Board 4 January 25 , 1985 Supervisor Desch stated that he felt it was in the Town ' s best interest to actively participate in the operation of the Tompkins County Area Development Board . The Board is starting a funding support drive to set up a small full-time staff in order to prevent an outward migration of jobs . He went on to say that Chemung and Cortland Counties have set up a similar type of operation and have attracted away from Tompkins County a number of jobs that should have been established here had we been able to move quickly enough . Our local Chamber of Commerce is not in a position to be staffed sufficiently to do this alone . The track record of TCADB speaks for itself , namely Boyce Thompson , Morse Industrial , Ithaca Gun , NCR and others . ® Supervisor Desch stated that his thoughts would be to utilize the line item of $6 , 000 we created last year to pay for the reassessment of Morse/Emerson as the way to support this effort without an increase in the 1986 tax rate . The City and Cornell expect to raise their contribution from a total of $20 , 000 to $ 30 , 000 . Councilman McPeak responded that he felt this was a good idea if they get a person who is professionally qualified . Councilman Cramer asked if the Town of Ithaca Planning Board could take a look at the Town and identify prime industrial sites available for development in the Town . Councilwoman Raffensperger noted that the Tompkins County Planning Board had done such a study a few years ago . There were no prime industrial sites designated in the Town of Ithaca . Councilman Bartholf asked of anyone had considered the roads in the Town of Ithaca . He noted that deliveries to industries in the area are by tractor trailers . Councilwoman Raffensperger added that she had seen the report and that it is not likely that new roads will every be allowed to be Put through the heavily populated areas of the Town . EXECUTIVE SESSION RESOLUTION NO , 9 Motion by Supervisor Desch ; seconded by Councilman Kugler , RESOLVED , that the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca hereby adjourns into Executive Session to discuss a personnel matter . ( Desch , Kugler , Raffensperger , Cramer , McPeak and Bartholf voting Aye . Nays - none) . RESOLUTION NO . 10 ® Motion by Councilman Cramer ; seconded by Supervisor Desch , RESOLVED , that the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca hereby moves back into Open Session . (Desch , Kugler , Raffensperger , Cramer , McPeak and Bartholf voting Aye . Nays - none) . No action was taken during the Executive Session . Town Board 5 January 25 , 1985 ADJOURNMENT The meeting was duly adjourned . TdWh- Clerk BIZ