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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BPW-2005-04-13BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS PROCEEDINGS CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 4:45 p.m. April 13, 2005 PRESENT: Mayor Peterson Commissioners (4) - Jenkins, Dotson, Chapman, Schlather OTHERS PRESENT: Deputy City Controller - Andrew Assistant Superintendent of Streets and Facilities - Ferrel Assistant Superintendent of Water and Sewer - Fabbroni Common Council Liaison – Coles Information Management Specialist - Myers EXCUSED: Commissioner Romanoff DAC Liaison Roberts Superintendent Gray PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Peterson led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Approval of the Minutes of the March 9 and 16, 2005 Board of Public Works Meeting and Committee of the Whole Meeting By Commissioner Dotson: Seconded by Commissioner Jenkins RESOLVED, That the Minutes of the March 9 and 16, 2005 Board of Public Works Meeting and Committee of the Whole Meeting be approved with noted corrections. Amending Resolution: By Commissioner Chapman: Seconded by Commissioner Dotson RESOLVED, That the following changes be made to the March 16, 2005 Committee of the Whole meeting minutes: the 4th paragraph on page 3 beginning with “Commissioner Chapman stated” be changed to read as follows: “Commissioner Chapman stated that since NYSEG will be digging up the street and sidewalks, he assumes the City won’t bear the full cost of installing new traffic calming devices.” and be it further RESOLVED, That the 2nd paragraph on page 4 the last sentence be changed to read as follows: “The audible signal at Cayuga Street and Green Street is installed contrary to current guidelines and there are guidelines that installers can refer to on proper operation.” Carried Unanimously Main Motion As Amended: A vote on the Main Motion as Amended resulted as follows: Carried Unanimously ADDITIONS TO OR DELETIONS FROM THE AGENDA: Mayor Peterson requested the addition of item 14B – Power to Act for Award of Bid for Sidewalk Contract and item 17A – Award of Bid for W & S Construction Materials No Board member objected. CC Liaison Coles requested the addition of item 10A – Report of Council Liaison No Board member objected. Board of Public Works – April 13, 2005 - Page 2 2 COMMUNICATIONS AND HEARINGS OF PERSONS BEFORE THE BOARD: Alderperson Mary Tomlan addressed the Board regarding the parking rates in Collegetown and encouraged the Board to consider reinstating the discount coupons for the merchants. She further stated that she hoped the Board would support the proposed “Adopt A Park” Resolution that is on today’s agenda. Fay Gougakis, City of Ithaca, addressed the Board regarding removing the basketball hoop at Cass Park Pool, dog waste in plastic bags being disposed of in storm sewers, and traffic calming. RESPONSE TO THE PUBLIC Commissioner Dotson thanked Ms. Gougakis for her comments regarding traffic calming and stated that she agrees that there needs to be more public awareness regarding pedestrians and bicyclists. Commissioner Schlather responded to the comment made about dog waste being disposed of in the storm sewers and stated that is a problem and questioned if the City was aware of this issue. Asst. Supt. for Streets and Facilities Ferrel responded that some of this material is trapped in the catch basins, but that some of it probably makes it to the streams and then into the lake. He will ask his crews to see if they have seen specific locations where this is a problem. Commissioner Schlather further stated that he thought the Board had provided a provision in the new parking rates for Collegetown where they would be lowered during the summer in recognition of this being done in the past. Mayor Peterson stated that research would need to be done to look at the resolution passed by the Board to see if it includes summer parking rates. She further stated that messages could be posted at storm sewer openings concerning not putting dog waste in them. REPORT OF COUNCIL LIAISON: Alderperson Coles reported on the following: A constituent telephoned her concerning an encampment on the Black Diamond Trail that had been erected. The Police Department and Streets & Facilities Department responded to this situation the same day they were notified by Alderperson Coles. The Streets and Facilities crew dismantled the camp in a humane manner and the Police Department worked with Social Services to provide the occupants of the camp with options available to them. Alderperson Coles wanted to recognize the successful work in this situation by the two different departments. She further reported that she had been in contact with Duane Twardokus, Director of the IT Department for the City, regarding determining residency for use at the City Golf course. A computer could be provided to the golf course that would contain all the information from the City Chamberlain’s office, which would make it easy to ascertain residency. Discussion followed on the floor and it was noted that the information from the Chamberlain’s office would only contain property owner information, not renter information. Further discussion followed on the floor regarding how this issue was resolved with the Youth Bureau where the proof of residency is critical. The Board felt that an address driven program