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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BPW-2012-06-11BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS PROCEEDINGS CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 4:50 p.m. June 11, 2012 PRESENT: Mayor Myrick Commissioners (5) – Acharya, Darling, Jenkins, Leccese, Morache OTHERS PRESENT: Superintendent of Public Works – Gray Assistant Superintendent of Water and Sewer – Whitney Assistant Superintendent of Streets and Facilities – Benjamin Common Council Liaison – Fleming DAC Liaison – Roberts Executive Assistant – Gehring EXCUSED: Commissioner Goldsmith City Attorney – Lavine ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA: There were no additions to or deletions from the agenda. MAYOR’S COMMUNICATIONS: The Mayor had no communications at this time. COMMUNICATIONS AND HEARINGS FROM PERSONS BEFORE THE BOARD: The following addressed the Board to express support for the Holiday Inn’s request for an additional curb cut: Doug Levine, State Theater Executive Director John Gottridge, City of Ithaca Michael Cannon, Downtown Ithaca Alliance President Fred Schoeps, City of Ithaca Fred Bonn, Ithaca and Tompkins County Visitor’s Bureau Director Gary Ferguson, Downtown Ithaca Alliance Executive Director Mack Travis, Business Retention and Development Committee Chair John Chong, City of Ithaca, addressed the Board to read a letter expressing dissatisfaction with the City’s yard waste fee. He expressed concerns about residents having to clean up leaves from city trees and pay to have them removed. Barbara Lantz, City of Ithaca, also addressed the Board to express concern about the yard waste fee and the inability to compost all the material that ends up in her yard, including leaves from city trees. She would like to bundle up the leave in her yard that she doesn’t keep for composting and put them out for pick up. Dave Warden, City of Ithaca, addressed the Board regarding the plumbing ordinance. He provided a brief summary of the history of the plumbing code and stated the new state requirements are unhealthy. He supported the plumbing code changes proposed by the City Plumber and urged the Board to recommend the changes to Council. RESPONSE TO THE PUBLIC Mayor Myrick thanked Mr. Chong and Ms. Lantz for addressing the Board regarding the yard waste fee. REPORTS Council Liaison Alderperson Fleming reported that the transfer of the Cherry Street property to the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA) had been approved by Common Council Board of Public Works Page 2 June 11, 2012 Regular Meeting Board Liaisons Commissioner Acharya reported that several of the topics that the Board of Public Works was discussing were also being discussed by the Planning and Development Board. Superintendent and Staff Asst. Supt. Benjamin reported that crews were working on the Tea Pavilion; milling and paving on 400 block of North Geneva Street and Ithaca Road; and the committee to treat the Hydrilla in the inlet was working to get the needed permits, install signs along the shoreline, and administer the treatment which will involve closing channel for a short time in the fall. Asst. Supt. Whitney reported that crews were installing new water and sewer services throughout the city, engineering staff were working with the design consultant for the water treatment plant, and management was putting together a new budget for 2013. Discussion followed on the floor regarding the widening of East State Street/Martin Luther King Jr. Street at Mitchell Street and the installation of traffic signals at that intersection. Supt. Gray reported that the Seneca Street Garage would be closed in late summer/early fall for much needed repairs; energy improvements were being completed for Fire Station 9, the replacement of Clinton Street Bridge was still in progress, a new program to collect retaining wall data had begun, a new multi-modal grant would be completed soon, a new generator set would be installed on the roof of City Hall, and the Engineering Division was working with the Mayor on the 2012 fireworks program that is scheduled to be held on July 2, 2012, in Stewart Park. VOTING ITEMS: Creeks, Bridges, and Parks: Approval of the Request to Refurbish the Historic Wharton Studio Building located in Stewart Park – Resolution By Commissioner Morache: Seconded by Commissioner Leccese WHEREAS, there is a renewed interest by both the public and private sectors to revitalize Stewart Park, as evidenced by the Cayuga Waterfront Trail, the Stewart Park Rehabilitation Action Plan, the new Friends of Stewart Park organization, and other volunteer efforts to refurbish facilities, and WHEREAS, Stewart Park is home to the historic Wharton Studio Building which served as a vibrant motion picture production studio during Ithaca's heyday as a center of East Coast silent film production during the early 1900's, and WHEREAS, the former studio is one of only a handful of silent movie production studios still standing in the U.S., and WHEREAS, the