Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout12.20.2023 Minutes1 VILLAGE OF CAYUGA HEIGHT December 20, 2023 Zoom ID # 4118425407 BOARD OF TRUSTEES 7:00 p.m. MONTHLY MEETING Present: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Biloski, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton; Village Engineer B. Cross; Director of Public Works Wiese; Police Chief Wright; Treasurer Dolch; Attorney Kawecki; Clerk Walker. Absent: Village Attorney R. Marcus 1. Call to Order: Mayor Woodard calls the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 2a. Approval of the November 15, 2023 Meeting Minutes (Exhibit 2024-112) Resolution: 9515 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees approves the November 15, 2023, Board Meeting Minutes as presented. Motion: Trustee Marshall Second: Trustee Rennekamp Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Bilsoki, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, and Salton Nays: none Abstentions: Robinson Motion Carried 2b. Approval of the December 7, 2023 Special Meeting Minutes (Exhibit 2024-113) Resolution: 9516 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees approves the December 7, 2023, Special Board Meeting Minutes as presented. Motion: Trustee Marshall Second: Trustee Robinson Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Hubbell, Marshall, and Robinson Nays: none Abstentions: Biloski, Rennekamp, and Salton Motion Carried 3. Report of Fire Superintendent Tamborelle: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2024-114) •Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that the current recruit class is moving forward with their training. 2 •Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that the Village DPW staff replaced a bunch of ceiling tiles in the building, and he is now having the station cleaned by the same company that is doing Marcham Hall and the DPW. •Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that he knows that T.G. Miller finished the Village water system report that calls for five million dollars in infrastructure upgrades. It would be nice to complete all of them, but he knows ultimately it is the board's decision. •Mayor Woodard states that New York State has just announced that they will be awarding twenty-five million dollars for fire equipment upgrades to volunteer fire companies in New York State. •Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states he would like to put together a proposal for funding the replacement of the CHFD air packs. Historically the department gets turned down for funding because they are not in the same financial situation as other volunteer departments. •Fire Superintendent Tamborelle states that the department would need 25 packs which include two oxygen bottles and one mask. The current Airpack we are using is 20 years old. •Trustee Robinson inquiries about the roofer that fell at the fire station that is mentioned in Fire Superintendent Tamborelle’s report and is the Village insured to cover an accident like that. •B. Cross states that each contractor has to provide proof of Workers' Compensation Insurance before a Village Permit is issued. 4. Privilege of the Floor: No members of the public wished to speak 5. Report of Treasurer Dolch: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2024-115) •Treasurer Dolch states that the NYCLASS interest rates are doing well. a.NYPA: •Treasurer Dolch states that we have been invoiced from NYPA for the Village LED Streetlights in the amount of $215,000. She will be reaching out to the Tompkins Trust Company to see about financing this money. •Treasurer Dolch states that the Village Finance Committee decided to use the budgeted $30,000 as a lump payment to NYPA and then finance the remaining amount over ten years. •Mayor Woodard states that when the Village first entered into this contract in 2019 it was stated that NYPA would finance the costs at 4% which would not affect our credit rating. That is not the case anymore, in fact since the Village went with the additional grant upgrades in the amount of $20,000 which delayed the project almost a year we now are faced with totally different numbers on the cost of the project. •Trustee Robinson states that the NYPA Contract clearly states 4% and still they are not willing to honor that 3 percentage. •B. Cross states that a detail that will have to be worked out is that originally NYPA was going to provide a maintenance contract. That is not the case anymore so the Village will have to work on finding someone. •Director M. Wiese states that he has had NYPA work on issues in the past, but recently the response has been poor, and we should find someone else for the maintenance contact. •Mayor Woodard states that we should get together with Treasurer Dolch and find out exactly what we are obligated to NYPA on the maintenance side of this project. b. Fire Contract: •Treasurer Dolch states that the Village and the Town of Ithaca just finalized the new 3-year contract for fire protection services for the Northeast part of the Town of Ithaca which is serviced by the Cayuga Heights Fire Department. •Treasurer Dolch states that for the 2024 calendar year (which is the Town’s Fiscal Year) the Town of Ithaca will owe VCH $167,195.11 which is 38.6 % of the fire department expenses. For years 2 and 3 of the contracts, the town will not owe more than 125% of the previous year without prior agreement. •Mayor Woodard states that the Board will discuss this agreement later in the meeting. •Treasurer Dolch states that the only thing remaining on her report is the approval of the December Abstract. Approval of Abstract 7: Resolution: 9517 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves Abstract #7 for FYE2024 consisting of TA vouchers #44-53 in the amount of $18,470.09 and Consolidated Fund vouchers #449- 528 in the amount of $519,573.19 and the Treasurer is instructed to make payments thereon. Motion: Trustee Hubbell Second: Trustee Salton Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Bilsoki, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried 6. Report of Mayor Woodard a.SCLIWC UAW Contract Resolution: Each Municipality that utilizes Bolton Point must approve any changes to unionized contracts. 