Loading...
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 3 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