HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BPW-2006-09-13BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS PROCEEDINGS
CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK
Regular Meeting 4:45 p.m. September 13, 2006
PRESENT:
Mayor Peterson
Commissioners (4) - Jenkins, Chapman, Wykstra, Dotson
OTHERS PRESENT:
City Attorney - Hoffman
Deputy City Controller - Andrew
Superintendent of Public Works - Gray
Assistant Superintendent of Streets and Facilities - Ferrel
Assistant Superintendent of Water and Sewer – Whitney
Traffic Engineer – Logue
Engineering Technician – Johnson
Executive Assistant – Grunder
EXCUSED:
Common Council Liaison – Coles
DAC Liaison – Roberts
Commissioner Schlather
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:
Mayor Peterson led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Power to Act on the Approval of the June 8, 2005, June 27, 2005, and July 13,
2005 Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes - Resolution
By Commissioner Dotson: Seconded by Commissioner Chapman
RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works grant themselves Power to Act on the
approval of the June 8, 2005, June 27, 2005, and July 13, 2005 meeting minutes at the
September 20, 2006 Committee of the Whole meeting.
Carried Unanimously
COMMUNICATIONS AND HEARINGS OF PERSONS BEFORE THE BOARD:
The following people addressed the Board regarding traffic calming measures for
Giles/Cornell Street:
Bill Hnat, City of Ithaca
Sarah Simpkins, City of Ithaca
Brenda Marston, City of Ithaca
Rob Young, City of Ithaca
David Frostclapp, City of Ithaca
Harry Littell, City of Ithaca
Jeff Klein, City of Ithaca
Laura Wesson, City of Ithaca
Jim Sherpa, City of Ithaca
Jane Dennis, City of Ithaca
Mary Tomlan, City of Ithaca, Alderperson for the 3rd Ward
Nancy Ramage, City of Ithaca
Karen LaFace, City of Ithaca
Jeb Smith, City of Ithaca
The following people addressed the Board regarding the proposed renaming of East
State Street/Martin Luther King Street:
Carolyn Brown, Town of Ithaca
Kathleen Pasetty, Town of Enfield (Owner of Juna’s on the Commons)
Tenesha Jones, City of Ithaca
Fay Gougakis, City of Ithaca, addressed the Board regarding bicycle safety.
Board of Public Works – September 13, 2006- Page 2
RESPONSE TO THE PUBLIC
Commissioner Chapman thanked the speakers for their comments and noted that the
Pedestrian Awareness committee has discussed the need for sidewalks on Giles Street.
Commissioner Dotson thanked the speakers for their comments and expressed her
support for sidewalks on Giles Street.
Commissioner Wykstra responded to comments about pedestrian safety on Giles
Street. He is especially concerned about the safety of children walking to school.
Supt. Gray stated that the City is aware of the need for sidewalks on Giles Street and
noted that it is a difficult terrain in which to establish them. He further stated that
proposals are being developed regarding sidewalks on Giles Street.
Mayor Peterson noted that there are many other areas of the City without sidewalks as
well and noted that it is difficult to prioritize them.
PARKING AND TRAFFIC:
Resolution in Support of the Request to the Federal Highway Administration for
Permission to Install Experimental Shared Lane Markings
By Commissioner Dotson: Seconded by Commissioner Chapman
WHEREAS, the Office of the City Engineer has expressed the desire to investigate the
appropriateness of Shared Lane Markings in efforts to develop effective and low-cost
measures to encourage bicycling and to improve the safety of bicyclists; and
WHEREAS, Shared Lane Markings are experimental pavement markings that are
currently under consideration for adoption into the federal Manual of Uniform Traffic
Control Devices (MUTCD); and
WHEREAS, about thirty cities in sixteen states have installed experimental Shared Lane
Markings; and
WHEREAS, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recognizes that advances in
technology will produce changes in the highway, and in vehicle, and road user
proficiency and, therefore, portions of the MUTCD will require periodic updating; and
WHEREAS, the FHWA encourages the study, development, experimentation and
implementation of innovative measures that may improve the safety, comfort and
convenience of roadway users and has developed a mechanism to allow for such
efforts; and
WHEREAS, the Office of the City Engineer’s proposed investigation is consistent with
City policy recommendations that encourage the pursuit of a resilient, diversified and
socially equitable transportation system that affords residents many safe and
convenient mobility options; and
WHEREAS, substantial community support exists for roadway improvements that
enhance the safety and convenience of bicyclists; and
WHEREAS, previous studies of Shared Lane Markings indicate that numerous benefits
have occurred following appropriate installation such as: motorists tended to provide
more room when passing bicyclists; illegal sidewalk riding by bicyclists decreased; fewer
bicyclists rode against traffic; motorists’ awareness of bicyclists increased; and bicyclists
rode further away from parked cars; and
WHEREAS, the conditions under which this proposed experiment will occur are
consistent with those for which Shared Lane Markings have been shown to be most
effective and applicable; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca Board of Public Works fully endorses the Office of
the City Engineer’s request to the FHWA to install experimental Shared Lane Markings;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca Board of Public Works respectfully encourages the
FHWA to approve this request as expeditiously as possible and authorizes the
Board of Public Works – September 13, 2006- Page 3
Superintendent of Public Works to take actions to support FHWA approval of this
project and to otherwise support, promote and administer this project.
