HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CC-1996-01-01January 1, 1996
COMMON COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK
Special Meeting11:00 A.M. January 1, 1996
PRESENT:
Former Mayor Nichols
Mayor - Cohen
Alderpersons (9) - Efroymson, Shenk, Gray, Sams, Hanna,
Mackesey, Thorpe, Schroeder, Booth
Alderpersons-Elect - Marcham, Blumenthal
EXCUSED:
Alderperson Johnson
OTHERS PRESENT:
City Court Judge - Rossiter
City Controller - Cafferillo
Deputy City Clerk - Kaupe
City Clerk - Conley-Holcomb
Police Chief - McEwen
Board of Public Works Commissioner - Reeves
Administrative Secretary - Boyd
Assistant City Attorney - Kennedy
Youth Bureau Director - Cohen
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:
Mayor Nichols led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance to the
American flag.
STATEMENT BY OUTGOING MAYOR NICHOLS:
Mayor Nichols read the following statement into the record:
"My major point is that what Mayors and Councils are able to
accomplish will depend on actions by government and institutions
beyond our borders. Obviously, federal and state policies will
be critical to the well-being of all cities but for today I want
to stress the importance of more local relationships. With
County government, Town of Ithaca government, our metropolitan
area partners in transportation and wastewater treatment, the
school district, and Cornell University. The words we use
influence the way we think. Too often we talk not about the
relationship between City and County government but between "the
City and County" as though the City was not an integral and
important part of the County.
While there is still the hangover of City and rural antagonism, I
believe the atmosphere has changed remarkably over the past
years.
The City's borders with the Town of Ithaca are an artificial line
on a map. Many properties straddle the line. More and more the
issues that concern the Town are similar to those of the City.
Leaders in Town government have expressed their interest in joint
planning. Solving the problems of housing, transportation, and
land use require the City and Town work together. There's a
common understanding in all the metropolitan area governments
that we need to find a way to pursue economic development in a
way in which the infrastructure is used to share in the benefits
of that development. Working out the mechanism will not be easy.
It will mean protecting the City's interest while recognizing the
need to give up some control.
There needs to be a stronger commitment of the Board of
Education, to combine its resources with those of the City and
the community's not-for-profit agencies and more effective and
coordinated actions to serve the youth of our community. The
City should make clear its desire to work with the Board.
The long term agreement with Cornell mandates much more
coordination on the actions that will benefit both the University
January 1, 1996
and the City. The past controversies need to be put aside. The
possibilities are enormous. The long term interests of the
people of the City require close attention to the relationships
that I have so briefly mentioned. Of course, your responsibility
is to protect the City but no solutions can be achieved unless
you are willing to take fresh approaches and for all parties to
understand there must be give and take.
In the day-to-day detailed work that keeps Council so busy, it is
important not to neglect the longer term questions. This will
probably be not the last time that I will try to remind you of
that importance.
On my recent trip to Italy, this is true, I actually had a dream
that for whatever it is worth I want to share a piece of with
you. In that dream a young person asked me "Isn't is hard to
keep up!" And I answered from somewhere deep in my subconscious
"Keeping up is not the point, the point is to push."
I know that others will speak of this later but I cannot close
without acknowledging my debt, ........ all the people in the
City to our retiring colleagues, Dick Booth and John Schroeder.
Their example of devotion to principle, not just in their
eloquent words, but with the continuous attention to detail that
is the essence of legislative action will be hard to follow."
DISMISSAL OF OUTGOING COUNCIL:
Alderperson Mackesey made the following statements regarding the
retirement from Common Council of Dick Booth and John Schroeder:
"John Johnson called me from Greene and he had intended to talk
about Dick Booth today and he asked me to sit in his stead so
this is a quick summary, Dick. I'm sorry.
Dick Booth leaves Common Council today after many years of solid
hard work and dedication. We never doubted where Dick stood on
issues before us. But his opinions were consistently well-
thought out and focused. His breadth of knowledge about law and
his sense of responsibility about physical matters helped to
shape better policy and ordinance with the residents of the City
of Ithaca. He has always been a staunch advocate for the people
he represents in the Fifth Ward. Dick's service on B&A provided
us with needed leadership as we yearly waded through increasingly
difficult budget matters. The City will certainly miss Dick's
presence on Council. Those of us remaining on Council hope he
won't mind an occasional phone call to ask his opinion. I am
certain he will have one. Thank you Dick for all you have given
to us and to the City.
