HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-NCI-2000 Neighborhood& Community Issues Committee
Meeting Notes -May 15, 2000
A. Additions/Deletions to the Agenda
D. Samms requested the addition about an item concerning the Explorer Scouts
B. Public Comment
John Simon, 220 Cleveland Avenue and Kathy Young, 618 Clinton Street addressed the
Committee with their concerns about demolition undertaken by property owner William
Lower. In addition they asserted that their neighborhood is subject to persistent zoning
violations committed by W. Lower. They asked for Council assistance with this matter
Francis Bilker,President of Ithaca's Gay and Lesbian Task Force addressed the
Committee to urge their support of the proposed hate crimes legislation.
Bonnie Blanding May, 407 Second Street, commented on legislation in Rochester dealing
with excessive volume of radios in cars driving through neighborhoods. Her primary
comments,however were to urge the Committee to begin work on a lock down law
similar to the model adopted by the City of Binghamton.
Fay Gougakis, 406 Utica Street, address the Committee with the following concerns:
• insensitivity to the community of the library mural
\./ • lack of response to complaints about a recent party on East Hill which appeared to be
x in violation of the noise ordinance
0 employment status of Building Commissioner Kathleen Decker and why there has
been no information concerning her suspension or termination
C. Committee Response to Public Comment
With the agreement Blumenthal violations to the zoning ordinance for commercial
properties at the west end of Cleveland Avenue were referred to the Planning &
Development Committee for action.
D. Bias/Hate Crimes
The Committee was in agreement about the need for such local legislation and expressed
appreciation for the committee and community responsible for the proposal. In response
to Committee discussion,M. McCarthy agreed to look into appropriate language to
protect those who may be discriminated against because of their size. There was
agreement that effort would be made to make any amendments in time for this month's
Planning&Development Committee or, at the latest,the Human Resources Committee,
in order to bring the legislation to Council vote at the June meeting. This action was
proposed by P. Prior, seconded by T. Farrell and passed by unanimous vote of the
Committee.
over
E. Lock-down and Nuisance Abatement Laws
Resident B. Blanding May addressed the Committee with passion concerning the need
for this legislation. There was some caution from other Committee members but firm
support from the Mayor. After review of information prepared by K. Sokoni, S.
Blumenthal asked for further analysis of outcomes especially with regard to court
challenges. P. Prior also wanted to know how the law was used in other locations. T.
Farrell's concern is that the city will be left with boarded up houses. According to K.
Sokoni's research, this doesn't seem to have occurred in other locations. P. Prior and D.
Samms were more concerned about the tenants who may be evicted-- especially if they
are not the "problem" tenants. The Mayor was concerned about the Committee asking
legal staff for more information than may be necessary. The outcome of discussion was
an agreement to establish a subcommittee. The Mayor,P. Prior and B.B. May
volunteered to participate.
F. Winter Road Maintenance Options
Information provided by R. Ferrel indicates that the issue of whether or not to abandon
the no salt policy in the flats may be more of a policy decision than an economic
decision. Discussion centered on a product called "Iceban Magic" that works by
lowering the temperature at which ice forms. According to the literature,this product
does not appear to have an adverse environmental impact. The Mayor and P. Prior both
felt that increased use of sand may have a greater adverse impact--by creating a"dirtier"
community and possibly increasing sedimentation. The Mayor reiterated that the bottom
line this controversy is concern for public safety.
U
Committee members voted whether or not to continue with the proposal:
yes -- S. Blumenthal,J. Glasstetter,P. Prior,J. Taylor
no -- T. Farrell
The Mayor suggested further investigation into the incidence of silicosis and solicitation
of comment from the police and fire departments.
D. Samms raised a related issue of the method for plowing which continually throws
snow into resident's driveways.
G. Subcommittee Formation-Bicycles and the New York State Vehicle and Traffic
Law
After some Committee discussion, there was agreement on the action to create a
subcommittee to look into whether state law re: bicycles provides sufficient protection
for cyclists, especially children. There was agreement that the subcommittee should
include a BPAC representative, a Committee representative, (J. Glasstetter), the city
attorney(on a consultant basis), a member to represent interests of Ithaca's youth and a
representative from the police department.
