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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-28-11 Board of Public Works Meeting AgendaBOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS OFFICIAL NOTICE OF REGULAR MEETING A meeting of the Board of Public Works will be held on Wednesday, September 28, 2011, at 4:45 p.m. in Second Floor Conference Room, City Hall, 108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York. *NOTE DIFFERENT LOCATION!!* Ac ienda 1. Additions or Deletions to Agenda (Items 1 -5: 15 min.) 2. Mayor's Communications 3. Communications and Hearings from Persons Before the Board 4. Response to the Public 5. Reports Special Committees of the Board Council Liaison Board Liaisons Superintendent and Staff Other Department Heads 6. Approval of Minutes 7. Administration and Communications 8. VOTING ITEMS 8.1 Buildings, Properties, Refuse and Transit (5 min.) A. Award of Contract for City of Ithaca Solar Thermal Domestic Hot Water Systems for General Construction — Capital Project 758 — Resolution 8.2 Highways, Streets and Sidewalks 8.3 Parking and Traffic 8.4 Creeks, Bridges and Parks 8.5 Water and Sewer 9. DISCUSSION ITEMS (60 min.) 9.1 City Parking Lot at Fulton and Court Streets 9.2 Possible Fall Creek Stream Corridor Project — Discussion & Possible Resolution 9.3 Hydrilla Update 10. New Business A Public Information Meeting about the Water Treatment Plant is scheduled for Wednesday, October 12, 2011, at 6:30 p.m. after the BPW meeting. 11. Adjournment If you have a disability that will require special arrangements to be made in order for you to fully participate in the meeting, please contact the City Clerk at 607- 274 -6570 at least 48 hours before the meeting. The Board of Public Works meets on the second, third and fourth Wednesdays of the months at 4:45 p.m. All meetings are voting meetings, opening with a public comment period. Meeting agendas are created from prior public input, Department operating, planning issues, and requests made to the Superintendent. The Board reserves the right to limit verbal comments to three minutes and to request written comments on lengthy or complex issues. This information may then be used to create committee agendas, with the speaker or author invited to attend. Notes for BP Agenda, September 28, 2011 8.1A Award of Contract for City of Ithaca Solar Thermal Domestic Hot Water Systems for General Construction — Capital Protect 758 — Resolution The low bid was for a substitute flat plate solar collector rather than the evacuated tube collector that was specified. The bid documents allowed for possible substitutions but required manufactures data to be submitted so that the cost savings could be measured against the relative efficiencies of the alternate system. We are awaiting the engineer's analysis of the bid and recommendation of award. 9.1 City Parking Lot at Fulton and Court Streets The parking lot at Fulton and Court Streets was deeded to the City by New York State as part of the Octopus Project in the mid 1990's. Tim Logue has just reviewed a copy of the document received from NYSDOT and discovered a reversion clause (return to NYS) if the City stops maintaining the property as a public parking lot. He has forwarded the document to the City Attorney. It appears that the question for us is do we feel the public parking is still necessary in that location, and if so, how do we want to manage the public parking (free, metered, monthly permits, combinations)? It would seem to me that if the lot sits empty because we have instituted a charge system, then we have evidence that the parking may be desirable when free but is not needed because it has no value when we charge for parking. Since we have sold 8 permits for the lot on Buffalo Street, 4 for the lot at State Street and Taughannock Blvd., and 1 for the lot at Fulton and Court Streets, it appears that the lot at Fulton and Court has minimal value. It may be reasonable to wait a little longer to see if we have exceeded the buyer's resistance period for an object where the price has changed. Sale of the property does not appear to be an option. 9.2 Possible Fall Creek Stream Corridor Protect — Discussion & Possible Resolution This is the continuation of the Board's discussion of the County's project on Fall Creek at the northwest end of the Cayuga Street Bridge over Fall Creek. Dan Hoffman will provide a proposed resolution and license agreement at the meeting. 