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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BPW-2014-06-23BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS PROCEEDINGS CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 4:45 p.m. June 24, 2014 PRESENT: Mayor Myrick Commissioners (5) - Darling, Morache, Warden, Goldsmith, Acharya OTHERS PRESENT: City Attorney - Lavine Superintendent of Public Works - Thorne Assistant Superintendent of Streets and Facilities - Benjamin Assistant Superintendent of Water and Sewer — Whitney Director of Engineering - West Director of Parking - Nagy Information Management Specialist - Myers Chief of Staff — Sutherland EXCUSED: Commissioner Jenkins Common Council Liaison — Fleming DAC Liaison — Roberts Additions to or Deletions From the Agenda: Director of Engineering West Requested the Addition of Item 9.4 under Discussion Items entitled "Outdoor Dining on North Tioga Street ". No Board Member objected. Mayor's Communications: Mayor Myrick reported to the Board on the fatal accident that occurred Friday, June 20, 2014 at Simeon's Bistro around 4:00 p.m. when a tractor trailer car carrier crashed into the restaurant, killing the bar tender and injuring seven others. Remarkably, all seven people were treated for minor injuries and released. The truck driver was treated at the scene and released as well. The investigation into the accident is continuing; however, he wanted to praise and recognize the tireless and incredible amount of work, coordination, and teamwork by members of the City of Ithaca Fire Department, Police Department, Department of Public Works, and Building Division. He spotlighted for the Board the staff members of the Department of Public Works that responded immediately and remained on scene until after 3:30 a.m. Saturday morning. They were: Supt. Thorne, Director of Engineering West, Asst. Supt. Benjamin, Asst. Supt. Whitney, and Supervisor Murphy. The Mayor discussed how the City proceeded with containment of the scene, partial demolition of the building, and removal of the truck. He noted that members of the Department of Public Works worked alongside with members of the Building Division, which included Director of Code Enforcement Niechwiadowicz, and Sr. Code Inspector Schell until early Saturday morning to secure and stabilize the scene. Mayor Myrick noted that as of this morning the 100 Block of North Aurora Street remains closed, and most of the debris has been cleared away. He stated that Director of Code Enforcement Niechwiadowicz is putting together a stabilization plan and is working with the structural engineer to determine when and if the street can be reopened to traffic and the sidewalk to pedestrians. He doesn't believe the building will need to be condemned; however, the building is more than 130 years old; it is not protected by Ithaca Landmarks Preservation, but it is on the New York State registry of historical buildings, so there might be grant money available to assist in rebuilding, depending upon what the property owner decides. Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes June 23, 2014 A brief discussion followed on the floor regarding the accident, and what might be involved in rebuilding and restoring the building to what was there prior to the accident. DPW staff had the foresight to set aside historical debris that could be saved so that pieces and parts can be replicated more easily if the owners decide to move in that direction. Further discussion followed on the floor on what could be done to prevent a similar accident in future at that location, what kind of physical barriers can be put on the Commons, as well as what kind of legal barriers could prevent trucks from using hills to come into the city. Since the Commons is currently under reconstruction, discussions will be held regarding stronger barriers that might be installed at that end of the Commons as part of the project. Mayor Myrick noted that he has been receiving calls from local representatives about what they can do to help, which will help the City as it works with New York State Department of Transportation to address concerns and changes that could be made to prevent another accident in that location, as well as truck access to the City in general. Communications and Hearings of Persons Before the Board: Fay Gougakis, City of Ithaca addressed the Board to voice her concern regarding a bicycle parked in the Seneca Street parking garage that takes up two spaces. She knows who the person is that leaves the bike there, and has brought this to the attention of the parking garage staff, but nothing has been done. She encouraged the Board to address the matter with the person so they understand how their bicycle should be left on the rack. Response to the Public: Mayor Myrick asked Director of Parking Nagy to look into the matter because it is similar to a car taking up two parking spaces, which would not be allowed. Reports: Planning and Development Board Liaison Acharya noted that today would be his last Board of Public Works meeting, and tomorrow would be his last Planning and Development board meeting. He reported that one item on tomorrow's agenda is the Marriott Hotel, which is turning into quite a challenging project. He encouraged the Mayor to review the project and provide input to the Board. Mayor Myrick expressed his sadness at Commissioner Acharya's departure from the Board, and thanked him for his service to the Board of Public Works, and for his tenure as a great Chair for the Planning and Development Board. He will be missed very much. Other Board members expressed their thanks and appreciation to him as well. Supt. Thorne thanked the Mayor for his comments about how the Department of Public Works staff responded to the accident at Simeon's and echoed those same thoughts. He also supported the comments made about the great job done by the Ithaca Fire and Police Department members. In addition, he appreciated the assistance from the staff of the Building Division. It was also great to have staff from the Water and Sewer department respond to the scene to assist. Everyone did an excellent job that made for a long day and night for staff, as most did not leave the scene until after 3:30 a.m. Saturday morning. He wanted to publicly acknowledge all the City staff for their service and the great coordination and cooperation between departments; it was remarkable and very much appreciated. Director Engineering West reported that the Alex Haley and Cass Park pools have been repaired and are open for the