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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BPW-2014-07-28BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS PROCEEDINGS CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 4:45 p.m. July 28, 2014 PRESENT: Mayor Myrick Commissioners (5) - Jenkins, Darling, Morache, Warden, Goldsmith OTHERS PRESENT: Superintendent of Public Works - Thorne Assistant Superintendent of Streets and Facilities - Benjamin Assistant Superintendent of Water and Sewer — Whitney Information Management Specialist - Myers Director of Engineering — West Director of Parking — Nagy Transportation Engineer — Logue EXCUSED: Common Council Liaison — Fleming DAC Liaison — Roberts Additions to or Deletions from the Agenda: Supt. Thorne requested the addition of the following items to the agenda: 8.5A Award of Bids for Water Supply Project: Water Treatment Plant Contracts 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D - Resolution 9.4 Hot Truck Discussion No Board Member Objected Mayor's Communications: The Mayor had no communications at this time for the Board. Communications and Hearings from Persons Before the Board: No one appeared to address the Board. Reports: Supt. Thorne reported that a lot of his time recently has been spent working on the 2015 budget for the Department of Public Works. Staff finalized a Request for Proposals for the Six Mile Creek wall design. They are hopeful for a solution that will provide for a good temporary fix, as well as one that city crews can take care of. Director of Engineering West reported that the City received permission to proceed with the Old Elmira Road work. Staff reviewed the project further to determine what could be done to get the project within its budgeted amount. They found a math error in the bid package because the amount of asphalt required for the project had been doubled by mistake. They will also pursue elimination of drainage improvements from the former Lucatelli's restaurant to the traffic circle and eliminate the sidewalk there. This will save a lot of money, and can be done at some point in the future, if desired. Some changes have also been made to the planting areas such as removal of the granite curbing from the back of the planters, and the elimination of curbing in that same stretch of road noted above. They will narrow the street width to match the width of the traffic circle. By making these changes to the project it can bring in the project cost to almost $1.8 million, which is close to the budgeted amount. It was noted that a bike lane will be maintained in this stretch of road, even with it being narrowed. Director of Engineering West further reported that he and Transportation Engineer Logue have been working on the Request for Proposals for the Spencer Street /Stone Quarry Road intersection, the Cascadilla Creek Walk, the walkway at Hudson Street /Coddington Road, and a small project in the Columbia Street park which should be ready for release in about a week. In addition, staff opened the one bid document for the bump -outs on Green and Seneca Streets which were advertised state wide, and still resulted in only 1 bidder. The bid came in at close to twice what the budget for the Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes July 28, 2014 project is. Staff is working to negotiate with the bidder, but it appears that it will be a long negotiation. Staff will discuss and may decide to rebid the project during the Winter for Spring construction. Director of Engineering West reported that a crew from Streets & Facilities and Water and Sewer are working with NYSEG to move the work on West Clinton Street along, and hope to put together a contract to bid the work for the street to be milled and paved this year. More information on that project will be forthcoming to the Board in the near future. He further reported that a second contractor crew has been hired to work on the Commons reconstruction project back in an effort to get it back on schedule after the accident at Simeon's. Additional NYSEG crews are also working on the project but they are behind schedule as well due to storm and weather related work that has taken them away. In addition, a Saturday work crew has been hired to help move the project along faster; the goal is still to have the majority of the it completed by the end of November 2014 — but that is a very ambitious goal. Asst. Supt. Benjamin reported that most of the concrete work has been completed on Plain /Esty Streets; they still need to work on the tree pits, which will be a lot of work. In addition, a crew is working on a sidewalk project in District 1 on Thurston Avenue. There was a sink hole on Hook Place that needed repair, and another sink hole was reported on South Titus Avenue where the retaining wall failed because of water from South Hill during a heavy rain recently. They hope to incorporate this work into the Six Mile Creek retaining wall redesign work. He, also, has been buried in 2015 budget preparation work. Asst. Supt. Whitney reported that one crew is working on water service replacements on West Clinton Street; 20 water services have been swapped out there, with the remaining 6 to be done in the coming weeks. One crew is clearing the