Draft
Snow Removal and Deicing of Streets
Background Information
It is vital to the interests of residents of neighborhoods, to local and regional businesses
and to the traveling public that streets in Ithaca be kept dear in the winter.
Under the provisions of a 1986 policy, the Department of Public Works (DPW) has
applied a mix of sand and salt to all streets except in the downtown areas. The flat areas of the
City have been treated with only sand except in severe icing conditions. Under severe icing
conditions, salt usage has been allowed. Adherence to the 1986 policy has resulted in about
2000 tons of sand being applied to City streets each winter season which accumulates in the
storm water sewer system. Labor, equipment and maintenance costs are high under the policy
since sand does not clean streets as well as salt so streets must be plowed and sanded more
frequently during any event and a dedicated crew must be assigned to clean the storm sewers of
the annual sand deposits.
Additionally, since the use of straight sand in the flat areas does not produce the same
quality of results as the use of a salt/sand mixture, in recent winters members of the public have
requested that the City review the 1986 policy with the goal of improving conditions for both
drivers and pedestrians in the flat areas. A review of current options for snow removal and
deicing indicates that product improvements since 1986 have resulted in a practical alternative to
the use of the salt/sand mixture and the straight sand application currently in use. Therefore,the
subcommittee proposes the following:
.t.
Whereas Common Council wishes to improve traveling conditions for all residents of the City;
and,
Whereas, Common Council wishes to improve the efficiency of the DPW;and,
Whereas, new product development has increased options for snow removal and deicing;and,
Whereas, current available materials would allow deicing of roads without increased corrosion at
lower temperatures than materials previously available,thus improving deicing operations;and,
Whereas, costs associated with the use of salt and additives would be nearly offset by savings
of labor,equipment purchases and maintenance;now therefore be it
Resolved, that Common Council directs the DPW to initiate use.of deicing salt with a processed
grain wetting agent additive,and, be it further
Resolved,that all materials'spreaders are to be calibrated to dispense at least 20%less material
than previously used, and be it further
Resolved that this policy will be reviewed in the Spring of 2001.
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NEIGHBORHOOD & COMMUNITY ISSUES COMMITTEE
MINUTES
September 14, 2000
Present: Susan Blumenthal; Tracy Farrell; Patricia Pryor; and Jana Taylor, Chair
Staff: Leslie Chatterton and Tim Logue
Others Attending: Khandikile Sokoni
1. Meeting called to order at 7:35
2. Additions/Deletions - None
3. Public Comment
Laurel Guy, Director of the Ithaca Festival, expressed her concern about alcohol allowed in
Stewart and Cass Parks. As problems have arisen during past festivals, she would like the
City to look into banning alcohol in those parks. She would be willing to participate as
needed.
Fay Gougakis, a Fall Creek resident, asked the Committee to please investigate a recent
public service announcement about dog ownership that did not mention dog barking. Also,
she expressed concern that ambulance and rescue drivers were not involved in planning for
or comfortable with the mountable curbs proposed for the Wood and South Street diverters.
4. Committee Response
Taylor will form a small group to investigate the extent and nature of the alcohol problem in
the parks. The group might include Laurel Guy, the police, and a few others. It will try to
report on its findings and appropriate responses by the next meeting.
5. Neighborhood Improvement Incentive Funding Requests
Chatterton presented three applications for approval, all related to National Night Out,
noting that Rachel Krauss had withdrawn her request. Pryor asked about how widely
known the procedures were for applying for these funds. Chatterton stated that the
program was advertised through the Community Police Office, the Planning Department,
and, recently, through Audrey Cooper of Cooperative Extension.
Farrell moved to approve the three applications, Pryor seconded, and all three were
approved.
6. Neighborhood Assessment and Planning
Chatterton introduced Logue, a new Planning Department employee and the new staff
support to the Committee. In the Planning Department, he will split his responsibilities
between Neighborhood Planning and Economic Development.
