Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB Minutes 2012-09-24Study Session of the Ithaca Town Board Monday, September 24,2012 at 4:30 p.m. 215 North Tioga Street * Study Sessions are meetings of the Town Board which generally focus on committee reports and informational presentations. Time sensitive action items may be scheduled when needed. Please contact the Town Clerk's office at 273'1721 or Dterwilli2er(Sitown.ithaca.nv.us with any questions. Some information follows below. Agenda 1. Call to Order 2. Review Draft Agenda for Budget and Regular Meeting 3. Town Official's Reports 4. Sustainability Update - Nick Goldsmith 5. Report from Committees a. Budget Committee b. Codes and Ordinances Committee c. Comprehensive Plan Committee d. Planning Committee e. Personnel and Organization Committee f. Public Works Committee g. Records Management Advisory Board (RMAB) h. Ad Hoc Committees 6. Consider Consent Agenda Items a. Approval of Town Board Minutes of August 27'** and September 10'^ 2012 b. Town of Ithaca Abstract c. Approval for Submission of Justice Court Assistance Program (JCAP) Grant d. Approval of appointment of Laborer position at Public Works Department 7. Review of Correspondence 8. Consider Adjournment Study Sessionof the Ithaca Town Board Monday, September 24, 2012 at 4:30 p.m. Minutes Present: Herb Engman, Bill Goodman, Eric Levine, Pat Leary, Tee-Ann Hunter, Rich DePaolo and Nahmin Horwitz Staff: Paulette Terwilliger, Mike Solvig, Bruce Bates, Jim Weber, and Judy Drake Call to Order – 4:32 p.m. Review Draft Agenda for Budget No comments Town Official’s Reports Ms. Terwilliger stated that she has received the tentative budget from the supervisor as presented here to the Board. Mr. Solvig told the board he would be happy to answer any questions and added that if there is any additional information members wanted for the October budget meeting, to please let him know. Mr. Engman noted that he is proposing a work split of 3/5 for him and 2/5 for Mr. Goodman for next year. He thought that the rezoning associated with the Comprehensive Plan would involve a lot of legal issues and Mr. Goodman is better suited for that. Also, a few agencies have requested slight increases and those are in the front of the budget notebook. The capital projects continue with an eye toward long term savings by taking advantage of the low rate and bonds. Sustainability Update – Nick Goldsmith Mr. Goldsmith passed out documents detailing his master timeline and the draft agenda for his Sustainability Outreach Session on Thursday. Mr. Goldsmith gave an overview of his plan that builds on the work does previously by Katie Stoner. The government side of the plan is well underway and with the session being held this week, he hopes to kick-off the community side of the Plan. West Hill – Neighborhood Sustainability Plan – Mr. Goldsmith explained that that focuses on the Comprehensive Plan’s Energy and Climate sections his involvement in helping to coordinate and advise on sustainability aspects of the Plan and in particular, the development of a shurette and its effect on zoning changes. Mr. Horwitz asked about working on the community side because the community contributes about 100 times more greenhouse emissions than the government side so we should be spending 100 times more energy on the community uses. He talked about California which has added energy efficiency requirements to its building code and asked where we are with those types of requirements. Mr. Goodman responded that the Codes and Ordinances Committee has started looking at various green-building codes adopted by other municipalities and implementing them TBS 9-24-2012 Page 2 of 7 here. Mr. Horwitz asked about the timeframe he expected and Mr. Goodman responded about a year, noting that it is a fairly complicated law that would be needed. Mr. DePaolo noted that NYS has increased their requirements recently so we are heading in that direction. Ms. Leary thought that we had given up on pursuing those changes because of codes department staffing issues but Mr. Goodman said they are looking into it but it will take also need to be a broader discussion with Mr. Goldsmith and Mr. Bates. There are a lot of costs associated with the concept because of the costs to both the town in enforcement and the increased construction costs to the builder/owner and making them affordable is the key. Mr. Engman noted that there are different mechanism for making the up-front costs affordable and they need to be investigated before we can move forward. Mr. Goldsmith reviewed the concept for his outreach session which will be to hear ideas and set goals for a community action plan. Ms. Hunter asked if his focus was to ask the board to adopt regulations and policies or rely on the community to voluntarily make changes in their behavior. Mr. Goldsmith responded that a combination of both would be ideal. Ms. Hunter asked if there are fun facts out there for reducing a persons carbon footprint and Mr. Goldsmith said there were a lot out there and Cornell just finished a study that they will be expanding on that he will be looking in to. Ms. Hunter thought that would be a good way to reach residents. Ms. Hunter asked about grants or other funding avenues for green building and the board talked about INHS and the like who offer programs and there are some but our per capita is higher than most. Mr. Goldsmith added that NYSERDA and other state and federal programs are out there that do not have income guidelines. Mr. Horwitz asked if the Town could subsidize energy