storage area and helping to move records, and tools from water plant as the City gears up for construction of the new water plant. In addition, crews are out working on fire lines and services for Cornell, and is pretty busy that way. He, also, has been very busy working the budget. Director of Parking Nagy reported on the past month's revenue for all three parking garages, how construction in the Seneca Street garage is impacting parking in the other garages, and how the upcoming construction in Collegetown will have a positive impact on revenue for the Dryden Road garage. He further reported that 1 license plate reader is up and running well - with positive responses from staff. They are great for 2 hour time zones and make enforcement easier than chalking tires. The other car with the license plate reader is in the shop as it seems to have transmission problems from the installation of the license plate reader system. The transmission determines how fast the reader runs; it was installed incorrectly. He hopes to have both cars up and operating by end of this week. He hopes to have a start date of August 15th for the system, and wants to make sure all the bugs are worked out first. He has been working on his budget as well. Board Liaisons: Youth Bureau Advisory Board: Commissioner Warden, liaison, reported to that the Youth Bureau Board was approached by the roller derby league, which uses the Cass Park Rink for their derbies about the possibility of selling alcohol during their events. Commissioner Warden reported that the Board is working to get information /comparisons from other cities about how they handle similar requests. He wanted the Board of Public Works to be aware of the request, because if the Youth Bureau Board denies the request, the appeal would come to them. They made the request as a way to raise money for the roller derby league. Buildings, Properties, Refuse, and Transit: Conveyance of City Land to Sciencenter - Resolution By Commissioner Goldsmith: Seconded by Commissioner Morache WHEREAS, the City entered into a lease with the organization now known as Sciencenter Discovery Museum ( "Sciencenter ") on February 6, 1993 ( "Lease "), under which the Sciencenter had use of the property known as 601 First Street ( "Property ") to construct the Sciencenter science museum, and Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes July 28, 2014 WHEREAS, the Lease granted the Sciencenter an option to purchase the Property, which the Sciencenter now wishes to exercise, and the City Controller has confirmed that the Sciencenter has made all necessary payments to exercise the option, and WHEREAS, the Sciencenter has requested an easement for a portion of City -owned land bordering the Property on the east, which land is the right -of -way for a portion of Lake Avenue that no longer exists, onto which the Sciencenter's miniature golf course has extended for a number of years, and WHEREAS, various City boards have previously expressed their interest in granting the Sciencenter permission to use this land, and WHEREAS, the easement would not be transferable to any other party without the City's consent, and the Sciencenter has agreed to carry sufficient insurance to protect the City's interests and indemnify the City against all claims arising from the Sciencenter's use of the City -owned land, and WHEREAS, the Sciencenter previously installed and maintained improvements on City land (such as installation and operation of lighting, benches, trash and dog waste receptacles in the area alongside Cascadilla Creek), the value of which exceeds the net present value of the license fees that the City would charge to grant a license to use the area in question; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Board finds that the City -owned land on which the miniature golf course is presently located is surplus for municipal purposes, and be it further RESOLVED, That the Board recommends that Common Council authorize the Mayor to sign the necessary paperwork to complete the sale of the Property and grant the easement to the Sciencenter. Carried Unanimously Water and Sewer: Award of Bids for "Water Supply Project: Water Treatment Plant — Contracts 4A, 4113, 4C, and 4D - Resolution By Commissioner Darling: Seconded by Commissioner Jenkins WHEREAS, as a vital component of the City of Ithaca Water Supply Project, demolition of the City's 1903 Water Treatment Plant and reconstruction of the water treatment plant structure, installation of new membrane treatment equipment, renovation of the Water Street Pumping Station and Clearwells and completion of the electrical work at the Sixty Foot Dam are necessary to replace an aging facility, enhance efficiency, and improve functionality, and WHEREAS, City Engineering Consultants, O'Brien and Gere, prepared design drawings, specifications, and bid packaging, and WHEREAS, four (4) sealed bids were received for the Water Treatment Plant, Contract 4A, General Construction; ten (10) sealed bids were received for Contract 4B, Electrical Construction; three (3) sealed bids were received for Contract 4C, HVAC Construction; two (2) sealed bids were received for Contract 4D, Plumbing Construction; and all bids were opened publicly and read aloud on July 1, 2014 