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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BPW-1992-10-141111 BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS PROCEEDINGS CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 4:00 p.m. October 14, 1992 PRESENT: Mayor Nichols Commissioners (6) – Rusoff, Tripp, Reeves, Gerard, Cox, Brandford OTHERS PRESENT: Assistant Superintendent of Public Works (Streets & Facilities) – Ferrel Assistant Superintendent of Public Works (Water & Sewer) – Shimer Common Council Liaison – Berg Deputy City Controller - Thayer Senior stenographer – Holcomb ABSENT: Superintendent of Public Works – Gray (excused) Assistant City Attorney – Kennedy (excused) PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Nichols led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Approval of Minutes of the Board of Public Works Meeting of September 23, 1992 Board of Public Works Meeting By Commissioner Tripp: Seconded by Commissioner Rusoff RESOLVED, That the minutes of the September 23, 1992 Board of Public Works meeting be approved as published. Carried Unanimously ADDITIONS TO OR DELETIONS FROM THE AGENDA: Highways, Streets and Sidewalk Items Commissioner Brandford requested the addition of Item 13B – Request for an All-Way Stop at South Plain and Wood Streets. No Board member objected. Unfinished Business Commissioner Reeves requested to make a report on Spencer Road. No Board member objected. New Business Mayor Nichols requested to have a discussion on solid waste under New Business. No Board member objected. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE MAYOR: Cayuga Street Bridge Opening Mayor Nichols referred to the press release that was sent out regarding the opening of the Cayuga Street Bridge. The opening will be on Friday, October 16th at 9:00 a.m. with a ribbon cutting ceremony. 2222 Intergovernmental Relations Committee Meeting Mayor Nichols reported that there will be a meeting of the IGR tomorrow evening to discuss the question of the possible purchase of land for consolidation of the Department of Public Works. COMMUNICATIONS AND HEARING OF PERSONS BEFORE BOARD: Hector Street Improvement Alderperson Blanchard thanked the Board for their work on the northern part of Hector Street. She stated that it is going to be a tremendous improvement and the neighborhood is most appreciative. Ms. Blanchard spoke to the Board regarding suggestions for signage that is needed in the area as long as the construction is being done at this time. Odd/Even Parking Mr. Timothy Terpening spoke to the Board in opposition to the Odd/Even parking system. He would like to see the entire system abolished. Bud Lite Baseball Tournament for 1993 Mr. Bob McGee, representing Triple Crown Sports, addressed the Board regarding the National Slow Pitch Baseball Series in the Ithaca community. He stated that they have held their event at Cass Park for the past two years. He explained to the Board how the tournament works. He referred to the money for renting of fields that will be needed to put the tournament on; $522 time 130 events next year creates a budgeted item of $65,000., which is a great deal of money to them. Mr. Tom King, Chamber of Commerce, spoke to the Board in support of the Baseball tournament and urged the Board to also support the event. Discussion followed on the floor with Mr. King and Mr. McGee answering questions from the Board. REPORT OF CITY CONTROLLER: Budget and Administration Meeting Deputy City Controller Thayer relayed a message from Alderperson Booth inviting the Board to discuss the preliminary 1993 departmental budget. Collegetown Special Assessment District Deputy city Controller Thayer explained that a Collegetown Special Assessment district public hearing is needed to be held on November 4th at the Committee of the Whole meeting, with the Board having power to act on the matter at that meeting. Resolution By Commissioner Reeves: Seconded by Commissioner Tripp RESOLVED, That the Board have Power to Act at the November 4 Committee of the Whole meeting in regard to the Collegetown Special Assessment District. Carried Unanimously REPORT OF COUNCIL LIAISON: Ithaca Festival Alderperson Berg reported that a sub-committee of the Human Services Committee is going to be review the proposal from the Ithaca Festival for Community Services funding on the 16th. He stated that he is bringing this to the Board’s attention because a great deal of the cost of the Ithaca Festival will have to do with department costs such as handling garbage, etc. Southside Facility Addition 3333 Alderperson Berg reported that Southside is endeavoring to make a substantial addition to their facility for extra athletic space. He stated that he is bringing this to the Board’s attention because this will have an economic impact on the City as we are responsible for the upkeep of the facility, as well as paying for their utilities. Discussion followed on the floor regarding the proposed Southside addition. Collegetown Recycling Meeting with Merchants Alderperson Berg reported that there was a meeting with the Mayor, Collegetown merchants, Asst. Supt. Ferrel, and some Alderpersons regarding means of getting glass bottles, etc. off the streets in the Collegetown area. REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC WORKS: Assistant Superintendent Ferrel reported on the following in the absence of Superintendent Gray: Commons Brick Circle – The work is starting for the brick circle artwork on the Commons. Most of the other items on the Commons renovations are completed. All work will be done by the end of November. GIAC Renovations – The renovations are on schedule and it is expected that the building will be re-occupied in December. There was discussion regarding the bathroom on the first floor and a possible overrun on the budget for these renovations. Municipal Pool – The building part of the pool is close to completion. It will be in the ground by December, at which time construction will be halted until Spring. The pool will be open on June 1, 1993. Sidewalk Construction – Will be finished within the next two weeks. The