Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BPW-1992-02-22BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE OF.THE WHOLE January 22, 1992 NOTES Present; Commissioners Brandford, Cox, Gerard, Reeves, Rusoff, Tripp, Mayor Nichols; Supt. Gray, Asst. Supt. Dennis Shimer, Asst. Supt. Ferrel. Commissioner Reeves chaired the meeting. There were no additions to the Agenda. The following was deferred to a future Agenda: General plan for traffic and parking requests The Board had Power to Act. Resolution By Commissioner Cox: Seconded by Commissioner Tripp WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works directed the City Plumbing Inspector to investigate water /sewer problems at 316 North Titus Avenue, and WHEREAS, the Plumbing Inspector concluded that the problems were internal and not related to the installation of utilities by the City, and WHEREAS, the property has a history of root problems dating back to 1942, prior to creek maintenance projects, and WHEREAS, the installation of the water service and the sewer lateral were requested by the property owner, therefore be it RESOLVED that the Board of Public works deny the request to expunge or modify the water and sewer installation bill for 316 North Titus Avenue. There was some discussion of possible reasons for the 24 -year gap between the call for service in 1963 and the recent group of calls, beginning in 1987. Supt. Gray explained the probable working life of clay laterals. BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE January 22, 1992 A vote on the Resolution resulted as follows: Ayes (5) Rusoff, Tripp, Cox, Brandford, Reeves Abstain (1) Gerard Motion Carries 2. Improving meeting procedures. Commissioner Reeves opened the discussion by pointing out that the Board's unfinished business includes policy questions, the answers to which could save both the Board and the public time now spent on repeatedly addressing the same issues. She said there were also other similar questions. Commissioner Rusoff suggested making a list of those policies. Commissioner Gerard said he thought the appeals procedure was meant to take over where the laws or policies were too inflexible. Commissioner Brandford said the appeals process must give quick results. Mayor Nichols said many requests could be settled by the Superintendent, but the Board has to give him the policy to settle them by. Supt. Gray said the Board had cut out three quarters of its previous requests for sewer expungements by settling on a policy; he believes that with set policies the Department could give timely responses to requests. Commissioner Tripp handed around a proposal for re- organizing the Board's meetings. This proposal sorts the various activities of the Board into different meetings: the first meeting for Board business, new business, public comment, and to set the monph's agenda; the second for staff reports and other Department business, and review of appeals; the third for discussion of ongoing issues and projects; the fourth for voting, and the fifth for special issues. Asst. Supt. Ferrel asked whether the staff reports were actually useful to the Board; all the commissioners thought they were useful, but they disagreed on the optimal number, detail and form of the reports. Comm. Tripp and Gerard would like written reports which could be quickly reviewed to save the Board time. Comm. Rusoff would like the reports to be monthly and to focus on large issues, rather than giving details of the day -to -day operations; Comm. Cox would also prefer to limit the reports to larger issues. He asked whether it is necessary for both Asst. Superintendents to attend every meeting of the Board. Supt. Gray pointed out that the audits can only be done at voting meetings. He prefers to -have more than one meeting a month at which the Board can approve audits and vote on other Department business, so that requests for transferring funds, etc. can get through the various other committees and votes without undue delay. Commissioner Cox said he thought having two meeting a month at which the public could address the Board was better than only one, but that four times a month was too often. Comm. Reeves Page - 2 BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE January 22, 1992 said she had a regular procedure at the moment for giving the Public access to the Board; she will write it out or explain it to Comm. Tripp. Comm. Tripp is going to revise her proposed meeting schedule, based on the discussion and on consultation with Asst. City Atty. Kennedy and Supt. Gray about the legal and organizational requirements for the meetings. Comm. Cox suggested that the Board ought to be prepared in any case to close its regular meetings if the business was finished and begin discussing any unfinished business. 3. Mayor's projects / work program for the Board. Mayor Nichols presented again the issues that he thinks the Board ought to be dealing with: budget and staff reductions, Physical facilities and consolidation, the water system, traffic control, parking system management, the traffic system, and fee structure / users' fees. He noted that Ithaca is now classed as a metropolitan district, which will make it eligible for federal transit funds. Supt. Gray presented a list of areas of Board concern, with some questions about each. He said if the Board considered them, and made some decisions about priorities within the list, it would be helpful to the Department, and to himself and the assistant superintendents. He reminded the Board that the Engineering Office is currently working on a number of capital projects, many of them already decided on and funded, which is the largest group of projects they have undertaken in one year. At the same time, the engineering staff is two people short. Mayor Nichols asked the Board how they wanted to consider the items on Supt. Gray's list: through subcommittees? with individuals organizing different topics? Comm. Brandford offered to bring in, in a month, a proposal for dealing with traffic control. Comm. Tripp will work on that with him. Comm. Cox and Reeves offered to work together on consolidation. rComm. Brandford suggested that each commissioner think by the next meeting of two items they would like to deal with. Comm. Reeves asked when it would be possible to discuss revenues. Supt. Gray said he was close to being able to give the Board the information it needed. Meeting adjourned at 5:55 pm. Notes by Marianne Hansen Administrative Secretary Page - 3