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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-20-16 City Administration Committee Meeting Agenda108 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850-6590 Swimming the gorges has been a public safety issue the City has been addressing for many decades. The City created the Natural Area Ranger program in 1984 following the tragic death of a local teen. Chapter 250 of the City Code entitled “Peace and Good Order”, Section 250-3 Entitled “Swimming” states: “ In an attempt to clarify the regulations of the natural areas for members of the public, and to ensure that those regulations are enforceable through the judicial process, I am proposing that additional language be placed in the Natural Areas Chapter of the Code to indicate that entering the waters of any of the natural areas located within or owned by the City shall constitute Trespass. Upon the approval of this language, new signs will be purchased and posted in appropriate locations. If you have any questions or concerns about this proposal, please feel free to contact me at (607) 274-6570 or jholcomb@cityofithaca.org. CITY OF ITHACA WATER TREATMENT PLANT 202 Water St. Ithaca, NY 14850 607-273-4680 Fax: 607-216-0460 M E M O TO: City Administration Comm. & Civil Service Commission FROM: Charles Baker, Chief Operator RE: Creation of an Overlapping Position and change to 40 hrs/wk DATE: June 14, 2016 Our current Lab Technician has submitted notice that her last day of work with the City will be on December 22, 2016. This will leave us without an essential position for operations and with the water project going on would leave us in a hole, so to speak. Fulfilling regular training needs for the position would be troublesome with the project coming to an end (and moving into the new building) around the same time period. That will be chaotic at best to keep things functional alone. The current completion date for the project is around the 27th-29th of December (although there may be a new extension on that date). The lab will need to be set up with the new equipment, older existing equipment (in trailers and some packed away) will need to moved and set up and the USGS work will need to be moved back to the WTP. This is while still meeting our NYSDOH and DEC sampling/analysis requirements for operations and regulations. To be able to do all this and maintain a smooth transition for the lab and the lab tech position I am requesting that we hire a new lab tech, provisionally, and then have this person work with Jan (and lab staff) until Jan is done. This overlapping position will provide the time to get this person familiar with our lab needs prior to the move and be better prepared for the move. Getting things up and running faster and smoother for operations will be a preferred requirement for this time period. Jan’s position as lab tech was set at 35 hours/week to accommodate her schedule. We have the need for a 40 hour/week position and would prefer this. A Monday through Friday coverage is what is needed. Once Jan is done, the 35 hour/week position would be deleted and the new position of 40 hours/week would remain. As a result of this priority need in the lab, I am asking to not fill the Financial Management Asst. position (20 hours/week) for 2016. The funds for this position (approx. $18,330) would be used for the overlapping Lab Tech position (at 40 hrs/wk). This has already been discussed with DPW Supt., Mike Thorne with no objections. Technically we will not have the actual space (at the WTP) for the Fin. Mgmt Asst. until we are in the new building. Thank you for your review and hopefully, approval, of this request.   To: City of Ithaca Administration Committee From: Eric Hathaway, City Transportation Engineer Date: June 14, 2016 Re: Bulbouts and ADA Ramps, NYS Multi-Modal Funding In February 2015, staff brought the Board of Public works five project ideas to consider submitting to New York State for Multi-Modal Funding. After some discussion, we decided to pursue a project that would make improvements to pedestrian safety and curb ramps to meet our obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. In doing so, we will look for opportunities to make pedestrian enhancements as well, including moving the curb where feasible to create bulbouts, or as they are also known, chokers or neckdowns. Bulbouts shorten the crossing distance for pedestrians, improve sightlines and provide a safer place to stand while crossing the street. Sometimes, they also make it possible or easier to meet the grades required by ADA. We also propose to investigate other pedestrian- related treatments, such as flashing beacons, signage and striping that will enhance pedestrian safety. Staff submitted the project request in March, 2015 and have been notified that we have been nominated to receive funding in the amount of $250,000. There is no required City match; however, much of this work will relate to sidewalk design and construction through the Sidewalk Improvement Districts, so there will be some matching funds in a way. The Multi-Modal program is a reimbursement program, so the City needs to borrow the money in the first instance and file for reimbursement after the fact. The only expense not eligible for reimbursement is the cost of borrowing the money. In order to keep the accounting separate and to progress the project, staff is recommending that the City establish a capital project and fund it in the first instance. This has been recommended by the Board of Public Works at their June 13, 2016 meeting and we are now looking for your approval. Some preliminary locations that staff consider to be good candidates for using this money to design and construct pedestrian improvements include: Intersection of West Clinton Street and South Plain Street Intersection of North