We have a gift for Dick. Unfortunately, like other things in the
past, it is in the back seat of John Johnson's car."
"John Schroeder's work has been instrumental in achieving Common
Council's many accomplishments during his years of representing
the Fourth Ward. An unusually hard worker, John has given
tremendous time and energy to the City and we are better off
because of it. He has shown himself to be thorough, rational and
persistent in representing the ideas and plans he cares about.
The active role he played as Chair of Council's Planning
Committee resulted in the Inlet Island Design Plan. He helped
humanize the Route 96 project as much as possible and he showed a
constant interest and concern for downtown revitalization. John
offered yeoman services in his work on the Wal-Mart project. We
are grateful to him for his dedication to the City of Ithaca and
his integrity in helping to solve our problems. Whether one
agreed with John or not, one came away from working with him
respect for his opinions and his willingness to try to resolve
differences.
I truly hope that John is allowed to offer his formidable
planning knowledge and his boundless energy to the City by
continuing to serve on the Planning Board. We owe John a
heartfelt thank you for all that he has given to us."
January 1, 1996
Alderperson Mackesey read the following limerick into the record
regarding John Schroeder:
"There once was a Schroeder named John,
whose Commons plans ran on and on;
His biggest delight to plan through the night,
splitting hairs until they were gone;
To details he took endless pain,
driving some of us almost insane;
Cross the t's, dot the i's,
known to us as Schroederize;
A legacy hard to maintain."
Alderperson Efroymson stated that one of the things that he
thinks many of us who worked to get Ben in office six years ago
knew that he would be an activist, being on the outside pushing,
as he said, not just going along and he certainly has continued
to do that but has surprised us at his prowess at other areas,
including administration of City Hall.
Alderperson Efroymson presented Mayor Nichols with gifts of
appreciation from the Council.
Retiring Alderperson Booth presented, on behalf of City Hall and
the citizens of Ithaca, a compilation of a series of articles to
Mayor Benjamin Nichols.
OATH OF OFFICE - MAYOR COHEN
Mayor Cohen took the oath of office and was sworn in as Mayor by
City Court Judge Rossiter.
He was presented with his badge of office and a new gavel and
name plate by former Mayor Nichols.
OATH OF OFFICE - ALDERPERSONS-ELECT
Mayor Cohen called the newly elected and re-elected Alderpersons
to the rostrum to be sworn into their respective offices:
Susan Blumenthal - newly elected from Third Ward
Jane Marcham - newly elected from Fourth Ward
J. Diann Sams - re-elected from Second Ward
Sara Shenk - re-elected from First Ward
Richard C. Gray - re-elected from Fifth Ward
The newly elected and re-elected Alderpersons took the oath of
office and were sworn in by City Clerk Conley Holcomb.
MAYOR'S APPOINTMENTS:
Appointments Not Requiring Approval of the Common Council
Mayor Cohen made the following appointments:
City Prosecutor Linda Falkson (1 year term)
City Attorney Mariette Geldenhuys
Ms. Falkson and Ms. Geldenhuys took the Oath of Office and were
sworn in by City Court Judge Rossiter.
Mayor Cohen stated that he wished to thank former Mayor Benjamin
Nichols and presented him with his gavel which has been engraved
with the inscription "Mayor Benjamin Nichols, 1990 - 1995."
REMARKS FROM MAYOR COHEN:
Mayor Cohen made the following statement to Mayor Nichols:
January 1, 1996
"Before I begin, I do want to continue saying thank you and
actually start off with telling a story; a story about Ben
Nichols.
Ben and I obviously have had our differences over the years but
there is always a memory that I have in my mind and that is the
first time I laid eyes on Ben Nichols. It was eight years ago
when I was a very nervous restauranteur who was applying for my
first outdoor dining permit on the Commons and at that time Ben
was a member of the Board of Public Works. I stood and made my
pitch to the Board and as I looked around the room, Ben Nichols
was the only person there who continually made eye contact with
me, smiled, made me feel comfortable and gave me a little extra
courage to continue speaking to the group that day. It is
something that I carried with me and anytime he and ever had a
disagreement, I always remembered the human side of him and I
know that is something he always carried with him. Ben Nichols
has very strong convictions but they were from the heart. I for
one want to thank him for all that he has done for this community
over the years and I do hope that you continue."
