HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BPW-1996-01-10BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS PROCEEDINGS
CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK
Regular Meeting 4:00 p.m. January 10, 1996
PRESENT:
Mayor Cohen
Commissioners (4) - Seligmann, Smith, Ehrhardt, Reeves, Davidoff
OTHERS PRESENT:
Deputy City Controller - Thayer
Deputy City Clerk - Kaupe
Superintendent of Public Works - Gray
Assistant Superintendent of Streets and Facilities - Ferrel
Assistant Superintendent of Water and Sewer - Fabbroni
Common Council Liaison - Mackesey
Transit Supervisor - Oltz
EXCUSED:
1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:
Mayor Cohen led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag.
2. MINUTES:
Approval of the Minutes of the December 13, 1995 Board of Public Works Meeting
By Commissioner Seligmann: Seconded by Mayor Cohen
RESOLVED, That the Minutes of the December 13, 1995 Board of Public Works meeting
be approved as published.
Carried Unanimously
3. ADDITIONS TO OR DELETIONS FROM THE AGENDA:
Commissioner Reeves requested that Item 17B be added to the agenda. No Board
member objected.
4. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE MAYOR:
A. Committee Assignments
Commissioner Smith will serve on the Buildings, Properties and Transit Items
Committee
Commissioner Davidoff will serve on the Highways, Streets and Sidewalk Committee
B. Election of Vice Chair
Commissioner Reeves was unanimously elected Vice-Chair of the Board
5. COMMUNICATIONS AND HEARINGS OF PERSONS BEFORE THE BOARD:
Jill Tripp and Myra Kovary addressed the Board on the matter of suicide prevention barriers
on City bridges. Commissioner Ehrhardt responded that suicide is a personal matter. He
was concerned that barriers night be an attractive nuisance and questioned whether
barriers were the best use of City funds. Mayor Cohen suggested that the Cornell Art &
Architecture Department might be used as a design resource. Ms. Kovary suggested that
Landscape Architecture would be the appropriate discipline and suggested contact with
Herb Gottfried at Cornell.
6. REPORT OF CITY CLERK:
7. REPORT OF CITY ATTORNEY:
8. REPORT OF CITY CONTROLLER:
Deputy Controller Thayer reported on the following matters: closing out 1995 accounts;
financial system computer upgrade
9. REPORT OF COUNCIL LIAISON:
10. REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF:
Superintendent Gray reported to the Board on the following matters: NYSDOT meeting with
Bill Mobbs; 1995 project closeout; 1996 work program
Assistant Superintendent Ferrel reported to the Board on the following matters: Highways:
snow removal, 1995 budget materials and overtime accounts exhausted, 1996 snow
removal budget used $7200 of $30,000, Manpower crew working on City and private
sidewalks, Solid Waste crew down 2 people, Christmas tree pickup; Sign Shop: ,working on
snow removal crews, 104 missing street signs; Electrician: signal maintenance and parking
lot equipment maintenance, Albany/Titus traffic light needs repair; Pam Applegarth has
finished the budget
Assistant Superintendent Fabbroni reported to the Board on the following matters: contract
materials for sludge contract with Waste Stream Environmental - $34.70/ton (City haul) or
$41.20/ton (WSE haul);
11. REPORT OF OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS:
12. BUILDINGS, PROPERTIES AND TRANSIT ITEMS:
A. Request for Relief form License Fee at 109-111 North Cayuga Street.
By Commissioner Ehrhardt: Seconded by Commissioner Smith
WHEREAS, James Bilinski, owner of 109-111 North Cayuga Street has requested relief
from having to pay a license fee for intrusion of a balcony into the City right-of-way of 144
square feet, and
WHEREAS, the balcony was added to the building as part of a renovation project in 1989,
and the Board of Public Works granted a license for the encroachment by Resolution dated
June 28, 1989, and
WHEREAS, Mr. Bilinski and the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission (ILPC) both
feel that the restoration of the previously existing balcony added to the public appeal of the
Clinton Block Historical District; the resolution passed by the ILPC on December 5, 1995 is
attached to and mad a part of this resolution; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works hereby grants the requested relief from the
licensing fee for the property at 109-111 North Cayuga Street, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the board wishes to grant an Encroachment Agreement to replace the
license, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the board reserves the right to direct that the encroachment be removed
at the owner’s expense if the Department of Public Works finds removal of the balcony
necessary for the use of the City’s right-of-way, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the board authorizes the Mayor to enter into an agreement contingent
upon approval of the City Attorney and the Superintendent of Public Works.
Discussion followed on the floor.
A vote on the resolution resulted as follows:
Carried Unanimously
13. HIGHWAYS, STREETS AND SIDEWALK ITEMS:
14. TRAFFIC ITEMS:
A. Establishment of Traffic Subcommittee.
By Commissioner Ehrhardt: Seconded by Commissioner Reeves
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Works receives many requests for traffic control
devices, traffic calming measures, traffic signs, and other traffic-management related
requests, and
WHEREAS, many of these requests require approval by the Board of Public Works, and
WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works does not have sufficient time to process these
requests expeditiously at its regular weekly meetings, and
WHEREAS, the board wishes to respond to these requests in a more timely fashion; now,
therefore, be it
January 10, 1996
Page 3
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RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works designates a Committee for Traffic Issues
consisting of the Commissioner for Traffic issues, to act as chairperson; the Commissioner
for Parking Issues; the BPW Liaison to the Bicycle Advisory Council; the chairperson of the
Task Force on Traffic Issues; and the Traffic Systems Engineer, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That this committee will meet at least once each month to review traffic
related proposals in accordance with the Procedures for Responding to Traffic Related
Proposals approved by Common Council in June, 1995, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That this committee will:
- make recommendations to the Traffic Systems Engineer on requests which do not
require board approval,
- make recommendations to the board on requests which do require board approval,
- bring traffic management proposals of its own before the board,
- document that the processing of all requests conform with existing laws and
procedures.