Ithaca Motion Picture Project has proposed to rehabilitate the historic Wharton Studio Building in Stewart Park and transform it into a regional motion picture museum with educational and cultural programs related to film and multi-media, featuring a permanent exhibit focusing on Ithaca's silent film history, and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca is desirous of and committed to building on already existing efforts to improve facilities in the park and to ensure the park is a more enjoyable place for the public to enjoy, now, therefore be it RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca’s Board of Public Works endorses the idea of refurbishing the historic Wharton Studio Building, and be it further RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works encourages Common Council to support Ithaca Motion Picture Project’s plans for the Wharton Studio Building to create a new cultural, educational and tourist destination in Stewart Park. Carried Unanimously DAC Liaison Roberts expressed his support for this project. Discussion followed on the floor regarding the current items stored in the building. Supt. Gray warned that a lot of work still needed to be done before renovations could begin, including fund raising. Board of Public Works Page 3 June 11, 2012 Regular Meeting Water and Sewer: Recommendation for Changes to Water and Sewer Regulation and Local Ordinance for a More Restrictive Standard – Resolution Resolution 1 Recommendation for changes to the Water and Sewer Regulations pertaining to the updating of plumbing licensing terms and clarifications, and the inclusion of the requirement for house (building traps) when connecting to the City sewer system. By Commissioner Darling: Seconded by Commissioner Jenkins WHEREAS, the Examining Board of Plumbers wants to more accurately state the terms of licensing for the installation of water or sewer services within the City, and WHEREAS, the Examining Board of Plumbers for the City of Ithaca, under the authority of Article 4 of NYS General City Law, has created a new license category of Water and Sewer Installer to replace the outdated “sewer layer” license, and WHEREAS, house (building) traps have been required by the City since the first Plumbing Code written in 1929, and the current version of the New York State Plumbing Code has prohibited the installation of house traps unless required by the local authority, and WHEREAS, the Water and Sewer Division wishes to continue the use and installation of house traps on sewer services within the City by specific inclusion into the Water and Sewer Regulations, now therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works recommends that Common Council amend Chapter 348-29 Sanitary Sewer Services, Section E as follows: All installations of service drains or sewers between the curb and the building shall be made by a plumber Plumbing Contractor or sewer layer Water and Sewer Installer licensed by the Examining Board of Plumbers or any homeowner working on his/her own single-family residence. and, be it further RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works recommends that Common Council amend Chapter 348-29 Sanitary Sewer Services, by the inclusion of a new Section J as follows: All sanitary services connected to the public mains shall have a house (building) trap installed between the property line and the building to prevent sewer gas and other potentially harmful gases generated in the public mains from entering the building. The house trap shall be installed as close to the building as possible. The trap shall be a service weight, cast iron, double hub running trap with a minimum of 4” inside diameter. A Fresh Air Inlet shall be installed on the building side riser of the trap and terminate at 12 inches above grade with an approved air inlet fitting to allow the internal vents to draft and remove accumulated gases from the plumbing system. A brass cleanout cover shall be installed at grade level on the street side of the trap for cleaning and maintenance of the trap. A wye, 45degree fitting with riser and brass cleanout at grade level is required immediately down-stream of the trap to facilitate cleaning between the trap and the public main. Carried Unanimously Resolution 2 Local Ordnance for a More Restrictive Standard to NYS Plumbing Code pertaining to the plumbing ventilation requirements of building connected to the City sanitary collection system By Commissioner Lecesse: Seconded by Commissioner Jenkins WHEREAS, changes to the 2010 NYS Plumbing code allowed the use of alternate venting devices called Air Admittance Valves on plumbing stacks and the elimination of relief venting requirements for other Air Admittance Valves in buildings 4 stories or less, and WHEREAS, the Chief Inspector of Plumbing and the Examining Board of Plumbers for the City of Ithaca has reviewed the use and installation of such devices, and Board of Public Works Page 4 June 11, 2012 Regular Meeting WHEREAS, the result of unventilated sewer gases in the