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 .
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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