9.3 Hydrilla Update Attached are a number of informational items that have circulated recently concerning the Hydrilla infestation in Cayuga Inlet. Roxie Johnston has been leading the City's effort, with a lot of help from County Soil and Water, and Cornell's Invasive Species program. A great deal of information has been exchanged with the local boatyards as well as the State's marina, and the rowing programs. Our hope is to treat the north end of the inlet up to its outlet with a herbicide in the next two weeks and then return next year for follow up treatments. It will take several years (5) to know if we were successful. Julie Holcomb has been coordinating the public information program. Roxie will provide an update for the Board. Wi,IUnvKJ. C,rou, P.E. Super.4v,tevzlevLt of Pubic Works SeptevL,tber 23, 2021 Page 2 8.1A Award of Contract for City of Ithaca Solar Thermal Domestic Hot Water Systems for General Construction — Capital Project 758 — Resolution WHEREAS, Bids for the Solar Thermal Domestic Hot Water Systems project were received on Tuesday September 20, 2011 at 3:00 P.M. and WHEREAS, staff and engineering consultants have reviewed the bids received and made recommendations for award, now therefore be it RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca Board of Public Works hereby awards the Contract for General Construction of the Solar Thermal Domestic Hot Water Systems to for their low bid meeting specifications of $ , and be it further, RESOLVED, that the Mayor be and hereby is authorized to execute these contracts, and that the Superintendent of Public Works be and hereby is authorized to administer the same. Page 3 E / 7 E 0 w q z / § k co 7 § `�/ \\\ z z / k /$2 0 mƒ§\ . \ \p7ƒ k z S w2 2 �m k $ $ / § w / 2 § 0 3 . \� /\ / 22za c o k 7 f 0 / §= /9 , z *\8= _ =BIZ / E z B wj -_ r o_ ® a $ » w § k - z p - e 7 / 0 \ \ 7 ) 7 a \)\§ / _ = \ o \(D E _r, E o aoz= q 0 § 0 C/) < C) 0 0 3: w T7 \ ƒ w u oo F- (P w } /� i Ee LL 0 0- 72 �z og § Em Iw < 99 \> �/ m I I I I I <a w< %/ zw e> z I/ \ 0 \ƒz o$ O �0 / -k � mLL z Ir \/0 \w w� 3O/ =o Ithaca: A great place to create, dream, live, learn, work, and playa For additional information contact: Julie Conley Holcomb, City Clerk 108 E. Green Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 274 -6570 For Immediate Release September 17, 2011 City of Ithaca Strongly Discourages the Use of Boats in the Inlet The City of Ithaca is responding to what is being considered an environmental emergency in the Cayuga Inlet. The highly aggressive and invasive plant species Hydrilla has been detected in several areas along the Inlet. This is the first detection of Hydrilla in upstate New York's waters, and the risk of it spreading to other water bodies is substantial. Hydrilla spreads very quickly and if left untreated will threaten ecosystems, interfere with boating, fishing and swimming, and have direct economic impact on waterfront businesses. Within 3 years it could render the Inlet and the southern end of Cayuga Lake toxic to wildlife and impassable. While the City pursues emergency treatment options in collaboration with the County and the State, officials are strongly discouraging the use of boats in the Inlet. Boat traffic of any kind, including keel boats, motor boats, kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, crew shells, and sailing dinghies, can cause fragments of the plants to break off. These fragments can be transported to areas that are not currently infested and can sprout roots and establish new populations. All boaters are urged to clean their boats and trailers thoroughly before and after entering the waters of Cayuga Lake and the Inlet to prevent the spread of this species to other water bodies. Washing stations will be set up in Allan H. Treman Marina, and other locations. "We are facing an emergency situation with a scope and magnitude that we have not seen before" stated Superintendent of Public Works William Gray. "It will take the full cooperation of land owners, users of the waterways, State and local agencies to successfully combat this species and protect the waterways of New York State" added Gray. For boats currently moored at slips in the Inlet, the Cayuga Lake Hydrilla Task Force, in which the City plays a leading role, suggests delaying end -of- season pulling from the water. This will allow cleaning stations to focus on smaller and transient boats, and may allow boats to be better cleaned in October once treatment options have been better determined. More information about Hydrilla can be found on the City's website, www.cityofithaca.org. -End- Hydrilla verticillata in the Cayuga Inlet: A science -based review to guide management actions Holly Menninger, PhD NY Invasive Species Research Institute • Hydrilla verticillata, considered one of the most aggressive aquatic plants to invade North America, is poised to spread beyond a localized infestation in the Inlet of Cayuga Lake to a