plumbing system that occur as the result of the use of air admittance valves is a health and safety concern which the City of Ithaca wished to address and remedy, and WHEREAS, local conditions exist that make house traps, which are required to be installed in all City building sewer services, function improperly by causing sewer gases to be forced out of the Fresh Air Inlet of the house trap when air admittance valves are used without proper air ventilation causing health and sanitary concerns, therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works recommends that Common Council make a local ordinance requiring all plumbing systems connected to the public sewer system to have ventilation that can remove sewer gases from buildings and allow for the admission and emission of air throughout the piping system within buildings, and, be it further RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works recommends that Common Council amend the City of Ithaca Building Code, Article IV Plumbing, Section 146-22, Definitions by adding the plumbing definition of a vent system as follows: Vent System. A pipe or pipes installed to provide a flow of air to and from a drainage system, in order to provide a circulation of air within such system to protect trap seals from siphonage and backpressure and to remove the accumulation of sewer gases within the building. and, be it further RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works recommends that Common Council amend the Water and Sewer Regulation, Chapter 348-29 by adding three new Sections K, L, and M pertaining to the installation of vents in the plumbing systems connected to the City sewer system as follows: K. Each plumbing system connected to the City of Ithaca municipal sanitary sewer system shall have an attending vent system designed to provide for the admission and emission of air within such system to protect trap seals from siphonage, backpressure and to remove the accumulation of sewer gas within the building. L. Main Stack required. All plumbing systems connected to the public mains shall have at least one main stack connected to the building drain and run undiminished in size and terminate to the outside. The size of the stack shall be a minimum of 3 inches in diameter or larger if total developed length exceeds 75 feet. The stack shall connect to the building drain as close as possible to the fresh air inlet of the house trap to create the necessary stacking and circulation of air for the interior venting system. Where multiple fixture groups or stacks are located throughout a building, additional main stack(s) may be required by the local authority having jurisdiction. M. Air Admittance Valves. Individual, branch and circuit vents shall be permitted to terminate with a connection to an air admittance valve. The air admittance valve shall only vent fixtures that are on the same floor level and connect to a horizontal branch drain. The horizontal branch drain shall conform to the following: 1) Location of branch. The horizontal branch drain shall connect to the drainage stack or building drain a maximum of four branch intervals from the top of the stack. 2) Relief vent. The horizontal branch shall be provided with a relief vent that shall connect to a vent stack, or stack vent or extend to the outdoors to the open air. The relief vent shall connect to the horizontal branch drain between the stack or building drain and the most downstream fixture drain connected to the horizontal branch drain. The relief vent shall be sized in accordance with existing Plumbing Code. 3) Stack-type air admittance valves shall be prohibited. Carried Unanimously Board of Public Works Page 5 June 11, 2012 Regular Meeting DISCUSSION ITEMS: Appeal of Water Bill for 119 Heights Court Property owner Jaclyn Walker joined the Board. Ms. Walker explained her appeal, noting that a licensed plumber did not find any leaks, though consumption decreased after the toilets were replaced. She believed there was a malfunction with the water meter. Discussion followed on the floor regarding the timing of the leak reports, when Ms. Walker was notified, and the date the plumber inspected the bathrooms. Ms. Walker stated she was not notified of the leak until April 24, 2012. Supt. Gray reported that a letter was mailed to Ms. Walker on March 5, 2012. Further discussion followed on the floor regarding the steps staff took to notify the owner of the potential leak, the toilet’s potential water usage if the flapper was held open, notification to the home owner, and the city’s obligations to notify home owners of potential excessive water use. Mayor Myrick expressed his opinion that the tenants should have notified the home owner of the leak, the City is not obligated to contact the owner, but the City did make a good faith effort to notify the home owner of the possible leak. Discussion followed on the floor regarding the possibility that the water meter was defective. Supt. Gray explained that since the water meter readings changed after the toilets were replaced, it was not likely that the meter was defective. Mayor Myrick requested further information regarding the meter for the Board’s meeting on June 25, 2012. Appeal of License Fee for Use of City-Owned Property, the Old Agway Location, on Taughannock Blvd., Tax Map 43.