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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BPW-2016-09-26Board of Public Works Meeting Proceedings Regular Meeting 4:45 p.m. September 26, 2016 Present: Vice Chair Jenkins Commissioners (3) Darling, Warden, Marshall Others Present: CC Liaison – Fleming Supt. of Public Works – Thorne Asst. Supt. W & S – Whitney Director of Parking – Nagy Information Management Specialist – Myers Director of Engineering – Logue Excused: Mayor Myrick Commissioner Goldsmith Asst. Supt. S & F – Benjamin Call to Order - Additions to or Deletions From the Agenda: There were no additions to or from the agenda. Communications and Hearings from Persons Before the Board: No one appeared to address the Board. Administration and Communications: Approval of the September 12, 2016 Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes - Resolution By Commissioner Darling: Seconded by Commissioner Greene RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works approves the minutes of the September 12, 2016 meeting as published. Carried Unanimously Reports: Director of Engineering Logue reported that paving on North Tioga Street would begin on Tuesday, September 27th. Director of Parking Nagy provided parking revenue statistics for the Board. He further reported that the three kiosks on the Commons have been turned so that they receive the sunlight better, which should eliminate some of the problems that have been occurring with them, and all the pay machines are up and running. The City sold 230 of the new scratch-off parking cards in the first thirty days of the program, which resulted in a revenue to the City in the amount of $268.00. He has been very surprised by the popularity of the 15 minute and 30 minute scratch-off cards. Asst. Supt. Whitney reported that the City is still praying for rain as the flow in the creeks remains low. The new Water Plant should be operating at full production capacity tomorrow, and the processing of water at the treatment plant is going well. Crews have been busy working to install new water/sewer services and meters for all the new development occurring around the City including Ithaca Neighborhood Housing’s Project at 210 Hancock Street, Collegetown Terraces, Dryden Road, and final water chlorination process for the new Holiday Inn Express should be completed soon. CC Liaison Fleming asked when the new Water Plant would be fully operational. Asst. Supt. Whitney responded that it should be substantially complete by November and fully operational as far as processes. There is some painting and touch up work needed both on the interior and exterior; however, everything should be completely done by January. Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes September 26, 2016 2 Supt. Thorne reported that the binder course was installed on South Plain Street last week, crews will start milling the 400 block next week or the week after and the work on those blocks should progress faster than previous the blocks. He further reported that Dryden Road is still under construction, crews are finishing up the telecom duct work down the center of the road. NYSEG installed some vaults that are off a little bit and stick up too high so there will be a progress meeting tomorrow to determine what needs to be done to correct it, which will add a couple more weeks to project. CC Liaison Fleming reported that Common Council would begin a series of meetings related to the 2017 budget in beginning on October 3. There is a special Committee of the Whole meeting of Common Council that will take place this Wednesday (9/28/16), to specifically discuss capital projects and parking. Future meetings will discuss departmental budget submissions. These meetings will run through the whole month of October, and are live streamed if anyone is interested in watching them at home. Buildings, Properties, Refuse and Transit: Request for Encroachment Agreement/License for 102 East State/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street – Resolution By Commissioner Darling: Seconded by Commissioner MacCormick WHEREAS, Cornell University DBA the Cornell Store, lessor of the property at 102 East State Street (Tax Map Parcel No. 68.-3-11), in the City of Ithaca, has requested an encroachment agreement/license from the City into the adjacent airspace of City street right-of-ways for East State/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street and North Cayuga Street; and WHEREAS, the encroachment consists of the following: An awning overhang extending off the existing storefront into the City’s right-of-way for East State/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street by approximately 1 inch for a span of approximately 21 feet encompassing 1.75 square feet and for North Cayuga Street by approximately 1 inch for a span of approximately 18 feet encompassing 1.5 square feet, and WHEREAS, it appears that the awning overhang in question has been in existence for many years, and that the proposed encroachment is inside the current location of the existing airspace of the City owned property known as the Commons and will not interfere with the City’s property as currently constituted; and WHEREAS, the Superintendent does not anticipate any conflicts in the near future with public works uses or needs; and WHEREAS, the 2016-17 schedule of fees for use of City-owned property requires an initial application fee of $100 for new licenses, but stipulates that the annual use fee shall be waived for minor encroachments; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works hereby grants the request for an encroachment at 102 East State/Martin Luther King, Jr. Street, as proposed, contingent upon the execution of a license/agreement and submission of the required application form and fee and proof of required insurance; and, be it further RESOLVED, That the Mayor, upon consultation with the Superintendent and City Attorney, is hereby authorized to execute a license/agreement allowing said encroachment, revocable upon 90 days’ written notice by the City in the event that the encroached upon City property is required for any City purpose, and containing the usual terms and conditions, including those specified in Chapter 170 of the City’s Municipal Code. Carried Unanimously Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes September 26, 2016 3 Creeks, Bridges and Parks: Recommendation of Pavilion Reservation Fees from Ithaca Youth Bureau - Resolution By Commissioner Darling: Seconded by Commission McCormick WHEREAS, the Ithaca Youth Bureau was requested a review of the pavilion rental fee structure in both Stewart and Cass Parks as part