season! Replacement of the pool at Cass Park will need to be discussed in future because there is a concern about whether the same problem will recur or not, and staff from NYSEG will need to be involved well. Asst. Supt. Benjamin reported that crews are prepping for curb installation on Esty Street, and that work should be completed by early July. Asst. Supt. Whitney reported that 17 water services were replaced on West Clinton Street to address water quality issues. He noted that they are encountering issues with different water quality problems around the city, for example, today the problem was at Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes June 23, 2014 Osmun Place. Crews investigated and found that the main is so plugged that there is little flow, so they may try to clean it, but it may be another water main replacement project for next year; it may be more than 100 years old. Director of Parking Nagy reported that he worked with Tompkins Cortland Community College and Tompkins County to put together a hospitality training program for city staff. Seven staff members from the Parking Division attended the "Ambassador Training Program ". The training focused on dealing with difficult customers, and included a tour of different areas in the County. The whole concept was to train staff on how to bring the services they provide to a higher level, and to help them understand they represent the City when they are working. It was an excellent program, and everyone who attended came to him afterwards to say that they now understood what he was talking about regarding customer service. He hopes to continue the training in the future as well. He further reported that the license plate readers have been installed with the expected GPS issues. He also reported that parking revenue for the garages through June 22, 2014 was over $100,000 more than at this point in 2013. Mayor Myrick stated that he received a couple of compliments already regarding the hospitality training, as well as for the work by Streets and Facilities on West Hill, the public has been very impressed. Approval of Minutes: Approval of the June 9, 2014 Regular Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes - Resolution By Commissioner Darling: Seconded by Commissioner Morache RESOLVED, That the minutes of the June 9, 2014 Regular Board of Public Works meeting be approved with noted corrections. Carried Unanimously Highways, Streets and Sidewalks: Award of Contract for Old Elmira Road Complete Streets Project - Capital Project #784 - Resolution By Commissioner Darling: Seconded by Commissioner Goldsmith WHEREAS, Common Council established Capital Project #784 for the Old Elmira Road Complete Streets Project, and WHEREAS, on January 1, 2013, a budget allocation of $1,365,000 was authorized for Capital Project #784, and WHEREAS, bids were received on Friday, June 6, 2014, for the Old Elmira Road Complete Streets Project General Construction Contract, and WHEREAS, Paul F. Vitale, INC. located at 7665 North Street Road, Auburn, New York. 13021, is the apparent low bidder with a base bid of Two Million Forty Seven Thousand Eight Hundred Ninety -One Dollars ($2,047,891.00) for Old Elmira Road Complete Streets Project General Construction Contract; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works hereby awards the General Construction Contract for City of Ithaca -DPW, Old Elmira Road Complete Streets Project to Paul F. Vitale, INC. , and be it further RESOLVED, That the Superintendent of Public Works is authorized to enter into and administer this contract. Supt. Thorne explained what funds have been allocated, and the four bids received for the project. The lowest bidder came in $700,000 over budget for the project. He reported that staff reviewed what items might be cut out of the project in an effort to find some savings. During that review, they discovered that the quantity of asphalt listed on the bid sheet had been doubled by mistake, so there will be significant savings there. He stated that because the funds for the project came from CHIP's funding, the City needs to award the bid for the full award amount. He explained that staff would recommend that the Board award the bid as proposed, and then they will review what Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes June 23, 2014 other items could removed from the project in order to bring it closer to the budgeted amount. Discussion followed on the floor regarding what changes staff might recommend be made to the project in order to bring it within budget. One item proposed for removal would be the proposed new sidewalk between Lucatelli's restaurant and the traffic circle; the savings to the project would be significant. That proposal generated a lot of discussion with both Board members and the Mayor expressing their opinions as to the value of having the sidewalk there or not at this point in time. It was noted that there is a sidewalk on the other side of the street by Baker Park. There is also a proposal for a mid -block cross walk in that area that would connect to the existing sidewalk. Director of Engineering West stated that some engineering work done in -house might provide additional savings as well. In addition, it is anticipated that there would be some assessment for new curbing according to the new sidewalk program. Commissioner Goldsmith noted that when this project was first proposed, the affected commercial property owners on the south side of the street told the Board that a sidewalk is not needed there because no one walks there anyway. Staff's response was that this is an urbanization project that makes the area more like a big city. It may lead to land use changes, which is what happens in cities. It is important to see beyond the project's interference with businesses there right now, to the potential growth and development that may result because of the project. A Vote on the Resolution Resulted as Follows: Carried Unanimously Parking and Traffic: Endorsement of the Odd /Even Parking Task Force's Proposed Policy - Resolution Chief of Staff Sutherland joined the Board for discussion of this topic. He asked the Board to postpone the discussion and vote until their next meeting. He reported that as a result of the public meetings, internal conversations, some assumptions that were made, and some changes requested that he needs time to review the information in order to provide a better estimate as to how much the project will cost the City. He will provide a full update and report on the proposed policy to Board members