at 2:00 p.m., and WHEREAS, our Engineering Consultants and Staff have reviewed said bids and have concluded that the offers submitted by Welliver McGuire for Contract 4A Base Bid and the Alternate, Shuler -Haas Electric Corporation for Contract 4B Base Bid and the Alternate, Kimble Inc. for Contract 4C Base Bid and the Alternate, and Ackerman Plumbing Inc. for Contract 4D Base Bid and the Alternate have been identified as the apparent low bidders, and WHEREAS, on April 3, 2013 Common Council provided project funding by amending Capital Project #510 Water Treatment Plant Improvements /Reconstruction by an amount not to exceed $30,700,000 for a total project authorization of $36,700,000; now, therefore, be it 3 Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes July 28, 2014 RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works hereby award the bid for Contract 4A to Welliver McGuire, 250 North Genesee Street, Montour Falls, NY 14865 for the low Alternate Bid a total amount not to exceed $13,928,000.00 for general construction services, and be it further, RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works hereby award the bid for Contract 4B to Schuler -Haas Electric Corp., 240 Commerce Drive, Rochester, NY 14623 for the low Alternate Bid a total amount not to exceed $1,882,500.00 for electric construction services, and be it further, RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works hereby award the bid for Contract 4C to Kimble, Inc. 1004 Sullivan Street, Elmira, NY 14901 for the low Alternate Bid a total amount not to exceed $1,060,500.00 for HVAC construction services, and be it further, RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works hereby award the bid for Contract 4D to Ackerman Plumbing, Inc. 678 Sheridan Drive, Tonawanda, NY 14150 for the low Alternate Bid a total amount not to exceed $605,500.00 for plumbing construction services, and be it further, RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works authorizes the Superintendent of Public Works to execute the respective contracts with Welliver McGuire, Schuler -Haas Electric Corp., Kimble, Inc., and Ackerman Plumbing, Inc. upon review and approval by the City Attorney. Rick Gell, from O'Brien & Gere, joined the Board for discussion of this item. A brief discussion followed on the floor regarding the alternate pricing bids, and the decision that was made regarding possible use of 967 East State /Martin Luther King, Jr. Street during construction of the new water plant. A Vote on the Resolution Resulted as Follows: Carried Unanimously Discussion Items: Stewart Park Inclusive Playground and Spray Park Presentation: Rick Manning, representative from Friends of Stewart Park, and Diana Reisman, representative from Ithaca Motion Picture Project, joined the Board for discussion of this topic. Mr. Manning explained the playground renovation proposal for an all inclusive playground, which will be a children's playground fully accessible to children of all ages and abilities, and will also include an upgraded spray park facility. The playground and spray park will be divided into sections by age — for infants, children, teenagers, adults, and elders. The price tag is about $750,000, which is a huge amount to raise but which they feel is very possible because they have access to good fund raising advice, and a board that is very engaged in the project — as are others in the community. They are here today to obtain permission to present the proposal, including the conceptual design, to the public in the Fall. He explained that at some point they will need to take the proposal to the Planning and Development Board to discuss in more detail, as well as to the Parks Commission. They will also need to come back to the Board of Public Works for final design approval. They do anticipate adjustments as the project moves forward. Discussion followed on the floor regarding the proposal and the Board's support for it. Board members and staff did express concern over future maintenance of the playground and spray park. Mr. Manning stated that the Friends of Stewart Park are very conscious of having to build their organization to capacity in order to help the City build the things it wants. Towards that goal, they are working with Cornell Cooperative Extension. They realize they can't just build the playground, and then expect City to take care of it. They know that it is hard to raise money, but it is even harder to raise the money to maintain it. They explained that the question of maintenance is absolutely integral to the planning of the playground, and the Friends of Stewart Park plan to fund raise with maintenance costs in mind - so that is a component of the fund raising efforts as well. They feel that if N Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes July 28, 2014 the money for maintenance is raised before the playground is built that it will be much better for maintenance issues in the future. They both feel the playground will be an excellent addition to the park, especially the water feature since the park is so close to water that can't be used. Mr. Manning further explained the schedule and process for the project as follows: • Approval & Design Development (Parks Commission, BPW, Planning