of their budget process because they handle the rentals and are most familiar with the current use or demand for the facilities in both parks; and WHEREAS, the Ithaca Youth Bureau has developed a new proposed fee structure which largely reflects a 10% rate increase in the current fees for city residents (individuals and families) and a 15% for non-residents and organizations; and WHEREAS, due to increased reports of damage to the pavilions by renters in 2016, the Ithaca Youth Bureau is recommending changes to the pavilion rental form that indicate whether alcohol will be consumed and indicating responsibilities of renters to maintain the pavilions; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works adopts the following rate structure for use at both Cass and Stewart Park, effective January 1, 2017: Current Fees Current Fees Proposed Proposed (2014-16) (2014-16) New Fees New Fees (City (Non-City (City (Non-City Residents) Residents) Residents) Residents) Cass Park Up to 24 people $36.00 $47.00 $40.00 $52.00 25 – 74 people $72.00 $94.00 $80.00 $104.00 75 + people or $90.00 $117.00 $100.00 $130.00 Exclusive Use Stewart Park Small Pavilion Up to 24 people $36.00 $47.00 $40.00 $52.00 25 – 74 people $72.00 $94.00 $80.00 $104.00 75 + people or $120.00 $156.00 $130.00 $170.00 Exclusive Use Stewart Park Large Pavilion Up to 24 people $40.00 $52.00 $45.00 $55.00 25 – 74 people $80.00 $104.00 $90.00 $115.00 75 – 99 people $120.00 $156.00 $130.00 $170.00 100 – 149 people $160.00 $208.00 $165.00 $215.00 150 + people or $180.00 $234.00 $200.00 $260.00 Exclusive Use And be it further RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works approves the updated rental application for 2017. Carried Unanimously Water & Sewer: Appeal of Water Service Bill for 510 Utica Street - Resolution By Commissioner Darling: Seconded by Commissioner Greene WHEREAS, on April 20, 2016 a Crew from the Water & Sewer Division of the City Department of Public Works was dispatched for an emergency water leak repair in the middle of the street at 510 Utica Street; and WHEREAS, upon excavation in the street the leak was found not to be on the City water main, but on the water service line for 510 Utica Street; and WHEREAS, the leaking water service line was an old lead service line which was replaced from the water main in the street to the curb valve at the property line. The new water service line installed from the water main to the curb box/valve is a 3/4-inch K-copper line, as required by the City Code; and Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes September 26, 2016 4 WHEREAS, according to the City of Ithaca Municipal Code §348-17 the maintenance and replacement responsibility for water service lines remains the responsibility of the property owner, until the service line is replaced, and meets approved specifications; now, therefore be it RESOLVED, That the $2,374.32 City of Ithaca billing (invoice #00022450) for the installation of the new water service is the property owners’ responsibility; and, be it further RESOLVED, That interest or penalties accrued to date be waived, and interest and penalties on that amount not start to accrue until 30-days after the date of this resolution. The property owner for 510 Utica Street asked the Board whether she could discuss this item with them at today’s meeting. It was discussed at the September 12, 2016 Board of Public Works meeting; however, the property owner was not aware of that and so did not attend the meeting. Vice Chair Jenkins responded that the opportunity for the public to address the Board had already taken place today, and that it was not their procedure to allow individuals to address the Board for discussion at this time. Commission McCormick stated that he was fine with the Board moving ahead to vote on this item at today’s meeting. However, he does think there is miscommunication in some of the conversations that have been taking place between the crews speaking with the property owner at the time the work is done, city staff and property owners and so forth. He wanted the record to reflect that he acknowledged that was a concern that should be addressed. He wondered what could be done in the future to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Commissioner Greene requested that Supt. Thorne remind the Board of the City’s policy regarding property owners’ responsibility for the water and sewer lines from the curb to the home. The City is responsible only for the lines from the main to the curb. Supt. Thorne cited the following information that is contained in the City of Ithaca Municipal Code regarding property owner responsibilities relating to water and sewer lines: § 348-17. General installation and maintenance rules for service pipes. A. The installation of all service pipes between the water main and the curb box shall be at the expense of the owner of the premises served; except that, when a service pipe of Type K soft copper or other such material as may hereafter be approved as permanent shall have been installed at the expense of the owner, such installation between the main and the curb box shall be considered to be a part of the city water system and shall be so maintained. In the event, however, that larger or different service is requested by the owner or required by reason of the use of the property served, such larger or different service shall be installed at the expense of the owner. A Vote on the Resolution Resulted as Follows: Carried Unanimously Discussion Items: Request for Reimbursement from Ithaca Ice Company: The Board of Public Works received a request from the owner of the Ithaca Ice Company requesting consideration be given to reducing his most recent water bill as a result of the brown water problem experienced by the City during the months of July and August. He states, in his request, that the brown water negatively impacted his business and caused the company to have to shut down for four days during its peak season. He further reports that he was able to purchase ice from another source to meet his customers’ needs at an additional cost to him. He estimates that the cost for the down time and purchasing ice from another supplier to be $2,030.00. He requested that the City compare his water bill for the same time period in 2015 to see the difference in the use of water by the company this year. Commissioner Darling stated that he is not sure what is being asked of the Board. The owner is telling the City what it cost him. The City of Ithaca provided the water, it just didn’t work for his business. He has a question about how much water the owner had to waste because it was brown and therefore, could not be used to make ice. Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes September 26, 2016 5 Commissioner Greene asked how much is the City’s responsibility to reduce this bill as a result of the brown water issues that resulted in a business not being able to use the city provided water to make its product. He noted that the water was provided, and one could argue that if someone wants water that meets a consistent standard for their particular needs then they have some responsibility to make sure they have the systems in place to provide it. Commissioner Darling responded that according to the request from the business owner, they did have filters on their water system and the contamination still went through the filtration system. He is not sure what the City can do in this case. Vice Chair Jenkins wondered what the actual cost to buy ice and resell it was because in the owners’ request, he is estimating what the cost was. Commissioner Greene asked staff whether they had a sense or information as to what the difference was in the quantity of water used during the same time period in 2015, and what the differential might be. Asst. Supt. Whitney stated that he would Iike the opportunity to talk with the business owner further about the request. The timing of the problem experienced is just right with the timing in which the City was having problems with high levels of manganese in the water, and the area near the business in question and Fall Creek took the brunt of it. He stated that, to date, 26 refunds have been issued to people who flushed their water over and above their normal use. More water was needed to flush in the areas of Third Street, Second Street, and Hancock Street. The City is required to deliver something a little less turbulent by law, and in this case it was something a little different. He would like to see how much ice had to be purchased from another supplier. CC Liaison Fleming stated if the owner relied on the City for municipal water and the system filter failed, that this seems like a fair request. Asst. Supt. Whitney stated that whatever might be owed to the business owner would be paid back in water rather than in a refund check. Commissioner Greene stated that it would be helpful if the business owner would send an itemized bill, instead of an estimated amount for the Board to review. He would be interested in what kind of treatment system the business uses as well. The Board decided that they would like to have additional information from the business owner and staff on the request. This item will be on the October 3, 2016 Board of Public Works agenda for further discussion, with a possible resolution and vote at the October 24, 2016 meeting. Introduction of Ithaca Skate park Lighting Project: Andrew Douglas joined the Board for discussion of this topic. He provided the following information about the request: The new Skate Park has been incredibly well received, and the traffic is high and consistent. One of the more requested additions to the park has been lighting to provide additional usage hours especially in the Fall when there's a shortage of daylight. Over the past several months I've been working with Eduardo Torres in the City of Ithaca Engineering Office and Pleasant Valley electric on a plan to provide illumination for the new addition to the Skate Park. We currently have a $20K budget from the Park Foundation that was specifically allocated for sustainability aspects of the park. The original intent was a specific drainage system that never made it into the final plans and as such the money was untouched during the construction of the park. The lighting project has been approved under the guidelines of the Park Foundation, and the solution we've come up with is highly efficient, unobtrusive to the adjacent housing, and low maintenance. The plan now is to contract with Pleasant Valley Electric for the project and to gift the finished product to the City of Ithaca. Board of Public Works Meeting Minutes September 26, 2016 6 He explained that Pleasant Valley Electric has openings in their schedule in the next several weeks; however, the project needs the approval of the Board of Public Works prior to release of the funds from the Park Foundation. Supt. Thorne stated that he would like the City Attorney’s office to review the request, related to a private entity doing work in City Park. He will bring a resolution back to the Board for a vote at their October 3rd meeting. The Board expressed their support for the request. Procedure for Adding Items to the Board of Public Works Agenda: Commissioner McCormick stated that he was interested in the process for items being placed on the Board of Public Works meeting agendas. Commissioner Darling responded that the responsibility for selecting and placing items on the agenda is the responsibility of the Superintendent of Public Works. Director of Engineering Logue explained that sometimes there might be a question of whether or not a particular item needs to be placed on the agenda. It is always a good idea to talk with staff first when someone has an item or concern that they would like the Board to discuss. He further noted that an example would be the interest in having a conversation about traffic calming in general around the City of Ithaca. Currently, the City of Ithaca has no formal program or policy in place, and previously traffic calming for a particular area was funded through specific awards by either New York State or the Federal Government. The City has received requests from the public for some sort of traffic calming program, and a discussion is needed regarding how sites are chosen. It is important, from a policy standpoint, to begin the process of discussion about what such a program would look like, and how it might be funded – should it be through the Department of Public Works operational budget or should a Capital Project be established. Common Council would need to approve any Capital Project requests. CC Liaison Fleming stated that recently the Ithaca Police Department installed a monitor on Ithaca Road related to speeding that has been occurring in the neighborhood. It turns out that 60% of the cars are speeding downhill on Ithaca Road. In addition, neighbors paid for lawn signs that say “slow down” which have helped to encourage drivers to watch their speed. She agreed that it would be great to have a formal policy on traffic calming as well as a program to facilitate it. Adjournment: On a motion, the meeting adjourned at 5:38 p.m. __________________________________ ________________________________ Sarah L. Myers, Claudia Jenkins, Information Management Specialist Vice Chair