Chatterton and Logue described a new program for neighborhood planning that is just
starting to take shape. Headed up by Steve Ehrhardt, who has been appointed by the
Mayor to be a resident leader, this participatory process will aim to identify neighborhood
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needs, develop a set of action plans, and link them to City and outside resources. This will
be a big effort and should involve a wide range of folks, including residents, the
Neighborhoods Council, and ward representatives. Time frame for first meetings could be 3
or 4 months and the whole process could take upwards of 2 years.
7. Neighborhood Traffic Calming
Chatterton briefly discussed the overall process design and five pilot projects for traffic
calming in the City. To date, the process has involved a number of local residents to
determine sites and techniques for calming traffic. A detailed summary was provided in
writing. With construction of pilot devices this fall or spring, depending on the weather, the
next step is to get the word out in the neighborhoods. This may include going door to door,
holding informal living room meetings, more formal neighborhood meetings, and larger
ward meetings. An evaluation period will follow construction, including a balloting process,
to determine if the devices need to be modified or removed.
Blumenthal asked how we would inform the broader public, given that the diverters seemed
to catch people by surprise. She suggested a midstream explanation about the City's traffic
calming policy, perhaps through newspaper articles. Chatterton said that was already in
the works. Taylor said that it needs to be made clear that the City is not talking about
closing streets as part of this program. Pryor recommended that we educate the public
about an open traffic system and why the five pilot sites were selected where they were.
When Blumenthal asked whether other advisory groups had reviewed the plans, Chatterton
stated that the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Council had been involved, but perhaps not as
well as possible.
S. Skateboard Park Safety
Sokoni presented materials and discussed policies from the City of Cortland skatepark.
Cortland publishes rules for usage, requires safety equipment, and employs on-site staff to
enforce park policies. It also charges admission and locks the park up at night. Currently,
the City of Ithaca has a sign recommending the use of safety equipment.
Pryor stated that policies such as Cortland's would significantly change the planned
concept of the park as a self-regulating park. Any revisitation of the concept should involve
the Wood Street Park Oversight Committee and the youth who use the facility. She
recommended an evaluation of how things have gone so far, what is working, and what is
not. Blumenthal said she would talk with JoAnn Cornish, the City's Environmental and
Landscape Planner. Pryor said she would check in with the Wood Street Park Oversight
Committee.
9. Lockdown Law Subcommittee
The subcommittee is still meeting to discuss what is appropriate for a lockdown and the
logistics of gathering information. They plan to report their findings at the next meeting.
10.Bicycle Law Subcommittee
Taylor reported (for Glasstetter) that the subcommittee is still meeting and will report next
month.
11. Mayor's Report - None
12. On Taylor's motion and Farrell's second, the meeting was adjourned at 8:30.
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T
NEIGHBORHOOD & COMMUNITY ISSUES COMMITTEE
MINUTES
December 13, 2000
Present: Susan Blumenthal; Alan Cohen, Mayor; Tracy Farrell; Patricia
Pryor; Jana Taylor, Chair
Staff: Tim Logue, Neighborhood Planner
Others Attending: John Beach, Laurel Guy, Glen Sharshon, Khandikile Sokoni
1. Meeting called to order at 7:35
2. Minutes from September 13, 2000 were approved on a motion by Pryor,
seconded by Farrell.
3. Additions/Deletions - Public Comment, Traffic Calming Update
4. Public Comment
Fay Gougakis, a Fall Creek resident, asked the Committee for an update on the
Lockdown Law. She expressed her concern that the Mayor's Housing Initiative was
rushed through Council and that some Council members did not have enough time
to review the related materials. Next, Ms. Gougakis stated her opposition to
Cornell's University's possible purchase of the Town Hall. Instead, she felt that the
proposed hotel project should buy the site in order to reduce the height of its
building. Lastly, she mentioned that she felt that George W. Bush had stolen the
presidential election.
John Simon, 220 Cleveland Avenue, mentioned that his neighbors were still very
excited about the proposed park and the capital improvement budget item that was
approved by Common Council. He stated that the proposal put forward by the
Mayor and Bill Lower has created tension and discord in the neighborhood, that its
reporting had been confusing, and that it would not strengthen the neighborhood
because it was only a side yard and because it was a third of the way into the
neighborhood. The Common Council proposal, he felt, would better buffer and
strengthen the neighborhood and would be significant to the African-American
community. In his opinion, the Mayor's comments on the Casey Stevens show that
the neighborhood was gentrifying were disrespectful He asked the Committee
members, as Council members, to stand strong and do the right thing.