Board & Public): Summer 2014 -Fall 2014 • Fundraising Campaign (form committee, select chairpersons, quiet phase, grassroots /public campaign): Summer 2014 - Summer 2015 • Volunteer Organizing (Build logistics, fundraising, materials and other donations): Summer 2014 - Summer 2015 • Playground Build: Fall 2015 or Spring 2016 Brief discussion followed on the floor regarding the location of certain elements of the playground /water feature, location of accessible pathways, and parking. Mr. Manning stated that they hope to complete the Cayuga Waterfront Trail loop through the park with the project, and create an endowment of sorts for maintenance in the future. Conveyance of City Property to the IURA: Mr. Scott Whitham, architect for the project, joined the Board for a presentation and discussion of the request. He provided the following information about the project for the Board: "On June 26, 2014, the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA) unanimously passed a resolution that the project "satisfies the IURA sponsor criteria - including qualifications, capacity and experience- to be designated a "qualified and eligible sponsor" to undertake ...an urban in -fill hotel project on the 300 block of East Martin Luther King, Jr. /East State Street and further resolved that "the IURA recommends that the Common Council and the Board of Public Works make the City -owned portion of the parking lot (tax parcel #69.- 1 -6.2) available for redevelopment and approve the transfer of the parcel to the IURA for the purpose of structuring the proposed sale for consideration by Common Council." By this memo, we would like to request the conveying of this property from the City to the IURA for purchase by the developer, as so recommended by the IURA. The proposal seeks to redevelop a parking lot in the heart of downtown Ithaca where the former Strand Theater once stood, and to reinvigorate the public realm in this core area of downtown. The project is a 6 -story building located at the eastern portion of downtown Ithaca on East Martin Luther King, Jr. /East State Street. The project will include a breakfast room, day /night bar and lounge, a meeting /conference room, pool and fitness areas, and approximately 2,000 sf of retail space on the 13,165 gsf ground floor. Floors 2 -5 are 11, 215 gsf and Floor 6 is 11, 095 gsf, with 24 guestrooms per floor. The total gross square footage of the project is 69,120 with 120 total guestrooms. The 6 -story building is 70' -6" tall, which is comprised of a 18' -0" ground floor, and 10'6" for the typical floors. The height to the mechanical penthouse /screen is 82' -6'; assuming the screen is 12' -0" high. Currently, exterior facade materials on the ground floor will be stone veneer, metal and glass canopy at porte- cochere, use an aluminum storefront system, metal panel, and brick veneer. Other typical floors will use metal siding, punched aluminum windows, aluminum window wall system at the comer, metal panel, and brick veneer." Mr. Whitham provided the Board with a power point presentation of the project, and explained in more detail the access points to the hotel and provided the Board with an opportunity to ask questions. Discussion followed regarding parking needs for patrons of the hotel. Director of Parking Nagy explained that currently there is 62% parking occupancy downtown with 190 spaces available, so there is capacity in the parking garages to handle parking needs downtown and then some with the project. Further discussion followed on vehicular issues such as garbage and delivery truck pull -offs and access to the building. Mr. 5 Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes July 28, 2014 Whitham indicated that vehicular issues are being developed as discussions progress with the project. Director of Engineering West noted that the neighboring property is being developed by Travis Hyde, and they have an easement with the City that carried with property. Mr. Whitham responded that they are currently in discussions with them; the easement is a small part of the proposed hotel area. There is a need for bike racks, and this area could possibly be used for that purpose and pedestrian access as they want to make accommodations for everyone with the project. Mayor Myrick asked Board members for their thoughts on the conveyance of the property to the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA). Board members responded that they support the proposal and would recommend the transfer of the property to the IURA. Hills and Truck Safety within the City of Ithaca: Mayor Myrick explained that he asked Transportation Engineer Logue to provide a list of items that might be done to address the issue of safety in this area due to the hills and trucks entering the City. He further stated that a press release would be forthcoming that he has put together a larger group made up of representatives from Tompkins County, New York State Representatives such as Barbara Lifton, New York State Department of Transportation, and the City of Ithaca to discuss the larger issues outside the City that should be addressed. Transportation Engineer Logue provided the following memo for the Board's information and consideration to begin discussion of the topic: At