improvements for residents and Mr. DePaolo used the example of his friend’s photovoltaic system which was $10K with a payback period of 15 years and he didn’t think the town could offer anything to tip the financial balance for someone considering the investment. Mr. Goodman added that he thought the county assessment did not go up when solar is added so that is a small benefit. Other ideas that are out there were briefly discussed. Ms. Leary asked about TCAT and the exhaust and wondered if Mr. Goldsmith could meet with them to discuss the issue and see what their replacement schedule is and impress upon them importance of transportation and being green. Discussion followed on different contacts the town has to give to Mr. Goldsmith. Mr. Goldsmith concluded by asking members to send him their ideas if they could not make the meeting on Thursday. Report from Committees Budget Committee – Mr. Levine reported that the budget was reviewed a final time and it is in good shape. Mr. Engman noted that the total tax levy increase is 2.05% which is under the tax cap. Codes and Ordinances Committee – Mr. Goodman reported that they revisited the sprinkler law and guests Rick Couture and Noah Demerest gave their input. Mr. Goodman had thought he could look at other municipalities’ sprinkler laws but Mr. Bates reported that in his research, he Adopted 10-15-2012 TBS 9-24-2012 Page 3 of 7 found that we are the only municipality in NYS that has a stricter sprinkler law than the state law. That sais, the committee will be looking at further exemptions, mainly for smaller buildings and agricultural buildings. Mr. Goodman reported that they also discussed changes to the Sign law and banners. There will be a trial run on IC banners on light posts for one week and he asked that board members look at them to see what they look like with an eye towards how noticeable they are from the public highway. Mr. Bates stated that he sent an email to everyone with the specifics. IC is looking for a permanent variance or change to the sign law to allow these types of banners which they call “branding” so when you are not in the area and you see their emblem, you know what it is. Mr. Goodman added that this is a small change that is needed now, but they continue to look at the whole law. He also reminded the board that a policy relating to free speech and what would be allowed on banners needs to be discussed. Mr. Goodman reported that they also looked at ways to issue building permits for roofs when an issue is found that needs to go before the ZBA such as setbacks etc. Mr. DePaolo asked how a roof repair is different from other projects that might need to be done quickly and Mr. Bates responded that this is one type of permit and see what happens. Mr. Goodman said the committee has just started thinking about this and he will bring his comments up to the committee at the next meeting. Comprehensive Plan Committee – Mr. Engman reported that the committee has received some comments from TCAD, TC Planning and CU. The comments have been positive overall and as soon as the rest of the anticipated comments are in, the committee will meet to review those and then forward to the Town Board. Planning Committee – Mr. DePaolo reported that they put the finishing touches on the West Hill Traffic Study and gave it to Mr. Tasman to incorporate those touches for presentation to the board. Personnel and Organization Committee – Mr. Goodman explained that they did not have a regular meeting in September due to vacations but did hold an executive session last week. The agenda for the next meeting will include the possible changes to the Ethics law, the Codes department survey results and the job classification project. Public Works Committee – Mr. Goodman reported that they talked about parks maintenance questions that came out of the Town Board discussion on the possible Forest Home Park among others and they reviewed Ms. Brock’s memo regarding the county’s Road Preservation law. The Committee decided to invite representatives from the County and their company, LaBella, to get feedback on their model’s implementation and Ms. Brock’s comments. Records Management Advisory Board (RMAB) – Ms. Terwilliger reported that they met today and discussed the issue of posting materials on line with the final minutes so people reading them can have a complete picture. The committee decided to test having the packet materials posted with the final minutes as well as the final version of any local laws that are passed. Adopted 10-15-2012 TBS 9-24-2012 Page 4 of 7 The second topic was having links to helpful organizations such as 211 and INHS and the like who offer services for residents as discussed by Mr. Horwitz. The committee will look into various sites and develop a list for approval by the Board and then implement them. Ad Hoc Committees Fire – Mr. Engman reported that the possibility of a Fire Corporation was vetted further but they can not have paid firefighters so we are back to square one. Youth – Mr. Engman noted that we are still waiting on the final report from SUNY Cortland and Mr. DePaolo said he would check with Ms. Liddencoat. Consider Consent Agenda Items TB RESOLUTION NO. 2012-173: Consent Agenda BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca hereby approves and/or adopts the following Consent Agenda items: a.Town of Ithaca Abstract b.Approval of Minutes of August 27 and September 10, 2012 c.Approval for submission of Justice Court Assistance Program (JCAP) grant d.Approval of appointment of Laborer position at Public Works MOVED: Tee-Ann Hunter SECONDED: Eric Levine VOTE: Ayes: Hunter, Levine, Horwitz, Leary, DePaolo, Engman and Goodman Motion passed unanimously TB Resolution No. 2012 -173b: Town of Ithaca Abstract Whereas, the following numbered vouchers have been presented to the Ithaca Town Board for approval of payment; and Whereas, the said vouchers have been audited for payment by the said Town Board; now therefore be it Resolved, that the governing Town Board hereby authorizes the payment of the said vouchers in total for the amounts indicated. VOUCHER NOS. 2700 - 2772 General Fund Town wide 111,640.57 General Fund Part Town 4,296.14 Highway Fund Part Town 24,058.37 Water Fund 470,429.60 Adopted 10-15-2012 TBS 9-24-2012 Page 5 of 7 Sewer Fund 2,683.69 Fire Protection Fund 300.00 Risk Retention Fund 1,325.00 Forest Home Lighting District 39.75 Glenside Lighting District 15.78 Renwick Heights Lighting District 21.00 Eastwood Commons Lighting District 28.74 Clover Lane Lighting District 3.61 Winner’s Circle Lighting District 5.45 Burleigh Drive Lighting District 12.74 West Haven Road Lighting District 50.48 Coddington Road Lighting District 29.37 Trust and Agency 18,000.00 Debt Service 150.00 TOTAL 633,090.29 TB Resolution No. 2012- 173a: Approval of Minutes of Minutes of August 27 and September 10, 2012 WHEREAS, the draft minutes of the Minutes of August 27 and September 10, 2012meetings of the Town Board have been submitted for review and approval; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the governing Town Board hereby approves the submitted minutes as the final minutes of the Minutes of August 27 and September 10, 2012of the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca. TB Resolution No. 2012- 173c: Justice Court Assistance Program Grant Application WHEREAS: in 2012 the NYS State Legislature once again established the Justice Court Assistance Program to assist towns and villages in the operation of its Justice Courts, and WHEREAS: the Chief Administrative Judge of the State’s Unified Court System is once again entertaining grant applications for the year 2012, and WHEREAS: the deadline date for application is October 1, 2012, NOW THEREFORE BE IT Adopted 10-15-2012 TBS 9-24-2012 Page 6 of 7 RESOLVED: that this governing board of the Town of Ithaca authorizes and directs the Town Justices to complete and file the 2012 Justice Court Assistance Program Grant Application with the State of New York’s Unified Court System TB Resolution No. 2012 – 173d Ratification of Highway Superintendent’s Appointment of Richard Dickens as a Laborer WHEREAS, there has been a vacancy in the full time position of Laborer for the Public Works Department, since February 27, 2012 due to a resignation; and WHEREAS, the Interview Committee comprised of the Highway Superintendent/Director of Public Works, Deputy Highway Superintendent, Parks Maintenance Manager, Water and Sewer Maintenance Supervisor, 3 Working Supervisors and Human Resources Manager, interviewed ten candidates; and WHEREAS, the Committee has determined that Richard Dickens possesses the necessary knowledge and skills to satisfactorily perform the duties of Laborer; and WHEREAS, Jim Weber, Highway Superintendent/Director of Public Works, appointed Richard Dickens as Laborer, effective September 17, 2012; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca does hereby ratify the appointment made by the Highway Superintendent/Director of Public Works, of Richard Dickens as Laborer, effective September 17, 2012; and be it further RESOLVED, this is a 40 hours a week positions, at the hourly wage of $17.34, which is an estimated annual salary of $36,067 from Public Works account numbers, in Job Classification “I”, with full time benefits; and be it further RESOLVED, a mandatory twenty-six (26) week probationary period applies with no further action by the Town Board if there is successful completion of the probationary period as determined by the Highway Superintendent/Director of Public Works. Adopted 10-15-2012 TBS 9-24-2012 Page 7 of 7 Review of Correspondence Ms. Leary noted that the request from CSI for an increase in funding did not include an increase in employee wages and she would like that brought to their attention. She felt that with our position as a living wage employer, it is a concern that they felt it was a point of pride that they did not increase their wages. Mr. Engman thought that was noted because they haven't asked for an increase in over 4 years and they were trying to justify the request and show that they are not trying to gouge the municipalities. He said he could check with them because maybe they have given them in the past and this is the first year they did not. Mr. DePaolo thought that the request stated that they got an increase last year, but it is confusing. He went on to address Ms. Leary's point, wondering to what extent we monitor the employment practices of contracted entities since we are just a small piece of the funding that goes to many of these groups that we support. Ms. Leary would like it expressed to entities that we fund that keeping their salaries low is not a budgetary concern for us and in fact it is the opposite and we support living wages. Mr. Engman noted that we do have vacancies coming up on the Zoning and Ethics Boards and may have others, and asked that members start to spread the word. Consider Adjournment Motion made by Ms. Hunter, seconded by Ms. Leary to adjourn at 5:45 p.m. Unanimous A political caucus was held immediately following adjournment. Submitte< Paulette Terwilliger Adopted 10-15-2012