HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CC-2003-04-23 COMMON COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK
Continuation of April 15, 2003 Meeting 9:20 pm April 23, 2003
PRESENT:
Mayor Cohen
Alderpersons (9) Manos, Pryor, Whitmore, Vaughan, Blumenthal, Mack
Peterson, Cogan, Hershey
EXCUSED:
Alderperson: Sams
SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS:
Resolution Approving the Creation of a Temporary Park and Ride System
By Alderperson Vaughan: Seconded by Alderperson Whitmore
Whereas, in conjunction with the construction of a new Downtown office building and
hotel development, the City of Ithaca has decided to construct a new 700 car parking
garage (Cayuga Garage) on the site of an existing surface parking lot, and
Whereas, during the construction of the new parking garage, approximately 200 existing
parking spaces will be taken out of service, thus causing a shortage of parking spaces
in the Downtown, and
Whereas, it is in the best interests of the Downtown, in order to promote the economic
health of Downtown merchants, professional office tenants and others, to maintain an
adequate supply of short term parking spaces in the Downtown for customers of
Downtown goods and services, and
Whereas, in order to maintain an adequate supply of short term parking spaces in the
Downtown, it is necessary to temporarily displace long term commuter parkers who
work in the Downtown, and
Whereas, a Downtown Parking Committee, which included downtown stakeholder
representatives from the City, County, Center Ithaca, Thomas Associates, the Ithaca
Downtown Partnership and others, studied this problem over the course of several
months and developed a park and ride system to accommodate the parking needs of
downtown workers who typically park their vehicles all day long, and
Whereas, consideration was given to many factors, including the waiting time for
commuters at the satellite parking lots, access to park and ride vehicles during the day,
including for personal emergencies, the likelihood of commuters using the system if a
fee was charged, the needs of those who work non-traditional hours and the desire to
promote more use of public transportation, and
Whereas, the City solicited proposals from public and private sector transportation
providers, and Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) submitted the most
attractive proposal that addressed the needs of the City and its Downtown, and
Whereas, the cost of the park and ride program, including contracting with TCAT,
purchasing a van, drivers, fuel, satellite parking lots, TCAT bus passes, marketing,
permits and other associated costs, will cost approximately $120,000, and
Whereas, by resolution on April 15, 2003, Common Council approved the creation of a
part-time bus driver position; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca will operate a park and ride system during the
construction of the Cayuga Garage, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the City will contract with TCAT for the provision of a shuttle service
during the peak hours of the morning and evening commute, and the City will purchase
and operate a shuttle van between the hours of the morning and evening service
provided by TCAT, and, be it further
Continuation of April 15, 2003 Meeting
April 23, 2003
2
RESOLVED, That Common Council hereby authorizes the amendment of the
2003 Department of Public Works, Streets, and Facilities Personnel Roster as follows:
Add: Two (2) Temporary Part-Time Shuttle Van Driver -Park and Ride, whose total
cumulative shall not exceed forty hours a week,
or
Add: One (1) Temporary Full-Time Shuttle Van Driver -Park and Ride
and, be it further,
RESOLVED, That this/these position(s) may exist up to a maximum of one year from
the date of hire, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the City will hire the drivers for both the TCAT service and the City
van service, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That upon the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the
appropriate City unions that the following will apply: this action will not establish a 'past
practice', and the City will pay the cost of a two zone pass for City of Ithaca employees
who would like to use the regular TCAT system to commute to work and require the use
of a two zone pass, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the City, in collaboration with TCAT, will promote and otherwise
advertise the merits of using the park and ride service to downtown employees and the
continued availability of short term parking spaces in the Downtown to the general
public, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the $120,000 cost of the park and ride system will be included in the
bond for the Cayuga Green project.
Carried Unanimously
NEW BUSINESS:
Common Council Appointment to the Ithaca Downtown Partnership Board
By Alderperson Vaughan: Seconded by Alderperson Whitmore
RESOLVED, That Alderperson Patricia Pryor be appointed to the Ithaca Downtown
Partnership Board.
Carried Unanimously
ADJOURNMENT:
On a motion the meeting was adjourned at 9:37 p.m.
________________________ _______________________
Julie Conley Holcomb, CMC Alan J. Cohen,
City Clerk Mayor