Cayuga Street and Lewis Street Cornell Street at crosswalk between Belle Sherman Elementary School and Belle Sherman Annex. Hillview Place crosswalk for South Hill Elementary School Intersection of Chestnut and Elm Street, adjacent to Lehman Alternative Community School Thurston Avenue and Stewart Avenue Irving Place and Ithaca Road There are potentially other locations that we will encounter that would benefit from pedestrian enhancements, so we would prefer not to limit the scope of this project to specific location at this time. If you have any other suggested locations or questions, or would prefer to approve the projects on a case-by-case basis, please feel free to contact us. 4.2 Department of Public Works - Amendment to 2016 Budget - Resolution WHEREAS, a pedestrian warning signal which is comprised of a concrete pole and flashing beacons in the vicinity of Belle Sherman Elementary school has failed; and WHEREAS, staff has reviewed the location and recommends the pole, and its equivalent on the other side of Cornell Street, be replaced, along with the flashing beacons mounted on the poles by City crews, at an estimated cost of $14,000; and WHEREAS, the current balance in the unrestricted contingency account is $115,000; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, That Common Council authorizes funding in the amount of $14,000 be transferred from account A1990 – Unrestricted Contingency to account A3311-5479 – Equipment Parts for the purpose of replacing said poles. A pole with two mounted flashing beacons on the east side of Cornell Street near Belle Sherman elementary school has failed due to structural issues. We would like to have our City crews replace the pole and beacons for this location and for the corresponding pole and beacons on the other side of Cornell Street and accomplish and related site work. We estimate the cost of this work, to be done by the City Electrician and City Crew to be approximately $14,000 for solar-powered beacons. The Board of Public Works has recommended at their June 13, 2016 meeting that funds be authorized by Common Council to replace poles, install beacons and perform related site work from your unrestricted contingency budget in order to accomplish this work. Thank you. 4.3 Department of Public Works – Establishment of Capital Project Funding for Carbon Monoxide Detection - Resolution WHEREAS, New York State has adopted a rule (Section 1228.4 of Title 19 NYCRR) requiring carbon monoxide detection in commercial buildings in 2016, which, according to the building and fire codes, includes municipal buildings; and WHEREAS, many City-owned facilities have carbon monoxide sources and thus will need to be brought into compliance with this regulation; and WHEREAS, staff has estimated that the total project cost will be approximately $50,000; and WHEREAS, this expense was not budgeted for in 2016; and WHEREAS, the current balance in the unrestricted contingency account is $101,000; and WHEREAS, on June 13, 2016, the Board of Public Works recommended that Common Council establish a project (either a capital project or a transfer from contingency accounts) in the amount of $50,000 to address the New York State carbon monoxide regulation; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That a sum not to exceed $50,000 is hereby appropriated from account A1990 – Unrestricted Contingency and transferred to account A1620-5225 – Other Equipment. 4.4 Department of Public Works – Ithaca Area Waste Water Treatment Plant (IAWWTP) Recommendation to Fund Professional Services Agreement with SourceOne to Assist in the Preparation of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) New York Prize Phase 2 Request for Proposals (RFP) 3044 Grant Application – Resolution WHEREAS, the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility (IAWWTF) is a facility owned by the City of Ithaca and Towns of Dryden and Ithaca and governed by the Special Joint Committee (SJC); and WHEREAS, the IAWWTF has been leading a community wide exploration of using the plant as a resource for a distributed electricity supply platform for a local microgrid; and WHEREAS, SourceOne completed a NY Prize phase 1 Feasibility Study that has been approved by NYSERDA and thus qualifies this project for Phase 2; and WHEREAS, IAWWTF has received a proposal for assisting with the preparation of the phase 2 application that must provide a detailed work plan for advanced engineering from SourceOne for the amount of $48,960; and WHEREAS, the SJC approved the expense at its July13, 2016, regular meeting; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, That the SJC recommends that SourceOne be selected to complete the phase 2 application technical details for the amount of $48,960; and, be it further RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca Mayor, the Town of Ithaca Supervisor and the Town of Dryden Supervisor be authorized to sign the agreement; and, be it further RESOLVED, That the funding for the professional services agreement is contingent on the approval of the City of Ithaca, Town of Ithaca and Town of Dryden, and be it further, RESOLVED, That Common Council hereby recommends funding this proposal contingent upon action by all wastewater owners and their respective attorneys committing their percentage of reimbursement shares to the Joint Activity Fund CP421J as follows: Municipality Percentage Project Cost City of Ithaca 57.14 $27,975.74 Town of Ithaca 40.88 20,014.85 Town of Dryden 1.98 969.41 $ 48,960.00 ; and be it further RESOLVED, That Common Council hereby amends Capital Project #421J Microgrid for Electric Power Feasibility by an amount not to exceed $48,960, for an amended project authorization of $148,960, and be it further RESOLVED, That funds for said amendment shall be derived from the capital reserve J1 or existing operated funds.