HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-IURANI-2010-02-12Approved April 9, 2010
108 East Green Street
Ithaca, New York 14850
(607) 274-6559
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MINUTES
Neighborhood Investment Committee
Friday, February 12, 2010
Present: Tracy Farrell, Susan Cummings, Fernando de Aragón
Excused: Teresa Halpert
Staff: Nels Bohn, JoAnn Cornish (arrived at 8:45 A.M.), Alice Vargo
Guest: Caleb Thomas
Other: Mustafa Ali, RIBS Program Coordinator
I. Call to order
The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Farrell at 8:35 A.M. Farrell noted that Mr.Thomas
has a potential interest in applying to serve on the committee and was sitting in to observe the
committee’s work.
II. Additions to or deletions from the agenda Community impacts of Cornell budget cuts was added under VI.B
III. Review of Minutes for January 8, 2010
No minutes were included.
IV. Public Comment
V. New Business
VI. Old Business
A. RIBS (CDBG 2007 #10) - Discussion - possible resolution
Members reviewed a draft resolution approving revisions to the 2007 CDBG RIBS Building Renovation
project at 530 W. Buffalo Street to revise the building and site improvements to be funded and to extend the
deadline for expenditure. Cummings stated that the Recycle Ithaca Bicycles program lacks management
capacity and operational resources. She does not support the resolution. She commented that the 530 W.
Buffalo Street facility is very small and lacks adequate storage for long-term success for a community
bicycle program. Cummings questioned whether the community-wide program can be successful as a
program of the neighborhood-based Southside Community Center, especially when it is no longer located in
the Southside neighborhood. She requested receipt of a RIBs program budget, staffing plan and
documentation of scheduled programming. She suggested exploration of alternative uses of the CDBG
funds to assist the RIBs program be successful, including possible transitional financial support to
reorganize the program with a City-wide organization, such as Finger Lakes ReUse, GIAC or the City Youth
Bureau.
Ithaca
Urban
Renewal
Agency
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de Aragón added that the program has been unstable since its conception and largely dependent on
volunteers. He agrees that there needs to be a working budget, and there is definitely a need for a program
like RIBS, but cautioned that the IURA role is to fund or not fund projects, not to build an organization. If
volunteers are unhappy with their relationship with SSCC, then it is up to them to formulate an alternative
structure and sustainability plan.
Farrell indicated she also wants assurances for RIBs programming to occur if the building renovations are
funded, but still supported RIBs operations at 530 W. Buffalo Street. She noted that the facility was very
active its first summer at the site and the RIBs building serves as a valuable transition use from the Rt. 13
commercial uses to the Washington Park residential neighborhood.
Ali, who has been the Program Coordinator for the RIBs program for one year, was asked to speak.
He noted that he learned the building was out of compliance with building and fire code, but that the only
issue remaining to bring the building into compliance is installation of railings at two stairways. He
recounted and a case where one person was injured from a tool rack that fell from the wall. The injury
turned out to be minor, but this made him aware of safety concerns at the building and the problems of
volunteers on-site without RIBs staff present. These factors led him to stop programming at the building
until renovations were completed.
He indicated that the building is not ideal and probably needs a total of $150,000 of investment to meet
needs for a long-term successful RIBs program, but that the program can deliver limited success if the
building is renovated. He sought out other facilities in the community, but was only authorized to offer $500
per month, including utilities. He noted that RIBs needs covered storage for donated bicycles and bicycle
parts and refurbished bicycles. Right now, he is limited to storing about 10 bicycles on site. They have
some off-site storage at the Cornell Dilman Farm, but may have to remove these bicycles.
Upon questioning, Ali indicated that SSCC does not offer substantial infrastructure to support RIBs. Total
staffing for RIBs is 1 FTE split up between him (20-25 hours/week) and two assistants at 7.5 hours/week
each. RIBs is not provided a program budget, but SSCC pays for rent and utilities for the program. He
noted that there has been a history of RIBs volunteers dissatisfied with the lack of autonomy under SSCC.
He said it is part of his job to ensure that volunteers understand that RIBs is a program of the SSCC and to
provide proper supervision of the program.
Cummings indicated that the program has not demonstrated it meets IURA requirements for on-going
viability and successful management capacity.
de Aragon noted that when RIBs refurbishes bicycles they create a marketable product that could generate
earned income to sustain the organization. He thought RIBs is better able than most non-profits to develop
a business plan to sustain the program. It was suggested that Ali contact contact Wendy Skinner at Sew
Green to see what steps they took to strengthen Sew Green program that offers a mix of educational
classes and retail sales. Although affiliation of RIBs with a community-wide based non-profit such as Finger
Lakes Reuse may make sense, this is a decision that must be made by program participants and volunteers
noted deAragon, and cannot easily be engineered by the IURA.
Cummings asked Ali to identify future building renovations at 530 W. Buffalo and define what an ideal RIBs
program would offer five years into the future. She asked IURA staff to research prior organizational history
of RIBs from IURA files. Cornish volunteered to check if any repairs to the building can be made by the City
since 530 W. Buffalo is a City-owned building.
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DeAragon moved, seconded by Farrell to table action until more information was available on the
programming, the RIBs budget, and its plan for self sufficiency. The motion was unanimously approved.
B. Other
• Route 13 pedestrian crossing – no discussion
• Multi-year funding of public services, policy – no discussion
• MHATC – no discussion
• CHI – no discussion
• Housing revolving loan fund – no discussion
• Modifications to CDBG/HOME applications, review criteria matrix – no discussion
• Cornell Budget Cuts
Cornish noted that Cornell budget cuts have paused all new construction, which will
significantly reduce City revenue from site plan and building permit fees in 2010 and future
years. .
VII. Adjournment
Motion to adjourn the meeting by de Aragón, second by Cummings
The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 AM
Minutes prepared by A. Vargo, edited by N. Bohn.
END