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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BPW-1990-02-28285 BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS PROCEEDINGS CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 4''00 pm February 28, 1990 PRESENT: Mayor Nichols Commissioners (6) - Reeves, Sprague, Cox, Cannon, Berg, Connor OTHERS PRESENT: City Attorney - Guttman Superintendent of Public Works - Thadani Asst. Supt. of Public Works - Fabbroni City Engineer - Gray (1') Asst. Civil Engineer - West 0 Deputy City Controller - Thayer Deputy City Clerk - Boyle PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: CO Mayor Nichols led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Q American Flag. MINUTES: Approval of Minutes of the February 14, 1990 Board of Public Works Meeting Resolution By Commissioner Berg: Seconded by Commissioner Connor RESOLVED, that approval of the Minutes of the February 14, 1990 Board of Public Works meeting be deferred until March 8, 1990. Carried Unanimously ADDITIONS TO OR DELETIONS FROM THE AGENDA: Buildings, Properties and Transit Items Commissioner Cannon requested the addition of Item D - Award of Contract for Structural Steel - Resolution. No Board member objected. Highway Items Commissioner Sprague requested the addition of Item A - Hudson Street Sidewalks - Resolution. No Board member objected. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE MAYOR: Mayor Nichols read a letter that he had received from the West Hill Civic Association regarding the proposed street widening project on Elm Street. The letter requested that a few Board members act as facilitators in discussions between the West Hill residents and the Department of Public Works. Mayor Nichols requested that further discussion of this matter be held after the Hearings of Persons before the Board. Public Hearing for Assessments of Sidewalk Repairs Hudson Street Resolution By Commissioner Cannon: Seconded by Commissioner Berg RESOLVED, that the Public Hearing for Sidewalk Assessments be opened. Carried Unanimously 28() 2 BPW Minutes Feb. 28, 1990 No one appeared to address the Public Hearing. Resolution to Close Public Hearin By Commissioner Cox: Seconded by Commissioner Cannon RESOLVED, that the Public Hearing for Sidewalk Assessments be closed. Carried Unanimously COMMUNICATIONS AND HEARINGS OF PERSONS BEFORE THE BOARD: Donald Culligan of 627 Hudson Street addressed the Board regarding the proposed sidewalk construction on the west side of Hudson Street. Mr. Culligan requested that this sidewalk not be installed for various reasons including child safety. He suggested using some of the money that would have been used on this project to install a blinking caution signal by South Hill school, like Belle Sherman school has done, and to possibly install a stop sign where Coddington Road meets Hudson Street to slow traffic down. Mr. Culligan also congratulated City Engineer Gray and Asst. Superintendent Fabbroni for their fine work on the Hudson Street project. Guy Gerard, a Fourth Ward resident spoke to the Board regarding the Elm Street reconstruction project. He stated that he would like to see Board members conduct public hearings instead of staff members. He also mentioned that he would like the seating arrangement changed so that when residents addressed the Board they would be facing Board members instead of staff members. Dorothy Bozzone of 317 Elm Street addressed the Board regarding the Elm Street reconstruction project. Mrs. Bozzone stated that the Elm Street residents were distressed because they had all signed a petition against the reconstruction and it has not been acknowledged by anyone except Robert Romanowski, Alderperson. She also 1st Ward felt that the misrepresented when it was described as a project repaving pro ect ng Mrs. Bozzone explained that the Elm Street residents would like the original road project to be finished. She stated that after the 400 block of Elm Street there are open ditches with no curbing. Mrs. Bozzone commented that people already drive too fast on this street and she feels that if the street is widened it would only cause serious safety hazards. Kathy Halden, who lives on the corner of Elm and Chestnut Streets addressed the Board regarding the Elm Street project. She stated that one of the reasons given for this project growth in the area within the next 15 - 20 years Was Ms. tHalden commented that she cannot see where there is any more room for growth in the Elm Street area inside the City limits. She also Pointed out that Elm Street is not a major street that connects to any State routes or that goes anywhere in particular like Cliff Street does. Ms. Halden stated that the reconstruction project was also going to allow ample room on the street for a car to pull off the road to let passengers off, but feels this is not necessary considering all of the houses on Elm Street have driveways. Ms. Halden did suggest that a blinking light or speed bumps be installed at the intersection of Elm and Chestnut to slow speeders down. John Whalen of 319 Elm Street stated to the Board that he felt the speeding problem on Elm Street would only get worse if that street was widened. John Bozzone of 317 Elm Street commented that some of the houses on Elm Street are already close enough to the street that they have slush from the road splattered over them. He feels that the 3 BPW Minutes Feb. 28, 1990 widening of Elm Street would take away what small front lawn space residents do have. Paul Tess of 325 Elm Street addressed the Board stating that only 24 feet of pavement is required in a 30 M.P.H. zone for future growth and for safety requirements. He feels that 27 feet is excessive. Mayor Nichols stated that he would like to see three members of the Board of Public Works and three members of the West Hill Civic Association meet with members of the staff along with the 1st ward Alderpeople to see if they could reach a mutual