vast network of connected water bodies in New York State and beyond, including the Great Lakes. • Several lines of field evidence support the conclusion that the Cayuga Inlet infestation is less than two years old, and has not yet expanded into the shallow southern shelf of Cayuga Lake. • Economic impacts, particularly impediments to recreation (a major source of local and regional revenue) and associated management cost, will grow exponentially if the Inlet hydrilla infestation is not halted in this early stage. • Expenditures for EDRR (and required follow -up actions) in the Cayuga Inlet would likely be orders of magnitude less than management costs anticipated if hydrilla is allowed to spread unrestricted throughout regional water bodies. • Experience from other hydrilla infestations (and subsequent successful eradication /management efforts) suggests there exists a very narrow window of opportunity to remove hydrilla biomass and arrest both turion and tuber production in the Cayuga Inlet. • Scientific experts and local resource managers /stewards all agree that the application of the contact herbicide endothall by the end of September throughout the entire infested area (— 73 acres) is the best course of action to reduce the potential for hydrilla spread this season, but would require a commitment to follow -up actions for the next 5 years. Hydrilla verticillata, listed as a Federal Noxious Weed since 1979, is widely considered one of the world's worst invasive aquatic plants. Hydrilla was recently detected in the Inlet to Cayuga Lake (August 2011, Figure 1), and given the potential for this infestation to rapidly spread across the landscape throughout the expansive network of lakes and waterways in the northeastern US including the Great Lakes, it is critical for New York State to act with all due urgency. Figure 3. Known locations of hydrilla in the Cayuga Inlet as of 29 August 2011. Open white circles indicate areas of densest infestation whereas closed purple circles indicate presence of rooted fragments. V I r Figure S. Tubers collected near the Ithaca Farmers' Market. Note all are attached directly to stems, indicating they were produced during the 2011 growing season. Credit: Robert L. Johnson 6 Figure 6. Many vertical hydrilla shoots growing from a single, green horizontal stem that was produced earlier in the 2011 growing season in the Cayuga Inlet. Credit: Robert Johnson Ecological Impacts Hydrilla grows aggressively, up to an inch per day, and creates a thick mat of vegetation when it reaches the water's surface that shades out other aquatic plants. At a local scale, a hydrilla infestation can result in significant declines in native plant diversity and abundance. Dense mats formed by hydrilla stems at the water's surface can lower dissolved oxygen below 5 ppm, and result in physiological stress to fish. Recently, evidence has emerged that hydrilla beds provide excellent habitat for cyanobacteria (blue -green algae) that produce dangerous neurotoxins for humans and wildlife. In fact, toxins produced by a previously undescribed blue -green algae growing rampantly in hydrilla beds in a number of southeastern US reservoirs have been implicated in a massive die -off of bald eagles and their waterbird prey, especially American coots (Wilde et al. 2005). Economic impacts If left unchecked, hydrilla can clog waterways; interfere with boating, fishing, and swimming; and cost millions of dollars to control. Recreational activities are a significant source of revenue for the Cayuga Lake and Inlet. In 2008 in the Cayuga Inlet alone, water - dependent businesses generated over $2 million dollars in sales (nearly $700,000 of which came from docking fees) (Ecologic LLC and The City of Ithaca 2010). Similar to other invasive aquatic plant infestations (Horsch and Lewis 2009), hydrilla is anticipated to cause significant declines in property values lake -wide. Moreover, hydrilla can clog intake and outfall pipes which in turn interferes with utility and water treatment operations; AES Cayuga Power Station and Bolton Point Water Treatment Plant are both located on the east shore of Cayuga Lake in Lansing. Hydrilla has been found to reduce flow in canals as well as drainage and flood control structures; Lock CS -1 at the north end of Cayuga Lake provides direct entry to the Cayuga- Seneca Canal, and the Cayuga Inlet from the outlet at Cayuga Lake south to the end of the channel is considered a Flood Control Channel by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Control costs for hydrilla are well -known and often exceed annual costs of millions of dollars with advanced infestations. It is well- understood among invasive species