HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-26-14 City Administration Committee Meeting AgendaCA Meeting
City Administration Committee
DATE:March26, 2014
TIME: 6:00 pm
LOCATION: 3rd Floor,
City Hall,Council Chambers
AGENDA ITEMS
ItemVoting
Item?
Presenter(s)Time
Allotted
Chair, Deb Mohlenhoff
1.Call To Order* Note: We will review the number of 15Min*
1.1Agenda ReviewNocards received at the beginning of each
1.2Review and Approval of MinutesYesmeeting and adjust time if needed.
1.3Statements from the PublicNo
1.4Statements from EmployeesNo
1.5Council ResponseNo
(6:15p.m.)
2.Standing Sub-Committee and Staff Reports
3.City Administration, Human Resources, and Policy
3.1Attorney-Approval of Revised Deductible in YesAri Lavine, Attorney10 min
Settlement of Perialas, LLC et al. v.
City of Ithaca et al.
3.2An Ordinance to Amend the Parks CommissionYesMegan Wilson, Planner5 Min
Membership (6:30p.m.)
4.Finance, Budget, and Appropriations
4.1DPW –Request to Amend Budget to TreatYesJeanne Grace, City Forester5 Min
Hemlock Trees in City Cemetery
4.2IPD -Request to Amend 2013 IPD Budget-YesSteve Thayer, Controller5 Min
K-9Unit Grant
4.3TIGER Grant (Distributed under separate cover)YesSvante Myrick, Mayor5 min.
(6:45p.m.)
5.Performance MeasuresNoKevin Sutherland, Chief of Staff10 Min
(6:55p.m.)
6.GPA TransitionNoDeb Mohlenhoff10 Min
(7:05p.m.)
7.2015 Budget ProcessNoAll
7.1Proposed 2015 Budget ScheduleNoAll5 min
7.2Budget Topics PreparationNoAll30 min
(7:40p.m.)
8.Meeting Wrap-upAll5 Min
8.1 AnnouncementsNo
8.2 Review Agenda Items for next meeting No
8.3 AdjournYes
(7:45p.m.)
Committee Charge:The CA committee will:
Review financial and administrative issues pertaining to the City, along with items relating to the City of Ithaca workforce
environment, intergovernmental relations and human resource
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 Controller’s Office at 607-274-6576 at least 48 hours before the meeting.
3. City Administration, Human Resources, and Policy
.1Approval of Revised Deductible in Settlement of Perialas, LLC et al. v. City of Ithaca et
al.
WHEREAS, the matter of Perialas, LLC et al. v. City of Ithaca et al., Civil Action No. 5:13-CV-
1155, regards a dispute between the City and the owners of property, including a sound recording
studio, adjacent to the Clinton St. bridge; and
WHEREAS, following negotiation between the parties, the Perialas’ agreed to settle all disputes
between the parties in exchange for a payment of $85,000; and
WHEREAS, on March 5, 2014, the Common Council adopted a resolution approving this $85,000
settlement premised upon the City’s insurer contributing $65,000 of this settlement cost and the
City contributing the remaining $20,000; and
WHEREAS, the City’s insurer has since clarified that the applicable deductible under the relevant
insurance policy is in fact $25,000, leaving the insurer to cover $60,000 of the total settlement
amount; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED,That Common Council hereby amends its March 5 approval of this settlement so as
to authorize the payment to the City’s insurer of an amount not to exceed $25,000, namely the
applicable deductible under the operative insurance policy, in lieu of the $20,000 payment
previously authorized,and be it further
RESOLVED, That said $25,000 deductible shall be derived as follows:
From account A1930-5700: $24,000
From Account A1930-5000: $1,000
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Common Council hereby authorizes the Mayor and the City Controller,
upon the advice of the City Attorney, to execute all documents and payments necessary to
implement the settlement referenced herein.
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3. City Administration, Human Resources, and Policy
.2An Ordinance to Amend The Municipal Code Of The City Of Ithaca, Chapter 86,
Entitled “Parks Commission” To Amend the Commission Membership
WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca Parks Commission was established in 1991 to advise the Board of
Public Works, Common Council and other City boards and commissions on issues relating to City-
owned parks and open spaces, and
WHEREAS, the Parks Commission was established to consist of nine members, including
members of several specific organizations, and
WHEREAS, the majority of these specified organizations are no longer active, and the current
requirements do not reflect the composition of the Parks Commission over the past several years,
and
WHEREAS, it has been difficult to maintain a membership of nine on theParks Commission and
membership typically consists of seven or fewer individuals; now, therefore,
ORDINANCE NO. ____
BE IT ORDAINED AND ENACTED by the Common Council of the City of Ithaca that Chapter
86 of the Municipal Code of the City of Ithaca be amended as follows:
Section 1.Chapter 86, Section 86-4 of the Municipal Code of the City of Ithaca is hereby
amended to read as follows:
§ 86-4. Membership.