agreement. M Commissioner Cannon encouraged the Board to consider letting the O Community Dispute Resolution Center facilitate this meeting. Superintendent Thadani commented that he felt two of Mrs. Bozzone's statements were untrue. He stated that he had spoken CO to Mrs. Bozzone on the phone and had confirmed at that time that Q he had received the petition. He also stated that the City Engineer had explained the whole Elm Street project to the residents that attended the informational meeting so they should have been aware of what the project entailed. Assistant Supt. Fabbroni stated that the informational meeting was just the beginning of the process and that work was not going to be scheduled right away if there was a conflict with the Elm Street residents. Commissioner Connor suggested that it may be useful in the future to have the Board of Public Works members conduct public hearings with the Department present to explain the project and answer questions. REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF Superintendent of Public Works Thadani reported on the following: Bus Tour There will be a bus tour of the public works facilities on Saturday, March 3, 1990. The bus will be departing from City Hall promptly at 8:00 am. Letter to Editor Superintendent Thadani read excerpts from a recent letter to the editor which appeared in the Ithaca Journal that commended the Ithaca Transit System. Superintendent Thadani expressed thanks to Bernie Carpenter for the fine job he is doing. Resolutions to B & A Committee The consolidation of DPW facilities resolution and the resolution regarding the court facilities were passed by the Budget and Administration Committee of Common Council with minor amendments. Trash Tags Tomorrow is the first day of trash pick up with the new tag system in place. Channel 7 News and the Ithaca Journal will be going out in the morning to collect information for the stories they will be running that day. Channel 9 from Syracuse will also be down shooting footage of the trucks tomorrow. Commissioner Berg has agreed to ride in one of the trucks that will be leaving at 5:20 am. Collegetown Clean Up Day The Collegetown Neighborhood Committee is having a clean up day April 28, 1990 and has requested free trash stickers in return 0� • 4 BPW Minutes Feb. 28, 1990 for community service. On a motion this matter was referred to the Committee of the Whole for further discussion. Six Mile Creek Committee The Six Mile Creek Committee will be addressing the Board to request the appointment of a gorge ranger for the summer. It is believed that the person who had the job last summer has requested to be appointed again, this year. The Committee will also be addressing the Board regarding the purchase of water plans around the water shed area. Telephone System All Mode has submitted an initial proposal for the new telephone system for City Hall. No Smoking Signs More no smoking signs will be going up around the City which indicate that according to New York State Law smoking is prohibited in public places effective January 1, 1990. Elm Street Members from the engineering staff and the West Hill Civic Association have already met and are scheduled to meet again on March 7, 1990 at 9:00 am to go over specific details of the Elm Street project. Catch Basin Signs The Department of Public Works has been requested by the Conservation Advisory Council to put dumping notices on the catch basins. They want school children to place these signs on the catch basins in conjunction with the Earth Day activities and have been referred to Attorney Guttman regarding liability issues. Cornell University has requested that these notices not be placed around their campus. Commissioner Reeves stated that this issue is on the Committee of the Whole agenda for next week. Snow and Ice Removal The Department of Public Works received 23 complaints in the month of February of 1989 regarding snow and ice removal. All of the property owners were notified and all of the owners complied. In 1989 -1990 the Department has received 47 complaints, 11 owners were notified and complied, 9 sidewalks were cleared before notification even reached the owners and 27 sidewalks were cleared by higher temperatures and sunshine before anything could occur on them. REPORT OF ASST. SUPERINTENDENT Asst. Superintendent Fabbroni reported on the following: Trash Tags The City will be leaving their own tags on garbage which is not properly tagged giving residents the option to properly retag their garbage next week without receiving a penalty. Cascadilla Wall Work is still ongoing but has become difficult due -to the weather. Stewart Park Restrooms The restrooms at Stewart Park are nearing completion. Centennial Plantings The Centennial Committee has allotted their remaining funds to the Shade Tree Committee in trust to beautify the entrances to the City such as Stewart Park, Route 13, East State Street and such. The plantings are scheduled for the first part of this year. 5 � 1 BPW Minutes Feb. 28, 1990 Snow and Ice Removal The City crews are doing everything they can to clear away the ice and snow. We are nearing the end of the salt budget due to the numerous ice storms we've had this winter. HazcTrdous Communications Report The consultant that was hired to point out hazards in the workplace has completed approximately 20% of his work. GIAC Asbestos Removal Asbestos removal in the GIAC building is scheduled to be completed before GIAC's summer program. In the worse case scenario it will be done in the fall, but in any case the summer program will not be affected. CO REPORT OF CITY ENGINEER 0 City Engineer Gray reported on the following: Route 13 Widening m New York State Department of Transportation has given their go ahead for the widening of Route 13 from Wegmans to Clinton Street. Bridges The Stewart Avenue bridge grant money has been received. The Thurston Avenue project design is complete and the project will go out to bid shortly. Both of these bridges will still need to be painted after the projects are done. The Cayuga Street bridge paperwork is still being processed. Hudson Street A Hudson Street pre- construction should be starting their work in meeting was held today and NYSEG mid March. I Bids were received on February 15,.