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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CA-2015-10-21CITY ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK Regular Meeting 5:30 p.m. October 21, 2015 PRESENT: Alderperson Mohlenhoff – Chair Alderpersons (4): Clairborne (arrived at 5:36 p.m.), Fleming (arrived at 5:36 p.m.), McGonigal, Smith Mayor (1): Myrick EXCUSED: Alderpersons: OTHERS PRESENT: Alderperson – Brock Deputy Police Chief – Tyler Firefighter – Koehler Fire Chief – Parsons City Attorney – Lavine Superintendent of Public Works – Thorne HR Director – Michell-Nunn 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, as corrected, from the September 16, 2015 meeting of the City Administration Committee. Seconded by Alderperson McGonigal. Motion carried 3-0. (Alderpersons Clairborne and Fleming were absent from the vote.) 1.3 Statements from the Public. None. 1.4 Statements from Employees. None. 1.5 Council Response. None. (Alderpersons Clairborne and Fleming arrived at 5:36 p.m.) 2. City Administration, Human Resources, and Policy 2.1 DPW – Request to Amend Personnel Roster Moved by Alderperson McGonigal. Seconded by Alderperson Smith. WHEREAS, the Department of Public Works is the largest department in the City of Ithaca, with a complex funding and accounting structure including six (6) funds (General Fund, Water Fund, Sewer City Administration Committee Meeting October 21, 2015 Page 2 Fund, Solid Waste Fund, Sidewalk Fund and Stormwater Fund) and 62 separate accounts throughout its four divisions and an annual budget of $27 million, and WHEREAS, the Department of Public Works receives various revenue streams from Water and Sewer billings, Streets and Facilities billings, Newman Golf Course, and parking revenues, and from outside sources such as the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), and WHEREAS, the Department of Public Works is currently supported by one Administrative Coordinator, one Financial Clerk, and two Financial Management Assistants, with one open funded position, and WHEREAS, the Superintendent of Public Works has identified the need for developing and implementing consistent financial and accounting procedures within its four divisions for matters concerning billing, budget preparation, cost tracking, cost reporting, payroll, and budget planning, and has explored various options for accomplishing these goals, and WHEREAS, the Superintendent of Public Works is recommending the creation of a Manager of Fiscal Operations position as the most effective means of achieving these goals, and WHEREAS, the Ithaca Civil Service Commission established the classification of Manager of Fiscal Operations at their September 2, 2015 meeting; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Personnel Roster of the Department of Public Works be amended as follows: Add: One (1) Manager of Fiscal Operations Delete: One (1) Fiscal Manager and be it further RESOLVED, That the position of Manager of Fiscal Operations shall be assigned to the managerial compensation plan at salary grade 8, and be it further RESOLVED, That for the sole purpose of determining days worked reportable to the New York State and Local Employees’ Retirement System, the standard workday for this position shall be established at eight (8) hours per day (forty (40) hours per week), and be it further RESOLVED, That the funding for this change shall be derived from existing funds within the Department of Public Works budget. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 2.2 Fire - Safety Audit Corrective Action Plan Moved by Alderperson Smith. Seconded by Alderperson Fleming. City Administration Committee Meeting October 21, 2015 Page 3 WHEREAS the Office of the State Comptroller conducted an audit of certain aspects of the fire safety inspection process used by various municipalities, including the City, and WHEREAS the final audit report was issued on May 27, 2015, and contained four recommendations for improvements to the City’s review, approval, and documentation of the fire plans, evacuation plans, and fire drills required of certain property owners under the state Fire Code, and WHEREAS General Municipal Law § 35 requires Common Council to approve a Corrective Action Plan detailing how and when measures will be implemented to address the recommendations, and WHEREAS the Fire Department has already taken corrective action to implement the recommendations contained in the audit as detailed in the attached Correction Active Plan, and Council believes that such actions effectively address the issues raised in the recommendations; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That Council approves the Corrective Action Plan, and be it further RESOLVED, That the City Clerk shall submit a copy of the Corrective Action Plan to the Office of the State Comptroller, and shall maintain the plan on file for review by the public. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 2.3 Fire - Authorization to Enter Into Purchase Agreement with H-GAC Moved by Alderperson Smith. Seconded by Alderperson Clairborne. WHEREAS, General Municipal Law 103 authorizes the City to purchase apparatus, materials, equipment and supplies, including vehicles, and to contract for services related to the installation, maintenance or repair of those items, through the use of contracts let by the United States or any agency thereof, any state or any other political subdivision or district therein so long as the contract is let in a manner that constitutes competitive bidding consistent with state law, and WHEREAS, the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC), a political subdivision of the state of Texas, issues public competitive bids and awards contracts for public safety, public works, and communication products and services, which are made available to local governments nationwide through HGAC Buy, and WHEREAS, the Fire Department and