the Mayor's direction and in the wake of the Simeon's incident, I am providing this memo as a way to begin a City conversation about the fact that we have steep hills, that not all drivers or vehicles are prepared to negotiate their way safely to the bottom, and what, if anything, the City ought to do about it. This memo is not intended to be a final list of options or even comprehensive in any way, instead, the intent was to brainstorm a list, present it to the Board and then, through discussion, decide a course of action. The Board may also want to solicit broader input or feedback, such as from Common Council, other departments (e.g., Police or Fire), trucking companies, or the general public. Most of these ideas are just that, I don't claim that they are all feasible, effective or cost effective. Many of the ideas would require significant engineering and coordination with other agencies. Most of them will require a budget authorization from Common Council. After some discussion and direction, staff can help formulate a recommendation for a course of action. These ideas are generally listed in order from simple to complex, but they are numbered just for convenience. 1. Evaluate existing signage on all State numbered routes, potentially including signage outside of the City limits, related to hills and trucks. Are all signs in good condition, properly mounted, and in compliance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices? 2. Could we augment existing signage with additional truck or hill related signage? Do we need more standard hill warning signs? Should we add grade & distance information? Should we add "trucks use lower gear" signs, too? NYSDOT installed some truck/hill warning signs with flashers on a few approaches to the City a while back. Do we need more? 3. What information exists on Google Maps, Map Quest, Apple Maps, other on -line mapping or GPS programs? Does anything identify routes for heavy vehicles? Does anything indicate taking "short cuts" like Rt 366, instead of just staying on Rt 13? Can we modify any of this to keep people on Route 13? Or avoid Ithaca and stay on the Interstate system? A quick internet search indicates there are plenty of truck mapping applications available suggesting truck routes. • Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes July 28, 2014 4. Could we set a different, lower speed limit for trucks, similar to what you might see on the Interstate when the general speed limit is 65 mph, but the truck speed limit is 40 mph? We would need special authorization from New York State to set official speed limits below 25 mph, but likely the truck speed limit would be 20 mph or 25 mph. The Federal Highway Administration developed a Grade Severity Rating System that might be useful in determining safe descent speeds for heavy vehicles and, therefore, posted truck speed limits. We would probably ask NYSDOT for assistance with this. 5. New York State has a truck route system for special dimension trucks, including 53 foot trailers, tandem trailers, auto carriers, and more. It is called the NYS Qualifying and Access Highway System. Currently, in the City of Ithaca, the following roadways are included in the system: a. Route 13 (entire length) b. Route 79 (entire length, including Green and Seneca Streets) c. Route 96 (west of Route 13) d. Route 96B (from State Street to Emerson Power Transmission) e. East State Street from (Aurora St to East Green Street) Should we remove any segments? For example, now that Emerson is closed, should Rt 96B be removed? Route 79, west of Route 13, was added a few years ago; is that a decision we want to revisit? Any changes will need to be coordinated with the New York State Department of Transportation. 6. Should we have some sort of pull -off or truck station outside of the City, at the top of the hill(s) ? This could be a truck check point of some sort, a weigh station or a brake check area; information about the hills could be provided. To take that a step further, with some sort of automatic weight or truck detection system, dynamic (changeable) warning signs or dynamic speed limit signs for trucks could be used to inform truck drivers. A detection system that triggered dynamic signs could be used to reinforce existing regulations, such as the 9 ton limit on South Aurora Street (Rt 968), directing trucks to turn around, say at King Road. Or, they could be used to just provide information or warnings. Automatic detection systems, including license plate recognition systems might also be able to be used to automatically notify law enforcement. 7. Last year, an opportunity presented itself to upgrade the functional classification of Route 79, from Route 13 to Interstate 81, from a minor arterial to a principal arterial. The motivating factor was to recognize its importance in connecting Ithaca to the Interstate system, but also to make it eligible for a federal funding source called the National Highway Preservation Program (NHPP). With the federal transportation law, MAP -21, approximately half of the available federal funding for surface transportation has been allocated to the NHPP, which funds only projects on the National Highway System. In Tompkins County, the only roadway currently on the National Highway System is Route 13. By upgrading Route 79 to a principal arterial, it would become eligible for NHPP funding. However, including a roadway in the National Highway System might also tend to encourage truck traffic. Should we rescind our request to upgrade Rt 79, from Rt 13 to 1 -81, to a principal arterial? This would require coordination with the Ithaca Tompkins County Transportation Council and NYSDOT. 