HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BPW-2017-03-13BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS PROCEEDINGS
CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK
Regular Meeting 4:45 p.m. March 13, 2017
PRESENT:
Vice-Chair Jenkins
Commissioners (6) – Darling, Goldsmith, Greene, McCormick, Warden
OTHERS PRESENT:
Superintendent of Public Works – Thorne
Assistant Superintendent of Water and Sewer – Whitney
Assistant Superintendent of Streets and Facilities – Benjamin
Director of Engineering – Logue
Director of Parking – Nagy
Executive Assistant – Servoss
EXCUSED:
Mayor Myrick
City Attorney – Lavine
Common Council Liaison – Fleming
DAC Liaison – Roberts
ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA:
Supt. Thorne and Exec. Asst. Servoss requested the addition of short discussions regarding
street permit fees and mobile vending. No Board member objected.
MAYOR’S COMMUNICATIONS:
The Mayor was not present.
COMMUNICATIONS AND HEARINGS FROM PERSONS BEFORE THE BOARD:
Commissioner Darling read the following notice on behalf of the Ithaca Urban Renewal
Agency:
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RESPONSE TO THE PUBLIC
No response was provided.
Commissioner Greene arrived at 4:54 p.m.
REPORTS
Board Liaisons
Commissioner McCormick, BPAC liaison, expressed concerns about the Tompkins Trust
Company’s construction zone on Seneca Street. BPAC requested the removal of parking
spaces on the south side of the street across from the construction site in order to add a
pedestrian walkway on the north side of the street adjacent to the construction site. Dir. of
Eng. Logue responded that because it is not the City’s street, the City would have to petition
the State of New York to temporarily change the street structure. He noted that it would be
useful to send a resolution from the Board of Public Works to the state with their
recommendation. Commissioner Darling stated he would like to see the options that are
available. Dir. of Eng. Logue suggested that he speak with staff and return with more
information at the next board meeting. He further noted that NYSDOT had approved the work
zone as it was set up. Commissioner Warden suggested that, in the future, if a situation
comes up, city staff should express concerns about removing pedestrian walkways.
Commissioner Darling stated he brought this topic up with the Planning and Economic
Development Board so they were more aware of pedestrian issues during site plan review.
Commissioner Warden reported that the Special Joint Commission was working to find a new
chief operator, noting that the Commission believed the salary for the position may not be
appropriate for the position.
Commissioner Greene reported that the Waterfront Resources Committee was continuing their
efforts, with more information coming to the Board soon.
Superintendent and Staff
Dir. of Eng. Logue reported the following:
the City was advertising to hire a seasonal Engineering Technician to assist with the
sidewalk program;
City crews were preparing to demolish the house at 401 Lake Street, but prior to
demolition, a group of students were documenting the property with 3D laser printing;
and
depositions were scheduled regarding the Simeon’s crash.
Asst. Supt. Benjamin reported that he also had depositions scheduled this week for the death
that occurred on the Cascadilla Creek Trail in 2012; crews were preparing for the snow storm
that was anticipated to hit the area in the next few days; and the Executive Unit voted to
approve a new employment contract today, creating a settled agreement.
Asst. Supt. Whitney reported that a letter was sent to 500+ property owners that had known
lead water services. There were 693 water customers that the City was not sure what type of
service they had.
Dir. of Parking Nagy reported that staff was preparing for the anticipated snow storm;
Parkmobile usage was averaging 500+ transactions per day; February revenues totaled
$69,500 ($500 lower than 2016); parking violations had an 18% increase in tickets written over
February 2016; test results for street occupancy would be brought to the Board in the near
future; and the LPRs were running at 99% accuracy, which was excellent.
Supt. Thorne reported that he was working on the Street Light projection, which included
purchasing the street lights within the city from NYSEG and eventually changing them over to
LED lights. He stated that staff was trying to obtain a time extension for installing disconnects
from NYSEG at the same time the lights were converted to LED. He further reported the
following:
crews were working on the lighting project along the 100 block North Cayuga and 100
block South Cayuga Street to add more sidewalk lighting while reusing the old
Commons light posts. Interviews for a Construction Engineer was held over the last
couple of weeks;
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Regular Meeting
the City was looking at advertising for an Electrician as the Electrical Supervisor would
be retiring in late April or early May;
staff was looking at putting in a storage shed near the Cascadilla Boathouse in Stewart
Park for use by the paddleboat vendor during the summer and DPW storage in the
winter.
ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNICATIONS:
Approval of the November 9, 2015, and February 27, 2017, Board of Public Works
Meeting Minutes - Resolution
By Commissioner Greene: Seconded by Commissioner Warden
RESOLVED, That the minutes of the November 9, 2015, and February 27, 2017, Board of
Public Works meeting be approved as proposed.
Carried Unanimously
HIGHWAYS, STREETS AND SIDEWALKS:
Resolution for Temporary ICSD Signage on Gateway Bridge
By Commissioner Warden: Seconded by Commissioner McCormick
WHEREAS, Ithaca City School District has requested permission to hang a temporary banner
from the Gateway Bridge on Elmira Road for the purpose of recruiting school bus drivers, and
WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works has previously approved a temporary banner
requested by Ithaca Police Department for similar job recruiting purposes in July 2015, and
WHEREAS, it is likely that requests to hang banners at Gateway Bridge will occur from time to
time in the future, and hanging banners from the bridge is difficult and must be performed by
Department of Public Works crews, and
WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works has, in the past, expressed that signage affixed to City
property should be temporary in nature, and have a municipal purpose, now therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works approves the temporary banner requested by
Ithaca City School District for a period of one month, and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works authorizes the Superintendent of Public Works to
evaluate and approve or disapprove temporary signage requests on City property other than
City parks, based on the criteria that the signs serve a municipal purpose, and based on
availability of Department of Public Works staff to install and remove the signage, for periods
not to exceed one (1) month.
Carried Unanimously
Award of Contract for Professional Design Services for the Reconstruction of
Albany Street from Green Street to Buffalo Street. – 2017 Road Construction -
Resolution
By Commissioner Darling: Seconded by Commissioner Warden
WHEREAS, two proposals were received on March 7, 2017 for professional design
services for the reconstruction of Albany Street between Green Street and Buffalo Street,
and
WHEREAS, the Common Council established a budget for 2017 Road Construction
through Capital Project #835, and
WHEREAS, staff has recommended awarding the contract to Barton & Loguidice, and
WHEREAS, engineering studies and designs are a Type II action requiring no further
review under the State Environmental Quality Review Act and the City Environmental
Quality Review Ordinance, now therefore be it,
RESOLVED, That the City of Ithaca Board of Public Works hereby awards the
professional services contract for the Albany Street reconstruction project (CP 835) to
Barton & Loguidice, D.P.C., of Liverpool, New York, for an amount not to exceed $50,000,
and be it further,
RESOLVED, That the Superintendent of Public Works for the City of Ithaca be hereby
authorized to enter into said contracts under the usual terms and conditions.
Carried Unanimously
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DISCUSSION ITEMS:
Request to Install Directional Signage on City Property from Scie ncenter
Josh Giblan, Director of Public Relations at the Sciencenter, joined the Board for the
discussion of this topic, and explained the request for signage and stated that there was a
main parking area for the Sciencenter along with a separate bus parking area so buses could
park the correct direction on a one-way street.
He further noted that visitors who were not familiar with the location of the Sciencenter did not
know to make the sharp left turn onto Franklin Street from Third Street after turning off of
Route 13, and ended up driving into the residential neighborhood. There was an existing sign
with arrows for cars and buses posted in front of the Franklin Plaza , but it was not enough. He
stated this request connected the last dots to assist drivers more in locating the Sciencenter.
Dir. of Eng. Logue stated that normally requests to put signs in the City’s right of way were
denied, but the Sciencenter was a big enough draw, that the engineers were okay with this
request. He suggested that if the center wanted to upgrade the other directional signs that
were already installed, they could be included within this request. He further stated that staff
would contact Mr. Giblan in the near future to coordinate the installation of the signs.
Request for Encroachment Agreement for 308 East Seneca Street
Supt. Thorne explained the request, noting that the awning would project into the City’s right of
way about 22 inches. He stated it would have been nice to see the mock-up of what the
awning would look like to ensure it was not obnoxious. He further stated he would request the
mock-up before the next Board meeting.
Discussion followed on the floor regarding fees for encroachment agreements, and the fact
that there was no fee for encroachments under 40 square feet. The Board agreed that
resolution would be voted on at their next meeting.