would be helpful because a number of people don’t know what municipality they reside in. The City Clerk’s office has a 911 listing of all addresses in Tompkins County. The list is alphabetical by street and indicates which municipality each address belongs in. Asst. Supt. for Streets & Facilities Ferrel requested a copy of the list for the golf course. Board of Public Works – April 13, 2005 - Page 3 3 REPORTS OF SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF: Assistant Superintendent Ferrel reported to the Board on the following matters: - He was notified by NYSDOT that they would be replacing a culvert on Route 89 and would list Route 96 as the detour Route. They plan to begin work on May 16, 2005. Extensive discussion followed on the floor regarding how the work by DOT would affect the City’s construction schedule for Cliff Street. Asst. Supt. of Streets and Facilities Ferrel stated that this delay may cause the Cliff Street project to extend into two seasons. Further discussion followed on the scope of the Cliff Street project and whether this project could be deferred to the 2006 construction season. Further discussion followed regarding possible alternate detours that commuters could take that would enable the City to work on Cliff Street simultaneously with the DOT work. Asst. Supt. for Streets and Facilities Ferrel stated that he would contact the local DOT in Cortland to discuss this project, and the construction schedule further. - Crews are close to the end of Spring street cleaning, they are currently working in the Six Mile Creek area. - Two crews are out everyday working on potholes, one crew is doing cold patch and the other is using a hot mix. This work will continue indefinitely because there are many streets that need work. - Stewart Park has been affected by the flooding from a few weeks ago; a lot of debris was put into the lake by the flooding and is now washing up on shore. It will require a major clean up. - Ray Benjamin and he attended a Construction Fair at “The Rink” on April 12, 2005. The fair was held to educate high school students about the construction trade. They were hoping to gain the interest of these young people for possible employment with the City. Currently, the oldest employee is 50 in the DPW, and the youngest is 36. That means the department will have a turnover of experienced workers soon and would need people to fill those positions. Assistant Superintendent Fabbroni reported to the Board on the following matters: - The work on First Street is going well and they are almost through the first block. S & F crews will follow to do the road construction. - They have finished installing the new 12” water line on Inlet Island from Gallagher Electric under Route 89 to the new medical complex. This new line will provide improved fire protection. - Dredging work is ongoing at lagoons, they need to be cleaned every six months. - Work is being done to replant and stabilize the area around the silt dam. A lot of money is being spent in conjunction with the Town of Caroline and the USGS to replant areas around streams to make improvements in silt dams. - Two million dollars has been received from the State for grant work that has been going on for ten years. This ends a long journey and a lot of work. The grant monies will pay the city back for the work that has been done with some contribution coming from the Town of Ithaca. This grant covered work to rebuild parts of the sewer system. - His accounts for the work on First Street and for sewer work that needs to be done are in good shape. Board of Public Works – April 13, 2005 - Page 4 4 13. BUILDINGS, PROPERTIES, TRANSIT: A. Request to Expunge Recycling Violation for 305 E. Lincoln Street - Resolution By Commissioner Schlather: Seconded by Commissioner Dotson WHEREAS, a recycling violation was issued to Yvette DeBoer as owner of 305 E. Lincoln Street for material put out on the wrong week which contained material addressed to Laura Tennenbaum at 305 Lincoln Street, and WHEREAS, Ms. DeBoer appealed this matter to the Board explaining that Ms. Tennenbaum is the daughter of her neighbor at 304 Lincoln Street, and stating that she was certain that the recycling material picked up by the city did not originate with her property where she is the controlling resident, now therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works agrees to expunge Invoice No. 586, dated February 8, 2005, in the amount of $20 for services that the DPW thought it had provided to 305 E. Lincoln Street. Carried Unanimously 14. HIGHWAYS, STREETS, SIDEWALK: A. Award of Bid for Sidewalk Contract - Resolution By Commissioner Dotson: Seconded by Commissioner Jenkins WHEREAS, bids were received for the 2005 Sidewalk Contract on April 12, 2005, and WHEREAS, after reviewing the bids, staff recommends that all bids be rejected; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works hereby rejects all bids received on April 12, 2005 for the 2005 Sidewalk Contract, and be it further RESOLVED, That Board directs staff to re-bid the contract at the earliest convenient date. Discussion followed on the floor regarding the bid process and review of bids for projects. A vote on the Resolution resulted as follows: Carried Unanimously B. Power to Act for Award of Bid for Sidewalk Contract – Resolution By Commissioner Chapman: Seconded by Commissioner Schlather RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works grants itself power to act at the Committee of the Whole meeting on May 4, 2005 to award the bid for the 2005 Sidewalk Contract. Carried Unanimously 15. PARKING AND TRAFFIC A. Support of City Traffic Calming Policy - Resolution By Commissioner Schlather: Seconded by Commissioner Dotson WHEREAS, Common Council adopted a resolution in February 2005 reaffirming their adoption of a Traffic Calming Policy in December 1998 and requesting a concentrated effort be applied around the Washington Park Neighborhood, Beverly J. Martin School, Immaculate Conception School and the Greater Ithaca Activities Center, and WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works is responsible for the streets of the city and shares the Council’s objective of mitigating the negative impacts of traffic on residential neighborhoods through rigorous enforcement of traffic laws, the construction of engineered traffic calming devices where appropriate, public education, and proper planning and coordination of land use, and Board of Public Works – April 13, 2005 - Page 5 5 WHEREAS, the City’s Planning Department has bid construction of traffic calming devices for the Washington Park area three times, with a fourth bid planned for May 2005 which they believe will lead to a BPW award in June and construction in the summer of 2005, now therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works directs DPW staff to provide support to the Planning staff in their efforts to obtain a successful bid for the current proposed traffic calming projects and be it further RESOLVED, That the Board requests staff assist them in mitigating the negative impacts of traffic by assisting them in recognizing opportunities, needed resources or prioritized projects which will help improve conditions in residential neighborhoods as well as safer transportation modes city wide. Discussion followed on the floor regarding what money is left for traffic calming measures because the Board is reluctant to approve projects where there is a question about funding. Mayor Peterson explained that some of the funding for these traffic calming projects would be coming from CDBG monies and that there is other money available as well. She further stated that this Board would review the bids for the traffic calming projects and would be the body approving the Award of Bids. Amending Resolution: By Commissioner Schlather: Seconded by Commissioner Dotson RESOLVED, That the following language be added to the Resolution: “RESOLVED, That the Board requests the Controller to review available funding for these projects and report to the Board before the Award of Bids.” Carried Unanimously Main Motion As Amended: A vote on the Main Motion as Amended resulted as follows: Carried Unanimously 16. CREEKS, BRIDGES AND PARKS: A. Approval of Proposed Adopt-A-Park Program - Resolution By Commissioner Jenkins: Seconded by Commissioner Chapman WHEREAS, the members of the City of Ithaca Parks Commission (hereafter referred to as the Commission) have long been concerned with the steadily decreasing resources targeted for our city parks, and WHEREAS, the Commission recognizes the need to develop creative low cost solutions to assist the Department of Public Works in the maintenance and upkeep of our parks and natural areas, and WHEREAS, the Commission has prepared a Public Information Packet, an Application, an Adopt-A-Park Agreement, a Volunteer Agreement, a Volunteer Agreement For Minor Participants, Safety Recommendations, and a City of Ithaca Adopt-A-Park Brochure, which have been reviewed by the City Attorney’s office, and WHEREAS, on February 2, 2005, the Commission presented the same information to the Board of Public Works (BPW) for review and comment, and WHEREAS, Planning Staff, at the direction of the BPW, revised the information, and WHEREAS, on February 8, 2005, the Commission reviewed the revised document and accepted the revisions suggested by the BPW, and WHEREAS, on March 8, 2005, the BPW reviewed the revised documents; now therefore be it Board of Public Works – April 13, 2005 - Page 6 6 RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works adopts the City of Ithaca Adopt-a-Park program as presented by the City of Ithaca Parks Commission. Carried Unanimously B Request Budget Adjustments for Fall Creek High Water Expenses - Resolution By Commissioner Dotson: Seconded by Commissioner Jenkins WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca experienced high water levels in Fall Creek in late January 2005 which resulted from the accumulation of ice in the creek between Lake Street and Cayuga Lake created by unusually cold weather and related extraordinary circumstances starting about January 18, 2005 acting on water coming over Ithaca Falls, and WHEREAS, the high water levels were accompanied by high ground water levels in properties adjacent to Fall Creek resulting in water in basements and fear of flooding in the neighborhood should the creek levee be damaged or topped, and WHEREAS, the Acting Mayor, in consultation with several departments commendably activated the Emergency Operations Center at the Ithaca Fire Department to facilitate the City’s response to the threatening conditions; to coordinate responding actions of the City’s Police Department, Fire Department, Department of Public Works and City Clerk, as well as