contractor is doing some extra work in the Woolworth parking lot with handicapped access areas. Court Facility – The foundation work is completed. The foot bridge and steel erection on the site will start toward the end of October. REPORT OF ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF STREETS AND FACILITIES: Assistant Superintendent of Streets and Facilities Ferrel reported to the Board on the following items: Meeting with Collegetown Merchants – The big issues were garbage cans on the streets and cleaning out the garbage cans, street cleaning, setting up recycling bins in the area and the possibility of having the department do some sidewalk sweeping. He stated that in a drive through the area, there should be 27 locations for garbage cans in the Collegetown area; there are currently 9 present and accounted for. The 27 cans will be put back in and there are a couple of areas where there should be one or two additional cans. They will have to be secured by chain or anchored in some other way. The street cleaning is on a schedule of getting the sweeper up there just about every day. However, the parking situation does create a problem in the area. The question of recycling bins in the area was discussed and the matter will be looked at further. Seneca and Green Street Repaving – NYS DoT has told Mr. Ferrel that they are in the middle of doing some design work and the paving will not be done until 1994 and that it is going to be more extensive than just paving the streets. Therefore, City crews will have to do some major patchwork, especially between Cayuga and Tioga where it is really needed. 4444 Islands on Franklin Street – The islands that are next to the Pogo parcel are being removed as the parcel was sold to Mutual Housing, and the property line is out into the street. The islands have to be removed to have proper access and proper lanes on the street. Cass Park Ice Rink – The compressor has been fired up and the rink is scheduled to open October 21st at 2:30 p.m. Stewart Park Pavilions – Have been closed down for the season, effective on October 15. Fall Tree Planting – Will be starting. The trees were delivered today. Planters on Elmira Road – Planters are going to be installed in front of the Valley Lumber and Superior Transmission sites. This is a project initiated by the Shade Tree Committee and is funded through a federal grant. The planters will be granite curbed and regular street trees will be planted in them. City Forester – The City Forester interviews are scheduled for tomorrow. Discussion followed on the floor on the procedure that needs to be followed regarding the position of City Forester. Sign Shop – The crew is beginning to start on their backlog of sign orders which have piled up over the summer months. Extended Hour Parking Trial – Will be over on Friday and the City Chamberlain has been requested to put together financial information and a report will be made to the Board on October 28th. Transit Center – the time frame for moving into the Transit Center is in place. As of today, the building is insured. The move will start the week of October 29th, with stock, computers and office records being moved first. The following week, staff will relocate and go through employee orientation and the week of November 9, the bus maintenance will be transferred over to the facility. Discussion followed on the floor regarding the delay with NYS DoT repaving Green and Seneca Streets. Resolution By Commissioner Cox: Seconded by Commissioner Rusoff RESOLVED, That the Mayor be requested to write to NYS DoT expressing the Board’s regret at the delay and stressing the poor condition of the streets and requesting that the repaving of Seneca and Green Street be done as soon as possible. Carried Unanimously There was discussion regarding striping and whether the department should be using thermo-plastic. Asst. Supt. Ferrel stated that it is too cold to be using thermo-plastic striping at this time of year. REPORT OF ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR WATER & SEWER: Assistant Superintendent Shimer reported to the Board on the following items: Wastewater Plant RFP’s – The RFP’s have gone out for the design capacity increase for the Wastewater Treatment Plant and the proposals will be presented to the SJS members at the November 16 meeting. 5555 Wastewater Plant Inspection – The DEC will be doing their annual inspection of the Wastewater Plant tomorrow. Polymer Performance Test – The crew is in the process of bidding Polymer and now evaluating the performance of each Polymer. It is an extensive project because the Polymer ultimately affects the sludge and the effectiveness of the Polymer reduces the amount of water in the sludge which reduces the tonnage that goes to the landfill. The process of conducting the performance test is lengthy. Water Plant Pre-construction Meeting – The pre-construction meeting for the interim project has been held and they are waiting on a couple of insurance documents. Then they will be issuing notices to proceed. Groundbreaking for the interim project should be in the very near future. Lead and Copper Samples – 50 out of 60 of the lead and copper samples have been completed. At this time there have been 40 above the action level but none above the maximum contaminant level. Mr. Shimer’s office has been receiving numerous calls from people regarding the regulations and his office is beginning to put together a public relations hand-out for information. Watershed Signs – The new signs for the watershed are ready. Court Facility – the crews have finished the installation of the six inch utilities to the new Court facility. Video Taping and Cleaning of Sewer System – The 50,000 feet that the crew was anticipating doing this year, is approximately 80% complete. South Cayuga Street Bridge Pipe – The pipe line that is under the bridge on the west side is a pre-insulated pipe and there is an expansion joint on the pipe. It is considerably different than how any bridge has been done in the past so Mr. Shimer would like Board members to take a look at it if they go to the bridge opening on