biologists that control costs can grow exponentially as areas infested by an invasive species grow over time (Figure 7). Survey efforts to date suggest that hydrilla may be limited to the Cayuga Inlet and mouth, and thus, there remains potential for eradication and /or effective local control at relatively low costs compared to inordinate management costs that would be incurred when it spreads throughout the regional landscape into the adjacent Finger Lakes and the Great Lakes. Experience in other states where resource managers have not had the good fortune to detect hydrilla at an early stage of invasion suggests that annual management costs often exceed millions of dollars. In Florida alone, costs to manage hydrilla can range from $18 -30 million annually (W. Haller, personal communication). Consequently, investment in a rapid response to contain and manage the hydrilla infestation in the Cayuga Inlet at the local level (where estimated initial costs range from $60,000 — $150,000) followed by a sustained effort for approximately five years (a time frame predicted by previous experience in CA with hydrilla eradication; L. Anderson, personal communication) would likely be orders of magnitude less than management costs incurred across the regional landscape in perpetuity. For more additional references on the economic impacts of hydrilla, see resources provided by the Northeast Aquatic Nuisance Species Panel: http: / /www.northeastans.org /hydrilla /ecoleconhydrilia.htm Figure 7. Invasive species control costs increase exponentially overtime with increases in infested area. It is quite likely, considering the potential for widespread invasion across NYS, the northeastern US, and the Great Lakes, that expenditures for hydrilla management would exceed multiple millions of dollars per year into the indefinite future. Management options Batcher (2004) and Haller (2009) review options available for the eradication and management of hydrilla, particularly the most relevant options for Cayuga Inlet: chemical control (using contact and /or systemic herbicides) as well as mechanical removal (e.g. diver - assisted suction dredging). To date, viable biocontrol candidates have not been identified for hydrilla and the use of sterile grass carp is not an option given the potential difficulty for containment in the Cayuga Inlet. What remains clear, particularly in light of past experience with hydrilla infestations downstate and in other parts of the US, particularly CA where the state has taken an aggressive eradication approach against hydrilla (L. Anderson, personal communication), is that we have a very narrow window of opportunity in which to take action; if we do not, the hydrilla infestation will grow exponentially larger next year and will require significantly more resources to control. It is critical that hydrilla plants in the Cayuga Inlet are removed or killed by the end of September 2011, before the plants begin to produce turions (vegetative buds) and the tuber bank expands. It is the consensus opinion of involved scientific researchers (including NYISRI, Cornell University, out -of -state hydrilla scientists) and local resource managers /stewards (including the City of Ithaca, Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network) that the Cayuga Inlet hydrilla infestation must be approached aggressively by employing the contact herbicide endothall (trade name: Aquathol) to kill hydrilla growing in all infested areas throughout the Inlet (-73 acres). This action would remove hydrilla biomass and arrest both turion and tuber production for this season; it would reduce potential for spread this season, but require follow -up actions in spring 2012 and beyond. 8 The tendency in invasive plant management is first to manage the largest, most obvious invaded patches first. Yet, research by Moody and Mack (1988) suggests that treating /eradicating newly established, isolated satellite populations ( "nascent foci ") more effectively reduces the spread of an invasive species over time than managing the larger patches. In the case of the hydrilla infestation in Cayuga Inlet, it is essential to treat all infested areas, not just the largest, most dense areas of growth that have the greatest potential to hitchhike on watercraft. If we pursue harvesting only hydrilla biomass in the densest areas of infestation, it is quite likely that turion production by smaller patches of hydrilla located throughout the Inlet would hasten the expansion of the infestation throughout and well beyond the Inlet the following year. In addition, concomitantly swift and aggressive steps must be employed for spread prevention. Inlet closure and emergency marina