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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CA-2015-03-18CITY ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 6:00 p.m. March 18, 2015 PRESENT: Alderperson Fleming - Chair Alderpersons (3): Clairborne, McGonigal, Smith EXCUSED: Alderperson(s): Mohlenhoff OTHERS PRESENT: Director of Engineering – West Superintendent of Public Works – Thorne Assistant Superintendent – Whitney Youth Bureau Director – Vance Chief of Staff – Sutherland City Attorney – Lavine Recreation Attendant – Green Controller - Thayer Deputy Controller – Andrew 1. Call to Order 1.1 Agenda Review. None. 1.2 Review/Approval of Minutes: Alderperson Smith made a motion to approve the minutes from the February 18, 2015 meeting of the City Administration Committee. Seconded by Alderperson Clairborne. Motion carried unanimously. 1.3 Statements from the Public Ellen Leventry, of Ithaca, spoke in support of the City repairing the wall at the City’s cemetery. Mary Tomlan, of Ithaca, sent an e-mail to the Committee urging the City to use the insurance settlement funds for the intended purpose, the repair of accident damage to the City cemetery wall along University Avenue. 1.4 Statements from Employees. None. 1.5 Council Response. None. 2. City Administration, Human Resources, and Policy 2.1 Energize NY Finance. None. 3. Finance, Budget and Appropriations City Administration Committee Meeting March 18, 2015 Page 2 3.1 DPW - Recommendation to Fund Cemetery Wall Repair Moved by Alderperson Smith. Seconded by Alderperson Clairborne. WHEREAS, the Ithaca City Cemetery was first established circa 1790 on land owned by New York Surveyor General Simeon DeWitt, includes over 7700 graves, evolved from an informal burial ground into a planned, landscaped municipal cemetery, and WHEREAS, the cemetery was named Silvan Hill in 1872, became the City Cemetery when Ithaca was incorporated in 1888, and is a significant historic resource worthy of – and in need of – preservation, and WHEREAS, a recent vehicular collision with the perimeter wall near the University Avenue entrance along with the passage of time have resulted in a need for repairs to the wall at two locations, and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca General Fund has $32,000 encumbered for the work, which includes $31,000 from the driver’s automobile insurance company, and WHEREAS, The City Engineer’s Office received two price quotes for the required specialized repairs, and WHEREAS, staff has reviewed and recommended the low quote submitted by Buzz Dolph of Ithaca Stone Setting of $35,250 for the primary work location and $3,750 for the secondary work location, and WHEREAS, the $7,000 additional funds needed for the wall project can be derived from Unrestricted Contingency, which currently has a $131,000 balance, and WHEREAS, staff has provided project information to the Historic Preservation Planner, City Forester, Parks Commission, and other interested parties and has received positive interest and no objections to the work; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Common Council hereby authorizes an allocation of an amount not to exceed $39,000 from the General Fund for the Cemetery Wall Repair, and be it further RESOLVED, That sources of funds for the wall repair shall be derived from $32,000 in encumbered funds and $7,000 from the transfer of funds to A7111-5475 Parks and Forestry Property Maintenance from A1990 Unrestricted Contingency. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3.2 DPW - Authorization for Additional Funding for Stewart Park Large Pavilion Bathroom Restoration, Capital Project #817 Moved by Alderperson McGonigal. Seconded by Alderperson Clairborne. WHEREAS, Common Council has established Capital Project #817 for the purpose of restoring the bathrooms in the large pavilion at Stewart Park, and City Administration Committee Meeting March 18, 2015 Page 3 WHEREAS, the project was established at $78,000 based on the engineering cost estimates at the time with sources of funds to include Friends of Stewart Park of $20,000; Town of Ithaca Recreation Facility Funding of $28,000; and WHEREAS, the public bathrooms located in the large pavilion are integrally part of public rentals of the pavilion as well as indispensible facilities for Youth Bureau activities scheduled in the large pavilion, and WHEREAS, the condition of the building structure and the bathroom plumbing is severely deteriorated to the point of failure, and WHEREAS, bids were received for the purpose of restoring the bathrooms in the large pavilion at Stewart Park on March 3, 2015, and WHEREAS, award of contract to the lowest qualified bidder will require an additional $48,000, and WHEREAS, the additional funds needed shall be derived from Capital Reserve # 11 Parks, which currently has a balance of $148,000; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, That Common Council hereby amends Capital Project #817 by an amount not to exceed $48,000 for a total project authorization of $126,000, and be it further RESOLVED, That the $48,000 in funds necessary for said project amendment shall be derived from Capital Reserve #11 Parks. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3.3 DPW - Reallocation of Chief Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Position Moved by Alderperson Clairborne. Seconded by Alderperson McGonigal. WHEREAS, the Chief Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator requested a review of his position pursuant to the terms of the City Executive Association labor contract, and WHEREAS, the review determined that a permanent and material growth in the position’s responsibilities has occurred, and WHEREAS, the Civil Service Commission revised the Chief Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator job description at their January 21, 2015, meeting, to reflect the increase in responsibilities, and WHEREAS, the Human Resources Department reviewed the point factor evaluation of the Chief Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator position and determined that the growth in responsibilities merits an increased point factor rating, which results in the reallocation of the position to a higher salary grade; now, therefore be it City Administration Committee Meeting March 18, 2015 Page 4 RESOLVED, That the position of Chief Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator be reallocated from Grade B to Grade A of the City Executive Association Compensation Plan, and be it further RESOLVED, That funding in the amount not to exceed $4,739 to cover this salary increase retroactive to January 21, 2015, shall be derived with a transfer from J1990-5000 Unrestricted Contingency to Account J8150-5105 Admin Salary. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3.4 DPW – Establishment of Capital Project for “Dam Safety Project” for the Potter’s Falls (60-Ft.) Dam Moved by Alderperson Smith. Seconded by Alderperson Clairborne. WHEREAS, the first of the engineering contracts to replace our existing Water Treatment Plant was signed on September 24, 1996, and the second was signed on December 9, 2005, and the new Dam Safety Regulations (6NYS CRR Part 673) went into effect August 19, 2009 causing the existing Water Supply Projects to coincide in time with the newly mandated Dam Safety Projects, and WHEREAS, on February 18, 2009, the Board of Public Works (BPW) authorized the Water & Sewer Division of the Department of Public Works (DPW) to solicit proposals for preparing Engineering Assessments, updating Emergency Action Plans, and updating Operations and Maintenance manuals for both the 30-Foot & 60-Foot Dams to ensure the City’s compliance with the new Dam Safety Regulations, and WHEREAS, the City received proposals from 9 Professional Engineering Firms on April 9, 2009, and the BPW with supporting documentation from Staff awarded the work to C.T. Male Associates for an amount not to exceed $118,217, to be funded from existing Capital Project 510, the Water Supply Project funds, and WHEREAS, as part of the permitting process for our Water Supply Project the City received a letter from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) that identified several remaining gaps in the Engineering Assessment for the 60-foot dam, and WHEREAS, the DPW staff requested O’Brien & Gere review the DEC’s letter and submit a proposal to the City to address the DEC’s concerns with the 60-foot Dam, and WHEREAS, on July 19, 2013, O’Brien & Gere submitted a proposal for Sixty Foot Dam-Outstanding EA Tasks, and on July 22, 2013, the BPW resolved unanimously to accept the proposal in an amount not to exceed $27,000.00 with funds to be obtained from contingencies in the existing Capital Project #510, and WHEREAS, O’Brien & Gere provided the Supplemental Engineering Assessment Sixty Foot Dam on February 24, 2014, to both the City and the DEC, and in follow up meeting with NYSDEC on September 10, 2014, DEC requested a schedule for completion of the Dam Safety upgrades, and City Administration Committee Meeting March 18, 2015 Page 5 WHEREAS, the DPW staff requested O’Brien & Gere prepare and submit a proposal for the Sixty Foot Dam Safety Upgrades – Design and Construction Phase Services along with a overview presentation of the Sixty Foot Dam Engineering Assessment for the BPW, O’Brien & Gere made the presentation to the BPW on February 9, 2015, and WHEREAS, preliminary estimates for the complete Dam Safety Project Costs for the Sixty Foot Dam are projected to be approximately $4 million. More detailed structural inspection, geotechnical investigation, and final design are needed to refine construction estimates for project, and WHEREAS, the February 3, 2015, proposal for Sixty Foot Dam Safety Upgrades – Design and Construction Phase Services from O’Brien & Gere include estimates for Detailed Structural Inspection = $7,000.00, Geotechnical Investigation = $35,000.00, Design Development = $18,000.00, and Final Design = $68,000.00, totaling $128,000.00, and WHEREAS, the budget for Capital Project #510, the City’s Water Treatment Plant improvements did not include funds for the NYSDEC mandated Dam Safety Improvements, and WHEREAS, a new Capital Project will need to be established for the Dam Safety Design to allow for the continued progress of work within schedule for compliance with the understanding additional funds will be needed in 2016 once we have a solid cost estimate for the Dam Safety Improvements; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, That Common Council hereby establishes Capital Project #527 Dam Safety Improvements in an amount not to exceed $128,000 for the purposes of engineering for Dam Safety Upgrades to the 60-foot Dam, and be it further RESOLVED, That funds necessary for the NYSDEC mandated Dam Safety Improvements will be derived from a Capital Reserve #16 Water Sources Development transfer to Capital Project #527 Dam Safety Improvements. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 4. Performance Measures Nothing Submitted 5. Budget Process 5.1 Summary of Budget Survey: Chief of Staff Sutherland gave a Power Point presentation on the results of the budget survey. He noted that during the budget process, department heads would not meet with Common Council unless there are problems with or questions about their budget. 5.2 Budget Schedule: It is that time of year where the Committee must schedule meeting dates for the 2016 Budget Hearings. The Mayor’s budget will be released in October and the final budget will need to be approved by November 13, 2015. Common Council will receive the Mayor’s budget prior to it being released to the public; which will give them more time to review the proposed budget. Chief of Staff City Administration Committee Meeting March 18, 2015 Page 6 Sutherland stated that he would send out a Doodle Poll to Council asking them to respond to dates and times that they would be available for these budget meetings. 6. Common Council 6.1 Rules of Procedure. The Committee used this time to work on the City’s Rules of Procedure. 7. Meeting Wrap-up 7.1 Announcements. None. 7.2 Next Meeting Day: April 15, 2015. 7.3 Review, Agenda Items for Next Meeting. None. 7.4 Adjourn: With no further business and on a motion by Alderperson Clairborne, the meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m.