Carried Unanimously
BUILDINGS, PROPERTIES, REFUSE, AND TRANSIT:
Request for Encroachment Agreement at 318 East Seneca Street - Resolution
By Commissioner Chapman: Seconded by Commissioner Jenkins
WHEREAS, Attorney Michael Pichel, representing the owners of 318 East Seneca
Street, has requested an encroachment agreement for basement stairs and the
associated canopy which project 3.5 feet and 4.0 feet respectively into the street right of
way as shown on a survey done by T.G. Miller, P.C. and dated August 10, 2006, and
WHEREAS, staff has reviewed the request and does not anticipate any conflicts due to
the existing encroachment in the near future, now therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works empowers the Mayor to sign an
encroachment agreement under the usual terms and conditions and that the
encroachment agreement shall be subject to any licensed use fees or other
requirements established by the Board as the result of its review of encroachments and
license agreements anticipated in 2006-2007.
City Attorney Hoffman stated that this encroachment request is straightforward and has
existed for decades. He further stated that it does not create any actual interference
with the current sidewalk.
A Vote on the Resolution resulted as follows:
Carried Unanimously
HIGHWAYS, STREETS, AND SIDEWALKS:
Sidewalk Assessments - Resolution
By Commissioner Jenkins: Seconded by Commissioner Wykstra
WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works has reviewed the summary of sidewalk
assessments covering portions of the 2005 Sidewalk Program which are billable to the
adjacent private property owners in accordance with provisions of the Ithaca City Code,
Section C-73 Sidewalks, and
WHEREAS, the Board considers the summary to be correct based on the information
available, and on staff’s answers to questions asked, now therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works certifies the tally of expenses and directs
the Superintendent to mail individual notices of assessments as well as an outline of the
right to protest the assessment within thirty (30) days in writing or at the Board’s regular
meeting on October 11, 2006.
Commissioner Chapman questioned why the Board was reviewing 2005 sidewalk
assessments now; instead of in a more timely manner and whether there was any way
for property owners to get the fee waived if they weren’t billed in a timely manner.
Supt. Gray explained the process by which sidewalks are inspected, repaired, assessed
and bills processed. He noted that the Board had waived the assessments for certain
sidewalks when the work had been done, and the bill had transferred with the property,
but was unknown to the purchaser who didn’t realize they were picking up a liability so
the City absorbed those costs.
A Vote on the Resolution resulted as follows:
Carried Unanimously
WATER AND SEWER:
Power to Act – Sewer Use Law – Resolution
By Commissioner Dotson: Seconded by Commissioner Jenkins
RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works grant themselves Power to Act on the
Sewer Use Law at the September 20, 2006 Committee of the Whole meeting or the first
meeting in October.
City Attorney Hoffman and Supt. Gray explained to the Board the history of the
enactment of this law, what the City Charter says, and which authority, the Board or
Board of Public Works – September 13, 2006- Page 4
Common Council, has the power to make changes to the law. The Board of Public
Works can provide recommendations to Common Council, but Common Council would
make the decision. City Attorney Hoffman stated that his office would have an opinion
on this topic for the Board in the very near future and that this item could be discussed
further at a future meeting.
A Vote on the Resolution Resulted as follows:
Carried Unanimously
ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNICATIONS:
REPORTS:
Supt. Gray reported that the Thurston Avenue bridge was closed last Friday. On
Saturday night there was a group of Cornell University students trying to cross the
bridge wanting to go through the barricades and the Cornell Police Department issued
them a number of appearance tickets. He explained that the City may end up hiring a
security company to provide security at the bridge during construction and they would
attempt to recover the costs from federal funding for the project.
Mayor Peterson noted that a Gorge Safety Committee had been established between
the City and Cornell to talk about safety issues in the gorges.
Asst. Supt. Ferrell reported that the contractor for the Elmira Road mill and pave project
has asked for an extension to perform that work until next Spring. The contractor
explained that the request was made because they had a contract with the State of New
York for emergency management work for the flooding that took place in Broome and
Tioga counties. This work has taken away their crew’s ability to complete our work this
Fall. He further reported that Canal Corporation was in the city a couple weeks ago and
removed a lot of debris from their portion of the canal which is at the end of Inlet Island
up to the Seneca Street bridge. He reported that there is quite a large
erosion/undermining of the road on the upper end of Oak Avenue and a crew has been
dispatched to do repair work. He stated that on Turner Place one of the construction
crews is building a retaining wall on the lower section and then they will re-pave the
street. However, there is a severe cross elevation problem they are trying to resolve so
they are building up the lower west side of Turner Place in order to install the road with
less of a cross slope. There is a crew working on Cascadilla Avenue; they finished a
wall repair a couple weeks ago, they did a repair/replacement of another section of wall
cap, and they are just finishing with the welding for the new handrails. They will, within
the next week, do preparation for paving the 100 block of Cascadilla Avenue and after
that they will move to the 200 block and repave that in order to complete that work
before winter.
Asst. Supt. Whitney stated that crews will be starting on South Aurora Street on
Monday, 9/18 and a construction notice with full details will go out soon. They expect to
be about a week to two weeks on the west side of the road in the sidewalk going up the
side of the hill to Hudson Street and then to Prospect Street. They will then gauge the
crossing of Prospect Street to see when Turner Place would be navigable and
accessible by the local residents there. The heavy construction crew has been up in the
upper silt dam in the water shed installing the sedimentation groins that were designed
by Liz Moran of Ecologic in the restoration project there and that project is now
complete. Service crews have been, in addition to replacing services, working intensely
to replace fire hydrants and they average three or four new hydrants a week. Once
hydrants are complete it is being reported to the Deputy Chiefs at IFD. A new engineer
will start work on Monday the 18th and his name is Matthew Sledjeski. He is an Engineer
from Stearns and Wheler Engineers who wanted to relocate to this area.
ADJOURNMENT
On a motion the meeting adjourned.
Sarah L. Myers Carolyn K. Peterson
Information Management Specialist Mayor