5. Committee Response
Pryor responded to Ms. Gougakis's desire for an update on the Lockdown Law by
stating that it would happen at this evening's meeting.
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Blumenthal stated that it wasn't that she wasn't notified about the Mayor's
Housing Initiative, but rather that she hadn't received the related documents in
�-/ time to review them before the Council meeting and therefore did not feel
comfortable voting on the Initiative. The Mayor responded that updated materials
had not been passed out, but were discussed at the Council meeting. Blumenthal
responded that materials had been distributed to the Budget and Administration
Committee, but she had not received them.
The Mayor responded to Mr. Simon by saying that it was not in the neighborhood's
best interest to have four houses torn down. He said that he saw a problem and
was working to try to address it. Farrell mentioned that the item would be
discussed at next week's Planning and Economic Development Committee and that
she was hoping to hear public comment at that venue.
6. Neighborhood Improvement Incentive Funding Request
One application was submitted for approval by Bonnie Blanding-May of the
Northside Neighborhood Association for a neighborhood gathering. Farrell moved to
approve the application, Pryor seconded, and it was approved unanimously.
7. Proposal to Prohibit Alcohol in All City Parks
Since the last meeting, a subcommittee consisting of Taylor, Beach, Guy,
Sharshon, Cohen, and Sokoni had met to discuss a proposal to amend the current
ordinance prohibiting alcohol in City parks. Sokoni summarized the
subcommittee's discussions and the draft amendments to the ordinance. As it
stands, alcohol is prohibited in all City parks except Stewart and Cass Parks; the
amendment would delete language to include those two parks in the prohibition.
Beach presented statistics on DWI stops in, near, or related to Stewart and Cass
Parks. Thirty six stops are on record for the past 12 years. The Mayor mentioned
that this proposal would not do away with alcohol in the parks, but would instead
require a permit for consumption.
Pryor, Farrell and Blumenthal were concerned with the impact this would have on
the rest of park users. For them, there was not a sense of the real magnitude of the
problem. The statistics presented by Beach showed that very few of the total
arrests were related to the park and that about half of the reported DWI arrests
were for people in the parks after hours. There seemed to be consensus among
them that since many of the problems associated with drinking in the parks were
already illegal, including being in the parks after hours, underage drinking, and
disorderly conduct, that the more appropriate response would be better
enforcement. All three wanted more information about how the permit system
would run (who would administer, availability and duration of permits, if groups
could apply, etc.). Blumenthal mentioned that the Parks Commission was very
concerned about this proposal and that since it was pretty controversial, it needed
more time and discussion. Pryor also stated that she wanted to hear from a greater
cross-section of city residents and park users on the issue. Sharshon agreed to
bring more data on police reports.
No action was taken.
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S. Proposal to add additional language to the City's new sidewalk policy
This item was erroneously listed on the agenda to be in regards to the City's "de-
icing" policy. The Mayor explained that he had been in discussions with the Fire
Department about the possibility of requiring property owners to shovel out fire
hydrants in addition to the current requirement that they shovel their sidewalks.
This assistance from the general public would speed response times and be very
helpful. Using the City's GIS, the Fire Department could conduct a targeted public
education campaign for those people who own property adjacent to City hydrants.
The County's Office of the Aging and the Finger Lakes Independence Center had
also been included in the discussions to help identify those folks who might not be
able to shovel their hydrants, including the elderly and disabled. The Fire
Department would remain responsible for those hydrants. The proposal would also
apply to the business owners in the central business district. He was bringing this
item to the committee to gauge their support or opposition to it.
Farrell felt this proposal was unduly burdensome to homeowners. She would prefer
a call for volunteers. Pryor seconded her concerns.
Blumenthal was concerned about the practicality of such a system and about how
it would be enforced. She asked if people would be fined for non-compliance and if
the building department would be responsible for citations. She also mentioned
that 70% of property in the city was rented and that this would mean that
landlords were responsible for hydrant clearance. She would rather support public
service announcements and a call for volunteers.