Approval of the Ithaca Youth Bureau Building as a Location for Future Murals –
Proposed Resolution
WHEREAS, in 2010, the City of Ithaca Public Art Commission (PAC) created a mural and
street art program to beautify blank walls within the city while providing local artists from all
sections of the community an opportunity to showcase their work, and
WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works approved several City-owned sites for inclusion on the
list of potential sites in the City of Ithaca Public Art Commission’s Mural and Street Art Program
by resolution on May 19, 2010 and has approved additional sites for inclusion in the program
since that time, and
WHEREAS, as a result of this approval, the PAC has worked with more than 50 artists to
install murals on City-owned property throughout the city, and the response to the new murals
has been overwhelmingly positive, and
WHEREAS, the Ithaca Youth Bureau (IYB) has asked the PA C to consider the exterior of the
IYB building as a location for future murals to help brighten up the building and make the
building look more kid- and community-friendly, and
WHEREAS, the PAC would like to consider the IYB building as a location for fut ure murals and
will work with IYB staff to ensure that any proposed murals meet the IYB’s goal for the space;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Board of Public Works approves the Ithaca Youth Bureau building for
inclusion on the list of potential sites for the PAC’s Mural and Street Art Program; and be it
further
RESOLVED, that the PAC will continue to work with Planning Department staff to conduct a
mutually acceptable public input procedure for engaging nearby businesses, residences,
and/or business and neighborhood associations for each specific project, and be it further
RESOLVED, that the PAC will work with the City Attorney to ensure that any art mural RFP or
contract with a participating artist reflects and accommodates the needs and const raints of the
City.
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Regular Meeting
Megan Wilson, Senior Planner, joined the Board and explained that the Ithaca Youth Bureau
had approached the Public Arts Commission about painting a mural on their building. She
stated that a couple of grants had come available that could help fund the painting project and
the Youth Bureau wanted the mural to be kid friendly and inviting to the public. She noted that
the Youth Bureau would work closely with the artist to ensure the mural was appropriate for the
space.
Supt. Thorne stated that the Board only needed to decide if the location wa s appropriate.
Discussion followed on the floor regarding reaching out to the architect that designed the
building, the building materials, the longevity of the mural, keeping up with the maintenance of
the mural, and ensuring the artwork was compatible with the building’s clean lines and
architecture.
The Board agreed to vote on the resolution at their next meeting.
Commissioner Darling expressed concern that the panels on the outside of the bu ilding were
not intended to be painted. Commissioner Greene suggested utilizing temporary installations
with banners to maintain the vibrancy of the artwork. Ms. Wilson suggested creating a
removable mural, like the painting of Ezra Cornell that is on th e Public Library which was
painted on plywood and was easily removed. The Board requested further information about
the construction of the building and its compatibility with painting. Commissioner Darling
stated he would love to see some color and life on the building, but he was concerned that the
building could not, or should not, be painted. Commissioner Warden volunteered to gather
more information about the building’s construction for the next Board meeting.
Appeal of Water and Sewer Bill for 105-07 East York Street
Asst. Supt. Whitney explained that this residence was a rental unit, and the Senior Meter
Technician had visited the location in February and found very high water usage. He stated
the owner was requesting that he be allowed to pay the bill over time without penalties or
interest.
The Board stated they did not have a problem with this request, as long as the balance was
paid off within a year. A resolution would be provided for the next Board meeting.
Authorization to Enter into Agreement with Cornell University for Erection of a Fence
along Fall Creek Drive – Proposed Resolution
WHEREAS, Cornell University proposes erection of a fence attaching to an existing stone wall
along Fall Creek Drive; and
WHEREAS, the stone wall is relatively low with a wide, flat top, from which people enjoy views
of the gorge, but also unintentionally invites people to climb, stand or rest on it posing safety
and welfare concerns related to falls into the gorge; and
WHEREAS, although ownership of the land on which the stone wall sits is not clear, and may
rest with an unknown third party, the City and Cornell as adjacent property owners to the
unclaimed property (City as owner of the Fall Creek Drive right of way and Cornell as owner of
the adjacent parcel) are interested in pursuing an agreement to enable Cornell to erect the
fence; and
WHEREAS, as part of its gorge stewardship, Cornell asked the City for permission to erect, on
a voluntary basis, a fence at the stone wall to deter public access to the Cornell Gorge Parcel
from the Stone Wall and Cornell obtained from the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation
Commission a Certificate of Appropriateness on April 14, 2015 to construct a black metal
picket fence with finials on top of the stone wall; and
WHEREAS, City staff are supportive of Cornell’s voluntary erection of a fence at the stone
wall, and are in agreement that the fence will serve mutual public health, safety and welfare
interests; and
WHEREAS, to the extent City Code Chapter 170 “Use of City Real Property” applies, the
Board supports entry into an agreement with Cornell University to authorize installation of the
fence; now therefore be it
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Regular Meeting
RESOLVED, That Board of Public Work authorizes, upon the advice of the City Attorney and
Superintendent of Public Works, the Mayor to execute an agreement with Cornell University to
govern the installation of the fence and responsibilities for the fence and stone wall.
