HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BPW-1996-03-27BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS PROCEEDINGS
CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK
Regular Meeting 4:00 p.m. March 27, 1996
PRESENT:
Mayor Cohen
Commissioners (6) - Seligmann, Smith, Ehrhardt, Reeves, Davidoff, Vargas
OTHERS PRESENT:
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
Alderperson - Blumenthal
EXCUSED:
Commissioner Davidoff was excused at 5:00 and did not vote on any resolutions
1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:
Mayor Cohen led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag.
2. MINUTES:
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:
5. COMMUNICATIONS AND HEARINGS OF PERSONS BEFORE THE BOARD:
Alderperson Blumenthal read a letter reporting on the deteriorated condition of the roadway in
the 400 and 500 blocks of Mitchell Street and requesting that the capital project which includes
repairs to Mitchell Street be given a high priority by the Department. Superintendent Gray and
Commissioner Reeves responded that work priorities had affected the completion of the project.
Alderperson Blumenthal also read a letter from Jean Truelson requesting that the City's odd/even
parking system be abolished. Discussion followed and a sub-committee consisting of
Commissioners Davidoff and Ehrhardt, Alderperson Mackesey and Mayor Cohen was formed to
pursue the issue.
6. RESPONSE TO PUBLIC:
7. REPORT OF CITY CLERK:
8. REPORT OF CITY ATTORNEY:
9. REPORT OF CITY CONTROLLER:
10. REPORT OF COUNCIL LIAISON:
Alderperson Mackesey reported on the following Common Council actions:
DPW work program presented to B&A
Mayor Cohen expressed appreciation for Alderperson Mackesey's representation of the Board's
interests before Council
11. REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF:
Superintendent Gray reported to the Board on the following matters:
B&A presentation; Mitchell St road condition; Youth Bureau project - occupancy 4/27; "Red
Light" education project funding; transit consolidation - general manager hiring down to 7
candidates;
Assistant Superintendent Ferrel reported to the Board on the following matters:
Parks & Forestry:
• Stewart Park cleanup: meetings with FEMA; 7500 cu yd material to be removed -
$150,000 estimated cost; high water level; meeting with SEMO; possible NYS Nat'l
Guard help
• Park and cemetery cleanup starting; 2 tennis courts open; new basketball eqpt at Conway
Park; new 6 Mile Creek bulletin board and trail repair/resurfacing; Cass Park Rink closed
• Golf Course: planning for "snack shack option"; food and beverage rebid; possible
opening in one week
Highways:
street cleaning started 3/28; yard waste collection starting 4/1; night crew back on days;
pothole and guardrail repair; catch basin cleaning;
Sign Shop: new street signs going up
Electrician: work at IPD elevator
Ithaca Transit: Nancy Oltz trip to Roswell, NM for pre-construction mtg to review modifications
Preparation of downtown services information for possible new BID
Commissioner Mackesey asked for a report on the Cass Park season's budget (being prepared by
John Doyle)
Commissioner Ehrhardt asked when the Stewart Park playground would be operational (being
worked on now)
Commissioner Reeves asked about the Esty St redesign (75% complete - sketch to be sent to
residents)
Assistant Superintendent Fabbroni reported to the Board on the following matters:
Rt 96 crews on double shifts - some City staff on 2nd shift; West Buffalo pump station failure; 5
water services installed; break at Pier Rd sewer pump station; Esty/Cascadilla/Green Sts water &
sewer work; German Cross Rd watershed work; water model project - tours and meetings -
response date is 4/11; planning for CU Lake Source Cooling project; Supts Gray and Fabbroni
working on assessing value for work done in the City ROW; pump station engineering study -
Giles and Buffalo St most in need; new remote monitoring eqpt; WWTP capital project sent to
B&A; GIS - Doug Foster working at W&S; conference on new GIS software; workfare -
janitorial and file work
Alderperson Mackesey asked about moving the W Buffalo St pump station to the parking lane
(probably will be done) and the continued use of the building at the corner of W Buffalo and
Meadow (not needed when pump station is rebuilt, property could be sold)
Mayor Cohen reported on the following matters:
RFP meeting; meeting with Governor's Office rep about Stewart Park; conversation with Nancy
Oltz about bus driver scheduling and possible purchase of buses from Niagara Frontier; asked
Supt Gray to start an interdepartmental discussion on graffiti (Alderperson Mackesey asked
about a legal graffiti area); discussion with Sciencenter about expansion - acquisition of
adjoining land at a reduced rate in exchange for maintaining the new Northside Park; ad-hoc
planning groupt to look at Cass Park issues; John Doyle reported that Cass Park revenue is down
37% to date; BID baseline services agreement
Commissioner Reeves asked about the Parks Commission/Youth Bureau Cass Park Master Plan
on 1996 capital projects list
12. REPORT OF OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS:
13. BUILDINGS, PROPERTIES AND TRANSIT ITEMS:
A. Approval of Hangar Theatre Improvements.
By Commissioner Smith: Seconded by Commissioner Ehrhardt
WHEREAS, the Hangar Theatre has a contract with the City of Ithaca which requires all
building improvements to be approved by the City, and
WHEREAS, the Managing Director and Theatre’s architect have presented the Board of Public
Works with a design to make changes to the building; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works approves the architect’s conceptual design for
improvements to the back stage area of the Hangar Theatre in drawings dated February 2, 1996.