9. Update on Neighborhood-Based Planning
Logue updated the Committee on his and Leslie Chatterton's work to put together a
program for neighborhood-based planning. He described a program that would use
existing neighborhood associations, where available, to build more participation
and work towards neighborhood vision statement and action plans. He said that he
would prepare materials for next months meeting for further discussion.
Blumenthal wanted to see the map of proposed neighborhood boundaries and
asked what we were trying to encourage with this scale of planning. Pryor
requested that the materials include a statement of purpose. She also asked how
this program would relate to ward boundaries and representatives.
10. Update on Traffic Calming
Logue also update the Committee on the Traffic Calming program. Currently, he
and Leslie Chatterton are discussing the specific pilot projects with public services,
such as Fire, Police, TCAT, Streets and Facilities, and the school district's
Department of Transportation. They will report their conversations next week to
the Board of Public Works (BPW), who will also discuss procedures for approving
traffic calming proposals. As part of the approval process, Logue and Chatterton
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are preparing to mail out a ballot/survey to better determine neighborhood opinion
about the proposal. If supported by the neighborhood and approved by the BPW,
traffic calming devices would be installed this summer for an experimental period
of about 6 to 8 months. A second neighborhood vote would follow to judge whether
the traffic calming devices should be modified, removed, or made permanent.
Farrell mentioned that this program for traffic calming included no proposals for
blocking streets. She felt that it was important to be clear that this program would
not close streets or limit access.
Pryor mentioned that three of the pilot projects were in here ward and that some
residents had questions on how the ballots would be used to determine the future
of traffic calming proposals. She also asked how people could express their opinion
if they did not live within the boundaries of the vote. Lastly, she stated that many
people do not have an adequate understanding of the proposals because they do
not have specific design details.
11. Lockdown Law Subcommittee
Pryor presented the recommendations of the Lockdown Law Subcommittee.
Though the subcommittee was not prepared to recommend specific legislation, they
had many recommendations for procedures to improve current enforcement of the
exterior property maintenance ordinance. These recommendations included:
a) Revising the Building Department's complaint tracking log
b) Regular reports to Common Council and the public (similar to building permit
reports)
c) Regular review of complaint activity by the Neighborhood and Community
Issues Committee, including information on the number and type of complaints
d) An automatic check for a valid and current Certificate of Compliance (COC)
whenever a complaint is filed against a property.
e) A regular and publicly known inspection schedule, including inspections a day
or two before garbage pick-up, with a provision for handling off-schedule
complaints
f) Giving Building Inspectors the ability to issue Exterior Property Maintenance
(EPM) tickets
g) Making changes in the computer-based tracking system for record keeping in
the Building Department to improve tracking of COCs and EPM violations;
record keeping should include disposition of tickets
h) Increased fines, as per recommendations from the EPM committee
Pryor stated that the subcommittee also looked at a Lockdown Law for criminal
activity, but lacked information about the magnitude of the problem. It was
difficult for the subcommittee to tell how a new law would help because the City
already has a Drug Eviction Ordinance and because many criminal activities do
not take place in perpetrator's homes. The subcommittee felt that the above
recommendations should be reviewed about a year after implementation.
The Mayor stated that although he does not share all of the subcommittee's
opinions, especially in regards to drug convictions, he did appreciate all the work
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and time they had put in on the issue. When Pryor stated that the subcommittee
needed more information on cases of criminal activity where we have not been able
to use the Drug Eviction Ordinance, the Mayor said he would do some research
and report back.
Blumenthal recommended that the subcommittee investigate how other cities have
dealt with some of these recommendations, including the tracking and fine
systems. She also mentioned that the Exterior Property Maintenance subcommittee
would be reporting next week to the Planning and Economic Development
Committee.
12. Bicycle/Transportation Subcommittee - No report
13. Mayor's Report - None
14. New Business
Taylor announced that after two years in the position, she would like to step down
from the Chair of the Neighborhood and Community Issues Committee for the year
2001.
15. On Taylor's motion and Farrell's second, the meeting was adjourned at
9:30.
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