•1990 for furnishing one (1) Truck Tire Changer. Resolution By Commissioner Cannon: Seconded by Commissioner Sprague RESOLVED, That the bid from Willcox Service Center be rejected as not meeting specifications, and, be it further RESOLVED, That the contract for furnishing one (1) Truck Tire Changer be awarded to Finger Lakes Tool Sales of Lansing for their low bid of $10,047.00 meeting specifications. Carried Unanimously Award of Contract for DPW Mid -range Trucks Bids were received on February 15, 1990 for furnishing four (4) Mid -range Trucks for the Department of Public Works. Resolution By Commissioner Cannon: Seconded by Commissioner Sprague RESOLVED, That the contract for furnishing four (4) mid -range trucks be awarded to Stadium International of Binghamton for their low bids as follows: Two (2) mid -range cab and chassis at $14,877.00 and $16,877.00 (truck bodies to be bid at a future date); and two mid -range dump trucks at $22,293.00 and $21,093.00, all differences based on trade -in values of present vehicles. Carried Unanimously 290 0 90 - _Proposa I Bu BPW Minutes Feb. 28, 1990 By Commissioner Cannon: Seconded by Commissioner Reeves WHEREAS, local Earth Day celebrations will take place in Ithaca on Saturday, April 21, 1990 and WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works is supportive of the Earth Day organizers' quest to protecting the environment and educating the public about environmental protection measures, and WHEREAS, the use of the Ithaca Transit System offers a cleaner - air alternative by reducing the amount of pollution, saves energy resources and relieves traffic congestion which strongly emphasizes the environmental benefits of mass transit, and WHEREAS, to further assist the Earth Day organizers with their campaign to educate the public on environmental protection, the Transit System Manager has proposed offering free bus service for Saturday, April 21, 1990 to coincide with Earth Day activities; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works, with the recommendation of the Transit System Manager, approves the proposal for free Ithaca Transit Bus Service on April 21, 1990. Carried Unanimously Award of Contract for Structural Steel Bids were received on February 28, 1990 for furnishing Structural Steel for the Department of Public Works. Resolution By Commissioner Cannon: Seconded by Commissioner Sprague RESOLVED, That the contract for furnishing Structural Steel be awarded to Triangle Steel Inc. of Ithaca for their low and only bid of $9,250.00. Carried Unanimously HIGHWAY ITEMS: Hudson Street Sidewalks Resolution By Commissioner Sprague: Seconded by Commissioner Reeves WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works has held several public information meetings and public hearings regarding the installation of sidewalks on the west side of Hudson Street from South Hill School to Hudson Place; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works directs staff to remove the installation of sidewalks on the west side of Hudson Street between South Hill School and Hudson Place from the scope of the Hudson Street Reconstruction project. Discussion followed on the floor. Amending Resolution By Commissioner Cannon: Seconded by Commissioner Berg RESOLVED, That the following Resolved paragraph be added to the resolution: RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works directs City staff to make every possible effort to save as many of the existing trees on Hudson Street as possible. Carried Unanimously 7 BPW Minutes Feb. 28, 1990 Amending Resolution By Commissioner Cox: Seconded by Commissioner Cannon RESOLVED, That the following Resolved paragraph be added to the resolution: RESOLVED, That this Board requests the Ithaca City School District to install a sidewalk behind South Hill School to Grandview Court. Carried Unanimously A vote on the main motion as amended resulted as follows: Carried Unanimously REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES: Audit Report O Resolution By Commissioner Reeves: Seconded by Commissioner Sprague RESOLVED, That the bills listed on the following Abstract be approved for payment: m Q Abstract #4 General Fund.. • ..........................$ 39,856.89 Water and Sewer Fund ......................... 11,454.08 Joint Activity Fund ................... 0.00 Capital Projects .............................. 17,654.72 and, be it further RESOLVED, That bills receivable be approved and rendered. Carried Unanimously UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Commissioner Reeves asked Asst. Superintendent Fabbroni if the Environmental Assessment form for the Cascadilla Creek /Route 13 and Willow Avenue foot bridge has gone through the Conservation Advisory Council yet. Asst. Superintendent Fabbroni stated that he had sent it out today and asked for their comments to be back by March 21, 1990 so the Board could act immediately after. Commissioner Cannon wanted to make sure that the signage issue for the parking garages has been added to the Committee of the Whole agenda and Commissioner Reeves confirmed that it had. Commissioner Cannon also stated that the Commons Advisory Board was opposed to changing the existing building height limits in the downtown business district and is more interested in seeing the City work on planning issues and promoting health to the downtown area. Commissioner Berg stated that resolution calling for building the downtown business district. the Planning Board passed a heights to be set at 75 feet in ADJOURNMENT: On a motion the meeting adjourned at 5:30 pm. C. o Julie C. Boyle Deputy City Clerk Benjami. Nichols Mayor 291