Supt. Thorne explained that there was an old stone wall on a corner on Fall Creek Drive with a
guard rail in front of it because the wall is crumbling. Cornell University was asking to install a
chainlink fence as part of their gorge safety program. He stated that after two years of going
back and forth, neither party knew who owned the stone wall, so he suggested a Memorandum
of Understanding with Cornell University rather than a license agreement. He stated this was
basically for informational purposes.
The Board agreed that the resolution would return for a vote at the next meeting.
Resolution to Grant Hardship for 109 Parker Street for the Residential Parking Permit
System
WHEREAS, the Board of Public Works (BPW) has promulgated regulations, adopted June 9,
2004, for implementation of the Residential Parking Permit System (RPPS), which was
established by Common Council on May 6, 1998 after an act of the New York State
Legislature, and
WHEREAS, in accordance with Section 260-4 of the City Code and in accordance with the
BPW regulations, the BPW may grant hardship requests, and
WHEREAS, 109 Parker Street is on a street within the residential Parking Permit Zone without
on-street parking and is within the R-2 zoning designation; therefore allowing up to four permits
per multifamily dwelling, now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works hereby grants up to four residents of 109 Parker
Street to purchase permits for the Residential Parking Permit Systems, in accordance with the
above-mentioned regulations.
Dir. of Eng. Logue explained the request from the resident to purchase a permit to park on the
street, which was denied because there was no parking on Parker Street. He noted that three
years ago, another hardship request was approved by the Board. He further noted that this
resolution limited the number of permits allowed for this address, whereas the previous
resolution did not note any limits.
The Board expressed general agreement with the proposed resolution, which would be
brought back for a vote at the next meeting.
Street Permit Fees
Dir. of Eng. Logue referenced the resolution the Board had passed the previous month about
new street permit fees, noting that existing permits would be charged the new fees on March
15th. He stated that there had been some confusion about the fee schedule and how to
calculate the fees. In some cases, projects had already obtained funding for their project,
gone through site plan review, and was now looking at very large monthly street permit fees.
He suggested holding off another month to allow contractors to plan for these extra costs.
Supt. Thorne noted that the main reason for changing the fees was to help tidy up the
construction site for the Johnson School, though there were several other projects that were
creating confusion throughout the City.
Commissioner McCormick suggested that the Board could either extend the deadline for
implementation of the new fees for an entire month, or have the contractors appeal the fees on
a case-by-case basis. Supt. Thorne stated that the City just needed to give some of the
contractors a few more weeks to adjust.
A Resolution to Delay Implementation of New Street Permit Fees for “Existing Permits”
for Use of Street or Sidewalk in Building Demolition or Construction
By Commissioner McCormick; Seconded by Commissioner Darling
WHEREAS, Section 342 of the City Code requires a street permit for work within the City right
of way and authorizes the Board of Public Works to set fees for such permits, and
WHEREAS, on February 13, 2017, the Board set new fees for street permits issued for use of
street or sidewalk space in building demolition and construction, and
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Regular Meeting
WHEREAS, these new fees were to be effective February 15 th for any new permit and March
15th for any permit issued before February 15th, and
WHEREAS, some permittees have expressed concerns about the new fee schedule and have
requested an extension to explore alternate work zones, and
WHEREAS, the Board is willing to allow an additional month for “existing” street permits using
the right of way for building construction purposes, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Board of Public Works amends the implementation of the new street
permit (as authorized on February 13, 2017) such that the new fees are in effect as of April 15,
2017 for permits issued before February 13, 2017.
Discussion followed on the floor regarding calculating the permit fees and notifying the
contractors.
A Vote on the Resolution Resulted As Follows:
Carried Unanimously
Mobile Vending Public Hearing
Executive Asst. Servoss explained that the Street Vending Subcommi ttee was ready to
propose changes to the policy regarding mobile vending on city streets, and that a public
meeting would need to be scheduled prior to the Board taking any action.
Commissioner Greene expressed concern that nothing else may get done during that meeting.
The Board agreed to schedule a public meeting on March 27, 2017. Staff was to advertise the
meeting in plenty of time for the public to be notified.
ADJOURNMENT:
On a motion, the meeting adjourned at 6:15 p.m.
Kathrin D. Servoss Claudia Jenkins
Executive Assistant Vice-Chair