Carried Unanimously
B. Request for Encroachment at 422-424 East State Street.
By Commissioner Smith: Seconded by Commissioner Ehrhardt
WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works has received and reviewed a request for an
encroachment at 422-24 East State Street, and
WHEREAS, the proposed easement would encroach in to Schuyler Place by approximately 18
feet for the length of the property; now therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works reserves the right to direct that the encroachment
be removed or modified by the owner of the encroachment if the Department requires use of the
property, and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Board otherwise grants the requested encroachment for 422-424 East
State Street and, contingent on approval of the City Attorney, authorizes the Mayor to enter into
an agreement.
Discussion followed on the floor.
A vote on the resolution resulted as follows:
Carried Unanimously
14. HIGHWAYS, STREETS AND SIDEWALK ITEMS:
15. TRAFFIC ITEMS:
16. CREEKS, BRIDGES AND PARKS:
17. ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNICATIONS ITEMS:
A. Request to Increase Funding for IAWWTP Capacity Upgrade Project.
By Commissioner Reeves: Seconded by Commissioner Seligmann
WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works reviewed the initial proposal for increasing the capacity of
the Wastewater Treatment Plant in early 1995, which was then estimated at $450,000 and approved
the initial engineering services, and
WHEREAS, staff and the engineer have proposed a number of related system improvements to
improve operations, reduce energy consumption, and provide system redundancy for emergency and
maintenance functions, which have been approved and recommended by the SJS to the Board, and
WHEREAS, the current pre-bid estimate for the total project is $666,200, provided by the
consulting engineer, and
WHEREAS, the Board made a finding of no significant impact following its environmental review
of the project by resolution dated January 10, 1996; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works has reviewed the recommendation of the SJS and
requests that the Budget and Administration Committee and Common Council increase the
authorization for Capital Project 403J, IAWWTP capacity Upgrade Project, from $65,600 to
$670,000, and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Mayor is authorized to sign construction contracts and the Superintendent is
authorized to negotiate and sign amendments to engineering and construction contracts within the
scope and budget outlined in the bid documents and pre-bid estimate (copy attached) once the
project is approved and funded.
Carried Unanimously
B. Authorization To Participate in Cooperative Purchasing of Highway Services with
Tompkins County.
By Commissioner Reeves: Seconded by Commissioner Ehrhardt
WHEREAS, the Office of the State Comptroller has ruled that counties may no longer
extend their bids for public work (services) to political subdivisions, and
WHEREAS, General Municipal Law Section 119-0 states that “any agreement entered into
hereunder shall be approved by each participating municipal corporation or district by a
majority vote of its governing body,” and
WHEREAS, the Charter of the City of Ithaca, Article V, Section C-61, places responsibility
for streets, drains, and property with the Board of Public Works, including operations,
maintenance, construction and related appropriations; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca be hereby authorized to participate with Tompkins
County in the cooperative purchasing of the following highway services:
• Recycling of Bituminous Materials
• Installation of Perforated Tubing for Subsurface Drainage
• Steel Sheet Piling
• Calcium Chloride Solution
• Traffic Line Painting
• Bridge Repair
• Liquid Bituminous Materials
as well as highway materials as outlined in the County’s bid documents for both highway
services and highway materials
Carried Unanimously
18. WATER, SEWER AND SOLID WASTE ITEMS:
19. REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES:
Commissioner Ehrhardt (Traffic Committee)
• Possible stop signs at the corner of Tioga and Tompkins Sts (discussion)
• Requests/concerns from Alderperson Efroymson: stop signs at Geneva/Cascadilla; bridge
abutment blocking visibility at; removal of parking at southwest corner of Cascadilla/Cayuga
• Parking changes at E Falls St (discussion of public notification for projects)
Mayor Cohen reported that IPD had one radar gun operating on every shift and 2 more guns are
being purchased through STOP DWI. Commssioner Erhardt urged that IPD not issue warnings for
speeding
Commissioner Reeves reported on: Cass Park ball field lights; Golf Course residency checking
20. REPORT OF BOARD LIAISONS:
Commissioner Reeves reported on the following matters:
• Parks Commission: CDBG funds for Conway Park play structure; Wood St handball court
and basketball lighting;
• Shade Tree Advisory: Bryant Park renovation; Fulton St planter at Bus Station; Commons
replanting; target areas are Northside and South Hill; Stewart Park cleanup; handicapped
accessible picnic tables; 6 Mile Creek trails; landscaping between Youth Bureau and
Chamber of Commerce building;
• Youth Bureau funding for summer concert series at Stewart Park
• Location for play structure to be built by book author
Commissioner Ehrhardt (Planning Board) reported on the decision to require a full EIS from
Wegman's
21. UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
22. NEW BUSINESS:
23. ADJOURNMENT:
On a motion the meeting adjourned at 5:45 p.m.
William Kaupe Alan J. Cohen
Deputy City Clerk Mayor