A.The Commission shall consist of seven nine members, all of whom are appointed by the
Mayor, subject to the approval of Common Council, and four 2/3 of whom must be City
residents.
(1)One member shall represent Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Community
Beautification Program.One member shall be chosen from each of the following
organizations: the Circle Greenway Commission, the Six Mile Creek Overseer
Committee, the Shade Tree Advisory Committee, and the Recreation Committee of
the Youth Bureau.
(2)Four seven members shall represent, through specific training or equivalent
background and active interest, the fields of landscape architecture, historic
preservation or local history, horticulture, general ecology, tourism,and recreation.
(3)Two members shall be at-large members representing the general community.
B.Ex officio members (non-voting) of the Commission shall include a member of the
Common Council, a member of the Planning and Development Board, a member of the
Board of Public Works, the City Forester or his/her designee,the Director of Planning,
Building, Zoning, & Economic Development or his/herdesignee,and the Recreation
Coordinator Facilities Director of the Youth Bureau or his/her designee and the Parks
and Forestry Supervisor of the Department of Public Works.Each ex officio member
representing a particular group shall be chosen by his/her constituent group.
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Section 2.Chapter 86, Section 86-7 of the Municipal Code of the City of Ithaca is hereby
amended to read as follows:
§ 86-7. Quorum; meetings.
A.A quorum for the transaction of business shall consist of four five of the Commission
members, and but it shall require an affirmative vote of a majority of the body to decide on
new policy issues.
B.The Commission shall meet at least monthly. Meetings may be held at any time on the
written request of any two Commission members or at the call of the Chairperson or
Mayor.
Section 3. Effective date. This ordinance shall take effect immediately and in accordance with law
upon publication of notices as provided in the Ithaca City Charter.
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TO: City Administration Committee
FROM: Megan Wilson, Planner
DATE: March 11, 2014
RE: Proposal to Amend Parks Commission Membership
The City of Ithaca Parks Commission was established in 1991 to advise the Board of Public Works,
Common Council and other City boards and commissions on issues relating to City-owned parks and
open spaces. The Commission’s membership was established to include nine members, including
several representatives of specific organizations. Since that time, many of these organizations have
dissolved, but the membership criteria of the Commission still require representatives of these groups.
Additionally, it has been very challenging to maintain a membership of nine Commissioners, and the
Commission typically consists of seven or fewer individuals. Therefore, the Parks Commission would
like to amend their membership to include seven members, only one of whom will represent a specific
organization.
The proposed amendment to Chapter 86, Parks Commission, of the City Municipal Code is attached
for your review. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at 274-6560 or
mwilson@cityofithaca.org.
hCITY OF ITHACA
108 East Green Street —3rd Floor Ithaca, New York 14850-5690
DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
JOANN CORNISH, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT
PHYLLISA A. DeSARNO, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Telephone: Planning & Development –607-274-6550 Community Development/IURA –607-274-6559
Email: dgrunder@cityofithaca.orgEmail: iura@cityofithaca.org
Fax: 607-274-6558Fax: 607-274-6558
4. Finance, Budget, and Appropriations
.1 DPW -Request to Amend Budget to Treat Hemlock Trees in City Cemetery
WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca Cemetery has128 Eastern Hemlock trees, some of which date back
to the creation of the Cemetery, and
WHEREAS, Hemlock Wooly Adelgidis a non-native invasive insect which can cause death to
native Eastern Hemlock trees in 4 years or less and infestation of many of the trees in the City
Cemetery has been confirmed, and
WHEREAS, there is no known natural resistance to the insect among Eastern Hemlock trees in the
North Eastern United States and the infestation of the trees in the City Cemetery willresult in the
eventual deathof all the hemlock trees, and
WHEREAS, there are pesticide treatment options that have shown to be effective in reducing the
infestation of the insects and allowing for the recovery of the infested tree, and
WHEREAS, the City Forester recommends a treatment of the hemlock trees in the City Cemetery
using a combination of dinotefuran and imidacloprid,applied directly to infested trees to reduce
the infestation and protect the trees for 7 or more years, and
WHEREAS, the infestation will be monitored on an annual basis and treatment may again be
needed in 7 ormore years, and
WHEREAS,the treatment plan will cost approximately $9,000 and there is currently $3,000 in the
2014 budget to pay for a portion of the treatment plan; now therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That Common Council hereby approves of a transfer not to exceed $6,000 from
A1990 Unrestricted Contingency to Account A8810-5435 Cemetery Contracts for the purpose of
the treatment of the Eastern Hemlock trees in the City Cemetery.
