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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