quarantines, previously used in hydrilla- infested waters in California (L. Anderson, personal communication), ought to receive strong consideration given the potential for in -water and overland transport of hydrilla propagules. Literature Cited Balciunas, J. K. and P. P. Chen. 1993. Distribution of hydrilla in northern China: Implications on future spread in North America. Journal of Aquatic Plant Management 31:105 -109. Batcher, M. S. 2004. Element stewardship abstract for Hydrilla verticillata (L.F.) Royle. Eds. M. Tu and B. Meyers Rice, The Nature Conservancy Wildland Invasive Species Program. Haller, W. T. 2009. Chapter 13.1: Hydrilla. Pages 89 -93 in L. A. Gettys, W. T. Haller, and M. Bellaud, editors. Biology and Control of Aquatic Plants: A Best Management Practices Handbook. Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Foundation, Marietta, GA. Horsch, E. J. and D. J. Lewis. 2009. The effects of aquatic invasive species on property values: Evidence from a quasi - experiment. Land Economics 85:391 -409. LLC, E. and N. Y. The City of Ithaca. 2010. Site Reconnaisance Report: Southern Tributaries to Cayuga Lake Dredging Project ( http:// www. ecolopiclic .com /624201OInventory.pdf). Moody, M. E. and R. N. Mack. 1988. Controlling the spread of plant invasions: The importance of nascent foci. Journal of Applied Ecology 25:1009 -1021. Wilde, S. B., T. M. Murphy, C. P. Hope, S. K. Habrun, J. Kempton, A. Birrenkott, F. Wiley, W. W. Bowerman, and A. J. Lewitus. 2005. Avian vacuolar myelinopathy linked to exotic aquatic plants and a novel cyanobacterial species. Environmental Toxicology 20:348 -353. i:J • A Q U A T I C H E R B I C I D E ACTIVE INGREDIENT: Dipotassium salt of endothall• .............................. 40.3% OTHER INGREDIENTS: ....................... . . . ......... 59.7% TOTAL....................... .........................100.0% •7- oxabicyclo [2.2.1 ]heptane- 2,3- dicarboxylic acid equivalent 28.6% Contains 4.23 lbs. dipotassium endothall per gallon KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN DANGER FIRST AID IF IN EYES: • Hold eye open and rinse slowly and gently with water for 15 -20 minutes. • Remove contact lenses, if present, after the first 5 minutes, then contin- ue rinsing. • Call a poison control center or doctor for treatment advice. IF SWALLOWED: • Call a poison control center or doctor immediately for treatment advice. • Have person sip a glass of water if able to swallow. Do not induce vom- iting unless told by a poison control center or doctor, Do not give any- thing by mouth to an unconscious person, IF ON SKIN OR CLOTHING: • Take off contaminated clothing. • Rinse skin immediately with plenty of water for 15 -20 minutes. • Call a poison control center or doctor for treatment advice. IF INHALED: • Move person to fresh air. • If person is not breathing, call 911 or ambulance, then give artificial res- piration, preferably mouth -to -mouth if possible. • Call a poison control center or doctor for treatment advice. HOT LINE NUMBER: Have the product container or label with you when calling a poison control center or doctor, or going for treatment. You may also contact 866- 673 -6671 (Rocky Mountain Poison Control Center) for emergency medical treatment information. See inside for additional precautionary statements. NOTE TO PHYSICIAN: Measures against circulatory shock, respiratory depression, and convulsion may be needed. EPA Registration No. 70506 -176 EPA Establishment No. 62171 -MS -003 Net Contents: 2.5 Gallons M UPI United Phosphorus, Inc. 630 Freedom Business Center, suite 402 King of Prussia PA 19406 1- 800 - 438 -6071 • www.upi -usa curd PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENTS HAZARDS TO HUMANS AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS DANGER CORROSIVE. CAUSES IRREVERSIBLE EYE DAMAGE. MAY BE FATAL IF SWALLOWED. HARMFUL IF INHALED OR AB- SORBED THROUGH SKIN. DO NOT GET IN EYES, ON SKIN, OR ON CLOTHING. AVOID BREATHING VAPORS OR SPRAY MIST. PROLONGED OR FREQUENTLY REPEATED SKIN CONTACT MAY CAUSE ALLERGIC REACTIONS IN SOME INDIVIDUALS. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Mixers, loaders, applicators and other handlers must wear: • Long - sleeved shirt and long pants, • Shoes and socks, • Chemical- resistant gloves made of any waterproof material, • Protective eyewear and, • a NIOSH- approved respirator with a dust/mist filter with MSHA/NIOSH approval number prefix TC -21 C or any N, R, P, or HE filter. Exception: During application, the respirator need not be worn, provided that the pesticide is applied in a manner (such as direct metering or subsurface release from the rear of a vessel that is moving into the wind) such that the applicator will have no con- tact with the pesticide. See Engineering Controls for additional requirements. User Safety Requirements: Follow the manufacturers' instructions for cleaning /maintaining PPE. If no such instructions for washable exist, use detergent and hot water. Keep and wash PPE separately from other laundry. Discard clothing or other absorbent materials that have been drenched or heavily contaminated with this products concentrate. Do not reuse them. Engineering Controls: When mixers and loaders use a closed system designed by the man- ufacturer to enclose the pesticide to prevent it from contacting han- dlers or other people AND the system is functioning properly and is used and maintained in accordance with the manufacturers written operating instructions, the handlers need not wear a respirator, pro- vided the required respirator is immediately available for use in an emergency such as a spill or equipment breakdown. User Safety Recommendations: User should wash hands before eating, drinking, chewing gum. using tobacco, or using the toilet. User should remove clothing /PPE immediately if pesticide gets inside. Then wash thoroughly and put on clean clothing. User should remove PPE immediately after handling this prod- uct. As soon as possible, wash thoroughly and change into clean clothing. ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS This pesticide is toxic to fish. This pesticide is toxic to wildlife. Do not contaminate water by cleaning_ of equipment or disposal of equipment wash waters or rinsate. PRODUCT INFORMATION Aquathol K is a liquid concentrate soluble in water which is effec- tive against a broad range of aquatic plants. Dosage rates indicated for the application of Aquathol K are meas- ured in "Parts Per Million" (ppm) of dipotassium endothall. Only 0.5 to 5.0 ppm are generally required for aquatic weed control. DIRECTIONS FOR USE It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner in- consistent with its labeling. Do not apply this product in a way that will contact workers or other persons, either directly or through drift. Avoid contact with or drift to other crops or plants as injury may result. Wash out spray equipment with water after each operation. Not for use in brackish or saltwater. Treated water can be used for sprinkling bentgrass immediately. HOW TO APPLY: Aquathol K is a contact herbicide; consequently, do not apply be- fore weeds are present. Application as early as possible after weeds appear and are actively growing_ is recommended for best results. If an entire pond is treated at one time, or if the dissolved oxygen level is low at time of application, decay of weeds may remove enough oxygen from the water, causing fish to suffocate. Water containing very heavy vegetation should he treated in sections to prevent suffocation of fish. Sections should be treated 5 -7 days apart. Carefully measure size and depth of area to be treated and determine amount of Aquathol K to apply from chart. Aquathol K should be sprayed on the water or injected below the water surface and should be distributed as evenly as possible. It may be applied as a concentrate or diluted with water depending on the equipment. Some dilution will give better distribution. For best results apply when water is quiescent and /or flows are minimal. In instances where the weed(s) to be controlled is an exposed sur- face problem (i.e., some of the broad- leaved pond weeds) cover- age is important. For best results apply the concentrate or with the least amount of water compatible with the application equipment. Necessary approval and /or permits should be obtained in states where required. Special Local • Label Cerexagrl -Maio LLC FOR DISTRIBUTION AND USE ONLY WITHIN THE STATE OF NEW YORK AQUATHOL® K Aquatic Herbicide EPA Registration Number 4581 - 204 -82695 EPA SLN No. NY- 980002 "Day After Application" Swimming Restriction DIRECTIONS FOR USE It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling. Use AQUATHOL K to control submersed aquatic weeds named on the label in irrigation and drainage canals, ponds and lakes. In order to allow for sufficient mixing of this product after application to bodies of water, swimming in the treated area is restricted until the day after application. For First Aid and other Precautionary Statements, see the label attached to the container All applicable directions, restrictions and precautions on the EPA - registered label are to be followed NOTE: This labeling must be in the possession of the user at the time of application. Rev. 11 /1'05 Sold by: Cerexngri -Nisso LLC 630 Freedom Business Center, Suite 102 King of Prussia. PA 19406 1 800 -438 -6071 %ww.cerex agri -n i sso.com