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CITY OF ITHACA
245 Pier Rd., Ithaca, New York 14850
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, STREETS & FACILITIES
Telephone: 607/272-1718 Fax: 607/272-4374
MEMORANDUM
TO:City Administration
FROM:Jeanne Grace –City Forester
DATE:3/17/2014
RE:Hemlock Wooly Adelgid in City Cemetery –funding for treatment
Background:
Hemlock Wooly Adelgid is a non-native invasive insect. It acts to harm the tree by attaching at
the base of the needles and sucking nutrient rich sap from the tree. A heavy HWA infestation can
kill a mature tree in a little as 4 years. Treatment of infested trees with insecticides has been
shown to be effective in reducing the infestation and allowing for recovery of the tree.
The City of Ithaca Cemetery is 17.76 acres and the hemlock trees are spread thorough out the
area. There are 128 Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) trees in the City Cemetery totaling
2227 diameter inches. The trees vary in size and age but there are many individual trees that
probably date back to the creation of the cemetery.
The trees were inspected in 2011. Despite confirmed infestation of trees adjacent to the
Cemetery in Cascadilla Gorge, there was no detectable infestation of HWA in the city cemetery.
Survey was again done in 2013 and most trees inspected were confirmed infested with HWA.
If we allow infestation to progress naturally. There is no known natural resistance in Eastern
Hemlock. We could either wait until tree death or proactively begin removing trees. Tree
removal in this area is difficult due to the surrounding historic gravestones. Removal of all trees
would be in the 10s of thousands of dollars.
I recommend treatment of the most heavily infested trees with a combination of two pesticides,
one that will act to kill the insects this year(dinotefuran) and one that will provide long term
protection (7+ years) (imidacloprid) . The less heavily infested trees will only get the long term
pesticide(imidacloprid).
The productswill besprayed onto the lower 5 feet of tree trunk. The chemicals are absorbed into
the tree through the bark. This is a systemic insecticide. This option is applied directly to the tree
and poses little risk of non target trees taking up the chemical. Cost for application of the
combination of pesticides for the heavily infested trees is $4.50 -$5 per diameter inch of truck
and the single application for the less infested trees is approx $2.50 -$3 per inch of diameter.
“An Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to workforce diversification.”
Total cost to treat the trees in the cemetery will be approx $9000. There is already $3000
available in the 2014 budget so an additional $6000 is needed to protect these trees. The
infestation will be monitored and treatment may again be needed in 7 -10 years.This will not be
an annual cost.
Jeanne Grace
City Forester
607-272-1718
.2IPD -Request to Amend 2013 IPD Budget –K9 Unit Grant
WHEREAS, the Ithaca Police Department (IPD) recently received a U.S. Department of
Homeland Security’s State Homeland Security grant as part of the 2013 Explosive Detection
Canine Team Grant Program in the amount of $60,000 to allow for the start-up of an IPDCanine
Program, and
WHEREAS, the Ithaca Police Department also has received $28,235 in private donations to assist
with the start-up costs to the new Canine Program, and
WHEREAS, this Canine Team will be trained to be utilized in building searches, suspect
apprehension, explosive detection and search for missing persons, and
WHEREAS, we need to amend the 2014 Ithaca Police Department to account for the Homeland
Security grant and the private donations for the new Canine Program; now therefore, be it
RESOLVED,That Common Council hereby amends the 2014 authorized Police Department
Budget in an amount not to exceed $88,235 to account for the $60,000 U.S. Department of
Homeland Security Grant and the $28,235 in private donation for the IPD Canine Program as
follows:
Increase Revenue Accounts:
A3120-2705-5021Police Gifts and Donations$28,235
A3120-4320-5021Police Public Safety Federal Aid60,000
$88,235
Increase Appropriations Accounts:
A3120-5125-5021Police Canine Overtime$10,000
A3120-5225-5021Police Canine Other Equipment4,000
A3120-5215-5021Police Canine Vehicles31,500
A3120-5435-5021Police Canine Contracts13,235
A3120-5440-5021Police Canine Staff Development8,000
A3120-5460-5021Police Canine Program Support11,500
A3120-5476-5021Police Canine Equipment Maintenance5,000
A3120-5477-5021Police Canine Equipment Parts5,000
$88,235
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CITY OF ITHACA
108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850-5690
2015 Budget Schedule
Tentative Dates
1.Thursday October 9, 20146:00 p.m.
2.ThursdayOctober 16, 20146:00 p.m.
3.ThursdayOctober 23, 20146:00 p.m.
4.ThursdayOctober 30, 20146:00 p.m.
DM/sm
03-19-14
"An Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to workforce diversification."