8. Do we need and could we get more enforcement, local, state or other, of existing truck related ordinances or laws? There are many regulations, including, but not limited to vehicle performance components such as brakes and tires, weight restrictions on certain streets (e.g., Aurora St is 9 ton limit by local ordinance), length restrictions based on NYS Access & Qualifying Highways, etc. The Ithaca Police Department has a truck enforcement detail in partnership with NYSDOT that is quite successful given resources. Should that program be bolstered? To what extent are the Tompkins County Sheriff's Department and New York State Troopers involved? Should we ask for additional assistance? Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes July 28, 2014 9. Could Eddy Street somehow be transformed into a runaway truck ramp? Probably not. Without taking property or radically repurposing our street right -of- way, 1 can't think of any other locations that provide space. 10. Should we construct raised islands, a roundabout or a berm in certain locations to provide something to crash into? How would we have to design them to make them effective? Locations to consider might include the East State /MLK Jr. Street & Aurora intersection or at the Tuning Fork. A limiting factor currently is the limited space available. 11. Should we consider installing bollards or some sort of vehicle arresting devices? We would need to do some research about what type of devices might be effective, have a relatively small footprint (presumably this would be important in our downtown), and fit into our urban landscape. These may have significant negative aspects. Concepts could be developed by Public Works either with in- house research or by a request for proposals, but there might also be other groups that could gather this information, such as Cornell engineering students. 12. Consider changing traffic patterns in the downtown to make it more difficult for a truck to reach the intersection of Aurora & State /MLK Jr. Streets. For example, if the 100 block of North Aurora Street was just southbound instead of northbound, then all traffic coming down Rt 968 would then need to turn right onto the 300 block of East State /Martin Luther King, Jr. Street. This might allow for a large berm, impact attenuator, a raised island, a wall or something to crash into. Likewise, if all traffic coming down the hill on East State /MLK Jr. Street was forced to turn right onto Seneca Way, this would allow for a large berm or impact attenuator or something in the Tuning Fork to crash into. This idea would need a traffic study to see how it would affect traffic. There would also be costs to design and convert streets, signals, meters and other things for the different patterns. And, of course, there would still be the question of what the thing would be to crash into and its pros & cons. 13. Similar to the aircraft arresting gear system on an aircraft carrier, what about a cable and hook system that would catch the axle(s) of a truck if a weight sensor or speed detector was triggered? How would you identify a runaway truck? Would it just rip off the axle? Transportation Engineer Logue further reported that he had a couple recent phone calls from the public with other suggestions such as: 1. Could the City educate more trucking companies about routes through Ithaca 2. The need to work with law enforcement on education rather than tickets 3. Address where trucks are traveling to as they enter the City He further noted that there are so many different sources of information for truckers and trucking companies that it makes it very confusing for them to determine the appropriate routes to take to reach their destination. Mayor Myrick stated that, process wise for this topic, would be for the Board to identify a couple of ideas to explore further, and then a couple Board members volunteer to work with staff to explore those ideas further and make a recommendation to the Board. Once the Board has chosen the direction they would like to proceed, then funding could be proposed for inclusion in the budget. Mayor Myrick voiced support for suggestion #11 - the installation of bollards, and how to incorporate them into the new Commons redesign. This is an idea that the City could take care of itself without any help from the County or State. He is also interested in changing traffic patterns downtown, and restoring Aurora and Cayuga Streets to two - way traffic. It would slow down traffic, but it would be safer. Transportation Engineer Logue responded that by not allowing certain traffic movements through Aurora and State /MLK, Jr. Streets, and at the Tuning Fork, it would force drivers to turn right onto State /MLK, Jr. Street from Aurora Street. It would result in additional space on the street, which might be used to install crash barriers. The