Carried Unanimously
15. CREEKS, BRIDGES AND PARKS:
16. ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNICATIONS ITEMS:
17. WATER, SEWER AND SOLID WASTE ITEMS:
A. IAWWTP Proposed Modifications, Findings of No Significant Impact.
By Commissioner Seligmann: Seconded by Commissioner Davidoff
WHEREAS, additions and modifications to the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Plant
have been by the SJS and recommended to the Board of Public Works for consideration,
and
WHEREAS, appropriate environmental review has been conducted, and
WHEREAS, the proposed action is a Type I action under the State Environmental Quality
Review Act and City Environmental Quality Review Ordinance, and
WHEREAS, the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the environment based
on the results of the Cormix model study of Cayuga Lake impacts performed by Stearns
and Wheeler in 1995, now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works, as lead agency in this matter, hereby adopts
as its own, the findings and conclusions more fully set forth on the Long Environmental
Assessment Form Completed by Gerald Hook, P.E., of Stearns & Wheeler dated
September 1, 1995, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the board, as lead agency, hereby determines that the proposed action
at issue will not have a significant effect on the environment, and that further environmental
review is not necessary, and, be it further
RESOLVED, That this resolution and the attached statement shall constitute notice of this
negative declaration and that the Assistant Superintendent of Water and Sewer be directed
to file a copy of same, together with the attachment in the City Clerk’s Office and forward
the same to any other parties as required by law.
Carried Unanimously
B. Award of Bid for the Annual Chemical Requirements.
By Commissioner Seligmann: Seconded by Commissioner Smith
WHEREAS, staff received bids for the 1996 Chemical Requirements on October 17, 1995,
and
WHEREAS, staff has reviewed the bids and made recommendations for award of bid; now,
January 10, 1996
Page 4
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works hereby accepts staff’s recommendation to
award the 1996 Annual Chemical Requirements as follows:
Chemical Vendor Price
Primary Coagulant, /pound Cytec Industries $.215/lb - 73,100
Filter Aid, /pound O’Brien Industries $1/695/lb - $1,695
Liquid Caustic Soda, /pound Jones Chemical, Inc. $12.80 CWT Sol.
Coagulant Aid, /pound Cytec Industries $.645/lb - $24,375
Potassium Permanganate, /pound Textile Chemical, Co. $1.3442/lb-
$7,393.10
Liquid Chlorine, /1-ton cyl. NYCLOR, Inc. $475/TON-$41,800
Pebble Lime, /ton Bellefonte Lime Co. $82./TON -$32,800
Sulfur Dioxide, /pound Jones Chemical, Inc. $.78/lb - $17,160
Sodium Hypochlorite, /gallon NYCLOR, Inc. $1.50/galCB/&1,500
Sodium Hypochlorite - Bulk Jones Chemical, Inc. $.63/gal -
$30,720
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the Board hereby authorizes the Assistant Superintendent for Water and
Sewer to enter into agreements for the bid awards.
Carried Unanimously
Recess
The Board recessed at 5:10 p.m. and reconvened in regular session at 5:30 p.m.
18. REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES:
19. REPORT OF BOARD LIAISONS:
Commissioner Seligmann reported that two members of the Energy Commission had
resigned and that Lew Durland urgently requested that they be replaced.
Commissioner Ehrhardt reported from the Traffic Committee regarding traffic requests
Commissioner Reeves reported on the following matters: B&A Committee working on "Dogs
on the Commons legislation (Shenk and Thorpe); Commons fountain repairs - letter from
Egner Assoc., CAB and Art & Design working on it; trash containers on the Commons;
Sciencenter's "Planet Walk" project; Paul Stevenson's announcement that CDBG
applications were available; Parks Commission: skateboarding at Stewart Park or near Haley
Pool (discussion), parks list and map (Tom West), Circle Greeway brochure update,
playground equipment at Cass and Stewart Parks, plantings at Stewart Park, handball court
at Wood St Park
20. UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
A. Public Hearing - 5:30 - Transit Fare Increase
Transit Supervisor Oltz reported to the Board on transit system operating budget
figures.
Motion to Open Public Hearing at 5:45pm
By Commissioner Ehrhardt: Seconded by Commissioner Davidoff
Carried Unanimously
No one appeared to speak at the Public Hearing
Motion to Close Public Hearing at 5:46
By Commissioner Ehrhardt: Seconded by Commissioner Reeves
Carried Unanimously
January 10, 1996
Page 5
Extensive discussion ensued concerning the transit fare increase
21. NEW BUSINESS:
22. ADJOURNMENT:
On a motion the meeting adjourned at 5:55p.m.
William Kaupe Alan J. Cohen
Deputy City Clerk Mayor