-1-4 Steve Flash, licensee, joined the Board for the discussion of this item. Mr. Flash explained that the property was utilized for employee parking and equipment storage for his neighboring business. Supt. Gray stated that due to the condition of the property, it was not developable and could not be used to its full advantage. He further stated that Mr. Flash was operating under an old agreement and the City would have to follow the 30 day requirement to notify the licensee before a new agreement could be created. Discussion followed on the floor regarding how the new license fee was determined, and renegotiating the license agreement. Supt. Gray offered to bring the appeal back for further discussion after more research was done, and the Board would either have a new agreement or an adjusted license fee rate to review. Appeal of the Determination of the Transportation Engineer Regarding Hart Hotels’ Request for Off-Street Drop Off for the Proposed Conference Center Transportation Engineer Tim Logue and Developer, Dave Hart, joined the Board for the discussion of this topic. Mr. Hart summarized the proposed design options for the Holiday Inn, explaining that he recognizes the importance of public safety for anyone utilizing his facility and those walking by it. He stated that the site zoning was for 100% density, which means that the owner could build to cover 100% of the property and then look for parking elsewhere, but they did not want to do that. He further stated the hotel is at 90% occupancy usually on the weekends, with much lower occupancy during the work week, with their main clients being business travelers. Meeting planners look for larger meeting places, which is reason for creating the conference center. Mr. Hart explained the reasoning for the additional curb cut, including additional access to the parking garage across the street. He estimated that 90% of the hotel’s rooms are rented by customers with vehicles. He provided estimates of the high number of vehicles that could potentially travel through the hotel’s parking lot each day. Board of Public Works Page 6 June 11, 2012 Regular Meeting Transportation Engineer Logue expressed approval of creating the conference center, noting that Mr. Hart was trying to provide the highest level of convenience for his customers. He further stated that normal City policy was to allow one curb cut per property, two curb cuts in extenuating circumstances. The current proposal for the Holiday Inn was for one additional curb cut, bringing the total number to four curb cuts for the property. After review of the new proposal, Transportation Engineer Logue agreed that there would be an increase in vehicular travel at the hotel and conference center. He expressed approval of Proposal B, with the removal of the northerly curb cut and installation of a new cut south of the hotel’s entrance to enable pedestrians to travel the street easily. Discussion followed on the floor regarding ensuring the safety of pedestrians on the public sidewalk, a third possible option of removing the southern curb cut, and making the current entrance into an exit so visitors could travel directly to the Cayuga Street Garage. Further discussion followed regarding adding a cross walk for pedestrians crossing the street to the parking garage. Supt. Gray stated he would not recommend a mid-block cross walk on a busy street. Resolution By Commissioner Acharya: Seconded by Commissioner Jenkins RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works hereby approves Proposal A/C. Carried Unanimously Possible Discontinuation of Yard Waste Fee Alderperson Jennifer Dotson joined the Board for the discussion of this item. She explained that a yard waste ad hoc committee had met, originally formed to discuss the removal of plastic bags in the city for yard waste removal, and continued to discuss the yard waste fee. She stated the committee discussed how to pay for the service, including adding a new fee for property owners, etc. The committee decided that largely the fee was working well and it would like the current policy continued for another season. She noted that the largest yard waste producers were not residences, and most of the leaves were not from City trees. Discussion followed on the floor regarding the possibility of a user fee rather than a tag per bag, how the tag system would change people’s habits, not generate revenue, and residents’ ability to compost. Supt. Gray suggested continuing the fee for another year. The Board agreed. Application for Mobile Vending in Downtown Ithaca This item was not discussed. Parking Systems Manager This item was not discussed. ADJOURNMENT: On a motion, the meeting adjourned at 7:17 p.m. Kathrin D. Gehring Svante L. Myrick Executive Assistant Mayor