traffic N Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes July 28, 2014 pattern would look like it did when fences were up by Simeons. Commissioner Morache noted one issue with that would be the crash barriers or gravel beds or truck ramps would be installed on the two blocks with most pedestrian traffic, and outdoor dining — it would be like inviting disaster into the core of the City. His suggestion would be to maybe move the traffic flow changes away from that area. He further noted what it might look like if parking were removed by Sage House, barriers installed on East State /MLK, Jr. Street, and moving the bike lane over, which might slow traffic down. If a truck ramp is not possible by Sage House then maybe an area to ditch a truck might be created. Supt. Thorne stated that item #12 is hard to visualize but it would provide room for whatever is decided. An added benefit would be that it might improve traffic circulation downtown so it might be something to put money towards to do a traffic study. Commissioner Warden stated that traffic flow can be a pretty complex issue. Once it is changed in one area it will affect many other areas - especially as people come down the hills. Whatever is decided will affect congestion, create slower traffic, and traffic jams /congestion; it's a complicated issue. Commissioner Morache noted that when NYS Route 13 was worked on in 1990's truck traffic increased because the road was improved. So, if traffic slowed enough downtown, trucks might take alternate routes or they would learn the first time they drive through to avoid it in the future because of the delays it can cause. Commissioner Goldsmith stated that the City could implement these suggestions, at a cost, but there is nothing that can be done about a company that doesn't fix its brakes and /or the driver is lost. He thinks making people know more ahead of time that they shouldn't come down these hills is the key — Route 96B does have turn around to check brakes, and he presumes it works. Mayor Myrick responded that enforcement is key to that suggestion. Commissioner Goldsmith would also support re- arranging traffic patterns downtown, which would make it more difficult for trucks passing through the City. Director of Engineering West noted that idea #7 is an interesting one. He stated that there are two competing things to consider with it — one, is the funding source and the other is that by putting NYS Route 79 on the Federal highway system is it then becomes one of the many truck routes across the country; is that what the City wants to do? He further stated that Green and Seneca Streets are part of the State arterial system, and the City approached New York State Department of Transportation about the possibility of swapping those two portions to the State for Route 79, and 1 portion of Route 13; the City currently owns both. The State expressed a lot of interest in that and actually initiated the beginning steps of that swap. The benefit of that swap would be that the City could make some of the proposed changes being discussed today. Currently those two streets (Green and Seneca) are not in the City's control. He would suggest that the request to NYS DOT be rescinded, that way the roads won't be included in the national highway service registry. The City doesn't know what it would mean if the routes were on the national registry as far as where trucks would choose to travel since there are so many GPS applications that can be used by truckers to determine the best and shortest routes. Commissioner Jenkins questioned what would happen if the City made State /MLK, Jr. Street into two -way traffic, and removed the Commons? Mayor Myrick responded that is a very bold suggestion; however, the City is too far along in the Commons reconstruction project to consider such an option. Discussion followed on the floor regarding increasing truck safety inspections in the City. Mayor Myrick noted that upwards of 30% of those stops result in tickets, and the City is looking at increasing enforcement prior to entering the City. It was also noted that signage is very important, especially on the hills instructing truckers to switch to low gear instead of using their brakes; if brakes are used, the trucks run out of air and then can't stop. It was also noted that if the request to the State were rescinded it would make those routes look less attractive to truckers. The City of Ithaca is a nice short cut to certain destinations. Further discussion followed on the floor regarding the fact that I Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes July 28, 2014 there are towns along certain routes known as "speed traps ", could the City become a "truck trap" whereby it gets the reputation of regular safety inspections of trucks entering the City? It was noted that it would be good to have that conversation with the Police Department, and other agencies to see if we have that reputation. Transportation Engineer Logue stated that staff could run through some of the proposed ideas to see which are faster to implement;, he would be interested in setting different speed limits and discussing that with NYSDOT. In addition, it would be good to reinforce the idea, through signage, that there is a steep