well before their next meeting so they have plenty of time to review the information. Mayor Myrick stated that he thinks this is a terrific proposal, and noted that there will always be some level of opposition to new plans, and that the City can't please everyone. Discussion Items: Outdoor Dining on North Tioga Street: Director of Engineering West explained that Kilpatrick's Restaurant on North Tioga Street would like to expand their outdoor dining area; however, due to the serving of alcohol the dining area needs to be contiguous to the building. He explained that staff would propose to eliminate the curb and two parking spaces, which would allow 400 square feet for outdoor dining that would be legal as it would be contiguous to the building. The Downtown Ithaca Alliance has offered to provide some funding for the proposal, as well as some funds from the City's parking program, and funds from the hotel /restaurant owner to pay for the cost of the work. He stated that staff would like to provide the Board with a recommendation in support of the request for their next meeting. Discussion followed on the floor regarding the funding sources, why the City would need to provide funding, and the loss of two parking spaces and their revenue. Further discussion followed on how the additional outdoor dining space would be created, and the positive aspects of the proposal. Slope Failure below Forest Home Drive Report and Discussion Director of Engineering West reported that the approximate cost for this repair work is $600,000. Common Council authorized $400,000 three years ago to make emergency repairs, the repairs have not been effected, and the money has not been spent. He stated that staff is not ready to make final a recommendation regarding how to address the slope stability issue. Forest Home Drive is a narrow street, and doesn't handle a lot N Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes June 23, 2014 of city traffic. Chief of Staff Sutherland has been asked to work with Cornell University regarding the necessary repair work to discuss the possibility of their providing some funding for the project since it is located on the campus. Board members recommended that the City abandon the road. City Attorney Lavine responded that abandonment is an option - legally speaking. However, he can't imagine that Cornell University would want the road closed since it provides access to their parking garage. He stated that it would make better sense to have Cornell University provide funding for the necessary repairs. Discussion followed on the floor regarding what it would mean if the City were to abandon the road. Mayor Myrick stated that the Board could recommend that he go to the President of Cornell University to explain that the City can't afford to repair the wall, and so will abandon the road. He further noted that if Cornell University fails to agree to provide at least some funding to keep the road open, the argument could be made to abandon it. It was suggested that perhaps Cornell University could take ownership of road and maintain it. Mayor Myrick suggested that the Board continue this discussion. In the meantime, he will let Cornell University know and see where it goes. Request to Perform a Public Arts Installation at Ithaca Falls: Applicant Jenn Houle and Sally Grubb, from the Public Art Commission joined the Board for discussion of the request. Ms. Houle explained that the objective of the art installation at Ithaca Falls is to raise awareness of lead poisoning in birds (i.e. hawks, eagles), and to focus on birds indigenous to this area. She reported that the Public Art Commission is very much in support of the request, and has suggested that she also work to partner with Cornell University's lab of ornithology to develop the sculptures. Discussion followed on the floor regarding safety concerns of the viewing of the art installation from the upper area of the falls near Willard Way. There is no parking there, and it might become a problem if there is a large crowd with cars to view the presentation. Further discussion followed regarding possible locations for parking and viewing that would not pose safety hazards. It was noted that in order for the projection to be successful there needs to be a sufficient flow of water over the falls, which means it must have rained significantly two to three days prior to the event. The water levels go up and down, and sometimes in September the Falls could be dry. It was suggested that an alternate date be planned should that be the case. Commissioner Darling expressed regret that there is no mechanism in place for the Natural Areas Commission to approve or disapprove the use since this event is planned for a natural area. He doesn't oppose the request, but the Natural Areas Commission should be allowed to provide input. Discussion followed as to whether or not this event would fall under the special event permit requirements. City Attorney Lavine stated that he would review the request related to liability concerns and let staff know so a resolution can be prepared, that includes appropriate language, if necessary, regarding insurance /liability requirements. The Board requested that a resolution in support be prepared for their next meeting. Retaining Wall Failure in Six Mile Creek: Supt. Thorne reported that two sections of the retaining wall in Six Mile Creek by South Cayuga Street at Titus Avenue were lost into the creek recently, and there is a concern, because the creek rises quickly when it rains, about erosion. He would recommend installing metal sheet piling so the bridges' concrete walls keep water from further eroding into the slope. 5 Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes June 23, 2014 The preliminary estimate from contractors for that work is $65,000, which is way beyond what can be done in an emergency situation so staff is looking at other options than sheet piling. Staff hoped to have a resolution for the Board for today's meeting, but will have to review options and the budget. More information and possibly a resolution will be coming in the future. Executive Session to Discuss Acquisition of Real Property: By Commissioner Goldsmith: Seconded by Commissioner Warden RESOLVED, That the Board enter into Executive Session to Discuss the Acquisition of Real Property. Carried Unanimously Reconvene: The Board of Public Works reconvened into regular session with no formal action taken. Adjournment: On a motion the meeting adjourned. Sarah L. Myers Svante L. Myrick Information Management Specialist Mayor •