4 •Mayor Woodard states that Judy Drake from the Town of Ithaca is present to answer any questions the Board might have regarding this contract. •Mayor Woodard also states that the main components of this contract were wage increases which resulted in a 6%, 5%, and 4% increase over the next three years. Resolution: 9518 Approval of Collective Bargaining Agreement with the United Auto Workers for Southern Cayuga Lake Intermunicipal Water Commission’s Employees for years 2024-2026 WHEREAS, the Southern Cayuga Lake Intermunicipal Water Commission, in good faith, entered into contract negotiations with the United Auto Workers union for a renewed collective bargaining agreement for the contract that expired on December 31, 2023: and WHEREAS, on December 4, 2023, the Commission's negotiating team reached a tentative agreement with the union's negotiating team; and WHEREAS the Commission reviewed and approved the tentative contract at the December 7, 2023, Commission meeting; and WHEREAS, on December 11, 2023, the employees in the union bargaining unit ratified the tentative contract; and WHEREAS, the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees has reviewed the tentative agreement and determined it to be acceptable as required by the contract and the Public Employees Relation Board; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees does hereby approve the tentative collective bargaining agreement between the Commission and UAW unit; and be it further. RESOLVED, the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes the Commission’s negotiating team to sign said contract as presented. Motion: Trustee Marshall Second: Trustee Biloski Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Bilsoki, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried b. Tompkins County Shared Services Agreement: Each year New York State asks local municipalities to continue supporting any programs provided by the County. The Board will need to authorize and approve Mayor Woodard signing this agreement as presented in Exhibit 2024-117. 5 •Mayor Woodard states that she believes this agreement is in response to the County seeking funding for the rural area emergency response program. •Fire Superintendent G. Tamborelle states that he spoke about this at the Town of Ithaca Monthly Meeting. He does not see a need for the Village and Town of Ithaca. He cannot see adding vehicles in the rural areas when there is such a shortage of trained EMS staff and the fact that the ambulance will get to the call. •Fire Superintendent G. Tamborelle states that he has always stated that EMS education needs to be offered in the rural areas and that has been non-existence for 15 years or so. •Trustee Salton states that the Public Safety Committee has discussed this issue in the past. We recognize that there is a shortage of providers and vendors of emergency services. Resolution: 9519 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees approves and authorizes Mayor Woodard to sign the Tompkins County Shared Serviced Plan with the amendment that states educational services should be enhanced. Motion: Trustee Robinson Second: Trustee Marshall Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Bilsoki, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried c. Town of Ithaca Fire Support Contract: •Mayor Woodard states that there were a lot of questions this time around. All of which were explained and moving forward the Town of Ithaca will owe the Village $167,195.11 which is 38.6 % of the fire department expenses. For years 2 and 3 of the contracts, the town will not owe more than 125% of the previous year without prior agreement. •Fire Superintendent G. Tamborelle states that he wanted to make sure that the amount of money owed to the Village up to 125% does not include bonded purchases like new fire trucks. •Mayor Woodard states that it is clear that if we cannot agree on expenditures then we could re-negotiate the contract annually, but she does not think there will be a problem. Resolution: 9520 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees approves and authorizes Mayor Woodard to sign the Contract for Fire Protection with the Town of Ithaca as presented in Exhibit 2024-118. 