grade, how long it is, and to use low gear. He noted that the City has seen more longer and bigger trucks lately, and it would be good to know information about what routes allow special length vehicles. His understanding is that if the driver is off route and gets stopped for over - length violations that the fines are significant. He questioned whether the City should try to close Route 96B to truck traffic since the factory on South Aurora Street is closed. Do we want trucks traveling west on Route 79, or find other ways to get to Watkins Glen? The City does have some ability to work with the State to remove certain routes from the registry and those changes might be low cost and have significant benefits. Commissioner Morache stated that the City should not presume that the former factory building /site will not ever require that type of truck traffic again because it is being developed, with a potential for industry type use. Transportation Engineer Logue responded that not all trucks would be prohibited on Route 96B, just the oversize ones. Mayor Myrick stated that he would like to have a sub - committee that includes Transportation Engineer Logue, and Board members to review all the suggestions to see what things the City's Engineering Department could pursue now, and to provide recommendations to the Board on other longer term options. Commissioners Morache and Darling volunteered to serve on the committee. Mayor Myrick thanked Transportation Engineer Logue and the Board for the information, and discussion of this topic. He stated that everyday is an opportunity to heal the wound, and every idea should be aired. It is also important to the public that every idea they thought of is also being discussed and considered by the City as well. He reported that Aurora Street re- opened to traffic today, and that the sidewalk is now open in front of the building. The building will be painted red to match the color of the bricks. Staff from the Building /Engineering Divisions is working with the property owners who have announced their intention to rebuild the facade. As a result of the accident, the reconstruction work on the Commons has been pushed back a little bit; however, the contractors hope to be substantially done by Thanksgiving. Hot Truck Discussion: Hot Truck Owner, Albert Smith, spoke at the Board's last meeting, and submitted the following request to the Board for consideration: Please accept this letter as a request of the Ithaca Board of Public Works. We request that the Board allow us to move our Heritage Permit rights from our current location on Stewart Avenue to the Eddy Street, at Dryden Road, food truck location that you have established in the new City Food Truck Policy. The reason for this request is that the Stewart Avenue location no longer works for the Hot Truck. To keep the 50 plus year Hot Truck tradition going will require us to replace the truck in the next few years. Operating on Stewart Avenue does not even begin to generate enough business to finance a new food truck. We have submitted an application for the year for our permit on Stewart Avenue for three (3) late nights per week at your established rate of $702.00 per year. If allowed to move our Heritage Permit privileges to Eddy Street we would be willing to pay for any and all day parts that you would allow and at today's established rates this could generate over $6,000.00 in annual permit revenue. We would also pay for any and all expenses incurred in moving to this location. We believe that the Eddy Street location would allow The Hot Truck to continue to serve the Greater Ithaca and Cornell Community for many years to come. 10 Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes July 28, 2014 Extensive discussion followed on the floor regarding the request. Some of the items of concern included the fact that the Board created a special heritage permit for the Hot Truck in lieu of the new food truck vending policy, the fact that the truck does not move easily, the inclination of some of the Board members that Mr. Smith follow the rules and participate in the lottery system for food truck spots and times, the need to move the truck and provide his own power, the possible annual revenue to city of $6,000, the need to determine when the Hot Truck will be at the proposed location, and how it will play against the other rules; the Board does not want the truck to be parked there 24/7, installation of electric service off the pole being problematic since the City is trying to get rid of the poles and wires in Collegetown -- not sure how he can do that if he doesn't own property. In addition, it was discussed that he should compete in the lottery and see how it works, maintain the heritage permit and see how it goes and move back and forth if he wants. Mayor Myrick asked if the sense of the Board is to deny the request? Commissioner Darling asked if the Hot Truck Task Force could be reconvened to reconsider the request, and ask Mr. Smith to meet with them before a decision is made. It was noted that no one has applied for a hot truck permit since the new system put into place. Adjournment: - On a motion the meeting adjourned at 6:50 p.m. Sarah L. Myers Svante L. Myrick Information Management Specialist Mayor 11