Department of Public Works have identified lower prices on certain products if purchased through HGAC, and WHEREAS, H-GAC’s competitive bidding process is consistent with New York state law in that it publicly advertises each contract and bid specifications, evaluates and selects the contract award based on the lowest responsible bidder or best value standard; both methods are also authorized under New York state law, and with specific regard to best value, was authorized within the City pursuant to Local Law, and City Administration Committee Meeting October 21, 2015 Page 4 WHEREAS, to purchase through H-GAC, Common Council must authorize the City’s entry into an Inter-local Contract for Cooperative Purchasing, and there is no fee for entering into the agreement as the service is supported thru administrative fees assessed to the contractors; now therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Mayor is authorized, upon the consultation and advice of the City Attorney, to sign the above referenced agreement between the City of Ithaca and H-GAC. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 2.4 Fire - Authorization to Enter Into Purchasing Cooperative Agreements Moved by Alderperson Clairborne. Seconded by Alderperson Fleming. WHEREAS, General Municipal Law 103 authorizes the City to purchase apparatus, materials, equipment and supplies, including vehicles, and to contract for services related to the installation, maintenance or repair of those items, through the use of contracts let by the United States or any agency thereof, any state or any other political subdivision or district therein so long as the contract is let in a manner that constitutes competitive bidding consistent with state law, and WHEREAS, City Departments have identified savings on certain products offered through purchase cooperatives run by state political subdivisions (school districts, municipalities, etc.) issuing public competitive bids and awarding contracts for various public safety, public works, communication products and services, and other products, and which contracts are then made available to local governments through membership in the cooperative, and WHEREAS, to purchase through such purchasing cooperatives, the City must typically execute an agreement to participate; and now therefore be it RESOLVED, That the City’s purchasing policy be amended to authorize the Mayor, upon the consultation and advice of the City Attorney and the City Controller, to enter into purchasing cooperatives agreements with other governmental entities or political subdivisions, where there is no fee to the City to become a member, and where the cooperatives and their underlying bidding procedures meet the requirements of General Municipal Law 103. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 2.5 Fire – Approval of City/Town Fire Contract Moved by Alderperson Fleming. Seconded by Alderperson Smith. WHEREAS, the existing agreement between the Town of Ithaca and the City of Ithaca by which the Ithaca Fire Department provides service to the Town of Ithaca is set to expire on December 31, 2015, and WHEREAS, the City and Town previously extended the contract from a December 31, 2014 expiration to the current December 31, 2015 expiration in order to permit ongoing negotiations to complete, and City Administration Committee Meeting October 21, 2015 Page 5 WHEREAS, after negotiating for well in excess of one year, negotiators for the City and the Town recommend bringing the negotiations to a conclusion at this time so as to avoid the necessity of an additional extension, and WHEREAS, throughout the negotiations, the Town’s negotiators insisted on identifying cost savings to reduce the Town’s cost under this contract, and WHEREAS, throughout the negotiations, the City’s negotiators insisted on maintaining current levels of service in the face of proposed cost saving measures, and WHEREAS, the Town identified and insisted upon the incentivizing of a volunteer firefighting program, as a cost saving measure that could nonetheless maintain current levels of service and current levels of professional firefighter staffing, and WHEREAS, the resulting clause is reflected in section 13(a) of the accompanying proposed contract, requiring the recruitment of five volunteer firefighters for every one paid firefighter in excess of sixty- five positions in the Department, including administrative staff, and WHEREAS, the Department is currently staffed with sixty-three funded positions, including administrative staff but not including the fraction of a position represented by the contractual services purchased in lieu of a Deputy Chief; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Mayor, upon review by the City Attorney, is hereby authorized to execute an agreement substantially as included herewith, and with such exhibits as may be recommended by the City Controller and the City Attorney, setting a new term for this contract to expire on December 31, 2019. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 2.6 Attorney - City-County Law Enforcement Consolidation Moved by Alderperson Smith. Seconded by Alderperson Fleming. WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County have long worked together as part of an ongoing effort to reduce redundancies, increase efficiency, and alleviate the tax burden on their residents, and WHEREAS, the protection of life and property is one of the most vital, and most costly, functions of government at all levels, and WHEREAS, that public function is fulfilled in Tompkins County through a number of police agencies, the largest of which are the Ithaca Police Department and the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office, and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County have allocated $16,780,212 in their respective 2015 budgets, representing 25% of the combined property tax levies of the City and County, to support