6 Motion: Trustee Hubbell Second: Trustee Salton Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Bilsoki, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried d. Property Maintenance Taskforce Update: •Mayor Woodard states that there has been a lot of progress, and the group hopes to bring a draft forward at the March or April Board Meeting. •Mayor Woodard states that the group is now concentrating on what residents can and can’t do in the front yard of a property. •Trustee Hubbell states that this task force has a nice diversity of opinions, so it is easy to cover ground. •Mayor Woodard states that next month the group will be working on definitions of meadows, pollinator gardens, and where if anywhere they would be allowed. There will also be discussions on the Right-of-Way and who will be responsible for maintaining it. e. Amending the Village Zoning Law Section 305-116A(3) •Mayor Woodard states that Planning Board Chair F. Cowett noticed some language in the current Village Zoning Law Code that is obsolete when it comes to site plan review and subdivisions. •B. Cross states that this particular section of the Village Zoning Ordinance was written before the Village adopted a Village Planning Board. The section has subdivisions and site plan reviews grouped as a particular set of rules. •B. Cross states that this site plan review and subdivisions are now handled independently by the Village Planning Board. •Attorney R. Kawecki who is sitting in for Village Attorney R. Marcus confirms that this is the case and that removing the text will eliminate any confusion. Resolution: 9521 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees hereby schedules a Public Hearing on Proposed Local Law F of the year 2023 – Amending the Code of the Village of Cayuga Heights Chapter 305 Section 116 for January 17, 2023, at 7:10 p.m. Motion: Trustee Salton Second: Trustee Robinson 7 Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Bilsoki, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried 7. Report of the Trustees: •Trustee Marshall states that the Village was not awarded the Sunset Park Grant. •Trustee Marshall states that we did send a letter to all the residents involved in this process thanking them for their support. We also had an announcement in the Village Enewsblast. •Trustee Marshall stated that the goal moving forward is to continue certain maintenance efforts. •Trustee Marshall states that Cass Park in the City of Ithaca was awarded money from this grant and it would be safe to assume that the population that park serves is far greater than our park. •The Board thanked Trustee Marshall and all those involved with this attempt. 8. Report of Superintendent of Public Works Cross: a. Water System Study Report from T.G. Miller: •B. Cross states that the report gives us a ten-year projection on what tasks should be done for the water system. He also states that the fire hydrant flow testing is essential to predicting where there might be some falloff. •B. Cross states that the Public Works Committee could use this study as a guide to evaluate necessary action, which might include breaking down larger projects into smaller, more manageable tasks. He also mentioned partnering with T.G. Miller to develop a detailed engineering report based on the study, which would make the Village More competitive when applying for future grants. •B. Cross states that the next step will be for T. G. Miller to put together a scope of service proposal for the Board to review. •Trustee Robinson suggests prioritizing the various projects since this will take more than one year to complete. b. Walking Safe Cayuga Heights Bid Award: •B. Cross states that the Village received two bids for this project which were opened on November 2, 2023. At this point, Fisher and Associations finished filing the closing documents with NYS and we are ready to award the bid. •B. Cross states that the low bid was submitted by a company out of Binghamton named Bothar Construction LLC, in the amount of $382,000 which only covered the first segment of the project which still falls short of the budgeted amount for that segment. 8 •B. Cross states that we can now award Bothar Construction LLC with a base bid of $382,000 and direct Fisher and Associates to produce the contract for the Mayor to sign. Resolution: 9522 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves Mayor Woodard to award the lowest bid to Bothar Construction LLC for the base bid of $382,000 for the Walking Safe Cayuga Heights Road Sidewalk Project. Motion: Trustee Robinson Second: Trustee Marshall Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Bilsoki, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried Resolution: 9523 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves Mayor Woodard to have Fisher and Associated draft the Walking Safe Cayuga Heights Road Sidewalk Project Contract with Bothar Construction LLC in the amount of $382,000. Motion: Trustee Robinson Second: Trustee Hubbell Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Bilsoki, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried c. Trickling Filter Project Award: •B. Cross states that he is in the process of finalizing a proposal with Kesser and Associates to install the Village WWTP Trickling Filters. •B. Cross states that if we go the route of sole sourcing this project, we could save a lot of money and he will have more information next month. d. Culvert Project on Cayuga Heights Road: •B. Cross states that the large diameter culvert that conveys Renwick Brook under Cayuga Heights Road is in 9 serious need of replacement. Last year, the Village applied for an NYSDOT Bridge-NY grant (80% reimbursement program) to help pay for an estimated $1,250,000 cost for a full replacement project. Unfortunately, the NYSDOT did not have enough funds to pay for projects over $1,000,000, so our project did not get funded. •B. Cross states that since then, NYSDOT has announced another round of Bridge-NY funding programs for projects up to $1,500,000. T.G. Miller was the consultant who previously helped