Friday. HIGHWAYS, STREETS AND SIDEWALK ITEMS: Request for Pedestrian Dedicated Signal at East State and North Aurora Streets The Board of Public Works has received a request from Paula Wambo, 600 Warren Road, to improve the southern pedestrian crossing at the intersection of East State and North Aurora Streets. Ms. Wambo suggested installation of a dedicated pedestrian cycle which would allow pedestrians to cross without any vehicular movement through the intersection. Resolution By Commissioner Brandford: Seconded by Commissioner Tripp WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works has reviewed pedestrian safety at the intersection of North Aurora and East State Streets; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works requests staff, by November 15, 1992, to provide information on cost and operational impacts of installation of a dedicated pedestrian cycle, and be it further RESOLVED, That the Board requests staff’s recommendation by November 15, 1992 on changing the signalization to accommodate pedestrian traffic, and be it further RESOLVED, That the Board requests staff, by November 15, 1992, to include recommendations concerning designing the realignment of the pedestrian cross walk across North Aurora Street from the island to the Commons, and be it further 6666 RESOLVED, That the Board directs staff to zebra stripe the pedestrian cross walk by November 15 or as soon as possible. Discussion followed on the floor. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Carried Unanimously Request for All-Way Stop at South Plain and Wood Streets By Commissioner Brandford: Seconded by Commissioner Tripp WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works has reviewed a request for installation of two stop signs making the intersection of South Plain and Wood Streets an all-way stop; now therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works denies the request for an all-way stop at the intersection of South Plain and Wood Streets. Amending Resolution By Commissioner Cox: Seconded by Commissioner Reeves RESOLVED, That there be a further Resolved Clause added to read as follows: “RESOLVED, That the Traffic Engineer’s recommendations of October 14, 1992, be accepted and is on file in the Engineer’s Office and the City Clerk’s Office.” Carried Unanimously Main Motion as Amended A vote on the Main Motion as Amended resulted as follows: Carried Unanimously BUDGET, ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNICATIONS ITEMS: BPW Meeting Schedule for November and December By Commissioner Reeves: Seconded by Commissioner Cox RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works hereby sets the meeting schedule for the months of November and December as follows: C.O.W. Regular November 4, 1992 November 18, 1992 December 2, 1992 December 9, 1992 December 16, 1992 December 23, 1992 and be it further RESOLVED, That there will be no meetings on November 11, 1992, November 25, 1992 and December 30, 1992. Carried Unanimously WATER, SEWER AND SOLID WASTE ITEMS: Request to Expunge Trash Tag Violation Mrs. John Rudan, landlord of 612 East Buffalo Street, has sent correspondence to the Department of Public Works requesting expungement of a trashtag violation. The violation, received by her tenant, was in the first full week of January. Mrs. Rudan feels that there was not adequate general notice of the change. This occurred despite her efforts to notify her tenants. She also feels that her tenants were not given proper notice of their specific violation. A resolution was brought before the Board at its June 24, 1992 meeting and failed. Commissioner Rusoff requested that the resolution be reconsidered. 7777 Resolution By Commissioner Cox: Seconded by Commissioner Gerard WHEREAS, Mrs. John Rudan has requested expengement of a $25.00 fee for a trashtag violation; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works approves Mrs. Rudan’s request for an expungement of the charge for improper tags, and be it further RESOLVED, That the additiona penalty charge of $6.00 be included in the expungement. Ayes (4) – Cox, Rusoff, Gerard, Mayor Nichols Nays (3) – Reeves, Tripp, Brandford Carried REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES: Audit Report Commissioner Rusoff: Seconded by Commissioner Tripp RESOLVED, That bills listed on the following abstract be approved for payment: Abstract #19 General Fund ………………………………………………….. $ 38,807.95 Water and Sewer Fund ………………………………………… $ 5,007.64 Joint Activity Fund ……………………………………………. $ 18,865.25 Capital Projects ………………………………………………... $221,487.01 Solid Waste ……………………………………………………. $ 19,356.70 and be it further RESOLVED, That bills receiveable be approved and rendered. Carried Unanimously UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Spencer Road Commissioner Reeves wished to remind Board members that next week the Board must review the data collected both during the 90-day trial period earlier this summer and also the data obtained during the 75-day extension. Commissioner Reeves stated that Alderperson Daley, Chair of the Task Force on Traffic Issues and that committee is very interested in this subject and will be discussing it at their meeting on Thursday night and hewill be happy to come back to the Board with an opinion from that group on whether or not to continue this one-way configuration on Spencer Road. She stated that on October 28th, the Board should pass a resolution to discontinue the one-way rule or make the change permanent. NEW BUSINESS: Solid Waste Operation Mayor Nichols stated there have been discussions going on for months between the Controller, the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent, himself and Jim Kelly, regarding the cost of the City’s solid waste operation and the need to bring it down as well as the relationship with the County in terms of the recycling program and what they are willing to pay for and how to keep those costs down. Extensive discussion followed on the floor. 8888 ADJOURNMENT: On a motion the meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m. Connie J. Holcomb Benjamin Nichols Senior Stenographer Mayor