their respective police agencies, and City Administration Committee Meeting October 21, 2015 Page 6 WHEREAS, since the 1950’s, cities and counties across the country have successfully consolidated municipal and county police services as a way to decrease costs and improve the quality of the services offered to residents, and WHEREAS, the implementation of police services on a county-wide level allows for a more seamless distribution of police services unrestricted by municipal boundaries and that more accurately reflect the needs of city and county residents alike, and WHEREAS, cities and counties throughout New York State have recognized the opportunity for improved quality and efficiency that may be afforded by consolidating police services and have, as a result, begun the process by investing in a comprehensive analysis of the feasibility of consolidating or sharing police services, and WHEREAS, in 2004, the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County achieved efficiency and cost savings through the consolidation of emergency dispatch services, and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County currently operate under a Mutual Aid Agreement with respect to the City of Ithaca’s Special Weapons and Tactical unit, and WHEREAS, as a result of years of cooperation and previous successful consolidation efforts, the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County are especially well positioned to achieve efficiencies through the consolidation of further shared services between the City of Ithaca Police Department and the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office, and WHEREAS, New York State has encouraged communities to identify and implement consolidation and shared service opportunities and has established various grant funds, including a $150 million onetime allocation for the Governor’s Municipal Restructuring Fund, to support such efforts; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca Common Council endorses a joint effort to secure State grant funding and/or other aid that will, in turn, fund a detailed analysis of the feasibility and opportunities for consolidation via a countywide police agency, or further sharing of police services between the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County, and, be it further RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca Common Council instructs the Mayor to jointly propose for approval by both legislative bodies:  An application for grant funding in support of such a study and associated eligible costs.  A request for proposals (RFP) for the study of the feasibility and opportunities for consolidation and sharing of police services between the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3. Finance, Budget and Appropriations City Administration Committee Meeting October 21, 2015 Page 7 3.1 DPW - Reclassification of Sidewalk Program Manager Moved by Alderperson McGonigal. Seconded by Alderperson Smith. WHEREAS, the Sidewalk Program Manager requested a review of his position pursuant to the terms of the CSEA Administrative Unit contract, and WHEREAS, the review determined that the position has evolved beyond the duties and responsibilities originally anticipated when it was created in January 2014, and WHEREAS, the Human Resources Department reviewed the point factor evaluation of the Sidewalk Program Manager 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 RESOLVED, That the position of Sidewalk Program Manager be reallocated from Grade 13 to Grade 15 of the CSEA Administrative Unit Compensation Plan, and be it further RESOLVED, That funding in the amount of $2,540.76 to cover this salary increase retroactive to August 13, 2015 shall be derived from Account # S 5410. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Passed unanimously. 3.2 Appointment of Provisional Deputy Chief Moved by Alderperson Fleming. Seconded by Alderperson Clairborne. WHEREAS, the Ithaca Police Department desires to fill the funded vacancy of Deputy Chief of Professional Standards, a position vacated by the retirement of DC Townsend in January of 2015, and WHEREAS, Lt. Vincent Monticello, who is in his 35th year with the IPD and continues to honorably serve the Ithaca community; has been fulfilling the role of Acting Deputy Chief capacity since April of 2015, and WHEREAS, there is no active civil service eligible list for the Deputy Chief position until an exam is requested and held early in 2016, and WHEREAS, after an interview and selection process, Acting Deputy Chief Monticello was selected to fill the vacant position of Deputy Chief of Professional Standards, and WHEREAS, the proposed salary for the funded Deputy Chief position vacancy is in the range between $89,240 and $107,088, and WHEREAS, based on law enforcement experience, dedication, and seniority within the Ithaca Police Department (IPD), the starting salary for said Deputy Chief position shall be $98,164, which is equivalent to the current salary of the current Deputy Chief, and City Administration Committee Meeting October 21, 2015 Page 8 WHEREAS, even though this appointment would fall outside of the Management Compensation Plan, IPD management believes this is the appropriate salary for this position; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That Acting Deputy Chief Vincent Monticello is hereby appointed to the role of Provisional Deputy Chief with a starting salary of $98,164, effective November 5, 2015. A vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Yes (2): Mohlenhoff, Smith No (3): Clairborne, Fleming, McGonigal Motion failed 2-3. 4. Performance Measures. Nothing submitted. 5. Common Council. None. 6. Meeting Wrap-up 6.1 Announcements. None. 6.2 Next Meeting Date: November 18, 2015. 6.3 Review, Agenda Items for Next Meeting. None. 6.4 Adjourn: With no further business and on a motion by Alderperson Fleming, the meeting was adjourned at 7:10 p.m.