us put the application together. They are available to help us again and think it will only take about $1,000 of their time to re-package the documents so that they will be updated to the new application. He recommends that we authorize them to proceed with a maximum not to exceed the amount of $2,000. •B. Cross states that he asked them what level of planning/work could be down in the time we are waiting to find out about the results of the upcoming Bridge-NY grant application. Dave Herrick indicated that there is some survey work of the surrounding area that could be done in anticipation of the need for a project (funded or unfunded). He has provided an estimate of $3,000 for survey work. He recommends that we accept their proposal and direct this work to be done as soon as possible. Resolution: 9524 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves T. G. Miller to update the engineer report for the Bridge New York 2024 Grant Application up to the amount of $2,000. Motion: Trustee Robinson Second: Trustee Marshall Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Bilsoki, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried •B. Cross states that this culvert replacement project needs to be completed in 2024-2025. So he has also asked T.G. Miller to complete some survey work on this culvert. •B. Cross states that T.G. Miller has come up with a scope of services that would not exceed $3,000. B. Cross would like to have the Board's support for this survey work. Resolution: 9525 BE IT RESOLVED THAT: the Village of Cayuga Heights Board of Trustees authorizes and approves T. G. Miller to provide the survey work on the Cayuga Heights Road Renwick Culvert in an amount not to exceed $300. Motion: Trustee Salton Second: Trustee Hubbell Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Bilsoki, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton 10 Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried 9. Report of Police Chief Wright: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2024-121) •Chief Wright states that November's call for service was standard. • Chief Wright states part-time hours have been elevated due to range training. •Trustee Hubbell states that there seem to be a lot of accidents on Hanshaw Rd. •Chief Wright states that there is no specific reason there were more than normal MVAs for the month. •Chief Wright states that parking tickets were up this month for overnight parking violations. •Trustee Salton states that he has seen some great work going on in the patrol office area with Sergeant Manning painting and putting together new desks and tables. It is starting to look like a modern police department. •Chief Wright states that this all kicked off with the floor damage from water and rolled into a do-it-ourselves type of project and the department is very appreciative of the ability to do the renovation. 10. Report of Director of DPW Wiese: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2024-122) •Director Wiese states that the Village DPW is wrapping up the tough side of the job with leaf removal every day. •Director Wiese states that P. Potter from the DPW will be retiring at the end of this month. •Trustee Hubbell asks if the number of building permits for 2023 is higher than normal. •B. Cross states that in his thirty-year career, he has never seen building permits exceed one hundred. 11. Report of Clerk Walker: Submitted Report (Exhibit 2024-123) •Clerk Walker states that he has only one action item for the Board tonight. a.Approval of the 2023 and Future Amendments to the Municipal Cooperative Agreement for the Greater Tompkins County Municipal Health Insurance Consortium (GTCMHIC). •Clerk Walker states that this will allow all participants to have on file a general resolution supporting the additional members or for any MCA changes. Resolution: 9526 11 WHEREAS, The (municipality) Village of Cayuga Heights, as a member of Greater Tompkins County Municipal Health Insurance Consortium (GTCMHIC), must approve any changes to the GTCMHIC Municipal Cooperative Agreement (MCA) by resolution, and WHEREAS, GTCMHIC must amend the MCA annually when any new members are approved at the Annual Board of Directors meeting, and WHEREAS, from time to time other changes are made to the MCA as necessary and when changes are made, they are reported at the Annual Meeting with membership approval, now therefore be it, RESOLVED, until rescinded by resolution our current presiding elected official is approved to sign, without further action, any GTCMHIC MCA updates that have been advanced at the GTCMHIC Board of Directors meetings and approved by the Department of Financial Services, and FURTHER RESOLVED, The GTCMHIC is directed to keep this resolution on file to accompany any current presiding elected official signatures to amended MCA changes. Motion: Trustee Salton Second: Trustee Robinson Ayes: Mayor Woodard; Trustees: Bilsoki, Hubbell, Marshall, Rennekamp, Robinson, and Salton Nays: none Abstentions: none Motion Carried b. Clean Energy Update: •Mayor Woodard states that she met with the Village Clean Energy Taskforce and a County representative. She was notified that the Village now qualified for a $10,000 grant for completing the Green Energy Code Training in 2023. •Mayor Woodard states that she is still interested in placing solar panels on the Village WWTP. 12. Report of Attorney R. Marcus: •Village Attorney R. Marcus was absent from this meeting. 13. Adjournment: Mayor Woodard adjourns the meeting at 8:52 p.m.