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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-COMSERV-2005-10-12 Community Services Committee Draft—Minutes 00..12 Septe 4 2005 Committee members present: Alderpersons David Whitmore, Mary Tomlan, Michael Taylor, Robin Korherr(Chair) Staff and other Council members present: Allen Green, Liz Vance (Youth Bureau), Joel Zumoff(Alderperson) was present for item# 11. 1. Meeting called to order at 7:03 PM 2. Greeting from the Chair—Korherr mentioned that there has been discussion of rotating responsibility for taking the minutes,with the departments that report to the Community Services Committee sharing the responsibility for taking the minutes. Korherr thanked Youth Bureau staff for offering to provide this service for tonight's meeting. 3. Approval of Minutes—On a motion by Tomlan, seconded by Whitmore, the August 10, 2005 minutes of the Community Services Committee were approved unanimously(4- 0) after two corrections. In item# 11, the spelling of David Lieb's name was corrected; in item# 10 one sentence was deleted: ("Tomlan welcomed the opportunity to work with this committee.") 4. Agenda review—There were no changes to the agenda. 5. Introductions—Korherr introduced Ben Jones, Mollie Devoe and Jake Hascup who were present for the SkateBoard Park presentation. 6. Public Comment—None 7. Response to the Public Comment/Committee Privilege of the Floor—Whitmore announced a Committee of the Whole (C.O.W.)meeting on 9/21/05 at 6PM at City Hall re: a proposed new water plant. 8. Inter-municipal Communications—None 9. Ithaca Youth Bureau Update—Green and Vance invited the committee and the community at large to the Ithaca Youth Bureau's second annual Community Celebration, to be held on Saturday, September 17th from Noon-5 PM at Cass Park. This is a fun, family oriented event. Activities include Dragon Boat racing, a climbing wall,rides, multicultural activities, games, hockey slap shot, a visit from the Cornell Men's Hockey team, a cake wheel, a silent auction, a performance by the Shimtah Drummers and an opportunity to work out with Ithaca's Mayor, Carolyn Peterson. I Green and Vance also reported on implementation of a new recreation management software system for the Youth Bureau,provided funding updates and reported on summer and fall programming highlights. Korherr asked whether the Youth Bureau would be able to use the new software to collect data re: rink usage during the upcoming ice skating season. Vance replied that the Youth Bureau was expecting to be able to do so and that staff are currently being trained in the use of the new software. Whitmore asked about the Recreation Partnership budget for 2006 and about the new Try Out Employment Program, a new youth employment initiative that the Youth Employment Service is providing in partnership with the Sciencenter, under the umbrella of the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency. Green provided updates on both items. Whitmore encouraged folks to attend the Community Celebration on the 17th and mentioned that he had attended last year and enjoyed it. Korherr reported that the Recreation Partnership Board had approved a budget proposal that calls for a 3%cost of living increase for 2006 and that the Town of Ulysses had voted to serve notice that it intends to withdraw from the partnership in 2007. 10. SkateBoard Park Presentation—Mollie Devoe provided a powerpoint presentation (see attached) entitled Continuing the Success of the Ithaca Skatepark... Mollie expressed the appreciation of the Skatepark community for the city's support over the years and highlighted some areas of concern(pooling of water, need for trash receptacles, re-design to better accommodate various skill levels). Mollie also updated the committee on fund raising efforts (about $6,000.00 raised so far) and efforts to secure a NY State Department of Parks and Recreation grant. Whitmore indicated that addressing the need for trash receptacles seemed like a good starting point and encouraged working with park users on locating these and securing them. Taylor encouraged the group to stay in touch on the status of the grant proposal since the grant would require matching funds and felt that there would likely be a role for the city. Korherr thanked the group for their efforts and perseverance and encouraged them to keep up the good work. 11. NY State Sex Offenders Act—Request for amendment—Resolution tabled from August 10, 2005 meeting. Input had been solicited from the City Attorney's office. A number of constitutional and enforcement questions arose. Taylor moved bringing this item off the table. There was no second to this motion. 12. Transportation Demand Management—Pilot Program update (attached). Whitmore provided an overview of this proposal. A subcommittee has proposed moving forward with this during the time that the Green Street garage is temporarily closed. About 450 parking spaces will be unavailable. The Cayuga Garage may be able to absorb about 200 of these spaces. Elements of the plan include TCAT bus passes, daily parking permits and a guaranteed ride program. Tomlan asked about eligibility/identification of program participants. Korherr expressed support of the proposal but has concerns about implementation. Taylor expressed support but has concerns about the cost and suggested that the City Administration address the question of funding. Whitmore responded that this is more likely to be an issue for the 2006 budget year and emphasized the fact that this is a long-term project. Korherr suggested requesting input from the Chamberlain's office. The consensus seemed to be that there s a need for monitoring and tracking usage. 13. Dispatch Memorandum of Understanding—Korherr provided a brief update and mentioned that city and county representatives have been discussing this issue and feels that there is still work to be done to further clarify this matter. 14. On a motion by Taylor, seconded by Whitmore, the meeting was adjourned at 8:30 PM.