Mayor Cohen made the following statement to retiring Alderpersons
Booth and Schroeder:
"These two individuals have been relentless in their drive and
their energy and they have given a great deal to this community.
I have been watching Common Council for many years and have
always looked upon with admiration these two individuals. They
truly have moved us forward as a community, each in their own way
and again, I would like to personally extend my thank you to both
of them and hope that they in some way are willing to continue
their public service. Thank you gentlemen very much."
Mayor Cohen made the following statement:
"I am very grateful and I feel very fortunate to be sitting here
right now. I would not be here right now if it were not for the
tireless efforts of a number of very wonderful people in this
room and throughout this community and with out naming names I'd
like to at least acknowledge my friends, my colleagues, and the
people who helped bring me here today. Thank you very much.
I look forward to these next four years with both hesitation and
anticipation. I'm very excited about the prospects that we as a
community look forward to but I am also anxious and concerned.
As you've heard from the Mayor and members of Common Council
throughout the recent years, the fiscal realities of the state
and federal government are falling down upon us and we need to
take stock of who we are and what we're doing. This is going to
be an exercise that is not going to be easy and it's not going to
be fun but it something that is necessary for us to do. We need
to take a closer look at what we're doing, the services that we
are providing and how we are providing them and it is something
that offers us many possibilities. I look forward to the
challenge because challenges usually always bring good things
with them and I truly look forward to working with every single
member of Common Council in facing these challenges together.
I've had the opportunity to meet with and talk with every member
of Council and I am very confident that we'll be able to work
together to address the issues that face this community.
It is important when looking at these financial issues and we
prioritize, there are two concepts we do not forget. First, we
cannot forget the hard working individuals and taxpayers of this
community who have great expectations for what they pay in and
what they get out and we need to keep in mind their abilities to
pay and our abilities to provide. We, at the same time, also
cannot lose perspective and not lose sight of the many
individuals in this community who are less fortunate than us and
acknowledge the responsibility that we all have to one another as
individuals and collectively, as a group, to those less
fortunate. I am committed to, as an individual and as the new
January 1, 1996
Mayor, to making sure that we do not forget the individuals in
our community who need our help.
The holiday season is a time of hope and expectation and a time
of renewal and I walk into this new year with a true sense of
hope. My friends will tell you I'm an idealist, I'm an optimist
and I always look and try to see the best in any person and I
believe there is good in each one of us. This community has
faced many conflicts in the past and we will face many in the
future. But it is important that we recognize that we're people
first, before we acknowledge the differences that we might have.
We have to look at those differences and try to reach common
ground on each and every one of them. There is no right and
there is no wrong and it is up to us to find out the best way to
go about things and to recognize that people's lives are what we
are talking about in every single action we take and every
resolution we put forth in this body. Because we are here to try
and improve this community and improve the lives of every member
of it. I am hopeful that we as a community can come together and
move forward and address all the problems that we have and I am
excited. I am anxious and nervous but I truly believe that we can
better ourselves if we work together and I look forward to doing
that with everyone in this room and everyone in this community.
I thank you all for coming today and Happy New Year."
ELECTION OF ACTING MAYOR:
Mayor Cohen entertained nominations from the floor for the
position of Acting Mayor.
Alderperson Shenk nominated Alderperson Thorpe and her nomination
was seconded by Alderperson Gray. The motion carried
unanimously.
ALTERNATE ACTING MAYOR:
Mayor Cohen entertained nominations from the floor for the
position of Alternate Acting Mayor.
Alderperson Mackesey nominated Alderperson Sams and her
nomination was seconded by Alderperson Thorpe.
Alderperson Sams and Alderperson Thorpe took the oath of office
and were sworn in by City Clerk Conley Holcomb.
RECESS:
Common Council recessed at 11:35 a.m. and reconvened in regular
session at 11:45 a.m.
EXECUTIVE SESSION:
By Alderperson Efroymson: Seconded by Alderperson Gray
RESOLVED, That Common Council adjourn into Executive Session to
discuss a personnel item.
Carried Unanimously
REGULAR SESSION:
Common Council reconvened into Regular Session at 12:50 p.m. and
no business was forthcoming.
ADJOURNMENT:
On a motion the meeting adjourned at 12:50 p.m.
Julie Conley Holcomb Alan J. Cohen
City Clerk Mayor