the American Red Cross; to improve communication between those entities and their communications with the County and State Emergency Management Offices, as well as communications with city elected officials, the public and the media, and WHEREAS, The Mayor later ratified the foregoing and followed through with additional steps, and WHEREAS, the actions taken by those departments to mitigate damage resulted in a substantial impact to several department budgets including significant direct out of pocket expenses for material purchased and equipment rentals, which are unbudgeted expenses and must now be paid, therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works requests that the Common Council reimburse the direct expenses as compiled by the City Controller estimated to be $35,988.00, to the various departments based on the Controller’s breakdown of expenses so that they can complete their 2005 work plans and be it further, RESOLVED, That the Board thanks the Mayor, the Acting Mayor, the Police Department, Fire Department, City Clerk’s office, the American Red Cross, the Department of Public Works and all other cooperating departments, agencies, and people for their help in avoiding, limiting, and repairing damages and responding to the community’s needs. Carried Unanimously 17. WATER AND SEWER: 17A. Award of Bids for Materials for Water & Sewer Construction Projects - Resolution By Commissioner Chapman: Seconded by Commissioner Jenkins WHEREAS, the attached bids summarized were opened March 3, 2005 at 3:00PM for many different categories of materials to support the 2005 work program WHEREAS, the bids for aggregate materials were not awarded March 9, 2005 pending further review of bids and those bidders were subsequently erroneously notified that the bids were rejected now therefore be it RESOLVED, by the City of Ithaca Board of Public Works to award the following low bids meeting specification received: BID 5 to Angelo’s Sand & Gravel, 226 Cecil A. Malone Drive, Ithaca, New York 14850 for a low bid of $100,100.00 Board of Public Works – April 13, 2005 - Page 7 7 BID 5.1 to Angelo’s Sand & Gravel, 226 Cecil A. Malone Drive, Ithaca, New York 14850 for a low bid of $68,750.00 BID 6 to Angelo’s Sand & Gravel or Paolangeli Contractor, Newfield Pit, 226 Cecil A. Malone Drive, Ithaca, New York 14850 for a low bid of $78,750.00 BID 6.1 to Angelo’s Sand & Gravel or Paolangeli Contractor, Newfield Pit, 226 Cecil A. Malone Drive, Ithaca, New York 14850 for a low bid of $42,750.00 BID 7 to University Sand & Gravel, 13 Perkins Road, Brooktondale, New York 14817 for a low bid of $27,600.00 BID 7.1 to University Sand & Gravel, 13 Perkins Road, Brooktondale, New York 14817 for a low bid of $16,800.00 BID 8 to Cayuga Crushed Stone, Inc., P.O. Box 41, Portland Point Road, Lansing, N.Y. 14882 for a low bid of $43600.00 BID 8.1 to Cayuga Crushed Stone, Inc., P.O. Box 41, Portland Point Road, Lansing, N.Y. 14882 for a low bid of $32,000.00 Carried Unanimously 18. ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNICATIONS ITEMS: A. Thank You to Gossa Tsegaye - Resolution By Commissioner Chapman: Seconded by Commissioner Jenkins WHEREAS, Gossa Tsegaye was appointed to the Board of Public Works on February 6, 2002 and served as Vice Chair of the Board through December 2004, and WHEREAS, Gossa brought his experience and concern for quality communication with the public, his sense of fairness in programs involving individuals, and a strong motivation to improve conditions for the public at large, and WHEREAS, Gossa’s strong sense of public involvement resulted in close review of public input to the Board and strengthened projects for the public, now therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works thanks Gossa Tsegaye for his leadership, insight, creativity, and passion for public issues during his three years on the Board. Each Board member offered their sincere thanks to Gossa. Commissioner Schlather stated that he was humbled and energized by Gossa’s grasp of issues, his passion and his sense of strong community. He was a persistent and extremely efficient Board member and we will miss him. Mayor Peterson stated that she also enjoyed working with Gossa and that she wishes him well. She stated that Gossa is working on several new projects to serve the community, especially at Southside Community Center. NEW BUSINESS: Commissioner Schlather stated that a constituent has asked him several times when the clock tower on the east side of the Commons would be repaired. Asst. Supt. of Streets & Facilities Ferrel stated that he is not sure of current status of repairs. He put in a request five to six years ago for a capital project to replace the internal components. That request was turned down by the previous administration. He will check with the City Electrician to see what can be done. Board of Public Works – April 13, 2005 - Page 8 8 Commissioner Dotson stated that she has noticed an improvement in the traffic signals downtown. Commissioner Chapman stated that he wanted to make sure that there would be ADA conformity with current construction projects, ramps, textures, and methods around construction zones. This is an important issue and benefits all pedestrians. ADJOURNMENT: On a motion the meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m. Sarah L. Myers Carolyn K. Peterson Information Management Specialist Mayor